Acquired resistance triggered by elicitins in tobacco and other plants

Elicitins are a family of proteins excreted byPhytophthora spp. They exhibit high sequence homology but large net charge differences. They induce necrosis in tobacco plants which then become resistant to the tobacco pathogenPhytophthora parasitica var.nicotianae. In stem-treated plants, resistance was not restricted to the site of elicitin application, but could be demonstrated by petiole inoculation at all levels on the stem. Resistance was already maximum after two days and lasted for at least two weeks. It was effective not only towardsP. p. var.nicotianae infection, but also against the unrelated pathogenSclerotinia sclerotiorum. In contrast to dichloroisonicotinic acid, an artificial inducer of systemic acquired resistance, which was increasingly effective with doses ranging from 0.25 to 5mole per plant, the basic elicitin cryptogein exhibited a threshold effect, inducing near total resistance and extensive leaf necrosis above 0.1 nmole per plant. Between 1 and 5 nmole, acidic elicitins (capsicein and parasiticein) protected tobacco plants with hardly any necrotic symptom. Elicitins exhibited similar effects in various tobacco cultivars andNicotiana species, although with quantitative differences, but induced neither necrosis nor protection in other SolanaceÆ (tomato, petunia and pepper). Among 24 additional species tested belonging to 18 botanical families, only some BrassicaceÆ, noticeably rape, exhibited symptoms in response to elicitins, in a cultivar-specific manner. Elicitins appear to be natural specific triggers for systemic acquired resistance and provide a tool for unraveling the mechanisms leading to its establishment.Abbreviations AR acquired resistance - HR hypersensitive response - INA 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid - Ppn Phytophthora parasitica var.nicotianae - SAR systemic acquired resistance     

Correlation between hydrolytic enzyme activities measured in bean seedlings afterTrichoderma koningii treatment combined with pregermination and the protective effect againstPythium splendens

An experimental protocol consisting in the colonisation of pregerminated bean seeds dressed withTrichoderma sp. was used in order to study the mechanisms correlated with the protective effect againstPythium splendens. Seed dressed with TH-11 (T. koningii) for 24 h presented a higher protective effect and a higher level of seed colonisation as compared to those dressed with TH-13 (T. longibranchiatum). The levels of seed coat colonisation by TH-11 and TH-13 was shown to be correlated with the carboxymethylcellulase activity, as measured in the seed coats retreived from germinating dressed bean seeds. The seed coat colonisation was also associated with an increased activities of endo-1,3--glucanase and endochitinase measured in seed extracts, and an inhibitory effect of seed extracts onPythium sporangia germination. Pretreatment of TH-13-dressed seeds with a commercial cellulase improved all parameters mentioned above, thus suggesting a role of cellulase activity in the colonisation process and the linked protective effect. The possible role of hydrolytic enzymes in the protective effects is discussed.     

Effect of the Pietrain breed used as terminal boar on Post-weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) in the offspring in four PMWS-affected farms

The aim of this study was to determine the potential risk factors for PMWS at the individual pig level and assess the effect of the Pietrain paternal genetic background of the animals in a cohort study. The survey was set up in four PMWS-affected farms with 2 repetitions (batches) per farm. A representative sample of 60 pigs per batch, stratified according to the paternal genetic background (Pietrain: yes vs. no), was randomly selected after farrowing. The representative cohort was divided into 8 batches and the pigs were individually monitored from birth to slaughter. Survival analysis was used to determine the factors related to the time to PMWS. The litter-cluster effect was taken into account using the marginal Cox model (robust estimation of the covariance matrix) and the gamma shared frailty model which were compared.No protective effect of the Pietrain breed on the time to PMWS and the proportion of affected pigs in the offspring was found in this study. Piglets showing low circovirus type 2 (PCV2) titres at 7 weeks-old with no subsequent seroconversion and piglets from PCV2 negative sows were most likely to be affected by PMWS (HR=7.0 and 2.8, respectively). Active infection of the pregnant dams with parvovirus was related to an increased risk of PMWS in the offspring (HR=2.3). Neck injuries due to poorly performed injections in the dams were associated with an increased risk of PMWS with the marginal model (HR=2.1). Oxytocin injection (dams) during farrowing was protective against PMWS in the offspring (HR=0.6).     

Molecular detection of sugarcane striate virus and sugarcane white streak virus and their prevalence in the Miami World Collection of sugarcane and related grasses

Viruses in the genus Mastrevirus (family Geminiviridae), including those infecting sugarcane, have natural geographical ranges almost exclusively restricted to Africa and the Indian Ocean islands off the African coast. Only sugarcane white streak virus (SWSV) in Barbados and sugarcane striate virus (SStrV) in Florida and Guadeloupe are known to infect a few sugarcane varieties in the Western Hemisphere. In this study, PCR assays were developed to detect these two viruses in sugarcane. Five hundred and seventy-one DNA samples from Saccharum species and interspecific hybrids from the Miami World Collection of sugarcane and related grasses were tested for the presence of SStrV and SWSV by PCR. No variety was found infected by SWSV but SStrV was detected in 19 varieties. PCR data were confirmed by sequencing amplified fragments (248 bp). These fragments shared 93%–100% nucleotide identity with SStrV sequences from the GenBank database. SStrV isolates were distributed in six phylogenetic groups, including the four strains of the virus. Most varieties infected by SStrV originated from Asia, thus confirming a previous hypothesis stating that this virus originated from this continent. Absence of SStrV in commercial sugarcane in Florida also suggested that this virus has not been spread in this location, while infected plants have been present for several decades.     

Influence of larval and juvenile life history on age at first maturity in two tropical amphidromous fish species

This study investigates how age at first maturity of two tropical amphidromous species Sicyopterus lagocephalus (Pallas, 1770) and Cotylopus acutipinnis (Guichenot, 1863) varies in relation to their larval and juvenile life history. Reproductive stage was estimated based on histological observation of ovaries of more than 200 females of each species caught monthly over 1 year. The age of fish was estimated by interpreting the daily increments deposited on otoliths during the oceanic larval phase, and the juvenile phase in the river. The age at first maturity was approximately 9 months for S. lagocephalus and 7 months for C. acutipinnis, corresponding to approximately 70–130 and 90–130 days after they returned to freshwater respectively. For both species, the time spent in freshwater before maturity was significantly influenced by the duration of the pelagic larval stage at sea (PLD) and the season of return in freshwater. Individuals with a long PLD, or returning in freshwater during the warmer season, maturated faster once in freshwater. This reproductive advantage may minimise the risk of extirpation due to catastrophic events at each generation and thus probably benefits amphidromous species living in very unpredictable tropical rivers.     

Surgical correction of colonic duplication in a cat

A 2-year-old, castrated male Manx cat was presented for anorexia, obstipation, and straining to defecate. Imaging tests revealed a cystic mass associated with the descending colon. Three surgical explorations over several years were performed before complete resection of the cystic mass was achieved. Histopathology of the mass revealed normal colonic structures consistent with colonic duplication. Complete resection of a noncommunicating duplicate colon may allow successful treatment of this condition and resolution of associated clinical signs.     

Evidence of diadromy in the French Polynesian Kuhlia malo (Teleostei: Percoidei) inferred from otolith microchemistry analysis

Abstract – Strontium/Calcium (Sr/Ca) and Barium/Calcium (Ba/Ca) ratios were measured in 60 otoliths of the French Polynesian flagtail Kuhlia malo. Both elemental ratios were needed to correctly distinguish residence in marine, brackish and fresh water. High Sr/Ca and low Ba/Ca around the nucleus of all otoliths provided evidence of marine residency during the early life of all individuals. At about 0.5 mm from the core, Ba/Ca increased rapidly and remained high in all otoliths. High and unstable Sr/Ca ratios were attributed to estuarine residency, whereas low and stable Sr/Ca ratios were attributed to freshwater residency. These chemical signatures inferred that following recruitment to rivers, some fish remained in the estuary, while others moved upstream. Some individuals shared their time between fresh and brackish waters later in life. The findings of this study have important implications for the protection of nearshore, brackish and freshwater environments for the conservation of this French Polynesian diadromous species.     

Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis Prevents Oxidative Stress on Human Endothelial Cells without Toxicity

Astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant, is a good candidate for the prevention of intracellular oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to compare the antioxidant activity of astaxanthin present in two natural extracts from Haematococcus pluvialis, a microalgae strain, with that of synthetic astaxanthin. Natural extracts were obtained either by solvent or supercritical extraction methods. UV, HPLC-DAD and (HPLC-(atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI)+)/ion trap-MS) characterizations of both natural extracts showed similar compositions of carotenoids, but different percentages in free astaxanthin and its ester derivatives. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay showed that natural extracts containing esters displayed stronger antioxidant activities than free astaxanthin. Their antioxidant capacities to inhibit intracellular oxidative stress were then evaluated on HUVEC cells. The intracellular antioxidant activity in natural extracts was approximately 90-times higher than synthetic astaxanthin (5 µM). No modification, neither in the morphology nor in the viability, of vascular human cells was observed by in vitro biocompatibility study up to 10 µM astaxanthin concentrations. Therefore, these results revealed the therapeutic potential of the natural extracts in vascular human cell protection against oxidative stress without toxicity, which could be exploited in prevention and/or treatment of cardiovascular diseases.     

Environmental correlates of body size distribution in Cyprinidae (Actinopterygians) depend on phylogenetic scale

The pattern of increasing species body size with increasing latitude has been noticed in different groups of animals. Here, we used seven key environmental factors and independent contrasts to assess body size latitudinal clines in Cyprinidae at two phylogenetic levels (inter‐ and intragenera), which were defined using a genus‐level supertree. Model selection procedures revealed that environmental factors shaping body size variation in Cyprinidae differed according to the phylogenetic scale considered. At the higher phylogenetic level, we found that both temperature (negative effect) and habitat availability (positive effect of drainage basin surface area) constituted mechanistic explanations of large‐scale body size distribution. No temperature‐related body size cline was observed at the intragenus level. Instead, competitive interaction (negative effect of species richness), habitat availability (positive effect of drainage basin surface area), migration ability and available energy (positive effects of glacial coverage and actual evapotranspiration) constitute alternative explanations at this lower phylogenetic scale. We conclude that (i) at the intergenus level, cyprinids do show a tendency to be smaller at high temperatures and larger at low temperatures, (ii) this tendency no longer exists at the intragenus level, (iii) latitude per se is a weak predictor of body size clines whatever the taxonomic level analysed, (iv) generalising geographical body size patterns may be rendered difficult by the superimposition of a series of mechanisms across different taxonomic scales, and (v) habitat size, here acting positively at both taxonomic scales, may play a major role in shaping riverine species body size clines.     

Larval traits of the Caribbean amphidromous goby Sicydium punctatum (Gobioidei: Sicydiinae) in Guadeloupe

Amphidromous fish are the biggest contributor to the diversity of fish communities in river systems of Caribbean islands. Among them, Sicydium punctatum Perugia, 1896, which is endemic to the West Indies, represents the vast majority of fish in these rivers. The otolith microstructure and the biometry of S. punctatum postlarvae from Guadeloupe were investigated to explore the dispersal modalities of this species through an appreciation of the growth pattern, the pelagic larval duration (PLD) and the size‐at‐recruitment. The study was made on one cohort of 83 recruited postlarvae, fished at the Capesterre River's mouth on 2 November 2011. The mean (±SD) size‐at‐recruitment of the postlarvae was 24.6 ± 1.3 mm (range of 20.5–28.1 mm, n = 83). We found a mean (±SD) PLD of 72.2 ± 10.5 days (range of 54–101.5 days, n = 67). The growth rate estimated from the otolith increments showed a globally decreasing pattern during the marine larval phase. Growth rates at the beginning of the larval stage were significantly different between hatching periods, suggesting a relation between the hatching period and the growth rate in S. punctatum. This study adds on to the general understanding of the life cycle of S. punctatum in Guadeloupe that will help implement strategies to manage amphidromous fish populations in the Caribbean region.