Comparing Soil Chemical and Biological Properties of Salt Affected Soils under Different Land Use Practices in Hungary and India

Eurasian Soil Science - This study was conducted with the aim to assess the effect of land use on chemical properties (organic carbon; pH; electrical conductivity; available P, K, Ca, Mg, Na),...     

Discovery of highly insecticidal synthetic spinosyn mimics – CAMD enabled de novo design simplifying a complex natural product

Simplifying complex natural products: Computer modeling‐based design leads to highly insecticidal, chemically simpler synthetic mimics of the spinosyn natural products that are active in the field. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Integrated immunohistochemical and DNA copy number profiling analysis provides insight into the molecular pathogenesis of canine follicular lymphoma

Follicular lymphomas (FLs) typically exhibit a chromosome translocation that induces constitutive expression of the anti‐apoptotic bcl2 protein and accumulation of additional molecular defects. This rearrangement offers a promising therapeutic target, but its nature as a fundamental driver of FL pathogenesis remains unclear as 15% of cases lack the translocation. We performed an integrated immunohistochemical and genomic investigation of 10 naturally occurring FL cases from domestic dogs, showing that, as with human tumours, they exhibit marked heterogeneity in the frequency and intensity of bcl2 protein expression. Genomic copy number aberrations were infrequent and broadly consistent with those of other canine B‐cell lymphoma subtypes. None of the canine FL specimens exhibited a rearrangement consistent with the hallmark translocation of human FL, despite their remarkable histomorphologic similarity. Parallel exploration of canine and human cases may reveal alternative tumour‐initiating mechanisms other than BCL2 disruption, yielding a more complete definition of the molecular pathogenesis of FL.     

Role of transporters in paraquat resistance of horseweed Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.

Paraquat (Pq) inducible transporters are presumed to play a role in the resistance mechanism of horseweed and to function by carrying paraquat to a metabolically inactive compartment. The uptake and intracellular localisation of paraquat, the effect of transporter inhibitors on resistance, and paraquat-induced gene expression were studied to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of resistance. Investigations proved that paraquat entered the cells of both resistant and susceptible biotypes, approached the maximum within the first hour in chloroplasts, and then declined in all organelle fractions. In the resistant biotype paraquat was located in the vacuoles a day after treatment. Selective transporter inhibitors blocked the sequestration of paraquat, suggesting the participation of not directly energized transporters. Four EST fragments were identified that were expressed in response to paraquat. Two of them are thought to play a role in the general stress response (Ferr2, Myb). The others exhibit a similarity to transporters (EmrE, CAT) and could conceivably be involved in the intracellular transport of paraquat and the mechanism of resistance.     

Postmortem small babesia-like morphology of Babesia canis - short communication

Here we report a case of canine babesiosis with unusual morphology of the causative agent. A male, seven-week-old Labrador retriever puppy, exhibiting severe anaemia and haemoglobinuria, was presented at the Clinic of Internal Medicine in February 2011. The puppy was euthanised. The most relevant pathological changes were icterus, severe splenomegaly, generalised lymphadenopathy and haemoglobin nephrosis. Samples were collected from various organs for histology within one hour post mortem. Impression smears were also prepared from the spleen after overnight storage at 4 °C. Tissue sections and smears showed the presence of multiple, coccoid intraerythrocytic bodies that measured 1-2 μm and resembled small babesiae. No large piroplasms were seen. DNA was extracted from the spleen, and a conventional PCR was performed for the amplification of a 450-bp region of the 18S rRNA gene of piroplasms. The causative agent was identified as Babesia canis canis, with 99% sequence identity to other European isolates. Sequence identity to B. gibsoni was only 91%. This is the first account to verify that the morphology of the large canine piroplasm, B. canis, can be uniformly small babesia-like post mortem or following the storage of tissue samples.     

Genetic diversity of Hungarian canine distemper virus strains

To achieve proper diagnosis of dogs based on acute clinical symptoms and poorly preserved field samples taken from animals that died due to canine distemper (CD), a new differential diagnostic test has been developed based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In this study, more than 150 samples collected from dogs showing respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological signs suggesting canine distemper virus (CDV) infection were examined. The samples consisted of urine, blood and nasal swabs collected from clinically ill patients, sent to our laboratory by clinicians from various veterinary clinics throughout Hungary. Various organs collected during the necropsy of dogs with pathological changes that suggested CDV infection were also included. Three distinct PCRs were designed. For diagnostic purposes, a primer pair specific to a 409 bases-long segment within the conservative part of the large polymerase region (L) of the CDV genome was designed. Using this test, out of the 150 analyzed samples, 46 (30.66%) proved to be positive for CDV, indicating that CDV still represents a high risk to the canine population in Hungary. For the phylogenetical analysis, a primer pair that completely encompasses the hemagglutinin (H) gene of the CDV genome was designed. The amplicons of this region were sequenced in both directions using the appropriate primers. Our results indicate that several different CDV genotypes are currently present in Hungary. Nine of the analyzed Hungarian strains turned out to belong to the so-called Arctic group of CDVs, and were most closely related to non-European strains from North America, China and Greenland, as well as to the phocine distemper virus 2 (PDV-2) isolated from Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica). One of the Hungarian strains showed high similarity to other European isolates from Denmark, Germany, Italy and Turkey, as well as to other isolates from geographically more distant regions, such as the USA. Three Hungarian strains seem to join a new cluster that is formed by only a couple of strains, one isolated from a mink in Denmark, and another from a dog in North America. Using a third set of primers, a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay has also been designed for the fast and reliable differentiation of the wild-type CDVs from the vaccine strains.     

Effect of the fungicide fenitropan on the metabolism of some higher plants and Fusarium oxysporum

The effect of fenitropan [(1RS, 2RS)-2-nitro-1-phenyltrimethylene di(acetate)], a new fungicide from EGYT Pharmacochemical Works, on the photosynthetic activity, respiration, RNA content and protein synthesis of some higher plants and Fusarium oxysporum, was investigated. The effect on the aminoacylation of tRNAs suggests that fenitropan is an inhibitor of the aminoacyl tRNA ligases accepting aromatic amino acids.     

The modes of action of Mentha arvensis essential oil on the granary weevil Sitophilus granarius revealed by a label-free quantitative proteomic analysis

Although synthetic pesticides are still used to control insect pests, greater efforts have been made to develop healthier and more environmentally friendly pesticides. Because of their insecticidal properties, botanical essential oils (EOs) are considered as promising alternatives to the use of synthetic insecticides. However, little is known about mechanisms underlying the insecticidal activity of most these natural compounds. In the present study, we evaluated the contact toxicity and the modes of action of the EO from Mentha arvensis against the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a cosmopolitan insect pest that causes extensive damage to stored cereals. M. arvensis EO caused high contact toxicity in S. granarius adults, resulting in a rapid paralysis and rapid alteration of walking behavior. Our label-free quantitative proteomics approach revealed that M. arvensis EO induced dramatic physiological changes in exposed insects. The majority of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were upregulated and are related to the development and functioning of the muscular and nervous systems, cellular respiration, protein synthesis, and detoxification. These results suggest that M. arvensis essential oil is capable of affecting a variety of biological processes, and shed light on the repair mechanisms put in place in surviving insects to counter the damage inflicted. This work opens new perspectives on the proposed mechanisms of insecticidal activity of a promising EO for controlling pests of stored cereals and may represent a first step in the development of novel bio-rational insecticides.

     

Synthesis of gluten-forming polypeptides. 1. Biosynthesis of gliadins and glutenin subunits

Five winter wheat cultivars--GK Othalom (HMW-GS composition 2*, 7+8, 5+10), Ukrainka (1, 7+8, 5+10), Palotás (2*, 7+9, 5+10), K?dm?n (2*, 7+8, 5+10), and Csongrád (2*, 7+9, 2+12)--grown in Hungary and harvested in the year 2005 were studied. The biosynthesis of gluten-forming polypeptides was followed starting at the 12th day after anthesis to the 53rd. Fresh kernel weight, moisture, and dry matter content of fresh kernels and gliadin and glutenin contents were determined. Gliadin components, total amounts of HMW and LMW polypeptides, and individual HMW polypeptides were determined using a RP-HPLC technique. Although considerable quantitative differences were observed concerning the content of total protein, gliadin, glutenin, and individual gluten-forming polypeptides, the character of accumulation of protein components--determined on the basis protein mass/kernel--was the same for the all of the cultivars studied and could be presented by a sigmoid curve. Small quantities of the gliadin and glutenin monomers may be detected in early stages of kernel development, but the bulk of these proteins is synthesized in later stages of development. It is generally suggested by specialists that the formation and accumulation of glutenin polymers starts later than the synthesis of monomers. Experimental data presented in this paper confirm this suggestion and show that in the first phase of protein synthesis the monomers are in "free" form; polymeric glutenin is detected only later. HMW glutenin subunits are synthesized synchronously, and quantitatively the polypeptides coded by chromosomes D and B dominate.     

Dihydropiperazine neonicotinoid compounds. Synthesis and insecticidal activity

Syntheses of various isomeric dihydropiperazines can be approached successfully by taking advantage of the regioselective monothionation of their respective diones. Preparation of the precursor unsymmetrical N-substituted piperazinediones from readily available diamines is key to this selectivity. The dihydropiperazine ring system, as exemplified in 1-[(6-chloropyridin-3-yl)methyl]-4-methyl-3-oxopiperazin-2-ylidenecyanamide (4) and 1-[(2-chloro-1,3-thiazol-5-yl)methyl]-4-methyl-3-oxopiperazin-2-ylidenecyanamide (25), has been shown to be a suitable bioisosteric replacement for the imidazolidine ring system contained in neonicotinoid compounds. However, placement of the cyanoimino electron-withdrawing group further removed from the pyridine ring, as in 4-[(6-chloropyridin-3-yl)methyl]-3-oxopiperazin-2-ylidenecyanamide (3a), or relocation of the carbonyl group, as in 1-[(6-chloropyridin-3-yl)methyl]-4-methyl-5-oxopiperazin-2-ylidenecyanamide (5), results in significantly decreased bioisosterism. The dihydropiperazine ring system of 4 and 25 also lends a degree of rigidity to the molecule that is not offered by the inactive acyclic counterpart 2-[(6-chloropyridin-3-yl)-methyl-(methyl)amino]-2-(cyanoimino)-N,N-dimethylacetamide (6). A pharmacophore model is proposed that qualitatively explains the results on the basis of good overlap of the key pharmacophore elements of 4 and imidacloprid (1); the less active regioisomers of 4 (3a, 5, and 6) feature a smaller degree of overlap.