Preliminary Study on the Activity of Phycobiliproteins against Botrytis cinerea

Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are proteins of cyanobacteria and some algae such as rhodophytes. They have antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory activity at the human level, but there is a lack of knowledge on their antifungal activity against plant pathogens. We studied the activity of PBPs extracted from Arthrospira platensis and Hydropuntia cornea against Botrytis cinerea, one of the most important worldwide plant-pathogenic fungi. PBPs were characterized by using FT-IR and FT-Raman in order to investigate their structures. Their spectra differed in the relative composition in the amide bands, which were particularly strong in A. platensis. PBP activity was tested on tomato fruits against gray mold disease, fungal growth, and spore germination at different concentrations (0.3, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, and 4.8 mg/mL). Both PBPs reduced fruit gray mold disease. A linear dose–response relationship was observed for both PBPs against disease incidence and H. cornea against disease severity. Pathogen mycelial growth and spore germination were reduced significantly by both PBPs. In conclusion, PBPs have the potential for being also considered as natural compounds for the control of fungal plant pathogens in sustainable agriculture.     

Decomposition processes in coastal lagoons and their implications for the assessment of ecological health

1. Aside from structural indicators, functional indicators have been suggested as a tool for assessing the health of transitional water ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess the potential for the use of plant litter decomposition as a functional indicator of ecosystem health in coastal lagoons.
2. A field experiment was conducted to assess the decomposition rate of Ruppia maritima enclosed in coarse and fine mesh litterbags and incubated in 10 Mediterranean coastal lagoons that conform to a gradient of ecological status produced by anthropogenic impacts as determined by a structural quality index.
3. The microbial decomposition rate in fine mesh litterbags increased linearly along the ecological gradient. However, this relationship was not observed for the overall decomposition rate in coarse mesh bags.
4. Decomposition rates in coarse mesh bags were negatively related to macroinvertebrate diversity, indicating that, in transitional habitats, such as coastal lagoons, high biodiversity is not a prerequisite for successful ecosystem functioning.
5. The results suggest that functional indicators, such as the microbial litter decomposition process, should be used in addition to structural ones to detect anthropogenic‐derived environmental perturbations in coastal lagoons.

     

Anti-Leishmania IgA in urine samples from dogs with clinical leishmaniasis

Recently, anti-Leishmania IgG has been detected in urine samples from Leishmania-infected dogs and its concentrations have been correlated with impairment of renal function. The presence and relationship with other anti-Leishmania Ig isotypes in urine have not yet been investigated. The current study analyzed the concentrations of anti-Leishmania IgA and IgG in sera (Ig-S) and urine (Ig-U) samples by ELISA in 64 untreated dogs with clinical leishmaniasis. All 64 serum samples tested were positive for anti-Leishmania IgG. Fifty of them (78.1%) were also positive for anti-Leishmania IgA. The results showed the presence of anti-Leishmania IgA-U in 38% of the 50 dogs that were positive for specific IgA-S. Thirty-eight of the 64 dogs positive for Leishmania-specific IgG-S (59.4%) were also positive for Leishmania-specific IgG in urine (IgG-U). The concentrations of anti-Leishmania IgA-U were significantly correlated with urine protein/creatinine (uP/C) ratio (ρ = 0.542; P < 0.001) and with serum biochemical parameters, such as γ-globulins, urea and creatinine. Goldmann–Witmer coefficient (C value) indicated that detection of specific IgA in urine samples from dogs with leishmaniasis might not only be due to impairment of filtration of the glomerular barrier but also be due to local production of this isotype, which might reflect a local immunological response to the presence of the parasite in the genitourinary tract. Anti-Leishmania IgG-U concentrations were highly correlated with uP/C ratio (ρ = 0.779; P < 0.001) and C value did not support in any case local production of this isotype. IgG isotype might be a more suitable and specific tool to evaluate renal damage due to the lower IgA-U sensitivity and correlation coefficients and evidence of IgA local production. However, dogs found positive for both Ig isotypes in urine presented significantly higher specific IgG-U concentrations and higher uP/C ratios than dogs found positive only for IgG-U, thus suggesting that the first group suffered more severe renal damage. This fact makes it necessary to evaluate the prognosis of dogs showing both anti-Leishmania IgA-U and IgG-U in future studies.     

Sorption of pesticides in tropical and temperate soils from Australia and the Philippines

The sorption behavior of diuron, imidacloprid, and thiacloprid was investigated using 22 soils collected in triplicate from temperate environments in Australia and tropical environments in Australia and the Philippines. Within the temperate environment in Australia, the soils were selected from a range of land uses. The average KOC values (L/kg) for imidacloprid were 326, 322, and 336; for thiacloprid, the values were 915, 743, and 842; and for diuron, the values were 579, 536, and 618 for the Ord (tropical), Mt. Lofty (temperate), and Philippines (tropical) soils, respectively. For all soils, the sorption coefficients decreased in the following order: thiacloprid > diuron > imidacloprid. There were no significant differences in sorption behavior between the tropical soils from the Philippines and the temperate soils from Australia. Sorption was also not significantly related with soil characteristics, namely, organic carbon (OC) content, clay content, and pH, for any of the three chemicals studied. When the data were sorted into separate land uses, the sorption of all three chemicals was highly correlated (P < 0.001) with OC for the rice soils from the Philippines. Sorption coefficients for all three chemicals were highly correlated with OC in temperate, native soils only when one extreme value was removed. The relationships between sorption of all three chemicals and OC in temperate, pasture soils were best described by a polynomial. Sorption coefficients for imidacloprid and thiacloprid determined in the temperate pasture soils remained fairly consistent as the OC content increased from 3.3 to 5.3%, indicating that, although the total OC in the pasture soils was increasing, the component of OC involved with sorption of these two compounds may have been remaining constant. This study demonstrated that the origin of the soils (i.e., temperate vs tropical) had no significant effect on the sorption behavior, but in some cases, land use significantly affected the sorption behavior of the three pesticides studied. The impact of land use on the nature of soil OC will be further investigated by NMR analysis.     

Effects of formalin on total haemocytes count and histopathological changes in the shrimp Litopenaeus schmitti (Pérez‐Farfante & Kensley 1997)

Formalin is used in shrimp industry to eliminate ectoparasites and as a disinfectant. However, the effect of formalin on shrimp's defense mechanism is unknown. Several biomarkers were used to assess the immune response of juveniles of the shrimp Litopenaeus schmitti exposed to different concentrations of formalin (10, 25 and 50 mg L^?1) during 24 and 48 h. Formalin concentrations of 25 and 50 mg L^?1 produced a significant reduction in the total haemocyte count at both 24 and 48 h. Peroxidase and phenoloxidase activity did not show variations. The total protein concentration in haemolymph of shrimps was not significantly different between experimental groups. Histological analysis showed hyperplasia in the gills of animals exposed at 10 mg L^?1 for 24 h; however, the exposure at 25 and 50 mg L^?1 caused necrosis in gills, hepathopancreas and the antennal gland.     

A PROPOSED RADIOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR CONGENITAL THORACIC VERTEBRAL MALFORMATIONS IN BRACHYCEPHALIC “SCREW‐TAILED” DOG BREEDS

Congenital vertebral malformations are common in brachycephalic “screw‐tailed” dog breeds such as French bulldogs, English bulldogs, Boston terriers, and pugs. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether a radiographic classification scheme developed for use in humans would be feasible for use in these dog breeds. Inclusion criteria were hospital admission between September 2009 and April 2013, neurologic examination findings available, diagnostic quality lateral and ventro‐dorsal digital radiographs of the thoracic vertebral column, and at least one congenital vertebral malformation. Radiographs were retrieved and interpreted by two observers who were unaware of neurologic status. Vertebral malformations were classified based on a classification scheme modified from a previous human study and a consensus of both observers. Twenty‐eight dogs met inclusion criteria (12 with neurologic deficits, 16 with no neurologic deficits). Congenital vertebral malformations affected 85/362 (23.5%) of thoracic vertebrae. Vertebral body formation defects were the most common (butterfly vertebrae 6.6%, ventral wedge‐shaped vertebrae 5.5%, dorsal hemivertebrae 0.8%, and dorso‐lateral hemivertebrae 0.5%). No lateral hemivertebrae or lateral wedge‐shaped vertebrae were identified. The T7 vertebra was the most commonly affected (11/28 dogs), followed by T8 (8/28 dogs) and T12 (8/28 dogs). The number and type of vertebral malformations differed between groups (P = 0.01). Based on MRI, dorsal, and dorso‐lateral hemivertebrae were the cause of spinal cord compression in 5/12 (41.6%) of dogs with neurologic deficits. Findings indicated that a modified human radiographic classification system of vertebral malformations is feasible for use in future studies of brachycephalic “screw‐tailed” dogs.