A potential biomarker of androgen exposure in European bullhead (Cottus sp.) kidney

The aim of this study was to identify a signal that could be used as an androgen exposure indicator in the European bullhead (Cottus sp.). For this purpose, the ultra-structure of the kidney was characterized to identify normal structure of this organ, and histological changes previously described in the kidney of breeding male bullheads were quantified using the kidney epithelium height (KEH) assay previously developed and validated for the stickleback. In the next step, the effect of trenbolone acetate (TbA), a model androgen, was assessed to identify potential androgenic regulation of bullhead kidney hypertrophy. Measurement of KEH performed on adult non-breeding male and female bullheads exposed for 14 and 21 days to 0, 1.26 and 6.50 μg/L showed that kidney hypertrophy is induced in a dose-dependent manner, confirming the hypothesis that the European bullhead possesses a potential biomarker of androgen exposure. Combined with the wide distribution of the European bullhead in European countries and the potential of this fish species for environmental toxicology studies in field and laboratory conditions, the hypothesis of a potential biomarker of androgen exposure offers interesting perspectives for the use of the bullhead as a relevant sentinel fish species in monitoring studies. Inducibility was observed with high exposure concentrations of TbA. Further studies are needed to identify molecular signals that could be more sensitive than KEH.     

Production and carbon allocation in monocultures and mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium in Brazil

Introducing nitrogen-fixing tree species in fast-growing eucalypt plantations has the potential to improve soil nitrogen availability compared with eucalypt monocultures. Whether or not the changes in soil nutrient status and stand structure will lead to mixtures that out-yield monocultures depends on the balance between positive interactions and the negative effects of interspecific competition, and on their effect on carbon (C) uptake and partitioning. We used a C budget approach to quantify growth, C uptake and C partitioning in monocultures of Eucalyptus grandis (W. Hill ex Maiden) and Acacia mangium (Willd.) (treatments E100 and A100, respectively), and in a mixture at the same stocking density with the two species at a proportion of 1 : 1 (treatment MS). Allometric relationships established over the whole rotation, and measurements of soil CO(2) efflux and aboveground litterfall for ages 4-6 years after planting were used to estimate aboveground net primary production (ANPP), total belowground carbon flux (TBCF) and gross primary production (GPP). We tested the hypotheses that (i) species differences for wood production between E. grandis and A. mangium monocultures were partly explained by different C partitioning strategies, and (ii) the observed lower wood production in the mixture compared with eucalypt monoculture was mostly explained by a lower partitioning aboveground. At the end of the rotation, total aboveground biomass was lowest in A100 (10.5 kg DM m(-2)), intermediate in MS (12.2 kg DM m(-2)) and highest in E100 (13.9 kg DM m(-2)). The results did not support our first hypothesis of contrasting C partitioning strategies between E. grandis and A. mangium monocultures: the 21% lower growth (ΔB(w)) in A100 compared with E100 was almost entirely explained by a 23% lower GPP, with little or no species difference in ratios such as TBCF/GPP, ANPP/TBCF, ΔB(w)/ANPP and ΔB(w)/GPP. In contrast, the 28% lower ΔB(w) in MS than in E100 was explained both by a 15% lower GPP and by a 15% lower fraction of GPP allocated to wood growth, thus partially supporting our second hypothesis: mixing the two species led to shifts in C allocations from above- to belowground, and from growth to litter production, for both species.     

Resistance to metalaxyl in isolates of the sunflower pathogen Plasmopara halstedii

Plasmopara halstedii isolates showing an atypical reaction to metalaxyl were collected in France, in 1995 and 1996, and tested in the laboratory for their level of sensitivity to this fungicide. Primary and secondary infections caused by one of these isolates were not controlled by the metalaxyl concentration registered for seed treatment. The EC₅₀ of this isolate was 12 800 mg a.i. kg^-1 compared with 22 mg a.i. kg^-1 for sensitive isolate, indicating a 582-fold decrease in sensitivity to the compound. There was no reduction in the agressiveness of the resistant isolate. Using other anti-oomycete fungicides, it appeared that propamocarb, contact fungicides (fluazinam, folpet, mancozeb) and the mixed formulations dimethomorph + mancozeb, cymoxanil + mancozeb and ofurace + folpet were effective against primary infections made with metalaxyl resistant and sensitive isolates, but not against secondary infections. Metalaxyl mixed with fluazinam, folpet or mancozeb was more effective against primary infections with the resistant isolate than metalaxyl alone. The EC₅₀ of five other isolates ranged from 5 800 to 32 900 mg a.i. kg^-1, indicating a variability in metalaxyl sensitivity of resistant sunflower downy mildew isolates. This is the first report of physiological resistance to metalaxyl in Plasmopara halstedii.     

LHYMO: A new Water Framework Directive-compliant multimetric index to assess lake hydromorphology and its application to French lakes

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Antiviral activity of esterified alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin against herpes simplex virus type 1. Comparison with the effect of acyclovir and L-polylysines

The antiviral activity of methylated alpha-lactalbumin (Met-ALA), methylated and ethylated beta-lactoglobulins (Met- and Et-BLG) was evaluated against acyclovir (ACV)-sensitive and -resistant strains of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and compared to that of ACV and L-polylysines (4-15 kDa) using fixed or suspended Vero cell lines. Esterified whey proteins and their peptic hydrolyzates displayed protective action against HSV-1, which was relatively lower than that induced by ACV or L-polylysines. The higher activity of L-polylysines was maintained against an ACV-resistant strain of HSV-1, whereas ACV lost much of its activity. The mean 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was about 0.8-0.9 microg/mL for L-polylysines against ACV-sensitive and -resistant strains of HSV-1 when using two concentrations of virus (50% and 100% cytopathic effect, CPE). The IC50 values of ACV against the sensitive strain of HSV-1 were 3 and 15 microg/mL when using the low and high concentrations of virus, respectively. When using 50% CPE, IC50 values for esterified whey proteins ranged from 20 to 95 microg/mL, depending on the nature of the ester group, the degree of esterification, and the nature of the protein. Using the real-time PCR technique, it was shown that Met-ALA inhibited HSV-1 replication.     

Bartonellae in animals and vectors in New Caledonia

Bartonellae are gram-negative facultative intracellular alpha-proteobacteria from the family Bartonellaceae. The natural history of bartonellae consists of a reservoir/host, which is a vertebrate with chronic intravascular infection with sustained bacteremia, and a vector (usually an arthropod) that transfers the bacteria from the reservoir to a susceptible yet uninfected host. In order to reveal the sources and reservoirs of Bartonella infection in animals and vectors in New Caledonia, we collected the blood samples of 64 dogs, 8 cats, 30 bovines, 25 horses and 29 wild deer Cervus timorensis russa and 308 associated blood-sucking parasites (14 keds Hippobosca equina, 258 ticks (22 Rhipicephalus microplus, 235 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and 1 Haemaphysalis longicornis), 12 fleas Ctenocephalides felis and 24 dog lice Trichodectes canis). We isolated ten strains of Bartonella: four Bartonella henselae from cats and six Bartonella chomelii from cattle. The strains were characterized by sequencing of five genes (16S, ITS, rpoB, gltA and ftsZ). The six strains isolated from cattle were close to the reference strain of B. chomelii and were, probably, imported from France with cattle of Limousin race. PCR showed that 35% of keds collected from deer and 31% of deer were infected by B. aff. schoenbuchensis; all other samples were negative. Our data confirmed that in New Caledonia, as in other regions of the world, cats are the major reservoirs of B. henselae. We also confirmed that Hippoboscidae flies may serve as the vectors of ruminant-associated bartonellae.     

The 10 Australian ecosystems most vulnerable to tipping points

We identify the 10 major terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Australia most vulnerable to tipping points, in which modest environmental changes can cause disproportionately large changes in ecosystem properties. To accomplish this we independently surveyed the coauthors of this paper to produce a list of candidate ecosystems, and then refined this list during a 2-day workshop. The list includes (1) elevationally restricted mountain ecosystems, (2) tropical savannas, (3) coastal floodplains and wetlands, (4) coral reefs, (5) drier rainforests, (6) wetlands and floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, (7) the Mediterranean ecosystems of southwestern Australia, (8) offshore islands, (9) temperate eucalypt forests, and (10) salt marshes and mangroves. Some of these ecosystems are vulnerable to widespread phase-changes that could fundamentally alter ecosystem properties such as habitat structure, species composition, fire regimes, or carbon storage. Others appear susceptible to major changes across only part of their geographic range, whereas yet others are susceptible to a large-scale decline of key biotic components, such as small mammals or stream-dwelling amphibians. For each ecosystem we consider the intrinsic features and external drivers that render it susceptible to tipping points, and identify subtypes of the ecosystem that we deem to be especially vulnerable.