Comparative genomics and proteomics to study tissue-specific response and function in natural Mycobacterium bovis infections

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an established zoonotic disease which affects cattle and wildlife worldwide and new strategies are required to control and eradicate the disease. The European wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a major reservoir of bTB in Spain. The objective of this paper was to review tissue-specific response and function of mandibular lymph nodes (MLN) and oropharyngeal tonsils (OT) in European wild boar naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis. Genomics and proteomics data were used to compare differential gene expression and global protein patterns in OT and MLN of M. bovis-infected and uninfected European wild boar and the results were analyzed considering previous reports of experimental infections in laboratory and domestic animals. The results showed tissue-specific differences in OT and MLN in response to M. bovis infection. Tissue-specific differences in gene expression and protein profiles suggested different functions for OT and MLN during mycobacterial infection and provided information to characterize the pathobiology of M. bovis infection in European wild boar with important implications for the control of bTB in Spain. The characterization of molecular events in tissues that play different roles during mycobacterial infection in naturally infected individuals may be relevant to understand the pathobiology of M. bovis infection and to design effective strategies for the control of bTB in wildlife reservoirs.     

First serological and molecular evidence on the endemicity of Anaplasma ovis and A. marginale in Hungary

Recurring and spontaneously curing spring haemoglobinuria was recently reported in a small sheep flock in a selenium deficient area of northern Hungary. In blood smears of two animals showing clinical signs, Anaplasma-like inclusion bodies were seen in erythrocytes. To extend the scope of the study, 156 sheep from 5 flocks and 26 cattle from 9 farms in the region were examined serologically with a competitive ELISA to detect antibodies to Anaplasma marginale, A. centrale and A. ovis. The seropositivity in sheep was 99.4%, and in cattle 80.8%. A. ovis and A. marginale were identified by PCR and sequence analysis of the major surface protein (msp) 4 gene in sheep and cattle, respectively. Haemoglobinuria, an unusual clinical sign for anaplasmosis might have been a consequence of transient intravascular haemolysis facilitated by selenium deficiency in recently infected sheep, as indicated by the reduction of mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Membrane damage was also demonstrated for parenchymal cells, since their enzymes showed pronounced elevation in the plasma. Ticks collected from animals in the affected as well as in neighbouring flocks revealed the presence of Dermacentor marginatus, Ixodes ricinus and D. reticulatus, with the dominance of the first. The present data extend the northern latitude in the geographical occurrence of ovine anaplasmosis in Europe and reveal the endemicity of A. ovis and A. marginale in Hungary.     

Variability in sesquiterpene lactones from the leaves of yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) accessions of different geographic origin

The sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) content of glandular trichomes from the leaves of twenty-five yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius, Asteraceae) accessions, obtained along a latitudinal gradient from Ecuador to northwest Argentina, was characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). While accessions from Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina proved to be very chemoconsistent, significant variation was found in quantitative composition of STLs from accessions in central Peru, the probable region of origin for the species.     

Sandwich immunoassays for the determination of peanut and hazelnut traces in foods

People suffering from food allergies are dependent on accurate food labeling, as an avoidance diet is the only effective countermeasure. Even a small amount of allergenic protein can trigger severe reactions in highly sensitized patients. Therefore, sensitive and reliable tests are needed to detect potential cross-contamination. In this paper two fast sandwich immunoassays are described for the determination of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and hazelnut (Corylus avellana) traces in complex food matrices. Mouse monoclonal antibodies were used as capture antibodies, and labeled rabbit polyclonal antibodies were used as detection antibodies in both assays. The assay time was 30 min in total, and cross-reactivities against a variety of fruits and seeds were found to be in the low 10(-4)% (ppm) level or in some cases not detectable. The recoveries in all tested food matrices ranged from 86 to 127%, and the limits of detection were in the range of 0.2-1.2 mg/kg (ppm) in food for both peanut and hazelnut, respectively.     

Metabolomic responses in grain,ear, and straw of winter wheat under increasing sulfur treatment

Only little is known about the effect of a varying sulfur (S) nutrition on the pattern of metabolites in different organs of the ears of winter wheat (Tritcum aestivum L.) at final maturity. More insights into the metabolome as influenced by increasing S‐fertilizer rates would, however, be of particular interest in order to unravel S‐dependent physiological processes related to grain filling in wheat. We have therefore investigated the effects of varying sulfur nutrition on metabolite composition and distribution in the organs of the wheat ear and vegetative organs at final maturity. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–based metabolite profiles revealed that S deficiency decreased the bulk of metabolites in the straw in favor of an increasing metabolite concentration in the husk, rachis, and grains. Surprisingly, only four out of 109 detectable metabolites, namely N‐acetyl glucosamine, lysine, ferulic acid, and β‐aminoisobutyric acid were most responsible for organ‐specific differences in the metabolite profiles. Under S‐deficient conditions, N‐acetyl‐glucosamine, lysine, and β‐aminoisobutyric were increasingly transferred from source tissues into the ears and grains.     

Olive anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum in Uruguay: symptoms,species diversity and pathogenicity on flowers and fruits

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Olive anthracnose caused by C. acutatum, C. gloeosporioides and C. boninense species complexes, is the most widespread and economically important olive disease...     

Addressing the Dilemmas of Measuring Amylose in Rice

Amylose content is a parameter that correlates with the cooking behavior of rice. It is measured at the earliest possible stages of rice improvement programs to enable breeders to build the foundations of appropriate grain quality during cultivar development. Amylose is usually quantified by absorbance of the amylose‐iodine complex. The International Network for Quality Rice (INQR) conducted a survey to determine ways that amylose is measured, reproducibility between laboratories, and sources of variation. Each laboratory measured the amylose content of a set of 17 cultivars of rice. The study shows that five different versions of the iodine binding method are in use. The data show that repeatability was high within laboratories but reproducibility between laboratories was low. The major sources of variability were the way the standard curve was constructed and the iodine binding capacity of the potato amylose used to produce the standard. Reproducibility is much lower between laboratories using a standard curve of potato amylose alone compared with those using calibrated rice cultivars. This study highlights the need to standardize the way amylose is measured, and presents research avenues for doing so.     

Recent decline and potential distribution in the last remnant area of the microendemic Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Native populations of the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), a microendemic salamander from Central Mexico, have seen alarming decline in the last decades owing to habitat loss caused by urban growth. The last remnant of its distribution is in a highly heterogeneous urban-rural water system in the Xochimilco region, at the southern edge of Mexico City. We developed a model of the species local distribution based on its ecological niche, using occurrence data and ad hoc limnetic variables via the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Production (GARP), to identify suitable areas for the species and prioritize conservation efforts. Results indicated that potential distribution of the axolotl in Xochimilco is limited to 11 sites in six reduced, isolated, and scattered areas, located mostly in zones where traditional agriculture (chinampas) is the primary land use. Recent surveys found only a single organism in the whole study region, in one of the predicted sites, suggesting a critical situation for the long-term survival of the axolotl in the wild, and demanding urgent actions toward habitat and population restoration. This study also illustrates the utility of niche modeling approaches for aquatic systems at a fine scale.