Immunization of rats against Fasciola hepatica using crude antigens conjugated with Freund's adjuvant or oligodeoxynucleotides

Chronic Fasciola hepatica infection is correlated with the development of a T helper (Th2)-predominant immune response. To determine whether immunostimulatory CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) or Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), known to promote a Th1 (T helper 1) immune responses, could provide protection from F. hepatica infection, total homogenate (TH) of F. hepatica mixed with CpG-ODN or FCA were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) into Wistar rats. A F. hepatica-specific Th1-predominant immune response was induced with CpG-ODN or FCA in lymph nodes of immunized animals. Lymph node cells from TH-CpG-ODN or TH-FCA immunized rats showed increased antigen-specific proliferation with high levels of INFgamma, compared to lymphocytes from rats injected with TH alone. In contrast, these two groups of immunized animals did not modify IL-4 release by draining lymph node cells, when they were subsequently stimulated with TH in vitro. However, a significant reduction in the burden of flukes (76.7%) was only observed in rats immunized with TH-FCA. Conversely, immunization of rats with TH-CpG-ODN did not promote protection against the parasite. Therefore, even though CpG-ODNs and FCA induced Th1 type responses, only FCA provided a significant protection to rats infected with F. hepatica.     

Genomic sequencing of Pleistocene cave bears

Despite the greater information content of genomic DNA, ancient DNA studies have largely been limited to the amplification of mitochondrial sequences. Here we describe metagenomic libraries constructed with unamplified DNA extracted from skeletal remains of two 40,000-year-old extinct cave bears. Analysis of approximately 1 megabase of sequence from each library showed that despite significant microbial contamination, 5.8 and 1.1% of clones contained cave bear inserts, yielding 26,861 base pairs of cave bear genome sequence. Comparison of cave bear and modern bear sequences revealed the evolutionary relationship of these lineages. The metagenomic approach used here establishes the feasibility of ancient DNA genome sequencing programs.     

Electrophoretic seed globulin patterns in some New World Lupinus species

Comparative SDS-PAGE analysis of seed globulins covered 74 accessions representing 19 New World Lupinus species, 18 North American lupins and one South American species: L. mutabilis. The species investigated showed major, well-defined polypeptide bands in the approximate M _r range of 40–75 kDa. In general, intraspecific variation blurred interspecific differences; L. mutabilis could not be distinguished from the North American lupins. Of the taxa investigated, only L. subcarnosus and L. succulentus displayed some species-specific features. The American species examined showed different seed globulin patterns from those reported earlier for the smooth-seeded and for the rough-seeded Old World lupins.     

Social organisation, shoal structure and information transfer

Recent work suggests that the social structure of fish shoals is nonrandom with strong tendencies for self‐sorting by phenotype in individuals of several species. The frequency of shoal encounters is high in most freshwater species but lower in pelagic fishes where intershoal distances tend to be greater. Detailed knowledge of the encounter rates between shoals and the exchange rates of individuals between shoals during encounters makes it possible to predict the transmission of learned behaviours through a population.