Antifungal activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Boerhavia diffusa</Emphasis> L. extract against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora</Emphasis> spp. in tomato and pepper

A new longidorid nematode, Longidorus persicus n. sp., is described and illustrated from a population extracted from soil associated with wild rose (Rosa sp.) naturally growing in the mountains close to the village of Cheshmeh-e-Nezamei near the city of Gilan-e-Gharb, Kermanshah province, western Iran. The new needle nematode is characterised by a large body size (6550–7763 μm), an anteriorly flattened lip region, ca 13 μm wide, distinctly set off from body contour by a depression, amphidial fovea large, pocket shaped, slightly asymmetrically bilobed, a moderately long and flexible odontostyle ca 86 μm long, stylet guiding ring located at ca 25 μm from anterior end, posterior arrangement of the pharyngeal gland nuclei, vulva almost equatorial (49–54 %), tail short, about 3/4 of its width, dorsally convex-conoid, with rounded terminus, with a c’ ratio ca 1.3, bearing three pairs of caudal pores and male rare (ratio 1:10 females) with spicules ca 46 μm long. Integrative diagnosis was completed with molecular data obtained using D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rDNA, ITS1-rDNA, and partial 18S-rDNA. The phylogenetic relationships of this species with other Longidorus spp. using D2-D3 expansion segments and partial 18S-rDNA indicated that L. persicus n. sp. clustered together with L. perangustus and L. euonymus: both of them sharing an anteriorly flattened lip region and distinctly set off from body contour by a depression.     

Heterotrophic components of biofilms on wood artefacts

Heterotrophic components of biofilms on wood artefacts were studied at the Conservation Laboratory for Wood Artefacts of the University Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples, Italy. The aim of the study was to add new information on the micro-habitats represented by biofilms formed by wood-dwelling organisms. Light and electron microscopy of histological features of woods used to make the artefacts showed that the woods belonged to species of lime (Tilia sp.), poplar (Populus sp.) and pear (Pyrus sp.). A Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis analysis performed on heterotrophic microorganisms colonizing the artefacts led to identify four species of bacteria, namely Bacillus cereus, B. mycoides, B. subtilis and Microbacterium oleivorans, and seven species of fungi, namely Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus fumigans, A. versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides, C. oxysporum, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium chrysogenum. Based on its morphological features, an insect found on some artefacts was identified as the xylophagous beetle Nicobium castaneum (Anobiidae). The influence of wood type and environmental conditions on the diversity of microorganisms was discussed.     

Pro-Apoptotic Activity of the Marine Sponge Dactylospongia elegans Metabolites Pelorol and 5-epi-Ilimaquinone on Human 501Mel Melanoma Cells

The natural environment represents an important source of drugs that originates from the terrestrial and, in minority, marine organisms. Indeed, the marine environment represents a largely untapped source in the process of drug discovery. Among all marine organisms, sponges with algae represent the richest source of compounds showing anticancer activity. In this study, the two secondary metabolites pelorol (PEL) and 5-epi-ilimaquinone (EPI), purified from Dactylospongia elegans were investigated for their anti-melanoma activity. PEL and EPI induced cell growth repression of 501Mel melanoma cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. A cell cycle block in the G1 phase by PEL and EPI was also observed. Furthermore, PEL and EPI induced significant accumulation of DNA histone fragments in the cytoplasmic fraction, indicating a pro-apoptotic effect of both compounds. At the molecular level, PEL and EPI induced apoptosis through the increase in pro-apoptotic BAX expression, confirmed by the decrease in its silencing miR-214-3p and the decrease in the anti-apoptotic BCL-2, MCL1, and BIRC-5 mRNA expression, attested by the increase in their silencing miRNAs, i.e., miR-193a-3p and miR-16-5p. In conclusion, our data indicate that PEL and EPI exert cytotoxicity activity against 501Mel melanoma cells promoting apoptotic signaling and inducing changes in miRNA expression and their downstream effectors. For these reasons could represent promising lead compounds in the anti-melanoma drug research.