Activation of Drosophila Toll during fungal infection by a blood serine protease

Drosophila host defense to fungal and Gram-positive bacterial infection is mediated by the Spaetzle/Toll/cactus gene cassette. It has been proposed that Toll does not function as a pattern recognition receptor per se but is activated through a cleaved form of the cytokine Spaetzle. The upstream events linking infection to the cleavage of Spaetzle have long remained elusive. Here we report the identification of a central component of the fungal activation of Toll. We show that ethylmethane sulfonate-induced mutations in the persephone gene, which encodes a previously unknown serine protease, block induction of the Toll pathway by fungi and resistance to this type of infection.     

Effect of cis/trans isomerism of beta-carotene on the ratios of volatile compounds produced during oxidative degradation

beta-Carotene is, when cleaved, an important source of flavor and aroma compounds in fruits and flowers. Among these aroma compounds, the main degradation products are beta-ionone, 5,6-epoxy-beta-ionone, and dihydroactinidiolide (DHA), which are associated by flavorists and perfumers with fruity, floral, and woody notes. These three species can be produced by degradation of beta-carotene through an attack by enzyme-generated free radicals and a cleavage at the C9-C10 bond. This study investigated the influence of cis/trans isomerism at the C9-C10 bond on the production of beta-carotene degradation compounds, first with a predictive approach and then experimentally with different isomer mixtures. beta-Carotene solutions containing high ratios of 9-cis-isomers produced more DHA, suggesting a different pathway than for the transformation of all-trans-beta-carotene to ionone and DHA. These results are important in the search for financially viable processes to produce natural carotene-derived aroma compounds.     

Pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza virus in swine, Cameroon, 2010

Although swine origin A/H1N1/2009 influenza virus (hereafter "pH1N1″) has been detected in swine in 20 countries, there has been no published surveillance of the virus in African livestock. The objective of this study was to assess the circulation of influenza A viruses, including pH1N1 in swine in Cameroon, Central Africa. We collected 108 nasal swabs and 98 sera samples from domestic pigs randomly sampled at 11 herds in villages and farms in Cameroon. pH1N1 was isolated from two swine sampled in northern Cameroon in January 2010. Sera from 28% of these herds were positive for influenza A by competitive ELISA and 92.6% of these swine showed cross reactivity with pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza virus isolated from humans. These results provide the first evidence of this virus in the animal population in Africa. In light of the significant role of swine in the ecology of influenza viruses, our results call for greater monitoring and study in Central Africa.     

Lessons from the past: investigating historical data from bluefin tuna fisheries

In 1963, the leading fisheries targeting Atlantic bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus ) in the Norwegian Sea and North Sea suddenly collapsed without any warning. Little is known about this collapse and several hypotheses have been put forward, such as changes in migratory routes, recruitment failure or eradication of a sub-population: all of these hypotheses could result from natural causes and/or from overfishing. To help explain this mysterious event, an original data set of the main bluefin tuna fisheries of the 20th century, including total catch and size composition of the catch, has been compiled and analysed. The results reveal a strong and unambiguous link between the Nordic purse seine and Spanish trap fisheries during the 1950s and 1960s. However, this link vanished during the 1970s. In addition, the North-west Atlantic and Mediterranean trap fisheries appeared also to be partially connected to the Nordic fisheries. During the 1950s and 1960s, the main migration routes of bluefin tuna were probably from the Mediterranean spawning grounds and from the West Atlantic coasts to the Norwegian coast and North Sea, which were probably a key feeding ground at that time. The analyses also lead to the conclusion that interactions between environmental, trophic and fishing processes have probably affected bluefin tuna migration patterns which would have finally caused the Nordic fisheries collapse. This retrospective analysis finally leads to an original – albeit more speculative – hypothesis concerning Atlantic bluefin tuna population structure, therein conjectured as an assemblage of at least three sub-populations.     

Impact of fertilization on tree-ring delta15N and delta13C in beech stands: a retrospective analysis

We studied the effects of two fertilization treatments (N and NPKCa) on wood nitrogen (N) isotope composition (delta(15)N), water-use efficiency (WUE) estimated by carbon isotope composition (delta(13)C) analyses, and ring width of trees in 80-year-old beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands in the forest of Fougères, western France. Four replicates were fertilized in two successive years (1973 and 1974), 20 years before core sampling. Unfertilized control trees displayed a decreasing delta(15)N trend with time. The N and NPKCa treatments both increased delta(15)N compared with the control treatment. Wood extraction by organic solvents enhanced the delta(15)N signal. Thus, N addition to the beech ecosystem, even in moderate amounts, could be traced back in tree-ring delta(15)N, suggesting that wood N isotope analysis is a promising tool for studying the long-term effects of N deposition on forests. Although WUE decreased for about 6 years after N fertilization, WUE in NPKCa-treated trees did not differ significantly from that in control trees. Results were similar whether based on cellulose or total wood delta(13)C analysis, suggesting that extraction of cellulose is not necessary when studying fertilization impacts on WUE. The NPKCa treatment had a large impact on radial growth, causing a significant long-lasting increase of 29% compared with the control treatment. Nitrogen alone did not change radial growth significantly.     

Concentrations of metals (zinc, copper, cadmium, and mercury) in three domestic ducks in France: Pekin, Muscovy, and Mule ducks

The role of different factors such as biological material (tissues, organs) and trophic condition (overfeeding or not) in the metal accumulation was studied in three genotypes of ducks (Pekin, Muscovy, and Mule) under breeding conditions. Results showed that overfeeding decreased the concentration in Cd, Cu, and Zn through the dilution process. In contrast, mercury concentration increased with this method. A relation between lipidic metabolism of genotypes and the distribution of this metal in biological material was found. Domestic ducks were little contaminated, but a low chronic contamination in Cd was observed, probably coming from the food. Due to the low levels of contamination observed in these breeding ducks, they can be considered as a good control for further contamination studies and comparison with accumulation levels recorded in the field. The impact of feeding condition on accumulation showed the importance of taking into account the life cycle of birds before studying their contamination and the impact of pollutants.     

Effects of nitrite toxicity on soil bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Isolates of a soil Pseudoimonas, as well as other soil bacteria, showed a different sensitivity towards NO^?₂ when grown under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The tolerance to NO^?₂ was increased in the presence of O₂: for instance, a concentration of $\text{200parts}\text{10}{}^6$ of NO^?₂-N proved to be toxic to a Pseudomonas sp. under anaerobic conditions, whereas over $\text{400 parts}\text{10}{}^6$ were needed aerobically to suppress its growth completely. The addition of NO^?₃ as an electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration did not overcome the inhibitive effect of NO^?₃. The pH range, at which NO^?₂ was utilized anaerobically, was narrowed with increasing NO^?₂ concentration (pH 6.8–8.8 at $\text{70 parts}\text{10}{}^6$ of NO^?₂-N and 7.4–8.5 and $\text{140 parts}\text{10}{}^6$ of NO^?₂-N).Tolerance to nitrite varied considerably among the bacteria tested. Each species was able to overcome the inhibitory effect of NO^?₂ up to a certain concentration, while the length of the lag phase was related to NO^?₂ concentration.     

Diversity of water use efficiency among Quercus robur genotypes: contribution of related leaf traits

? Previously, a large intra-specific diversity and a tight genetic control have been shown for Δ¹³C (carbon isotope discrimination) in a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) family, which is an estimator for intrinsic water use efficiency (W _i), a complex trait defined as the ratio of net CO₂ assimilation rate (A) to stomatal conductance for water vapour (g _s ).

? In the present study, twelve genotypes with extreme phenotypic values of Δ¹³C were selected within this family to (i) asses the stability of genotype differences across contrasting environments and for different measures W _i; (ii) quantify the relationship between Δ¹³C and W_i within this family; (iii) identify which leaf traits drive the diversity in W _i observed in this family.

? Genetic variability of Δ¹³C and W _i was largely independent from different temporal integration scales and their correlation was found to be strong (R ² = 88% for leaf sugars) within this family.

? Weak correlations between measures of W _i with estimators of photosynthetic capacity, suggest a minor role of the latter in the diversity of W _i.

? However, the tight correlation between g _s and Δ¹³C as well as W _i, and the related genotypic variation in stomatal density, suggest that the genotypic diversity in W _i within this pedunculate oak family might be due to differences in g _s .

     

It’s what’s inside that counts: computer-aided tomography for evaluating the rate and extent of wood consumption by shipworms

Experiments were done to investigate in situ colonization of pine wood blocks by marine wood borers at the mouth of a small mountain river in the foothills of the Eastern Pyrenees. Standardized blocks were recovered after remaining underwater for increasingly long durations, until the available resource was exhausted by the shipworms assemblage that developed. Computer-aided tomography (CT) was used for visualizing and quantifying biogenic structures into the wooden blocks. The biodiversity survey of the wood pieces colonized indicated that up to three species of shipworms shared the resource at the same time. The specific wood consumption rate of Nototeredo norvagica was estimated 185 mm³ ind^?1 day^?1. The quantification of voids created by shipworm crowding indicated that total tunnelling represents, on average, 60% of the initial volume of a wood block, revising upward earlier estimates of wood destruction by 28%. CT analysis provides the quantitative measurements necessary to parameterize individual-based growth models linking wood consumption with the species diversity of shipworm assemblages.