The molecular and cellular identity of peripheral osmoreceptors

In mammals, the osmolality of the extracellular fluid (ECF) is highly stable despite radical changes in salt/water intake and excretion. Afferent systems are required to detect hypo- or hyperosmotic shifts in the ECF to trigger homeostatic control of osmolality. In humans, a pressor reflex is triggered by simply drinking water which may be mediated by peripheral osmoreceptors. Here, we identified afferent neurons in the thoracic dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of mice that innervate hepatic blood vessels and detect physiological hypo-osmotic shifts in blood osmolality. Hepatic sensory neurons are equipped with an inward current that faithfully transduces graded changes in osmolality within the physiological range (~15 mOsm). In mice lacking the osmotically activated ion channel, TRPV4, hepatic sensory neurons no longer exhibit osmosensitive inward currents and activation of peripheral osmoreceptors in vivo is abolished. We have thus identified a new population of sensory neurons that transduce ongoing changes in hepatic osmolality.     

Improved bio-energy yields via sequential ethanol fermentation and biogas digestion of steam exploded oat straw

Using standard laboratory equipment, thermochemically pretreated oat straw was enzymatically saccharified and fermented to ethanol, and after removal of ethanol the remaining material was subjected to biogas digestion. A detailed mass balance calculation shows that, for steam explosion pretreatment, this combined ethanol fermentation and biogas digestion converts 85-87% of the higher heating value (HHV) of holocellulose (cellulose and hemicellulose) in the oat straw into biofuel energy. The energy (HHV) yield of the produced ethanol and methane was 9.5-9.8 MJ/(kg dry oat straw), which is 28-34% higher than direct biogas digestion that yielded 7.3-7.4 MJ/(kg dry oat straw). The rate of biogas formation from the fermentation residues was also higher than from the corresponding pretreated but unfermented oat straw, indicating that the biogas digestion could be terminated after only 24 days. This suggests that the ethanol process acts as an additional pretreatment for the biogas process.     

Neuroimaging of psychiatric and pedopsychiatric disorders

Over the last two decades, imaging techniques have allowed to establish the cerebral neurophysiologic correlates of psychiatric disorders and have highlighted the impact of psychopathologic events, therapeutic drugs, addictions, on the growth and plasticity of brain. In this review, we intend to illustrate how neuroimaging has improved our knowledge of such alterations in brain maturation (schizophrenia, autistic disorders), fronto-limbic (depressive syndromes) or fronto-striatal (compulsive disorders) regions in psychiatric illnesses, but also in psychopharmacology, or pedopsychiatry. Statistically significant alterations in the structure and/or function of brain are detected in all psychiatric disorders and these are often detectable already during childhood or teenage. Furthermore, neuroimaging has allowed to underline the importance of cerebral networks specific to each disorder, but also to uncover those which are common to different diseases provided that they share common clinical or cognitive features. Besides their value in basic research, neuroimaging findings have been key in changing the perception that society has of these diseases which contributed to their therapeutic approach.     

Recombinant immunosuppressive protein from Pimpla hypochondrica venom (rVPr1) increases the susceptibility of Mamestra brassicae larvae to the fungal biological control agent, Beauveria bassiana

Although fungi are used to control a variety of insect pests, it is accepted that their usage could be increased if their efficacy was greater. The outcome of the interaction of a fungus and a pest insect may be influenced by a number of criteria, including the ability of the insect to mount effective immune responses against the pathogen. In view of this, we aimed to determine if a recombinant immunosuppressive wasp venom protein (rVPr1) can increase the susceptibility of larvae of the lepidopteran pest, Mamestra brassicae, to the fungal biological control agent, Beauveria bassiana. Bioassays indicated that when larvae were injected with 3.5 μl of rVPr1 and 100 B. bassiana conidia (combined injection assays), a significant reduction in survival of larvae occurred compared with each treatment on its own (P=0.006). Similar results were obtained when larvae were dipped in a solution containing 3 × 10(6) B. bassiana conidia per ml and then injected with 3.5 μl of rVPr1 2 days later (topical application assays), (P<0.001). These results indicate that rVPr1 can increase the efficacy of B. bassiana toward a lepidopteran pest, and are discussed within the context of insect immune responses and integrated pest management.     

Signaling and metabolic predispositions linked to the colorectal cancer

The setting up and the progression of the colorectal cancer (CCR) follow a sequence of events that are spatio-temporally rigorously orchestrated. The failures that specifically target the signaling pathways responsible for the cancerization of the colorectal mucosa have been well described and among these it seems that a dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is involved in the triggering of near 90 % of the cases. It has been also described that several risk factors linked to metabolic disorders (feeding, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, etc.) predispose individuals to CCR but no rational explanations were given. We propose that, since it is implicated in the control of the insulin pathway among other actions, the nutritional sensor O-GlcNAcylation may be the element linking these metabolic disorders to CCR.     

Methods for large-scale production of AM fungi: past, present, and future

Many different cultivation techniques and inoculum products of the plant-beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been developed in the last decades. Soil- and substrate-based production techniques as well as substrate-free culture techniques (hydroponics and aeroponics) and in vitro cultivation methods have all been attempted for the large-scale production of AM fungi. In this review, we describe the principal in vivo and in vitro production methods that have been developed so far. We present the parameters that are critical for optimal production, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the methods, and highlight their most probable sectors of application.     

Jaw and hyolingual movements during prey transport in varanid lizards: effects of prey type

The ability to modulate feeding kinematics in response to prey items with different functional properties is likely a prerequisite for most organisms that feed on a variety of food items. Variation in prey properties is expected to reveal variation in feeding function and the functional role of the different phases in a transport cycle. Here we describe the kinematics of prey transport of two varanid species, Varanus niloticus and Varanus ornatus. These species were selected for analysis because of their highly specialised hyolingual system and food transport mechanism (inertial food transport). In these animals, tongue and hyoid movements are expected to make no, or only a minor, contribution to prey transport. We observed statistically significant prey type effects that could be associated with prey properties such as mass, size and mobility. These data show that both species are capable of modulating the kinematics of food transport in response to different prey types. Moreover, not only the kinematics of the jaws were modulated in response to prey characteristics but also the anterior/posterior movements of the tongue and hyoid. This suggests a more important role of the tongue and hyolingual movements in these animals than previously suspected. In contrast, head movements were rather stereotyped and were not modulated in response to changes in prey type.     

Fenpropimorph and fenhexamid impact phosphorus translocation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Fenpropimorph and fenhexamid are sterol biosynthesis inhibitor (SBI) molecules widely used to control diseases in agriculture. Both molecules, at increasing concentrations, have been shown to impact on the non-target arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Root colonization, spore production and mycelium architecture, including the branched absorbing structures which are thought to be involved in phosphorus (P) uptake, were affected. In the present study, we investigated the capacity of Glomus sp. MUCL 43204 to take up, transfer and translocate labelled P to Medicago truncatula in the presence of these SBI molecules. We used a strict in vitro cultivation system associating an autotrophic plant of M. truncatula with the AM fungus. In addition, the effects of both SBI molecules on the proportion of hyphae with alkaline phosphatases (ALP), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and on the expression of the mycorrhiza-specific plant phosphate transporter MtPT4 gene were examined. We demonstrated that the two SBI molecules impacted the AM fungus. This was particularly evidenced for fenpropimorph. A decrease in P transport and ALP and SDH activities associated with the extraradical mycelium and MtPT4 expression level was noted. These three factors were closely related to the development of the AM fungus, suggesting a direct impact not only on the AM fungal growth but also on the physiology and metabolic activities of the AM fungus. These results further emphasized the interest on the autotrophic in vitro culture system as an alternative to pot experiments to investigate the mechanisms behind the impact of disease control molecules on the non-target AM fungal symbionts.     

Use of the NEO strategy (Nucleophilic addition/Epoxide Opening) for the synthesis of a new C-galactoside ester analogue of KRN 7000

Our goal in the search for potentially bioactive analogues of KRN 7000 was to design an easy synthetic approach to a library of analogues using a strategy recently developed in our laboratory based on a Nucleophilic addition followed by an Epoxide Opening (the NEO strategy). Through the use of a common pivotal structure, a new C-galactoside ester analogue (23) was synthesized which showed an encouraging T_H2 biased response during preliminary biological tests.     

Reproductive strategies and population structure in Leishmania: substantial amount of sex in Leishmania Viannia guyanensis

Leishmania species of the subgenus Viannia and especially Leishmania Viannia guyanensis are responsible for a large proportion of New World leishmaniasis cases. Since a recent publication on Leishmania Viannia braziliensis, the debate on the mode of reproduction of Leishmania parasites has been reopened. A predominant endogamic reproductive mode (mating with relatives), together with strong Wahlund effects (sampling of strains from heterogeneous subpopulations), was indeed evidenced. To determine whether this hypothesis can be generalized to other Leishmania Viannia species, we performed a population genetic study on 153 human strains of L. (V.) guyanensis from French Guiana based on 12 microsatellite loci. The results revealed important homozygosity and very modest linkage disequilibrium, which is in agreement with a high level of sexual recombination and substantial endogamy. These results also revealed a significant isolation by distance with relatively small neighbourhoods and hence substantial viscosity of Leishmania populations in French Guiana. These results are of epidemiological relevance and suggest a major role for natural hosts and/or vectors in parasite strain diffusion across the country as compared to human hosts.