Comparison of Tissue Metal Concentrations in Zucker Lean, Zucker Obese, and Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats and the Effects of Chromium Supplementation on Tissue Metal Concentrations

Diabetes results in several metabolic changes, including alterations in the transport, distribution, excretion, and accumulation of metals. While changes have been examined in several rat models of insulin resistance and diabetes, the metal ion concentrations in the tissues of Zucker lean, Zucker obese (an insulin resistance and early stage diabetes model), and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF, a type 2 diabetes model) have not previously been examined in detail. The concentration of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg, and Ca were examined in the liver, kidney, heart and spleen, and Cr concentration in the liver and kidney of these rats were examined. Zucker obese rats have a reduction in the concentration of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg in the liver compared to ZDF and/or lean Zucker rats, presumably as a result of the increased fat content of the liver of the obese rats. ZDF rats have increased concentrations of kidney Cu compared to the lean rats, while kidney Ca concentrations are increased in the Zucker obese rats. Spleen Fe concentrations are decreased in Zucker obese rats compared to the lean rats. No effects on metal concentrations in the heart were observed between the lean, obese, and ZDF rats, and no effects on Cr concentrations were identified. Cr(III) complexes have previously been shown to have beneficial effects on the signs of insulin resistance in Zucker obese and ZDF rats. The effects of daily gavage administration of chromium picolinate ([Cr(pic)₃]) (1 mg?Cr/kg body mass), CrCl₃ (1 mg?Cr/kg body mass), and Cr3 ([Cr₃O(propionate)₆(H₂O)₃]⁺) (33 μg and 1 mg?Cr/kg body mass) on metal concentrations in these tissues were examined. Treatment with CrCl₃ and Cr3, but not [Cr(pic)₃], at 1 mg?Cr/kg resulted in a statistically significant accumulation of Cr in the kidney of lean and obese but not ZDF rats but resulted in lowering the elevated levels of kidney Cu in ZDF rats, suggesting a beneficial effect on this symptom of type 2 diabetes.     

Diversity of Wolbachia in Natural Populations of Spider Mites (genus Tetranychus): Evidence for Complex Infection History and Disequilibrium Distribution

Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that commonly infect arthropods and cause reproductive disorders in host. Within several Tetranychus species, Wolbachia have been detected and shown to affect their reproduction. However, little is known about their transmission and distribution patterns in natural populations of Tetranychus species. Here, we used multilocus sequence typing to confirm Wolbachia infection status and examined the relationship between Wolbachia infection status and host phylogeny, mitochondrial diversity, and geographical range in five Tetranychus species (Tetranychus truncatus, Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychus pueraricola, Tetranychus phaselus, and Tetranychus kanzawai) from 21 populations in China. The prevalence of Wolbachia within the five Tetranychus species ranged from 31.4 to 100 %, and the strains were remarkably diverse. Together, these observations indicate that Wolbachia was introduced to these populations on multiple separate occasions. As in other arthropods, the same Tetranychus species can accommodate very different strains, and identical Wolbachia occasionally infect different species. These observations suggest that Wolbachia are transmitted both vertically and horizontally. Horizontally, transmission is probably mediated by the host plants. The distribution patterns of Wolbachia were quite different among populations of the same species, suggesting that the dynamics of Wolbachia in nature may be affected by ecological and other factors.     

Tracing the Origin and Diversification of Dipodoidea (Order: Rodentia): Evidence from Fossil Record and Molecular Phylogeny

Dipodoidea are a diverse rodent group whose earliest known record is from the Middle Eocene. The evolution and diversification of this superfamily have been documented by fossils and comparative morphology, but have not yet been studied from the perspective of molecular phylogeny. This study is the first attempt to reconstruct an extensive phylogeny of Dipodidae and estimate divergence times based on a nuclear gene coding for interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein. We found that there is a wide measure of agreement with the fossil record. Each of the three ecological groups of the extant Dipodoidea (sicistines, zapodines, and jerboas) has its distinctive distribution; the distribution patterns have been shaped by the dispersal events. The key events of paleogeographic distribution coincided with major paleoenvironmental events in the Cenozoic. The first important diversification phase occurred during the period from the Oligocene to Early Miocene, when global climate underwent major changes beginning with the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. The second adaptive radiation occurred within jerboas and was associated with the expansion of open habitat starting with the late Middle Miocene. The diversification of jerboas can be correlated with habitat changes in response to global and regional climatic events.     

Antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter: Susceptibility testing methods and resistance trends

Most Campylobacter infections are self-limiting but antimicrobial treatment (e.g., macrolides, fluoroquinolones) is necessary in severe or prolonged cases. Susceptibility testing continues to play a critical role in guiding therapy and epidemiological monitoring of resistance. The methods of choice for Campylobacter recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) are agar dilution and broth microdilution, while a disk diffusion method was recently standardized by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Macrolides, quinolones, and tetracyclines are among the common antimicrobials recommended for testing. Molecular determination of Campylobacter resistance via DNA sequencing or PCR-based methods has been performed. High levels of resistance to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin are frequently reported by many national surveillance programs, but resistance to erythromycin and gentamicin in Campylobacter jejuni remains low. Nonetheless, variations in susceptibility observed over time underscore the need for continued public health monitoring of Campylobacter resistance from humans, animals, and food.     

Interactions between soybean ABA receptors and type 2C protein phosphatases

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in regulating plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. Proteins in the PYR/PYL/RCAR family (hereafter referred to as PYLs) are known as ABA receptors. Since most studies thus far have focused on Arabidopsis PYLs, little is known about PYL homologs in crop plants. We report here the characterization of 21 PYL homologs (GmPYLs) in soybean. Twenty-three putative GmPYLs can be found from soybean genome sequence and categorized into three subgroups. GmPYLs interact with AtABI1 and two GmPP2Cs in diverse manners. A lot of the subgroup I GmPYLs interact with PP2Cs in an ABA-dependent manner, whereas most of the subgroup II and III GmPYLs bind to PP2Cs in an ABA-independent manner. The subgroup III GmPYL23, which cannot interact with any of the tested PP2Cs, differs from other GmPYLs. The CL2/gate domain is crucial for GmPYLs-PP2Cs interaction, and a mutation in the conserved proline (P109S) abolishes the interaction between GmPYL1 and AtABI1. Furthermore, the ABA dependence of GmPYLs-PP2Cs interactions are partially correlated with two amino acid residues preceding the CL2/gate domain of GmPYLs. We also show that GmPYL1 interacts with AtABI1 in an ABA-dependent manner in plant cells. Three GmPYLs differentially inhibit AtABI1 and GmPP2C1 in an ABA-dependent or -enhanced manner in vitro. In addition, ectopically expressing GmPYL1 partially restores ABA sensitivity of the Arabidopsis triple mutant pyr1/pyl1/pyl4. Taken together, our results suggest that soybean GmPYLs are ABA receptors that function by interacting and inhibiting PP2Cs.     

The rice OsDIL gene plays a role in drought tolerance at vegetative and reproductive stages

Drought is one of the critical factors limiting reproductive yields of rice and other crops globally. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying reproductive development under drought stress in rice. To explore the potential gene function for improving rice reproductive development under drought, a drought induced gene, Oryza sativa Drought-Induced LTP (OsDIL) encoding a lipid transfer protein, was identified from our microarray data and selected for further study. OsDIL was primarily expressed in the anther and mainly responsive to abiotic stresses, including drought, cold, NaCl, and stress-related plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Compared with wild type, the OsDIL-overexpressing transgenic rice plants were more tolerant to drought stress during vegetative development and showed less severe tapetal defects and fewer defective anther sacs when treated with drought at the reproductive stage. The expression levels of the drought-responsive genes RD22, SODA1, bZIP46 and POD, as well as the ABA synthetic gene ZEP1 were up-regulated in the OsDIL-overexpression lines but the ABA degradation gene ABAOX3 was down-regulated. Moreover, overexpression of OsDIL lessened the down-regulation by drought of anther developmental genes (OsC4, CYP704B2 and OsCP1), providing a mechanism supporting pollen fertility under drought. Overexpression of OsDIL significantly enhanced drought resistance in transgenic rice during reproductive development, while showing no phenotypic changes or yield penalty under normal conditions. Therefore, OsDIL is an excellent candidate gene for genetic improvement of crop yield in adaption to unfavorable environments.     

Biodegradation of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam by the nitrogen-fixing and plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Ensifer adhaerens strain TMX-23

Thiamethoxam (THIA), a second generation neonicotinoid insecticide in the thianicotinyl subclass, is used worldwide. Environmental studies revealed that microbial degradation is the major mode of removal of this pesticide from soil. However, microbial transformation of THIA is poorly understood. In the present study, we isolated a bacterium able to degrade THIA from rhizosphere soil. The bacterium was identified as Ensifer adhaerens by its morphology and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. High-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis suggested that the major metabolic pathway of THIA in E. adhaerens TMX-23 involves the transformation of its N-nitroimino group (=N–NO₂) to N-nitrosoimino (=N–NO) and urea (=O) metabolites. E. adhaerens TMX-23 is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium harboring two types of nifH genes in its genome, one of which is 98 % identical to the nifH gene in the cyanobacterium Calothrix sp. MCC-3A. E. adhaerens TMX-23 released various plant-growth-promoting substances including indole-3-acetic acid, exopolysaccharides, ammonia, HCN, and siderophores. Inoculation of E. adhaerens TMX-23 onto soybean seeds (Glycine max L.) with NaCl at 50, 100, or 154 mmol/L increased the seed germination rate by 14, 21, and 30 %, respectively. THIA at 10 mg/L had beneficial effects on E. adhaerens TMX-23, enhancing growth of the bacterium and its production of salicylic acid, an important plant phytohormone associated with plant defense responses against abiotic stress. The nitrogen-fixing and plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium E. adhaerens TMX-23, which is able to degrade THIA, has the potential for bioaugmentation as well as to promote growth of field crops in THIA-contaminated soil.     

Distinct and effective biotransformation of hexavalent chromium by a novel isolate under aerobic growth followed by facultative anaerobic incubation

A bacterial isolate (G161) with high Cr(VI)-reducing capacity was isolated from Cr(VI)-contaminated soil and identified as Leucobacter sp. on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The isolate was a Gram-positive, aerobic rod. The hexavalent chromate-reducing capability of the isolate was investigated under three conditions of oxygen stress. The isolate was found to reduce Cr(VI) under all conditions but performed most effectively during aerobic growth followed by facultative anaerobic incubation. Under these conditions, the isolate tolerated K₂Cr₂O₇ concentrations up to 1,000 mg/l and completely reduced 400 mg/l K₂Cr₂O₇ within 96 h. The strain reduced Cr(VI) over a wide range of pH (6.0–11.0) and temperatures (15–45 °C) with optimum performance at pH?8.0 and 35 °C. The presence of other metals, such as Ca²⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺, induced no effect or else played a stimulatory role on Cr(VI)-reduction activity of the strain. The strain was tested for Cr(VI) removal in wastewaters and proved capable of completely reducing the contained Cr(VI). This is the novel report of a bacterial growth and Cr(VI)-reduction process under sequential aerobic growth and facultative anaerobic conditions. The study suggested that the isolate possesses a distinct capability for Cr(VI) reduction which could be harnessed for the detoxification of chromate-contaminated wastewaters.     

Rapid development of 36 polymorphic microsatellite markers for Tetranychus truncatus by transferring from Tetranychus urticae

Tetranychus truncatus Ehara is a phytophagous spider mite that is now one of the most important pests of agricultural and economic crops in East and Southeast Asia. However, population genetics and other studies of T. truncatus have been impeded by the lack of microsatellite markers, which are expensive and time-consuming to identify. Previous studies indicated a high potential of cross-amplification of microsatellites in Tetranychus species, meaning that the microsatellite flanking sequences are sufficiently homologous among Tetranychus species that the primers for one species may work in another species. Here, we tested 205 primer pairs designed from the whole genome sequence of Tetranychus urticae Koch, a sister species of T. truncatus, for microsatellite markers in three populations of T. truncatus in China (N = 94). About half (102) of these primer pairs yielded the desired PCR products, 36 of which revealed polymorphism in T. truncatus. Each of the 36 markers harbored between 2 and 23 alleles, with a mean polymorphic information content of 0.589 (0.119–0.922 range). The mean observed and expected heterozygosity across loci and the three populations were 0.468 and 0.628, respectively. Of the 36 primer pairs, 22 also worked in Tetranychus piercei, but only a few of them worked in T. ludeni and T. phaselus. Cross-amplification is thus a cost-effective way to develop microsatellite markers, which can be of great value in population genetics studies.