Seasonality of Rotifers and Temperature in Lough Neagh,N. Ireland

Long runs of seasonal rotifer population data allow analysis of seasonal occurrence using mathematical tools. The application of Fourier analysis to a 15 year dataset describes seasonality in simple mathematical terms. This facilitates comparison of population expression with potential population driving variables and provides a basic modelling tool. Results show that annual patterns of occurrence and density have linkages with annual maximum and minimum environmental temperature, although the exact relationships are not clear.     

The effect of species diversity on lipid production by micro-algal communities

Current research investigating the importance of diversity for biofuel lipid production remains limited. In contrast, the relationship between diversity and productivity within terrestrial and algal primary producers has been well documented in ecology. Hence, we set out to investigate, experimentally, whether diversity may also affect lipid production in micro-algae. We investigated the growth and lipid production of micro-algae using species from all major algal groups. Algae were grown in a large number of treatments differing in their diversity level. Additionally, we compared the growth and lipid production of laboratory communities to natural lake and pond phytoplankton communities of different diversity. Our results show that lipid production increased with increasing diversity in both natural and laboratory micro-algal communities. The underlying reason for the observed ‘diversity–productivity’ relationship seems to be resource use complementarity. We observed higher lipid production of highly diverse algal communities under the same growth and resource supply conditions compared to monocultures. Hence, the incorporation of the ecological advantages of diversity-related resource-use dynamics into algal biomass production may provide a powerful and cost effective way to improve biofuel production.     

Takayasu's arteritis is associated with HLA-B*52, but not with HLA-B*51, in Turkey

Introduction

HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 are two close human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele groups with minor amino acid differences. However, they are associated with two different vasculitides (HLA-B*51 in Behçet's disease and HLA-B*52 in Takayasu's arteritis (TAK)) and with major clinical and immunological differences. In this study, we aimed to screen a large cohort of TAK patients from Turkey for the presence of HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 as susceptibility and severity factors.

Methods

TAK patients (n = 330) followed at a total of 15 centers were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 37.8 years, and 86% were women. DNA samples from the patients and healthy controls (HC; n = 210) were isolated, and the presence of HLA-B*51 or HLA-B*52 was screened for by using PCR with sequence-specific primers.

Results

We found a significant association of HLA-B*52 with TAK (20.9% vs HC = 6.7%, P = 0.000, OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 2.02 to 6.77). The distribution of HLA-B*51 did not differ between TAK patients and HCs (22.7% vs 24.8%, OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.60 to 1.34). The presence of HLA-B*52 decreased in late-onset patients (> 40 years of age; 12.0%, P = 0.024, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.91). Patients with angiographic type I disease with limited aortic involvement also had a lower presence of HLA-B*52 compared to those with all other disease subtypes (13.1% vs 26%, P = 0.005, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.78).

Conclusions

In this study, the previously reported association of TAK with HLA-B*52 in other populations was confirmed in patients from Turkey. The functional relevance of HLA-B*52 in TAK pathogenesis needs to be explored further.     

Neurodegeneration by activated microglia across a nanofiltration membrane

Microglia have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, but their precise role remains elusive. Although neuron loss in the presence of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated microglia has been well documented, a novel coculture paradigm was developed as a new approach to assess the diffusible, soluble mediators of neurodegeneration. Isolated microglia were plated on membrane inserts that were coated with a layer of cellulose acetate. The cellulose acetate-coated membranes have nanofiltration properties, in that only molecules with masses less than 350 Da can pass through. Products released from activated microglia that were separated from primary ventral mesencephalon cells beneath the nanofiltering membrane were able to kill the dopamine neurons. Microglial cytokines cannot diffuse through this separating membrane. Addition of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor prevented the loss of the dopamine neurons. These data describe a novel coculture system for studying diffusible factors and further support nitric oxide production as an important mediator in microglia-induced neuron death.     

Physiology and Nutrition of Treponema primitia, an H2/ CO2-Acetogenic Spirochete from Termite Hindguts

Treponema primitia strains ZAS-1 and ZAS-2, the first spirochetes to be isolated from termite hindguts (J. R. Leadbetter, T. M. Schmidt, J. R. Graber, and J. A. Breznak, Science 283:686-689, 1999), were examined for nutritional, physiological, and biochemical properties relevant to growth and survival in their natural habitat. In addition to using H₂ plus CO₂ as substrates, these strains were capable of homoacetogenic growth on mono- and disaccharides and (in the case of ZAS-2) methoxylated benzenoids. Cells were also capable of mixotrophic growth (i.e., simultaneous utilization of H₂ and organic substrates). Cell extracts of T. primitia possessed enzyme activities of the Wood/Ljungdahl (acetyl coenzyme A) pathway of acetogenesis, including tetrahydrofolate-dependent enzymes of the methyl group-forming branch. However, a folate compound was required in the medium for growth. ZAS-1 and ZAS-2 growing on H₂ plus CO₂ displayed H₂ thresholds of 650 and 490 ppmv, respectively. Anoxic cultures of ZAS-1 and ZAS-2 maintained growth after the addition of as much as 0.5% (vol/vol) O₂ to the headspace atmosphere. Cell extracts exhibited NADH and NADPH peroxidase and NADH oxidase activities but neither catalase nor superoxide dismutase activity. Results indicate that (i) T. primitia is able to exploit a variety of substrates derived from the food of its termite hosts and in so doing contributes to termite nutrition via acetogenesis, (ii) in situ growth of T. primitia is likely dependent on secretion of a folate compound(s) by other members of the gut microbiota, and (iii) cells possess enzymatic adaptations to oxidative stress, which is likely to be encountered in peripheral regions of the termite hindgut.