An acute septicaemic disease of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) caused by a Pasteurella-like organism

Ulcerations of the skin associated with haemorrhagic petechiae of liver and kidneys, were the main signs of disease affecting salmon and brown trout in Norway. A death rate of 15–20% was estimated for the 5 month period of mid-March-August, although mortalities occurred throughout the year. Bacteriological examinations, involving 36 isolates, suggested the causual organism to be a Pasteurella although the DNA homology examination gave a G.C. ratio of 55.6 % which is high for Pasteurella as a group.     

Late Weichselian and Holocene sedimentary environments and ice rafting in Isfjorden, Spitsbergen

Multi-proxy analyses of two sediment cores from central Isfjorden were used to reconstruct the glacial history in central Spitsbergen during the Late Weichselian and the Holocene, and to relate iceberg rafting and sea-ice rafting to climatic and oceanographic changes in the north Atlantic region. A basal till was deposited beneath an ice stream prior to 12,700 cal. years BP (calendar years before the present). Several tidewater glaciers influenced the sedimentary environment during the Younger Dryas and probably already during the Allerød. The Younger Dryas cooling might be reflected by enhanced sea-ice formation and suspension settling, as well as reduced iceberg rafting. The final deglaciation was dominated by intense iceberg rafting. It terminated around 11,200 cal. years BP. Optimum Holocene climatic and oceanographic conditions with significantly reduced ice rafting occurred between c. 11,200 and 9000 cal. years BP. Ice rafting occurred almost exclusively from icebergs after 10,200 cal. years BP. The icebergs most probably originated from tidewater glaciers on east Spitsbergen, indicating the presence of a strong east–west temperature gradient at this time. An increase of iceberg rafting around 9000 cal. years BP, followed by enhanced sea-ice rafting, reflects the onset of a general cooling in the western Barents Sea–Svalbard region. Comparatively intense rafting from icebergs and sea ice between 9000 and 4000 cal. years BP is related to this cooling. A general reduction in ice rafting after 4000 cal. years BP is most probably the result of the enhanced formation of shore-fast and/or more permanent sea-ice cover, reducing the drift of icebergs and sea ice in the fjord. The results indicate that the palaeoenvironmental conditions on central Spitsbergen to a large degree depended on the oceanographic conditions in the western Barents Sea and west off Spitsbergen. However, climatic trends affecting Greenland and the entire north Atlantic region can also be identified.     

Studien über die Morphologie der Chromosomen des Myrmus miriformis

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Molecular taxonomy and phylogeny of the Geodiidae (Porifera, Demospongiae, Astrophorida) – combining phylogenetic and Linnaean classification

Cárdenas, P., Rapp, H. T., Schander, C. & Tendal, O. S. (2009). Molecular taxonomy and phylogeny of the Geodiidae (Porifera, Demospongiae, Astrophorida) – combining phylogenetic and Linnaean classification.—Zoologica Scripta, 39, 89–106. According to the fossil records, the Geodiidae represents one of the oldest families of demosponges (Phylum Porifera). There are approximately 220 described extant species, geographically and bathymetrically widely distributed around the world. Species of this family all share a two-layered cortex with ball-shaped spicules called ‘sterrasters’ in the endocortex. However, molecular studies have questioned the monophyly of the group. Moreover, the evolutionary history and the intrafamily relationships of the Geodiidae are not fully resolved. Using a partial sequence of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene and a partial sequence of the 28S rDNA gene (D1–D2 domains), we present the first molecular phylogeny focusing on this group. The congruent results from the two gene fragments suggest that (i) the Geodiidae is monophyletic, (ii) the Erylinae/Geodinae subdivision sensu Sollas, 1888 is valid and that (iii) Isops and Sidonops are junior synonyms of Geodia. The synonymization of Isops and Sidonops implies that the oscule/pore morphology as a diagnostic character should be abandoned. Geodia hentscheli nom. nov. has been given for Geodia mesotriaena ( Hentschel, 1929 ). This study served as the basis for a revised phylogenetic classification of the Geodiidae. Well-supported clades led to the establishment of clade names following the PhyloCode. The Geodinae clade is strongly supported and notably composed of Depressiogeodia, Cydonium and Geodia. A morphological synapomorphy of Geodinae is the presence of euasters in the ectocortex. The Erylinae (Erylus, Penares, Caminus and Pachymatisma) form a strongly supported monophyletic group with three morphological synapomorphies: (i) loss of anatriaenes and protriaenes, (ii) microrhabds (or spherules) in the ectocortex and (iii) short-shafted triaenes. The Erylus monophyly is ambiguous. Erylus species are distributed in three well-supported clades. Finally, spicule homology in the cortex of the Geodiidae is discussed.     

Anti-HMGB1 auto-Abs influence fatigue in patients with Crohn’s disease

Fatigue is common in all chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. A conceptual model for understanding the biological basis of fatigue describes it as being a part of the sickness behaviour response generated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and other mediators. We hypothesised that the pro-inflammatory high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein is a fatigue-inducing molecule and that auto-Abs against HMGB1 reduce fatigue. We measured Abs against disulphide (ds) HMGB1 and fully reduced (fr) HMGB1 in plasma from 57 patients with Crohn’s disease. Fatigue was rated using the fatigue visual analogue scale (fVAS) and disease activity with faecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein and the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn’s disease. Multivariable regression models identified anti-dsHMGB1 and anti-frHMGB1 Abs as the strongest contributing factors for fVAS scores (B = −29.10 (P = 0.01), R² = 0.17, and B = −17.77 (P = 0.01), R² = 0.17, respectively). Results indicate that anti-HMGB1 auto-Abs alleviate fatigue possibly by down-regulating HMGB1-induced sickness behaviour.     

Progressive atrophy of the thymus in mice carrying Lewis lung carcinoma grafts

Summary A rapid and progressive thymus atrophy in B₆D₂ mice following transplantation of Lewis lung carcinoma cells is reported. Spleen weight, however, increased in tumor-carrying animals. Tumor extracts failed to induce these alterations. The mechanism of these perturbations of the immune system in tumor-carrying animals is discussed.This work was supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society