Far‐eastern strains of bean common mosaic virus and methods of their immunodiagnostics

The paper presents data of investigation on the physico‐chemical and antigenic properties of capsid proteins of the Bean common mosaic virus isolated from Phaseolus plants in the Russian Far East (BCMV‐R) and from China (BCMV‐C). A method for isolation of the virus preparation was selected. The purified preparations of two isolates BCMV have been obtained. The presence of one polypeptide in structural proteins of virions was established and their molecular masses determined (BCMV‐R ‐ 31,6 kD; BCMV‐C ‐ 32,1 kD). Polyclonal antiserum was obtained with titre 1:12800 and the indirect and “sandwich"‐variants of ELISA were developed to detect this virus. The allied relationships were established with the bean yellow mosaic virus and with the type representative of the genus Potyvirus ‐ PVY. Based on the data of physico‐chemical and antigenic properties it was concluded that isolates BCMV‐R and BCMV‐C are two independent strains of this virus. The presence of strain‐, virus‐ and genusspecific epitopes of capsid proteine was revealed as a result of comparison of antigenic characteristics of the Russian Far Eastern and Chinese strains of BCMV. A high antigenic activity of capsid protein of the Russian Far Eastern strain was observed.     

Distribution and impact of virus associated diseases of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in northern Iran

Different viral diseases infect common bean crops in Iran. A total of 248 symptomatic samples were collected from common bean fields throughout main growing fields of Guilan province in Iran during the summer of 2006. Eight viruses were detected using double antibody-sandwich – enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). Bean common mosaic virus – BCMV (1%), Bean leaf roll virus – BLRV (9%), Cowpea mild mottle virus – CpMMV (6%), Southern bean mosaic virus – SBMV (3%), Cucumber mosaic virus – CMV (15%), Bean golden mosaic virus – BGMV (2%), Bean common mosaic necrosis virus – BCMNV (1%) and Bean yellow mosaic virus – BYMV (1%) were detected. Comparatively CMV (15%) was found to be more prevalent in Guilan province. Multiple infections of viruses were recorded in many samples. Weed species belonging to Chenopodiaceae, Solanaceae, Malvaceae and Amaranthaceae families were also found to be infected with the viruses.     

Evolution of the salivary apyrases of blood-feeding arthropods

Phylogenetic analyses of three families of arthropod apyrases were used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships of salivary-expressed apyrases, which have an anti-coagulant function in blood-feeding arthropods. Members of the 5′nucleotidase family were recruited for salivary expression in blood-feeding species at least five separate times in the history of arthropods, while members of the Cimex-type apyrase family have been recruited at least twice. In spite of these independent events of recruitment for salivary function, neither of these families showed evidence of convergent amino acid sequence evolution in salivary-expressed members. On the contrary, in the 5′-nucleotide family, salivary-expressed proteins conserved ancestral amino acid residues to a significantly greater extent than related proteins without salivary function, implying parallel evolution by conservation of ancestral characters. This unusual pattern of sequence evolution suggests the hypothesis that purifying selection favoring conservation of ancestral residues is particularly strong in salivary-expressed members of the 5′-nucleotidase family of arthropods because of constraints arising from expression within the vertebrate host.     

Hemocyanin gene family evolution in spiders (Araneae), with implications for phylogenetic relationships and divergence times in the infraorder Mygalomorphae

Hemocyanins are multimeric copper-containing hemolymph proteins involved in oxygen binding and transport in all major arthropod lineages. Most arachnids have seven primary subunits (encoded by paralogous genes a–g), which combine to form a 24-mer (4 × 6) quaternary structure. Within some spider lineages, however, hemocyanin evolution has been a dynamic process with extensive paralog duplication and loss. We have obtained hemocyanin gene sequences from numerous representatives of the spider infraorders Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae in order to infer the evolution of the hemocyanin gene family and estimate spider relationships using these conserved loci. Our hemocyanin gene tree is largely consistent with the previous hypotheses of paralog relationships based on immunological studies, but reveals some discrepancies in which paralog types have been lost or duplicated in specific spider lineages. Analyses of concatenated hemocyanin sequences resolved deep nodes in the spider phylogeny and recovered a number of clades that are supported by other molecular studies, particularly for mygalomorph taxa. The concatenated data set is also used to estimate dates of higher-level spider divergences and suggests that the diversification of extant mygalomorphs preceded that of extant araneomorphs. Spiders are diverse in behavior and respiratory morphology, and our results are beneficial for comparative analyses of spider respiration. Lastly, the conserved hemocyanin sequences allow for the inference of spider relationships and ancient divergence dates.     

Recent advances in lactic acid production by microbial fermentation processes

Fermentative production of optically pure lactic acid has roused interest among researchers in recent years due to its high potential for applications in a wide range of fields. More specifically, the sharp increase in manufacturing of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) materials, green alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, has significantly increased the global interest in lactic acid production. However, higher production costs have hindered the large-scale application of PLA because of the high price of lactic acid. Therefore, reduction of lactic acid production cost through utilization of inexpensive substrates and improvement of lactic acid production and productivity has become an important goal. Various methods have been employed for enhanced lactic acid production, including several bioprocess techniques facilitated by wild-type and/or engineered microbes. In this review, we will discuss lactic acid producers with relation to their fermentation characteristics and metabolism. Inexpensive fermentative substrates, such as dairy products, food and agro-industrial wastes, glycerol, and algal biomass alternatives to costly pure sugars and food crops are introduced. The operational modes and fermentation methods that have been recently reported to improve lactic acid production in terms of concentrations, yields, and productivities are summarized and compared. High cell density fermentation through immobilization and cell-recycling techniques are also addressed. Finally, advances in recovery processes and concluding remarks on the future outlook of lactic acid production are presented.     

Struvite Precipitation Induced by a Novel Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus SRB4 Isolated from River Sediment

This article presents a study of struvite formation in liquid medium induced by the sulfate-reducing bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus SRB4, a strain isolated from river sediment. We identified the bacterial strain A. calcoaceticus SRB4 and analyzed its micromorphology. The minerals formed were studied with an electroprobe microanalyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, differential thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus SRB4 was found to induce struvite precipitation, whereas sterile control cultures did not. Many transparent stick-shaped struvite precipitates were distributed at the bottom of the conical flasks in the experimental group. Most bacteria were spherical and a large quantity of spherical struvite particles (less than 200 nm in diameter) adhered to the bacterial surface. An electron probe microanalysis showed that the precipitates contained C, O, P, Mg, and other elements. Fourier transformation infrared spectra showed that the precipitates contained crystalline water, NH₄⁺, and PO₄^3? groups. X-ray diffraction spectra showed that the precipitates were struvite crystals, with preferential orientation and lattice distortion. Thermogravimetry showed that the weight loss was caused by the evaporation of crystalline water at temperatures lower than 136°C and the release of ammonia from struvite at temperatures of 136–228.5°C. In this article, we discuss the possible mechanism of struvite formation and the possible role played by A. calcoaceticus SRB4. Our study extends our understanding of the phosphate biomineralization mechanism and should prove useful in recycling phosphorus in wastewater.     

Is Anisakis simplex s.l. a biological marker for stock identification of Strangomera bentincki from Chile?

The absence of the larval Anisakis simplex s. l. in samples from central Chile but heavy infections in fish from southern localities suggest the existence of two stocks of Strangomera bentincki, one closely associated with the central coast of Chile (landing port San Antonio and Talcahuano, c. 33° 30′ S–36° 40′ S) and the other associated with southern Chile (landing port Puerto Montt, c. 41° 30′ S). Results confirm the usefulness of metazoan parasites, like A. simplex s. l. as biological markers.     

Why Are There So Many Diverse Replication Machineries?

The replicon model has initiated a major research line in molecular biology: the study of DNA replication mechanisms. Until now, the majority of studies have focused on a limited set of model organisms, mainly from Bacteria or Opisthokont eukaryotes (human, yeasts) and a few viral systems. However, molecular evolutionists have shown that the living world is more complex and diverse than believed when the operon model was proposed. Comparison of DNA replication proteins in the three domains, Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya, have surprisingly revealed the existence of two distinct sets of non-homologous cellular DNA replication proteins, one in Bacteria and the other in Archaea and Eukarya, suggesting that the last universal common ancestor possibly still had an RNA genome. A major puzzle is the presence in eukaryotes of the unfaithful DNA polymerase alpha (Pol α) to prime Okazaki fragments. Interestingly, Pol α is specifically involved in telomere biosynthesis, and its absence in Archaea correlates with the absence of telomeres. The recent discovery of telomere-like GC quartets in eukaryotic replication origins suggests a link between Pol α and the overall organization of the eukaryotic chromosome. As previously proposed by Takemura, Pol α might have originated from a mobile element of viral origin that played a critical role in the emergence of the complex eukaryotic genomes. Notably, most large DNA viruses encode DNA replication proteins very divergent from their cellular counterparts. The diversity of viral replication machineries compared to cellular ones suggests that DNA and DNA replication mechanisms first originated and diversified in the ancient virosphere, possibly explaining why they are so many different types of replication machinerie.     

A Comparison of Ship-Recycling Legislation Between Chinese Law and the 2009 Hong Kong Convention

This article discusses the Chinese legal framework in relation to ship recycling and suggests that the various legislation, standards, and opinions provide disorderly and nosystematic regulation. A uniform law specifically regulating the ship-recycling industry should be adopted by China, with a single competent authority empowered to supervise ship-recycling activities, that will effectively implement the 2009 Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.     

Apelin-36, a potent peptide,protects against ischemic brain injury by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway

Apelin is an endogenous ligand of G protein-coupled receptor-apelin and angiotensin-1-like receptor (APJ). The biological effects of apelin–APJ system are reported in multiple systems including cardiovascular, endocrinal, and gastrointestinal system. Previous studies had shown that apelin-13 is a potential protective agent on cardiac ischemia; however, the role of apelin in the central nervous system remained unknown. In this study, we investigated therapeutic effects of apelin-36, a long form of apelin, in ischemic brain injury models. We found that apelin-36 reduced cerebral infarct volume in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and the neonatal hypoxic/ischemic (H/I) injury model. Apelin-36 improved neurological deficits in the MCAO model and promoted long-term functional recovery after H/I brain injury. We further explored the protective mechanisms of apelin-36 on H/I brain injury. We clearly demonstrated that apelin-36 significantly reduced the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, two well-established apoptotic markers after H/I injury, indicating the anti-apoptotic activity of apelin-36 in ischemic injury. Since apelin-36 increased the level of phosphorylated Akt after H/I injury, we treated neonates with a specific PI3K inhibitor LY294002. We found that LY294002 decreased the phosphorylated Akt level and attenuated protective effects of apelin-36 on apoptosis. These suggested that the PI3K/Akt pathway was at least in part involved in the anti-apoptotic mechanisms of apelin-36. Our findings demonstrated that apelin-36 was a promising therapeutic agent on the treatment of ischemic brain injury.