The fine structure of Culicinomyces clavisporus invading mosquito larvae

Electron microscope observations were made of the Australian and U.S. strains of Culicinomyces clavisporus infecting mosquito larvae. The wall of the conidium is composed of an inner (primary) layer, an outer (secondary) layer, and an exterior coating of a mucopolysaccharide substance believed responsible for conidial adhesion to the host cuticle prior to germination and penetration. In some instances the wall of the conidium is ruptured during germination and new wall layers and mucoid coating form around the germ tube whereas in other specimens the conidial wall layers extend around the germ tube without fracturing. The most common invasion site is through the larval foregut following ingestion of conidia. The apex of the germ tube presses tightly against the surface of the foregut cuticle and the mucilaginous coating is stripped away. There is evidence to suggest that the host epicuticle, which disappears across the zone of contact with the germ tube, is utilized for nutrition of the invading fungus. A collar of cuticle forms around the germ tube apex and a narrow penetrant hyphae extends into the procuticle. It is believed that cuticular penetration is primarily enzymatic assisted by mechanical pressure. The penetrant hypha swells into an oval cell in the hypodermal region and vegetative hypha then invade the hemocoel. The cells of the hypodermis develop signs of degeneration presumably due to the secretion of toxic substances from the invading hyphae. Host reactions, involving melanization of the host tissues, are sometimes evident among the invading penetrant hyphae in the cuticle or in the hypodermal cells in contact with the fungus. Melanized capsules form around some of the hyphae within the hemocoel. These latter reactions do not directly involve host blood cells and are examples of “humoral encapsulation” similar to that described by other authors during invasion of pathogenic organisms into mosquito larvae and chironomid larvae.     

The role of the local microbial ecosystem in respiratory health and disease

Respiratory tract infections are a major global health concern, accounting for high morbidity and mortality, especially in young children and elderly individuals. Traditionally, highly common bacterial respiratory tract infections, including otitis media and pneumonia, were thought to be caused by a limited number of pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. However, these pathogens are also frequently observed commensal residents of the upper respiratory tract (URT) and form—together with harmless commensal bacteria, viruses and fungi—intricate ecological networks, collectively known as the ‘microbiome’. Analogous to the gut microbiome, the respiratory microbiome at equilibrium is thought to be beneficial to the host by priming the immune system and providing colonization resistance, while an imbalanced ecosystem might predispose to bacterial overgrowth and development of respiratory infections. We postulate that specific ecological perturbations of the bacterial communities in the URT can occur in response to various lifestyle or environmental effectors, leading to diminished colonization resistance, loss of containment of newly acquired or resident pathogens, preluding bacterial overgrowth, ultimately resulting in local or systemic bacterial infections. Here, we review the current body of literature regarding niche-specific upper respiratory microbiota profiles within human hosts and the changes occurring within these profiles that are associated with respiratory infections.     

不同饵料对匙吻鲟仔鱼生长发育和消化酶活性的影响

本文研究了不同强化饵料对匙吻鲟(Polyodon spathala)仔鱼生长和发育的影响,实验采用蛋黄或鱼油强化卤虫无节幼体或桡足幼体为饵料的共6个实验组,即未强化卤虫组、蛋黄强化卤虫组、鱼油强化卤虫组和未强化桡足幼体组、蛋黄强化桡足幼体组、鱼油强化桡足幼体组,对匙吻鲟仔鱼开口驯化14 d,动态监测和统计不同饵料组匙吻鲟仔鱼的生长和存活情况,并对消化酶活性进行相关性分析。体重、体长、日增重和存活率4个指标,均为桡足幼体组显著高于卤虫组(P0.05),尤其在存活率方面,鱼油强化卤虫组不足50%,而未强化桡足幼体组最高可达86.59%;不同饵料组生长模式方程都获得较好的拟合,从体重和体长生长曲线看,桡足幼体组从饲喂8天起体长和体重进入快速生长期,而卤虫组生长一直相对缓慢;胃蛋白酶活性在未强化桡足幼体组显著高于其他组(P0.05),不同饵料组对仔鱼的淀粉酶活性无显著性影响。结果表明,在匙吻鲟仔鱼开口期以桡足幼体开口饵料驯化效果较好,特别是未强化桡足幼体组仔鱼的存活率高,鱼油强化桡足幼体组仔鱼生长速度较快,而以卤虫饲喂效果相对较差。     

Time-resolved fluorescence-based assay for rapid detection of Escherichia coli

Fast and simple detection of pathogens is of utmost importance in health care and the food industry. In this article, a novel technology for the detection of pathogenic bacteria is presented. The technology uses lytic-specific bacteriophages and a nonspecific interaction of cellular components with a luminescent lanthanide chelate. As a proof of principle, Escherichia coli-specific T4 bacteriophage was used to infect the bacteria, and the cell lysis was detected. In the absence of E. coli, luminescent Eu³⁺–chelate complex cannot be formed and low time-resolved luminescence signal is monitored. In the presence of E. coli, increased luminescence signal is observed as the cellular contents are leached to the surrounding medium. The luminescence signal is observed as a function of the number of bacteria in the sample. The homogeneous assay can detect living E. coli in bacterial cultures and simulated urine samples within 25 min with a detection limit of 1000 or 10,000 bacterial cells/ml in buffer or urine, respectively. The detection limit is at the clinically relevant level, which indicates that the method could also be applicable to clinical settings for fast detection of urine bacteria.     

Identification of β integrin‐like‐ and fibronectin‐like proteins in the bivalve mollusk Mytilus trossulus

Integrins play a key role in the intermediation and coordination between cells and extracellular matrix components. In this study, we first determined the presence of the β integrin‐like protein and its presumptive ligand, fibronectin‐like protein, during development and in some adult tissues of the bivalve mollusc Mytilus trossulus. We found that β integrin‐like protein expression correlated with the development and differentiation of the digestive system in larvae. Besides the presence of β integrin‐like protein in the digestive epithelial larval cells, this protein was detected in the hemocytes and some adult tissues of M. trossulus. The fibronectin‐like protein was detected firstly at the blastula stage and later, the FN‐LP‐immunoreactive cells were scattered in the trochophore larvae. The fibronectin‐like protein was not expressed in the β integrin‐positive cells of either the veliger stage larvae or the adult mussel tissues and the primary hemocyte cell culture. Despite the β integrin‐ and fibronectin‐like proteins being expressed in different cell types of mussel larvae, we do not exclude the possibility of direct interaction between these two proteins during M. trossulus development or in adult tissues.     

水鼩鼱消化道5-羟色胺阳性细胞的形态与分布

应用免疫酶标技术ABC( avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex)法,对水鼩鼱(Neomys fodiens)消化道内5-羟色胺(5-HT)阳性细胞的分布及形态进行研究.结果显示,5-羟色胺阳性细胞仅在肠内分布,食管和胃处没有分布.细胞分布密度曲线呈抛物线型,空肠部分布密度最高,十二指肠部次之...     

下呼吸道感染流行菌及其耐药性

目的:研究本院下呼吸道感染流行菌及其耐药性,为合理使用抗生素提供依据.方法:对下呼吸道感染流行菌进行统计分析.结果:检出病原菌716株,革兰阴性杆菌为主要菌种,而G杆菌中铜绿假单胞菌占13.69%,肺炎克雷伯菌占8.8%,不动杆菌属占8.4%.除嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌外,G杆菌对亚胺培南、阿米卡星敏感性高.G 球菌以表皮葡萄球菌、溶血葡萄球菌为主要菌种,耐甲氧西林表皮葡萄球菌(MRSS)的检出率为85.3%,耐甲氧西林溶血葡萄球菌的检出率为91.6%.真菌分离呈增多趋势,占所有病原菌的23.28%.结论:下呼吸道感染流行菌药敏显示耐药水平较多,临床医生应根据药敏结果合理选择抗生素,以利于疾病的治疗.