Short-Term Effect of Pollen and Spore Exposure on Allergy Morbidity in the Brussels-Capital Region

Belgium is among the European countries that are the most affected by allergic rhinitis. Pollen grains and fungal spores represent important triggers of symptoms. However, few studies have investigated their real link with disease morbidity over several years. Based on aeroallergen counts and health insurance datasets, the relationship between daily changes in pollen, fungal spore concentrations and daily changes in reimbursable systemic antihistamine sales has been investigated between 2005 and 2011 in the Brussels-Capital Region. A Generalized Linear Model was used and adjusted for air pollution, meteorological conditions, flu, seasonal component and day of the week. We observed an augmentation in drug sales despite no significant increase in allergen levels in the long term. The relative risk of buying allergy medications associated with an interquartile augmentation in pollen distributions increased significantly for Poaceae, Betula, Carpinus, Fraxinus and Quercus. Poaceae affected the widest age group and led to the highest increase of risk which reached 1.13 (95% CI [1.11–1.14]) among the 19- to 39-year-old men. Betula showed the second most consistent relationship across age groups. Clear identification of the provoking agents may improve disease management by customizing prevention programmes. This work also opens several research perspectives related to impact of climate modification or subpopulation sensitivity.     

Methylmercury and Total Mercury in Eels, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anguilla anguilla</Emphasis>, from Lakes in Northeastern Poland: Health Risk Assessment

In the aquatic environment, mercury is readily methylated into its most toxic form of methylmercury. In this form, it enters the aquatic food chain and its concentrations increase in subsequent links, which decreases the quality of fish meat and poses risks to consumer health. Concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (THg) were determined in the muscle tissues of 64 eel specimens measuring from 59 to 95 cm in length as functions of specimen size and weight. Risks posed to consumers by eel from different length classes were also assessed. The mean concentration of THg in all of the eel examined was 0.179 mg kg^?1, but the range was from 0.028 to 0.487 mg kg^?1. The mean concentration of MeHg was 0.147 mg kg^?1, and the range was also wide from 0.023 to 0.454 mg kg^?1. Accumulated MeHg and THg increased with eel body length. The percentage share of MeHg in THg also changed with specimen length, and there was a positive correlation between the concentrations of MeHg and THg. Risk assessment was performed based on the doses of THg and MeHg ingested with fish for several specimen length classes. Consuming the meat of eel measuring 80 cm in length increased the estimated weekly intake (EWI) of THg and MeHg twofold in comparison to that from specimens 60 cm in length and fourfold in specimens exceeding 90 cm in length. The percentage shares of the EWI in the tolerable weekly intake and the target hazard quotient coefficient also increased proportionally. Generally, concentrations of MeHg and THg in eel are below current limits and pose no risk to consumer health as long as the consumption of larger specimens is avoided.     

Conservation genetics of rare trees restricted to subtropical montane cloud forests in southern China: a case study from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus arbutifolia</Emphasis> (Fagaceae)

Montane cloud forests (MCFs), with their isolated nature, offer excellent opportunities to study the long-term effects of habitat fragmentation and the impacts of climate change. Quercus arbutifolia is a rare oak in MCFs of southern China and Vietnam. Its isolated populations, small population size and unique ecological niche make this species vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss. In this study, we used chloroplast (cpDNA) and nuclear (ITS) DNA sequences to investigate genetic divergence patterns and demographic history of five of the six known populations of Q. arbutifolia. Considering its small population size and fragmentation, Q. arbutifolia has unexpectedly high genetic diversity. The time since the most recent common ancestor of all cpDNA haplotypes was c. 10.25 Ma, and the rapid diversification of haplotypes occurred during the Quaternary. The maximum clade credibility chronogram of cpDNA haplotypes suggests that the DM population (Daming Mountain, Guangxi province) diverged early and rapidly became isolated from other populations. The Pearl River drainage system may have been the main geographic barrier between DM and other populations since the late Miocene. ITS data suggests that population expansion occurred during the last interglacial of the Quaternary. The combined effects of pre-Quaternary and Quaternary climatic and geological changes were the main drivers to the current genetic diversity and distribution pattern of Q. arbutifolia. Because of the high between-population genetic differentiation and high within-population genetic diversity of Q. arbutifolia, conservation efforts should be implemented for all populations, but if conservation resources are limited, populations DM, YZ (Mang Mountain, Hunan province) and ZZ (Daqin Mountain, Fujian province) should have priority.     

Marker-assisted introgression (MAI) of almond genes into the peach background: a fast method to mine and integrate novel variation from exotic sources in long intergeneration species

This paper proposes a new breeding strategy, marker-assisted introgression (MAI), to obtain lines of perennial species with a single introgressed fragment from a compatible species two generations after the interspecific hybrid. MAI allows enrichment of the genome of a species with genes from a wild or exotic relative in a short timeframe and with an intermediate step that allows a first exploration of genes/QTLs that the donor species can provide to the target crop. This method has three phases: (1) creating a large backcross one (BC1) population to select, with markers, a reduced number of individuals (15–30, called the prIL set) with a low number of introgressions; (2) phenotyping the prIL set for the traits of interest and inferring the inheritance and map position of segregating major genes/QTLs based on the known genotypes of the prILs; and (3) advancing selected lines carrying the traits of interest to a next generation of backcross or selfing to obtain individuals with a single introgression in the background of the elite commercial germplasm. The proof of concept of this strategy was implemented by using peach as the recurrent species and almond as the donor. The whole process can be done in 9–10 years as the identification of the first line with one introgression was after 5 years (2006–2011), and 4–5 additional years are needed for phenotypic evaluation of selected lines. The expansion of this method to other perennial clonally propagated crops and to other species of Prunus compatible with peach is discussed.     

The key role of “Moscato bianco” and “Malvasia aromatica di Parma” in the parentage of traditional aromatic grape varieties

A great number of flavored grape varieties, of significant oenological potential, are traditionally cultivated in north-western Italy, besides the renowned “Moscato bianco” (syn. “Muscat à petits grains blancs”). Understanding their origin, besides its historical and scientific interest, would help to increase market appeal and consequently facilitate the commercial exploitation of these products. Twenty-four aromatic genotypes were investigated for their identity, kinship relations, and genetic origins through molecular markers (SSR and SNPs) supported by plant morphology and historical information. Flavored grape genotypes from other regions, possible ancestors, and reference cultivars of known pedigree were also included in the analysis. Kinship analysis used a likelihood-based approach (IBS, IBD, relatedness coefficients, and likelihood ratios) to achieve strong statistical support. The analyses revealed two possible leading genitors, in turn closely related by a parent/offspring relationship: “Moscato bianco” and “Malvasia aromatica di Parma,” a female grape cultivar that is today almost extinct. The outlined molecular and statistical approach could be applied for the investigation on the origin of ancient traditional cultivars of other vegetative propagated species.     

A high-density linkage map with 2560 markers and its application for the localization of the male-sterile genes <Emphasis Type="Italic">ms3</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ms4</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis> D. Don

Cryptomeria japonica pollinosis is one of the most serious allergic diseases in Japan; this is a social problem because C. japonica is the most important Japanese forestry species. In order to reduce the amount of pollen dispersed, breeding programs using trees with male-sterile genes have been implemented. High-density linkage maps with stable ordering of markers facilitate the localization of male-sterile genes and the construction of partial linkage maps around them in order to develop markers for use in marker-assisted selection. In this study, a high-density linkage map for C. japonica with 2560 markers was constructed. The observed map length was 1266.2 cM and the mean distance between adjacent markers was 0.49 cM. Using information from this high-density map, we newly located two male-sterile genes (ms3 and ms4) on the first and fourth linkage groups, respectively, and constructed partial linkage maps around these loci. We also constructed new partial linkage maps around the ms1 and ms2 loci using additional SNP markers. The closest markers to the ms1, ms2, ms3, and ms4 male-sterile loci were estSNP04188 (1.8 cM), estSNP00695 (7.0 cM), gSNP05415 (3.1 cM), and estSNP01408 (7.0 cM) respectively. These results allowed us to develop SNP markers tightly linked to the male sterile genes for use in MAS; this will accelerate the future isolation of these genes by map-based cloning approaches.     

Disentangling the effects of isolation-by-distance and isolation-by-environment on genetic differentiation among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhododendron</Emphasis> lineages in the subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tsutsusi</Emphasis>

Ecological speciation has long been noted as a central topic in the field of evolutionary biology, and investigation into the relative importance of ecological and geographical factors is becoming increasingly emphasized. We surveyed genetic variation of 277 samples from 25 populations of nine Rhododendron species within Tsutsusi subgenus in Taiwan using simple sequence repeats of expressed sequence tags. Bayesian clustering revealed four genetic lineages: (1) the Rhododendron simsii, Rhododendron kanehirai, and Rhododendron nakaharae lineage (lineage 1); (2) the Rhododendron longiperulatum, Rhododendron breviperulatum, and Rhododendron noriakianum lineage (lineage 2); (3) the Rhododendron rubropilosum lineage (lineage 3); and (4) the Rhododendron oldhamii lineage (lineage 4). Asymmetric introgressions were found from lineage 3 into lineages 1 and 2 (introgressed lineages). Genetic admixture of non-R. oldhamii species was also revealed by a neighbor-joining tree. Variation partitioning showed that environment explained much larger portions of genetic variation than geography between non-introgressed lineages (i.e., between R. oldhamii and other lineages). However, the Mantel and partial Mantel tests and the multiple matrix regression with randomization found that isolation-by-distance played a more important role than isolation-by-environment (IBE) in contributing to genetic variation in most between lineage comparisons. Nevertheless, strong IBE was found when compared between non-introgressed lineages of R. oldhamii and R. rubropilosum, suggesting post-speciation ecological divergence. Several environmental variables, including annual mean temperature, aspect, isothermality, seasonal precipitation, slope, and soil pH, could be important ecological drivers involved in reproductive isolation between R. oldhamii and non-R. oldhamii species within the Tsutsusi subgenus.     

Effective gene flow in a historically fragmented area at the southern edge of silver fir (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies alba</Emphasis> Mill.) distribution

Fragmented populations at the edges of a species’ distribution can be highly exposed to the loss of genetic variation, unless sufficient gene flow maintains their genetic connectivity. Gene movements leading to successful establishment of external gametes (i.e. effective gene flow) into fragmented populations can solely be assessed by investigating the origin of natural regeneration. This study is focused on studying gene flow patterns in two silver fir stands in Central Apennines, where the species has a highly fragmented distribution. By using nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers, we investigated genetic variation, fine-scale spatial genetic structure, effective gene flow rates and large-scale connectivity characterizing both stands. Similar levels of genetic variation and low genetic differentiation between stands (F _ST = 0.005) and across generations were found, coupled with low inbreeding and weak to absent SGS in the adult cohort (Sp < 0.003). On the other hand, substantial differences between the two stands in terms of gene flow rates were observed. Irrespective of the parentage approach used, higher gene flow rates were found in the stand located at the upper silver fir altitudinal limit, especially for seed-mediated gene flow (0.79 in the upper stand vs. 0.48 in the lower stand). Conversely, the lower stand was characterized by a higher reproductive dominance of local adults. Our findings suggest that, despite similar levels of genetic variation and generally high gene flow rates, different processes may be acting on the two stands, reflecting varying ecological conditions.     

Simulation of the inhibition of microbial sulfate reduction in a two-compartment upflow bioreactor subjected to molybdate injection

Souring of oil fields during secondary oil recovery by water injection occurs mainly due to the action of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) adhered to the rock surface in the vicinity of injection wells. Upflow packed-bed bioreactors have been used in petroleum microbiology because of its similarity to the oil field near the injection wells or production. However, these reactors do not realistically describe the regions near the injection wells, which are characterized by the presence of a saturated zone and a void region close to the well. In this study, the hydrodynamics of the two-compartment packing-free/packed-bed pilot bioreactor that mimics an oil reservoir was studied. The packed-free compartment was modeled using a continuous stirred tank model with mass exchange between active and stagnant zones, whereas the packed-bed compartment was modeled using a piston-dispersion-exchange model. The proposed model adequately represents the hydrodynamic of the packed-free/packed-bed bioreactor while the simulations provide important information about the characteristics of the residence time distribution (RTD) curves for different sets of model parameters. Simulations were performed to represent the control of the sulfate-reducing bacteria activity in the bioreactor with the use of molybdate in different scenarios. The simulations show that increased amounts of molybdate cause an effective inhibition of the souring sulfate-reducing bacteria activity.