Antimicrobial and antiviral activities of an actinomycete (Streptomyces sp.) isolated from a Brazilian tropical forest soil

A promising producer of bioactive compounds isolated from a Brazilian tropical soil was tested for its range of antimicrobial activities. Strain 606, classified as Streptomyces sp., could not be identified up to species level, suggesting a possible new taxon. The supernatant and 10 extracts and fractions, obtained by extraction and chromatographic techniques, presented antimicrobial activity using antibiograms. The methanolic fraction was highly active against pathogenic bacteria, phytopathogenic fungi and the human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. It also possessed high antiviral activity inhibiting the propagation of an acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type 1 strain on HEp-2 cells at non-cytotoxic concentration. The strong cytotoxic effect suggests an antitumour action. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Mechanisms and development of self–other distinction in dyads and groups

This opinion piece offers a commentary on the four papers that address the theme of the development of self and other understanding with a view to highlighting the important contribution of developmental research to understanding of mechanisms of social cognition. We discuss potential mechanisms linking self–other distinction and empathy, implications for grouping motor, affective and cognitive domains under a single mechanism, applications of these accounts for joint action and finally consider self–other distinction in group versus dyadic settings.     

Über das Invertierungsvermögen der Speicheldrüsen und des Mitteldarmes von Bienen verschiedenen Alters

Zusammenfassung Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse zeigen mit völliger Klarheit, daß die Schlunddrüse ein stark ausgesprochenes Invertierungsvermögen besitzt, das sich jedoch in hohem Grade, je nach dem Alter der Bienen ändert. Im Gegensatz zum Mitteldarm, der Invertase auszuscheiden beginnt von dem Augenblicke des Ausschlüpfens der jungen Biene, bedarf die Schlunddrüse eines gewissen Zeitraumes zu ihrer Entwicklung. Die von uns angestellten Versuche können indessen die Frage noch nicht endgültig entscheiden, in welchem Moment die Schlunddrüse zu funktionieren beginnt. Wir haben die Sekretionstätigkeit der Drüse an verhältnismäßig alten Bienen — von 10 Tagen an — beobachtet und die maximalen Ziffern der Zuckerinversion bei 30tägigen Bienen ermittelt. Hieraus lassen sich noch keine verallgemeinernden Schlüsse ziehen. Unsere Versuche begannen im August und dauerten bis Mitte September, fanden also am Ende der Saison statt. Das Versuchsvolk war schwach und die Zahl der jungen Bienen und der Brut gering (auf einem Rahmen). Als Beleg dazu genügt der Hinweis, daß die Bienen ihre Orientierungsausflüge im Alter von 18 Tagen unternahmen. Alle diese Faktoren könnten zweifellos das Tempo der Entwicklung des Organismus der Biene — und der Sehlunddrüse im besonderen — beeinflussen. Es ist sehr wahrscheinlich, daß eine Untersuchung über die Veränderung des Invertierungsvermögens der Schiunddrüsen von Bienen, die zu verschiedenen Zeiten der Frühlings- und Sommersaison ausgeschlüpft waren, auch eine verschiedene Schnelligkeit der Entwicklung der Drüse ergeben würde.Was die Brustdrüse anbetrifft, so geben unsere Versuche kein genügendes Material zur Beurteilung, welche Rolle sie im Kohlehydratstoffwechsel der Biene spielt. Nur eines steht fest, daß sie an der Invertierung des Zuckers in keinem Falle beteiligt ist.Der Mitteldarm scheint auch mit dem Alter der Biene sein Invertierungsvermögen zu steigern, wenn auch nicht in solchem Umfange als die Schlunddrüse.Die von uns gewonnenen Resultate erlauben, einige Schlüsse über mehrere Fragen der Bienenbiologie zu ziehen, wie z. B. die Frage über den Anteil der Schlunddrüse an der Futtersaftbereitung usw. Doch müssen solche spezielle Fragen an einer anderen Stelle ausführlich besprochen werden.Zum Schlusse sprechen wir Dr. Resnitschenko sowie Dr. Alpatov für die freundliche Hilfe bei der Ausführung der Arbeit unseren Dank aus.     

Body Size,Growth and Life Span: Implications for the Polewards Range Shift of Octopus tetricus in South-Eastern Australia

Understanding the response of any species to climate change can be challenging. However, in short-lived species the faster turnover of generations may facilitate the examination of responses associated with longer-term environmental change. Octopus tetricus, a commercially important species, has undergone a recent polewards range shift in the coastal waters of south-eastern Australia, thought to be associated with the southerly extension of the warm East Australian Current. At the cooler temperatures of a polewards distribution limit, growth of a species could be slower, potentially leading to a bigger body size and resulting in a slower population turnover, affecting population viability at the extreme of the distribution. Growth rates, body size, and life span of O. tetricus were examined at the leading edge of a polewards range shift in Tasmanian waters (40°S and 147°E) throughout 2011. Octopus tetricus had a relatively small body size and short lifespan of approximately 11 months that, despite cooler temperatures, would allow a high rate of population turnover and may facilitate the population increase necessary for successful establishment in the new extended area of the range. Temperature, food availability and gender appear to influence growth rate. Individuals that hatched during cooler and more productive conditions, but grew during warming conditions, exhibited faster growth rates and reached smaller body sizes than individuals that hatched into warmer waters but grew during cooling conditions. This study suggests that fast growth, small body size and associated rapid population turnover may facilitate the range shift of O. tetricus into Tasmanian waters.     

Techniques for the detection of pathogenic Cryptococcus species in wood decay substrata and the evaluation of viability in stored samples

In this study, we evaluated several techniques for the detection of the yeast form of Cryptococcus in decaying wood and measured the viability of these fungi in environmental samples stored in the laboratory. Samples were collected from a tree known to be positive for Cryptococcus and were each inoculated on 10 Niger seed agar (NSA) plates. The conventional technique (CT) yielded a greater number of positive samples and indicated a higher fungal density [in colony forming units per gram of wood (CFU.g^-1) ] compared to the humid swab technique (ST). However, the difference in positive and false negative results between the CT-ST was not significant. The threshold of detection for the CT was 0.05.10³ CFU.g^-1, while the threshold for the ST was greater than 0.1.10³ CFU^-1. No colonies were recovered using the dry swab technique. We also determined the viability of Cryptococcus in wood samples stored for 45 days at 25ºC using the CT and ST and found that samples not only continued to yield a positive response, but also exhibited an increase in CFU.g^-1, suggesting that Cryptococcus is able to grow in stored environmental samples. The ST.1, in which samples collected with swabs were immediately plated on NSA medium, was more efficient and less laborious than either the CT or ST and required approximately 10 min to perform; however, additional studies are needed to validate this technique.     

Maximal lactate steady state in rats submitted to swimming exercise.

The higher concentration during exercise at which lactate entry in blood equals its removal is known as 'maximal lactate steady state' (MLSS) and is considered an important indicator of endurance exercise capacity. The aim of the present study was to determine MLSS in rats during swimming exercise. Adult male Wistar rats, which were adapted to water for 3 weeks, were used. After this, the animals were separated at random into groups and submitted once a week to swimming sessions of 20 min, supporting loads of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10% of body wt. for 6 consecutive weeks. Blood lactate was determined every 5 min to find the MLSS. Sedentary animals presented MLSS with overloads of 5 and 6% at 5.5 mmol/l blood lactate. There was a significant (P<0.05) increase in blood lactate with the other loads. In another set of experiments, rats of the same strain, sex and age were submitted daily to 60 min of swimming with an 8% body wt. overload, 5 days/week, for 9 weeks. The rats were then submitted to a swimming session of 20 min with an 8% body wt. overload and blood lactate was determined before the beginning of the session and after 10 and 20 min of exercise. Sedentary rats submitted to the same acute exercise protocol were used as a control. Physical training did not alter the MLSS value (P<0.05) but shifted it to a higher exercise intensity (8% body wt. overload). Taken together these results indicate that MLSS measured in rats in the conditions of the present study was reproducible and seemed to be independent of the physical condition of the animals.     

Glycans from Fasciola hepatica Modulate the Host Immune Response and TLR-Induced Maturation of Dendritic Cells

Helminths express various carbohydrate-containing glycoconjugates on their surface, and they release glycan-rich excretion/secretion products that can be very important in their life cycles, infection and pathology. Recent evidence suggests that parasite glycoconjugates could play a role in the evasion of the immune response, leading to a modified Th2-polarized immune response that favors parasite survival in the host. Nevertheless, there is limited information about the nature or function of glycans produced by the trematode Fasciola hepatica, the causative agent of fasciolosis. In this paper, we investigate whether glycosylated molecules from F. hepatica participate in the modulation of host immunity. We also focus on dendritic cells, since they are an important target of immune-modulation by helminths, affecting their activity or function. Our results indicate that glycans from F. hepatica promote the production of IL-4 and IL-10, suppressing IFNγ production. During infection, this parasite is able to induce a semi-mature phenotype of DCs expressing low levels of MHCII and secrete IL-10. Furthermore, we show that parasite glycoconjugates mediate the modulation of LPS-induced maturation of DCs since their oxidation restores the capacity of LPS-treated DCs to secrete high levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-12/23p40 and low levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Inhibition assays using carbohydrates suggest that the immune-modulation is mediated, at least in part, by the recognition of a mannose specific-CLR that signals by recruiting the phosphatase Php2. The results presented here contribute to the understanding of the role of parasite glycosylated molecules in the modulation of the host immunity and might be useful in the design of vaccines against fasciolosis.