Multiple controls exerted on in vivo expression of the pepN gene in Escherichia coli: studies with pepN-lacZ operon and protein fusion strains.

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Lactobacillus casei contains poly(glycerophosphate) substituted with D-alanyl ester residues. The distribution of these residues in the in vitro-synthesized polymer is uniform. Esterification of LTA with D-alanine may occur in one of two modes: (i) addition at random or (ii) addition at a defined locus in the poly(glycerophosphate) chain followed by redistribution of the ester residues. A time-dependent transacylation of these residues from D-[14C]alanyl-lipophilic LTA to hydrophilic acceptor was observed. The hydrophilic acceptor was characterized as D-alanyl-hydrophilic LTA. This transacylation requires neither ATP nor the D-alanine incorporation system, i.e., the D-alanine activating enzyme and D-alanine:membrane acceptor ligase. No evidence for an enzyme-catalyzed transacylation reaction was observed. We propose that this process of transacylation may be responsible for the redistribution of D-alanyl residues after esterification to the poly(glycerophosphate). As a result, it is difficult to distinguish between these proposed modes of addition.     

Monogènes Dactylogyridae parasites de Cyprinidae du genreBarbus d'Afrique du Nord

Resumé Quinze nouvelles espèces de Monogènes Dactylogyridae sont décrites chez quinze espèces deBarbus (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) appartenant aux sous-genresB. (Barbus) etB. (Labeobarbus) en Afrique du Nord. Les barbeaux examinés proviennent des différents bassins hydrographiques du Maroc et d'une localité nommée Hamman Bourgiba en Tunisie. Dans cette dernière région, le genreBarbus n'est représenté que par une seule espèce:Barbus (B.) callensis. Au Maroc, on en dénombre actuellement quatorze dont quatre appartiennent au sous-genreLabeobarbus: il s'agit deBarbus (L.) fritschii; B. (L.) harteti; B. (L.) paytonii etB. (L.) reinii. Les dix espèces appartenant au sous-genreBarbus sont:Barbus (B.) figuiensis; B. (B.) ksibi; B. (B.) lepineyi; B. (B.) magniatlantis; B. (B.) massaensis; B. (B.) moulouyensis; B. (B.) nasus; B. (B.) pallaryi; B. (B.) setivemensis etB. (B.) issenensis.Chaque sous-genre possède son propre pool parasitaire, à l'exception deDactylogyrus marocanus n. sp., recontré sur des espèces appartenant aux deux sous-genres (B. (L.) fritschii, B. (L.) paytonii, B. (L.) harteti, B. (L.) reinii, B. (L.) nasus, B. (B.) setivimensis, B. (B.) ksibi). Sur les cinqDactylogyrus parasitant lesLabeobarbus, trois présentent une spécificité stricte vis à vis de leur hôte. Il s'agit deDactylogyrus reinii n. sp. surB. (L.) reinii; D. volutus n. sp. etD. zatensis n. sp. surB. (L.) fritschii. Les espècesD. oumiensis n. sp. etD. kulindrii n. sp. présentent une spécifité stenoxène et parasitent respectivementB. (L.) harteti, B. (L.) paytonii, B. (L.) reinii etB. (L.) fritschii, B. (L.) reinii.Nous avons recontré neufDactylogyrus chez les poisson-hôtes appartenent au sous-genreBarbus. Six d'entre eux ont une spécificité oïoxène; ce sont:D. guirensis n. sp.,D. atlasensis n. sp. etD. draaensis n. sp. surB. (B.) pallaryi; D. borjensis n. sp. surB. (B.) nasus etD. heteromorphus n. sp. etD. tunisiensis n. sp. surB. (B.) callensis. Les trois autres parasites ont un spectre d'hôtes plus large. Il s'agit deD. ksibii n. sp. recontré chezB. (B.) ksibi, B. (B.) setivimensis etB. (B.) magniatlantis; D. ksibioïdes n. sp. recontré chezB. (B.) setivimensis etB. (B.) moulouyensis. L'espèceD. fimbriphallus n. sp. stenoxène, se recontre chez les poisson-hôtes du versant Sud de l'Atlas et de la façade méditerranéenne à savoir:B. (B.) figuiensis, B. (B.) lepineyi, B. (B.) massaensis, B. (B.) moulouyensis, B. (B.) pallaryi etB. (B.) issenensis.Le rôle des Dactylogyridae en tant que marqueurs biogéographiques, phylogénétiques et taxonomiques est discuté à partir de la composition spécifique des communautés de Monogènes rencontrés et de leurs différents types morphologiques.

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Fifteen new species of the Dactylogyridae (Monogenea) parasitic on fifteen species of barbels (Barbus) from North Africa (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) are described. The fishes studied belong to two subgenera,B. (Labeobarbus) andB. (Barbus), collected from various hydrographical basins of Morocco and from the Hamman Bourgiba locality in Tunisia. In the latter area, the genusBarbus is represented by onlyBarbus (Barbus) callensis. In Morocco, fourteen species are listed, four of which belong to the subgenusLabeobarbus; these areBarbus (L.) fritschii; B. (L.) harteti; B. (L.) paytonii andB. (L.) reinii. The other ten species belong to the subgenusBarbus: these areBarbus (B.) figuiensis; B. (B.) ksibi; B. (B.) lepineyi; B. (B.) magniatlantis; B. (B.) massaensis; B. (B.) moulouyensis; B. (B.) nasus; B. (B.) pallaryi; B. (B.) setivimensis andB. (B.) issenensis. Each of the two subgenera has its unique parasitic fauna, except forDactylogyrus marocanus n. sp. collected on species belonging to both subgenera (B. (L.) fritschii, B. (L.) paytonii, B. (L.) harteti, B. (L.) reinii, B. (B.) nasus, B. (B.) setivimensis andB. (B.) ksibi). Of the five monogeneans found onLabeobarbus, three appear to be specific to one host: they areDactylogyrus reinii n. sp. onB. (L.) reinii, andD. volutus n. sp. andD. zatensis n. sp. onB. (L.) fritschii. D. kulindrii n. sp. parasitisedB. (L.) reinii andB. (L.) fritschii; andD. oumiensis n. sp. occurred onB. (L.) reinii, B. (L.) paytonii andB. (L.) harteti. NineDactylogyrus species were found in fishes belonging to the subgenusBarbus. Six of them have an oïoxenous specificity: these areD. guirensis n. sp.,D. atlasensis n. sp. andD. draaensis n. sp. onB. (B.) pallaryi; D. borjensis n. sp. onB. (B.) nasus andD. heteromorphus n. sp. andD. tunisiensis n. sp. on(B.) callensis. These other three have a wider range of hosts: they areD. ksibii n. sp. collected fromB. (B.) ksibi, B. (B.) setivimensis andB. (B.) magniatlantis, andD. ksibioïdes n. sp. found onB. (B.) setivimensis andB. (B.) moulouyensis. D. fimbriphallus n. sp. is a characteristic parasite of fishes from the southern side of the Atlas mountains and the Mediterranean coast (B. (B.) figuiensis, B. (B.) lepineyi, B. (B.) massaensis, B. (B.) moulouyensis, B. (B.) pallaryi andB. (B.) issenensis).The role of dactylogyrids as biogeographical phylogenetic and taxonomic indicators is discussed in relation to the specific structure of the monogenean communities and the different morphological types found.

     

Comparative cradle to grave environmental life cycle assessment of traditional and extensive vegetative roofs: an application for the Lebanese context

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - Vegetative roofs (VRs) are fully planted roof spaces that offer aesthetic view, storm water management, sound insulation, energy savings, and...     

Both TRIF and IPS-1 Adaptor Proteins Contribute to the Cerebral Innate Immune Response against Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and RNA helicases (RLHs) are important cell sensors involved in the immunological control of viral infections through production of type I interferon (IFN). The impact of a deficiency in the TRIF and IPS-1 adaptor proteins, respectively, implicated in TLR3 and RLH signaling pathways, was investigated during herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) encephalitis. TRIF^−/−, IPS-1^−/−, and C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice were infected intranasally with 7.5 × 10⁵ PFU of HSV-1. Mice were monitored for neurological signs and survival over 20 days. Groups of mice were sacrificed on days 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 postinfection for determination of brain viral replication by quantitative PCR (qPCR), plaque assay, and immunohistochemistry and for alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) levels and phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factors 3 and 7 (IRF-3 and -7) in brain homogenates by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting, respectively. TRIF^−/− and IPS-1^−/− mice had higher mortality rates than WT mice (P = 0.02 and P = 0.09, respectively). Viral antigens were more disseminated throughout the brain, correlating with a significant increase in brain viral load for TRIF^−/− (days 5 to 9) and IPS-1^−/− (days 7 and 9) mice compared to results for the WT. IFN-β production was reduced in brain homogenates of TRIF^−/− and IPS-1^−/− mice on day 5 compared to results for the WT, whereas IFN-α levels were increased on day 7 in TRIF^−/− mice. Phosphorylation levels of IRF-3 and IRF-7 were decreased in TRIF^−/− and IPS-1^−/− mice, respectively. These data suggest that both the TRIF and IPS-1 signaling pathways are important for the control of HSV replication in the brain and survival through IFN-β production.     

Antioxidant enzymes activities and bilirubin level in adult rat treated with lead

Lead toxicity is closely related to its accumulation in several tissues and its interference with bioelements, whose role is critical for several biological processes. Recently, oxidative stress has been proposed as a possible mechanism involved in lead toxicity. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of dose-dependent lead exposure on haematological and oxidative stress parameters. Adult male 'Wistar' rats (150-200 g) were divided into three groups: group [Pb 5] and group [Pb 15] received respectively 5 mg Pb(2+) (n=16) and 15 mg Pb(2+)/kg b.w. (n=16) as lead acetate solution i.p. for a period of seven days. Group [T] (n= 16) served as control and received 15 mg Na(+)/kg b.w. as sodium acetate solution i.p. for the same period. All animals were sacrificed 24 h after the last injection. Blood superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and plasma bilirubin level were measured. Liver was quickly excised for the estimation of alteration in lipid peroxidation indices (MDA). Lead exposure induces, in both treated groups, a marked decline in haematocrit and haemoglobin levels (p<0.01) when compared to control. The results show also a significant decrease (p<0.01) in SOD activity, but only in group [Pb 15]. SOD activity did not decrease in group [Pb 5] in comparison with control (p>0.05). However, lead exposure caused a light increase in GPx activity in group [Pb 15], which remains non-significant (p>0.05) compared to control. Group [Pb 5] did not record significant changes in the activity of GPx. Lead exposure for a period of seven days resulted in a significant (p<0.05) increase in bilirubin level in group [Pb 15] compared to control. The bilirubin level from rats of group [Pb 5] did not reach a statistical significance. Changes in liver MDA content in lead-exposed rats from [Pb 5] and [Pb 15] groups did not reach a statistical (p<0.05) significance. It is concluded that lead induces oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. No dose-dependent response was observed in blood GPx activity and liver MDA content. These results could be due to the short duration of the treatment.     

Gene mapping in fishes: a means to an end

Genetic research in fishes is poised to contribute a vast amount of information on the structural organization and function of vertebrate genomes. Recent advances in molecular biology have made possible the widescale characterization of genomes in all living organisms. This includes defining chromosomes at the cytological level down to their linear composition at individual nucleotide base pairs. Pioneering gene mapping studies into the genomes of fishes will only serve as the starting point for more detailed studies into the function of these genomes. Future research directed at understanding the mechanisms of gene actions and interactions will benefit all areas of biology, including ecology, ethology, evolution, and physiology. Gene mapping data from brown trout and rainbow trout are used to exemplify how basic information on gene transmission in a species may help to localize centromeres onto a genetic map and identify chromosomal regions possessing a high degree of segregation distortion. Genetic maps may also be used to identify differences in recombination levels among individuals and between the sexes when multiple mapping families are utilized in studies. Observations of this type are the antecedents to more complex biological investigations on the genetic architecture underlying these phenomena.     

Concordance of leishmaniasis cutaneous tests in Tunisia

A cross sectional study aimed to evaluate the effect of antigenic preparation (Leishmania infantum versus Leishmania major) and dose of leishmania antigens (5 x 10(6) versus 2.5 x 10(6) parasites in the same volume) on the reproducibility of delayed type hypersensitivity leishmania skin test. Results showed that among 34 individuals involved from visceral leishmaniasis endemic area. 26 (76.5%) had a positif Leishmania infantum leishmania (L-L. infantum) test and 27 (79.4%) to Leishmania major leishmania (L-L. major). Mean size of cutaneous reaction was 5.94 +/- 2.86 mm for L-L. infantum and 5.41 +/- 3.23 mm for L-L. major, with a significant positive linear association (p < 10-3). Intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.80 (CI95% = [0.64-0.93]) and concordance Kappa (kappa) was 0.57 (CI95% = [0.40-0.74]). Among 153 individuals from zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. 92.9% revealed a positive test for both types of leishmanin (L-L. major full dose versus L-L. major half dose). Mean size of cutaneous reaction was 12.61 +/- 4.65 mm for the reference test and 11.30 +/- 3.95 mm for diluted one, with a positive linear association (p < 10-3). Intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.78 (IC95% = [0.71-0.84]) and concordance Kappa (kappa) was 0.82 (IC95% = [0.73-0.91]). These results demonstrate a limited effect of leishmania antigenic variation and antigen dose on the reproducibility of delayed type hypersensitivity induced by the leishmanin test.     

Linkage arrangement of Na,K-ATPase genes in the tetraploid-derived genome of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

As part of our efforts to characterize Na,K-ATPase isoforms in salmonid fish, we investigated the linkage arrangement of genes coding for the alpha and beta-subunits of the enzyme complex in the tetraploid-derived genome of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Genetic markers were developed from four of five previously characterized alpha-subunit isoforms (alpha1b, alpha1c, alpha2 and alpha3) and four expressed sequence tags derived from yet undescribed beta-subunit isoforms (beta1a, beta1b, beta3a and beta3b). Sex-specific linkage analysis of polymorphic loci in a reference meiotic panel revealed that Na,K-ATPase genes are generally dispersed throughout the rainbow trout genome. A notable exception was the colocalization of two alpha-subunit genes and one beta-subunit gene on linkage group RT-12, which may thus share a conserved orthologous segment with linkage group 1 in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Consistent with previously reported homeologous relationships among the chromosomes of the rainbow trout, primers designed from the alpha3-isoform detected a pair of duplicated genes on linkage groups RT-27 and RT-31. Similarly, the evolutionary conservation of homeologous regions on linkage groups RT-12 and RT-16 was further supported by the map localization of gene duplicates for the beta1b isoform. The detection of homeologs within each gene family also raises the possibility that novel isoforms may be discovered as functional duplicates.     

Impact of Heavy Metals on the Selective Phenotypical Markers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The aim of this study was to characterize the impact of heavy metals on phenotypical markers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Twenty-two isolates of P. aeruginosa, either clinical (20) or secondary treated wasterwater (2), were used to inoculate micro-ecosystems of sterile distilled water or secondary waste effluent in the presence of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of a variety of heavy metals commonly encountered in the aquatic naturally habitat (Ca²⁺, Co²⁺, Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺). Micro-ecosystems were exposed to visible light at laboratory temperature and individual strains were reisolated after a 1-, 3-, or 6-month period. The re-isolates (129) were characterized using hierarchical classification analysis in order to define affinities among variants of P. aeruginosa. Subsequently, discriminant analysis was used to detect eventual relationships among the different phenotypical markers studied. Results of the hierarchical classification, based on qualitative or quantitative approaches, showed clearly that incubation of P. aeruginosa in the presence of heavy metals altered the studied phenotypical markers, namely serotype, phage type, MIC of metals, and pyocin type. Discriminant analysis showed that the studied phenotypical markers could be classified into four clusters: C1 (L1 and L2 phage types, Hg tolerance and/or resistance, S2 serotype), C2 (P2 pyocin type, Cd tolerance and/or resistance, S1 serotype), C3 (Co and Cr tolerance and/or resistance) and C4 (P1 pyocin type, Ni, Zn, and Cu tolerance and/or resistance).