HISTORICAL BIOGEOGRAPHY AND CONTEMPORARY PATTERNS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA VARIATION IN WHITE-TAILED DEER FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was used to characterize patterns of geographic variation among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations in the southeastern United States. Fifteen restriction enzymes were employed to survey and map 99 restriction sites in 142 deer from 18 localities in five southeastern states. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three primary groups of haplotypes: (1) southern Florida and the Florida Keys, (2) the remainder of peninsular Florida northward to South Carolina, and (3) the Florida panhandle westward to Mississippi. Geographical heterogeneity in haplotype frequencies suggests that stochastic lineage sorting or isolation by distance are not important determinates of mtDNA differentiation among deer populations. The pattern of mtDNA variation in white-tailed deer is concordant spatially with those observed in unrelated taxa suggesting the common influence of historical biogeographic events. The data (1) support previous hypotheses that relate contemporary patterns of intraspecific phylogeography in northern Florida to the physiogeographic history of the region; and (2) suggest that genetic differentiation in southern Florida may be attributable to episodes of Pleistocene dispersal. Despite potentially high vagility and human intervention, ecological and demographic characteristics of deer have effectively preserved the historical pattern of intraspecific mtDNA differentiation.     

Pulmonary embolism and 3-month outcomes in 4036 patients with venous thromboembolism and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: data from the RIETE registry

Background

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a modified clinical presentation of venous thromboembolism (VTE) but also a worse prognosis than non-COPD patients with VTE. As it may induce therapeutic modifications, we evaluated the influence of the initial VTE presentation on the 3-month outcomes in COPD patients.

Methods

COPD patients included in the on-going world-wide RIETE Registry were studied. The rate of pulmonary embolism (PE), major bleeding and death during the first 3 months in COPD patients were compared according to their initial clinical presentation (acute PE or deep vein thrombosis (DVT)).

Results

Of the 4036 COPD patients included, 2452 (61%; 95% CI: 59.2-62.3) initially presented with PE. PE as the first VTE recurrence occurred in 116 patients, major bleeding in 101 patients and mortality in 443 patients (Fatal PE: first cause of death). Multivariate analysis confirmed that presenting with PE was associated with higher risk of VTE recurrence as PE (OR, 2.04; 95% CI: 1.11-3.72) and higher risk of fatal PE (OR, 7.77; 95% CI: 2.92-15.7).

Conclusions

COPD patients presenting with PE have an increased risk for PE recurrences and fatal PE compared with those presenting with DVT alone. More efficient therapy is needed in this subtype of patients.     

Revisiting the use of Iprodione and Trichoderma in the integrated management of onion white rot

The biocontrol properties of Trichoderma species are well documented, but their effectiveness in antagonism of the problematic Sclerotium cepivorum, the causal agent of white rot in Allium species, appears limited with reports of significant control only relating to deliberately-mutated strains of Trichoderma. Our previous studies have indicated the possibility of using selected naturally-occurring strains of the antagonist in the suppression of other diseases; now in vitro and controlled environment in vivo studies have indicated that a degree of control of Onion White Rot is possible, and that the selected antagonist strains can be used in integrated treatments with Iprodione to good effect. The possible value of such treatments is considered in light of other approaches to the suppression of this continuing problem.     

Infectious disease survey of lesser prairie chickens in north Texas

Lesser prairie chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) abundance, like that of most grassland birds, has declined rangewide for decades. Although habitat loss and degradation are likely ultimate causes for this decline, infectious agents, particularly microparasites, could be proximate contributors. No surveys of pathogenic bacteria or viruses have been published for this species. We surveyed 24 free-living lesser prairie chickens from Hemphill County, Texas (USA), for evidence of exposure to Salmonella typhimurium, S. pullorum, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, M. synoviae, Chlamydophila psittaci, and the avian influenza, Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, and reticuloendotheliosis viruses. Two of 18, and eight of 17 samples were seropositive for the Massachusetts and Arkansas serotypes of infectious bronchitis virus, respectively. Five of the eight positive individuals were juveniles, two of which were seropositive for both serotypes. All other serologic and genetic tests were negative. Because the ecological significance of these results is unknown, the pathogenesis, transmission, and/or population-level influences of infectious bronchitis and related avian coronaviruses for lesser prairie chickens deserves further study.     

A web server to locate periodicities in a sequence

Summary : FT is a tool written in C++, which implements the Fourier analysis method to locate periodicities in aminoacid or DNA sequences. It is provided for free public use on a WWW server with a Java interface. Availability : The server address is http://o2.db. uoa.gr/FT Contact : shamodr@atlas.uoa.gr      

The nerve growth factor precursor proNGF exhibits neurotrophic activity but is less active than mature nerve growth factor

Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes neuronal survival and differentiation and stimulates neurite outgrowth. NGF is synthesized as a precursor, proNGF, which undergoes post-translational processing to generate mature beta-NGF. It has been assumed that, in vivo, NGF is largely processed into the mature form and that mature NGF accounts for the biological activity. However, we recently showed that proNGF is abundant in CNS tissues whereas mature NGF is undetectable, suggesting that proNGF has biological functions beyond its role as a precursor. To determine whether proNGF exhibits biological activity, we mutagenized the precursor-processing site and expressed unprocessed, cleavage-resistant proNGF protein in insect cells. Survival and neurite outgrowth assays on murine superior cervical ganglion neurons and PC12 cells indicated that proNGF exhibits neurotrophic activity similar to mature 2.5S NGF, but is approximately fivefold less active. ProNGF binds to the high-affinity receptor, TrkA, as determined by cross-linking to PC12 cells, and is also slightly less active than mature NGF in promoting phosphorylation of TrkA and its downstream signaling effectors, Erk1/2, in PC12 and NIH3T3-TrkA cells. These data, coupled with our previous report that proNGF is the major form of NGF in the CNS, suggest that proNGF could be responsible for much of the biological activity normally attributed to mature NGF in vivo.     

Purification of the autotransporter protein Hbp of Escherichia coli

The enzyme Hbp (hemoglobin protease) of the pathogenic Escherichia coli strain EB1 has been purified to homogeneity by gel filtration chromatography. The purified protein is capable of binding heme and shows hemoglobin protease activity. Our method of purification is applicable not only to Hbp but also to other autotransporter proteins and will contribute to a better understanding of the function-structure relationship of this family of proteins.     

Simulating northern bobwhite population responses to nest predation,nesting habitat,and weather in south Texas

Nest predation is thought to be one of the major factors limiting northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations. We examined the relative impact of altering nest-predation rate, nesting habitat, and weather (i.e., temp and precipitation) on northern bobwhite population dynamics in a hypothetical 15,000-ha subtropical-rangeland ecosystem in south Texas using a simulation model. The systems model consisted of a 3-stage (i.e., eggs, juv, and ad) bobwhite population with dynamics influenced by variables affecting production, recruitment, nest predation, and mortality. We based model parameters on data collected from a 3-yr nest-predator study employing infrared-camera technology, from ongoing field research using a radio-marked population of wild bobwhites, and from the literature. The baseline simulated bobwhite population dynamics corresponded closely to empirical data, with no difference between medians of simulated (n = 30 yr) and observed bobwhite age ratios over a 28-yr period. Similarly, a time-series comparison of simulated and observed age ratios showed most (89%) observed values fell within the 5th and 95th percentiles of the simulated data over the 28-yr period. We created simulated population scenarios representing 1) baseline historical conditions, 2) predator control, 3) low precipitation, 4) low precipitation with predator control, 5) high temperature, 6) high temperature with predator control, 7) reduced nest-clump availability, and 8) reduced nest-clump availability with predator control that resulted in considerably different median bobwhite densities over 10 yr. For example, under simulated predator control, populations increased by about 55% from the baseline scenario, whereas under simulated reduced nest-clump availability, populations decreased by about 75% from the baseline scenario. Comparisons of time-series for each scenario showed that reduced nest-clump availability, low precipitation, and high temperature reduced bobwhite densities to a larger degree compared to a natural nest predation rate. Reduced nest-clump availability resulted in the most substantial decline of simulated bobwhite densities. Simulations suggested that management efforts should focus on maintaining adequate nest-clump availability and then possibly consider nest predator control as a secondary priority. © 2010 The Wildlife Society