Induced Bactericidal Response in the Hagfish

Hagfish were shown to be capable of synthesizing bactericidins after injection of gram-negative bacteria. The bactericidins could be detected as early as 2 days after injection. The degree of specificity was not as impressive as in mammalian systems.     

In vitro antibacterial effect of the essential oil of Thymus longiflorus Boiss

The essential oil of Thymus longiflorus Boiss was tested for its in vitro antibacterial activity. The results showed antibacterial effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, especially against Pseudomonas fluorescens and Mycobacterium phlei.     

Ultrastructure of the Ovary of the Hagfish Eptatretus stouti

Ultrastructure of the ovary of the Pacific hagfish was studied. Attention was paid to the mesovarium, small oocytes, oocytes of intermediate size, large oocytes, postovulatory follicles shortly after ovulation, postovulatory follicles considerably after ovulation, and preovulatory atretic follicles. The progressive changes of thecal and granulosa layers in the course of egg development and degeneration are described. No cells showing the ultrastructural characteristics associated with steroidogenesis were found.     

Ovulation and Eggs of the Hagfish Eptatretus burgeri

Abstract Ripe females and males of Eptatretus burgeri were kept in cages both in the sea and in the aquaria for about 2 months of the normal spawning period around October. All the 9 ripe females in the sea ovulated all their eggs (200) and deposited 178 of them. Only 5 eggs were ovulated and deposited in the aquaria, although there were 17 ripe females and some of them were injected with various hormones in an effort to induce ovulation. No eggs were fertilized. A peculiar surface pattern of hexagonal ridges is described around the entrance of the micropylar canal on the bottom of the micropylar funnel in the ovulated eggs.     

In Search of the Barbarians: Borders in Pain

Mobile populations of Albanians have made the Greek borders the site where identity is played out and defined. At the same time, media panic stories about disease crossing Greek frontiers point to the borders as infection: they leak not only people but contamination. Yet these borders are bidirectional, and create risks for the Albanians as well. Their continued migrations in the face of risk point to the borders as process. These are borders in pain, borders that ache and leak.     

The Olfactory System in the Hagfish Myxine glutinosa

The apical part of the olfactory epithelium in Myxine glutinosa was investigated by optical and electron microscopy. This part of the epithelium consists of supporting cells and two types of olfactory receptor cells, i.e., ciliated receptor cells and microvillous receptor cells. The olfactory cilia have a 9 + 0 pattern of the microtubules, occasionally with one pair of the doublets dislocated towards the center of the cilium. Giant cilia were observed. The supporting cells bear microvilli and are rich in tonofilaments. The supporting cells also have a secretory function, their secretion consisting mainly of acid mucopolysaccharides. An asymmetrical type of desmosome was found between the olfactory receptor cells and the supporting cells.     

Ultrastructure of the Testicular Interstitial Tissue of the Hagfish Eptatretus stouti

Ultrastructure of the somatic components of the testis of the Pacific hagfish was studied. Interstitial cells, equivalent to Leydig cells of higher vertebrates, containing smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria with tubular cristae were found in the interstitial tissue, as well as leucocytes, fibroblasts and other cells of unknown role. Two kinds of somatic cells were observed in the testicular follicles: Sertoli cells and “stellate cells”. The significance of interstitial cells was discussed in relation to possible involvement in steroidogenesis.     

玉米杂种优势分子基础研究进展

当今作物改良中杂种优势的广泛应用得益于杂交玉米的首先培育成功,对其分子基础的探讨已历经近一个世纪却尚未达成共识。关于杂种优势的经典解释曾聚焦于显性和超显性假说,现在看来似乎是借喻遗传学分子概念而无实际分子基础的实用性概念,籍此导致了一些研究结果的不一致是可以理解的。随着基因组时代的到来和相关分子技术的出现,文章回顾了过去的研究结果,分析了杂种优势分子机制研究的现状和问题,针对两亲本及其后代杂交后基因组构架和基因表达变化的研究趋势及方向进行了评价,并提出了由此资讯引发的SNPs单倍型用于玉米杂种优势分子基础研究的新策略。     

In Search of the Holy Grail of Heliocobacter pylori Remedies

In this issue, Gisbert et al. (pp. 157–62) present the results of a noncomparative study evaluating a twice daily, 5‐day regimen of ranitidine bismuth citrate, amoxicillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole twice daily for Helicobacter pylori cure. This study is one of a few stuides that evaluate a 5‐day triple antimicrobial regimen in combination with a antisecretory agent. Although the study design precludes making any definite conclusion, it does encourage additional investigation of these types of regimens. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using regimens containing multiple agents should consider both standard‐of‐care comparator regimens and comparator regimens that will provide a better understanding of why regimens are more effective or better tolerated. The goal of treatment should be to maintain a lower bound 95% confidence interval (CI) of the point estimate of greater than 80% and a ‘delta’ (lower bound 95% CI of the difference in rates) of less than 10%. All RCTs should conduct susceptibility testing to evaluate the impact of resistance on efficacy and explain eradication failures. Finally, consideration should be given to the inclusion of patients with functional dyspepsia in H. pylori studies evaluating H. pylori cure since patients with peptic ulcer disease are becoming harder to find.     

Spermiogenesis in the Hagfish Eptatretus burgeri (Agnatha)

The fine structure of spermatid differentiation in a primitive vertebrate, the hagfish, whose spermatozoa bear acrosomes, was investigated. In early round spermatids, the acrosomal vesicles were spherical and located in a shallow nuclear indentation, flanked by the plasma and the nuclear membranes. The vesicle underwent a transition through lens-shaped and cap-shaped stages until it attained the shape of a bell in mature spermatozoa. Electron-dense acrosomal material that appeared as deposits in three portions of the vesicle finally joined in the center region at a late stage. Condensation of chromatin occurred in the anterior region of the nucleus. During transformation of the spermatids, many regularly spaced microtubules appeared beneath the plasma membrane except in the anteriormost region of the cell. The microtubules in a single alignment lay parallel to one another and encased the nucleus diagonally. During an early stage, the centrioles changed their orientation from perpendicular to longitudinal and rotated to become parallel to the long axis of the nucleus. Thus, the flagellum lay nearly straight along the cell axis. A cytoplasmic canal appeared transiently during the early stage. A droplet of cytoplasm was eliminated after descending along the flagella. The features of spermiogenesis in hagfish, which lies between invertebrates and vertebrates, are compared with those of other animals.     

Effects of Estradiol and Testosterone in the Hagfish Eptatretus burgeri

Effects of exogenous estradiol and testosterone on the gonad and pituitary were examined in the hagfish. Estradiol caused degeneration of the ovary. Testosterone had no effect on the ovary. Neither steroid had a significant effect on the testis. Neither estradiol nor testosterone provoked a conspicuous change in adenohypophysial cells. Therefore, a feedback mechanism between gonadal steroids and gonadotropin either does not exist or plays a very minor role. The degeneration of the ovary may be due to a pharmacological effect of estradiol.     

In silico Search for Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors

Cytostatic colchicine is widely used in the treatment of Familial Mediterranean fever, but it has several side effects. For finding new, more effective drugs with higher affinity and diminishside effects we carried out virtual screening of potential inhibitors of the main target of colchicine, the polymerization of tubulin by evaluating affinity 25745 compounds, structurally related to the colchicine. We have identified 11 commercially available compounds with higher affinity to tubulin. Compounds with highest binding scores include trimethoxybenzene and its derivatives; these compounds bind to the same site in similar orientation. Information provided can form the basis for design of new cytostatics.     

Root Architecture Responses: In Search of Phosphate

Soil phosphate represents the only source of phosphorus for plants and, consequently, is its entry into the trophic chain. This major component of nucleic acids, phospholipids, and energy currency of the cell (ATP) can limit plant growth because of its low mobility in soil. As a result, root responses to low phosphate favor the exploration of the shallower part of the soil, where phosphate tends to be more abundant, a strategy described as topsoil foraging. We will review the diverse developmental strategies that can be observed among plants by detailing the effect of phosphate deficiency on primary and lateral roots. We also discuss the formation of cluster roots: an advanced adaptive strategy to cope with low phosphate availability observed in a limited number of species. Finally, we will put this work into perspective for future research directions.Plant embryogenesis generates a very primitive developmental blueprint with two apical meristems (shoot and root) that, unlike in animals, do not reflect the anatomy of the adult organism. The ability to form new organs is maintained throughout their lifecycle because of the sustained activity of these meristems as well as the presence of dedicated cells that dedifferentiate and generate new meristems. The continuous nature of plant development associated with their sessile lifestyle results in a strong dependency on their immediate environment. As a result, the study of plant development must not only focus on the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms but also, integrate their ability to perceive and respond to the environment. In this regard, plant root systems represent a good model, because they have a high level of developmental plasticity in response to water, nutrients, gravity, and mechanical characteristics of the soil as well as biotic interactions.Among the essential nutrients for plant growth and development, phosphorus is a key component of nucleic acids and phospholipids and present in soil in the form of either inorganic phosphate (Pi) or organophosphates. The former strongly interacts with divalent and trivalent cations. The latter has to be hydrolyzed to release phosphate for root uptake. The high sorption capacity of phosphate to soil particles results in a very low mobility and availability for uptake by plants. Therefore, the capacity of plants to find an adequate phosphate supply is directly correlated with their ability to explore the soil. Correspondingly, phosphorus deficiency induces changes in root system architecture as a key adaptive mechanism. A general strategy has been described under the term topsoil foraging that favors a shallower root system to explore the upper part of the soil, where phosphate tends to be more available because of the presence of organic matter and animal excrements. Although this term was first introduced to describe root system adaptation in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris; Lynch and Brown, 2001), the set of responses behind the topsoil foraging strategy has now been described in many other species (Panigrahy et al., 2009; Péret et al., 2011; Li et al., 2012; Shi et al., 2013). We will give an up-to-date overview of recent publications on developmental adaptations to low phosphate observed in diverse monocot and dicot species by focusing on the responses of the primary root (PR) and lateral roots. Finally, we will describe the evolutionarily advanced developmental adaptation to low phosphorus that has been found in several plant families’ (i.e. cluster or proteoid) root formation.