Phylogeny of six oligohymenophoreans (Protozoa, Ciliophora) inferred from small subunit rRNA gene sequences

The small subunit rRNA (SSrRNA) genes of six marine oligohymenophoreans, namely Uronemella filificum , Schizocalyptra sp.-WYG07060701, Schizocalyptra aeschtae , Pleuronema sinica , P. czapikae and Paratetrahymena sp., were sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were constructed with four different methods to assess the inter- and intrageneric relationships among the scuticociliates and the phylogenetic assignment of the order Loxocephalida. The SSrRNA phylogeny indicates that: (i) Paratetrahymena is most closely related to Cardiostomatella ; (ii) the order Loxocephalida and the family Uronematidae both appear to be polyphyletic; (iii) the order Philasterida is a well-defined taxon; (iv) Cyclidium porcatum falls outside the order Pleuronematida in all analyses; (v) the validity of the genus Uronemella is confirmed; (vi) Schizocalyptra is a member of the family Pleuronematidae. Furthermore, the predicted secondary structures of the variable region 4 of the SSrRNA gene sequences show that the size of the terminal bulge in Helix E23–7 is probably different for the orders Philasterida and Pleuronematida. Also, compared to Uronema and Homalogastra , Uronemella has distinct patterns in Helices E23–1, E23–7, E23–8 and E23–9.     

Inherited Interleukin-12 Deficiency: IL12B Genotype and Clinical Phenotype of 13 Patients from Six Kindreds

Interleukin-12 (IL12) is a cytokine that is secreted by activated phagocytes and dendritic cells and that induces interferon-gamma production by natural-killer and T lymphocytes. It consists of two subunits, p35 and p40, which are encoded by IL12A and IL12B, respectively. The first reported patient with a genetic cytokine disorder was a Pakistani child, who was homozygous for a large loss-of-function deletion (g.482+82_856-854del) in IL12B. This IL12-deficient child suffered from infections caused by bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and Salmonella enteritidis. We herein report 12 additional patients from five other kindreds. In one kindred from India, the same large deletion that was described elsewhere (g.482+82_856-854del) was identified. In four kindreds from Saudi Arabia, a recessive loss-of-function frameshift insertion (g.315_316insA) was found. A conserved haplotype encompassing the IL12B gene suggested that a founder effect accounted for the recurrence of each mutation. The two founder mutational events-g.482+82_856-854del and g.315_316insA-were estimated to have occurred approximately 700 and approximately 1,100 years ago, respectively. Among a total of 13 patients with IL12 deficiency, 1 child had salmonellosis only and 12 suffered from clinical disease due to BCG or environmental nontuberculous mycobacteria. One patient also had clinical disease caused by virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis, five patients had clinical disease caused by Salmonella serotypes, and one patient had clinical disease caused by Nocardia asteroides. The clinical outcome varies from case to case, since five patients (aged 2-11 years) died of overwhelming infection, whereas eight patients (aged 3-12 years) are still in good health and are not currently taking antibiotics. In conclusion, IL12 deficiency is not limited to a single kindred, shows significant variability of outcome, and should be considered in the genetic diagnosis of patients with mycobacteriosis and/or salmonellosis. To date, two founder IL12B mutations have been identified, accounting for the recurrence of a large deletion and a small insertion within populations from the Indian subcontinent and from the Arabian Peninsula, respectively.     

Human Health Risk from Metals in Fish from Saudi Arabia: Consumption Patterns for Some Species Exceed Allowable Limits

Fish are a healthful source of protein, but contaminants in some fish pose a risk. While there are multiple risk assessments from Europe and North America, there are far fewer for other parts of the world. We examined the risks from mercury, arsenic, lead, and other metals in fish consumed by people in Jeddah area, Saudi Arabia, using site-specific data on consumption patterns and metal levels in fish. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Hazard Quotient (HQ) and cumulative Hazard Index (HI) for non-cancer endpoints and Carcinogenic Index for cancer were used to determine the health risk based on fish consumption rates. Of the 13 fish species examined, HQ was greater than 1 (indicating elevated risk) in two species for arsenic, and seven species for methylmercury. The cumulative HI for all metals was above 1 for all but three species of fish at the mean consumption rates. Generally, fish species with HI above 1 for one sampling location, had HI above 1 for all sampling locations. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of strategies for reducing risk from fish consumption while encouraging dietary intakes of fish with low mercury and arsenic levels.     

Rediscovered parasitism of Andrena savignyi Spinola (Hymenoptera,Andrenidae) by Stylops (Strepsiptera,Stylopidae) and revised taxonomic status of the parasite

Parasitism of Andrena (Suandrena) savignyi Spinola (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) by Stylops Kirby (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae) has been recorded only once, and from an individual collected in Egypt almost a century ago, with the parasite described as Stylops savignyi Hofeneder. The recent rediscovery of this Stylops from an individual of Andrena savignyi permits a reinterpretation of the species and its affinities among other Stylops. The bee was collected at flowers of Zilla spinosa (Turra) Prantl. (Brassicaceae) in Amariah, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Based on DNA barcode sequences from material sampled across Africa, Asia, and Europe, it is apparent that Stylops savignyi is conspecific with Stylops nassonowi Pierce, and we accordingly synonymize this name (syn. n.), with the latter representing the senior and valid name for the species. A differential diagnosis is provided for Stylops nassonowi and the morphology of the female is described, as well as the first instars.     

Effects of open grazing and livestock exclusion on floristic composition and diversity in natural ecosystem of Western Saudi Arabia

Livestock grazing is one of the main causes of rangeland degradation in Saudi Arabia. Fencing to exclude grazers is one of the main management practices used to restore vegetation and conserve biodiversity. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the changes in plant diversity and abundance, floristic composition and plant groups of the major life forms in response to thirty-five years of grazing exclosure in western Saudi Arabia. These vegetation attributes and palatability were compared in 30 sampling stands located in the excluded and grazed sites. Our results showed that livestock exclusion significantly increased covers, density and species richness of annuals, grasses, perennial forbs, shrubs and trees. Exclosure enhanced the abundance and richness of palatable species and depressed the development of weedy species. About 66.7% of the recorded species at the excluded site were highly palatable compared to 34.5% at the grazed site. In contrary, about 55.2% unpalatable species were found in the grazed site compared to 25.8% in the protected site. Jaccard’s similarity index between the excluded and grazed sites showed lower values of 0.39%, 0.40% and 0.31% at levels of families, genus and species, respectively. The results suggest that establishing livestock exclusion may be a useful sustainable management tool for vegetation restoration and conservation of plant diversity in degraded rangelands of arid regions.     

Salt tolerant Methylobacterium mesophilicum showed viable colonization abilities in the plant rhizosphere

The source of infection has always been considered as an important factor in epidemiology and mostly linked to environmental source such as surface water, soil, plants and also animals. The activity of the opportunistic pathogens associated with plant root, their adaptation and survival under hostile environmental condition is poorly understood. In this study the salt tolerance ability of Methylobacterium mesophilicum and its colonization in the root and shoot of plants under severe drought and salt stress conditions were investigated. The colonization of plant by M. mesophilicum was investigated in a gnotobiotic sand system, and their survival in pots with saline soil. Bacterial strain was found to colonize rhizosphere of cucumber, tomato and paprika grown under normal and salt stress condition and reached up to 6.4 × 10⁴ and 2.6 × 10⁴ CFU/g root. The strain was resistant to Gentamicin, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin plus Clavulanic acid, Cefotaxime, neomycin, penicillin and was also tolerant to salinity stress (up to 6% NaCl). These abilities play important roles in enabling persistent colonization of the plant surface by M. mesophilicum strains. In conclusion, this study provides background information on the behaviour of opportunistic pathogen M. mesophilicum on plants and their survival in harsh environmental conditions.     

Effect of water stress by Polyethylene Glycol 8000 and Sodium Chloride on germination of Ephedra alata Decne seeds

Ephedra alata Decne is a perennial shrub and it is a very effective sand-binder. In Saudi Arabia, the species is associated with sand dunes formation, especially the mobile, non-saline and low moisture content ones. Its geographical distribution in Saudi Arabia includes the Northern, Eastern and Central regions. The aims of this study were to determine the effects of temperature, water potential and Sodium Chloride on germination of E. alata. Seeds were collected from King Khalid Centre of Wildlife Research and Development at Thumama (80 km north east of Riyadh), Saudi Arabia. Seeds were germinated at four alternating temperature regimes (8/22; 9/23; 13/27 and 18/35 °C). Seeds were also germinated under stress of aqueous Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) solutions mixed to create water potentials of 0; −0.3; −0.6; −1.2 and −1.5 MPa. Seed were also germinated in Sodium Chloride solutions of 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mol l⁻¹. Optimum germination was attained at 13/28 °C that corresponds to temperatures prevailing during spring time. Seeds germinated in Polyethylene Glycol solutions exhibited significantly lower germination than control especially when water potential fell below −0.3 MPa. Germination was also negatively affected by 0.1 mol l⁻¹ Sodium Chloride solution or above. Results indicated that the germination temperature responses of the nondormant seeds synchronize the event of germination with the season when environmental conditions are more favorable for subsequent growth and seedling establishment. Germination was also sensitive to both water potential and salinity.     

Evaluation of low-intensity laser radiation on stimulating the cholesterol degrading activity: Part I. Microorganisms isolated from cholesterol-rich materials

A survey was performed to isolate bacteria and fungi from cholesterol-rich sources including chicken liver, turkey giblets, salmon, lamb, egg yolk, beef brain and shrimps. A total of 34 bacterial and 22 fungal isolates were recovered from the tested sources. The highest count of isolates was recovered from the soil (12 isolates/g), followed by turkey giblets and egg yolk (8 isolates/g, for each). Out of 34 bacterial isolates, five induced the highest level in cholesterol degradation. The most potent bacterial isolate was recovered from turkey giblets and was identified as Streptomyces fradiae. In a trial to increase the cholesterol decomposing potentiality of S. fradiae, low intensity Nd-YAG laser irradiation was evaluated. The exposure of the chlorophyllin – photosensitized bacterium to 210 mW Nd-YAG laser for 8 min induced significant increase in cholesterol degrading activity reaching 73.8% as compared with 54.2% in the case of non-irradiated, non-photosensitized culture. Under the same conditions but using the reaction mixture containing cholesterol as a substrate and extracellular crude enzyme, the percent decomposition reached 53.7% for the irradiated culture as compared to 28.3% in the case of the control. Our data indicate the importance of the photosensitizer in enhancement of laser radiation to stimulate cholesterol decomposition of S. fradiae.     

The comparative gastrointestinal morphology of Jaculus jaculus (Rodentia) and Paraechinus aethiopicus (Erinaceomorpha)

Jaculus jaculus (Lesser Egyptian jerboa) and Paraechinus aethiopicus (Desert hedgehog) are small mammals which thrive in desert conditions and are found, among others, in the Arabian Peninsula. Jaculus jaculus is omnivorous while P. aethiopicus is described as being insectivorous. The study aims to describe the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) morphology of these animals which differ in diet and phylogeny. The GITs of J. jaculus (n = 8) and P. aethiopicus (n = 7) were weighed, photographed, and the length, basal surface areas, and luminal surface areas of each of the anatomically distinct gastrointestinal segments were determined. The internal aspects of each area were examined and photographed while representative histological sections of each area were processed to wax and stained using haematoxylin and eosin. Both species had a simple unilocular stomach which was confirmed as wholly glandular on histology sections. Paraechinus aethiopicus had a relatively simple GIT which lacked a caecum. The caecum of J. jaculus was elongated, terminating in a narrow cecal appendix which contained lymphoid tissue on histological examination. The internal aspect of the proximal colon of J. jaculus revealed distinct V‐shaped folds. Stomach content analysis of J. jaculus revealed mostly plant and seed material and some insects, whereas P. aethiopicus samples showed plant material in addition to insects, indicating omnivorous feeding tendencies in areas where insects may be scarce. J. Morphol. 277:671–679, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Activation of prolyl hydroxylase‐2 for stabilization of mitochondrial stress along with simultaneous downregulation of HIF‐1α/FASN in ER + breast cancer subtype

The present study was undertaken to inquest the chemical activation of prolyl hydroxylase‐2 for the curtailment of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and fatty acid synthase. It was well documented that hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and fatty acid synthase were overexpressed in mammary gland carcinomas. After screening a battery of compounds, BBAP‐2 was retrieved as a potential prolyl hydroxylase‐2 activator and validates its activity using ER + MCF‐7 cell line and n‐methyl‐n‐nitrosourea‐induced rat in vivo model, respectively. BBAP‐2 was palpable for the morphological characteristics of apoptosis along with changes in the mitochondrial intergrity as visualized by acridine orange/ethidium bromide and JC‐1 staining against ER + MCF‐7 cells. BBAP‐2 also arrest the cell cycle of ER + MCF‐7 cells at G2/M phase. Afterward, BBAP‐2 has scrutinized against n‐methyl‐n‐nitrosourea‐induced mammary gland carcinoma in albino Wistar rats. BBAP‐2 restored the morphological architecture when screened through carmine staining, haematoxylin and eosin staining, and scanning electron microscopy. BBAP‐2 also delineated the markers of oxidative stress favourably. The immunoblotting and mRNA expression analysis validated that BBAP‐2 has a potentialty activate the prolyl hydroxylase‐2 with sequential downregulating effect on hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and its downstream checkpoint. BBAP‐2 also fostered apoptosis through mitochondrial‐mediated death pathway. The present study elaborates the chemical activation of prolyl hydroxylase‐2 by which the increased expression of HIF‐1α and FASN can be reduced in mammary gland carcinoma.