Proteomics as a Tool to Identify New Targets Against Aspergillus and Scedosporium in the Context of Cystic Fibrosis

Mycopathologia - Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that increases the risk of suffering microbial, including fungal, infections. In this paper, proteomics-based information was collated...     

Spring zooplankton distribution in the Bay of Biscay from 1998 to 2006 in relation with anchovy recruitment

The objective of this study was to investigate whether successiverecruitment failures in the anchovy fishery in the Bay of Biscaywere due to changes in the zooplankton biomass or composition.Image analysis and automatic recognition were used to analysezooplankton samples collected during diel egg production methodspring surveys from 1998 to 2006. We were not able to detectany trend in zooplankton biomass during this period. The zooplanktonspatial distribution showed permanent features with large organismsbeing more abundant over the shelf break and outer areas. Finally,we found a negative correlation between anchovy recruitmentand zooplankton biomass which suggests that the 2002–2006failures in anchovy recruitment in the Bay of Biscay are notdue to a decrease in mesozooplankton biomass.     

Breeding biology of the Little Egret Egretta garzetta on the southern coast of the Bay of Biscay

ABSTRACT

Capsule: Annual reproductive parameters of Little Egrets Egretta garzetta in an Atlantic coastal colony showed strong variation in a 20-year study, mainly due to extreme events.

Aims: To describe the breeding biology of Little Egrets in the Bay of Biscay and compare it with that of the Mediterranean basin. Also, to explore relationships between breeding parameters and colony size with some climatic indicators.

Methods: Phenology, number of nests, clutch size, number of hatchlings, brood size, and hatching and breeding success were recorded over 20 years.

Results: Median laying date of 214 nests was 1 May (range: 1 April–25 June) and 54% of the clutches were laid in the second half of April and the first half of May. Over the 20-year study period mean clutch size of 270 nests was 4.0, mean number of hatchlings was 3.1, and mean brood size was 2.3. Hatching success ranged from 46.1% to 100% and breeding success from zero to 100%. Number of nests was negatively associated with clutch and brood size. The highest clutch size and lowest brood size were recorded at the beginning of the season. Significant relationships were found between the number of hatchlings and the rainfall during the pre-breeding season, and between brood size and the summer rainfall.

Conclusions: Reproductive parameters showed significant variation over the study period, which highlights the importance of using long-term data sets. Breeding occurred one month later than in natural colonies of the Mediterranean basin. Negative relationships between the number of nests and clutch and brood size suggest some degree of density-dependent effects. Ranges of clutch size, number of hatchlings, and brood size were within those reported in Mediterranean populations. The effect of rainfall on reproductive parameters was weak. Extreme weather and predation events caused low rates of hatching and breeding success that affected the growth of the colony.     

Current distribution and potential expansion of the harmful benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. siamensis towards the warming waters of the Bay of Biscay,North-East Atlantic

In a future scenario of increasing temperatures in North-Atlantic waters, the risk associated with the expansion of the harmful, benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. siamensis has to be evaluated and monitored. Microscopy observations and spatio-temporal surveys of environmental DNA (eDNA) were associated with Lagrangian particle dispersal simulations to: (i) establish the current colonization of the species in the Bay of Biscay, (ii) assess the spatial connectivity among sampling zones that explain this distribution, and (iii) identify the sentinel zones to monitor future expansion. Throughout a sampling campaign carried out in August to September 2018, microscope analysis showed that the species develops in the south-east of the bay where optimal temperatures foster blooms. Quantitative PCR analyses revealed its presence across almost the whole bay to the western English Channel. An eDNA time-series collected on plastic samplers showed that the species occurs in the bay from April to September. Due to the water circulation, colonization of the whole bay from the southern blooming zones is explained by inter-site connectivity. Key areas in the middle of the bay permit continuous dispersal connectivity towards the north. These key areas are proposed as sentinel zones to monitor O. cf. siamensis invasions towards the presumably warming water of the North-East Atlantic.     

Reduction of the resistome risk from cow slurry and manure microbiomes to soil and vegetable microbiomes

In cow farms, the interaction between animal and environmental microbiomes creates hotspots for antibiotic resistance dissemination. A shotgun metagenomic approach was used to survey the resistome risk in five dairy cow farms. To this purpose, 10 environmental compartments were sampled: 3 of them linked to productive cows (fresh slurry, stored slurry, slurry-amended pasture soil); 6 of them to non-productive heifers and dry cows (faeces, fresh manure, aged manure, aged manure-amended orchard soil, vegetables-lettuces and grazed soil); and, finally, unamended control soil. The resistome risk was assessed using MetaCompare, a computational pipeline which scores the resistome risk according to possible links between antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and human pathogens. The resistome risk decreased from slurry and manure microbiomes to soil and vegetable microbiomes. In total (sum of all the compartments), 18,157 ARGs were detected: 24% related to ansamycins, 21% to multidrugs, 14% to aminoglycosides, 12% to tetracyclines, 9% to β-lactams, and 9% to macrolide–lincosamide–streptogramin B. All but two of the MGE-associated ARGs were only found in the animal dejections (not in soil or vegetable samples). Several ARGs with potential as resistome risk markers (based on their presence in hubs of co-occurrence networks and high dissemination potential) were identified. As a precautionary principle, improved management of livestock dejections is necessary to minimize the risk of antibiotic resistance.     

Replication of bacteriophage f1: A complex containing gene II protein in gene V mutant-infected bacteria

A dense complex has been isolated from bacteria infected with gene V amber mutant f 1 bacteriophage. The major protein in this complex is the f 1 bacteriophage-specific gene II protein. Other proteins in the complex include the f 1 bacteriophage coat protein and proteins which migrate on sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with the f1 bacteriophage-specific gene III, gene IV and X protein. A protein of approximately 20,000 M_r is also present in the complex. Examination of bacteria infected with gene V mutant f1 bacteriophage revealed the complex as a densely staining amorphous body which appears to be associated with the cytoplasmic membrane. Bacteria infected with f1 bacteriophage that contain amber mutations in genes other than gene V do not contain this complex.