Mucoralean fungi for sustainable production of bioethanol and biologically active molecules

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Mucoralean fungi are suitable microorganisms for the sustainable production of food, fodder, and fuels from inexpensive natural resources. Ethanol-producing...     

Seroprevalence of Brucellosis,Leptospirosis, and Q Fever among Butchers and Slaughterhouse Workers in South-Eastern Iran

Zoonotic diseases can be occupational hazards to people who work in close contact with animals or their carcasses. In this cross-sectional study, 190 sera were collected from butchers and slaughterhouse workers in different regions of the Sistan va Baluchestan province, in Iran in 2011. A questionnaire was filled for each participant to document personal and behavioural information. The sera were tested for detection of specific IgG antibodies against brucellosis, leptospirosis, and Q fever (phase I and II) using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The seroprevalence of brucellosis was 7.9%, leptospirosis 23.4%, and phase I and II of Q fever were 18.1% and 14.4%, respectively. The seroprevalence of Q fever and leptospirosis, but not brucellosis, varied among regions within the province (p = 0.01). Additionally, a significant relationship was found between seropositivity of Q fever and camel slaughtering (p = 0.04). Reduced seropositivity rate of brucellosis was associated with use of personal protective equipment (PPE) (p = 0.004). This study shows that brucellosis, leptospirosis and Q fever occur among butchers and slaughterhouse workers in this area.     

Disc Immuno-Immobilization Method for Simultaneous Typing and Isolation of Salmonella Flagellar Phases

Salmonella organisms of an unknown serotype are inoculated in the center of a motility agar plate, and paper discs impregnated with antiflagellar antisera are placed in the periphery of the plate. The plate is incubated at room temperature overnight. During this time, the bacteria spread in a widening circle toward the discs, while the antiserum from each disc, in turn, diffuses centrifugally. When the motile organisms encounter an antiserum reacting with their flagella, they are immobilized. A semicircular line of immobilization is noted around the reactive antiserum disc. Eleven different Salmonella isolates were typed in duplicate by a standard method and by the immuno-immobilization method. Results obtained by the two methods were essentially identical. Simultaneously, single phases were isolated from the zone between the immobilization line and its antiserum disc. Isolates from this region were of the phase not immobilized by the antiserum disc. The dried discs, prepared in tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer and stored at 4 C, were stable for at least 5 months. The method can be used for the study of relatedness of surface antigens of motile, growing bacteria, thus circumventing the need for solubilization of these antigens. The results obtained can be interpreted in a similar fashion to the “identity”-“nonidentity” lines of the Ochterlony double-diffusion technique for soluble antigens.     

Key microRNAs in the biology of breast cancer; emerging evidence in the last decade

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small noncoding RNAs that play a pivotal role in the regulation of main biological and physiological processes, including cell cycle regulation, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, stem cell maintenance, and organ development. Dysregulation of these tiny molecules has been related to different human diseases, such as cancer. It has been estimated that more than 50% of these noncoding RNA sequences are placed on fragile sites or cancer-associated genomic regions. After the discovery of the first specific miRNA signatures in breast cancer, many studies focused on the involvement of these small RNAs in the pathophysiology of breast tumors and their possible clinical implications as reliable prognostic biomarkers or as a new therapeutic approach. Therefore, the present review will focus on the recent findings on the involvement of miRNAs in the biology of breast cancer associated with their clinical implications.     

Isolation and Partial Purification of a Phytotoxin Related to Pathogenic Verticillium species

The low molecular weight metabolites are considered as phytotoxins of pathogenic Verticillum species. The resin, Amberlite XAD-4 was used for isolation of toxin from log-phase culture fluids of the fungus. The toxin was purified further using, gel permeation. The isolated toxin induced chlorosis and necrosis in detached-leaflets of susceptible tomato and potato cultivars similar to natural symptoms. The metabolite is polar, multifunctional, heat stable, cold labile with molecular weight less than 1000. The activity was retained in dried samples of the crude filtrate and kept at room temperature for up to 8 months.