Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) on cultivated and self-sown plants in Greece

The present work covers original information on aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) from Greece during 1995–2005. The individual aphid taxa were collected from their host plants and identified. The plant taxa were classified in two major categories: cultivated and self-sown. The cultivated ones were classified as: herbaceous, climbing and trees. The selfsown ones were classified as: annual herbaceous, annual or biennial herbaceous, biennial or perennial herbaceous, perennial herbaceous, shrubby and trees Two hundred twelve plant taxa were identified on which 105 aphid taxa were recorded. We report 391 plant taxa-aphid taxa associations from which, 190 are referred to cultivated and 201 to self-shown plant taxa. Aphis gossypii was found to infest the widest spectrum of cultivated plant taxa whereas Brachycaudus helichrysi was found to infest the widest spectrum of self-sown plant taxa. Myzus persicae was found to infest the widest spectrum of the total number of plant taxa. Information for several economically unimportant aphid taxa in the area are also presented.     

CXC chemokine ligand 4 (CXCL4) is predictor of tumour angiogenic activity and prognostic biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing surgical treatment

Objective: To evaluate the association of CXC chemokine ligand 4 (CXCL4) plasma levels with tumour angiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to assess association of CXCL4 with clinical outcomes.

Patients and methods: Fifty patients with early stage NSCLC who underwent pulmonary resection. CXCL4 levels were analysed by ELISA. Angiogenesis was assessed by immunohistochemistry, and microvessel density (MVD) count.

Results: There was positive correlation between MVD and CXCL4 levels. Patients with higher CXCL4 levels had worse overall and disease-free survival.

Conclusions: Plasma levels of CXCL4 are associated with tumour vascularity. Increased CXCL4 levels in NSCLC patients undergoing treatment may indicate active cancer-induced angiogenesis associated with relapse and worse outcome.     

DNA-based confirmation that the parasitic wasp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cotesia glomerata</Emphasis> (Braconidae,Hymenoptera) is a new threat to endemic butterflies of the Canary Islands

Island-endemic species can be particularly vulnerable to alien invasion. There are many examples of introduced insect parasitoids having a serious impact on endemic butterflies and moths. In 2006, a population of parasitic wasps was reared from larvae of the Canary Island Large White butterfly (Pieris cheiranthi), an endemic inhabitant of laurel forests unique to the Canary Islands of Macaronesia. Parasitoids were tentatively identified as Cotesia glomerata (Braconidae, Hymenoptera), a widely introduced agricultural bioagent. To corroborate this finding we sequenced 632 bp of mitochondrial cox1 from parasitoids and hosts from La Palma and from the native range of C. glomerata in continental Europe. These were combined with GenBank sequences and a character-based, phylogenetic approach was used to assess the species status of parasites and hosts. The La Palma parasitoid could unambiguously be assigned to C. glomerata under the criterion of diagnosibility with corroboration from multiple lines of evidence (DNA, morphology). We suggest that this opportunistic, non-native parasitoid wasp will be a threat to P. cheiranthi and other endemic Canarian butterflies. Parasitoid populations were recorded from P. cheiranthi in marginal forest habitats but not in central forest areas, suggesting that comprehensive habitat conservation of the Canarian laurel forests could prevent penetration of the alien parasitoid wasps and subsequent mortality of endemic butterfly populations.     

Absence of co-phylogeny indicates repeated diatom capture in dinophytes hosting a tertiary endosymbiont

Tertiary endosymbiosis is proven through dinophytes, some of which (i.e. Kryptoperidiniaceae) have engulfed diatom algae containing a secondary plastid. Chloroplasts are usually inherited together permanently with the host cell, leading to co-phylogeny. We compiled a diatom sequence data matrix of two nuclear and two chloroplast loci. Almost all endosymbionts of Kryptoperidiniaceae found their closest relatives in free-living diatoms and not in other harboured algae, rejecting co-phylogeny and indicating that resident diatoms were taken up by dinophytes multiple times independently. Almost intact ultrastructure and insignificant genome reduction are supportive for young, if not recent events of diatom capture. With their selective specificity on the one hand and extraordinary degree of endosymbiotic flexibility on the other hand, dinophytes hosting diatoms share more traits with lichens or facultatively phototrophic ciliates than with green algae and land plants. Time estimates indicate the dinophyte lineages as consistently older than the hosted diatom lineages, thus also favouring a repeated uptake of endosymbionts. The complex ecological role of dinophytes employing a variety of organismic interactions may explain their high potential and plasticity in acquiring a great diversity of plastids.     

Effectiveness of mowing for the flora diversity preservation: a case study of steppe-like grassland in Croatia (NATURA 2000 site)

Intensive human activities have resulted in a critical reduction of grasslands in Croatia, one of the richest Europian countries in terms of biodiversity. Sub-Pannonic steppic grasslands are very rare, only few occur in the continental part of Croatia and most of them are protected as NATURA 2000 sites. We studied vascular flora of the Sub-Pannonic stepic grassland with the aim to examine the changes in plant communities 15 years from the mowing application. Results showed that hand mowing once per year at the end of vegetation season increased the species diversity as well as the number of medium and low growth taxa. The critically endangered, nearly threatened and vulnerable species remained preserved. The occurrence of trees, shrubs and invasive species as a consequence of succession and anthropogenic influences could be important threat for steppe-like grassland flora. From a conservation point of view infrequent mowing regime could be an effective management tool, although it needs to be adapted to regional and local circumstances for maintaining high biodiversity of steppe-like grasslands and valuable plant species.     

Soluble RAGE, diabetic nephropathy and genetic variability in the AGER gene

Diabetes mellitus, especially when complicated with decline of renal function due to diabetic nephropathy (DN), is associated with accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) exerting their adverse effects via receptor of AGE (RAGE). Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) is a truncated form of RAGE functioning as an inhibitor of AGE-mediated signalling. We studied relationships between sRAGE, renal function and genetic variability in the AGER gene in diabetic subjects. Study comprised a total of 265 diabetics (type 1 or 2 or LADA) with normoalbuminuria (n = 94) or DN (n = 171). sRAGE (assessed by ELISA) was significantly higher in DN than normoalbuminuria subjects (P = 0.007) and positively correlated with age, S-urea, S-creatinine and albuminuria and AGEs (determined spectrofluorimetrically), negatively with GFR (all P < 0.05); however, multivariate regression revealed that GFR was the only independent variable associated with sRAGE (P = 0.047). sRAGE did not correspond with carrier state of risk-haplotype copies (RAGE2) (P > 0.05). In conclusion, GFR is a principal determinant of sRAGE concentration and gradual sRAGE increase in subjects with advancing impairment of renal function is paralleled by AGEs.     

The oligodeoxynucleotide sequences corresponding to never-expressed peptide motifs are mainly located in the non-coding strand

Background  

We study the usage of specific peptide platforms in protein composition. Using the pentapeptide as a unit of length, we find that in the universal proteome many pentapeptides are heavily repeated (even thousands of times), whereas some are quite rare, and a small number do not appear at all. To understand the physico-chemical-biological basis underlying peptide usage at the proteomic level, in this study we analyse the energetic costs for the synthesis of rare and never-expressed versus frequent pentapeptides. In addition, we explore residue bulkiness, hydrophobicity, and codon number as factors able to modulate specific peptide frequencies. Then, the possible influence of amino acid composition is investigated in zero- and high-frequency pentapeptide sets by analysing the frequencies of the corresponding inverse-sequence pentapeptides. As a final step, we analyse the pentadecamer oligodeoxynucleotide sequences corresponding to the never-expressed pentapeptides.     

Optimizing the medium perfusion rate in bone tissue engineering bioreactors

There is a critical need to increase the size of bone grafts that can be cultured in vitro for use in regenerative medicine. Perfusion bioreactors have been used to improve the nutrient and gas transfer capabilities and reduce the size limitations inherent to static culture, as well as to modulate cellular responses by hydrodynamic shear. Our aim was to understand the effects of medium flow velocity on cellular phenotype and the formation of bone‐like tissues in three‐dimensional engineered constructs. We utilized custom‐designed perfusion bioreactors to culture bone constructs for 5 weeks using a wide range of superficial flow velocities (80, 400, 800, 1,200, and 1,800 µm/s), corresponding to estimated initial shear stresses ranging from 0.6 to 20 mPa. Increasing the flow velocity significantly affected cell morphology, cell–cell interactions, matrix production and composition, and the expression of osteogenic genes. Within the range studied, the flow velocities ranging from 400 to 800 µm/s yielded the best overall osteogenic responses. Using mathematical models, we determined that even at the lowest flow velocity (80 µm/s) the oxygen provided was sufficient to maintain viability of the cells within the construct. Yet it was clear that this flow velocity did not adequately support the development of bone‐like tissue. The complexity of the cellular responses found at different flow velocities underscores the need to use a range of evaluation parameters to determine the quality of engineered bone. Bioeng. 2011; 108:1159–1170. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Metabolic fingerprints of human primary endothelial and fibroblast cells

Introduction

Human primary cells originating from different locations within the body could differ greatly in their metabolic phenotypes, influencing both how they act during physiological/pathological processes and how susceptible/resistant they are to a variety of disease risk factors. A novel way to monitor cellular metabolism is through cell energetics assays, so we explored this approach with human primary cell types, as models of sclerotic disorders.

Objectives

In order to better understand pathophysiological processes at the cellular level, our goals were to measure metabolic pathway activities of endothelial cells and fibroblasts, and determine their metabolic phenotype profiles.

Methods

Biolog Phenotype MicroArray? technology was used for the first time to characterize metabolic phenotypes of diverse primary cells. These colorimetric assays enable detection of utilization of 367 specific biochemical substrates by human endothelial cells from the coronary artery (HCAEC), umbilical vein (HUVEC) and normal, healthy lung fibroblasts (NHLF).

Results

Adenosine, inosine, d-mannose and dextrin were strongly utilized by all three cell types, comparable to glucose. Substrates metabolized solely by HCAEC were mannan, pectin, gelatin and prevalently tricarballylic acid. HUVEC did not show any uniquely metabolized substrates whereas NHLF exhibited strong utilization of sugars and carboxylic acids along with amino acids and peptides.

Conclusion

Taken together, we show for the first time that this simple energetics assay platform enables metabolic characterization of primary cells and that each of the three human cell types examined gives a unique and distinguishable profile.