Nod factor induces soybean resistance to powdery mildew.

Plants possess highly sensitive perception systems by which microbial signal molecules are recognized. In the Bradyrhizobium-soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) symbiosis, recognition is initiated through exchange of signal molecules, generally flavonoids from soybean and lipo-chitooligosaccharides (Nod factors) from the microsymbiont. Application of the Nod factor Nod Bj-V (C18:1, MeFuc) induced soybean resistance to powdery mildew caused by Microsphaera diffusa. Addition of Nod factor (concentrations ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-10) M) to soybean root systems led to reductions in disease incidence. The lowest disease incidence was caused by Nod factor treatment at 10(-6) M. The effect of Nod factor application on fungal growth and development was measured at 4, 12, 48, and 96 h after inoculation. Colony diameter and number of germ tubes per conidium were decreased by 10(-6) M Nod factor. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC.4.3.1.1.) is the first enzyme of the phenyl propanoid pathway, and is commonly activated as part of plant responses to disease. Treatment of soybean seedlings with Nod factor, through stem wounds, induced PAL activity; the most rapid increase followed treatment with 10(-6) M Nod factor. These data show that soybean plants are able to detect root applied LCO and respond by increased disease resistance.     

Edible Lepidoptera in Mexico: Geographic distribution, ethnicity, economic and nutritional importance for rural people

In this paper, we reported the butterflies and moths that are consumed in Mexico. We identified 67 species of Lepidoptera that are eaten principally in their larval stage in 17 states of Mexico. These species belong to 16 families: Arctiidae, Bombycidae, Castniidae, Cossidae, Geometridae, Hepialidae, Hesperiidae, Lasiocampidae, Noctuidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Pyralidae, Saturniidae, Sesiidae, and Sphingidae. Saturniidae, Pieridae, Noctuidae and Nymphalidae were the more species consumed with 16, 11, 9, and 8 species, respectively. The genera with the largest numbers of species were: Phassus, Phoebis, Hylesia and Spodoptera, with three species. Their local distribution, corresponding to each state of Mexico, is also presented.     

The role of LncRNA MALAT-1 and MiRNA-9 in Psoriasis

BackgroundPsoriasis is a chronic skin disorder manifested by recurrent episodes of scaly, red, itchy skin patches that occur within apparently normal skin.ObjectivesThis study was performed to detect the expression of serum and tissue (lesion and non-lesion) LncRNA MALAT-1 and MiRNA-9 that might be used as biomarkers for psoriasis.MethodsBlood samples were obtained from 60 psoriasis patients and 40 controls, as well as 4 mm punch biopsy from lesional and non lesional skin of psoriatic patient and normal skin of healthy controls. Expression of LncRNA MALAT-1 and miRNNA-9 in serum and tissues was detected by real time qRT-PCR.Resultsa statistically significant increase in the expression of MALAT-1 in lesional and non-lesional skin and serum of psoriatic patients in comparison to controls were detected. Moreover, there was statistically significant increase in serum MiRNA-9 in patients in comparison to controls, while its tissue level was significantly lower in patients.ConclusionThis study highlights the dysregulation of LncRNA MALAT-1 and miRNA-9 in psoriasis. Elevated expression of MALAT-1 in lesional skin of psoriatic patients compared to non-lesional skin may possibly contribute to the development of psoriatic plaques.     

Characterization of two heparan sulphate-binding sites in the mycobacterial adhesin Hlp

Background  

The histone-like Hlp protein is emerging as a key component in mycobacterial pathogenesis, being involved in the initial events of host colonization by interacting with laminin and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). In the present study, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to map the binding site(s) of Hlp to heparan sulfate and identify the nature of the amino acid residues directly involved in this interaction.     

Rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibody positivity,but not level,are associated with increased mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from two large independent cohorts

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) status and levels as predictors of mortality in two large cohorts of patients with early inflammatory arthritis (EIA).

Methods

Data from the Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR) and Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic (EAC) cohorts were used. At baseline, patients had demographic data and smoking status recorded; RF, ACPA and inflammatory markers were measured in the local laboratories. Patients were flagged with national death registers until death or censor date. Antibody status was stratified as negative, low or high positive by RF and ACPA levels individually. In addition, patients were grouped as seronegative, RF positive, ACPA positive or double antibody (RF and ACPA) positive. Cox regression models explored associations between antibody status and mortality adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, inflammatory markers and year of enrolment.

Results

A total of 4962 patients were included, 64% were female. Median age at onset was 56 (NOAR) and 54 (EAC) years. In NOAR and EAC respectively, 35% and 42% of patients were ACPA/RF positive. When antibody status was stratified as negative, low or high positive, there were no consistent findings between the two cohorts. Double antibody positivity was associated with excess mortality in both cohorts compared to seronegative patients: NOAR and EAC respective adjusted HR (95% confidence interval) 1.35 (1.09 to 1.68) and 1.58 (1.16 to 2.15).

Conclusions

Patients with EIA who are seropositive for both RF and ACPA have increased mortality compared to those who are single positive or seronegative. Antibody level in seropositive patients was not consistently associated with excess mortality.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-014-0483-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Reappraisal of the diagnostic and prognostic value of morning stiffness in arthralgia and early arthritis: results from the Groningen EARC,Leiden EARC,ESPOIR, Leiden EAC and REACH

IntroductionMorning stiffness is assessed daily in the diagnostic process of arthralgia and arthritis, but large-scale studies on the discriminative ability are absent. This study explored the diagnostic value of morning stiffness in 5,202 arthralgia and arthritis patients and the prognostic value in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsIn arthralgia patients referred to the Early Arthritis Recognition Clinics (EARC) of Leiden (n = 807) and Groningen (n = 481) or included in the Rotterdam Early Arthritis Cohort (REACH) study (n = 353), the associations (cross-sectional analyses) between morning stiffness and presence of arthritis at physical examination were studied. In early arthritis patients, included in the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic (EAC) (n = 2,748) and Evaluation et Suivi de POlyarthrites Indifférenciées Récentes (ESPOIR) (n = 813), associations with fulfilling the 2010-RA criteria after one year were assessed. In 2010-RA patients included in the EAC (n = 1,140) and ESPOIR (n = 677), association with the long-term outcomes of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-free sustained remission and radiological progression were determined. Morning stiffness was defined as a duration ≥60 minutes; sensitivity analyses were performed for other definitions.ResultsIn arthralgia, morning stiffness (≥60 minutes) associated with the presence of arthritis; Leiden EARC odds ratio (OR) 1.49 (95% CI 1.001 to 2.20), Groningen EARC OR 2.21 (1.33 to 3.69) and REACH OR 1.55 (0.97 to 2.47) but the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were low (0.52, 0.57, 0.54). In early arthritis, morning stiffness was associated with 2010-RA independent of other predictors (Leiden EAC OR 1.72 (95% CI 1.31 to 2.25, AUC 0.68), ESPOIR OR 1.68 (1.03 to 2.74, AUC 0.64)). Duration of ≥30 minutes provided optimal discrimination for RA in early arthritis. Morning stiffness was not associated with radiological progression or DMARD-free sustained remission.ConclusionsMorning stiffness in arthralgia and early arthritis is associated with arthritis and RA respectively. This supports the incorporation of morning stiffness in the diagnostic process.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0616-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Duodenal mucosal risk markers in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis: effects of celecoxib/ursodeoxycholic acid co-treatment and comparison with patient controls

Background

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a disease characterized by the development of hundreds to thousands of adenomatous polyps in the colorectum early in life. Virtually all patients with FAP will develop colorectal cancer before the age of 40 to 50 years, unless prophylactic colectomy is performed, which significantly improves their prognosis. The mortality pattern has changed and duodenal cancer now is one of the main cancer-related causes of death in these patients. Practically all patients with FAP develop premalignant duodenal adenomas, which may develop to duodenal cancer in approximately 3-7% of patients. Duodenal cancer in patients with FAP has a poor prognosis. The clinical challenge is to identify patients at high-risk for duodenal carcinoma. Chemoprevention would be desirable to avoid duodenectomy. The main goal of this study is to identify risk markers in normal duodenal mucosa of patients with FAP, that could help identify patients at increased risk for malignant transformation.

Methods

Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of glutathione S-transferase A1 (GSTA1), glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), KIAA1199, E-cadherin, peroxisome proliferative activated receptor δ (PPARδ), caspase-3, cyclin D1, β-catenin, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were measured in duodenal mucosa, using the QuantiGene 2.0 Plex assay. Levels in normal appearing mucosa of patients with FAP (n?=?37) were compared with levels in non-FAP patient controls (n?=?16). In addition, levels before and after treatment with either celecoxib & ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, n?=?14) or celecoxib & placebo (n?=?13) were evaluated in patients with FAP.

Results

mRNA levels of glutathione S-transferase A1 (28.16% vs. 38.24%, p?=?0.008) and caspase-3 (3.30% vs. 5.31%, p?=?0.001) were significantly lower in patients with FAP vs. non-FAP patient controls, respectively. COX-2 mRNA levels in normal duodenal mucosa of patients with FAP were found to be unexpectedly low. None of the potential risk markers was influenced by celecoxib or celecoxib & UDCA.

Conclusions

Protection against toxins and carcinogens (GSTA1) and apoptosis (caspase-3) is low in patients with FAP, which could contribute to increased susceptibility for malignant transformation of duodenal mucosa.

Trial registration

http://ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00808743

     

From the Western Alps across Central Europe: Postglacial recolonisation of the tufa stream specialist Rhyacophila pubescens (Insecta,Trichoptera)

Background

Hybridization can have complex effects on evolutionary dynamics in ants because of the combination of haplodiploid sex-determination and eusociality. While hybrid non-reproductive workers have been found in a range of species, examples of gene-flow via hybrid queens and males are rare. We studied hybridization in East African army ants (Dorylus subgenus Anomma) using morphology, mitochondrial DNA sequences, and nuclear microsatellites.

Results

While the mitochondrial phylogeny had a strong geographic signal, different species were not recovered as monophyletic. At our main study site at Kakamega Forest, a mitochondrial haplotype was shared between a "Dorylus molestus-like" and a "Dorylus wilverthi-like" form. This pattern is best explained by introgression following hybridization between D. molestus and D. wilverthi. Microsatellite data from workers showed that the two morphological forms correspond to two distinct genetic clusters, with a significant proportion of individuals being classified as hybrids.

Conclusions

We conclude that hybridization and gene-flow between the two army ant species D. molestus and D. wilverthi has occurred, and that mating between the two forms continues to regularly produce hybrid workers. Hybridization is particularly surprising in army ants because workers have control over which males are allowed to mate with a young virgin queen inside the colony.