Regional community assembly drivers and microbial environmental sources shaping bacterioplankton in an alpine lacustrine district (Pyrenees,Spain)

Microbial communities in natural ecosystems are subject to strong ecological rules. The study of local communities along a regional metacommunity can reveal patterns of community assembly, and disentangle the underlying ecological processes. In particular, we seek drivers of community assembly at the regional scale using a large lacustrine dataset (>300 lakes) along the geographical, limnological and physico-chemical gradients in the Pyrenees. By using high throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and inferring environmental sources of bacterial immigrants, we showed that surface aquatic bacterial assemblages were strongly influenced by terrestrial populations from soil, biofilms or sediments, and primarily selected by a pH-alkalinity gradient. Indeed, source proportions explained 27% of the community variation, and chemistry 15% of the total variation, half of it shared with the sources. Major taxonomic groups such as Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes showed higher aquatic affinities than Parcubacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria or Betaproteobacteria, which may be recruited and selected through different hydrographic habitats. A regional fingerprint was observed with lower alpha diversity and higher beta diversity in the central Pyrenees than in both ends. We suggest an ecological succession process, likely influenced by complex interactions of environmental source dispersal and environmental filtering along the mountain range geography.     

Transparency improves concealment in cryptically coloured moths

Predation is a ubiquitous and strong selective pressure on living organisms. Transparency is a predation defence widespread in water but rare on land. Some Lepidoptera display transparent patches combined with already cryptic opaque patches. A recent study showed that transparency reduced detectability of aposematic prey with conspicuous patches. However, whether transparency has any effect at reducing detectability of already cryptic prey is still unknown. We conducted field predation experiments with free avian predators where we monitored and compared survival of a fully opaque grey artificial form (cryptic), a form including transparent windows and a wingless artificial butterfly body. Survival of the transparent forms was similar to that of wingless bodies and higher than that of fully opaque forms, suggesting a reduction of detectability conferred by transparency. This is the first evidence that transparency decreases detectability in cryptic terrestrial prey. Future studies should explore the organization of transparent and opaque patches in animals and their interplay on survival, as well as the costs and other potential benefits associated with transparency on land.     

Ring‐opening of azetidiniums by nucleophiles. Synthesis of polysubstituted linear amines

This microreview focuses on the nucleophilic ring‐opening of azetidiniums presenting various substitution patterns at C2, C3, and C4. In most cases, the nucleophilic ring‐opening occurred in a stereoselective and regioselective fashion producing functionalized linear amines. Experimental selectivities associated with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations have allowed a better understanding of the parameters governing the regioselectivities.     

In vitro somatic embryogenesis of Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano [Berland.] Barneby & J.W. Grimes)

In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant - Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano [Berland.] Barneby & J.W. Grimes) is a member of the Fabaceae that is native to Mexico. Its wood has...     

Next Generation Semiconductor Based-Sequencing of a Nutrigenetics Target Gene (GPR120) and Association with Growth Rate in Italian Large White Pigs

The GPR120 gene (also known as FFAR4 or O3FAR1) encodes for a functional omega-3 fatty acid receptor/sensor that mediates potent insulin sensitizing effects by repressing macrophage-induced tissue inflammation. For its functional role, GPR120 could be considered a potential target gene in animal nutrigenetics. In this work we resequenced the porcine GPR120 gene by high throughput Ion Torrent semiconductor sequencing of amplified fragments obtained from 8 DNA pools derived, on the whole, from 153 pigs of different breeds/populations (two Italian Large White pools, Italian Duroc, Italian Landrace, Casertana, Pietrain, Meishan, and wild boars). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), two synonymous substitutions and one in the putative 3′-untranslated region (g.114765469C > T), were identified and their allele frequencies were estimated by sequencing reads count. The g.114765469C > T SNP was also genotyped by PCR-RFLP confirming estimated frequency in Italian Large White pools. Then, this SNP was analyzed in two Italian Large White cohorts using a selective genotyping approach based on extreme and divergent pigs for back fat thickness (BFT) estimated breeding value (EBV) and average daily gain (ADG) EBV. Significant differences of allele and genotype frequencies distribution was observed between the extreme ADG-EBV groups (P < 0.001) whereas this marker was not associated with BFT-EBV.     

Desulfurization of dibenzothiophene using the 4S enzymatic route: Influence of operational conditions on initial reaction rates

The influence of operational conditions (pH, temperature and oxygen transfer rate) on the initial reaction rates of the four reactions involved in the 4S biodesulfurization route of dibenzothiophenes (DBT) has been studied. The bioprocess was carried out using a genetically modified organism, Pseudomonas putida CECT 5279. The rates of the four reactions were calculated from the rates of production of different compounds involved in the 4S pathway, by matrix manipulation. The initial (zero time) reaction rates showed a slight dependence on oxygen transfer rate. Temperature and pH were optimal at 30°C and 9, respectively, temperature being the most important variable. This study also identifies the last reaction as the limiting step in the pathway.     

The immunogenicity to the first anti-TNF therapy determines the outcome of switching to a second anti-TNF therapy in spondyloarthritis patients

Introduction

Anti-TNF drugs have proven to be effective against spondyloarthritis (SpA), although 30% of patients fail to respond or experience adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation. In rheumatoid arthritis, the presence of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) against the first TNF inhibitor influences the outcome after switching. Our aim was to assess whether the response to a second anti-TNF drug is related to the previous development of ADA to the first anti-TNF drug SpA patients.

Methods

Forty-two SpA patients began a second anti-TNF drug after failing to respond to the first anti-TNF therapy. Clinical activity was assessed by the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) at baseline (at the beginning of the first and second anti-TNF therapy) and at 6 months after switching. The drug and ADA levels were measured by ELISA before each administration.

Results

All patients were treated with anti-TNF drugs and mainly due to inefficacy were switched to a second anti-TNF drug. Eleven of 42 (26.2%) developed ADA during the first biologic treatment. At baseline, no differences in ASDAS were found in patients with or without ADA to the first anti-TNF drug (3.52 ± 1.03 without ADA vs. 3.14 ± 0.95 with ADA, p = 0.399) and to the second anti-TNF drug (3.36 ± 0.94 without ADA vs. 3.09 ± 0.91 with ADA, p = 0.466). At 6 months after switching, patients with previous ADA had lower disease activity (1.62 ± 0.93 with ADA vs. 2.79 ± 1.01 without ADA, p = 0.002) and most patients without ADA had high disease activity state by the ASDAS (25 out of 31 (80.6%) without ADA vs. 3 out of 11 (27.3%) with ADA, p = 0.002).

Conclusions

In SpA the failure to respond to the first anti-TNF drug due to the presence of ADA predicts a better clinical response to a second anti-TNF drug.