Does Manganese Protect Cultured Human Skin Fibroblasts Against Oxidative Injury by Uva, Dithranol and Hydrogen Peroxide?

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the mechanism of photoaging and carcinogenesis. Skin is endowed with antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutases (SOD): cytosolic copper zinc SOD and mitochondrial manganese SOD. The aim of our study was to estimate the protective effect of manganese against oxidative injury on cultured human skin fibroblasts. Dithranol, hydrogen peroxide and UV-A radiation (375 nm) were employed as oxidative stressors. The supply of manganese chloride produced an increase in cellular content of this element up to 24 fold without concomitant elevation of MnSOD activity. Nevertheless, manganese protects cells against two of the three ROS generating systems assessed, namely hydrogen peroxyde and UV-A. This protective effect depends on the concentration of manganese in the medium, 0.1 mM and 0.2 mM protect against UVA cytotoxicity, only 0.2 mM protects against H₂O₂ cytotoxicity.     

Groundwater promotes emergence of asporogenic mutants of emetic Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous endospore-forming bacterium, which mainly affects humans as a food-borne pathogen. Bacillus cereus can contaminate groundwater used to irrigate food crops. Here, we examined the ability of the emetic strain B. cereus F4810/72 to survive abiotic conditions encountered in groundwater. Our results showed that vegetative B. cereus cells rapidly evolved in a mixed population composed of endospores and asporogenic variants bearing spo0A mutations. One asporogenic variant, VAR-F48, was isolated and characterized. VAR-F48 can survive in sterilized groundwater over a long period in a vegetative form and has a competitive advantage compared to its parental strain. Proteomics analysis allowed us to quantify changes to cellular and exoproteins after 24 and 72 h incubation in groundwater, for VAR-F48 compared to its parental strain. The results revealed a significant re-routing of the metabolism in the absence of Spo0A. We concluded that VAR-F48 maximizes its energy use to deal with oligotrophy, and the emergence of spo0A-mutated variants may contribute to the persistence of emetic B. cereus in natural oligotrophic environments.     

Leaf ontogeny of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schinus molle</Emphasis> L. plants under cadmium contamination: the meristematic origin of leaf structural changes

Previous works show the development of thicker leaves on tolerant plants growing under cadmium (Cd²⁺) contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Cd²⁺ effects on the leaf meristems of the tolerant species Schinus molle. Plants were grown in nutrient solution containing 0, 10, and 50 μM of Cd²⁺. Anatomical analysis was performed on leaf primordia sampled at regular time intervals. Under the lowest Cd²⁺ level (10 μM), increased ground meristem thickness, diameter of the cells, cell elongation rate, and leaf dry mass were found. However, 50 μM of Cd²⁺ reduced all these variables. In addition, the ground meristem cells became larger when exposed to any Cd²⁺ level. The epidermis, palisade parenchyma, and vascular tissues developed earlier in Cd²⁺-exposed leaves. The modifications found on the ground meristem may be related to the development of thicker leaves on S. molle plants exposed to low Cd²⁺ levels. Furthermore, older leaves showed higher Cd²⁺ content when compared to the younger ones, preventing the Cd²⁺ toxicity to these leaves. Thus, low Cd²⁺ concentrations change the ground meristem structure and function reflecting on the development of thicker and enhanced leaves.     

Genome Sequence of Hybrid Vibrio cholerae O1 MJ-1236, B-33, and CIRS101 and Comparative Genomics with V. cholerae

The genomes of Vibrio cholerae O1 Matlab variant MJ-1236, Mozambique O1 El Tor variant B33, and altered O1 El Tor CIRS101 were sequenced. All three strains were found to belong to the phylocore group 1 clade of V. cholerae, which includes the 7th-pandemic O1 El Tor and serogroup O139 isolates, despite displaying certain characteristics of the classical biotype. All three strains were found to harbor a hybrid variant of CTXΦ and an integrative conjugative element (ICE), leading to their establishment as successful clinical clones and the displacement of prototypical O1 El Tor. The absence of strain- and group-specific genomic islands, some of which appear to be prophages and phage-like elements, seems to be the most likely factor in the recent establishment of dominance of V. cholerae CIRS101 over the other two hybrid strains.Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium autochthonous to the aquatic environment, is the causative agent of cholera, a life-threatening disease that causes severe, watery diarrhea. Cholera bacteria are serogrouped based on their somatic O antigens, with more than 200 serogroups identified to date (6). Only toxigenic strains of serogroups O1 and O139 have been identified as agents of cholera epidemics and pandemics; serogroups other than O1 and O139 have the potential to cause mild gastroenteritis or, rarely, local outbreaks. Genes coding for cholera toxin (CTX), ctxAB, and other virulence factors have been shown to reside in bacteriophages and various mobile genetic elements. In addition, V. cholerae serogroup O1 is differentiated into two biotypes, classical and El Tor, by a combination of biochemical traits, by sensitivity to biotype-specific bacteriophages, and more recently by nucleotide sequencing of specific genes and by molecular typing (5, 17, 19).There have been seven pandemics of cholera recorded throughout human history. The seventh and current pandemic began in 1961 in the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and subsequently spread to Asia, Africa, and Latin America; the six previous pandemics are believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. Isolates of the sixth pandemic were almost exclusively of the O1 classical biotype, whereas the current (seventh) pandemic is dominated by the V. cholerae O1 El Tor biotype as the causative agent, a transition occurring between 1923 and 1961. Today, the disease continues to remain a scourge in developing countries, confounded by the fact that V. cholerae is native to estuaries and river systems throughout the world (8).Over the past 20 years, several new epidemic lineages of V. cholerae O1 El Tor have emerged (or reemerged). For example, in 1992, a new serogroup, namely, O139 of V. cholerae, was identified as the cause of epidemic cholera in India and Bangladesh (25). The initial concern was that a new pandemic was beginning; however, the geographic range of V. cholerae O139 is currently restricted to Asia. Additionally, V. cholerae O1 hybrids and altered El Tor variants have been isolated repeatedly in Bangladesh (Matlab) (23, 24) and Mozambique (1). Altered V. cholerae O1 El Tor isolates produce cholera toxin of the classical biotype but can be biotyped as El Tor by conventional phenotypic assays, whereas V. cholerae O1 hybrid variants cannot be biotyped based on phenotypic tests and can produce cholera toxin of either biotype. These new variants have subsequently replaced the prototype seventh-pandemic V. cholerae O1 El Tor strains in Asia and Africa, with respect to frequency of isolation from clinical cases of cholera (27).Here, we report the genome sequence of three V. cholerae O1 variants, MJ-1236, a Matlab type I hybrid variant from Bangladesh that cannot be biotyped by conventional methods, CIRS101, an altered O1 El Tor isolate from Bangladesh which harbors ctxB of classical origin, and B33, an altered O1 El Tor isolate from Mozambique which harbors classical CTXΦ, and we compare their genomes with prototype El Tor and classical genomes. From an epidemiological viewpoint, among the three variants characterized in this study, V. cholerae CIRS101 is currently the most “successful” in that strains belonging to this type have virtually replaced the prototype El Tor in Asia and many parts of Africa, notably East Africa. This study, therefore, gives us a unique opportunity to understand why V. cholerae CIRS101 is currently the most successful El Tor variant.     

ITS1 region of the rDNA of Pythium proliferatum, a new species: its taxonomy and its comparison with related species

A new species, Pythium proliferatum (F-382), was isolated from soil samples taken in Genlis in the burgundian region of France. The fungus is unique because of the character combinations of its large, spherical to elongated, proliferating sporangia, and its smooth walled oogonia supplied with different types of antheridia like hypogynous, monoclinous sessile, monoclinous stalked, diclinous and wrapping around the oogonia. Almost all types of antheridia that are found in the genus are present in this new species. Morphological features of this new species, together with the sequences of the ITS1 region of its nuclear ribosomal DNA and its comparison with related species are discussed in this article.     

Extracellular HIV-1 Nef increases migration of monocytes

Infiltration of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected and uninfected monocytes/macrophages in organs and tissues is a general phenomenon observed in progression of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV-1 protein Nef is considered as a progression factor in AIDS, and is released from HIV-1-infected cells. Here, we show that extracellular Nef increases migration of monocytes. This effect is (i) concentration-dependent, (ii) reaches the order of magnitude of that induced by formyl-methyonyl-leucyl-proline (fMLP) or CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)/monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, (iii) inhibited by anti-Nef monoclonal antibodies as well as by heating, and (iv) depends on a concentration gradient of Nef. Further, Nef does not elicit monocytic THP-1 cells to express chemokines such as CCL2, macrophage inhibitory protein-1alpha (CCL3) and macrophage inhibitory protein-1beta (CCL4). These data suggest that extracellular Nef may contribute to disease progression as well as HIV-1 spreading through affecting migration of monocytes.     

Characterization of phytoplankton assemblages in a tropical coastal environment using Kohonen self‐organizing map

This study was aimed at understanding the main abiotic environmental factors controlling the distribution patterns of abundance and composition of phytoplankton (size less than 10 μm) assemblages in the coastal waters of south‐eastern Côte d'Ivoire. Data were collected during two cruises, in January (low‐water period) and October (high‐water period) of 2014. A total of 67 species were identified and assigned to Bacillariophyceae (49%), Cyanophyceae (21%), Chlorophyceae (13%), Euglenophyceae (10%), Dinophyceae (4%) and Chrysophyceae (3%). Three biotic zones (I, IIA and IIB) were distinguishable on a Kohonen self‐organizing map after an unsupervised learning process. The diatom genera Eunotia sp., Navicula sp. and Actinoptychus senarius are significantly associated with I, IIA and IIB biotic zones, respectively. A clear seasonal cum salinity trend was apparent in phytoplankton distribution patterns. Turbidity and nitrate levels were the main abiotic factors controlling phytoplankton distribution in I, the upland tidal regions of the lagoon. In regions along the lagoon–sea continuum, phosphate and turbidity exert the most control during the low‐water season (IIA), while total dissolved solids control phytoplankton distribution during the high‐water season (IIB). These are climate‐sensitive parameters whose concentrations depend on prevailing hydroclimatic processes. Therefore, seasonality can have important consequences on phytoplankton community and inadvertently the productivity of these systems.