Establishment of a new hypotrichous genus,Heterotachysoma n. gen. and notes on the morphogenesis of Hemigastrostyla enigmatica (Ciliophora,Hypotrichia)

A marine hypotrich ciliate, Heterotachysoma multinucleatum (Gong and Choi, 2007) n. comb., found in coastal waters near Qingdao, China, was investigated. Heterotachysoma multinucleatum is characterized by its dorsal ciliature arranged in Gonostomum-pattern. Additionally, a new genus, Heterotachysoma n. gen., is established which is mainly characterized by: 18-cirri pattern; flexible body; three dorsal kineties with no dorsomarginal kineties nor kinety fragmentation; one right and one left row of marginal cirri; caudal cirri absent. The genus Tachysoma is redefined, and three new combinations, T. multinucleatum, T. ovatum and T. dragescoi, are proposed. The morphogenesis of Hemigastrostyla enigmatica (Dragesco and Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986) Song and Wilbert, 1997, is also described. Compared with that of its congeners, the differences are mainly in the dorsal ciliature: (1) the dorsal kinety anlagen are formed de novo in H. enigmatica (vs. intrakinetally in H. paraenigmatica and H. elongata); (2) the dorsal kineties anlagen develop in secondary mode in H. enigmatica (vs. primary mode in H. paraenigmatica); (3) the kinetal fragment anterior to the right marginal row in both filial product is absent in both H. enigmatica and H. elongata (vs. present in H. paraenigmatica). These findings suggest that morphogenesis is not uniform among members of the genus Hemigastrostyla.     

The genetic structure of the kuwaiti population II: The distribution of Q-band chromosomal heteromorphisms

Summary The distribution of Q-band heteromorphisms in three Kuwaiti communities is reported. Of particular significance is the finding of large-Y segregating at a very high frequency (61.9%) in the Ajman tribesmen; and the absence of small-Y in the two tribal communities. The large variation in size of the Y-chromosome may reflect a unique cytogenetic feature of the inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula.     

Description of a marine peritrichous ciliate, Pseudovorticella sinensis n. sp. (Ciliophora, Peritrichia) from China

A new marine peritrich ciliate, Pseudovorticella sinensis n. sp. was isolated from a shrimp-farming pond in the littoral area of Qingdao, China. The morphology, infraciliature, and silverline system were studied based on living and silver-impregnated specimens. This species is characterized by (1) an elongated bell-shaped body that measures 50-60 x 35-45 microm in vivo, (2) one large, ventrally located contractile vacuole, and (3) a pellicle covered by a layer of transparent, cortical vesicles. The number of transverse silverlines from the peristomial area to the aboral ciliary wreath is 26-32, and from the aboral ciliary wreath to the scopula is 12-15. The stalk measures about 160-250 microm long x 5-6 microm wide. The spasmoneme has one row of conspicuous thecoplasmic granules, which are about 0.8 microm in diameter.     

Redefinition of the hypotrichous ciliate Uncinata,with descriptions of the morphology and phylogeny of three urostylids (Protista,Ciliophora)

We investigated the morphology, morphogenesis and small subunit rRNA gene-based phylogeny of three marine urostylids, Uncinata gigantea Bullington, 1940 Bullington, W. E. (1940). Some ciliates from Tortugas. Papers from the Tortugas Laboratory, 32, 179–221. [Google Scholar], Holosticha heterofoissneri Hu & Song, 2001 Hu, X., & Song, W. (2001). Morphology and morphogenesis of Holosticha heterofoissneri n. sp. from the Yellow Sea, China (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida). Hydrobiologia, 448, 171–179. doi:10.1023/A:1017553406031.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], and Holosticha cf. heterofoissneri. The dorsal morphogenesis of Uncinata gigantea shows de novo formation of two groups of anlagen near the marginal rows. Holosticha cf. heterofoissneri demonstrates fragmentation of the first dorsal kinety anlage as in Holosticha heterofoissneri. Our population of H. heterofoissneri corresponds well with previously described populations in terms of its general morphology and ciliary pattern. Uncinata gigantea can be recognized by its large and highly contractile body, yellowish to brownish cell colour, two types of cortical granules, and 20–30 transversely oriented and densely arranged cirri in the left marginal row, which often overlie the buccal vertex. Based on the new data, especially infraciliature, the genus Uncinata is here redefined. Both the morphology and phylogenetic analyses suggest that the genus Uncinata should be classified within the family Urostylidae. In addition, both morphological and morphogenetic data suggest that Holosticha bradburyae Gong et al., 2001 Gong, J., Song, W., Hu, X., Ma, H., & Zhu, M. (2001). Morphology and infraciliature of Holosticha bradburyae n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida) from the Yellow Sea, China. Hydrobiologia, 464, 63–69. doi:10.1023/A:1013901621439.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] should be transferred to Uncinata as U. bradburyae (Gong et al., 2001 Gong, J., Song, W., Hu, X., Ma, H., & Zhu, M. (2001). Morphology and infraciliature of Holosticha bradburyae n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida) from the Yellow Sea, China. Hydrobiologia, 464, 63–69. doi:10.1023/A:1013901621439.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) comb. nov., due to its possession of a characteristically prominent beak-like, leftwards curved projection and the developmental mode of the dorsal kineties. This assignment is supported by the phylogenetic analyses, which placed Uncinata gigantea in a clade with U. bradburyae (Gong et al., 2001 Gong, J., Song, W., Hu, X., Ma, H., & Zhu, M. (2001). Morphology and infraciliature of Holosticha bradburyae n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida) from the Yellow Sea, China. Hydrobiologia, 464, 63–69. doi:10.1023/A:1013901621439.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) comb. nov., and revealed only 1.13% (19 bp) difference in their SSU-rDNA gene sequence.     

Overexpression of wheat Na+/H+ antiporter TNHX1 and H+-pyrophosphatase TVP1 improve salt- and drought-stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana plants

Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the wheat vacuolarNa⁺/H⁺ antiporter TNHX1 and H⁺-PPase TVP1 are much more resistantto high concentrations of NaCl and to water deprivation thanthe wild-type strains. These transgenic plants grow well inthe presence of 200 mM NaCl and also under a water-deprivationregime, while wild-type plants exhibit chlorosis and growthinhibition. Leaf area decreased much more in wild-type thanin transgenic plants subjected to salt or drought stress. Theleaf water potential was less negative for wild-type than fortransgenic plants. This could be due to an enhanced osmoticadjustment in the transgenic plants. Moreover, these transgenicplants accumulate more Na⁺ and K⁺ in their leaf tissue thanthe wild-type plants. The toxic effect of Na⁺ accumulation inthe cytosol is reduced by its sequestration into the vacuole.The rate of water loss under drought or salt stress was higherin wild-type than transgenic plants. Increased vacuolar soluteaccumulation and water retention could confer the phenotypeof salt and drought tolerance of the transgenic plants. Overexpressionof the isolated genes from wheat in Arabidopsis thaliana plantsis worthwhile to elucidate the contribution of these proteinsto the tolerance mechanism to salt and drought. Adopting a similarstrategy could be one way of developing transgenic staple cropswith improved tolerance to these important abiotic stresses. Key words: H⁺-pyrophosphatase, Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter, salt and drought tolerance, sodium sequestration, transgenic Arabidopsis plants     

Chemical composition and antibacterial activities of seven Eucalyptus species essential oils leaves

Background

In this paper, we have studied the essential oils chemical composition of the leaves of seven Eucalyptus species developed in Tunisia. Eucalyptus leaves were picked from trees growing in different arboretums in Tunisia. Choucha and Mrifeg arboretums located in Sedjnene, region of Bizerte (Choucha: E. maideni, E. astrengens et E. cinerea; Mrifeg : E. leucoxylon), Korbous arboretums located in the region of Nabeul, North East Tunisia with sub-humid bioclimate, (E. lehmani), Souiniet-Ain Drahem arboretum located in region of Jendouba (E. sideroxylon, E. bicostata). Essential oils were individually tested against a large panel of microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6539), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC29212), Listeria ivanovii (RBL 30), Bacillus cereus (ATCC11778).

Results

The yield of essential oils ranged from 1.2% to 3% (w/w) for the different Eucalyptus species. All essential oils contain α-pinene, 1,8-cineol and pinocarveol-trans for all Eucalyptus species studied. The 1,8-cineol was the major compound in all species (49.07 to 83.59%). Diameter of inhibition zone of essential oils of Eucalyptus species varied from 10 to 29 mm. The largest zone of inhibition was obtained for Bacillus cereus (E. astrengens) and the lowest for Staphylococcus aureus (E. cinerea). The essential oils from E. maideni, E. astrengens, E. cinerea (arboretum of Bizerte), E. bicostata (arboretum of Aindraham) showed the highest antibacterial activity against Listeria ivanovii and Bacillus cereus.

Conclusion

The major constituents of Eucalyptus leaves essential oils are 1,8-cineol (49.07 to 83.59%) and α-pinene (1.27 to 26.35%). The essential oils from E. maideni, E. astrengens, E. cinerea, E. bicostata showed the highest antibacterial activity against Listeria ivanovii and Bacillus cereus, they may have potential applications in food and pharmaceutical products.     

Morphology of three new marine Frontonia species (Ciliophora; Peniculida) with note on the phylogeny of this genus

Members of the ciliate genus Frontonia are common colonizers of periphytic communities in aquatic biotopes. Recent studies indicate that their species diversity is higher than previously supposed. In this study the morphology and infraciliature of three new species, Frontonia sinica spec. nov., F. pusilla spec. nov., and F. elegans spec. nov., isolated from coastal waters of China, were investigated using live observation and silver impregnation methods. Frontonia sinica differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: ellipsoidal body, about 116 somatic and five or six vestibular kineties, peniculi 1 and 2 four-rowed, peniculus 3 two-rowed, and a single contractile vacuole. Frontonia pusilla has about 72 somatic kineties, four-rowed peniculi 1 and 2, a two-rowed peniculus 3, and two contractile vacuoles. Frontonia elegans has 73 somatic kineties, four-rowed peniculi 1 and 2, a three-rowed peniculus 3, and two contractile vacuoles. In the present work, six new small-subunit rRNA gene sequences of six Frontonia species are used to construct the phylogenetic trees. Our phylogenetic analysis supports that the genus Frontonia may be paraphyletic. Meanwhile, no pattern of correlation could be found between the structures of peniculi and the phylogenetic relationships of Frontonia species in the present study.     

Designing an immunoinformatic vaccine for peri-implantitis using a structural biology approach

ObjectivesPeri-implantitis is a destructive inflammatory process that affects the soft and hard tissues around dental implants. porphyromonas gingivalis, an anaerobic gram-negative bacterium, appears to be the main culprit. Since there is no efficient and specific vaccine to treat peri-implantitis, the goal of our research has been to develop a multi-epitope vaccination utilizing an immunoinformatics approach that targeted P. gingivalis type I fim A.Materials and methodsP. gingivalis peptides 6JKZ and 6KMF are suitable for vaccine development. B- and T-cell epitopes from 6KMF and 6JKZ were detected and evaluated based on critical factors to produce a multi-epitope vaccine construct. It was assessed based on allergenicity, antigenicity, stability. The vaccine's dual major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I and MHC-II) binding epitopes allowed it to reach a larger population. P. gingivalis fimbriae induce immune subversion through TLR -CXCR4 receptor complex pathway. The ClusPro 2.0 server was used to do the molecular docking using TLR2 - CXCR4 and vaccine epitopes as receptor and ligand respectively.ResultsThe designed vaccine was non-allergenic and had a high antigenicity, solubility, and stability. The 3D structure of the vaccine revealed strong interaction with CXCR4(TLR2) using molecular docking. The vaccine-CXCR4 interface was more consistent, possibly because the vaccination has a higher affinity for the CXCR4-TLR2 complex.ConclusionThis study details the vaccine's distinct and sustained interaction with the CXCR4(TLR2) immunological receptor and its consistent and effective utterance in the bacterial system. As a result, our vaccine formulation will evoke a significant memory response and induce an adaptive immune response against P. gingivalis.     

Morphology and Phylogenetic Placement of Three New Zoothamnium species (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) from Coastal Waters of Southern China

The morphology, infraciliature, and silverline system of three peritrichous ciliates, Zoothamnium bucciniiformum sp. n., Zoothamnium florens sp. n., and Zoothamnium zhanjiangense sp. n., were investigated based on both living and silver‐stained specimens. Zoothamnium bucciniiformum sp. n., collected from coastal waters (salinity 30‰) off Zhanjiang, southern China, can be distinguished by the following characters: dichotomously branched stalk, peristomial lip with medial circumferential infolding, contractile vacuole apically positioned, 32–49 silverlines between the anterior end and the aboral trochal band, 15–26 between the aboral trochal band and the scopula; two kineties in peniculus 3, not parallel to each other. Zoothamnium florens sp. n., collected from a mangrove wetland (salinity 13‰) off Zhanjiang, is characterized by its large conical zooid, tuberculate peristomial lip, asymmetrical dichotomously branched colony, 59–81 silverlines between the anterior end and the aboral trochal band and 29–36 between the aboral trochal band and the scopula. Zoothamnium zhanjiangense, collected from a mangrove wetland (salinity about 9.5‰) off Zhanjiang, differs from its congeners by the alternately branched stalk, peristomial lip with medial circumferential infolding, 40–63 silverlines from the peristomial area to the aboral trochal band and 13–24 from the aboral trochal band to the scopula. The comparison and analysis of SSU rDNA sequences also support present identifications.     

Laboratory Test Surveillance following Acute Kidney Injury

Background

Patients with hospitalized acute kidney injury (AKI) are at increased risk for accelerated loss of kidney function, morbidity, and mortality. We sought to inform efforts at improving post-AKI outcomes by describing the receipt of renal-specific laboratory test surveillance among a large high-risk cohort.

Methods

We acquired clinical data from the Electronic health record (EHR) of 5 Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals to identify patients hospitalized with AKI from January 1^st, 2002 to December 31^st, 2009, and followed these patients for 1 year or until death, enrollment in palliative care, or improvement in renal function to estimated GFR (eGFR) ≥60 L/min/1.73 m². Using demographic data, administrative codes, and laboratory test data, we evaluated the receipt and timing of outpatient testing for serum concentrations of creatinine and any as well as quantitative proteinuria recommended for CKD risk stratification. Additionally, we reported the rate of phosphorus and parathyroid hormone (PTH) monitoring recommended for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Results

A total of 10,955 patients admitted with AKI were discharged with an eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m². During outpatient follow-up at 90 and 365 days, respectively, creatinine was measured on 69% and 85% of patients, quantitative proteinuria was measured on 6% and 12% of patients, PTH or phosphorus was measured on 10% and 15% of patients.

Conclusions

Measurement of creatinine was common among all patients following AKI. However, patients with AKI were infrequently monitored with assessments of quantitative proteinuria or mineral metabolism disorder, even for patients with baseline kidney disease.