The endangered thick-shelled river mussel (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Unio crassus</Emphasis>): a new host species for the European bitterling (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodeus amarus</Emphasis>)

Large freshwater mussels (Unionoida) are declining throughout the world. The European bitterling Rhodeus amarus (Bloch, 1782) female spawns its eggs inside the unionids’ shells, where fertilisation and further embryonic development take place; thus its reproduction depends fully on the presence of large freshwater mussels. Unio crassus, previously regarded as one of the most numerous unionids in Europe, is now listed in the IUCN Red Data List as being globally endangered. Despite its previous prevalence, it was never reported as a host for the bitterling. A large population of U. crassus was studied in small river at the ?wi?tokrzyskie Mts (Poland), where also electrofishing was conducted. In each bitterling territory located on the study plots, we found individuals of U. crassus, with the bitterling eggs or larvae developing on mussel’s gills. That proves that this species can be also used by the bitterling for reproduction. We suggest that this relationship has not been reported to date due to the mussels’ rarity and ongoing decline. However, it is also possible that the endangered mussel is a novel host for the bitterling, which is expanding its range throughout Europe.     

Role of Se(VI) in counteracting oxidative damage in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica juncea</Emphasis> L. under Cr(VI) stress

Chromium (Cr) is considered to be one of the major environmental hazards and poses a threat to both plant and animal health. Selenium (Se), however, has been recognized as an essential micronutrient in plants. To understand the role of Se(VI) in oxidative stress management and regulation of antioxidative defence mechanism against heavy metal stress, the seedlings of Brassica juncea L. were raised in Petri plates containing nutrient media supplemented with only with Se(VI) and Cr(VI), or their combination. It was observed that of Cr(VI) causes an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the seedlings leading to oxidative stress. Histological studies using confocal and visible microscopy confirmed the biochemical results. Supplementation of up to 4 µM of Se(VI) to media containing 300 µM of Cr(VI) reduced the contents of ROS and increased enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in the seedlings. At a concentration of 6 µM, however, Se(VI) was toxic. The results suggested that at appropriate concentrations, the exogenous application of Se(VI) enabled the B. juncea seedlings to counteract the effects of Cr(VI), thereby increasing the resistance of plants.     

Ameliorating imidacloprid induced oxidative stress by 24-epibrassinolide in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica juncea</Emphasis> L.

Pesticide toxicity causes oxidative stress to plants by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of the present study was to observe the role of 24-epibrassinolide (24-EBL) in protection of Brassica juncea L. plants from oxidative stress caused by imidacloprid (IMI) pesticide. Generation of ROS, activities of antioxidative enzymes and chlorophyll contents were estimated using spectrophotometer, whereas organic acid contents were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Statistical analysis of data revealed that 24-EBL significantly decreased ROS contents, accompanied by enhanced levels of shoot biomass, chlorophyll contents, organic acid contents and the activities of antioxidative enzymes in B. juncea plants under IMI toxicity.     

Genetically Modified Pigs as Organ Donors for Xenotransplantation

The growing shortage of available organs is a major problem in transplantology. Thus, new and alternative sources of organs need to be found. One promising solution could be xenotransplantation, i.e., the use of animal cells, tissues and organs. The domestic pig is the optimum donor for such transplants. However, xenogeneic transplantation from pigs to humans involves high immune incompatibility and a complex rejection process. The rapid development of genetic engineering techniques enables genome modifications in pigs that reduce the cross-species immune barrier.     

Esterases of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae), parasitic mite of the honeybee

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasite that causes serious damage to the population of the honeybee. Increasing resistance of the parasite to acaricides is related, among others, to metabolic adaptations of its esterases to facilitate decomposition of the chemicals used. Esterases are a large heterogeneous group of enzymes that metabolize a number of endogenous and exogenous substrates with ester binding. The aim of the present study was to determine the activity of esterases in the body extracts (BE) and excretion/secretion products (E/SP) of the mite. The enzymes contained in the E/SP should originate mainly from the salivary glands and the alimentary system and they may play a particularly important role in the first line of defence of the mite against acaricides. Activity of cholinesterases (ChEs) [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase], carboxylesterases (CEs) and phosphatases [alkaline phosphatase (AP) and acid phosphatase (AcP)] was investigated. The activity of all the enzymes except AChE was higher in the E/SP than in the BE. ChEs from the BE and from the E/SP reacted differently on eserine, a ChE inhibitor. Eserine inhibited both enzymes from the BE, increased decomposition of acetylcholine, but did not influence hydrolysis of butyrylcholine by the E/SP. Activity of the CEs from the BE in relation to the esters of carboxylic acids can be presented in the following series: C10 > C12 > C14 > C8 > C2 > C4 = C16, while activity of the CEs from the E/SP was: C4 > C8 > C2 > C14 > C10 > C12 > C16. The inhibitor of CEs, triphenyl phosphate, reduced the activity of esterases C2–C8 and C14–C16; however, it acted in the opposite way to CEs C10 and C12. The activity of both phosphatases was higher in the E/SP than in the BE (AcP about twofold and AP about 2.6-fold); the activities of AP and AcP in the same material were similar. Given the role of esterases in resistance to pesticides, further studies are necessary to obtain complete biochemical characteristics of the enzymes currently present in V. destructor.     

Activity of AMP-Regulated Protein Kinase and AMP-Deaminase in the Heart of Mice Fed High-Fat Diet

AMP-regulated protein kinase (AMPK) is involved in numerous regulatory processes and its role in control of cardiac energy metabolism is particularly important. This activity could be affected by AMP-deaminase (AMPD) since substrate of AMPD is AMPK activator. Hearts of male mouse, fed for six weeks with normal or high-fat diet, were fractionated to enrich AMPK activity. Purified fraction was incubated with AMARA peptide for up to 5 minutes and then conversion of AMARA to pAMARA was determined by liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry (LC/MS) using mass detector. Activity of AMPK in heart was 0.038 ± 0.012 pmol/min/mg protein for mice fed high-fat diet and that was not different to control (0.032 ± 0.01 pmol/min/mg protein). We observed change in AMPD activity. It was 5.39 ± 1.5 nmol/mg tissue/min in heart of mice fed high-fat diet while in heart of mice fed low-fat diet it was 2.29 ± 0.32 nmol/mg tissue/min. Data we present indicate that while total AMPK activity is not changed decrease in AMPD activity may affect AMPK signaling in diabetic heart.     

Haemolysis and Perturbations in the Systemic Iron Metabolism of Suckling,Copper-Deficient Mosaic Mutant Mice – An Animal Model of Menkes Disease

The biological interaction between copper and iron is best exemplified by the decreased activity of multicopper ferroxidases under conditions of copper deficiency that limits the availability of iron for erythropoiesis. However, little is known about how copper deficiency affects iron homeostasis through alteration of the activity of other copper-containing proteins, not directly connected with iron metabolism, such as superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). This antioxidant enzyme scavenges the superoxide anion, a reactive oxygen species contributing to the toxicity of iron via the Fenton reaction. Here, we analyzed changes in the systemic iron metabolism using an animal model of Menkes disease: copper-deficient mosaic mutant mice with dysfunction of the ATP7A copper transporter. We found that the erythrocytes of these mutants are copper-deficient, display decreased SOD1 activity/expression and have cell membrane abnormalities. In consequence, the mosaic mice show evidence of haemolysis accompanied by haptoglobin-dependent elimination of haemoglobin (Hb) from the circulation, as well as the induction of haem oxygenase 1 (HO1) in the liver and kidney. Moreover, the hepcidin-ferroportin regulatory axis is strongly affected in mosaic mice. These findings indicate that haemolysis is an additional pathogenic factor in a mouse model of Menkes diseases and provides evidence of a new indirect connection between copper deficiency and iron metabolism.