In vitro characterization and in vivo functionality of erythropoietin-secreting cells immobilized in alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate microcapsules

The in vitro and in vivo characterization of cell-loaded immobilization devices is an important challenge in cell encapsulation technology for the long-term efficacy of this approach. In the present paper, alginate-poly-l-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules containing erythropoietin (Epo)-secreting C2C12 myoblasts have been elaborated, characterized, and tested both in vitro and in vivo. High mechanical and chemical resistance of the elaborated microcapsules was observed. Moreover, the in vitro cultured encapsulated cells released 81.9 +/- 8.2 mIU/mL/24 h (by 100 cell-loaded microcapsules) by day 7, reaching the highest peak at day 21 (161.7 +/- 0.9 mIU/mL/24 h). High and constant hematocrit levels were maintained over 120 days after a single subcutaneous administration of microcapsules and lacking immunosuppressive protocols. No major host reaction was observed. On the basis of the results obtained in our study, cell encapsulation technology might be considered a suitable therapeutic strategy for the long-term delivery of biologically active products, such as Epo.     

Evidence that dams promote biotic differentiation of zooplankton communities in two Brazilian reservoirs

Hydrobiologia - Human activities may change beta diversity—the spatial variation in species composition—in different ways. Positive and negative trends in beta diversity are referred as...     

Coexistence of similar species: evidence of a resource and microhabitat sharing in two intertidal hermit crab species

Hydrobiologia - Theory predicts that species can only coexist if they are sufficiently different in their resource and/or microhabitat utilization; if their needs are too similar, the stronger...     

<i>In Vitro</i>-Propagation of <i>Agave tequilana</i> Weber cv. azul in a Temporary Immersion System

In Mexico, there is a need to produce large quantities of plantlets for the establishment and replanting of blue (cv. azul) agave production areas. Most of these plots are within the origin denomination area (DOT, Spanish acronym) of the distilled product of this plant, known as tequila. The objective of this study was to develop an in vitro-propagation protocol for Agave tequilana Weber cv. azul using segmented stems in both: solid and liquid media. A disinfection and in vitro technique were developed to obtain shoots, through plantlets collected in commercial plots, which attained 100% surface-disinfection and budding rate. At the multiplication stage, the effects of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BA) (0.0, 4.4 and 13.2 μM) and kinetin (0.0, 9.4, 18.8 and 37.6 μM) were evaluated on lateral-shoot production of segmented sagittal stems. These were cultivated on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium, with the addition of 3.0% sucrose and 8 g L⁻¹ agar. It was observed that BA and kinetin increased the number of shoots per explant, obtaining up to 18 and 26, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that just the sagittal segmentation of explants increased axillary budding. On the other hand, segmented-stem bases were grown in MS liquid medium with 3.0% sucrose, inside a RITA® system, programmed by a 5 min immersion step with a frequency of every 4 h. The effect of Indole−3-Acetic acid (IAA) (0.57, 2.9, 5.7 μM) was evaluated, while maintaining a concentration of BA (13.2 μM). It was observed that the greatest concentration of IAA led to the formation of more than 20 buds per explant. These results offer a new methodology to increase the efficiency of A. tequilana Weber cv. azul-in vitro multiplication by sagittal segmentation of stems and the addition of BA and/or IAA.     

Cytonuclear coevolution in a holoparasitic plant with highly disparate organellar genomes

Key Message

Contrasting substitution rates in the organellar genomes of Lophophytum agree with the DNA repair, replication, and recombination gene content. Plastid and nuclear genes whose products form multisubunit complexes co-evolve.

Abstract

The organellar genomes of the holoparasitic plant Lophophytum (Balanophoraceae) show disparate evolution. In the plastid, the genome has been severely reduced and presents a?>?85% AT content, while in the mitochondria most protein-coding genes have been replaced by homologs acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from their hosts (Fabaceae). Both genomes carry genes whose products form multisubunit complexes with those of nuclear genes, creating a possible hotspot of cytonuclear coevolution. In this study, we assessed the evolutionary rates of plastid, mitochondrial and nuclear genes, and their impact on cytonuclear evolution of genes involved in multisubunit complexes related to lipid biosynthesis and proteolysis in the plastid and those in charge of the oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria. Genes from the plastid and the mitochondria (both native and foreign) of Lophophytum showed extremely high and ordinary substitution rates, respectively. These results agree with the biased loss of plastid-targeted proteins involved in angiosperm organellar repair, replication, and recombination machinery. Consistent with the high rate of evolution of plastid genes, nuclear-encoded subunits of plastid complexes showed disproportionate increases in non-synonymous substitution rates, while those of the mitochondrial complexes did not show different rates than the control (i.e. non-organellar nuclear genes). Moreover, the increases in the nuclear-encoded subunits of plastid complexes were positively correlated with the level of physical interaction they possess with the plastid-encoded ones. Overall, these results suggest that a structurally-mediated compensatory factor may be driving plastid-nuclear coevolution in Lophophytum, and that mito-nuclear coevolution was not altered by HGT.

     

Fungal diversity in Sahara dust: Aspergillus sydowii and other opportunistic pathogens

Aerobiologia - The Caribbean is influenced by Sahara Dust Storms (SDS) every year. SDS can transport a diversity of microorganisms, including potential pathogens of humans, animals, and plants. In...     

The effect of iron on Chilean Alexandrium catenella growth and paralytic shellfish toxin production as related to algal blooms

BioMetals - The dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella is a well-known paralytic shellfish toxin producer that forms harmful algal blooms (HABs) worldwide. Blooms of this species have repeatedly...