Genome Sequencing and Analysis of Bacillus pumilus ICVB403 Isolated from Acartia tonsa Copepod Eggs Revealed Surfactin and Bacteriocin Production: Insights on Anti-Staphylococcus Activity

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Here we show that Bacillus pumilus ICVB403 recently isolated from copepod eggs is able to produce, after 48–72 h of growth in Landy medium,...     

The ‘Giant of Ksour’, a Middle Jurassic sauropod dinosaur from Algeria

Continental strata of Early and Middle Jurassic age are seldom-exposed, and little is known of the history of sauropod dinosaurs prior to the neosauropod radiation of the end of the Middle Jurassic. Here, we report, in the Middle Jurassic of the Occidental Saharan Atlas (Algerian High Atlas), the discovery of a skeleton, including cranial material, of a new cetiosaurid sauropod. Chebsaurus algeriensis n. g., n. sp. represents the most complete Algerian sauropod available to date, only few remains were found before. To cite this article: F. Mahammed et al., C. R. Palevol 4 (2005).     

Desensitization of signaling by oncostatin M in human vascular cells involves cytoplasmic Tyr residue 759 in gp130 but is not mediated by either Src homology 2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase 2 or suppressor of cytokine signaling 3

Oncostatin M (OnM) signals through cell surface receptors, which utilize the gp130 subunit. In cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), OnM transiently elevates mRNA encoding for suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3). By 1 h of OnM treatment, HUVEC become refractory to the restimulation by OnM, measured as failure to reinduce SOCS-3 mRNA. OnM-induced desensitization also prevents responses to other gp130-signaling cytokines (e.g. leukemia inhibitory factor and interleukin 11). OnM treatment does not affect gp130 expression levels and desensitizes signaling mediated by a transduced chimeric receptor containing extracellular domains of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFRbeta) and the cytoplasmic region of gp130. Interestingly, a chimeric PDGFRbeta-gp130 mutant receptor, in which intracellular Tyr residue 759 of gp130 is replaced by a Phe residue, mediates prolonged signaling and is not cross-desensitized by OnM. Phospho-Tyr759 is the binding site for both SOCS-3 and for Src homology domain 2-containing tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP-2). In human aortic smooth muscle cells, neither prevention of SOCS-3 protein induction, using STAT3 or SOCS-3 antisense, nor prevention of SHP-2 expression, also with antisense, ablates desensitization. These data suggest that desensitization of vascular cells to OnM is mediated in trans and involves Tyr residue 759 in gp130 but is not mediated by either SOCS-3 or SHP-2, the only two proteins currently known to bind to gp130 at this site.     

Angiopoietin-1 inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis via the Akt/survivin pathway

A productive angiogenic response must couple to the survival machinery of endothelial cells to preserve the integrity of newly formed vessels. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) is an endothelium-specific ligand essential for embryonic vascular stabilization, branching morphogenesis, and post-natal angiogenesis, but its contribution to endothelial cell survival has not been completely elucidated. Here we show that Ang-1 acting via the Tie 2 receptor induces phosphorylation of the survival serine-threonine kinase, Akt (or protein kinase B). This is associated with up-regulation of the apoptosis inhibitor, survivin, in endothelial cells and protection of endothelium from death-inducing stimuli. Moreover, dominant negative survivin negates the ability of Ang-1 to protect cells from undergoing apoptosis. The activation of anti-apoptotic pathways mediated by Akt and survivin in endothelial cells may contribute to Ang-1 stabilization of vascular structures during angiogenesis, in vivo.     

Discovery of a highly-specialized plesiadapiform primate in the early-middle Eocene of northwestern Africa

In this paper we report the first occurrence of an endemic African plesiadapiform primate from the early-middle Eocene locality of Glib Zegdou (Hammada du Dra, Algeria). Dralestes (new genus) is a very specialized taxon, and its closest known relative is the enigmatic and controversial genus Azibius from Gour Lazib (Hammada du Dra). We group both together as the Azibiidae (new rank). Dralestes provides the first evidence of the upper dentition in this group. Some critical dental characters, such as a postprotocingulum on upper teeth, consistently reveal a primate status for the azibiids. Dralestes exhibits, however, a very unusual configuration of the upper molars by the enlarged parastyle, the lack of a metaconule, and the ectoloph structure (preparacrista, centrocrista and postmetacrista are aligned in a high blade-like structure). The apparent dental specializations of both lower premolars and molars of azibiids (exaenodonty, large P(4) bearing sharp apical cusps, and M(1) having a highly elongated trigonid) point to potential relationships with Chronolestes and carpolestid plesiadapiforms. A phylogenetic analysis, performed on 55 dental characters scored for 19 primate genera, clarifies the euprimate status of Altiatlasius, and thus indicates that azibiids are the only known plesiadapiforms from Africa. Azibiids are the sister group of the clade carpolestids/Chronolestes in the superfamily Plesiadapoidea. However, the azibiids differ fundamentally from carpolestids by the combined lack of a centroconule and multiple buccal cusps on P(4). The exact position of both Chronolestes and azibiids in the plesiadapoids appears difficult to resolve. A basal position of Chronolestes in this superfamily cannot be ruled out because it exhibits a simple morphology of I(1) and no conule on P(3). Considering this ad hoc hypothesis, azibiids are found to lie outside a clade including carpolestids/plesiadapids/saxonellids, and they are the sister group to Chronolestes. The clade including the carpolestid, saxonellid, and plesiadapid families is characterized by the occurrence of a centroconule on P(3-4). The lack of this trait in Dralestes and Chronolestes could mean that azibiids are basal plesiadapoids that diverged before the evolution of the common ancestor of the three derived plesiadapoid families, i.e. at least around the Paleocene-Eocene boundary or more probably during the Paleocene. The report of the first offshoot in Africa of plesiadapoids enhances the role of Africa in the early primate radiation.     

Soil water availability for plants as quantified by conventional available water, least limiting water range and integral water capacity

There are different approaches to define the soil available water (SAW) for plants. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the SAW values of 12 arable soils from Hamadan province (western Iran) calculated by plant available water (PAW), least limiting water range (LLWR) and integral water capacity (IWC) approaches and to explore their relations with Dexter’s index of soil physical quality (i.e., S-value). Soil water retention and mechanical resistance were determined on the intact samples which were taken from the 5–10 cm layer. For calculation of LLWR and IWC, the van Genuchten-Mualem model was fitted to the observed soil water retention data. Two matric suctions (h) of 100 and 330 cm were used for the field capacity (FC). There were significant differences (P?<?0.01) between the SAW values calculated by PAW₁₀₀, PAW₃₃₀, LLWR₁₀₀, LLWR₃₃₀ and IWC. The highest (i.e., 0.210 cm³ cm^?3) and the lowest (i.e., 0.129 cm³ cm^?3) means of SAW were calculated for the IWC and LLWR₃₃₀, respectively. The upper limit of LLWR₃₃₀ for all of the soils was h of 330 cm, and that of LLWR₁₀₀ (except for one soil that was air-filled porosity of 0.1 cm³ cm^?3) was h of 100 cm. The lower limit of LLWR₃₃₀ and LLWR₁₀₀ for five soils was h of 15,000 cm and for seven soils was mechanical resistance of 2 MPa. The IWC values were smaller than those of LLWR₁₀₀ for two soils, equal to those of LLWR₁₀₀ for three soils and greater than those of LLWR₁₀₀ for the rest. There is, therefore, a tendency to predict more SAW using the IWC approach than with the LLWR approach. This is due to the chosen critical soil limits and gradual changes of soil limitations vs. water content in the IWC calculation procedure. Significant relationships of SAW with bulk density or relative bulk density were found but not with the clay and organic matter contents. Linear relations between IWC and LLWR₁₀₀ or LLWR₃₃₀ were found as: IWC?=??0.0514 + 1.4438LLWR₁₀₀, R ²?=?0.83; and IWC?=??0.0405 + 2.0465LLWR₃₃₀, R ²?=?0.84, respectively (both significant at P?<?0.01). Significant relationships were obtained between the SAW values and S indicating the suitability of the index S to explain the availability of soil water for plants even when complicated approaches like IWC are considered. Overall, the results demonstrate the importance of the choice of the approach to be used and its critical limits in the estimation of the soil available water to plants.