Bottom-up effect of different host plants on Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae): a life-table study on canola

The effects of 10 commercial canola, Brassica napus L., cultivars widely grown in Iran--'SLM(046),' 'Opera,' 'Okapi,' 'RGS(003),' 'Modena,' 'Sarigol,' 'Zarfam,' 'Licord,' 'Hayula(420),' and 'Talaye'--on the demographic parameters of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera-Plutellidae), were determined. The experiments were conducted in a growth chamber at 25 +/- 1 degrees C, 65 +/- 2% RH, and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h. The comparison of intrinsic rate of natural increase (r(m)), net reproductive rate (R0), and the survival rate of adult stage of P. xylostella on 10 canola cultivars suggested that this pest performed best on SLM(046). The r(m) value of P. xylostella ranged between 0.241 on RGS(003) and 0.304 on SLM(046). The R0, finite rate of increase (lambda), mean generation time (T), and doubling time (DT) values of P. xylostella on SLM(046) were 52, 1.35, 13.4, and 2.35 and on RGS(003) were 31, 1.27, 14.4, and 2.94, respectively. The Weibull model adequately described the shape of the survivorship curve of adult P. xylostella from life-table data. A significant fit was obtained with the Weibull model for P. xylostella in all experimental canola cultivars. As a result, SLM(046), Opera, and Hayula(420) were the most suitable hosts and had least negative impact on life-history statistics of the pest.     

Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production

Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most abundant yet underutilized renewable energy resources. Both anaerobic digestion (AD) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) are promising technologies for bioenergy production from biomass in terms of biogas and HTC biochar, respectively. In this study, the combination of AD and HTC is proposed to increase overall bioenergy production. Wheat straw was anaerobically digested in a novel upflow anaerobic solid state reactor (UASS) in both mesophilic (37 °C) and thermophilic (55 °C) conditions. Wet digested from thermophilic AD was hydrothermally carbonized at 230 °C for 6 hr for HTC biochar production. At thermophilic temperature, the UASS system yields an average of 165 L_CH4/kg_VS (VS: volatile solids) and 121 L _CH4/kg_VS at mesophilic AD over the continuous operation of 200 days. Meanwhile, 43.4 g of HTC biochar with 29.6 MJ/kg_{dry_biochar} was obtained from HTC of 1 kg digestate (dry basis) from mesophilic AD. The combination of AD and HTC, in this particular set of experiment yield 13.2 MJ of energy per 1 kg of dry wheat straw, which is at least 20% higher than HTC alone and 60.2% higher than AD only.     

Hemato-Immunological Responses and Disease Resistance in Siberian Sturgeon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser baerii</Emphasis> Fed on a Supplemented Diet of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus plantarum</Emphasis>

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of dietary Lactobacillus plantarum on hemato-immunological parameters and resistance against Streptococcus iniae infection in juvenile Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii. Fish (14.6 ± 2.3 g) were fed three experimental diets prepared by supplementing a basal diet with L. plantarum at different concentrations [1 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸ and 1 × 10⁹ colony-forming units (cfu) g^?1] and a control (non-supplemented basal) diet for 8 weeks. Innate immune responses (immunoglobulin (Ig), alternative complement activity (ACH50) and lysozyme activity) were significantly higher in fish fed the 1 × 10⁸ and 1 × 10⁹ cfu g^?1 L. plantarum diet compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, fish fed on various levels of L. plantarum significantly showed higher red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC) and monocyte compared to those of the control group (P < 0.05). At the end of the feeding experiment, some fish were challenged with S. iniae to quantify the level of disease resistance. The mortality after S. iniae challenge was decreased in fish fed a probiotic. These results indicated that dietary supplementation of L. plantarum improved immune response and disease resistance of Siberian sturgeon juvenile.     

The investigation of the G-quadruplex aptamer selectivity to Pb2+ ion: a joint molecular dynamics simulation and density functional theory study

Abstract

The aptamers with the ability to form a G-quadruplex structure can be stable in the presence of some ions. Hence, study of the interactions between such aptamers and ions can be beneficial to determine the highest selective aptamer toward an ion. In this article, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantum mechanics (QM) calculations have been applied to investigate the selectivity of the T30695 aptamer toward Pb²⁺ in comparison with some ions. The Free Energy Landscape (FEL) analysis indicates that Pb²⁺ has remained inside the aptamer during the MD simulation, while the other ions have left it. The Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) binding energies prove that the conformational stability of the aptamer is the highest in the presence of Pb²⁺. According to the compaction parameters, the greatest compressed ion-aptamer complex, and hence, the highest ion-aptamer interaction have been induced in the presence of Pb²⁺. The contact maps clarify the closer contacts between the nucleotides of the aptamer in the presence of Pb²⁺. The density functional theory (DFT) results show that Pb²⁺ forms the most stable complex with the aptamer, which is consistent with the MD results. The QM calculations reveal that the N-H bonds and the O…H distances are the longest and the shortest, respectively, in the presence of Pb²⁺. The obtained results verify that the strongest hydrogen bonds (HBs), and hence, the most compressed aptamer structure are induced by Pb²⁺. Besides, atoms in molecules (AIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses confirm the results.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

Exome sequencing discloses <Emphasis Type="Italic">KALRN</Emphasis> homozygous variant as likely cause of intellectual disability and short stature in a consanguineous pedigree

Background

The recent availability of whole-exome sequencing has opened new possibilities for the evaluation of individuals with genetically undiagnosed intellectual disability.

Results

We report two affected siblings, offspring of first-cousin parents, with intellectual disability, hypotonia, short stature, growth hormone deficiency, and delayed bone age. All members of the nuclear family were genotyped, and exome sequencing was performed in one of the affected individuals. We used an in-house algorithm (CATCH v1.1) that combines homozygosity mapping with exome sequencing results and provides a list of candidate variants. One identified novel homozygous missense variant in KALRN (NM_003947.4:c.3644C>A: p.(Thr1215Lys)) was predicted to be pathogenic by all pathogenicity prediction software used (SIFT, PolyPhen, Mutation Taster). KALRN encodes the protein kalirin, which is a GTP-exchange factor protein with a reported role in cytoskeletal remodeling and dendritic spine formation in neurons. It is known that mice with ablation of Kalrn exhibit age-dependent functional deficits and behavioral phenotypes.

Conclusion

Exome sequencing provided initial evidence linking KALRN to monogenic intellectual disability in man, and we propose that KALRN is the causative gene for the autosomal recessive phenotype in this family.

     

The potential therapeutic use of renin–angiotensin system inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory diseases

Inflammation is a normal part of the immune response to injury or infection but its dysregulation promotes the development of inflammatory diseases, which cause considerable human suffering. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents are the most commonly prescribed agents for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, but they are accompanied by a broad range of side effects, including gastrointestinal and cardiovascular events. The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is traditionally known for its role in blood pressure regulation. However, there is increasing evidence that RAS signaling is also involved in the inflammatory response associated with several disease states. Angiotensin II increases blood pressure by binding to angiotensin type 1 (AT₁) receptor, and direct renin inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and AT₁ receptor blockers (ARBs) are clinically used as antihypertensive agents. Recent data suggest that these drugs also have anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, this review summarizes these recent findings for the efficacy of two of the most widely used antihypertensive drug classes, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, to reduce or treat inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, steatohepatitis, colitis, pancreatitis, and nephritis.     

Phylogenetic Analysis of Selected Menthol-Producing Species Belonging to the Lamiaceae Family

Menthol is an organic compound with diverse medicinal and commercial applications, and is made either synthetically or through extraction from mint oils. The aim of the present study was to investigate menthol levels in selected menthol-producing species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and to determine phylogenetic relationships of menthol dehydrogenase gene sequence among these species. Three genus of Lamiaceae, namely Mentha, Salvia, and Micromeria, were selected for phytochemical and phylogenetic analyses. After identification of each species based on menthol dehydrogenase gene in NCBI, BLAST software was used for the sequence alignment. MEGA4 software was used to draw phylogenetic tree for various species. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the highest and lowest amounts of both essential oil and menthol belonged to Mentha spicata and Micromeria hyssopifolia, respectively. The species Mentha spicata and Mentha piperita, which were assigned to one cluster in the dendrogram, contained the highest amounts of essential oil and menthol while Micromeria species, which was in the distinct cluster and placed in the farther evolutionary distance, contained the lowest amount of essential oil and menthol. Phylogenetic and phytochemistry analyses showed that essential oil and menthol contents of menthol-producing species are associated with menthol dehydrogenase gene sequence.