Habitat associations of wild goat in central Iran: implications for conservation

Wild goat (Capra aegagrus) is one of the highly valued but threatened ungulates of Iran. Seasonal habitat use of wild goat was studied from October 2006 to September 2008 in Haftad Gholleh Protected Area, central Iran. We developed averaged logistic regression models based on Akaike Information Criterion weights for each season. The obtained habitat suitability models showed high sensitivity (greater than 88%) for all evaluation datasets. Wild goat habitat use was positively related with steep slopes, areas near rocky substrates and water sources, west-facing slopes and areas far from roads in all seasons. Core zones of protected area covered nearly 70% of suitable habitats for wild goats, predicted by logistic regression models. Northern core zone covered more than 61% of predicted suitable habitats, which should receive more attention in management actions. The southern core zone boundaries should be considered to increase the encompassed suitable habitats. There was a substantial overlap between seasonal suitable habitats with the highest overlap observed between spring and summer and summer and fall.     

New immunological investigations on Helicobacter pylori‐induced gastric ulcer in patients

Although Helicobacter pylori (Hp) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer, little is known about the probable mechanisms of these types of gastrointestinal damage. To determine the precise mechanisms involved in ulcer formation, immune responses in patients with gastric ulcer (GUP) caused by Hp infection (Hp⁺) were compared with those of other gastritis patients (GP). The sensitivity and proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) obtained from patients were evaluated by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against exposure with complex Hp crude antigen (HPCA) and mitogen (phytohemagglutinin, PHA). Production of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐8, in serum and supernatants of PBMNCs were then measured by ELISA. It was found that, after stimulation with PHA, both IL‐8 and IL‐1β concentrations in sera and supernatants as well as proliferation and sensitivity were statistically greater in GUP Hp⁺ than GP Hp^?. Furthermore, HPCA inhibited the proliferation of PBMNCs dose‐dependently; however, it stimulated IL‐8 and IL‐1β production in supernatants of mononuclear cells. Therefore, the up‐regulated concentrations of IL‐8 and IL‐1β may have been caused by increase in the size of mononuclear cell subpopulations or in their cytokine secretory activity, indicating the greatest cell responsiveness in GUP Hp⁺ patients. These results suggest that tissue damage and ulcers occur in patients who produce more IL‐8 and IL‐1β than patients who do not develop ulcers; the former consequently have more activated immune cells at the site of infection. Therefore, both host responses and Hp virulence factors may be involved in the development of gastric ulcers.

     

Structural determination of Streptococcus pyogenes M1 protein interactions with human immunoglobulin G using integrative structural biology

Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus; GAS) is an important human pathogen responsible for mild to severe, life-threatening infections. GAS expresses a wide range of virulence factors, including the M family proteins. The M proteins allow the bacteria to evade parts of the human immune defenses by triggering the formation of a dense coat of plasma proteins surrounding the bacteria, including IgGs. However, the molecular level details of the M1-IgG interaction have remained unclear. Here, we characterized the structure and dynamics of this interaction interface in human plasma on the surface of live bacteria using integrative structural biology, combining cross-linking mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We show that the primary interaction is formed between the S-domain of M1 and the conserved IgG Fc-domain. In addition, we show evidence for a so far uncharacterized interaction between the A-domain and the IgG Fc-domain. Both these interactions mimic the protein G-IgG interface of group C and G streptococcus. These findings underline a conserved scavenging mechanism used by GAS surface proteins that block the IgG-receptor (FcγR) to inhibit phagocytic killing. We additionally show that we can capture Fab-bound IgGs in a complex background and identify XLs between the constant region of the Fab-domain and certain regions of the M1 protein engaged in the Fab-mediated binding. Our results elucidate the M1-IgG interaction network involved in inhibition of phagocytosis and reveal important M1 peptides that can be further investigated as future vaccine targets.     

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) inactivation in sporadic clear cell renal cancer: associations with germline VHL polymorphisms and etiologic risk factors

Renal tumor heterogeneity studies have utilized the von Hippel-Lindau VHL gene to classify disease into molecularly defined subtypes to examine associations with etiologic risk factors and prognosis. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of VHL inactivation in clear cell renal tumors (ccRCC) and to evaluate relationships between VHL inactivation subgroups with renal cancer risk factors and VHL germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). VHL genetic and epigenetic inactivation was examined among 507 sporadic RCC/470 ccRCC cases using endonuclease scanning and using bisulfite treatment and Sanger sequencing across 11 CpG sites within the VHL promoter. Case-only multivariate analyses were conducted to identify associations between alteration subtypes and risk factors. VHL inactivation, either through sequence alterations or promoter methylation in tumor DNA, was observed among 86.6% of ccRCC cases. Germline VHL SNPs and a haplotype were associated with promoter hypermethylation in tumor tissue (OR = 6.10; 95% CI: 2.28–16.35, p = 3.76E-4, p-global = 8E-5). Risk of having genetic VHL inactivation was inversely associated with smoking due to a higher proportion of wild-type ccRCC tumors [former: OR = 0.70 (0.20–1.31) and current: OR = 0.56 (0.32–0.99); P-trend = 0.04]. Alteration prevalence did not differ by histopathologic characteristics or occupational exposure to trichloroethylene. ccRCC cases with particular VHL germline polymorphisms were more likely to have VHL inactivation through promoter hypermethylation than through sequence alterations in tumor DNA, suggesting that the presence of these SNPs may represent an example of facilitated epigenetic variation (an inherited propensity towards epigenetic variation) in renal tissue. A proportion of tumors from current smokers lacked VHL alterations and may represent a biologically distinct clinical entity from inactivated cases.     

Application of dimeric orthopalladated complex in Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction under microwave irradiation and conventional heating

The Suzuki-Miyaura reaction of various aryl halides using [Pd{C₆H₂(CH₂CH₂NH₂)-(OMe)₂,3,4} (μ-Br)]₂ have been investigated. This orthopalladated complex is an efficient, stable and non-sensitive to air and moisture catalyst for the hetrocoupling reaction in DMF as the reaction solvent at 130 °C. The combination of dimeric complex as homogenous catalyst and microwave irradiation can be very useful and efficient methods in organic synthesis, so the application of microwave irradiation have been investigated using homogenous dimeric complex [Pd{C₆H₂(CH₂CH₂NH₂)-(OMe)₂,3,4} (μ-Br)]₂. Application of dimeric complex as catalyst caused to produce the desired coupling products and the using of microwave irradiation improving the yields of the reactions and shortening the reaction times.     

Plant regeneration through callus cultures derived from immature-cotyledon explants of oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.)

Efficient plant regeneration was achieved from callus derived from immature-cotyledon explants of oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.). Calli were obtained on MS media containing 3% sucrose and different concentrations of TDZ. The highest rate of green, compact and nodular callus was formed on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l of TDZ. Shoot organogenesis was achieved when the callus was transferred onto MS media containing 3% sucrose and BA alone (05–4 mg/l) or BA (0.5 and 1 mg/l) combined with NAA or IAA (0.5 and 1 mg/l). Maximum organogenesis was obtained with 1 mg/l BA in combination with 0.5 mg/l NAA. Rooting of the shoots was achieved on MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/l IBA. Regenerated plantlets were acclimatized and successfully transplanted to soil.     

Molecular Mapping and Characterization of Genes Governing Time to Flowering, Seed Weight, and Plant Height in an Intraspecific Genetic Linkage Map of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum)

Drought is the major constraint to chickpea productivity worldwide. Utilizing early flowering genotypes and larger seed size have been suggested as strategies for breeding in drought zones. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential markers linked to days-to-flowering, 100-seed weight, and plant height in a chickpea intraspecific F_2:3 population derived from the cross ILC3279 × ICCV2. A closely linked marker (TA117) on linkage group LG3 was identified for the days-to-flowering trait, explaining 33% of the variation. In relation to plant height, a quantitative trait loci (QTL) was located in LG3, close to the Ts5 marker, that explained 29% of phenotypic variation. A QTL for 100-seed weight located in LG4, close to TA176, explained 51% of variation. The identification of a locus linked both to high 100-seed weight and days-to-flowering may account for the correlation observed between these traits in this and other breeding attempts.     

Comparative assessment of ISSR, DAMD and SCoT markers for evaluation of genetic diversity and conservation of landrace chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes collected from north-west of Iran

Morphological traits and three molecular markers techniques: start codon targeted (SCoT), inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and directly amplified minisatellite DNA (DAMD) markers were compared for fingerprinting of 40 landraces chickpea genotypes collected from different geographical locations of north-west of Iran. Variance analysis of ten measured morphological traits showed significant differences existed between genotypes. Cluster analysis based on morphological traits, divided genotypes in three distinct clusters. Average polymorphism information content (PIC) for ISSR, DAMD and SCoT markers was 0.216, 0.232 and 0.232, respectively, and this revealed that SCoT markers were more informative, followed by ISSRs marker, than other markers for the assessment of diversity amongst genotypes. Cluster analysis for three different molecular types revealed that genotypes taken for the analysis can be divided in three and four distinct clusters. Accessions from same geographical regions mostly showed more genetic similarities than those from origins far isolated apart. These results suggest that efficiency of SCOT, DAMD and ISSR markers was relatively the same in fingerprinting of genotypes but SCOT and DAMD analysis are more effective in fingerprinting of chickpea genotypes. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed report of a comparison of performance among two targeted DNA region molecular markers (SCoT and DAMD) and the ISSR technique on a set of samples of chickpea. Overall, our results indicate that SCOT, ISSR and DAMD fingerprinting could be used to detect polymorphism for genotypes of chickpea.     

Inheritance of resistance to wheat yellow rust at adult plant stage

In order to investigate on inheritance and gene action for resistance to yellow rust, the resistant line C.B227 was crossed with the susceptible variety Avocet. Parents (P1 and P2) and the resulting F1, F2 and F3 generations were planted in a randomised complete block design with two replications in the field. The plants were inoculated with 70E0A⁺ pathotype of yellow rust in the research station of Gharakhil, Iran, and evaluated for resistance at adult plant stage. Disease severity and infection type of flag leaf were recorded for each single plant and final coefficient of infection was calculated. The results of weighted ANOVA indicated that the difference among the generations was significant (p?<?0.01) for the trait final infection type. Generation mean analysis showed that dominant effect was more important than additive one. The degree of dominance indicated the presence of complete dominance. Additive, dominance and epistasic additive?×?additive [i] effects were important in genetic control of resistance. The results of generation variance analysis were consistent with generation mean analysis.