Diet and trophic position of two mackerel species in the archipelago of Madeira,Portugal

The Atlantic chub mackerel Scomber colias and the blue jack mackerel Trachurus picturatus are two abundant species in the Macaronesia region which includes the archipelago of Madeira, Portugal. Both are key species in the trophic web, being important prey for several local top predators, such as seabirds and marine mammals. Nonetheless, little is known about their feeding ecology in oceanic environments. In this study, the authors describe the seasonal variation in the diet of S. colias and T. picturatus in the oceanic region of Madeira throughout a year. Visual inspection of stomach contents revealed that S. colias fed on a broader range of prey groups than T. picturatus, but for both species, zooplankton (particularly calanoid copepods) and fish were the most important food items. The diet of S. colias included a higher proportion of fish, namely Atlantic saury Scomberesox saurus and S. colias, than that of T. picturatus, that included mostly the longspine snipefish Macroramphosus scolopax. T. picturatus consumed a higher proportion of decapods and other copepods. Seasonal variation was found in the diet of both species, with zooplanktonic species being more important in colder months (February to April) for S. colias and during warm months (May to October) for T. picturatus. Their diet in other seasons was dominated by fish. Although they consume similar prey, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of muscle of S. colias and T. picturatus showed little overlap in their diets, and T. picturatus showed higher δ¹⁵N and a narrower isotopic niche.     

Phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of extracts of the peruvian peppertree Schinus areira L. from Chile

The Andean tree Schinus areira L. has multiple traditional uses, from the treatment of bronchitis and rheumatic diseases to menstrual cycle regulation and wound healing. With reported hypotensive, analgesic, antitumoral and anti-inflammatory properties, it acts predominantly against diseases related to oxidative stress. This study focuses on the antioxidant activity and phytochemical profile of the extracts of Schinus areira L.Serial extraction of the fruits was performed both by maceration and by Soxhlet. Total phenols and flavonoids were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and AlCl₃, respectively. In vitro antioxidant activity was determined by FRAP and DPPH.Results were similar for both extraction methods. Primary metabolites detected included carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids; secondary metabolites included tannins, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and triterpenes. Antioxidant activity was confirmed for ethyl acetate, methanolic and aqueous extracts. The methanolic extract had both the highest polyphenol content (>195 mg GAE/ g dry weight) and the highest antioxidant activity [EC₅₀ > 476 μg/mL; >273 mg AA/g dry weight (DPPH); >301 mg AA/ g dry weight (FRAP)]. The extract does not produce macrophage cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7, which is indicated by an average cytotoxicity of 2% over 24 h.Our study serves as a starting point for future research on the pharmacological properties of Schinus areira L.     

Pathological cardiac remodeling seen by the eyes of proteomics

Cardiac remodeling involves cellular and structural changes that occur as consequence of multifactorial events to maintain the homeostasis. The progression of pathological cardiac remodeling involves a transition from adaptive to maladaptive changes that eventually leads to impairment of ventricular function and heart failure. In this scenario, proteins are key elements that orchestrate molecular events as increased expression of fetal genes, neurohormonal and second messengers' activation, contractile dysfunction, rearrangement of the extracellular matrix and alterations in heart geometry. Mass spectrometry based-proteomics has emerged as a sound method to study protein dysregulation and identification of cardiac diseases biomarkers in plasma. In this review, we summarize the main findings related to large-scale proteome modulation of cardiac cells and extracellular matrix occurred during pathological cardiac remodeling. We describe the recent proteomic progresses in the selection of protein targets and introduce the renin-angiotensin system as an interesting target for the treatment of pathological cardiac remodeling.     

Meta-omics analysis indicates the saliva microbiome and its proteins associated with the prognosis of oral cancer patients

Saliva is a biofluid that maintains the health of oral tissues and the homeostasis of oral microbiota. Studies have demonstrated that Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients have different salivary microbiota than healthy individuals. However, the relationship between these microbial differences and clinicopathological outcomes is still far from conclusive. Herein, we investigate the capability of using metagenomic and metaproteomic saliva profiles to distinguish between Control (C), OSCC without active lesion (L0), and OSCC with active lesion (L1) patients. The results show that there are significantly distinct taxonomies and functional changes in L1 patients compared to C and L0 patients, suggesting compositional modulation of the oral microbiome, as the relative abundances of Centipeda, Veillonella, and Gemella suggested by metagenomics are correlated with tumor size, clinical stage, and active lesion. Metagenomics results also demonstrated that poor overall patient survival is associated with a higher relative abundance of Stenophotromonas, Staphylococcus, Centipeda, Selenomonas, Alloscordovia, and Acitenobacter. Finally, compositional and functional differences in the saliva content by metaproteomics analysis can distinguish healthy individuals from OSCC patients. In summary, our study suggests that oral microbiota and their protein abundance have potential diagnosis and prognosis value for oral cancer patients. Further studies are necessary to understand the role of uniquely detected metaproteins in the microbiota of healthy and OSCC patients as well as the crosstalk between saliva host proteins and the oral microbiome present in OSCC.     

Effects of hyperglycemia and aging on nuclear sirtuins and DNA damage of mouse hepatocytes

Hyperglycemia, like aging, induces chromatin remodeling in mouse hepatocytes in comparison to normoglycemia and younger age, respectively. Changes in glucose metabolism also affect the action and expression of sirtuins, promoting changes in chromatin conformation and dynamics. Here we investigate the abundance and activity of the nuclear sirtuins Sirt1, Sirt6, and Sirt7 in mouse hepatocytes in association with specific histone acetylation, DNA damage, and the activation of nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) in hyperglycemic nonobese diabetic (NOD) and old normoglycemic BALB/c mouse strains. Higher levels of Sirt1 and PGC-1α and increased expression of gluconeogenesis pathway genes are found in the hyperglycemic NOD mice. Increased Sirt6 abundance is found in the hyperglycemic NOD mice, which might increase DNA damage repair. With aging, lower Sirt1 abundance and activity, increased acetylated histone modifications and Sirt7 levels, and NOR methylation are found. Thus, whereas in normal aging cell metabolism is reduced, in the diabetic mice a compensatory mechanism may elevate Sirt1 and Sirt6 levels, increasing gluconeogenesis and DNA repair from the oxidative damage caused by hyperglycemia. Therefore understanding the regulation of epigenetic factors in diabetes and aging is crucial for the development of new therapeutic approaches that could prevent diseases and improve quality of life.     

cis-Jasmone indirect action on egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and its application in biological control of soybean stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

In many plants, the secondary metabolite cis-jasmone activates the metabolic pathway that produces volatile organic compounds attractive to natural enemies and, sometimes, repellent to herbivores. Previous studies indicate that the feeding damage caused by the herbivore Euschistus heros or the exogenous application of cis-jasmone in soybean plants induces the release of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) with a similar chemical profile and these compounds can attract the stink bug egg parasitoid Telenomus podisi (Scelionidae). Herein we tested in field conditions the effect of exogenous application of cis-jasmone in soybean plants on the parasitoid and stink bug community and on stink bug egg parasitism. In two areas, one within a soybean and another within a Crotalaria matrix, we randomly distributed 2 m² plots, with soybean plants induced (treatment, n = 5) or not induced by cis-jasmone (control, n = 5) in the field. We sampled the parasitoid community weekly with yellow sticky traps (n = 3/plot) and monitored parasitism with sentinel eggs of E. heros (n = 150/plot). We also monitored the population of stink bugs weekly, by sampling each plot with shake-cloth technique. The abundance of Scelionidae was highest overall and also in treated plots during the first four weeks in the area with a soybean matrix, but decreased thereafter. The richness of parasitoid families was similar between treatment and control plots in the area with a soybean matrix, but higher in control plots in the area with a Crotalaria matrix. Evenness was higher in control plots in the area with soybean matrix, whereas the reverse occurred in the area with a Crotalaria matrix. Results suggest that treatment with cis-jasmone effectively attracted and enhanced the population of scelionid parasitoids, but had no effect on the occurrence and intensity of parasitism and in the number of stink bugs.     

A Comparison of Vegetation and Ground‐Dwelling Ants in Abandoned and Restored Gullies and Landslide Surfaces in the Western Colombian Andes

Landslides and gullies are two common manifestations of land degradation in the densely populated Colombian Andes. In these unstable areas, further mass movements pose a serious threat to local populations and cause off‐site environmental damage through sedimentation, pollution, and increased flooding. A novel approach for restoring severely eroded slopes combines the use of stabilization structures made with stalks of Guadua angustifolia Kunth, Poaceae (bamboo), with high‐density planting of species that exhibit quick growth and sprouting. This study compared the vegetation and ground‐dwelling ant assemblages of 10 pairs of gullies, each pair formed by one enhanced and one untreated or control gully, 6–8 years after restoration or abandonment. The restoration treatment had significant effects on the complexity of vegetation. Average values for plant species richness, basal area, stem density, foliage density index, and total vegetation volume were 11.6, 140, 30, 11.5, and 15.6 times larger, respectively, in enhanced than in control gullies. Mirroring the differences in vegetation, average ant species richness was significantly larger (13 vs. 7.6 species per gully), and a higher proportion of ant species nested within enhanced than control gullies (52.5 vs. 30%). While control gullies were dominated by generalist ants such as Ectatomma ruidum and Linepithema angulatum, enhanced gullies had more specialized ground‐dwelling species, normally associated with high plant cover and abundant leaf litter such as Octostruma balzani and Heteroponera inca. We conclude that this restoration strategy promotes a fast recovery of vegetation and the ground‐dwelling ant fauna in these tropical mountains.     

oiwa,a Female Gametophytic Mutant Impaired in a Mitochondrial Manganese-Superoxide Dismutase,Reveals Crucial Roles for Reactive Oxygen Species during Embryo Sac Development and Fertilization in Arabidopsis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can function as signaling molecules, regulating key aspects of plant development, or as toxic compounds leading to oxidative damage. In this article, we show that the regulation of ROS production during megagametogenesis is largely dependent on MSD1, a mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase. Wild-type mature embryo sacs show ROS exclusively in the central cell, which appears to be the main source of ROS before pollination. Accordingly, MSD1 shows a complementary expression pattern. MSD1 expression is elevated in the egg apparatus at maturity but is downregulated in the central cell. The oiwa mutants are characterized by high levels of ROS detectable in both the central cell and the micropylar cells. Remarkably, egg apparatus cells in oiwa show central cell features, indicating that high levels of ROS result in the expression of central cell characteristic genes. Notably, ROS are detected in synergid cells after pollination. This ROS burst depends on stigma pollination but precedes fertilization, suggesting that embryo sacs sense the imminent arrival of pollen tubes and respond by generating an oxidative environment. Altogether, we show that ROS play a crucial role during female gametogenesis and fertilization. MSD1 activity seems critical for maintaining ROS localization and important for embryo sac patterning.     

Beginning to understand the role of sugar carriers in Colletotrichum lindemuthianum: the function of the gene mfs1

Fungi of the Colletotrichum genus are among the most prominent phytopathogens that cause diseases with a considerable economic impact, such as anthracnose. The hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (teleomorph Glomerella cingulata f. sp. phaseoli) is the causal agent of the anthracnose of the common bean; and similarly to other phytopathogens, it uses multiple strategies to gain access to different carbon sources from its host. In this study, we examine mfs1, a newly identified C. lindemuthianum hexose transporter. The mfs1 gene is expressed only during the necrotrophic phase of the fungus’ interaction within the plant and allows it to utilize the available sugars during this phase. The deletion of mfs1 gene resulted in differential growth of the fungus in a medium that contained glucose, mannose or fructose as the only carbon source. This study is the first to describe a hexose transporter in the hemibiotrophic pathogen C. lindemuthianum and to demonstrate the central role of this protein in capturing carbon sources during the necrotrophic development of the plant/pathogen interaction.     

Cultivo biotecnológico de macrohongos comestibles: una alternativa en la obtención de nutracéuticos

Macromycetes have been part of the human culture for thousand years, and have been reported as food in the most important civilizations in history. Many nutraceutical properties of macromycetes have been described, such as anti-cancer, anti-tumour, cholesterol lowering, antiviral, antibacterial, or immunomodulatory, among others. Given that production of mushrooms by traditional cultivation and extraction of bioactive metabolites is very difficult in some cases, biotechnology is essential for the development of profitable and productive techniques for obtaining these metabolites. It is the development of this technology, and the ease in which it enables the use of its variables that has allowed mycelium to be cultivated in liquid medium of macrofungi, with a significant reduction in time and an increased production of metabolites. This increased production has led to the study of compounds that have medicinal, nutriceutical and quasi-farmaceutical potential, in the exhausted media and the mycelium. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the use of liquid-state fermentation as a technological tool for obtaining edible fungi, and the study of these and their metabolites, by describing the different cultivation conditions used in recent years, as well as the results obtained. The relevance of Agaricus, Flammulina, Grifola, Pleurotus and Lentinula genera, will also be discussed, with emphasis on the last one, since Shiitake has been always considered as the ultimate medicinal mushroom.