Taxonomic differences shape the responses of freshwater aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial communities to light and predation

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria are a phylogenetically diverse and ubiquitous group of prokaryotes that use organic matter but can harvest light using bacteriochlorophyll a. Although the factors regulating AAP ecology have long been investigated through field surveys, the few available experimental studies have considered AAPs as a group, thus disregarding the potential differential responses between taxonomically distinct AAP assemblages. Here, we used sequencing of the pufM gene to describe the diversity of AAPs in 10 environmentally distinct temperate lakes, and to investigate the taxonomic responses of AAP communities in these lakes when subjected to similar experimental manipulations of light and predator removal. The studied communities were clearly dominated by Limnohabitans AAP but presented a clear taxonomic segregation between lakes presumably driven by local conditions, which was maintained after experimental manipulations. Predation reduction (but not light exposure) caused significant compositional shifts across most assemblages, but the magnitude of these changes could not be clearly related to changes in bulk AAP abundances or taxonomic richness of AAP assemblages during experiments. Only a few operational taxonomic units, which differed taxonomically between lakes, were found to respond positively during experimental treatments. Our results highlight that different freshwater AAP communities respond differently to similar control mechanisms, highlighting that in‐depth knowledge on AAP diversity is essential to understand the ecology and potential role of these photoheterotrophs.     

In silico and empirical evaluation of twelve metabarcoding primer sets for insectivorous diet analyses

During the most recent decade, environmental DNA metabarcoding approaches have been both developed and improved to minimize the biological and technical biases in these protocols. However, challenges remain, notably those relating to primer design. In the current study, we comprehensively assessed the performance of ten COI and two 16S primer pairs for eDNA metabarcoding, including novel and previously published primers. We used a combined approach of in silico, in vivo‐mock community (33 arthropod taxa from 16 orders), and guano‐based analyses to identify primer sets that would maximize arthropod detection and taxonomic identification, successfully identify the predator (bat) species, and minimize the time and financial costs of the experiment. We focused on two insectivorous bat species that live together in mixed colonies: the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus). We found that primer degeneracy is the main factor that influences arthropod detection in silico and mock community analyses, while amplicon length is critical for the detection of arthropods from degraded DNA samples. Our guano‐based results highlight the importance of detecting and identifying both predator and prey, as guano samples can be contaminated by other insectivorous species. Moreover, we demonstrate that amplifying bat DNA does not reduce the primers' capacity to detect arthropods. We therefore recommend the simultaneous identification of predator and prey. Finally, our results suggest that up to one‐third of prey occurrences may be unreliable and are probably not of primary interest in diet studies, which may decrease the relevance of combining several primer sets instead of using a single efficient one. In conclusion, this study provides a pragmatic framework for eDNA primer selection with respect to scientific and methodological constraints.     

Effects of Barium Stress in <i>Brassica juncea</i> and <i>Cakile maritima</i>: The Indicator Role of Some Antioxidant Enzymes and Secondary Metabolites

Soil contamination by toxic trace metal elements, like barium (Ba), may stimulate various undesirable changes in the metabolic activity of plants. The plant responses are fast and with, direct or indirect, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To cope with the stress imposed by the ROS production, plants developed a dual cellular system composed of enzymatic and non-enzymatic players that convert ROS, and their by-products, into stable nontoxic molecules. To assess the Ba stress response of two Brassicaceae species (Brassica juncea, a glycophyte, and Cakile maritime, a halophyte), plants were exposure to different Ba concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300 and 500 μM). The plants response was evaluated through their morphology and development, the determination of plant leaves antioxidant enzymatic activities and by the production of plants secondary metabolites. Results indicated that the two Brassicaceae species have the ability to survive in an environment containing Ba (even at 500 μM). The biomass production of C. maritima was slightly affected whereas an increase in biomass B. juncea was noticed. The stress imposed by Ba activated the antioxidant defense system in the two species, noticed by the changes in the leaves activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaicol peroxidase (GPX), and of the secondary metabolites, through the production of total phenols and flavonoids. The enzymatic response was not similar within the two plant species: CAT and APX seem to have a more important role against the oxidative stress in C. maritima while in B. juncea is GPX. Overall, total phenols and flavonoids production was more significant in the plants aerial part than in the roots, of the both species. Although the two Brassicaceae species response was different, in both plants catalytic and non-catalytic transformation of ROS occurs, and both were able to overcome the Ba toxicity and prevent the cell damage.     

First characterization of congenital myasthenic syndrome type 5 in North Africa

Molecular Biology Reports - Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are associated with defects in the structure and the function of neuromuscular junctions. These rare disorders can result from...