Contrasting levels of DNA polymorphism at the autosomal and X-linked visual color pigment loci in humans and squirrel monkeys

The X-linked color pigment (opsin) locus is known to be highly polymorphic in the squirrel monkey and other New World monkeys. To see whether this is also the case for the autosomal (blue) opsin locus, we obtained 32 squirrel monkey and 30 human blue opsin gene sequences. No amino acid polymorphism was found in either the squirrel monkey sample or the human sample, contrary to the situation at the X-linked opsin locus. This sharp contrast in the level of polymorphism might be due to differences in gene expression between the autosomal and the X-linked loci. At the X-linked locus, heterozygote advantage can occur because, owing to X-inactivation, the two alleles in a heterozygote are expressed in different cone cells, producing two types of cone cell, whereas at the autosomal locus, heterozygote advantage cannot occur because the two alleles in a heterozygote are expressed in the same cone cells, producing only one type of cone cell (i.e., phenotypically a homozygote). From the sequence data, the levels of nucleotide diversity (pi, i.e., the number of nucleotide differences per site) are estimated: for the human sample, pi = 0.00% per nondegenerate site, 0.00% per twofold degenerate site, and 0.04% per fourfold degenerate site in the coding regions and 0.01% per site in intron 4; for the squirrel monkey sample, pi = 0.00% per nondegenerate site, 0.00% per twofold degenerate site, and 0.15% per fourfold degenerate site in the coding regions and 0.17% per site in intron 4. The blue opsin genes from the common and pygmy chimpanzees, the gorilla, the capuchin, and the howler monkey were also sequenced. Features critical to the function of the opsin are well conserved in all known mammalian sequences. However, the interhelical loops are, on average, actually more conservative than the transmembrane helical regions. In addition, these sequence data and those from some other genes indicate that the common and pygmy chimpanzees are not closely related, their divergence data being from one third to one half the date of the human-chimpanzee divergence.      

A fish and tetrapod fauna from Romer's Gap preserved in Scottish Tournaisian floodplain deposits

The end‐Devonian mass extinction has been framed as a turning point in vertebrate evolution, enabling the radiation of tetrapods, chondrichthyans and actinopterygians. Until very recently ‘Romer's Gap’ rendered the Early Carboniferous a black box standing between the Devonian and the later Carboniferous, but now new Tournaisian localities are filling this interval. Recent work has recovered unexpected tetrapod and lungfish diversity. However, the composition of Tournaisian faunas remains poorly understood. Here we report on a Tournaisian vertebrate fauna from a well‐characterized, narrow stratigraphic interval from the Ballagan Formation exposed at Burnmouth, Scotland. Microfossils suggest brackish conditions and the sedimentology indicates a low‐energy debris flow on a vegetated floodplain. A range of vertebrate bone sizes are preserved. Rhizodonts are represented by the most material, which can be assigned to two taxa. Lungfish are represented by several species, almost all of which are currently endemic to the Ballagan Formation. There are two named tetrapods, Aytonerpeton and Diploradus, with at least two others also represented. Gyracanths, holocephalans, and actinopterygian fishes are represented by rarer fossils. This material compares well with vertebrate fossils from other Ballagan deposits. Faunal similarity analysis using an updated dataset of Devonian–Carboniferous (Givetian–Serpukhovian) sites corroborates a persistent Devonian/Carboniferous split. Separation of the data into marine and non‐marine partitions indicates more Devonian–Carboniferous faunal continuity in non‐marine settings compared to marine settings. These results agree with the latest fossil discoveries and suggest that the Devonian–Carboniferous transition proceeded differently in different environments and among different taxonomic groups.     

Central venous catheter infection with Bacillus pumilus in an immunocompetent child: a case report

Background

Bacillus organisms are common laboratory contaminants. The majority of Bacillus bacteraemias are transient and not clinically significant. Clinically significant infection due to Bacillus species is rare and mostly due to Bacillus cereus infections in immuno-compromised hosts.

Case presentation

We report a case of central venous catheter infection with Bacillus pumilus in an immunocompetent child with tufting enteropathy on long-term parenteral nutrition (PN). There were three episodes of central venous catheter infection with Bacillus pumilus in three months. Despite adequate and appropriate use of intravenous antibiotics, the infection failed to clear resulting in the need for removal of the catheter for complete cure.

Conclusion

Bacillus species can cause clinically significant central venous catheter infection, even in an immunocompetent host. Despite adequate antibiotic treatment, the central venous catheter may need removal for complete cure.     

Long-term responses of zooplankton to invasion by a planktivorous fish in a subarctic watercourse

1. Introduced or invading predators may have strong impacts on prey populations of the recipient community mediated by direct and indirect interactions. The long-term progression of predation effects, covering the invasion and establishment phase of alien predators, however, has rarely been documented.
2. This paper documents the impact of an invasive, specialized planktivorous fish on its prey in a subarctic watercourse. Potential predation effects on the crustacean plankton, at the community, population and individual levels, were explored in a long-term study following the invasion by vendace ( Coregonus albula ).
3. Over the 12-year period, the density and species richness of zooplankton decreased, smaller species became more abundant and Daphnia longispina , one of the largest cladocerans, was eliminated from the zooplankton community.
4. Within the dominant cladocerans, including Daphnia spp., Bosmina longispina and Bosmina longirostris , the body size of ovigerous females and the size at first reproduction decreased after the arrival of the new predator. The clutch sizes of Daphnia spp. and B. longirostris also increased.
5. Increased predation pressure following the vendace invasion induced many effects on the crustacean zooplankton, and we document comprehensive and strong direct and indirect long-term impacts of an introduced non-native predator on the native prey community.     

Caspase inhibitors affect the kinetics and dimensions of tracheary elements in xylogenic Zinnia (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zinnia elegans</Emphasis>) cell cultures

Background  

The xylem vascular system is composed of fused dead, hollow cells called tracheary elements (TEs) that originate through trans-differentiation of root and shoot cambium cells. TEs undergo autolysis as they differentiate and mature. The final stage of the formation of TEs in plants is the death of the involved cells, a process showing some similarities to programmed cell death (PCD) in animal systems. Plant proteases with functional similarity to proteases involved in mammalian apoptotic cell death (caspases) are suggested as an integral part of the core mechanism of most PCD responses in plants, but participation of plant caspase-like proteases in TE PCD has not yet been documented.     

Increased Blood Levels of Human S100 in Melanoma Chick Embryo Xenografts’ Circulation

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the fertilized egg allows grafting of human melanomas for short‐term investigations and offers the opportunity to investigate the behavior of metastasizing cells and the release of S100β into peripheral blood. Tissue from one primary melanoma as well as cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases of 10 melanoma patients with elevated levels of S100 in the peripheral blood before surgery were transplanted onto the CAM of chick embryos at day 5/6 of development. Grafts were nourished by the host blood supply 2 days after transplantation. Histologically, 3 days after grafting, metastasizing melanoma cells could be found near the vessels of the host membrane, penetrating the endothelial layer and entering the blood system. Growth conditions remained stable for 6 days after transplantation. Blood samples were taken from a larger CAM vessel before collecting the xenografts 5 days after grafting. Measurement of human S100 in peripheral blood was performed in a blinded manner. No negative control showed elevated levels of human S100 protein. Samples deriving from melanoma xenografts contained highly elevated levels of S100 protein in 80% of cases. The data strongly support the concept of graft–host interaction concerning adherence of tumors and extravasation of human melanoma cells.     

Dermatoscopy and High Frequency Sonography: Two Useful Non-Invasive Methods to Increase Preoperative Diagnostic Accuracy in Pigmented Skin Lesions

Dermatoscopy and high frequency sonography have recently been combined to increase diagnostic preoperative accuracy in the treatment of pigmented skin lesions. In this monocentric study 80 patients with pigmented skin lesions were evaluated clinically, by dermatoscopy, and 20 MHz-sonography followed by dermatohistopathological evaluation; 39 malignant melanomas, 37 common nevi, 3 dysplastic nevi, and 1 nevus Spitz were diagnosed histologically. In 72 of the 80 cases (91.3%) dermatoscopical diagnoses were confirmed by histopathology, compared to only 79% correct clinical diagnoses. For the mere clinical diagnosis of melanoma sensitivity was 79%, specificity was 78% and diagnostic accuracy was 65%. All diagnostic values increased by dermatoscopy: sensitivity reached 90%, specificity was 93%, and diagnostic accuracy was 83%. In order to determine tumor thickness preoperatively tumor thickness was measured by 20 MHz sonography. The correlation of tumor thickness between histometric and sonographic results was determined for nevi (r = 0.93) and melanoma (r = 0.95); 74.3% of melanomas were diagnosed correctly within an 0.2 mm range. Regarding the clinical important limit of 1 mm tumor thickness, 87.2% were diagnosed in accordance with histometric evaluation. An increase of 18% in diagnostic accuracy by dermatoscopy and 87.2% of correctly diagnosed cases of tumor thickness of malignant melanoma by high frequency sonography clearly demonstrate that these methods should be considered standard procedures in the diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions and will facilitate the decision on necessary surgical treatment.