Implications of individual variation in insect behavior for host specificity testing in weed biocontrol

This study shows that individual behavioral variation is an under-recognised source of error that may affect the outcome of host range tests in a stenophagous species. Original specificity testing of the broom seed beetle, Bruchidius villosus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), a biocontrol agent for Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link (Fabaceae: Genisteae), failed to detect its ability to oviposit in the field on a congeneric non-target plant, the exotic Cytisus proliferus L.f. (Fabaceae: Genisteae). These tests were repeated using individual beetles from the original UK collection sites and from New Zealand, 15 generations post release. In the original tests, low replication of small batches of females masked high levels of individual variation in oviposition preference. Although most beetles showed strong preference for the target weed, there was some indication that New Zealand beetles showed higher preference for the non-target than UK beetles.     

The Impact of ABCG2 on Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cell Proliferation

The ATP-binding cassette transporter, ABCG2, has been identified as a gene of significance in the regulation of bovine lactation by a number of gene mapping studies yet its role in lactational physiology remains unclear. We have used the potent ABCG2 specific inhibitor, Ko143, to investigate role of ABCG2 in primary bovine mammary epithelial cell (BMEC) proliferation and differentiation. After incubation with Ko143, the proliferation rate of BMECs was reduced at 48 and 72 hours by up to 80% (P < 0.001), and the effect was dose-dependent (approximately 40% with 10 nM Ko143 and 80% with 20 nM Ko143). Morphological changes in BMEC mammosphere formation were not observed when co-incubated with Ko143. Our results suggested that ABCG2 plays a role in mammary epithelial cell proliferation and that functional polymorphisms in this gene may influence the cellular compartment of the mammary gland and potentially milk production.     

New data on the Dyrosauridae (Crocodylomorpha) from the Paleocene of Togo

Following our fieldwork in Paleogene deposits of Togo, we herein report cranial as well as postcranial elements belonging to the family Dyrosauridae. This assemblage is dated to the Late Paleocene (Thanetian) from two quarries in southern Togo. The specimens include a partial skull presenting two large supratemporal fossae and a massive occipital condyle; long and slender isolated teeth; amphicoelous vertebrae including several articulated ones; and two osteoderms devoid of carina. The morphology of the partial skull reveals similarities with some African longirostrine forms such as Rhabdognathus spp., although this attribution cannot be confirmed. Longirostrine forms, known in the late Paleocene and early Eocene of the Iullemmeden basin (Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Algeria) and in the phosphates of Morocco and Tunisia, is only represented in Thanetian levels in Togo. Different palaeoenvironmental settings seem to have characterized the various African basins during the lower Eocene, with consequences for the geographic distribution of dyrosaurids. These dyrosaurid remains confirm the presence of the family in Togo during the Paleocene and underline the fossiliferous potential of the coastal sedimentary basin in Togo and in the bay of Benin.     

Length-weight relationships of 4 coral-reef fish species encountered in Gilbert Islands coastal artisanal fisheries

Length-weight relationships of 4 coral-reef fish species regularly encountered in artisanal coastal fisheries across 5 atolls of the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati, were obtained. The data were collected through creel surveys undertaken randomly over a period of 20–100 days each year between 2013 and 2020. The main fishing methods used were gillnetting (minimum legal mesh size of 63.5 mm), handlining and spearfishing. Fish were weighed using a digital scale calibrated to ±1–5 g and measured on a flat one-meter ruler delineated in 5 mm increments. Parameters a and b extracted from the general form of the equation describing the relationship between length and weight (W = aL^b), associated 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) and correlation coefficients (r²) are presented here.     

STING regulates metabolic reprogramming in macrophages via HIF-1α during Brucella infection

Macrophages metabolic reprogramming in response to microbial insults is a major determinant of pathogen growth or containment. Here, we reveal a distinct mechanism by which stimulator of interferon genes (STING), a cytosolic sensor that regulates innate immune responses, contributes to an inflammatory M1-like macrophage profile upon Brucella abortus infection. This metabolic reprogramming is induced by STING-dependent stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), a global regulator of cellular metabolism and innate immune cell functions. HIF-1α stabilization reduces oxidative phosphorylation and increases glycolysis during infection with B. abortus and, likewise, enhances nitric oxide production, inflammasome activation and IL-1β release in infected macrophages. Furthermore, the induction of this inflammatory profile participates in the control of bacterial replication since absence of HIF-1α renders mice more susceptible to B. abortus infection. Mechanistically, activation of STING by B. abortus infection drives the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) that ultimately influences HIF-1α stabilization. Moreover, STING increases the intracellular succinate concentration in infected macrophages, and succinate pretreatment induces HIF-1α stabilization and IL-1β release independently of its cognate receptor GPR91. Collectively, these data demonstrate a pivotal mechanism in the immunometabolic regulation of macrophages during B. abortus infection that is orchestrated by STING via HIF-1α pathway and highlight the metabolic reprogramming of macrophages as a potential treatment strategy for bacterial infections.     

Inhibition of aggregation of amyloid-β through covalent modification with benzylpenicillin; potential relevance to Alzheimer's disease

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is correlated with the misfolding and aggregation of amyloid-beta protein (Aβ). Here we report that the antibiotic benzylpenicillin (BP) can specifically bind to Aβ, modulate the process of aggregation and supress its cytotoxic effect, initially via a reversible binding interaction, followed by covalent bonding between specific functional groups (nucleophiles) within the Aβ peptide and the beta-lactam ring. Mass spectrometry and computational docking supported covalent modification of Aβ by BP. BP was found to inhibit aggregation of Aβ as revealed by the Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, BP treatment was found to have a cytoprotective activity against Aβ-induced cell cytotoxicity as shown by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell toxicity assay. The specific interaction of BP with Aβ suggests the possibility of structure-based drug design, leading to the identification of new drug candidates against AD. Moreover, good pharmacokinetics of beta-lactam antibiotics and safety on long-time use make them valuable candidates for drug repurposing towards neurological disorders such as AD.