A study of variation in the pollen spectra of honeys sampled from the Baixa Limia‐Serra do Xurés Nature Reserve in north‐west Spain

The pollen content of eleven honey samples from ten different apiaries in the Baixa Limia – Serra do Xurés Nature Reserve and other honey commercialised by the cooperative as “Mel do Xurés” (north‐west Spain) was subjected to quantitative and qualitative melissopalynological analysis. The quantitative analysis found that ten samples belonged to Maurizio's Class III and one to Class IV. According to the qualitative analysis, four samples were classified as unifloral honey with Erica, four samples as multifloral honey with Erica pollen as the principal component and three samples as multifloral honey with Cytisus‐type pollen and Erica as the principal component pollen. The pollen spectra differ between the diverse honeys analysed, with a common denominator being Erica and Cytisus‐type pollen being abundant in all. For the rest of the samples, the pollen spectra were mainly the same, but with different relative percentages among secondary elements. Thus, either as a secondary or an important element, 91% of the honeys contained Quercus, 82% Castanea sativa Miller, 45% Rubus, 36% Cistus and 27% Lithodora prostrate (Loisel) Griseb,. In particular, we record for the first time the presence of Ribes and Ilex aquifolium L. pollen in Spanish honeys as an important minor or minor pollen component.     

Bacterial farming by the fungus Morchella crassipes

The interactions between bacteria and fungi, the main actors of the soil microbiome, remain poorly studied. Here, we show that the saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal soil fungus Morchella crassipes acts as a bacterial farmer of Pseudomonas putida, which serves as a model soil bacterium. Farming by M. crassipes consists of bacterial dispersal, bacterial rearing with fungal exudates, as well as harvesting and translocation of bacterial carbon. The different phases were confirmed experimentally using cell counting and ¹³C probing. Common criteria met by other non-human farming systems are also valid for M. crassipes farming, including habitual planting, cultivation and harvesting. Specific traits include delocalization of food production and consumption and separation of roles in the colony (source versus sink areas), which are also found in human agriculture. Our study evidences a hitherto unknown mutualistic association in which bacteria gain through dispersal and rearing, while the fungus gains through the harvesting of an additional carbon source and increased stress resistance of the mycelium. This type of interaction between fungi and bacteria may play a key role in soils.     

Formation of S-(carboxymethyl)-cysteine in rat liver mitochondrial proteins: effects of caloric and methionine restriction

Maillard reaction contributes to the chemical modification and cross-linking of proteins. This process plays a significant role in the aging process and determination of animal longevity. Oxidative conditions promote the Maillard reaction. Mitochondria are the primary site of oxidants due to the reactive molecular species production. Mitochondrial proteome cysteine residues are targets of oxidative attack due to their specific chemistry and localization. Their chemical, non-enzymatic modification leads to dysfunctional proteins, which entail cellular senescence and organismal aging. Previous studies have consistently shown that caloric and methionine restrictions, nutritional interventions that increase longevity, decrease the rate of mitochondrial oxidant production and the physiological steady-state levels of markers of oxidative damage to macromolecules. In this scenario, we have detected S-(carboxymethyl)-cysteine (CMC) as a new irreversible chemical modification in mitochondrial proteins. CMC content in mitochondrial proteins significantly correlated with that of the lysine-derived analog N ^ε-(carboxymethyl)-lysine. The concentration of CMC is, however, one order of magnitude lower compared with CML likely due in part to the lower content of cysteine with respect to lysine of the mitochondrial proteome. CMC concentrations decreases in liver mitochondrial proteins of rats subjected to 8.5 and 25 % caloric restriction, as well as in 40 and 80 % methionine restriction. This is associated with a concomitant and significant increase in the protein content of sulfhydryl groups. Data presented here evidence that CMC, a marker of Cys-AGE formation, could be candidate as a biomarker of mitochondrial damage during aging.     

Arabinogalactan protein profiles and distribution patterns during microspore embryogenesis and pollen development in Brassica napus

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs), present in cell walls, plasma membranes and extracellular secretions, are massively glycosylated hydroxyproline-rich proteins that play a key role in several plant developmental processes. After stress treatment, microspores cultured in vitro can reprogramme and change their gametophytic developmental pathways towards embryogenesis, thereby producing embryos which can further give rise to haploid and double haploid plants, important biotechnological tools in plant breeding. Microspore embryogenesis constitutes a convenient system for studying the mechanisms underlying cell reprogramming and embryo formation. In this work, the dynamics of both AGP presence and distribution were studied during pollen development and microspore embryogenesis in Brassica napus, by employing a multidisciplinary approach using monoclonal antibodies for AGPs (LM2, LM6, JIM13, JIM14, MAC207) and analysing the expression pattern of the BnAGP Sta 39–4 gene. Results showed the developmental regulation and defined localization of the studied AGP epitopes during the two microspore developmental pathways, revealing different distribution patterns for AGPs with different antigenic reactivity. AGPs recognized by JIM13, JIM14 and MAC207 antibodies were related to pollen maturation, whereas AGPs labelled by LM2 and LM6 were associated with embryo development. Interestingly, the AGPs labelled by JIM13 and JIM14 were induced with the change of microspore fate. Increases in the expression of the Sta 39–4 gene, JIM13 and JIM14 epitopes found specifically in 2–4 cell stage embryo cell walls, suggested that AGPs are early molecular markers of microspore embryogenesis. Later, LM2 and LM6 antigens increased progressively with embryo development and localized on cell walls and cytoplasmic spots, suggesting an active production and secretion of AGPs during in vitro embryo formation. These results give new insights into the involvement of AGPs as potential regulating/signalling molecules in microspore reprogramming and embryogenesis.     

Hidden diversity and cryptic speciation refute cosmopolitan distribution in Caprella penantis (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae)

Caprella penantis is considered a cosmopolitan species and one of the most challenging caprellids in taxonomic terms because of its remarkable intraspecific morphological variation. This study examined DNA sequences from mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (18S) markers together with morphological data from 25 localities of C. penantis, and closely related species Caprella dilatata and Caprella andreae, all traditionally considered part of the old ‘acutifrons’ complex. The large genetic divergence and reciprocally allopatric distributions point to the existence of a species complex of at least four species, of which one is reported as a cryptic species. This study provides the first evidence of cryptic speciation in the family Caprellidae, and questions the validity of some traditional morphological characters used to delimit species in the genus Caprella. Our results are consistent with the idea that main factors were probably isolation by distance and ecological traits, promoting diversification in C. penantis. The strong genetic structure reported for this species in the Iberian Peninsula and Moroccan coasts also suggests restriction to dispersal as well as the presence of refugial areas. These results highlight the utility of the COI and 18S genes in combination with morphological characters for shedding light on systematic questions in caprellids, and patterns of genetic connectivity.     

Interaction of Bovine β-Lactoglobulin and Other Bovine and Human Whey Proteins with Retinol and Fatty Acids

The interaction of bovine and human whey proteins with retinol and palmitic acid has been studied. Using gel filtration it was found that bovine β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin and serum albumin from both species bind retinol in vitro while the ability to bind palmitic acid is restricted to bovine β-lactoglobulin and bovine and human serum albumin. Using equilibrium dialysis, β-lactoglobulin was found to display two binding sites for retinol per dimeric molecule with an association constant of 1.5 × 10⁴m^-1. Competition experiments showed that when the concentration ratio between total fatty acids and retinol is similar to that found in milk, palmitic acid competes with the binding of retinol to β-lactoglobulin.     

Antioxidant and prebiotic effects of dietary fiber co-travelers from sugar Kombu in healthy rats

The edible brown seaweed sugar Kombu (Saccharina latissima) is a good source of dietary fiber (DF) and associated compounds. Besides it presents antioxidant capacity in vitro due to their sulfated polysaccharides and polyphenols. The effect of a DF-rich sugar Kombu diet on biochemical parameters and antioxidant and prebiotic effects in healthy rats was evaluated. Thus, rats were fed either a basal diet or a supplemented one with 10 % sugar Kombu for 4 weeks. Several health-promoting effects were found such as a decrease in triglycerides (TGL) and uric acid (UrA), and an increase in antioxidant status both in serum and cecum. Regarding prebiotic effect, higher cecum weight and total short chain fatty acid (SCFA) content were evidenced in the seaweed-fed group, without significant differences on total bacterial count of feces. Sugar Kombu and sulfated polysaccharides from its DF could be used as functional ingredients for further nutraceutical applications.     

Polyethylene glycol‐based low generation dendrimers functionalized with β‐cyclodextrin as cryo‐ and dehydro‐protectant of catalase formulations

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐based low generation dendrimers are analyzed as single excipient or combined with trehalose in relation to their structure and efficiency as enzyme stabilizers during freeze‐thawing, freeze‐drying, and thermal treatment. A novel functional dendrimer (DG_o‐CD) based on the known PEG's ability as cryo‐protector and β‐CD as supramolecular stabilizing agent is presented. During freeze‐thawing, PEG and β‐CD failed to prevent catalase denaturation, while dendrimers, and especially DG_o‐CD, offered the better protection to the enzyme. During freeze‐drying, trehalose was the best protective additive but DG_o‐CD provided also an adequate catalase stability showing a synergistic behavior in comparison to the activities recovered employing PEG or β‐CD as unique additives. Although all the studied dendrimers improved the enzyme remaining activity during thermal treatment of freeze‐dried formulations, the presence of amorphous trehalose was critical to enhance enzyme stability. The crystallinity of the protective matrix, either of PEG derivatives or of trehalose, negatively affected catalase stability in the freeze‐dried systems. When humidified at 52% of relative humidity, the dendrimers delayed trehalose crystallization in the combined matrices, allowing extending the protection at those conditions in which normally trehalose fails. The results show how a relatively simple covalent combination of a polymer such as PEG with β‐CD could significantly affect the properties of the individual components. Also, the results provide further insights about the role played by polymer–enzyme supramolecular interactions (host–guest crosslink, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions) on enzyme stability in dehydrated models, being the effect on the stabilization also influenced by the physical state of the matrix. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29:786–795, 2013     

From the root to the stem: interaction between the biocontrol root endophyte Pseudomonas fluorescens PICF7 and the pathogen Pseudomonas savastanoi NCPPB 3335 in olive knots

Olive knot disease, caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi, is one of the most important biotic constraints for olive cultivation. Pseudomonas fluorescens PICF7, a natural colonizer of olive roots and effective biological control agent (BCA) against Verticillium wilt of olive, was examined as potential BCA against olive knot disease. Bioassays using in vitro-propagated olive plants were carried out to assess whether strain PICF7 controlled knot development either when co-inoculated with the pathogen in stems or when the BCA (in roots) and the pathogen (in stems) were spatially separated. Results showed that PICF7 was able to establish and persist in stem tissues upon artificial inoculation. While PICF7 was not able to suppress disease development, its presence transiently decreased pathogen population size, produced less necrotic tumours, and sharply altered the localization of the pathogen in the hyperplasic tissue, which may pose epidemiological consequences. Confocal laser scanning microscopy combined with fluorescent tagging of bacteria revealed that when PICF7 was absent the pathogen tended to be localized at the knot surface. However, presence of the BCA seemed to confine P. savastanoi at inner regions of the tumours. This approach has also enabled to prove that the pathogen can moved systemically beyond the hypertrophied tissue.     

Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes of Twin Pregnancy in 23 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Background

Twin pregnancies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) pose a high risk to mothers and newborns due to inherent biological risks and scarcity of health resources. We conducted a secondary analysis of the WHO Global Survey dataset to analyze maternal and perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies and factors associated with perinatal morbidity and mortality in twins.

Methods

We examined maternal and neonatal characteristics in twin deliveries in 23 LMICs and conducted multi-level logistic regression to determine the association between twins and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Results

279,425 mothers gave birth to 276,187 (98.8%) singletons and 6,476 (1.2%) twins. Odds of severe adverse maternal outcomes (death, blood transfusion, ICU admission or hysterectomy) (AOR 1.85, 95% CI 1.60–2.14) and perinatal mortality (AOR 2.46, 95% CI 1.40–4.35) in twin pregnancies were higher, however early neonatal death (AOR 2.50, 95% CI 0.95–6.62) and stillbirth (AOR 1.22, 95% CI 0.58–2.57) did not reach significance. Amongst twins alone, maternal age <18, poor education and antenatal care, nulliparity, vaginal bleeding, non-cephalic presentations, birth weight discordance >15%, born second, preterm birth and low birthweight were associated with perinatal mortality. Marriage and caesarean section were protective.

Conclusions

Twin pregnancy is a significant risk factor for maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in low-resource settings; maternal risk and access to safe caesarean section may determine safest mode of delivery in LMICs. Improving obstetric care in twin pregnancies, particularly timely access to safe caesarean section, is required to reduce risk to mother and baby.