Quick methods for evaluating survival of age-characterizable long-lived territorial birds

Survival is a key life-history trait in animals. However, most methods of survival estimation require substantial human and economic investment in the long term, particularly in species occurring in low densities, the case of most endangered species. An alternative to traditional recapture (CR) methods is estimation of adult survival based indirectly on either age ratios (AGR) or turnover rates (TOR) in territorial species. These 2 methods are applicable to bird species in which recruited individuals enter into the breeding population whilst still exhibiting the external traits that distinguish those animals from experienced adults. The main advantages of these methods are that survival can be easily estimated for all monitored individuals after just 1 or 2 breeding seasons and that disturbance to the species is minimized. The main constraints of indirect methods are that the assumptions are more restrictive than in CR methods, and survival estimates, although comparable between sites and years, may be biased. We used data from a long-term monitoring survey of 2 populations of the endangered Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), one in Catalonia (NE Spain) and the other in Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon (SE France). We evaluated survival estimates using the AGR and TOR methods and compared them with CR methods and provide suitable corrections for refining survival estimates based on indirect methods. In Catalonia (2002–2008), survival was estimated at 0.84 by CR methods (SE = 0.047; n = 25 radio tagged eagles), at 0.86 by the corrected AGR method (SE = 0.011; n = 558 bird * year), and at 0.86 by the corrected TOR method (SE = 0.022; n = 547 bird * year). In France (1999–2008), survival was estimated at 0.88 by CR methods (SE = 0.040; n = 45 darvic banded eagles), at 0.87 by the corrected AGR method (SE = 0.015; n = 443 bird * year), and at 0.87 by the corrected TOR method (SE = 0.015; n = 438 bird * year). All analyses suggest that females survive better than males and that individuals from the French population survive better than individuals from the Catalan population. We conclude that indirect methods, which should not be regarded as a substitute of CR methods, will allow wildlife managers and researchers to estimate accurately adult survival in a territorial species over a short period of time and to monitor survival across populations over large geographic ranges and over time. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Human recombinant domain antibodies against multiple sclerosis antigenic peptide CSF114(Glc)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic auto‐immune disease characterized by a damage to the myelin component of the central nervous system. Self‐antigens created by aberrant glycosylation have been described to be a key component in the formation of auto‐antibodies. CSF114(Glc) is a synthetic glucopeptide detecting in vitro MS‐specific auto‐antibodies, and it is actively used in diagnostics and research to monitor and quantify MS‐associated Ig levels. We reasoned that antibodies raised against this probe could have been relevant for MS. We therefore screened a human Domain Antibody library against CSF114(Glc) using magnetic separation as a panning method. We obtained and described several clones, and the one with the highest signals was produced as a 6×His‐tagged protein to properly study the binding properties as a soluble antibody. By surface plasmon resonance measurements, we evidenced that our clone recognized CSF114(Glc) with high affinity and specific for the glucosylated peptide. Kinetic parameters of peptide–clone interaction were calculated obtaining a value of K_D in the nanomolar range. Harboring a human framework, this antibody should be very well tolerated by human immune system and may represent a valuable tool for MS diagnosis and therapy, paving the way to new research strategies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LINE-1 methylation in granulocyte DNA and trihalomethane exposure is associated with bladder cancer risk

DNA methylation changes contribute to bladder carcinogenesis. Trihalomethanes (THM), a class of disinfection by-products, are associated with increased urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) risk. THM exposure in animal models produces DNA hypomethylation. We evaluated the relationship of LINE-1 5-methylcytosine levels (LINE-1%5mC) as outcome of long-term THM exposure among controls and as an effect modifier in the association between THM exposure and UBC risk. We used a case-control study of UBC conducted in Spain. We obtained personal lifetime residential THM levels and measured LINE-1%5mC by pyrosequencing in granulocyte DNA from blood samples in 548 incident cases and 559 hospital controls. Two LINE-1%5mC clusters (above and below 64%) were identified through unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis. The association between THM levels and LINE-1%5mC was evaluated with β regression analyses and logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) adjusting for covariables. LINE-1%5mC change between percentiles 75^th and 25^th of THM levels was 1.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.1, 3.4%) among controls. THM levels above vs. below the median (26 μg/L) were associated with increased UBC risk, OR = 1.86 (95% CI: 1.25, 2.75), overall and among subjects with low levels of LINE-1%5mC (n = 975), OR = 2.14 (95% CI: 1.39, 3.30), but not associated with UBC risk among subjects’ high levels of LINE-1%5mC (n = 162), interaction P = 0.03. Results suggest a positive association between LINE-1%5mC and THM levels among controls, and LINE-1%5mC status may modify the association between UBC risk and THM exposure. Because reverse causation and chance cannot be ruled out, confirmation studies are warranted.     

Hexanoic acid protects tomato plants against Botrytis cinerea by priming defence responses and reducing oxidative stress

Treatment with the resistance priming inducer hexanoic acid (Hx) protects tomato plants from Botrytis cinerea by activating defence responses. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying hexanoic acid‐induced resistance (Hx‐IR), we compared the expression profiles of three different conditions: Botrytis‐infected plants (Inf), Hx‐treated plants (Hx) and Hx‐treated + infected plants (Hx+Inf). The microarray analysis at 24 h post‐inoculation showed that Hx and Hx+Inf plants exhibited the differential expression and priming of many Botrytis‐induced genes. Interestingly, we found that the activation by Hx of other genes was not altered by the fungus at this time point. These genes may be considered to be specific targets of the Hx priming effect and may help to elucidate its mechanisms of action. It is noteworthy that, in Hx and Hx+Inf plants, there was up‐regulation of proteinase inhibitor genes, DNA‐binding factors, enzymes involved in plant hormone signalling and synthesis, and, remarkably, the genes involved in oxidative stress. Given the relevance of the oxidative burst occurring in plant–pathogen interactions, the effect of Hx on this process was studied in depth. We showed by specific staining that reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in Hx+Inf plants was reduced and more restricted around infection sites. In addition, these plants showed higher ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione and ascorbate, and normal levels of antioxidant activities. The results obtained indicate that Hx protects tomato plants from B. cinerea by regulating and priming Botrytis‐specific and non‐specific genes, preventing the harmful effects of oxidative stress produced by infection.     

IFNL4 ss469415590 Variant Shows Similar Performance to rs12979860 as Predictor of Response to Treatment against Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 or 4 in Caucasians

Objectives

The rs12979860 variant, linked to IL28B gene, predicts sustained viral response (SVR) to pegylated-interferon/ribavirin (pegIFN/RBV) therapy in Hepatitis C Virus genotype 1 or 4 (HCV-1/4)-infected patients. Recently, a functional variant, ss469415590, in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs12979860, has been discovered. Our objective was to assess the value of ss469415590 to predict SVR to pegIFN/RBV in Caucasian HCV-1/4-infected individuals and to compare its performance with that of rs12979860.

Methods

272 Caucasian HCV-1/4-infected patients who completed a course of pegIFN/RBV were genotyped for both rs12979860 and ss469415590 markers. Logistic regression models including factors with univariate association with SVR and each genetic marker were elaborated. The area under the receiver operating-characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated for each model and both were compared.

Results

Both markers were in LD (r² = 0.82). For rs12979860, 66 (64.0%) CC versus 56 (33.1%) T allele carriers achieved SVR (Adjusted OR = 4.156, 95%CI = 2.388–7.232, p = 4.647×10⁻⁷). For ss469415590, 66 (66.0%) TT/TT versus 56 (32.5%) –G allele carriers (Adjusted OR = 4.783, 95%CI = 2.714–8.428, p = 6.153×10⁻⁸) achieved SVR. The AUROC of the model including rs12979860 was 0.742 (95%CI = 0.672–0.813) and of that based on ss469415590 was 0.756 (95%CI = 0.687–0.826) (p = 0.780).

Conclusions

The ss469415590 variant shows an equivalent performance to predict SVR to pegIFN/RBV than the rs2979860 in Caucasian HCV-1/4-infected patients.     

DNA barcoding and minibarcoding as a powerful tool for feather mite studies

Feather mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) are among the most abundant and commonly occurring bird ectosymbionts. Basic questions on the ecology and evolution of feather mites remain unanswered because feather mite species identification is often only possible for adult males, and it is laborious even for specialized taxonomists, thus precluding large‐scale identifications. Here, we tested DNA barcoding as a useful molecular tool to identify feather mites from passerine birds. Three hundred and sixty‐one specimens of 72 species of feather mites from 68 species of European passerine birds from Russia and Spain were barcoded. The accuracy of barcoding and minibarcoding was tested. Moreover, threshold choice (a controversial issue in barcoding studies) was also explored in a new way, by calculating through simulations the effect of sampling effort (in species number and species composition) on threshold calculations. We found one 200‐bp minibarcode region that showed the same accuracy as the full‐length barcode (602 bp) and was surrounded by conserved regions potentially useful for group‐specific degenerate primers. Species identification accuracy was perfect (100%) but decreased when singletons or species of the Proctophyllodes pinnatus group were included. In fact, barcoding confirmed previous taxonomic issues within the P. pinnatus group. Following an integrative taxonomy approach, we compared our barcode study with previous taxonomic knowledge on feather mites, discovering three new putative cryptic species and validating three previous morphologically different (but still undescribed) new species.     

Modeling interaction between gp120 HIV protein and CCR5 receptor

The study of the process of HIV entry into the host cell and the creation of biomimetic nanosystems that are able to selectively bind viral particles and proteins is a high priority research area for the development of novel diagnostic tools and treatment of HIV infection. Recently, we described multilayer nanoparticles (nanotraps) with heparin surface and cationic peptides comprising the N‐terminal tail (Nt) and the second extracellular loop (ECL2) of CCR5 receptor, which could bind with high affinity some inflammatory chemokines, in particular, Rantes. Because of the similarity of the binding determinants in CCR5 structure, both for chemokines and gp120 HIV protein, here we expand this approach to the study of the interactions of these biomimetic nanosystems and their components with the peptide representing the V3 loop of the activated form of gp120. According to surface plasmon resonance results, a conformational rearrangement is involved in the process of V3 and CCR5 fragments binding. As in the case of Rantes, ECL2 peptide showed much higher affinity to V3 peptide than Nt (K_D = 3.72 × 10^?8 and 1.10 × 10^?6 M, respectively). Heparin‐covered nanoparticles bearing CCR5 peptides effectively bound V3 as well. The presence of both heparin and the peptides in the structure of the nanotraps was shown to be crucial for the interaction with the V3 loop. Thus, short cationic peptides ECL2 and Nt proved to be excellent candidates for the design of CCR5 receptor mimetics.     

HERC1 Ubiquitin Ligase Is Required for Normal Axonal Myelination in the Peripheral Nervous System

A missense mutation in HERC1 provokes loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells, tremor, and unstable gait in tambaleante (tbl) mice. Recently, we have shown that before cerebellar degeneration takes place, the tbl mouse suffers from a reduction in the number of vesicles available for release at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). The aim of the present work was to study to which extent the alteration in HERC1 may affect other cells in the nervous system and how this may influence the motor dysfunction observed in these mice. The functional analysis showed a consistent delay in the propagation of the action potential in mutant mice in comparison with control littermates. Morphological analyses of glial cells in motor axons revealed signs of compact myelin damage as tomacula and local hypermyelination foci. Moreover, we observed an alteration in non-myelinated terminal Schwann cells at the level of the NMJ. Additionally, we found a significant increment of phosphorylated Akt-2 in the sciatic nerve. Based on these findings, we propose a molecular model that could explain how mutated HERC1 in tbl mice affects the myelination process in the peripheral nervous system. Finally, since the myelin abnormalities found in tbl mice are histological hallmarks of neuropathic periphery diseases, tbl mutant mice could be considered as a new mouse model for this type of diseases.     

Association Between Suicide and Environmental Variables in the North of Spain: A 14-Year Analysis

Suicide is a serious public health problem around the world. Since the nineteenth century, the impact of socio-environmental factors on suicide has attracted much public attention, especially in the context of global climate change. We have performed a retrospective correlation study that analyzes the demographic pattern of suicide in Cantabria, a northern coastland region of Spain. Moreover, we have created a multivariable binomial regression model to study the relationship between suicide and environmental factors (atmospheric pollutants and meteorological variables) among January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2013 in the province. During the 14-year study period, there was a suicide annual incidence of 4.9 cases per 100,000 population in Cantabria. The incidence was highest in adults aged 70–74 years old (11.8 per 100,000 population). The most common method group of suicide was hanging, strangulation and suffocation, accounting for 49.3% of all suicide deaths. When correlating suicide and meteorological variables, a statistically significant association was found with the level of cloudiness (p?=?0.007). According to our results, an increase of one eighth of sky cloud-cover correlated to a 7% increase in total deaths by suicide and the association was especially strong during spring.