Efficacy of some medicinal plant extracts and essential oils against Colorado potato beetle,Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say is one of the most important defoliator pests of potato in the world and it often causes extremely large potato yield losses. Potatoes are the preferred hosts for the pest, but it may feed and reproduce on a number of other plants in the Solanaceae family. Public concern related to pesticides and their residues in and on the foods had prompted a rise of consumer interest in organically produced foods. There have been growing efforts to detect and introduce suitable plant compounds that they have insecticidal properties. However, discovering of plant extracts for possible use in control of this pest requires more studying about plant extracts and compounds. Since resistance of CPB to common chemical insecticides is well documented and potato is one of the most prominent nutritious food products for many people in many countries, we examined the effect of essential oils (EOs) of European pennyroyal, lavander, mint, oregano and savory and methanolic extracts of fumitory, licorice and oregano on the pest. These plants were selected because they have medicinal properties and they are safe to human and environment. Adult CPBs were exposed to mentioned plant extracts and essential oils. LC₅₀ values for EOs of lavander and European pennyroyal were 4154 and 3561 ppm, respectively. The results demonstrated that essential oil of European pennyroyal (Mentha longifolia) would be suitable compound to control the pest, but essential oil of mint (Mentha spicata) was not effective against the pest. Also it is notable that at all treatments, the amount of adult feeding was very low.     

Effects of sphingolipids overload on red blood cell properties in Gaucher disease

Gaucher disease (GD) is a genetic disease with mutations in the GBA gene that encodes glucocerebrosidase causing complications such as anaemia and bone disease. GD is characterized by accumulation of the sphingolipids (SL) glucosylceramide (GL1), glucosylsphingosine (Lyso‐GL1), sphingosine (Sph) and sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P). These SL are increased in the plasma of GD patients and the associated complications have been attributed to the accumulation of lipids in macrophages. Our recent findings indicated that red blood cells (RBCs) and erythroid progenitors may play an important role in GD pathophysiology. RBCs abnormalities and dyserythropoiesis have been observed in GD patients. Moreover, we showed higher SL levels in the plasma and in RBCs from untreated GD patients compared with controls. In this study, we quantified SL in 16 untreated GD patients and 15 patients treated with enzyme replacement therapy. Our results showed that the treatment significantly decreases SL levels in the plasma and RBCs. The increased SL content in RBCs correlates with abnormal RBC properties and with markers of disease activity. Because RBCs lack glucocerebrosidase activity, we investigated how lipid overload could occur in these cells. Our results suggested that SL overload in RBCs occurs both during erythropoiesis and during its circulation in the plasma.     

Structural Organization of the Mouse and Human GALR1 Galanin Receptor Genes (GalnrandGALNR) and Chromosomal Localization of the Mouse Gene

The neuropeptide galanin elicits a range of biological effects by interaction with specific G-protein-coupled receptors. Human and rat GALR1 galanin receptor cDNA clones have previously been isolated using expression cloning. We have used the human GALR1 cDNA in hybridization screening to isolate the gene encoding GALR1 in both human (GALNR) and mouse (Galnr). The gene spans approximately 15–20 kb in both species; its structural organization is conserved and is unique among G-protein-coupled receptors. The coding sequence is contained on three exons, with exon 1 encoding the N-terminal end of the receptor and the first five transmembrane domains. Exon 2 encodes the third intracellular loop, while exon 3 encodes the remainder of the receptor, from transmembrane domain 6 to the C-terminus of the receptor protein. The mouse and human GALR1 receptor proteins are 348 and 349 amino acids long, respectively, and display 93% identity at the amino acid level. The mouseGalnrgene has been localized to Chromosome 18E4, homoeologous with the previously reported localization of the humanGALNRgene to 18q23 in the same syntenic group as the genes encoding nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1, and myelin basic protein.     

Synthesis and Properties of Oligonucleotide (2-Aminoethyl)Phosphonates

Abstract

Oligonucleotides with novel, cationic backbone substituents have been prepared. Dinucleotide aminoethylphosphonates have been synthesized and the isomers were separated and used to prepare oligonucleotides with alternating positive and negative charges. The properties of these oligonucleotides have been examined.     

Host range of Ceutorhynchus assimilis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a candidate for biological control of Lepidium draba (Brassicaceae) in the USA

Ceutorhynchus assimilis has been selected as a potential biological control agent of Lepidium draba, which is a Eurasian invasive weed in North America. Preliminary studies indicated specificity of this weevil collected in southern France on L. draba. This result was in discord with the pest status of C. assimilis found in the literature. Host-specificity tests based both on field and laboratory experiments showed heterogeneity in the host spectrum of the weevils reared from different host-plants as determined by larval development. However, no distinguishable morphological differences could be visually detected between the populations feeding on different host-plants. All sampled populations of weevils were polyphagous as adults. Weevils reared from L. draba were specific to this plant for their complete larval development. Conversely, populations living on other wild and cultivated Brassicaceae species were not able to use L. draba as a host plant. Such differentiation is further highlighted by other biological aspects such as plant infestation rates, sex-ratio, duration of larval development, and differences in the timing of their life cycles. These results demonstrate that C. assimilis, an insect species formerly considered as a pest of Brassicaceae, is characterized by its host-range variability, with one population being potentially useful in the biological control of L. draba. Moreover, this example points to the need to test multiple populations of biological control agents in assessing risk.     

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici causal agent of vascular wilt disease of tomato: Biology to diversity– A review

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is one of the widely grown vegetables worldwide. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) is the significant contributory pathogen of tomato vascular wilt. The initial symptoms of the disease appear in the lower leaves gradually, trail by wilting of the plants. It has been reported that FOL penetrates the tomato plant, colonizing and leaving the vascular tissue dark brown, and this discoloration extends to the apex, leading to the plants wilting, collapsing and dying. Therefore, it has been widely accepted that wilting caused by this fungus is the result of a combination of various physiological activities, including the accumulation of fungal mycelia in and around xylem, mycotoxin production, inactivation of host defense, and the production of tyloses; however, wilting symptoms are variable. Therefore, the selection of molecular markers may be a more effective means of screening tomato races. Several studies on the detection of FOL have been carried out and have suggested the potency of the technique for diagnosing FOL. This review focuses on biology and variability of FOL, understanding and presenting a holistic picture of the vascular wilt disease of tomato in relation to disease model, biology, virulence. We conclude that genomic and proteomic approachesare greater tools for identification of informative candidates involved in pathogenicity, which can be considered as one of the approaches in managing the disease.     

Manufacturing of Three-dimensionally Microstructured Nanocomposites through Microfluidic Infiltration

Microstructured composite beams reinforced with complex three-dimensionally (3D) patterned nanocomposite microfilaments are fabricated via nanocomposite infiltration of 3D interconnected microfluidic networks. The manufacturing of the reinforced beams begins with the fabrication of microfluidic networks, which involves layer-by-layer deposition of fugitive ink filaments using a dispensing robot, filling the empty space between filaments using a low viscosity resin, curing the resin and finally removing the ink. Self-supported 3D structures with other geometries and many layers (e.g. a few hundreds layers) could be built using this method. The resulting tubular microfluidic networks are then infiltrated with thermosetting nanocomposite suspensions containing nanofillers (e.g. single-walled carbon nanotubes), and subsequently cured. The infiltration is done by applying a pressure gradient between two ends of the empty network (either by applying a vacuum or vacuum-assisted microinjection). Prior to the infiltration, the nanocomposite suspensions are prepared by dispersing nanofillers into polymer matrices using ultrasonication and three-roll mixing methods. The nanocomposites (i.e. materials infiltrated) are then solidified under UV exposure/heat cure, resulting in a 3D-reinforced composite structure. The technique presented here enables the design of functional nanocomposite macroscopic products for microengineering applications such as actuators and sensors.     

Increasing maternal age of blastocyst affects on efficient derivation and behavior of mouse embryonic stem cells

Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) have the capability to undergo unlimited cell division and differentiate into derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers. These fundamental features enable mESCs to potentially be appropriate, efficient models for biological and medical research. Therefore, it is essential to produce high-performance mESCs. In the current study, we have produced mESCs from blastocysts that developed from fertilized oocytes of 2 (2-C57)-, 4 (4-C57)-, and 6 (6-C57)-month-old C57BL/6 mice. A comparison of isolated stem cells was done from the viewpoint of the efficiency of mESC derivation, self-renewal, and their differentiation capacity. All generated mESCs showed a similar expression of the molecular markers protein of pluripotency and AP activity. In the 3i medium, there was a significant decrease in undifferentiated marker genes expression in the 2-C57 cells compared with the other two groups ( P < 0.05) but developmental genes significantly increased in the 4-C57 and 6-C57 cells compared with the 2-C57 cells ( P < 0.05). The differentiation capacity into three germ layers through the embryoid body formation and percentage of cell lines with normal numbers of chromosomes reduced with increased maternal age. The highest DT and highest percentage of cells in the S phase belonged to 2-C57 cells. These data demonstrated that blastocysts which developed from fertilized oocytes of 2-, 4-, and 6-month-old C57BL/6 mice can generate pluripotent stem cells, and suggested that both the efficiency of mESC isolation and the behavior of these isolated mESCs including pluripotency, self-renewal, cell cycle, and DT changed with increasing maternal age.