Effects of mycorrhizal fungi inoculation and soil amendment with hydrogel on leaf anatomy,growth and physiology performance of olive plantlets under two contrasting water regimes

Abiotic stresses present a real environmental problem in agriculture field. In our paper, we examine the significance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and soil amendment with water retaining superpolymers (hydrogel) on growth and physiology performance of olive plantlets. Our experiment was carried out in nursery conditions, to test the impact of hydrogel (TH) and mycorrhizal fungi (TM), used individually or combined (THM), and compare them with non inoculated plants (TC), to understand and reduce the water stress damage in olive plantlets (cv. Chemlali). We also evaluate interactions between hydrogel, mycorrhizal treatments and water regimes. Results of mycorrhization (M%) show that roots colonized by Rhizophagus irregularis of well-watered plants were about 40.87%. In combined treatment (THM), M% was about 32.14%. Compared to TC treatment, TM treatment enhances significantly the dry weights of the whole plant under the two water regimes. The TM treatment had the highest relative water content (66.50%) and Chl (a?+?b) (0.83 mg g^??1) in stressed conditions. We found also that under water stress, the maximal quantum efficiency of the photosystem II measurements in leaves were significantly improved by 50.70% in TH treatment compared to control. For phenolic contents, TH treatment decreased significantly total phenols by 50.10% compared to TC. Our study gives evidence that the use of AMF and the hydrogel separately or in combination may enhance the capacity to avoid drought damages of olive plantlets and improve olive performances.     

Evolution of transposable elements: an IS10 insertion increases fitness in Escherichia coli

Strains of Escherichia coli carrying Tn10, a transposon consisting of two IS10 insertion sequences flanking a segment encoding for a tetracycline-resistance determinant, gain a competitive advantage in chemostat cultures. All Tn10-bearing strains that increase in frequency during competition have a new IS10 insertion that is found in the same location in the genome of those strains. We mapped, by a gradient of transmission, the position of the new IS10 insertion. We examined 11 isolates whose IS10 insertion was deleted by recombinational crossing- over, and in all cases the competitive fitness of the isolates was decreased. These results show that the IS10-generated insertion increases fitness in chemostat cultures. We named the insertion fit::IS10 and suggest that transposable elements may speed the rate of evolution by promoting nonhomologous recombination between preexisting variations within a genome and thereby generating adaptive variation.      

Conventional Breeding and Molecular Markers for Blast Disease Resistance in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)

Monogenic lines, which carried 23 genes for blast resistance were tested and used donors to transfer resistance genes by crossing method. The results under blast nursery revealed that 9 genes from 23 genes were susceptible to highly susceptible under the three locations (Sakha, Gemmeza, and Zarzoura in Egypt); Pia, Pik, Pik-p, Piz-t, Pita, Pi b, Pi, Pi 19 and Pi 20. While, the genes Pii, Pik-s, Pik-h, Pi z, Piz-5, Pi sh, Pi 3, Pi 1, Pi 5, Pi 7, Pi 9, Pi 12, Pikm and Pita-2 were highly resistant at the same locations. Clustering analysis confirmed the results, which divided into two groups; the first one included all the susceptible genes, while the second one included the resistance genes. In the greenhouse test, the reaction pattern of five races produced 100% resistance under artificial inoculation with eight genes showing complete resistance to all isolates. The completely resistant genes: Pii, Pik-s, Piz, Piz-5 (=bi2) (t), Pita (=Pi4) (t), Pita, Pi b and Pi1 as well as clustering analysis confirmed the results. In the F₁ crosses, the results showed all the 25 crosses were resistant for leaf blast disease under field conditions. While, the results in F₂ population showed seven crosses with segregation ratio of 15 (R):1 (S), two cross gave segregated ratio of 3 R:1 S and one gave 13:3. For the identi- fication of blast resistance genes in the parental lines, the marker K3959, linked to Pik-s gene and the variety IRBLKS-F5 carry this gene, which was from the monogenic line. The results showed that four genotypes; Sakha 105, Sakha 103, Sakha 106 and IRBLKS-F5 were carrying Pik-s gene, while was absent in the Sakha 101, Sakha 104, IRBL5-M, IRBL9-W, IRBLTACP1 and IRBL9-W(R) genotypes. As for Pi 5 gene, the results showed that it was present in Sakha 103 and Sakha 104 varieties and absent in the rest of the genotypes. In addition, Pita-Pita- 2 gene was found in the three Egyptian genotypes (Sakha 105, Sakha 101 and Sakha 104) plus IRBLTACP1 monogenetic. In F2 generation, six populations were used to study the inheritance of blast resistance and specific primers to confirm the ratio and identify the resistance genes. However, the ratios in molecular markers were the same of the ratio under field evaluation in the most population studies. These findings would facilitate in breeding programs for gene pyramiding and gene accumulation to produce durable resistance for blast using those genotypes.     

Molecular evolution of the ZFY and ZNF6 gene families

Members of the ZFY and ZNF6 gene families have been cloned from species representing different taxa and different modes of sex determination. Comparisons of these genes show the ZFY-like and ZNF6 sequences to be strongly conserved across marsupials, birds, and lepidosaurians. Sequence analyzed by neighbor-joining indicated that both gene families are monophyletic with a high bootstrap value. Pairing of sequences from males and females of nonmammalian species showed there to be no significant difference between male and female sequences from a single species, consistent with autosomal locations. The molecular distances between murine Zfy-1, Zfy-2, and other ZFY-like sequences suggested that Zfy genes have undergone a period of rapid evolutionary change not seen in human ZFY.      

Bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate parotid injury in ovariectomized rats

Background aims

Parotid hypofunction causes life-disrupting effects, and there are no effective medications for xerostomia. We hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have repairing effects on parotid glands of ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Halitosis.

Bad breath, halitosis, is an unpleasant problem most people try to avoid. Physicians seem particularly adept at avoiding halitosis by referring patients with this problem to a dentist. However, halitosis may be a symptom of a serious disease. Even if a serious disorder is not present, the cause of bad breath can usually be determined and appropriate therapy given. In this article the causes of halitosis and suggestions for treatment are outlined.     

Soluble Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) Is Elevated in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Introduction

Pulmonary vascular endothelial activation has been implicated in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), yet little is known about the presence and role of endothelial activation markers in the alveolar space in ARDS. We hypothesized that endothelial activation biomarkers would be differentially expressed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with ARDS compared with healthy volunteers, and that biomarker concentrations would be associated with ARDS severity.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from 26 intubated patients with ARDS undergoing evaluation for clinically suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia and five healthy volunteers. Patients underwent bronchoalveolar lavage a median of five days after intubation. Healthy volunteers also underwent bronchoalveolar lavage. Endothelial activation biomarkers (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [sVCAM-1], soluble endothelial selectin [sESEL], angiopoietin-1 [Ang-1] and angiopoietin-2 [Ang-2]) were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Clinically suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia was confirmed with microbiologic culture data.

Results

Patients with ARDS had significantly higher median sVCAM-1 concentrations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with healthy volunteers (985 vs 119 pg/mL, p = 0.03). Additionally, there was a trend toward greater bronchoalveolar lavage fluid sVCAM-1 concentrations among patients with moderate/severe compared to mild ARDS (1395 vs 209 pg/mL, p = 0.06). We did not detect significant differences in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels of sESEL, Ang-1 or Ang-2 between patients with ARDS and healthy volunteers. Median bronchoalveolar lavage fluid biomarker levels did not differ between patients with and without microbiologically-confirmed ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Conclusions

sVCAM-1 concentrations were significantly higher in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with ARDS compared to healthy controls, and tended to be higher in moderate/severe ARDS compared to mild ARDS. Our findings add to the growing evidence supporting the concept that endothelial activation plays an important mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of ARDS. Further studies are necessary to characterize the role and/or clinical significance of sVCAM-1 and other endothelial activation markers present in the alveolar space in ARDS.     

Quantitation of plasma thiamine,related metabolites and plasma protein oxidative damage markers in children with autism spectrum disorder and healthy controls

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis: To assess thiamine and related metabolite status by analysis of plasma and urine in autistic children and healthy controls, correlations to clinical characteristics and link to plasma protein markers of oxidative damage.

Methods: 27 children with autism (21 males and 6 females) and 21 (15 males and 6 females) age-matched healthy control children were recruited. The concentration of thiamine and related phosphorylated metabolites in plasma and urine and plasma protein content of dityrosine, N-formylkynurenine and 3-nitrotyrosine was determined.

Results: Plasma thiamine and thiamine monophosphate concentrations were similar in both study groups (median [lower–upper quartile]): autistic children – 6.60?nM (4.48–8.91) and 7.00?nM (5.51–8.55), and healthy controls – 6.82?nM (4.47–7.02) and 6.82?nM (5.84–8.91), respectively. Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) was decreased 24% in autistic children compared to healthy controls: 6.82?nM (5.81–8.52) versus 9.00?nM (8.41–10.71), p?<?.01. Urinary excretion of thiamine and fractional renal clearance of thiamine did not change between the groups. No correlation was observed between clinical markers and the plasma and urine thiamine concentration. Plasma protein dityrosine content was increased 88% in ASD. Other oxidative markers were unchanged.

Conclusions/interpretation: Autistic children had normal plasma and urinary thiamine levels whereas plasma TPP concentration was decreased. The latter may be linked to abnormal tissue handling and/or absorption from gut microbiota of TPP which warrants further investigation. Increased plasma protein dityrosine may reflect increased dual oxidase activity in response to change in mucosal immunity and host–microbe homeostasis.