Pathogenic effects of bacteria isolated from larvae of Hylesia metabus Crammer (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Hylesia metabus larvae are susceptible to several pathogens indigenous to the area in which they are found. Some larvae show symptoms characteristic of bacterial infection; they become flaccid and lethargic, and show a marked loss of appetite. We isolated and identified 29 bacterial strains from live, dead and experimentally infected H. metabus larvae, and evaluated their pathogenic activity. The bacteria which caused mortality in the larvae were: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (60-93.3%), Proteus vulgaris (20%), Alcaligenes faecalis, Planococcus sp. and Bacillus megaterium (10%), at doses of 3-4 x 10(7). Although P. aeruginosa is a well-known insect pathogen, this is the first report of its pathogenic activity on H. metabus. The potential risk to humans and low virulence make it unlikely that P. aeruginosa could be used in an augmentative biological control programme. However its natural incidence may be enhanced using parasites and predators of H. metabus as carriers.     

Mechanisms of Action of Carbamazepine and Its Derivatives,Oxcarbazepine, BIA 2-093, and BIA 2-024

Carbamazepine (CBZ) has been extensively used in the treatment of epilepsy, as well as in the treatment of neuropathic pain and affective disorders. However, the mechanisms of action of this drug are not completely elucidated and are still a matter of debate. Since CBZ is not very effective in some epileptic patients and may cause several adverse effects, several antiepileptic drugs have been developed by structural variation of CBZ, such as oxcarbazepine (OXC), which is used in the treatment of epilepsy since 1990. (S)-(–)-10-acetoxy-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-5-carboxamide (BIA 2-093) and 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxyimino-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-5-carboxamide (BIA 2-024), which were recently developed by BIAL, are new putative antiepileptic drugs, with some improved properties. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms of action of CBZ and its derivatives, OXC, BIA 2-093 and BIA 2-024. The available data indicate that the anticonvulsant efficacy of these AEDs is mainly due to the inhibition of sodium channel activity.     

Transgenic and knock-out mouse pups: the growing need for behavioral analysis

Few laboratories working with transgenic and knock-out mice analyze the neurobehavioral consequences of genetic manipulation in early ontogeny. However, the study of behavioral endpoints during the early postnatal period in genetically modified mice is important not only to assess possible developmental abnormalities, but also to better understand and disentangle the effects of genetic manipulations in adulthood. We propose that the assessment of neurobehavioral development represents an appropriate strategy to identify possible compensatory and/or unexpected effects. Nowadays, a large number of experimental protocols that take into account the practical constraints imposed by the peculiar physiological and behavioral responses of an immature subject are available to assess the neurobehavioral profile of developing mice. While this knowledge should be applied to the field of transgenic and knock-out mice in general, it should be recommended, in particular, for the study of mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders.     

Development of symbionts in triatomine bugs and the effects of infections with trypanosomatids

In the intestinal tract of fifth instars of the hematophagous reduviid bugs Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma infestans blood ingestion induced an initial decrease of the concentration of the respective symbiotic bacteria Rhodococcus rhodnii and Nocardia sp. and then within 10 days a 15- or 18-fold increase of the total population/bug to about 0.8 x 10(9) colony-forming units in R. prolixus and 1.8 x 10(9) colony-forming units in T. infestans. About 95-99% of the total populations of both symbionts developed in the anterior midgut regions, i.e., cardia and stomach. The passage from the blood-storing stomach to the digesting small intestine caused a considerable breakdown of symbiont populations, and only about 0.01% of the total population was present in the rectum. These were excreted mainly within 4 h after a blood meal. After infection with three species of trypanosomatids, R. rhodnii, the symbiont of R. prolixus, was affected by Trypanosoma rangeli, but not by Blastocrithidia triatomae or Trypanosoma cruzi. On the other hand, in T. infestans the concentration of Nocardia sp. was reduced after infection with B. triatomae, but not by T. rangeli nor T. cruzi. In long-term B. triatomae-infected T. infestans, this reduction and a reduced diuretic activity after feeding synergistically lowered the symbiont concentration in the singly deposited feces/urine drops drastically compared to uninfected controls. These data strongly support the theory of the mechanisms of pathogenicity of T. rangeli and B. triatomae for R. prolixus and T. infestans, respectively, that the primal point of attack is the host-specific symbiont, R. rhodnii and Nocardia sp., respectively.     

Interactions between planktonic microalgae and protozoan grazers

For an algal bloom to develop, the growth rate of the bloom-forming species must exceed the sum of all loss processes. Among these loss processes, grazing is generally believed to be one of the more important factors. Based on numerous field studies, it is now recognized that microzooplankton are dominant consumers of phytoplankton in both open ocean and coastal waters. Heterotrophic protists, a major component of microzooplankton communities, constitute a vast complex of diverse feeding strategies and behavior which allow them access to even the larger phytoplankton species. A number of laboratory studies have shown the capability of different protistan species to feed and grow on bloom-forming algal species. Because of short generation times, their ability for fast reaction to short-term variation in food conditions enables phagotrophic protists to fulfill the function of a heterotrophic buffer, which might balance the flow of matter in case of phytoplankton blooms. The importance of grazing as a control of microalgae becomes most apparent by its failure; if community grazing controls initial stages of bloom development, there simply is no bloom. However, if a certain algal species is difficult to graze, e.g. due to specific defense mechanisms, reduced grazing pressure will certainly favor bloom development. The present contribution will provide a general overview on the interactions between planktonic microalgae and protozoan grazers with special emphasis on species-specific interactions and algal defense strategies against protozoan grazers.     

ATP Synthases in the Year 2000: Defining the Different Levels of Mechanism and Getting a Grip on Each

ATP synthases are unusually complex molecules, which fractionate most readily into two major units, one a water soluble unit called F₁ and the other a detergent soluble unit called F₀. In almost all known species the F₁ unit consists of 5 subunit types in the stoichiometric ratio ₃₃ while the F₀ unit contains 3 subunit types (a, b, and c) in E. coli, and at least 10 subunit types (a, b, c, and others) in higher animals. It is now believed by many investigators that during the synthesis of ATP, protons derived from an electrochemical gradient generated by an electron transport chain are directed through the F₀ unit in such a way as to drive the rotation of the single subunit, which extends from an oligomeric ring of at least 10 c subunits in F₀ through the center of F₁. It is further believed by many that the rotating subunit, by interacting sequentially with the 3 pairs of F₁ (360° cycle) in the presence of ADP, P_i, and Mg⁺⁺, brings about via power strokes conformational/binding changes in these subunits that promote the synthesis of ATP and its release on each pair. In support of these views, studies in several laboratories either suggest or demonstrate that F₀ consists in part of a proton gradient driven motor while F₁ consists of an ATP hydrolysis driven motor, and that the subunit does rotate during F₁ function. Therefore, current implications are that during ATP synthesis the former motor drives the latter in reverse via the subunit. This would suggest that the process of understanding the mechanism of ATP synthases can be subdivided into three major levels, which include elucidating those chemical and/or biophysical events involved in (1) inducing rotation of the subunit, (2) coupling rotation of this subunit to conformational/binding changes in each of the 3 pairs, and (3) forming ATP and water (from ADP, P_i, and Mg⁺⁺) and then releasing these products from each of the 3 catalytic sites. Significantly, it is at the final level of mechanism where the bond breaking/making events of ATP synthesis occur in the transition state, with the former two levels of mechanism setting the stage for this critical payoff event. Nevertheless, in order to get a better grip in this new century on how ATP synthases make ATP and then release it, we must take on the difficult challenge of elucidating each of the three levels of mechanism.     

欧亚类禽猪流感病毒病原学研究进展

欧亚类禽猪流感病毒被认为是引起下次流感大流行可能性最大的动物流感病毒之一。1979年,第一次在猪群中分离到欧亚类禽猪流感病毒,该病毒随后在欧洲流行。欧亚类禽猪流感病毒从2005年起在我国猪群中广泛存在,偶尔可突破种属屏障感染人;在江苏、河北和湖南等地区已出现人感染欧亚类禽猪流感病毒,由此对公共卫生和生猪养殖业均有一定的威胁和影响。本文综述了欧亚类禽猪流感病毒的流行情况、病原学特征及其相关致病分子机制研究进展,旨在为欧亚类禽猪流感病毒的风险评估提供科学依据。     

临床常见G-致病菌的种类及耐药性的研究

目的:调查我院常见G—致病菌的种类及其对目前常用抗生素的耐药现状,为临床医生合理选用抗生素提供数据资料。方法:从3286个样本中分离到742株G—致病菌,用全自动微生物分析仪--VITEK 32进行菌种鉴定及药敏实验。结果:742株G—致病菌经鉴定属于14大类,其中铜绿假单胞菌,170株,占22．91％;大肠埃希氏菌,145株,占19．54％;鲍曼不动杆菌,100株,占13,48％;产酸克雷伯菌,84株,占11．32％;其它10种G—致病菌所占的比例均小于8％。鲍曼不动杆菌、嗜麦芽假单胞菌、产气肠杆菌三种菌对检测的17种抗生素中的极少数敏感。在对17种抗生素的耐药性实验中,药效普遍较差的抗生素为:替卡西林、头孢呋辛、头孢噻吩三者的平均药敏感率依次为:20．72％、17.21％和11．71％。结论:临床G—致病菌的耐药性问题已非常严峻,降低G—致病菌的耐药性和控制其传播以迫在眉睫。