A new species of Hyphessobrycon Durbin (Characiformes: Characidae) from the western Amazon basin in Colombia and Peru

Hyphessobrycon chiribiquete n. sp. is described from the Río Caquetá drainage in Colombia and the Río Ucayali drainage in Peru, western Amazon. The new species is diagnosed from its congeners by having the following combination of characters: a conspicuous narrow midlateral stripe, starting on the sides of the body behind the opercle near the lateral line; lateral stripe overlapped anteriorly with a vertically elongated humeral blotch; inner premaxillary teeth pentacuspid; margin of anal fin falcate in mature males.     

The hylEfm gene in pHylEfm of Enterococcus faecium is not required in pathogenesis of murine peritonitis

Background  

Plasmids containing hyl _Efm (pHyl_Efm) were previously shown to increase gastrointestinal colonization and lethality of Enterococcus faecium in experimental peritonitis. The hyl _Efm gene, predicting a glycosyl hydrolase, has been considered as a virulence determinant of hospital-associated E. faecium, although its direct contribution to virulence has not been investigated. Here, we constructed mutants of the hyl _Efm -region and we evaluated their effect on virulence using a murine peritonitis model.     

Formation of N-Ethylmaleimide (NEM)-Glutathione Conjugate and N-Ethylmaleamic Acid Revealed by Mass Spectral Characterization of Intracellular and Extracellular Microbial Metabolites of NEM

The extracellular and intracellular metabolites formed upon exposure of activated sludge microorganisms to a sublethal concentration of N-ethylmaleimide were monitored by liquid chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry. The metabolite N-ethylsuccinimido-S-glutathione (m/z 433) was converted rapidly to N-(2-oxoethyl)-2,2-(propionylamino)propanamide (m/z 187) and N-ethylmaleamic acid (m/z 144).     

Genome sequence of the obligate intracellular animal pathogen Chlamydia pecorum E58

Chlamydia pecorum is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that causes diverse disease in a wide variety of economically important mammals. We report the finished complete genome sequence of C. pecorum E58, the type strain for the species.     

SINC,a type III secreted protein of Chlamydia psittaci,targets the inner nuclear membrane of infected cells and uninfected neighbors

SINC, a new type III secreted protein of the avian and human pathogen Chlamydia psittaci, uniquely targets the nuclear envelope of C. psittaci–infected cells and uninfected neighboring cells. Digitonin-permeabilization studies of SINC-GFP–transfected HeLa cells indicate that SINC targets the inner nuclear membrane. SINC localization at the nuclear envelope was blocked by importazole, confirming SINC import into the nucleus. Candidate partners were identified by proximity to biotin ligase-fused SINC in HEK293 cells and mass spectrometry (BioID). This strategy identified 22 candidates with high confidence, including the nucleoporin ELYS, lamin B1, and four proteins (emerin, MAN1, LAP1, and LBR) of the inner nuclear membrane, suggesting that SINC interacts with host proteins that control nuclear structure, signaling, chromatin organization, and gene silencing. GFP-SINC association with the native LEM-domain protein emerin, a conserved component of nuclear “lamina” structure, or with a complex containing emerin was confirmed by GFP pull down. Our findings identify SINC as a novel bacterial protein that targets the nuclear envelope with the capability of globally altering nuclear envelope functions in the infected host cell and neighboring uninfected cells. These properties may contribute to the aggressive virulence of C. psittaci.     

Spatially and temporally varying selection on intrapopulation quantitative trait loci for a life history trade-off in Mimulus guttatus

Why do populations remain genetically variable despite strong continuous natural selection? Mutation reconstitutes variation eliminated by selection and genetic drift, but theoretical and experimental studies each suggest that mutation‐selection balance insufficient to explain extant genetic variation in most complex traits. The alternative hypothesis of balancing selection, wherein selection maintains genetic variation, is an aggregate of multiple mechanisms (spatial and temporal heterogeneity in selection, frequency‐dependent selection, antagonistic pleiotropy, etc.). Most of these mechanisms have been demonstrated for Mendelian traits, but there is little comparable data for loci affecting quantitative characters. Here, we report a 3‐year field study of selection on intrapopulation quantitative trait loci (QTL) of flower size, a highly polygenic trait in Mimulus guttatus. The QTL exhibit antagonistic pleiotropy: alleles that increase flower size, reduce viability, but increase fecundity. The magnitude and direction of selection fluctuates yearly and on a spatial scale of metres. This study provides direct evidence of balancing selection mechanisms on QTL of an ecologically relevant trait.