Effects of ocean acidification on different life-cycle stages of the kelp Laminaria hyperborea (Phaeophyceae), link to supplementary data

Our objective for this study was to evaluate the influence of preindustrial and expected future atmospheric CO2 concentrations (280 µatm and 700 µatm pCO2, respectively) on different life-cycle stages of the kelp Laminaria hyperborea from Helgoland (Germany, North Sea). Zoospore germination, gametogenesis, vegetative growth, sorus formation and photosynthetic performance of vegetative and fertile tissue were examined. The contribution of external carbonic anhydrase (exCA) to C-supply for net-photosynthesis (net-PS) and the Chla- and phlorotannin content were investigated. Female gametogenesis and vegetative growth of sporophytes were significantly enhanced under the expected future pCO2. rETR(max) and net-PS of young vegetative sporophytes tended to increase performance at higher pCO2. The trend towards elevated net-PS vanished after inhibition of exCA. In vegetative sporophytes, phlorotannin content and Chla content were not significantly affected by pCO2.

Soldier caste-specific gene expression in the mandibular glands of Hodotermopsis japonica (Isoptera: Termopsidae)

Although “polymorphic castes” in social insects are well known as one of the most important phenomena of polyphenism, few studies of caste-specific gene expressions have been performed in social insects. To identify genes specifically expressed in the soldier caste of the Japanese damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis japonica, we employed the differential-display method using oligo(dT) and arbitrary primers, compared mRNA from the heads of mature soldiers and pseudergates (worker caste), and identified a clone (PCR product) 329 bp in length termed SOL1. Northern blot analysis showed that the SOL1 mRNA is about 1.0 kb in length and is expressed specifically in mature soldiers, but not in pseudergates, even in the presoldier induction by juvenile hormone analogue, suggesting that the product is specific for terminally differentiated soldiers. By using the method of 5′- and 3′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends, we isolated the full length of SOL1 cDNA, which contained an ORF with a putative signal peptide at the N terminus. The sequence showed no significant homology with any other known protein sequences. In situ hybridization analysis showed that SOL1 is expressed specifically in the mandibular glands. These results strongly suggest that the SOL1 gene encodes a secretory protein specifically synthesized in the mandibular glands of the soldiers. Histological observations revealed that the gland actually develops during the differentiation into the soldier caste.

Untersuchungen uber fucusarten, laminaria u. carragheenmoos, so...

Thesis (doctoral)--

Data compilation on the biological response to ocean acidification: environmental and experimental context of data sets and related literature

The exponential growth of studies on the biological response to ocean acidification over the last few decades has generated a large amount of data. To facilitate data comparison, a data compilation hosted at the data publisher PANGAEA was initiated in 2008 and is updated on a regular basis (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.149999). By January 2015, a total of 581 data sets (over 4 000 000 data points) from 539 papers had been archived. Here we present the developments of this data compilation five years since its first description by Nisumaa et al. (2010). Most of study sites from which data archived are still in the Northern Hemisphere and the number of archived data from studies from the Southern Hemisphere and polar oceans are still relatively low. Data from 60 studies that investigated the response of a mix of organisms or natural communities were all added after 2010, indicating a welcomed shift from the study of individual organisms to communities and ecosystems. The initial imbalance of considerably more data archived on calcification and primary production than on other processes has improved. There is also a clear tendency towards more data archived from multifactorial studies after 2010. For easier and more effective access to ocean acidification data, the ocean acidification community is strongly encouraged to contribute to the data archiving effort, and help develop standard vocabularies describing the variables and define best practices for archiving ocean acidification data.

A loss-of-function allele of OsHMA3 associated with high cadmium accumulation in shoots and grain of Japonica rice cultivars

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Seawater carbonate chemistry and reproductive properties of the benthic copepod Tigriopus japonicus and gastropod Babylonia japonica in a laboratory experiment

We investigated the effects of elevated pCO2 in seawater both on the acute mortality and the reproductive properties of the benthic copepod Tigriopus japonicus and gastropod Babylonia japonica with the purpose of accumulating basic data for assessing potential environmental impacts of sub-sea geological storage of anthropogenic CO2 in Japan. Acute tests showed that nauplii of T. japonicus have a high tolerance to elevated pCO2 environments. Full life cycle tests on T. japonicus indicated NOEC = 5800 µatm and LOEC = 37,000 µatm. Adult B. japonica showed remarkable resistance to elevated pCO2 in the acute tests. Embryonic development of B. japonica showed a NOEC = 1500 µatm and LOEC = 5400 µatm. T. japonicus showed high resistance to elevated pCO2 throughout the life cycle and B. japonica are rather sensitive during the veliger stage when they started to form their shells.

Characterising granuloma regression and liver recovery in a murine model of schistosomiasis japonica

For hepatic schistosomiasis the egg-induced granulomatous response and the development of extensive fibrosis are the main pathologies. We used a Schistosoma japonicum-infected mouse model to characterise the multi-cellular pathways associated with the recovery from hepatic fibrosis following clearance of the infection with the anti-schistosomal drug, praziquantel. In the recovering liver splenomegaly, granuloma density and liver fibrosis were all reduced. Inflammatory cell infiltration into the liver was evident, and the numbers of neutrophils, eosinophils and macrophages were significantly decreased. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the up-regulation of fatty acid metabolism genes and the identification of Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha as the upstream regulator of liver recovery. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling pathway which regulates xenobiotic metabolism was also differentially up-regulated. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with the regression of hepatic schistosomiasis.

Circulating miRNAs: Potential Novel Biomarkers for Hepatopathology Progression and Diagnosis of Schistosomiasis Japonica in Two Murine Models

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis remains a major public health issue, with an estimated 230 million people infected worldwide. Novel tools for early diagnosis and surveillance of schistosomiasis are currently needed. Elevated levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are commonly associated with the initiation and progression of human disease pathology. Hence, serum miRNAs are emerging as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis of a variety of human diseases. This study investigated circulating host miRNAs commonly associated with liver diseases and schistosome parasite-derived miRNAs during the progression of hepatic schistosomiasis japonica in two murine models.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Two mouse strains (C57BL/6 and BALB/c) were infected with a low dosage of Schistosoma japonicum cercariae. The dynamic patterns of hepatopathology, the serum levels of liver injury-related enzymes and the serum circulating miRNAs (both host and parasite-derived) levels were then assessed in the progression of schistosomiasis japonica. For the first time, an inverse correlation between the severity of hepatocyte necrosis and the level of liver fibrosis was revealed during S. japonicum infection in BALB/c, but not in C57BL/6 mice. The inconsistent levels of the host circulating miRNAs, miR-122, miR-21 and miR-34a in serum were confirmed in the two murine models during infection, which limits their potential value as individual diagnostic biomarkers for schistosomiasis. However, their serum levels in combination may serve as a novel biomarker to mirror the hepatic immune responses induced in the mammalian host during schistosome infection and the degree of hepatopathology. Further, two circulating parasite-specific miRNAs, sja-miR-277 and sja-miR-3479-3p, were shown to have potential as diagnostic markers for schistosomiasis japonica.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We provide the first evidence for the potential of utilizing circulating host miRNAs to indicate different immune responses and the severity of hepatopathology outcomes induced in two murine strains infected with S. japonicum. This study also establishes a basis for the early and cell-free diagnosis of schistosomiasis by targeting circulating schistosome parasite-derived miRNAs.

Transcriptional profiling of chronic clinical hepatic schistosomiasis japonica indicates reduced metabolism and immune responses

Schistosomiasis is a significant cause of human morbidity and mortality. We performed a genome-wide transcriptional survey of liver biopsies obtained from Chinese patients with chronic schistosomiasis only, or chronic schistosomiasis with a current or past history of viral hepatitis B. Both disease groups were compared with patients with no prior history or indicators of any liver disease. Analysis showed in the main, downregulation in gene expression, particularly those involved in signal transduction via EIF2 signalling and mTOR signalling, as were genes associated with cellular remodelling. Focusing on immune associated pathways, genes were generally downregulated. However, a set of three genes associated with granulocytes, MMP7, CLDN7, CXCL6 were upregulated. Differential gene profiles unique to schistosomiasis included the gene Granulin which was decreased despite being generally considered a marker for liver disease, and IGBP2 which is associated with increased liver size, and was the most upregulated gene in schistosomiasis only patients, all of which presented with hepatomegaly. The unique features of gene expression, in conjunction with previous reports in the murine model of the cellular composition of granulomas, granuloma formation and recovery, provide an increased understanding of the molecular immunopathology and general physiological processes underlying hepatic schistosomiasis.

Prospeção de compostos bioativos nas macroalgas Himanthalia elongata, Laminaria ochroleuca e Undaria pinnatifida

O presente trabalho teve como principal objetivo caracterizar os metabolitos secundários, compostos lipofílicos e compostos mais polares, de três macroalgas existentes na costa portuguesa, nomeadamente da H. elongata, L. ochroleuca e U. pinnatifida, de forma a contribuir para a sua valorização. Foram realizadas extrações Soxhlet com diclorometano para extrair os compostos lipofílicos, enquanto as frações mais polares foram obtidas por extrações convencionais sólido-líquido, usando diferentes misturas de solventes (acetona:H2O e metanol:H2O:AcOH). Os extratos foram analisados por GC-MS e HPLC-MS. Os extratos polares foram ainda avaliados quanto à sua atividade antioxidante e quanto ao teor de fenóis totais (método de Folin-Ciocâlteau) e florotaninos (método DMBA). A fração lipofílica das três macroalgas estudadas é composta principalmente por ácidos gordos, álcoois alifáticos de cadeia longa e esteróis. O ácido hexadecanóico mostrou ser o composto maioritário das três espécies de algas, seguido dos ácidos octadeca-9-enóico e tetradecanóico. O fucosterol foi o esterol mais abundante encontrado para a H. elongata, enquanto que na L. ochroleuca e na U. pinnatifida foi o 24-metilenocolesterol. Os extratos polares obtidos a partir das duas metodologias de extração apresentaram rendimentos de extração elevados, tendo os extratos acetona:H2O apresentado rendimentos de extração superiores (88.73-92.33 %). Estes extratos mostraram ainda teores de fenóis e florotaninos totais mais elevados, com valores entre 524.03-635.69 g EAG/kg de peso seco e 1.48-1.55 g EFG/kg de peso seco, respetivamente. Os extratos de acetona:H2O no ensaio DPPH apresentaram valores de IC50 entre 6.57-7.64 μg/mL. Estes valores, apesar de serem inferiores ao IC50 do ácido ascórbico, são superiores ao determinado para o antioxidante sintético butil-hidroxitolueno (BHT). O extrato da acetona:H2O da L. ochroleuca foi o que apresentou melhor atividade antioxidante, com um IC50 de 6.57 ± 0.71 μg/mL. A análise por HPLC-DAD-MSn não permitiu até ao momento detetar compostos fenólicos nos extratos obtidos. Estes resultados são uma contribuição relevante para a valorização destas espécies de macroalgas como fonte de fitoquímicos valiosos.