Genome-wide footprints in the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) unveil a new domestication pattern of a fruit tree in the Mediterranean

Intense research efforts over the last two decades have renewed our understanding of plant phylogeography and domestication in the Mediterranean basin. Here we aim to investigate the evolutionary history and the origin of domestication of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), which has been cultivated for millennia for food and fodder. We used >1000 microsatellite genotypes to delimit seven carob evolutionary units (CEUs). We investigated genome-wide diversity and evolutionary patterns of the CEUs with 3557 single nucleotide polymorphisms generated by restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq). To address the complex wild vs. cultivated status of sampled trees, we classified 56 sampled populations across the Mediterranean basin as wild, seminatural or cultivated. Nuclear and cytoplasmic loci were identified from RADseq data and separated for analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of these genomic-wide data allowed us to resolve west-to-east expansions from a single long-term refugium probably located in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains near the Atlantic coast. Our findings support multiple origins of domestication with a low impact on the genetic diversity at range-wide level. The carob was mostly domesticated from locally selected wild genotypes and scattered long-distance westward dispersals of domesticated varieties by humans, concomitant with major historical migrations by Romans, Greeks and Arabs. Ex situ efforts to preserve carob genetic resources should prioritize accessions from both western and eastern populations, with emphasis on the most differentiated CEUs situated in southwest Morocco, south Spain and eastern Mediterranean. Our study highlights the relevance of wild and seminatural habitats in the conservation of genetic resources for cultivated trees

Managing Mediterranean nurse plants-mediated effects on soil microbial functions to improve rock phosphate solubilization processes and early growth of Cupressus atlantica G

a b s t r a c t The main objective was to evaluate the impact of nurse plant species commonly found in Mediterranean areas (Lavandula dentata and Thymus satureoides) on microbial soil functions, on the native inoculum potential of AM fungi involved in the rock phosphate weathering and to measure the potential benefits to the growth of Atlas Cypress (Cupressus atlantica G.), an endemic Cupressacea of Morocco. Soils collected from an old C. atlantica forest and pre-cultivated with each of the target plant species (L. dentata and T. satureoides). After 5 months of cultivation, they were uprooted and the treated substrate was amended or not with Khouribga Rock Phosphate (KRP). Then pots were filled with the soil mixtures and planted with one pre-germinated seed of C. atlantica. The results show that pre-cultivation step with native mycotrophic plant species improves the mycorrhizal soil infectivity, modifies soil microbial functionalities and increases the impact of rock phosphate amendment on the C. atlantica growth. This low cost cultivation practice by improving forest plant development and cultural soil quality constitutes a promising ecological engineering tool to improve the performances of ecosystem restoration

Application of COMPOCHIP Microarray to Investigate the Bacterial Communities of Different Composts

A microarray spotted with 369 different 16S rRNA gene probes specific to microorganisms involved in the degradation process of organic waste during composting was developed. The microarray was tested with pure cultures, and of the 30,258 individual probe-target hybridization reactions performed, there were only 188 false positive (0.62%) and 22 false negative signals (0.07%). Labeled target DNA was prepared by polymerase chain reaction amplification of 16S rRNA genes using a Cy5-labeled universal bacterial forward primer and a universal reverse primer. The COMPOCHIP microarray was applied to three different compost types (green compost, manure mix compost, and anaerobic digestate compost) of different maturity (2, 8, and 16 weeks), and differences in the microorganisms in the three compost types and maturity stages were observed. Multivariate analysis showed that the bacterial composition of the three composts was different at the beginning of the composting process and became more similar upon maturation. Certain probes (targeting Sphingobacterium, Actinomyces, Xylella/Xanthomonas/ Stenotrophomonas, Microbacterium, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, Low G + C and Alphaproteobacteria) were more influential in discriminating between different composts. Results from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis supported those of microarray analysis. This study showed that the COMPOCHIP array is a suitable tool to study bacterial communities in composts

The coral core microbiome identifies rare bacterial taxa as ubiquitous endosymbionts

© 2015 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved. Despite being one of the simplest metazoans, corals harbor some of the most highly diverse and abundant microbial communities. Differentiating core, symbiotic bacteria from this diverse hostassociated consortium is essential for characterizing the functional contributions of bacteria but has not been possible yet. Here we characterize the coral core microbiome and demonstrate clear phylogenetic and functional divisions between the micro-scale, niche habitats within the coral host. In doing so, we discover seven distinct bacterial phylotypes that are universal to the core microbiome of coral species, separated by thousands of kilometres of oceans. The two most abundant phylotypes are co-localized specifically with the corals' endosymbiotic algae and symbiont-containing host cells. These bacterial symbioses likely facilitate the success of the dinoflagellate endosymbiosis with corals in diverse environmental regimes

Инфекционная составляющая и иммунопатология при хронических воспалительных заболеваниях слизистой оболочки гастродуоденальной области

Выявлено коинфицирование слизистой оболочки желудочно−кишечного тракта Helicobacter pylori и вирусами группы герпеса у больных хроническим гастритом, язвенной болезнью желудка и двенадцатиперстной кишки. Проведена оценка общих и специфических иммунных реакций организма на указанные инфекционные агенты. Обнаруженные изменения в клеточном и гуморальном звене иммунитета могут свидетельствовать об обусловленном ими системном иммунопатологическом процессе.Co−infection of the gastrointestinal mucosa with Helicobacter pylori and herpes viruses in patients with chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer was revealed. General and specific immune reactions of the organism to the above agents were evaluated. The revealed changes in the cellular and humoral immunity can suggest systemic immunopathological process