Iberian red deer: Paraphyletic nature at mtDNA but nuclear markers support its genetic identity

British Ecological Society Special Feature: Demography Beyond the Population.Red deer populations in the Iberian glacial refugium were the main source for postglacial recolonization and subspecific radiation in north-western Europe. However, the phylogenetic history of Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) and its relationships with northern European populations remain uncertain. Here, we study DNA sequences at the mitochondrial control region along with STR markers for over 680 specimens from all the main red deer populations in Spain and other west European areas. Our results from mitochondrial and genomic DNA show contrasting patterns, likely related to the nature of these types of DNA markers and their specific processes of change over time. The results, taken together, bring support to two distinct, cryptic maternal lineages for Iberian red deer that predated the last glacial maximum and that have maintained geographically well differentiated until present. Haplotype relationships show that only one of them contributed to the northern postglacial recolonization. However, allele frequencies of nuclear markers evidenced one main differentiation between Iberian and northern European subspecies although also supported the structure of both matrilines within Iberia. Thus, our findings reveal a paraphyletic nature for Iberian red deer but also its genetic identity and differentiation with respect to northern subspecies. Finally, we suggest that maintaining the singularity of Iberian red deer requires preventing not only restocking practices with red deer specimens belonging to other European populations but also translocations between both Iberian lineages.This work was partly supported by project CGL2010-17163/BOS from the Spanish MInistry of Science and by Extremadura and Andalusian Regional Goverments.Peer Reviewe

Identification of the ovine mannose receptor and its possible role in Visna/Maedi virus infection

This study aims to characterize the mannose receptor (MR) gene in sheep and its role in ovine visna/maedi virus (VMV) infection. The deduced amino acid sequence of ovine MR was compatible with a transmembrane protein having a cysteine-rich ricin-type amino-terminal region, a fibronectin type II repeat, eight tandem C-type lectin carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRD), a transmembrane region, and a cytoplasmic carboxy-terminal tail. The ovine and bovine MR sequences were closer to each other compared to human or swine MR. Concanavalin A (ConA) inhibited VMV productive infection, which was restored by mannan totally in ovine skin fibroblasts (OSF) and partially in blood monocyte-derived macrophages (BMDM), suggesting the involvement of mannosylated residues of the VMV ENV protein in the process. ConA impaired also syncytium formation in OSF transfected with an ENV-encoding pN3-plasmid. MR transcripts were found in two common SRLV targets, BMDM and synovial membrane (GSM) cells, but not in OSF. Viral infection of BMDM and especially GSM cells was inhibited by mannan, strongly suggesting that in these cells the MR is an important route of infection involving VMV Env mannosylated residues. Thus, at least three patterns of viral entry into SRLV-target cells can be proposed, involving mainly MR in GSM cells (target in SRLV-induced arthritis), MR in addition to an alternative route in BMDM (target in SRLV infections), and an alternative route excluding MR in OSF (target in cell culture). Different routes of SRLV infection may thus coexist related to the involvement of MR differential expression

Diagnosing infection with small ruminant lentiviruses of genotypes A and B by combining synthetic peptides in ELISA

The major challenges in diagnosing small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection include early detection and genotyping of strains of epidemiological interest. A longitudinal study was carried out in Rasa Aragonesa sheep experimentally infected with viral strains of genotypes A or B from Spanish neurological and arthritic SRLV outbreaks, respectively. Sera were tested with two commercial ELISAs, three based on specific peptides and a novel combined peptide ELISA. Three different PCR assays were used to further assess infection status.The kinetics of anti-viral antibody responses were variable, with early diagnosis dependent on the type of ELISA used. Peptide epitopes of SRLV genotypes A and B combined in the same ELISA well enhanced the overall detection rate, whereas single peptides were useful for genotyping the infecting strain (A vs. B). The results of the study suggest that a combined peptide ELISA can be used for serological diagnosis of SRLV infection, with single peptide ELISAs useful for subsequent serotyping.Funded by CICYT (AGL2010-22341-C04-01 and AGL2013-49137-C3-1R) and Navarra's Government (IIQ010449.RI1 and IIQ14064.RI1). L. Sanjosé was a FPI-fellow of the Spanish MINECO and R. Reina had a contract of the Public University of Navarra.Peer Reviewe

Mannose receptor may be involved in small ruminant lentivirus pathogenesis

Thirty-one sheep naturally infected with small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) of known genotype (A or B), and clinically affected with neurological disease, pneumonia or arthritis were used to analyse mannose receptor (MR) expression (transcript levels) and proviral load in virus target tissues (lung, mammary gland, CNS and carpal joints). Control sheep were SRLV-seropositive asymptomatic (n = 3), seronegative (n = 3) or with chronic listeriosis, pseudotuberculosis or parasitic cysts (n = 1 in each case). MR expression and proviral load increased with the severity of lesions in most analyzed organs of the SRLV infected sheep and was detected in the affected tissue involved in the corresponding clinical disease (CNS, lung and carpal joint in neurological disease, pneumonia and arthritis animal groups, respectively). The increased MR expression appeared to be SRLV specific and may have a role in lentiviral pathogenesis.Funded by grants from CICYT AGL2010-22341-C04-01 and Gobierno de Navarra IIQ14064.RI1. We acknowledge the Public University of Navarra and CSIC for fellowships and the JAE-contract (HC and RR)

Study of compartmentalization in the visna clinical form of small ruminant lentivirus infection in sheep

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A central nervous system (CNS) disease outbreak caused by small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) has triggered interest in Spain due to the rapid onset of clinical signs and relevant production losses. In a previous study on this outbreak, the role of LTR in tropism was unclear and <it>env </it>encoded sequences, likely involved in tropism, were not investigated. This study aimed to analyze heterogeneity of SRLV Env regions - TM amino terminal and SU V4, C4 and V5 segments - in order to assess virus compartmentalization in CNS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eight Visna (neurologically) affected sheep of the outbreak were used. Of the 350 clones obtained after PCR amplification, 142 corresponded to CNS samples (spinal cord and choroid plexus) and the remaining to mammary gland, blood cells, bronchoalveolar lavage cells and/or lung. The diversity of the <it>env </it>sequences from CNS was 11.1-16.1% between animals and 0.35-11.6% within each animal, except in one animal presenting two sequence types (30% diversity) in the CNS (one grouping with those of the outbreak), indicative of CNS virus sequence heterogeneity. Outbreak sequences were of genotype A, clustering per animal and compartmentalizing in the animal tissues. No CNS specific signature patterns were found.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Bayesian approach inferences suggested that proviruses from broncoalveolar lavage cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells represented the common ancestors (infecting viruses) in the animal and that neuroinvasion in the outbreak involved microevolution after initial infection with an A-type strain. This study demonstrates virus compartmentalization in the CNS and other body tissues in sheep presenting the neurological form of SRLV infection.</p

Geochemistry of atmospheric aerosols in Andalusia (Southern Spain)

Comunicación presentada en: V Reunión Española de Ciencia y Tecnología de Aerosoles – RECTA 2011 celebrada del 27 al 29 de junio de 2011 en CIEMAT, Madrid

Luodaksemme töitä : työn diskurssien rakentuminen europuolueiden vaaliohjelmissa

Tutkielman aiheena ovat europuolueiden näkemykset työstä. Tutkimus kohdistuu kolmen europuolueen, Euroopan kansanpuolue (EPP), Euroopan sosiaalidemokraatit (PES) ja liberaalipuolue (ALDE-puolue), tapaan rakentaa työn diskursseja. Diskurssien rakentumista tarkastellaan europuolueiden vuoden 2014 eurovaaleja varten laatimissa vaaliohjelmissa. Tutkielmassa käytetään diskurssien tarkasteluun kansainvälisen politiikan feminististä teoriaa ja erityisesti feministisen tutkimuksen dikotomioiden analyysiä. Dikotomiat ovat feministisen tutkimuksen käyttämä käsite vastinpareille. Dikotomioita ovat esimerkiksi maskuliininen ja feminiininen, julkinen ja yksityinen sekä rationaalinen ja irrationaalinen. Julkinen ja rationaalinen ovat maskuliinisia käsitteitä, yksityinen ja irrationaalinen feminiinejä käsitteitä. Lisäksi tutkielmassa tarkastellaan sitä, mikä vaaliohjelmissa nähdään ongelmaksi ja mikä esitetään toiseudeksi. Tutkimusmenetelmänä tutkielmassa käytetään diskurssianalyysiä. Keskeisinä tutkimustuloksina tutkielmassa havaitaan se, että 1) europuolueiden työhön liittyviä käsitteitä on mahdollista jakaa maskuliinisiin ja feminiineihin, 2) puolueilla on erilaisia painotuksia maskuliinisen ja feminiinisen akselilla, 3) EPP ja ALDE-puolue maskuliinisista painotuksistaan johtuen pystyivät paremmin osallistumaan vuoden 2014 eurovaalien keskusteluun siitä, miten työpaikkoja luodaan, 4) ongelman esityksien tarkastelussa havaitaan, että EPP ja ALDE-puolue edistävät samoja tavoitteita eli työpaikkojen luontia eri tavoin kuin PES, 5) europuolueet nojautuvat toiseuden retoriikkaan määritellessään itseään ja 6) maskuliininen näkemys työstä tuottaa todellisuutta, jossa maskuliinisuus korostuu: rationaalisuus, kilpailukykyisyys ja objektiivisuus. Tällä on ainakin kaksi ulottuvuutta: a) työssä - työpaikalla, työelämässä ja työuralla - korostuu maskuliinisuus ja b) työstä puhuttaessa korostuu työn julkinen tuottava puoli. Tutkielman tulosten perusteella on mahdollista päätellä, että kansainvälisen politiikan feministinen teoria ja diskurssianalyysi sopivat europuolueiden vaaliohjelmien tarkasteluun ja voivat tarjota uusia näkökulmia siihen, millaisia diskursseja puolueet materiaalissaan tuottavat. Tulevan tarkastelun kohteena voisivat olla esimerkiksi muidenkin europuolueiden käsitykset työstä, kansallisten puolueiden käsitykset työstä, eri puolueiden käsitykset muista politiikan aloista: ulkopolitiikasta, sosiaali- ja terveyspolitiikasta tai tietystä politiikkaohjelmasta. Päätelmänä esitetään myös, politiikan tutkimus tuo esille asioita, joita on hyvä ottaa huomioon politiikan teossa

New insights in ovien Asia Syndrome: Clinicopathological changes in experimentally induced animals

Trabajo presentado en el 10th International Congress on Autoimmunity, celebrado en Leipzig (Alemania), del 6 al 10 de abril de 2016Ovine Autoimmune/inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA syndrome) is a disease linked to the repetitive stimulation of the immune system by vaccines, especially those containing aluminium as adjuvant. The syndrome includes two clinical distinct phases: Acute, with severe neurological symptoms and chronic, with extreme cachexia leading to death. An experimental reproduction of the syndrome (286 dpi to 1 December 2015) is currently being performed in 84 three months old (at the beginning of the experiment) male sheep, that are divided into 3 groups (n=28), a: commercial vaccines containing aluminium adjuvant; b: aluminium adjuvant alone and c: PBS. Group “a” is being repetitively inoculated with commercial vaccines and group “b” receives the adjuvant alone in with the same amount/dose of Al3+. So far, a total of 13 inoculations have been applied and a total of 32.05 mg of Al3+ inoculated in groups “a” and “b”. Periodic complete clinic examination of all animals is being carried out. A cohort (n=7 lambs of each group) is being studied for behavior and social relationship by using 24 h recordings and open field and t-maze tests. Clinical studies do not show any significant difference among groups. However, a tendency in decreasing body weight is already observed in lambs from group a. In addition, lambs from group a and b show discrete behavioral changes, as compulsive wool biting and generalized restlessness. The experiment will be maintained for at least another 6 months and it will be completed with furthers clinic and behavioral tests and postmortem studies.Peer reviewe

Levels of carbonaceous aerosols in remote, rural, urban and industrial sites of Spain

Comunicación presentada en: 2012 European Aerosol Conference (EAC-2012), B-WG01S2P30, celebrada del 2 al 7 de septiembre de 2012 en Granada.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (VAMOS CGL2010-19464/CLI; DAURE CGL2007-30502-E/CLI, GRACCIE- CSD2007-00067), the Ministry of the Economy Competitivity, the Generalitat de Catalunya, Gobierno de Canarias and Junta de Andalucía