Studies on the virome of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana reveal novel dsRNA elements and mild hypervirulence.

© 2017 Kotta-Loizou, Coutts. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Kotta-Loizou I, Coutts RHA (2017) 'Studies on the Virome of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana Reveal Novel dsRNA Elements and Mild Hypervirulence', PLoS Pathogens, 13(1): e1006183. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1006183The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana has a wide host range and is used as a biocontrol agent against arthropod pests. Mycoviruses have been described in phytopathogenic fungi while in entomopathogenic fungi their presence has been reported only rarely. Here we show that 21.3% of a collection of B. bassiana isolates sourced from worldwide locations, harbor dsRNA elements. Molecular characterization of these elements revealed the prevalence of mycoviruses belonging to the Partitiviridae and Totiviridae families, the smallest reported virus to date, belonging to the family Narnaviridae, and viruses unassigned to a family or genus. Of particular importance is the discovery of members of a newly proposed family Polymycoviridae in B. bassiana. Polymycoviruses, previously designated as tetramycoviruses, consist of four non-conventionally encapsidated capped dsRNAs. The presence of additional non-homologous genomic segments in B. bassiana polymycoviruses and other fungi illustrates the unprecedented dynamic nature of the viral genome. Finally, a comparison of virus-free and virus-infected isogenic lines derived from an exemplar B. bassiana isolate revealed a mild hypervirulent effect of mycoviruses on the growth of their host isolate and on its pathogenicity against the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella, highlighting for the first time the potential of mycoviruses as enhancers of biocontrol agents.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the evolution of form and function in the amniote jaw.

The amniote jaw complex is a remarkable amalgamation of derivatives from distinct embryonic cell lineages. During development, the cells in these lineages experience concerted movements, migrations, and signaling interactions that take them from their initial origins to their final destinations and imbue their derivatives with aspects of form including their axial orientation, anatomical identity, size, and shape. Perturbations along the way can produce defects and disease, but also generate the variation necessary for jaw evolution and adaptation. We focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate form in the amniote jaw complex, and that enable structural and functional integration. Special emphasis is placed on the role of cranial neural crest mesenchyme (NCM) during the species-specific patterning of bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, and other jaw tissues. We also address the effects of biomechanical forces during jaw development and discuss ways in which certain molecular and cellular responses add adaptive and evolutionary plasticity to jaw morphology. Overall, we highlight how variation in molecular and cellular programs can promote the phenomenal diversity and functional morphology achieved during amniote jaw evolution or lead to the range of jaw defects and disease that affect the human condition

Executive selection process and job satisfaction: The case of the independent authority for public revenue (iapr) in greece

This paper assesses the impact that the degree of acceptance of the selection process, as conducted by the human recourses management (HRM), has upon job satisfaction in the local tax offices (LTOs) in Greece. Furthermore, it examines the effects that various individual and demographic characteristics have on job satisfaction. The research was performed using primary statistical data by distributing and collecting specific questionnaires, which not only recorded the level of job satisfaction but also noted the degree of acceptance of the selection procedure in the IAPR. The collected statistical data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 Fixpack 1 software program. The results showed an average acceptance value of the selection process of 4.89, indicating a high degree of participant consensus with this process. They also showed that age, work experience, and the acceptance of the selection process have a positive and statistically significant effect, whereas educational level has a negative and statistically significant effect on degree of job satisfaction. The added value of the present paper lies in the fact that this kind of research, conducted in the IAPR in Greece for the very first time, measured both the degree of job satisfaction and the effect that the acceptance of the selection procedure has on this attitude. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Learning about PRP using cell-based models

Studies using in vitro cell models enable evaluation of the effects of different PRP products under very controlled and standardized conditions. Therefore the results of such studies build the basis for understanding the variable results of clinical studies on the use of PRPs. The main lessons learned through the use of in vitro cell models are that many different PRP products exist and researchers have to report on component variation within each product. These different products may have distinctive effects on the various cells treated in musculoskeletal injuries; therefore, some products might be more beneficial in certain indication than others. In its utilization in cell models, PRP may generate a variety of positive effects on cell proliferation, recovery, and inflammatory response. There might also be a benefit to adding PRP to current pharmacological therapies (e.g. corticosteroids) to prevent their commonly known negative effects on e.g. tendon and cartilage tissu

Tendon structure, disease, and imaging

Tendon imaging plays a critical role in evaluating tendon diseases and injuries including mechanical, degenerative, and overuse disease, inflammatory enthesitis, as well as partial and full thickness tears. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), each with unique benefits and limitations, are commonly utilized to assist in diagnosing these diseases and conditions. This review delineates important structural properties of tendon and biochemical changes occurring in tendon pathology. This review also examines commonly injured tendons including tendons of the elbow, tendons of the rotator cuff of the shoulder, hip abductor tendons, patellar tendons, and the Achilles tendon to help clinicians better recognize tendon disease. Finally, this paper introduces several emerging imaging techniques including T2 mapping, ultra-short echo time MRI, and sonoelastography as ways in which tendon imaging and evaluation may be improve

Phospholipase C signaling involvement in macrotubule assembly and activation of the mechanism regulating protoplast volume in plasmolyzed root cells of Triticum turgidum

• The role of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) signaling in the macrotubule-dependent protoplast volume regulation in plasmolyzed root cells of Triticum turgidum was investigated. • At the onset of hyperosmotic stress, PI-PLC activation was documented. Inhibition of PI-PLC activity by U73122 blocked tubulin macrotubule formation in plasmolyzed cells and their protoplast volume regulatory mechanism. In neomycin-treated plasmolyzed cells, macrotubule formation and protoplast volume regulation were not affected. In these cells the PI-PLC pathway is down-regulated as neomycin sequesters the PI-PLC substrate, 4,5-diphosphate-phosphatidyl inositol (PtdInsP2). These phenomena were unaffected by R59022, an inhibitor of phosphatidic acic (PA) production via the PLC pathway. • Taxol, a microtubule (MT) stabilizer, inhibited the hyperosmotic activation of PI-PLC, but oryzalin, which disorganized MTs, triggered PI-PLC activity. Taxol prevented macrotubule formation and inhibited the mechanism regulating the volume of the plasmolyzed protoplast. Neomycin partly relieved some of the taxol effects. • These data suggest that PtdInspP2 turnover via PI-PLC assists macrotubule formation and activation of the mechanism regulating the plasmolyzed protoplast volume; and the massive disorganization of MTs that is carried out at the onset of hyperosmotic treatment triggers the activation of this mechanism. © The Authors (2008)