Barcoded DNA-Tag Reporters for Multiplex Cis-Regulatory Analysis

Cis-regulatory DNA sequences causally mediate patterns of gene expression, but efficient experimental analysis of these control systems has remained challenging. Here we develop a new version of “barcoded" DNA-tag reporters, “Nanotags" that permit simultaneous quantitative analysis of up to 130 distinct cis-regulatory modules (CRMs). The activities of these reporters are measured in single experiments by the NanoString RNA counting method and other quantitative procedures. We demonstrate the efficiency of the Nanotag method by simultaneously measuring hourly temporal activities of 126 CRMs from 46 genes in the developing sea urchin embryo, otherwise a virtually impossible task. Nanotags are also used in gene perturbation experiments to reveal cis-regulatory responses of many CRMs at once. Nanotag methodology can be applied to many research areas, ranging from gene regulatory networks to functional and evolutionary genomics

Pan-Atlantic analysis of the overlap of a highly migratory species, the leatherback turtle, with pelagic longline fisheries

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Large oceanic migrants play important roles in ecosystems, yet many species are of conservation concern as a result of anthropogenic threats, of which incidental capture by fisheries is frequently identified. The last large populations of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, occur in the Atlantic Ocean, but interactions with industrial fisheries could jeopardize recent positive population trends, making bycatch mitigation a priority. Here, we perform the first pan-Atlantic analysis of spatio-temporal distribution of the leatherback turtle and ascertain overlap with longline fishing effort. Data suggest that the Atlantic probably consists of two regional management units: northern and southern (the latter including turtles breeding in South Africa). Although turtles and fisheries show highly diverse distributions, we highlight nine areas of high susceptibility to potential bycatch (four in the northern Atlantic and five in the southern/equatorial Atlantic) that are worthy of further targeted investigation and mitigation. These are reinforced by reports of leatherback bycatch at eight of these sites. International collaborative efforts are needed, especially from nations hosting regions where susceptibility to bycatch is likely to be high within their exclusive economic zone (northern Atlantic: Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Spain, USA and Western Sahara; southern Atlantic: Angola, Brazil, Namibia and UK) and from nations fishing in these high-susceptibility areas, including those located in international waters.Work in Gabon was financially supported by the Large Pelagics Research Center through National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency award no. NA04NMF4550391, the UK Defra Darwin Initiative, the Shellshock Campaign (European Association for Zoos and Aquaria) and the UK Natural Environment Research Council. Sea turtle monitoring programmes in Gabon were financially supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society and by the Gabon Sea Turtle Partnership with funding from the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund (United States Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior). Four of the satellite tags were deployed in Canadian waters by M. James (Dalhousie University) and the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, with the funding support of Canadian Sea Turtle Network leatherback field research provided by R. A. Myers, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Environment Canada and WWF-Canada. Work in French Guiana was financially supported by CNES, DEAL and the European Union.This study results from the collaborative effort of 10 data providers, which have satellite-tracked leatherback turtles in the Atlantic Ocean since 1995, through their voluntary participation in the Trans-Atlantic Leatherback Conservation Initiative (TALCIN), a WWF-led initiative. We thank C. Drews (WWF-International) and Jean-Yves Georges (IPHC-CNRS) for having initiated this project. Significant contributions were made by A. Fonseca and M. L. Felix and the WWF Guianas office in fostering this project to secure its continuation. We thank those involved in the sea turtle restoration plan in French Guiana (DEAL, ONCFS, Kulalasi NGO, Kwata, the Reserve Naturelle de l'Amana, Chiefs of Awala and Yalimapo), Yvon Le Maho (IPHC-CNRS) for having initiated the leatherback tracking programme in French Guiana, colleagues from the Regional Program for Sea Turtles Research and Conservation of Argentina–PRICTMA, Aquamarina and Fundación Mundo Marino, the onboard scientific observers from PNOFA-DINARA, the crew and owner of the F/V Torres del Paine, the artisanal fishermen from Kiyú, San José, Uruguay, D. del Bene (PROFAUMA), Z. Di Rienzo and colleagues from Karumbé, the University of Pisa for initiating the satellite tagging programmes in South Africa, and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs for continuing the work in cooperation with Dr Nel from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. We thank M. L. Felix for her efforts in the deployment of satellite tags in Suriname and the Nature Conservation Division Suriname for facilitating these research efforts. P.M. thanks C. Palma for his help in dealing with ICCAT's database, C. Ere, as well as the GIS training and support received from SCGIS and the ESRI Conservation Program, which allowed processing of fishing-effort data. We thank J. Parezo for her careful reading of the manuscript. All authors designed the study and contributed data; S.F, M.S.C., P.M. and M.J.W. compiled the data; S.F., M.A.N. and A.L. coordinated and supervised the project; S.F., M.J.W., P.M. and B.J.G. led the data analysis and interpretation with contributions from all authors; the manuscript was developed by S.F. and M.J.W. as lead authors, with contributions from all authors

Unexplored olive cultivars from the Valencian Community (Spain): some chemical characteristics as a valorization strategy

[EN] The olive processing industry has till date been dominated by a small group of cultivars, leading to the possibility of some olive cultivars becoming extinct in the near future. In this study, we determined the composition of some chemical components in the olive oils from 31 minor olive cultivars of the Valencian Community. Our main aim was to identify suitable cultivars, which could produce differentiated olive oils, thus aiming towards their valorization. The average oil content of minor olive cultivars was found to be good, with some of them reporting approximately 60% (dry basis). On average, the total phenolic content was 229mg kg(-1), with cv. Mas Blanc reporting the highest content (570mg kg(-1)). Among the various tocopherols found in olives, -tocopherol was the main constituent, with a maximum concentration of 290.6mg kg(-1). Linoleic acid was the main polyunsaturated fatty acid and varied between 3.4% (cv. Del Pomet) and 16.9% (cv. Blanqueta Enguera). Special attention needs to be paid to the composition of sterols, since some olive oils exceeded the limits established for some sterols by the current European legislation. Some of the cultivars studied were highly productive, and originated differentiated olive oils with a rich composition of antioxidants and essential fatty acids. In some cases, these beneficial compounds were higher than those of commercial oils obtained from the most common cultivars worldwide. These results could contribute to the commercial exploitation of some of the studied cultivars.Salazar-García, DC.; Malheiro, R.; Pereira, JA.; López- Cortés, I. (2019). Unexplored olive cultivars from the Valencian Community (Spain): some chemical characteristics as a valorization strategy. European Food Research and Technology. 245(2):325-334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-018-3164-7S3253342452Avidan B, Birger R, Abed-El-Hadi F, Salmon O, Hekster O, Friedman Y, Lavee S (2011) Adopting vigorous olive cultivars to high density hedgerow cultivation by soil applications of uniconazole, a gibberellin synthesis inhibitor. Span J Agric Res 9:821–830Barranco D, Rallo L (2000) Olive cultivars in Spain. HortTechnology 10:107–110Navero DB (2000) World catalogue of olive varieties. International Olive Oil Council, MadridBorges TH, Pereira JA, Cabrera-Vique C, Lara L, Oliveira AF, Seiquer I (2017) Characterization of Arbequina virgin olive oils produced in different regions of Brazil and Spain: physicochemical properties, oxidative stability and fatty acid profile. Food Chem 215:454–462Laroussi-Mezghani S, Le Dréau Y, Molinet J, Hammami M, Grati-Kamoun N, Artaud J (2016) Biodiversity of Tunisian virgin olive oils: varietal origin classification according to their minor compounds. Eur Food Res Technol 242:1087–1099Kosma I, Vavoura M, Kontakos S, Karabagias I, Kontominas M, Apostolos K, Badeka A (2016) Characterization and classification of extra virgin olive oil from five less well-known Greek olive cultivars. J Am Oil Chem Soc 93:837–848Reboredo-Rodríguez P, González-Barreiro C, Cancho-Grande B, Valli E, Bendini A, Toschi TG, Simal-Gandara J (2016) Characterization of virgin olive oils produced with autochthonous Galician varieties. Food Chem 212:162–171Kyçyk O, Aguillera MP, Gaforio JJ, Jiménez A, Beltrán G (2016) Sterol composition of virgin olive oil of forty-three olive cultivars from the World Collection Olive Germplasm Bank of Cordoba. J Sci Food Agric 96:4143–4150Ruiz-Domínguez ML, Raigón MD, Prohens J (2013) Diversity for olive oil composition in a collection of varieties from the region of Valencia (Spain). Food Res Int 54:1941–1949Mateos R, Dominguez MM, Espartero JL, Cert A (2003) Antioxidant effect of phenolic compounds, α-tocopherol, and other minor components in virgin olive oil. J Agric Food Chem 51:7170–7175Hermoso M, Uceda M, García A, Morales B, Frias ML, Fernández A (1991) Elaboración de Aceite de Calidad. Consejeria de Agricultura y Pesca, SevillaMalheiro R, Rodrigues N, Bissaro C, Leimann F, Casal S, Ramalhosa E, Pereira JA (2017) Improvement of sensorial and volatile profiles of olive oil by addition of olive leaves. Eur J Lipid Sci Technol 119:1700177Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/2095 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 on the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and on the relevant methods of analysis. Off J Eur Union L:326Slover HT, Thompson RH, Merola GV (1983) Tocopherol and sterol determination by capillary gas chromatography. J Am Oil Chem Soc 60:1524–1528Sousa A, Casal S, Malheiro R, Lamas H, Bento A, Pereira JA (2015) Aromatized olive oil: Influence of flavouring in quality, composition, stability, antioxidants, and antiradical potential. LWT Food Sci Technol 60:22–28Limón P, Malheiro R, Casal S, Acién-Fernández FG, Fernández-Sevilla JM, Rodrigues N, Cruz R, Bermejo R, Pereira JA (2015) Improvement of stability and carotenoids fraction of virgin olive oil by addition of microalgae Scenedesmus almeriensis extracts. Food Chem 175:203–211Motilva MJ, Tovar MJ, Romero MP, Alegre S, Girona J (2000) Influence of regulated deficit irrigation strategies applied to olive trees (Arbequina cultivar) on oil yield and oil composition during the fruit ripening period. J Sci Food Agric 80:2037–2043Palese AM, Nuzzo V, Favati F, Pietrafesa A, Celano G, Xiloyannis C (2010) Effects of water deficit on the vegetative response, yield and oil quality of olive trees (Olive europaea L., cv Coratina) grown under intensive cultivation. Sci Hortic 125:222–229Allalout A, Krichèn D, Methenni K, Taamalli A, Oueslati I, Daoud D, Zarrouk M (2009) Characterization of virgin olive oil from Super Intensive Spanish and Greek varieties grown in northern Tunisia. Sci Hortic 120:77–83Simopoulos AP, DiNicolantonio JJ (2016) The importance of a balanced ω-6 to ω-3 ratio in the prevention and management of obesity. Open Heart 3:e000385Marongui B, Özcan MM, Rosa A, Dessi MA, Piras A, AlJuhaimi F (2015) Monitoring of the fatty acid compositions of some olive oils. Riv Ital Sostanze Grasse 92:39–42Paiva-Martins F, Kiritsakis A (2017) Olive fruit and olive oil composition and their functionalcompounds. In: Kiritsakis A, Shahidi F (eds) Olives and olive oil as functional foods. Bioactivity, chemistry and processing. Wiley, Hoboken, pp 81–116Shahzad N, Khan W, Shadab MD, Ali A, Saluja SS, Sharma S, Al-Allaf FA, Abduljaleel Z, Ibrahim IAA (2017) Phytosterols as a natural anticancer agent: current status and future perspective. Biomed Pharmacol 88:786–794Covas MI, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, de la Torre R, Kafatos A, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Osada J, Owen RW, Visioli F (2006) Minor components of olive oil: evidence to date of health benefits in humans. Nutr Rev 64:S20–S30Pirodi M, Albini A, Fabiani R, Giovannelli L, Luceri C, Natella F, Rosignoli P, Rossi T, Taticchi A, Servili M, Galli F (2017) Nutrigenomics of extra-virgin olive oil: a review. Biofactors 43:17–41Franco MN, Galeano-Díaz T, Sánchez J, De Miguel C, Martín-Vertedor D (2014) Total phenolic compounds and tocopherols profiles of seven olive oil varieties grown in the South-West of Spain. J Oleo Sci 63:115–125Aparicio R, Roda L, Albi MA, Gutiérrez F (1999) Effect of various compounds on virgin olive oil stability measured by Rancimat. J Agric Food Chem 47:4150–4155Bullota S, Celano M, Lepore SM, Montalcini T, Pujia A, Russo D (2014) Beneficial effects of the olive oil phenolic components oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol: focus on protection against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. J Transl Med 12:1–9Krychene D, Salvador MD, Fregapane G (2015) Stability of virgin olive oil phenolic compounds during long-term storage (18 months) at temperatures of 5–50 °C. J Agric Food Chem 63:6779–6786Aparicio-Ruiz R, García-González DL, Oliver-Pozo C, Tena N, Morales MT, Aparicio A (2016) Phenolic profile of virgin olive oils with and without sensory defects: oils with non-oxidative defects exhibit a considerable concentration of phenols. Eur J Lipid Sci Technol 118:299–307Yorulmaz A, Poyrazoğlu ES, Özcan MM, Tekin A (2012) Phenolic profiles of Turkish olives and olive oils. Eur J Lipid Sci Technol 14:1083–1093Arslan A, Özcan MM (2011) Phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of olive fruits of the Turkish variety “Sarıulak” from different locations. Grasas Aceites 64:453–461Dağdelen A, Tümen G, Özcan MM, Dündar E (2013) Phenolics profiles of olive fruits (Olea europaea L.) and oils from Ayvalık, Domat and Gemlik varieties at different ripening stages. Food Chem 136:41–45Malheiro R, Rodrigues N, Pereira JA (2015). In: Boskou D (ed) Olive and olive oil bioactive constituents. AOCS Press, UrbanaCriado MN, Morelló JR, Motilva MJ, Romero MP (2004) Effect of growing area on pigment and phenolic fractions of virgin olive oils of the Arbequina variety in Spain. J Am Oil Chem Soc 81:633–640Gómez-Rico A, Fregapane G, Salvador MD (2008) Effect of cultivar and ripening on minor components in Spanish olive fruits and their corresponding virgin olive oils. 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Dietary intake of fish, omega-3, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D and the prevalence of psychotic-like symptoms in a cohort of 33 000 women from the general population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Low intake of fish, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and vitamin D deficiency has been suggested to play a role in the development of schizophrenia. Our aim was to evaluate the association between the intake of different fish species, PUFA and vitamin D and the prevalence of psychotic-like symptoms in a population-based study among Swedish women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Dietary intake was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire among 33 623 women aged 30-49 years at enrolment (1991/92). Information on psychotic-like symptoms was derived from a follow-up questionnaire in the years 2002/03. Participants were classified into three predefined levels: low, middle and high frequency of symptoms. The association between diet and psychotic-like symptoms was summarized in terms of relative risks (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals and was evaluated by energy-adjusted multinomial logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>18 411 women were classified as having a low level of psychotic-like symptoms, 14 395 as middle and 817 as having a high level. The risk of high level symptoms was 53% (95% CI, 30-69%) lower among women who ate fish 3-4 times per week compared to women who never ate fish. The risk was also lower for women with a high intake of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA compared to women with a lower intake of these fatty acids. The effect was most pronounced for omega-6 PUFAs. The RR comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of omega-6 PUFAs intake was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.64-0.97). The associations were J-shaped with the strongest reduced risk for an intermediate intake of fish or PUFA. For fatty fish (herring/mackerel, salmon-type fish), the strongest inverse association was found for an intermediate intake (RR: 0.81, 95% CI, 0.66-0.98), whereas a high intake of fatty fish was associated with an increased risk of psychotic-like symptoms (RR: 1.90, 95% CI, 1.34-2.70). Women in the highest compared with the lowest quartile of vitamin D consumption experienced a 37% (95% CI, 22-50%) lower risk of psychotic-like symptoms.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings raise a possibility that adult women with a high intake of fish, omega-3 or omega-6 PUFA and vitamin D have a lower rate of psychotic-like symptoms.</p

S-100B Concentrations Predict Disease-Free Survival in Stage III Melanoma Patients

Elevation of the tumor marker S-100B in melanoma patients is a highly specific indicator of recurrence. The role of S-100B in disease-free survival (DFS) was evaluated in stage III melanoma patients (staged with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography [FDG-PET] and computed tomography [CT]) with palpable lymph node metastases who underwent therapeutic lymph node dissection. S-100B and LDH were measured on the day before surgery (d = -1) and on days 1, 2, and 7 postoperatively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to study factors associated with preoperative elevation of S-100B. Univariate (log-rank test) and multivariate (Cox regression) survival analyses were performed to identify factors associated with DFS. Between 2004 and 2008, 56 patients (median age 57, range 24-93) years, 27 males (48%) and 29 females (52%) entered the study. Preoperative S-100B elevation was found in 27 patients (48%) and elevated LDH in 20 patients (36%). No association was found between these two markers at any time. Multivariate analysis showed that elevated S-100B preoperatively (hazard ratio [HR] 2.7, P = .03) was associated with DFS. S-100B elevation was associated with increased tumor size (odds ratio [OR] 3.40; P = .03). Elevated S-100B preoperatively in patients with optimally staged clinical stage III melanoma is associated with decreased disease-free survival. S100-B could be used as a prognostic marker in the stratification of new adjuvant trials to select stage III melanoma patients for adjuvant systematic treatment

Induction of apoptosis of human primary osteoclasts treated with extracts from the medicinal plant Emblica officinalis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Osteoclasts (OCs) are involved in rheumatoid arthritis and in several pathologies associated with bone loss. Recent results support the concept that some medicinal plants and derived natural products are of great interest for developing therapeutic strategies against bone disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. In this study we determined whether extracts of <it>Emblica officinalis </it>fruits display activity of possible interest for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis by activating programmed cell death of human primary osteoclasts.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The effects of extracts from <it>Emblica officinalis </it>on differentiation and survival of human primary OCs cultures obtained from peripheral blood were determined by tartrate-acid resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positivity and colorimetric MTT assay. The effects of <it>Emblica officinalis </it>extracts on induction of OCs apoptosis were studied using TUNEL and immunocytochemical analysis of FAS receptor expression. Finally, <it>in vitro </it>effects of <it>Emblica officinalis </it>extracts on NF-kB transcription factor activity were determined by gel shift experiments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Extracts of <it>Emblica officinalis </it>were able to induce programmed cell death of mature OCs, without altering, at the concentrations employed in our study, the process of osteoclastogenesis. <it>Emblica officinalis </it>increased the expression levels of Fas, a critical member of the apoptotic pathway. Gel shift experiments demonstrated that <it>Emblica officinalis </it>extracts act by interfering with NF-kB activity, a transcription factor involved in osteoclast biology. The data obtained demonstrate that <it>Emblica officinalis </it>extracts selectively compete with the binding of transcription factor NF-kB to its specific target DNA sequences. This effect might explain the observed effects of <it>Emblica officinalis </it>on the expression levels of interleukin-6, a NF-kB specific target gene.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Induction of apoptosis of osteoclasts could be an important strategy both in interfering with rheumatoid arthritis complications of the bone skeleton leading to joint destruction, and preventing and reducing osteoporosis. Accordingly, we suggest the application of <it>Emblica officinalis </it>extracts as an alternative tool for therapy applied to bone diseases.</p

Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Three Organochlorine Pesticides in Fish from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides, have been shown to have many adverse human health effects. These contaminants therefore may pose a risk to Alaska Natives that follow a traditional diet high in marine mammals and fish, in which POPs bioaccumulate.This study examined the levels of PCBs and three pesticides [p, p'-DDE, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)] in muscle tissue from nine fish species from several locations around the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The highest median PCB level was found in rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata, 285 ppb, wet weight), while the lowest level was found in rock greenling (Hexagrammos lagocephalus, 104 ppb, wet weight). Lipid adjusted PCB values were also calculated and significant interspecies differences were found. Again, rock sole had the highest level (68,536 ppb, lipid weight). Concerning the PCB congener patterns, the more highly chlorinated congeners were most common as would be expected due to their greater persistence. Among the pesticides, p, p'-DDE generally dominated, and the highest level was found in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka, 6.9 ppb, wet weight). The methodology developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was used to calculate risk-based consumption limits for the analyzed fish species. For cancer health endpoints for PCBs, all species would trigger strict advisories of between two and six meals per year, depending upon species. For noncancer effects by PCBs, advisories of between seven and twenty-two meals per year were triggered. None of the pesticides triggered consumption limits.The fish analyzed, mainly from Adak, contain significant concentrations of POPs, in particular PCBs, which raises the question whether these fish are safe to eat, particularly for sensitive populations. However when assessing any risk of the traditional diet, one must also consider the many health and cultural benefits from eating fish

The effects of low-impact mutations in digital organisms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Avida is a computer program that performs evolution experiments with digital organisms. Previous work has used the program to study the evolutionary origin of complex features, namely logic operations, but has consistently used extremely large mutational fitness effects. The present study uses Avida to better understand the role of low-impact mutations in evolution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When mutational fitness effects were approximately 0.075 or less, no new logic operations evolved, and those that had previously evolved were lost. When fitness effects were approximately 0.2, only half of the operations evolved, reflecting a threshold for selection breakdown. In contrast, when Avida's default fitness effects were used, all operations routinely evolved to high frequencies and fitness increased by an average of 20 million in only 10,000 generations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Avidian organisms evolve new logic operations only when mutations producing them are assigned high-impact fitness effects. Furthermore, purifying selection cannot protect operations with low-impact benefits from mutational deterioration. These results suggest that selection breaks down for low-impact mutations below a certain fitness effect, the <it>selection threshold</it>. Experiments using biologically relevant parameter settings show the tendency for increasing genetic load to lead to loss of biological functionality. An understanding of such genetic deterioration is relevant to human disease, and may be applicable to the control of pathogens by use of lethal mutagenesis.</p

Pan-atlantic analysis of the overlap of a highly migratory species, the leatherback turtle, with pelagic longline fisheries

Large oceanic migrants play important roles in ecosystems, yet many species are of conservation concern as a result of anthropogenic threats, of which incidental capture by fisheries is frequently identified. The last large populations of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, occur in the Atlantic Ocean, but interactions with industrial fisheries could jeopardize recent positive population trends, making bycatch mitigation a priority. Here, we perform the first pan-Atlantic analysis of spatio-temporal distribution of the leatherback turtle and ascertain overlap with longline fishing effort. Data suggest that the Atlantic probably consists of two regional management units: northern and southern (the latter including turtles breeding in South Africa). Although turtles and fisheries show highly diverse distributions, we highlight nine areas of high susceptibility to potential bycatch (four in the northern Atlantic and five in the southern/equatorial Atlantic) that are worthy of further targeted investigation and mitigation. These are reinforced by reports of leatherback bycatch at eight of these sites. International collaborative efforts are needed, especially from nations hosting regions where susceptibility to bycatch is likely to be high within their exclusive economic zone (northern Atlantic: Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Spain, USA and Western Sahara; southern Atlantic: Angola, Brazil, Namibia and UK) and from nations fishing in these high-susceptibility areas, including those located in international waters

Symbiotic Associations in the Phenotypically-Diverse Brown Alga Saccharina japonica

The brown alga Saccharina japonica (Areschoug) Lane, Mayes, Druehl et Saunders is a highly polymorphic representative of the family Laminariaceae, inhabiting the northwest Pacific region. We have obtained 16S rRNA sequence data in symbiont microorganisms of the typical form (TYP) of S. japonica and its common morphological varieties, known as “longipes” (LON) and “shallow-water” (SHA), which show contrasting bathymetric distribution and sharp morphological, life history traits, and ecological differences. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences shows that the microbial communities are significantly different in the three forms studied and consist of mosaic sets of common and form-specific bacterial lineages. The divergence in bacterial composition is substantial between the TYP and LON forms in spite of their high genetic similarity. The symbiont distribution in the S. japonica forms and in three other laminarialean species is not related to the depth or locality of the algae settlements. Combined with our previous results on symbiont associations in sea urchins and taking into account the highly specific character of bacteria-algae associations, we propose that the TYP and LON forms may represent incipient species passing through initial steps of reproductive isolation. We suggest that phenotype differences between genetically similar forms may be caused by host-symbiont interactions that may be a general feature of evolution in algae and other eukaryote organisms. Bacterial symbionts could serve as sensitive markers to distinguish genetically similar algae forms and also as possible growth-promoting inductors to increase algae productivity