Effects of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on testis histology and hormones of pituitary-testicular axis in small laboratory mice (Mus musculus)

Background and aims: Regarding Ag-NPs are able to pass through biological memebranes. So, this study aimed to investigate effects of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on testis histology and hormones of pituitary-testicular axis in small laboratory mice (Mus musculus). Methods: In this experimental study, a group of 36 BALB/c adult male mice (average weights; 28.5±3 g) were randomly divided into three groups; one control and two treatment groups (n=12 each). The treated groups 1 and 2 received 20 and 50 ppm concentrations of Ag-NPs, respectively. Sampling was done on days 7, 21 and 40 of the experiment. Four groups of mice in each group were anesthetized by anesthetic substance (10 m/L ketamine, 0.5 m/L acepromazine, 2 m/L diazepam and xylazine less than 0.5 m/L) in amounts less than 0.01 m/L by insulin syringe with muscle injections. Blood sampling was obtained directly from the ventricle and serum samples were rotated for 10 min at 3000 rpm. A didgital babalne was used to weigh changes of body weight and biomass of the testes. Histological slides were preapared form the testes and then satined by H and E stining method. The data were analyzed by one-way Anova using SPSS. Results: The average of mice body weight did not show any significant difference. Howvere, remarkable histological changes were found in the 50-ppm Ag-NPs treated group than to 20 ppm treated group. Serum level of LH increased 8% and 31% in the treated groups one and two, respectively. Howver, serum level of FSH did not show any significant differnec between both tratement groups and the control. Conclusion: The use of Ag-NPs can lead to hormonal and histological changes in the male testis and consequently affects the male reproductive system and fertility

A review of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) effects on some fertility indices in small male laboratory mice Mus musculus

Background and aims: Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have attracted phenomenal attention in the current years and caused increased a growing concern for human health and the environment. This, in turn increases the risk related to their potential toxicity. This study was aimed to investigate silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) effects on some fertility indices of laboratory small male mice Mus musculus. Methods: In this experimental study, a group of 36 Balb/c small male mice (average weights; 28.5±3 g) were randomly divided three groups (one control and two treatment groups). The control group received water only. The treated groups of mice (1 and 2) received 20 and 50 ppm concentrations of Ag-NPs with oral exposure. Following respected methods and formulas, sperm motility, DSP and sperm count were determined. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA using SPSS. Results: Sperm motility was reduced down to 37.5% and 19.6% in 50 and 20 ppm-Ag-NPs treated groups of mice, respectively when compared to the control. A significant decrease in the DSP was observed in 50 ppm Ag-NPs-treated mice than to 20 ppm treatment and control ones. In addition, epididymis sperm count was reduced down to 14.76% and 36% in 20 and 50 ppm-Ag-NPs treated groups of mice, respectively when compared to the control. Conclusion: The use of Ag-NPs can lead to reduction of DSP, epididymis sperm storage and motility percentage in male mice

Genome sequences of Beet curly top Iran virus, Oat dwarf virus, Turnip curly top virus, and wheat dwarf virus identified in leafhoppers

Implementation of a vector-enabled metagenomics approach resulted in the identification of various geminiviruses. We identified the genome sequences of Beet curly top Iran virus, Turnip curly top viruses, Oat dwarf viruses, the first from Iran, and Wheat dwarf virus from leafhoppers feeding on beet, parsley, pumpkin, and turnip plants

Identification of a nanovirus-alphasatellite complex in Sophora alopecuroides

Viruses in the genus Nanovirus of the family Nanoviridae generally have eight individually encapsidated circular genome components and have been predominantly found infecting Fabaceae plants in Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia. For over a decade Sophora alopecuroides L. (Fabaceae) plants have been observed across Iran displaying dwarfing, yellowing, stunted leaves and yellow vein banding. Using a high-throughput sequencing approach, sequences were identified within one such plant that had similarities to nanovirus genome components. From this plant, the nanovirus-like molecules DNA-R (n\ua0=\ua04), DNA-C (n\ua0=\ua02), DNA-S (n\ua0=\ua01), DNA-M (n\ua0=\ua01), DNA-N (n\ua0=\ua01), DNA-U1 (n\ua0=\ua01), DNA-U2 (n\ua0=\ua01) and DNA-U4 (n\ua0=\ua01) were amplified, cloned and sequenced. Other than for the DNA-R, these components share less than 71% identity with those of other known nanoviruses. The four DNA-R molecules were highly diverse, sharing only 65–71% identity with each other and 64–86% identity with those of other nanoviruses. In the S. alopecuroides plant 14 molecules sharing 57.7–84.6% identity with previously determined sequences of nanovirus-associated alphasatellites were also identified. Given the research activity in the nanovirus field during the last five years coupled with high-throughput sequence technologies, many more diverse nanoviruses and nanovirus-associated satellites are likely to be identified

The westward journey of alfalfa leaf curl virus

Alfalfa leaf curl virus (ALCV), which causes severe disease symptoms in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and is transmitted by the widespread aphid species, Aphis craccivora Koch, has been found throughout the Mediterranean basin as well as in Iran and Argentina. Here we reconstruct the evolutionary history of ALCV and attempt to determine whether the recent discovery and widespread detection of ALCV is attributable either to past diagnostic biases or to the emergence and global spread of the virus over the past few years. One hundred and twenty ALCV complete genome sequences recovered from ten countries were analyzed and four ALCV genotypes (ALCV-A, ALCV-B, ALCV-C, and ALCV-D) were clearly distinguished. We further confirm that ALCV isolates are highly recombinogenic and that recombination has been a major determinant in the origins of the various genotypes. Collectively, the sequence data support the hypothesis that, of all the analyzed locations, ALCV likely emerged and diversified in the Middle East before spreading to the western Mediterranean basin and Argentina

The Spread of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus from the Middle East to the World

The ongoing global spread of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV; Genus Begomovirus, Family Geminiviridae) represents a serious looming threat to tomato production in all temperate parts of the world. Whereas determining where and when TYLCV movements have occurred could help curtail its spread and prevent future movements of related viruses, determining the consequences of past TYLCV movements could reveal the ecological and economic risks associated with similar viral invasions. Towards this end we applied Bayesian phylogeographic inference and recombination analyses to available TYLCV sequences (including those of 15 new Iranian full TYLCV genomes) and reconstructed a plausible history of TYLCV's diversification and movements throughout the world. In agreement with historical accounts, our results suggest that the first TYLCVs most probably arose somewhere in the Middle East between the 1930s and 1950s (with 95% highest probability density intervals 1905–1972) and that the global spread of TYLCV only began in the 1980s after the evolution of the TYLCV-Mld and -IL strains. Despite the global distribution of TYLCV we found no convincing evidence anywhere other than the Middle East and the Western Mediterranean of epidemiologically relevant TYLCV variants arising through recombination. Although the region around Iran is both the center of present day TYLCV diversity and the site of the most intensive ongoing TYLCV evolution, the evidence indicates that the region is epidemiologically isolated, which suggests that novel TYLCV variants found there are probably not direct global threats. We instead identify the Mediterranean basin as the main launch-pad of global TYLCV movements

Molecular characterization and transmission properties of Iranian wheat stripe virus

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DXN057957 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Identification of phytoplasmas associated with cultivated and ornamental plants in Kerman Province, Iran

Hossain Kerman Province is a major agricultural centre in south-eastern Iran and an increase in agricultural activities results in an increase in disease. We report phytoplasmal infections in Iran of five plant species; spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and Aegean wallflower (Erysimum cheiri (L.) Crantz; Family Brassicaceae) using in silico restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequence analysis. Amplicons of approximately 300 bp were amplified using polymerase chain reaction ampli- fication with universal P3 ⁄ P7 primer pair. The ampli- fied products were cloned and sequenced. On the basis of in silico restriction analysis of the amplicon digested with 17 distinct restriction enzymes and 16 ⁄ 23S spacer region sequence, Erysimum and cucumber phyllodies (EPh and CuPh2, respectively) were 100% identical and showed closest similarity with members of the peanut witches-broom group (16SrII). Whereas spinach yellows (SpY) and canola phyllody (CaPh) revealed closest homology with phytoplasmas of the aster yellows group (AY) 16SrI. Mixed infections of the SuWB sample were confirmed in which two different phytoplasmas belonging to 16SrII and 16SrVI groups were found. This is the first report of phytoplasmal infection of Aegean wallflower (EPh) caused by a phytoplasma belonging to the 16SrII group. While spinach phytoplasmas have been isolated in the past; however, our isolate from spinach belonging to the 16SrI group is the first spinach isolate from Iran

Metatranscriptome analysis of symptomatic bitter apple plants revealed mixed viral infections with a putative novel polerovirus

Abstract Background Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) combined with bioinformatic analyses constitutes a powerful approach for identifying and characterizing previously unknown viral genomes. In this study, leaf samples from bitter apple plants (Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad) exhibiting symptoms such as dwarfing, leaf crinkling, and chlorosis were collected from the southern part of Kerman province, Iran. Results Putative infecting viruses were identified through de novo assembly of sequencing reads using various tools, followed by BLAST analysis. Complete genomes for Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV), Citrus-associated rhabdovirus (CiaRV), and a novel polerovirus-related strain termed Bitter apple aphid-borne yellows virus (BaABYV) were assembled and characterized. Additionally, a partial genome for Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) was assembled. The genomic organization of the BaABYV was determined to be 5’-ORF0-ORF1-ORF1,2-ORF3a-ORF3-ORF3,5-ORF4-3’. Amino acid sequence identities for inferred proteins (P0 and P1, P1,2) with known poleroviruses were found to be the 90% species delineation limit, implying that BaABYV should be considered a new member of the genus Polerovirus. Recombination events were observed in the BaABYV and WMV strains; such events were not found in the CiaRV strain. Conclusions Molecular evidence from this study suggests that C. colocynthis is a reservoir host of several plant viruses. Among them, BaABYV is proposed as a new member of the genus Polerovirus. Furthermore, the CiaRV strain has been reported for the first time from Iran

Turnip curly top virus, a highly divergent geminivirus infecting turnip in Iran

From 2006 onwards turnip crops in Fars province, Iran, have been noted with unusual leaf curling and vein swelling symptoms which are characteristic of the leafhopper-transmitted viruses of the genus Curtovirus (family Geminiviridae). Rolling circle amplification was used to clone viruses from five turnip isolates exhibiting leaf curl symptoms. Analysis of the sequences showed them to have >93% sequence identity and to be distinct from all other geminiviruses previously characterised. Analysis of the sequence of this virus, for which we propose the name Turnip curly top virus (TCTV), showed it to have a genome arrangement in the complementary-sense similar to that of curtoviruses (consisting of four overlapping genes) but only two open reading frames in the virion-sense (the curtoviruses encode three). The complementarysense genes are homologous to those of curtoviruses but show little sequence identity to their curtovirus homologs, with the exception of the product of the C4 open reading frame (ORF) which shows ∼70.6% amino acid sequence identity to the C4 of the North American curtoviruses, Pepper curly top virus and Beet mild curly top virus. For curtoviruses the C4 protein is a symptom determinant, which likely explains the similarity of TCTV symptoms to those of curtoviruses. In the virion-sense the predicted product of the V2 ORF of TCTV shows no significant similarity with any proteins in the databases whereas the product of the V1 ORF (encoding the coat protein [CP] of geminiviruses) shows low levels of sequence identity to the CPs of curtoviruses. These findings show TCTV to be a highly divergent geminivirus with similarities to viruses of the genus curtovirus. The significance of these findings, particularly the taxonomic implications are discussed