Early physiological response of potato plants to entomopathogenic fungi under hydroponic conditions

Endophytic entomopathogenic fungi are promising agents for the promotion of plant growth, the activation of immunity, and protection against phytopathogens. However, physiological changes in plants after treatment with fungi are insufficiently studied. We investigated the effect of potato inoculation with conidia from Metarhizium robertsii and Beauveria bassiana on the growth (fresh and dry weight, length of shoots and roots, counts of stolons and leaves, and total surface area of leaves) and physiological parameters (pigment contents, free proline and malondialdehyde content, and activity of antioxidant enzymes) at the initial stage of the plant–fungus interaction (seven days) under hydroponic conditions. The results showed that the fungi could act as an immune-modulating factor for plants based on the increase in malondialdehyde and proline contents. At the same time, we observed growth retardation and a decrease in the content of photosynthetic pigments, which may be caused by a tradeoff between plant growth and the immune response

Наночастицы серебра – новое поколение антимикробной профилактики

Over the last 20 years, metallic silver in the form of Ag nanoparticles has made a remarkable comeback as an example of a nanomaterial for control of microorganisms. The purpose of our study was a) to quantitatively estimate the antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles compared with that of silver ions and b) to check the efficacy of nanosilver as an antimicrobial agent against a range of microbes on the surface of water-soluble paint, 100% cotton fabric, and fibrous chemisorbent. Minimum inhibitory concentration tests quantitatively showed that Ag nanoparticles were less efficient than Ag+ ions against representatives of gram-positive / gram-negative bacteria and cosmopolitan saprotrophic fungi. Antifungal/antibacterial effects against Aspergillus niger, Penicillium phoeniceum, and Staphylococcus aureus were confirmed for nanosilver concentrations of even 1 μg/cm2 on the surface of cotton fabric and 0.8 μg/cm2 in water-soluble paint. As the concentration of nanosilver in water-soluble paint/cotton fabric was increased to 7 μg/cm2, the growth of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli was suppressed as well. Microbiological tests conducted over a period of 60 days showed that there was no biofilm growth on the surface of a silver nanoparticle-coated fiber sorbent during its everyday operation as a household water treatment filter. Thus, silver nanoparticles as an add-on to water-soluble paints, textile fabrics or fiber chemisorbents had a remarkable antibacterial/antifungal effect, although some of the Ag nanoparticles were agglomerated into larger colloidal clustersВ последние 20 лет наночастицы серебра (НС) нашли широкое применение в качестве антимикробного средства. Но вследствие недостаточной изученности воздействия наноматериалов на живые организмы вопрос эффективности и безопасности НС до сих пор остается открытым. В цели наших исследований входила количественная оценка антимикробной способности НС в сравнении c ионами серебра, а также оценка антимикробной эффективности НС при введении его в водорастворимые краски, хлопчатобумажные ткани и волокнистые сорбенты. Оценку проводили на основе стандартной методики определения минимальных ингибирующих концентраций. Результаты исследований для ряда грамположительных/грамотрицательных бактерий и сапротрофных грибов показали, что наночастицы серебра были менее эффективны по сравнению с ионами серебра. Тем не менее антигрибной и антибактериальный эффекты НС для культур A. niger, P. phoeniceum и S. aureus проявлялись уже при концентрации наносеребра 1 мкг/см2 на поверхности хлопчатобумажной ткани и 0,8 мкг/см2 в водорастворимой краске. Повышение концентрации наносеребра в водорастворимой краске/хлопчатобумажной ткани до 7 мкг/см2 обеспечивало также подавление роста культур B. subtilis и E. coli. Было показано, что при 60-дневном систематическом использовании волокнистого сорбента, покрытого наночастицами серебра, в качестве бытового фильтра для очистки воды на нем не наблюдалось роста биопленок. Таким образом, наночастицы серебра в качестве добавки к водорастворимым краскам, текстильным тканям и волокнистым сорбентам обладают выраженным антибактериальным/противогрибковым эффектом, несмотря на наблюдающуюся тенденцию ряда наночастиц серебра к агломерации в коллоидные кластер

A Data-Driven Approach to Carrier Screening for Common Recessive Diseases

Genetic screening is an advanced tool for reducing recessive disease burden. Nowadays, it is still unclear as to the number of genes or their variants that are necessary for effective screening. This paper describes the development of a carrier screening custom panel for cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and sensorineural hearing loss consisting of 116 variants in the CFTR, PAH, SERPINA1, and GJB2 genes. The approach is based on the cheapest and fastest method, on using a small number of genes, and on the estimation of the effectiveness of carriers’ detection. The custom panel was tested on a population-based cohort that included 1244 participants. Genotypes were determined by the TaqMan OpenArray Genotyping platform on the QuantStudio 12K Flex Real-Time PCR System. The frequency of heterozygotes in the Russian population was 16.87% or 1:6 (CI95%: 14.76–19.00% by Clopper-Pearson exact method): in CFTR—2.81% (1:36), PAH—2.33% (1:43), SERPINA1—4.90% (1:20), and GJB2—6.83% (1:15). The data on allele frequencies were obtained for the first time on a Russian population. The panel allows us to identify the vast majority of carriers of recessive diseases in the population. It is an effective approach to carrier screening for common recessive diseases