Premier sondage sur le polymorphisme de cinq enzymes utilisées comme marqueurs génétiques chez les bovins marocains de type Brune de l'Atlas

Des études électrophorétiques concernant le polymorphisme de la phosphoglucomutase (PGM) de la transaminase glutamique oxalacétique cytoplasmique (GOT), de la malate déhydrogénase mitochondriale (MOR), de la mannose-6-phosphate isomérase (MPI) et de la nucléoside phosphorylase (NP) ont été effectuées sur des échantillons de muscle de 40 bovins marocains de type "Brune de l'Atlas". La PGM, la NP et la MPI ont présenté un polymorphisme. Les allèles PGM3-A et NP-H, dont les fréquences sont particulièrement élevées chez la Brune de l'Atlas par rapport à d'autres races bovines mériteraient d'être étudiés afin de mettre en évidence de possibles relations avec les performances zootechniques en milieu tropica

Second Workshop on Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) (WKCOLIAS2)

The Atlantic chub mackerel Scomber colias has become an increasingly important commercial species in the European Atlantic waters in the last 10–15 years, probably through an expansion process from NW African waters and due to market needs. However, at present there are no assessment or advice requirements. In the WK framework, available information of the species in the West Atlantic waters has been compiled in order to evaluate possible geographical differences and trends, and the feasibility to describe its population structure. Though the Atlantic chub mackerel is not routinely included among the target species in the acoustic surveys performed in the Atlantic Iberian waters and the Mediterranean Sea, a synoptic overview of the species is possible over all its West Atlantic distribution. Moreover, the data available have indicated latitudinal trends, mainly in the landings’ length composition, L50 and the spawning periods. Nevertheless, even if some degree of connectivity likely exists and migrations are occurring between adjacent areas, some subunits could be considered for management purposes. From the assessment models’ trials carried out, the results or reference points obtained for the European fisheries cannot be retained at present. Therefore, continuing collating information from fisheries and biological sampling of the species, obtaining reliable biomass estimations from scientific surveys and identifying management units seem the main priorities to address in future research work and in case of assessment requirements

IL-12Rβ1 Deficiency in Two of Fifty Children with Severe Tuberculosis from Iran, Morocco, and Turkey

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the last decade, autosomal recessive IL-12Rβ1 deficiency has been diagnosed in four children with severe tuberculosis from three unrelated families from Morocco, Spain, and Turkey, providing proof-of-principle that tuberculosis in otherwise healthy children may result from single-gene inborn errors of immunity. We aimed to estimate the fraction of children developing severe tuberculosis due to IL-12Rβ1 deficiency in areas endemic for tuberculosis and where parental consanguinity is common. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We searched for IL12RB1 mutations in a series of 50 children from Iran, Morocco, and Turkey. All children had established severe pulmonary and/or disseminated tuberculosis requiring hospitalization and were otherwise normally resistant to weakly virulent BCG vaccines and environmental mycobacteria. In one child from Iran and another from Morocco, homozygosity for loss-of-function IL12RB1 alleles was documented, resulting in complete IL-12Rβ1 deficiency. Despite the small sample studied, our findings suggest that IL-12Rβ1 deficiency is not a very rare cause of pediatric tuberculosis in these countries, where it should be considered in selected children with severe disease. SIGNIFICANCE: This finding may have important medical implications, as recombinant IFN-γ is an effective treatment for mycobacterial infections in IL-12Rβ1-deficient patients. It also provides additional support for the view that severe tuberculosis in childhood may result from a collection of single-gene inborn errors of immunity

Hydrogeochemical processes constrained by multivariate statistical methods and isotopic evidence of groundwater recharge in the aquifer of Figuig, eastern High Atlas of morocco

peer reviewe

Distribution of black hakes Merluccius senegalensis and Merluccius polli along the Moroccan Atlantic coast

In the Northwestern coast of Africa three species of hakes overlap. These include European hake Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758), Senegalese hake Merluccius senegalensis Cadenat, 1950 and Benguela hake Merluccius polli Cadenat, 1950. The Black hakes M. senegalensis and M. polli have their northern distribution limit in Morocco. In this study, this limit was set to 33.05°N (33° 3' 0" N) for M. senegalensis and 28.28°N (28° 16' 48") for M. polli. The fluctuation in the northern limit of the black hakes distribution could be a result of changes in oceanographic parameters (as the area is affected by the upwelling and considered as a transition zone between a warm and a cold region) or a seasonal migration of the species. A misidentification of species is not excluded. The general trend of the yield’s average decreases with latitude. South of the latitude 25°N M. polli is more abundant in average than M. senegalensis even if the latter could show some high yield spots (up to 155 kg h-1 ). North of the latitude 25°N, the situation is inversed. Black hakes were caught up to about 1000 m depth (1055 m for M. senegalensis, deeper than the ever-reported depth). M. polli showed a deeper distribution than M. senegalensis and was absent from the strata shallower than 300 m. The main concentration of M. polli was between 500 and 700 m where 81% of individuals are caught. The main concentration of M. senegalensis was in the stratum 300-600 m where 77% of individuals are caught. The maximum overlap of the two black hakes species was between 400 and 600 m suggesting a deeper population in the northern zone of the distribution of these species. Although M. senegalensis shows a maximum size (73 cm) greater than M. polli’s maximum size (66 cm), its average size in the study area (44.06 cm) was significantly smaller than M. polli’s average size (48.84 cm). The black hakes are considered as shared resources and need more studies with a regional scope so as to contribute to their management