Caloric Restriction in Group-Housed Mice: Littermate and Sex Influence on Behavioral and Hormonal Data

This study was partially funded by the Master's program in Basic and Applied Neuroscience and Pain, University of Granada, the Junta de Andalucia (grants CTS109 and B-CTS-422-UGR18) and the Spanish Ministry of Health (National Drug Plan grant 2020I049). AV-A was recipient of a predoctoral fellowship (Grant/Award number: FPU18/05012) of the Ministerio de Universidades, Spain. LR-L has a research contract under the grant B-CTS-422-UGR18 (Programa Operativo FEDER Andalucia 2014-2020).We acknowledge the technical assistance of Ms. Ana Fernández Ibáñez, who helped with the ACTH hormone analysis, and of Mr. Daniel González Fernández, who edited the final English version of this document.Much of the research done on aging, oxidative stress, anxiety, and cognitive and social behavior in rodents has focused on caloric restriction (CR). This often involves several days of single housing, which can cause numerous logistical problems, as well as cognitive and social dysfunctions. Previous results in our laboratory showed the viability of long-term CR in grouped rats. Our research has studied the possibility of CR in grouped female and male littermates and unrelated CB6F1/J (C57BL/6J x BALBc/J hybrid strain) mice, measuring: (i) possible differences in body mass proportions between mice in ad libitum and CR conditions (at 70% of ad libitum), (ii) aggressive behavior, using the number of pushes and chasing behavior time as an indicator and social behavior using the time under the feeder as indicator, and (iii) difference in serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations (stress biomarker), under ad libitum and CR conditions. Results showed the impossibility of implementing CR in unrelated male mice. In all other groups, CR was possible, with a less aggressive behavior (measured only with the number of pushes) observed in the unrelated female mice under CR conditions. In that sense, the ACTH levels measured on the last day of CR showed no difference in stress levels. These results indicate that implementantion of long-term CR in mice can be optimized technically and also related to their well-being by grouping animals, in particular, related mice.Master's program in Basic and Applied Neuroscience and Pain, University of GranadaJunta de Andalucia CTS109 B-CTS-422-UGR18Spanish Ministry of Health (National Drug Plan grant) 2020I049Ministerio de Universidades, Spain FPU18/05012Programa Operativo FEDER Andalucia B-CTS-422-UGR1

Physiological Regulation of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase and the Role of 2-Oxoglutarate in Prochlorococcus sp. Strain PCC 9511

The enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH; EC 1.1.1.42) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate, to produce 2- oxoglutarate. The incompleteness of the tricarboxylic acids cycle in marine cyanobacteria confers a special importance to isocitrate dehydrogenase in the C/N balance, since 2-oxoglutarate can only be metabolized through the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase pathway. The physiological regulation of isocitrate dehydrogenase was studied in cultures of Prochlorococcus sp. strain PCC 9511, by measuring enzyme activity and concentration using the NADPH production assay and Western blotting, respectively. The enzyme activity showed little changes under nitrogen or phosphorus starvation, or upon addition of the inhibitors DCMU, DBMIB and MSX. Azaserine, an inhibitor of glutamate synthase, induced clear increases in the isocitrate dehydrogenase activity and icd gene expression after 24 h, and also in the 2-oxoglutarate concentration. Iron starvation had the most significant effect, inducing a complete loss of isocitrate dehydrogenase activity, possibly mediated by a process of oxidative inactivation, while its concentration was unaffected. Our results suggest that isocitrate dehydrogenase responds to changes in the intracellular concentration of 2-oxoglutarate and to the redox status of the cells in Prochlorococcus

Evaluación neuropsicológica en niños y adolescentes con fenilcetonuria e hiperfenilalaninemia y su relación con los niveles de fenilalanina plasmática

P. 267-273Aunque, con tratamiento precoz, los pacientes con fenilcetonuria pueden presentar niveles de inteligencia normales, es importante optimizar el control dietético para mantener niveles de fenilalanina adecuados y poder desarrollar su potencial intelectual sin alteraciones en sus tareas diarias por déficits en las funciones ejecutivas. Se presenta una serie de 26 pacientes, diagnosticados y tratados precozmente, a quienes se realizó una evaluación psicométrica junto con determinaciones de fenilalanina a lo largo de su vida y en el momento de realización de los testsS

Analysis of the pathogenic potential of nosocomial Pseudomonas putida strains

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00871Pseudomonas putida strains are ubiquitous in soil and water but have also been reported as opportunistic human pathogens capable of causing nosocomial infections. In this study we describe the multilocus sequence typing of four P. putida strains (HB13667, HB8234, HB4184, and HB3267) isolated from in-patients at the Besançon Hospital (France). The four isolates (in particular HB3267) were resistant to a number of antibiotics. The pathogenicity and virulence potential of the strains was tested ex vivo and in vivo using different biological models: human tissue culture, mammalian tissues, and insect larvae. Our results showed a significant variability in the ability of the four strains to damage the host; HB13667 did not exhibit any pathogenic traits, HB4184 caused damage only ex vivo in human tissue cultures, and HB8234 had a deleterious effect in tissue culture and in vivo on rat skin, but not in insect larvae. Interestingly, strain HB3267 caused damage in all the model systems studied. The putative evolution of these strains in medical environments is discussed.Work in this study was supported by the ERANET Pathogenomics Program through the ADHERS-Signature Project (reference: BIO2008-04419-E)Peer reviewe

Genetic diversity of HLA system in four populations from Baja California, Mexico: Mexicali, La Paz, Tijuana and rural Baja California

We studied HLA class I (HLA-A, -B) and class II (HLA-DRB1, -DQB1) alleles by PCR-SSP based typing in 250 Mexicans from the states of Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur living in Mexicali (N = 100), La Paz (N = 75), Tijuana (N = 25) and rural communities (N = 50) to obtain information regarding allelic and haplotypic frequencies. The most frequent haplotypes for the Baja California region include nine Native American and five European haplotypes. Admixture estimates revealed that the main genetic components are European (50.45 ± 1.84% by ML; 42.03% of European haplotypes) and Native American (43.72 ± 2.36% by ML; 40.24% of Native American haplotypes), while the African genetic component was less apparent (5.83 ± 0.98% by ML; 9.36% of African haplotypes)

Genetic manipulation of LKB1 elicits lethal metastatic prostate cancer

Gene dosage is a key defining factor to understand cancer pathogenesis and progression, which requires the development of experimental models that aid better deconstruction of the disease. Here, we model an aggressive form of prostate cancer and show the unconventional association of LKB1 dosage to prostate tumorigenesis. Whereas loss of Lkbl alone in the murine prostate epithelium was inconsequential for tumorigenesis, its combination with an oncogenic insult, illustrated by Pten heterozygosity, elicited lethal metastatic prostate cancer. Despite the low frequency of LKB1 deletion in patients, this event was significantly enriched in lung metastasis. Modeling the role of LKB1 in cellular systems revealed that the residual activity retained in a reported kinase-dead form, LKB1(K781), was sufficient to hamper tumor aggressiveness and metastatic dissemination. Our data suggest that prostate cells can function normally with low activity of LKB1, whereas its complete absence influences prostate cancer pathogenesis and dissemination

Revista de Vertebrados de la Estación Biológica de Doñana

Página 298 con error de impresiónEstudio cariológico en dos especies de Serránidos del Mediterráneo (Peces: PerciformesRelaciones morfométricas de Atherina boyeri Risso (Pisces: Atherinidae) de la laguna de Zoñar (Córdoba, España)Contribución al conocimiento de la biometríay osteología de Barbus barbus bocagei, Steindachner, 1866 (Pisces: CyprinidaeLa actividad de la salamandra, Salamandra salamandra (L.), en Galicia.Estudios sobre el sapo corredor (Bufo calamita) en el Sur de España.1. BiometríaEstudios sobre el sapo corredor (Bufo calamita) en el Sur de España. II. AlimentaciónBiología de la reproducción de Rana iberica Boulenger 1879 en zonas simpátridas con Rana temporaria Linneo, 1758Nuevos datos sobre la distribución geográfica de Lacerta monticola cantabrica Mertens, 1929. (Sauria, lacertidae).Datos sobre Lacerta monticola Boulenger, 1905 (Saurio: lacertidae)en el oeste del Sistema Central.Nueva especie de Anolis (lacertilia, Iguanidae) para CubaEtograma cuantificado del cortejo en Falco naumannOntogénesis del comportamiento predador en Falco naumanniContaminación xenobiótica del Parque Nacional de Doñana. 1. Residuos de insecticidas organoclorados, bifenilos policlorados y mercurio en anseriformes y gruiformesReproducción del críalo (Clamator glandarius) en Sierra Morena CentraNidificación de Picus viridis en taludes de arcilla en Ramblas de Guadix (Granada)Comportamiento del calamón Porphyrio porphyrio (Linnaeus, 1758) en Doñana, Marismas del GuadalquiviBiología y ecología de la malvasía (Oxyura leucocephala) en Andalucía.On the differential diet of Carnivora in islands:a method for analysing it and a particular case.Notas sobre la distribución pasada y actual del meloncillo Herpestes ichneumon (L.) en la Península IbéricaEstructuración de las interacciones en una camada de lobos (Canís lupus)Nuevos datos sobre la distribución del Cottus gobio L. (pisces, cottidae) en EspañaSobre la alimentación de Callopistes maculatus (Reptilia,teiidaeObservación de Lacerta lepida depredando un nido de Alectoris rufaNueva cita del galápago leproso Mauremys leprosa (Scheigger, 1812) en los pirineosPrimera cita de Psammodromus hispanicus (Fitzinger) para GaliciaSobre la presencia de Gallotia (=Lacerta) atlantica (Peters y Doria, 1882) en Gran CanariaNota sobre las Lacerta monticola Boulenger, 1905 de las zonas del norte de GaliciaPrimeras notas herpetológicas de la provincia de Soria.Datos sobre selección de hábitat y ecología alimenticia del porrón pardo (Aythya nyroca)Probable nueva área de cría del pechiazul (Luscinia svecica cyanecula) en el sistema central. PerisPredación de Falco peregrinus y Falco subbuteo sobre quirópterosResultados de la producción de Oxyura leucocephala en el año 1981 en las lagunas de Zóñar y el rincónAnálisis de la dieta de Tyto alba en un medio árido antropógeno de los alrededores de Almería¿Son Eudocimus ruber y E. albus distintas especies?EL Estornino pinto (Sturnus vulgaris) en Canarias: nueva especie nidifiante en el archipiélagoDatos sobre la alimentación otoñal del cárabo (Strix aluco) en la sierra de CádizObservación primaveral de rapaces y otras aves en el páramo del estado de Mérida (Venezuela).Murciélago hematófago (Desmodus rotundus) parasitando a un chigüire (Hidrochoerus hydrochaeris)Observaciones sobre la reproducción del zacatuche o teporinho Romerolagus diazi (Mammalia: lagomorpha)Estudio electroforético de hemoglobinas y esterasas sanguíneas en Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Chiroptera: rhinolophidae) y de hemoglobinas en Tadaria taeniotis (chiroptera: molossidae)Peer reviewe

Fungal Planet description sheets: 154–213

Novel species of microfungi described in the present study include the following from South Africa: Camarosporium aloes, Phaeococcomyces aloes and Phoma aloes from Aloe, C. psoraleae, Diaporthe psoraleae and D. psoraleae-pinnatae from Psoralea, Colletotrichum euphorbiae from Euphorbia, Coniothyrium prosopidis and Peyronellaea prosopidis from Prosopis, Diaporthe cassines from Cassine, D. diospyricola from Diospyros, Diaporthe maytenicola from Maytenus, Harknessia proteae from Protea, Neofusicoccum ursorum and N. cryptoaustrale from Eucalyptus, Ochrocladosporium adansoniae from Adansonia, Pilidium pseudoconcavum from Greyia radlkoferi, Stagonospora pseudopaludosa from Phragmites and Toxicocladosporium ficiniae from Ficinia. Several species were also described from Thailand, namely: Chaetopsina pini and C. pinicola from Pinus spp., Myrmecridium thailandicum from reed litter, Passalora pseudotithoniae from Tithonia, Pallidocercospora ventilago from Ventilago, Pyricularia bothriochloae from Bothriochloa and Sphaerulina rhododendricola from Rhododendron. Novelties from Spain include Cladophialophora multiseptata, Knufia tsunedae and Pleuroascus rectipilus from soil and Cyphellophora catalaunica from river sediments. Species from the USA include Bipolaris drechsleri from Microstegium, Calonectria blephiliae from Blephilia, Kellermania macrospora (epitype) and K. pseudoyuccigena from Yucca. Three new species are described from Mexico, namely Neophaeosphaeria agaves and K. agaves from Agave and Phytophthora ipomoeae from Ipomoea. Other African species include Calonectria mossambicensis from Eucalyptus (Mozambique), Harzia cameroonensis from an unknown creeper (Cameroon), Mastigosporella anisophylleae from Anisophyllea (Zambia) and Teratosphaeria terminaliae from Terminalia (Zimbabwe). Species from Europe include Auxarthron longisporum from forest soil (Portugal), Discosia pseudoartocreas from Tilia (Austria), Paraconiothyrium polonense and P. lycopodinum from Lycopodium (Poland) and Stachybotrys oleronensis from Iris (France). Two species of Chrysosporium are described from Antarctica, namely C. magnasporum and C. oceanitesii. Finally, Licea xanthospora is described from Australia, Hypochnicium huinayensis from Chile and Custingophora blanchettei from Uruguay. Novel genera of Ascomycetes include Neomycosphaerella from Pseudopentameris macrantha (South Africa), and Paramycosphaerella from Brachystegia sp. (Zimbabwe). Novel hyphomycete genera include Pseudocatenomycopsis from Rothmannia (Zambia), Neopseudocercospora from Terminalia (Zambia) and Neodeightoniella from Phragmites (South Africa), while Dimorphiopsis from Brachystegia (Zambia) represents a novel coelomycetous genus. Furthermore, Alanphillipsia is introduced as a new genus in the Botryosphaeriaceae with four species, A. aloes, A. aloeigena and A. aloetica from Aloe spp. and A. euphorbiae from Euphorbia sp. (South Africa). A new combination is also proposed for Brachysporium torulosum (Deightoniella black tip of banana) as Corynespora torulosa. Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa

Oxidative Stress Mediates Physiological Costs of Begging in Magpie (Pica pica) Nestlings

[Background] Theoretical models predict that a cost is necessary to guarantee honesty in begging displays given by offspring to solicit food from their parents. There is evidence for begging costs in the form of a reduced growth rate and immunocompetence. Moreover, begging implies vigorous physical activity and attentiveness, which should increase metabolism and thus the releasing of pro-oxidant substances. Consequently, we predict that soliciting offspring incur a cost in terms of oxidative stress, and growth rate and immune response (processes that generate pro-oxidants substances) are reduced in order to maintain oxidative balance. [Methodology/Principal Findings] We test whether magpie (Pica pica) nestlings incur a cost in terms of oxidative stress when experimentally forced to beg intensively, and whether oxidative balance is maintained by reducing growth rate and immune response. Our results show that begging provokes oxidative stress, and that nestlings begging for longer bouts reduce growth and immune response, thereby maintaining their oxidative status. [Conclusions/Significance] These findings help explaining the physiological link between begging and its associated growth and immunocompetence costs, which seems to be mediated by oxidative stress. Our study is a unique example of the complex relationships between the intensity of a communicative display (begging), oxidative stress, and life-history traits directly linked to viability.GM-R was supported by the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, “Juan de la Cierva” program), and TR was supported by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC; Proyectos Intramurales Especiales)