Functional insights into the infective larval stage of Anisakis simplex s.s., Anisakis pegreffii and their hybrids based on gene expression patterns

List of species and specimen used in the phylogenetic tree of Additional file 1. Code of the voucher specimen and accession number for mitochondrial gene COII (*: sequences obtained from GenBank). Labeled are the specimens selected for RNA sequencing (first number, population; second number specimen). A. simplex s.s. – A. pegreffii refers to hybrids haplotype according Abollo et al. [23]. (DOCX 47 kb

Sensitization to Anisakis simplex species in the population of northern Morocco.

Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't;OBJECTIVE To investigate sensitization to third-stage Anisakis simplex larvae in a randomly selected population in northern Morocco. METHODS We studied sera obtained from clinical analysis laboratories in Tangier and Tetuouan and from fishermen at Tangier port. The age of the study population ranged from 6 to 83 years. ImmunoCAP and immunoblotting techniques were used to determine total and specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E values and the chi2 and Fisher exact tests were applied to analyze relationships between study variables. RESULTS A seroprevalence of 5.1% was found, with a higher percentage of positive sera in the 31-to-43-year age group. Sensitization was not significantly associated with the origin, sex, occupation, or age of the individuals studied. In sera positive by InmunoCAP, immunoblotting studies detected numerous bands of between 7 kDa and >209 kDa, with a predominance of bands in the approximately 20-kDa to 24-kDa range. CONCLUSIONS Although no cases of human anisakiasis have been reported in Morocco to date, part of a randomly selected population in Northern Morocco shows sensitization to A simplex proteins.This study was funded by a grant from the Spanish Autonomous Government of Andalusia (P07-CVI-03249).YesObjetivos: La finalidad de este estudio ha sido la de investigar la sensibilización frente a la larva L3 de Anisakis, de una población elegida al azar del norte de Marruecos.Métodos: Hemos analizado sueros de pacientes atendidos en laboratorios de análisis clínicos de Tánger y Tetuán, incluyendo una subpoblación de pescadores del puerto de Tánger. La edad de la población ha estado comprendida entre 6-83 años. Se han utilizado las técnicas de ImmunoCAP e Immunoblotting para determinar la IgE total e IgE específi ca y se ha aplicado el estadístico de 2 o el test de Fisher, para conocer el grado de signifi cación entre las distintas variables. Resultados: La seroprevalencia obtenida ha sido del 5.1%, detectándose el mayor nº de sueros positivos en el intervalo de edad de 31-43 años. La sensibilización no está asociada con la procedencia, sexo, ocupación y edad de los individuos estudiados. Entre los sueros positivos por InmunoCAP, se detectaron por inmunoblotting, numerosas bandas entre 7 kDa y >209 kDa, predominando las de ~20 kDa – 24 kDa. Conclusiones: Aunque la anisakiasis humana por ahora no ha sido denunciada en Marruecos, nosotros aportamos datos acerca de la sensibilización con proteínas de Anisakis, de una población elegida al azar en el norte de Marrueco

Population genetic analysis of Anisakis simplex s.l. and Anisakis pegreffii (Nematoda, Anisakidae) from parapatric areas and their contact zone

Genetic markers (ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial DNA) were used for molecular dissection of the Anisakis simplex sensu lato (s.l). complex populations. Host fish were caught off Moroccan coasts, where only Anisakis pegreffii is present, the sympatric area comprising Spanish coasts, and the Little Sole Bank fishing area from Nordeast Atlantic Ocean where the only present species is A. simplex sensu stricto(s.s.). Sequence variations in the amplification products were then assessed indirectly by digestion with restriction endonucleases or directly by sequencing for 623 L3 larvae. The sequences were used to infer the relationships between the two species under study using various methodological approaches. We reveal the high genetic diversity of Anisakis simplex s.s. and A. pegreffii in both mitochondrial and nuclear genes. We detected 10 and 2 fixed differences between A. simplex s.s and A. pegreffii in the Cox2 and ITS1, respectively. We found a proportion of putative hybrids below 20% with similar figures on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Moroccan hybrids were more similar to A. pegreffii reflecting backcrosses between these mixed genotypes and his ancestor A. pegreffii. We discuss the possible interpretation of these putative hybrids

Genetic variability of Anisakis simplex s.s. parasitizing European hake (Merluccius merluccius) in the Little Sole Bank area in the Northeast Atlantic

In this study, we researched the presence of anisakids in specimens of Merluccius merluccius caught in the area of Little Sole Bank, in the Northeast Atlantic, and found that 100% of the European hake examined were infected and showed high average values of abundance (976.88) and intensity (976.88). The larvae were identified in morphological terms as morphotype type I and in molecular terms as Anisakis simplex s.s via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism of the rDNA. The genetic variability of the A. simplex s.s population in the North Atlantic is notable, with at least two ribosomal and three mitochondrial haplotypes which are different from the specimen used as control, reflecting the diversity of this species, an aspect which has scarcely been studied to date. The cox-2 gene appears to be an interesting candidate for generating new genetic markers which can be applied to differentiate between A. simplex s.s and Anisakis pegreffii. We detected 11 fixed differences in this gene, and it also offers the advantage of being easily amplified by PCR. The high prevalence of infection by A. simplex s.s and the extremely high average intensity and abundance values can have significant repercussions on public health, especially among populations which regularly eat insufficiently cooked or raw fish and have a certain genetic predisposition; the genetic variability of the parasite could be another factor to take into account. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.Peer Reviewe

Structural stability concepts in medieval and renaissance mechanics

The identification of the origins of what we now call the theory of elastic stability is not an easy task. Most authors trace the origins to the pioneering work of Leonhard Euler in 1744, and some shift this origin to the experimental works of Petrus van Musschenbroek in 1729. However, other contemporary authors interested in the history of the discipline postulate that the works of Medieval and Renaissance scholars should be considered as the true sources of the buckling studies performed in the XVIII Century. This paper reports a historical research based on the original works of Al-Khazini, Jordanus de Nemore, Leonardo da Vinci, and Marini Merssene, in order to discuss what kind of Aknowledge they had about the topics of stability and lateral deflections of columns under axial loads. Our investigation shows that there were observations of the phenomenon considered, but those observations were not translated into a deeper understanding of the phenomenon, so that the causes of this efect or the role of strength on the response were not considered. Leonardo was closer than others in his understanding of the nature of the problem and produced some tentative rules of behavior; however, those were only documented in private writings and did not make an impact in his contemporaries or even 100 years later. We postulate that there was a continuity of problems between medieval authors and those who lived in the XVIII Century, rather than continuity in their concepts and approaches to solve those problems