Composition of fish communities in macrotidal salt marshes of the Mont Saint-Michel bay (France)

At least 100 fish species are known to be present in the intertidal areas (estuaries, mudflats and salt marshes) of Mont Saint-Michel Bay. These and other comparable shallow marine coastal waters, such as estuaries and lagoons, play a nursery role for many fish species. However, in Europe little attention has been paid to the value of tidal salt marshes for fishes. Between March 1996 and April 1999, 120 tides were sampled in a tidal creek. A total of 31 species were caught. This community was largely dominated by mullets (Liza ramada represent 87% of the total biomass) and sand gobies(Pomatoschistus minutus and P. lozanoi represent 82% of the total numbers). These species and also Gasterosteus aculeatus, Syngnathus rostellatus, Dicentrarchus labrax, Mugil spp., Liza aurata and Sprattus sprattus were the most frequent species (>50% of monthly frequency of occurrence). In Europe, salt marshes and their creeks are flooded only during high spring tides. So, fishes only invade this environment during short immersion periods, and no species can be considered as marsh resident. But, the salt marsh was colonized by fish every time the tide reached the creek, and during the short time of flood, dominant fishes fed actively and exploited the high productivity. Nevertheless, this study shows that there is little interannual variation in the fish community and there are three ‘ seasons ’ in the fish fauna of the marsh. Marine straggler and marine estuarine dependent species colonize marshes between spring (recruitment period in the bay) and autumn before returning into deeper adjacent waters. Estuarine fishes are present all year round with maximum abundances in the end of summer. The presence of fishes confirms that this kind of wetland plays an important trophic and nursery role for these species. Differences in densities and stages distribution of these species into Mont Saint-Michel systems (tidal mudflats, estuaries and tidal salt marshes) can reduce the trophic competition

Age and growth of the dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe 1834) in an exploited population of the western Mediterranean Sea

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The Conservation Status of Marine Bony Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean

The greater Caribbean biogeographic region covered in this report (representing 38 countries and territories) encompasses an outstanding marine bony shorefish richness of approximately 1,360 species, with many (53%) being endemic. This report provides an overview of the conservation status of greater Caribbean shorefishes, with detailed information available through the IUCN Red List, and gives recommendations

COI1-dependent jasmonate signalling affects growth, metabolites production and cell wall protein composition in Arabidopsis

Background and Aims: Cultured cell suspensions have been the preferred model to study the apoplast as well as to monitor metabolic and cell cycle-related changes. Previous work showed that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) inhibits leaf growth in a CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1 (COI1)-dependent manner, with COI1 being the jasmonate (JA) receptor. Here, the effect of COI1 overexpression on the growth of stably transformed arabidopsis cell cultures is described. Methods: Time-course experiments were carried out to analyse gene expression, and protein and metabolite levels. Key Results: Both MeJA treatment and the overexpression of COI1 modify growth, by altering cell proliferation and expansion. DNA content as well as transcript patterns of cell cycle and cell wall remodelling markers were altered. COI1 overexpression also increases the protein levels of OLIGOGALACTURONIDE OXIDASE 1, BETA-GLUCOSIDASE/ENDOGLUCANASES and POLYGALACTURONASE INHIBITING PROTEIN2, reinforcing the role of COI1 in mediating defence responses and highlighting a link between cell wall loosening and growth regulation. Moreover, changes in the levels of the primary metabolites alanine, serine and succinic acid of MeJA-treated Arabidopsis cell cultures were observed. In addition, COI1 overexpression positively affects the availability of metabolites such as β-alanine, threonic acid, putrescine, glucose and myo-inositol, thereby providing a connection between JA-inhibited growth and stress responses. Conclusions: This study contributes to the understanding of the regulation of growth and the production of metabolic resources by JAs and COI1. This will have important implications in dissecting the complex relationships between hormonal and cell wall signalling in plants. The work also provides tools to uncover novel mechanisms co-ordinating cell division and post-mitotic cell expansion in the absence of organ developmental control

Bone Marrow Transplant

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I-H (MPS I-H) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by α-L-Iduronidase deficiency. Early haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the sole available therapeutic option to preserve neurocognitive functions. We report long-term follow-up (median 9 years, interquartile range 8-16.5) for 51 MPS I-H patients who underwent HSCT between 1986 and 2018 in France. 4 patients died from complications of HSCT and one from disease progression. Complete chimerism and normal α-L-Iduronidase activity were obtained in 84% and 71% of patients respectively. No difference of outcomes was observed between bone marrow and cord blood stem cell sources. All patients acquired independent walking and 91% and 78% acquired intelligible language or reading and writing. Intelligence Quotient evaluation (n = 23) showed that 69% had IQ ≥ 70 at last follow-up. 58% of patients had normal or remedial schooling and 62% of the 13 adults had good socio-professional insertion. Skeletal dysplasia as well as vision and hearing impairments progressed despite HSCT, with significant disability. These results provide a long-term assessment of HSCT efficacy in MPS I-H and could be useful in the evaluation of novel promising treatments such as gene therapy