L'acidification des torrents vosgiens. Mise en évidence. Impact sur les populations de macroinvertébrés

Les auteurs donnent les résultats d'une étude physico-chimique et biologique portant sur quatre torrents situés sur le versant lorrain des Vosges. Les stations étudiées sont placées en amont de toute agglomération et dans des secteurs non perturbés par l'activité agricole. L'assise rocheuse de nature siliceuse est granitique. La différence dans la composition des granites et leur altération pourraient être à l'origine des différences physico-chimiques observées entre torrents situés dans un même secteur.La présence permanente ou temporaire d'eaux acides appartenant au crénon et au rhitron a été établie. Cette acidité s'accompagne de concentrations élevées en aluminium (Al total > 200 µg/l). Une enquête piscicole et la réalisation de pêches électriques ont révélé l'absence de salmonidés dans les cours d'eau acidifiés en permanence, alors que leur présence est connue antérieurement. L'existence d'épisodes acides lors de la fonte des neiges et des pluies printanières a été démontrée; les auteurs retiennent les retombées acides comme cause de l'acidification des eaux de surface. Ces événements d'ordre hydrométéorologique sont caractérisés par l'augmentation des concentrations en H+, NO3-, SO42- et aluminium, ainsi que par une baisse des ions HCO3-, dans les eaux torrenticoles. Les macroinvertébrés benthiques intègrent ces épisodes et l'étude comparative de leurs populations montre des modifications apparaissant dans les secteurs acidifiés par rapport aux secteurs non perturbés. L'intégration par les invertébrés benthiques des conditions physico-chimiques se traduit notamment par la disparition des Ephéméroptères, et par un appauvrissement de la diversité taxonomique des Plécoptères, Trichoptères et Coléoptères.A biological and physico-chemical survey of four streams has been conducted in the Vosges Mountains. The areas investigated have granitic bed rock and soils in the process of podzolisation; they are regarded as sensitive to inputs of strong acids. The streams drain forested catchments that are affected by decline of the forests Coniferous trees (Abiea alba, Picea abies) are dominant.The sampling sites were located above constructed and agricultural areas (645-685 metres above sea level) thus avoiding organic pollution. Samples of invertebrate fauna in the streams were collected using a surber-type sampler. The presence of fish (Salmo trutta fario) was determined by electro-fishing.To determine water chemistry, pH, Ca2+ , Mg2+ , K+, SO42-, NO3-, total dissolved aluminium, alcalinity (T.A.C.) and HCO3-/SO42- were measured. The permanent or occasional presence of acidic streamwaters was established. Acidification occurred in all streams during snow melting and rainstorms.During these hydrometeorological events, characteristically low pH levels (pH < 5.5), low alkalinity associated with high concentrations of aluminium, nitrates and sulfates, occurred in the water. These are critical periods for aquatic organisms owing to the toxicological effects of low pH and high concentrations of aluminium.Two streams (the "Rouge-Rupt" and the "Grand-Rupt") did not contain trout.Diversity and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates are reduced with increasing acidity. Only 17 taxa were found in the most acidic stream (mean pH : 4.68), whereas 51 taxa were found in the one with less acidity. Likewise, in the less acidic river, abundance was more than three times higher (933 ind/m2) than in the one with most acidity (295 ind/m2). Ephemeroptera were absent when the pH was below 5.9. This order of aquatic insects seems to be the most sensitive to acidification.The benthic macroinvertebrate community also contained less Trichoptera. Only some Limnephilidae and the genera Plectrocenemia and Rhyacophila were common in acidic streamwaters and seemed to tolerate the acidification process.The Plecoptera dominated benthic communities in acidified streams. Nemouridae, Capniidae and Leuctridae were common and abundant. However, apart from Chloroperla sp., the Setipalpia were absent.A decrease in the diversity and abundance of Coleoptera was observed when the pH was lower than 5.9. The only beetle found in all the streams was Heldes sp.Diptera, Oligochaetes and Flatworms occurred in all four streams and did not present any difference in their distribution when the pH was low.Knowledge of the biology and ecology of the species appears essential in order to understand the impact of acidification on macroinvertebrates.The possibility that some species can carry out their development cycle in periods of no acid stress, thus being protected from the harmful effect of acidification, is suggested. In contrast, other species are undoubtedly partly or totally eliminated, owing to their presence at a sensitive development stage during periods of intense acidification

Étude de la contamination par les métaux lourds du champ d'épandage des eaux usées de la ville de Marrakech (Maroc)

La bioconcentration du Zn, Cu et Cd a été étudiée chez Melanopsis praemorsa L. (Gastéropode prosobranche) provenant de deux sites d'une khettara située dans le champ d'épandage des eaux usées de la ville de Marrakech. Les khettaras représentent un système d'irrigation traditionnel que l'on trouve dans certaines zones arides et semi-arides de la région ouest-paléarctique. L'eau est mise à jour par drainage de la nappe phréatique. Le degré de contamination de ce gastéropode s'avère très élevé et les teneurs métalliques augmentent de l'hiver à l'été. Les causes de la variabilité des concentrations métalliques chez les gastéropodes des deux stations ont été recherchées par des expériences de transplantation, et par des dosages de métaux au niveau du sédiment, de la spirogyre et du périphyton installé sur des substrats artificiels. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les différences entre les concentrations métalliques accumulées par les Melanopsis dans les deux stations pourraient être attribuées à la spéciation du métal dans l'eau. D'autres facteurs peuvent être mis en cause et méritent d'être précisés.Molluscs are well known for their capacity to bioaccumulate heavy metals from water or sediments. This study involves an evaluation of the contamination level of the undergroud and surface waters from a specific irrigation system known as a « khetarra », located near the town of Marrakech (Morocco). Khettaras represent a traditional systern by means ofwhich the ground water is drained to the surface and then can be used as drinking water or for irrigation in some arid and semi-arid areas. The bioindicator chosen was the gasteropod Melanopsispraemorca L. Two stations (Kl and K2) were investigated in a khettara located in spreading Marrakech waste water. The contamination of soils and water by heavy metals, eipecially Zn, Cu and Cd was first described by EL MEZD1 (1985) and SEDKI(1990).The studied khettara (1500 m. in length) is contaminated in two different ways: first by infiltration of waste water from the Seguia system and secondly directly by over-flow and escape of a main common sewer which crosses over the khetarra between the Kl andK2 stations.At each station, sediment peripbyton, Spirogyra and M. praemorsa were sampled in different seasons. Each sample was prepared for analysis (S.A.A. varian 475.AA) according to the method described by COSSON (1987). Flame atomization was chosen for Zn and Cu, the grafite furnace for Cd.The main results concern the level of contamination, with a comparison between Kl and K2 stations, the variation in contamination according to the seasons, the dilferent routes of contamination, namely through water or by the trophic chaîn (periphfion and Spirogyra).The degree of contamination in M. praemona is signifïcatively higher at the Kl station, with the following ranking: Zn> Cu> Cd (fig. 2, 3 and 4). Compared with other literature data: FORSTNER et al., 1981; RADA, 1985; COSSON, 1987; PIP, 1992, the upper concentrations are the highest.The metal concentrations increase from winter to summer, with significant differences between winter and spring or summer values at Kl for Zn, Cu, Cd; the same distinction, but only for Zn and Cd at K2 station.The causes of variation in metal concentrations in the gasteropods from the two sites were investigated,by in situ cotransplantation experiences and by measuring metaflic concentrations in sediments, periphyton and Spirogyra. Results show that differences in gasteropod metal concentrations between sites appear to be related to differences in aqueous metal speciation. The data concerning the food chain show that metallic concentrations are higher for periphyton and, Spirogyra living at Kl station, this according to the data for M. praemorsa.In contrast, the level of contamination in sediments is higher at K2 station. The most probable hypothesis is that organic and suspended matter, present at a higher level in this station, bind the heary metals and reduce their bioavailability.The cotransplantation between Kl and K2 stations shows that the individuals transferred from Kl to K2 station for 15 days cease to bioaccumulate Zn and Cd. A detoxification process occurs for these two metals but not for Cu, which continues to increase; thus, bioavailability of different metals at the same station is not equivalent. On the other hand the individuals transferred from K2 to Kl station do not increase their Zn, Cu or Cd concentrations even after 30 days. Concerning this fact FRAZIER and GEORGE (1983) suggest the possibility of an adaptation to initial conditions.It seems that many other factors influence metal bioaccumulation and merit further study, e.g.: the size and the age of individuals, the biological cycle with the period of reproduction ; the interaction of abiotic factors: T°, salinity, dissolved orygen, turbidity, lighting

The retroviral oncoprotein Tax targets the coiled-coil centrosomal protein TAX1BP2 to induce centrosome overduplication

Emerging evidence suggests that supernumerary centrosomes drive genome instability and oncogenesis. Human T-cell leukaemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is etiologically associated with adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL). ATL cells are aneuploid, but the causes of aneuploidy are incompletely understood. Here, we show that centrosome amplification is frequent in HTLV-I-transformed cells and that this phenotype is caused by the viral Tax oncoprotein. We also show that the fraction of Tax protein that localizes to centrosomes interacts with TAX1BP2, a novel centrosomal protein composed almost entirely of coiled-coil domains. Overexpression of TAX1BP2 inhibited centrosome duplication, whereas depletion of TAX1BP2 by RNAi resulted in centrosome hyperamplification. Our findings suggest that the HTLV-I Tax oncoprotein targets TAX1BP2 causing genomic instability and aneuploidy. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group.postprin

PP2A inactivation is a crucial step in triggering apoptin-induced tumor-selective cell killing

Apoptin (apoptosis-inducing protein) harbors tumor-selective characteristics making it a potential safe and effective anticancer agent. Apoptin becomes phosphorylated and induces apoptosis in a large panel of human tumor but not normal cells. Here, we used an in vitro oncogenic transformation assay to explore minimal cellular factors required for the activation of apoptin. Flag-apoptin was introduced into normal fibroblasts together with the transforming SV40 large T antigen (SV40 LT) and SV40 small t antigen (SV40 ST) antigens. We found that nuclear expression of SV40 ST in normal cells was sufficient to induce phosphorylation of apoptin. Mutational analysis showed that mutations disrupting the binding of ST to protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) counteracted this effect. Knockdown of the ST-interacting PP2A–B56γ subunit in normal fibroblasts mimicked the effect of nuclear ST expression, resulting in induction of apoptin phosphorylation. The same effect was observed upon downregulation of the PP2A–B56δ subunit, which is targeted by protein kinase A (PKA). Apoptin interacts with the PKA-associating protein BCA3/AKIP1, and inhibition of PKA in tumor cells by treatment with H89 increased the phosphorylation of apoptin, whereas the PKA activator cAMP partially reduced it. We infer that inactivation of PP2A, in particular, of the B56γ and B56δ subunits is a crucial step in triggering apoptin-induced tumor-selective cell death

Emotional Speech Perception Unfolding in Time: The Role of the Basal Ganglia

The basal ganglia (BG) have repeatedly been linked to emotional speech processing in studies involving patients with neurodegenerative and structural changes of the BG. However, the majority of previous studies did not consider that (i) emotional speech processing entails multiple processing steps, and the possibility that (ii) the BG may engage in one rather than the other of these processing steps. In the present study we investigate three different stages of emotional speech processing (emotional salience detection, meaning-related processing, and identification) in the same patient group to verify whether lesions to the BG affect these stages in a qualitatively different manner. Specifically, we explore early implicit emotional speech processing (probe verification) in an ERP experiment followed by an explicit behavioral emotional recognition task. In both experiments, participants listened to emotional sentences expressing one of four emotions (anger, fear, disgust, happiness) or neutral sentences. In line with previous evidence patients and healthy controls show differentiation of emotional and neutral sentences in the P200 component (emotional salience detection) and a following negative-going brain wave (meaning-related processing). However, the behavioral recognition (identification stage) of emotional sentences was impaired in BG patients, but not in healthy controls. The current data provide further support that the BG are involved in late, explicit rather than early emotional speech processing stages

Evolution of Resistance to Aurora Kinase B Inhibitors in Leukaemia Cells

Aurora kinase inhibitors are new mitosis-targeting drugs currently in clinical trials for the treatment of haematological and solid malignancies. However, knowledge of the molecular factors that influence sensitivity and resistance remains limited. Herein, we developed and characterised an in vitro leukaemia model of resistance to the Aurora B inhibitor ZM447439. Human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells, CCRF-CEM, were selected for resistance in 4 µM ZM447439. CEM/AKB4 cells showed no cross-resistance to tubulin-targeted and DNA-damaging agents, but were hypersensitive to an Aurora kinase A inhibitor. Sequencing revealed a mutation in the Aurora B kinase domain corresponding to a G160E amino acid substitution. Molecular modelling of drug binding in Aurora B containing this mutation suggested that resistance is mediated by the glutamate substitution preventing formation of an active drug-binding motif. Progression of resistance in the more highly selected CEM/AKB8 and CEM/AKB16 cells, derived sequentially from CEM/AKB4 in 8 and 16 µM ZM447439 respectively, was mediated by additional defects. These defects were independent of Aurora B and multi-drug resistance pathways and are associated with reduced apoptosis mostly likely due to reduced inhibition of the catalytic activity of aurora kinase B in the presence of drug. Our findings are important in the context of the use of these new targeted agents in treatment regimes against leukaemia and suggest resistance to therapy may arise through multiple independent mechanisms

Multipolar Spindle Pole Coalescence Is a Major Source of Kinetochore Mis-Attachment and Chromosome Mis-Segregation in Cancer Cells

Many cancer cells display a CIN (Chromosome Instability) phenotype, by which they exhibit high rates of chromosome loss or gain at each cell cycle. Over the years, a number of different mechanisms, including mitotic spindle multipolarity, cytokinesis failure, and merotelic kinetochore orientation, have been proposed as causes of CIN. However, a comprehensive theory of how CIN is perpetuated is still lacking. We used CIN colorectal cancer cells as a model system to investigate the possible cellular mechanism(s) underlying CIN. We found that CIN cells frequently assembled multipolar spindles in early mitosis. However, multipolar anaphase cells were very rare, and live-cell experiments showed that almost all CIN cells divided in a bipolar fashion. Moreover, fixed-cell analysis showed high frequencies of merotelically attached lagging chromosomes in bipolar anaphase CIN cells, and higher frequencies of merotelic attachments in multipolar vs. bipolar prometaphases. Finally, we found that multipolar CIN prometaphases typically possessed γ-tubulin at all spindle poles, and that a significant fraction of bipolar metaphase/early anaphase CIN cells possessed more than one centrosome at a single spindle pole. Taken together, our data suggest a model by which merotelic kinetochore attachments can easily be established in multipolar prometaphases. Most of these multipolar prometaphase cells would then bi-polarize before anaphase onset, and the residual merotelic attachments would produce chromosome mis-segregation due to anaphase lagging chromosomes. We propose this spindle pole coalescence mechanism as a major contributor to chromosome instability in cancer cells

Blood lead, cadmium and mercury among children from urban, industrial and rural areas of Fez Boulemane Region (Morocco): Relevant factors and early renal effects

Objectives: To describe blood lead (Pb-B), cadmium (Cd-B) and mercury (Hg-B) levels in children living in urban, industrial and rural areas in Fez city (north of Morocco) and to identify the determinants and some renal effects of exposure. Material and Methods: The study was conducted from June 2007 to January 2008 in 209 school children (113 girls, 96 boys), aged 6-12 years, from urban, industrial and rural areas in Fez city. Interview and questionnaires data were obtained. Blood and urinary samples were analyzed. Results: The mean of blood lead levels (Pb-B) in our population was 55.53 μg/l (range: 7.5-231.1 μg/l). Children from the urban area had higher blood lead levels (BLLs) mean (82.36 μg/l) than children from industrial and rural areas (48.23 and 35.99 μg/l, respectively); with no significant difference between boys and girls. BLLs were associated with traffic intensity, passive smoking and infancy in the urban area. The mean of blood cadmium levels (BCLs) was 0.22 μg/l (range: 0.06-0.68 μg/l), with no difference between various areas. Rural boys had higher BCLs mean than rural girls, but no gender influence was noticed in the other areas. BCLs were associated with the number of cigarettes smoked at children's homes. The blood mercury levels (BMLs) mean was 0.49 μg/l (range: 0.01-5.31 μg/l). The BMLs mean was higher in urban and industrial areas than in the rural area with no gender-related difference. BMLs were associated with amalgam fillings and infancy in the urban area. About 8% of the children had BLLs ≥ 100 μg/l particularly in the urban area, microalbuminuria and a decrease in height were noticed in girls from the inner city of Fez and that can be related to high BLLs (89.45 μg/l). Conclusions: There is a need to control and regulate potential sources of contamination by these trace elements in children; particularly for lead

The mammalian centrosome and its functional significance

Primarily known for its role as major microtubule organizing center, the centrosome is increasingly being recognized for its functional significance in key cell cycle regulating events. We are now at the beginning of understanding the centrosome’s functional complexities and its major impact on directing complex interactions and signal transduction cascades important for cell cycle regulation. The centrosome orchestrates entry into mitosis, anaphase onset, cytokinesis, G1/S transition, and monitors DNA damage. Recently, the centrosome has also been recognized as major docking station where regulatory complexes accumulate including kinases and phosphatases as well as numerous other cell cycle regulators that utilize the centrosome as platform to coordinate multiple cell cycle-specific functions. Vesicles that are translocated along microtubules to and away from centrosomes may also carry enzymes or substrates that use centrosomes as main docking station. The centrosome’s role in various diseases has been recognized and a wealth of data has been accumulated linking dysfunctional centrosomes to cancer, Alstrom syndrome, various neurological disorders, and others. Centrosome abnormalities and dysfunctions have been associated with several types of infertility. The present review highlights the centrosome’s significant roles in cell cycle events in somatic and reproductive cells and discusses centrosome abnormalities and implications in disease

Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018.

Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. As we provide molecularly oriented definitions of terms including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, we discuss the utility of neologisms that refer to highly specialized instances of these processes. The mission of the NCCD is to provide a widely accepted nomenclature on cell death in support of the continued development of the field