Efecto del pastoreo sobre las gramíneas perennes Piptochaetium napostaense y Poa ligularis en relación con la distancia a la aguada

In the Caldenal region, livestock grazing occurs mainly in large areas with a single watering point thus favoring the formation of piospheres (gradients of grazing pressure). The objectives of this study were (i) to examine the density, cover, depth of the resprouting buds and the seed bank of Piptochaetium napostaense and Poa ligularis in relation to the distance to the watering point, and (ii) to investigate if the grazing pressure differentially affected these two perennial bunchgrasses. Results showed that the cover of P. napostaense is affected by the distance to the water source whereas no effects were observed in the cover of P. ligularis. The density of P. napostaense was higher in the area of intermediate grazing pressure. A detrimental effect of cattle grazing and trampling was observed in the proximity to the watering point where the seeds of P. napostaense showed the lowest germination values. Nevertheless, no seeds of P. ligularis were observed in the collected samples. Overall, it appears that the gradient of grazing pressure produces different responses in the populations of P. ligularis and P. napostaense.En el caldenal, el pastoreo en potreros de gran superficie y con una única aguada da lugar a gradientes de vegetación en relación a la fuente de agua. A fin de evaluar si el pastoreo afecta diferencia I m ente a las gramíneas forrajeras Piptochaetium napostaense y Poa ligularis, en el presente trabajo examinamos la densidad, la cobertura basal, la profundidad de yemas de renuevo y el banco de semillas de las dos especies según la distancia a la aguada. Los resultados mostraron que la cobertura de P. napostaense varia al incrementar la distancia a la aguada, mientras que se mantiene similar para P. ligularis. La densidad de plantas de P. napostaense resultó mayor en el área intermedia. La presión ejercida por el ganado produciría un mayor efecto alrededor de la fuente de agua, donde, el pastoreo y el pisoteo Impactarían sobre la densidad de semillas de P. napostaense. Por otra parte no fueron hallados propágulos de P. ligularis. Las disimilaridades entre las respuestas de las dos especies forrajeras en relación a la distancia a la aguada indicarían diferencias en la respuesta de las mismas con respecto a la presión de pastoreo

Microcin H47 System: An Escherichia coli Small Genomic Island with Novel Features

Genomic islands are DNA regions containing variable genetic information related to secondary metabolism. Frequently, they have the ability to excise from and integrate into replicons through site-specific recombination. Thus, they are usually flanked by short direct repeats that act as attachment sites, and contain genes for an integrase and an excisionase which carry out the genetic exchange. These mobility events would be at the basis of the horizontal transfer of genomic islands among bacteria

Identification and Characterization of Microcin S, a New Antibacterial Peptide Produced by Probiotic Escherichia coli G3/10

Escherichia coli G3/10 is a component of the probiotic drug Symbioflor 2. In an in vitro assay with human intestinal epithelial cells, E. coli G3/10 is capable of suppressing adherence of enteropathogenic E. coli E2348/69. In this study, we demonstrate that a completely novel class II microcin, produced by probiotic E. coli G3/10, is responsible for this behavior. We named this antibacterial peptide microcin S (MccS). Microcin S is coded on a 50.6 kb megaplasmid of E. coli G3/10, which we have completely sequenced and annotated. The microcin S operon is about 4.7 kb in size and is comprised of four genes. Subcloning of the genes and gene fragments followed by gene expression experiments enabled us to functionally characterize all members of this operon, and to clearly identify the nucleotide sequences encoding the microcin itself (mcsS), its transport apparatus and the gene mcsI conferring self immunity against microcin S. Overexpression of cloned mcsI antagonizes MccS activity, thus protecting indicator strain E. coli E2348/69 in the in vitro adherence assay. Moreover, growth of E. coli transformed with a plasmid containing mcsS under control of an araC PBAD activator-promoter is inhibited upon mcsS induction. Our data provide further mechanistic insight into the probiotic behavior of E. coli G3/10

Escherichia coli Bacteriocins: Antimicrobial Efficacy and Prevalence among Isolates from Patients with Bacteraemia

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides generally active against bacteria closely related to the producer. Escherichia coli produces two types of bacteriocins, colicins and microcins. The in vitro efficacy of isolated colicins E1, E6, E7, K and M, was assessed against Escherichia coli strains from patients with bacteraemia of urinary tract origin. Colicin E7 was most effective, as only 13% of the tested strains were resistant. On the other hand, 32%, 33%, 43% and 53% of the tested strains exhibited resistance to colicins E6, K, M and E1. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of individual colicins E1, E6, E7, K and M and combinations of colicins K, M, E7 and E1, E6, E7, K, M were followed in liquid broth for 24 hours. Resistance against individual colicins developed after 9 hours of treatment. On the contrary, resistance development against the combined action of 5 colicins was not observed. One hundred and five E. coli strains from patients with bacteraemia were screened by PCR for the presence of 5 colicins and 7 microcins. Sixty-six percent of the strains encoded at least one bacteriocin, 43% one or more colicins, and 54% one or more microcins. Microcins were found to co-occur with toxins, siderophores, adhesins and with the Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing protein involved in suppression of innate immunity, and were significantly more prevalent among strains from non-immunocompromised patients. In addition, microcins were highly prevalent among non-multidrug-resistant strains compared to multidrug-resistant strains. Our results indicate that microcins contribute to virulence of E. coli instigating bacteraemia of urinary tract origin

Shark fossil diversity (Squalomorphii, Squatinomorphii, and Galeomorphii) from the Langhian of Brielas (Lower Tagus Basin, Portugal)

The fossiliferous marine Miocene sediments of the Lower Tagus Basin (Portugal) present a great diversity of Chondrichthyes forms. The current study focuses on the fossil sharks from the Langhian Vc unit of the Brielas section, located in the Setúbal Peninsula. A total of 384 isolated fossil teeth were analysed and ascribed to 17 species from the Orders Hexanchiformes, Squaliformes, Squatiniformes, Lamniformes, and Carcharhiniformes. Centrophorus granulosus and Iago angustidens are described for the first time in Portuguese sediments, whereas Pachyscyllium dachiardii and Rhizoprionodon ficheuri represent only their second reported occurrence. Galeorhinus goncalvesi was already known from the Portuguese uppermost Miocene (Alvalade Basin), but it is now recognized in older sediments. Furthermore, the new material seems to include the first reported occurrence of Hexanchus cf. agassizi in Miocene sediments. As a whole, these new findings support the previous palaeoenvironment characterization of a warm infralittoral setting gradually deepening to a circalittoral one, where seasonal upwelling phenomena could have occurred

A Novel Protein Kinase-Like Domain in a Selenoprotein, Widespread in the Tree of Life

Selenoproteins serve important functions in many organisms, usually providing essential oxidoreductase enzymatic activity, often for defense against toxic xenobiotic substances. Most eukaryotic genomes possess a small number of these proteins, usually not more than 20. Selenoproteins belong to various structural classes, often related to oxidoreductase function, yet a few of them are completely uncharacterised

Grammicolepis brachiusculus, tipo de una nueva familia en la clase de los peces

Volume: 2Start Page: 403End Page: 40

Enumeratio piscium cubensium

Volume: 4Start Page: 75End Page: 16

Comparative Analysis of Chromosome-Encoded Microcins

Microcins are ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics that are produced by enterobacterial strains. Although the first studies concentrated on plasmid-encoded activities, in the last years three chromosome-encoded microcins have been described: H47, E492, and M. Here, a new microcin, I47, is presented as a fourth member of this group. Common features exhibited by chromosome-encoded microcins were searched for. The comparison of the genetic clusters responsible for microcin production revealed a preserved general scheme. The clusters essentially comprise a pair of activity-immunity genes which determine antibiotic specificity and a set of microcin maturation and secretion genes which are invariably present and whose protein products are highly homologous among the different producing strains. A strict functional relationship between the maturation and secretion pathways of microcins H47, I47, and E492 was demonstrated through genetic analyses, which included heterologous complementation assays. The peptide precursors of these microcins share a maturation process which implies the addition of a catecholate siderophore of the salmochelin type. Microcins thus acquire the ability to enter gram-negative cells through the catechol receptors. In addition, they employ a common mode of secretion to reach the external milieu by means of a type I export apparatus. The results presented herein lead us to propose that chromosome-encoded microcins constitute a defined subgroup of peptide antibiotics which are strictly related by their modes of synthesis, secretion, and uptake