Modifications in the structure of the lichen Cladonia thallus in the aftermath of habitat contamination and implications for its heavy-metal accumulation capacity

Phenotypic traits of lichens can be greatly modified by environmental factors. Granulose thalli on soil and podetia, densely covered with granules, referring to common and widespread lichen Cladonia cervicornis subsp. verticillata were found near zinc smelter. The granules are stratified, filled with fungal medulla and heavily encrusted with calcium oxalate weddellite crystals, not observed on regularly developed thalli of the species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that deformed granulose forms belong to this taxon, showing that the phenotypic plasticity of the lichens of Cladonia can lead to the emergence of features that do not coincide with the taxonomic definition of the species. The heavy-metal accumulation capacity of both granulose and regular form of primary and secondary lichen thallus, in relation to the element content in corresponding substrate, was determined. Granulose-modified thalli accumulate greater amounts of heavy metals than regular ones, meaning that the bioaccumulation property of a given species may be greatly affected by morphological modifications. The granulose forms are also characterised by considerably higher ratios of Cd, Pb and As concentrations in lichen samples in relation to the corresponding substrates than regular ones. This means that collection of variously formed thalli should be avoided in biomonitoring sampling procedures. The results indicate that a substantial part of the element load, in particular zinc, in the examined lichen thalli collected near the smelter originates from atmospheric fallout

High intraspecific genetic and morphological variation in the pioneer lichen Cladonia rei colonising slag dumps

This study investigates the genetic and morphological variability of the lichen Cladonia rei inhabiting strongly contaminated postsmelting slag dumps in southern Poland. Altogether, 27 C. rei samples were analysed, including 17 from a single population in one dump. The phylogenetic analysis includes samples of C. rei, outgroup species, and external sequences of Cladonia section representatives from GenBank. Comparative analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences revealed the presence of 19 C. rei haplotypes overall, including several of the most frequent, of which 11 are represented by single individuals only. As many as 12 haplotypes were recorded within a single population. Three strongly supported monophyletic clades comprised of specimens from different geographical regions were recovered. Morphometric analysis showed great phenotypic variability within particular clades. Apart from a full range of previously known morphological forms of the species, an additional specific morphotype was recognised in the dumps; however, its representatives do not create a monophyletic group. High genetic variability within a single population suggests that C. rei has a great potential for colonising anthropogenic habitats. This attribute emphasises the role of this lichen as an essential pioneer in the early stages of natural regeneration of such sites

Intraspecific molecular variation of Allium ursinum (Amaryllidaceae) across the border of two subspecies distribution ranges

The study investigates the genetic differentiation among two subspecies of Allium ursinumL., namely A. ursinumsubsp. ursinumand subsp. ucrainicumas well as their putative hybrid that is represented by individuals withintermediate morphology. Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) were applied to determine the status of inter-mediate morphotypes in terms of their genetic pattern and to assess the level of genetic variability within andbetween various populations of A. ursinum. The study comprises 144 specimens from nine populations alongthe east-west transect in Poland, which includes localities of both subspecies and their putative hybrid. Amongthe examined populations, 48 bands were amplified, of which 45 were found to be polymorphic. The principalcoordinate analysis (PCoA), the neighbour-net analysis and Mantel test showed a strong correlation betweengenetic variability and geographic distance. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that a greater pro-portion of total genetic variation resided within populations rather than among them. The Structure Bayesianclustering analysis revealed the presence of three distinct genetic groups within studied populations, where 'east-ern' genotypes correspond to A. ursinumsubsp. ucrainicum, and 'western' to subsp. ursinum; whereas the thirdgenetic group has the largest share in the individuals occurring at the border of the distribution ranges of bothsubspecies. The emergence of the third genetic group is probably an effect of hybridization events occurring with-in the secondary contact zone. Typical morphologically intermediate populations occur only in a relatively nar-row geographical zone, but the hybrid zone revealed by molecular markers is actually much wider than it is sug-gested by the morphological pattern of individuals. The current distribution pattern of both subspecies of A. ursinumand their hybrid zone is related to the two main directions of postglacial migration of Fagus syl-vaticato the area of Poland. The hybrid zone arose as an effect of the secondary contact of two divergent line-ages of A. ursinum

Histidine-Rich C-Terminal Tail of Mycobacterial GroEL1 and Its Copper Complex─The Impact of Point Mutations

The mycobacterial histidine-rich GroEL1 protein differs significantly compared to the well-known methionine/glycine-rich GroEL chaperonin. It was predicted that mycobacterial GroEL1 can play a significant role in the metal homeostasis of Mycobacteria but not, as its analogue, in protein folding. In this paper, we present the properties of the GroEL1 His-rich C-terminus as a ligand for Cu(II) ions. We studied the stoichiometry, stability, and spectroscopic features of copper complexes of the eight model peptides: L1-Ac-DHDHHHGHAH, L2- Ac-DKPAKAEDHDHHHGHAH, and six mutants of L2 in the pH range of 2-11. We revealed the impact of adjacent residues to the His-rich fragment on the complex stability: the presence of Lys and Asp residues significantly increases the stability of the system. The impact of His mutations was also examined: surprisingly, the exchange of each single His to the Gln residue did not disrupt the ability of the ligand to provide three binding sites for Cu(II) ions. Despite the most possible preference of the Cu(II) ion for the His9-His13 residues (Ac-DKPAKAEDHDHHH-) of the model peptide, especially the His11 residue, the study shows that there is not only one possible binding mode for Cu(II). The significance of this phenomenon is very important for the GroEL1 function -if the single mutation occurs naturally, the protein would be still able to interact with the metal ion

Probing the genomic landscape of human sexuality: a critical systematic review of the literature

Whether human sexuality is the result of nature or nurture (or their complex interplay) represents a hot, often ideologically driven, and highly polarized debate with political and social ramifications, and with varying, conflicting findings reported in the literature. A number of heritability and behavioral genetics studies, including pedigree-based investigations, have hypothesized inheritance patterns of human sexual behaviors. On the other hand, in most twin, adoption, and nuclear family studies, it was not possible to disentangle between underlying genetic and shared environmental sources. Furthermore, these studies were not able to estimate the precise extent of genetic loading and to shed light both on the number and nature of the putative inherited factors, which remained largely unknown. Molecular genetic studies offer an unprecedented opportunity to overcome these drawbacks, by dissecting the molecular basis of human sexuality and allowing a better understanding of its biological roots if any. However, there exists no systematic review of the molecular genetics of human sexuality. Therefore, we undertook this critical systematic review and appraisal of the literature, with the ambitious aims of filling in these gaps of knowledge, especially from the methodological standpoint, and providing guidance to future studies. Sixteen studies were finally retained and overviewed in the present systematic review study. Seven studies were linkage studies, four studies utilized the candidate gene approach, and five studies were GWAS investigations. Limitations of these studies and implications for further research are discussed

Cryptic SARS-CoV-2 lineage identified on two mink farms as a possible result of long-term undetected circulation in an unknown animal reservoir, Poland, November 2022 to January 2023

In late 2022 and early 2023, SARS-CoV-2 infections were detected on three mink farms in Poland situated within a few km from each other. Whole-genome sequencing of the viruses on two of the farms showed that they were related to a virus identified in humans in the same region 2 years before (B.1.1.307 lineage). Many mutations were found, including in the S protein typical of adaptations to the mink host. The origin of the virus remains to be determined.</p

Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes of AMT1/MAC1 homologous Cys/His-Rich domains : so similar yet so different

Infections caused by Candida species are becoming seriously dangerous and difficult to cure due to their sophisticated mechanisms of resistance. The host organism defends itself from the invader, e.g., by increasing the concentration of metal ions. Therefore, there is a need to understand the overall mechanisms of metal homeostasis in Candida species. One of them is associated with AMT1, an important virulence factor derived from Candida glabrata, and another with MAC1, present in Candida albicans. Both of the proteins possess a homologous Cys/His-rich domain. In our studies, we have chosen two model peptides, L680 (Ac-10ACMECVRGHRSSSCKHHE27-NH2, MAC1, Candida albicans) and L681 (Ac-10ACDSCIKSHKAAQCEHNDR28-NH2, AMT1, Candida glabrata), to analyze and compare the properties of their complexes with Zn(II) and Cd(II). We studied the stoichiometry, thermodynamic stability, and spectroscopic parameters of the complexes in a wide pH range. When competing for the metal ion in the equimolar mixture of two ligands and Cd(II)/Zn(II), L680 forms more stable complexes with Cd(II) while L681 forms more stable complexes with Zn(II) in a wide pH range. Interestingly, a Glu residue was responsible for the additional stability of Cd(II)-L680. Despite a number of scientific reports suggesting Cd(II) as an efficient surrogate of Zn(II), we showed significant differences between the Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes of the studied peptides

Stymulacja kory ruchowej w leczeniu bólów neuropatycznych

Background and purpose Despite the rapid development of neuropharmacotherapy, medical treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) still constitutes a significant socioeconomic problem. The authors herein present a group of patients treated with motor cortex stimulation (MCS) for NP of various types and aetiologies. Material and methods Our cohort included 12 female and 11 male NP patients aged 53 ± 16 treated with MCS. Eleven patients were diagnosed with neuropathic facial pain (NFP), 8 with hemi-body neuropathic pain (HNP), and 4 with deafferentation pain (DP). Prior to surgery, 16 out of 23 patients were treated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), with a positive response in 10 cases. Pain intensity in our group was evaluated with the visual analogue scale (VAS) one month before and three months after MCS implantation. Results Improvement on the VAS was reported in the whole group of patients (p &lt; 0.001). The best results were reported in the NFP group (p &lt; 0.001) while the worst ones were noted in the DP group (p = 0.04). Anamnesis duration positively correlated with outcome. Infection forced the authors to permanently remove the system in one case. There were no other complications in the group. Conclusions Minimally invasive, safe neuromodulative treatment with MCS permits neuropathic pain control with good efficacy. The type of neuropathic pain might be a prognostic factor.Wstęp i cel pracy Pomimo dynamicznego rozwoju neurofarmakoterapii, leczenie bólów neuropatycznych stanowi istotny problem socjoekonomiczny. Autorzy przedstawiają grupę chorych leczonych metodą stymulacji kory ruchowej (motor cortex stimulation – MCS) z powodu bólów neuropatycznych o różnym obrazie klinicznym i etiologii. Materiał i metody W grupie 12 kobiet oraz 11 mężczyzn w wieku 53 ± 16 lat zastosowano MCS z powodu bólu neuropatycznego. U 11 chorych rozpoznano neuropatyczne bóle twarzy, u 8 chorych połowiczy ból neuropatyczny, a u 4 chorych – ból deaferentacyjny. U 16 chorych przeprowadzono próbną przezczaszkową stymulację magnetyczną, uzyskując przejściową poprawę u 10 z nich. Nasilenie dolegliwości bólowych oceniano z wykorzystaniem wzrokowej skali analogowej (visual analogue scale – VAS) miesiąc przed implantacją oraz w trzecim miesiącu po implantacji MCS. Wyniki U wszystkich chorych w grupie stwierdzono poprawę mierzoną VAS (p &lt; 0,001). Najlepsze efekty leczenia bólu neuropatycznego zaobserwowano w grupie chorych z neuropatycznym bólem twarzy (p &lt; 0,001), a najsłabsze u chorych z rozpoznanym bólem deaferentacyjnym (p = 0,04). Długość wywiadów korelowała dodatnio z wynikami leczenia. U jednego chorego ze względu na zakażenie usunięto system i nie podejmowano próby ponownego wszczepienia. Innych powikłań w grupie nie stwierdzano. Wnioski Wykorzystanie minimalnie inwazyjnych technik neuromodulacyjnych, w tym MCS, pozwala na skuteczne i bezpieczne zmniejszenie nasilenia bólów neuropatycznych. Rodzaj bólu neuropatycznego może mieć znaczenie rokownicze

Do the impacts of alien invasive plants differ from expansive native ones? : an experimental study on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities

No studies have compared so far the effects of alien invasive and expansive native (widespread, mono-dominant) plants on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Four global or European most successful invaders (Impatiens glandulifera, Reynoutria japonica, Rudbeckia laciniata, Solidago gigantea) and two expansive plants native to Europe (Artemisia vulgaris, Phalaris arundinacea) were grown in pots to elucidate the magnitude and direction of changes in AMF abundance, species richness, and species composition in soils from under multispecies native vegetation. In a second stage, the effects of these changes on a native plant, Plantago lanceolata, were assessed. Plant species identity had larger impact on AMF abundance, species richness, and species composition as well as on P. lanceolata than origin of the species (alien vs. native). This could be due to the character of AMF relationships with the plants, i.e., their mycorrhizal status and dependency on AMF. However, the alterations induced by the plant species in soil chemical properties rather than in AMF community were the major drivers of differences in shoot mass and photosynthetic performance of P. lanceolata. We determined that the plants produced species-specific effects on soil properties that, in turn, resulted in species-specific soil feedbacks on the native plant. These effects were not consistent within groups of invaders or natives

The incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in patients receiving voriconazole therapy for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2020-02-28, registration 2020-07-20, accepted 2020-07-20, pub-electronic 2020-08-21, online 2020-08-21, pub-print 2020-11Publication status: PublishedFunder: University of ManchesterAbstract: Voriconazole has been associated with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in transplant patients but less is known about the risk in less severely immunosuppressed patients. Our aim was to estimate the incidence of cSCC after voriconazole exposure in patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis on a background of chronic lung disease. The notes of patients seen at a tertiary referral centre from 2009 to 2019 with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis were reviewed for the diagnosis of cSCC and voriconazole use documented. Among 1111 patients, 668 (60.1%) received voriconazole for longer than 28 days. Twelve patients received a diagnosis of cSCC; nine had used voriconazole. Mean duration of voriconazole use was 36.7 months. The crude incidence rate was 4.88 in 1000 person/years in those who had voriconazole and 2.79 in 1000 patient/years in those who did not receive voriconazole for longer than 28 days. On Cox regression, age (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02–1.16, p = 0.01) and male gender (HR 3.97, 95% CI 0.84–18.90, p = 0.082) were associated with cSCC. Voriconazole use was associated with a slightly increased risk, which was not significant (HR 1.35, 95% CI 0.35–5.20, p = 0.659). Voriconazole use beyond 28 days did not lead to a significantly increased risk of cSCC in a large cohort of patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis