Characterization of actinomycetes antagonistic to Phytophthora fragariae var. rubi, the causal agent of raspberry root rot

Onze souches d'actinomycetes ayant la capacité de protéger les plants de framboisiers (Rubus strigosus) contre les infections causées par les Phytophthora ont été caractérisées. Il a été montré que toutes les souches appartenaient au genre Streptomyces. Deux souches (EF-34 et EF-76) croissaient à 4, 15 et 30°C sur un milieu V8 agar dont le pH avait été ajusté entre 5 et 9. Sept souches dont EF-34 et EF-76 pouvaient hydrolyser les parois cellulaires de Phytophthora et inhiber la croissance du champignon à 15°C et à des pH variant entre 5 et 9. Toutes les souches inhibaient la croissance du P. fragariae var. rubi et du Pythium ultimum. La croissance d'autres espèces fongiques et de bactéries à Gram négatif n'était inhibée qu'en présence de trois souches (EF-14, EF-72 et EF-76). Les onze actinomycetes antagonistes ont été classés en quatre groupes selon leur résistance à divers pesticides utilisés pour protéger les cultures de framboisiers. La souche EF-76 a été caractérisée plus en détail. Cette souche a été identifiée comme étant le Streptomyces hygroscopicus var. geldanus, et produisait l'antibiotique geldanamycine.Eleven actinomycete strains that were previously shown to protect raspberry (Rubus strigosus) plants against Phytophthora infection were characterized. all were shown to belong to the genus Streptomyces. Two strains (EF-34 and EF-76) grew at 4, 15 and 30°C on V8 agar between pHs 5 to 9. Seven strains including EF-34 and EF-76 had both the ability to hydrolyze Phytophthora cell walls and to inhibit Phytophthora growth at 15°C between pHs 5 to 9. all actinomycetes inhibited the growth of P. fragariaevar. rubi and of Pythium ultimum. The growth of other fungal species and of Gram-negative bacteria was inhibited only in the presence of three strains (EF-14, EF-72, and EF-76). The eleven antagonistic actinomycetes were classified into four groups with regard to their resistance to various pesticides used to protect raspberry crops. Strain EF-76 was further characterized. This strain was identified as Streptomyceshygroscopicus var. geldanus, and it was shown to produce geldanamycin, a known antibiotic

Analysis of Snail1 function and regulation by Twist1 in palatal fusion

Palatal fusion is a tightly controlled process which comprises multiple cellular events, including cell movement and differentiation. Midline epithelial seam (MES) degradation is essential to palatal fusion. In this study, we analyzed the function of Snail1 during the degradation of the MES. We also analyzed the mechanism regulating the expression of the Snail1 gene in palatal shelves. Palatal explants treated with Snail1 siRNA did not degrade the MES and E-cadherin was not repressed leading to failure of palatal fusion. Transforming growth factor beta 3 (Tgfβ3) regulated Snail1 mRNA, as Snail1 expression decreased in response to Tgfβ3 neutralizing antibody and a PI-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. Twist1, in collaboration with E2A factors, regulated the expression of Snail1. Twist1/E47 dimers bond to the Snail1 promoter to activate expression. Without E47, Twist1 repressed Snail1 expression. These results support the hypothesis that Tgfβ3 may signal through Twist1 and then Snail1 to downregulate E-cadherin expression during palatal fusion

Performance of an Influenza Rapid Test in Children in a Primary Healthcare Setting in Nicaragua

Background: Influenza is major public health threat worldwide, yet the diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests in developing country settings is not well described. Methodology/Principal Findings: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test in a primary care setting in a developing country, we performed a prospective study of diagnostic accuracy of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test in comparison to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a primary healthcare setting in children aged 2 to 12 years in Managua, Nicaragua. The sensitivity and specificity of the QuickVue test compared to RT-PCR were 68.5 % (95 % CI 63.4, 73.3) and 98.1 % (95 % CI 96.9, 98.9), respectively, for children with a fever or history of a fever and cough and/or sore throat. Test performance was found to be lower on the first day that symptoms developed in comparison to test performance on days two or three of illness. Conclusions/Significance: Our study found that the QuickVue Influenza A+B test performed as well in a developing countr

Expression of eEF1A2 is associated with clear cell histology in ovarian carcinomas: overexpression of the gene is not dependent on modifications at the EEF1A2 locus

The tissue-specific translation elongation factor eEF1A2 is a potential oncogene that is overexpressed in human ovarian cancer. eEF1A2 is highly similar (98%) to the near-ubiquitously expressed eEF1A1 (formerly known as EF1-α) making analysis with commercial antibodies difficult. We wanted to establish the expression pattern of eEF1A2 in ovarian cancer of defined histological subtypes at both the RNA and protein level, and to establish the mechanism for the overexpression of eEF1A2 in tumours. We show that while overexpression of eEF1A2 is seen at both the RNA and protein level in up to 75% of clear cell carcinomas, it occurs at a lower frequency in other histological subtypes. The copy number at the EEF1A2 locus does not correlate with expression level of the gene, no functional mutations were found, and the gene is unmethylated in both normal and tumour DNA, showing that overexpression is not dependent on genetic or epigenetic modifications at the EEF1A2 locus. We suggest that the cause of overexpression of eEF1A2 may be the inappropriate expression of a trans-acting factor. The oncogenicity of eEF1A2 may be related either to its role in protein synthesis or to potential non-canonical functions

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the evolution of form and function in the amniote jaw.

The amniote jaw complex is a remarkable amalgamation of derivatives from distinct embryonic cell lineages. During development, the cells in these lineages experience concerted movements, migrations, and signaling interactions that take them from their initial origins to their final destinations and imbue their derivatives with aspects of form including their axial orientation, anatomical identity, size, and shape. Perturbations along the way can produce defects and disease, but also generate the variation necessary for jaw evolution and adaptation. We focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate form in the amniote jaw complex, and that enable structural and functional integration. Special emphasis is placed on the role of cranial neural crest mesenchyme (NCM) during the species-specific patterning of bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, and other jaw tissues. We also address the effects of biomechanical forces during jaw development and discuss ways in which certain molecular and cellular responses add adaptive and evolutionary plasticity to jaw morphology. Overall, we highlight how variation in molecular and cellular programs can promote the phenomenal diversity and functional morphology achieved during amniote jaw evolution or lead to the range of jaw defects and disease that affect the human condition

Estimating Sensitivity of Laboratory Testing for Influenza in Canada through Modelling

Background: The weekly proportion of laboratory tests that are positive for influenza is used in public health surveillance systems to identify periods of influenza activity. We aimed to estimate the sensitivity of influenza testing in Canada based on results of a national respiratory virus surveillance system. Methods and Findings: The weekly number of influenza-negative tests from 1999 to 2006 was modelled as a function of laboratory-confirmed positive tests for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus and parainfluenza viruses, seasonality, and trend using Poisson regression. Sensitivity was calculated as the number of influenza positive tests divided by the number of influenza positive tests plus the model-estimated number of false negative tests. The sensitivity of influenza testing was estimated to be 33 % (95%CI 32–34%), varying from 30–40 % depending on the season and region. Conclusions: The estimated sensitivity of influenza tests reported to this national laboratory surveillance system is considerably less than reported test characteristics for most laboratory tests. A number of factors may explain this difference, including sample quality and specimen procurement issues as well as test characteristics. Improved diagnosis would permit better estimation of the burden of influenza