Pseudomonas fitomaticsae sp. nov., isolated at Marimurtra Botanical Garden in Blanes, Catalonia, Spain

In the framework of the research project called fitomatics, we have isolated and characterized a bacterial plant-endophyte from the rhizomes of Iris germanica, hereafter referred to as strain FIT81T. The bacterium is Gram negative, rod-shaped with lophotrichous flagella, and catalase- and oxidase-positive. The optimal growth temperature of strain FIT81T is 28 °C, although it can grow within a temperature range of 4-32 °C. The pH growth tolerance ranges between pH 5 and 10, and it tolerates 4% (w/v) NaCl. A 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis positioned strain FIT81T within the genus Pseudomonas, and multilocus sequence analysis revealed that Pseudomonas gozinkensis IzPS32dT, Pseudomonas glycinae MS586T, Pseudomonas allokribbensis IzPS23T, 'Pseudomonas kribbensis' 46-2 and Pseudomonas koreensis PS9-14T are the top five most closely related species, which were selected for further genome-to-genome comparisons, as well as for physiological and chemotaxonomic characterization. The genome size of strain FIT81T is 6 492 796 base-pairs long, with 60.6 mol% of G+C content. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization analyses yielded values of 93.6 and 56.1%, respectively, when the FIT81T genome was compared to that of the closest type strain P. gozinkensis IzPS32dT. Taken together, the obtained genomic, physiologic and chemotaxonomic data indicate that strain FIT81T is different from its closest relative species, which lead us to suggest that it is a novel species to be included in the list of type strains with the name Pseudomonas fitomaticsae sp. nov. (FIT81T=CECT 30374T=DSM 112699T)

Impact of the historical introduction of exotic fishes on the chironomid community of Lake Azul (Azores Islands)

Little is known about the effect of top predator introduction in historically fishless communities, especially on remote islands. This issue is important because it might strongly affect climate reconstructions derived from biota assemblages such as chironomids. Head capsule larval remains of chironomids have been studied in a 660 years lacustrine sedimentary sequence from Lake Azul (Sao Miguel Island, Azores archipelago) to assess the extent and timescale of the effect of the predator introduction occurring in this historically fishless lake. Analysis of similarity showed that the chironomid assemblage was statistically different before and after predator introduction (R = 0.78; p < 0.001). Abundance of chironomids was about 40% greater in the fishless lake period compared to the period in the presence of predator. Results show major change in chironomid assemblage coinciding with the first time of goldfish introduction (around 1790 CE), followed by carp (1890 CE) and pike (1979 CE) introductions. The composition of feeding group guilds changed following a pattern characterized by a decrease in abundance of detritivorous and predaceous taxa and an increase in abundance of grazing chironomid taxa. This study suggests that predator introduction was the most important factor affecting the chironomid assemblages in this natural, Azorean fishless lake, but predators did not affect all chironomid species. Other external forcings like major climate oscillations, anthropogenic activities in the catchment basin, and volcanic eruptions seem to play an additional role. The latest stage of the warm and arid Medieval Climate Anomaly (1000–1300 CE) favoured the occurrence of some warm-adapted chironomid taxa, which were absent through the Little Ice Age (ca. 1450–1850 CE) cool period.Azores. Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia; M3.1.7/F/009/2011Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; CGL2010-15767Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; CGL2013-40608-RPortugal. Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia; SFRH/BPD/99461/2014Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia; SFRH/BPD/79923/2011Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia; UID/BIA/50027/2013Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-00682

Differences in expression rather than methylation at placenta-specific imprinted loci is associated with intrauterine growth restriction

Background: genome-wide studies have begun to link subtle variations in both allelic DNA methylation and parent-of-origin genetic effects with early development. Numerous reports have highlighted that the placenta plays a critical role in coordinating fetal growth, with many key functions regulated by genomic imprinting. With the recent description of wide-spread polymorphic placenta-specific imprinting, the molecular mechanisms leading to this curious polymorphic epigenetic phenomenon is unknown, as is their involvement in pregnancies complications. Results: profiling of 35 ubiquitous and 112 placenta-specific imprinted differentially methylated regions (DMRs) using high-density methylation arrays and pyrosequencing revealed isolated aberrant methylation at ubiquitous DMRs as well as abundant hypomethylation at placenta-specific DMRs. Analysis of the underlying chromatin state revealed that the polymorphic nature is not only evident at the level of allelic methylation, but DMRs can also adopt an unusual epigenetic signature where the underlying histones are biallelically enrichment of H3K4 methylation, a modification normally mutually exclusive with DNA methylation. Quantitative expression analysis in placenta identified two genes, GPR1-AS1 and ZDBF2, that were differentially expressed between IUGRs and control samples after adjusting for clinical factors, revealing coordinated deregulation at the chromosome 2q33 imprinted locus. Conclusions: DNA methylation is less stable at placenta-specific imprinted DMRs compared to ubiquitous DMRs and contributes to privileged state of the placenta epigenome. IUGR-associated expression differences were identified for several imprinted transcripts independent of allelic methylation. Further work is required to determine if these differences are the cause IUGR or reflect unique adaption by the placenta to developmental stresses

A 2,000-year Bayesian NAO reconstruction from the Iberian Peninsula

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the major atmospheric mode that controls winter European climate variability because its strength and phase determine regional temperature, precipitation and storm tracks. The NAO spatial structure and associated climatic impacts over Europe are not stationary making it crucial to understanding its past evolution in order to improve the predictability of future scenarios. In this regard, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of studies aimed at reconstructing past NAO variability, but the information related to decadal-scale NAO evolution beyond the last millennium is scarce and inconclusive. We present a new 2,000-year multi-annual, proxy-based reconstruction of local NAO impact, with associated uncertainties, obtained by a Bayesian approach. This new local NAO reconstruction is obtained from a mountain lacustrine sedimentary archive of the Iberian Peninsula. This geographical area is not included in previous NAO reconstructions despite being a widely used region for instrumental-based NAO measurements. We assess the main external forcings (i.e., volcanic eruptions and solar activity) on NAO variability which, on a decadal scale, show that a low number of sunspots correlate to low NAO values. By comparison with other previously published NAO reconstructions in our analyses we can test the stationarity of the solar influence on the NAO signal across a latitudinal gradient based on the position of the employed archives for each NAO reconstruction. Inconclusive results on the volcanic forcing on NAO variability over decadal time-scales indicates the need for further studies. Moreover, we highlight the potential role of other North Atlantic modes of variability (i.e., East Atlantic pattern) on the non-stationary behaviour of the NAO throughout the Common Era, likely via solar forcing

Impact of the historical introduction of exotic fishes on the chironomid community of Lake Azul (Azores Islands)

Little is known about the effect of top predator introduction in historically fishless communities, especially on remote islands. This issue is important because it might strongly affect climate reconstructions derived from biota assemblages such as chironomids. Head capsule larval remains of chironomids have been studied in a 660 years lacustrine sedimentary sequence from Lake Azul (Sao Miguel Island, Azores archipelago) to assess the extent and timescale of the effect of the predator introduction occurring in this historically fishless lake. Analysis of similarity showed that the chironomid assemblage was statistically different before and after predator introduction (R = 0.78; p < 0.001). Abundance of chironomids was about 40% greater in the fishless lake period compared to the period in the presence of predator. Results show major change in chironomid assemblage coinciding with the first time of goldfish introduction (around 1790 CE), followed by carp (1890 CE) and pike (1979 CE) introductions. The composition of feeding group guilds changed following a pattern characterized by a decrease in abundance of detritivorous and predaceous taxa and an increase in abundance of grazing chironomid taxa. This study suggests that predator introduction was the most important factor affecting the chironomid assemblages in this natural, Azorean fishless lake, but predators did not affect all chironomid species. Other external forcings like major climate oscillations, anthropogenic activities in the catchment basin, and volcanic eruptions seem to play an additional role. The latest stage of the warm and arid Medieval Climate Anomaly (1000-1300 CE) favoured the occurrence of some warm-adapted chironomid taxa, which were absent through the Little Ice Age (ca. 1450-1850 CE) cool period

Regular Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in Individuals with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Who Received a Full Vaccination Schedule against COVID-19

Individuals with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) constitute a unique group within individuals with oncohematological disease (OHD). They receive treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that present immunomodulatory properties, and they may eventually be candidates for treatment discontinuation under certain conditions despite the chronic nature of the disease. In addition, these individuals present a lower risk of infection than other immunocompromised patients. For this study, we recruited a cohort of 29 individuals with CML in deep molecular response who were on treatment with TKIs (n = 23) or were on treatment-free remission (TFR) (n = 6), and compared both humoral and cellular immune responses with 20 healthy donors after receiving the complete vaccination schedule against SARS-CoV-2. All participants were followed up for 17 months to record the development of COVID-19 due to breakthrough infections. All CML individuals developed an increased humoral response, with similar seroconversion rates and neutralizing titers to healthy donors, despite the presence of high levels of immature B cells. On the whole, the cellular immune response was also comparable to that of healthy donors, although the antibody dependent cytotoxic activity (ADCC) was significantly reduced. Similar rates of mild breakthrough infections were observed between groups, although the proportion was higher in the CML individuals on TFR, most likely due to the immunomodulatory effect of these drugs. In conclusion, as with the healthy donors, the vaccination did not impede breakthrough infections completely in individuals with CML, although it prevented the development of severe or critical illness in this special population of individuals with OHD.This work was supported by projects PI21/00877 and PI22CIII/00059 funded by the Strategic Action in Health of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) “A way to make Europe”. The work of Sara Rodríguez-Mora is financed by NIH grant R01AI143567. The work of Guiomar Casado is financed by the Consejería de Educación, Universidades, Ciencia y Portavocía of the Comunidad de Madrid. The work of Montserrat Torres is financed by CIBERINFEC (CB21/13/00015), co-financed by ERDF. The work of Clara Sánchez-Menéndez is financed by Programa Investigo, FIBio HRC-IRYCIS, co-financed by ERDF.S

Strong Humoral but Not Cellular Immune Responses against SARS-CoV-2 in Individuals with Oncohematological Disease Who Were Treated with Rituximab before Receiving a Vaccine Booster

The humoral immune response developed after receiving the full vaccination schedule against COVID-19 is impaired in individuals who received anti-CD20 therapy 6-9 months before vaccination. However, there is little information about the cellular immune responses elicited in these individuals. In this study, we analyzed the humoral and cellular immune responses in 18 individuals with hematological disease who received the last dose of rituximab 13.8 months (IQR 9.4-19) before the booster dose. One month after receiving the booster dose, the seroconversion rate in the rituximab-treated cohort increased from 83.3% to 88.9% and titers of specific IgGs against SARS-CoV-2 increased 1.53-fold (p = 0.0098), while the levels of neutralizing antibodies increased 3.03-fold (p = 0.0381). However, the cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from rituximab-treated individuals remained unchanged, and both antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and direct cellular cytotoxicity (CDD) were reduced 1.7-fold (p = 0.0047) and 2.0-fold (p = 0.0086), respectively, in comparison with healthy donors. Breakthrough infections rate was higher in our cohort of rituximab-treated individuals (33.33%), although most of the infected patients (83.4%) developed a mild form of COVID-19. In conclusion, our findings confirm a benefit in the humoral, but not in the cellular, immune response in rituximab-treated individuals after receiving a booster dose of an mRNA-based vaccine against COVID-19.This work was supported by the Strategic Action in Health 2017–2020 of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI21/00877), by the Coordinated Research Activities at the National Center of Microbiology (CNM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III) (COV20_00679) to promote an integrated response against SARS-CoV-2 in Spain (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) that is coordinated by Dr Inmaculada Casas (WHO National Influenza Center of the CNM), and by a generous donation provided by Chiesi España, S.A.U. (Barcelona, Spain). The work of Montserrat Torres is financed by the Hematology and Hemotherapy Service, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (Madrid, Spain). The work of Sara Rodríguez-Mora is financed by NIH grant R01AI143567. The work of Guiomar Casado is financed by CIBERINFEC, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) “A way to make Europe”. The work of Fernando Ramos-Martín is financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-110275RB-I00).S

Recomendaciones para la gestión de los recursos acuáticos en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

58 pages, figuresEl Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) es el mayor organismo público de investigación en España y el tercero en Europa. Tiene como misión el fomento, la coordinación, el desarrollo y la difusión de la investigación científica y tecnológica de carácter multidisciplinar. Su fin último es contribuir al avance del conocimiento y al desarrollo económico, social y cultural, así como a la formación de personal y al asesoramiento de entidades públicas y privadas en estas materias. Dentro de un marco de ciencia de excelencia con compromiso social, emergen acciones de transferencia del conocimiento como esta. Así, gracias a la ayuda del CSIC y del programa INTERCOONECTA de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), dependiente del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación, se ha hecho posible esta programación titulada: Mejora de la productividad y la gestión acuícola mediante el empleo de herramientas de diagnóstico y gestión, y mediante programas de selección en especies nativas de Latinoamérica y el Caribe, salvajes o cultivadas, de importancia ecológica y comercial. [...

Strong Cellular Immune Response, but Not Humoral, against SARS-CoV-2 in Oncohematological Patients with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation after Natural Infection

Oncohematological patients show a low immune response against SARS-CoV-2, both to natural infection and after vaccination. Most studies are focused on the analysis of the humoral response; therefore, the information available about the cellular immune response is limited. In this study, we analyzed the humoral and cellular immune responses in nine individuals who received chemotherapy for their oncohematological diseases, as well as consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), after being naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2. All individuals had asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 and were not vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. These results were compared with matched healthy individuals who also had mild COVID-19. The humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in 6 of 9 oncohematological individuals prior to ASCT. The levels of antibodies and their neutralization capacity decreased after ASCT. Conversely, an enhanced cytotoxic activity against SARS-CoV-2-infected cells was observed after chemotherapy plus ASCT, mostly based on high levels of NK, NKT, and CD8+TCRγδ+ cell populations that were able to produce IFNγ and TNFα. These results highlight the importance of performing analyses not only to evaluate the levels of IgGs against SARS-CoV-2, but also to determine the quality of the cellular immune response developed during the immune reconstitution after ASCT.This work was supported by the Coordinated Research Activities at the Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III) (COV20_00679) to promote an integrated response against SARS-CoV-2 in Spain (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) that is coordinated by Dr Inmaculada Casas (WHO National Influenza Center of the CNM), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-110275RB-I00), and AES 2021 grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI21/00877). The work of Sara Rodríguez-Mora is financed by NIH grant R01AI143567. The work of Montserrat Torres is supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (COV20_00679). The work of Lorena Vigón is supported by a pre-doctoral grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS PI16CIII/00034-ISCIII-FEDER).S

The influences of the AMO and NAO on the sedimentary infill in an Azores Archipelago lake since ca. 1350 CE

The location of the Azores Archipelago in the North Atlantic makes this group of islands an excellent setting to study the long-term behavior of large oceanic and atmospheric climate dynamic patterns, such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Here, we present the impacts of these patterns on Lake Empadadas (Azores Archipelago) from the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) - Little Ice Age (LIA) transition to the present based on sedimentological, geochemical and biological characterizations of the sedimentary record. Multivariate analyses of a number of proxies including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), total organic and inorganic carbon (TOC and TIC) and diatom life forms abundance reveal that the sedimentary infill evolution has been controlled by (i) fluctuations in the lake level and (ii) variations in organic matter accumulation. Both processes are governed by climate variability and modulated by anthropogenic activities associated with changes on the lake catchment. Changes in these two sedimentary processes have been used to infer five stages: (i) the MCA-LIA transition (ca. 1350-1450 AD) was characterized by a predominantly positive AMO phase, which led to intermediate lake levels and high organic matter concentration; (ii) the first half of the LIA (ca. 1450 - 1600 AD) was characterized by predominant lowstand conditions and intermediate organic matter deposition mainly related to negative AMO phases; (iii) the second half of the LIA (ca. 1600 - 1850 AD) was characterized by negative AMO and NAO phases, implying intermediate lake levels and high organic matter deposition; (iv) the Industrial era (ca. 1850 - 1980 AD) was characterized by the lowest lake level and organic matter accumulation associated with negative AMO phases; and (v) the period spanning between 1980 AD and the present reveals the highest lake levels and low organic matter deposition, being associated with very positive AMO conditions. At decadal-to-centennial scales, the influence of the AMO on Azorean climate plays a larger role than previously thought. In fact, the AMO appears to exert a stronger influence compared to the NAO, which is the main mode of climate variability at shorter time scales