LTalpha and LTbeta gene expression in organs of sheep showing different lymphoproliferative changes induced by maedi-visna virus

In lung and mammary gland of sheep, Maedi-Visna virus (MVV) causes lymphoproliferative inflammation often with follicular structures (lymphofollicular inflammation). The aim of this work was to define whether Limphotoxin α and β (LTα, LTβ) play a role in the formation of these peculiar lesions in sheep experimentally infected with MVV

Infectivity in Skeletal Muscle of Cattle with Atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

The amyloidotic form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) termed BASE is caused by a prion strain whose biological properties differ from those of typical BSE, resulting in a clinically and pathologically distinct phenotype. Whether peripheral tissues of BASE-affected cattle contain infectivity is unknown. This is a critical issue since the BASE prion is readily transmissible to a variety of hosts including primates, suggesting that humans may be susceptible. We carried out bioassays in transgenic mice overexpressing bovine PrP (Tgbov XV) and found infectivity in a variety of skeletal muscles from cattle with natural and experimental BASE. Noteworthy, all BASE muscles used for inoculation transmitted disease, although the attack rate differed between experimental and natural cases (∼70% versus ∼10%, respectively). This difference was likely related to different prion titers, possibly due to different stages of disease in the two conditions, i.e. terminal stage in experimental BASE and pre-symptomatic stage in natural BASE. The neuropathological phenotype and PrPres type were consistent in all affected mice and matched those of Tgbov XV mice infected with brain homogenate from natural BASE. The immunohistochemical analysis of skeletal muscles from cattle with natural and experimental BASE showed the presence of abnormal prion protein deposits within muscle fibers. Conversely, Tgbov XV mice challenged with lymphoid tissue and kidney from natural and experimental BASE did not develop disease. The novel information on the neuromuscular tropism of the BASE strain, efficiently overcoming species barriers, underlines the relevance of maintaining an active surveillance

Studio sistematico delle ostracofaune dulcicole e salmastre dell'area mediterranea nel Miocene superiore pre-evaporitico : implicazione biocronologiche e paleobiogeografiche

In questo lavoro si sono estese le conoscenze sistematiche delle ostracofaune dulcicole e salmastre del Miocene superiore pre-evaporitico dell'area italiana provenienti da tre diverse aree italiane: Bacino Veneto-Friulano, localizzato nell'Italia nord-orientale, bacini toscani, ubicati sul versante tirrenico dell'Italia centrale e Bacino di Cessaniti, sul versante tirrenico calabro (Italia meridionale). Tale studio si è reso necessario per colmare le lacune esistenti sulla conoscenza delle ostracofaune salmastre di questo intervallo di tempo, allo scopo di creare un data-base che potesse rappresentare un punto di partenza sia per l'analisi dell'evoluzione geologico-stratigrafica di questi bacini e della loro evoluzione paleoambientale sia per le ricostruzioni paleobiogeografiche e paleogeografiche, particolarmente importanti in un intervallo di tempo che precede la Crisi di Salinità Messiniana che sconvolgerà, dal punto di vista geologico e paleobiologico, l'intera area mediterranea. Lo studio sistematico ha portato al riconoscimento di 17 generi comprendenti 63 specie: 25 sono state riferite a specie già note, 26 rappresentano nuove specie (tutte endemiche dei bacini toscani) già istituite nel corso di questa ricerca o in corso di descrizione, 12 sono state lasciate in nomenclatura aperta a causa dell'esiguità del materiale o del suo mediocre stato di conservazione. Le ostracofaune rinvenute nei bacini toscani, molto abbondanti e ben conservate, mostrano uno spiccato grado di endemismo sia regionale sia bacinale. Sono stati rinvenuti due generi endemici, Tavanicythere e Bullocypris, ed è stata riconosciuta una imponente radiazione adattativa dei generi Tavanicythere, Mediocytherideis, Loxoconchissa e Cyprideis. I dati dell'analisi sistematica, integrati con dati di natura stratigrafico-strutturale, cronologica e geochimica, sono stati utilizzati per approfondire le conoscenze sulla natura dei diversi bacini esaminati, sulla loro paleogeografia e sulla paleobiogeografia delle ostracofaune a scala locale e regionale e sulla distribuzione stratigrafica delle specie salmastre riconosciute. Nel settore orientale del Bacino Veneto-Friulano le ostracofaune provenienti dalla porzione tortoniana del Conglomerato del Montello sono oligotipiche e rappresentate da Hemicyprideis dacica dacica, Hemicytheria pejnovicensis e Loxoconcha cf. L. josephi. Le ostracofaune del Tortoniano superiore-Messiniano inferiore dei bacini toscani di Volterra- Radicondoli, Velona, Cinigiano-Baccinello e Valdelsa presentano un'elevata affinità reciproca a livello generico, ma una notevole endemicità a livello specifico. Le associazioni ad ostracodi provenienti dall'Unità tortoniana superiore delle "Sabbie argillose ed argille sabbiose fossilifere" di Cava Brunia [Bacino di Cessaniti (Calabria)] sono oligotipiche, rappresentate dalle specie Mediocytherideis (Sylvestra) posterobursa, Cyprideis ruggierii, Loxoconcha cf. L. biformata e Zonocypris membranae quadricella. Le analisi geochimiche (isotopi stabili, elementi in traccia) effettuate sul carapace di Cyprideis e Hemicyprideis e quelle del rapporto 87 Sr/86 Sr effettuate sui carbonati biogenici di molluschi e echinodermi suggeriscono l'esistenza di acque salmastre con composizione ed origine differente nelle tre diverse aree geografiche. I bacini toscani sono caratterizzati da acque salmastre di origine non marina (acque meteoriche ricche in sali provenienti dalla dissoluzione delle evaporiti triassiche toscane), mentre i bacini Veneto-Friulano e di Cessaniti sono dei bacini salmastri marino-marginali. Tuttavia, nel caso del Bacino Veneto-Friulano è ipotizzabile un mescolamento tra acque paratetidee provenienti dal vicino Bacino della Sava e acque del Paleomediterraneo settentrionale

The genus Cyprideis Jones, 1857 (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in the Neogene of Italy: a geometric morphometric approach.

As a result of the use of geometric morphometrics, multivariate statistics and classical morphological observations the authors propose a taxonomic revision of the Neogene Italian Cyprideis species. On this basis, the Cyprideis valves collected in Tortonian, Messinian and Pliocene brackish deposits of Italy are referred to 12 species, six of which are new: Cyprideis alexandri nov. sp., Cyprideis arvedoi nov. sp., Cyprideis lepianensis nov. sp., Cyprideis rooki nov. sp., Cyprideis strollae nov. sp., and Cyprideis toscana nov. sp. Some species are rather widespread in the Italian Peninsula (Cyprideis ruggierii Decima and Cyprideis crotonensis Decima) or even in the whole Palaeomediterranean (Cyprideis agrigentina Decima and Cyprideis anlavauxensis Carbonnel). For C. ruggierii, C. agrigentina and C. crotonensis, a phyletic relation is suggested. The new species are confined both geographically and stratigraphically in several Tuscan athalassic brackish basins, suggesting endemic speciation similar to those occurring in ancient lakes

Late Miocene brackish Loxoconchidae (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Italy

The LateMiocene Italian brackish Loxoconchidae are herein discussed and illustrated. Three genera and two subgenera have been recognized in the brackish Italian basins: Loxoconcha, Loxocorniculina, Loxoconchissa (Loxoconchissa) and Loxoconchissa (Loxocaspia). Taking into account the diagnostic characters of several Loxoconchidae genera, in this paper Loxocorniculina is raised at a generic rank, Loxocaspia is confirmed as a subgenus within genus Loxoconchissa and several new species are established: Loxoconchissa (Loxoconchissa) kinoi nov. sp., Loxoconchissa (Loxocaspia) cosentinoi nov. sp., Loxoconchissa (Loxocaspia) nuda nov. sp., Loxoconchissa (Loxocaspia) punctata nov. sp., Loxoconchissa (Loxocaspia) reticulata nov. sp., Loxoconchissa (Loxocaspia) tuberosa nov. sp. and Loxoconchissa (Loxocaspia) velonae nov. sp. Loxocorniculina is a typical Paratethyan genus which widespread into the Palaeo-Mediterranean during the late Messinian Lago-Mare event. Loxoconchissa was known to bewidespread only in the Paratethyan realm and in this paper it is signalled for the first time in the Late Tortonian-early Messinian of Italy. The palaeobiogeography of these genera is discussed and the observed continuous distribution of Loxocorniculina against the disjunct distribution of Loxoconchissa leads to suggest that this latter genus underwent a passive dispersal via aquatic birds

Parathethyan ostracod immigrants in Italy during Late Miocene

In this paper the ostracod assemblages recovered from several brackish Late Miocene Italian deposits have been analysed from a palaeobiogeographical perspective. During late Tortonian-early Messinian it is possible to recognize in Italy rich ostracod assemblages characterized by a wide contingent of taxa with central European or Mediterranean affinity, while only few brackish and freshwater ostracods show Paratethyan affinity. The recognized composition of the ostracod assemblages matches the palaeogeographic setting of the palaeo- Mediterranean/Paratethys at that moment. In fact during late Tortonian-early Messinian the palaeo-Mediterranean and Paratethysian domains were divided and, even if the connection via the present Marmara Sea-Strimon Basin was still open, the different salinity between them represented an ecological barrier, preventing faunal exchanges. Since normal aquatic migration was impossible, it must be assumed that the Paratethyan-like taxa entered the palaeo-Mediterranean area via passive dispersal by aquatic birds. On the contrary, the ostracod assemblages from the Italian Lago-Mare deposits show the absolute predominance of Paratethyan taxa, which, according to the known palaeogeographic setting during the late Messinian Lago-Mare event, could actively migrate from the Paratethys domain, colonizing the palaeo-Mediterranean, whose endemic fauna was severely impoverished by the Messinian salinity crisis and the following water dilution

Ostracoda and Mollusca biodiversity and hydrochemical features in Late Miocene brackish basins of Italy

Late Miocene brackish ostracods and molluscs collected in three Italian basins show noticeable differences in their taxonomic composition, despite their capability of dispersing across wide geographic areas. In the Venetian-Friulian Basin (northern Italy), the upper Tortonian sediments contain oligotypic ostracod assemblages including Hemicyprideis dacica dacica, Hemicytheria pejinovicensis, and Loxoconcha cf. L. josephi and few gastropods referable to Planorbidae and Stenothyroides, which are typical of the central Paratethys. In central Italy, the brackish ostracods and molluscs recovered from upper Tortonian-lower Messinian deposits from four Tuscan basins (Volterra-Radicondoli, Velona, Baccinello-Cinigiano, and Valdelsa) display high affinity at a generic level but strong endemicity at a specific level. At Cessaniti (southern Italy), the upper Tortonian unit contains oligotypic brackish ostracods and molluscs: Mediocytherideis (Sylvestra) posterobursa, Cyprideis ruggierii, Loxoconcha cf. L. biformata, and Zonocypris membranae quadricella characterise the ostracod fauna, while Granulolabium bicinctum and Hydrobia frauenfeldi are the dominant molluscs. The recovered ostracods have a strong affinity with brackish species from central and eastern Palaeo-Mediterranean areas, whereas the molluscs present a Paratethyan origin. Despite the fact that the basins are all brackish and partly coeval, the systematics of these assemblages highlights the absence of common species among the three studied areas. Geochemical analyses (stable isotopes and trace elements) are performed on ostracods, and 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios are established in molluscs and echinoids. The results suggest brackish environments with different compositions and origins of solutes in the three different areas. The Tuscan basins are characterised by brackish waters, with NaCl-enriched waters coming from aquifers of Triassic evaporite bedrock. The brackish deposits of the Venetian-Friulian Basin and Cessaniti are true marginal marine environments, although the northern basin may have been influenced by both the Paratethyan Sava Basin and the northern portion of the Palaeo-Mediterranean water bodies. © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS

Comparative performance of three TSE rapid tests for surveillance in healthy sheep affected by scrapie

Rapid tests specific for sheep and goats became part of European Union-wide active scrapie surveillance in 2006. Performance of three approved TSE rapid tests for the detection of sheep infected with scrapie in field cases in the pre-clinical stage of the disease was compared. The medulla oblongata of 969 asymptomatic sheep of various genotype and breed aged over 18 months from 23 Italian flocks affected with scrapie, were tested by the Bio-Rad TeSeE Sheep/Goat (A), the IDEXX HerdChek BSE-Scrapie Antigen Test Kit, EIA (B) and the Prionics®-Check Western Small Ruminant (C) rapid tests. Of 136 positive samples of classical scrapie, as confirmed by Western blot assay, 132 were positive with test A (Se 97.06%, CI 95% 92.64–99.19); 135 with test B (Se 99.26%, 95% CI 95.97–99.98) and 128 with test C (Se 94.12%, 95% CI 88.74–97.43). Tests A and B showed the best performance on analytical sensitivity. All three systems demonstrated good reproducibility: being the intrarater and interrater kappa coefficients always over 0.83. The one available atypical scrapie sample was positive with tests A and B, negative with test C. Considering the discrepant results in the detection of low PrPsc concentrations and of the atypical case, differences can be expected in the efficacy of an active surveillance system, depending on the test adopted