Spawning of Threatened Barred Galaxias, Galaxias fuscus (Teleostei: Galaxiidae)

Barred galaxias Galaxias fuscus is an endangered freshwater fish endemic to south-eastern Australia. Little is known of the species’ ecology. We investigated spawning biology of G. fuscus in three headwater streams and found spawning to occur mid-August to late September when photoperiod was 10 h 39 min – 12 h 25 min. Spawning sites were in fresh (range 35.3 – 56.6 EC, mean 44.7 EC), slightly acidic (range 5.7 – 7.1 pH, mean 5.9 pH), moderate to fast flowing (range 0.4 – 2.0 m/s, mean 1.0 m/s), shallow (range 70 – 310 mm, mean 174 mm), well oxygenated (range 10.8 – 12.4 mg/l, mean 11.3mg/l), clear (range 1.2 – 6.3 NTU, mean 3.8 NTU), cool waters (range 8.4 – 10 °C, mean 9.1°C) immediately upstream of pools. Multi-layered clusters of up to 218 eggs were generally adhered close to the stream bed on the downstream side of cobbles greater than 180 mm diameter

Metabolomics and lipidomics reveal perturbation of sphingolipid metabolism by a novel anti-trypanosomal 3-(oxazolo[4,5-b]pyridine-2-yl)anilide

Introduction: Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of human African trypanosomiasis, which is responsible for thousands of deaths every year. Current therapies are limited and there is an urgent need to develop new drugs. The anti-trypanosomal compound, 3-(oxazolo[4,5-b]pyridine-2-yl)anilide (OXPA), was initially identified in a phenotypic screen and subsequently optimized by structure–activity directed medicinal chemistry. It has been shown to be non-toxic and to be active against a number of trypanosomatid parasites. However, nothing is known about its mechanism of action. Objective: Here, we have utilized an untargeted metabolomics approach to investigate the biochemical effects and potential mode of action of this compound in T. brucei. Methods: Total metabolite extracts were analysed by HILIC-chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry. Results: Significant accumulation of ceramides was observed in OXPA-treated T. brucei. To further understand drug-induced changes in lipid metabolism, a lipidomics method was developed which enables the measurement of hundreds of lipids with high throughput and precision. The application of this LC–MS based approach to cultured bloodstream-form T. brucei putatively identified over 500 lipids in the parasite including glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids and fatty acyls, and confirmed the OXPA-induced accumulation of ceramides. Labelling with BODIPY-ceramide further confirmed the ceramide accumulation following drug treatment. Conclusion: These findings clearly demonstrate perturbation of ceramide metabolism by OXPA and indicate that the sphingolipid pathway is a promising drug target in T. brucei.No Full Tex

A compendium of ecological knowledge for restoration of freshwater fishes in Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin

Many freshwater fishes are imperilled globally, and there is a need for easily accessible, contemporary ecological knowledge to guide management. This compendium contains knowledge collated from over 600 publications and 27 expert workshops to support the restoration of 9 priority native freshwater fish species, representative of the range of life-history strategies and values in south-eastern Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin. To help prioritise future research investment and restoration actions, ecological knowledge and threats were assessed for each species and life stage. There is considerable new knowledge (80% of publications used were from the past 20 years), but this varied among species and life stages, with most known about adults, then egg, juvenile and larval stages (in that order). The biggest knowledge gaps concerned early life stage requirements, survival, recruitment, growth rates, condition and movements. Key threats include reduced longitudinal and lateral connectivity, altered flows, loss of refugia, reductions in both flowing (lotic) and slackwater riverine habitats, degradation of wetland habitats, alien species interactions and loss of aquatic vegetation. Examples and case studies illustrating the application of this knowledge to underpin effective restoration management are provided. This extensive ecological evidence base for multiple species is presented in a tabular format to assist a range of readers

Spawning of threatened barred galaxias, \u27Galaxias fuscus\u27 (Teleostei: Galaxiidae)

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Cardiovascular Efficacy and Safety of Bococizumab in High-Risk Patients

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