A series of laboratory experiments was conducted to investigate the possibility of post-cyclic transmission in Pomphorhynchus laevis (Muller, 1776). Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) were exposed to P. laevis in naturally infected Coitus gobio Linnaeus, Noemacheiius barhalulus (Linnaeus), Phoxinus phoxinus (Linnaeus) and heuciscus cephalus (Linnaeus) and sacrificed one month alter infection. Post-cyclic transmission was possible from all four species even though they came from three families and differed in respect of their status and suitability as hosts of P. laevis. There was no selection for or against cither sex of P. laevis, parasites grew in the rainbows and they occupied the same, normal site in the intestine of rainbows irrespective of source host. Post-cyclic transmission of gravid parasites could occur from C. gobio but not from L. cephalus. It is believed that this failure to transmit larger parasites of either sex reflects the age and so development of the proboscis bulb of P. laevis and the extent of the host encapsulation response rather than size or stage of maturity per se. Post-cyclic transmission has the potential to be important in nature.
Reforestation of ex-arable land in temperate regions increases the area of potential habitat for forest plants. However, the herbaceous plant layer of these plantations contains fewer forest species than comparable plantations at continuously forested sites. One of the reasons for this might be differences in recruitment. The present study addresses post-dispersal seed predation, mainly of woody plants, as the factor limiting the recolonization of young oak plantations in southern Sweden. Our objectives were to investigate differences in dispersal and post-dispersal seed predation between first-generation forest plantations on ex-arable land and re-planted clear-cuts on continuously forested land. Therewas no recruitment following the experimental sowing of six commonwoody species (Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Frangula alnus, Sambucus nigra, Sorbus aucuparia and Sorbus intermedia). Thus, the colonization of forest plantations by native shrubs and trees appears to be habitat-limited; the only exception being Rhamnus catharticus, for which poor dispersal ability may be more important. Post-dispersal seed predation of forest shrubs and trees was marked, especially in relatively small and isolated plantations on ex-arable land. There was a high seed predation of Crataegus monogyna, Sorbus aucuparia and Viburnum opulus on ex-arable land, while that of Frangula alnus and Sambucus racemosa was not associated with site placement and landuse history. Seed predation is probably a more important factor limiting restoration of near-natural forests than previously thought.
In this paper, the quantitative post-embryonic development of the Asian freshwater fish nematode Camallanus cotti Fujita, 1927, is described. Larval and adult morphometrics were obtained by following the parasite's life cycle experimentally using copepods Macrocyclops albidus (Jurine) as intermediate host and guppies Poecilia reticulata (Peters), southern platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus (Günther) and paradise fish Macropodus opercularis (L.) as definitive host. Additionally, adult worms were obtained from heavily infected paradise fish imported from Singapore. It is suggested that the gradual change in proportions of the worm's somatic body parts reflects the specific ecological role of each developmental stage. The free-living infective first-stage larva seems to be adapted for transmission, as indicated by its relatively long tail, designed to generate host-attracting movements, and its non-functional intestine. The second- and third-stage larvae from the copepod intermediate host seem mainly to invest in trophic functionality, i.e., the development of the buccal capsule and the oesophagus, which are crucial structures for the worm's successful establishment in the definitive fish host. Once in the fish intestine, the larvae enter a period of considerable growth. After the fourth (i.e., last) moult, a 72% increase in average female body length occurs. This is accompanied by doubling the average vulva-tail tip distance and the average tail length. The length of the female hind body expands in an accelerating allometric fashion, and seems to be closely linked to the posterior-wards expansion of the uterus. In the males however, growth seems to cease after the final moult. We conclude that female post-maturational body size, but especially the length of the hind body and the tail, are closely related to reproductive state, i.e., the developmental stage of the offspring in the uterus, and, probably, the worms' age. Any future taxonomical studies of camallanids in general, and C. cotti in particular, should thus be aware of the reproductive state of the females used.
The aim was to find the differences in ketogenesis initiation in the early period after the exercise in obese patients and to find if these changes may predict the weig ht loss during the physical activity program. 96 females were enrolled. A clamped heart rate test (CHR) was performed to establish comparable exercise intensity. Blood samples for beta hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) assessment were collected prior, immediately after and 60 min after the test. Patients underwent a three month fitness program. Anthropometric measurements (fat mass and biochemical parameters) were measured. An energy intake was monitored and comparable in all subjects. A significant increase of BOHB was found in 60 th minute after the test, when compared with initiation levels (BOHB1 vs. BOHB3; p=0.03). This increase correlates with % fat mass (R=0.196; p=0.02) and negatively with age (R= –0.147; p=0.05) and with weight reduction during the three-month program (R= -0.299; p=0.03). Serum BOHB increase after the single exercise may detect individuals with an ability to induce lipolysis in three-month program of physical activity for obese patients., M. Matoulek, S. Svobododova, R. Vetrovska, Z. Stranska, S. Svačina., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The genome sequence of the microsporidian parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi Levaditi, Nicolau et Schoen, 1923 contains about 2,000 genes that are representative of a non-redundant potential proteome composed of 1,909 protein chains. The purpose of this review is to relate some advances in the characterisation of this proteome through bioinformatics and experimental approaches. The reduced diversity of the set of E. cuniculi proteins is perceptible in all the compilations of predicted domains, orthologs, families and superfamilies, available in several public databases. The phyletic patterns of orthologs for seven eukaryotic organisms support an extensive gene loss in the fungal clade, with additional deletions in E. cuniculi. Most microsporidial orthologs are the smallest ones among eukaryotes, justifying an interest in the use of these compacted proteins to better discriminate between essential and non-essential regions. The three components of the E. cuniculi mRNA capping apparatus have been especially well characterized and the three-dimensional structure of the cap methyltransferase has been elucidated following the crystallisation of the microsporidial enzyme Ecm1. So far, our mass spectrometry-based analyses of the E. cuniculi spore proteome has led to the identification of about 170 proteins, one-quarter of these having no clearly predicted function. Immunocytochemical studies are in progress to determine the subcellular localisation of microsporidia-specific proteins. Posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation and glycosylation are expected to be soon explored.
Functional C(-260)→T polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14 gene has been reported to be associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). The functional role of the polymorphism, however, is still a matter of debate, since several studies have not proved its effect on clinical outcomes associated with atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality was assessed in a post-hoc approach four years after baseline characterization of patients (male/female n = 36/32) with angiographically proven coronary heart disease. CD14 C(-260)→T promoter genotype was determined at baseline. Seventeen out of 20 CHD patients with non-lethal cardiovascular events carried at least one T-allele. CD14 T-260 allele carriers have a 3.59-fold (95 % confidence interval: 1.11-6.75) increased risk for non-lethal cardiovascular events (Kaplan-Meier plot: log rank test p = 0. 029). All patients with lethal outcomes (n = 6) were also T-allele carriers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis among CHD patients including age, established risk factors and the C(-260)→T polymorphism as covariates and non-lethal events as a dependent variable confirmed the independent prospective effect of the T-allele on cardiovascular outcomes in this subset. Further evidence is provided for the role of CD14 C(-260)→T promoter polymorphism as a genetic susceptibility marker of atherosclerosis in patients with an advanced clinical course of the disease. Due to the small sample size and post-hoc character of the study large-scale prospective studies that monitor patients with proven CHD are needed to confirm these findings., M. Porsch-Öucürümez, J.Hucke, S. Westphal, J. A. Hubáček, G. Schmitz, C. Luley., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy