Babesiosis is an emerging zoonotic disease and various wildlife species are reservoir hosts for zoonotic species of Babesia Starcovici, 1893. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence and prevalence of Babesia spp. in moose Alces alces (Linnaeus) in two regions of Norway. A total of 99 spleen samples were collected from animals of various ages from an area with the occurrence of the tick Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758), and from an area where the ticks are known to be absent. Infection was detected by the amplification of different regions of the 18S rRNA gene by using two different PCR primer sets specific of Babesia. Babesia spp. were found in the spleen samples of four moose. All Babesia-infected animals were from an area where ticks occur, with an infection rate of 6% (4 of 70). Babesia-positive samples were obtained from a five-month old moose calf and three adults. Two Babesia species, Babesia capreoli (Enigk et Friedhoff, 1962) and a B. odocoilei-like, were identified. Co-infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum was obtained in two animals. This is the first report of the occurrence of B. capreoli and B. odocoilei-like species in moose., Irma Pūraitė, Olav Rosef, Jana Radzijevskaja, Indrė Lipatova, Algimantas Paulauskas., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Endemic Sicilian pond turtles Emys trinacris Fritz, Fattizzo, Guicking, Tripepi, Pennisi, Lenk, Joger et Wink were examined for the presence of haemogregarine parasites. The presence of haemogregarines, occurring mainly in the microgametocyte stage (13.2 ± 0.12 μm in length and 6.4 ± 0.52 μm in width), was observed in approximately 9% of the sampled E. trinacris. Based on the observed morphology and on the sequencing of nuclear 18S rDNA, we identified the parasite as Haemogregarina stepanowi Danilewsky, 1885. Morphometric study of uninfected and infected red blood cells has shown that H. stepanowi induces different changes in erythrocyte shape depending on the infective stage. The differential count of leukocytes in specimens infected with H. stepanowi showed no significant difference compared with healthy specimens. However, considering the health problems which might be induced by H. stepanowi in the closely related European pond turtle Emys orbicularis (Linneaus), monitoring of the health status of the infected Sicilian populations of E. trinacris is desirable. The restricted distribution of populations of Emys infected with haemogregarines in Sicily is quite puzzling and the possible human-mediated introduction of the parasite in Sicily is briefly discussed., Vincenzo Arizza, Francesco Sacco, Debora Russo, Rita Scardino, Marco Arculeo, Melita Vamberger, Federico Marrone., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Atmospheric CO2 concentration continues to rise and is predicted to reach approximately 700 ppm by 2100. Some predictions suggest that the dry season in West Africa could be extended with climate change. This study examined the effects of elevated CO2 concentration and water deficit on growth and photosynthesis of juvenile cacao. Light-saturated photosynthesis (Pmax), quantum efficiency, and intrinsic water-use efficiency increased significantly in response to elevated CO2, as did a range of growth and development responses (e.g. leaf area and leaf number), but the magnitude of the increase was dependent on the water treatment. Stomatal index was significantly greater in the elevated CO2 treatment; an atypical response which may be a reflection of the environment in which cacao evolved. This study shows a positive effect of elevated CO2 on juvenile cacao which may help to alleviate some of the negative impacts of water deficit stress., F. Lahive, P. Hadley, A. J. Daymond., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The objective of this study was to evaluate the significance of blue light (B) in the growth and photosynthetic capacity of cucumber. Gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence kinetics, chloroplast ultrastructure, and leaf growth were investigated to explore the influence of three different light qualities of light emitting diodes (LEDs) on plant morphogenesis and the development of photosynthetic apparatus in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) leaves from emergence to full expansion under weak light [50 μmol(photon) m-2 s-1]. We found that B could significantly increase the leaf area (LA), shoot elongation, Chl a/b, net photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance (g s). In addition, the comparisons of maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry and the photosynthetic performance index between B-, W (white light)-, and R (red light)-grown leaves suggested that B was essential for the development of photosynthetic apparatus under weak light. B-grown leaves had the lowest Chl content under weak light, however, they had well-developed chloroplasts with the highest degree of stacked lamellae and the lowest starch accumulation. This could explain to a considerable extent the highest net photosynthetic rate per Chl unit. The results demonstrated that B optimized photosynthetic performance by improving the photosynthetic rate, increasing LA, and prolonging active photosynthesis duration under low irradiance. Therefore B is necessary to ensure healthy development of chloroplasts and highly efficient photosynthetic functions in cucumbers under a weak light environment. More importantly, our study also provided theoretical and technical support for the development of light environmental control technology., X. Y. Wang, X. M. Xu, J. Cui., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The purpose of the current investigation was to evaluate the influence of antimycin A (AA) as an activator of the alternative respiratory pathway (AP) on photosynthetic pigment composition and functional activity of the photosynthetic apparatus of wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.) under exposure to high temperature as well as their acclimation. Our results indicated that a significant decrease (44-74%) of photosynthetic pigment contents was caused by a long-term exposure to high temperature (42°C), while the short-term exposure resulted in 20-46% decline. However, a combined effect of AA and long-term high temperature reduced the total pigment contents by 28-41%. Our results demonstrated that the reduction of the chlorophyll a/b ratio was less significant under the combined effect of AA and high temperature than that under the stressful condition without AA. We observed that short-term and long-term high temperature modified PSII functionality of the first leaves in wheat seedlings, which was manifested by the low maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, maximum fluorescence yield in the dark-adapted state, and by high minimum fluorescence yield in the dark-adapted state. The quantum yield of PSII photochemistry decreased rapidly by 16-24% under the combination of AA and high temperature. Overall, these results suggest that the activation of the alternative pathway, induced by AA, contributed to the stabilization of the photosynthetic apparatus in wheat seedlings under high temperature., A. Batjuka, N. Škute, A. Petjukevičs., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We studied the effect of herbicide and nitrogen supply on photosynthesis in Perilla frutescens L. Britt. Plants were exposed to combined treatment of urea and herbicide, fenoxaprop-P-ethyl (FPE), in various concentrations. FPE reduced significantly chlorophyll (Chl) content, photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance, but increased significantly intercellular CO2 concentration; thus, FPE inhibited significantly the photosynthetic capacity. In addition, FPE also decreased significantly the PSII photochemical efficiency, effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in PSII, PSII potential activity, and photochemical quenching of variable Chl fluorescence. It also decreased nonphotochemical quenching. It indicated that FPE impaired PSII and blocked the electron transport in light reaction. The urea treatment at moderate concentration (1-4 g L-1) could antagonize the negative effect of FPE, while the high urea concentration (8 g L-1) aggravated this effect. The treatment with urea (4 g L-1) and then with FPE (1.33 mL L-1) enhanced Chl content index, photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance by 12.5, 36.1, and 28.5% compared to FPE treatment alone. Thus, we suggested to treat plants first with urea (4 g L-1) and then by FPE (1.33 mL L-1) as the best and the safest method to balance the fertilization and weeding., J. H. Zhang, S. J. Guo, P. Y. Guo, X. Wang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The life cycle of the swim bladder nematode Huffmanela huffmani Moravec, 1987 (Trichinelloidea: Trichosomoididae), an endemic parasite of centrarchid fishes in the upper spring run of the San Marcos River in Hays County, Texas, USA, was experimentally completed. The amphipods Hyalella cf. azteca (Saussure), Hyalella sp. and Gammarus sp. were successfully infected with larvated eggs of Huffmanela huffmani. After ingestion of eggs of H. huffmani by experimental amphipods, the first-stage larvae hatch from their eggshells and penetrate through the digestive tract to the hemocoel of the amphipod. Within about 5 days in the hemocoel of the experimental amphipods at 22 °C, the larvae presumably attained the second larval stage and were infective for the experimental centrarchid definitive hosts, Lepomis spp. The minimum incubation period before adult nematodes began laying eggs in the swim bladders of the definitive hosts was found to be about 7.5 months at 22 °C. This is the first experimentally completed life cycle within the Huffmanelinae., McLean L. D. Worsham, David G. Huffman, František Moravec, J. Randy Gibson., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella is a widespread pest of stored products and a classical object in experimental biology. In the present study, we determined its complete mitochondrial genome sequence. The genome is circular, consists of 15,327 bp and comprises 13 protein-coding, 2 rRNA- and 22 tRNA-coding genes in an order typical for the Ditrysia clade of the order Lepidoptera. A phylogenetic study of the Lepidoptera based on complete mitochondrial genomes places E. kuehniella correctly in the family Pyralidae and supports major lepidopteran taxa as phylogenetic clades. The W chromosome of E. kuehniella is an exceptionally rich reservoir of originally mitochondrial sequences (numts). Around 0.7% of the W DNA was found to be of mitochondrial origin, 83% of the mitogenome sequence was represented between 1-11 × in the W chromosome. Phylogenetic analysis further revealed that these numts are an evolutionary recent acquisition of the W chromosome., Katrin Lämmermann, Heiko Vogel, Walther Traut., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Large and small rDNA sequences of 41 species of the family Opecoelidae are utilised to produce phylogenetic inference trees, using brachycladioids and lepocreadioids as outgroups. Sequences were newly generated for 13 species. The resulting Bayesian trees show a monophyletic Opecoelidae. The earliest divergent group is the Stenakrinae, based on two species which are not of the type-genus. The next well-supported clade to diverge is constituted of three species of Helicometra Odhner, 1902. Based on this tree and the characters of the egg and uterus, a new subfamily, the Helicometrinae, is erected and defined to include the genera Helicometra, Helicometrina Linton, 1910 and Neohelicometra Siddiqi et Cable, 1960. The subfamily Opecoelinae is found to be monophyletic, but the Plagioporinae is paraphyletic. The single representative of the Opecoelininae (not of the type genus) is nested within a group of deep-sea 'plagioporines'. The two representatives of the Opistholebetidae are embedded within a group of shallow-water 'plagioporine' species. The Opistholebetidae is reduced to subfamily status pro tem as its morphological and biological characteristics are distinctive. This implies that as opecoelid systematics develops with more molecular evidence, several further subfamilies will be recognised. Many of the morphological characters were found to be homoplasious, but the characters defining the Helicometrinae and Opecoelinae, such as filamented eggs, reduced cirrus-sac and uterine seminal receptacle, are closely correlated with the inferred phylogeny., Rodney A. Bray, Thomas H. Cribb, D. Timothy J. Littlewood, Andrea Waeschenbach., and Obsahuje bibliografii