Integrated genome-transcriptome analysis unveiled the mechanism of Debaryomyces hansenii-mediated arsenic stress amelioration in rice

Globally, rice is becoming more vulnerable to arsenic (As) pollution, posing a serious threat to public food safety. Previously Debaryomyces hansenii was found to reduce grain As content of rice. To better understand the underlying mechanism, we performed a genome analysis to identify the key genes in D. hansenii responsible for As tolerance and plant growth promotion. Notably, genes related to As resistance (ARR, Ycf1, and Yap) were observed in the genome of D. hansenii. The presence of auxin pathway and glutathione metabolism-related genes may explain the plant growth-promoting potential and As tolerance mechanism of this novel yeast strain. The genome annotation of D. hansenii indicated that it contains a repertoire of genes encoding antioxidants, well corroborated with the in vitro studies of GST, GR, and glutathione content. In addition, the effect of D. hansenii on gene expression profiling of rice plants under As stress was also examined. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database revealed 307 genes, annotated in D. hansenii-treated rice, related to metabolic pathways (184), photosynthesis (12), glutathione (10), tryptophan (4), and biosynthesis of secondary metabolite (117). Higher expression of regulatory elements like AUX/IAA and WRKY transcription factors (TFs), and defense-responsive genes dismutases, catalases, peroxiredoxin, and glutaredoxins during D. hansenii+As exposure was also observed. Combined analysis revealed that D. hansenii genes are contributing to stress mitigation in rice by supporting plant growth and As-tolerance. The study lays the foundation to develop yeast as a beneficial biofertilizer for As-prone areas.

Development of immobilized novel fungal consortium for the efficient remediation of cyanide-contaminated wastewaters

Free cyanide is a hazardous pollutant released from steel industries. Environmentally-safe remediation of cyanide-contaminated wastewater is required. In this work, Pseudomonas stutzeri (ASNBRI_B12), Trichoderma longibrachiatum (ASNBRI_F9), Trichoderma saturnisporum (ASNBRI_F10) and Trichoderma citrinoviride (ASNBRI_F14) were isolated from blast-furnace wastewater and activated-sludge by enrichment culture. Elevated microbial growth, rhodanese activity (82 %) and GSSG (128 %) were observed with 20 mg-CN L^-1. Cyanide degradation > 99 % on 3rd d as evaluated through ion chromatography, followed by first-order kinetics (r² = 0.94-0.99). Cyanide degradation in wastewater (20 mg-CN L^-1, pH 6.5) was studied in ASNBRI_F10 and ASNBRI_F14 which displayed increased biomass to 49.7 % and 21.6 % respectively. Maximum cyanide degradation of 99.9 % in 48 h was shown by an immobilized consortium of ASNBRI_F10 and ASNBRI_F14. FTIR analysis revealed that cyanide treatment alters functional groups on microbial cell walls. The novel consortium of T. saturnisporum-T. citrinoviride in the form of immobilized culture can be employed to treat cyanide-contaminated wastewater.

Mitigation of arsenic toxicity in rice by the co-inoculation of arsenate reducer yeast with multifunctional arsenite oxidizing bacteria

The study aimed to explicate the role of microbial co-inoculants for the mitigation of arsenic (As) toxicity in rice. Arsenate (AsV) reducer yeast Debaryomyces hansenii NBRI-Sh2.11 (Sh2.11) with bacterial strains of different biotransformation potential was attempted to develop microbial co-inoculants. An experiment to test their efficacy (yeast and bacterial strains) on plant growth and As uptake was conducted under a stressed condition of 20 mg kg-1 of arsenite (AsIII). A combination of Sh2.11 with an As(III)-oxidizer, Citrobacter sp. NBRI-B5.12 (B5.12), resulted in ∼90% decrease in grain As content as compared to Sh2.11 alone (∼40%). Reduced As accumulation in rice roots under co-treated condition was validated with SEM-EDS analysis. Enhanced As expulsion in the selected combination under in vitro conditions was found to be correlated with higher As content in the soil during their interaction with plants. Selected co-inoculant mediated enhanced nutrient uptake in association with better production of indole acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA) in shoot, support microbial co-inoculant mediated better biomass under stressful condition. Boosted defense response in association with enhanced glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR), activities under in vitro and in vivo conditions were observed. These results indicated that the As(III) oxidizer-B5.12 accelerated the As detoxification property of the As(V) reducer-Sh2.11. Henceforth, the results confer that the coupled reduction-oxidation process of the co-inoculant reduces the accumulation of As in rice grain. These co-inoculants can be further developed for field trials to achieve higher biomass with alleviated As toxicity in rice.

Morpho-physiological and demographic responses of three threatened Ilex species to changing climate aligned with species distribution models in future climate scenarios

The success of a species in future climate change scenarios depends on its morphological, physiological, and demographic adaptive responses to changing climate. The existence of threatened species against climate adversaries is constrained due to their small population size, narrow genetic base, and narrow niche breadth. We examined if ecological niche model (ENM)-based distribution predictions of species align with their morpho-physiological and demographic responses to future climate change scenarios. We studied three threatened Ilex species, viz., Ilex khasiana Purkay., I. venulosa Hook. f., and I. embelioides Hook. F, with restricted distribution in Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. Demographic analysis of the natural populations of each species in Meghalaya, India revealed an upright pyramid suggesting a stable population under the present climate scenario. I. khasiana was confined to higher elevations only while I. venulosa and I. embelioides had wider altitudinal distribution ranges. The bio-climatic niche of I. khasiana was narrow, while the other two species had relatively broader niches. The ENM-predicted potential distribution areas under the current (2022) and future (2050) climatic scenarios (General Circulation Models (GCMs): IPSL-CM5A-LR and NIMR-HADGEM2-AO) revealed that the distribution of highly suitable areas for the most climate-sensitive I. khasiana got drastically reduced. In I. venulosa and I. embelioides, there was an increase in highly suitable areas under the future scenarios. The eco-physiological studies showed marked variation among the species, sites, and treatments (p < 0.05), indicating the differential responses of the three species to varied climate scenarios, but followed a similar trend in species performance aligning with the model predictions.

Alleviative mechanisms of silicon solubilizing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens mediated diminution of arsenic toxicity in rice

Silicon (Si) has gained considerable attention for its utility in improved plant health under biotic and abiotic stresses through alteration of physiological and metabolic processes. Its interaction with arsenic (As) has been the compelling area of research amidst heavy metal toxicity. However, microbe mediated Si solubilization and their role for reduced As uptake is still an unexplored domain. Foremost role of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (NBRISN13) in impediment of arsenite (AsIII) translocation signifies our work. Reduced grain As content (52-72%) during SN13 inoculation under feldspar supplementation (Si+SN+As) highlight the novel outcome of our study. Upregulation of Lsi1, Lsi2 and Lsi3genes in Si+SN+As treated rice plants associated with restricted As translocation, frames new propositions for future research on microbemediated reduced As uptake through increased Si transport. In addition to low As accumulation, alleviation of oxidative stress markers by modulation of defense enzyme activities and differential accumulation of plant hormones was found to be associated with improved growth and yield. Thus, our findings confer the potential role of microbe mediated Si solubilization in mitigation of As stress to restore plant growth and yield.

A preliminary evaluation of tick cement-cone protein extract for a vaccine against Hyalomma infestation

BACKGROUND

Vaccines have been widely exploited to prevent tick-borne infections in cattle. Most vaccines have faced failure in the field because of inconsistency in an immune response. It is presumed that the cement-cone proteins of ticks that participate in the acquisition of blood meal for ticks possess strong immune-stimulating properties and, hence, could be a useful candidate in vaccine development.

AIMS

We evaluated cement-cone proteins of tick Hyalomma anatolicum as a vaccine candidate against infestations of H. anatolicum and H. aegyptium in cattle.

METHODS

The cement-cone proteins were extracted from H. anatolicum to develop stage-reactive and immunogenic cross-reactive vaccine against the infestation of two species of ticks H. anatolicum and H. aegyptium. The immune response of the vaccine was tested against cement-cone proteins starved, partially fed, and richly fed ticks.

RESULTS

The findings of the present study demonstrated the cross-reactivity among the two species of ticks that belonged to the same genus (Hyalomma). The antigenic similarity between the two ticks species suggests that a common antigen may possibly be suitable for a vaccine against the two different species of ticks. The results have also indicated that the 23 kDa cement-cone protein of H. anatolicum and H. aegyptium may be responsible for the induction, or elicitation of immunogenic, common stage reactive, and cross-reactive host immune responses with consistent intensity throughout the life stages of ticks.

CONCLUSION

The vaccine based upon cement-cone proteins of ticks may be a useful deterrent against tick-borne infections in cattle in countries like Pakistan.

Yeast strain Debaryomyces hansenii for amelioration of arsenic stress in rice

Arsenic (As) is a serious threat for environment and human health. Rice, the main staple crop is more prone to As uptake. Bioremediation strategies with heavy metal tolerant rhizobacteria are well known. The main objective of the study was to characterize arsenic-resistant yeast strains, capable of mitigating arsenic stress in rice. Three yeast strains identified as Debaryomyces hansenii (NBRI-Sh2.11), Candida tropicalis (NBRI-B3.4) and Candida dubliniensis (NBRI-3.5) were found to have As reductase activity. D. hansenii with higher As tolerance has As expulsion ability as compared to other two strains. Inoculation of D. hansenii showed improved detoxification through scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the modulation of SOD and APX activity under As stress condition in rice. Modulation of defense responsive gene (NADPH, GST, GR) along with arsR and metal cation transporter are the probable mechanism of As detoxification as evident with improved membrane (electrolyte leakage) stability. Reduced grain As (~40% reduction) due to interaction with D. hansenii (NBRI-Sh2.11) further validated it's As mitigation property in rice. To the best of our knowledge D. hansenii has been reported for the first time for arsenic stress mitigation in rice with improved growth and nutrient status of the plant.

The ESC ACCA EAPCI EORP acute coronary syndrome ST-elevation myocardial infarction registry

Aims 

The Acute Cardiac Care Association (ACCA)–European Association of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (EAPCI) Registry on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) of the EurObservational programme (EORP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) registry aimed to determine the current state of the use of reperfusion therapy in ESC member and ESC affiliated countries and the adherence to ESC STEMI guidelines in patients with STEMI.

Methods and results 

Between 1 January 2015 and 31 March 2018, a total of 11 462 patients admitted with an initial diagnosis of STEMI according to the 2012 ESC STEMI guidelines were enrolled. Individual patient data were collected across 196 centres and 29 countries. Among the centres, there were 136 percutaneous coronary intervention centres and 91 with cardiac surgery on-site. The majority of centres (129/196) were part of a STEMI network. The main objective of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and angiographic characteristics of patients with STEMI. Other objectives include to assess management patterns and in particular the current use of reperfusion therapies and to evaluate how recommendations of most recent STEMI European guidelines regarding reperfusion therapies and adjunctive pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are adopted in clinical practice and how their application can impact on patients’ outcomes. Patients will be followed for 1 year after admission.

Conclusion 

The ESC ACCA-EAPCI EORP ACS STEMI registry is an international registry of care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with STEMI. It will provide insights into the contemporary patient profile, management patterns, and 1-year outcome of patients with STEMI.

Application of four novel fungal strains to remove arsenic from contaminated water in batch and column modes

Immobilized biomass of novel indigenous fungal strains FNBR_3, FNBR_6, FNBR_13, and FNBR_19 were evaluated for arsenic (As) removal from aqueous solution. Alginate beads containing 0.1 g biomass were used in a batch experiment (200 mg l^-1 As; pH 6). Biosorption equilibrium established in first 2 h with As adsorption (mg g^-1) as 70, 68, 113 and 90 by FNBR_3, FNBR_6, FNBR_13 and FNBR_19, respectively. The equilibrium was fitted to the Langmuir model (r² = 0. 90-0.97). The absorption kinetic followed the pseudo second order. Changes in the surface of fungal cells and intracellular As-uptake by fungal biomass were also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy combined with X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer. The presence of different functional groups on fungal cells capable of As-binding was investigated by FTIR. The As-removal by immobilized fungal beads tested in the packed columns also. The As-adsorption by biomass (qe as mg g^-1) were recorded as 59.5 (FNBR_3 and FNBR_6), 74.8 (FNBR_13), and 66.3 (FNBR_19) in the column and validated by Thomas model. This is the first report concerning the arsenic removal by immobilized biomass of these novel fungal strains from aqueous solution both in batch and column studies with a prospect of their further industrial application.

P5-08-04: Mammographic Microcalcifications and Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis: A Radiologic-Pathologic Analysis

Background

Microcalcifications (MCs) are tiny deposits of calcium in breast soft tissue. They serve as key diagnostic radiological features for localization of malignancy. Approximately 30% of early invasive breast cancers have fine, granular MCs detectable on mammography; however, their role in breast cancer tumorigenesis is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mammographic MCs and breast cancer pathology.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for 882 women treated for breast cancer between 2000–2010 at St. Michael's Hospital. Demographic information (age and menopausal status), tumor pathology (size, histology, grade, nodal status and lymphovascular invasion), hormonal status (ER and PR), HER-2 overexpression and presence of MCs were collected for breast cancer patients. Chi-square tests were performed for categorical variables and t-tests were performed for continuous variables. All tests were two-sided and p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: A total of 826 patient charts were included; 56 (6.4%) patients had metastatic carcinoma and were excluded from analysis. Only 37.0% (326/882) of the patients presented with mammographic MCs. Patients were more likely to have MCs if they were HER-2 positive (51%) as opposed to being HER-2 negative (33.4%) (p=0.001). There was a significant association between MCs and being perimenopausal with a mean age of 50 (65.2%) (p=0.012). Patients with invasive ductal carcinomas (39.7%) were more likely to present with MCs than were patients with other tumor histology (p=0.001). There was a positive correlation between MCs and tumor grade (p=0.051), with grade III tumors (41.85%) presenting with the most MCs, followed by grade II (37.95%) and grade I (29.8%). There was no significant association between mean age, mean tumor size, ER and PR status with the presence of MCs.

Conclusion: This is the largest study that suggests the appearance of MCs on mammograms is strongly associated with HER-2 overexpression, invasive ductal carcinoma and perimenopausal status. Since HER-2 is implicated in mediating aggressive tumor growth and metastasis, future studies should investigate the molecular pathways underlying HER-2 overexpression and MC development. This would help better understand the role of MCs in breast cancer tumorigenesis.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-04.

Differential osteogenic activity of osteoprogenitor cells on HA and TCP/HA scaffold of tissue engineered bone

Biomaterial, an essential component of tissue engineering, serves as a scaffold for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation; provides the three dimensional (3D) structure and, in some applications, the mechanical strength required for the engineered tissue. Both synthetic and naturally occurring calcium phosphate based biomaterial have been used as bone fillers or bone extenders in orthopedic and reconstructive surgeries. This study aims to evaluate two popular calcium phosphate based biomaterial i.e., hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite (TCP/HA) granules as scaffold materials in bone tissue engineering. In our strategy for constructing tissue engineered bone, human osteoprogenitor cells derived from periosteum were incorporated with human plasma-derived fibrin and seeded onto HA or TCP/HA forming 3D tissue constructs and further maintained in osteogenic medium for 4 weeks to induce osteogenic differentiation. Constructs were subsequently implanted intramuscularly in nude mice for 8 weeks after which mice were euthanized and constructs harvested for evaluation. The differential cell response to the biomaterial (HA or TCP/HA) adopted as scaffold was illustrated by the histology of undecalcified constructs and evaluation using SEM and TEM. Both HA and TCP/HA constructs showed evidence of cell proliferation, calcium deposition, and collagen bundle formation albeit lesser in the former. Our findings demonstrated that TCP/HA is superior between the two in early bone formation and hence is the scaffold material of choice in bone tissue engineering.

Effects of vitamin E and soybean oil supplementation on sperm parameters in male Sprague-Dawley rats

This study was performed to determine the effects of dietary vitamin E and soybean oil (a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids) on the sperm concentration and motility in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats with body weights between 250 - 300 gms were randomly allotted into five treatment groups with three animals each. The trial lasted 63 weeks inclusive of a one week acclimatization period. Rats were fed either CTRL (Base Diet + 5 % Soybean Oil + 3000 IU Vitamin E), BD Only (Base Diet Only), BDVitE (Base Diet + 3000 IU Vitamin E Only), BDSBO (Base Diet + Soybean Oil Only) or COMM (Imported Commercial Rat Pellets). At the end of the trial, the rats were euthanized and sperm concentration and motility were evaluated for both left and right testicles. It was found that although sperm motility had no significant difference across treatment groups, animals supplemented with adequate vitamin E and soybean oils had significantly higher concentration of sperms. It was also shown that vitamin E supplementation alone is more important than dietary fat supplementation in influencing sperm concentration in rats.

Prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii among farmers and cattle in Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia - a preliminary report

A survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies among cattle farmers and cattle in the Gombak District, Selangor. A total of 79 human and 73 cattle serum samples were tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by the immunofluorescent technique (IFAT). Results of the survey showed that anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were found in 27.8% of the farmers, while in cattle the positive rate was only 3.8%. The prevalence rate obtained in this study did not differ much from the prevalence reported in previous studies. This suggests that the same degree of risk to this infection exists in the community. In view of the relatively low antibody prevalence in cattle, the risk of acquiring this infection from consuming undercooked beef is realtively low. Further survey on larger sample size is needed to validate the observation.

MR of benign chondroblastoma of the temporal bone

A benign chondroblastoma of the temporal bone in an 8-year-old boy is reported. Head CT showed an expansile mass with calcifications in the center. The tumor appeared as a well-lobulated, hypointense intraosseous mass on T1-weighted brain MR; it was isointense to brain parenchyma on intermediate-weighted images and enhanced homogenously with gadolinium.

MR imaging of intraventricular cysticercosis

Three cases of cysticercosis with cysts located in the cerebral ventricles were studied with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This technique proved to be diagnostically superior to CT. In fact, MR can effectively replace metrizamide CT ventriculography in the detection of intraventricular cysticercosis.

Radiologic techniques in the diagnosis of CNS infections

The radiologic diagnosis of CNS infections remains a challenge. CT scan findings, though admittedly nonspecific to a large extent, assume great diagnostic significance when considered in conjunction with clinical and laboratory findings. MRI is expected to show abnormalities in the earlier stages of these infections.

Bilateral parietal arteriovenous malformations: report of a case

A patient with bilateral parietal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is reported. The clinical presentation included seizures, coma, and signs of tentorial herniation. After the evacuation of a large left intraparietal hematoma, cerebral angiography identified a small left parietal AVM, which was excised. Mass effect and increased intracranial pressure were present at the time of the initial angiography, and the presence of a right parietal AVM was not appreciated. Postoperative cerebral angiography to document excision of the left parietal AVM then disclosed the small right parietal AVM, which was later excised. The patient has recovered very well. The natural history of AVMs and the occurrence of multiple AVMs are discussed.