Genetic mapping of 66 new microsatellite (SSR) loci in bread wheat.

In hexaploid bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell), ten members of the IWMMN ( International Wheat Microsatellites Mapping Network) collaborated in extending the microsatellite (SSR = simple sequence repeat) genetic map. Among a much larger number of microsatellite primer pairs developed as a part of the WMC ( Wheat Microsatellite Consortium), 58 out of 176 primer pairs tested were found to be polymorphic between the parents of the ITMI ( International Triticeae Mapping Initiative) mapping population W7984 x Opata 85 (ITMI pop). This population was used earlier for the construction of RFLP ( Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) maps in bread wheat (ITMI map). Using the ITMI pop and a framework map (having 266 anchor markers) prepared for this purpose, a total of 66 microsatellite loci were mapped, which were distributed on 20 of the 21 chromosomes (no marker on chromosome 6D). These 66 mapped microsatellite (SSR) loci add to the existing 384 microsatellite loci earlier mapped in bread wheat.

Pathological findings in South American fur seal pups (Arctocephalus australis gracilis) found dead at Guafo Island, Chile.

During four breeding seasons (2004-2008), 78 necropsy examinations were performed on South American fur seal pups (Arctocephalus australis gracilis) found dead on Guafo Island, southern Chile (43°36'S, 74°43'W). Tissue samples from 65 pups were examined microscopically. The primary causes of death were enteritis with microscopical lesions of bacteraemia (28.2%), starvation (23.1%), drowning (21.8%), trauma (19.2%) and stillbirth (2.6%). Those pups with enteritis and microscopical lesions of bacteraemia had haemorrhagic enteritis (100%), interstitial pneumonia (86%), periportal hepatitis (73%) and vasculitis (18%). The pups that died from starvation had atrophy of hepatocytes (61%) and cholestasis (61%). The pups that drowned had bronchoalveolar oedema (65%) and foreign bodies in the airways (65%). In animals that died from trauma, the main lesions were skull fractures (67%). This range of pathological findings is within what would be expected in a healthy otariid breeding colony.

Analysis of an apoptotic core model focused on experimental design using artificial data.

The activation of caspases is a central mechanism in apoptosis. To gain further insights into complex processes like this, mathematical modelling using ordinary differential equations (ODEs) can be a very powerful research tool. Unfortunately, the lack of measurement data is a common problem in building such kinetic models, because it practically constrains the identifiability of the model parameters. An existing mathematical model of caspase activation during apoptosis was used in order to design future experimental setups that will help to maximise the obtained information. For this purpose, artificial measurement data are generated in silico to simulate potential experiments, and the model is fitted to this data. The model is also analysed using observability gramian and sensitivity analyses. The used analysis methods are compared. The artificial data approach allows one to make conclusions about system properties, identifiability of parameters and the potential information content of additional measurements for the used caspase activation model. The latter facilitates to improve the experimental design of further measurements significantly. The performed analyses reveal that several kinetic parameters are not at all, or only scarcely, identifiable, and that measurements of activated caspase 8 will maximally improve the parameter estimates. Furthermore, we can show that many assays with inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) knockout cells only provide redundant information for our needs and as such do not have to be carried out.

Researches on Pseudophyllidea (Carus, 1813) in the south of Chile. IV Occurrence of Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Nitzch).

Experimental infections were established with Diphyllobothrium sp. plerocercoids obtained from Salmo gairdneri, a fish introduced at the beginning of the 1900s in the lake region of Chile. These permitted us to obtain adult parasites in Larus dominicanus and Canis familiaris. The histological features of the plerocercoids, their relation to the host, adult pattern and susceptibility of hosts allowed us to determine the presence of Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Nitzch) for the first time in South America in the lacustrine region of southern Chile. It is believed that this cestode was introduced to this ecosystem by infected persons travelling from North America of Europe or, alternatively, brought by migratory birds, e.g., Sterna hirundo, S. paradisea or Larus pipixcan on their winter visits to South America.