Morphological variations and demographic responses of the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa to heterogeneous aquatic habitats.

Human activities affect terrestrial and aquatic habitats leading to changes at both individual and population levels in wild animal species. In this study, we investigated the phenotype and demographics of the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger, 1812) in contrasted environments of Southern France: two peri-urban rivers receiving effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and another one without sewage treatment plant. Our findings revealed the presence of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in the three rivers of investigation, the highest diversities and concentrations of pollutants being found in the river subsections impacted by WWTP effluents. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering identified three levels of habitat quality, with different pollutant concentrations, thermal conditions, nutrient, and organic matter levels. The highest turtle densities, growth rates, and body sizes were estimated in the most disturbed habitats, suggesting potential adult benefits derived from harsh environmental conditions induced by pollution and eutrophication. Conversely, juveniles were the most abundant in the least polluted habitats, suggesting adverse effects of pollution on juvenile survival or adult reproduction. This study suggests that turtles living in polluted habitats may benefit from enhanced growth and body size, at the expense of reproductive success.

Enteric parasites in free-living Mediterranean pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa leprosa) in contrasted areas (natural vs polluted) from central-western of Morocco.

The objective of this study is to assess the occurrence of intestinal parasites in Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa leprosa collected from three contrasting environments in Morocco. Stool samples from 92 turtles were examined for parasite detection and enumeration. The identified intestinal parasites belong to helminths (oxyurids and ascarid) and protozoa (Entamoebidae). A total of 25 turtles (27.17%) were found to be infected by helminths and/or protozoan parasites. No adult form of these parasites was detected. Eggs of oxyurid and ascarid were detected in individuals of populations studied from Oued Ksob (23.07% and 30.76% of n = 13 turtles) and Oued Zat (34.14% and 24.39% of n = 41 turtles), respectively. For protozoa, Entamoeba cysts were present in turtles in Oued Ksob (15.38% of n = 13 turtles), Oued Zat (12.19% of n = 41 turtles), and Oued Tensift (5.26% of n = 38 turtles) localities. Oxyurid eggs showed the highest intensity at Oued Zat reaching 29.30 ± 59.59 eggs per gram (EPG), versus 12 ± 0.38 EPG for ascaris eggs in Oued Ksob. Entamoeba cysts were detected in lower levels with a maximum of 1.66 ± 1.50 cysts per gram (CPG), in Oued Zat. The prevalence of turtles eliminating eggs was statistically significant between localities for different parasite groups. This study reports for the first time a parasitological characterization of gastrointestinal parasites in wild populations of M. leprosa leprosa from contrasting environments, suggesting a relationship between turtles' infestation and the quality of their habitat.

Multifarious plant growth-promoting traits of mangrove yeasts: growth enhancement in mangrove seedlings (Rhizophora mucronata) for conservation.

Plant Growth-Promoting Yeasts (PGPY) have garnered significant attention in recent years; however, research on PGPY from mangroves remains a largely unexplored frontier. This study, therefore, focused on exploring the multifaceted plant growth-promoting (PGP) capabilities of yeasts isolated from mangroves of Puthuvype and Kumbalam. The present work found that manglicolous yeasts exhibited diverse hydrolytic properties, with the predominance of lipolytic activity, in addition to other traits such as phosphate solubilization, and production of indole acetic acid, siderophore, ammonia, catalase, nitrate, and hydrogen cyanide. After screening for 15 PGP traits, three strains P 9, PV 23, and KV 35 were selected as the most potent ones. These strains also exhibited antagonistic activity against fungal phytopathogens and demonstrated resilience to abiotic stresses, making them not only promising biocontrol agents but also suited for field application. The potent strains P 9, PV 23, and KV 35 were molecularly identified as Candida tropicalis, Debaryomyces hansenii, and Aureobasidium melanogenum, respectively. The potential of these strains in enhancing the growth performance of mangrove seedlings of Rhizophora mucronata, was demonstrated using the pot-experiment. The results suggested that the consortium of three potent strains (P 9, PV 23, and KV 35) was more effective in increasing the number of shoot branches (89.2%), plant weight (87.5%), root length (83.3%), shoot height (57.9%) and total leaf area (35.1%) than the control seedlings. The findings of this study underscore the significant potential of manglicolous yeasts in contributing to mangrove conservation and restoration efforts, offering a comprehensive understanding of their diverse plant growth-promoting mechanisms and highlighting their valuable role in sustainable ecosystem management.

Producing context specific land cover and land use maps of human-modified tropical forest landscapes for infectious disease applications.

Satellite-based land cover mapping plays an important role in understanding changes in ecosystems and biodiversity. There are global land cover products available, however for region specific studies of drivers of infectious disease patterns, these can lack the spatial and thematic detail or accuracy required to capture key ecological processes. To overcome this, we produced our own Landsat derived 30 m maps for three districts in India's Western Ghats (Wayanad, Shivamogga and Sindhudurg). The maps locate natural vegetation types, plantation types, agricultural areas, water bodies and settlements in the landscape, all relevant to functional resource use of species involved in infectious disease dynamics. The maps represent the mode of 50 classification iterations and include a spatial measure of class stability derived from these iterations. Overall accuracies for Wayanad, Shivamogga and Sindhudurg are 94.7 % (SE 1.2 %), 88.9 % (SE 1.2 %) and 88.8 % (SE 2 %) respectively. Class classification stability was high across all three districts and the individual classes that matter for defining key interfaces between human habitation, forests, crop, and plantation cultivation, were generally well separated. A comparison with the 300 m global ESA CCI land cover map highlights lower ESA CCI class accuracies and the importance of increased spatial resolution when dealing with complex landscape mosaics. A comparison with the 30 m Global Forest Change product reveals an accurate mapping of forest loss and different dynamics between districts (i.e., Forests lost to Built-up versus Forests lost to Plantations), demonstrating an interesting complementarity between our maps and the % tree cover Global Forest Change product. When studying infectious disease responses to land use change in tropical forest ecosystems, we recommend using bespoke land cover/use classifications reflecting functional resource use by relevant vectors, reservoirs, and people. Alternatively, global products should be carefully validated with ground reference points representing locally relevant habitats.

Population structure and dynamics of the Mediterranean Pond Turtle Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger, 1812) in contrasted polluted aquatic environments.

Pollution contributes to the degraded state of continental aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity. Some species appear to be tolerant to aquatic pollution, yet little is known about the effects of such pollution on population structure and dynamics. Here, we investigated how wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents of the Cabestany City, in southern France, contribute to the pollution levels of the Fosseille River, and we tested how they could affect population structure and medium-term dynamics of the native freshwater turtle, the Mediterranean Pond Turtle Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger, 1812). Amongst the 68 pesticides surveyed from water samples collected along the river in 2018 and 2021, a total of 16 pesticides were detected, among which eight were found in the upstream section of the river, 15 in the river section located downstream of the WWTP, and 14 in the outfall of the WWTP, exhibiting the contribution of effluents to the river pollution. From 2013 to 2018 and in 2021, capture-mark-recapture protocols were carried out on the freshwater turtle population living in the river. Using robust design and multi-state models, we showed a stable population throughout the study period, with high year-dependent seniority, and a bidirectional transition occurring primarily from the upstream to the downstream river sections of the WWTP. The freshwater turtle population consisted mostly of adults, with a male biased sex ratio detected downstream of the WWTP neither related to sex-dependent survival, recruitment, nor transition, suggesting a male bias in the hatchlings or primary sex ratio. Also, the largest immatures and females were captured downstream of the WWTP, with females having the highest body condition, whereas no such differences were observed in males. This study highlights that population functioning of M. leprosa is driven primarily by effluents induced resources, at least over the medium-term.

The Revision of Lichen Flora Around Maxwell Bay, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic.

Since the floristic study of lichens at the Barton and Weaver Peninsulas of King George Island in 2006, there have been intense investigations of the lichen flora of the two peninsulas as well as that of Fildes Peninsula and Ardley Island in Maxwell Bay, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic. In this study, a total of 104 species belonging to 53 genera, are identified from investigations of lichens that were collected in austral summer seasons from 2008 to 2016. Phenotypic and molecular analyses were incorporated for taxonomic identification. In particular, 31 species are found to be endemic to the Antarctic and 22 species are newly recorded to the Maxwell Bay region. Lepra dactylina, Stereocaulon caespitosum, and Wahlenbergiella striatula are newly recorded in the Antarctic, and the previously reported taxon Cladonia furcata is excluded from the formerly recorded list due to misidentification. We also provide ecological and geographical information about lichen associations and habitat preferences.

Methanotrophy by a Mycobacterium species that dominates a cave microbial ecosystem.

So far, only members of the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia are known to grow methanotrophically under aerobic conditions. Here we report that this metabolic trait is also observed within the Actinobacteria. We enriched and cultivated a methanotrophic Mycobacterium from an extremely acidic biofilm growing on a cave wall at a gaseous chemocline interface between volcanic gases and the Earth's atmosphere. This Mycobacterium, for which we propose the name Candidatus Mycobacterium methanotrophicum, is closely related to well-known obligate pathogens such as M. tuberculosis and M. leprae. Genomic and proteomic analyses revealed that Candidatus M. methanotrophicum expresses a full suite of enzymes required for aerobic growth on methane, including a soluble methane monooxygenase that catalyses the hydroxylation of methane to methanol and enzymes involved in formaldehyde fixation via the ribulose monophosphate pathway. Growth experiments combined with stable isotope probing using 13C-labelled methane confirmed that Candidatus M. methanotrophicum can grow on methane as a sole carbon and energy source. A broader survey based on 16S metabarcoding suggests that species closely related to Candidatus M. methanotrophicum may be abundant in low-pH, high-methane environments.

Macronutrient niches and field limitation in a woodland assemblage of harvestmen.

Description of animals' trophic niches helps us understand interactions between species in biological communities that are not easily observed. Analyses of macronutrient niches, that is, the range of macronutrient (protein:lipid:carbohydrate) ratios selected by generalist feeders, may be a useful alternative approach to inter-species comparisons of diets, especially within taxonomic assemblages of predators where species with similar nutritional requirements are likely to accept similar types of prey. Here we analysed the macronutritional niches of a woodland assemblage of seven harvestman species, all supposed to be predators with omnivorous tendencies. Five species (Mitopus morio, Leiobunum gracile, Oligolophus tridens, O. hanseni and Paroligolophus agrestis) were native and two species (Opilio canestrinii and Dicranopalpus ramosus) were recent invaders into the community. We compare the fundamental (FMN) and realized (RMN) macronutritional niche positions of the species using a 'double-test procedure', which provides information on whether the species were food limited in their natural habitat, and whether they were limited by specific macronutrients. All seven species were food limited and six species were non-protein limited in the field; of these, four species were carbohydrate limited, and in one species females were lipid limited and males were carbohydrate limited. These findings add to the notion that predators are mainly non-protein limited in the field. The FMN positions of the assemblage fell within 46%-50% protein, 29%-38% lipid and 16%-22% carbohydrate. The amount of carbohydrate in the self-selected diet combined with carbohydrate limitation confirms that the species are zoophytophagous. Two morphological clusters of species (large long-legged vs. small short-legged species) differed not only in microhabitat (upper vs. lower forest strata) but also in macronutrient selection, where large long-legged species selected higher proportion of carbohydrate than small short-legged species. Thus, morphologically similar species occupy the same habitat stratum and have similar macronutritional niches. We discuss the hypothesis that the invasive O. canestrinii might have an impact on native species as it allegedly had in urban environments previously. Two basic assumptions about interspecific resource competition were fulfilled, that is, high overlap of nutritional requirements and limitation by food and macronutrients.

Comparing global and local maps of the Caribbean pine forests of Andros, home of the critically endangered Bahama Oriole.

Forest loss is occurring at alarming rates across the globe. The pine rockland forests of Andros, The Bahamas, likely represent some of the largest stands of Bahamian subspecies of Caribbean pine in the world. Given the unique species that inhabit these pine forests, such as the endemic and critically endangered Bahama Oriole, monitoring habitats on Andros is crucial to inform conservation planning. We developed a 2019 land classification map to assess the status of nine terrestrial habitats on Andros. Our Random Forest classification model predicted habitat classes with high overall accuracy. Caribbean pine was the dominant land class making up roughly one-third of the total terrestrial area. Whereas much of the pine forest area was found as small patches, most were close to other patches of pine suggesting isolation of forest patches is low. We compared our known intact forest areas to recent forest loss identified by the Hansen et al. Global Forest Change product and assessed areas of habitat disturbance in high-resolution imagery. Our results suggest that this global map overpredicted forest loss on Andros. The small degree of true forest loss on Andros was driven mostly by anthropogenic activity. A cross-tabulation of the Hansen forest loss with fire data showed that understory fires were frequently associated with falsely classified deforestation. Given the threats of climate change to this open forest type-intensifying fire regimes, strengthening hurricanes, and sea level rise-monitoring changes in open forest extent is a critical task across the Caribbean region and the world.

Population structure and body size of the Sahara blue-eyed pond turtle Mauremys leprosa saharica, from an isolated pond in the Lower Draa Basin, southern Morocco.

The marginal populations of the Sahara blue-eyed pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa saharica (Testudines: Geoemydidae) in the pre-Saharan area in the Lower Draa Valley, are faced to extreme environmental conditions of arid climate and anthropogenic activities including overuse of water and land salinization. In this study, we investigated a small isolated population of the blue-eyed pond turtle at Sidi El Mehdaoui Oasis, Lower Draa Valley, to determine its population structure and morphometric characteristics. Water salinity was about 24% of seawater and dissolved oxygen concentration was less than 3 mg l-1 (sub-hypoxia). The average body size of adults (carapace length) was much lower in comparison to other Moroccan populations. Among adult individuals, the mean carapace lengths were 103 ± 21 mm and 104.4 ± 35 mm for males and females, respectively. The corresponding mean body mass were 173 ± 92.4 g and 135 ± 52 g. There were no significant differences between sexes for size or weight. The studied population is small, with a predominance of adults (75%). A significant sexual size dimorphism was found. In fact, the Sexual Dimorphism Index for size had the lowest level ever described for the species possibly because of the low productivity of this marginal isolated habitat. The increased drought and salinization are major threats to the long-term persistence of the vulnerable populations of the Saharan blue-eyed pond turtle and their habitats. Therefore, conservation measures of these populations through the protection of their habitats are very urgent.

A remarkable new genus and species of Hansenauropodidae (Myriapoda, Pauropoda) from the seashore of Hainan Island, China.

Psammopauropus macrospinus gen. et sp. n., a remarkable new genus and species of the pauropod family Hansenauropodidae is described from the marine littoral habitat of Hainan Island, South China. It has one pair of dorsal spines on the pygidium differentiated from seta a1, large globular seta st on pygidium, and globular distal setae on the tarsi by which Psammopauropus can be easily distinguished from all other genera of the family. In addition, the adaptive characters of the littoral pauropods are preliminary discussed. This is the first record of the family Hansenauropodidae from China.

Yeasts for low input winemaking: Microbial terroir and flavor differentiation.

Vitis vinifera flowers and grape fruits are one of the most interesting ecosystem niches for native yeasts development. There are more than a 100 yeast species and millions of strains that participate and contribute to design the microbial terroir. The wine terroir concept is understood when grape and wine micro-regions were delimited by different quality characteristics after humans had been growing vines for more than 10,000 years. Environmental conditions, such as climate, soil composition, water management, winds and air quality, altitude, fauna and flora and microbes, are considered part of the "terroir" and contribute to a unique wine style. If "low input winemaking" strategies are applied, the terroir effect will be expected to be more authentic in terms of quality differentiation. Interestingly, the role of the microbial flora associated with vines was very little study until recently when new genetic technologies for massive species identification were developed. These biotechnologies allowed following their environmental changes and their effect in shaping the microbial profiles of different wine regions. In this chapter we explain the interesting positive effects on flavor diversity and wine quality obtained by using "friendly" native yeasts that allowed the microbial terroir flora to participate and contribute during fermentation.

Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA in soil: multiple needles in the haystack.

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae affecting the skin and nerves. Despite decades of availability of adequate treatment, transmission is unabated and transmission routes are not completely understood. Despite the general assumption that untreated M. leprae infected humans represent the major source of transmission, scarce reports indicate that environmental sources could also play a role as a reservoir. We investigated whether M. leprae DNA is present in soil of regions where leprosy is endemic or areas with possible animal reservoirs (armadillos and red squirrels). Soil samples (n = 73) were collected in Bangladesh, Suriname and the British Isles. Presence of M. leprae DNA was determined by RLEP PCR and genotypes were further identified by Sanger sequencing. M. leprae DNA was identified in 16.0% of soil from houses of leprosy patients (Bangladesh), in 10.7% from armadillos' holes (Suriname) and in 5% from the habitat of lepromatous red squirrels (British Isles). Genotype 1 was found in Bangladesh whilst in Suriname the genotype was 1 or 2. M. leprae DNA can be detected in soil near human and animal sources, suggesting that environmental sources represent (temporary) reservoirs for M. leprae.

Genomic content of a novel yeast species Hanseniaspora gamundiae sp. nov. from fungal stromata (Cyttaria) associated with a unique fermented beverage in Andean Patagonia, Argentina.

A novel yeast species was isolated from the sugar-rich stromata of Cyttaria hariotii collected from two different Nothofagus tree species in the Andean forests of Patagonia, Argentina. Phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated sequence of the rRNA gene sequences and the protein-coding genes for actin and translational elongation factor-1α indicated that the novel species belongs to the genus Hanseniaspora. De novo genome assembly of the strain CRUB 1928T yielded a 10.2-Mbp genome assembly predicted to encode 4452 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence data were compared to the genomes of other Hanseniaspora species using three different methods, an alignment-free distance measure, Kr, and two model-based estimations of DNA-DNA homology values, of which all provided indicative values to delineate species of Hanseniaspora. Given its potential role in a rare indigenous alcoholic beverage in which yeasts ferment sugars extracted from the stromata of Cytarria sp., we searched for the genes that may suggest adaptation of novel Hanseniaspora species to fermenting communities. The SSU1-like gene encoding a sulfite efflux pump, which, among Hanseniaspora, is present only in close relatives to the new species, was detected and analyzed, suggesting that this gene might be one factor that characterizes this novel species. We also discuss several candidate genes that likely underlie the physiological traits used for traditional taxonomic identification. Based on these results, a novel yeast species with the name Hanseniaspora gamundiae sp. nov. is proposed with CRUB 1928T (ex-types: ZIM 2545T = NRRL Y-63793T = PYCC 7262T; MycoBank number MB 824091) as the type strain. Furthermore, we propose the transfer of the Kloeckera species, K. hatyaiensis, K. lindneri and K. taiwanica to the genus Hanseniaspora as Hanseniaspora hatyaiensis comb. nov. (MB 828569), Hanseniaspora lindneri comb. nov. (MB 828566) and Hanseniaspora taiwanica comb. nov. (MB 828567).

Leprosy survey among rural communities and wild armadillos from Amazonas state, Northern Brazil.

There is evidence that in southern US, leprosy is a zoonosis infecting wild Dasypus novemcinctus armadillos but the extent of this finding is unknown. This ecological study investigated leprosy in rural communities and in wild armadillos from the Brazilian Amazon. The study area was the Mamiá Lake of Coari municipality, Amazonas State, Northern region, a hyper endemic leprosy area where residents live on subsistence farming, fishing and armadillo hunting and its meat intake are frequent. The leprosy survey was conducted in sixteen communities by a visiting team of specialists. Local partakers provided wild armadillos to investigate M. leprae infection. Volunteers had complete dermato-neurological examination by a dermatologist with expertise in leprosy diagnosis, suspect skin lesions were biopsied for histopathology (Hematoxylin-eosin/HE, Fite-Faraco/FF staining); slit skin smears were collected. Armadillos' tissue fragments (skins, spleens, livers, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, others) were prepared for histopathology (HE/FF) and for M. leprae repetitive element-RLEP-qPCR. Among 176 volunteers, six new indeterminate leprosy cases were identified (incidence = 3.4%). Suspect skin sections and slit skin smears were negative for bacilli. Twelve wild D. novemcinctus were investigated (48 specimens/96 slides) and histopathological features of M. leprae infection were not found, except for one skin presenting unspecific inflammatory infiltrate suggestive of indeterminate leprosy. Possible traumatic neuroma, granuloma with epithelioid and Langhans cells, foreign-body granuloma were also identified. Granulomatous/non-granulomatous dermatitides were periodic-acid-Schiff/PAS negative for fungus. M. leprae-RLEP-qPCR was negative in all armadillos' tissues; no bacillus was found in histopathology. Our survey in rural communities confirmed the high endemicity for leprosy while one armadillo was compatible with paucibacillary M. leprae infection. At least in the highly endemic rural area of Coari, in the Brazilian Amazon region where infectious sources from untreated multibacillary leprosy are abundant, M. leprae infected armadillos may not represent a major source of infection nor a significant public health concern.

Morphological and physiological assessments reveal that freshwater turtle (Mauremys leprosa) can flourish under extremely degraded-polluted conditions.

Freshwater turtles are long-lived sedentary organisms used as biological sentinels to assess anthropogenic perturbations in freshwater-ecosystems; notably because pollutants tend to accumulate in their tissues. Pollution has detrimental effects in sea turtles, but studies in freshwater turtles have provided contrasted results: several species have been impacted by habitat perturbation and pollution while others not. It is important to explore this issue since freshwater turtles are threatened worldwide. We compared two populations of the stripe necked terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) in a relatively pristine area (piedmont of the Atlas mountain) versus an extremely degraded-polluted area (sewers of a large city) in Morocco. All morphological and physiological proxies showed that turtles were able to cope remarkably well with highly degraded-polluted habitat. Population density, body size, and body condition were higher in the sewers, likely due to permanent water and food availability associated with human wastes. Stress markers (e.g. glucocorticoids) provided complex results likely reflecting the capacity of turtles to respond to various stressors. Reproductive parameters (testosterone level, indices of vitellogenesis) were lower in the relatively pristine area. The deceptive overall image provided by these analyses may hide the disastrous human impact on rivers. Indeed, Mauremys leprosa is the only aquatic vertebrate able to survive in the sewers, and thus, might nonetheless be a pertinent indicator of water quality, providing that the complexity of eco-physiological responses is considered.

Leprosy survey among rural communities and wild armadillos from Amazonas state, Northern Brazil

There is evidence that in southern US, leprosy is a zoonosis infecting wild Dasypus novemcinctus armadillos but the extent of this finding is unknown. This ecological study investigated leprosy in rural communities and in wild armadillos from the Brazilian Amazon. The study area was the Mamia´ Lake of Coari municipality, Amazonas State, Northern region, a hyper endemic leprosy area where residents live on subsistence farming, fishing and armadillo hunting and its meat intake are frequent. The leprosy survey was conducted in sixteen communities by a visiting team of specialists. Local partakers provided wild armadillos to investigate M. leprae infection. Volunteers had complete dermato-neurological examination by a dermatologist with expertise in leprosy diagnosis, suspect skin lesions were biopsied for histopathology (Hematoxylin-eosin/HE, Fite-Faraco/FF staining); slit skin smears were collected. Armadillos' tissue fragments (skins, spleens, livers, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, others) were prepared for histopathology (HE/FF) and for M. leprae repetitive elementRLEP-qPCR. Among 176 volunteers, six new indeterminate leprosy cases were identified (incidence = 3.4%). Suspect skin sections and slit skin smears were negative for bacilli. Twelve wild D. novemcinctus were investigated (48 specimens/96 slides) and histopathological features of M. leprae infection were not found, except for one skin presenting unspecific inflammatory infiltrate suggestive of indeterminate leprosy. Possible traumatic neuroma, granuloma with epithelioid and Langhans cells, foreign-body granuloma were also identified. Granulomatous/non-granulomatous dermatitides were periodic-acid-Schiff/ PAS negative for fungus. M. leprae-RLEP-qPCR was negative in all armadillos' tissues; no bacillus was found in histopathology. Our survey in rural communities confirmed the high endemicity for leprosy while one armadillo was compatible with paucibacillary M. leprae infection. At least in the highly endemic rural area of Coari, in the Brazilian Amazon region where infectious sources from untreated multibacillary leprosy are abundant, M. leprae infected armadillos may not represent a major source of infection nor a significant public health concern.

Testing the light:nutrient hypothesis: Insights into biofilm structure and function using metatranscriptomics.

Aquatic biofilms are hotspots of biogeochemical activity due to concentrated microbial biomass (Battin, Kaplan, Newbold, & Hansen, ). However, biofilms are often considered a single entity when their role in biogeochemical transformations is assessed, even though these biofilms harbour functionally diverse microbial communities (Battin, Besemer, Bengtsson, Romani, & Packmann, ; Veach, Stegen, Brown, Dodds, & Jumpponen, ). Often overlooked are the biotic interactions among biofilm components that can affect ecosystem-scale processes such as primary production and nutrient cycling. These interactions are likely to be especially important under resource limitation. Light is a primary resource mediating algal photosynthesis and both phototrophic and heterotrophic production due to bacterial reliance on C-rich algal exudates (Cole, ). However, current understanding of function-structure linkages in streams has yet to unravel the relative degree of these microbial feedbacks under resource availability gradients. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Bengtsson, Wagner, Schwab, Urich, and Battin () studied stream biofilm responses to light availability to understand its impact across three domains of life. By integrating biogeochemical rate estimation and metatranscriptomics within a microcosm experiment, they were able to link primary production and nutrient uptake rates to algal and bacterial metabolic processes and specify what taxa contributed to gene expression. Under low light, diatoms and cyanobacteria upregulated photosynthetic machinery and diatom-specific chloroplast rRNA suggesting heightened transcriptional activity under light limitation to maintain phototrophic energy demands. Under high light, heterotrophic bacteria upregulated mRNAs related to phosphorous (P) metabolism while biofilm P uptake increased indicating high bacterial-specific P demand when algal biomass was high. Together, these results indicate that biogeochemical function is mediated by complex microbial interactions across trophic levels.

Characterisation of the diversity and physiology of cellobiose-fermenting yeasts isolated from rotting wood in Brazilian ecosystems.

We investigated the yeast species associated with rotting wood samples obtained from Brazilian ecosystems, with a special focus on cellobiose-fermenting species. About 647 yeast strains were isolated from rotting wood samples collected from the areas of Atlantic rainforest, Cerrado, and Amazonian forest. Eighty-six known species and 47 novel species of yeasts were isolated. Candida boidinii, Cyberlindnera subsufficiens, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Schwanniomyces polymorphus, Candida natalensis, and Debaryomyces hansenii were the most frequently isolated species. Among the cellobiose-fermenting yeasts, 14 known and three novel yeast species were identified. Scheffersomyces queiroziae, Sc. amazonensis, Yamadazyma sp.1, Hanseniaspora opuntiae, C. jaroonii, and Candida tammaniensis were the main ethanol-producing yeasts. These species also produced an intracellular ß-glucosidase responsible for cellobiose hydrolysis. In fermentation assays using a culture medium containing 50 g L-1 cellobiose, ethanol production was observed in all cases; Sc. queiroziae and Sc. amazonensis showed the highest yield, efficiency, and productivity. Candida jaroonii and Yamadazyma sp.1 strains also showed high efficiency in cellobiose fermentation, while C. tammaniensis and H. opuntiae strains produced low amounts of ethanol. This study shows the potential of rotting wood samples from Brazilian ecosystems as a source of yeasts, including new species as well as those with promising biotechnological properties.

Oxidative stress induced by glyphosate-based herbicide on freshwater turtles.

Freshwater ecosystems face very strong anthropogenic pressures, among which overexploitation, habitat degradation, flow modification, species invasion, and water pollution lead to growing threats on biodiversity. Urbanization through wastewater treatment, industry through the release of inorganic and organic chemicals, and agriculture through the use of pesticides and herbicides are the main factors involved in water pollution. In France, more precisely in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, the poor quality of the watercourses is attributable overall to the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in agricultural activities. Because these chemicals can impact individuals, populations, and biodiversity, we investigated, under experimental conditions, the physiological response of animals facing abiotic contaminants. We selected as a model, juveniles of the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta elegans. We measured the gene expression and activity of the catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes as well as the levels of lipid peroxidation, which are all oxidative stress biomarkers, in turtles challenged with high concentrations of glyphosate-based herbicides, on the one hand, and with degraded waters collected from a local watercourse, on the other. We also measured the acetylcholinesterase activity across the same animals. We showed through variations in gene expression and enzyme activity that a glyphosate commercial formulation induced a stress in turtles. A similar outcome was obtained when turtles faced degraded waters. The results indicated that the poor quality of regional waters could be a real threat for animal health. Because turtles are globally less sensitive to contaminants than amphibians, which are lacking in the degraded waters of the Pyrénées-Orientales department, they could constitute an excellent model to follow the evolution of water quality through the study of oxidative stress biomarkers. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3343-3350. © 2017 SETAC.