Correction to: Genomic characterization of three novel Basilisk-like phages infecting Bacillus anthracis.

Following the publication of this article [1], the authors noted two typographical errors: one in Table 1 with regard to the location of the Basilisk Phage, which was incorrectly captured as "Kutaisis, country of Georgia Utah, USA" but should be "Utah, USA".

Genomic characterization of three novel Basilisk-like phages infecting Bacillus anthracis.

BACKGROUND: In the present study, we sequenced the complete genomes of three novel bacteriophages v_B-Bak1, v_B-Bak6, v_B-Bak10 previously isolated from historical anthrax burial sites in the South Caucasus country of Georgia. We report here major trends in the molecular evolution of these phages, which we designate as "Basilisk-Like-Phages" (BLPs), and illustrate patterns in their evolution, genomic plasticity and core genome architecture. RESULTS: Comparative whole genome sequence analysis revealed a close evolutionary relationship between our phages and two unclassified Bacillus cereus group phages, phage Basilisk, a broad host range phage (Grose JH et al., J Vir. 2014;88(20):11846-11860) and phage PBC4, a highly host-restricted phage and close relative of Basilisk (Na H. et al. FEMS Microbiol. letters. 2016;363(12)). Genome comparisons of phages v_B-Bak1, v_B-Bak6, and v_B-Bak10 revealed significant similarity in sequence, gene content, and synteny with both Basilisk and PBC4. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the three phages belong to the Siphoviridae family. In contrast to the broad host range of phage Basilisk and the single-strain specificity of PBC4, our three phages displayed host specificity for Bacillus anthracis. Bacillus species including Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus anthracoides, and Bacillus megaterium were refractory to infection. CONCLUSIONS: Data reported here provide further insight into the shared genomic architecture, host range specificity, and molecular evolution of these rare B. cereus group phages. To date, the three phages represent the only known close relatives of the Basilisk and PBC4 phages and their shared genetic attributes and unique host specificity for B. anthracis provides additional insight into candidate host range determinants.

Effects of oxytocin on behaviour and memory in rats subjected to chronic restrained stress.

We studied whether 21 days of restraint chronic stress would affect the contextual fear conditioning, a memory task with hippocampal-dependent components and anxiety- like behavior in the open field, and to determine whether oxytocin treatment could prevent the chronic stress induced memory and emotional disturbances. Restraint-stressed rats were injected daily (21 days) with oxytocin (1 mg/kg) or saline then tested in open field (day 22) and contextual fear conditioning task (days 23-24). Our data demonstrate that chronic restraint stress induces some behavioural changes in both saline-treated and oxytocin-treated animals. Particularly, in the open field the animals both groups were characterized by hyper-locomotion. However, oxytocin-treated animals spent more time in the inner area of the open field, which indicates to decreased anxiety- related behaviour in oxytocin-treated animals versus the saline-treated ones. In additional restraint stress decreased freezing reaction to context, irrespective of whether oxytocin was given or not. Our findings indicate that during stress OT may be involved in the regulation of emotional behavior and memory via different ways. The elucidation of corresponding mechanisms is of great importance.

[Cellular composition of the rat piriform cortex in experimental epilepsy].

Cellular composition of all the layers of anterior, central and posterior regions of rat cerebral piriform cortex was studied 2 weeks and 1 month after specific electrical stimulation (kindling) of ventral hippocampus through electrodes implanted one week earlier. According to the data of stereological analysis, following at both time intervals after kindling, all the layers in all the regions of piriform cortex demonstrated the significant decrease in numbers of interneurons and pyramidal cells. Three weeks after electrode implantation into the ventral hippocampus, the number of both pyramidal cells and interneurons was also found to be reduced in the central region of piriform cortex of rats in which stimulation had not been performed. The participation of piriform cortex in epileptogenesis is suggested on the basis of literature and personal data.

Localization of DJ-1 protein in the murine brain.

Mutations in the DJ-1 gene have been identified to cause Parkinson's disease. In humans, nonmutated DJ-1 is expressed in specific brain areas but seems to be expressed by astrocytes rather than by neurons. In contrast, DJ-1 mRNA is mainly found in neurons in the mouse brain. We have investigated the distribution of DJ-1 protein in the mouse brain and found that DJ-1 protein is predominantly expressed by neurons but can also be detected in astrocytes. Consistent with a global role of DJ-1 in the brain, we found immunoreactivity, for example, in cortical areas, hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, the reticular nucleus of the thalamus, zona incerta, and locus coeruleus. Within the substantia nigra, however, DJ-1 is localized in both neuronal and nonneuronal cells, suggesting a distinct role in this area.