Integrated plant conservation through the Global Conservation Consortia.

The 2020 State of the World's Plants and Fungi report revealed that two in five plant species are threatened with extinction. Despite their diverse ecosystem services and myriad human uses, plants receive a fraction of the conservation resources directed at animal taxa. Several existing frameworks-including International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Specialist Groups, the American Public Gardens Association Plant Collections Network, and the Center for Plant Conservation National Collection of Endangered Plants-have spurred conservation action, but there remains an urgent need to scale up conservation efforts for the world's plants. Here, a new approach to coordinated conservation action for plant taxa is described: the Global Conservation Consortia (GCC). GCC catalyze institutions and experts to collaboratively develop and implement comprehensive strategies to prevent extinction of threatened plant groups. This review focuses on three tree-focused, U.S.-led consortia: cycads, magnolias, and oaks, but the GCC framework is applicable to other taxonomic groups. This review covers consortia design and implementation, provides conservation action case studies, and shares preliminary successes and challenges as this new and exciting approach to conservation is developed.

Diet-induced changes in metabolism influence immune response and viral shedding dynamics in Jamaican fruit bats.

Land-use change may drive viral spillover from bats into humans, partly through dietary shifts caused by decreased availability of native foods and increased availability of cultivated foods. We manipulated diets of Jamaican fruit bats to investigate whether diet influences shedding of a virus they naturally host. To reflect dietary changes experienced by wild bats during periods of nutritional stress, bats were fed either standard or putative suboptimal diets which were deprived of protein (suboptimal-sugar) and/or supplemented with fat (suboptimal-fat). Upon H18N11 influenza A-virus infection, bats fed the suboptimal-sugar diet shed the most viral RNA for the longest period, but bats fed the suboptimal-fat diet shed the least viral RNA for the shortest period. Unlike mice and humans, bats fed the suboptimal-fat diet displayed higher pre-infection levels of metabolic markers associated with gut health. Diet-driven heterogeneity in viral shedding may influence population-level viral dynamics in wild bats and alter risk of shedding and spillover to humans.

Antiviral responses in a Jamaican fruit bat intestinal organoid model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Bats are natural reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses, potentially due to an enhanced capacity to control viral infection. However, the mechanisms of antiviral responses in bats are poorly defined. Here we established a Jamaican fruit bat (JFB, Artibeus jamaicensis) intestinal organoid model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, increased viral RNA and subgenomic RNA was detected, but no infectious virus was released, indicating that JFB organoids support only limited viral replication but not viral reproduction. SARS-CoV-2 replication was associated with significantly increased gene expression of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 also caused enhanced formation and growth of JFB organoids. Proteomics revealed an increase in inflammatory signaling, cell turnover, cell repair, and SARS-CoV-2 infection pathways. Collectively, our findings suggest that primary JFB intestinal epithelial cells mount successful antiviral interferon responses and that SARS-CoV-2 infection in JFB cells induces protective regenerative pathways.

Antiviral response mechanisms in a Jamaican Fruit Bat intestinal organoid model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Bats are natural reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses, potentially due to an enhanced capacity to control viral infection. However, the mechanisms of antiviral responses in bats are poorly defined. Here we established a Jamaican fruit bat (JFB) intestinal organoid model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. JFB organoids were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, with increased viral RNA and subgenomic RNA detected in cell lysates and supernatants. Gene expression of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines was induced in response to SARS-CoV-2 but not in response to TLR agonists. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 did not lead to cytopathic effects in JFB organoids but caused enhanced organoid growth. Proteomic analyses revealed an increase in inflammatory signaling, cell turnover, cell repair, and SARS-CoV-2 infection pathways. Collectively, our findings suggest that primary JFB intestinal epithelial cells can mount a successful antiviral interferon response and that SARS-CoV-2 infection in JFB cells induces protective regenerative pathways.

Longitudinal Study of Two Irish Dairy Herds: Low Numbers of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 and O26 Super-Shedders Identified.

A 12-month longitudinal study was undertaken on two dairy herds to ascertain the Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 and O26 shedding status of the animals and its impact (if any) on raw milk. Cattle are a recognized reservoir for these organisms with associated public health and environmental implications. Animals shedding E. coli O157 at >10,000 CFU/g of feces have been deemed super-shedders. There is a gap in the knowledge regarding super-shedding of other STEC serogroups. A cohort of 40 lactating cows from herds previously identified as positive for STEC in a national surveillance project were sampled every second month between August, 2013 and July, 2014. Metadata on any potential super-shedders was documented including, e.g., age of the animal, number of lactations and days in lactation, nutritional condition, somatic cell count and content of protein in milk to assess if any were associated with risk factors for super-shedding. Recto-anal mucosal swabs (RAMS), raw milk, milk filters, and water samples were procured for each herd. The swabs were examined for E. coli O157 and O26 using a quantitative real time PCR method. Counts (CFU swab-1) were obtained from a standard calibration curve that related real-time PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values against the initial concentration of O157 or O26 in the samples. Results from Farm A: 305 animals were analyzed; 15 E. coli O157 (5%) were recovered, 13 were denoted STEC encoding either stx1 and/or stx2 virulence genes and 5 (2%) STEC O26 were recovered. One super-shedder was identified shedding STEC O26 (stx1&2). Farm B: 224 animals were analyzed; eight E. coli O157 (3.5%) were recovered (seven were STEC) and 9 (4%) STEC O26 were recovered. Three super-shedders were identified, one was shedding STEC O157 (stx2) and two STEC O26 (stx2). Three encoded the adhering and effacement gene (eae) and one isolate additionally encoded the haemolysin gene (hlyA). All four super-shedders were only super-shedding once during the 1-year sampling period. The results of this study show, low numbers of super-shedders in the herds examined, with high numbers of low and medium shedding. Although four super-shedding animals were identified, no STEC O157 or O26 were recovered from any of the raw milk, milk filter, or water samples. The authors conclude that this study highlights the need for further surveillance to assess the potential for environmental contamination and food chain security.