[Impact of menstrual blood self-representation on contraceptive choice of women]. / Impact des représentations du sang menstruel sur le choix contraceptif des femmes.

OBJECTIVES: To study the psychic self-representations and experiences of menstrual blood in women and their impact on the choice of a contraceptive method, with or without amenorrhea. METHODS: Qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with French women over age 18, under contraception. RESULTS: Twenty-three interviews were conducted with women of various ages and socio-economic classes. Three themes have been studied: the menarche experience, the representation and experience of menstrual blood, and the representation and experience of amenorrhea induced by contraception. Menarche has been a negative experience for most of them, and menarche is known to influence menstrual self-representation. About menstrual bleeding, two profiles of women could be described. Those with a positive self-representation of menstrual blood considered it necessary for the purification of their bodies as well as for procreation and were reluctant to the idea of amenorrhea induced by their contraception. Those with a negative representation of menstrual blood considered it as a source of physical and mental suffering and accepted the idea of having amenorrhea induced by their contraception, amenorrhea being considered as a treatment or a release. CONCLUSION: The choice of a contraception with or without a induced-amenorrhea seems to be specific to every woman and depends on there self-psychic representation of menstrual blood, independently from their socio-economic class. The results of this study highlighted the effect of women's psychic representations and experience of menstrual blood on their contraceptive choice.

[Association between oral conditions and colorectal cancer: A literature review and synthesis]. / Association entre les affections buccodentaires et le cancer colorectal: une revue et synthèse de la littérature.

BACKGROUND: Chronic periodontitis and tooth loss are chronic oral conditions that, in recent decades, have been implicated in the occurrence of certain types of cancer. In this review, we address the question of whether colorectal cancer is associated with these oral conditions. RESULTS: Epidemiological studies evaluating a potential association between periodontitis, tooth loss and colorectal cancer are scarce. However, several mechanisms argue in favor of this association, notably inflammation, nutrition and possibly infection by specific bacteria, as suggested by this literature review.

Sarcoptes scabiei mites in humans are distributed into three genetically distinct clades.

Scabies is an ectoparasitic infestation caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Currently, S. scabiei is taxonomically divided into different varieties on the basis of host origin. Genetics-based research on scabies has been conducted, but the data on genetic diversity of populations of this mite in humans in Europe are lacking. We evaluated the genetic diversity of populations of S. scabiei. A large series of mites obtained from humans in France and the data of mites from various hosts and geographical areas retrieved from GenBank were included to investigate whether mites are divided into distinct populations. The study of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene polymorphisms were found to be best suited for phylogenetic analysis. S. scabiei mites were distributed into three genetically distinct clades, with most mites clustering in clades B and C. The Fst value and the Nm value calculated for mites included in clades B and C indicated a strong population structure and a very low gene flow between mites of those clades. The results of the present study not only support the rejection of the hypothesis of panmixia for S. scabiei in humans but also suggest that mites belonging to different clades are genetically isolated. Moreover, the results suggest that the subdivision of S. scabies in varieties according to animal or human hosts is not warranted. In conclusion, S. scabiei mites in humans do not constitute a homogeneous population. Further investigations are now required to assess whether different clinical forms of scabies are associated with particular haplotypes or clades.

Wombats acquired scabies from humans and/or dogs from outside Australia.

According to previous studies, Sarcoptes mites of wombats were relatively recently introduced into Australia by colonizers and/or their dogs. However, that affirmation has been called into question due to apparent flaws in the design of the phylogenetic studies. With the aim of providing a definitive answer to this question, a part of the mitochondrial gene coding for 12S rRNA of S. scabiei mites from 23 humans and one dog collected in France was sequenced and a phylogenetic analysis including the sequences previously deposited in Genbank was performed. Phylogenetic analysis did not show host segregation or geographical isolation of the mites. Conversely, the present work suggested that mange in wombats is indeed due to the introduction of S. scabiei into Australia by immigrating individuals and/or their companion animals.

Molecular survey of knockdown resistance to pyrethroids in human scabies mites.

There are growing concerns about the emergence of resistance of Sarcoptes scabiei to permethrin and other pyrethroid derivatives. Sarcoptes scabiei mites collected from 40 patients visiting two hospitals near Paris, France, were genotypically characterized considering two parts of their voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene. No nucleotide polymorphism resulting in a codon change at codon 733 or other positions associated with knockdown resistance in other arthropods has been identified. These data may establish a reference line for future surveys of the susceptibility of S. scabiei in the area.

Infestation by pyrethroids resistant bed bugs in the suburb of Paris, France.

Bed bugs are hematophagous insects responsible for a re-emerging and challenging indoor pest in many countries. Bed bugs infestations may have health consequences including nuisance biting, cutaneous and systemic reactions. This resurgence can probably be attributed to factors such as increased international travel and development of resistance against insecticides. Resistance against pyrethroids has been reported several times from the USA and rarely in Europe. In France, very few data on bed bugs are available. The present study aimed to assess the infestation by bed bugs of a complex of two high-rise apartment buildings in the suburb of Paris and to evaluate their susceptibility to pyrethroid insecticides. We inspected for bed bugs 192 out of 198 apartments units (97%) and interviewed their residents. 76 (39.6%) apartments were infested. Among the 97 residents living in infested apartments, 53 (54.6%) reported bed bug bites. A total of 564 bed bugs were collected in the infested units. Bioassays showed that 54 out of 143 bed bugs were resistant to pyrethroids (37.8%; 95% confidence interval: 29.9-45.7%). DNA sequencing showed that all bed bugs tested (n=124) had homozygous L925I kdr-like gene mutation. The level of pyrethroid resistance found indicates that this phenomenon was already established in the site and prompts the need to reevaluate the wide use of pyrethroids to control bed bugs.

Insecticide resistance in head lice: clinical, parasitological and genetic aspects.

Insecticide treatment resistance is considered to be a major factor in the increasing number of infestations by head lice. The large insecticide selection pressure induced by conventional topical pediculicides has led to the emergence and spread of resistance in many parts of the world. Possible mechanisms of resistance include accelerated detoxification of insecticides by enzyme-mediated reduction, esterification, oxidation that may be overcome by synergistic agents such as piperonyl butoxide, alteration of the binding site, e.g. altered acetylcholinesterase or altered nerve voltage-gated sodium channel, and knockdown resistance (kdr). Clinical, parasitological and molecular data on resistance to conventional topical pediculicides show that treatments with neurotoxic insecticides have suffered considerable loss of activity worldwide. In particular, resistance to synthetic pyrethroids has become prominent, probably because of their extensive use. As other treatment options, including non-insecticidal pediculicides such as dimeticone, are now available, the use of older insecticides, such as lindane and carbaryl, should be minimized, owing to their loss of efficacy and safety concerns. The organophosphorus insecticide malathion remains effective, except in the UK, mostly in formulations that include terpineol.

Correlation of cytological and biochemical parameters with resistance and tolerance to Mycosphaerella graminicola in wheat.

This study investigated the infection process of Mycosphaerella graminicola and enzyme activities related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) or oxylipin biosynthesis in four French wheat cultivars with variable resistance to M. graminicola infection. At field level, cultivars Caphorn, Maxyl and Gen11 were susceptible, whereas Capnor showed high levels of quantitative resistance. Moreover, Capnor and Gen11 were tolerant, i.e., their yield was less affected by infection compared to non-tolerant Maxyl and Caphorn. These four cultivars were inoculated under laboratory conditions with the M. graminicola IPO323 reference strain. Cytological and biochemical responses were studied on collected first plantlet leaves and several features discriminated between cultivars. However, resistance and tolerance had no impact on the fungal infection process. Levels of lipoxygenase (LOX), peroxidase (PO) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were also compared with regard to cultivar resistance or tolerance to M. graminicola. LOX, PO and GST activities did not discriminate resistance and tolerance profiles, although a low level of PO in inoculated and non-inoculated plants could be associated with tolerance. In addition, cell necrosis correlated positively with LOX in non-tolerant cultivars, while mycelia surrounding stomata were positively correlated with PO in the resistant cultivar. GST activity presented correlations between cytological and biochemical parameters only for susceptible cultivars. Stomatal and direct penetration were positively correlated with GST activity in the susceptible non-tolerant cultivars, while these correlations were negative in the tolerant cultivar. When combining cytological and biochemical observations with resistance and tolerance profiles, for each cultivar and at each time point, cultivars could be classified in tight accordance with their previous field characterisation. Moreover, tolerance allowed us to distinguish susceptible cultivars when both biochemical and cytological parameters were considered together.

[Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to antimalarial drugs: impact on malaria pre-elimination in Madagascar]. / Résistance de Plasmodium falciparum aux antipaludiques: impact sur la pré-élimination du paludisme à Madagascar.

The purpose of this review was to provide up-to-date information on the resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to the main antimalarials used in Madagascar and to assist implementation of the malaria control and elimination program. In 2006, the failure rate for chloroquine treatment was 44% (n = 300) and was comparable to the rate observed in continental Africa. Most treatment failures occurred after the first week of follow-up. P. falciparum resistance to chloroquine appeared to be special in Madagascar with only 3.2% of isolates showing in vitro resistance (n = 372, 7 sentinel sites) and less than 1% harbouring mutant parasites within the Pfcrt gene. Conversely, the Pfmdr1 N86Y point mutation was found in 64.3% (n = 174) of isolates in 2006 and in 51.7% (n = 343) in 2007. Failure of combined sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine therapy, i.e., the recommended intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy, and in vitro resistance to pyrimethamine were rare. However, the Pfdhfr 51I/59R/108N allele showed consistently high prevalence levels reaching 33.3% in 2008. Moreover, the single Pfdhfr 164L mutant allele, a haplotype unique to Madagascar, was discovered in 2006 and showed prevalence rates up to 30% in some locations (southeast) in 2008. Up to now, the quadruple mutant allele Pfdhfr 51I/59R/108N/164L has not been observed. Susceptibility to the other antimalarials tested appeared excellent but the number of isolates showing in vitro susceptibility to artemisinin derivatives has been fallen in recent years and this decline may herald a decrease in the efficacy of these drugs.

Evolution of Mycosphaerella graminicola at the wheat leaf level and at the field level.

Evolution of M. graminicola wheat field populations from a given French county (Morbihan, 56) between years 2005 and 2006 was investigated for thirty seven strains using molecular fingerprinting by microsatellite markers (ST1A4, ST1E3, ST1E7, and ST1D7), and SSCP analysis study of partial actin and beta-tubulin encoding sequences. In addition, twenty nine strains collected from 3 distinct lesions on a same wheat leaf in 2006 in another French county (Nord, 59) were also investigated for genetic diversity. At the field level, we observed similar gene diversity in the 2005 and in the 2006 populations, with no common clones between the two years. This indicates frequent sexual recombination undergone by the fungus. When considering each marker independently and comparing genetic variability of the two populations, we noticed a decrease in genetic variability of the 2006 strains for three of them (ST1A4, ST1D7 and the partial sequence of actin) and an increase for ST1E3, ST1E7 and the partial sequence of beta-tubulin, revealing the importance of the chosen markers. At the lesion level, 69% of the studied strains were haplotypes with 31% of the clonal population found in 2 lesions out of 3. This suggests that at least parts of the lesions were formed after asexual reproduction and dissemination of pycnidiospores by splashing. We also confirmed the exploitative competition that exists between the strains at the lesion level.

Single strand conformation polymorphism is a sensitive method for screening nucleotide variations in Mycosphaerella graminicola.

Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing were performed in order to assess molecular polymorphism of mating type sequences in the heterothallic ascomycete Mycosphaerella graminicola, the causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch of wheat. The screening was undertaken on mat1-1 and mat1-2 partial sequences of 341 and 657 bp, respectively, amplified with multiplex PCR from 510 French single-conidial strains plus the two reference isolates IPO323 and IPO94269 from The Netherlands. After restriction with Taq1 in order to reduce the fragment sizes, all digested amplicons were subjected to SSCP. Sequencing was then performed when a SSCP pattern deviates from the most frequently occurring profile. Among the assessed strains, 228 ones plus IPO323 were MAT1-1 and 282 ones plus IPO94269 were MAT1-2. Among the MAT1-1 strains, only a single one exhibited a SSCP profile distinct to the other MAT1-1 strains, whereas 10 MAT1-2 strains (among which 2 and 4 with same profiles, respectively) showed a SSCP profile differing to the other MAT1-2 strains. Sequencing revealed that all polymorphisms observed on SSCP gels were single nucleotide variations and all strains displaying the same SSCP profiles showed identical nucleotide sequences. Among the seven disclosed nucleotide variations, only two were non-synonymous and both were non-conservative. This study reports a high sensitivity of SSCP allowing detection of single point mutations in M. graminicola, shows a conservation of mating type idiomorphs in the fungus at both sequence and population scales, but also suggests a difference in polymorphism level between the two mating type sequences.

The relative importance of visual, auditory, and haptic information for the user's experience of mechanical switches.

While the use of hand tools and other everyday manually controlled devices is naturally accompanied by multisensory feedback, the deployment of fully multimodal virtual interfaces requires that haptic, acoustic, and visual cues be synthesised. The complexity and character of this synthesis will depend on a thorough understanding of the multimodal perceptual experience, including the interrelations between the individual sensory channels during manual interaction. In this study seventy participants were asked to rank the manual operation of ten electromechanical switches according to preference. The participants were randomly assigned in groups of ten to one of seven sensory presentation conditions. These conditions comprised six bimodal and unimodal sensory combinations created by selectively restricting the flow of haptic, auditory, and visual information, plus one condition in which full sensory information was available. A principal components analysis on the obtained ranking data indicated that the sensory conditions with unimpeded haptic information were clearly distinct from those in which the haptic cues were impeded. The analysis also showed that, for switch use, the unimodal haptic condition most closely approached the condition with combined haptic, auditory, and visual feedback, compared with all of the conditions where haptic feedback was restricted.

A pilot study of the association between cariogenic oral bacteria and preterm birth.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the associations between preterm birth and low birth weight and maternal caries history, maternal periodontal status, and salivary levels of mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli. DESIGN: This study was a matched case-control study in women during their pregnancy or up to 8 weeks after delivery. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four women delivering before 37 weeks gestation were recruited along with 73 term controls matched for age and race/ethnicity. Demographic and obstetric information was collected from questionnaires and medical records and oral examinations along with commercial salivary tests were completed within the study groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome variables were the preterm birth and low birth weight status. The independent variables measured were the salivary levels of Lactobacilli and mutans streptococci and the caries and periodontal status of the subjects. RESULTS: The odds ratio comparing low levels of bacteria in preterm mothers and controls was statistically significant for Lactobacilli (odds ratio (OR) = 3.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.27 to 10.00) and almost significant for mutans streptococci (OR = 2.63, 95% CI = 0.95 to 8.33). Clinical caries and periodontal disease measures did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSION: Within the limitation of our study, low levels of Lactobacilli in saliva were found to be associated with preterm birth.

Fenpropimorph slows down the sterol pathway and the development of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices.

The direct impact of fenpropimorph on the sterol biosynthesis pathway of Glomus intraradices when extraradical mycelia alone are in contact with the fungicide was investigated using monoxenic cultures. Bi-compartmental Petri plates allowed culture of mycorrhizal chicory roots in a compartment without fenpropimorph and exposure of extraradical hyphae to the presence of increasing concentrations of fenpropimorph (0, 0.02, 0.2, 2, 20 mg l(-1)). In the fungal compartment, sporulation, hyphal growth, and fungal biomass were already reduced at the lowest fungicide concentration. A decrease in total sterols, in addition to an increase in the amount of squalene and no accumulation of abnormal sterols, suggests that the sterol pathway is severely slowed down or that squalene epoxidase was inhibited by fenpropimorph in G. intraradices. In the root compartment, neither extraradical and intraradical development of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus nor root growth was affected when they were not in direct contact with the fungicide; only hyphal length was significantly affected at 2 mg l(-1) of fenpropimorph. Our results clearly demonstrate a direct impact of fenpropimorph on the AM fungus by a perturbation of its sterol metabolism.

Changes in C12:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C20:2 fatty acid content in wheat treated with resistance inducers and infected by powdery mildew.

This work presents a global investigation of total fatty acid (FA) content in wheat in relation to treatment with four inducers of resistance and to powdery mildew infection. Linolenic acid (C18:3), linoleic acid (C18:2) and palmitic acid (16:0) were the most abundant FAs in wheat leaves. We investigated the effect of the following inducers of resistance: Iodus40, heptanoyl salicylic acid (HSA), Milsana and trehalose on FA accumulation. Previous studies established that lipid metabolism is altered by these compounds, and we therefore aimed to characterise their impact at the FA level. During a time course experiment, content (quantitative analysis) and percentage (qualitative analysis) of FAs were compared in treated plants and in controls, as well as in plants inoculated with Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (i) and non-inoculated (ni) plants. No change in C18:3 content was observed. C18:1 in Iodus 40-treated (ni) plants showed a quantitative 1.2-fold increase. Lauric acid (C12:0) content quantitatively increased after Iodus 40 (2.8-fold), Milsana (4.8-fold) and trehalose (4.0-fold) treatment in (i) plants. However, eicosadienoic acid (C20:2) quantitatively decreased in (ni) plants after Iodus 40 (1.5-fold) and Milsana (2.3-fold) treatment. The amount of C18:2 increased (1.6-fold) after HSA treatment in (i) plants. All these variations in FA content were correlated with variations in the corresponding relative percentages. Our work provides the first evidence for alterations in C12:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C20:2 FA content caused by four resistance inducers. We also compared the amount and percentage of each FA in untreated (i) and (ni) plants. In (i) plants, eicosadienoic acid (C20:2) increased and C18:2 decreased slightly. The potential involvement of these FAs during induced resistance and infection is discussed.

Oligogalacturonides induce resistance in wheat against powdery mildew.

Biological activities, priming and protective effects of two oligogalacturonides fractions (OGAs) were assayed during a compatible wheat/Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici interaction. These fractions were obtained from commercial polygalacturonic acid. They both consisted of oligogalacturonides with polymerisation degrees (DP) ranging from 2 to 25, and one of them was a 30% chemically acetylated fraction. A 5 g x L(-1) solution of each fraction was infiltrated in the first leave of ten-days-old plantlets, and activities of defence-related enzymes were measured 48H post-treatment. Among them, oxalate oxidase and peroxidase activities increased, suggesting an elicitation due to both fractions of oligogalacturonides. Some of the pre-treated plantlets were subsequently submitted to powdery mildew infection. As revealed by 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining, the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at the penetration site of the fungus increased 21H after inoculation to the same extent in areas of plantlets infiltrated by both fractions. On the other hand, the intensity of fluorescence associated with papillae was higher when plantlets were pre-infiltrated with the acetylated fraction, whereas no difference was observed between control plantlets and those treated with the non-acetylated fraction. Moreover, microscopic assessment of the number of haustoria occurring 40H post-inoculation showed it was only reduced when acetylated fraction was used. Despite different modes of action of these molecules, a similar 45% protective effect occurred in both cases when the oligogalacturonides fractions were sprayed on ten-days-old plantlets.

Mechanisms of resistance and tolerance to Mycosphaerella graminicola in wheat.

The aim of this study was to investigate the infection process of M. graminicola and the defence mechanisms related to active oxygen species (AOS) in five French wheat cultivars. These cultivars exhibited various resistant levels to M. graminicola infection: Maxyl, Caphorn and Gen11 are susceptible cultivars, whereas Capnor and Gen23 show high levels of quantitative resistances. In addition, Capnor, Gen23 and Gen11 are tolerant cultivars, i.e., their yield performance was less affected by infection compared to non-tolerant cultivars. Cultivars were inoculated with the IPO323 reference M. graminicola strain. First wheat leaves were collected 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21 days after inoculation. The cytological and antioxidant response of the cultivars were both studied over the whole time course. Although infection occurred mainly through stomata, direct penetration attempts were also scored. Moreover, papilla formation turned out to be very rare. Assays for changes in peroxydase (PO), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities allowed us to compare their levels in the five French wheat cultivars regarding to their resistance and/or tolerance towards M. graminicola infection. PO and GST were correlated to necrosis probably as a consequence of detoxification and LOX was related to some of the germination process steps. We also showed that significant differences for several biochemical parameters exist between the studied cultivars in non inoculated conditions but these differences were less important in the presence of the fungus.

In planta xylanase activity and pathogenicity on wheat-Mycosphaerella graminicola pathosystem.

A total of twenty four French strains and two reference strains IPO323 and IPO94269 of the hemibiotrophic fungus Mycosphoerella graminicola were investigated in planta to examine the association of the cell-wall degrading enzyme endo-beta-1,4-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) with pathogenicity. The French strains were selected from a collection of 363 strains previously genotyped using microsatellites, actine and beta-tubutine markers. Disease level assessments as well as enzyme quantifications were carried out at 20 days post inoculation from the third leaves of inoculated whole plants of the susceptible wheat cv. Scorpion. Great variability of both pathogenicity levels and endo-beta-1,4-xylanase activity patterns was obtained among strains. Only 15 out of the 26 assessed strains including the reference strain IPO323 were able to induce lesions bearing pycnidia. The percentages of diseased leaf areas bearing pycnidia ranged from 6.2% to 77%, while amounts of endo-beta-1,4-xylanase activity ranged from 0 to 399.15 mU/microg of total proteins. A Pearson correlation test revealed very high linkage between endo-beta-1,4-xylanase activity level and lesions bearing pycnidia production within strains (r = 0.94). Additional cytological and enzymatic investigations on two strains exhibiting different pathogenicity levels highlighted that successful disease induction by M. graminicola is not explained by either spore germination or direct and stomatal penetration rates of the host, but by the ability of the fungus to colonize the mesophyll and to secrete the endo-beta-1,4-xylanase activity during necrotrophic phase. This study strongly suggests the importance of both mesophyll colonisation and endo-beta-1,4-xylanase activity during the infection process of M. graminicola.

Cytoadherence characteristics to endothelial receptors ICAM-1 and CD36 of Plasmodium falciparum populations from severe and uncomplicated malaria cases.

The adhesion of infected red blood cells (IRBCs) to the cell lining of microvasculature is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. Individual IRBC can bind to more than one host receptor and parasites with multiple binding phenotypes may cause severe disease more frequently. However, as most clinical isolates are multiclonal, previous studies were hampered by the difficulty to distinguish whether a multiadherent phenotype was due to one or more parasite population(s). We have developed a tool, based on cytoadhesion assay and GeneScan genotyping technology, which enabled us to assess on fresh isolates the capacity of adherence of individual P. falciparum genotypes to human receptors expressed on CHO transfected cells. The cytoadhesion to ICAM-1 and CD36 of IRBCs from uncomplicated and severe malaria attacks was evaluated using this methodology. In this preliminary series conducted in non immune travelers, IRBCs from severe malaria appeared to adhere more frequently and/or strongly to ICAM-1 and CD36 in comparison with uncomplicated cases. In addition, a majority genotype able to strongly adhere to CD36 was found more frequently in isolates from severe malaria cases. Further investigations are needed to confirm the clinical relevance of these data.

Effects of anthracene on development of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and contribution of the symbiotic association to pollutant dissipation.

The influence of anthracene, a low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), on chicory root colonization by Glomus intraradices and the effect of the root colonization on PAH degradation were investigated in vitro. The fungus presented a reduced development of extraradical mycelium and a decrease in sporulation, root colonization, and spore germination when exposed to anthracene. Mycorrhization improved the growth of the roots in the medium supplemented containing 140 mg l(-1) anthracene, suggesting a positive contribution of G. intraradices to the PAH tolerance of roots. Anthracene disappearance from the culture medium was quantified; results suggested that nonmycorrhizal chicory roots growing in vitro were able to contribute to anthracene dissipation, and in addition, that mycorrhization significantly enhanced anthracene dissipation. These monoxenic experiments demonstrated a positive contribution of the symbiotic association to anthracene dissipation in the absence of other microorganisms. In addition to anthracene dissipation, intracellular accumulation of anthracene was detected in lipid bodies of plant cells and fungal hyphae, indicating intracellular storage capacity of the pollutant by the roots and the mycorrhizal fungus.