Epidemiology of Neospora caninum infection in free-range chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in north central Mexico.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology of natural infection by N. caninum in free-range chickens from Aguascalientes, Mexico, through identifying the presence of antibodies, its association with certain risk factors, and estimate the frequency of parasite DNA detection in the brain. The study included 150 clinically healthy chickens from 81 small family farms distributed throughout the state, from which blood and brain samples were taken. Serum samples were processed by indirect immunofluorescence considering a dilution of 1:50 as a positive reaction, while the DNA detection was done by PCR; the association between the presence of antibodies and the potential risk factors was estimated through logistic regression. The general anti-N. caninum presence of antibodies in the studied population was 46% (69/150, CI 95% 38-54), with titers of 1:50 in 38, 1:100 in 24, and 1:200 in 7, finding positive cases in 49% of the farms and in 91% of the municipalities that integrate the state. The presence of antibodies found in the municipalities was estimated in a range of 20 to 75%. The frequency of DNA detection was 6% (9/150, CI 95% 2-11). The grain supplementation was identified as the unique risk factor for infection (OR = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.18-6.73, p < 0.019).

AhDGR2, an amaranth abiotic stress-induced DUF642 protein gene, modifies cell wall structure and composition and causes salt and ABA hyper-sensibility in transgenic Arabidopsis.

MAIN CONCLUSION: An amaranth DGR gene, induced under abiotic stress, modifies cell wall structure and causes hypersensitivity to ABA and salt when overexpressed in Arabidopsis. DUF642 is a highly conserved plant-specific family of unknown cell wall-associated proteins. The AhDGR2 gene, coding for a DUF642 protein, was significantly induced in grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) plants subjected to water-deficit and salinity stress, thereby suggesting its participation in abiotic stress tolerance in this plant. A role in development was also inferred from the higher AhDGR2 expression rates detected in young tissues. Subsequent overexpression of AhDGR2 in transgenic Arabidopsis plants (OE-AhDGR2) supported its possible role in development processes. Thus, OE-AhDGR2 plants generated significantly longer roots when grown in normal MS medium. However, they showed a hypersensitivity to increasing concentrations of abscisic acid or NaCl in the medium, as manifested by shorter root length, smaller and slightly chlorotic rosettes, as well as highly reduced germination rates. Contrary to expectations, OE-AhDGR2 plants were intolerant to abiotic stress. Moreover, cell walls in transgenic plants were thinner, in leaves, and more disorganized, in roots, and had significantly modified pectin levels. Lower pectin methylesterase activity detected in leaves of OE-AhDGR2 plants, but not in roots, was contrary to previous reports associating DUF642 proteins and decreased pectin esterification levels in cell walls. Nonetheless, microarray data identified candidate genes whose expression levels explained the phenotypes observed in leaves of OE-AhDGR2 plants, including several involved in cell wall integrity and extension, growth and development, and resistance to abiotic stress. These results support the role of DUF642 proteins in cell wall-related processes and offer novel insights into their possible role(s) in plants.

Conjugated Bilirubin Differentially Regulates CD4+ T Effector Cells and T Regulatory Cell Function through Outside-In and Inside-Out Mechanisms: The Effects of HAV Cell Surface Receptor and Intracellular Signaling.

We recently reported an immune-modulatory role of conjugated bilirubin (CB) in hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. During this infection the immune response relies on CD4+ T lymphocytes (TLs) and it may be affected by the interaction of HAV with its cellular receptor (HAVCR1/TIM-1) on T cell surface. How CB might affect T cell function during HAV infection remains to be elucidated. Herein, in vitro stimulation of CD4+ TLs from healthy donors with CB resulted in a decrease in the degree of intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation and an increase in the activity of T regulatory cells (Tregs) expressing HAVCR1/TIM-1. A comparison between CD4+ TLs from healthy donors and HAV-infected patients revealed changes in the TCR signaling pathway relative to changes in CB levels. The proportion of CD4+CD25+ TLs increased in patients with low CB serum levels and an increase in the percentage of Tregs expressing HAVCR1/TIM-1 was found in HAV-infected patients relative to controls. A low frequency of 157insMTTTVP insertion in the viral receptor gene HAVCR1/TIM-1 was found in patients and controls. Our data revealed that, during HAV infection, CB differentially regulates CD4+ TLs and Tregs functions by modulating intracellular pathways and by inducing changes in the proportion of Tregs expressing HAVCR1/TIM-1.

Molecular variability among isolates of Fusarium oxysporum associated with root rot disease of Agave tequilana.

In this study, 115 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum from roots of Agave tequilana Weber cv azul plants and soil in commercial plantations in western Mexico were characterized using morphological and molecular methods. Genetic analyses of monosporic isolates included restriction enzyme analysis of rDNA (ARDRA) using HaeIII and HinfI, and genetic diversity was determined using Box-PCR molecular markers. Box-PCR analysis generated 14 groups. The groups correlated highly with the geographic location of the isolate and sample type. These results demonstrate the usefulness of ARDRA and Box-PCR techniques in the molecular characterization of the Fusarium genus for the discrimination of pathogenic isolates.

The overexpression of an Amaranthus hypochondriacus NF-YC gene modifies growth and confers water deficit stress resistance in Arabidopsis.

Nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y), is a plant heterotrimeric transcription factor constituted by NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC subunits. The function of many NF-Y subunits, mostly of the A and B type, has been studied in plants, but knowledge regarding the C subunit remains fragmentary. Here, a water stress-induced NF-YC gene from Amaranthus hypochondriacus (AhNF-YC) was further characterized by its overexpression in transgenic Arabidospis thaliana plants. A role in development was inferred from modified growth rates in root, rosettes and inflorescences recorded in AhNF-YC overexpressing Arabidopsis plants, in addition to a delayed onset of flowering. Also, the overexpression of AhNF-YC caused increased seedling sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), and influenced the expression of several genes involved in secondary metabolism, development and ABA-related responses. An altered expression of the latter in water stressed and recovered transgenic plants, together with the observed increase in ABA sensitivity, suggested that their increased water stress resistance was partly ABA-dependent. An untargeted metabolomic analysis also revealed an altered metabolite pattern, both in normal and water stress/recovery conditions. These results suggest that AhNF-YC may play an important regulatory role in both development and stress, and represents a candidate gene for the engineering of abiotic stress resistance in commercial crops.