Marine transmissible cancer navigates urbanized waters, threatening spillover.

Inter-individual transmission of cancer cells represents a unique form of microparasites increasingly reported in marine bivalves. In this study, we sought to understand the ecology of the propagation of Bivalve Transmissible Neoplasia 2 (MtrBTN2), a transmissible cancer affecting four mussel species worldwide. We investigated the prevalence of MtrBTN2 in the mosaic hybrid zone of and along the French Atlantic coast, sampling contrasting natural and anthropogenic habitats.

Transcriptomics of mussel transmissible cancer MtrBTN2 suggests accumulation of multiple cancer traits and oncogenic pathways shared among bilaterians.

Transmissible cancer cell lines are rare biological entities giving rise to diseases at the crossroads of cancer and parasitic diseases. These malignant cells have acquired the amazing capacity to spread from host to host. They have been described only in dogs, Tasmanian devils and marine bivalves.

Traits of a mussel transmissible cancer are reminiscent of a parasitic life style.

Some cancers have evolved the ability to spread from host to host by transmission of cancerous cells. These rare biological entities can be considered parasites with a host-related genome. Still, we know little about their specific adaptation to a parasitic lifestyle.

Oxidative stress ecology on Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas from lagoon and offshore Italian sites.

Crassostrea gigas is a sentinel species along the Italian coast. In mussels, the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers can be modulated by several environmental pollutants or pathogens and also fluctuate in response to reproductive stages and seasonal changes. In this study, adult Crassostrea gigas were sampled during summer and autumn from two lagoon and two offshore sites along the Adriatic coast of Italy in order to investigate the influence of seasonality on oxidative stress biomarkers.

High mortality of mussels in northern Brittany - Evaluation of the involvement of pathogens, pathological conditions and pollutants.

In 2014, a high and unusual mass mortality of mussels occurred in several important production areas along the French coasts of the Atlantic and English Channel. In the first quarter of 2016, mass mortalities hit farms on the west coast of the country once again. These heterogeneous mortality events elicited a multi-parametric study conducted during the 2017 mussel season in three sites in northern Brittany (Brest, Lannion and St.

A single clonal lineage of transmissible cancer identified in two marine mussel species in South America and Europe.

Transmissible cancers, in which cancer cells themselves act as an infectious agent, have been identified in Tasmanian devils, dogs, and four bivalves. We investigated a disseminated neoplasia affecting geographically distant populations of two species of mussels ( in South America and in Europe). Sequencing alleles from four loci (two nuclear and two mitochondrial) provided evidence of transmissible cancer in both species.

Implementation of various approaches to study the prevalence, incidence and progression of disseminated neoplasia in mussel stocks.

Marine mussel production is of substantial economic interest in numerous coastal areas worldwide, making crucial the study of pathologies that affect them. Disseminated neoplasia (DN) has recently been suggested to be linked to blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, mortality outbreaks observed in France since 2014, although the evidence remains indirect. In order to improve DN detection and monitoring, we compared the sensitivity of four diagnostic tools, namely haemocytology, histology, flow cytometry, and genetics.

A novel divergent group of Ostreid herpesvirus 1 μVar variants associated with a mortality event in Pacific oyster spat in Normandy (France) in 2016.

The acute course of disease in young oysters infected by OsHV-1 and the rapid tissue degradation often preclude histological examination of specimens collected during outbreaks in field. Herein, live spat originated from two geographical areas were sampled just at the onset of a mortality event that occurred in Normandy (France) in June 2016. The lesions, associated with high OsHV-1 DNA quantities, were characterized by severe and diffuse haemocytosis mainly involving blast-like cells, myocyte degeneration and large, irregularly shaped degenerate eosinophilic cells in the connective tissue.

Dioxin-like Compounds in Lake Fish Species: Evaluation by DR-CALUX Bioassay.

Fish consumption is the principal source of intake of organochlorinated compounds in humans. Compared with other types of foods of animal origin, fish contain the highest levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, all of which are classified as highly toxic organochlorine compounds. Currently, lakes and fish farms in northern Italy are not regularly monitored for PCBs and dioxins in areas contaminated by industrial sources, partially because of the high costs of traditional analytical methods that limit the number of samples to be analyzed.

Trace element occurrence in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas from coastal marine ecosystems in Italy.

The Pacific oyster is one of the world's most widespread bivalves and a suitable species for biomonitoring trace elements in marine environments thanks to its bioaccumulation ability. As it is also an edible mollusc, concentrations of harmful elements in its tissues must be monitored. For these purposes, 464 wild individuals were collected from 12 sites along the Italian coasts.

First description of a mortality event in adult Pacific oysters in Italy associated with infection by a Tenacibaculum soleae strain.

Summer mortality episodes in adult Pacific oysters have been described since the 1950s in various farming areas. Starting in 2012, a recrudescence of mortalities in commercial-sized oysters was first observed in France and then in Italy, with seasonality extension and translation later in the year. Moribund individuals collected during an event in Italy in December 2014 showed yellowish lesions of the mantle and adductor muscle.

Complete genome sequence of Ostreid herpesvirus type 1 µVar isolated during mortality events in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in France and Ireland.

Infections with Ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) microvariants in young Pacific oysters are associated with massive mortality events and significant economic losses. Previous studies, focusing on few regions of the genome, have revealed the genomic diversity of these genotypes with respect to the reference type. We used a NGS process to sequence the whole genome of the OsHV-1 µVar in infected individuals, collected during mortality events in France and Ireland.

Ostreid herpesvirus type 1 genomic diversity in wild populations of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas from Italian coasts.

Ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) is a significant pathogen affecting the young Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, worldwide. A new variant, OsHV-1 μVar, has been associated with recurrent mortality events in Europe since 2008. Epidemiological data collection is key for global risk assessment; however little is known about health status and genotypes present in European wild oyster beds.

Human exposure to metals due to consumption of fish from an artificial lake basin close to an active mining area in Katanga (D.R. Congo).

Unlabelled: The concentrations of 14 essential and nonessential trace elements were determined in fish from Lake Tshangalele, Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo. This province has been a place of intensive mining activities for centuries, which have increased in recent years, due to the use of metals such as copper and cobalt for the industries of fast-growing countries. Lake Tshangalele, which receives effluents from metallurgical and mining plants in Likasi, is home to several fish species that are an important part of the diet of the local population, and, therefore, it constitutes a relevant site for documenting the human exposure to metals as a result of a fish diet.