A wide diversity of zoonotic intestinal parasites infects urban and rural dogs in Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina.

The presence of parasites was investigated by the examination of 1944 dog faecal samples collected from urban (n=646) and rural (n=1298) areas of the province of Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina. Parasitic agents (PA) were found in 37.86% of samples.

Symbiosis-related plant genes modulate molecular responses in an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus during early root interactions.

To gain further insight into the role of the plant genome in arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) establishment, we investigated whether symbiosis-related plant genes affect fungal gene expression in germinating spores and at the appressoria stage of root interactions. Glomus intraradices genes were identified in expressed sequence tag libraries of mycorrhizal Medicago truncatula roots by in silico expression analyses. Transcripts of a subset of genes, with predicted functions in transcription, protein synthesis, primary or secondary metabolism, or of unknown function, were monitored in spores and germinating spores and during interactions with roots of wild-type or mycorrhiza-defective (Myc-) mutants of M.

[Prevalence of cervical infection by Chlamydia trachomatis among Chilean women living in the Metropolitan Region].

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. In women, chlamydia infections are 75% asymptomatic and can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Infants exposed to the microorganism at birth also have a high risk to develop conjunctivitis and pneumonia.

Spatial monitoring of gene activity in extraradical and intraradical developmental stages of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi by direct fluorescent in situ RT-PCR.

Gene expression profiling based on tissue extracts gives only limited information about genes associated with complex developmental processes such as those implicated in fungal interactions with plant roots during arbuscular mycorrhiza development and function. To overcome this drawback, a direct fluorescent in situ RT-PCR methodology was developed for spatial mapping of gene expression in different presymbiotic and symbiotic structures of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. Transcript detection was optimized by targeting the LSU rRNA gene of Glomus intraradices and monitoring expression of a stearoyl-CoA-desaturase gene that is consistently expressed at high levels in spores, hyphae, arbuscules and vesicles.