Scenarios for the emergence of new miRNA genes in the plant Arabidopsis halleri.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are central players of the regulation of gene expression in Eukaryotes. The repertoires of miRNA genes vary drastically even among closely related species, indicating that they are evolutionarily labile. However, the processes by which they originate over the course of evolution and the nature of their progenitors across the genome remain poorly understood.

Morphological and cellular effects in Boana faber tadpoles (Anura: Hylidae) exposed to atrazine-based herbicide and glyphosate-based herbicide and their mixtures.

Atrazine and glyphosate are considered some of the main pollutants for aquatic ecosystems, directly and indirectly affecting non-target organisms, such as amphibians. This study aimed to evaluate the sublethal effects of different concentrations of atrazine-based herbicide (ABH) and glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) commercial formulations, both individually and in a mixture, through toxicity tests on the larval stage of Boana faber. Tadpoles were exposed to concentrations of ABH (2, 9.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in groundwater and surface water in the Turin metropolitan area (Italy): An attempt to unravel potential point sources and compliance with environmental/drinking water quality standards.

The study investigated the contribution of five potential point source categories on the occurrence of 19 highly hazardous perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in freshwater from the Turin metropolitan area (Italy) and assessed the quality of groundwater and surface water in compliance with European and Italian guidelines. PFASs were revealed in 29 and 24 % of the investigated shallow (unconfined aquifers) and deep (semi- and confined aquifers) wells with a total concentration, as a sum (ΣPFASs), of 0.01-0.

Mutagenic drinking water and different levels of emerging micropollutants in Southern Brazil: A new challenge.

This study investigated the presence of mutagenic compounds in raw and treated waters at four water treatment plants (WTP01 to WTP04), in southern Brazil. Samples were concentrated using Amberlite XAD4 resin and the acidic and neutral pH fractions tested by mutagenesis in Salmonella/microsome assay, using TA98, TA100 and YG7108 strains in presence and absence of metabolic activation (in vitro human S9). Mutagenesis in raw water was found only by strain TA98 at WTP03, with and without S9.

Antimicrobial Peptides: A Promising Alternative to Conventional Antimicrobials for Combating Polymicrobial Biofilms.

Polymicrobial biofilms adhere to surfaces and enhance pathogen resistance to conventional treatments, significantly contributing to chronic infections in the respiratory tract, oral cavity, chronic wounds, and on medical devices. This review examines antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics for treating biofilm-associated infections. AMPs, which can be produced as part of the innate immune response or synthesized therapeutically, have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, often disrupting microbial cell membranes and causing cell death.