Molecular analysis of feces reveals gastrointestinal nematodes in reintroduced wild asses of the Negev desert.

Reintroduced animals face disease risks, potentially impacting both the reintroduced and the local wildlife/domestic populations. This study focuses on the Asiatic wild asses () reintroduced to the Negev desert in southern Israel. Despite potential threats of disease spill-over to and from domesticated donkeys and horses in the area, there are no records of the gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of the wild ass population.

Exploring the Microbial Mosaic: Insights into Composition, Diversity, and Environmental Drivers in the Pearl River Estuary Sediments.

River estuaries are dynamic and complex ecosystems influenced by various natural processes, including climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic activities. The Pearl River Estuary (PRE), one of the largest in China, receives significant land-based pollutants due to its proximity to densely populated areas and urban development. This study aimed to characterize the composition, diversity, and distribution patterns of sediment microbial communities (bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes) and investigated the connection with environmental parameters within the PRE and adjacent shelf.

Specific quinone reductase 2 inhibitors reduce metabolic burden and reverse Alzheimer's disease phenotype in mice.

Biological aging can be described as accumulative, prolonged metabolic stress and is the major risk factor for cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, we identified and described a quinone reductase 2 (QR2) pathway in the brain, in which QR2 acts as a removable memory constraint and metabolic buffer within neurons. QR2 becomes overexpressed with age, and it is possibly a novel contributing factor to age-related metabolic stress and cognitive deficit.

RNA Viruses Are Prevalent and Active Tenants of the Predatory Mite Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Many arthropod species harbor a diverse range of viruses. While much is known about pathogenic viruses of some economically important insects and arthropods involved in disease transmission, viruses associated with mites have rarely been studied. The main objective of this study was to characterize the virome of Phytoseiulus persimilis (Phytoseiidae), a predatory mite commercially used worldwide for the biological control of the key pest Tetranychus urticae (Tetranichidae).

Bacterial detoxification of plant defence secondary metabolites mediates the interaction between a shrub and frugivorous birds.

Many plants produce fleshy fruits, attracting fruit-eating animals that disperse the seeds in their droppings. Such seed dispersal results in a conflict between the plant and the animal, as digestion of seeds can be highly beneficial to the animal but reduces plant fitness. The plant Ochradenus baccatus uses the myrosinase-glucosinolates system to protect its seeds.

Sediment Microbiota as a Proxy of Environmental Health: Discovering Inter- and Intrakingdom Dynamics along the Eastern Mediterranean Continental Shelf.

Sedimentary marine habitats are the largest ecosystem on our planet in terms of area. Marine sediment microbiota govern most of the benthic biological processes and therefore are responsible for much of the global biogeochemical activity. Sediment microbiota respond, even rapidly, to natural change in environmental conditions as well as disturbances of anthropogenic sources.

Fear Conditioning Leads to Enduring Alterations in RNA Transcripts in Hippocampal Neuropil that are Dependent on EphB2 Forward Signaling.

Alterations in mRNA transcription have been associated with changes in brain functions. We wanted to examine if fear conditioning causes long-term changes in transcriptome profiles in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and hippocampus using RNA-Seq and laser microdissection microscopy. We further aimed to uncover whether these changes are involved in memory formation by monitoring their levels in EphB2 mice, which lack EphB2 forward signaling and can form short-term fear conditioning memory but not long-term fear conditioning memory.

MBTPS1 regulates proliferation of colorectal cancer primarily through its action on sterol regulatory element-binding proteins.

Among the main metabolic pathways implicated in cancer cell proliferation are those of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis, both of which are tightly regulated by sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs). SREBPs are activated through specific cleavage by membrane-bound transcription factor protease 1 (MBTPS1), a serine protease that cleaves additional substrates (ATF6, BDNF, CREBs and somatostatin), some of which are also implicated in cell proliferation. The goal of this study was to determine whether MBTPS1 may serve as a master regulator in proliferation of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Variation in Gut Microbiota Composition is Associated with Sleep Quality and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults with Insomnia.

Purpose: Insomnia, a chronic condition affecting 50% of older adults, is often accompanied by cognitive decline. The mechanism underlying this comorbidity is not fully understood. A growing literature suggests the importance of gut microbiota for brain function.

Intestine and spleen microbiota composition in healthy and diseased tilapia.

Symbiotic bacteria within the gut microbiome of various organisms, including fish, provide the host with several functions that improve the immune system. Although the spleen plays an important role in the modulation of immune responses, the role of spleen microbiota in shaping the immune system is unclear. Our study aimed at understanding the relationship between fish health and microbiota composition in the intestine and spleen.

Seed-Derived Microbial Community of Wild Seedlings: Composition and Augmentation to Domesticated .

Seed-borne bacteria are a unique group of microorganisms capable of maintaining stable populations within plant tissues and seeds. These bacteria may benefit their host from germination to maturation and are of great interest for basic and applied plant-microbe interaction studies. Furthermore, many such beneficial bacteria present in wild plant species are missing in their respective congeneric domesticated forms.

Spatiotemporal Variation of Microbial Communities in the Ultra-Oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Marine microbial communities vary seasonally and spatially, but these two factors are rarely addressed together. In this study, the temporal and spatial patterns of the bacterial and archaeal community were studied along a coast-to-offshore transect in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) over six cruises, in three seasons of 2 consecutive years. Amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and transcripts was performed to determine presence and activity, respectively.

Abundance and Localization of Symbiotic Bacterial Communities in the Fly Parasitoid Spalangia cameroni.

Multicellular eukaryotes often host multiple microbial symbionts that may cooperate or compete for host resources, such as space and nutrients. Here, we studied the abundances and localization of four bacterial symbionts, , , and , in the parasitic wasp Spalangia cameroni. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), we measured the symbionts' titers in wasps that harbor different combinations of these symbionts.

Urbanization comprehensively impairs biological rhythms in coral holobionts.

Coral reefs are in global decline due to climate change and anthropogenic influences (Hughes et al., Conservation Biology, 27: 261-269, 2013). Near coastal cities or other densely populated areas, coral reefs face a range of additional challenges.

Comparative Study of Intestinal Microbiota Composition of Six Edible Fish Species.

Intensive freshwater aquaculture in the Spring Valley, Israel, is implemented mainly in earthen fishponds and reservoirs that are stocked with a variety of edible fish species. Here we sampled six different healthy fish species from these intensive aquacultures. The fish were hybrid striped bass, European bass, red drum (all carnivores), hybrid tilapia, flathead grey mullet (both herbivores), and common carp (an omnivore).

Acute social isolation and regrouping cause short- and long-term molecular changes in the rat medial amygdala.

Social isolation poses a severe mental and physiological burden on humans. Most animal models that investigate this effect are based on prolonged isolation, which does not mimic the milder conditions experienced by people in the real world. We show that in adult male rats, acute social isolation causes social memory loss.

Seasonal Dynamics Are the Major Driver of Microbial Diversity and Composition in Intensive Freshwater Aquaculture.

Aquaculture facilities such as fishponds are one of the most anthropogenically impacted freshwater ecosystems. The high fish biomass reared in aquaculture is associated with an intensive input into the water of fish-feed and fish excrements. This nutrients load may affect the microbial community in the water, which in turn can impact the fish health.

Particle-associated and free-living bacterial communities in an oligotrophic sea are affected by different environmental factors.

In the oceans and seas, environmental conditions change over multiple temporal and spatial scales. Here, we ask what factors affect the bacterial community structure across time, depth and size fraction during six seasonal cruises (2 years) in the ultra-oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The bacterial community varied most between size fractions (free-living (FL) vs.

Geographic partitioning or environmental selection: What governs the global distribution of bacterial communities inhabiting floral nectar?

Floral nectar harbors microbial communities which have significant impacts on its chemistry, volatiles, nutritional contents, and attractiveness for pollinators. Yet, fundamental knowledge regarding the structure and composition of nectar-associated microbiomes remains largely unknown. Especially elusive are the environmental factors and spatial effects that shape nectar-inhabiting microbial communities.

The effect of toxic pyridine-alkaloid secondary metabolites on the sunbird gut microbiome.

Sunbirds feed on tobacco tree nectar which contains toxic nicotine and anabasine secondary metabolites. Our aim was to understand the effect of nicotine and anabasine on the gut microbiota composition of sunbirds. Sixteen captive sunbirds were randomly assigned to two diets: artificial nectar either with (treatment) or without (control) added nicotine and anabasine.

eIF2α controls memory consolidation via excitatory and somatostatin neurons.

An important tenet of learning and memory is the notion of a molecular switch that promotes the formation of long-term memory. The regulation of proteostasis is a critical and rate-limiting step in the consolidation of new memories. One of the most effective and prevalent ways to enhance memory is by regulating the synthesis of proteins controlled by the translation initiation factor eIF2.

Wolbachia influence on the fitness of Anagyrus vladimiri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a bio-control agent of mealybugs.

Background: Like numerous other animals, biocontrol agents (BCAs) of arthropod pests carry various microorganisms that may have diverse effects on the biology of their eukaryote hosts. We postulated that it is possible to improve the efficacy of BCAs by manipulating the composition of their associated microbiota. The parasitoid wasp Anagyrus vladimiri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from a mass-rearing facility was chosen for testing this hypothesis.

Cellular Localization of Two Symbionts in the Digestive System and within the Ovaries of the Mirid Bug, .

Bacterial symbionts in arthropods are common, vary in their effects, and can dramatically influence the outcome of biological control efforts. (Heteroptera: Miridae), a key component of biological control programs, is mainly predaceous but may also display phytophagy. hosts symbiotic , which induce cytoplasmic incompatibility, and two species, and , which are found in all individuals tested.

Optimization of skeletal protein preparation for LC-MS/MS sequencing yields additional coral skeletal proteins in .

Stony corals generate their calcium carbonate exoskeleton in a highly controlled biomineralization process mediated by a variety of macromolecules including proteins. Fully identifying and classifying these proteins is crucial to understanding their role in exoskeleton formation, yet no optimal method to purify and characterize the full suite of extracted coral skeletal proteins has been established and hence their complete composition remains obscure. Here, we tested four skeletal protein purification protocols using acetone precipitation and ultrafiltration dialysis filters to present a comprehensive scleractinian coral skeletal proteome.