Analysis of a Spontaneous Non-Motile and Avirulent Mutant Shows That FliM Is Required for Full Endoflagella Assembly in Leptospira interrogans.

Pathogenic Leptospira strains are responsible for leptospirosis, a worldwide emerging zoonotic disease. These spirochetes are unique amongst bacteria because of their corkscrew-like cell morphology and their periplasmic flagella. Motility is reported as an important virulence determinant, probably favoring entry and dissemination of pathogenic Leptospira in the host.

Metabolomic profiling reveals deep chemical divergence between two morphotypes of the zoanthid Parazoanthus axinellae.

Metabolomics has recently proven its usefulness as complementary tool to traditional morphological and genetic analyses for the classification of marine invertebrates. Among the metabolite-rich cnidarian order Zoantharia, Parazoanthus is a polyphyletic genus whose systematics and phylogeny remain controversial. Within this genus, one of the most studied species, Parazoanthus axinellae is prominent in rocky shallow waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the NE Atlantic Ocean.

A critique on the structural analysis of lignins and application of novel tandem mass spectrometric strategies to determine lignin sequencing.

This review is devoted to the application of MS using soft ionization methods with a special emphasis on electrospray ionization, atmospheric pressure photoionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS and tandem MS (MS/MS) for the elucidation of the chemical structure of native and modified lignins. We describe and critically evaluate how these soft ionization methods have contributed to the present-day knowledge of the structure of lignins. Herein, we will introduce new nomenclature concerning the chemical state of lignins, namely, virgin released lignins (VRLs) and processed modified lignins (PML).

Comparative bioaccumulation kinetics of trace elements in Mediterranean marine sponges.

While marine organisms such as bivalves, seagrasses and macroalgae are commonly used as biomonitors for the environment pollution assessment, widely distributed sponges received little attention as potential helpful species for monitoring programmes. In this study, the trace element and radionuclide bioaccumulation and retention capacities of some marine sponges were estimated in a species-comparative study using radiotracers technique. Six Mediterranean species were exposed to background dissolved concentrations of (110m)Ag, (241)Am, (109)Cd, (60)Co, (134)Cs, (54)Mn, (75)Se and (65)Zn allowing the assessment of the uptake and depuration kinetics for selected elements.

New insight into marine alkaloid metabolic pathways: revisiting oroidin biosynthesis.

Sponge natural product biosynthesis: A highly sensitive in vivo protocol based on (14)C radiolabeled precursors and beta-imager autoradiography allowed the unraveling of the origin of the pyrrole 2-aminoimidazole-containing key biosynthetic intermediate oroidin. Proline and lysine are now proposed as the early precursors of the pyrrole and the 2-aminoimidazole moieties of oroidin respectively.