Search Results (6)

The intensification of human activities in recent years has led to significant overexploitation of Triplophysa strauchii populations, resulting in a decline in the species’ natural stocks. This underscores the need for research and development initiatives aimed at supporting the recovery and sustainable management of the species. Therefore, this study investigated its biological traits and isozyme characteristics in detail. First, throutigations of fish ecology, the age and growth patterns of T. strauchii were examined. The results revealed that the length of the otoliths was greater than the width and that the intermajor groove was indistinct. The age range of the fish was 0–4 years. A correlation between body length and weight revealed that T. strauchii exhibited isometric growth patterns. In terms of growth parameters, the inflection point in age for T. strauchii was t_i = 3.23. Additionally, to analyze the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and esterase (EST) in ten tissues of T. strauchii (liver, muscle, heart, gills, eye, brain, fins, kidneys, gonads, and intestines), vertical plate electrophoresis was performed via polyacrylamide gels. The results of isoenzyme analysis revealed that the LDHA (lactate dehydrogenase A subunit) gene was predominant in all tissues. A maximum of two s-MDH enzyme bands with three m-MDH enzyme bands were detected, with a classic enzyme profile and no gene mutation. The EST enzyme was highly expressed in the liver and kidney and was less polymorphic. In general, T. strauchii exhibited a spindle-like body shape and isometric growth patterns in the Turks River. It exhibited a narrow age range, strong adaptability, and stable genetic traits. This species has high development potential, utilization value and ecological significance. Full article

Exposure to tamoxifen can exert effects on the human liver, and esterases process prodrugs such as antibiotics and convert them to less toxic metabolites. In this study, the porcine liver esterase (PLE)-inhibitory activity of tamoxifen has been investigated. PLE showed inhibition of a PLE isoenzyme (PLE5). In addition, avenanthramides, which have a similar structure to that of tamoxifen, have been used to determine the PLE-inhibitory effect. Among the avenanthramide derivatives, avenanthramide B has been shown to inhibit PLE. Avenanthramide B interacts with Lys284 of PLE, whereas avenanthramide A and C counteract with Lys284. Avenanthramide B has shown a similar inhibitory effect to that of tamoxifen. Given that avenanthramide B can modulate the action of PLE, it can be used in pharmaceutical and industrial applications for modulating the effects of PLE. Based on superimposed structures between PLE and human liver esterase, the impact of tamoxifen use in humans is discussed. In addition, this study can serve as a fundamental basis for future investigations regarding the potential risk of tamoxifen and other drugs. Thus, this study presents an insight into the comparison of structurally similar tamoxifen and avenanthramides on liver esterases, which can have implications for the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Full article

This study aims to evaluate the possible variations due to the sampling time in the day in 26 analytes of pigs’ saliva, related to stress, the immune system, redox status and other biomarkers related to metabolism and selected tissues and organs, in order to know the possible effects of the hour of the day in their interpretation. These analytes were measured in saliva obtained from a population of 40 clinically healthy pigs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., every 4 h in the same day. In our experimental conditions, daily variations were observed in cortisol, salivary α-amylase, total esterase activity, butyrylcholinesterase, lipase, adenosine deaminase isoenzyme 1, uric acid, superoxide dismutase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, lactate and triglycerides. These changes appeared in both sexes, except for adenosine deaminase isoenzyme 1 and superoxide dismutase which only showed differences in females. In conclusion, this report indicates that, in the experimental conditions of this trial, the time of the day and sex can influence the values obtained in various salivary analytes in pigs. These variations should thus be taken into consideration for an adequate interpretation of these analytes when used for the evaluation of health and welfare in this species. Full article

The interaction between cytokinin, auxin and GA controlled in vitro shoot multiplication in paulownia was influenced by a medium water potential (Ψ) modulation, where it was modulated using different textures or strengths of MS medium, media of different types (MS, WPM, SH and B5) or NaCl incorporation. The interaction between 2 mg/L BAP and 0.1 mg/L NAA expressed the highest shoot number on each media type, but it was better with media of lower water potential (MS and WPM), and MS medium was the best. Ψ of full-strength semisolid MS medium expressed the highest shoot multiplication. The opposite was detected when Ψ of MS medium was changed using half- or double-strength MS. Ψ of full-strength MS medium in semisolid form resulted in a valuable interaction between 2 mg/L BAP, 0.1 mg/L NAA and 0.1 mg/L GA, leading to efficient shoot formation, and it was associated with an increase in internode length and decrease in stem diameter, which facilitated obtaining synseeds with a high ability to convert. High genetic variation was recorded under long-term culture (14 subcultures). Polymorphism using the ISSR technique was higher than that of RAPD. A further increase in polymorphism was detected when NaCl was used, where five salt-tolerant lines were selected. Some salt-tolerant-selected lines showed one or more amplification products of a specific molecular weight that did not appear in the control. For example, with OPA-07 and OPG-02 RAPD primers, all the salt-tolerant-selected lines showed the appearance of amplification fragments (610 bp and 300 bp, respectively) that were not detected in control. Full article

In December 2017, a Ficus microcarpa “Tiger bark” bonsai tree was acquired in a shopping center in Coimbra, Portugal, without symptoms in the leaves, but showing small atypical galls of infection caused by root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne spp. The soil nematode community was assessed and four Tylenchida genera were detected: Helicotylenchus (94.02%), Tylenchus s.l. (4.35%), Tylenchorynchus s.l. (1.09%) and Meloidogyne (0.54%). The RKN M. javanica was identified through analysis of esterase isoenzyme phenotype (J3), PCR-RFLP of mitochondrial DNA region between COII and 16S rRNA genes and SCAR-PCR. The Helicotylenchus species was identified on the basis of female morphology that showed the body being spirally curved, with up to two turns after relation with gentle heat, a key feature of H. dihystera, and molecular characterization, using the D2D3 expansion region of the 28S rDNA, which revealed a similarity of 99.99% with available sequences of the common spiral nematode H. dihystera. To our knowledge, M. javanica and H. dihystera are reported for the first time as parasitizing F. microcarpa. Our findings reveal that more inspections are required to detect these and other plant-parasitic nematodes, mainly with quarantine status, to prevent their spread if found. Full article

Curvularia eragrostidis, a causal agent of head blight on the weed (Digitariasanguinalis), did not cause disease on the turfgrass Festuca arundinacea. Differentextracellular esterase isoenzymes were detected in saprophytic and parasitic phases duringthe fungal germination. The epicuticular waxes of D. sanguinalis were more efficient toinduce the secretion of esterases from the fungus than that of F. arundinacea, but were morerapidly degraded by the fungal enzymes. Component analysis indicated that the epicuticularwaxes from D. sanguinalis were mostly composed of alcohols, with 54.3% being 9,12-Octadecadien-1-ol. The main component of F arundinacea waxes was alkyl compounds,with 49.8% being olefin, 9-Tricosence. More long-chained esters were found in D.sanguinalis waxes, which were easier to be digested than those in F. arundinacea waxes byextreacellular esterases of the fungus. Epicuticular waxes play a role in varyingpathogenicity of C. eragrostidis on D. sanguinalis and F arundinacea. Full article