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Applications of Blocker Nucleic Acids and Non-Metazoan PCR Improves the Discovery of the Eukaryotic Microbiome in Ticks. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9051051. [PMID: 34068298 PMCID: PMC8153336 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9051051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks serve as important vectors of a variety of pathogens. Recently, the viral and prokaryotic microbiomes in ticks have been explored using next-generation sequencing to understand the physiology of ticks and their interactions with pathogens. However, analyses of eukaryotic communities in ticks are limited, owing to the lack of suitable methods. In this study, we developed new methods to selectively amplify microeukaryote genes in tick-derived DNA by blocking the amplification of the 18S rRNA gene of ticks using artificial nucleic acids: peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and locked nucleic acids (LNAs). In addition, another PCR using non-metazoan primers, referred to as UNonMet-PCR, was performed for comparison. We performed each PCR using tick-derived DNA and sequenced the amplicons using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Almost all sequences obtained by conventional PCR were derived from ticks, whereas the proportion of microeukaryotic reads and alpha diversity increased upon using the newly developed method. Additionally, the PNA- or LNA-based methods were suitable for paneukaryotic analyses, whereas the UNonMet-PCR method was particularly sensitive to fungi. The newly described methods enable analyses of the eukaryotic microbiome in ticks. We expect the application of these methods to improve our understanding of the tick microbiome.
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Mandi M, Khatun S, Rajak P, Mazumdar A, Roy S. Potential risk of organophosphate exposure in male reproductive system of a non-target insect model Drosophila melanogaster. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2020; 74:103308. [PMID: 31816565 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.103308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Based on several adverse reports of pesticides on reproductive efficiency of various organisms, studies on "reproductive toxicity" have gained importance. Fecundity, reflecting reproductive success of any organism, is governed by several factors from female and male reproductive systems. This present study explored morphological and biochemical alterations in the male reproductive system of a non-target model organism, Drosophila melanogaster following chronic sub-lethal exposure (1st instar larvae differentially exposed to 1-6 μg/mL until adulthood) to the organophosphate (OP) pesticide, acephate (chronic LC50 8.71 μg/mL). This study demonstrates altered testis structure, decreased germ cell viability and gross body weight, increased activities of oxidative stress marker lipid peroxidase (LPO), and the endogenous antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT)in addition with altered expression of reproductive marker proteins like vitellogenin and mitoferrin in acephate-exposed flies when compared to control counterparts. Altered reproductive behavior, indicated by a significant decline in the number of mating pairs, validates the adverse effect of chronic acephate exposure on male reproduction in the non-target insect model D. melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moutushi Mandi
- Toxicology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Salma Khatun
- Toxicology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Prem Rajak
- Department of Animal Science, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol, West Bengal, India
| | - Abhijit Mazumdar
- Entomology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Sumedha Roy
- Toxicology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
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Sepčić K, Sabotič J, A. Ohm R, Drobne D, Jemec Kokalj A. First evidence of cholinesterase-like activity in Basidiomycota. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216077. [PMID: 31039204 PMCID: PMC6490906 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinesterases (ChE), the enzymes whose primary function is the hydrolysis of choline esters, are widely expressed throughout the nature. Although they have already been found in plants and microorganisms, including ascomycete fungi, this study is the first report of ChE-like activity in fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota. This activity was detected in almost a quarter of the 45 tested aqueous fungal extracts. The ability of these extracts to hydrolyse acetylthiocholine was about ten times stronger than the hydrolytic activity towards butyrylthiocholine and propionylthiocholine. In-gel detection of ChE-like activity with acetylthiocholine indicated a great variability in the characteristics of these enzymes which are not characterized as vertebrate-like based on (i) differences in inhibition by excess substrate, (ii) susceptibility to different vertebrate acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors, and (iii) a lack of orthologs using phylogenetic analysis. Limited inhibition by single inhibitors and multiple activity bands using in-gel detection indicate the presence of several ChE-like enzymes in these aqueous extracts. We also observed inhibitory activity of the same aqueous mushroom extracts against insect acetylcholinesterase in 10 of the 45 samples tested; activity was independent of the presence of ChE-like activity in extracts. Both ChE-like activities with different substrates and the ability of extracts to inhibit insect acetylcholinesterase were not restricted to any fungal family but were rather present across all included Basidiomycota families. This study can serve as a platform for further research regarding ChE activity in mushrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Sepčić
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jerica Sabotič
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Robin A. Ohm
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anita Jemec Kokalj
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- * E-mail:
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Amaroli A, Gallus L, Ferrando S. Permethrin drastically affects the developmental cycle of the non-target slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 193:1-7. [PMID: 29121537 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.10.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The use of pyrethroids has increased throughout the world over the past few decades, as organophosphate, carbamate and organochlorine insecticides are being phased out. Permethrin is widely used in the USA for crops treatment, at concentrations around 750 × 103 μg/L. In our study 3.6 μg/L permethrin decreases the fission-rate and the fruiting bodies formation of slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum. Whereas 3.6 × 104 μg/L kills the 100% of amoebae, showing a 24 h-LC50 = 96.6 μg/L. This concentration induces an increase in the pseudocholinesterase activity as well as in both butyrylcholinesterase and heat-shock-protein 70 presence. Our results highlight the high sensitivity of Dictyostelium to permethrin, at concentration of about 105 lesser than what used for agricultural pest control. If we match our results on 6 days of exposure, with the permethrin relatively slow permanence (30 days) in the aerobic soil, as well as the higher effect of permethrin than organophosphate, carbamate and organochlorine pesticides on D. discoideum, the damage on the dictyostelids community, by use of permethrin, is clear. Our data suggest that, if the sustainable agriculture implementation is a topic of the modern "industrial" farming, the permethrin cannot represent a reliable alternative to organochlorine, organophosphate or carbamate pesticides, in implementing Integrated Pest Management programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Amaroli
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic, University of Genoa, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy; Laboratory of Protistology, Department of Earth Science, Environment and Life, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Gallus
- Laboratory of New Model Organism (NeMo LAB), Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Ferrando
- Laboratory of New Model Organism (NeMo LAB), Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
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Rajak P, Dutta M, Khatun S, Mandi M, Roy S. Exploring hazards of acute exposure of Acephate in Drosophila melanogaster and search for l-ascorbic acid mediated defense in it. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2017; 321:690-702. [PMID: 27701059 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This study reveals protective role of l-ascorbic acid (25, 50 and 100μg/mL) against toxic impacts of acute sub-lethal exposure of Acephate (5μg/mL) in a non-target organism Drosophila melanogaster. Organismal effect was evident from increased impairment in climbing activities (9 folds) of treated individuals who also manifested altered ocular architecture. These anomalies were reduced with l-ascorbic acid (l-AA) supplementation. Acephate induced apoptotic lesions in eye imaginal discs and gut confirmed tissue damage that also reduced with l-AA co-treatment. Reduction in viability of fat body cells (∼41%), neural cells (∼42%) and hemocytes (3 folds) indicates cytotoxic and immunotoxic potential of Acephate, which were significantly mitigated with l-AA co-administration. The sub-cellular toxic impacts of Acephate treatment became obvious from enhancement in activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT by ∼1.63 folds, SOD by ∼1.32 folds), detoxifying enzymes (Cyp450 by ∼1.99 folds and GST by ∼1.34 folds), 2.1 times boost in HSP 70 expression, and inhibition of cholinesterase activity (by ∼0.66 folds). DNA breaks evident through comet assay confirmed Acephate triggered genotoxicity which could also be prevented through co-administration of. L-AA Furthermore, the study proposes the use of Drosophila as a model to screen chemicals for their protective potential against pesticide toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem Rajak
- Post Graduate Department of Zoology, ABN Seal College, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India
| | - Moumita Dutta
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Salma Khatun
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Moutushi Mandi
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Sumedha Roy
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
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Stress and Protists: No life without stress. Eur J Protistol 2016; 55:39-49. [PMID: 27365178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We report a summary of the symposium "Stress and Protists: No life without stress", which was held in September 2015 on the VII European Congress of Protistology in partnership with the International Society of Protistologists (Seville, Spain). We present an overview on general comments and concepts on cellular stress which can be also applied to any protist. Generally, various environmental stressors may induce similar cell responses in very different protists. Two main topics are reported in this manuscript: (i) metallic nanoparticles as environmental pollutants and stressors for aquatic protists, and (ii) ultraviolet radiation - induced stress and photoprotective strategies in ciliates. Model protists such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Tetrahymena thermophila were used to assess stress caused by nanoparticles while stress caused by ultraviolet radiation was tested with free living planktonic ciliates as well as with the symbiont-bearing model ciliate Paramecium bursaria. For future studies, we suggest more intensive analyses on protist stress responses to specific environmental abiotic and/or biotic stressors at molecular and genetic levels up to ecological consequences and food web dynamics.
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Amaroli A. The Effects of Temperature Variation on the Sensitivity to Pesticides: a Study on the Slime Mould Dictyostelium discoideum (Protozoa). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 70:244-254. [PMID: 25515424 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0541-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Slime moulds live in agricultural ecosystems, where they play an important role in the soil fertilization and in the battle against crop pathogens. In an agricultural soil, the amoebae are exposed to different stress factors such as pesticides and weather conditions. The use of pesticides increased up from 0.49 kg per hectare in 1961 to 2 kg in 2004, and the global greenhouse gas emission has grown 70% between 1970 and 2004 leading to a global fluctuation of average surface temperature. Therefore, the European Directive 2009/128/EC has led to a new approach to agriculture, with the transition from an old concept based on high use of pesticides and fossil fuels to an agriculture aware of biodiversity and health issues. We studied the effects of temperature variations and pesticides on Dictyostelium discoideum. We measured the fission rate, the ability to differentiate and the markers of stress such as the activity and presence of pseudocholinesterase and the presence of heat shock protein 70. Our results highlight how the sensitivity to zinc, aluminium, silver, copper, cadmium, mercury, diazinon and dicofol changes for a 2 °C variation from nothing/low to critical. Our work suggests considering, in future regulations, about the use of pesticides as their toxic effect on non-target organisms is strongly influenced by climate temperatures. In addition, there is a need for a new consideration of the protozoa, which takes into account recent researches about the presence in this microorganism of classical neurotransmitters that, similar to those in animals, make protozoa an innocent target of neurotoxic pesticides in the battle against the pest crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Amaroli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy,
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Trielli F, Amaroli A, Sifredi F, Marchi B, Falugi C, Corrado MUD. Effects of xenobiotic compounds on the cell activities of Euplotes crassus, a single-cell eukaryotic test organism for the study of the pollution of marine sediments. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2007; 83:272-83. [PMID: 17582519 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2007.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2006] [Revised: 05/04/2007] [Accepted: 05/05/2007] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
It is now widely accepted that assays with protists are relevant to be exploited for the study of environmental modifications due to the presence of xenobiotic compounds. In this work, the possibility of utilizing Euplotes crassus, an interstitial marine ciliate, for the pre-chemical screening of estuarine and coastal sediments was evaluated. For this purpose, the effects of exposure to pollutants were tested on the cell viability, fission rate and lysosomal membrane stability of E. crassus. The following toxicants were used: an organophosphate (OP) pesticide, basudin, an organochlorine hydrocarbon, AFD25, both employed especially for pest control in agricultural sites, a toxic heavy metal, mercury (HgCl2) and different mixtures of the above-mentioned compounds, as they might occur in polluted sites. Exposure to these toxicants affected cell viability at concentrations ranging from 96.6 to 966 x 10(3)mg/l for basudin, from 3.3 to 33 x 10(3)mg/l for AFD25 and from 0.1 to 1mg/l for HgCl2. A significant decrease in the mean fission rate (P<0.001) was found after 24- or 48-h exposures to 9.66 mg/l basudin, 3.3 mg/l AFD25 and 7 x 10(-2)mg/l HgCl2. Furthermore, the Neutral Red Retention Assay showed a significant decrease in lysosomal membrane stability after 60- and 120-min exposures to AFD25 (33 mg/l) and HgCl2 (0.33 mg/l). In addition, as it is well-known that the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity represents a specific biomarker of exposure to OP and carbamate pesticides in higher organisms, initially the presence of cholinesterase (ChE) activity was detected in E. crassus, using cytochemical, spectrophotometric and electrophoretic methods. Afterwards, this enzyme activity was characterized spectrophotometrically by its sensitivity to specific ChE inhibitors and to variations in pH and temperature. The ChE activity was inhibited significantly by basudin- (9.66 and 96.6 mg/l) or AFD25-exposure (3.3 mg/l). Conversely, exposure to AFD25 (33 mg/l) or HgCl2 (0.1 and 0.3mg/l) caused a significant increase in this enzyme activity. Moreover, exposure to mixtures containing basudin, AFD25 and HgCl2 was found to affect the cell viability, the mean fission rate and the ChE activity differently, in an unpredictable manner. Our results indicate that E. crassus seems to be a suitable test organism to evaluate the toxicity of marine sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Trielli
- Dipartimento per lo Studio del Territorio e delle sue Risorse, University of Genoa Corso Europa, 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy
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