BIOREpository (Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade)
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Clinopodium L. Taxa from the Balkans-Are There Unique Leaf Micromorphological and Phytochemical Patterns?
No full textThe concept of the genus Clinopodium L. has changed considerably since its first description. Most of the currently accepted species of the genus have traditionally been treated as separate genera in the group Satureja sensu lato: Clinopodium L., Calamintha sensu Miller or Moench, and Acinos sensu Miller or Moench. This study aimed to gain a better insight into the species diversity of Clinopodium L. from the Balkans by analyzing the taxa that have traditionally been placed in separate genera. The alkane profile and the micromorphological characteristics of the leaves are analyzed. The leaves are visualized using scanning electron microscopy, and alkanes are isolated using n-hexane as a solvent and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The alkane profile showed the differentiation of the Acinos-group from the other taxa based on the dominant n-C31, while most of the other taxa contained n-C33 as the dominant alkane. The micromorphological features also showed clear differences between the previously recognized genera, especially in the capitate trichomes. The results showed that micromorphological patterns are highly variable in certain groups of the genus Clinopodium.M214.525113
Phenolic profile and antimicrobial activity of leaf extracts fromfive Artemisia species (Asteraceae)
No full textThis study aimed to analyse and evaluate the antimicrobial activity and pheno-lic compounds in the leaf extracts of five Artemisia species (A. alba, A. annua, A. campestris, A. pontica, and A. vulgaris), of which A. annua is of significant medical importance. Although many Artemisia plants are well known from ethnobotani-cal and phytochemical studies, the biological activity of Artemisia species against phytopathogenic strains is scarcely investigated. Therefore, the presence of pheno-lic compounds and the antimicrobial activity of dichloromethane-methanol (1:1) leaf extracts of five Artemisia species against phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria were analysed. The phenolic compounds were determined by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In total, 13 phenolic compounds and quinic acid were identified and quantified. Chlorogenic acid was the dominant compound in all the samples, while the second dominant compounds were rutin in the A. alba, A. campestris, and A. pontica extracts, vitexin in A. annua, and esculin in the A. vulgaris extracts. Antifungal activity was tested against 12 micromycetes a using mycelial growth assay and the microdilution method. Antibacterial activity was tested against 18 bacterial strains using the well diffusion and microdilution methods. In each test, the highest activity was shown for the extracts of different Artemisia species. The most sensitive micromycetes were Monillinia laxa, Penicil-lium citreonigrum, and Botrytis cinerea, while Fusarium graminearum B1 was the most resistant. The analysed extracts showed moderate antibacterial activity only against Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris compared with all the other tested phytopathogens. The study shows that the leaf extracts of certain Artemisia species contain phenolic compounds and showed moderate antimicrobial activity against some species of fungi and bacteria.M230.871648
Novel triphenyltin(iv) compounds with carboxylato N-functionalized 2-quinolones as promising potential anticancer drug candidates: in vitro and in vivo evaluation
No full textThree newly synthesized triphenyltin(IV) compounds, Ph3SnL1 (L1− = 3-(4-methyl-2-oxoquinolin-1(2H)-yl)propanoato), Ph3SnL2 (L2− = 2-(4-methyl-2-oxoquinolin-1(2H)-yl)ethanoato), and Ph3SnL3 (L3− = 2-(4-hydroxy-2-oxoquinolin-1(2H)-yl)ethanoato), were characterized by elemental microanalysis, FT-IR spectroscopy and multinuclear (1H, 13C and 119Sn) NMR spectroscopy. A single X-ray diffraction study indicates that compounds Ph3SnL1 and Ph3SnL2 exhibit a 1D zig-zag chain polymeric structure, which in the case of Ph3SnL2 is additionally stabilized by π-interactions. In addition, the synthesized compounds were further examined using density functional theory and natural bond orbital analysis. The compounds have been evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against three human cell lines: MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), A375 (melanoma), HCT116 (colorectal carcinoma), and three murine cell lines: 4T1 (breast carcinoma), B16 (melanoma), CT26 (colon carcinoma) using MTT and CV assays. The IC50 values fall in the nanomolar range, indicating that these compounds possess better anticancer activity than cisplatin. The study of the effect of the newly developed drug Ph3SnL1 showed its plasticity in achieving an antitumor effect in vitro, which depends on the specificity of the phenotype and the redox status of the malignant cell line and ranges from the initiation of apoptotic cell death to the induction of differentiation to a more mature cell form. In the syngeneic model of murine melanoma, Ph3SnL1 showed the potential to reduce the tumor volume similar to cisplatin, but in a well-tolerated form and with low systemic toxicity, representing a significant advantage over the conventional drug.M214.
Intrinsic ecto-5'-Nucleotidase/A1R Coupling may Confer Neuroprotection to the Cerebellum in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
No full textExperimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is widely used animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The disease is characterized by demyelination and neurodegeneration triggered by infiltrated autoimmune cells and their interaction with astrocytes and microglia. While neuroinflammation is most common in the spinal cord and brainstem, it is less prevalent in the cerebellum, where it predisposes to rapid disease progression. Because the induction and progression of EAE are tightly regulated by adenosinergic signaling, in the present study we compared the adenosine-producing and -degrading enzymes, ecto-5'-nucleotidase (eN/CD73) and adenosine deaminase (ADA), as well as the expression levels of adenosine receptors A1R and A2AR subtypes in nearby areas around the fourth cerebral ventricle-the pontine tegmentum, the choroid plexus (CP), and the cerebellum. Significant differences in histopathological findings were observed between pontine tegmentum and cerebellum on the same horizontal section level. Reactive astrogliosis and massive infiltration of CD4 + cells and macrophages in CP and pontine tegmentum resulted in local demyelination. In cerebellum, there was no evidence of infiltrates, microgliosis and neuroinflammation at the same sectional level. In addition, Bergman glia showed no signs of reactive gliosis. As for adenosinergic signaling, significant upregulation of eN/CD73 was observed in all areas studied, but in association with different adenosine receptor subtypes. In CP and pons, overexpression of eN/CD73 was coupled with induction of A2AR, whereas in cerebellum, a modest increase in eN/CD73 in resident Bergman glia was accompanied by a strong induction of A1R in the same type of astrocytes. Thus, the presence of specialized astroglia and intrinsic differences in adenosinergic signaling may play a critical role in the differential regional susceptibility to EAE inflammation.M215.
Sex‐specific consequences of host shift for morphology and fluctuating asymmetry in a seed beetle: an experimental evolution approach
No full textMorphological plasticity may be induced by altering host plants and commonly it is sex-specific in phytophagous insects. It is hypothesized that stress in insects caused by a host shift leads to morphological changes and developmental destabilization, which may be identified by fluctuating asymmetry. We performed reciprocal transplant experiments in eight replicated populations of the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) adapted to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae) as its ancestral host and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L., Fabaceae) as a suboptimal host. Using methods of geometric morphometrics we assessed the effects of the short- and long-term host shift on size and shape variation of beetles of both sexes. We also tested the hypothesis that fluctuating asymmetry is lower when the beetles develop within seeds of the ancestral host. Our results showed that females respond more plastically related to their body size and shape of the abdomen, particularly during a short-term host shift, suggesting that females have a greater importance in maintaining the population on a new host. The level of fluctuating asymmetry is lowest in males that have evolved for generations on bean indicating that they have the most canalized development, so we suggested that symmetry in A. obtectus is maintained by sexual selection. Even if the beetles are adapted to a suboptimal host over many generations, they stabilize their development after returning to the ancestral host. Our work indicates that host shifts may change morphological aspects of the beetles in a sex-specific manner and consequently influence their developmental trajectories.M212,
It's time for Africa – hidden diversity of the Aphidius colemani species group (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) south of the Sahara
No full textAphidius colemani is an important biological control agent, used in greenhouses and open fields against aphid pests. Despite this economical importance, A. colemani, along with A. transcaspicus and A. platensis, has gone through a complex taxonomical history. The three species have only recently gained status as separate species again, comprising the morphologically defined Aphidius colemani species group. Other than sporadic records probably as a consequence of escape from greenhouses, the A. colemani species group members prefer warmer regions and there are numerous records from South America, Southern Europe and Asia. Based on slide-mounted material collected in the period 1964–2001 in Africa, we describe five new species belonging to this group, and report A. colemani, A. transcaspicus and A. platensis from several African countries. This data opens questions about the origin of the group and presents potential for the diversification of biological control agents against aphid pests.M221.911
Regional-specific effects of subchronic intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on expression levels of c-Fos
No full textM3
Transgenerational Sub-Lethal Pyrethroid Exposure Affects Shape Variation and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Seed Beetles
No full textOne method of crop protection is the application of a widely used group of pesticides—pyrethroids. As xenobiotics, sub-lethal doses of insecticides cause stress in pests, resulting in a change in the shape and size of their organs or bodies. The stress caused by pesticides may lead to acute destabilization of development, but also to transgenerational canalization through the process of genetic assimilation. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), small random deviations between the right and left sides of bilaterally symmetrical traits, is an outcome of developmental instability and is a measurable indicator of phenotypic response to stress. We exposed four populations of the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus to sub-lethal doses of cypermethrin for ten generations in a laboratory evolution experiment. Using geometric morphometrics, we analyzed size and shape changes and the level of fluctuating asymmetry in untreated beetles and in samples from the fifth and tenth generation. Exposure over ten generations led to an increase in the body size of the beetles, shortening of their pronotum and elongation of their thorax and abdomen. After ten generations of exposure to cypermethrin, FA levels decreased, indicating a canalization of development. This study provides new insights into the phenotypic markers of environmental pollution from agricultural activities.M222,399516
The morphology of the pygidial glands and the chemical composition of their secretions of four sphodrine ground beetle species (Carabidae: Platyninae)
No full textGround beetles possess a pair of pygidial glands that produce and release secretions that play an important role in defense against predators. The morphology of these glands and the chemical composition of their products were studied in four species of the tribe Sphodrini: Calathus (Calathus) fuscipes (Goeze, 1777), C. (Neocalathus) cinctus Motschulsky, 1850, C. (N.) melanocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Laemostenus (Antisphodrus) elongatus (Dejean, 1828). The morphological analyzes of the glands of the four taxa mentioned were carried out for the first time using bright-field and nonlinear microscopy. All morphological structures were precisely measured and photographed. The pygidial gland secretions of C. (C.) fuscipes and L. (A.) elongatus were analyzed for the first time using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 30 compounds were detected from the extracts of pygidial gland secretions of the four Sphodrini species studied. The simplest chemical mixture was found in L. (A.) elongatus, while the most complex secretion was that of C. (C.) fuscipes. 1-Undecanol, which we were able to detect in all taxa examined here, and dodecyl butyrate, which was detected in the three Calathus species, have never before been detected in the secretions of ground beetles.M212.310468515
Differential responses of bell pepper genotypes to indigenous Pseudomonas putida A32 treatment: implications for drought resilience
No full textThis study aimed to evaluate the potential of endophytic plant growth-promoting bacterium (PGPB), Pseudomonas putida A32, to mitigate drought stress in two bell pepper genotypes, Amfora 19 and Amfora 26, and to assess the genotype-specific responses to bacterial treatment.M224.0135