BIOREpository (Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade)
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Impact of arsenic on mouse ovaries over three generations
No full textThis study aimed to measure the total arsenic content deposited in the ovaries of three consecutive generations of mice. The animals were treated with two different concentrations to determine whether histological changes were caused in the ovaries. The control group of mice received tap water, whereas the experimental groups were given different concentrations of dissolved arsenic (III)-oxide. The arsenic content in the ovaries in both experimental groups increased with each generation. The highest content was recorded in the third generation of the second experimental group. Between the two experimental groups in each generation, significant differences in the average number of corpora lutea and ovarian follicles were identified. Arsenic caused structural changes in the ovaries in both experimental groups in all three consecutive generations.M230.6607074
SNP-based analysis of European Thymallus spp. (Salmonidae) reveals extensive mito-nuclear discordance relevant for biogeographic inferences, taxonomy and conservation
No full textAim: Paleohydrological dynamics are well-documented for European river systems, promoting shifting phases of isolation and connectivity of their aquatic fauna. These conditions coupled with high rates of hybridisation found in freshwater fishes may introduce considerable complexity and potential mito-nuclear discordance of phylogenetic patterns. We evaluate this hypothesis using the first large-scale analysis of nuclear SNPs in European species of grayling (Thymallus) compared to mtDNA data with the aim of reassessing the evolutionary history of this group of rheophilic fishes. Location: Freshwater systems in Europe. Methods: Based on mitochondrial (mitogenomes, control region) and nuclear (ddRADseq) data, we applied population-genetic, phylogenetic, and biogeographic tools to evaluate lineage diversity in the context of paleohydrological alterations. Results: The results corroborated previously recognised high levels of lineage diversity, but revealed several cases of mito-nuclear discordance and signals of both historical (natural) and human-mediated introgression among major inter- and intraspecific lineages of Thymallus in Europe. A time-calibrated phylogeny and ancestral area estimation, based on nuclear SNP data, supported a late Pliocene diversification of the genus in Europe and suggested an early colonisation of the Black Sea basin with subsequent dispersal into Central and Western Europe. Main Conclusions: The genetic structure of Thymallus in Europe recovered by nuclear SNPs contrasts considerably with that supported by mtDNA. Several instances of mito-nuclear discordance underscore frequent contact of allopatric lineages in a dynamic paleohydrological landscape and reveal the weakness of basing both taxonomic and conservation decisions on inferences based on mtDNA alone. The Danube and Rhine drainages were inferred as important zones of contact between divergent phylogeographic lineages. Additionally, our data cast doubt on the genetic integrity of the endangered T. aeliani. Its divergence from T. thymallus, using nuclear SNPs, appears minimal as samples of T. aeliani group within Danubian lineages, despite carrying highly divergent reciprocally monophyletic mtDNA.M214.630
A new perspective on the molecular dating of the stone crayfish with an extended phylogeographic information on the species
No full textReconstructing the origin and historical biogeography of the Austropotamobius torrentium is hampered by insufficient phylogeographic coverage of the Balkans and deep contradictions in previous molecular dating. The present work extends the phylogeographic coverage to Serbia, a country crucial for understanding the species southward dispersal. Our analysis revealed that the Southern Balkans lineage occurs in most of the country, the Central and southeastern Europe lineage is restricted to the southwest and northeast of the country, while a single population in the north of the country harbors the Lika and Dalmatia lineage, which was previously thought to be restricted to the northern-central Dinarides. Dataset expansion led to revised phylogenetic relationships, which indicated that the Apuseni lineage is not nested within Northern-central Dinarides lineages but arose after the most basal split within Austropotamobius torrentium. This ‘Apuseni first’ phylogeny provides a new perspective for molecular dating, according to which the split between Austropotamobius pallipes and A. torrentium took place in the Late Oligocene, while the formation of the phyletic lineages and the dispersal from the Dinarides to Serbia occurred in the late Miocene and is probably associated with the complex and protracted process of disintegration of the Neogene freshwater lakes in southeastern Europe.M212.
Checklist of freshwater red algae (Rhodophyta) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
No full textThe paper provides an overview of all freshwater red algae species recorded to date in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based on fieldwork and analysis of all available previously published data, it was determined that a total of 15 taxa from eight genera have been recorded to date: Bangia (1), Audoinella (3), Batrachospermum (2), Peludicola (1), Shaethia (1), Lemanea (4), Paralemanea (2) and Hildenbrandia (1). All taxa were found in clear, cold, well-oxygenated water. Bosnia and Herzegovina is very rich in different types of aquatic habitats. More than 100 sites were visited during the field research, but there are still many potential habitats where freshwater red algae can be found, which will be explored in the coming years. This work is the first step toward establishing long-term monitoring and listing of protected and threatened red algae in Bosnia and Herzegovina.M230.953
Flaxseed Oil Alleviates Trimethyltin-Induced Cell Injury and Inhibits the Pro-Inflammatory Activation of Astrocytes in the Hippocampus of Female Rats
No full textExposure to the neurotoxin trimethyltin (TMT) selectively induces hippocampal neuronal injury and astrocyte activation accompanied with resultant neuroinflammation, which causes severe behavioral, cognitive, and memory impairment. A large body of evidence suggests that flaxseed oil (FSO), as one of the richest sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids, i.e., α-linolenic acids (ALA), displays neuroprotective properties. Here, we report the preventive effects of dietary FSO treatment in a rat model of TMT intoxication. The administration of FSO (1 mL/kg, orally) before and over the course of TMT intoxication (a single dose, 8 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced hippocampal cell death, prevented the activation of astrocytes, and inhibited their polarization toward a pro-inflammatory/neurotoxic phenotype. The underlying protective mechanism was delineated through the selective upregulation of BDNF and PI3K/Akt and the suppression of ERK activation in the hippocampus. Pretreatment with FSO reduced cell death and efficiently suppressed the expression of inflammatory molecules. These beneficial effects were accompanied by an increased intrahippocampal content of n-3 fatty acids. In vitro, ALA pretreatment prevented the TMT-induced polarization of cultured astrocytes towards the pro-inflammatory spectrum. Together, these findings support the beneficial neuroprotective properties of FSO/ALA against TMT-induced neurodegeneration and accompanied inflammation and hint at a promising preventive use of FSO in hippocampal degeneration and dysfunction.M225.11184131
Application of the Knife-Edge Technique on Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers for Resolution Assessment of Nonlinear Microscopy Modalities
No full textWe report application of the knife-edge technique at the sharp edges of WS2 and MoS2 monolayer flakes for lateral and axial resolution assessment in all three modalities of nonlinear laser scanning microscopy: two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF), second- and third-harmonic generation (SHG, THG) imaging. This technique provides a high signal-to-noise ratio, no photobleaching effect and shows good agreement with standard resolution measurement techniques. Furthermore, we assessed both the lateral resolution in TPEF imaging modality and the axial resolution in SHG and THG imaging modality directly via the full-width at half maximum parameter of the corresponding Gaussian distribution. We comprehensively analyzed the factors influencing the resolution, such as the numerical aperture, the excitation wavelength and the refractive index of the embedding medium for the different imaging modalities. Glycerin was identified as the optimal embedding medium for achieving resolutions closest to the theoretical limit. The proposed use of WS2 and MoS2 monolayer flakes emerged as promising tools for characterization of nonlinear imaging systems.M212.
Freshwater ecosystems - an underexplored reservoir of zoonotic parasites
No full textFreshwater ecosystems are understudied reservoirs of zoonotic parasites. Previously, Pelophylax esculentus complex frogs were revealed to be carriers of a dematiaceous hyphomycete - Fonsecaea sp., the causative agent of chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis, neglected diseases in humans, and a rare basidiomycete - Quambalaria cyanescens, an opportunistic pathogen. To gain insight into the role of freshwater ecosystems in the transmission of zoonotic parasites to terrestrial hosts, copepods and branchiopods and surface water from the Sava and Danube rivers and the floodplains around Belgrade were sampled and screened for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii and Giardia spp. gDNA by PCR. Surface water (10 L) was concentrated by filtration through a 1.2 μm polycarbonate filter. Crustaceans were collected using nets. Total DNA was extracted from the water pellet and crustaceans using Trizol reagent and the 529bp RE and β-giardin were amplified using specific primers. T. gondii was detected in 6/8 freshwater samples, and in 1/4 crustacean samples (Cyclops sp.). Giardia spp. gDNA was not detected. All samples originated from freshwater ecosystems from areas which are heavily used for commercial and recreational purposes around Belgrade and are habitats for wildlife, thus providing opportunities for parasite exchange. Surface water in some areas is contaminated with T. gondii oocysts while copepods may be an underappreciated link in their transmission. As frogs carry pathogenic fungi, they could be important as vectors for zoonotic parasites due to their biphasic life cycle, and an investigation of frogs in the transmission of Spirometra spp. is underway.M3470
Interpopulation morphological differences in Glomeris hexasticha Brandt, 1833 (Diplopoda: Glomerida: Glomeridae)
No full textAbstracts of the 52nd EEMGS meeting. Arh. Hig. Rada Toksikol. 2024, 75 (Suppl. 1), p. 193.M3
Analysis of variations in anthocyanin concentration between blackberry species
No full textBook of abstracts 157M3
