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2º Informe sobre caracterización de sedimentos: Mejora de la playa de postiguet en Alicante. TM de Alicante
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Global dissemination of npmA mediated pan-aminoglycoside resistance via a mobile genetic element in Gram-positive bacteria
No full text13 páginas, 5 figurasThe npmA gene, encoding a 16S rRNA methyltransferase, confers resistance to all clinically available aminoglycosides, posing a significant threat to effective antibiotic therapy. We analyze 1,932,812 bacterial genomes to investigate the distribution and mobilization of npmA variants. npmA is not found in Gram-negative bacteria, where it was originally described, but is identified among Gram-positive bacteria, predominantly as the npmA2 variant in the globally distributed Clostridioides difficile ST11 lineage. We also detect npmA2 in two vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates from a Dutch hospital. Upon sequencing and phenotypic analysis, we determine that E. faecium isolates are pan-resistant to aminoglycosides. Genomic characterization links npmA2 to a composite transposon, Tn7734, which is integrated within a previously uncharacterized Integrative and Conjugative Element (ICE) Tn7740, present in both npmA2-carrying C. difficile and E. faecium clinical isolates. Tn7740-like, but not npmA2, appears across diverse taxa, including human microbiome members. Here, we show that Tn7740 likely facilitates cross-species npmA2 mobilization between these Gram-positive bacteria and emphasize the risk of mobile genetic elements transferring pan-aminoglycoside resistance between clinically important bacterial pathogens.This research was funded by the project BIOTEGANIA (PLEC2023-010275), financed by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, interpretation of results, or the decision to submit the work for publication.Peer reviewe
Spatio-temporal patterns of defoliation in agro-forestry Quercus ilex L. systems
No full textAgroforestry systems such as holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) dehesas face increased vulnerability due to the abandonment of sustainable practices, extreme droughts, and emerging pathogens. Despite the adaptability of Q. ilex to adverse conditions, signs of deterioration such as defoliation, reduced growth, and increased mortality have been observed in recent years. However, few national-wide studies have quantified the spatial and temporal components of defoliation in Q. ilex dehesas. This study aims to evaluate the spatio-temporal dynamics of defoliation in Q. ilex dehesa systems distributed across western Spain. Furthermore, we aim to study the potential effects of climate and site conditions on defoliation in Q. ilex stands. Defoliation was analysed over a 31-year period (1987–2018) in 254 monitoring plots, examining correlations with site variables (elevation, latitude, slope, orientation, soil texture, nitrogen, and carbon) and climate factors (temperature, precipitation). Average defoliation ranged from 17.9% to 21.5%, with northern Q. ilex dehesas in cooler, wetter regions exhibiting less defoliation than southern populations in harsher environments. Between 1987 and 1998, defoliation increased markedly across the region, especially in the northern dehesas of the study area (up to an 88% rise), compared to a 40–50% increase at more favourable sites. Defoliation was negatively correlated with soil nitrogen content, latitude, and elevation, and positively correlated with clay content and average annual temperature. Therefore, the forecasted harsher climatic conditions may contribute to increased defoliation of entire populations of Q. ilex growing in dehesas. This could threaten the persistence of these agroforestry systems and the ecosystem services provided by them, especially in the southern populations.This work was funded by the project MITECO2023-AF. 20234TE004: "Scientific Foundations for Forest Information Based on the National Forest Inventory". Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.Peer reviewe
Regulatory landscape for plant genetic resources: germplasm conservation and plant variety rights in the berry sector in Europe
No full textGenetic resources (GenRes), as defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), include any genetic material with actual or potential value. The management of GenRes involves a complex international regulatory framework that governs their identification, recovery, characterization, conservation, intellectual property (IP) protection, and utilization. This intricate system, overseen by multiple international organizations, impacts the collection of new materials from the wild, the research conducted on these resources, and the manner in which research findings are shared with the countries of origin. Plant genetic resources (PGR) are critical to developing new crop cultivars by preserving traits that might have been lost during domestication. For health and nutritional security, effective conservation and judicious use of these materials are vital. Additionally, their use in breeding programs often leads to the creation of commercial cultivars, which must be registered under plant variety rights in Europe or similar protections worldwide. This review examines the regulatory landscape guiding the conservation and use of PGR, focusing on how various regulations interact to affect the conservation, exchange, protection, and commercialization of germplasm. Using the rapidly expanding berry sector as a case study, we analyse berry conservation efforts in Europe and trends in the release of commercial cultivars, covering blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries, and recognizing contributions from both public and private breeding programs within and beyond the European Union (EU). This analysis seeks to promote effective conservation and sustainable use of GenRes, enhancing their contribution to agricultural innovation and biodiversity preservation.This work was supported by the European Union’s H2020 research and innovation programme
(BreedingValue project, Grant Agreement No 101000747)Peer reviewe
Influence of food sources and trace elements in the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from white stork nestlings (Ciconia ciconia)
No full textForaging in landfills enhances the probability of acquiring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wildlife and increases exposure to pollutants like metal(loid)s, pharmaceuticals and caffeine. Exposure to metal(loid)s in the environment may cause selective pressure on bacteria, inducing metal resistance genes that drive antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) through co-resistance and cross-resistance mechanisms. Hence, white storks fed in landfills could increase AMR acquisition through the combined effect of urban-waste and pollutants. Using a novel approach combining stable isotopes, trace elements and microbiological analysis, our study investigates the influence of the degree of anthropization of the diet and the presence of metal(loid)s in the occurrence of AMR/ARGs in E. coli in nestlings. Cloacal swabs, blood samples, and contour feathers were collected from 86 white stork nestlings from five breeding colonies. ARGs in E. coli were previously studied in cloacal swabs. Plasma was analysed for veterinary pharmaceuticals and caffeine and feathers for carbon/nitrogen isotope ratios and concentrations of metals and arsenic. Isotopic signature classified nestlings into natural or urban-waste diet, relating Al/Ni/Co/Cr/Pb and caffeine to urban-waste diet, while As/Hg/Cu/Zn were more related to natural diet. No pharmaceuticals were detected in the plasma of nestlings. The probability of acquisition of AMR and some ARGs (those conferring resistance to phenicols, tetracyclines and ampicillin) was higher in nestlings fed with urban-waste diet, but no effect of metal(loid) pollution was observed. This shows AMR in wildlife can occur even without direct contact with antibiotics, highlighting the complexity and challenges of addressing the threat of bacterial resistance in the environment.This work was financed by project SBPLY/19/180501/000325 of the regional government of Castilla – La Mancha by the European Union's funds for regional development (FEDER).Peer reviewe
Inter-sexual phenotypic divergence is correlated with habitat structure in an invasive lizard
No full textThe success of invasive species is largely dependent on their ability to adapt to new environmental contexts. In dioecious species, adaptive responses can differ between males and females because of variation in the influence of sexual selection and/or the potential for inter-sexual niche differentiation. In invasive species, these effects may be augmented by ecological release, under which the constraints imposed by inter-specific competition on intra-specific niche divergence are shed. Differences in invaded environments, or between invaded and native environments, could therefore lead to different degrees of sexual dimorphism, which could influence intra-specific competition and invasive success. In this study, we investigate the potential for sexual divergence in adaptive change in invasive populations of the Green Anole, Anolis carolinensis, in the Ogasawara Islands, an oceanic archipelago in Japan. We find that limb length is correlated with variation in habitat structure across the islands in male lizards, but not in female lizards. We suggest that the resulting variation in sexual dimorphism is driven by exploitation of the available niche space, with male habitat use diverging further from that of females where local conditions allow. These findings represent evidence that community-level patterns observed among other anole species are mirrored by local, intra-specific patterns in this population, and add to growing evidence of the importance of ecological drivers of sexual dimorphism.This project was funded by National Geographic Explorer grant NGS-KOR-63712R-19 to Adam L Cronin et al, JSPS Kakenhi 20F20379 to Marta Quitián and Adam L Cronin, Sasagawa grant 2022-5032 to Maki Morooka, and Tokyo Metropolitan University.Peer reviewe
Manual filosófico de supervivencia ¿Cómo ser virtuoso, feliz y poderoso en el mundo de hoy?
No full text¿Te sientes solo, perdido, agotado, deprimido, atrapado? Si es así, tu problema es, en buena medida, filosófico. Cuando enfrentamos los complejos desafíos personales a los que nos somete el mundo contemporáneo, las preguntas existenciales de todo tipo nos asaltan. Nos planteamos de manera constante cómo podemos ser felices y a la vez exitosos. Este interrogante trae consigo algunos otros incluso más difíciles de resolver, como si es más conveniente planificar el futuro de acuerdo con nuestros propios intereses individuales o hemos de hacerlo pensando en el bien de los otros; o si es mejor centrar nuestra atención en la familia, los amigos o el trabajo. Al final, todos tratamos de descifrar las claves de nuestra identidad personal y de nuestra dicha, lo que nos lleva a cuestionarnos si hacemos bien en vivir buscando el placer o si es más inteligente enfocarnos en ser buenos, solidarios o prestigiosos. Pues bien, estas incógnitas tan habituales son, como he adelantado, preguntas filosóficas. El libro que tienes entre tus manos propone respuestas abiertas a las mismas desde los postulados de tres grandes corrientes: el aristotelismo, el estoicismo y el maquiavelismo. Todas ellas te entregarán herramientas muy útiles para triunfar en tu vida personal y profesional. Los capítulos no solo explican las ideas de los autores, sino que tratan de comprender su incidencia en nuestra actualidad a través del cine, del arte, de la historia, de la literatura, de la sociología y del comentario de ejemplos cotidianos. Descubre cómo te puede ayudar la filosofía a mejorarte a ti mismo y a aquellos que te rodean. Entrena tu pensamiento para destacar en el arte de la su-pervivencia, no entendida aquí como la mera perpetuación de tu ser biológico, sino como una estrategia para gozar de la existencia en grado sumo.Peer reviewe
Genetic diversity and conservation of the Madeira Island (Portugal) endemic Geranium maderense Yeo (Geraniaceae)
No full textGeranium maderense is a perennial, monocarpic herb, up to 200 cm tall, producing very showy inflorescences, very rare in the wild, although cultivated throughout the world as an ornamental plant. G. maderense is protected under the EC habitats directive (Annex *B-II, IV) and Bern Convention (Annex I) only found, so far, in two cliff-associated sites, and classified as a Critically Endangered species (IUCN). Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV; drone) technology, two new populations were detected, and a new distribution map is presented. Inter-simple sequence repeat markers were used to detect genetic diversity in natural populations and garden grown plants. Genetic diversity estimates revealed retention of genetic variation and weak genetic structure in G. maderense populations. Cluster and principal component analyses formed coherent groups, indicating that genetic diversity in the studied wild populations of G. maderense is heterogeneously distributed. Our results provide crucial information for the preservation of natural populations of G. maderense, and allow for the revaluation, following IUCN criteria as Endangered (EN).This work was funded by: National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the project UIDB/50027/2020 and MACFLOR2 (MAC2/4.6d/386) Project under the Programme INTERREG MAC 2014-2020. Drone surveys supported by Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund - project #222530567.Peer reviewe
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Common Bean Roots: Agricultural Impact and Environmental Influence
No full text19 pages, 2 figures, 5 tablesThis article belongs to the Section Agricultural Systems and ManagementAlthough many plant families are predominantly mycorrhizal, few symbiotic relationships between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been thoroughly studied. Mycorrhized plants tend to exhibit greater tolerance to soil-borne pathogens and enhanced plant defence. Legumes, including common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), are essential sources of protein globally. To improve common bean productivity, identifying efficient native microsymbionts is crucial. This study aimed to identify native AMF associated with common bean roots that could act as biostimulants and protect against soil diseases under varying environmental conditions. Agronomic trials were conducted at MBG-CSIC (Pontevedra, Spain) in 2021 and 2022, testing combinations of nitrogen fertilization, Burkholderia alba, Trichoderma harzianum, and a control. Traits such as nodulation, biomass, plant vigor, disease severity, nutrient content, and yield were evaluated. Four AMF species across three genera were identified. No consistent pattern was observed in AMF influence on agronomic traits. However, reduced mycorrhization in 2022 was associated with decreased nodulation, likely due to higher temperatures. Surprisingly, yields were higher in 2022 despite lower colonization. These findings suggest that intelligent use of AMF could reduce pesticide use, enhance sustainability, and promote healthier food systems. Continued research and conservation efforts are essential to optimize their benefits in legume production.This research was funded by the Government of Spain, project PID2021-124007OB-I00, National R&D Plan—Knowledge Generation Projects and the IN607A2021/03 Regional projects by the Xunta de Galicia (Spain).Peer reviewe
La ceramica medievale, tra riletture e novità
No full textAyuda RYC2018-025646-I concesso da MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 e da FSE invierte en tu futuroPeer reviewe