Dandruff is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin condition of the scalp that has been associated with Malassezia yeasts. However, the microbial role has not been elucidated yet, and the etiology of the disorder remains poorly understood. Using high-throughput 16S rDNA and ITS1 sequencing, we characterized cutaneous bacterial and fungal microbiotas from healthy and dandruff subjects, comparing scalp and forehead (lesional and non-lesional skin sites). Bacterial and fungal communities from dandruff analyzed at genus level differed in comparison with healthy ones, presenting higher diversity and greater intragroup variation. The microbial shift was observed also in non-lesional sites from dandruff subjects, suggesting that dandruff is related to a systemic process that is not restricted to the site exhibiting clinical symptoms. In contrast, Malassezia microbiota analyzed at species level did not differ according to health status. A 2-step OTU assignment using combined databases substantially increased fungal assigned sequences, and revealed the presence of highly prevalent uncharacterized Malassezia organisms (>37% of the reads). Although clinical symptoms of dandruff manifest locally, microbial dysbiosis beyond clinically affected skin sites suggests that subjects undergo systemic alterations, which could be considered for redefining therapeutic approaches.
Leaf samples of yellow passionfruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) displaying fruit woodiness symptoms were collected in seven Brazilian states and the Federal District. Viral infection was confirmed by host range and ELISA, and fourteen viral isolates were obtained. All isolates were capable of infecting several leguminous host species, although differences in symptom severity were noticeable. Woodiness symptoms were reproduced in yellow passionfruit, and mosaic symptoms were induced in common bean. All isolates infected cowpea, reported as a non-host of passion fruit woodiness virus (PWV). Indirect ELISA demonstrated that all isolates were serologically related to each other and also to cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV). The complete sequence of the capsid protein was determined for all isolates. Comparison of these sequences with those of other potyviruses indicated the highest identity with CABMV isolates (85 to 94%). Identity with PWV isolates ranged from 54 to 70%. Phylogenetic analysis grouped all of the Brazilian isolates in a monophyletic cluster with the CABMV isolates, clearly distinct from the PWV isolates. Furthermore, this analysis demonstrated that a group of previously characterized isolates from Brazil that had been designated as PWV should be reclassified as CABMV. Together, these results provide unequivocal evidence that, in Brazil, passionfruit woodiness disease is primarily caused by CABMV. The presence of PWV in Brazil has yet to be confirmed.
RNase L inhibitors (RLIs) correspond to a group of soluble proteins from the large ATP binding cassette (ABC) family of proteins. Structurally, RLIs have an N-terminal Fe-S domain and two nucleotide binding domains. Orthologous RLI sequences with more than 48% identity have been found from Archea to Eukaryota, but have not as yet been identified in Eubacteria. Some organisms, like Arabidopsis thaliana and human, have paralogous genes with differential expression patterns, the function of which remains to be determined. Expression of Arabidopsis RLI2 was slightly increased in transgenic plants showing RNA interference, suggesting a role in this pathway.
Endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are widespread among arthropods and cause a variety of reproductive abnormalities, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, male-killing, and host feminization. In this study, we used three sets of Wolbachia-specific primers (16S rDNA, ftsZ, and wsp) in conjunction with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning and sequencing to study the infection of fruit flies (Anastrepha spp. and Ceratitis capitata) by Wolbachia. The flies were collected at several localities in Brazil and at Guayaquil, Ecuador. All of the fruit flies studied were infected with Wolbachia supergroup A, in agreement with the high prevalence of this group in South America. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the wsp gene was the most sensitive gene for studying the relationships among Wolbachia strains. The Wolbachia sequences detected in these fruit flies were similar to those such as wMel reported for other fruit flies. These results show that the infection of Anastrepha fruit flies by Wolbachia is much more widespread than previously thought.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.