A survey of Bacillus thuringiensis recovered from the environments of olive groves in Greece was carried out. Of 80 soil samples, 24 were found to contain B. thuringiensis with parasporal crystal inclusions; these were tested for toxicity against the olive fruit fly (Dacus okae). Mortality levels of larvae caused by the different isolates varied from 7 to 87%. Higher levels of mortality were observed if a mixture of relatively pure crystals and spores was used compared with the mortality resulting from either fraction alone. We were able to show that the toxicity of the most active isolate is likely to be specific for D. oleae.

Dacus oleae (Gmelin) is a major pest of the olive tree Olea europea causing early fruit drop, 'sting' damage to table olives and substantial decreases in the quantity and quality of oil. This review describes the control strategies being developed and in current use-biological, trapping methods, sterile insect release, chemical insecticides, growth regulators and integrated control. Present problems and the implications of the controlling regimes on the disturbance of the agroecosystem are presented. Emphasis is given to newer methods which should be characterized by their specificity and effectivity.Resume-Dacus oleae (Gmelin) est un insecte principal de l'olivier qui occasionne un egrenement precoce des fruits, un endommagement des olives sous une forme de piqures, un reduction de la quantite ainsi qu'une deterioration considerable de la qualite d'huile. Cette etude decrit les strategies de controle qui sont utilisees ou en train d'etre developpees, les methodes biologiques, de piegeage,-les insecticides, les regulateurs de croissance et le controle integre. Les problemes actuels et les incidences des regimes de controle sur l'agroecosysteme sont expliques. Un accent special est mis sur les nouvelles methodes qui pourraient s'averer plus specifiques et plus efficaces.

BackgroundThe Raphitomidae family in the Mediterranean Sea is under revision. Accordingly, new data are of taxonomic and comparative relevance. In this study, new material from the Hellenic Seas is presented.ResultsThe Raphitomidae fauna of Greece was collected and investigated during the period from October 2008 to February 2018. Thirty-five (35) species were identified and their status was compared with existing checklists and other collections. This effort revealed two new Raphitoma species, and one new record for the Mediterranean Sea. Also from the present collection, four species are new records for the East Mediterranean, 10 for the Hellenic fauna and six are reported for second time. The main identification characteristics and baseline ecological information are given and discussed.ConclusionsBy this report, the Hellenic Raphitomidae biodiversity is enriched by 10 new records, out of which, two are new species, one is new record for the Mediterranean Sea, and four for the East basin.

BackgroundThe NW Aegean Sea has a complex topography, high quality waters, oligotrophic to eutrophic conditions, is connected with estuaries and wetlands, is of high ecological interest, harbours all the types of human activities and yet few researchers work on its marine biodiversity. With this study, the contribution to the knowledge of the Hellenic and Eastern Mediterranean gastropod biodiversity of the studied families is continued, and an expansion of the search in other substrates and deeper waters of the NW Aegean Sea with emphasis on the minor in size species during the period from October 2008 to January 2014.ResultsThirty seven species belonging to seven families (Cerithiopsidae, Fissurellidae, Phasianellidae, Scissurellidae, Siliquariidae, Skeneidae, and Triphoridae) were identified and their biodiversity was compared with the current checklists of marine gastropod molluscs for the Hellenic Seas based on previous surveys. In this collection of gastropods, one species (Emarginula decorata Deshayes, 1863) is a new alien for the Mediterranean Sea, 14 species are new for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and 16 species are new for the Hellenic fauna (with the one above mentioned alien species included). The main identification characteristics and ecological information such as habitat, distribution, alien expansion paths to the NW Aegean Sea and origin of the species are given and discussed.ConclusionsThe Hellenic gastropod biodiversity of the studied families was enriched with 37 new records for the N Aegean Sea, out of which 16 are new for Greece, 14 are new for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea while one (Emarginula decorata) is a new alien for the Mediterranean Sea.

BackgroundThe Hellenic Seas are influenced by on-going environmental changes and the introduction of alien species, which are expected to have an impact on their biodiversity. This study contributes to the knowledge of the Hellenic marine gastropod biodiversity, expanding data over the entire Greek territory, during the period from October 2008 to March 2017.ResultsThis work presents 45 species of gastropods not previously reported from Greece or reported only once, belonging to 19 families. From those species, one (Horologica sp.) is, most probably, an undescribed species, 17 are new for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and 40 are new for the Hellenic fauna. Main taxonomic characteristics and ecological information such as habitat, distribution and origin, are given and discussed.ConclusionsBy this report, the Hellenic gastropod biodiversity is enriched by 40 new records, out of which, 17 are new for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, 4 are Lessepsian migrants previously reported for the Mediterranean Sea and 1 is probably a new species.

The first cases of scrapie were detected in Greece in a flock of sheep in October 1986. All the animals of the affected flock and all sheep in two flocks that were in contact were killed and buried. A systematic investigation of all available cases with signs indicating a neurological disease started in sheep and goats in late 1986, as well as in cattle in 1989. The investigation was based on clinical examination, necropsy or macroscopical examination of the brain and viscera, and histological examination of the brain in all animals except those with coenurosis. Histological examinations of specimens from the spinal cord and other tissues, and if considered necessary bacteriological, toxicological and serological examinations were also carried out. In October 1997, scrapie was diagnosed in sheep of a second flock (a mixed flock of sheep and goats), grazing in a pasture close to the place where scrapie was initially detected. All animals of the second flock were also killed and buried. Diagnosis in the first flock was based on clinical signs and histological lesions, and in the second immunoblotting was also used. Distinctive lesions of scrapie were found in the brain and/or the spinal cord of eight sheep with clinical signs from the two flocks. The lesions were revealed in the brain stem and/or in the cervical spinal cord, and tended to be symmetrical. In one sheep, severe lesions in the cortex of cerebral hemispheres and of the cerebellum were also found. In the brain of two sheep from the second flock the pathological isoform of PrP protein was detected. Despite the eradication scheme applied, scrapie in sheep reappeared after 11 years in a place close to where it occurred initially. This may indicate that the effectiveness of the eradication scheme implemented was not adequate and additional approaches may be needed.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a prion-associated disease where the infectious agent is thought to be a host-encoded protein with a protease-resistant conformation (PrP Sc ). Here, data are presented on the solubilization of purified murine BSE material, using guanidine-HCl as a denaturing agent. This treatment led to loss of infectivity, which was partially recovered on renaturation after dialysis to remove the chaotropic agent. The renatured product was then fractionated on an isopycnic sucrose-density gradient and the fractions were analysed for the presence of PrP Sc , nucleic acids and infectivity. It was found that the major part of PrP Sc ( 90 %) and the endogenous nucleic acids did not contribute towards the formation of infectious particles on renaturation. Infectivity was distributed in the top three, low-density fractions. Among these, the presence of considerable infectivity in the fraction of lowest density, with barely detectable PrP Sc , is of particular interest.

Pasteuria penetrans spores were fragmented by glass bead vortexing, producing exosporial membranes and spore fragments, which consisted of fibre bundles. Both exosporia and spore fragments are capable of host-specific attachment to the cuticle of Meloidogyne incognita, a root-knot nematode host. Putative M. incognita receptors appear to be soluble in beta-mercaptoethanol (BME) but not SDS, and are also sensitive to tryptic digestion and deglycosylation by endoglycosidase F. Polyclonal antibodies against intact spores and spore fragments of antispore antibodies produced 100% inhibition. The antibodies, however, did not show preferential staining of particular spore structures in thin section immunolabelling studies. Exposure of Pasteuria penetrans spores to HCl or urea-SDS-dithiothreitol renders them incapable of attachment to their host juveniles and extensively disrupts fibres that surround the spore core. Protein extracts from spore fragments or from exosporial membranes are identical, and urea-BME extracts from either structure, but not SDS extracts, can inhibit the attachment of spores to juveniles by 60–80%. An inhibitory BME extract from spore fragments was analysed by anion-exchange chromatography and adsorption onto host cuticle followed by immunoblotting. It appeared to contain six potential spore adhesins of approximate Mr 24–29, 38–47, 59, 89, 126, and 190 (x10(3)). Lectin affinity blotting with wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A showed that all of these proteins bear terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues and the 38–47 kDa band also bears terminal Glc/Man residues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)