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A survey was conducted during 2018 and 2019 in order to identify plant-parasitic nematodes of the genus Basiria in Dezful region of Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran. Nematodes were extracted from the soil and root samples by using tray method, transferred to glycerin and mounted on permanent slides. Nematodes were identified based on morphological and morphometric characters. As a result, eight species including B. aberrans, B. duplexa, B. gracilis, B. jirians, B. tumida, B. graminophila, B. ritteri, and B. similis were identified; three species namely B. jirians, B. ritteri, and B. similis are here described and illustrated for the first time from Iran. B. jirians is characterized by body length 445-535 μm, stylet 9.0-9.2 μm, cephalic region without annuli, DGO 2.0-2.5 μm, median bulb at anterior end of pharynx, basal bulb pyriform, spermatheca non offset and tail elongate conoid with pointed to filiform terminus. B. ritteri can be characterized by body length 685-747 μm, stylet 10.5-11.5 μm, median bulb located at anterior half of pharynx, basal bulb cylindroid, spermatheca non offset and tail annulated and notched at tip. B. similis is characterized by body length 644-736 μm, stylet 10.3-11 μm, DGO 8.9-10.5 μm, basal bulb cylindroid and tail clavate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesocriconema abolafiai n. sp. is described by morphological, morphometric, and molecular approaches. The new species is characterized by a body slightly curved with 402 to 612 μ m length, 90 to 113 cuticular body annuli with smooth to irregular margins lacking of crenation with not more than one anastomoses, lip region not offset, small flattened submedian lobes, stylet robust (52.8-60.0 μm) with well-developed knobs, open vulva with simple anterior lip, straight vagina, filled spermatheca with globular sperms, presence of males, and conical-acute tail with last annulus bilobed or rounded. Discussions are made on the characterization of M. abolafiai n. sp. from the most closely related species, M. ozarkiense, and several other species having similar tail shape. Furthermore, results of phylogenetic analyses inferred from D2 to D3 expansion fragments of 28S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and ITS rRNA gene sequences revealed the phylogenetic position of the new species within representatives of Criconematidae and supported morphological justifications for considering this population from Iran as a new species in the genus Mesocriconema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two populations of the genus Trophotylenchulus and 10 species of the genus Paratylenchus from Iran were characterized based on morphometric, morphological and molecular characters. Our observations on the two populations of Trophotylenchulus from Iran revealed that T. asoensis and T. okamotoi have been distinguished from T. arenarius, on the basis of the features which cannot be longer considered as stable diagnostic characters. One of the populations shows a mixed combination of the characters of T. arenarius and T. asoensis; it has morphometrics more similar to T. arenarius but shows affinities with T. asoensis in the tail terminus shape of females and second-stage juveniles (J2) and in having a reduced stylet in males. The other population fit well with T. okamotoi; it has females with generally bluntly rounded tails typical for T. okamotoi, but sometimes with finely rounded tail termini, like those of T. arenarius or T. asoensis. The sequences of D2-D3 expansion segments of 28 S rRNA gene for the two populations are identical with each other, but only 4 bp (0.67%) difference with T. arenarius sequence deposited in the GenBank. Considering no stable difference allow separating species, synonymy of T. asoensis and T. okamotoi with T. arenarius, which has already been proposed, is supported and confirmed here. All studied Paratylenchus species with stylets longer than 40 µm, except P. straeleni, formed a basal cluster to Cacopaurus pestis and species of Paratylenchus bearing stylets shorter than 40 µm; thus, validity of Gracilacus cannot be rejected using our data sets. However, the synonymy of Paratylenchoides was supported by the positioning of P. sheri within representatives of Paratylenchus in the inferred phylogenetic tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-27 are two IL-12-related cytokines which their function may dramatically influence the inflammatory response to tumor development. IL-12 and IL-27 seem to have antagonistic roles with IL-23 in tumor site. In this study, IL-23 and IL-27 mRNA expressions were analyzed in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer and healthy volunteers using quantitative real-time PCR. Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 50 women with breast cancer and 50 healthy ones. The total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood after lysis with ammonium chloride and TRizol reagent and the cDNA was synthesized. The expression of IL-23 and IL-27 gene transcripts was determined with real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) using Syber Green PCR Master Mix. Results: It is found that IL-23 and IL-27 transcripts had significantly higher expression in peripheral blood of patients compared with the healthy controls. The ratio of IL-23 transcript expression to IL-27 was 3.4 fold lower in the studied patients compared with the normal individuals. Conclusion: It is concluded that the over expression of IL-23 and IL-27 gene transcript in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients may be an immune response against tumor development and the inflammatory response plays a critical role in tumor development via up regulating the corresponding cytokines. However, the IL-23/IL-27 ratio may play an important role in cytokine-based immunotherapy against cancer. Further research should be carried out to assess these cytokines in a larger sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial plants and their associated microorganisms grow in the areas that may be contaminated with long-lived gamma-emitting radionuclides. This will induce gamma stress response in plants and their accompanying microorganisms. The present work investigated the growth and physiological responses of Epichloe endophyte infected tall fescue to gamma radiation, as well as whether the endophyte could persist and infect the host plant once exposed to gamma radiation. Seeds of Iranian native genotype of 75B + of tall fescue were exposed to different doses, including 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, 30.0 and 40.0 krad of gamma ray from a 60 Co source. Irradiated and unirradiated seeds were sown in pots and grown under controlled conditions in the greenhouse. The growth and physiological parameters associated with plant tolerance to oxidative stress of host plants, as well as endophytic infection frequency (% of plants infected) and intensity (mean number of endophytic hyphae per the field of view), were examined in 3 months-old seedlings. The results indicated that all gamma radiation doses (except 5.0 kr) significantly reduced the height and survival percentage of the host plant. Days to the emergence of seedling increased gradually as gamma doses rose. A dose-rate dependent induction was seen for photosynthetic pigments and proline content. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content grew with elevation of irradiation doses. Depending on the dose and time, the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the host plant responded differently to gamma radiation. Gamma radiation altered the enzyme activities with sever decline in SOD and CAT activities. However, it had barely any effect on in APX and POD activities. The results also revealed that the persistence and intensity of endophyte were affected after gamma-ray irradiation. The initial percentage of tall fescue seeds infected with the endophyte was 91% in un-irradiated seeds. Presence of the viable endophyte started to decline significantly (23%) at 5.0 kr of gamma radiation. A dramatic reduction in the presence and intensity of endophyte occurred at 10.0 to 40.0 kr intensities. Gamma radiation × trait (GT)-biplot analysis indicated positive correlations between the endophyte symbiosis and antioxidant enzyme activities. Also, negative correlations were observed between the endophyte and MDA content in the host plant. Our results suggest that radiation stress (doses over 5.0 kr) caused reduction in the growth and antioxidant enzyme activities of the host plant that accompanied by a dramatic reduction in the persistence and intensity of endophyte fungi. Our findings have provided the basic information for future studies on the effect of gamma irradiation on the interaction between endophytic fungi and its host plant., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)