Search

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) has been associated with several diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. ApoE also has documented immunomodulatory functions. We investigated gene expression in circulating monocytes and in bone marrows of patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) living in an endemic area in Bihar, India, and contrasted these with control healthy subjects or other diagnostic bone marrows from individuals in the same region. Samples from VL patients were obtained prior to initiating treatment. Our study revealed significant upregulated expression of the apoE transcript in patients with VL. Furthermore, the levels of ApoE protein were elevated in serum samples of subjects with VL compared with healthy endemic controls. These observations may provide clues regarding the complex interactions between lipid metabolism and immunoregulation of infectious and inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani remains of public health concern in rural India. Those at risk of VL are also at risk of other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) including soil transmitted helminths. Intestinal helminths are potent regulators of host immune responses sometimes mediated through cross-talk with gut microbiota. We evaluate a meta-taxonomic approach to determine the composition of prokaryotic and eukaryotic gut microflora using amplicon-based sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and 18S rRNA gene regions. The most abundant bacterial taxa identified in faecal samples from Bihar State India were Prevotella (37.1%), Faecalibacterium (11.3%), Escherichia-Shigella (9.1%), Alloprevotella (4.5%), Bacteroides (4.1%), Ruminococcaceae UCG-002 (1.6%), and Bifidobacterium (1.5%). Eukaryotic taxa identified (excluding plant genera) included Blastocystis (57.9%; Order: Stramenopiles), Dientamoeba (12.1%; Family: Tritrichomonadea), Pentatrichomonas (10.1%; Family: Trichomonodea), Entamoeba (3.5%; Family: Entamoebida), Ascaridida (0.8%; Family: Chromodorea; concordant with Ascaris by microscopy), Rhabditida (0.8%; Family: Chromodorea; concordant with Strongyloides), and Cyclophyllidea (0.2%; Order: Eucestoda; concordant with Hymenolepis). Overall alpha (Shannon’s, Faith’s and Pielou’s indices) and beta (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity statistic; weighted UniFrac distances) diversity of taxa did not differ significantly by age, sex, geographic subdistrict, or VL case (N = 23) versus endemic control (EC; N = 23) status. However, taxon-specific associations occurred: (i) Ruminococcaceae UCG- 014 and Gastranaerophilales_uncultured bacterium were enriched in EC compared to VL cases; (ii) Pentatrichomonas was more abundant in VL cases than in EC, whereas the reverse occurred for Entamoeba. Across the cohort, high Escherichia-Shigella was associated with reduced bacterial diversity, while high Blastocystis was associated with high bacterial diversity and low Escherichia-Shigella. Individuals with high Blastocystis had low Bacteroidaceae and high Clostridiales vadin BB60 whereas the reverse held true for low Blastocystis. This scoping study provides useful baseline data upon which to develop a broader analysis of pathogenic enteric microflora and their influence on gut microbial health and NTDs generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Cololejeunea (Spruce) Schiffn. is one of the largest genera of the Lejeuneaceae, represented by 436 taxa in the world dissevered in to 13 subgenera (Söderström et al., 2016). The members of this genus are predominantly found in the wet tropics, subtropics and in some oceanic warm temperate areas where they grow mostly in foliicolous condition, but they also grow as epiphyte and on other substratum too (Pócs and Piippo, 2011). In India, the genus is represented by 56 species and 1 variety (Singh et al., 2016; Manju et al., 2017). An overview of subgenus Aphanolejeunea of Cololejeunea was presented by Pócs and Bernecker (2009) wherein 43 binomials accepted under it. Seven taxa of subgenus Aphanolejeunea namely, Cololejeunea diaphana A. Evans [formerly C. truncatifolia (Horik.) Mizut.], C. grossepapillosa (Horik.) Pócs, C. hyalina G. Asthana & S.C. Srivast., C. karnatakensis G. Asthana & S.C. Srivast., C. microscopica var. exigua (A. Evans) Bernecker & Pócs and C. nilgiriensis G. Asthana & S.C. Srivast. are described from India (Asthana and Srivastava, 2003; Dey and Singh 2012; Asthana and Srivastava, 2015; Singh et al., 2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cheilolejeunea vittata (Steph. ex G. Hoffm.) R.M. Schust. & Kachroo is reported and described for the first time in Indian bryoflora from Manipur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Colura (Dumort.) Dumort. is morpho-taxonomically investigated in India and eight species have been recognized mainly distributed in three different bryo-geographical regions of the country. Colura corynophora (Nees, Lindenb. & Gottsche) Trevis. is reported here for the first time from India, C. leratii (Steph.) Steph. is added to the East Himalayan bryogeographical territory, C. acroloba (Prantl) Jovet-Ast, C. ari (Steph.) Steph. and C. conica (Sande Lac.) K.I. Goebel are new additions to Mizoram, while C. tenuicornis (A. Evans) Steph. is a new report to the state of Meghalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]