Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE Atlantic.

Oceanic islands are exposed to plastic debris that has accumulated in the open ocean, particularly in the subtropical gyres. This study investigates the abundance and typology of microplastics (from 0.1 to 5 mm) on 19 sandy beaches spread across 8 oceanic islands of the Azores archipelago. Between January and April 2016, a total of 341 particles retrieved from all beaches, were identified as microplastics. The highest concentration (50.19 ± 21.93 particles kg-1 dw) was found in Terceira Island. Beach morphology and grain size were important factors explaining microplastic concentration. Fibres were the most dominant morphology recovered (80.9 %), followed by fragments (12.3 %). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that 41 % of the fibres consisted of polyester and 60 % of the fragments were polyethylene. This research underlines the widespread contamination of microplastics in oceanic islands of the Atlantic Ocean.

A pessoa dependente, o cuidador familiar e os recursos utilizados: Estudo com famílias clássicas / The dependent person, the family caregiver, and the resources used: A study with standard families / La persona dependiente, el cuidador familiar y los recursos utilizados: Un estudio con familias clásicas

Resumo Enquadramento: As transições demográficas, epidemiológicas e sociais têm implicações na (in)dependência para o autocuidado. Objetivo: Caracterizar o familiar dependente (FD), o Membro Familiar Prestador de Cuidados (MFPC) e os recursos utilizados, no contexto das famílias clássicas. Metodologia: Estudo transversal e descritivo. Amostragem de Snowball. Utilizou-se o formulário "Famílias que Integram Dependentes no Autocuidado" em 60 MFPC. Resultados: Os FD são maioritariamente do género feminino. Os cuidadores são predominantemente mulheres idosas com baixa escolaridade. Os cuidados mais básicos (e.g. alimentar, dar de beber e vestir são realizados com alguma facilidade pelo MFPC e estão garantidos. Os cuidados com intervenção mais diferenciada, como a realização de exercícios dos membros inferiores e superiores e a estimulação das funções cognitivas não são realizados. O principal recurso utilizado é o centro de saúde. Conclusão: Este estudo revela a necessidade do Enfermeiro de Família intervir nos cuidados à família em contexto domiciliário através do ensino e da implementação de cuidados mais diferenciados (reabilitação motora e estimulação cognitiva), assim como, promover a acessibilidade aos cuidados e recursos de saúde.

Abstract Background: Demographic aging and the increase in chronic diseases are reflected in high levels of dependence for self-care. Objective: To characterize the Dependent Family member (FM), the Caregiving Family Member (CFM) and the resources used, in the context of classic families. Methodology: Quantitative and descriptive study. A Snowball sample was used. The "Families that Integrate Dependents in Self-care" form was used in 60 CFM.. Results: The FM are mostly female. Caregivers are predominantly elderly women with low education. The most basic care (e.g. feeding, giving drink and dressing are carried out with some ease by the CFM and are guaranteed. Care with a more differentiated intervention, such as performing exercises for the lower and upper limbs and activities to stimulate memory, do not are carried out. The main resource used is the health center. Conclusion: This study reveals the need for Family Nurses to intervene in family care at home through teaching and implementing more differentiated care (motor rehabilitation and cognitive stimulation), as well as promoting accessibility to care and health resources.

Resumen Marco contextual: Las transiciones demográficas, epidemiológicas y sociales repercuten en la (in)dependencia de los autocuidados. Objetivo: Caracterizar al familiar dependiente (FD), al familiar cuidador (MFPC) y los recursos utilizados, en el contexto de las familias clásicas. Metodología: Estudio transversal y descriptivo. Muestreo de bola de nieve (snowball). El formulario "Familias que integran a personas dependientes en el autocuidado" se utilizó en 60 MFPC. Resultados: Los FD son mayoritariamente mujeres. Los cuidadores son predominantemente mujeres mayores con bajos niveles de educación. Los cuidados más básicos (por ejemplo, alimentar, beber y vestirse) los realizan con cierta facilidad los MFPC y están garantizados. Los cuidados con intervención más especializada, como ejercitar los miembros inferiores y superiores, y estimular las funciones cognitivas no se realizan. El principal recurso utilizado es el centro de salud. Conclusión: Este estudio pone de manifiesto la necesidad de que el enfermero de familia intervenga en los cuidados familiares en el domicilio enseñando y aplicando cuidados más especializados (rehabilitación motora y estimulación cognitiva), así como promoviendo la accesibilidad a los cuidados y recursos sanitarios.

Exopolysaccharide Production from Marine-Derived Brevundimonas huaxiensis Obtained from Estremadura Spur Pockmarks Sediments Revealing Potential for Circular Economy.

Marine environments represent an enormous biodiversity reservoir due to their numerous different habitats, being abundant in microorganisms capable of producing biomolecules, namely exopolysaccharides (EPS), with unique physical characteristics and applications in a broad range of industrial sectors. From a total of 67 marine-derived bacteria obtained from marine sediments collected at depths of 200 to 350 m from the Estremadura Spur pockmarks field, off the coast of Continental Portugal, the Brevundimonas huaxiensis strain SPUR-41 was selected to be cultivated in a bioreactor with saline culture media and glucose as a carbon source. The bacterium exhibited the capacity to produce 1.83 g/L of EPS under saline conditions. SPUR-41 EPS was a heteropolysaccharide composed of mannose (62.55% mol), glucose (9.19% mol), rhamnose (19.41% mol), glucuronic acid (4.43% mol), galactose (2.53% mol), and galacturonic acid (1.89% mol). Moreover, SPUR-41 EPS also revealed acyl groups in its composition, namely acetyl, succinyl, and pyruvyl. This study revealed the importance of research on marine environments for the discovery of bacteria that produce new value-added biopolymers for pharmaceutical and other biotechnological applications, enabling us to potentially address saline effluent pollution via a sustainable circular economy.

Integrative taxonomy of a new cocculinid limpet dominating the Aurora Vent Field in the central Arctic ocean.

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents host lush chemosynthetic communities, dominated by endemic fauna that cannot live in other ecosystems. Despite over 500 active vents found worldwide, the Arctic has remained a little-studied piece of vent biogeography. Though located as early as 2001, the faunal communities of the Aurora Vent Field on the ultra-slow spreading Gakkel Ridge remained unsampled until recently, owing to difficulties with sampling on complex topography below permanent ice. Here, we report an unusual cocculinid limpet abundant on inactive chimneys in Aurora (3883-3884 m depth), describing it as Cocculina aurora n. sp. using an integrative approach combining traditional dissection, electron microscopy, molecular phylogeny, and three-dimensional anatomical reconstruction. Gross anatomy of the new species was typical for Cocculina, but it has a unique radula with broad, multi-cuspid rachidian where the outermost lateral is reduced compared to typical cocculinids. A phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial COI gene also confirmed its placement in Cocculina. Only the second cocculinid found at vents following the description of the Antarctic Cocculina enigmadonta, this is currently the sole cocculinid restricted to vents. Our discovery adds to the evidence that Arctic vents host animal communities closely associated with wood falls and distinct from other parts of the world.

A Gene Expression Signature to Select Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients for Liver Transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a new decision algorithm combining biomarkers measured in a tumor biopsy with clinical variables, to predict recurrence after liver transplantation (LT). BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related mortality. LT is the best treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients but the scarcity of organs makes patient selection a critical step. In addition, clinical criteria widely applied in patient eligibility decisions miss potentially curable patients while selecting patients that relapse after transplantation. METHODS: A literature systematic review singled out candidate biomarkers whose RNA levels were assessed by quantitative PCR in tumor tissue from 138 HCC patients submitted to LT (>5 years follow up, 32% beyond Milan criteria). The resulting 4 gene signature was combined with clinical variables to develop a decision algorithm using machine learning approaches. The method was named HepatoPredict. RESULTS: HepatoPredict identifies 99% disease-free patients (>5 year) from a retrospective cohort, including many outside clinical criteria (16%-24%), thus reducing the false negative rate. This increased sensitivity is accompanied by an increased positive predictive value (88.5%-94.4%) without any loss of long-term overall survival or recurrence rates for patients deemed eligible by HepatoPredict; those deemed ineligible display marked reduction of survival and increased recurrence in the short and long term. CONCLUSIONS: HepatoPredict outperforms conventional clinical-pathologic selection criteria (Milan, UCSF), providing superior prognostic information. Accurately identifying which patients most likely benefit from LT enables an objective stratification of waiting lists and information-based allocation of optimal versus suboptimal organs.

Microbial Associations of Abyssal Gorgonians and Anemones (>4,000 m Depth) at the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone.

Deep coral-dominated communities play paramount roles in benthic environments by increasing their complexity and biodiversity. Coral-associated microbes are crucial to maintain fitness and homeostasis at the holobiont level. However, deep-sea coral biology and their associated microbiomes remain largely understudied, and less from remote and abyssal environments such as those in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ) in the tropical Northeast (NE) Pacific Ocean. Here, we study microbial-associated communities of abyssal gorgonian corals and anemones (>4,000 m depth) in the CCZ; an area harboring the largest known global reserve of polymetallic nodules that are commercially interesting for the deep-sea nodule mining. Coral samples (n = 25) belonged to Isididae and Primnoidae families, while anemones (n = 4) to Actinostolidae family. Significant differences in bacterial community compositions were obtained between these three families, despite sharing similar habitats. Anemones harbored bacterial microbiomes composed mainly of Hyphomicrobiaceae, Parvibaculales, and Pelagibius members. Core microbiomes of corals were mainly dominated by different Spongiibacteraceae and Terasakiellaceae bacterial members, depending on corals' taxonomy. Moreover, the predicted functional profiling suggests that deep-sea corals harbor bacterial communities that allow obtaining additional energy due to the scarce availability of nutrients. This study presents the first report of microbiomes associated with abyssal gorgonians and anemones and will serve as baseline data and crucial insights to evaluate and provide guidance on the impacts of deep-sea mining on these key abyssal communities.

The Diversity, Metabolomics Profiling, and the Pharmacological Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from the Estremadura Spur Pockmarks (Portugal).

The Estremadura Spur pockmarks are a unique and unexplored ecosystem located in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Portugal. A total of 85 marine-derived actinomycetes were isolated and cultured from sediments collected from this ecosystem at a depth of 200 to 350 m. Nine genera, Streptomyces, Micromonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Actinomadura, Actinopolymorpha, Nocardiopsis, Saccharomonospora, Stackebrandtia, and Verrucosispora were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analyses, from which the first two were the most predominant. Non-targeted LC-MS/MS, in combination with molecular networking, revealed high metabolite diversity, including several known metabolites, such as surugamide, antimycin, etamycin, physostigmine, desferrioxamine, ikarugamycin, piericidine, and rakicidin derivatives, as well as numerous unidentified metabolites. Taxonomy was the strongest parameter influencing the metabolite production, highlighting the different biosynthetic potentials of phylogenetically related actinomycetes; the majority of the chemical classes can be used as chemotaxonomic markers, as the metabolite distribution was mostly genera-specific. The EtOAc extracts of the actinomycete isolates demonstrated antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the Estremadura Spur is a source of actinomycetes with potential applications for biotechnology. It highlights the importance of investigating actinomycetes from unique ecosystems, such as pockmarks, as the metabolite production reflects their adaptation to this habitat.

Qualidade de vida em mulheres adultas mastectomizadas / Quality of life in adult mastectomized women

Enquadramento: O cancro da mama é, atualmente, a patologia oncológica com maior incidência na mulher a nível mundial. Embora o seu tratamento seja cada vez mais eficaz, na maioria dos casos acarreta perda de funcionalidade associada à morbilidade física e emocional, com impacto direto na qualidade de vida da mulher. Conhecer quais as determinantes que interferem neste contexto, permite aos enfermeiros de reabilitação dotarem-se de competências que promovam a recuperação destas mulheres. Objetivos: Avaliar o impacto da mastectomia na qualidade de vida da mulher, compreendendo a relação existente entre as determinantes sociodemográficas, clínicas e psicossociais e a qualidade de vida. Métodos/Procedimentos: Realizou-se um estudo quantitativo, transversal, descritivo e correlacional, utilizando uma amostra não probabilística por conveniência, constituída por 43 mulheres submetidas a mastectomia do Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro ­ Unidade de Vila Real, seguidas em consulta de folow up de cirurgia e cirurgia oncológica. O questionário utilizado na recolha dos dados integrava três secções de caracterização sociodemográfica, clínica e psicossocial. Foram, ainda, utilizadas a Escala de Funcionalidade Familiar, a EORTC - QLQ-C30 com o suplemento BR23 e a escala da Incapacidade do braço, ombro e mão (DASH), todas testadas e validadas em Portugal. Resultados: A amostra era constituída por 43 mulheres submetidas a mastectomia com média de idade de 49,6 anos, casadas na sua maioria (74,4%), detentoras de curso superior (34,9%) e com rendimento mensal médio que variava entre 501€ e 1000€ mensais (37,2%). Constatou-se que 62,8% destas mulheres foi submetida a cirurgia mamária com esvaziamento axilar e que 69,8% realizou mais que um tratamento adjuvante. Referiram sentir dor "algumas" vezes (39,5%), e quanto a amplitude de movimento do ombro homolateral à cirurgia, verificou-se uma perda entre 10 e 22º nos movimentos de adução horizontal, abdução, flexão e extensão, e 77,7% das mulheres não realizou qualquer programa de reabilitação pós-cirúrgica. Constatou-se que a amostra evidenciava uma "boa" qualidade de vida na generalidade (M=58,13), com uma moderada funcionalidade e baixa sintomatologia, contudo, a incapacidade do braço, ombro e mão está mais presente, evidenciando uma incapacidade moderada (M=47,07). Constatou-se que a idade, a cirurgia com esvaziamento axilar, a dor, a força e a amplitude de movimento do ombro são, para estas mulheres, as determinantes significativas (p<0,05) na sua qualidade de vida. Conclusões: Apesar do número reduzido da amostra, os resultados evidenciam o impacto das determinantes clínicas na qualidade de vida destas mulheres, constituindo-se, assim, como o campo de intervenção do enfermeiro de reabilitação.

Background: Breast cancer is currently the oncological pathology with higher incidence on women worldwide. Though its treatment is increasingly more effective, in most cases it implies loss of functionality, associated to physical and emotional morbidity, with direct impact on the women's quality of life. Knowing which determinants interfere in this context, allows rehabilitation nurses to acquire skills that promote the recovery of these women. Objectives: Assessing the impact of mastectomy in the quality of life of women, by understanding the existing relation between socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial determinants and the quality of life. Methodology/Procedures: A quantitative, transversal, descriptive and correlational study has been conducted, using a non-probabilistic convenience sample, consisting of 43 women subject to mastectomy at the Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro - Unidade de Vila Real, accompanied in surgery and oncological surgery follow up consultation. The questionnaire used in data collection included three sections: sociodemographic, clinical and psychosocial characterization. The Family Assessment Device, EORTC - QLQ-C30 with supplement BR23 and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), all tested and validated in Portugal, were also used. Results: The sample consisted of 43 women who had undergone mastectomy, with average age of 49.6 years old, mostly married (74.4%), with a college degree (34.9%), and an average monthly income ranging from 501€ to 1000€ (37.2%). It was found that 62.8% of these women underwent breast surgery with axillary dissection and that 69.8% held more than one adjuvant treatment. Women referred feeling pain "a few" times (39.5%), as for the range of motion of the shoulder ipsilateral to surgery there has been a loss between 10 and 22o in horizontal adduction, abduction, flexion and extension movements, and 77.7% of women did not carry out any post-surgery rehabilitation program. It was found that the sample evidenced a good quality of life in general (M=58.13) with moderate functionality and low symptomatology, however, arm, shoulder and hand disability is more present, showing a moderate disability (M=47.07). It was found that age, surgery with axillary dissection, pain, strength and the range of movement are, for these women, the significant determinants (p<0,05) in their quality of life. Conclusions: Despite the reduced number of the sample, results show the impact of clinical determinants in the quality of life of these women, constituting, therefore, the field of intervention of the rehabilitation nurse.

Ectopic eruption of a lower permanent molar from the mediaeval necropolis of Alcáçova do Castelo, Mértola, Portugal.

The mediaeval necropolis of Alcáçova do Castelo is located in Mértola, Southern Portugal, and dates from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The archaeological campaigns started in 1978 and continue today, having yielded more than 759 graves. This report discusses an ectopic tooth eruption observed in skeleton 535, an adult female individual. A distal right permanent lower molar presents an ectopic eruption at the posterior margin of the coronoid process. On the opposite side, the first and second permanent molars are present, the left permanent lower third molar is absent and the mandibular ramus cannot be evaluated since it is broken off and lost. Tooth migration (heteropia) is a common pathological condition documented in clinical literature. However ectopic eruption of lower distal molars is a rare event, and there are few known cases. This is the first case described in archaeological populations worldwide.

Fickle or Faithful: The Roles of Host and Environmental Context in Determining Symbiont Composition in Two Bathymodioline Mussels.

The Mediterranean Sea and adjoining East Atlantic Ocean host a diverse array of small-sized mussels that predominantly live on sunken, decomposing organic remains. At least two of these, Idas modiolaeformis and Idas simpsoni, are known to engage in gill-associated symbioses; however, the composition, diversity and variability of these symbioses with changing habitat and location is poorly defined. The current study presents bacterial symbiont assemblage data, derived from 454 pyrosequencing carried out on replicate specimens of these two host species, collected across seven sample sites found in three oceanographic regions in the Mediterranean and East Atlantic. The presence of several bacterial OTUs in both the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic suggests that similar symbiont candidates occur on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar. The results reveal markedly different symbiotic modes in the two species. Idas modiolaeformis displays high symbiont diversity and flexibility, with strong variation in symbiont composition from the East Mediterranean to the East Atlantic. Idas simpsoni displays low symbiont diversity but high symbiont fidelity, with a single dominant OTU occurring in all specimens analysed. These differences are argued to be a function of the host species, where subtle differences in host evolution, life-history and behaviour could partially explain the observed patterns. The variability in symbiont compositions, particularly in Idas modiolaeformis, is thought to be a function of the nature, context and location of the habitat from which symbiont candidates are sourced.

Are organic falls bridging reduced environments in the deep sea? - results from colonization experiments in the Gulf of Cádiz.

Organic falls create localised patches of organic enrichment and disturbance where enhanced degradation is mediated by diversified microbial assemblages and specialized fauna. The view of organic falls as "stepping stones" for the colonization of deep-sea reducing environments has been often loosely used, but much remains to be proven concerning their capability to bridge dispersal among such environments. Aiming the clarification of this issue, we used an experimental approach to answer the following questions: Are relatively small organic falls in the deep sea capable of sustaining taxonomically and trophically diverse assemblages over demographically relevant temporal scales? Are there important depth- or site-related sources of variability for the composition and structure of these assemblages? Is the proximity of other reducing environments influential for their colonization? We analysed the taxonomical and trophic diversity patterns and partitioning (α- and ß-diversity) of the macrofaunal assemblages recruited in small colonization devices with organic and inorganic substrata after 1-2 years of deployment on mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cádiz. Our results show that small organic falls can sustain highly diverse and trophically coherent assemblages for time periods allowing growth to reproductive maturity, and successive generations of dominant species. The composition and structure of the assemblages showed variability consistent with their biogeographic and bathymetric contexts. However, the proximity of cold seeps had limited influence on the similarity between the assemblages of these two habitats and organic falls sustained a distinctive fauna with dominant substrate-specific taxa. We conclude that it is unlikely that small organic falls may regularly ensure population connectivity among cold seeps and vents. They may be a recurrent source of evolutionary candidates for the colonization of such ecosystems. However, there may be a critical size of organic fall to create the necessary intense and persistent reducing conditions for sustaining typical chemosymbiotic vent and seep organisms.

A complex picture of associations between two host mussels and symbiotic bacteria in the Northeast Atlantic.

Among chemosymbiotic metazoans found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and organic falls, members of the mussel clade Bathymodiolinae (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) have evolved interactions with a higher diversity of bacterial lineages than other bivalve groups. Here, we characterized the bacteria associated with "Bathymodiolus" mauritanicus and Idas-like specimens from three sites in the Northeast Atlantic (two mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz and one seamount of the Gorringe Bank). Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA-encoding gene sequences demonstrated that "B". mauritanicus has a dual symbiosis dominated by two phylotypes of methane-oxidising bacteria and a less abundant phylotype of a sulphur-oxidising bacterium. The latter was the dominant phylotype in a sympatric population of Idas-like mussels at the Darwin mud volcano. These results are the first report of a bacterial phylotype shared between two deep-sea mussels from divergent clades. This sulphur-oxidising bacterium was absent from Idas-like specimens from the other two sites (Gorringe Bank and Meknès mud volcano), in which bacterial clone libraries were dominated by other Gammaproteobacteria related to symbionts previously identified in Idas modiolaeformis from the Eastern Mediterranean. All Idas-like specimens studied herein are closely related and also related to I. modiolaeformis. However, they probably display different associations with bacteria, with the possible absence of both methane- and sulphur-oxidising symbionts at the Gorringe Bank. These results draw a very complex picture of associations between mussels and bacteria in the Northeast Atlantic, which could be highly variable depending on locale characteristics of the habitats.

Diversity of symbioses between chemosynthetic bacteria and metazoans at the Guiness cold seep site (Gulf of Guinea, West Africa).

Fauna from deep-sea cold seeps worldwide is dominated by chemosymbiotic metazoans. Recently, investigation of new sites in the Gulf of Guinea yielded numerous new species for which symbiosis was strongly suspected. In this study, symbioses are characterized in five seep-specialist metazoans recently collected from the Guiness site located at ≈ 600 m depth. Four bivalve and one annelid species belonging to families previously documented to harbor chemosynthetic bacteria were investigated using bacterial marker gene sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and stable isotope analyses. Results support that all five species display chemosynthetic, sulfur-oxidizing γ-proteobacteria. Bacteria are abundant in the gills of bivalves, and in the trophosome of the siboglinid annelid. As observed for their relatives occurring at deeper sites, chemoautotrophy is a major source of carbon for animal nutrition. Although symbionts found in each host species are related to symbionts found in other metazoans from the same families, several incongruencies are observed among phylogenetic trees obtained from the different bacterial genes, suggesting a certain level of heterogeneity in symbiont strains present. Results provide new insights into the diversity, biogeography, and role of symbiotic bacteria in metazoans from the Gulf of Guinea, at a site located at an intermediate depth between the continental shelf and the deep sea.

Chemosymbiotic bivalves from the mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cadiz, NE Atlantic, with descriptions of new species of Solemyidae, Lucinidae and Vesicomyidae.

The chemosymbiotic bivalves collected from the mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cadiz are reviewed. Of the thirteen species closely associated with chemosynthetic settings two Solemyidae, Solemya (Petrasma) elarraichensissp. n. and Acharax gadiraesp. n., one Lucinidae, Lucinoma asapheussp. n., and one Vesicomyidae, Isorropodon megadesmussp. n. are described and compared to close relatives of their respective families. The biodiversity and distribution of the chemosymbiotic bivalves in the Gulf of Cadiz are discussed and compared to the available information from other cold seeps in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. Although there is considerable similarity at the genus level between seep/mud volcano fields in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, there is little overlap at the species level. This indicates a high degree of endemism within chemosymbiotic bivalve assemblages.

Antioxidant activity of natural compounds of Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich.) Vahl, Verbenaceae, by scavenger of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species

The etiology of a range of diseases is associated with an excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Exacerbated ROS production leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular damage and apoptosis. Nowadays, many strategies are being developed for the targeted delivery of antioxidants compounds to mitochondria, trying to minimize the damages. Production of ROS was investigated by the molecular probes CM-H2DCFDA and Amplex Red. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of verbascoside, martinoside, betulinic acid from the Stachytarpheta cayennensis and quercetin by an in vitro assay with isolated mitochondria from mice's brain The results showed that all compounds tested exhibited a scavenger effect on the ROS generated by the isolated mitochondria, which displayed a dependent dose increase.

Microbial diversity in Frenulata (Siboglinidae, Polychaeta) species from mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic).

Frenulates are a group of gutless marine annelids belonging to the Siboglinidae that are nutritionally dependent upon endosymbiotic bacteria. We have characterized the bacteria associated with several frenulate species from mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz by PCR-DGGE of bacterial 16S rRNA genes, coupled with analysis of 16S rRNA gene libraries. In addition to the primary symbiont, bacterial consortia (microflora) were found in all species analysed. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the primary symbiont in most cases belongs to the Gammaproteobacteria and were related to thiotrophic and methanotrophic symbionts from other marine invertebrates, whereas members of the microflora were related to multiple bacterial phyla. This is the first molecular evidence of methanotrophic bacteria in at least one frenulate species. In addition, the occurrence of the same bacterial phylotype in different Frenulata species, from different depths and mud volcanoes suggests that there is no selection for specific symbionts and corroborates environmental acquisition as previously proposed for this group of siboglinids.

Distinct symbiont lineages in three thyasirid species (Bivalvia: Thyasiridae) from the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

Thyasiridae are one of the less studied groups of chemosymbiotic bivalves. Here, we investigated symbioses in three different thyasirid species collected at three cold seeps from the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences demonstrated that each thyasirid species harbours a single phylotype of symbiont that belongs to a distinct lineage of putative sulphur-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria. This result is confirmed by other marker genes (encoding 23S rRNA and APS reductase) and fluorescence in situ hybridization. This work highlights the diversity of bacteria involved in symbiosis with thyasirids and underlines the relevance of this group as a target for future symbiosis studies.

Chemosynthetic bacteria found in bivalve species from mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cadiz.

As in other cold seeps, the dominant bivalves in mud volcanoes (MV) from the Gulf of Cadiz are macrofauna belonging to the families Solemyidae (Acharax sp., Petrasma sp.), Lucinidae (Lucinoma sp.), Thyasiridae (Thyasira vulcolutre) and Mytilidae (Bathymodiolus mauritanicus). The delta(13)C values measured in solemyid, lucinid and thyasirid specimens support the hypothesis of thiotrophic nutrition, whereas isotopic signatures of B. mauritanicus suggest methanotrophic nutrition. The indication by stable isotope analysis that chemosynthetic bacteria make a substantial contribution to the nutrition of the bivalves led us to investigate their associated bacteria and their phylogenetic relationships based on comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis and cloning of bacterial 16S rRNA-encoding genes confirmed the presence of sulfide-oxidizing symbionts within gill tissues of many of the studied specimens. Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that most bacteria were related to known sulfide-oxidizing endosymbionts found in other deep-sea chemosynthetic environments, with the co-occurrence of methane-oxidizing symbionts in Bathymodiolus specimens. This study confirms the presence of several chemosynthetic bivalves in the Gulf of Cadiz and further highlights the importance of sulfide- and methane-oxidizing symbionts in the trophic ecology of macrobenthic communities in MV.