The Oxus Civilisation (or Bactrio-Margian Archaeological Complex BMAC) was the main archaeological culture of the Bronze Age in Southern Central Asia. Paleogenetic analyses were previously conducted mainly on samples from the eastern part of BMAC. The population associated with BMAC descends from local Chalcolithic populations, with some outliers of steppe or South-Asian descent. Here, we present new genome-wide data for one individual from Ulug-depe (Turkmenistan), one of the main BMAC sites, located at the southwestern edge of the BMAC. We demonstrate that this individual genetically belongs to the BMAC cluster. Using this genome, we confirm that modern Indo-Iranian speaking populations from Central Asia derive their ancestry from BMAC populations, with gene flow from the western steppe and the Altai steppe being higher among Tajiks than among Yagnobis.
Blue light (BL) is becoming increasingly prevalent in artificial illumination, raising concerns about its potential health hazard to humans. In fact, there is evidence suggesting that acute BL exposure may lead to oxidative stress and death of retinal cells specialized for photoreception. On the other hand, recent studies in Drosophila melanogaster demonstrated that chronic BL exposure across lifespan leads to accelerated aging manifested in reduced lifespan and brain neurodegeneration even in flies with genetically ablated eyes, suggesting that BL can damage cells and tissues not specialized for light perception. At the physiological level, BL exposure impairs mitochondria function in flies, but the metabolic underpinnings of these effects have not been studied. Here, we investigated effects of chronic BL on metabolic pathways in heads of eyes absent (eya2) mutant flies in order to focus on extra-retinal tissues. We compared metabolomic profiles in flies kept for 10 or 14 days in cons
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) research has emerged as an independent scientific field in recent years. Despite their association with critical cellular and metabolic processes in plenty of organisms, lncRNAs are still a largely unexplored area in mosquito research. We propose that they could serve as exceptional tools for pest management due to unique features they possess. These include low inter-species sequence conservation and high tissue specificity. In the present study, we investigated the role of ovary-specific lncRNAs in the reproductive ability of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Through the analysis of transcriptomic data, we identified several lncRNAs that were differentially expressed upon blood feeding; we called these genes Norma (NOn-coding RNA in Mosquito ovAries). We observed that silencing some of these Normas resulted in significant impact on mosquito fecundity and fertility. We further focused on Norma3 whose silencing resulted in 43% oviposition reductio
Antibiotic resistant bacteria-associated infections are responsible for more than 1.2 million annual deaths worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the consumption of antibiotics for human and veterinary uses is not regulated effectively. Overused and misused antibiotics can end up in aquatic environments, which may act as a conduit for antibiotic resistance dissemination. However, data on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance determinants in aquatic environments are still limited for LMICs. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence and concentration of antibiotic resistance genes in different drinking and environmental water sources collected from the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal using droplet digital PCR to understand the current situation of ARG contamination. River water and shallow dug well water were the most contaminated with ARGs. Almost all samples contained sul1 (95%), and intI1 and tet(A) were detected in 83% and 60% of the samples, respectively. Maximum ARG co
In the One Health concept, the use of beneficial bacteria able to form positive biofilms preventing the settlement of undesirable bacteria is a promising solution to limit the use of antimicrobials in farms. However, there is a lack of field studies reporting the onset of these beneficial bacteria after application and the effects on autochthonous surface microbiota. In this study, the inner surfaces of commercial broiler chicken houses were treated or not after cleaning and disinfection procedures with a bacterial consortium composed of Bacillus spp. and Pediococcus spp. strains, able to form covering biofilms in different laboratory models. Preinstalled coupons were sampled over time to capture microbial biofilm dynamics on-farm surfaces. The results showed that the bacterial consortium is able to establish on the farm surfaces, modulate microbial communities and limit the implantation of Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae, two families containing potential pathogens.