Apolipoprotein B (apo B) is the major protein component of LDL, VLDL and chylomicrons. Numerous polymorphisms of the apolipoprotein B gene have been described. Particularly, the insertion/deletion polymorphism located in the coding part of the signal peptide of apo B, associated with modification of lipid concentrations and the risk of cardiovascular disease, has been reported in the general population. No such study in the Tunisian population has been performed. The aim of our study was to assess the effect of insertion/deletion polymorphism of the apolipoprotein B gene on lipid levels in a sample of the Tunisian population. A total of 458 unrelated subjects (321 men and 137 women) were included. The insertion/deletion polymorphism was determined by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels after PCR amplification. The relative frequencies of the Ins and Del alleles were 0.74 and 0.26, respectively. These frequencies were similar to those found in other Caucasian populations. There was no significant difference in serum TC, TG, and HDL-C levels due to the influence of the genotypes. However, significant variation among the three genotypes was seen for LDL-cholesterol (p<0.001) and apo B (p<0.001) levels. Individuals homozygous for the Del allele had higher levels than individuals homozygous for the Ins allele, while individuals heterozygous for both alleles exhibited intermediate levels. When the data were analyzed in men and women separately, a similar effect was seen in both groups. Our results show that distribution of apo B insertion/deletion polymorphism in Tunisians is similar to other Caucasian population and confirm the reported association with serum LDL-cholesterol and apo B concentrations., A. Kallel, M. Fekl, M. Elasmi, M. Souissi, H. Shanhaji, S. Omar, S. Haj Taieb, R. Jemaa, N. Kaabachi., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
A survey of the gill parasites of Epinephelus costae (Teleostei: Serranidae) was conducted between 2001 and 2005 in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia). Five new species of Diplectanidae (Monogenea) were collected, all belonging to Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958: P. bouaini sp. n., P. dolicocolpos sp. n., P. enitsuji sp. n., P. sinediscus sp. n., and P. sosia sp. n. These five species differ from each other and from all described species of Pseudorhabdosynochus by the morphology and size of their sclerotized vagina. These diplectanids (except P. sinediscus) were also collected from the same host off Dakar in 1981 and 1989. The present paper includes the descriptions and taxonomic considerations of each of these species in addition to an amended diagnosis of Pseudorhabdosynochus. A key to the five new species parasitizing E. costae is provided. These five species are the first diplectanids described from E. costae.
A new Lower Cretaceous cicada, Liassotettigarcta africana sp. n. (Tettigarctidae), is described From Tunisia, based on forewing impression. A brief overview of African fossil insects is presented.
Nudaciraxine imperium sp. n. (Monogenea: Axinidae) is described from the gills of the needlefish Tylosurus acus imperialis (Rafinesque) caught in the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia. This new species mainly differs from both previously described species, Nudaciraxine gracilis (Linton, 1940) Price, 1962 from Strongylura marina (Walbaum) and Nudaciraxine cabosanlucensis Payne, 1990 from Ablennes sp., by having more testes (42 vs. 20-22 and 32, respectively). Nudaciraxine imperium also differs from N. gracilis by having a median vaginal pore (submedian in N. gracilis), narrower clamps (52-70 µm vs. 75-100 µm) and differently shaped haptoral lateral hamuli. From N. cabosanlucensis it can be distinguished by a J-shaped rather than U-shaped ovary, a longer cirrus pouch (125-190 µm vs. 64-70 µm), an oesophageal bifurcation slightly anterior to genital complex (immediately after pharynx in N. cabosanlucensis) and a wider guard on the lateral hamuli. In agreement with Payne (1990), the diagnosis of the genus Nudaciraxine Price, 1962 is amended as follows: vaginal pore dorsal, median to submedian, armed or not with horn-like spines. This is the first report of the genus Nudaciraxine in the Mediterranean Sea. The potential use of axinid monogeneans as biological tags for subspecies of belonid fishes is discussed.
The response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to abiotic stress has been widely investigated. Recent physiological studies focus on the use of osmoprotectants to ameliorate stress damage, but experiments at a field level are scarce. Two tomato cultivars were used for an experiment with saline water (6.57 dS m-1) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in a silty clay soil. Rio Grande is a salinity-tolerant cultivar, while Heinz-2274 is the salt-sensitive cultivar. Exogenous application of proline was done by foliar spray at two concentrations (10 and 20 mg L-1) during the flowering stage. Control plants were treated with saline water without proline. Proline at the lower concentration (10 mg L-1) increased dry mass of different plant organs (leaves, stems, and roots) and it improved various chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters compared with controls. Regarding mineral nutrition, K+ and P were higher in different organs, while low accumulation of Na+ occurred. However, Mg2+ was very high in all tissues of Rio Grande at the higher concentration of proline applied. Thus, the foliar spray of proline at 10 mg L-1 increased the tolerance of both cultivars. The growth of aboveground biomass of Heinz-2274 was enhanced by 63.5%, while Rio Grande improved only by 38.9%., B. Kahlaoui, M. Hachicha, S. Rejeb, M. N. Rejeb, B. Hanchi, E. Misle., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Progrillotia pastinacae Dollfus, 1946 (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) is redescribed from the spiral valve of Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus) (Dasyatididae) from the coast of France. Progrillotia dasyatidis sp. n. is described from the spiral valves of Dasyatis tortonesei Capapé (Dasyatididae) from the Mediterranean in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia) and D. pastinaca from the Bassin d'Arcachon (France). The new species differs from congeners in having, on the tentacles, a single rather than two rows of intercalary hooks and fewer testes. The generic definition is emended based upon the new species, the redescription of P. pastinacae Dollfus, 1946 and re-examination of the type specimen of P. louiseuzeti Dollfus, 1969. Important additional characters noted are that the tentacular hooks are solid, a prebulbar organ is present and that there are gland cells attached to the retractor muscle within the bulb. A cladistic analysis suggests that the genus is closely allied with the Eutetrarhynchidae. Progrillotia dollfusi Carvajal et Rego, 1983 is provisionally excluded from the genus as the adult of the species is unknown and a key character of the genus is that the testes are pre-ovarian.
Two chromosomal races of the house moue occur in central Tunisia: a standard type (2n = 40) and a Robertsonian race (2n = 22). Although contact between races is not restricted, hybrid populations are rare. Patterns of mate preference between wild mice of the two races suggest that, although incipient, this premating divergence could limit the number of crosses between races in nature. In this paper we compare sexual preference of laboratory-born mice and their parents caught as adults in the wild with the aim to assess whether the social context of development to adulthood could influence expression of preference. We predict that in the absence of such influence, parents and laboratory-born offspring should show a comparable pattern of preference. Results show that offspring preference is always lower than and not related to that of their parents. However, a significant pair effect exist leading us to group parents and offspring into three categories according to the parents' preference: homokaryotypic, heterokaryotypic, or dissimilar. Offspring exhibit a preference, which is consistent with that of their parents, only in two cases: male offspring of the standard race when both parents show a heterokaryotypic preference; all offspring when the homokaryotypic preference of fathers is high. Discrepancy between preferences of wild-caught mice and their laboratory-born progeny suggests that, here, preference may be partly influenced by social conditions experienced before and during adulthood.