Luis Brito

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an opportunistic pathogen causing disease mainly in immunocompromised patients or after congenital infection. HCMV infection of the respiratory tract leads to pneumonitis in the immunocompromised host, which is often associated with a bad clinical course. The related mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) likewise exhibits a distinct tropism for the lung and thus provides an elegant model to study host-pathogen interaction. Accordingly, fundamental features of cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonitis have been discovered in mice that correlate with clinical data obtained from humans. Recent studies have provided insight into MCMV cell tropism and localized inflammation after infection of the respiratory tract. Accordingly, the nodular inflammatory focus (NIF) has been identified as the anatomical correlate of immune control in lungs. Several hematopoietic cells involved in antiviral immunity reside in NIFs and their key effector molecules have been deciphered. Here, we review what has been learned from the mouse model with focus on the microanatomy of infection sites and antiviral immunity in MCMV pneumonitis.

Cystoseira is a common brown algal genus widely distributed throughout the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions whose taxonomical assignment of specimens is often hampered by intra- and interspecific morphological variability. In this study, three mitochondrial regions, namely cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI), 23S rDNA (23S), and 23S-tRNAVal intergenic spacer (mt-spacer) were used to analyse the phylogenetic relationships of 22 Cystoseira taxa (n = 93 samples). A total of 135 sequences (48 from COI, 43 from 23S and 44 from mt-spacer) were newly generated and analysed together with Cystoseira sequences (9 COI, 31 23S and 35 mt-spacer) from other authors. Phylogenetic analysis of these three markers identified 3 well-resolved clades and also corroborated the polyphyletic nature of the genus. The resolution of Cystoseira taxa within the three clades improves significantly when the inclusion of specimens of related genera was minimized. COI and mt-spacer markers resolved the phylogeny of some of the Cystoseira taxa, such as the C. baccata, C. foeniculacea and C. usneoides. Furthermore, trends between phylogeny, embryonic development and available chemotaxonomic classifications were identified, showing that phylogenetic, chemical and morphological data should be taken into account to study the evolutionary relationships among the algae currently classified as Cystoseira. The resolution of Cystoseira macroalgae into three well supported clades achieved here is relevant for a more accurate isolation and identification of natural compounds and the implementation of conservation measures for target species.

Here is reported the anti Leishmania infantum activity of 48 hexane, CH₂Cl₂ and MeOH extracts from 16 macroalgae collected on the Iberian Coast. Seven hexane and CH₂Cl₂ Cystoseira baccata, Cystoseira barbata, Cystoseira tamariscifolia, Cystoseira usneoides, Dictyota spiralis and Plocamium cartilagineum extracts were active towards promastigotes (IC₅₀ 29.8–101.8 μg/mL) inducing strong morphological alterations in the parasites. Hexane extracts of C. baccata and C. barbata were also active against intracellular amastigotes (IC₅₀ 5.1 and 6.8 μg/mL, respectively). Fatty acids, triacylglycerols, carotenoids, steroids and meroterpenoids were detected by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gas chromatography in the Cystoseira extracts. These results suggest that Cystoseira macroalgae contain compounds with antileishmanial activity, which could be explored as scaffolds to the development of novel sources of antiparasitic derivatives.