scholarly journals Cardinium symbiosis as a potential confounder of mtDNA based phylogeographic inference in Culicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a vector of veterinary viruses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Pilgrim ◽  
Stefanos Siozios ◽  
Matthew Baylis ◽  
Gert Venter ◽  
Claire Garros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linkage Disequilibrium ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Haplotype Network ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Culicoides Imicola ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract Background: Culicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is an important Afrotropical and Palearctic vector of disease, transmitting viruses of animal health and economic significance. The apparent incursions of C. imicola into mainland Europe via wind-movement events has made it important to trace this species to better predict new areas of arbovirus outbreaks. A widely used method for tracking dispersal patterns of C. imicola employs a phylogeographic approach anchored on the mtDNA marker COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I). However, a problem with this approach is that maternally-inherited symbiotic bacteria can alter the frequency of COI mitochondrial haplotypes (mitotypes), masking the true patterns of movement and gene flow.Methods: In this study, the mtDNA structure of C. imicola in relation to Cardinium infection status was investigated through haplotype network analysis. COI Sanger sequences from infected and uninfected individuals were first compared, before extending the haplotype network to include mitotypes from a geographic range where Cardinium infection has previously been investigated.Results: The mitotype network of a South African population, containing both Cardinium-infected and uninfected individuals, demonstrated the presence of two broad mitotype groups. All Cardinium-infected specimens fell into one group (Fisher’s exact test, P<0.001) demonstrating a linkage disequilibrium between symbiont and mitochondria. Furthermore, by extending this haplotype network to include other C. imicola populations from the Mediterranean basin, we revealed mitotype variation between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean basins (EMB and WMB) mirrored Cardinium-infection heterogeneity. Conclusions: These observations suggest that the linkage disequilibrium of Cardinium and mitochondria reflects symbiont gene flow within the Mediterranean basin but may not assist in elucidating host gene flow. Subsequently, we urge caution on the single usage of the COI marker to determine population structure and movement in C. imicola, and instead suggest the complementary utilisation of additional molecular markers.

scholarly journals Cardinium symbiosis as a potential confounder of mtDNA based phylogeographic inference in Culicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a vector of veterinary viruses

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Pilgrim ◽  
Stefanos Siozios ◽  
Matthew Baylis ◽  
Gert Venter ◽  
Claire Garros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linkage Disequilibrium ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Haplotype Network ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Culicoides Imicola ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract Background Culicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is an important Afrotropical and Palearctic vector of disease, transmitting viruses of animal health and economic significance including African horse sickness and bluetongue viruses. Maternally inherited symbiotic bacteria (endosymbionts) of arthropods can alter the frequency of COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) mitochondrial haplotypes (mitotypes) in a population, masking the true patterns of host movement and gene flow. Thus, this study aimed to assess the mtDNA structure of C. imicola in relation to infection with Candidatus Cardinum hertigii (Bacteroides), a common endosymbiont of Culicoides spp. Methods Using haplotype network analysis, COI Sanger sequences from Cardinium-infected and -uninfected C. imicola individuals were first compared in a population from South Africa. The network was then extended to include mitotypes from a geographic range where Cardinium infection has previously been investigated. Results The mitotype network of the South African population demonstrated the presence of two broad mitotype groups. All Cardinium-infected specimens fell into one group (Fisher’s exact test, P = 0.00071) demonstrating a linkage disequilibrium between endosymbiont and mitochondria. Furthermore, by extending this haplotype network to include other C. imicola populations from the Mediterranean basin, we revealed mitotype variation between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean basins (EMB and WMB) mirrored Cardinium-infection heterogeneity. Conclusions These observations suggest that the linkage disequilibrium of Cardinium and mitochondria reflects endosymbiont gene flow within the Mediterranean basin but may not assist in elucidating host gene flow. Subsequently, we urge caution on the single usage of the COI marker to determine population structure and movement in C. imicola and instead suggest the complementary utilisation of additional molecular markers.

scholarly journals Cardinium symbiosis as a potential confounder of mtDNA based phylogeographic inference in Culicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a vector of veterinary viruses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Pilgrim ◽  
Stefanos Siozios ◽  
Matthew Baylis ◽  
Gert Venter ◽  
Claire Garros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Haplotype Network ◽  
Dispersal Patterns ◽  
Nuclear Markers ◽  
Economic Significance ◽  
Mitochondrial Haplotypes ◽  
Culicoides Imicola ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mtdna Marker

AbstractCulicoides imicola (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is an important Afrotropical and Palearctic vector of disease, transmitting viruses of animal health and economic significance. The apparent incursions of C. imicola into mainland Europe via wind-movement events has made it important to trace this species to better predict new areas of arbovirus outbreaks. A widely used method for tracking dispersal patterns of C. imicola employs a phylogeographic approach anchored on the mtDNA marker COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I). However, a problem with this approach is that maternally-inherited symbiotic bacteria can alter the frequency of COI mitochondrial haplotypes (mitotypes), masking the true patterns of movement and gene flow. In this study, we investigate possible associations of the symbiont Cardinium with C. imicola mitotype distribution. Haplotype network analysis indicates the concordance of specific mitotypes with Cardinium infection status in C. imicola populations from the Mediterranean basin and South Africa. This observation urges caution on the single usage of the COI marker to determine population structure and movement in C. imicola, and instead suggests the complementary utilisation of additional molecular markers (e.g. microsatellites and nuclear markers).

scholarly journals Review Article: Atmospheric conditions inducing extreme precipitation over the Eastern and Western Mediterranean

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 3687-3732 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Dayan ◽  
K. M. Nissen ◽  
U. Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. This review discusses published studies of heavy rainfall events over the Mediterranean Basin, combining them in a more general picture of the dynamic and thermodynamic factors and processes producing heavy rain storms. It distinguishes the Western and Eastern Mediterranean in order to point at specific regional peculiarities. The crucial moisture for developing intensive convection over these regions can be originated not only from the adjacent Mediterranean Sea but also from distant upwind sources. Transport from remote sources is usually in the mid-tropospheric layers and associated with specific features and patterns of the larger scale circulations. The synoptic systems (tropical and extra-tropical) accounting for most of the major extreme precipitation events and the coupling of circulation and extreme rainfall patterns are presented. Heavy rainfall over the Mediterranean Basin is caused at times in concert by several atmospheric processes working at different atmospheric scales, such as local convection, upper-level synoptic-scale troughs, and meso-scale convective systems. Under tropical air mass intrusions, convection generated by static instability seems to play a more important role than synoptic-scale vertical motions. Locally, the occurrence of torrential rains and their intensity is dependent on factors such as temperature profiles and implied instability, atmospheric moisture, and lower-level convergence.

A Werner A2 ewer from Byzantine Cartagena and the distribution of bronze cast vessels in the western Mediterranean around 600 CE

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Joan Pinar Gil ◽  
Jaime Vizcaíno Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Trade Networks ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Archaeological Excavations ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Early Byzantine

Abstract During the 6th and 7th c. CE, Carthago Spartaria (modern Cartagena) became one of the most important cities in the Byzantine province of Spania. Recent archaeological excavations at Cerro del Molinete have significantly increased our knowledge of the ancient city, enabling the exploration of an early Byzantine neighborhood built over the Roman Forum district. A cast bronze ewer of type Werner A2 was found in a pit dug over the temple that presided over the Forum. The associated materials, mainly pottery and glass vessels, are compatible with a deposition between 580/90 and 650/60 CE. This assemblage improves our understanding of the trade networks interconnecting the Mediterranean basin during the 6th and 7th c. CE. In this context, we argue that the unknown production center of the A2 ewers was located in the northern Adriatic, probably in Ravenna.

Seasonal ecosystem vulnerability to climatic anomalies in the Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ecosystem Vulnerability ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

&lt;p&gt;The ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin are particularly prone to climate change and related alterations in climatic anomalies. The seasonal timing of climatic anomalies is crucial for the assessment of the corresponding ecosystem impacts; however, the incorporation of seasonality is neglected in many studies. We quantify ecosystem vulnerability by investigating deviations of the climatic drivers temperature and soil moisture during phases of low ecosystem productivity for each month of the year over the period 1999 &amp;#8211; 2019. The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) is used as a proxy for ecosystem productivity. Air temperature is obtained from the reanalysis data set ERA5 Land and soil moisture and FAPAR satellite products are retrieved from ESA CCI and Copernicus Global Land Service, respectively. Our results show that Mediterranean ecosystems are vulnerable to three soil moisture regimes during the course of the year. A phase of vulnerability to hot and dry conditions during late spring to midsummer is followed by a period of vulnerability to cold and dry conditions in autumn. The third phase is characterized by cold and wet conditions coinciding with low ecosystem productivity in winter and early spring. These phases illustrate well the shift between a soil moisture-limited regime in summer and an energy-limited regime in winter in the Mediterranean Basin. Notably, the vulnerability to hot and dry conditions during the course of the year is prolonged by several months in the Eastern Mediterranean compared to the Western Mediterranean. Our approach facilitates a better understanding of ecosystem vulnerability at certain stages during the year and is easily transferable to other study areas and ecoclimatological variables.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Review Article: Atmospheric conditions inducing extreme precipitation over the eastern and western Mediterranean

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2525-2544 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Dayan ◽  
K. Nissen ◽  
U. Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. This review discusses published studies of heavy rainfall events over the Mediterranean Basin, combining them in a more general picture of the dynamic and thermodynamic factors and processes that produce heavy rain storms. It distinguishes the western and eastern Mediterranean in order to point out specific regional peculiarities. The crucial moisture for developing intensive convection over these regions can be originated not only from the adjacent Mediterranean Sea but also from distant upwind sources. Transport from remote sources is usually in the mid-tropospheric layers and associated with specific features and patterns of the larger-scale circulations. The synoptic systems (tropical and extratropical) that account for most of the major extreme precipitation events and the coupling of circulation and extreme rainfall patterns are presented. Heavy rainfall over the Mediterranean Basin is caused at times in concert by several atmospheric processes working at different atmospheric scales, such as local convection, upper synoptic-scale-level troughs, and mesoscale convective systems. Under tropical air-mass intrusions, convection generated by static instability seems to play a more important role than synoptic-scale vertical motions. Locally, the occurrence of torrential rains and their intensity is dependent on factors such as temperature profiles and implied instability, atmospheric moisture, and lower-level convergence.

scholarly journals The GLAM Airborne Campaign across the Mediterranean Basin

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Ricaud ◽  
Régina Zbinden ◽  
Valéry Catoire ◽  
Vanessa Brocchi ◽  
François Dulac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Chemical Mapping ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract The Gradient in Longitude of Atmospheric Constituents above the Mediterranean Basin (GLAM) airborne campaign was set up to investigate the summertime variability of gaseous pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols between the western (∼3°E) and eastern (∼35°E) sections of the Mediterranean basin as well as how this connects with the impact of the Asian monsoon anticyclone on the eastern Mediterranean in the mid- to upper troposphere (∼5–10 km). GLAM falls within the framework of the Chemistry–Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx) program. GLAM used the French Falcon-20 research aircraft to measure aerosols, humidity, and chemical compounds: ozone, carbon monoxide, methane, and carbon dioxide. GLAM took place between 6 and 10 August 2014, following a route from Toulouse (France) to Larnaca (Cyprus) and back again via Minorca (Spain), Lampedusa (Italy), and Heraklion (Crete, Greece). The aircraft flew at an altitude of 5 km on its outbound journey and 10 km on the return leg. GLAM also collected vertical profiles around the landing sites listed above. A combination of model outputs, chemical mapping analyses, and spaceborne and surface station measurements gathered prior to and during the campaign were used to interpret the in situ airborne measurements. The main outcome of this study is the impact of intercontinental transport on the longitudinal variability of pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols at an altitude of 10 km. The eastern Mediterranean is affected by air masses from the Arabian Sea surface, and the western Mediterranean is impacted by air masses from North America (biomass burning) and West Africa (desert dust).

scholarly journals Bluetongue Virus in France: An Illustration of the European and Mediterranean Context since the 2000s

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Kundlacz ◽  
Grégory Caignard ◽  
Corinne Sailleau ◽  
Cyril Viarouge ◽  
Lydie Postic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Domestic Ruminants ◽  
Inactivated Vaccines ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
World Organization ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Bluetongue (BT) is a non-contagious animal disease transmitted by midges of the Culicoides genus. The etiological agent is the BT virus (BTV) that induces a variety of clinical signs in wild or domestic ruminants. BT is included in the notifiable diseases list of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) due to its health impact on domestic ruminants. A total of 27 BTV serotypes have been described and additional serotypes have recently been identified. Since the 2000s, the distribution of BTV has changed in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin, with continuous BTV incursions involving various BTV serotypes and strains. These BTV strains, depending on their origin, have emerged and spread through various routes in the Mediterranean Basin and/or in Europe. Consequently, control measures have been put in place in France to eradicate the virus or circumscribe its spread. These measures mainly consist of assessing virus movements and the vaccination of domestic ruminants. Many vaccination campaigns were first carried out in Europe using attenuated vaccines and, in a second period, using exclusively inactivated vaccines. This review focuses on the history of the various BTV strain incursions in France since the 2000s, describing strain characteristics, their origins, and the different routes of spread in Europe and/or in the Mediterranean Basin. The control measures implemented to address this disease are also discussed. Finally, we explain the circumstances leading to the change in the BTV status of France from BTV-free in 2000 to an enzootic status since 2018.

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