This study describes, for the first time, the genetic and phenotypic diversity among 93 Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus, GBS) isolates collected from Guelma, Algeria and Marseille, France. All strains were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The molecular support of antibiotic resistance and serotyping were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The phylogenetic lineage of each GBS isolate was determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and grouped into clonal complexes (CCs) using eBURST. The isolates represented 37 sequence types (STs), 16 of which were novel, grouped into five CCs, and belonging to seven serotypes. Serotype V was the most prevalent serotype in our collection (44.1%). GBS isolates of each serotype were distributed among multiple CCs, including cps III/CC19, cps V/CC1, cps Ia/CC23, cps II/CC10, and cps III/CC17. All isolates presented susceptibility to penicillin, whereas resistance to erythromycin was detected in 40% and tetracycline in 82.2% of isolates. Of the 37 erythromycin-resistant isolates, 75.7% showed the macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB)-resistant phenotype and 24.3% exhibited the macrolide (M)-resistant phenotype. Constitutive MLSB resistance (46%) mediated by the ermB gene was significantly associated with the Guelma isolates, whereas the M resistance phenotype (24.3%) mediated by the mefA/E gene dominated among the Marseille isolates and belonged to ST-23. Tetracycline resistance was predominantly due to tetM, which was detected alone (95.1%) or associated with tetO (3.7%). These results provide epidemiological data in these regions that establish a basis for monitoring increased resistance to erythromycin and also provide insight into correlations among clones, serotypes, and resistance genes.

The timing of the M-phase is precisely controlled by a CDC6-dependent mechanism inhibiting the mitotic histone H1 kinase. Here, we describe the differential regulation of the dynamics of this mitotic kinase activity by exogenous cyclin A or cyclin B in the Xenopus laevis cycling extracts. We show that the experimental increase in cyclin A modifies only the level of histone H1 kinase activity, while the cyclin B increase modifies two parameters: histone H1 kinase activity and the timing of its full activation, which is accelerated. On the other hand, the cyclin A depletion significantly delays full activation of histone H1 kinase. However, when CDC6 is added to such an extract, it inhibits cyclin B-associated histone H1 kinase, but does not modify the mitotic timing in the absence of cyclin A. Further, we show via p9 co-precipitation with Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs), that both CDC6 and the bona fide CDK1 inhibitor Xic1 associate with the mitotic CDKs. Finally, we show that the Xic1 temporarily separates from the mitotic CDKs complexes during the peak of histone H1 kinase activity. These data show the differential coordination of the M-phase progression by cyclin A- and cyclin B-dependent CDKs, confirm the critical role of the CDC6-dependent histone H1 kinase inhibition in this process, and show that CDC6 acts differentially through the cyclin B- and cyclin A-associated CDKs. This CDC6- and cyclins-dependent mechanism likely depends on the precisely regulated association of Xic1 with the mitotic CDKs complexes. We postulate that: i. the dissociation of Xic1 from the CDKs complexes allows the maximal activation of CDK1 during the M-phase, ii. the switch between cyclin A- and cyclin B-CDK inhibition upon M-phase initiation may be responsible for the diauxic growth of mitotic histone H1 kinase activity.

Summary :313 sheep were examined in 1 996 to assess the importance and seasonal evolution of Oestrus ovis infection in the Algerian region of El-Tarf. Prevalence was found to be 67.4 %. The larval burden was 18 larvae by infected sheep. The prevalence was higher in older sheep than in lambs; intensity was similar. The different larval stages were found all along the year in sheep with prevalence ranging from 33.1 to 80.5 % for LI, 9.7 to 43.9 % for L2 and 8.4 to 23.0 % for L3. The sheep were the least infected in winter (prevalence from 35.7 to 44 % and intensity seven to ten larvae per sheep). The highest infection was found during the warm season (spring to autumn, prevalence from 62 to 90 % and intensity ranging from 15 to 25). This larval evolution profile suggested the existence of one long cycle (NovemberApril) and possibly two shorts cycles (May-October). This epidemiological pattern is similar to that in Morocco but was slightly different from the situation in Tunisia where the winter cycle was apparently of lesser importance.

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Assessment of water pollution and its effect upon river biotic communities and human health is indispensable to develop control and management strategies. In this study, the mutagenicity and genotoxicity of urban wastewater of the city of Guelma in Algeria were examined between April 2012 and April 2013. For this, two biological tests, namely Amesand chromosomal aberrations (CA) test in Allium cepa root tips were employed on the samples collected from five different sampling stages (S1-S5). In Ames test, two strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 with or without metabolic activation (S9-mix) were used. All water samples were found to be mutagenic to S. typhimurium TA98 with or without S9-mix. A significant decrease in mitotic index (MI) was observed with a decrease in the percentage of cells in the prophase and an increase in the telophase. Main aberrations observed were anaphase bridges, disturbed anaphase-telophase cells, vagrants and stickiness in anaphase-telophase cells. All treatments of wastewater in April 2012, at S5 in July 2012, at S1 and S5 in November 2012, at S5 in February 2013, and at S1 in April 2013 induced CA when compared to the negative control. Some physicochemical parameters and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Cu) were also recorded in the samples examined.