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A genome-scale reconstruction of human metabolism, Recon 2, is available but no interface exists to interactively visualise its content integrated with omics data and simulation results. We manually drew a comprehensive map, ReconMap 2.0, that is consistent with the content of Recon 2. We present it within a web interface that allows content query, visualization of custom datasets and submission of feedback to manual curators. ReconMap can be accessed via http://vmh.uni.lu, with network export in a Systems Biology Graphical Notation compliant format. A Constraint-Based Reconstruction and Analysis (COBRA) Toolbox extension to interact with ReconMap is available via https://github.com/opencobra/cobratoolbox., 3 pages, 1 figure, submitted

IRET In Costa Rica, thousands of tones of agricultural pesticides have been used for decades and their use is continuously increasing due to intensive and expanding production of coffee, pineapple, rice, ornamental plants and bananas. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether choline esterase (ChE) activity could be used as a biomarker of exposure to pesticides in the Costa Rican native fish Astyanax aeneus (characidae). Three methods used in order to evaluate the ChE biomarker were as follows: Laboratory studies where A. aeneus was exposed to organophosphate pesticide (ethoprophos); In situ 48 hr exposure assessment using caging experiments with fish exposed upstream and downstream of banana plantations and ChE activity estimation of in fish captured directly at sites with different degrees of pesticide exposure. Results from the laboratory studies showed that ChE activity in both brain and muscle tissue was significantly lower in fish exposed to ethoprophos than in controls. Fish from the caging experiments showed no difference in ChE activity neither in brain nor in muscle tissue between the four tested sites and was attributed to the short duration of the exposure. A significant difference in ChE activity was determined in muscle of fish captured from Laguna Madre de Dios compared to fish from Canal Batan. Although our laboratory results revealed that ChE activity in A. aeneus was highly responsive to ethoprophos, results from field experiments were less conclusive and showed that the captured fish showed large variability in ChE activity and that more research is needed before ChE activity can be used as reliable biomarker of pesticide exposure. En Costa Rica, se han utilizado miles de toneladas de pesticidas agrícolas durante décadas y su uso aumenta continuamente debido a la producción intensiva y en expansión de café, piña, arroz, plantas ornamentales y banano. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar si la actividad de la esterasa de colina (ChE) podría utilizarse como biomarcador de exposición a plaguicidas en el pez nativo costarricense Astyanax aeneus (characidae). Los tres métodos utilizados para evaluar el biomarcador ChE fueron los siguientes: estudios de laboratorio en los que A. aeneus estuvo expuesta a plaguicidas organofosforados (etoprofos); Evaluación de exposición in situ de 48 horas mediante experimentos de enjaulamiento con peces expuestos río arriba y río abajo de plantaciones de banano y estimación de la actividad de ChE en peces capturados directamente en sitios con diferentes grados de exposición a plaguicidas. Los resultados de los estudios de laboratorio mostraron que la actividad de ChE tanto en el cerebro como en el tejido muscular fue significativamente menor en los peces expuestos al etoprofos que en los controles. Los peces de los experimentos en jaulas no mostraron diferencias en la actividad de ChE ni en el cerebro ni en el tejido muscular entre los cuatro sitios evaluados y se atribuyó a la corta duración de la exposición. Se determinó una diferencia significativa en la actividad de ChE en el músculo de los peces capturados en la Laguna Madre de Dios en comparación con los peces del Canal Batán. Aunque los resultados de nuestro laboratorio revelaron que la actividad de ChE en A. aeneus era muy sensible al etoprofos, los resultados de los experimentos de campo fueron menos concluyentes y mostraron que los peces capturados mostraron una gran variabilidad en la actividad de ChE y que se necesita más investigación antes de que la actividad de ChE pueda usarse como biomarcador confiable de exposición a plaguicidas. Na Costa Rica, milhares de toneladas de pesticidas agrícolas têm sido usados ​​há décadas e seu uso está aumentando continuamente devido à produção intensiva e em expansão de café, abacaxi, arroz, plantas ornamentais e bananas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar se a atividade da colina esterase (ChE) poderia ser usada como biomarcador de exposição a pesticidas no peixe nativo da Costa Rica Astyanax aeneus (characidae). Os três métodos utilizados para avaliar o biomarcador ChE foram os seguintes: Estudos laboratoriais onde A. aeneus foi exposto a pesticida organofosforado (etoprofós); Avaliação da exposição in situ de 48 horas usando experimentos de enjaulamento com peixes expostos a montante e a jusante das plantações de banana e estimativa da atividade de ChE em peixes capturados diretamente em locais com diferentes graus de exposição a pesticidas. Os resultados dos estudos de laboratório mostraram que a atividade ChE no cérebro e no tecido muscular foi significativamente menor nos peixes expostos ao etoprofós do que nos controles. Os peixes dos experimentos de enjaulamento não mostraram diferença na atividade ChE nem no cérebro nem no tecido muscular entre os quatro locais testados e foi atribuído à curta duração da exposição. Uma diferença significativa na atividade de ChE foi determinada no músculo dos peixes capturados na Laguna Madre de Dios em comparação com os peixes do Canal Batan. Embora os resultados do nosso laboratório tenham revelado que a atividade ChE em A. aeneus foi altamente responsiva ao etoprofós, os resultados dos experimentos de campo foram menos conclusivos e mostraram que os peixes capturados mostraram grande variabilidade na atividade ChE e que mais pesquisas são necessárias antes que a atividade ChE possa ser usada. biomarcador confiável de exposição a pesticidas. Department of Systems Ecology, Sweden Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas

Current knowledge on fate and effect of agricultural pesticides comes is mainly from temperate ecosystems. More studies are needed in tropical systems in order to assess contamination risks to nontarget endemic tropical species from the extensive use of pesticides e.g. in banana and pineapple plantations. In this study, acute laboratory toxicity tests with organophosphate pesticides ethoprophos and chlorpyrifos were conducted on two Costa Rican species, cladoceran Daphnia ambigua and fish Parachromis dovii. Tests showed that chlorpyrifos was more toxic than ethoprophos to D. ambigua and P. dovii and that D. ambigua was also more sensitive than P. dovii to both pesticides. Additionally, bioassays were performed by exposing D. magna and P. dovii to contaminated water collected from the field. Chemical analyses of field water revealed that fungicides were generally the most frequent pesticide group found, followed by insecticides/nematicides and herbicides. The bioassays and values obtained from the literature confirmed that D. magna was more sensitive to pesticide contamination than P. dovii and that D. ambigua was more sensitive than D. magna, suggesting that the native cladoceran is a more suitable test species than its temperate counterpart. Species sensitivity distributions showed no significant difference in sensitivity between tropical and temperate fish and the arthropod species exposed to chlorpyrifos in this study. Choline esterase activity (ChE) was measured in P. dovii in laboratory tests in order to assess the applicability of this biomarker. ChE inhibition in P. dovii was observed in the laboratory at levels below the LC10 of both ethoprophos and chlorpyrifos, confirming that ChE is an efficient biomarker of exposure. Both indigenous Costa Rican species used in this study were found to be suitable standard tropical test species. Further studies are needed to investigate how protective the safe environmental concentrations, derived from LC50 of native tropical species, are for protecting tropical aquatic natural communities

To study interactions between eutrophication and contaminants in marine sediments an experiment was designed and set up at NIVA's Marine Research Station, Solbergstrand. The experiment was performed in 24 continuously flushed glass aquaria within which three sediment-dwelling species were kept in a marine sediment. A filter-feeder. blue musser, was kept in downstream aquaria. The experiment combined three environmental factors: oxygen availability, the presence or absence of contaminants, the addition of organic matter. The objectives of the project were (1) to quantify differences in the partitioning of contaminnts between sediment, pore water and biota as a result of the treatments, (2) to quantify effects of treatments and interactions between treatments on sediments-dwelling organisms, (3) to identify differences, if any, in the release of contaminants from the sediment as the results of treatments. All three contaminants bioaccumulated to higher levels in sediments with increased levels of organic material. Whereas feeding directly or indirectly appeared to be the major route for bioaccumulation of benzo(a)pyrene and mercury (Hg), was cadmium (Cd) also controlled by the concentration in pore water. Furthermore, sediment in enriched aquaria released more contaminants than sediment with low organic content. Organic enrichment had strong effects on growth in the three sediment-dwelling organisms. Growth was less affected by decreased oxygen availability. The presence of contaminants had only minor effects on the three sediment-dwelling species at the concentrations used here. Some biomarkers in N. diversicolor and A. filiformis reflected tissue contaminant concentrations, whereas there was no response in biomarkers in A. alba to any treatment or contaminant. Statens forurensningstilsyn (SFT)

Publication in the conference proceedings of EUSIPCO, Poznan, Poland, 2007