A picture of the population dynamics

A picture of the population dynamics Ganetespib in vivo (the changing genotypic landscape within the microbial population in the presence of antibiotics) will provide valuable insights into the aforementioned questions and contribute to the elucidation of the fundamental principles underlying how microbial pathogens evolve resistance to antimicrobial agents. Among human fungal pathogens, Candida spp. is recognized as a major challenge in public health, causing potentially life-threatening invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. Candida

spp. is the fourth most common cause of blood stream infections with a mortality rate approaching 50% in US hospitals (Zaoutis et al., 2005; Pfaller & Diekema, 2007). The species distribution among clinical Candida isolates varies depending CDK activity on the geographic regions, with Candida albicans (C. albicans) being

the most commonly isolated species in Candidaemia according to a 10.5-year global survey (Pfaller et al., 2010), from the lowest frequency (48.9%) in North America to the highest one (67.9%) in European; however, there is an upward trend in the frequency of isolation of non-albicans species (NAC), likely due to reduced susceptibility to antifungal agents in some NAC (Lai et al., 2008; Pfaller & Diekema, 2010; Pfaller, 2012). In the management of fungal infections, there have been significant recent advances in antifungal therapy, including the introduction of a new generation of antifungal agents, the use of combination therapy, and improved standardization of susceptibility testing; however, drug resistance still poses a challenge in the management and treatment of fungal infections (Kanafani & Perfect, 2008; Chapeland-Leclerc et al., 2010; Pfaller, 2012). In the United States, the treatment associated with Candidemia cost more than US $1 billion annually (Beck-Sague & Jarvis, 1993; Miller et al., 2001). The high mortality rate, the rapid Lenvatinib research buy development of drug resistance, and the high cost associated with therapeutic treatment make Candida spp. a medically important group of fungal pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance has become increasingly

important in antifungal therapy. Resistance to nearly all major antifungal agents has been reported in clinical isolates of Candida spp. (Marr et al., 1998; Sanglard & Odds, 2002; Katiyar et al., 2006), which poses a major public health concern as the arsenal of antifungal agents is limited. Single nucleotide polymorphism, loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) and gross chromosomal rearrangements have been found to be important processes in the development of drug resistance (Selmecki et al., 2006, 2008, 2009). Research within the past couple of decades has identified numerous drug resistance mechanisms. Mutations in drug targets, such as ERG11 in fluconazole resistance and FKS1 in echinocandin resistance (Loffler et al., 1997; Lamb et al., 2000; White et al., 2002; Park et al.

A picture of the population dynamics

A picture of the population dynamics ALK inhibitor clinical trial (the changing genotypic landscape within the microbial population in the presence of antibiotics) will provide valuable insights into the aforementioned questions and contribute to the elucidation of the fundamental principles underlying how microbial pathogens evolve resistance to antimicrobial agents. Among human fungal pathogens, Candida spp. is recognized as a major challenge in public health, causing potentially life-threatening invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. Candida

spp. is the fourth most common cause of blood stream infections with a mortality rate approaching 50% in US hospitals (Zaoutis et al., 2005; Pfaller & Diekema, 2007). The species distribution among clinical Candida isolates varies depending ABT-199 solubility dmso on the geographic regions, with Candida albicans (C. albicans) being

the most commonly isolated species in Candidaemia according to a 10.5-year global survey (Pfaller et al., 2010), from the lowest frequency (48.9%) in North America to the highest one (67.9%) in European; however, there is an upward trend in the frequency of isolation of non-albicans species (NAC), likely due to reduced susceptibility to antifungal agents in some NAC (Lai et al., 2008; Pfaller & Diekema, 2010; Pfaller, 2012). In the management of fungal infections, there have been significant recent advances in antifungal therapy, including the introduction of a new generation of antifungal agents, the use of combination therapy, and improved standardization of susceptibility testing; however, drug resistance still poses a challenge in the management and treatment of fungal infections (Kanafani & Perfect, 2008; Chapeland-Leclerc et al., 2010; Pfaller, 2012). In the United States, the treatment associated with Candidemia cost more than US $1 billion annually (Beck-Sague & Jarvis, 1993; Miller et al., 2001). The high mortality rate, the rapid Dichloromethane dehalogenase development of drug resistance, and the high cost associated with therapeutic treatment make Candida spp. a medically important group of fungal pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance has become increasingly

important in antifungal therapy. Resistance to nearly all major antifungal agents has been reported in clinical isolates of Candida spp. (Marr et al., 1998; Sanglard & Odds, 2002; Katiyar et al., 2006), which poses a major public health concern as the arsenal of antifungal agents is limited. Single nucleotide polymorphism, loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) and gross chromosomal rearrangements have been found to be important processes in the development of drug resistance (Selmecki et al., 2006, 2008, 2009). Research within the past couple of decades has identified numerous drug resistance mechanisms. Mutations in drug targets, such as ERG11 in fluconazole resistance and FKS1 in echinocandin resistance (Loffler et al., 1997; Lamb et al., 2000; White et al., 2002; Park et al.

Homologues of xerC/xerD genes have been found in many bacteria, a

Homologues of xerC/xerD genes have been found in many bacteria, and in the lactococci and streptococci, a single recombinase called XerS can perform the functions of XerC and XerD. The xerS gene of Streptococcus suis was cloned, overexpressed and purified as a maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion. The purified MBP-XerS fusion showed specific DNA-binding activity to both halves of the dif site of S. suis, and covalent protein–DNA complexes were also detected with dif site suicide substrates. These substrates were also cleaved in a specific fashion by MBP-XerS, generating cleavage products separated by an 11-bp Obeticholic Acid order spacer region, unlike the traditional 6–8-bp spacer observed in most tyrosine recombinases. Furthermore, xerS mutants

of S. suis showed significant growth and morphological changes. The Xer site-specific recombination system is encoded by the circular chromosomes of many bacteria and functions to ensure that both INCB024360 circular

chromosomes and multicopy plasmids are monomeric before their segregation to daughter cells at cell division (Sherratt et al., 1995). The XerC/XerD proteins are tyrosine recombinases, which cooperatively bind to specific 11-bp consensus sequences that are separated by a 6- to 8-bp central region at the borders of which the DNA strands are cleaved and exchanged (Blakely et al., 1993). In recombination mediated by tyrosine recombinases, DNA strands are cleaved and rejoined through the formation of a transient DNA–protein covalent intermediate involving a conserved tyrosine as the catalytic nucleophile. To ensure that the correct order of strand exchanges occur at the right time and location, the dif site must be located at the terminus of the Escherichia coli chromosome and the C-terminal region of the FtsK protein is required to stimulate the strand exchange activity of XerD (Steiner et al., 1999; Barre et al., 2000; Yates et al., 2006). The translocation activity of FtsK is essential to make sure Staurosporine cell line that the products of the Xer recombination are unlinked and that chromosome dimer resolution can proceed successfully (Grainge et al., 2011). Recently, new studies have shown that a novel Xer recombination machinery

is present in Firmicutes, in some ε-proteobacteria and in the Archaea (Le Bourgeois et al., 2007; Carnoy & Roten, 2009; Cortez et al., 2010; Duggin et al., 2011). These bacteria possess only a single Xer protein that differs in primary sequence and in length with the other members of the XerCD family of recombinases. (Le Bourgeois et al., 2007). In the lactococci and streptococci, the binding and strand exchange activities of XerS are asymmetrical, with preferential binding to the left part of the difSL site and preferential exchange of the bottom strand (Nolivos et al., 2010). These authors suggest that FtsK may be needed to bring the dif sites together, but not to directly activate the strand exchange activity (Le Bourgeois et al., 2007; Nolivos et al., 2010).

017) (Table 3) In addition, those making HRIPD visits had a high

017) (Table 3). In addition, those making HRIPD visits had a higher likelihood of being seen by a physician (P<0.001). HRIPD visits also received more diagnostic tests (P<0.001), but fewer procedures (P=0.019). Notably, 15.5% of

HRIPD visits received HIV serology testing, which included testing based on clinical suspicion of HIV infection and/or testing based on potential occupational/nonoccupational exposure. HRIPD visits were also prescribed Ku-0059436 concentration more medications in the ED. The most frequently prescribed medications for HRIPD visits were antimicrobials (44.5%), of which 82.0% were antibiotics and 32.1% were antiretrovirals. Approximately one-seventh of HRIPD visits received antiretroviral prescriptions (Table 3). In terms of disposition, HRIPD visits had significantly longer durations of ED stay and a higher likelihood of hospital admission. Further analysis identified age, gender, race, insurance type, US region of ED, fever as RFV, and visits requiring

‘emergent/urgent’ care as also being associated with admission. Multivariate analysis adjusted for these covariates showed that HRIPD visits were 7.67 times more likely hypoxia-inducible factor pathway to lead to hospitalization than non-HRIPD visits (Table 4). Even after excluding those HRIPD visits with HIV serology testing and without antiretroviral therapy being administered (i.e. visits of patients presumed to have been newly identified as HIV infected), HRIPD visits were still significantly more likely to result in hospitalization (OR 7.24). The temporal changes in ED utilization by HRIPD visits in the three study periods are summarized in Table 5. The proportion of HRIPD visits that required ‘emergent/urgent’ care increased significantly

with time (Table 5), as did the proportion of non-HRIPD visits requiring such care (48.5% in 1993–1996, 68.1% in 1997–2000, and 64.1% in 2001–2005; P<0.001). The wait time to be seen by a provider decreased from the second to the third period (P=0.003). The proportions of HRIPD visits seen by attending physicians or by registered nurses (RNs) and/or licensed practical nurses (LPNs) differed over the three periods of observation (P=0.023 and 0.033, respectively). From 1997 to 2005, the number of diagnostic tests that patients Sulfite dehydrogenase with HRIPD received, including complete blood count determinations, increased significantly. From 1993 to 2005, the proportion of HRIPD visits where patients were given intravenous fluids also differed with time. Notably, 12.2% of HRIPD visits only had HIV/AIDS as their ED discharge diagnosis. Among all HRIPD visits, a substantial proportion had infectious diseases (42.2%; 95% CI 33.1–51.2) as co-diagnoses. Of these infectious diseases, pneumonia (25.1%; 95% CI 16.7–33.5) and OIs (16.7%; 95% CI 10.5–22.9) were the most common co-diagnoses. HRIPD visits accounted for approximately half a million ED visits in the USA over the 13 years of observation.

Four teeth in the CH-IPT group and one tooth in the 3Mix-MP group

Four teeth in the CH-IPT group and one tooth in the 3Mix-MP group were radiographic failures. One tooth in each group showed pulp canal obliteration (PCO), which was not regarded as a radiographic failure. The types of radiographic failures found at the 6–11 month recall are shown in Table 3. Partial thickening of the periodontal space at the bifurcation was observed in two and four teeth of the CH-IPT and 3Mix-MP groups, respectively. One tooth in the CH-IPT group and two teeth in the 3Mix-MP group showed partial loss of the lamina dura. All of these were classified into find more the observe group (Table 3). Treatment success at the 6–11 recall for the mandibular

first and second primary molars treated with CH-IPT and 3Mix-MP, respectively, from Fig. 1a are presented in Fig. 1b and that of the CH-IPT-treated mandibular first primary molar from Fig. 2a is seen in Fig. 2b. There was no statistically significant difference between overall success rates of the CH-IPT group or 3Mix-MP group at the 6–11 month recall (P = 0.91, Pearson chi-square). At the 12–29 month recall (mean = 22.81 ± 5.52 months), 72 of 82 teeth were available for a second evaluation. Six of 41 teeth in the CH-IPT group (15%) and 4 of 41 teeth (10%) in the 3Mix-MP group were dropped out. The distribution of teeth

seen at 12–29 months according to tooth check details type and treatment group is shown in Table 1. Thirty-five of 35 teeth (100%) in the CH-IPT group and 35 of 37 teeth (95%) teeth in the 3Mix-MP group showed clinical success, whereas 33 of 35

teeth (94%) in the CH-IPT group and 30 of 37 teeth (81%) in the 3Mix-MP group showed radiographic success. PCO was found in seven teeth (20%) and eleven teeth (30%) in the CH-IPT and 3Mix-MP groups, respectively. The types of clinical and radiographic failures found at the 12–29 month recall are shown in Table 4. Of the teeth put into the ‘observed’ group, one of three IPT-treated teeth was deemed a failure, and all six 3Mix-MP-treated teeth were found to be successes. Examples of successful cases at 14-months for mandibular first and second primary molars treated with CH-IPT and 3Mix-MP, respectively, are seen in Fig. 1c. Although pulpal obliteration selleck screening library was observed in the CH-IPT-treated tooth, this was not a criterion for failure. A treatment failure at 25-months for a CH-IPT-treated mandibular first primary molar, due to internal resorption perforating the mesial root, is seen in Fig. 2c. Thirty-three of 35 teeth (94%) in the CH-IPT group and 29 of 37 teeth (78%) in the 3Mix-MP group showed overall treatment success. At the 12–29 month recall, there was no statistically significant difference between the overall success rates of CH-IPT or 3Mix-MP groups for the treatment of deep caries approaching the pulp in mandibular primary molars (P value = 0.08, Fisher,s Exact). (Table 2).

Since the advent of the HIV pandemic, health care workers includi

Since the advent of the HIV pandemic, health care workers including medical trainees have been at increased risk of infection through exposure to blood or body fluids. The risk of occupational exposure is high even among medical students working in resource-rich North American hospitals. A survey conducted among the graduating class of 2003 at the University of Toronto School of Medicine revealed that 35% (55 of 157) of students www.selleckchem.com/products/ly2109761.html had sustained at least one needlestick injury and less than 50% of those with exposures sought medical advice.5 The American Medical Association recommends that US medical schools ensure that medical students who engage in clinical rotations

abroad have immediate access to HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), and encourages medical schools to provide information to students regarding potential health risks associated with international electives and education regarding appropriate precautions Vorinostat to minimize risks.6 Among health care workers globally, 2 million needlestick injuries occur annually.7 Although the risk for HIV transmission from needlestick

accidents in the United States is estimated to be 0.3%, the global rate is estimated to be 4.4%.8,9 The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that annually there are 1,000 (range 200–5,000) new HIV infections due to occupational exposures experienced by health care workers.9 Among all HIV-infected health care workers, 2.5% of their infections are believed to result from occupational exposures, indicating the significant risk of nosocomial exposures. While the greatest number of documented reports of occupational infection are from the United States and Europe, the majority

of exposures occurs in the developing world.7 Although 70% of the world’s HIV-infected population resides in sub-Saharan Africa, only 4% of worldwide occupational cases of HIV infection have been reported in this region.10 Given substantial underreporting and the lack of basic supplies such as gloves, protective eyewear, and special safety devices such as needleless phlebotomy devices, the risk of nosocomial exposure to blood and body fluids is likely to be much greater in developing Thiamet G countries than in industrialized countries. Consistent with this hypothesis, a South African study found that 91% of junior physicians sustained needlestick injuries in the previous year, with 55% of those exposures occurring with patients who were known to be HIV positive.11 Thus, percutaneous exposure to blood products internationally remains a serious threat and must be recognized as a health hazard to traveling health care workers, including medical trainees. In developed countries, PEP has greatly reduced the potential risk of infection for health care workers.

It has long been known that MED4 can withstand short periods of P

It has long been known that MED4 can withstand short periods of P starvation and recover (Moore et al., 2005; Martiny et al., 2006), and these results suggest that the strain has the capability to acclimate to and survive longer periods of P stress. We wish to acknowledge the provision of Akt inhibitor an EPSRC studentship, Advanced Research Fellowship for C.A.B. (EP/E053556/01) and further EPSRC funding (GR/S84347/01 and EP/E036252/1). We also acknowledge the Roscoff Culture Collection for the kind provision of cells. Finally, we would like to acknowledge Dr Saw Yen Ow, Dr Jagroop Pandhal and Dr Josselin Noirel for all assistance and instrument help. Appendix S1. Materials

and methods. Table S1. Proteins identified by two or more peptides and quantitated. Please note: Wiley-Blackwell is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting materials supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing material) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. “
“ICE R391, a prototype member of the SXT/R391 family of site-specific integrative conjugative elements (ICEs), frequently

isolated from enterobacterial pathogens, exhibits an unusual, recA-dependent, UV-inducible, cell-sensitising click here function. This significantly decreases postirradiation cell survival rates in Escherichia coli host cells, a trait that would at first appear to be counterproductive in terms of adaptation to stress conditions.

Construction and screening of a complete ICE R391 deletion library in E. coli identified three ICE R391 genes, orfs90/91, encoding a putative transcriptional enhancer, and orf43, encoding a putative type IV secretion system outer membrane-associated conjugative transfer protein, in the cell-sensitising function. Cloning and complementation of these genes confirmed their involvement in UV sensitising. Expression of both orfs90/91 and orf43 in wild-type E. coli indicated that orf43 encodes a cytotoxic gene product Protein kinase N1 upon up-regulation. Deletion of the orf43 homologue in SXT, s050, also abolished its associated UV sensitisation. We hypothesise that ICE R391 and other members of the SXT/R391 family display decreased survival rates upon exposure to UV irradiation through the induction of orf43. “
“Biosynthesis of the highly toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxins in select Aspergillus species from the common intermediate O-methylsterigmatocystin has been postulated to require only the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, OrdA (AflQ). We now provide evidence that the aryl alcohol dehydrogenase NorA (AflE) encoded by the aflatoxin biosynthetic gene cluster in Aspergillus flavus affects the accumulation of aflatoxins in the final steps of aflatoxin biosynthesis. Mutants with inactive norA produced reduced quantities of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), but elevated quantities of a new metabolite, deoxyAFB1.

[14] This study sheds light on the knowledge gap that exists amon

[14] This study sheds light on the knowledge gap that exists among these FBT. While they are well supported in terms of health advice services, their risk knowledge could certainly be improved. The most urgent intervention is required to address the underestimation of influenza and dengue fever, and to educate employees about appropriate preventative measures. The worldwide spread of the SARS virus in 2003 served to highlight that insufficient awareness among travelers can drive the global outbreak of a disease.[15] Travel preparation should consequently

be encouraged to commence earlier than seen in our data to allow for an adequate time period to complete any necessary travel Crizotinib concentration preparation. With the continuing increase in both global business and leisure travel, we urge a greater evidence base for traveler-specific risk for infectious diseases to be developed, thus facilitating research that could have substantial implications for the future management of global infectious disease transmission. No grants or other financial support were received to conduct the study. The manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors, who accept full responsibility 5-FU solubility dmso for the content. The authors had full access to the data and their analysis, as well as drafting the article or editing an author’s

draft. The authors state that they have no conflicts of interest. “
“Background. Travelers’

diarrhea (TD) remains a frequent travel-associated infection. Between 4 and 32% of enteric infections were followed by a postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (pIBS) with long-term sequelae in various settings. Travel-related IBS incidence rates are based on small studies and IBS predictors have not been sufficiently evaluated. Methods. Adult travelers to resource-limited destinations participated in a prospective questionnaire-based cohort study. Demographics, travel characteristics, and medical history were assessed and those with functional or organic gastrointestinal disorders were excluded. Immediately after return from abroad, the volunteers completed a second questionnaire on TD, other health impairments, and on nutritional hygiene. Six-months post-travel, a follow-up Tau-protein kinase questionnaire assessed IBS based on Rome III criteria. Risk factors were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. Results. Among a total of 2,476 subjects analyzed (participation rate 72.4%), 38 (1.5%) developed new IBS, and the 6-month incidence rate for pIBS was 3.0% (95% CI 1.9–4.2) following TD. Significant risk factors were TD during the surveyed journey (OR 3.7; 95% 1.8–7.4), an adverse life event experienced within 12 months pre-travel (OR 3.1; 1.4–6.8), and a diarrheal episode experienced within 4 months pre-travel (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.3–5.6).

[14] This study sheds light on the knowledge gap that exists amon

[14] This study sheds light on the knowledge gap that exists among these FBT. While they are well supported in terms of health advice services, their risk knowledge could certainly be improved. The most urgent intervention is required to address the underestimation of influenza and dengue fever, and to educate employees about appropriate preventative measures. The worldwide spread of the SARS virus in 2003 served to highlight that insufficient awareness among travelers can drive the global outbreak of a disease.[15] Travel preparation should consequently

be encouraged to commence earlier than seen in our data to allow for an adequate time period to complete any necessary travel GSK2118436 mw preparation. With the continuing increase in both global business and leisure travel, we urge a greater evidence base for traveler-specific risk for infectious diseases to be developed, thus facilitating research that could have substantial implications for the future management of global infectious disease transmission. No grants or other financial support were received to conduct the study. The manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors, who accept full responsibility Endocrinology antagonist for the content. The authors had full access to the data and their analysis, as well as drafting the article or editing an author’s

draft. The authors state that they have no conflicts of interest. “
“Background. Travelers’

diarrhea (TD) remains a frequent travel-associated infection. Between 4 and 32% of enteric infections were followed by a postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (pIBS) with long-term sequelae in various settings. Travel-related IBS incidence rates are based on small studies and IBS predictors have not been sufficiently evaluated. Methods. Adult travelers to resource-limited destinations participated in a prospective questionnaire-based cohort study. Demographics, travel characteristics, and medical history were assessed and those with functional or organic gastrointestinal disorders were excluded. Immediately after return from abroad, the volunteers completed a second questionnaire on TD, other health impairments, and on nutritional hygiene. Six-months post-travel, a follow-up next questionnaire assessed IBS based on Rome III criteria. Risk factors were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. Results. Among a total of 2,476 subjects analyzed (participation rate 72.4%), 38 (1.5%) developed new IBS, and the 6-month incidence rate for pIBS was 3.0% (95% CI 1.9–4.2) following TD. Significant risk factors were TD during the surveyed journey (OR 3.7; 95% 1.8–7.4), an adverse life event experienced within 12 months pre-travel (OR 3.1; 1.4–6.8), and a diarrheal episode experienced within 4 months pre-travel (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.3–5.6).

After

After ABT-737 purchase washing, the plate was developed using 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine as the HRP substrate. The reaction was terminated with the addition of 0.25% (w/v) hydrofluoric acid. Absorbance was measured at 630 nm in an ELISA reader (BioTek spectrophotometer, Winooski, VT). End-point titers were calculated as the reciprocal of the last serum dilution that was two-fold higher than the control. We isolated porcine neutrophils and investigated opsonophagocytosis based on the studies of Zhang et al. (2009). The number of viable cells was counted by trypan blue staining and adjusted to 4 × 106 cells mL−1 in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium.

ExPEC PCN033 was grown to log phase and adjusted to 4 × 104 CFU mL−1. To facilitate interactions between bacteria and antibodies, bacterial cells were preincubated in 10% mouse serum at 37 °C for 30 min. The reaction mixture consisted of aliquots of 500 μL

bacteria, 500 μL neutrophils and 100 μL healthy piglet serum as a complement source. The mixture was incubated at 37 °C for 1 h with rotation. After phagocytosis, the neutrophils were lysed with sterile water and serially diluted 10-fold. Dilutions find more were plated on LB plates and incubated at 37 °C overnight to determine viable counts. The sera from mice immunized only with adjuvant were used as a control. The efficiency of bacterial killing was estimated by the Clomifene following formula: [1 − (number of bacteria recovered in presence of phagocytes/number of bacteria recovered in absence of phagocytes)] × 100% (Zhang et al., 2009). Data of the opsonophagocytosis

assay are summarized as mean ± standard deviation. The differences in antibody titers from the ELISA and the percentage of bacteria killed in the opsonophagocytosis assay were determined using the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test. The significance cutoff was set to 0.01. The complete coding regions of E. coli porin genes ompC and ompF sequenced in the present and previous studies were collected to detect evidence of recombination and selective pressure (Table 1). Multiple sequence alignments were carried out for the translated protein sequences using the program t-coffee (Notredame et al., 2000). The aligned amino acid sequences were then mapped onto the corresponding codon sequences. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using phyml (Guindon & Gascuel, 2003). Recombination events in our datasets were tested using the Single Break-Point (SBP) and the Genetic Algorithms for Recombination Detection (GARD) methods in the hyphy package (Pond et al., 2006). To infer selective pressure on the coding genes, the ratio of nonsynonymous substitutions (dN) to synonymous substitutions (dS) was estimated using the fixed effects likelihood (FEL) method via the Datamonkey webserver (http://www.datamonkey.org/) (Pond & Frost, 2005).