Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic studies on viral shedding have reported that this virus is excreted in feces in most patients. High viral loads are found at the sewage pipeline or at the entrance of wastewater treatment plants from cities where the number of COVID-19 cases are significant. In Quito (Ecuador) as in many other cities worldwide, wastewater is directly discharged into natural waters. The aim of this study was to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 presence in urban streams from a low sanitation context. Three river locations along the urban rivers of Quito were sampled on the 5th of June during a peak of COVID-19 cases. River samples were evaluated for water quality parameters and afterwards, concentrated for viral analysis using skimmed milk flocculation method. The viral concentrates were quantified for SARS-CoV-2 (N1 and N2 target regions) and Human Adenovirus as a human viral indicator. The results showed that SARS-CoV-2 was detected for both target regions in all samples analyzed in a range of 2,91E+05 to 3,19E+06 GC/L for N1 and from 2,07E+05 to 2,22E+06 GC/L for N2. The high values detected in natural waters from a low sanitation region have several implications in health and ecology that should be further assessed.

Summary: Protein phosphorylation is a key molecular switch used to transmit information in biological signalling networks. The output of these signalling circuits is governed by the counteracting activities of protein kinases and phosphatases that determine the direction of the switch. Whereas many kinases have been functionally characterized, it has been difficult to ascribe precise cellular roles to plant phosphatases, which are encoded by enlarged gene families that may provide a high degree of genetic redundancy. In this work we have analysed the role in planta of catalytic subunits of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a family encoded by five genes in Arabidopsis. Our results indicate that the two members of subfamily II, PP2A‐C3 and PP2A‐C4, have redundant functions in controlling embryo patterning and root development, processes that depend on auxin fluxes. Moreover, polarity of the auxin efflux carrier PIN1 and auxin distribution, determined with the DR5_pro:GFP proxy, are affected by mutations in PP2A‐C3 and PP2A‐C4. Previous characterization of mutants in putative PP2A regulatory subunits had established a link between this class of phosphatases and PIN dephosphorylation and subcellular distribution. Building on those findings, the results presented here suggest that PP2A‐C3 and PP2A‐C4 catalyse this reaction and contribute critically to the establishment of auxin gradients for proper plant development.

Currently, food allergies are an important health concern worldwide. The presence of undeclared allergenic ingredients or the presence of traces of allergens due to accidental contamination during food processing poses a great health risk to sensitized individuals. Therefore, reliable analytical methods are required to detect and identify allergenic ingredients in food products. Real-time PCR allowed a specific and accurate amplification of allergen sequences. Some processing methods could induce the fragmentation and/or degradation of genomic DNA and some studies have been performed to analyze the effect of processing on the detection of different targets, as thermal treatment, with and without applying pressure. In this review, we give an updated overview of the applications of real-time PCR for the detection of allergens of tree nut in processed food products. The different variables that contribute to the performance of PCR methodology for allergen detection are also review and discussed.