Dysphania pumilio (R. Br. Mosyakin & Clemants (Amaranthaceae, a new allochthonous species in the flora of Serbia

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Bogosavljević Stefan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Dysphania pumilio (Amaranthaceae is a new allochthonous species in the flora of Serbia. During the period of 2006-2016, it was recorded at three localities in the valley of the Pčinja River in southeastern Serbia. On the basis of the number of populations and the period of time elapsed since it was recorded for the first time in 2006, we assume that this species is now naturalised in Serbia. Dysphania pumilio in Serbia is found in ruderal habitats within settlements, on sand and gravel riverbanks, in well-trodden places along roads, in abandoned cultivated fields, etc., usually within the Sysimbrion officinalis, Hordeion murini and Eragrostidion vegetation alliances. The populations of D. pumilio that have been established to date do not show an invasive character in relation to preserved natural habitats in Serbia.

Isolation and characterization of a PUF-domain of pumilio gene from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Drosophila pumilio antibody all could specifically detect BmPUM expressed in prokaryotic cells. The tissue expression pattern performed by real-time PCR and western blotting demonstrated that BmPUM expressed in various tissues, especially in testis and ovary. Those data collectively indicated that BmPUM belongs to ...

Identification of synaptic targets of Drosophila pumilio.

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Gengxin Chen

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Drosophila Pumilio (Pum protein is a translational regulator involved in embryonic patterning and germline development. Recent findings demonstrate that Pum also plays an important role in the nervous system, both at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ and in long-term memory formation. In neurons, Pum appears to play a role in homeostatic control of excitability via down regulation of para, a voltage gated sodium channel, and may more generally modulate local protein synthesis in neurons via translational repression of eIF-4E. Aside from these, the biologically relevant targets of Pum in the nervous system remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that Pum might play a role in regulating the local translation underlying synapse-specific modifications during memory formation. To identify relevant translational targets, we used an informatics approach to predict Pum targets among mRNAs whose products have synaptic localization. We then used both in vitro binding and two in vivo assays to functionally confirm the fidelity of this informatics screening method. We find that Pum strongly and specifically binds to RNA sequences in the 3'UTR of four of the predicted target genes, demonstrating the validity of our method. We then demonstrate that one of these predicted target sequences, in the 3'UTR of discs large (dlg1, the Drosophila PSD95 ortholog, can functionally substitute for a canonical NRE (Nanos response element in vivo in a heterologous functional assay. Finally, we show that the endogenous dlg1 mRNA can be regulated by Pumilio in a neuronal context, the adult mushroom bodies (MB, which is an anatomical site of memory storage.

Variable Alkaloid Defenses in the Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga pumilio are Perceived as Differences in Palatability to Arthropods.

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Bolton, Sarah K; Dickerson, Kelsie; Saporito, Ralph A

2017-03-01

Conspicuously colored dendrobatid frogs sequester alkaloid defenses from dietary arthropods, resulting in considerable alkaloid variation among populations; however, little is known about how variation is perceived as a defense against predators. Previous studies have found variable alkaloids in the dendrobatid Oophaga pumilio to be associated with differences in toxicity to laboratory mice, suggesting variable defenses are important. Arthropods are natural predators that use chemoreception to detect prey, including frogs, and may therefore perceive variation in alkaloid profiles as differences in palatability. The goal of the present study is to determine how arthropods respond to variable alkaloid defenses in O. pumilio. Frog alkaloids were sampled from individual O. pumilio from ten geographic locations throughout the Bocas del Toro region of Panama and the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Alkaloid extracts were used in feeding bioassays with the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster and the ant Ectatomma ruidum. Both species of arthropods fed significantly less on frog alkaloid extracts when compared to controls, and differences in alkaloid palatability were observed among frog populations, as well as between sexes and life stages within a population. Differences in alkaloid quantity, richness, and type were the main predictors of arthropod palatability. Our findings also represent the first direct evidence of a palatability spectrum in a vertebrate that sequesters chemical defenses from dietary sources. Further, the presence of a palatability spectrum suggests that variable alkaloid defenses in O. pumilio are ecologically relevant and play an important role in natural predator-prey interactions, particularly with respect to arthropod predators.

Helminth parasites of cats from the Vientiane Province, Laos, as indicators of the occurrence of causative agents of human parasitoses

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Scholz T.

2003-12-01

Full Text Available A total of 55 domestic cats (Felis calus f. domestico and one wild (Bengal cat (Prionailurus bengalensis from the Vientiane Province, central Laos, were examined for helminth parasites with emphasis given to potential human parasites. The following species were found (parasites infective to man marked with an asterisk: Opisthorchis viverrini*, Haplorchis pumilio*,H. laichui*,H. yokogawai*, Stellantchasmus falcatus* (Digenea; Spirometra sp.*, Dipylidium caninum*, Taenia taeniaeformis (Cestoda; Capillariidae gen. sp., Toxocara canis*, T. cati*, Ancylostoma ceylanicum*, A. tubaeforme, Gnathostoma spinigerum*, Physaloptera preputials (Nematoda; and Oncicola sp. (Acanthocephala. This study demonstrated that examination of cats may provide useful data on the occurrence of helminths which are potential causative agents of human diseases.

Combinatorial control of messenger RNAs by Pumilio, Nanos and Brain Tumor Proteins.

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Arvola, René M; Weidmann, Chase A; Tanaka Hall, Traci M; Goldstrohm, Aaron C

2017-11-02

Eukaryotes possess a vast array of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that affect mRNAs in diverse ways to control protein expression. Combinatorial regulation of mRNAs by RBPs is emerging as the rule. No example illustrates this as vividly as the partnership of 3 Drosophila RBPs, Pumilio, Nanos and Brain Tumor, which have overlapping functions in development, stem cell maintenance and differentiation, fertility and neurologic processes. Here we synthesize 30 y of research with new insights into their molecular functions and mechanisms of action. First, we provide an overview of the key properties of each RBP. Next, we present a detailed analysis of their collaborative regulatory mechanism using a classic example of the developmental morphogen, hunchback, which is spatially and temporally regulated by the trio during embryogenesis. New biochemical, structural and functional analyses provide insights into RNA recognition, cooperativity, and regulatory mechanisms. We integrate these data into a model of combinatorial RNA binding and regulation of translation and mRNA decay. We then use this information, transcriptome wide analyses and bioinformatics predictions to assess the global impact of Pumilio, Nanos and Brain Tumor on gene regulation. Together, the results support pervasive, dynamic post-transcriptional control.

A revision of the haploporinae nicoll, 1914 (digenea: haploporidae) from mullets (mugilidae): Dicrogaster Looss, 1902 and Forticulcita overstreet, 1982.

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Blasco-Costa, Isabel; Montero, Francisco E; Balbuena, Juan Antonio; Raga, Juan Antonio; Kostadinova, Aneta

2009-03-01

The status of the nominal species of Dicrogaster is re-assessed by means of a comparative morphological study based on newly collected material from the western Mediterranean and a critical evaluation of the published data. D. perpusilla Looss, 1902 (type-species) and D. contracta Looss, 1902 are redescribed on the basis of new material from Liza spp. D. fragilis Fernández Bargiela, 1987 is considered a junior synonym of D. fastigata Thatcher & Sparks, 1958 and D. maryutensis Al-Bassel, 1990 is considered to be nomen nudum. A key to the recognised species of Dicrogaster is presented. A new species of Forticulcita Overstreet, 1982 is described from Mugil cephalus L. in the Spanish Mediterranean and differentiated from the type-species, F. glabra Overstreet, 1982, and the recently described F. mugilis Hassanine, 2007 by its significantly smaller body size and most of its metrical data. The new species, F. gibsoni n. sp., is characterised by a narrow 'neck' region anterior to the genital pore and a long striated 'tail' region in the hindbody which is devoid of organs, such that the bulk of the uterus is restricted to the anterior half of the hindbody and the testis is located more anteriorly. F. gibsoni differs from F. glabra in having a longer forebody, smaller sucker width ratio and larger eggs, and from F. mugilis in having a smaller sucker width ratio, a hermaphroditic sac much longer than the ventral sucker and smaller eggs. The three Mediterranean forms, D. perpusilla, D. contracta and F. gibsoni are further distinguished by multivariate analyses. Keys to the species of both genera are presented.

Variación estacional y potencial enzimático de microhongos asociados con la descomposición de hojarasca de Nothofagus pumilio Seasonal variation and enzymatic potential of microfungi associated with the decomposition of Nothofagus pumilio leaf litter

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EDUARDO VALENZUELA

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Se estudió la variación estacional y el potencial enzimático de microhongos aislados desde el follaje y hojarasca de Nothofagus pumilio sometida a degradación natural durante 1 año. La investigación se realizó en un bosque de N. pumilio ubicado en una microcuenca del Valle de Antillanca, Parque Nacional Puyehue (40° 47' S, 72° 12' O, 1.120 m de altitud. Hojas senescentes colectadas desde árboles de N. pumilio se depositaron en bolsas de malla de nylon ("litter bags" y se sometieron a degradación natural en el piso del bosque durante 1 año (marzo 1997-marzo 1998, realizando muestreos trimestrales. Para el aislamiento de microhongos desde las hojas se utilizó el método de las diluciones, con agar extracto de malta al 2 % como medio de cultivo. Para determinar los potenciales degradativos de los aislamientos, se analizaron in vitro las actividades de amilasa, celulasa, pectinasa, proteasa, lacasa, oxidasa extracelular, peroxidasa, citocromo oxidasa, fosfatasa, esterasa y tirosinasa. Las principales especies aisladas en las hojas senescentes fueron Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Epicoccum nigrum, Phialophora grupo hoffmannii y Rhodotorula aurantiaca. Las especies dominantes en la hojarasca fueron Hormonema prunorum, Mortierella ramanniana var. angulispora, Penicillium para-herquei y Trichoderma polysporum. El mayor potencial enzimático lo exhibieron Moniliales y micelios estériles, mientras el menor Sphaeropsidales y levaduras. Las especies más activas fueron Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Hormonema prunorum y Phialophora malorum. Las actividades de celulasa y amilasa fueron las más importantes. De las enzimas ligninolíticas, oxidasa extracelular y peroxidasa presentaron los más elevados potenciales enzimáticosThe seasonal variation and enzymatic potential of microfungi isolated from senescent leaves and leaf litter of Nothofagus pumilio was studied. The study was performed in a N

Karyotypic variation in Rhinophylla pumilio Peters, 1865 and comparative analysis with representatives of two subfamilies of Phyllostomidae (Chiroptera

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A Gomes

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The family Phyllostomidae belongs to the most abundant and diverse group of bats in the Neotropics with more morphological traits variation at the family level than any other group within mammals. In this work, we present data of chromosome banding (G, C and Ag-NOR and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH for representatives of Rhinophylla pumilio Peters, 1865 collected in four states of Brazil (Amazonas, Bahia, Mato Grosso and Pará. Two karyomorphs were found in this species: 2n=34, FN=64 in populations from western Pará and Mato Grosso states and 2n=34, FN=62 from Amazonas, Bahia, and northeastern Pará and Marajó Island (northern. Difference in the Fundamental Number is determined by variation in the size of the Nucleolar Organizer Region (NOR accompanied with heterochromatin on chromosomes of pair 16 or, alternatively, a pericentric inversion. The C-banding technique detected constitutive heterochromatin in the centromeric regions of all chromosomes and on the distal part of the long arm of pair 15 of specimens from all localities. FISH with a DNA telomeric probe did not show any interstitial sequence, and an 18S rDNA probe and silver staining revealed the presence of NOR in the long arm of the pair 15, associated with heterochromatin, and in the short arm of the pair 16 for all specimens. The intra-specific analysis using chromosome banding did not show any significant difference between the samples. The comparative analyses using G-banding have shown that nearly all chromosomes of R. pumilio were conserved in the chromosome complements of Glossophaga soricina Pallas, 1766, Phyllostomus hastatus Pallas, 1767, Phyllostomus discolor Wagner, 1843 and Mimon crenulatum Geoffroy, 1801, with a single chromosomal pair unique to R. pumilio (pair 15. However, two chromosomes of M. crenulatum are polymorphic for two independent pericentric inversions. The karyotype with 2n=34, NF=62 is probably the ancestral one for the other karyotypes

Pumilio and nanos RNA-binding proteins counterbalance the transcriptional consequences of RB1 inactivation.

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Miles, Wayne O; Dyson, Nicholas J

2014-01-01

The ability of the retinoblastoma protein (RB) tumor suppressor to repress transcription stimulated by the E2 promoter binding factors (E2F) is integral to its biological functions. Our recent report described a conserved feedback mechanism mediated by the RNA-binding proteins Pumilio and Nanos that increases in importance following RB loss and helps cells to tolerate deregulated E2F.

Spatial patterns of the frog Oophaga pumilio in a plantation system are consistent with conspecific attraction.

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Folt, Brian; Donnelly, Maureen A; Guyer, Craig

2018-03-01

The conspecific attraction hypothesis predicts that individuals are attracted to conspecifics because conspecifics may be cues to quality habitat and/or colonists may benefit from living in aggregations. Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are aposematic, territorial, and visually oriented-three characteristics which make dendrobatids an appropriate model to test for conspecific attraction. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using an extensive mark-recapture dataset of the strawberry poison frog ( Oophaga pumilio ) from La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Data were collected from replicate populations in a relatively homogenous Theobroma cacao plantation, which provided a unique opportunity to test how conspecifics influence the spatial ecology of migrants in a controlled habitat with homogenous structure. We predicted that (1) individuals entering a population would aggregate with resident adults, (2) migrants would share sites with residents at a greater frequency than expected by chance, and (3) migrant home ranges would have shorter nearest-neighbor distances (NND) to residents than expected by chance. The results were consistent with these three predictions: Relative to random simulations, we observed significant aggregation, home-range overlap, and NND distribution functions in four, five, and six, respectively, of the six migrant-resident groups analyzed. Conspecific attraction may benefit migrant O. pumilio by providing cues to suitable home sites and/or increasing the potential for social interactions with conspecifics; if true, these benefits should outweigh the negative effects of other factors associated with aggregation. The observed aggregation between migrant and resident O. pumilio is consistent with conspecific attraction in dendrobatid frogs, and our study provides rare support from a field setting that conspecific attraction may be a relevant mechanism for models of anuran spatial ecology.

A dual role for nanos and pumilio in anterior and posterior blastodermal patterning of the short-germ beetle Tribolium castaneum.

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Schmitt-Engel, Christian; Cerny, Alexander C; Schoppmeier, Michael

2012-04-15

Abdominal patterning in Drosophila requires the function of Nanos (nos) and Pumilio (pum) to repress posterior translation of hunchback mRNA. Here we provide the first functional analysis of nanos and pumilio genes during blastodermal patterning of a short-germ insect. We found that nos and pum in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum crucially contribute to posterior segmentation by preventing hunchback translation. While this function seems to be conserved among insects, we provide evidence that Nos and Pum may also act on giant expression, another gap gene. After depletion of nos and pum by parental RNAi, Hunchback and giant remain ectopically at the posterior blastoderm and the posterior Krüppel (Kr) domain is not being activated. giant may be a direct target of Nanos and Pumilio in Tribolium and presumably prevents early Kr expression. In the absence of Kr, the majority of secondary gap gene domains fail to be activated, and abdominal segmentation is terminated prematurely. Surprisingly, we found Nos and Pum also to be involved in early head patterning, as the loss of Nos and Pum results in deletions and transformations of gnathal and pre-gnathal anlagen. Since the targets of Nos and Pum in head development remain to be identified, we propose that anterior patterning in Tribolium may involve additional maternal factors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic differences among Haplorchis taichui populations in Indochina revealed by mitochondrial COX1 sequences.

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Thaenkham, U; Phuphisut, O; Nuamtanong, S; Yoonuan, T; Sa-Nguankiat, S; Vonghachack, Y; Belizario, V Y; Dung, D T; Dekumyoy, P; Waikagul, J

2017-09-01

Haplorchis taichui is an intestinal heterophyid fluke that is pathogenic to humans. It is widely distributed in Asia, with a particularly high prevalence in Indochina. Previous work revealed that the lack of gene flow between three distinct populations of Vietnamese H. taichui can be attributed to their geographic isolation with no interconnected river basins. To test the hypothesis that interconnected river basins allow gene flow between otherwise isolated populations of H. taichui, as previously demonstrated for another trematode, Opisthorchis viverrini, we compared the genetic structures of seven populations of H. taichui from various localities in the lower Mekong Basin, in Thailand and Laos, with those in Vietnam, using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene. To determine the gene flow between these H. taichui populations, we calculated their phylogenetic relationships, genetic distances and haplotype diversity. Each population showed very low nucleotide diversity at this locus. However, high levels of genetic differentiation between the populations indicated very little gene flow. A phylogenetic analysis divided the populations into four clusters that correlated with the country of origin. The negligible gene flow between the Thai and Laos populations, despite sharing the Mekong Basin, caused us to reject our hypothesis. Our data suggest that the distribution of H. taichui populations was incidentally associated with national borders.

Prevalence and diversity of fish-borne zoonotic trematodes in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture in Guangdong, China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Kang; Murrell, Kenneth Darwin; Clausen, Jesper Hedegaard

The fishborne zoonotic trematode parasites (FZT) which cause liver and intestinal infections in humans are widespread in fish in Southeast Asia. Guangdong Province is the most important region for tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture in China, but it is also an endemic region for FZT. To assess...... the potential for FZT transmission in an area with high density of tilapia farms, wild-caught fish from local rivers and canals were bought at local markets. The wild-caught fish species included Hemiculter leucisculus (145), Rhodeus sinensis Gunther (10), Rasborinus lineatus (96), Squaliobarbus curriculus (6......), and Carassius auratus (4).The FZT species recovered were mainly Haplorchis taichui, and H. pumilio along with some unknown species whose identifications are still being determined. Subsequently a cross-sectional survey for the prevalence and diversity of FZT in tilapia culture systems was conducted in Guangdong...

Biome specificity of distinct genetic lineages within the four-striped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio (Rodentia: Muridae) from southern Africa with implications for taxonomy.

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du Toit, Nina; van Vuuren, Bettine Jansen; Matthee, Sonja; Matthee, Conrad A

2012-10-01

Within southern Africa, a link between past climatic changes and faunal diversification has been hypothesized for a diversity of taxa. To test the hypothesis that evolutionary divergences may be correlated to vegetation changes (induced by changes in climate), we selected the widely distributed four-striped mouse, Rhabdomys, as a model. Two species are currently recognized, the mesic-adapted R. dilectus and arid-adapted R. pumilio. However, the morphology-based taxonomy and the distribution boundaries of previously described subspecies remain poorly defined. The current study, which spans seven biomes, focuses on the spatial genetic structure of the arid-adapted R. pumilio (521 specimens from 31 localities), but also includes limited sampling of the mesic-adapted R. dilectus (33 specimens from 10 localities) to act as a reference for interspecific variation within the genus. The mitochondrial COI gene and four nuclear introns (Eef1a1, MGF, SPTBN1, Bfib7) were used for the construction of gene trees. Mitochondrial DNA analyses indicate that Rhabdomys consists of four reciprocally monophyletic, geographically structured clades, with three distinct lineages present within the arid-adapted R. pumilio. These monophyletic lineages differ by at least 7.9% (±0.3) and these results are partly confirmed by a multilocus network of the combined nuclear intron dataset. Ecological niche modeling in MaxEnt supports a strong correlation between regional biomes and the distribution of distinct evolutionary lineages of Rhabdomys. A Bayesian relaxed molecular clock suggests that the geographic clades diverged between 3.09 and 4.30Ma, supporting the hypothesis that the radiation within the genus coincides with paleoclimatic changes (and the establishment of the biomes) characterizing the Miocene-Pliocene boundary. Marked genetic divergence at the mitochondrial DNA level, coupled with strong nuclear and mtDNA signals of non-monophyly of R. pumilio, support the notion that a taxonomic

Pumilio2-deficient mice show a predisposition for epilepsy

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Philipp Follwaczny

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Epilepsy is a neurological disease that is caused by abnormal hypersynchronous activities of neuronal ensembles leading to recurrent and spontaneous seizures in human patients. Enhanced neuronal excitability and a high level of synchrony between neurons seem to trigger these spontaneous seizures. The molecular mechanisms, however, regarding the development of neuronal hyperexcitability and maintenance of epilepsy are still poorly understood. Here, we show that pumilio RNA-binding family member 2 (Pumilio2; Pum2 plays a role in the regulation of excitability in hippocampal neurons of weaned and 5-month-old male mice. Almost complete deficiency of Pum2 in adult Pum2 gene-trap mice (Pum2 GT causes misregulation of genes involved in neuronal excitability control. Interestingly, this finding is accompanied by the development of spontaneous epileptic seizures in Pum2 GT mice. Furthermore, we detect an age-dependent increase in Scn1a (Nav1.1 and Scn8a (Nav1.6 mRNA levels together with a decrease in Scn2a (Nav1.2 transcript levels in weaned Pum2 GT that is absent in older mice. Moreover, field recordings of CA1 pyramidal neurons show a tendency towards a reduced paired-pulse inhibition after stimulation of the Schaffer-collateral-commissural pathway in Pum2 GT mice, indicating a predisposition to the development of spontaneous seizures at later stages. With the onset of spontaneous seizures at the age of 5 months, we detect increased protein levels of Nav1.1 and Nav1.2 as well as decreased protein levels of Nav1.6 in those mice. In addition, GABA receptor subunit alpha-2 (Gabra2 mRNA levels are increased in weaned and adult mice. Furthermore, we observe an enhanced GABRA2 protein level in the dendritic field of the CA1 subregion in the Pum2 GT hippocampus. We conclude that altered expression levels of known epileptic risk factors such as Nav1.1, Nav1.2, Nav1.6 and GABRA2 result in enhanced seizure susceptibility and manifestation of epilepsy in the

Intraspecific trait variation and covariation in a widespread tree species (Nothofagus pumilio) in southern Chile.

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Fajardo, Alex; Piper, Frida I

2011-01-01

• The focus of the trait-based approach to study community ecology has mostly been on trait comparisons at the interspecific level. Here we quantified intraspecific variation and covariation of leaf mass per area (LMA) and wood density (WD) in monospecific forests of the widespread tree species Nothofagus pumilio to determine its magnitude and whether it is related to environmental conditions and ontogeny. We also discuss probable mechanisms controlling the trait variation found. • We collected leaf and stem woody tissues from 30-50 trees of different ages (ontogeny) from each of four populations at differing elevations (i.e. temperatures) and placed at each of three locations differing in soil moisture. • The total variation in LMA (coefficient of variation (CV) = 21.14%) was twice that of WD (CV = 10.52%). The total variation in traits was never less than 23% when compared with interspecific studies. Differences in elevation (temperature) for the most part explained variation in LMA, while differences in soil moisture and ontogeny explained the variation in WD. Traits covaried similarly in the altitudinal gradient only. • Functional traits of N. pumilio exhibited nonnegligible variation; LMA varied for the most part with temperature, while WD mostly varied with moisture and ontogeny. We demonstrate that environmental variation can cause important trait variation without species turnover. © The Authors (2010). Journal compilation © New Phytologist Trust (2010).

Prevalence of Haplorchis taichui and Haplorchoides sp. Metacercariae in Freshwater Fish from Water Reservoirs, Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Nithikathkul, Choosak

2008-01-01

A parasitological investigation on trematode metacercariae was made on 62 freshwater fishes of 13 species in northern Thailand; Cyclocheilichthys apogon, Puntioplites proctozysron, Labiobarbus siamensis, Barbodes gonionotus, Barbodes altus, Henicorhynchus siamensis, Osteochilus hasselti, Notopterus notopterus, Mystacoleucus marginatus, Anabas testudineus, Systomus orphoides, Morulius chrysophykadian, and Hampala macrolepidota. The fish were caught over the summer period (February-May 2007) from 2 Chiang Mai water reservoirs, i.e., the Mae Ngad (UTM 47Q E 503200, 47Q N 2119300) and the Mae Kuang Udomtara (UTM 47Q E 513000, 47Q N 2092600) Reservoirs in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The prevalence of heterophyid (Haplorchis taichui and Haplorchoides sp.) metacercariae in these fish was 83.9% and 74.2% in the Mae Ngad and Mae Kuang Udomtara Reservoirs, respectively. The highest intensity of heterophyid metacercariae in H. siamensis in the Mae Ngad was 120.4 and that in P. proctozysron in the Mae Kuang Udomtara was 180.0. The fish, A. testudineus, C. apogon, and M. chrysophykadian, were not found to be infected with H. taichui metacercariae. The results show that the freshwater fish in Chiang Mai water reservoirs are heavily infected with H. taichui and Haplorchoides sp. metacercariae. PMID:18552549

Complete Genome Sequence of Frog virus 3, Isolated from a Strawberry Poison Frog (Oophaga pumilio) Imported from Nicaragua into the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saucedo, Bernardo; Hughes, Joseph; van Beurden, Steven J; Suárez, Nicolás M; Haenen, Olga L M; Voorbergen-Laarman, Michal A; Gröne, Andrea; Kik, Marja J L

2017-01-01

Frog virus 3 was isolated from a strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) imported from Nicaragua via Germany to the Netherlands, and its complete genome sequence was determined. Frog virus 3 isolate Op/2015/Netherlands/UU3150324001 is 107,183 bp long and has a nucleotide similarity of 98.26% to the

Complete genome sequence of frog virus 3, isolated from a strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) imported from nicaragua into the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saucedo, Bernardo; Hughes, Joseph; Beurden, van Steven J.; Suárez, Nicolás M.; Haenen, Olga L.M.; Voorbergen-Laarman, Michal; Gröne, Andrea; Kika, Marja J.L.

2017-01-01

Frog virus 3 was isolated from a strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) imported from Nicaragua via Germany to the Netherlands, and its complete genome sequence was determined. Frog virus 3 isolate Op/2015/Netherlands/UU3150324001 is 107,183 bp long and has a nucleotide similarity of 98.26% to the

Complete Genome Sequence of Frog virus 3, Isolated from a Strawberry Poison Frog (Oophaga pumilio) Imported from Nicaragua into the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Saucedo, Bernardo; Hughes, Joseph; van Beurden, Steven J; Suárez, Nicolás M; Haenen, Olga L M; Voorbergen-Laarman, Michal; Gröne, Andrea; Kik, Marja J L

2017-08-31

Frog virus 3 was isolated from a strawberry poison frog ( Oophaga pumilio ) imported from Nicaragua via Germany to the Netherlands, and its complete genome sequence was determined. Frog virus 3 isolate Op /2015/Netherlands/UU3150324001 is 107,183 bp long and has a nucleotide similarity of 98.26% to the reference Frog virus 3 isolate. Copyright © 2017 Saucedo et al.

Negative regulation of EGFR/MAPK pathway by Pumilio in Drosophila melanogaster.

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Sung Yun Kim

Full Text Available In Drosophila melanogaster, specification of wing vein cells and sensory organ precursor (SOP cells, which later give rise to a bristle, requires EGFR signaling. Here, we show that Pumilio (Pum, an RNA-binding translational repressor, negatively regulates EGFR signaling in wing vein and bristle development. We observed that loss of Pum function yielded extra wing veins and additional bristles. Conversely, overexpression of Pum eliminated wing veins and bristles. Heterozygotes for Pum produced no phenotype on their own, but greatly enhanced phenotypes caused by the enhancement of EGFR signaling. Conversely, over-expression of Pum suppressed the effects of ectopic EGFR signaling. Components of the EGFR signaling pathway are encoded by mRNAs that have Nanos Response Element (NRE-like sequences in their 3'UTRs; NREs are known to bind Pum to confer regulation in other mRNAs. We show that these NRE-like sequences bind Pum and confer repression on a luciferase reporter in heterologous cells. Taken together, our evidence suggests that Pum functions as a negative regulator of EGFR signaling by directly targeting components of the pathway in Drosophila.

Molecular confirmation of trematodes in the snail intermediate hosts from Ratchaburi Province, Thailand

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Sothorn Anucherngchai

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the prevalence of trematode infections in the snails intermediate host Tarebia granifera and Melanoides tuberculata collected from Ratchaburi Province by a molecular approach in order to construct a dendrogram to identify species at the cercarial stage. Methods: Specimens were collected from nine districts located in Ratchaburi Province using the stratified sampling method. The samples were examined for cercarial infection using the crushing method. All specimens were amplified by region of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2 based on the PCR technique, and the sequence data were aligned in order to construct the dendrogram by maximum likelihood with 10 000 bootstrap replicates. Results: Five cercarial types were observed comprising parapleurolophocercous cercaria, xiphidiocercaria, megarulous cercaria, furcocercous cercaria and transversotrema cercaria. The overall prevalence of cercarial infection was found to be 7.92% (63 / 795. The parapleurolophocercous cercaria was found in the highest level of prevalence followed by xiphidiocercaria, megarulous cercaria, furcocercous cercaria and transversotrema cercaria, respectively. The parapleurolophocercous cercaria samples were identified and separated into Haplorchis taichui and Haplorchis pumilio, while xiphidiocercaria were identified as Lecithodendriidae and megarulous cercaria were identified as Philophthalmus. The dendrogram separated the cercariae into five groups, which were comprised of parapleurolophocercous cercaria, xiphidiocercaria, megarulous cercaria, furcocercous cercaria and transversotrema cercaria using the sequence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis as an out-group. Conclusions: This is the first study to report on the prevalence of cercarial infection in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. The high prevalence of cercariae was revealed by the infection in Tarebia granifera and Melanoides tuberculata. Thus, the sequence data of ITS2 can be used to investigate the

Living on the edge: adaptive and plastic responses of the tree Nothofagus pumilio to a long-term transplant experiment predict rear-edge upward expansion.

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Mathiasen, Paula; Premoli, Andrea C

2016-06-01

Current climate change affects the competitive ability and reproductive success of many species, leading to local extinctions, adjustment to novel local conditions by phenotypic plasticity or rapid adaptation, or tracking their optima through range shifts. However, many species have limited ability to expand to suitable areas. Altitudinal gradients, with abrupt changes in abiotic conditions over short distances, represent "natural experiments" for the evaluation of ecological and evolutionary responses under scenarios of climate change. Nothofagus pumilio is the tree species which dominates as pure stands the montane forests of Patagonia. We evaluated the adaptive value of variation in quantitative traits of N. pumilio under contrasting conditions of the altitudinal gradient with a long-term reciprocal transplant experimental design. While high-elevation plants show little response in plant, leaf, and phenological traits to the experimental trials, low-elevation ones show greater plasticity in their responses to changing environments, particularly at high elevation. Our results suggest a relatively reduced potential for evolutionary adaptation of high-elevation genotypes, and a greater evolutionary potential of low-elevation ones. Under global warming scenarios of forest upslope migration, high-elevation variants may be outperformed by low-elevation ones during this process, leading to the local extinction and/or replacement of these genotypes. These results challenge previous models and predictions expected under global warming for altitudinal gradients, on which the leading edge is considered to be the upper treeline forests.

Drosophila Nanos acts as a molecular clamp that modulates the RNA-binding and repression activities of Pumilio.

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Weidmann, Chase A; Qiu, Chen; Arvola, René M; Lou, Tzu-Fang; Killingsworth, Jordan; Campbell, Zachary T; Tanaka Hall, Traci M; Goldstrohm, Aaron C

2016-08-02

Collaboration among the multitude of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is ubiquitous, yet our understanding of these key regulatory complexes has been limited to single RBPs. We investigated combinatorial translational regulation by Drosophila Pumilio (Pum) and Nanos (Nos), which control development, fertility, and neuronal functions. Our results show how the specificity of one RBP (Pum) is modulated by cooperative RNA recognition with a second RBP (Nos) to synergistically repress mRNAs. Crystal structures of Nos-Pum-RNA complexes reveal that Nos embraces Pum and RNA, contributes sequence-specific contacts, and increases Pum RNA-binding affinity. Nos shifts the recognition sequence and promotes repression complex formation on mRNAs that are not stably bound by Pum alone, explaining the preponderance of sub-optimal Pum sites regulated in vivo. Our results illuminate the molecular mechanism of a regulatory switch controlling crucial gene expression programs, and provide a framework for understanding how the partnering of RBPs evokes changes in binding specificity that underlie regulatory network dynamics.

Spatiotemporal expression profile of the Pumilio gene in the embryonic development of silkworm.

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Chen, Liang; You, Zaizhi; Xia, Hengchuan; Tang, Qi; Zhou, Yang; Yao, Qin; Chen, Keping

2014-01-01

We previously identified a pumilio gene in silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), designated BmPUM, which was specifically expressed in the ovary and testis. To further characterize this gene's involvement in silkworm development, we have determined the spatiotemporal expression pattern of BmPUM during all embryonic stages. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that BmPUM was expressed in all stages of silkworm embryos and that its transcript levels displayed two distinct peaks. The first was observed at the germ-band formation stage (1 d after oviposition) and dropped to a low level at the gonad formation stage (5 d after oviposition). The second was detected at the stage of bristle follicle occurrence (6 d after oviposition), which was confirmed by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Nanos (Nos), functioning together with Pum in abdomen formation of Drosophila embryos, was also highly expressed at the beginning (0 h to 1 d after oviposition) of embryogenesis, but its transcript levels were very low after the stage of germ-band formation. These results suggest that BmPUM functions with Bombyx mori nanos (Bm-nanos) at the early stages of silkworm embryonic development, and may then play a role in gonad formation and the occurrence of bristle follicles. Our data thus provide a foundation to uncover the role of BmPUM during silkworm development.

Evaluation of the physical, mechanical and biological properties of the combined wood-plastic in Nothofagus Pumilio wood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benedetto Acuna, Andres

2010-01-01

In this project he studied the physical, mechanical and biological properties of wood-plastic combinations (WPC) in timber Nothofagus pumilio (Lenga) impregnated with the monomer methyl methacrylate (MMA), trying to get a hold and maximum penetration into the wood . It was used for impregnation method fills the cell (Bethell). To achieve the polymerization, the MMA once absorbed by the specimens under study are irradiated with gamma rays at a dose of 25 kGy, ensuring a high percentage of final polymerization, which fluctuated between 55.09% and 84.48%. The tests applied to the specimens were moisture content, dimensional stability, density, compression perpendicular to grain, compression parallel to grain to grain compression 'new' Janka hardness, shear parallel to grain, static bending and termites. In general, except for the static bending test, the WPC had an increase in their property, being the tests of hardness, density and water absorption which achieved higher profits, increasing their properties at 104%, 79% and 75% respectively compared to untreated specimens. From the economic viewpoint, the production of an inch Lenga timber has a cost of $ 19,805, so it may be feasible marketing both domestically and internationally (author)

Transition of Plasmodium sporozoites into liver stage-like forms is regulated by the RNA binding protein Pumilio

KAUST Repository

Gomes-Santos, Carina S. S.

2011-05-19

Many eukaryotic developmental and cell fate decisions that are effected post-transcriptionally involve RNA binding proteins as regulators of translation of key mRNAs. In malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.), the development of round, non-motile and replicating exo-erythrocytic liver stage forms from slender, motile and cell-cycle arrested sporozoites is believed to depend on environmental changes experienced during the transmission of the parasite from the mosquito vector to the vertebrate host. Here we identify a Plasmodium member of the RNA binding protein family PUF as a key regulator of this transformation. In the absence of Pumilio-2 (Puf2) sporozoites initiate EEF development inside mosquito salivary glands independently of the normal transmission-associated environmental cues. Puf2- sporozoites exhibit genome-wide transcriptional changes that result in loss of gliding motility, cell traversal ability and reduction in infectivity, and, moreover, trigger metamorphosis typical of early Plasmodium intra-hepatic development. These data demonstrate that Puf2 is a key player in regulating sporozoite developmental control, and imply that transformation of salivary gland-resident sporozoites into liver stage-like parasites is regulated by a post-transcriptional mechanism. 2011 Gomes-Santos et al.

No significant regulation of bicoid mRNA by Pumilio or Nanos in the early Drosophila embryo.

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Wharton, Tammy H; Nomie, Krystle J; Wharton, Robin P

2018-01-01

Drosophila Pumilio (Pum) is a founding member of the conserved Puf domain class of RNA-binding translational regulators. Pum binds with high specificity, contacting eight nucleotides, one with each of the repeats in its RNA-binding domain. In general, Pum is thought to block translation in collaboration with Nanos (Nos), which exhibits no binding specificity in isolation but is recruited jointly to regulatory sequences containing a Pum binding site in the 3'-UTRs of target mRNAs. Unlike Pum, which is ubiquitous in the early embryo, Nos is tightly restricted to the posterior, ensuring that repression of its best-characterized target, maternal hunchback (hb) mRNA, takes place exclusively in the posterior. An exceptional case of Nos-independent regulation by Pum has been described-repression of maternal bicoid (bcd) mRNA at the anterior pole of the early embryo, dependent on both Pum and conserved Pum binding sites in the 3'-UTR of the mRNA. We have re-investigated regulation of bcd in the early embryo; our experiments reveal no evidence of a role for Pum or its conserved binding sites in regulation of the perdurance of bcd mRNA or protein. Instead, we find that Pum and Nos control the accumulation of bcd mRNA in testes.

Drosophila Nanos acts as a molecular clamp that modulates the RNA-binding and repression activities of Pumilio

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Weidmann, Chase A.; Qiu, Chen; Arvola, René M.; Lou, Tzu-Fang; Killingsworth, Jordan; Campbell, Zachary T.; Tanaka Hall, Traci M.; Goldstrohm, Aaron C.

2016-08-02

Collaboration among the multitude of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is ubiquitous, yet our understanding of these key regulatory complexes has been limited to single RBPs. We investigated combinatorial translational regulation byDrosophilaPumilio (Pum) and Nanos (Nos), which control development, fertility, and neuronal functions. Our results show how the specificity of one RBP (Pum) is modulated by cooperative RNA recognition with a second RBP (Nos) to synergistically repress mRNAs. Crystal structures of Nos-Pum-RNA complexes reveal that Nos embraces Pum and RNA, contributes sequence-specific contacts, and increases Pum RNA-binding affinity. Nos shifts the recognition sequence and promotes repression complex formation on mRNAs that are not stably bound by Pum alone, explaining the preponderance of sub-optimal Pum sites regulatedin vivo. Our results illuminate the molecular mechanism of a regulatory switch controlling crucial gene expression programs, and provide a framework for understanding how the partnering of RBPs evokes changes in binding specificity that underlie regulatory network dynamics.

Site quality influence over understory plant diversity in old-growth and harvested Nothofagus pumilio forests

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E. A. Gallo

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: The effects and interactions of shelterwood forest harvesting and site qualities over understory plant species diversity and composition were compared among primary and harvested Nothofagus pumilio forests.Area of study: Tierra del Fuego (Argentina, on three pure conditions (one and six year-old harvested, and primary without previous harvesting forests and three site qualities (high, medium and low.Material and Methods: Understory richness and cover (% were registered in five replicates of 1 hectare each per treatment. Taxonomic species were classified in categories (groups, origin and life forms. Two-way ANOVAs and multivariate analyses were conducted.Main results: Shelterwood harvesting and site quality significantly influenced understory cover and richness, which allow the introduction of native and exotic species and increasing of dicot and monocot covers. In dicots, monocots, exotics and total groups, higher richness and covers were related to time. Meanwhile, cover reached similar high values in all site qualities on dicot, native and total groups. On the other hand, monocot and exotic richness and cover remain similar in primary and recently harvested forests, and greatly increased in old harvested forests. Mosses and ferns were among the most sensitive groups.Research highlights: Impacts of shelterwood cut depend on site quality of the stands and time since harvesting occurs. For this, different site quality stands should received differential attention in the development of conservation strategies, as well as variations in the shelterwood implementation (as irregularity and patchiness should be considered to better promote understory plant species conservation inside managed areas.Key words: plant species conservation; years after harvesting; forest management; Tierra del Fuego.

Are trait-scaling relationships invariant across contrasting elevations in the widely distributed treeline species Nothofagus pumilio?

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Fajardo, Alex

2016-05-01

The study of scaling examines the relative dimensions of diverse organismal traits. Understanding whether global scaling patterns are paralleled within species is key to identify causal factors of universal scaling. I examined whether the foliage-stem (Corner's rules), the leaf size-number, and the leaf mass-leaf area scaling relationships remained invariant and isometric with elevation in a wide-distributed treeline species in the southern Chilean Andes. Mean leaf area, leaf mass, leafing intensity, and twig cross-sectional area were determined for 1-2 twigs of 8-15 Nothofagus pumilio individuals across four elevations (including treeline elevation) and four locations (from central Chile at 36°S to Tierra del Fuego at 54°S). Mixed effects models were fitted to test whether the interaction term between traits and elevation was nonsignificant (invariant). The leaf-twig cross-sectional area and the leaf mass-leaf area scaling relationships were isometric (slope = 1) and remained invariant with elevation, whereas the leaf size-number (i.e., leafing intensity) scaling was allometric (slope ≠ -1) and showed no variation with elevation. Leaf area and leaf number were consistently negatively correlated across elevation. The scaling relationships examined in the current study parallel those seen across species. It is plausible that the explanation of intraspecific scaling relationships, as trait combinations favored by natural selection, is the same as those invoked to explain across species patterns. Thus, it is very likely that the global interspecific Corner's rules and other leaf-leaf scaling relationships emerge as the aggregate of largely parallel intraspecific patterns. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

Sequestered Alkaloid Defenses in the Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga pumilio Provide Variable Protection from Microbial Pathogens.

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Hovey, Kyle J; Seiter, Emily M; Johnson, Erin E; Saporito, Ralph A

2018-03-01

Most amphibians produce their own defensive chemicals; however, poison frogs sequester their alkaloid-based defenses from dietary arthropods. Alkaloids function as a defense against predators, and certain types appear to inhibit microbial growth. Alkaloid defenses vary considerably among populations of poison frogs, reflecting geographic differences in availability of dietary arthropods. Consequently, environmentally driven differences in frog defenses may have significant implications regarding their protection against pathogens. While natural alkaloid mixtures in dendrobatid poison frogs have recently been shown to inhibit growth of non-pathogenic microbes, no studies have examined the effectiveness of alkaloids against microbes that infect these frogs. Herein, we examined how alkaloid defenses in the dendrobatid poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, affect growth of the known anuran pathogens Aeromonas hydrophila and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Frogs were collected from five locations throughout Costa Rica that are known to vary in their alkaloid profiles. Alkaloids were isolated from individual skins, and extracts were assayed against both pathogens. Microbe subcultures were inoculated with extracted alkaloids to create dose-response curves. Subsequent spectrophotometry and cell counting assays were used to assess growth inhibition. GC-MS was used to characterize and quantify alkaloids in frog extracts, and our results suggest that variation in alkaloid defenses lead to differences in inhibition of these pathogens. The present study provides the first evidence that alkaloid variation in a dendrobatid poison frog is associated with differences in inhibition of anuran pathogens, and offers further support that alkaloid defenses in poison frogs confer protection against both pathogens and predators.

Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis spp. in Vietnam: current status and prospects.

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Doanh, Pham N; Nawa, Yukifumi

2016-01-01

Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini are clinically important small liver flukes because of their known association with development of cholangiocarcinoma. In Vietnam, high prevalence of C. sinensis infection in humans was previously reported in northern provinces, and O. viverrini infection has been detected in several central provinces. However, diagnosis of C. sinensis and O. viverrini infections in the past was merely based on faecal egg examination. This method alone can lead to misidentification at the species level because of morphological similarity between the eggs of these liver flukes and minute intestinal trematodes of the family Heterophyidae. In fact, recent surveys in Vietnam revealed that infection with several minute intestinal flukes, such as Haplorchis pumilio and H. taichui, are much more common than infection with C. sinensis or O. viverrini, and they often co-infect humans. Thus, previously reported prevalence of small liver fluke infection in Vietnam was likely over-estimated due to mis identification of parasites in copro-parasitological examinations. In addition, there is some confusion about identification of cercariae, metacercariae and also adults of C. sinensis and O. viverrini in intermediate and definitive hosts. The aim of this review is, therefore, to draw realistic pictures of the past and present scientific reports on the epidemiology and biology of C. sinensis and Opisthorchis spp. infection in Vietnam. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The CCR4 Deadenylase Acts with Nanos and Pumilio in the Fine-Tuning of Mei-P26 Expression to Promote Germline Stem Cell Self-Renewal

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Joly, Willy; Chartier, Aymeric; Rojas-Rios, Patricia; Busseau, Isabelle; Simonelig, Martine

2013-01-01

Summary Translational regulation plays an essential role in Drosophila ovarian germline stem cell (GSC) biology. GSC self-renewal requires two translational repressors, Nanos (Nos) and Pumilio (Pum), which repress the expression of differentiation factors in the stem cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying this translational repression remain unknown. Here, we show that the CCR4 deadenylase is required for GSC self-renewal and that Nos and Pum act through its recruitment onto specific mRNAs. We identify mei-P26 mRNA as a direct and major target of Nos/Pum/CCR4 translational repression in the GSCs. mei-P26 encodes a protein of the Trim-NHL tumor suppressor family that has conserved functions in stem cell lineages. We show that fine-tuning Mei-P26 expression by CCR4 plays a key role in GSC self-renewal. These results identify the molecular mechanism of Nos/Pum function in GSC self-renewal and reveal the role of CCR4-NOT-mediated deadenylation in regulating the balance between GSC self-renewal and differentiation. PMID:24286029

The CCR4 deadenylase acts with Nanos and Pumilio in the fine-tuning of Mei-P26 expression to promote germline stem cell self-renewal.

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Joly, Willy; Chartier, Aymeric; Rojas-Rios, Patricia; Busseau, Isabelle; Simonelig, Martine

2013-01-01

Translational regulation plays an essential role in Drosophila ovarian germline stem cell (GSC) biology. GSC self-renewal requires two translational repressors, Nanos (Nos) and Pumilio (Pum), which repress the expression of differentiation factors in the stem cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying this translational repression remain unknown. Here, we show that the CCR4 deadenylase is required for GSC self-renewal and that Nos and Pum act through its recruitment onto specific mRNAs. We identify mei-P26 mRNA as a direct and major target of Nos/Pum/CCR4 translational repression in the GSCs. mei-P26 encodes a protein of the Trim-NHL tumor suppressor family that has conserved functions in stem cell lineages. We show that fine-tuning Mei-P26 expression by CCR4 plays a key role in GSC self-renewal. These results identify the molecular mechanism of Nos/Pum function in GSC self-renewal and reveal the role of CCR4-NOT-mediated deadenylation in regulating the balance between GSC self-renewal and differentiation.

Differential investment into testes and sperm production in alternative male reproductive tactics of the African striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio).

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Schradin, Carsten; Eder, Susanne; Müller, Karin

2012-05-01

Males that follow alternative reproductive tactics might differ in their investment into testis development and sperm production. The resource-allocation hypothesis predicts that males following a sneaker tactic should invest more into sperm production than dominant territorial males which should invest more into mate guarding. This hypothesis is supported by studies in species where individual males cannot switch between tactics (fixed tactics). Here we present the first data for a species where males can switch between tactics (plastic tactics). We studied African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) in captivity, mimicking three tactics observed in the field: philopatric group-living males, singly-housed males representing roaming males, and group-living breeding males. We measured quantitative and qualitative reproductive traits, as well as serum and testis hormone concentrations. We found no support for the resource-allocation hypothesis, since breeding and singly-housed males invested similarly in testes and sperm. However, philopatric males had significantly smaller testes and epididymides, lower sperm counts, lower testosterone and higher corticosterone levels than males of the two other tactics. Philopatric males did not reach a larger body mass than singly-housed males with well developed reproductive traits, indicating that they did not trade investment in sperm production against growth. Interestingly, testis testosterone concentrations of philopatric males did not differ from those of other males. Our data suggest that philopatric males are reproductively suppressed by the breeding male, but might be ready to increase their serum testosterone levels when social and environmental conditions allow for this physiological switch accompanying the behavioral switch between tactics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seizure control through genetic and pharmacological manipulation of Pumilio in Drosophila: a key component of neuronal homeostasis

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Wei-Hsiang Lin

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Epilepsy is a significant disorder for which approximately one-third of patients do not respond to drug treatments. Next-generation drugs, which interact with novel targets, are required to provide a better clinical outcome for these individuals. To identify potential novel targets for antiepileptic drug (AED design, we used RNA sequencing to identify changes in gene transcription in two seizure models of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The first model compared gene transcription between wild type (WT and bangsenseless1 (parabss, a gain-of-function mutant in the sole fly voltage-gated sodium channel (paralytic. The second model compared WT with WT fed the proconvulsant picrotoxin (PTX. We identified 743 genes (FDR≤1% with significant altered expression levels that are common to both seizure models. Of these, 339 are consistently upregulated and 397 downregulated. We identify pumilio (pum to be downregulated in both seizure models. Pum is a known homeostatic regulator of action potential firing in both flies and mammals, achieving control of neuronal firing through binding to, and regulating translation of, the mRNA transcripts of voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav. We show that maintaining expression of pum in the CNS of parabss flies is potently anticonvulsive, whereas its reduction through RNAi-mediated knockdown is proconvulsive. Using a cell-based luciferase reporter screen, we screened a repurposed chemical library and identified 12 compounds sufficient to increase activity of pum. Of these compounds, we focus on avobenzone, which significantly rescues seizure behaviour in parabss flies. The mode of action of avobenzone includes potentiation of pum expression and mirrors the ability of this homeostatic regulator to reduce the persistent voltage-gated Na+ current (INaP in an identified neuron. This study reports a novel approach to suppress seizure and highlights the mechanisms of neuronal homeostasis as potential targets for next

Variation in the timing of reproduction of the four-striped field mouse ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Variation in the timing of reproduction of the four-striped field mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio , in ... Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ... We used the four-striped field mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio (Sparrmann, 1784), to test the hypothesis that ...

Influencias de las variaciones en el clima y en la concentración de C0(2 sobre el crecimiento de Nothofagus pumilio en la Patagonia Influences of climatic and C0(2 concentration changes on radial growth oí Nothofagus pumilio in Patagonia

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ANA M SRUR

2008-06-01

Full Text Available El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las relaciones entre las variaciones en el clima y en la concentración de C0(2 durante el siglo XX con el crecimiento radial y la eficiencia en el uso del agua en los bosques de Nothofagus pumilio a lo largo de un gradiente altitudinal, en El Chaltén (49°22' S, Santa Cruz, Argentina. Se empleó una combinación de técnicas dendrocronológicas e isotópicas. Los patrones de crecimiento radial a lo largo del gradiente altitudinal reflejan las tendencias climáticas registradas en la zona durante el siglo XX. El crecimiento de los árboles ubicados en el límite superior muestra una tendencia positiva en respuesta al incremento regional de las temperaturas. Por el contrario, los bosques en contacto con la estepa patagónica presentan, en respuesta a una intensificación del déficit hídrico, una tendencia negativa de crecimiento durante el siglo pasado. Los árboles creciendo en bosques mésicos ubicados en alturas intermedias muestran una tendencia levemente negativa no significativa. Los valores de 6(13C reflejan en qué medida el contenido de humedad en el suelo regula en forma diferencial los procesos de conductancia estomática y tasa fotosintética a lo largo del gradiente altitudinal. En sitios donde el déficit hídrico varía desde leve a muy marcado, la eficiencia intrínseca en el uso del agua (EIUA parece estar influenciada por la disponibilidad de agua en el suelo. La relación entre la EIUA y las variables climáticas es más clara en sitios con reducido estrés hídrico. En sitios secos, el estrés hídrico muy marcado reduciría la tasa fotosintética en grado tal que el crecimiento no podría ser compensado por el aumento en EIUA. En contraste con el concepto tradicional en dendrocronología que postula una relación más estrecha entre el crecimiento radial y las variaciones climáticas en los bosques ecotonales, los valores isotópicos de 6(13C representan más claramente las

Repression of mitochondrial translation, respiration and a metabolic cycle-regulated gene, SLF1, by the yeast Pumilio-family protein Puf3p.

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Marc Chatenay-Lapointe

Full Text Available Synthesis and assembly of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS system requires genes located both in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, but how gene expression is coordinated between these two compartments is not fully understood. One level of control is through regulated expression mitochondrial ribosomal proteins and other factors required for mitochondrial translation and OXPHOS assembly, which are all products of nuclear genes that are subsequently imported into mitochondria. Interestingly, this cadre of genes in budding yeast has in common a 3'-UTR element that is bound by the Pumilio family protein, Puf3p, and is coordinately regulated under many conditions, including during the yeast metabolic cycle. Multiple functions have been assigned to Puf3p, including promoting mRNA degradation, localizing nucleus-encoded mitochondrial transcripts to the outer mitochondrial membrane, and facilitating mitochondria-cytoskeletal interactions and motility. Here we show that Puf3p has a general repressive effect on mitochondrial OXPHOS abundance, translation, and respiration that does not involve changes in overall mitochondrial biogenesis and largely independent of TORC1-mitochondrial signaling. We also identified the cytoplasmic translation factor Slf1p as yeast metabolic cycle-regulated gene that is repressed by Puf3p at the post-transcriptional level and promotes respiration and extension of yeast chronological life span when over-expressed. Altogether, these results should facilitate future studies on which of the many functions of Puf3p is most relevant for regulating mitochondrial gene expression and the role of nuclear-mitochondrial communication in aging and longevity.

An RNAi-mediated screen identifies novel targets for next-generation antiepileptic drugs based on increased expression of the homeostatic regulator pumilio.

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Lin, Wei-Hsiang; He, Miaomiao; Fan, Yuen Ngan; Baines, Richard A

2018-05-02

Despite availability of a diverse range of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), only about two-thirds of epilepsy patients respond well to drug treatment. Thus, novel targets are required to catalyse the design of next-generation AEDs. Manipulation of neuron firing-rate homoeostasis, through enhancing Pumilio (Pum) activity, has been shown to be potently anticonvulsant in Drosophila. In this study, we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen in S2R + cells, using a luciferase-based dPum activity reporter and identified 1166 genes involved in dPum regulation. Of these genes, we focused on 699 genes that, on knock-down, potentiate dPum activity/expression. Of this subgroup, 101 genes are activity-dependent based on comparison with genes previously identified as activity-dependent by RNA-sequencing. Functional cluster analysis shows these genes are enriched in pathways involved in DNA damage, regulation of cell cycle and proteasomal protein catabolism. To test for anticonvulsant activity, we utilised an RNA-interference approach in vivo. RNAi-mediated knockdown showed that 57/101 genes (61%) are sufficient to significantly reduce seizure duration in the characterized seizure mutant, para bss . We further show that chemical inhibitors of protein products of some of the genes targeted are similarly anticonvulsant. Finally, to establish whether the anticonvulsant activity of identified compounds results from increased dpum transcription, we performed a luciferase-based assay to monitor dpum promoter activity. Third instar larvae exposed to sodium fluoride, gemcitabine, metformin, bestatin, WP1066 or valproic acid all showed increased dpum promoter activity. Thus, this study validates Pum as a favourable target for AED design and, moreover, identifies a number of lead compounds capable of increasing the expression of this homeostatic regulator.

Teledetección satelital cuantitativa para estimar el área basal del bosque de Nothofagus pumilio (Nothofagaceae: El rol del índice de área foliar como información auxiliar Quantitative remote sensing to estimate basal area in Nothofagus pumilio (Nothofagaceae forest: The role of leaf area index as ancillary information

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GASTÓN M DÍAZ

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Los bosques de lenga (Nothofagus pumilio son el recurso forestal más importante de la región andino patagónica argentina, sin embargo, para implementar planes de manejo en pos de prevenir o revertir su degradación es necesario disponer de mayor información sobre su estructura. Una alternativa para obtener esa información es relacionar datos satelitales con las características del bosque a través de modelos físicos y estadísticos. Pero, ¿cuál es el método más eficaz? El índice de área foliar (IAF se encuentra relacionado con la reflectividad del dosel vegetal a través del modelo de transferencia radiativa PROSAIL, lo que permite desarrollar técnicas de teledetección satelital para estimar el IAF con bases físicas, en vez de con modelos estadísticos. De ese modo se puede aprovechar la relación empírico-biológica existente entre el IAF y la estructura del bosque para estimar el área basal. El objetivo principal fue comparar la exactitud de tres métodos para estimar el área basal de la lenga con datos SPOT-5. Los métodos comparados fueron: estadístico directo (ED, estadístico de dos pasos (E2P y físico-estadístico de dos pasos (FE2P. La exactitud fue evaluada con 24 parcelas no involucradas en el ajuste o calibración de los modelos. No se hallaron diferencias significativas en la exactitud de la alternativa físico-estadística en comparación con las netamente estadísticas. Sin embargo, en base al análisis conjunto de los resultados y lo reportado por otros investigadores, se concluye que la ventaja de utilizar modelos físicos radica en la mayor robustez de la estimación y no en la mayor exactitud.Lenga forests (Nothofagus pumilio are the most important forest resource of the Argentinean Andean Patagonia, however, more information about their structure is needed to implement forest management policies and practices in order to prevent their degradation and revert it. One option to obtain this kind of information

Imprints of climate signals in a 204 year 18O tree-ring record of Nothofagus pumilio from Perito Moreno Glacier, southern Patagonia (50°S).

Science.gov (United States)

Grießinger, Jussi; Langhamer, Lukas; Schneider, Christoph; Saß, Björn-Lukas; Steger, David; Skvarca, Pedro; Braun, Matthias H.; Meier, Wolfgang J.-H.; Srur, Ana M.; Hochreuther, Philipp

2018-04-01

A 204 year-long record of 18O in tree-ring cellulose of southern beech (Nothofagus pumilio) from a site near Perito Moreno Glacier (50°S) in southern Patagonia was established to assess its potential for a climate reconstruction. The annually resolved oxygen isotope chronology is built out of seven individual tree-ring 18O series with a significant mean inter-series correlation (r = 0.61) and is the first of its kind located in Southern America south of 50°S. Over a common period from 1960 to 2013 of available stationary and high-resolution gridded CRU TS v. 4.01 data, the 18O chronology exhibits a strong sensitivity towards hydroclimatic as well as temperature parameters as revealed by correlation analyses. Among these, positive correlations with maximum temperature in the first part of the summer season (CRU rONDJ = 0.51, pAmerica. The modulation of positive and negative anomalies within this series can be interlinked to changes in moisture source origin as revealed by backward trajectory modeling. Additionally, these anomalies can be directly associated to positive or negative phases of the Antarctic Oscillation Index (AAOI) and therefore the strength of the Westerlies. Aligned by the analysis on the influence of different main weather types on the 18O chronology it is shown that such time-series hold the potential to additionally capture their respective influence and change during the last centuries.

A description of the life stages of Echinoparyphium elegans ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The life cycle of Echinoparyphium elegans Looss 1899 is described from the Free State, South Africa.The freshwater snail Bulinus tropicus (Krauss 1848), the intermediate host of Calicophorort microbothrium (Paramphistomum microbothrium Fischoeder, 1901) in this area, serves as first intermediate host. The same snail ...

Food deprivation and drinking in two African rodents, Mastomys ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1986-02-12

Feb 12, 1986 ... sumption of the two speCies may have been partially the result of their different patterns of diel activity. Free- living M. nataJensis are nocturnal, while R. pumilio is diurnal with crepuscular activity peaks (De Graaff 1981;. Smithers 1983). In captivity, M. nataJensis remains strictly nocturnal, and R. pumilio ...

Sapling growth and crown expansion in canopy gaps of Nothofagus pumilio (lenga) forests in Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina

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Lopez Bernal, P. M.; Defosse, G. E.; Quinteros, C. P.; Bava, J. O.

2012-07-01

In the province of Chubut in Patagonia, Argentina, Nothofagus pumilio forests (locally known as lenga), are managed through selective cuts, which imply the opening of canopy gaps. This management scheme is carried out without taking into consideration the changes of sapling requirements through either a cutting cycle or the precipitation gradient in which these forests thrive. To analyze these changes, we inferred the facilitation-competition balance between the canopy and regeneration, studying the effects of precipitation levels, gap size and gap age on saplings growth in height on 45 canopy gaps artificially created between 1960 and 1993. Results showed that during the first 20 years since gap opening, growth of regeneration is determined by light availability in mesic sites and by water availability in xeric sites. However, differences due to precipitation levels gradually decrease over time. Moreover, in the period between 20 and 35 years after gap opening, in both mesic and xeric sites, growth is limited by light availability. This indicates that in xeric sites, sapling growth requirements shift from a water-dependent situation to a light-dependent situation. The average closing rate of gaps due to lateral growth of bordering trees is high enough so that within the proposed gap size range, gap healing can occur before regeneration reaches the upper stratum. Consequently, in mesic sites gap opening can be done by a single operation that generates gaps with diameters of approximately twice the average height of the canopy (D/H). While in xeric environments, lenga seedling establishment and initial growth require the cover of small gaps, but advanced regeneration requires bigger gaps to reach the canopy. For this reason, gaps should be opened in two stages: the first gaps should be opened with a D/H between 0.8 and 1, and after a cutting cycle of 35 years, these openings should be enlarged to a D/H between 1.5 and 2. The close relationship maintained between the

New host-plant records for the defoliator Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Paritsis, Juan; Elgueta, Mario; Quintero, Carolina; Veblen, Thomas T

2010-01-01

Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) is a phytophagous moth species known to severely defoliate woody species in Chile and Argentina. Here we document new records of O. amphimonehost associations emphasizing the role of Nothofagus pumilio as its primary host in our study area. This new record for Argentina is highly significant given the economic importance of N. pumilio as a timber resource and the potential of O. amphimone to generate extensive outbreaks.

New host-plant records for the defoliator Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

OpenAIRE

Paritsis, Juan; Elgueta, Mario; Quintero, Carolina; Veblen, Thomas T

2010-01-01

Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) is a phytophagous moth species known to severely defoliate woody species in Chile and Argentina. Here we document new records of O. amphimonehost associations emphasizing the role of Nothofagus pumilio as its primary host in our study area. This new record for Argentina is highly significant given the economic importance of N. pumilio as a timber resource and the potential of O. amphimone to generate extensive outbreaks.

Preliminary data on growth and enzymatic abilities of soil fungus Humicolopsis cephalosporioides at different incubation temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Elíades, Lorena Alejandra; Cabello, Marta N; Pancotto, Verónica; Moretto, Alicia; Rago, María Melisa; Saparrat, Mario C N

2015-01-01

Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp & Endl.) Krasser, known as "lenga" is the most important timber wood species in southernmost Patagonia (Argentina). Humicolopsis cephalosporioides Cabral & Marchand is a soil fungus associated with Nothofagus pumilio forests, which has outstanding cellulolytic activity. However, there is no information about the ability of this fungus to use organic substrates other than cellulose, and its ability to produce different enzyme systems, as well as its response to temperature. The aim of this study was to examine the role of H. cephalosporioides in degradation processes in N. pumilio forests in detail by evaluating the in vitro ability of four isolates of this fungus to grow and produce different lytic enzyme systems, and their response to incubation temperature. The ability of the fungi to grow and produce enzyme systems was estimated by inoculating them on agar media with specific substrates, and the cultures were incubated at three temperatures. A differential behavior of each strain in levels of growth and enzyme activity was found according to the medium type and/or incubation temperature. A intra-specific variability was found in H. cephalosporioides. Likewise a possible link between the saprotrophic role of this fungus in N. pumilio forests and the degradation of organic matter under stress conditions, such as those from frosty environments, was also discussed. Copyright © 2013 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Imprints of Climate Signals in a 204 Year δ18O Tree-Ring Record of Nothofagus pumilio From Perito Moreno Glacier, Southern Patagonia (50°S

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Jussi Grießinger

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A 204 year-long record of δ18O in tree-ring cellulose of southern beech (Nothofagus pumilio from a site near Perito Moreno Glacier (50°S in Southern Patagonia was established to assess its potential for a climate reconstruction. The annually resolved oxygen isotope chronology is built out of seven individual tree-ring δ18O series with a significant mean inter-series correlation (r = 0.61 and is the first of its kind located in Southern America south of 50°S. Over a common period from 1960 to 2013 of available stationary and high-resolution gridded CRU TS v. 4.01 data, the δ18O chronology exhibits a strong sensitivity toward hydroclimatic as well as temperature parameters as revealed by correlation analyses. Among these, positive correlations with maximum temperature in the first part of the summer season (CRU rONDJ = 0.51, p < 0.01 and negative correlations with precipitation in the latter half of the vegetation period (CRU rONDJ = −0.54, p < 0.01 show the highest sensitivities. A strong supra-regional influence of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM is clearly recorded in this chronology as indicated by significant positive correlations during the vegetation period (rONDJ = 0.62, p < 0.01. This indicates that the presented δ18O-chronology shows great promise to reconstruct the influence and variability of the SAM within the last two centuries in southern South America. The modulation of positive and negative anomalies within this series can be interlinked to changes in moisture source origin as revealed by backward trajectory modeling. Additionally, these anomalies can be directly associated to positive or negative phases of the Antarctic Oscillation Index (AAOI and therefore the strength of the Westerlies. Aligned by the analysis on the influence of different main weather types on the δ18O chronology it is shown that such time-series hold the potential to additionally capture their respective influence and change during the last centuries.

A revision of the Haploporinae Nicoll, 1914 (Digenea: Haploporidae) from mullets (Mugilidae): Haploporus Looss, 1902 and Lecithobotrys Looss, 1902

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Blasco-Costa, I.; Gibson, D. I.; Balbuena, J. A.; Raga, J. A.; Kostadinova, Aneta

2009-01-01

Roč. 73, č. 2 (2009), s. 107-133 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : taxonomic revision * Haploporidae * Haploporus * Lecithobothrys * Mugilidae Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 0.911, year: 2009

Improvement of isotope-based climate reconstructions in Patagonia through a better understanding of climate influences on isotopic fractionation in tree rings

Science.gov (United States)

Lavergne, Aliénor; Daux, Valérie; Villalba, Ricardo; Pierre, Monique; Stievenard, Michel; Srur, Ana Marina

2017-02-01

Very few studies of stable isotopes exist across the Andes in South America. This study is the first presenting annually resolved chronologies of both δ18 O and δ13 C in Nothofagus pumilio and Fitzroya cupressoides trees from Northern Patagonia. Interannual variability in δ18 O and δ13 C was assessed over the period 1952-2011. Based on these chronologies, we determined the primary climatic controls on stable isotopes and tree physiological responses to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations (ca), temperature and humidity. Changes in specific intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) were inferred from variations in δ13 C whereas the effects of CO2 increase on stomatal conductance were explored using δ18 O. Over the 60-year period, iWUE increased significantly (by ca. 25%) in coincidence with the rise of ca. The two species appear to have different strategies of gas-exchange. Whereas iWUE variations were likely driven by both stomatal conductance and photosynthetic assimilation rates in F. cupressoides, they were largely related to stomatal conductance in N. pumilio. After removing the low-frequency trends related to increasing ca, significant relationships between δ13 C and summer temperatures were recorded for both species. However, δ13 C variations in F. cupressoides were more strongly influenced by summer temperatures than in N. pumilio. Our results advocate for an indirect effect of summer temperatures on stable isotope ratios, which is mostly influenced by sunlight radiation in F. cupressoides and relative humidity/soil moisture in N. pumilio. δ13 C variations in F. cupressoides were spatially correlated to a large area south of 35°S in southern South America. These promising results encourage the use of δ13 C variations in F. cupressoides for reconstructing past variations in temperature and large-scale circulation indexes such as the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) in the Southern Hemisphere.

The development of exploratory behaviour in the african striped mouse rhabdomys reflects a gene × environment compromise.

Science.gov (United States)

Rymer, Tasmin L; Pillay, Neville

2012-09-01

Behaviour results from the interaction of an individual's genotype with prevailing environmental conditions, resulting in local adaptation to specific habitats. We investigated the development of exploratory behaviour in two closely-related species of African striped mice from the semi-arid Succulent Karoo (Rhabdomys pumilio) and moist grassland (R. dilectus chakae) localities. Irrespective of sex, R. pumilio displayed greater exploratory behaviour (open field) and greater use of the open arms of a modified plus maze, and thus were less anxious and bolder than R. d. chakae. When pups were cross-fostered between species, fostered individuals of both species showed an intermediate behavioural pattern between their foster and biological siblings: fostered R. pumilio explored more than their foster siblings but less than their biological siblings, whereas fostered R. d. chakae explored more than their biological siblings, but less than their foster siblings. Our study is one of the first to address how the underlying genotype and early postnatal experience interact to influence the expression of exploratory behaviour and personality. In particular, we showed that, in striped mice, the early postnatal environment shapes the anxiety responses and concomitant exploratory behaviour, but the genotype apparently modulates the phenotype and constrains the limit of behavioural flexibility.

On the Computation of Finite Invariant Sets of Mappings.

Science.gov (United States)

1988-02-01

for the calculation of such invariant cycles. We refer here only to Doedel [1], looss et al [3], Kevrekidis et al [4], Van Veldhuizen ,[6], where further... van Veldhuizen , On Polygonal Approximations of an Invariant Curve, Dept.of Mathem. and Comp. Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Techni- cal Report 1987, Math. Comp. to appear DATE Fl .LMED ...of van der Pol’s equation " x2) x - A(l - x ) X’ + x - 0 (16) As shown, for example in [2], the solution satisfies x - 2 cos(wt)+ A (0.75 sin(wt

(mastomys) natalensis and rhabdomys pumilio

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dim.ensionsof61 x 31 x 31 em. The aquarium was ... All nest-building experiments were conducted within a 13:11-hour light-dark cycle. Relative ... 3. Rhabdomys. Female. 4. 12. 12. 4. 16. 16. 3. 12. 11. R ep rod u ced b y Sa b in et G a tew a.

Female preferences for aposematic signal components in a polymorphic poison frog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maan, Martine E.; Cummings, Molly E.

Aposematic signals may be subject to conflicting selective pressures from predators and conspecifics. We studied female preferences for different components of aposematic coloration in the polymorphic poison frog Oophaga pumilio across several phenotypically distinct populations. This frog shows

NEW SPECIES OF AGRILUS FROM NICARAGUA AND COSTA RICA (COLEOPTERA, BUPRESTIDAE

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Gianfranco Curletti

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Five new species of the genus Agrilus Curtis, 1825 from Costa Rica and Nicaragua are described: A. barriesi n. sp., A. maesi n. sp., A. ursus n. sp., A. tyrannus n. sp. and A. pumilio n. sp.

Department of Zoology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A FIELD TEST OF SIX TYPES OF ... nata/ensu,· the four-striped mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio,· and the vlei rat, Otomys irroratus. In addition a single ..... trap-doors, so that animals once caught could escape by pulling the door open. SH traps.

Ajibola et al (7)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

The food and feeding habits of Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Dicroglossidae), in Obafemi ... contribute to the stability of water quality in ... of the food chain. ... muelleri and Ptychadena pumilio were the species most ... Ogoanah and Uchedike (2011) has been established to ... tropics have until now been limited to countries.

Warning signal brightness variation: sexual selection may work under the radar of natural selection in populations of a polytypic poison frog.

Science.gov (United States)

Crothers, Laura R; Cummings, Molly E

2013-05-01

Though theory predicts consistency of warning signals in aposematic species to facilitate predator learning, variation in these signals often occurs in nature. The strawberry poison frog Dendrobates pumilio is an exceptionally polytypic (populations are phenotypically distinct) aposematic frog exhibiting variation in warning color and brightness. In the Solarte population, males and females both respond differentially to male brightness variation. Here, we demonstrate through spectrophotometry and visual modeling that aposematic brightness variation within this population is likely visible to two putative predators (crabs, snakes) and conspecifics but not to the presumed major predator (birds). This study thus suggests that signal brightness within D. pumilio populations can be shaped by sexual selection, with limited opportunity for natural selection to influence this trait due to predator sensory constraints. Because signal brightness changes can ultimately lead to changes in hue, our findings at the within-population level can provide insights into understanding this polytypism at across-population scales.

Prevalence of haemoparasites, leptospires and coccobacilli with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... assay (ELISA) was negative for all the serum samples from central Tanzania, while two samples of serum from two species of rodents, Rhabdomys pumilio and Gerbilliscus leucogaster, collected in the Kavango Region of Namibia were positive. These results suggest an enzootic plague activity in this region in Namibia.

An experimental approach to explain the southern Andes elevational treeline.

Science.gov (United States)

Fajardo, Alex; Piper, Frida I

2014-05-01

• The growth limitation hypothesis (GLH) is the most accepted mechanistic explanation for treeline formation, although it is still uncertain whether it applies across taxa. The successful establishment of Pinus contorta--an exotic conifer species in the southern hemisphere--above the Nothofagus treeline in New Zealand may suggest a different mechanism. We tested the GLH in Nothofagus pumilio and Pinus contorta by comparing seedling performance and carbon (C) balance in response to low temperatures.• At a southern Chilean treeline, we grew seedlings of both species 2 m above ground level, to simulate coupling between temperatures at the meristem and in the air (colder), and at ground level, i.e., decoupling air temperature (relatively milder). We recorded soil and air temperatures as well. After 3 yr, we measured seedling survival and biomass (as a surrogate of growth) and determined nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC).• Nothofagus and Pinus did not differ in survival, which, as a whole, was higher at ground level than at the 2-m height. The root-zone temperature for the growing season was 6.6°C. While biomass and NSC decreased significantly for Nothofagus at the 2-m height compared with ground level (C limitation), these trends were not significant for Pinus• The treeline for Nothofagus pumilio is located at an isotherm that fully matches global patterns; however, its physiological responses to low temperatures differed from those of other treeline species. Support for C limitation in N. pumilio but not in P. contorta indicates that the physiological mechanism explaining their survival and growth at treeline may be taxon-dependent. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Diets of two syntopic small mammals in the Inyanga National Park ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The feeding habits of two coexisting rodents, Rhabdomys pumilio and Otomys irroratus in relation to rainfall and reproduction. Acta Oecol. Oecol. Gener. 1: 71 - 89. RAUTENBACH, I.L. 1976. A survey of the mammals occurring in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Koedoe 19: 133 -143. RAUTENBACH, I.L. 1982.

Multiple sexual signals: Calls over colors for mate attraction in an aposematic, color-diverse poison frog

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Corinna Eva Dreher

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Sexual signals indicate species identity and mate quality, and their importance for mate attraction is largely recognized. Recently, research in animal communication has started to integrate multiple signal modalities and evaluate their interactions. However, mate choice experiments across animal taxa have been limited to laboratory conditions, and assessments of multiple sexual signals under field conditions are still lacking. We take advantage of the divergence in visual and acoustic signals among populations of the Neotropical poison frog Oophaga pumilio to evaluate the importance of male advertisement calls and color patterns in female mate selection. Previous mate choice experiments in this species suggested color-assortative female mate preferences across many populations. Nevertheless, acoustic signals are crucial for sexual selection in frogs, and males of O. pumilio use advertisement calls to attract females. We hypothesize that both advertisement calls and coloration affects female mate selection in O.pumilio. To test this hypothesis we tested 452 receptive females from six populations in Costa Rica and Panama in their natural home ranges for preferences regarding local vs. non-local advertisement calls and color patterns. Overall, the calls overrode the effect of coloration, whereby most females preferred local over non-local calls. We found a tendency to prefer brighter (but not necessarily local males in two populations. Furthermore the strength of preferences varied geographically, and thus might be involved in prezygotic isolation among populations. The stronger effect of calls on mate attraction is associated with acoustic divergence between genetic groups in the species, while colour pattern diversity is mostly located within one genetic group, i.e. not linked to large-scale population structure. Finally our data highlights the importance to consider an array of signal modalities in multiple wild populations in studies of

TIle development of thermoregulation in Rhabdomys pumilio ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

gically precocial animal. A fine white pelage is present at birth, and four dorsal stripes are ... animals less than five days old, using a fme copper-con- stantan thermocouple probe inserted 1,0-1,2 cm; the probe . .... coincides with the species' lack of nocturnal activity. (Christian 1977). Acknowledgements. I thank Dr R.W. Hill, ...

Engineered proteins with PUF scaffold to manipulate RNA metabolism

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yang; Wang, Zefeng; Tanaka Hall, Traci M.

2013-01-01

Pumilio/fem-3 mRNA binding factor (FBF) proteins are characterized by a sequence-specific RNA-binding domain. This unique single-stranded RNA recognition module, whose sequence specificity can be reprogrammed, has been fused with functional modules to engineer protein factors with various functions. Here we summarize the advancement in developing RNA regulatory tools and opportunities for the future. PMID:23731364

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of the Echinostomatoidea Looss, 1899 (Platyhelminthes: Digenea).

Science.gov (United States)

Tkach, Vasyl V; Kudlai, Olena; Kostadinova, Aneta

2016-03-01

The Echinostomatoidea is a large, cosmopolitan group of digeneans currently including nine families and 105 genera, the vast majority parasitic, as adults, in birds with relatively few taxa parasitising mammals, reptiles and, exceptionally, fish. Despite the complex structure, diverse content and substantial species richness of the group, almost no attempt has been made to elucidate its phylogenetic relationships at the suprageneric level based on molecules due to the lack of data. Herein, we evaluate the consistency of the present morphology-based classification system of the Echinostomatoidea with the phylogenetic relationships of its members based on partial sequences of the nuclear lsrRNA gene for a broad diversity of taxa (80 species, representing eight families and 40 genera), including representatives of five subfamilies of the Echinostomatidae, which currently exhibits the most complex taxonomic structure within the superfamily. This first comprehensive phylogeny for the Echinostomatoidea challenged the current systematic framework based on comparative morphology. A morphology-based evaluation of this new molecular framework resulted in a number of systematic and nomenclatural changes consistent with the phylogenetic estimates of the generic and suprageneric boundaries and a new phylogeny-based classification of the Echinostomatoidea. In the current systematic treatment: (i) the rank of two family level lineages, the former Himasthlinae and Echinochasminae, is elevated to full family status; (ii) Caballerotrema is distinguished at the family level; (iii) the content and diagnosis of the Echinostomatidae (sensu stricto) (s. str.) are revised to reflect its phylogeny, resulting in the abolition of the Nephrostominae and Chaunocephalinae as synonyms of the Echinostomatidae (s. str.); (iv) Artyfechinostomum, Cathaemasia, Rhopalias and Ribeiroia are re-allocated within the Echinostomatidae (s. str.), resulting in the abolition of the Cathaemasiidae, Rhopaliidae and Ribeiroiinae, which become synonyms of the Echinostomatidae (s. str.); and (v) refinements of the generic boundaries within the Echinostomatidae (s. str.), Psilostomidae and Fasciolidae are made. Copyright © 2015 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of the Echinostomatoidea Looss, 1899 (Platyhelminthes: Digenea)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tkach, V.V.; Kudlai, Olena; Kostadinova, Aneta

2016-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 3 (2016), s. 171-185 ISSN 0020-7519 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Echinostomatoidea * Molecular phylogeny * Systematics * Echinostomatidae (sensu stricto) * Caballerotrematidae n. fam. * Himasthlidae * Echinochasmidae * Host associations Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 3.730, year: 2016

Mating status correlates with dorsal brightness in some but not all poison frog populations

OpenAIRE

Dreher, Corinna E.; Rodríguez, Ariel; Cummings, Molly E.; Pröhl, Heike

2017-01-01

Abstract Sexual signals are important for intraspecific communication and mate selection, but their evolution may be driven by both natural and sexual selection, and stochastic processes. Strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio) show strong color divergence among populations, but coloration also varies among individuals of the same population. The importance of coloration for female mate choice has been studied intensely, and sexual selection seems to affect color divergence in strawberry po...

Redescriptions of two frequently recorded but poorly known hemiurid digeneans, Lecithochirium musculus (Looss, 1907) (Lecithochiriinae) and Ectenurus lepidus Looss, 1907 (Dinurinae), based on material from the western Mediterranean

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Carreras-Aubets, M.; Montero, E. E.; Kostadinova, Aneta; Gibson, D. I.; Carrasson, M.

2012-01-01

Roč. 82, č. 3 (2012), s. 185-199 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : EELS ANGUILLA-ANGUILLA * HELMINTH-PARASITES * MARINE FISHES * CONGER-CONGER * COASTAL LAGOONS * TELEOST FISH * EUROPEAN EEL * COMMUNITIES * TREMATODES * DIVERSITY Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.260, year: 2012 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11230-012-9357-8

Poison frog colors are honest signals of toxicity, particularly for bird predators.

Science.gov (United States)

Maan, Martine E; Cummings, Molly E

2012-01-01

Antipredator defenses and warning signals typically evolve in concert. However, the extensive variation across taxa in both these components of predator deterrence and the relationship between them are poorly understood. Here we test whether there is a predictive relationship between visual conspicuousness and toxicity levels across 10 populations of the color-polymorphic strawberry poison frog, Dendrobates pumilio. Using a mouse-based toxicity assay, we find extreme variation in toxicity between frog populations. This variation is significantly positively correlated with frog coloration brightness, a viewer-independent measure of visual conspicuousness (i.e., total reflectance flux). We also examine conspicuousness from the view of three potential predator taxa, as well as conspecific frogs, using taxon-specific visual detection models and three natural background substrates. We find very strong positive relationships between frog toxicity and conspicuousness for bird-specific perceptual models. Weaker but still positive correlations are found for crab and D. pumilio conspecific visual perception, while frog coloration as viewed by snakes is not related to toxicity. These results suggest that poison frog colors can be honest signals of prey unpalatability to predators and that birds in particular may exert selection on aposematic signal design. © 2011 by The University of Chicago.

Ultrastructural aspects of feeding and secretion-excretion by the equine parasite Strongylus vulgaris.

Science.gov (United States)

Mobarak, M S; Ryan, M F

1999-06-01

Light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy were employed to provide further data on the putative origins of the immunogenic secretory-excretory product (ESP) of Strongylus vulgaris (Looss 1900). The sharply delineated but superficial attachment to the equine caecum by the mouth leaves behind an oval area devoid of epithelial cells. Attachment does not extend deeply enough to reach the muscularis mucosa layer of the equine intestine. The progressive digestion of the ingested plug of tissue (epithelial cells, blood cells and mucous) was visualized. The coelomocytes, floating cells and membranous structures located in the pseudocoelom and intimately associated with the digestive, excretory and reproductive systems, and with the somatic muscles are described. The secretory-excretory system comprises two, ventrally-located, secretory-excretory glands connected to tubular elements. These glands synthesize granules of various sizes and densities that are delineated.

THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE EXCAVATION METHODS IN BAUXITE DEPOSITS

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Borislav Perić

1990-12-01

Full Text Available The underground bauxite excavation in Yugoslavia is getting more important recently due to gradual exploitation of shallow deposits. The main excavation method is sublevel caving method. That technology of exploitation is characterized by high excavation loosses reaching even to 50% due to mixing of bauxite with waste. By beds with competent limestone roof which are not liable to direct caving are formed unplanned open spaces so the work safety is often dangercd by sudden caving. That was the reason for carrying out the observations in situ and investigations on mathematical models to define boundary of excavated space stability. This investigation were the basis for the new conception of further excavation of the »Jukići-Didare« mine with the application of even three exploitation methods maximally adapted to the characteristics of the remaining part of deposit.

Similar variation in carbon storage between deciduous and evergreen treeline species across elevational gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Fajardo, Alex; Piper, Frida I; Hoch, Günter

2013-08-01

The most plausible explanation for treeline formation so far is provided by the growth limitation hypothesis (GLH), which proposes that carbon sinks are more restricted by low temperatures than by carbon sources. Evidence supporting the GLH has been strong in evergreen, but less and weaker in deciduous treeline species. Here a test is made of the GLH in deciduous-evergreen mixed species forests across elevational gradients, with the hypothesis that deciduous treeline species show a different carbon storage trend from that shown by evergreen species across elevations. Tree growth and concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) in foliage, branch sapwood and stem sapwood tissues were measured at four elevations in six deciduous-evergreen treeline ecotones (including treeline) in the southern Andes of Chile (40°S, Nothofagus pumilio and Nothofagus betuloides; 46°S, Nothofagus pumilio and Pinus sylvestris) and in the Swiss Alps (46°N, Larix decidua and Pinus cembra). Tree growth (basal area increment) decreased with elevation for all species. Regardless of foliar habit, NSCs did not deplete across elevations, indicating no shortage of carbon storage in any of the investigated tissues. Rather, NSCs increased significantly with elevation in leaves (P treeline species are sink limited when faced with decreasing temperatures. Despite the overall higher requirements of deciduous tree species for carbon storage, no indication was found of carbon limitation in deciduous species in the alpine treeline ecotone.

Every which way – nanos gene regulation in echinoderms

OpenAIRE

Oulhen, Nathalie; Wessel, Gary M.

2014-01-01

Nanos is an essential factor of germ line success in all animals tested. This gene encodes a Zn-finger RNA-binding protein that in complex with its partner pumilio, binds to and changes the fate of several known transcripts. We summarize here the documented functions of nanos in several key organisms, and then emphasize echinoderms as a working model for how nanos expression is regulated. Nanos presence outside of the target cells is often detrimental to the animal, and in sea urchins, nanos ...

Diurnal activity of the four-striped mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio

African Journals Online (AJOL)

mouse was marked with a toe-clipped number. Temperatures in the shade 1 m above ground level were recorded with a Yellow. Springs Instrument Telethermometer at the beginning and end of each trap check. Maxi- mum daily temperatures recorded for the three days in July were 24, 20, and 26°C; minimum observed ...

Strongylus vulgaris (Looss, 1900) in horses in Italy: is it still a problem?

Science.gov (United States)

Pilo, C; Altea, A; Pirino, S; Nicolussi, P; Varcasia, A; Genchi, M; Scala, A

2012-03-23

A post-mortem survey was carried out on 46 Sardinian horses to evaluate the presence of Strongylus vulgaris and associated pathology. Horses were from local farms and had been treated with broad-spectrum anthelmintics at least 3 times a year. Examination of the cranial mesenteric arterial system (CMAS) showed parasite-induced lesions in all horses. S. vulgaris larvae were found in 39% of examined arteries, while their detection rate in coprocultures was 4%. Histology, carried out on 26 horses, showed mainly chronic and chronic-active lesions. Histometry showed a significant increase in thickness of the arterial wall, in particular of the intima tunic and adventitia tunic of the ileocolic artery and its colic branch. MCV, MCHC and alpha2, beta and gamma globulins were increased in horses with S. vulgaris larvae in the arteries, while the albumin/globulin ratio was decreased. Horses that were positive on faecal examination showed decreased values for RBC, PCV and the albumin/globulin ratio. Although several studies have shown a dramatic decrease of S. vulgaris infection worldwide, our data show that this parasite continues to exert its pathogenic role, even when its detection rate is quite low within the strongyle population infecting horses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stage-specific gene expression during sexual development in Phytophthora infestans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fabritius, Anna-Liisa; Cvitanich, Cristina; Judelson, Howard S.

2002-01-01

Eight genes that are upregulated during sexual development in the heterothallic oomycete, Phytophthora infestans, were identified by suppression subtractive hybridization. Two genes showed very low but detectable expression in vegetative hyphae and became induced about 40- to >100-fold early...... revealed that the predicted products of three of the genes had similarity to proteins that influence RNA stability, namely a ribonuclease activator, the pumilio family of RNA-binding proteins and RNase H. The products of two other mating-induced genes resembled two types of Phytophthora proteins previously...

Reconstrucción espacial y temporal de la ocurrencia de avalanchas de nieve en los Andes patagónicos utilizando técnicas dendrocronológicas Dendrochronological reconstruction of spatial and temporal patterns of snow avalanches in the Patagonian Andes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALEJANDRO CASTELLER

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Las avalanchas de nieve representan un importante riesgo natural en diversas regiones montañosas alrededor del mundo. Daños a infraestructura y pérdidas de vidas humanas son reportados frecuentemente en relación a eventos catastróficos de avalanchas. En los Andes, numerosas obras de infraestructura se ubican en zonas vecinas a senderos de avalanchas, de las que poco se conoce sobre sus alcances máximos, periodos de retorno y presiones de impacto. A través de la implementación de técnicas dendrocronológicas hemos reconstruido las fechas de ocurrencia y áreas de influencia de eventos pasados de avalanchas de nieve. Ejemplares de Nothofagus pumilio con perturbaciones visibles de avalanchas fueron muestreados en sectores del canal, bordes y zonas de frenado de 11 senderos de avalanchas ubicados en Loma de las Pizarras, próximo a El Chaltén, Santa Cruz, Argentina. Además, áreas de control fueron muestreadas para determinar las condiciones de crecimiento en árboles no afectados por avalanchas. Nuestros análisis indican que las cicatrices, las variaciones de excentricidad en el leño, los cambios abruptos de crecimiento y la presencia de leño de tensión son los principales indicadores dendrocronológicos en N. pumilio asociados a la ocurrencia de avalanchas. Basados en una ponderación cuantitativa de los indicadores y en la profundidad de muestreo, calculamos un índice de ocurrencia de eventos, el cual nos permitió determinar para cada sendero los años con ocurrencia de avalanchas. Considerando de manera integral la actividad de avalanchas en los 11 senderos muestreados, los años con mayor ocurrencia de eventos fueron 1936, 1966, 1978 y 1995. Complementariamente, registros climáticos fueron analizados con el objetivo de determinar las relaciones entre los años con ocurrencia de avalanchas y las variaciones mensuales de precipitación y temperatura. Se observa que los años con gran frecuencia de avalanchas est

Riparian leaf litter processing by benthic macroinvertebrates in a woodland stream of central Chile Procesamiento de detritus ripariano por macroinvertebrados bentónicos en un estero boscoso de Chile central

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CLAUDIO VALDOVINOS

2001-06-01

Full Text Available Leaf litter input from riparian landscapes has been identified as both a major energy flow to stream ecosystems and as a food source for stream macroinvertebrates. In riparian landscapes of woodland streams of central Chile, the native deciduous hardwoods are being artificially replaced by exotic coniferous trees at a large spatial scale. It is suggested that this process has a significant impact on the stream communities of central Chile. Today, exotic plantations occur throughout central Chile, with Pinus radiata (D. Don (Monterrey pine accounting for about 80 % of the more than 1,800,000 ha of exotic forests. The objective of this paper was to analyze the effect of the litter beds of a dominant native species (Nothofagus pumilio and an exotic species (P. radiata on the detritus processing carried out by benthic macroinvertebrates, in an experimental catchment of central Chile (Rucúe Creek; 36° 26'00" S, 71° 35'40" W. Results revealed that processing rates of native leaf packs are higher than rates of coniferous leaf packs, suggesting that the replacement of the native hardwoods by exotic coniferous riparian flora has an important impact on the stream energy flow in central Chile. The decay rate coefficients (k were 0.0072 for N. pumilio, and 0.0027 for P. radiata. The greater abundance and biomass of shredders per gram of leaf pack of native Nothofagus would explain the differences in leaf processing rates, especially through the activity of two Plecoptera Gripopterygidae, Limnoperla jaffueli and Antarctoperla michaelseniLa entrada de detritus foliar procedente de áreas riparianas ha sido reconocido como un componente importante en la energética de ecosistemas fluviales y como fuente de alimento de macroinvertebrados acuáticos. En áreas riparianas de esteros boscosos de Chile central los componentes nativos caducifolios están siendo artificialmente reemplazados a gran escala por coníferas exóticas, sugiriendo que este proceso tiene

Organic matter characterization and decomposition dynamics in sub-Antarctic streams impacted by invasive beavers Caracterización de la materia orgánica y la dinámica de descomposición en arroyos subantárticos impactados por castores invasores

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Erica Ulloa

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Despite being a relatively remote and well conserved area, the sub-Antarctic ecoregion faces pressing global threats from climate change, the ozone hole and introduced species. Its freshwater ecosystems are one of the least studied components of this biome, but they are known to confront a host of invasive taxa including trout and beavers. We set out to understand the basic characterization and dynamics of organic matter processing and decomposition in sub-Antarctic streams under natural forest (NF conditions and in ponds constructed by North American beavers (Castor canadensis (BP. We found these streams have a naturally stable benthic organic matter regime throughout the year with a peak in leaf input from Nothofagus pumilio in autumn. Beaver ponds significantly increased the retention of organic matter and caused significantly higher decomposition rates, probably associated with increased density and biomass of Hyalella spp. As expected, leaf decay rates for N. pumilio, a deciduous species, were higher (NF: -0.0028 day- ± 0.0001 SE; BP: -0.0118 day-1 ± 0.0009 SE than N. betuloides (a broad-leaf evergreen (NF: -0.0018 day-1 ± 0.0005 SE; BP: -0.0040 day-1 ± 0.0003 SE. Overall these results indicate that the naturally low decomposition rates (slower than 89% of a global survey of decay rates for these cold, oligotrophic streams are being modified by introduced beavers to resemble more temperate latitudes.A pesar de ser una zona relativamente remota y bien conservado, la ecorregión subantártica se enfrenta a presiones por amenazas globales por el cambio climático, el agujero de ozono y las especies introducidas. Los ecosistemas de agua dulce son uno de los componentes menos estudiados de este bioma, pero se sabe que enfrentan una serie de taxones invasivos como la trucha y los castores. El propósito de este estudio es entender la caracterización básica y dinámica de descomposición de la materia orgánica en arroyos subantárticos de

DISCRIMINATION 28S RIBOSOMAL GENE OF TREMATODE CERCARIAE IN SNAILS FROM CHIANG MAI PROVINCE, THAILAND.

Science.gov (United States)

Wongsawad, Chalobol; Wongsawad, Pheravut; Sukontason, Kom; Phalee, Anawat; Noikong-Phalee, Waraporn; Chai, Jong Yil

2016-03-01

Trematode cercariae are commonly found in many freshwater gastropods. These cercariae can serve to identify the occurrence of such trematodes as Centrocestus formosanus, Haplorchis taichui, Haplorchoides sp, and Stellantchasmus falcatus, which are important parasites in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. As the species of these cercariae cannot be identified accurately based on morphology, this study employed sequencing of a fragment of 28S ribosomal DNA and phylogenetic analysis to identify the trematode cercariae found in freshwater gastropods in Chiang Mai Province. Eight types of trematode cercariae were identified, namely, distome cercaria (grouped with Philophthalmus spp clade), echinostome cercaria (grouped with Echinostoma spp clade), furcocercous cercaria (grouped with Posthodiplostomum sp/Alaria taxideae/Hysteromorpha triloba clade), monostome cercaria (grouped with Catatropis indicus clade), parapleurolophocercous cercaria (grouped with Haplorchoides sp clade), pleurolophocercous cercaria (grouped with Centrocestusformosanus clade), transversotrema cercaria (grouped with Transversotrema spp clade), and xiphidiocercaria (grouped with Prosthodendrium spp clade). These results provide important information that can be used for identifying these parasites in epidemiological surveys.

Synaptic control of local translation: the plot thickens with new characters.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, María Gabriela; Pascual, Malena Lucía; Maschi, Darío; Luchelli, Luciana; Boccaccio, Graciela Lidia

2014-06-01

The production of proteins from mRNAs localized at the synapse ultimately controls the strength of synaptic transmission, thereby affecting behavior and cognitive functions. The regulated transcription, processing, and transport of mRNAs provide dynamic control of the dendritic transcriptome, which includes thousands of messengers encoding multiple cellular functions. Translation is locally modulated by synaptic activity through a complex network of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and various types of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including BC-RNAs, microRNAs, piwi-interacting RNAs, and small interference RNAs. The RBPs FMRP and CPEB play a well-established role in synaptic translation, and additional regulatory factors are emerging. The mRNA repressors Smaug, Nanos, and Pumilio define a novel pathway for local translational control that affects dendritic branching and spines in both flies and mammals. Recent findings support a role for processing bodies and related synaptic mRNA-silencing foci (SyAS-foci) in the modulation of synaptic plasticity and memory formation. The SyAS-foci respond to different stimuli with changes in their integrity thus enabling regulated mRNA release followed by translation. CPEB, Pumilio, TDP-43, and FUS/TLS form multimers through low-complexity regions related to prion domains or polyQ expansions. The oligomerization of these repressor RBPs is mechanistically linked to the aggregation of abnormal proteins commonly associated with neurodegeneration. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on how specificity in mRNA translation is achieved through the concerted action of multiple pathways that involve regulatory ncRNAs and RBPs, the modification of translation factors, and mRNA-silencing foci dynamics.

Arsenic in terrestrial invertebrates from riparian areas of the Piracicaba River Basin, Sao Paulo State, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franca, E.J.; Magalhaes, M.R.L.; Santos, M.L.O.; Nadai Fernandes, E.A. de; Fonseca, F.Y.

2017-01-01

There is no information on arsenic distribution in terrestrial invertebrates from riparian forests of urban and rural areas in Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the As levels in invertebrates from riverine forests of the Piracicaba River Basin, Sao Paulo, Brazil, using the instrumental neutron activation analysis, k 0 -comparator method. After correction of mass fractions, values higher than 0.10 mg kg -1 were quantified in invertebrates from both urban and agricultural areas. An unexpected As mass fraction of 13 mg kg -1 obtained in the Coleopteran pest Macrodactylus pumilio indicated resistance to As-containing-pesticides. (author)

Hirudinella ventricosa (Pallas, 1774) Baird, 1853 represents a species complex based on ribosomal DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Calhoun, Dana M; Curran, Stephen S; Pulis, Eric E; Provaznik, Jennifer M; Franks, James S

2013-10-01

Digeneans in the genus Hirudinella de Blainville, 1828 (Hirudinellidae) from three species of pelagic fishes, Acanthocybium solandri (Cuvier), Makaira nigricans Lacépède and Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre), and one benthic fish, Mulloidichthys martinicus (Cuvier), from the Gulf of Mexico are investigated using comparison of ribosomal DNA. Four species are identified based on molecular differences: Hirudinella ventricosa (Pallas, 1774) Baird, 1853 from A. solandri, Hirudinella ahi Yamaguti, 1970 from T. albacares, and two unidentified but distinct species of Hirudinella, herein referred to as Hirudinella sp. A (from both M. nigricans and M. martinicus) and Hirudinella sp. B from M. nigricans. Additionally, H. ahi, based tentatively on morphological identification, is reported from Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus). This represents the first record of a hirudinellid from M. martinicus and the first record of H. ahi from T. thynnus. A phylogeny of some Hemiurata Skrjabin & Guschanskaja, 1954 using partial fragments of the 28S rDNA sequences is consistent with earlier phylogenies and the position of the Hirudinellidae Dollfus, 1932 is well-supported as a derived group most closely related to the Syncoeliidae Looss, 1899.

An Analysis of Predator Selection to Affect Aposematic Coloration in a Poison Frog Species.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreher, Corinna E; Cummings, Molly E; Pröhl, Heike

2015-01-01

Natural selection is widely noted to drive divergence of phenotypic traits. Predation pressure can facilitate morphological divergence, for example the evolution of both cryptic and conspicuous coloration in animals. In this context Dendrobatid frogs have been used to study evolutionary forces inducing diversity in protective coloration. The polytypic strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) shows strong divergence in aposematic coloration among populations. To investigate whether predation pressure is important for color divergence among populations of O. pumilio we selected four mainland populations and two island populations from Costa Rica and Panama. Spectrometric measurements of body coloration were used to calculate color and brightness contrasts of frogs as an indicator of conspicuousness for the visual systems of several potential predators (avian, crab and snake) and a conspecific observer. Additionally, we conducted experiments using clay model frogs of different coloration to investigate whether the local coloration of frogs is better protected than non-local color morphs, and if predator communities vary among populations. Overall predation risk differed strongly among populations and interestingly was higher on the two island populations. Imprints on clay models indicated that birds are the main predators while attacks of other predators were rare. Furthermore, clay models of local coloration were equally likely to be attacked as those of non-local coloration. Overall conspicuousness (and brightness contrast) of local frogs was positively correlated with attack rates by birds across populations. Together with results from earlier studies we conclude that conspicuousness honestly indicates toxicity to avian predators. The different coloration patterns among populations of strawberry poison frogs in combination with behavior and toxicity might integrate into equally efficient anti-predator strategies depending on local predation and other ecological

A new cryptic species of Aponurus Looss, 1907 (Digenea: Lecithasteridae) from Mediterranean goatfish (Teleostei: Mullidae)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Carreras-Aubets, M.; Repulles-Albelda, A.; Kostadinova, Aneta; Carrasson, M.

2011-01-01

Roč. 79, č. 2 (2011), 145-159 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522; GA ČR GAP505/10/1562 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : N. SP DIGENEA * ALLOMETRIC GROWTH * MARINE FISHES * MULLUS-SURMULETUS * TREMATODES * MONORCHIIDAE * HEMIUROIDEA * BELIZE * ISRAEL Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.250, year: 2011

Every which way--nanos gene regulation in echinoderms.

Science.gov (United States)

Oulhen, Nathalie; Wessel, Gary M

2014-03-01

Nanos is an essential factor of germ line success in all animals tested. This gene encodes a Zn-finger RNA-binding protein that in complex with its partner pumilio binds to and changes the fate of several known transcripts. We summarize here the documented functions of Nanos in several key organisms, and then emphasize echinoderms as a working model for how nanos expression is regulated. Nanos presence outside of the target cells is often detrimental to the animal, and in sea urchins, nanos expression appears to be regulated at every step of transcription, and post-transcriptional activity, making this gene product exciting, every which way. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Every which way – nanos gene regulation in echinoderms

Science.gov (United States)

Oulhen, Nathalie; Wessel, Gary M.

2014-01-01

Nanos is an essential factor of germ line success in all animals tested. This gene encodes a Zn-finger RNA-binding protein that in complex with its partner pumilio, binds to and changes the fate of several known transcripts. We summarize here the documented functions of nanos in several key organisms, and then emphasize echinoderms as a working model for how nanos expression is regulated. Nanos presence outside of the target cells is often detrimental to the animal, and in sea urchins, nanos expression appears to be regulated at every step of transcription, and post-transcriptional activity, making this gene product exciting, every which way. PMID:24376110

Características del establecimiento e historia de vida de Misodendrum punctulatum (Misodendraceae un muérdago de Sudamérica austral Establishment and life history characteristics of the southern South American mistletoe Misodendrum punctulatum (Misodendraceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norlan Tercero-Bucardo

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Aprovechando la formación de anillos anuales de crecimiento en los hospedadores y que el sistema haustorial de los muérdagos va quedando sincrónicamente embebido en el xilema del hospedador, analizamos características edad dependientes de la historia de vida y del establecimiento de Misodendrum punctulatum cuando infecta a dos especies deciduas de Nothofagus en el noroeste de la Patagonia, Argentina. La determinación de la edad de establecimiento de las infecciones fue realizada examinando el número de anillos anuales de crecimiento del hospedador, en cortes transversales de ramas o troncos principales de Nothofagus, atravesados por el haustorio más profundo. Concomitantemente, se registró el número de eventos anuales de crecimiento (índice de edad aérea y el diámetro basal de los tallos de los muérdagos. Los anillos de crecimiento de los hospedadores precedentes al establecimiento de los muérdagos fueron usados para determinar la edad las ramas o troncos principales al ser infectados. La relación entre la edad haustorial y el índice de edad aérea indican que: (1 el recuento de los eventos de crecimiento de los tallos es un método no destructivo adecuado para estimar la edad de este muérdago mientras que el diámetro basal es un método menos eficiente, (2 al inicio del desarrollo M. punctulatum presenta un período de incubación holotrófico, de varios años, antes de producir estructuras aéreas, (3 la duración del período de incubación es sitio y/u hospedador dependiente siendo más extenso (4 a 6 años en bosques subalpinos de Nothofagus pumilio y más corto (2 años en matorrales de N. antarctica en bajas altitudes ,(4 cuando los muérdagos viven en bosques subalpinos de Nothofagus pumilio en sitios desfavorables crecen más lento y son más longevos que cuando están en matorrales de N. antarctica en bajas altitudes. Misodendrum punctulatum infecta principalmente ramas jóvenes (Taking advantage of host annual ring

The influence of canopy-layer composition on understory plant diversity in southern temperate forests

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Luciana Mestre

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background Understory plants represents the largest component of biodiversity in most forest ecosystems and plays a key role in forest functioning. Despite their importance, the influence of overstory-layer composition on understory plant diversity is relatively poorly understood within deciduous-evergreen broadleaved mixed forests. The aim of this work was to evaluate how tree overstory-layer composition influences on understory-layer diversity in three forest types (monospecific deciduous Nothofagus pumilio (Np, monospecific evergreen Nothofagus betuloides (Nb, and mixed N. pumilio-N. betuloides (M forests, comparing also between two geographical locations (coast and mountain to estimate differences at landscape level. Results We recorded 46 plant species: 4 ferns, 12 monocots, and 30 dicots. Canopy-layer composition influences the herb-layer structure and diversity in two different ways: while mixed forests have greater similarity to evergreen forests in the understory structural features, deciduous and mixed were similar in terms of the specific composition of plant assemblage. Deciduous pure stands were the most diverse, meanwhile evergreen stands were least diverse. Lack of exclusive species of mixed forest could represent a transition where evergreen and deciduous communities meet and integrate. Moreover, landscape has a major influence on the structure, diversity and richness of understory vegetation of pure and mixed forests likely associated to the magnitude and frequency of natural disturbances, where mountain forest not only had highest herb-layer diversity but also more exclusive species. Conclusions Our study suggests that mixed Nothofagus forest supports coexistence of both pure deciduous and pure evergreen understory plant species and different assemblages in coastal and mountain sites. Maintaining the mixture of canopy patch types within mixed stands will be important for conserving the natural patterns of understory plant

An Analysis of Predator Selection to Affect Aposematic Coloration in a Poison Frog Species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corinna E Dreher

Full Text Available Natural selection is widely noted to drive divergence of phenotypic traits. Predation pressure can facilitate morphological divergence, for example the evolution of both cryptic and conspicuous coloration in animals. In this context Dendrobatid frogs have been used to study evolutionary forces inducing diversity in protective coloration. The polytypic strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio shows strong divergence in aposematic coloration among populations. To investigate whether predation pressure is important for color divergence among populations of O. pumilio we selected four mainland populations and two island populations from Costa Rica and Panama. Spectrometric measurements of body coloration were used to calculate color and brightness contrasts of frogs as an indicator of conspicuousness for the visual systems of several potential predators (avian, crab and snake and a conspecific observer. Additionally, we conducted experiments using clay model frogs of different coloration to investigate whether the local coloration of frogs is better protected than non-local color morphs, and if predator communities vary among populations. Overall predation risk differed strongly among populations and interestingly was higher on the two island populations. Imprints on clay models indicated that birds are the main predators while attacks of other predators were rare. Furthermore, clay models of local coloration were equally likely to be attacked as those of non-local coloration. Overall conspicuousness (and brightness contrast of local frogs was positively correlated with attack rates by birds across populations. Together with results from earlier studies we conclude that conspicuousness honestly indicates toxicity to avian predators. The different coloration patterns among populations of strawberry poison frogs in combination with behavior and toxicity might integrate into equally efficient anti-predator strategies depending on local predation and

Efficacy of UV-irradiated larval vaccine of Ancylostoma ceylanicum (Looss, 1911) in golden hamsters (Merocricetus auratus)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menon, S.; Bhopale, M.K.

1985-01-01

A vaccination trial in golden hamsters with UV-irradiated infective larvae of Ancylostoma ceylanicum was attempted. One oral vaccination of hamsters with 100 infective larvae irradiated by means of UV-tube (390 nm) at different time intervals induced the development of resistance. As the time exposure of irradiation was increased, there was a corresponding decrease in the subsequent worm establishment. A high level of protection afforded by larvae irradiated for 15 min UV-exposure was recorded giving 99.0% and 95.0% worm reduction against the challenge doses of 100 and 1000 normal larvae respectively. There was no marked difference in worm establishment in hamsters vaccinated either orally or subcutaneously, followed by oral challenge. In the vaccinated hamsters, the manifestations of resistance at 15 min UV-exposure were shown by marked reduction in worm establishment and highly reduced epg in pellets with significantly higher blood haemoglobin levels compared with those given normal larvae as vaccine and challenge controls. (author)

An upcoming project: Latitudinal life history pattern in Ischnura pumilio (Charpentier, 1825)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Kent

due to the warmer climate, but the nymph responses in populations across latitudes is still mostly unresolved. Stress levels and physical fitness are affected by a change in phenology and accelerated growth rate. By a specific shift in temperature nymphs at low latitudes (e.g. southern France) may...... and then placed separately in a disposable cup with a piece of wet filter paper in the bottom for egg laying substrate. After collecting the eggs the filter paper is sent express from France and Belgium to Denmark, where the eggs are hatched and the nymphs transferred to climate units. We use four water tanks...... that each simulate modelled climate scenarios, i.e. one tank follow standard temperature whereas the other three follows a 2, 4 and 6 ° C temperature elevation. The water temperature is dictated by a computer and based on empirical data measured in situ in a shallow Danish lake, thus through thermostats...

Epidemiology of cercarial stage of trematodes in freshwater snails from Chiang Mai province, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Chontananarth, Thapana; Wongsawad, Chalobol

2013-03-01

To investigate the epidemiological situation of cercarial trematodes infection in freshwater snails from different water resources in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The snail specimens were collected from 13 districts of Chiang Mai province during April 2008 to February 2012. The prevalence of cercarial infection in snails was investigated using the crushing method. The drawing was done with the help of a camera lucida for the morphological study. A total of 2 479 snail individuals were collected and classified into 7 families, 11 genera, and 14 species, Among them, 8 snails species were found to be infected with an overall prevalence of 17.27% (428/2 479), which infected with nine groups of cercariae; gymnocephalous cercaria, strigea cercaria, megalurous cercaria, monostome cercaria, parapleurolophocercous cercaria (Haplorchis cercaria), pleurolophocercous cercaria, furcocercous cercaria (Transversotrema cercaria), xiphidiocercaria, and virgulate cercaria. The parapleurolophocercous cercaria was found to be the dominant type among the cercarial infection in the snails (64.25%). The various species of snails found in the research location act as the intermediate hosts for the high prevalence of parasitic infection of many species of mammals. This work will provide new information on both the distribution and first intermediate host of trematodes.

Review of plants to mitigate particulate matter, ozone as well as nitrogen dioxide air pollutants and applicable recommendations for green roofs in Montreal, Quebec.

Science.gov (United States)

Gourdji, Shannon

2018-05-28

In urbanized regions with expansive impervious surfaces and often low vegetation cover, air pollution due to motor vehicles and other combustion sources, is a problem. The poor air quality days in Montreal, Quebec are mainly due to fine particulate matter and ozone. Businesses using wood ovens are a source of particulates. Careful vegetation selection and increased green roof usage can improve air quality. This paper reviews different green roofs and the capability of plants in particulate matter (PM), ozone (O 3 ) as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) level reductions. Both the recommended green roof category and plants to reduce these pollutants in Montreal's zone 5 hardiness region are provided. Green roofs with larger vegetation including shrubs and trees, or intensive green roofs, remove air pollutants to a greater extent and are advisable to implement on existing, retrofitted or new buildings. PM is most effectively captured by pines. The small Pinus strobus 'Nana', Pinus mugho var. pumilio, Pinus mugho 'Slowmound' and Pinus pumila 'Dwarf Blue' are good candidates for intensive green roofs. Drought tolerant, deciduous broadleaved trees with low biogenic volatile organic compound emissions including Japanese Maple or Acer palmatum 'Shaina' and 'Mikawa-Yatsubusa' are options to reduce O 3 levels. Magnolias are tolerant to NO 2 and it is important in their metabolic pathways. The small cold-tolerant Magnolia 'Genie' is a good option to remove NO 2 in urban settings and to indirectly reduce O 3 formation. Given the emissions by Montreal businesses' wood ovens, calculations performed based on their respective complex roof areas obtained via Google Earth Pro indicates 88% Pinus mugho var. pumilio roof coverage can annually remove 92.37 kg of PM 10 of which 35.10 kg is PM 2.5 . The removal rates are 4.00 g/m 2 and 1.52 g/m 2 for PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively. This paper provides insight to addressing air pollution through urban rooftop greening. Copyright �

Small mammals as hosts of immature ixodid ticks

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I.G. Horak

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Two hundred and twenty-five small mammals belonging to 16 species were examined for ticks in Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa, and 18 ixodid tick species, of which two could only be identified to genus level, were recovered. Scrub hares, Lepus saxatilis, and Cape hares, Lepus capensis, harboured the largest number of tick species. In Free State Province Namaqua rock mice, Aethomys namaquensis, and four-striped grass mice, Rhabdomys pumilio, were good hosts of the immature stages of Haemaphysalis leachi and Rhipicephalus gertrudae, while in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces red veld rats, Aethomys chrysophilus, Namaqua rock mice and Natal multimammate mice, Mastomys natalensis were good hosts of H. leachi and Rhipicephalus simus. Haemaphysalis leachi was the only tick recovered from animals in all three provinces.

Trematode diversity in freshwater fishes of the Globe II: 'New World'.

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Choudhury, Anindo; Aguirre-Macedo, M Leopoldina; Curran, Stephen S; de Núñez, Margarita Ostrowski; Overstreet, Robin M; de León, Gerardo Pérez-Ponce; Santos, Cláudia Portes

2016-03-01

We provide a summary overview of the diversity of trematode parasites in freshwater fishes of the 'New World', i.e. the Americas, with emphasis on adult forms. The trematode fauna of three regions, South America, Middle America, and USA and Canada (North America north of Mexico), are considered separately. In total, 462 trematode species have been reported as adults from the Americas. The proportion of host species examined for parasites varies widely across the Americas, from a high of 45% in the Mexican region of Middle America to less than 5% in South America. North and South America share no adult species, and one exclusively freshwater genus, Creptotrema Travassos, Artigas & Pereira, 1928 in the Allocreadiidae Looss, 1902 is the most widely distributed. Metacercariae of strigeiforms maturing in fish-eating birds (e.g. species of the Diplostomidae Poirier, 1886) are common and widely distributed. The review also highlights the paucity of known life-cycles. The foreseeable future of diversity studies belongs to integrative approaches and the application of molecular ecological methods. While opportunistic sampling will remain important in describing and cataloguing the trematode fauna, a better understanding of trematode diversity and biology will also depend on strategic sampling throughout the Americas.

Significance of MPEG-7 textural features for improved mass detection in mammography.

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Eltonsy, Nevine H; Tourassi, Georgia D; Fadeev, Aleksey; Elmaghraby, Adel S

2006-01-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the significance of MPEG-7 textural features for improving the detection of masses in screening mammograms. The detection scheme was originally based on morphological directional neighborhood features extracted from mammographic regions of interest (ROIs). Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) was performed to evaluate the performance of each set of features independently and merged into a back-propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) using the leave-one-out sampling scheme (LOOSS). The study was based on a database of 668 mammographic ROIs (340 depicting cancer regions and 328 depicting normal parenchyma). Overall, the ROC area index of the BPANN using the directional morphological features was Az=0.85+/-0.01. The MPEG-7 edge histogram descriptor-based BPNN showed an ROC area index of Az=0.71+/-0.01 while homogeneous textural descriptors using 30 and 120 channels helped the BPNN achieve similar ROC area indexes of Az=0.882+/-0.02 and Az=0.877+/-0.01 respectively. After merging the MPEG-7 homogeneous textural features with the directional neighborhood features the performance of the BPANN increased providing an ROC area index of Az=0.91+/-0.01. MPEG-7 homogeneous textural descriptor significantly improved the morphology-based detection scheme.

Small mammals of the Addo Elephant National Park

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P. Swanepoel

1975-07-01

Full Text Available A survey of the small mammals of the Addo Elephant National Park resulted in a checklist, as well as information on relative numbers, distribution within the Park, reproductive activity, sex ratios, and body measurements. Forty mammals species occur in the Park, while three re-introduced species probably do not occur any longer. Of the 40 species 28 are considered small mammals comprising 13 rodent, eight carnivore, two shrew, two bat, one primate and one lagomorph species, as well as the aardvark: Crociduraflavescens, C. cyanea infumata, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Eptesicus capensis, Cercopithecus pygerythrus, Canis mesomelas, Ictonyx striatus, Poecilogale albinucha, Genetta sp., Herpestes pulverulentus, Suricata suricatta, Proteles cristatus, Felis caracal, Orycteropus afer, Lepus saxatilis, Cryptomys hottentotus, Hystrix africae-australis, Pedetes capensis, Graphiurus murinus, Aethomys namaquensis, Praomys natalensis, Rhabdomys pumilio, Mus minutoides, Rattus rattus, Saccostomys campestris, Desmodillus auricularis, Otomys irroratus and 0. unisulcatus.

The Drosophila PNG kinase complex regulates the translation of cyclin B.

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Vardy, Leah; Orr-Weaver, Terry L

2007-01-01

The Drosophila PAN GU (PNG) kinase complex regulates the developmental translation of cyclin B. cyclin B mRNA becomes unmasked during oogenesis independent of PNG activity, but PNG is required for translation from egg activation. We find that although polyadenylation of cyclin B augments translation, it is not essential, and a fully elongated poly(A) is not required for translation to proceed. In fact, changes in poly(A) tail length are not sufficient to account for PNG-mediated control of cyclin B translation and of the early embryonic cell cycles. We present evidence that PNG functions instead as an antagonist of PUMILIO-dependent translational repression. Our data argue that changes in poly(A) tail length are not a universal mechanism governing embryonic cell cycles, and that PNG-mediated derepression of translation is an important alternative mechanism in Drosophila.

Trophic and microhabitat niche overlap in two sympatric dendrobatids from La Selva, Costa Rica

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Cajade, Rodrigo

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Se estudió la ecología trófica y uso del microhábitat de Dendrobates auratus y Oophaga pumilio en un área de simpatría entre las dos especies ubicada en la Estación Biológica La Selva, Costa Rica. En este sitio ambos dendrobatidos son simpátricos debido a la introducción y naturalización de D. auratus en los últimos 24 años. La dieta de ambas especies se describió a partir del análisis de la técnica del lavado de estómago. Los microhábitas utilizados fueron definidos según el sitio donde cada ejemplar fue capturado. La relación en el uso del microhábitat y la ecología trófica entre ambas especies fue evaluada utilizando el índice de solpamiento de Pianka (Ojk en el análisis de la dieta (proporción de presas y volumen y en el uso del microhábitat. La dieta de ambos dendrobátidos estuvo caracterizada principalmente por el consumo de himenópteros (hormigas, ácaros, y colémbolos, resultando consecuentemente en un alto índice de solapamiento en la proporción y volumen de las presas, sin embargo, este alto solapamiento no fue significativo y no implicó la presencia de interacciones negativas entre ambas especies. El uso del microhábitat presentó un solapamiento muy bajo y no significativo, indicando una diferenciación en los microhábitats utilizados por cada especie. La ausencia de interacciones negativas en cuanto al uso de los recursos tróficos entre ambos dendrobátidos podría deberse a la diferenciación en el uso del microhábitat, y posiblemente, a la abundancia de presas en el área. El gran volumen de formícidos y ácaros en la dieta de estas dos especies son consistentes con la hipótesis del consumo de estos artrópodos como una fuente de alcaloides. We studied the trophic ecology of Dendrobates auratus and Oophaga pumilio in La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. At this site, both dendrobatids are sympatric due to the introduction and naturalization of D. auratus in the last 24 years. Diets of

The nasty neighbour in the striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio steals paternity and elicits aggression

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Schneider Carola

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Territoriality functions to monopolize access to resources including mates, but is costly in terms of energy and time investment. Some species reduce these costs by being less aggressive towards their neighbours than towards unfamiliar strangers, the so called dear enemy phenomenon. However, in other species individuals are more, not less aggressive towards their neighbours. It has been hypothesised that this is due to the fact that neighbours can impose a greater threat than strangers, but this has not been tested previously. Results We tested aggression in wild group-living male striped mice in a neutral test arena and demonstrate that breeders are more aggressive than non-breeding philopatrics, and that more aggression occurs during the breeding than during the non-breeding season. Male breeders were significantly more aggressive towards their neighbours than towards strangers, leading to the prediction that neighbours are the most important competitors for paternity. Using a molecular parentage analysis we show that 28% of offspring are sired by neighbouring males and only 7% by strangers. Conclusions We conclude that in male striped mice the main function of male aggression is defending paternity against their territorial neighbours.

The nasty neighbour in the striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) steals paternity and elicits aggression

OpenAIRE

Schradin, C; Schneider, C; Lindholm, A K

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Territoriality functions to monopolize access to resources including mates, but is costly in terms of energy and time investment. Some species reduce these costs by being less aggressive towards their neighbours than towards unfamiliar strangers, the so called dear enemy phenomenon. However, in other species individuals are more, not less aggressive towards their neighbours. It has been hypothesised that this is due to the fact that neighbours can impose a greater threat t...

The nasty neighbour in the striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) steals paternity and elicits aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

Schradin, Carsten; Schneider, Carola; Lindholm, Anna K

2010-06-23

Territoriality functions to monopolize access to resources including mates, but is costly in terms of energy and time investment. Some species reduce these costs by being less aggressive towards their neighbours than towards unfamiliar strangers, the so called dear enemy phenomenon. However, in other species individuals are more, not less aggressive towards their neighbours. It has been hypothesised that this is due to the fact that neighbours can impose a greater threat than strangers, but this has not been tested previously. We tested aggression in wild group-living male striped mice in a neutral test arena and demonstrate that breeders are more aggressive than non-breeding philopatrics, and that more aggression occurs during the breeding than during the non-breeding season. Male breeders were significantly more aggressive towards their neighbours than towards strangers, leading to the prediction that neighbours are the most important competitors for paternity. Using a molecular parentage analysis we show that 28% of offspring are sired by neighbouring males and only 7% by strangers. We conclude that in male striped mice the main function of male aggression is defending paternity against their territorial neighbours.

NEW CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF ALIEN FLORA IN ROMANIA

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SÎRBU CULIŢĂ

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a number of seventeen alien plant species are presented, one of them being now for the first time reported in Romania (Sedum sarmentosum Bunge. Some species are mentioned for the first time in the flora of Moldavia (Aster novae-angliae L., Cenchrus incertus M. A. Curtis, Chenopodium pumilio R. Br., Fraxinus americana L., Lindernia dubia (L. Pennell, Petunia × atkinsiana D. Don, Solidago gigantea Aiton, Tagetes erecta L. or Transylvania (Kochia sieversiana (Pallas C. A. Mey., and some are reported from new localities (seven species. For each species, there are presented general data on the geographical origin, its distribution in Europe and worldwide, as well as its invasion history and current distribution in Romania. Some of these species manifest a remarkable spreading tendency, expanding their invasion area in Romania. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iaşi (IASI.

Translational Repression in Malaria Sporozoites

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Turque, Oliver; Tsao, Tiffany; Li, Thomas; Zhang, Min

2016-01-01

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals. It is caused by the parasitic protozoan, Plasmodium. Sporozoites, the infectious form of malaria parasites, are quiescent when they remain in the salivary glands of the Anopheles mosquito until transmission into a mammalian host. Metamorphosis of the dormant sporozoite to its active form in the liver stage requires transcriptional and translational regulations. Here, we summarize recent advances in the translational repression of gene expression in the malaria sporozoite. In sporozoites, many mRNAs that are required for liver stage development are translationally repressed. Phosphorylation of eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2α (eIF2α) leads to a global translational repression in sporozoites. The eIF2α kinase, known as Upregulated in Infectious Sporozoite 1 (UIS1), is dominant in the sporozoite. The eIF2α phosphatase, UIS2, is translationally repressed by the Pumilio protein Puf2. This translational repression is alleviated when sporozoites are delivered into the mammalian host. PMID:28357358

Translational repression in malaria sporozoites

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Oliver Turque

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals. It is caused by the parasitic protozoan, Plasmodium. Sporozoites, the infectious form of malaria parasites, are quiescent when they remain in the salivary glands of the Anopheles mosquito until transmission into a mammalian host. Metamorphosis of the dormant sporozoite to its active form in the liver stage requires transcriptional and translational regulations. Here, we summarize recent advances in the translational repression of gene expression in the malaria sporozoite. In sporozoites, many mRNAs that are required for liver stage development are translationally repressed. Phosphorylation of eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2α (eIF2α leads to a global translational repression in sporozoites. The eIF2α kinase, known as Upregulated in Infectious Sporozoite 1 (UIS1, is dominant in the sporozoite. The eIF2α phosphatase, UIS2, is translationally repressed by the Pumilio protein Puf2. This translational repression is alleviated when sporozoites are delivered into the mammalian host.

Recurrent rewiring and emergence of RNA regulatory networks.

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Wilinski, Daniel; Buter, Natascha; Klocko, Andrew D; Lapointe, Christopher P; Selker, Eric U; Gasch, Audrey P; Wickens, Marvin

2017-04-04

Alterations in regulatory networks contribute to evolutionary change. Transcriptional networks are reconfigured by changes in the binding specificity of transcription factors and their cognate sites. The evolution of RNA-protein regulatory networks is far less understood. The PUF (Pumilio and FBF) family of RNA regulatory proteins controls the translation, stability, and movements of hundreds of mRNAs in a single species. We probe the evolution of PUF-RNA networks by direct identification of the mRNAs bound to PUF proteins in budding and filamentous fungi and by computational analyses of orthologous RNAs from 62 fungal species. Our findings reveal that PUF proteins gain and lose mRNAs with related and emergent biological functions during evolution. We demonstrate at least two independent rewiring events for PUF3 orthologs, independent but convergent evolution of PUF4/5 binding specificity and the rewiring of the PUF4/5 regulons in different fungal lineages. These findings demonstrate plasticity in RNA regulatory networks and suggest ways in which their rewiring occurs.

A Preliminary Study on the Helminth Fauna in Necropsied Stray Cats (Felis catus in Beni-Suef, Egypt

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Khaled Mohamed El-Dakhly

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Stray cats play a crucial role in the epidemiology of endoparasites, particularly helminths, due to predating a wide range of both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, often of veterinary and zoonotic importance. Therefore, a total of 62 stray cats were necropsied in Beni-Suef province, Egypt and examined for helminth parasites. The overall prevalence of infection was 87.0%. The recovered helminths consisted of 10 species of trematodes (Heterophyes heterophyes, Pygidiopsis summa, H. nocens, Echinochasmus liliputanus, Alaria sp., Procerovum varium, Ascocotyle sp., Haplorchis sp., Prohemistomum vivax, Euparadistomum herpestesi, five cestodes (Dipylidium caninum, Diplopylidium acanthoterta, D. nolleri, Joyeuxiella sp. and Taenia taeniaeformis, and two nematodes (Toxascaris leonina and larvae of Anisakis simplex. The most prevalent helminths were Dipylidium caninum (62.9%, Toxascaris leonina (33.8%, Diplopylidium nolleri (22.5% and Echinochasmus liliputanus (6.45%. Thirty (48.39% cats were co-infected by one species, 22 (35.48% by two and three (4.84% by more than two species. It has been found that cats aged more than 3 years were the most infected. Both male and female cats were parasitized. The infection was the most prevalent in both summer and autumn. In conclusion, veterinarians must highlight more attention towards both stray and domestic cats, as they are considered reservoir hosts for a wide host range of parasites, particularly helminths, and the zoonotic importance of such parasites should be taken on consideration.

Infection dynamics and molecular identification of metacercariae in cyprinoids from Chiang Mai and Sakon Nakhon Provinces.

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Wongsawad, Pheravut; Wongsawad, Chalobol

2011-01-01

The infection dynamics of metacercariae were assessed in cyprinoid fish (cyprinoids) from Chiang Mai and Sakon Nakhon Provinces, Thailand, during October 2008 to September 2009. The samples were collected during 3 seasons from rivers and local markets. Metacercarial infection was determined by acid-pepsin digestion and confirmed using HAT-RAPD PCR method. Thirteen and 16 species of cyprinoids were collected from Chiang Mai and Sakon Nakhon with overall prevalences of metacercarial infection of 84.5 and 47.6%, respectively. Haplorchis taichui, Haplorchoides sp, and Centrocestus caninus were found in Chiang Mai and 4 species of metacercariae: H. taichui, Haplorchoides sp, O. viverrini and an unknown trematode species in Sakon Nakhon. H. taichui and Haplorchoides sp metacercariae in 3 species of cyprinoids (Henicorhynchus siamensis, Cyclocheilichthys armatus, Amblyrhynchichthy truncatus) had the highest prevalence (100%) in Chiang Mai, while the highest prevalence (100%) of metacercaria in Sakon Nakhon was Haplorchoides sp in 1 species of cyprinoids (Cyclocheilichthys armatus). The overall prevalence from Chiang Mai Province was highest in the rainy season (95.6%), lower in the hot-dry season (88.1%) and lowest in the cool season (72.5%). In Sakon Nakhon Province the highest prevalence was in the hot-dry season (52.7%), and lower in the rainy and cool season, 44.4% and 43.5%, respectively. The HAT-RAPD profiles confirmed the identity of metacercariae and adult stage of H. taichui, Haplorchoides sp, C. caninus and O. viverrini.

Identification of PNG kinase substrates uncovers interactions with the translational repressor TRAL in the oocyte-to-embryo transition.

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Hara, Masatoshi; Lourido, Sebastian; Petrova, Boryana; Lou, Hua Jane; Von Stetina, Jessica R; Kashevsky, Helena; Turk, Benjamin E; Orr-Weaver, Terry L

2018-02-26

The Drosophila Pan Gu (PNG) kinase complex regulates hundreds of maternal mRNAs that become translationally repressed or activated as the oocyte transitions to an embryo. In a previous paper (Hara et al., 2017), we demonstrated PNG activity is under tight developmental control and restricted to this transition. Here, examination of PNG specificity showed it to be a Thr-kinase yet lacking a clear phosphorylation site consensus sequence. An unbiased biochemical screen for PNG substrates identified the conserved translational repressor Trailer Hitch (TRAL). Phosphomimetic mutation of the PNG phospho-sites in TRAL reduced its ability to inhibit translation in vitro. In vivo, mutation of tral dominantly suppressed png mutants and restored Cyclin B protein levels. The repressor Pumilio (PUM) has the same relationship with PNG, and we also show that PUM is a PNG substrate. Furthermore, PNG can phosphorylate BICC and ME31B, repressors that bind TRAL in cytoplasmic RNPs. Therefore, PNG likely promotes translation at the oocyte-to-embryo transition by phosphorylating and inactivating translational repressors. © 2018, Hara et al.

Integrated analysis of RNA-binding protein complexes using in vitro selection and high-throughput sequencing and sequence specificity landscapes (SEQRS).

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Lou, Tzu-Fang; Weidmann, Chase A; Killingsworth, Jordan; Tanaka Hall, Traci M; Goldstrohm, Aaron C; Campbell, Zachary T

2017-04-15

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) collaborate to control virtually every aspect of RNA function. Tremendous progress has been made in the area of global assessment of RBP specificity using next-generation sequencing approaches both in vivo and in vitro. Understanding how protein-protein interactions enable precise combinatorial regulation of RNA remains a significant problem. Addressing this challenge requires tools that can quantitatively determine the specificities of both individual proteins and multimeric complexes in an unbiased and comprehensive way. One approach utilizes in vitro selection, high-throughput sequencing, and sequence-specificity landscapes (SEQRS). We outline a SEQRS experiment focused on obtaining the specificity of a multi-protein complex between Drosophila RBPs Pumilio (Pum) and Nanos (Nos). We discuss the necessary controls in this type of experiment and examine how the resulting data can be complemented with structural and cell-based reporter assays. Additionally, SEQRS data can be integrated with functional genomics data to uncover biological function. Finally, we propose extensions of the technique that will enhance our understanding of multi-protein regulatory complexes assembled onto RNA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular phylogeny of the Haplosplanchnata Olson, Cribb, Tkach, Bray and Littlewood, 2003, with a description of Schikhobalotrema huffmani n. sp.

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Huston, Daniel C; Cutmore, Scott C; Cribb, Thomas H

2017-09-26

We describe Schikhobalotrema huffmani n. sp. from Tylosurus crocodilus (Péron and Leseur) (Belonidae) collected off Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia and Tylosurus gavialoides (Castelnau) collected from Moreton Bay, Queensland. Schikhobalotrema huffmani n. sp., along with Schikhobalotrema ablennis (Abdul-Salam and Khalil, 1987) Madhavi, 2005, Schikhobalotrema acutum (Linton, 1910) Skrjabin and Guschanskaja, 1955 and Schikhobalotrema adacutum (Manter, 1937) Skrjabin and Guschanskaja, 1955 are distinguished from all other species of Schikhobalotrema Skrjabin and Guschanskaja, 1955 in having ventral suckers which bear lateral lobes and have longitudinal apertures. Schikhobalotrema huffmani n. sp. differs from S. ablennis in having an obvious post-vitelline region and a longer forebody. From S. acutum, S. huffmani n. sp. differs in having a prostatic bulb smaller than the pharynx and more anterior testis. From S. adacutum, S. huffmani n. sp. differs in having more prominent ventral sucker lobes, a conspicuous prostatic bulb and a longer forebody. We also report the first Australian record of Haplosplanchnus pachysomus (Eysenhardt, 1829) Looss, 1902, from Mugil cephalus Linnaeus (Mugilidae) collected in Moreton Bay. Molecular sequence data (ITS2, 18S and 28S rDNA) were generated for Schikhobalotrema huffmani n. sp., H. pachysomus and archived specimens of Hymenocotta mulli Manter, 1961. The new 18S and 28S molecular data were combined with published data of five other haplosplanchnid taxa to expand the phylogeny for the Haplosplanchnata. Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses recovered identical tree topology and demonstrated the Haplosplanchnata as a well-supported monophyletic group. However, relationships at and below the subfamily level remain poorly resolved.

Transition of Plasmodium sporozoites into liver stage-like forms is regulated by the RNA binding protein Pumilio

KAUST Repository

Gomes-Santos, Carina S. S.; Braks, Joanna; Prudê ncio, Miguel; Carret, Cé line; Gomes, Ana Rita; Pain, Arnab; Feltwell, Theresa; Khan, Shahid; Waters, Andrew; Janse, Chris; Mair, Gunnar R.; Mota, Maria M.

2011-01-01

-associated environmental cues. Puf2- sporozoites exhibit genome-wide transcriptional changes that result in loss of gliding motility, cell traversal ability and reduction in infectivity, and, moreover, trigger metamorphosis typical of early Plasmodium intra-hepatic

The Psilostomidae Looss, 1900 (sensu stricto) (Digenea: Echinostomatoidea): description of three new genera and a key to the genera of the family

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kudlai, Olena; Kostadinova, Aneta; Pulis, E.E.; Tkach, V.V.

2017-01-01

Roč. 94, č. 1 (2017), s. 21-33 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : platyhelminthes * sequences Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 1.181, year: 2016

Annotated type catalogue of the Orthalicoidea (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin.

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Breure, Abraham S H

2013-01-01

The type status is described of 96 taxa classified within the superfamily Orthalicoidea and present in the Mollusca collection of the Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Lectotypes are designated for the following taxa: Orthalicus elegans Rolle, 1895; Bulimus maranhonensis Albers, 1854; Orthalicus nobilis Rolle, 1895; Orthalichus tricinctus Martens, 1893. Orthalicus sphinx tresmariae is introduced as new name for Zebra sphinx turrita Strebel, 1909, not Zebra quagga turrita Strebel, 1909. The following synonyms are established: Zebra crosseifischeri Strebel, 1909 = Orthalicus princeps fischeri Martens, 1893; Orthalicus isabellinus Martens, 1873 = Orthalicus bensoni (Reeve, 1849); Zebra zoniferus naesiotes Strebel, 1909 = Orthalicus undatus (Bruguière, 1789); Porphyrobaphe (Myiorthalicus) dennisoni pallida Strebel, 1909 = Hemibulimus dennisoni (Reeve, 1848); Zebra delphinus pumilio Strebel, 1909 = Orthalicus delphinus (Strebel, 1909); Orthalicus (Laeorthalicus) reginaeformis Strebel, 1909 = Corona perversa (Swainson, 1821); Bulimus (Eurytus) corticosus Sowerby III, 1895 = Plekocheilus (Eurytus) stuebeli Martens, 1885. The taxon Bulimus (Eudioptus) psidii Martens, 1877 is now placed within the family Sagdidae, tentatively in the genus Platysuccinea. Appendices are included with an index to all the types of Orthalicoidea extant (including those listed by Köhler 2007) and a partial list of letters present in the correspondence archives.

Asymmetric distribution of pl10 and bruno2, new members of a conserved core of early germline determinants in cephalochordates

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Simon eDailey

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Molecular fingerprinting of conserved germline and somatic ¨stemness¨ markers in different taxa have been key in defining the mechanism of germline specification (preformation or epigenesis, as well as expression domains of somatic progenitors. The distribution of molecular markers for primordial germ cells (PGCs, including vasa, nanos and piwil1, as well as Vasa antibody staining, support a determinative mechanism of germline specification in the cephalochordate Branchiostoma lanceolatum, similarly to other amphioxus species. pl10 and bruno2, but not bruno4/6, are also expressed in a pattern consistent with these other germline genes, adding to our repertoire of PGC markers in lancelets. Expression of nanos, vasa and the remaining markers (musashi, pufA, pufB, pumilio and piwil2 may define populations of putative somatic progenitors in the tailbud, the amphioxus posterior growth zone, or zones of proliferative activity. Finally, we also identify a novel expression domain for musashi, a classic neural stem cell marker, during notochord development in amphioxus. These results are discussed in the context of germline determination in other taxa, stem cell regulation and regenerative capacity in adult amphioxus.

Nanos-mediated repression of hid protects larval sensory neurons after a global switch in sensitivity to apoptotic signals.

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Bhogal, Balpreet; Plaza-Jennings, Amara; Gavis, Elizabeth R

2016-06-15

Dendritic arbor morphology is a key determinant of neuronal function. Once established, dendrite branching patterns must be maintained as the animal develops to ensure receptive field coverage. The translational repressors Nanos (Nos) and Pumilio (Pum) are required to maintain dendrite growth and branching of Drosophila larval class IV dendritic arborization (da) neurons, but their specific regulatory role remains unknown. We show that Nos-Pum-mediated repression of the pro-apoptotic gene head involution defective (hid) is required to maintain a balance of dendritic growth and retraction in class IV da neurons and that upregulation of hid results in decreased branching because of an increase in caspase activity. The temporal requirement for nos correlates with an ecdysone-triggered switch in sensitivity to apoptotic stimuli that occurs during the mid-L3 transition. We find that hid is required during pupariation for caspase-dependent pruning of class IV da neurons and that Nos and Pum delay pruning. Together, these results suggest that Nos and Pum provide a crucial neuroprotective regulatory layer to ensure that neurons behave appropriately in response to developmental cues. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Prevalence of infection and molecular confirmation by using ITS-2 region of Fasciola gigantica found in domestic cattle from Chiang Mai province, Thailand.

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Phalee, Anawat; Wongsawad, Chalobol

2014-03-01

To investigate the infection of Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica) in domestic cattle from Chiang Mai province and molecular confirmation using ITS-2 region. The liver and gall bladder of Bubalus bubalis (B. bubalis) and Bos taurus (B. taurus) from slaughterhouses were examined adult worms and prevalence investigation. The species confirmation with phylogenetic analysis using ITS-2 sequences was performed by maximum likelihood and UPGMA methods. The total prevalences of infection in B. bubalis and Bubalus taurus (B. taurus) were 67.27% and 52.94% respectively. The respective prevalence in both B. bubalis and B. taurus were acquired from Doi-Saket, Muang, and Sanpatong districts, with 81.25%, 62.50% and 60.00% for B. bubalis and 62.50%, 50.00% and 47.06% for Bos taurus respectively. The species confirmation of F. gigantica and some related species by basing on maximum likelihood and UPGMA methods used, 4 groups of trematodes were generated, first F. gigantica group including specimen of Chiang Mai, second 2 samples of F. hepatica, third group of 3 rumen flukes; Orthocoelium streptocoelium, F. elongatus and Paramphistomum epliclitum and fourth group of 3 minute intestinal flukes; Haplorchis taichui, Stellantchasmu falcatus, Haplorchoides sp. and liver fluke; Opisthorchis viverrini respectively. These results can be confirmed the Giant liver fluke which mainly caused fascioliasis in Chiang Mai was identified as F. gigantica and specimens were the same as those of F. gigantica recorded in other different countries. Nucleotide sequence of ITS-2 region has been proven as effective diagnostic tool for the identification of F. gigantica. Copyright © 2014 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risks for fishborne zoonotic trematodes in tilapia production systems in Guangdong province, China.

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Li, Kang; Clausen, Jesper Hedegaard; Murrell, K Darwin; Liu, Liping; Dalsgaard, Anders

2013-11-15

Guangdong province is the most important region for tilapia culture in China. However, it is also an endemic region for fishborne zoonotic trematodes (FZT), which pose a risk to human food safety and health. A study was designed to assess the status of trematode parasite infections in tilapia aquaculture systems as an indicator of potential risks from FZT associated with consumption of tilapia. Tilapia from nursery and grow-out ponds were sampled from monoculture, polyculture and integrated aquaculture systems. The results from 388 tilapia examined revealed a very low prevalence (1.5%) of trematode infections (Heterophyidae and Echinostomatidae). Integrated systems using animal manure and latrine wastes as fertilizer did not show a higher prevalence of FZT. Because it was not clear whether the low risk of infection was attributable to existing effective pond management practices or a low risk of spillover of FZT from area sylvatic reservoir hosts, a survey of local wild-caught fish was conducted. Five species of FZT were discovered from a total of 271 wild-caught fish and a mean infection density of 4.0 metacercariae/100g; FZT discovered included intestinal flukes (Haplorchis spp., Procerovum varium, and Metagonimus spp.) and metacercariae tentatively identified as Clonorchis sinenesis. The common occurrence of FZT in wild-caught fish suggests that the presence of FZT in local wild animal reservoirs is substantial, and that although the current aquaculture management systems for tilapia are generally effective in preventing transmission of these parasites into tilapia production systems, the improvement of pond management practices and biosecurity must be maintained at a high level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elucidation of the first definitively identified life cycle for a marine turtle blood fluke (Trematoda: Spirorchiidae) enables informed control.

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Cribb, Thomas H; Crespo-Picazo, Jose L; Cutmore, Scott C; Stacy, Brian A; Chapman, Phoebe A; García-Párraga, Daniel

2017-01-01

Blood flukes of the family Spirorchiidae are significant pathogens of both free-ranging and captive marine turtles. Despite a significant proportion of marine turtle mortality being attributable to spirorchiid infections, details of their life cycles remain almost entirely unknown. Here we report on the molecular elucidation of the complete life cycle of a marine spirorchiid, identified as Amphiorchis sp., infecting vermetid gastropods and captive hatched neonate Caretta caretta in the Oceanogràfic Aquarium, in Valencia, Spain. Specimens of a vermetid gastropod, Thylaeodus cf. rugulosus (Monterosato, 1878), collected from the aquarium filtration system housing diseased C. caretta, were infected with sporocysts and cercariae consistent with the family Spirorchiidae. We generated rDNA sequence data [internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and partial 28S rDNA] from infections from the vermetid which were identical to sequences generated from eggs from the serosa of the intestine of neonate C. caretta, and an adult spirorchiid from the liver of a C. caretta from Florida, USA. Given the reliability of these markers in the delineation of trematode species, we consider all three stages to represent the same species and tentatively identify it as a species of Amphiorchis Price, 1934. The source of infection at the Oceanogràfic Foundation Rehabilitation Centre, Valencia, Spain, is inferred to be an adult C. caretta from the western Mediterranean being rehabilitated in the same facility. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that this Amphiorchis sp. is closely related to other spirorchiids of marine turtles (species of Carettacola Manter & Larson, 1950, Hapalotrema Looss, 1899 and Learedius Price, 1934). We discuss implications of the present findings for the control of spirorchiidiasis in captivity, for the better understanding of epidemiology in wild individuals, and the elucidation of further life cycles. Copyright © 2016 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by

Fragment-based modelling of single stranded RNA bound to RNA recognition motif containing proteins

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de Beauchene, Isaure Chauvot; de Vries, Sjoerd J.; Zacharias, Martin

2016-01-01

Abstract Protein-RNA complexes are important for many biological processes. However, structural modeling of such complexes is hampered by the high flexibility of RNA. Particularly challenging is the docking of single-stranded RNA (ssRNA). We have developed a fragment-based approach to model the structure of ssRNA bound to a protein, based on only the protein structure, the RNA sequence and conserved contacts. The conformational diversity of each RNA fragment is sampled by an exhaustive library of trinucleotides extracted from all known experimental protein–RNA complexes. The method was applied to ssRNA with up to 12 nucleotides which bind to dimers of the RNA recognition motifs (RRMs), a highly abundant eukaryotic RNA-binding domain. The fragment based docking allows a precise de novo atomic modeling of protein-bound ssRNA chains. On a benchmark of seven experimental ssRNA–RRM complexes, near-native models (with a mean heavy-atom deviation of <3 Å from experiment) were generated for six out of seven bound RNA chains, and even more precise models (deviation < 2 Å) were obtained for five out of seven cases, a significant improvement compared to the state of the art. The method is not restricted to RRMs but was also successfully applied to Pumilio RNA binding proteins. PMID:27131381

An experimental test for age-related improvements in reproductive performance in a frog that cares for its young

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Dugas, Matthew B.; Moore, Michael P.; Wamelink, Caitlin N.; Richards-Zawacki, Corinne L.; Martin, Ryan A.

2015-10-01

Reproductive performance often increases with age in long-lived iteroparous organisms, a pattern that can result from within-individual increases in effort and/or competence. In free-living populations, it is typically difficult to distinguish these mechanisms or to isolate particular features of reproduction-influencing outcomes. In captive Oophaga pumilio, a frog in which mothers provide extended offspring provisioning via trophic eggs, we experimentally manipulated the age at which females started breeding and then monitored them across repeated reproductive events. This experiment allowed us to decouple age and experience and isolate maternal care as the proximate source of any differences in performance. Younger first-time mothers produced larger broods than older first-time mothers, but did not rear more offspring to independence. Across repeated reproductive events, maternal age was unassociated with any metric of performance. At later reproductive events, however, mothers produced fewer metamorphs, and a lower proportion of individuals in their broods reached independence. These patterns suggest that performance does not improve with age or breeding experience in this frog, and that eventual declines in performance are driven by reproductive activity, not age per se. Broadly, age-specific patterns of reproductive performance may depend on the proximate mechanism by which parents influence offspring fitness and how sensitive these are to effort and competence.

Annotated type catalogue of the Orthalicoidea (Mollusca, Gastropoda in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin

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Abraham Breure

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The type status is described of 96 taxa classified within the superfamily Orthalicoidea and present in the Mollusca collection of the Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Lectotypes are designated for the following taxa: Orthalicus elegans Rolle, 1895; Bulimus maranhonensis Albers, 1854; Orthalicus nobilis Rolle, 1895; Orthalichus tricinctus Martens, 1893. Orthalicus sphinx tresmariae is introduced as new name for Zebra sphinx turrita Strebel, 1909, not Z. quagga turrita Strebel, 1909. The following synonyms are established: Zebra crosseifischeri Strebel, 1909 = Orthalicus princeps fischeri Martens, 1893; Orthalicus isabellinus Martens, 1873 = O. bensoni (Reeve, 1849; Zebra zoniferus naesiotes Strebel, 1909 = Orthalicus undatus (Bruguière, 1789; Porphyrobaphe (Myiorthalicus dennisoni pallida Strebel, 1909 = Hemibulimus dennisoni (Reeve, 1848; Zebra delphinus pumilio Strebel, 1909 = Orthalicus delphinus (Strebel, 1909; Orthalicus (Laeorthalicus reginaeformis Strebel, 1909 = Corona perversa (Swainson, 1821; Bulimus (Eurytus corticosus Sowerby III, 1895 = Plekocheilus (Eurytus stuebeli Martens, 1885. The taxon Bulimus (Eudioptus psidii Martens, 1877 is now placed within the family Sagdidae, tentatively in the genus Platysuccinea. Appendices are included with an index to all the types of Orthalicoidea extant (including those listed by Köhler 2007 and a partial list of letters present in the correspondence archives.

A multitasking Argonaute: exploring the many facets of C. elegans CSR-1.

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Wedeles, Christopher J; Wu, Monica Z; Claycomb, Julie M

2013-12-01

While initial studies of small RNA-mediated gene regulatory pathways focused on the cytoplasmic functions of such pathways, identifying roles for Argonaute/small RNA pathways in modulating chromatin and organizing the genome has become a topic of intense research in recent years. Nuclear regulatory mechanisms for Argonaute/small RNA pathways appear to be widespread, in organisms ranging from plants to fission yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans to humans. As the effectors of small RNA-mediated gene regulatory pathways, Argonaute proteins guide the chromatin-directed activities of these pathways. Of particular interest is the C. elegans Argonaute, chromosome segregation and RNAi deficient (CSR-1), which has been implicated in such diverse functions as organizing the holocentromeres of worm chromosomes, modulating germline chromatin, protecting the genome from foreign nucleic acid, regulating histone levels, executing RNAi, and inhibiting translation in conjunction with Pumilio proteins. CSR-1 interacts with small RNAs known as 22G-RNAs, which have complementarity to 25 % of the protein coding genes. This peculiar Argonaute is the only essential C. elegans Argonaute out of 24 family members in total. Here, we summarize the current understanding of CSR-1 functions in the worm, with emphasis on the chromatin-directed activities of this ever-intriguing Argonaute.

Equations of bark thickness and volume profiles at different heights with easy-measurement variables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cellini, J. M.; Galarza, M.; Burns, S. L.; Martinez-Pastur, G. J.; Lencinas, M. V.

2012-11-01

The objective of this work was to develop equations of thickness profile and bark volume at different heights with easy-measurement variables, taking as a study case Nothofagus pumilio forests, growing in different site qualities and growth phases in Southern Patagonia. Data was collected from 717 harvested trees. Three models were fitted using multiple, non-lineal regression and generalized linear model, by stepwise methodology, iteratively reweighted least squares method for maximum likelihood estimation and Marquardt algorithm. The dependent variables were diameter at 1.30 m height (DBH), relative height (RH) and growth phase (GP). The statistic evaluation was made through the adjusted determinant coefficient (r2-adj), standard error of the estimation (SEE), mean absolute error and residual analysis. All models presented good fitness with a significant correlation with the growth phase. A decrease in the thickness was observed when the relative height increase. Moreover, a bark coefficient was made to calculate volume with and without bark of individual trees, where significant differences according to site quality of the stands and DBH class of the trees were observed. It can be concluded that the prediction of bark thickness and bark coefficient is possible using DBH, height, site quality and growth phase, common and easy measurement variables used in forest inventories. (Author) 23 refs.

CLIPZ: a database and analysis environment for experimentally determined binding sites of RNA-binding proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Khorshid, Mohsen; Rodak, Christoph; Zavolan, Mihaela

2011-01-01

The stability, localization and translation rate of mRNAs are regulated by a multitude of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that find their targets directly or with the help of guide RNAs. Among the experimental methods for mapping RBP binding sites, cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) coupled with deep sequencing provides transcriptome-wide coverage as well as high resolution. However, partly due to their vast volume, the data that were so far generated in CLIP experiments have not been put in a form that enables fast and interactive exploration of binding sites. To address this need, we have developed the CLIPZ database and analysis environment. Binding site data for RBPs such as Argonaute 1-4, Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 1-3, TNRC6 proteins A-C, Pumilio 2, Quaking and Polypyrimidine tract binding protein can be visualized at the level of the genome and of individual transcripts. Individual users can upload their own sequence data sets while being able to limit the access to these data to specific users, and analyses of the public and private data sets can be performed interactively. CLIPZ, available at http://www.clipz.unibas.ch, aims to provide an open access repository of information for post-transcriptional regulatory elements.

A new PCR-based approach indicates the range of Clonorchis sinensis now extends to Central Thailand.

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Rebecca J Traub

Full Text Available Differentiation of the fish-borne trematodes belonging to the Opisthorchiidae, Heterophyidae and Lecithodendriidae is important from a clinical and epidemiological perspective, yet it is impossible to do using conventional coprological techniques, as the eggs are morphologically similar. Epidemiological investigation therefore currently relies on morphological examination of adult worms following expulsion chemotherapy. A PCR test capable of amplifying a segment of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA for the opisthorchiid and heterophyid flukes eggs taken directly from faeces was developed and evaluated in a rural community in central Thailand. The lowest quantity of DNA that could be amplified from individual adults of Opisthorchis viverrini, Clonorchis sinensis and Haplorchis taichui was estimated at 0.6 pg, 0.8 pg and 3 pg, respectively. The PCR was capable of detecting mixed infection with the aforementioned species of flukes under experimental conditions. A total of 11.6% of individuals in rural communities in Sanamchaikaet district, central Thailand, were positive for 'Opisthorchis-like' eggs in their faeces using conventional parasitological detection techniques. In comparison to microscopy, the PCR yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 71.0% and 76.7%, respectively. Analysis of the microscopy-positive PCR products revealed 64% and 23% of individuals to be infected with O. viverrini and C. sinensis, respectively. The remaining 13% (three individuals were identified as eggs of Didymozoidae, presumably being passed mechanically in the faeces following the ingestion of infected fishes. An immediate finding of this study is the identification and first report of a C. sinensis-endemic community in central Thailand. This extends the known range of this liver fluke in Southeast Asia. The PCR developed herein provides an important tool for the specific identification of liver and intestinal fluke species for future

Dental microwear of sympatric rodent species sampled across habitats in southern Africa: Implications for environmental influence.

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Burgman, Jenny H E; Leichliter, Jennifer; Avenant, Nico L; Ungar, Peter S

2016-03-01

Dental microwear textures have proven to be a valuable tool for reconstructing the diets of a wide assortment of fossil vertebrates. Nevertheless, some studies have recently questioned the efficacy of this approach, suggesting that aspects of habitat unrelated to food preference, especially environmental grit load, might have a confounding effect on microwear patterning that obscures the diet signal. Here we evaluate this hypothesis by examining microwear textures of 3 extant sympatric rodent species that vary in diet breadth and are found in a variety of habitat types: Mastomys coucha, Micaelamys namaquensis and Rhabdomys pumilio. We sample each of these species from 3 distinct environmental settings in southern Africa that differ in rainfall and vegetative cover: Nama-Karoo shrublands (semi-desert) and Dry Highveld grasslands in the Free State Province of South Africa, and Afromontane (wet) grasslands in the highlands of Lesotho. While differences between habitat types are evident for some of the species, inconsistency in the pattern suggests that the microwear signal is driven by variation in foods eaten rather than grit-level per se. It is clear that, at least for species and habitats sampled in the current study, environmental grit load does not swamp diet-related microwear signatures. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Post-transcriptional gene expression control by NANOS is up-regulated and functionally important in pRb-deficient cells.

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Miles, Wayne O; Korenjak, Michael; Griffiths, Lyra M; Dyer, Michael A; Provero, Paolo; Dyson, Nicholas J

2014-10-01

Inactivation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (pRb) is a common oncogenic event that alters the expression of genes important for cell cycle progression, senescence, and apoptosis. However, in many contexts, the properties of pRb-deficient cells are similar to wild-type cells suggesting there may be processes that counterbalance the transcriptional changes associated with pRb inactivation. Therefore, we have looked for sets of evolutionary conserved, functionally related genes that are direct targets of pRb/E2F proteins. We show that the expression of NANOS, a key facilitator of the Pumilio (PUM) post-transcriptional repressor complex, is directly repressed by pRb/E2F in flies and humans. In both species, NANOS expression increases following inactivation of pRb/RBF1 and becomes important for tissue homeostasis. By analyzing datasets from normal retinal tissue and pRb-null retinoblastomas, we find a strong enrichment for putative PUM substrates among genes de-regulated in tumors. These include pro-apoptotic genes that are transcriptionally down-regulated upon pRb loss, and we characterize two such candidates, MAP2K3 and MAP3K1, as direct PUM substrates. Our data suggest that NANOS increases in importance in pRb-deficient cells and helps to maintain homeostasis by repressing the translation of transcripts containing PUM Regulatory Elements (PRE). © 2014 The Authors.

Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Phaffia rhodozyma on stromata of Cyttaria hariotii in northwestern Patagonian Nothofagus forests

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Diego Libkind

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The occurrence and distribution of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous associated with Cyttaria hariotii parasitizing three Nothofagus species (N. dombeyi, N. antarctica and N. pumilio in northwestern Patagonia (Argentina, as well as the factors that may affect this distribution were herein studied. Between 2000 and 2007, samples were obtained from 18 different locations. Based on physiological tests and morphological characteristics of sexual structures, 72 isolates were identified as X. dendrorhous. Representative strains were studied by MSP-PCR fingerprinting and sequence analysis of the ITS region. MSP-PCR fingerprints were similar for the newly isolated strains, and were also identical to the profiles of the strains previously found in this region. Patagonian strains appear to be a genetically uniform and distinct population, supporting the hypothesis that the association with different host species has determined genetically distinct X. dendrorhous populations worldwide. X. dendrorhous was recovered from N. dombeyi and N. antarctica. Approximately half the sampling sites and samples were positive for X. dendrorhous, but the isolation recovery rate was low. X. dendrorhous was absent in the early stages of ascostromata maturation, becoming more abundant in later stages. The present work represents a step forward in the understanding of the natural distribution and ecology of this biotechnologically relevant yeast.Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Phaffia rhodozyma asociado a estromas de Cyttaria hariotii en bosques de Nothofagus en el noroeste de la Patagonia. Se estudió la ocurrencia y la distribución de Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous asociado a Cyttaria hariotii en tres especies de Nothofagus (N. dombeyi, N. antarctica y N. pumilio del noroeste de la Patagonia (Argentina, y los factores que podrían afectar esta distribución. El muestreo se realizó entre 2000 y 2007 en 18 sitios diferentes. Según las pruebas fisiológicas y las caracter

Caracterización de suelos bajo bosques de Nothofagus betuloides (Mirb Blume, en Tierra del Fuego, Chile Characterization of soils of Nothofagus betuloides (Mirb Blume forests, in Tierra del Fuego, Chile

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VÍCTOR GERDING

2002-12-01

Full Text Available En tres sectores de la parte occidental de Tierra del Fuego (54º45'-54º15' S, 68º40'-70º10' O se caracterizó morfológica, física y químicamente los suelos bajo bosques de coigüe de Magallanes (Nothofagus betuloides (Mirb Blume y sus especies asociadas lenga (Nothofagus pumilio (P. et E. Krasser y canelo (Drimys winteri Forst.. Se describieron 85 perfiles de suelo y aproximadamente 250 observaciones con bastón pedológico. Los suelos bajo coigüe de Magallanes eran jóvenes, muy influidos por la actividad volcánica, topografía y clima. Se observó la presencia de los órdenes Spodosol e Iceptisol, principalmente. En general los suelos eran delgados a muy delgados (mayoritariamente entre 10 y 40 cm, con un alto volumen de esqueleto, textura franca, estructura masiva a granular, capacidad de agua aprovechable baja y drenaje externo e interno moderado a lento. Además, presentan una alta acidez (pH 4-5,5, una baja oferta nutricional y muy altos niveles de saturación de aluminio (promedio > 60 %. El mantillo (Oe/Oa presentó condiciones adecuadas para el desarrollo radicular. Existe comúnmente un horizonte blanco (frecuentemente 10 YR 5/1-2 inmediatamente debajo del mantillo, con textura franco limosa y estructura masiva, con arraigamiento muy bajo. Se plantea como hipótesis que este horizonte se originó por depósitos de cenizas volcánicas y procesos de podzolización. Se concluye que la fertilidad de estos suelos es baja debido a limitantes físicas (dificultades de arraigamiento y químicas (acidez, toxicidad de aluminio, baja oferta de basesSoils under coigüe de Magallanes (Nothofagus betuloides (Mirb Blume forests, located in the oriental part of Tierra del Fuego (54º45'-54º15' S, 68º40'-70º10' W, were characterized morphologically, physically and chemically. Associated tree species were lenga (Nothofagus pumilio (P. et E. Krasser and canelo (Drimys winterii Forst.. A total of 85 soil profiles and approximately 250 soil

Germ line determinants are not localized early in sea urchin development, but do accumulate in the small micromere lineage.

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Juliano, Celina E; Voronina, Ekaterina; Stack, Christie; Aldrich, Maryanna; Cameron, Andrew R; Wessel, Gary M

2006-12-01

Two distinct modes of germ line determination are used throughout the animal kingdom: conditional-an inductive mechanism, and autonomous-an inheritance of maternal factors in early development. This study identifies homologs of germ line determinants in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus to examine its mechanism of germ line determination. A list of conserved germ-line associated genes from diverse organisms was assembled to search the S. purpuratus genome for homologs, and the expression patterns of these genes were examined during embryogenesis by whole mount in situ RNA hybridization and QPCR. Of the 14 genes tested, all transcripts accumulate uniformly during oogenesis and Sp-pumilio, Sp-tudor, Sp-MSY, and Sp-CPEB1 transcripts are also uniformly distributed during embryonic development. Sp-nanos2, Sp-seawi, and Sp-ovo transcripts, however, are enriched in the vegetal plate of the mesenchyme blastula stage and Sp-vasa, Sp-nanos2, Sp-seawi, and Sp-SoxE transcripts are localized in small micromere descendents at the tip of the archenteron during gastrulation and are then enriched in the left coelomic pouch of larvae. The results of this screen suggest that sea urchins conditionally specify their germ line, and support the hypothesis that this mechanism is the basal mode of germ line determination amongst deuterostomes. Furthermore, accumulation of germ line determinants selectively in small micromere descendents supports the hypothesis that these cells contribute to the germ line.

Magellanic Woodpeckers in three national parks of central-southern Chile: habitat effects and population variation over the last two decades

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Pablo M. Vergara

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A major challenge for protected areas is providing wildlife with enough suitable habitat to cope with stochastic environment and increased pressure from the surrounding landscapes. In this study, we addressed changes in local populations of Magellanic Woodpeckers (Campephilus magellanicus occupying three national parks of central-southern Chile. We compared the breeding and postbreeding abundance of woodpeckers during the 1990s with the present (2016 abundance (n = 4 years, and assessed the extent to which abundance was explained by forest type and quality of foraging habitat (as quantified through the plant senescence reflectance index; PSRI. Results show a distinctive temporal variation in woodpecker abundance at each park, with local populations of Magellanic Woodpeckers declining by 42.2% in Conguillío National Park, but increasing by 34.3% in Nahuelbuta National Park. Woodpeckers responded to forest conditions within each park such that their abundance increased with high quality of foraging habitat, i.e., large PSRI values, and the presence of old-growth Monkey puzzle (Araucaria araucana - Nothofagus pumilio mixed forest. Anecdotal evidence suggests that populations of woodpeckers in Conguillío National Park might have responded negatively to large-scale disturbances from recent forest fires affecting part of the forest area within park. Because stochastic events seemed to strongly mediate population changes, our findings suggest that regional conservation of Magellanic Woodpeckers requires expanding the current conservation area network in central-southern Chile.

Identificación de los mecanismos subyacentes a la invasión de Castor canadensis (Rodentia en el archipiélago de Tierra del Fuego, Chile Identifying the mechanisms underlying the invasion of Castor canadensis (Rodentia into Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Chile

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PETRA K WALLEM

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Castor canadensis es considerado un ingeniero ecosistémico arquetípico, ya que altera el estado de factores bióticos y abióticos, mediante interacciones no tróficas, modificando sustancialmente los ecosistemas que habita. Esta especie fue introducida en la Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego en 1946 por el gobierno argentino, con el fin de estimular la industria peletera. Actualmente se encuentra presente en las principales islas del archipiélago, incluyendo Tierra del Fuego, Navarino, Dawson y Hoste y ocupando habitat tan contrastantes como los bosques subpolares magallánicos, el matorral y la estepa patagónica. Su éxito en estos habitat sugiere que su expansión solo se verá limitada por la disponibilidad de recursos hídricos. De acuerdo a lo observado en Tierra del Fuego, en ausencia de un programa de control poblacional, los castores amenazan con establecerse en todos los bosques templados nativos del continente (entre los 35 y 55° S y ocupar los habitat de matorral y pastizal circundantes a los mismos. El presente artículo propone tres hipótesis referentes a los mecanismos subyacentes al éxito de esta invasión: el escape de enemigos naturales, la oportunidad de recursos, y la autofacilitación mediante interacciones no tróficas. Los antecedentes disponibles develan patrones conductuales (e.g., el establecimiento de colonias en forma independiente de la cercanía de recursos maderables, un aparente crecimiento poblacional irruptivo, así como una explotación centrada en Nothofagus pumilio, especie dominante en los bosques magallánicos que sugieren la operación de los mecanismos de escape de enemigos naturales y oportunidad de recursos. También se observa una mayor densidad de colonias activas en habitat que presentan mayor extensión de modificación ambiental, sugiriendo el accionar del mecanismo de autofacilitación. Si bien la información reunida no permite poner a prueba las hipótesis propuestas, sí entrega un marco

Reduced Levels of the Synaptic Functional Regulator FMRP in Dentate Gyrus of the Aging Sprague-Dawley Rat

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Roman Smidak

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP encoded by Fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1 gene is a RNA-binding regulator of mRNA translation, transport and stability with multiple targets responsible for proper synaptic function. Epigenetic silencing of FMR1 gene expression leads to the development of Fragile X syndrome (FXS that is characterized by intellectual disability and other behavioral problems including autism. In the rat FXS model, the lack of FMRP caused a deficit in hippocampal-dependent memory. However, the hippocampal changes of FMRP in aging rats are not fully elucidated. The current study addresses the changes in FMRP levels in dentate gyrus (DG from young (17 weeks and aging (22 months Sprague – Dawley rats. The aging animal group showed significant decline in spatial reference memory. Protein samples from five rats per each group were analyzed by quantitative proteomic analysis resulting in 153 significantly changed proteins. FMRP showed significant reduction in aging animals which was confirmed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis of the differential protein dataset revealed several functionally related protein groups with individual interactions with FMRP. These include high representation of the RNA translation and processing machinery connected to FMRP and other RNA-binding regulators including CAPRIN1, the members of Pumilio (PUM and CUG-BP, Elav-like (CELF family, and YTH N(6-methyladenosine RNA-binding proteins (YTHDF. The results of the current study point to the important role of FMRP and regulation of RNA processing in the rat DG and memory decline during the aging process.

The arouser EPS8L3 gene is critical for normal memory in Drosophila.

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Holly LaFerriere

Full Text Available The genetic mechanisms that influence memory formation and sensitivity to the effects of ethanol on behavior in Drosophila have some common elements. So far, these have centered on the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, synapsin and fas2-dependent processes, pumilio-dependent regulators of translation, and a few other genes. However, there are several genes that are important for one or the other behaviors, suggesting that there is an incomplete overlap in the mechanisms that support memory and ethanol sensitive behaviors. The basis for this overlap is far from understood. We therefore examined memory in arouser (aru mutant flies, which have recently been identified as having ethanol sensitivity deficits. The aru mutant flies showed memory deficits in both short-term place memory and olfactory memory tests. Flies with a revertant aru allele had wild-type levels of memory performance, arguing that the aru gene, encoding an EPS8L3 product, has a role in Drosophila memory formation. Furthermore, and interestingly, flies with the aru(8-128 insertion allele had deficits in only one of two genetic backgrounds in place and olfactory memory tests. Flies with an aru imprecise excision allele had deficits in tests of olfactory memory. Quantitative measurements of aru EPS8L3 mRNA expression levels correlate decreased expression with deficits in olfactory memory while over expression is correlated with place memory deficits. Thus, mutations of the aru EPS8L3 gene interact with the alleles of a particular genetic background to regulate arouser expression and reveals a role of this gene in memory.

Guanaco’s diet and forage preferences in Nothofagus forest environments of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

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Quinteros, C.P.; Bava, J.; Gobbi, M.E.; Defossé, G.E.

2017-11-01

Aim of study: Guanaco (Lama guanicoe Müller), is a South American native ungulate widely distributed in Patagonia, which in the island of Tierra del Fuego (TF), extends its habitat into Nothofagus spp. forests. Within these forests, guanacos consume lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) leaves and twigs, and other understory species. The aim of this work was to determine: 1) the spring and summer diet of free ranging guanacos, and 2) which plants, grown in the forest understory, guanacos do prefer, or avoid, in these seasons of great forage abundance. Area of study: Tierra del Fuego (Argentina), on three representative areas which combined Nothofagus forests and adjacent meadows (vegas). Material and Methods: uanacos’ diet was determined by comparing epidermal and non-epidermal plant fragments with micro-histological analyses of feces. The analysis was made from composite samples of fresh feces, collected at the seasons of maximum forage productivity (spring and summer). Main results: During spring, 48% of guanacos’ diet was composed of lenga leaves, 30% of grass-like species, 15% of grasses, and less than 7% of herbs, shrubs, and lichens. In summer, 40% of the diet was composed of grasses, 30% of lenga leaves, 25% of grass-like species and the rest corresponded to herbs, shrubs, and lichens. Within the forest understory, guanaco selected lenga leaves and twigs, grass species were consumed according to their availability (or sometimes rejected), while other herbs were not consumed at all. Research highlights: Guanacos’ consumption preference for lenga, even considering the high availability of other forages, could adversely affect forest regeneration.

Alternative reproductive tactics in female striped mice: Solitary breeders have lower corticosterone levels than communal breeders.

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Hill, Davina L; Pillay, Neville; Schradin, Carsten

2015-05-01

Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), where members of the same sex and population show distinct reproductive phenotypes governed by decision-rules, have been well-documented in males of many species, but are less well understood in females. The relative plasticity hypothesis (RPH) predicts that switches between plastic ARTs are mediated by changes in steroid hormones. This has received much support in males, but little is known about the endocrine control of female ARTs. Here, using a free-living population of African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) over five breeding seasons, we tested whether females following different tactics differed in corticosterone and testosterone levels, as reported for male striped mice using ARTs, and in progesterone and oestrogen, which are important in female reproduction. Female striped mice employ three ARTs: communal breeders give birth in a shared nest and provide alloparental care, returners leave the group temporarily to give birth, and solitary breeders leave to give birth and do not return. We expected communal breeders and returners to have higher corticosterone, owing to the social stress of group-living, and lower testosterone than solitary breeders, which must defend territories alone. Solitary breeders had lower corticosterone than returners and communal breeders, as predicted, but testosterone and progesterone did not differ between ARTs. Oestrogen levels were higher in returners (measured before leaving the group) than in communal and solitary breeders, consistent with a modulatory role. Our study demonstrates hormonal differences between females following (or about to follow) different tactics, and provides the first support for the RPH in females. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Guanaco’s diet and forage preferences in Nothofagus forest environments of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

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Quinteros, C.P.; Bava, J.; Gobbi, M.E.; Defossé, G.E.

2017-01-01

Aim of study: Guanaco (Lama guanicoe Müller), is a South American native ungulate widely distributed in Patagonia, which in the island of Tierra del Fuego (TF), extends its habitat into Nothofagus spp. forests. Within these forests, guanacos consume lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) leaves and twigs, and other understory species. The aim of this work was to determine: 1) the spring and summer diet of free ranging guanacos, and 2) which plants, grown in the forest understory, guanacos do prefer, or avoid, in these seasons of great forage abundance. Area of study: Tierra del Fuego (Argentina), on three representative areas which combined Nothofagus forests and adjacent meadows (vegas). Material and Methods: uanacos’ diet was determined by comparing epidermal and non-epidermal plant fragments with micro-histological analyses of feces. The analysis was made from composite samples of fresh feces, collected at the seasons of maximum forage productivity (spring and summer). Main results: During spring, 48% of guanacos’ diet was composed of lenga leaves, 30% of grass-like species, 15% of grasses, and less than 7% of herbs, shrubs, and lichens. In summer, 40% of the diet was composed of grasses, 30% of lenga leaves, 25% of grass-like species and the rest corresponded to herbs, shrubs, and lichens. Within the forest understory, guanaco selected lenga leaves and twigs, grass species were consumed according to their availability (or sometimes rejected), while other herbs were not consumed at all. Research highlights: Guanacos’ consumption preference for lenga, even considering the high availability of other forages, could adversely affect forest regeneration.

Testing evolutionary hypotheses for phenotypic divergence using landscape genetics.

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Funk, W Chris; Murphy, Melanie A

2010-02-01

Understanding the evolutionary causes of phenotypic variation among populations has long been a central theme in evolutionary biology. Several factors can influence phenotypic divergence, including geographic isolation, genetic drift, divergent natural or sexual selection, and phenotypic plasticity. But the relative importance of these factors in generating phenotypic divergence in nature is still a tantalizing and unresolved problem in evolutionary biology. The origin and maintenance of phenotypic divergence is also at the root of many ongoing debates in evolutionary biology, such as the extent to which gene flow constrains adaptive divergence (Garant et al. 2007) and the relative importance of genetic drift, natural selection, and sexual selection in initiating reproductive isolation and speciation (Coyne & Orr 2004). In this issue, Wang & Summers (2010) test the causes of one of the most fantastic examples of phenotypic divergence in nature: colour pattern divergence among populations of the strawberry poison frog (Dendrobates pumilio) in Panama and Costa Rica (Fig. 1). This study provides a beautiful example of the use of the emerging field of landscape genetics to differentiate among hypotheses for phenotypic divergence. Using landscape genetic analyses, Wang & Summers were able to reject the hypotheses that colour pattern divergence is due to isolation-by-distance (IBD) or landscape resistance. Instead, the hypothesis left standing is that colour divergence is due to divergent selection, in turn driving reproductive isolation among populations with different colour morphs. More generally, this study provides a wonderful example of how the emerging field of landscape genetics, which has primarily been applied to questions in conservation and ecology, now plays an essential role in evolutionary research.

Cleavage of influenza RNA by using a human PUF-based artificial RNA-binding protein–staphylococcal nuclease hybrid

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Mori, Tomoaki; Nakamura, Kento; Masaoka, Keisuke; Fujita, Yusuke; Morisada, Ryosuke; Mori, Koichi; Tobimatsu, Takamasa; Sera, Takashi

2016-01-01

Various viruses infect animals and humans and cause a variety of diseases, including cancer. However, effective methodologies to prevent virus infection have not yet been established. Therefore, development of technologies to inactivate viruses is highly desired. We have already demonstrated that cleavage of a DNA virus genome was effective to prevent its replication. Here, we expanded this methodology to RNA viruses. In the present study, we used staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) instead of the PIN domain (PilT N-terminus) of human SMG6 as an RNA-cleavage domain and fused the SNase to a human Pumilio/fem-3 binding factor (PUF)-based artificial RNA-binding protein to construct an artificial RNA restriction enzyme with enhanced RNA-cleavage rates for influenzavirus. The resulting SNase-fusion nuclease cleaved influenza RNA at rates 120-fold greater than the corresponding PIN-fusion nuclease. The cleaving ability of the PIN-fusion nuclease was not improved even though the linker moiety between the PUF and RNA-cleavage domain was changed. Gel shift assays revealed that the RNA-binding properties of the PUF derivative used was not as good as wild type PUF. Improvement of the binding properties or the design method will allow the SNase-fusion nuclease to cleave an RNA target in mammalian animal cells and/or organisms. - Highlights: • A novel RNA restriction enzyme using SNase was developed tor cleave viral RNA. • Our enzyme cleaved influenza RNA with rates >120-fold higher rates a PIN-fusion one. • Our artificial enzyme with the L5 linker showed the highest RNA cleavage rate. • Our artificial enzyme site-selectively cleaved influenza RNA in vitro.

Validating numerical simulations of snow avalanches using dendrochronology: the Cerro Ventana event in Northern Patagonia, Argentina

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A. Casteller

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The damage caused by snow avalanches to property and human lives is underestimated in many regions around the world, especially where this natural hazard remains poorly documented. One such region is the Argentinean Andes, where numerous settlements are threatened almost every winter by large snow avalanches. On 1 September 2002, the largest tragedy in the history of Argentinean mountaineering took place at Cerro Ventana, Northern Patagonia: nine persons were killed and seven others injured by a snow avalanche. In this paper, we combine both numerical modeling and dendrochronological investigations to reconstruct this event. Using information released by local governmental authorities and compiled in the field, the avalanche event was numerically simulated using the avalanche dynamics programs AVAL-1D and RAMMS. Avalanche characteristics, such as extent and date were determined using dendrochronological techniques. Model simulation results were compared with documentary and tree-ring evidences for the 2002 event. Our results show a good agreement between the simulated projection of the avalanche and its reconstructed extent using tree-ring records. Differences between the observed and the simulated avalanche, principally related to the snow height deposition in the run-out zone, are mostly attributed to the low resolution of the digital elevation model used to represent the valley topography. The main contributions of this study are (1 to provide the first calibration of numerical avalanche models for the Patagonian Andes and (2 to highlight the potential of Nothofagus pumilio tree-ring records to reconstruct past snow-avalanche events in time and space. Future research should focus on testing this combined approach in other forested regions of the Andes.

Inferring predator behavior from attack rates on prey-replicas that differ in conspicuousness.

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Yoel E Stuart

Full Text Available Behavioral ecologists and evolutionary biologists have long studied how predators respond to prey items novel in color and pattern. Because a predatory response is influenced by both the predator's ability to detect the prey and a post-detection behavioral response, variation among prey types in conspicuousness may confound inference about post-prey-detection predator behavior. That is, a relatively high attack rate on a given prey type may result primarily from enhanced conspicuousness and not predators' direct preference for that prey. Few studies, however, account for such variation in conspicuousness. In a field experiment, we measured predation rates on clay replicas of two aposematic forms of the poison dart frog Dendrobates pumilio, one novel and one familiar, and two cryptic controls. To ask whether predators prefer or avoid a novel aposematic prey form independently of conspicuousness differences among replicas, we first modeled the visual system of a typical avian predator. Then, we used this model to estimate replica contrast against a leaf litter background to test whether variation in contrast alone could explain variation in predator attack rate. We found that absolute predation rates did not differ among color forms. Predation rates relative to conspicuousness did, however, deviate significantly from expectation, suggesting that predators do make post-detection decisions to avoid or attack a given prey type. The direction of this deviation from expectation, though, depended on assumptions we made about how avian predators discriminate objects from the visual background. Our results show that it is important to account for prey conspicuousness when investigating predator behavior and also that existing models of predator visual systems need to be refined.

Insights into intraspecific wood density variation and its relationship to growth, height and elevation in a treeline species.

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Fajardo, A

2018-05-01

The wood economics spectrum provides a general framework for interspecific trait-trait coordination across wide environmental gradients. Whether global patterns are mirrored within species constitutes a poorly explored subject. In this study, I first determined whether wood density co-varies together with elevation, tree growth and height at the within-species level. Second, I determined the variation of wood density in different stem parts (trunk, branch and twigs). In situ trunk sapwood, trunk heartwood, branch and twig densities, in addition to stem growth rates and tree height were determined in adult trees of Nothofagus pumilio at four elevations in five locations spanning 18° of latitude. Mixed effects models were fitted to test relationships among variables. The variation in wood density reported in this study was narrow (ca. 0.4-0.6 g cm -3 ) relative to global density variation (ca. 0.3-1.0 g cm -3 ). There was no significant relationship between stem growth rates and wood density. Furthermore, the elevation gradient did not alter the wood density of any stem part. Trunk sapwood density was negatively related to tree height. Twig density was higher than branch and trunk densities. Trunk heartwood density was always significantly higher than sapwood density. Negative across-species trends found in the growth-wood density relationship may not emerge as the aggregate of parallel intraspecific patterns. Actually, trees with contrasting growth rates show similar wood density values. Tree height, which is tightly related to elevation, showed a negative relationship with sapwood density. © 2018 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Computational assessment of the cooperativity between RNA binding proteins and MicroRNAs in Transcript Decay.

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Jiang, Peng; Singh, Mona; Coller, Hilary A

2013-01-01

Transcript degradation is a widespread and important mechanism for regulating protein abundance. Two major regulators of transcript degradation are RNA Binding Proteins (RBPs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). We computationally explored whether RBPs and miRNAs cooperate to promote transcript decay. We defined five RBP motifs based on the evolutionary conservation of their recognition sites in 3'UTRs as the binding motifs for Pumilio (PUM), U1A, Fox-1, Nova, and UAUUUAU. Recognition sites for some of these RBPs tended to localize at the end of long 3'UTRs. A specific group of miRNA recognition sites were enriched within 50 nts from the RBP recognition sites for PUM and UAUUUAU. The presence of both a PUM recognition site and a recognition site for preferentially co-occurring miRNAs was associated with faster decay of the associated transcripts. For PUM and its co-occurring miRNAs, binding of the RBP to its recognition sites was predicted to release nearby miRNA recognition sites from RNA secondary structures. The mammalian miRNAs that preferentially co-occur with PUM binding sites have recognition seeds that are reverse complements to the PUM recognition motif. Their binding sites have the potential to form hairpin secondary structures with proximal PUM binding sites that would normally limit RISC accessibility, but would be more accessible to miRNAs in response to the binding of PUM. In sum, our computational analyses suggest that a specific set of RBPs and miRNAs work together to affect transcript decay, with the rescue of miRNA recognition sites via RBP binding as one possible mechanism of cooperativity.

Adaptation for rodent pollination in Leucospermum arenarium (Proteaceae) despite rapid pollen loss during grooming.

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Johnson, Christopher Michael; Pauw, Anton

2014-05-01

Plants are adapted for rodent pollination in diverse and intricate ways. This study explores an extraordinary example of these adaptations in the pincushion Leucospermum arenarium (Proteaceae) from South Africa. Live trapping and differential exclusion experiments were used to test the role of rodents versus birds and insects as pollinators. To explore the adaptive significance of geoflory, inflorescences were raised above ground level and seed production was compared. Captive rodents and flowers with artificial stigmas were used to test the effect of grooming on the rate of pollen loss. Microscopy, nectar composition analysis and manipulative experiments were used to investigate the bizarre nectar production and transport system. Differential exclusion of rodents, birds and insects demonstrated the importance of rodents in promoting seed production. Live trapping revealed that hairy-footed gerbils, Gerbillurus paeba, and striped field mice, Rhabdomys pumilio, both carried L. arenarium pollen on their forehead and rostrum, but much larger quantities ended up in faeces as a result of grooming. Terrarium experiments showed that grooming exponentially diminished the pollen loads that they carried. The nectar of L. arenarium was found to be unusually viscous and to be presented in a novel location on the petal tips, where rodents could access it without destroying the flowers. Nectar was produced inside the perianth, but was translocated to the petal tips via capillary ducts. In common with many other rodent-pollinated plants, the flowers are presented at ground level, but when raised to higher positions seed production was not reduced, indicating that selection through female function does not drive the evolution of geoflory. Despite the apparent cost of pollen lost to grooming, L. arenarium has evolved remarkable adaptations for rodent pollination and provides the first case of this pollination system in the genus.

Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences and Comparative Analysis of Chenopodium quinoa and C. album.

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Hong, Su-Young; Cheon, Kyeong-Sik; Yoo, Ki-Oug; Lee, Hyun-Oh; Cho, Kwang-Soo; Suh, Jong-Taek; Kim, Su-Jeong; Nam, Jeong-Hwan; Sohn, Hwang-Bae; Kim, Yul-Ho

2017-01-01

The Chenopodium genus comprises ~150 species, including Chenopodium quinoa and Chenopodium album , two important crops with high nutritional value. To elucidate the phylogenetic relationship between the two species, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of these species were obtained by next generation sequencing. We performed comparative analysis of the sequences and, using InDel markers, inferred phylogeny and genetic diversity of the Chenopodium genus. The cp genome is 152,099 bp ( C. quinoa ) and 152,167 bp ( C. album ) long. In total, 119 genes (78 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and 4 rRNA) were identified. We found 14 ( C. quinoa ) and 15 ( C. album ) tandem repeats (TRs); 14 TRs were present in both species and C. album and C. quinoa each had one species-specific TR. The trnI-GAU intron sequences contained one ( C. quinoa ) or two ( C. album ) copies of TRs (66 bp); the InDel marker was designed based on the copy number variation in TRs. Using the InDel markers, we detected this variation in the TR copy number in four species, Chenopodium hybridum, Chenopodium pumilio, Chenopodium ficifolium , and Chenopodium koraiense , but not in Chenopodium glaucum . A comparison of coding and non-coding regions between C. quinoa and C. album revealed divergent sites. Nucleotide diversity >0.025 was found in 17 regions-14 were located in the large single copy region (LSC), one in the inverted repeats, and two in the small single copy region (SSC). A phylogenetic analysis based on 59 protein-coding genes from 25 taxa resolved Chenopodioideae monophyletic and sister to Betoideae. The complete plastid genome sequences and molecular markers based on divergence hotspot regions in the two Chenopodium taxa will help to resolve the phylogenetic relationships of Chenopodium .

Molecular discrimination of Opisthorchis-like eggs from residents in a rural community of central Thailand.

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Saiwasan Buathong

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Opisthorchis viverrini infection is a major public health problem in northern and northeastern Thailand. The chronic infection of O. viverrini is related to cholangiocarcinoma which causes high mortality in endemic areas. Therefore, the diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention of O. viverrini infection are necessary. The morphology of the egg is very similar to that of other species of human liver flukes (Opisthorchis felineus and Clonorchis sinensis as well as that of small intestinal flukes in the family Heterophyidae. Thus, molecular characterization is crucially required to discriminate species of Opisthorchis-like eggs in fecal examination.We aimed to determine the prevalence of O. viverrini infection among villagers living in Sanamchaikate District, Chachoengsao Province, in central Thailand, where O. viverrini infection has previously been reported. A total of 2,609 fecal samples were examined for Opisthorchis-like eggs using microscopic examination. PCR-RFLP analysis of the ITS2 region was used to discriminate Opisthorchis-like eggs. The genetic structure of O. viverrini infection was demonstrated using nucleotide sequencing of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1 and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1. Testing of evolutionary neutrality of the cox1 and nad1 sequences of O. viverrini was performed using Tajima's D tests and Fu's Fs tests. Moreover, the haplotype networks and phylogenetic trees were constructed to study the relationships of O. viverrini isolated from different endemic areas. A high prevalence of O. viverrini infection is still observed in a rural community of Chachoengsao Province, central Thailand. The overall prevalence of Opisthorchis-like eggs using microscopic examination was 16.8%. PCR-RFLP profiles showed the predominant infection of O. viverrini (9.6% including very low infections of other small intestinal flukes, Haplorchis taichui (0.08% and Euparyphium albuferensis (0.08%. The genetic structure of O

Modelling tree ring cellulose δ18O variations in two temperature-sensitive tree species from North and South America

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A. Lavergne

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Oxygen isotopes in tree rings (δ18OTR are widely used to reconstruct past climates. However, the complexity of climatic and biological processes controlling isotopic fractionation is not yet fully understood. Here, we use the MAIDENiso model to decipher the variability in δ18OTR of two temperature-sensitive species of relevant palaeoclimatological interest (Picea mariana and Nothofagus pumilio and growing at cold high latitudes in North and South America. In this first modelling study on δ18OTR values in both northeastern Canada (53.86° N and western Argentina (41.10° S, we specifically aim at (1 evaluating the predictive skill of MAIDENiso to simulate δ18OTR values, (2 identifying the physical processes controlling δ18OTR by mechanistic modelling and (3 defining the origin of the temperature signal recorded in the two species. Although the linear regression models used here to predict daily δ18O of precipitation (δ18OP may need to be improved in the future, the resulting daily δ18OP values adequately reproduce observed (from weather stations and simulated (by global circulation model δ18OP series. The δ18OTR values of the two species are correctly simulated using the δ18OP estimation as MAIDENiso input, although some offset in mean δ18OTR levels is observed for the South American site. For both species, the variability in δ18OTR series is primarily linked to the effect of temperature on isotopic enrichment of the leaf water. We show that MAIDENiso is a powerful tool for investigating isotopic fractionation processes but that the lack of a denser isotope-enabled monitoring network recording oxygen fractionation in the soil–vegetation–atmosphere compartments limits our capacity to decipher the processes at play. This study proves that the eco-physiological modelling of δ18OTR values is necessary to interpret the recorded climate signal more reliably.

Farm-level risk factors for fish-borne zoonotic trematode infection in integrated small-scale fish farms in northern Vietnam.

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Van Thi Phan

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Northern Vietnam is an endemic region for fish-borne zoonotic trematodes (FZT, including liver and intestinal flukes. Humans acquire the FZT infection by eating raw or inadequately cooked fish. The production of FZT-free fish in aquaculture is a key component in establishing a sustainable program to prevent and control the FZT transmission to humans. Interventions in aquaculture should be based on knowledge of the main risk factors associated with FZT transmission. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A longitudinal study was carried out from June 2006 to May 2007 in Nam Dinh province, Red River Delta to investigate the development and risk factors of FZT infections in freshwater cultured fish. A total of 3820 fish were sampled six times at two-month intervals from 96 fish farms. Logistic analysis with repeated measurements was used to evaluate potential risk factors based on information collected through questionnaire interviews with 61 fish farm owners. The results showed that the FZT infections significantly increased from first sampling in June to July 2006 (65% to sixth sampling in April to May, 2007 (76%. The liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis and different zoonotic intestinal flukes including Haplochis pumilio, H. taichui, H. yokogawai, Centrocestus formosanus and Procerovum varium were found in sampled fish. Duration of fish cultured (sampling times, mebendazole drug self-medication of household members, presence of snails in the pond, and feeding fish with green vegetation collected outside fish farms all had a significant effect on the development of FZT prevalence in the fish. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The FZT prevalence in fish increased by 11 percentage points during a one-year culture period and the risk factors for the development of infection were identified. Results also highlight that the young fish are already highly infected when stocked into the grow-out systems. This knowledge should be incorporated into control

A novel puf-A gene predicted from evolutionary analysis is involved in the development of eyes and primordial germ-cells.

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Ming-Wei Kuo

Full Text Available Although the human genome project has been completed for some time, the issue of the number of transcribed genes with identifiable biological functions remains unresolved. We used zebrafish as a model organism to study the functions of Ka/Ks-predicted novel human exons, which were identified from a comparative evolutionary genomics analysis.In this study, a novel gene, designated as puf-A, was cloned and functionally characterized, and its homologs in zebrafish, mouse, and human were identified as one of the three homolog clusters which were consisted of 14 related proteins with Puf repeats. Computer modeling of human Puf-A structure and a pull-down assay for interactions with RNA targets predicted that it was a RNA-binding protein. Specifically, Puf-A contained a special six Puf-repeat domain, which constituted a unique superhelix half doughnut-shaped Puf domain with a topology similar to, but different from the conventional eight-repeat Pumilio domain. Puf-A transcripts were uniformly distributed in early embryos, but became restricted primarily to eyes and ovaries at a later stage of development. In mice, puf-A expression was detected primarily in retinal ganglion and pigmented cells. Knockdown of puf-A in zebrafish embryos resulted in microphthalmia, a small head, and abnormal primordial germ-cell (PGC migration. The latter was confirmed by microinjecting into embryos puf-A siRNA containing nanos 3' UTR that expressed in PGC only. The importance of Puf-A in the maturation of germline stem cells was also implicated by its unique expression in the most primitive follicles (stage I in adult ovaries, followed by a sharp decline of expression in later stages of folliculogenesis. Taken together, our study shows that puf-A plays an important role not only in eye development, but also in PGC migration and the specification of germ cell lineage. These studies represent an exemplary implementation of a unique platform to uncover unknown function(s of

The Puf family of RNA-binding proteins in plants: phylogeny, structural modeling, activity and subcellular localization

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Tam Michael WC

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Puf proteins have important roles in controlling gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by promoting RNA decay and repressing translation. The Pumilio homology domain (PUM-HD is a conserved region within Puf proteins that binds to RNA with sequence specificity. Although Puf proteins have been well characterized in animal and fungal systems, little is known about the structural and functional characteristics of Puf-like proteins in plants. Results The Arabidopsis and rice genomes code for 26 and 19 Puf-like proteins, respectively, each possessing eight or fewer Puf repeats in their PUM-HD. Key amino acids in the PUM-HD of several of these proteins are conserved with those of animal and fungal homologs, whereas other plant Puf proteins demonstrate extensive variability in these amino acids. Three-dimensional modeling revealed that the predicted structure of this domain in plant Puf proteins provides a suitable surface for binding RNA. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift experiments showed that the Arabidopsis AtPum2 PUM-HD binds with high affinity to BoxB of the Drosophila Nanos Response Element I (NRE1 RNA, whereas a point mutation in the core of the NRE1 resulted in a significant reduction in binding affinity. Transient expression of several of the Arabidopsis Puf proteins as fluorescent protein fusions revealed a dynamic, punctate cytoplasmic pattern of localization for most of these proteins. The presence of predicted nuclear export signals and accumulation of AtPuf proteins in the nucleus after treatment of cells with leptomycin B demonstrated that shuttling of these proteins between the cytosol and nucleus is common among these proteins. In addition to the cytoplasmically enriched AtPum proteins, two AtPum proteins showed nuclear targeting with enrichment in the nucleolus. Conclusions The Puf family of RNA-binding proteins in plants consists of a greater number of members than any other model species studied to

Transcriptional analysis of phloem-associated cells of potato.

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Lin, Tian; Lashbrook, Coralie C; Cho, Sung Ki; Butler, Nathaniel M; Sharma, Pooja; Muppirala, Usha; Severin, Andrew J; Hannapel, David J

2015-09-03

Numerous signal molecules, including proteins and mRNAs, are transported through the architecture of plants via the vascular system. As the connection between leaves and other organs, the petiole and stem are especially important in their transport function, which is carried out by the phloem and xylem, especially by the sieve elements in the phloem system. The phloem is an important conduit for transporting photosynthate and signal molecules like metabolites, proteins, small RNAs, and full-length mRNAs. Phloem sap has been used as an unadulterated source to profile phloem proteins and RNAs, but unfortunately, pure phloem sap cannot be obtained in most plant species. Here we make use of laser capture microdissection (LCM) and RNA-seq for an in-depth transcriptional profile of phloem-associated cells of both petioles and stems of potato. To expedite our analysis, we have taken advantage of the potato genome that has recently been fully sequenced and annotated. Out of the 27 k transcripts assembled that we identified, approximately 15 k were present in phloem-associated cells of petiole and stem with greater than ten reads. Among these genes, roughly 10 k are affected by photoperiod. Several RNAs from this day length-regulated group are also abundant in phloem cells of petioles and encode for proteins involved in signaling or transcriptional control. Approximately 22 % of the transcripts in phloem cells contained at least one binding motif for Pumilio, Nova, or polypyrimidine tract-binding proteins in their downstream sequences. Highlighting the predominance of binding processes identified in the gene ontology analysis of active genes from phloem cells, 78 % of the 464 RNA-binding proteins present in the potato genome were detected in our phloem transcriptome. As a reasonable alternative when phloem sap collection is not possible, LCM can be used to isolate RNA from specific cell types, and along with RNA-seq, provides practical access to expression profiles of

Zygote arrest 1 gene in pig, cattle and human: evidence of different transcript variants in male and female germ cells

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Royere Dominique

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Zygote arrest 1 (ZAR1 is one of the few known oocyte-specific maternal-effect genes essential for the beginning of embryo development discovered in mice. This gene is evolutionary conserved in vertebrates and ZAR1 protein is characterized by the presence of atypical plant homeobox zing finger domain, suggesting its role in transcription regulation. This work was aimed at the study of this gene, which could be one of the key regulators of successful preimplantation development of domestic animals, in pig and cattle, as compared with human. Methods Screenings of somatic cell hybrid panels and in silico research were performed to characterize ZAR1 chromosome localization and sequences. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends was used to obtain full-length cDNAs. Spatio-temporal mRNA expression patterns were studied using Northern blot, reverse transcription coupled to polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. Results We demonstrated that ZAR1 is a single copy gene, positioned on chromosome 8 in pig and 6 in cattle, and several variants of correspondent cDNA were cloned from oocytes. Sequence analysis of ZAR1 cDNAs evidenced numerous short inverted repeats within the coding sequences and putative Pumilio-binding and embryo-deadenylation elements within the 3'-untranslated regions, indicating the potential regulation ways. We showed that ZAR1 expressed exclusively in oocytes in pig ovary, persisted during first cleavages in embryos developed in vivo and declined sharply in morulae and blastocysts. ZAR1 mRNA was also detected in testis, and, at lower level, in hypothalamus and pituitary in both species. For the first time, ZAR1 was localized in testicular germ cells, notably in round spermatids. In addition, in pig, cattle and human only shorter ZAR1 transcript variants resulting from alternative splicing were found in testis as compared to oocyte. Conclusion Our data suggest that in addition to its role in early embryo

Zygote arrest 1 gene in pig, cattle and human: evidence of different transcript variants in male and female germ cells

Science.gov (United States)

Uzbekova, Svetlana; Roy-Sabau, Monica; Dalbiès-Tran, Rozenn; Perreau, Christine; Papillier, Pascal; Mompart, Florence; Thelie, Aurore; Pennetier, Sophie; Cognie, Juliette; Cadoret, Veronique; Royere, Dominique; Monget, Philippe; Mermillod, Pascal

2006-01-01

Background Zygote arrest 1 (ZAR1) is one of the few known oocyte-specific maternal-effect genes essential for the beginning of embryo development discovered in mice. This gene is evolutionary conserved in vertebrates and ZAR1 protein is characterized by the presence of atypical plant homeobox zing finger domain, suggesting its role in transcription regulation. This work was aimed at the study of this gene, which could be one of the key regulators of successful preimplantation development of domestic animals, in pig and cattle, as compared with human. Methods Screenings of somatic cell hybrid panels and in silico research were performed to characterize ZAR1 chromosome localization and sequences. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends was used to obtain full-length cDNAs. Spatio-temporal mRNA expression patterns were studied using Northern blot, reverse transcription coupled to polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. Results We demonstrated that ZAR1 is a single copy gene, positioned on chromosome 8 in pig and 6 in cattle, and several variants of correspondent cDNA were cloned from oocytes. Sequence analysis of ZAR1 cDNAs evidenced numerous short inverted repeats within the coding sequences and putative Pumilio-binding and embryo-deadenylation elements within the 3'-untranslated regions, indicating the potential regulation ways. We showed that ZAR1 expressed exclusively in oocytes in pig ovary, persisted during first cleavages in embryos developed in vivo and declined sharply in morulae and blastocysts. ZAR1 mRNA was also detected in testis, and, at lower level, in hypothalamus and pituitary in both species. For the first time, ZAR1 was localized in testicular germ cells, notably in round spermatids. In addition, in pig, cattle and human only shorter ZAR1 transcript variants resulting from alternative splicing were found in testis as compared to oocyte. Conclusion Our data suggest that in addition to its role in early embryo development highlighted by

[A national survey on current status of the important parasitic diseases in human population].

Science.gov (United States)

2005-10-30

In order to understand the current status and trends of the important parasitic diseases in human population, to evaluate the effect of control activities in the past decade and provide scientific base for further developing control strategies, a national survey was carried out in the country (Taiwan, Hongkong and Macau not included) from June, 2001 to 2004 under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Health. The sample sizes of the nationwide survey and of the survey in each province (autonomous region and municipality, P/A/M) were determined following a calculating formula based on an estimation of the sample size of random sampling to the rate of population. A procedure of stratified cluster random sampling was conducted in each province based on geographical location and economical condition with three strata: county/city, township/town, and spot, each spot covered a sample of 500 people. Parasitological examinations were conducted for the infections of soil-transmitted nematodes, Taenia spp, and Clonorchis sinensis, including Kato-Katz thick smear method, scotch cellulose adhesive tape technique and test tube-filter paper culture (for larvae). At the same time, another sampled investigation for Clonorchis sinensis infection was carried out in the known endemic areas in 27 provinces. Serological tests combined with questionnaire and/or clinical diagnosis were applied for hydatid disease, cysticercosis, paragonimiasis, trichinosis, and toxoplasmosis. A total sampled population of 356 629 from the 31 P/A/M was examined by parasitological methods and 26 species of helminth were recorded. Among these helminth, human infections of Metorchis orientalis and Echinostoma aegypti were detected in Fujian Province which seemed to be the first report in the world, and Haplorchis taichui infection in Guangxi Region was the first human infection record in the country. The overall prevalence of helminth infections was 21.74%. The prevalence of soil-transmitted nematodes was 19

Reconstructing streamflow variation of the Baker River from tree-rings in Northern Patagonia since 1765

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Lara, Antonio; Bahamondez, Alejandra; González-Reyes, Alvaro; Muñoz, Ariel A.; Cuq, Emilio; Ruiz-Gómez, Carolina

2015-10-01

The understanding of the long-term variation of large rivers streamflow with a high economic and social relevance is necessary in order to improve the planning and management of water resources in different regions of the world. The Baker River has the highest mean discharge of those draining both slopes of the Andes South of 20°S and it is among the six rivers with the highest mean streamflow in the Pacific domain of South America (1100 m3 s-1 at its outlet). It drains an international basin of 29,000 km2 shared by Chile and Argentina and has a high ecologic and economic value including conservation, tourism, recreational fishing, and projected hydropower. This study reconstructs the austral summer - early fall (January-April) streamflow for the Baker River from Nothofagus pumilio tree-rings for the period 1765-2004. Summer streamflow represents 45.2% of the annual discharge. The regression model for the period (1961-2004) explains 54% of the variance of the Baker River streamflow (R2adj = 0.54). The most significant temporal pattern in the record is the sustained decline since the 1980s (τ = -0.633, p = 1.0144 ∗ 10-5 for the 1985-2004 period), which is unprecedented since 1765. The Correlation of the Baker streamflow with the November-April observed Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is significant (1961-2004, r = -0.55, p < 0.001). The Baker record is also correlated with the available SAM tree-ring reconstruction based on other species when both series are filtered with a 25-year spline and detrended (1765-2004, r = -0.41, p < 0.01), emphasizing SAM as the main climatic forcing of the Baker streamflow. Three of the five summers with the highest streamflow in the entire reconstructed record occurred after the 1950s (1977, 1958 and 1959). The causes of this high streamflow events are not yet clear and cannot be associated with the reported recent increase in the frequency of glacial-lake outburst floods (GLOFs). The decreasing trend in the observed and reconstructed

Plant Responses to Increased UV-B Radiation: A Research Project

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DAntoni, H. L.; Skiles, J. W.; Armstrong, R.; Coughlan, J.; Daleo, G.; Mayoral, A.; Lawless, James G. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

because there is anecdotal evidence of plant damage on the saguaros that has been linked to increased UV radiation, and (3) the forests of Nothofagus spp. and the steppe of Patagonia where the risk of plant damage at 35S is 5% and increases to as much as 15% at 55S due to increased UV-B radiation. Measurements of UV-B radiation impinging on the surface at 55S largely exceed the predicted UV-B radiation values at 50 latitude and 0% ozone depletion. Preliminary HPLC analyses of UV-B absorbing compounds in Nothofagus antartica, N. pumilio, N. betuloides and Rumex sp. in natural conditions show species-specific patterns. The spectrum of N. antartica grown at 38S differs significantly from that of N. antartica in natural conditions in Ushuaia (55S). These results suggest that the selected main area (Patagonia) is appropriate for assessing the problem and its magnitude and that Nothofagus is appropriate for our study.