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Sample records for monogenea phylum platyhelminthes

  1. Cytosine methylation is a conserved epigenetic feature found throughout the phylum Platyhelminthes

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    2013-01-01

    Background The phylum Platyhelminthes (flatworms) contains an important group of bilaterian organisms responsible for many debilitating and chronic infectious diseases of human and animal populations inhabiting the planet today. In addition to their biomedical and veterinary relevance, some platyhelminths are also frequently used models for understanding tissue regeneration and stem cell biology. Therefore, the molecular (genetic and epigenetic) characteristics that underlie trophic specialism, pathogenicity or developmental maturation are likely to be pivotal in our continued studies of this important metazoan group. Indeed, in contrast to earlier studies that failed to detect evidence of cytosine or adenine methylation in parasitic flatworm taxa, our laboratory has recently defined a critical role for cytosine methylation in Schistosoma mansoni oviposition, egg maturation and ovarian development. Thus, in order to identify whether this epigenetic modification features in other platyhelminth species or is a novelty of S. mansoni, we conducted a study simultaneously surveying for DNA methylation machinery components and DNA methylation marks throughout the phylum using both parasitic and non-parasitic representatives. Results Firstly, using both S. mansoni DNA methyltransferase 2 (SmDNMT2) and methyl-CpG binding domain protein (SmMBD) as query sequences, we illustrate that essential DNA methylation machinery components are well conserved throughout the phylum. Secondly, using both molecular (methylation specific amplification polymorphism, MSAP) and immunological (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay, ELISA) methodologies, we demonstrate that representative species (Echinococcus multilocularis, Protopolystoma xenopodis, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma japonicum, Fasciola hepatica and Polycelis nigra) within all four platyhelminth classes (Cestoda, Monogenea, Trematoda and ‘Turbellaria’) contain methylated cytosines within their genome compartments

  2. Platyhelminth Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) proteins: revealing structural diversity, class-specific features and biological associations across the phylum

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    CHALMERS, IAIN W.; HOFFMANN, KARL F.

    2012-01-01

    SUMMARY During platyhelminth infection, a cocktail of proteins is released by the parasite to aid invasion, initiate feeding, facilitate adaptation and mediate modulation of the host immune response. Included amongst these proteins is the Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) family, part of the larger sperm coating protein/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7 (SCP/TAPS) superfamily. To explore the significance of this protein family during Platyhelminthes development and host interactions, we systematically summarize all published proteomic, genomic and immunological investigations of the VAL protein family to date. By conducting new genomic and transcriptomic interrogations to identify over 200 VAL proteins (228) from species in all 4 traditional taxonomic classes (Trematoda, Cestoda, Monogenea and Turbellaria), we further expand our knowledge related to platyhelminth VAL diversity across the phylum. Subsequent phylogenetic and tertiary structural analyses reveal several class-specific VAL features, which likely indicate a range of roles mediated by this protein family. Our comprehensive analysis of platyhelminth VALs represents a unifying synopsis for understanding diversity within this protein family and a firm context in which to initiate future functional characterization of these enigmatic members. PMID:22717097

  3. Molecular phylogeny of Neotropical monogeneans (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) from catfishes (Siluriformes)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mendoza-Palmero, Carlos Alonso; Blasco-Costa, I.; Scholz, Tomáš

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 8, MAR 18 2015 (2015), s. 164 ISSN 1756-3305 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Phylogeny * Monogenea * Dactylogyridae * Neotropical region * Diversity * Siluriformes * 28S rRNA Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 3.234, year: 2015

  4. A revision of the genus Neogrubea Dillon & Hargis, 1968 (Monogenea: Mazocraeidae): new morphological and molecular data from off the Patagonian coast of Argentina

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hernández-Orts, Jesús S.; Alama-Bermejo, Gema; Crespo, E.A.; Raga, J. A.; Montero, F. E.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 89, č. 1 (2014), s. 59-72 ISSN 0165-5752 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : kuhnia-scombri monogenea * 28s rdna sequences * host size * platyhelminthes * polyopisthocotylea * phylogeny * digenea * hamuli Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Biochemistry and molecular biology Impact factor: 1.336, year: 2014

  5. Thioredoxin and glutathione systems differ in parasitic and free-living platyhelminths

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    Salinas Gustavo

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The thioredoxin and/or glutathione pathways occur in all organisms. They provide electrons for deoxyribonucleotide synthesis, function as antioxidant defenses, in detoxification, Fe/S biogenesis and participate in a variety of cellular processes. In contrast to their mammalian hosts, platyhelminth (flatworm parasites studied so far, lack conventional thioredoxin and glutathione systems. Instead, they possess a linked thioredoxin-glutathione system with the selenocysteine-containing enzyme thioredoxin glutathione reductase (TGR as the single redox hub that controls the overall redox homeostasis. TGR has been recently validated as a drug target for schistosomiasis and new drug leads targeting TGR have recently been identified for these platyhelminth infections that affect more than 200 million people and for which a single drug is currently available. Little is known regarding the genomic structure of flatworm TGRs, the expression of TGR variants and whether the absence of conventional thioredoxin and glutathione systems is a signature of the entire platyhelminth phylum. Results We examine platyhelminth genomes and transcriptomes and find that all platyhelminth parasites (from classes Cestoda and Trematoda conform to a biochemical scenario involving, exclusively, a selenium-dependent linked thioredoxin-glutathione system having TGR as a central redox hub. In contrast, the free-living platyhelminth Schmidtea mediterranea (Class Turbellaria possesses conventional and linked thioredoxin and glutathione systems. We identify TGR variants in Schistosoma spp. derived from a single gene, and demonstrate their expression. We also provide experimental evidence that alternative initiation of transcription and alternative transcript processing contribute to the generation of TGR variants in platyhelminth parasites. Conclusions Our results indicate that thioredoxin and glutathione pathways differ in parasitic and free-living flatworms and

  6. Thioredoxin and glutathione systems differ in parasitic and free-living platyhelminths

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background The thioredoxin and/or glutathione pathways occur in all organisms. They provide electrons for deoxyribonucleotide synthesis, function as antioxidant defenses, in detoxification, Fe/S biogenesis and participate in a variety of cellular processes. In contrast to their mammalian hosts, platyhelminth (flatworm) parasites studied so far, lack conventional thioredoxin and glutathione systems. Instead, they possess a linked thioredoxin-glutathione system with the selenocysteine-containing enzyme thioredoxin glutathione reductase (TGR) as the single redox hub that controls the overall redox homeostasis. TGR has been recently validated as a drug target for schistosomiasis and new drug leads targeting TGR have recently been identified for these platyhelminth infections that affect more than 200 million people and for which a single drug is currently available. Little is known regarding the genomic structure of flatworm TGRs, the expression of TGR variants and whether the absence of conventional thioredoxin and glutathione systems is a signature of the entire platyhelminth phylum. Results We examine platyhelminth genomes and transcriptomes and find that all platyhelminth parasites (from classes Cestoda and Trematoda) conform to a biochemical scenario involving, exclusively, a selenium-dependent linked thioredoxin-glutathione system having TGR as a central redox hub. In contrast, the free-living platyhelminth Schmidtea mediterranea (Class Turbellaria) possesses conventional and linked thioredoxin and glutathione systems. We identify TGR variants in Schistosoma spp. derived from a single gene, and demonstrate their expression. We also provide experimental evidence that alternative initiation of transcription and alternative transcript processing contribute to the generation of TGR variants in platyhelminth parasites. Conclusions Our results indicate that thioredoxin and glutathione pathways differ in parasitic and free-living flatworms and that canonical enzymes

  7. Problematic barcoding in flatworms: A case-study on monogeneans and rhabdocoels (Platyhelminthes

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    Maarten Vanhove

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Some taxonomic groups are less amenable to mitochondrial DNA barcoding than others. Due to the paucity of molecular information of understudied groups and the huge molecular diversity within flatworms, primer design has been hampered. Indeed, all attempts to develop universal flatworm-specific COI markers have failed so far. We demonstrate how high molecular variability and contamination problems limit the possibilities for barcoding using standard COI-based protocols in flatworms. As a consequence, molecular identification methods often rely on other widely applicable markers. In the case of Monogenea, a very diverse group of platyhelminth parasites, and Rhabdocoela, representing one-fourth of all free-living flatworm taxa, this has led to a relatively high availability of nuclear ITS and 18S/28S rDNA sequences on GenBank. In a comparison of the effectiveness in species assignment we conclude that mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal markers perform equally well. In case intraspecific information is needed, rDNA sequences can guide the selection of the appropriate (i.e. taxon-specific COI primers if available.

  8. Gyrodactylus salinae n. sp. (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea infecting the south European toothcarp Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes (Teleostei, Cyprinodontidae from a hypersaline environment in Italy

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    Huyse Tine

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Historically, non-native species of Gambusia (Poeciliidae have been used to control larval stages of the Asian tiger mosquito, Stegomyia albopicta Reinert, Harbach et Kitching, 2004 throughout Italy. The potential utility of indigenous populations of Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae as an appropriate alternative biological control is currently being explored. A sub-sample of ten fish collected from Cervia Saline, Italy (salinity 65 ppt; 30°C to assess their reproductive capability in captivity, harboured a moderate infection of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea. A subsequent morphological and molecular study identified this as being a new species. Results Gyrodactylus salinae n. sp. is described from the skin, fins and gills of A. fasciatus. Light and scanning electron microscopical (SEM examination of the opisthaptoral armature and their comparison with all other recorded species suggested morphological similarities to Gyrodactylus rugiensoides Huyse et Volckaert, 2002 from Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas. Features of the ventral bar, however, permit its discrimination from G. rugiensoides. Sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 and the 5.8S rRNA gene and a comparison with all species listed in GenBank confirmed they are unique and represent a new species (most similar to Gyrodactylus anguillae Ergens, 1960, 8.3% pair-wise distance based on 5.8S+ITS2. This represents the first species of Gyrodactylus to be described from Aphanius and, to date, has the longest ITS1 (774 bp sequenced from any Gyrodactylus. Additional sampling of Cervia Saline throughout the year, found G. salinae n. sp. to persist in conditions ranging from 35 ppt and 5°C in December to 65 ppt and 30°C in July, while in captivity a low level of infection was present, even in freshwater conditions (0 ppt. Conclusions The ability of G. salinae n. sp. to tolerate a wide

  9. Immunoenzymatic visualization of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in Cephalothrix species (Nemertea: Anopla: Palaeonemertea: Cephalotrichidae) and Planocera reticulata (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria: Polycladida: Planoceridae).

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    Tanu, Mohosena Begum; Mahmud, Yahia; Arakawa, Osamu; Takatani, Tomohiro; Kajihara, Hiroshi; Kawatsu, Kentaro; Hamano, Yonekazu; Asakawa, Manabu; Miyazawa, Keisuke; Noguchi, Tamao

    2004-10-01

    Tetrodotoxin (TTX) was localized as brown color in different tissues of an undescribed species of the nemertean genus Cephalothrix (phylum Nemertea) and a turbellarian Planocera reticulata (phylum Platyhelminthes) on light microscopy by means of a monoclonal anti-TTX antibody. In the Cephalothrix sp., TTX was recognized in the vesicles apically arranged in the bacillary cells in the epidermis, basal lamina, the granular cells in the proboscis epithelium, rhynchocoel epithelium, and the vesicles in the basal portion of the intestinal wall near the blood vessels and rhynchocoel. The excretory system and the ovum also showed positive reaction of TTX antigen-antibody. On the other hand, the hermaphrodite flatworm P. reticulata exhibited TTX antigen-antibody complex only in their ovum. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental effort on micro-distribution of TTX in invertebrates.

  10. HISTOPATOLOGI INSANG IKAN PATIN SIAM (Pangasius hypophthalmus YANG TERINFESTASI TREMATODA MONOGENEA

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    Ida Ayu N. S. Utami

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Ikan patin siam (Pangasius hypophthalmus yang terinfestasi parasit trematoda monogenea tidak mudah dikenali gejala klinisnya secara spesifik, mengingat parasit ini menyerang organ insang. Infeksi parasit ini dapat menyebabkan kematian ikan sehingga sangat merugikan budidaya ikan patin siam. Tujuan penelitian adalah memberikan informasi secara histopatologi tentang perubahan jaringan insang ikan patin siam yang terinfestasi parasit trematoda monogenea. Penelitian ini diawali dengan pemeriksaan natif insang patin siam yang terinfestasi parasit trematoda monogenea dan dilanjutkan dengan pemeriksaan histopatologi. Pengambilan sampel ikan patin siam dilakukan sebanyak dua kali pada Mei dan Oktober 2015 di beberapa kolam budidaya. Pengamatan sampel dilakukan secara mikroskopik di Laboratorium Balai Karantina Ikan, Pengendalian Mutu dan Keamanan Hasil Perikanan, Palembang. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dari total 150 sampel yang diamati terdapat 35 sampel atau kasus insang ikan yang terinfestasi parasit trematoda monogenea yaitu: masing-masing sebanyak 10 sampel diperoleh pada Mei dan 25 sampel pada Oktober. Pemeriksaan patologi terhadap organ insang yang terinfestasi trematoda monogenea menunjukkan bahwa lamella insang mengalami pembengkakan dan berwarna merah pucat. Parasit trematoda monogenea pada insang atau yang lebih dikenal dengan cacing insang memiliki panjang tubuh berkisar antara 0,7-0,9 mm dengan lebar 0,05-0,10 mm. Pengamatan histopatologi menunjukkan bahwa jaringan insang yang terinfestasi parasit trematoda monogenea ditandai adanya perubahan yang konsisten, yaitu hiperplasia tulang rawan hyalin, proliferasi sel mukus, hiperplasia lamella sekunder, dan fusi lamella sekunder. Perubahan ini dapat mengakibatkan kematian pada ikan akibat kekurangan oksigen dan perubahan osmoregulasi ion dalam tubuh ikan. The gills of striped catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus infested with parasitic trematodes monogenea are not easy to observe specifically

  11. Actin expression in some Platyhelminthe species.

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    Fagotti, A; Panara, F; Di Rosa, I; Simoncelli, F; Gabbiani, G; Pascolini, R

    1994-10-01

    Actin expression in some Platyhelminthe species was demonstrated by western-blotting and immunocytochemical analysis using two distinct anti-actin antibodies: the anti-total actin that reacts against all actin isoforms of higher vertebrates and the anti-alpha SM-1 that recognizes the alpha-smooth muscle (alpha SM) isotype of endothermic vertebrates (Skalli et al., 1986). Western-blotting experiments showed that all species tested, including some free-living Platyhelminthes (Tricladida and Rhabdocoela) and the parasitic Fasciola hepatica, were stained by anti-total actin antibody while only Dugesidae and Dendrocoelidae showed a positive immunoreactivity against anti-alpha SM-1. These results were confirmed by cytochemical immunolocalization using both avidin biotin conjugated peroxidase reaction on paraffin sections, and immunogold staining on Lowicryl 4KM embedded specimens. Our findings may contribute to the understanding of Platyhelminthes phylogeny.

  12. Substantial Loss of Conserved and Gain of Novel MicroRNA Families in Flatworms

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    Fromm, Bastian; Worren, Merete Molton; Hahn, Christoph; Hovig, Eivind; Bachmann, Lutz

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies on microRNA (miRNA) evolution focused mainly on the comparison of miRNA complements between animal clades. However, evolution of miRNAs within such groups is poorly explored despite the availability of comparable data that in some cases lack only a few key taxa. For flatworms (Platyhelminthes), miRNA complements are available for some free-living flatworms and all major parasitic lineages, except for the Monogenea. We present the miRNA complement of the monogenean flatworm Gyrodactylus salaris that facilitates a comprehensive analysis of miRNA evolution in Platyhelminthes. Using the newly designed bioinformatics pipeline miRCandRef, the miRNA complement was disentangled from next-generation sequencing of small RNAs and genomic DNA without a priori genome assembly. It consists of 39 miRNA hairpin loci of conserved miRNA families, and 22 novel miRNAs. A comparison with the miRNA complements of Schmidtea mediterranea (Turbellaria), Schistosoma japonicum (Trematoda), and Echinococcus granulosus (Cestoda) reveals a substantial loss of conserved bilaterian, protostomian, and lophotrochozoan miRNAs. Eight of the 46 expected conserved miRNAs were lost in all flatworms, 16 in Neodermata and 24 conserved miRNAs could not be detected in the cestode and the trematode. Such a gradual loss of miRNAs has not been reported before for other animal phyla. Currently, little is known about miRNAs in Platyhelminthes, and for the majority of the lost miRNAs there is no prediction of function. As suggested earlier they might be related to morphological simplifications. The presence and absence of 153 conserved miRNAs was compared for platyhelminths and 32 other metazoan taxa. Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Platyhelminthes (Turbellaria + Neodermata [Monogenea {Trematoda + Cestoda}]). PMID:24025793

  13. Phylum Verrucomicrobia representatives share a compartmentalized cell plan with members of bacterial phylum Planctomycetes

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    Romeo Tony

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The phylum Verrucomicrobia is a divergent phylum within domain Bacteria including members of the microbial communities of soil and fresh and marine waters; recently extremely acidophilic members from hot springs have been found to oxidize methane. At least one genus, Prosthecobacter, includes species with genes homologous to those encoding eukaryotic tubulins. A significant superphylum relationship of Verrucomicrobia with members of phylum Planctomycetes possessing a unique compartmentalized cell plan, and members of the phylum Chlamydiae including human pathogens with a complex intracellular life cycle, has been proposed. Based on the postulated superphylum relationship, we hypothesized that members of the two separate phyla Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia might share a similar ultrastructure plan differing from classical prokaryote organization. Results The ultrastructure of cells of four members of phylum Verrucomicrobia – Verrucomicrobium spinosum, Prosthecobacter dejongeii, Chthoniobacter flavus, and strain Ellin514 – was examined using electron microscopy incorporating high-pressure freezing and cryosubstitution. These four members of phylum Verrucomicrobia, representing 3 class-level subdivisions within the phylum, were found to possess a compartmentalized cell plan analogous to that found in phylum Planctomycetes. Like all planctomycetes investigated, they possess a major pirellulosome compartment containing a condensed nucleoid and ribosomes surrounded by an intracytoplasmic membrane (ICM, as well as a ribosome-free paryphoplasm compartment between the ICM and cytoplasmic membrane. Conclusion A unique compartmentalized cell plan so far found among Domain Bacteria only within phylum Planctomycetes, and challenging our concept of prokaryote cell plans, has now been found in a second phylum of the Domain Bacteria, in members of phylum Verrucomicrobia. The planctomycete cell plan thus occurs in at least two

  14. Sperm transfer in monogenean (platyhelminth) parasites.

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    Kearn, Graham; Whittington, Ian

    2015-12-01

    There are three major groups of parasitic platyhelminths (flatworms). The digeneans and cestodes are endoparasites, while the monogeneans are ectoparasites mostly on the gills or skin of fishes. Monogeneans are hermaphrodite and, with the exception of the gyrodactylids, mostly protandrous, the male reproductive system maturing before the female system. Their ectoparasitic life-style provides unique opportunities to observe the reproductive biology of living platyhelminths, opportunities restricted in digeneans and cestodes by their endoparasitic habits. Moreover, the male copulatory organs (MCOs) of monogeneans are of special interest because of their perplexing diversity, ranging from sclerotised penis tubes, many with accessory sclerites, to cirruses and genital atrium armature (hooks and spines). The relatively few accounts in the literature of mating in monogeneans are reproduced in this review, together with consideration of the following aspects of sperm transfer: structure and function of MCOs; self-insemination; spermatophores and pseudospermatophores; "hypodermic" and transtegumental insemination; tissue fusion; glands associated with MCOs and vaginae; finding a mating partner.

  15. Dawestrema cycloancistrium (Monogenea) from the head pores of arapaimas

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Santos, C. P.; Da Silva, M.T.; Moravec, František

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 125, č. 2 (2017), s. 93-100 ISSN 0177-5103 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Amazonia * Arapaima gigas * Brazil * Freshwater fish * Monogenea * Parasite * Peru * Pirarucu Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine OBOR OECD: Veterinary science Impact factor: 1.549, year: 2016

  16. First record of Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea: Capsalidae in sea-farmed cobia (Rachycentron canadum in Brazil Primeiro registro de Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea: Capsalidae em cultivo de bijupirás (Rachycentron canadum no Brasil

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    Claudia Ehlers Kerber

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Neobenedenia melleni (MacCallum, 1927 (Monogenea is a widespread pathogen in marine teleost cultures all over the world. The present paper reports this parasite species in farmed cobia (Rachycentron canadum in Brazil, for the first time. Some comments on preventive actions for avoiding the disease are made.Neobenedenia melleni (MacCallum, 1927 (Monogenea é um patógeno amplamente distribuído em cultivo de teleósteos marinhos no mundo. Este estudo relata pela primeira vez essa espécie de parasito em cultivo de cobia, Rachycentron canadum, no Brasil. Comentários sobre prevenção para evitar a doença são discutidos.

  17. Comparative analysis of cystatin superfamily in platyhelminths.

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    Aijiang Guo

    Full Text Available The cystatin superfamily is comprised of cysteine proteinase inhibitors and encompasses at least 3 subfamilies: stefins, cystatins and kininogens. In this study, the platyhelminth cystatin superfamily was identified and grouped into stefin and cystatin subfamilies. The conserved domain of stefins (G, QxVxG was observed in all members of platyhelminth stefins. The three characteristics of cystatins, the cystatin-like domain (G, QxVxG, PW, a signal peptide, and one or two conserved disulfide bonds, were observed in platyhelminths, with the exception of cestodes, which lacked the conserved disulfide bond. However, it is noteworthy that cestode cystatins had two tandem repeated domains, although the second tandem repeated domain did not contain a cystatin-like domain, which has not been previously reported. Tertiary structure analysis of Taenia solium cystatin, one of the cestode cystatins, demonstrated that the N-terminus of T. solium cystatin formed a five turn α-helix, a five stranded β-pleated sheet and a hydrophobic edge, similar to the structure of chicken cystatin. Although no conserved disulfide bond was found in T. solium cystatin, the models of T. solium cystatin and chicken cystatin corresponded at the site of the first disulfide bridge of the chicken cystatin. However, the two models were not similar regarding the location of the second disulfide bridge of chicken cystatin. These results showed that T. solium cystatin and chicken cystatin had similarities and differences, suggesting that the biochemistry of T. solium cystatin could be similar to chicken cystatin in its inhibitory function and that it may have further functional roles. The same results were obtained for other cestode cystatins. Phylogenetic analysis showed that cestode cystatins constituted an independent clade and implied that cestode cystatins should be considered to have formed a new clade during evolution.

  18. A phylogenomic analysis of the bacterial phylum Fibrobacteres

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    Nurdyana eAbdul Rahman

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The Fibrobacteres has been recognized as a bacterial phylum for over a decade, but little is known about the group beyond its environmental distribution, and characterization of its sole cultured representative genus, Fibrobacter, after which the phylum was named. Based on these incomplete data, it is thought that cellulose hydrolysis, anaerobic metabolism, and lack of motility are unifying features of the phylum. There are also contradicting views as to whether an uncultured sister lineage, candidate phylum TG3, should be included in the Fibrobacteres. Recently, chitin-degrading cultured representatives of TG3 were obtained isolated from a hypersaline soda lake, and the genome of one species, Chitinivibrio alkaliphilus, sequenced and described in detail. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of Fibrobacter succinogenes, C. alkaliphilus and eight near or substantially complete Fibrobacteres/TG3 genomes of environmental populations recovered from termite gut, anaerobic digester, and sheep rumen metagenomes. We propose that TG3 should be amalgamated with the Fibrobacteres phylum based on robust monophyly of the two lineages and shared character traits. Polymer hydrolysis, using a distinctive set of glycoside hydrolases and binding domains, appears to be a prominent feature of members of the Fibrobacteres. Not all members of this phylum are strictly anaerobic as some termite gut Fibrobacteres have respiratory chains adapted to the microaerophilic conditions found in this habitat. Contrary to expectations, motility is is predicted to be an ancestral and common trait in this phylum and has only recently been lost in F. succinogenes and its relatives based on phylogenetic distribution of flagellar genes. Our findings extend current understanding of the Fibrobacteres and provide an improved basis for further investigation of this phylum.

  19. First record of Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea: Capsalidae) in sea-farmed cobia (Rachycentron canadum) in Brazil.

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    Kerber, Claudia Ehlers; Sanches, Eduardo Gomes; Santiago, Mauricio; Luque, José Luis

    2011-01-01

    Neobenedenia melleni (MacCallum, 1927) (Monogenea) is a widespread pathogen in marine teleost cultures all over the world. The present paper reports this parasite species in farmed cobia (Rachycentron canadum) in Brazil, for the first time. Some comments on preventive actions for avoiding the disease are made.

  20. Seasonal population dynamics of Zeuxapta seriolae (Monogenea: Heteraxinidae) parasitising Seriola dumerili (Carangidae) in the Western Mediterranean

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Repulles-Albelda, A.; Kostadinova, Aneta; Raga, J. A.; Montero, F. E.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 193, 1-3 (2013), s. 163-171 ISSN 0304-4017 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Zeuxapta seriolae * Seriola dumerili * Monogenea * Population dynamics * Western Mediterranean Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.545, year: 2013

  1. An overview of the Gyrodactylus (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) species parasitizing African catfishes, and their morphological and molecular diversity

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    Přikrylová, I.; Blažek, Radim; Vanhove, M. P. M.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 110, č. 3 (2012), s. 1185-1200 ISSN 0932-0113 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : Monogenea * South Africa * Lake Tanganyika * Cichlid fishes Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 2.852, year: 2012

  2. New dactylogyrids (Monogenea) parasitizing the gills of catfishes (Siluriformes) from the Amazon River basin in Peru

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    Mendoza-Franco, Edgar F.; Scholz, Tomáš

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 95, č. 4 (2009), s. 865-870 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Monogenea * taxonomy * fish * Neotropical Region * Ancyrocephalinae * redescriptions * Auchenipteridae * Pimelodidae Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.195, year: 2009

  3. Occurrence of Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes: Temnocephalida in Immatures of Kempnyia reticulata (Enderlein (Insecta: Plecoptera: Perlidae

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    Fernanda Avelino-Capistrano

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available First register of Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes: Temnocephalida in immature of Kempnyia reticulata (Enderlein (Plecoptera: Perlidae. The insects were collected in rivers of Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia, Santa Teresa, Espirito Santo, Brazil.

  4. Spermatozoa of tapeworms (Platyhelminthes, Eucestoda): advances in ultrastructural and phylogenetic studies

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Levron, Céline; Miquel, J.; Oros, Mikuláš; Scholz, Tomáš

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 85, č. 3 (2010), s. 523-543 ISSN 1464-7931 R&D Projects: GA ČR GP524/07/P039; GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : spermatozoon * spermiogenesis * ultrastructure * phylogeny * classification * Eucestoda * Platyhelminthes * tapeworm Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 6.574, year: 2010

  5. Lineage-specific expansion and loss of tyrosinase genes across platyhelminths and their induction profiles in the carcinogenic oriental liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seon-Hee; Bae, Young-An

    2017-09-01

    Tyrosinase provides an essential activity during egg production in diverse platyhelminths by mediating sclerotization of eggshells. In this study, we investigated the genomic and evolutionary features of tyrosinases in parasitic platyhelminths whose genomic information is available. A pair of paralogous tyrosinases was detected in most trematodes, whereas they were lost in cyclophyllidean cestodes. A pseudophyllidean cestode displaying egg biology similar to that of trematodes possessed an orthologous gene. Interestingly, one of the paralogous tyrosinases appeared to have been multiplied into three copies in Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini. In addition, a fifth tyrosinase gene that was minimally transcribed through all developmental stages was further detected in these opisthorchiid genomes. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the tyrosinase gene has undergone duplication at least three times in platyhelminths. The additional opisthorchiid gene arose from the first duplication. A paralogous copy generated from these gene duplications, except for the last one, seemed to be lost in the major neodermatans lineages. In C. sinensis, tyrosinase gene expressions were initiated following sexual maturation and the levels were significantly enhanced by the presence of O2 and bile. Taken together, our data suggest that tyrosinase has evolved lineage-specifically across platyhelminths related to its copy number and induction mechanism.

  6. Telomere analysis of platyhelminths and acanthocephalans by FISH and Southern hybridizatio

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bombarová, M.; Vítková, Magda; Špakulová, M.; Koubková, B.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 11 (2009), s. 897-903 ISSN 0831-2796 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/06/1860 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GA524/07/1610; AV ČR(CZ) KJB501410901; Slovak grant agency VEGA(SK) 2/0148/09 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : Acanthocephala * Platyhelminthes * chromosomes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.709, year: 2009

  7. [A novel archaeal phylum: thaumarchaeota--a review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Limei; He, Jizheng

    2012-04-04

    Based on the archaeal 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree, the archaeal domain is divided into two major phyla, Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. During the past 20 years, diverse groups of archaea have been found to be widely distributed in moderate environments with the rapid development and application of molecular techniques in microbial ecology. Increasing evidence demonstrated that these archaea, especially ammonia-oxidizing archaea, play a major role in biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and carbon elements. These mesophilic archaea were placed initially as a sister group of the Crenarchaeota and named as "non-thermophilic Crenarchaeota". More recently, phylogenetic analyses based on more SSU and SLU rDNA sequences suggested that the non-thermophilic Crenarchaeota constituted a separate phylum of the Archaea that branched off before the separation of Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. The Thaumarchaeota (the Greek "Thaumas", meaning wonder) was therefore proposed for a novel phylum, as the third archaeal phylum. More studies based on r-proteins and comparative genomics confirm that the Thaumarchaeota are distinct from Crenarchaeota. In this paper, we gave a translated Chinese name for Thaumarchaeota and reviewed the recent progress on the phylogeny position, genetics, ecology and physiology of the Thaumarchaeota.

  8. Evolutionary processes involved in the diversification of chelonian and mammal polystomatid parasites (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Polystomatidae) revealed by palaeoecology of their hosts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Héritier, Laurent; Badets, Mathieu; Du Preez, Louis H; Aisien, Martins S O; Lixian, Fan; Combes, Claude; Verneau, Olivier

    2015-11-01

    Polystomatid flatworms (Platyhelminthes) are monogenean parasites that infect exclusively aquatic or semi-aquatic sarcopterygians such as the Australian lungfish, amphibians, freshwater turtles and the African common hippopotamus. Previous studies on the phylogenetic relationships of these parasites, excluding Oculotrema hippopotami infecting common hippos, showed a global coevolution between hosts and their parasites at a macroevolutionary scale. These studies also demonstrated a strong correlation between the diversification of early neobatrachian polystomes and Gondwana breakup in the Mesozoic period. However the origin of chelonian polystomes is still in question as a switch from presumably primitive aquatic amniotes to turtles at the time of their first appearance, or soon after during their radiation, was assumed. In order to resolve this sticking point, we extended the phylogeny of polystomes with broader parasite sampling, i.e. 55 polystome species including Nanopolystoma tinsleyi a polystome infecting caecilians and O. hippopotami, and larger set of sequence data covering two nuclear and two mitochondrial genes coding for the ribosomal RNA 18S and 28S, the Cytochrome c Oxidase I and the ribosomal RNA 12S, respectively. The secondary structure of nuclear rRNAs genes (stems and loops) was taken into account for sequence alignments and Bayesian analyses were performed based on the appropriate models of evolution selected independently for the four designed partitions. Molecular calibrations were also conducted for dating the main speciation events in the polystome tree. The phylogenetic position of chelonian parasites that are phylogenetically closer to N. tinsleyi than all other amphibian polystomes and molecular time estimates suggest that these parasites originated following a switch from caecilians, at a geological period when primitive turtles may already have adapted to an aquatic life style, i.e. at about 178Million years ago, or a little later when

  9. Quorum sensing: an under-explored phenomenon in the phylum Actinobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashish Vasant Polkade

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Quorum sensing is known to play a major role in the regulation of secondary metabolite production, especially antibiotics, and morphogenesis in the phylum Actinobacteria. Although it is one of the largest bacterial phylum, only 25 of the 342 genera have been reported to use quorum sensing. Of these, only nine have accompanying experimental evidence; the rest are only known through bioinformatic analysis of gene/genome sequences. It is evident that this important communication mechanism is not extensively explored in Actinobacteria. In this review, we summarize the different quorum sensing systems while identifying the limitations of the existing screening strategies and addressing the improvements that have taken place in this field in recent years. The γ-butyrolactone system turned out to be almost exclusively limited to this phylum. In addition, methylenomycin furans, AI-2 and other putative AHL-like signaling molecules are also reported in Actinobacteria. The lack of existing screening systems in detecting minute quantities and of a wider range of signaling molecules was a major reason behind the limited information available on quorum sensing in this phylum. However, recent improvements in screening strategies hold a promising future and are likely to increase the discovery of new signaling molecules. Further, the quorum quenching ability in many Actinobacteria has a great potential in controlling the spread of plant and animal pathogens. A systematic and coordinated effort is required to screen and exploit the enormous potential that quorum sensing in the phylum Actinobacteria has to offer for human benefit.

  10. Staining of Platyhelminthes by herbal dyes: An eco-friendly technique for the taxonomist

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niranjan Kumar

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Aim: An environment compatible technique to stain Platyhelminthes, Fasciola gigantica, Gastrothylax crumenifer, Taenia solium, and Moniezia expansa using aqueous and alcoholic extract of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, China rose (Hibiscus rosasinensis, and red rose (Rosa hybrida were described to minimized the deleterious effects of the synthetic dyes. Materials and Methods: Aqueous/ethanolic extracts of roses were extracted from the flowers while red beet was extracted from the roots. Results: Stained helminthes acquired a comparable level of pigmentation with the distinction of their internal structure in these natural dyes. The flukes (liver and rumen internal structure, oral and ventral/posterior sucker, cirrus sac, gravid uterus, testes, ovary, and vitallaria were appeared pink color in aqueous and alcoholic extract of either China or red rose and yellow to brown color in sugar beet stain. The interior of the proglottid of T. solium and M. expansa took yellow to brown color with good contrast in sugar beet stain and of pink to pink-red in China and red rose stain. Conclusion: The extract of roses (red rose followed by China rose followed by red beet possess the potential to replace the conventional stains in the taxonomic study of Platyhelminthes parasites.

  11. Dactylogyrids (Monogenea) parasitic on cichlids from northern Brazil, with description of two new species of Sciadicleithrum and new host and geographical records

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Paschoal, F.; Scholz, Tomáš; Tavares-Dias, M.; Luque, J.L.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 61, č. 1 (2016), s. 158-164 ISSN 1230-2821 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Monogenea * Dactylogyridae * Sciadicleithrum * Cichlidae * Araguari River * Xingu River * neotropics Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.160, year: 2016

  12. New species and geographical records of dactylogyrids (Monogenea) of catfish (Siluriformes) from the Peruvian Amazonia

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mendoza-Palmero, Carlos Alonso; Scholz, Tomáš; Mendoza-Franco, E. F.; Kuchta, Roman

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 98, č. 3 (2012), s. 484-497 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522; GA ČR GBP505/12/G112; GA ČR GD206/09/H026 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : PARANA RIVER FLOODPLAIN * DEMIDOSPERMUS DACTYLOGYRIDAE * NEOTROPICAL MONOGENEA * ALINEMA-AMAZONICUM * TAPEWORMS CESTODA * GEN N * ANCYROCEPHALINAE * FISHES * BRAZIL * GILLS Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.321, year: 2012 http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1645/GE-2941.1

  13. Quadriacanthus species (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) from catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) in eastern Africa: new species, new records and first insights into interspecific genetic relationships

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Francová, K.; Seifertová, M.; Blažek, Radim; Gelnar, M.; Mahmoud, Z. N.; Řehulková, E.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 10, č. 361 (2017), č. článku 361. ISSN 1756-3305 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Monogenea * Dactylogyridae * Quadriacanthus * Siluriformes * Catfishes * Africa * Lake Turkana * Nile River Basin * New species * DNA Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Parasitology Impact factor: 3.080, year: 2016

  14. Monogeneans from Pangasiidae (Siluriformes in Southeast Asia : VI. Pangasitrema camillae n. g., n. sp. (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae, from Pangasius polyuranodon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pariselle A.

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius polyuranodon Bleeker, 1852 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae in Indonesia revealed the presence of a new species of Monogenea, belonging to a new genus : Pangasitrema camillae n. g., n. sp. (Ancylodiscoididae. Among Ancylodiscoididae, the genus has several distinguishing features : the reduced size of the haptor, the morphology and size of gripi, the absence of a ventral transversal bar and of a cuneus associated with dorsal gripi.

  15. Differential expression of disulfide reductase enzymes in a free-living platyhelminth (Dugesia dorotocephala.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Guevara-Flores

    Full Text Available A search of the disulfide reductase activities expressed in the adult stage of the free-living platyhelminth Dugesia dorotocephala was carried out. Using GSSG or DTNB as substrates, it was possible to obtain a purified fraction containing both GSSG and DTNB reductase activities. Through the purification procedure, both disulfide reductase activities were obtained in the same chromatographic peak. By mass spectrometry analysis of peptide fragments obtained after tryptic digestion of the purified fraction, the presence of glutathione reductase (GR, thioredoxin-glutathione reductase (TGR, and a putative thioredoxin reductase (TrxR was detected. Using the gold compound auranofin to selectively inhibit the GSSG reductase activity of TGR, it was found that barely 5% of the total GR activity in the D. dorotocephala extract can be assigned to GR. Such strategy did allow us to determine the kinetic parameters for both GR and TGR. Although It was not possible to discriminate DTNB reductase activity due to TrxR from that of TGR, a chromatofocusing experiment with a D. dorotocephala extract resulted in the obtention of a minor protein fraction enriched in TrxR, strongly suggesting its presence as a functional protein. Thus, unlike its parasitic counterparts, in the free-living platyhelminth lineage the three disulfide reductases are present as functional proteins, albeit TGR is still the major disulfide reductase involved in the reduction of both Trx and GSSG. This fact suggests the development of TGR in parasitic flatworms was not linked to a parasitic mode of life.

  16. New species of Ameloblastella Kritsky, Mendoza-Franco & Scholz, 2000 and Cosmetocleithrum Kritsky, Thatcher & Boeger, 1986 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) infecting the gills of catfishes (Siluriformes) from the Peruvian Amazonia

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mendoza-Franco, E. F.; Mendoza-Palmero, C. A.; Scholz, Tomáš

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 93, č. 9 (2016), s. 847-862 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : neotropical Monogenea * Ancyrocephalinae * Pimelodidae * redescription * proposal * Brazil Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.181, year: 2016

  17. The repertoire of G protein-coupled receptors in the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni and the model organism Schmidtea mediterranea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zamanian Mostafa

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs constitute one of the largest groupings of eukaryotic proteins, and represent a particularly lucrative set of pharmaceutical targets. They play an important role in eukaryotic signal transduction and physiology, mediating cellular responses to a diverse range of extracellular stimuli. The phylum Platyhelminthes is of considerable medical and biological importance, housing major pathogens as well as established model organisms. The recent availability of genomic data for the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni and the model planarian Schmidtea mediterranea paves the way for the first comprehensive effort to identify and analyze GPCRs in this important phylum. Results Application of a novel transmembrane-oriented approach to receptor mining led to the discovery of 117 S. mansoni GPCRs, representing all of the major families; 105 Rhodopsin, 2 Glutamate, 3 Adhesion, 2 Secretin and 5 Frizzled. Similarly, 418 Rhodopsin, 9 Glutamate, 21 Adhesion, 1 Secretin and 11 Frizzled S. mediterranea receptors were identified. Among these, we report the identification of novel receptor groupings, including a large and highly-diverged Platyhelminth-specific Rhodopsin subfamily, a planarian-specific Adhesion-like family, and atypical Glutamate-like receptors. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out following extensive gene curation. Support vector machines (SVMs were trained and used for ligand-based classification of full-length Rhodopsin GPCRs, complementing phylogenetic and homology-based classification. Conclusions Genome-wide investigation of GPCRs in two platyhelminth genomes reveals an extensive and complex receptor signaling repertoire with many unique features. This work provides important sequence and functional leads for understanding basic flatworm receptor biology, and sheds light on a lucrative set of anthelmintic drug targets.

  18. Phylogeny and molecular signatures for the phylum Thermotogae and its subgroups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Radhey S; Bhandari, Vaibhav

    2011-06-01

    Thermotogae species are currently identified mainly on the basis of their unique toga and distinct branching in the rRNA and other phylogenetic trees. No biochemical or molecular markers are known that clearly distinguish the species from this phylum from all other bacteria. The taxonomic/evolutionary relationships within this phylum, which consists of a single family, are also unclear. We report detailed phylogenetic analyses on Thermotogae species based on concatenated sequences for many ribosomal as well as other conserved proteins that identify a number of distinct clades within this phylum. Additionally, comprehensive analyses of protein sequences from Thermotogae genomes have identified >60 Conserved Signature Indels (CSI) that are specific for the Thermotogae phylum or its different subgroups. Eighteen CSIs in important proteins such as PolI, RecA, TrpRS and ribosomal proteins L4, L7/L12, S8, S9, etc. are uniquely present in various Thermotogae species and provide molecular markers for the phylum. Many CSIs were specific for a number of Thermotogae subgroups. Twelve of these CSIs were specific for a clade consisting of various Thermotoga species except Tt. lettingae, which was separated from other Thermotoga species by a long branch in phylogenetic trees; Fourteen CSIs were specific for a clade consisting of the Fervidobacterium and Thermosipho genera and eight additional CSIs were specific for the genus Thermosipho. In addition, the existence of a clade consisting of the deep branching species Petrotoga mobilis, Kosmotoga olearia and Thermotogales bacterium mesG1 was supported by seven CSIs. The deep branching of this clade was also supported by a number of CSIs that were present in various Thermotogae species, but absent in this clade and all other bacteria. Most of these clades were strongly supported by phylogenetic analyses based on two datasets of protein sequences and they identify potential higher taxonomic grouping (viz. families) within this phylum

  19. Application of Computational Methods in Planaria Research: A Current Update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghosh Shyamasree

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Planaria is a member of the Phylum Platyhelminthes including flatworms. Planarians possess the unique ability of regeneration from adult stem cells or neoblasts and finds importance as a model organism for regeneration and developmental studies. Although research is being actively carried out globally through conventional methods to understand the process of regeneration from neoblasts, biology of development, neurobiology and immunology of Planaria, there are many thought provoking questions related to stem cell plasticity, and uniqueness of regenerative potential in Planarians amongst other members of Phylum Platyhelminthes. The complexity of receptors and signalling mechanisms, immune system network, biology of repair, responses to injury are yet to be understood in Planaria. Genomic and transcriptomic studies have generated a vast repository of data, but their availability and analysis is a challenging task. Data mining, computational approaches of gene curation, bioinformatics tools for analysis of transcriptomic data, designing of databases, application of algorithms in deciphering changes of morphology by RNA interference (RNAi approaches, understanding regeneration experiments is a new venture in Planaria research that is helping researchers across the globe in understanding the biology. We highlight the applications of Hidden Markov models (HMMs in designing of computational tools and their applications in Planaria decoding their complex biology.

  20. Discovery and molecular characterization of a Bcl-2–regulated cell death pathway in schistosomes

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Erinna F.; Clarke, Oliver B.; Evangelista, Marco; Feng, Zhiping; Speed, Terence P.; Tchoubrieva, Elissaveta B.; Strasser, Andreas; Kalinna, Bernd H.; Colman, Peter M.; Fairlie, W. Douglas

    2011-01-01

    Schistosomiasis is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the phylum platyhelminthe. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a Bcl-2–regulated apoptosis pathway in Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni. Genomic, biochemical, and cell-based mechanistic studies provide evidence for a tripartite pathway, similar to that in humans including BH3-only proteins that are inhibited by prosurvival Bcl-2–like molecules, and Bax/Bak-like proteins that facilitate mitochondrial ou...

  1. Checklist of sea turtles endohelminth in Neotropical region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Werneck M. R.

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a list of parasites described in sea turtles from the Neotropical region. Through the review of literature the occurrence of 79 taxa of helminthes parasites were observed, mostly consisting of the Phylum Platyhelminthes with 76 species distributed in 14 families and 2 families of the Phylum Nematoda within 3 species. Regarding the parasite records, the most studied host was the green turtle (Chelonia mydas followed by the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata, olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea, loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta and leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea. Overall helminths were reported in 12 countries and in the Caribbean Sea region. This checklist is the largest compilation of data on helminths found in sea turtles in the Neotropical region.

  2. A new species of Diaphorocleidus (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalinae) from the gills of Argonectes robertsi (Characiformes) and new records of dactylogyrids parasitic on fishes from the Xingu River, Amazon Basin, Brazil

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Moreira, J.; Scholz, Tomáš; Luque, J.L.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 33, č. 4 (2016), č. článku e20160022. ISSN 1984-4670 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Dactylogyridae * Hemiodontidae * Monogenea * Neotropics * Xingu River Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.584, year: 2015

  3. An annotated list of parasites (Isopoda, Copepoda, Monogenea, Digenea, Cestoda and Nematoda) collected in groupers (Serranidae, Epinephelinae) in New Caledonia emphasizes parasite biodiversity in coral reef fish

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Justine, J.-L.; Beveridge, I.; Boxshall, G.A.; Bray, R. A.; Moravec, František; Trilles, J.-P.; Whittington, I.D.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 4 (2010), s. 237-262 ISSN 0015-5683 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Isopoda * Copepoda * Monogenea * Digenea * Cestoda * Nematoda * Serranidae * Epinephelinae * parasite biodiversity * coral reef * New Caledonia Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.533, year: 2010

  4. Complete genome of Ignavibacterium album, a metabolically versatile, flagellated, facultative anaerobe from the phylum Chlorobi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenfeng eLiu

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Prior to the recent discovery of Ignavibacterium album (I. album, anaerobic photoautotrophic green sulfur bacteria (GSB were the only cultivated members of the bacterial phylum Chlorobi. In contrast to GSB, sequence analysis of the 3.7-Mbp genome of I. album shows that this recently described member of the phylum Chlorobi is a chemoheterotroph with a versatile metabolism. I. album lacks genes for photosynthesis and sulfur oxidation but has a full set of genes for flagella and chemotaxis. The occurrence of genes for multiple electron transfer complexes suggests that I. album is capable of organoheterotrophy under both oxic and anoxic conditions. The occurrence of genes encoding enzymes for CO2 fixation as well as other enzymes of the reductive TCA cycle suggests that mixotrophy may be possible under certain growth conditions. However, known biosynthetic pathways for several amino acids are incomplete; this suggests that I. album is dependent upon on exogenous sources of these metabolites or employs novel biosynthetic pathways. Comparisons of I. album and other members of the phylum Chlorobi suggest that the physiology of the ancestors of this phylum might have been quite different from that of modern GSB.

  5. The Echinococcus canadensis (G7) genome: a key knowledge of parasitic platyhelminth human diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado, Lucas L; Assis, Juliana; Araújo, Flávio M Gomes; Salim, Anna C M; Macchiaroli, Natalia; Cucher, Marcela; Camicia, Federico; Fox, Adolfo; Rosenzvit, Mara; Oliveira, Guilherme; Kamenetzky, Laura

    2017-02-27

    The parasite Echinococcus canadensis (G7) (phylum Platyhelminthes, class Cestoda) is one of the causative agents of echinococcosis. Echinococcosis is a worldwide chronic zoonosis affecting humans as well as domestic and wild mammals, which has been reported as a prioritized neglected disease by the World Health Organisation. No genomic data, comparative genomic analyses or efficient therapeutic and diagnostic tools are available for this severe disease. The information presented in this study will help to understand the peculiar biological characters and to design species-specific control tools. We sequenced, assembled and annotated the 115-Mb genome of E. canadensis (G7). Comparative genomic analyses using whole genome data of three Echinococcus species not only confirmed the status of E. canadensis (G7) as a separate species but also demonstrated a high nucleotide sequences divergence in relation to E. granulosus (G1). The E. canadensis (G7) genome contains 11,449 genes with a core set of 881 orthologs shared among five cestode species. Comparative genomics revealed that there are more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between E. canadensis (G7) and E. granulosus (G1) than between E. canadensis (G7) and E. multilocularis. This result was unexpected since E. canadensis (G7) and E. granulosus (G1) were considered to belong to the species complex E. granulosus sensu lato. We described SNPs in known drug targets and metabolism genes in the E. canadensis (G7) genome. Regarding gene regulation, we analysed three particular features: CpG island distribution along the three Echinococcus genomes, DNA methylation system and small RNA pathway. The results suggest the occurrence of yet unknown gene regulation mechanisms in Echinococcus. This is the first work that addresses Echinococcus comparative genomics. The resources presented here will promote the study of mechanisms of parasite development as well as new tools for drug discovery. The availability of a high

  6. Labelling of the platyhelminth dugesia tigrina with sup(99m) technetium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernardo Filho, M.; Pires, E.T.; Boasquevisque, E.M.; Hasson-Voloch, A.

    1989-01-01

    The study of the labelling of planaria with sup(99m)Tc shows that the incorporation of radioactivity in this platyhelminth increases with an increase in SnCl sub(2) concentration from 0.13 to 1.3 μM, reaching a plateau in the range of 1.3-130 μM them decreasing with 1300 μM. At concentrations of 1.3 and 13 μM SnCl sub(2), a stronger binding of sup(99m)Tc was obtained. The biological viability of the labelled planaria was not altered when the described methodology was used. The advantage of this new labelling technique is that it is possible to obtain a platyhjelminth preparation labelled with a radionuclide that is very cheap, is easily available and is a gamma emitter with a photon energy of 140 KeV. (author)

  7. Comparative Analysis of 35 Basidiomycete Genomes Reveals Diversity and Uniqueness of the Phylum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riley, Robert; Salamov, Asaf; Otillar, Robert; Fagnan, Kirsten; Boussau, Bastien; Brown, Daren; Henrissat, Bernard; Levasseur, Anthony; Held, Benjamin; Nagy, Laszlo; Floudas, Dimitris; Morin, Emmanuelle; Manning, Gerard; Baker, Scott; Martin, Francis; Blanchette, Robert; Hibbett, David; Grigoriev, Igor V.

    2013-03-11

    Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes symbionts, pathogens, and saprobes including wood decaying fungi. To better understand the diversity of this phylum we compared the genomes of 35 basidiomycete fungi including 6 newly sequenced genomes. The genomes of basidiomycetes span extremes of genome size, gene number, and repeat content. A phylogenetic tree of Basidiomycota was generated using the Phyldog software, which uses all available protein sequence data to simultaneously infer gene and species trees. Analysis of core genes reveals that some 48percent of basidiomycete proteins are unique to the phylum with nearly half of those (22percent) comprising proteins found in only one organism. Phylogenetic patterns of plant biomass-degrading genes suggest a continuum rather than a sharp dichotomy between the white rot and brown rot modes of wood decay among the members of Agaricomycotina subphylum. There is a correlation of the profile of certain gene families to nutritional mode in Agaricomycotina. Based on phylogenetically-informed PCA analysis of such profiles, we predict that that Botryobasidium botryosum and Jaapia argillacea have properties similar to white rot species, although neither has liginolytic class II fungal peroxidases. Furthermore, we find that both fungi exhibit wood decay with white rot-like characteristics in growth assays. Analysis of the rate of discovery of proteins with no or few homologs suggests the high value of continued sequencing of basidiomycete fungi.

  8. Phylogenetic Framework and Molecular Signatures for the Main Clades of the Phylum Actinobacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Beile

    2012-01-01

    Summary: The phylum Actinobacteria harbors many important human pathogens and also provides one of the richest sources of natural products, including numerous antibiotics and other compounds of biotechnological interest. Thus, a reliable phylogeny of this large phylum and the means to accurately identify its different constituent groups are of much interest. Detailed phylogenetic and comparative analyses of >150 actinobacterial genomes reported here form the basis for achieving these objectives. In phylogenetic trees based upon 35 conserved proteins, most of the main groups of Actinobacteria as well as a number of their superageneric clades are resolved. We also describe large numbers of molecular markers consisting of conserved signature indels in protein sequences and whole proteins that are specific for either all Actinobacteria or their different clades (viz., orders, families, genera, and subgenera) at various taxonomic levels. These signatures independently support the existence of different phylogenetic clades, and based upon them, it is now possible to delimit the phylum Actinobacteria (excluding Coriobacteriia) and most of its major groups in clear molecular terms. The species distribution patterns of these markers also provide important information regarding the interrelationships among different main orders of Actinobacteria. The identified molecular markers, in addition to enabling the development of a stable and reliable phylogenetic framework for this phylum, also provide novel and powerful means for the identification of different groups of Actinobacteria in diverse environments. Genetic and biochemical studies on these Actinobacteria-specific markers should lead to the discovery of novel biochemical and/or other properties that are unique to different groups of Actinobacteria. PMID:22390973

  9. A new species of Euzetia (Monogenea: Monocotylidae on the gills of Rhinoptera bonasus (Rhinopteridae from Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México Una especie nueva de Euzetia (Monogenea: Monocotylidae de las branquias de Rhinoptera bonasus (Rhinopteridae de Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México

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    Griselda Pulido-Flores

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Euzetia lamothei n. sp. (Monogenea: Euzetiinae is described from the gills of the stingray, Rhinoptera bonasus, collected from marine waters near Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico. The species is assigned to Euzetia Chisholm and Whittington, 2001 because it has a haptor with 10 peripheral loculi and 1 central loculus flanked by 2 lateral loculi. The species described herein can be distinguished from the only known member of the genus, E.occultum, by the morphology of the male copulatory organ, the vas deferens sigmoid, and the presence of a vaginal chamber. Euzetia lamothei n. sp. was found on 1 of 7 R.bonasus (14%. This species is the first record of a member of the genus from the neotropics, the first from Mexico, and the second report of a monocotylid from Rhinoptera.Se describe Euzetia lamothei n. sp. (Monogenea: Euzetiinae, parásito de la branquias de la mantarraya Rhinoptera bonasus, recolectada en Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, México. Los ejemplares se asignaron a Euzetia Chisholm y Whittington, 2001 porque presentan un haptor con 10 loculi periféricos y 1 loculus central flanqueado por 2 loculi laterales. La especie aquí descrita se distingue de E.occultum por la morfología del órgano copulador, el vaso deferente sigmoide y la presencia de una cámara vaginal. Euzetia lamothei n. sp. se encontró en 1 de 7 R.bonasus (14%. Esta especie representa el primer registro de un miembro del género en el neotrópico, además es el primer registro en México, y el segundo de un monocotílido de Rhinoptera.

  10. New data on species of Demidospermus (Dactylogyridae: Monogenea) parasitizing fishes from the reservoir of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Station, Paraná State, Brazil, with new synonymies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Simone C; Kohn, Anna

    2008-01-01

    Eight known species of Demidospermus (Dactylogyridae, Monogenea) were collected from siluriform fishes from reservoir of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Station, Paraná, Brazil. Four of them are recorded for the first time in Brazil, enlarging their geographical distribution: Demidospermus armostus, Demidospermus anus, Demidospermus bidiverticulatum and Demidospermus valenciennesi. Demidospermus labrosi is synonymized with Demidospermus cornicinus and Demidospermus mandi with Demidospermus leptosynophallus and reported from two new hosts. Demidospermus paravalenciennesi and Demidospermus uncusvalidus were also collected.

  11. Spermiogenesis and sperm ultrastructure in Calicotyle affinis Scott, 1911 (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Monopisthocotylea, Monocotylidae

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    Bruňanská M.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Spermatological characteristics of Calicotyle affinis Scott, 1911, an endoparasitic monocotylid monogenean from the cloaca of a holocephalan fish Chimaera monstrosa L, have been investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy for the first time. Spermiogenesis exhibits features basically similar to those of the congeneric Calicotyle kroyeri and Calicotyle australiensis, but there are some new findings with respect to the formation and fine structure of the spermatozoon including the remarkable complex end-piece (EP. Morphogenesis of the EP, which is located at the anterior (proximal region of the late spermatid, includes two stages: (1 the centriolar region is continuous with a cytoplasmic mass of the zone of differentiation, the electron-dense surface of the spermatid undergoes significant changes in the sculpturing and the inner core of developing spermatid is electron-lucent; (2 after central fusion of the arching membranes a definitive structure of the EP is subsequently evolved, finally comprising 3 – 4 electron-dense discs attached to a central common electron-lucent column. The EP is considered as a synapomorphy of the genera Calicotyle + Dictyocotyle. The mature spermatozoon of C. affinis comprises the EP, two parallel axonemes of almost equal lengths with the 9 + “1” trepaxonematan pattern, mitochondrion, nucleus, and a reduced number of parallel cortical microtubules (1 – 3. The posterior (distal extremity of the mature spematozoon contains a single tapering axoneme. Ultrastructural characteristics of the mature spermatozoon of C. affinis coincide mostly with those of congeneric C. australiensis. Variations of the spermatological characters within the genus Calicotyle, between Calicotyle and enigmatic Dictyocotyle as well as other monocotylid monogeneans are discussed.

  12. Co-Speciation of the Ectoparasite Gyrodactylus teuchis (Monogenea, Platyhelminthes and Its Salmonid Hosts.

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    Christoph Hahn

    Full Text Available Co-speciation is a fundamental concept of evolutionary biology and intuitively appealing, yet in practice hard to demonstrate as it is often blurred by other evolutionary processes. We investigate the phylogeographic history of the monogenean ectoparasites Gyrodactylus teuchis and G. truttae on European salmonids of the genus Salmo. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 were sequenced for 189 Gyrodactylus individuals collected from 50 localities, distributed across most major European river systems, from the Iberian- to the Balkan Peninsula. Despite both anthropogenic and naturally caused admixture of the principal host lineages among major river basins, co-phylogenetic analyses revealed significant global congruence for host and parasite phylogenies, providing firm support for co-speciation of G. teuchis and its salmonid hosts brown trout (S. trutta and Atlantic salmon (S. salar. The major split within G. teuchis, coinciding with the initial divergence of the hosts was dated to ~1.5 My BP, using a Bayesian framework based on an indirect calibration point obtained from the host phylogeny. The presence of G. teuchis in Europe thus predates some of the major Pleistocene glaciations. In contrast, G. truttae exhibited remarkably low intraspecific genetic diversity. Given the direct life cycle and potentially high transmission potential of gyrodactylids, this finding is interpreted as indication for a recent emergence (<60 ky BP of G. truttae via a host-switch. Our study thus suggests that instances of two fundamentally different mechanisms of speciation (co-speciation vs. host-switching may have occurred on the same hosts in Europe within a time span of less than 1.5 My in two gyrodactylid ectoparasite species.

  13. A new species of Polystomoides ward, 1917 (Monogenea: polystomatidae) from freshwater chelonians (Testudines: chelidae) in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Fabiano M; Novelli, Iara A; Sousa, Bernadete M; de SouzaLima, Sueli

    2008-06-01

    This report describes the first occurrence of Polystomoides brasiliensis n. sp. (Monogenea: Polystomatidae), a new monogenean species in the buccal and pharyngeal cavities of the freshwater turtles in Brazil. Live monogeneans were collected from Hydromedusa maximiliani and Phrynops geoffroanus at the Mariano Procópio Museum's lake, in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Polystomoides brasiliensis differs from all other species of this genus in having 8-9 genital spines, except for Polystomoides uruguayensis, which has 8-10 genital spines. However, the new species differs morphometrically from P. uruguayensis in the greater size of the outer and inner hamuli, as well as having a testis that is proportionally greater than the pharynx and oral sucker. The current study is the first report of monogeneans in chelonians of Brazil, and the first record of helminths in H. maximiliani.

  14. Analysis of five complete genome sequences for members of the class Peribacteria in the recently recognized Peregrinibacteria bacterial phylum

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    Karthik Anantharaman

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Five closely related populations of bacteria from the Candidate Phylum (CP Peregrinibacteria, part of the bacterial Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR, were sampled from filtered groundwater obtained from an aquifer adjacent to the Colorado River near the town of Rifle, CO, USA. Here, we present the first complete genome sequences for organisms from this phylum. These bacteria have small genomes and, unlike most organisms from other lineages in the CPR, have the capacity for nucleotide synthesis. They invest significantly in biosynthesis of cell wall and cell envelope components, including peptidoglycan, isoprenoids via the mevalonate pathway, and a variety of amino sugars including perosamine and rhamnose. The genomes encode an intriguing set of large extracellular proteins, some of which are very cysteine-rich and may function in attachment, possibly to other cells. Strain variation in these proteins is an important source of genotypic variety. Overall, the cell envelope features, combined with the lack of biosynthesis capacities for many required cofactors, fatty acids, and most amino acids point to a symbiotic lifestyle. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that these bacteria likely represent a new class within the Peregrinibacteria phylum, although they ultimately may be recognized as members of a separate phylum. We propose the provisional taxonomic assignment as ‘Candidatus Peribacter riflensis’, Genus Peribacter, Family Peribacteraceae, Order Peribacterales, Class Peribacteria in the phylum Peregrinibacteria.

  15. The survival of monogenean (platyhelminth) parasites on fish skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kearn, G C

    1999-01-01

    This review deals with the problems faced by those monogenean (platyhelminth) parasites that attach themselves to fish skin. The structure of the skin and the ways in which the posterior hook-bearing haptor achieves virtually permanent attachment to the skin are considered. Small marginal hooklets are specialized for attachment to superficial host epidermal cells, finding anchorage in the terminal web of keratinous tonofilaments, while large hooks (hamuli) may penetrate into and lodge in the collagenous dermis. The complementary roles of suction and sticky secretions in haptor attachment and the role of the pharynx in temporary attachment during feeding are also considered. During leech-like locomotion the haptor is briefly detached and, at this critical time, the anterior end is strongly fixed to the wet, current-swept and possibly slimy skin by a sticky secretion. This secretion is deployed on paired pads or discs, the latter sometimes backed up by suction. After attachment by the haptor is re-established, the special tegument covering the anterior adhesive areas may be instrumental in their instant release. The role of fish skin in the phenomenon of host specificity and in the generation of a defensive response against monogeneans is considered and site-specificity of parasites on the host's body is discussed. Possible selection pressures exerted by predatory 'cleaner' organisms are briefly evaluated.

  16. A phylum-level phylogenetic classification of zygomycete fungi based on genome-scale data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zygomycete fungi were classified as a single phylum, Zygomycota, based on sexual reproduction by zygospores, frequent asexual reproduction by sporangia, absence of multicellular sporocarps, and production of coenocytic hyphae, all with some exceptions. Molecular phylogenies based on one or a few gen...

  17. The Gut Microbiota of Healthy Chilean Subjects Reveals a High Abundance of the Phylum Verrucomicrobia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujio-Vejar, Sayaka; Vasquez, Yessenia; Morales, Pamela; Magne, Fabien; Vera-Wolf, Patricia; Ugalde, Juan A.; Navarrete, Paola; Gotteland, Martin

    2017-01-01

    The gut microbiota is currently recognized as an important factor regulating the homeostasis of the gastrointestinal tract and influencing the energetic metabolism of the host as well as its immune and central nervous systems. Determining the gut microbiota composition of healthy subjects is therefore necessary to establish a baseline allowing the detection of microbiota alterations in pathologic conditions. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to characterize the gut microbiota of healthy Chilean subjects using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fecal samples were collected from 41 young, asymptomatic, normal weight volunteers (age: 25 ± 4 years; ♀:48.8%; BMI: 22.5 ± 1.6 kg/m2) with low levels of plasma (IL6 and hsCRP) and colonic (fecal calprotectin) inflammatory markers. The V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of bacterial DNA was amplified and sequenced using MiSeq Illumina system. 109,180 ± 13,148 sequences/sample were obtained, with an α-diversity of 3.86 ± 0.37. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes (43.6 ± 9.2%) and Bacteroidetes (41.6 ± 13.1%), followed by Verrucomicrobia (8.5 ± 10.4%), Proteobacteria (2.8 ± 4.8%), Actinobacteria (1.8 ± 3.9%) and Euryarchaeota (1.4 ± 2.7%). The core microbiota representing the genera present in all the subjects included Bacteroides, Prevotella, Parabacteroides (phylum Bacteroidetes), Phascolarctobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lachnospira, Oscillospira, Blautia, Dorea, Roseburia, Coprococcus, Clostridium, Streptococcus (phylum Firmicutes), Akkermansia (phylum Verrucomicrobia), and Collinsella (phylum Actinobacteria). Butyrate-producing genera including Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Coprococcus, and Oscillospira were detected. The family Methanobacteriaceae was reported in 83% of the subjects and Desulfovibrio, the most representative sulfate-reducing genus, in 76%. The microbiota of the Chilean individuals significantly differed from those of Papua New Guinea and the Matses ethnic group and was closer to that of

  18. The Gut Microbiota of Healthy Chilean Subjects Reveals a High Abundance of the Phylum Verrucomicrobia

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    Sayaka Fujio-Vejar

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The gut microbiota is currently recognized as an important factor regulating the homeostasis of the gastrointestinal tract and influencing the energetic metabolism of the host as well as its immune and central nervous systems. Determining the gut microbiota composition of healthy subjects is therefore necessary to establish a baseline allowing the detection of microbiota alterations in pathologic conditions. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to characterize the gut microbiota of healthy Chilean subjects using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fecal samples were collected from 41 young, asymptomatic, normal weight volunteers (age: 25 ± 4 years; ♀:48.8%; BMI: 22.5 ± 1.6 kg/m2 with low levels of plasma (IL6 and hsCRP and colonic (fecal calprotectin inflammatory markers. The V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of bacterial DNA was amplified and sequenced using MiSeq Illumina system. 109,180 ± 13,148 sequences/sample were obtained, with an α-diversity of 3.86 ± 0.37. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes (43.6 ± 9.2% and Bacteroidetes (41.6 ± 13.1%, followed by Verrucomicrobia (8.5 ± 10.4%, Proteobacteria (2.8 ± 4.8%, Actinobacteria (1.8 ± 3.9% and Euryarchaeota (1.4 ± 2.7%. The core microbiota representing the genera present in all the subjects included Bacteroides, Prevotella, Parabacteroides (phylum Bacteroidetes, Phascolarctobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lachnospira, Oscillospira, Blautia, Dorea, Roseburia, Coprococcus, Clostridium, Streptococcus (phylum Firmicutes, Akkermansia (phylum Verrucomicrobia, and Collinsella (phylum Actinobacteria. Butyrate-producing genera including Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Coprococcus, and Oscillospira were detected. The family Methanobacteriaceae was reported in 83% of the subjects and Desulfovibrio, the most representative sulfate-reducing genus, in 76%. The microbiota of the Chilean individuals significantly differed from those of Papua New Guinea and the Matses ethnic group and was closer to

  19. Especie nueva de Haliotrema Johnston y Tiegs, 1922 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae de las branquias de Lactophrys polygonia (Pisces: Ostracidae de la Bahía de Mochima, Venezuela New species of Haliotrema Johnston et Tiegs, 1922 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae of the gills of Lactophrys polygonia (Pisces: Ostracidae of Mochima Bay, Venezuela

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    Yelitza M. Mago Guevara

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Se describe una especie nueva de Haliotrema (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae de las branquias del torito Lactophrys polygonia (Ostracidae, capturados en la Bahía de Mochima, al noreste de la costas de Venezuela. Prevalencia: 77.70%, intensidad: 70-100 e intensidad media: 85.80. Algunas de las características que permiten separar ésta de las otras especies del género Haliotrema, son: la estructura del complejo anclas/barras, el número de células prostáticas, la estructura y posición del complejo prostático, la forma y estructura de la vagina, la condición lobulada del testículo y especialmente la estructura del complejo copulador. Este complejo está constituido por un órgano copulador tubular, bipartido, con una pieza accesoria en forma de vela con el margen exterior engrosado, que recorre en espiral toda la extensión de la fracción distal de este órgano.A new species of Haliotrema (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae is described from the gills of the «torito» Lactoprhys polygonia (Ostraciodae, captured in Mochima Bay, northeast of the coast of Venezuela. Prevalence: 77.70%; intensity: 70-100; mean intensity: 85.80. Some of the characteristics that distinguish the new species are: the structure of the anchor/bar complex, the number of prostatic glands, the structure and position of the prostatic reservoir, the form and structure of the vagina, the presence of lobulate testicle, and especially the structure of the copulatory complex. The latter is formed by a tubular, bipartite copulatory organ, with a sail-shaped accessory piece with engrossed external margin, forming a spiral running all along the distal portion.

  20. Gill monogenean communities (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Dactylogyridae) of butterflyfishes from tropical Indo-West Pacific Islands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reverter, Miriam; Cutmore, Scott C; Bray, Rodney; Cribb, Thomas H; Sasal, Pierre

    2016-10-01

    We studied the monogenean communities of 34 species of butterflyfish from the tropical Indo-West Pacific, identifying 13 dactylogyrid species (including two species that are presently undescribed). Monogenean assemblages differed significantly between host species in terms of taxonomic structure, intensity and prevalence. Parasite richness ranged from 0 (Chaetodon lunulatus) to 11 (C. auriga, C. citrinellus and C. lunula). Host specificity varied between the dactylogyrids species, being found on 2-29 of the 34 chaetodontid species examined. Sympatric butterflyfish species were typically parasitized by different combinations of dactylogyrid species, suggesting the existence of complex host-parasite interactions. We identified six clusters of butterflyfish species based on the similarities of their dactylogyrid communities. Dactylogyrid richness and diversity were not related to host size, diet specialization, depth range or phylogeny of butterflyfish species. However, there was a weak positive correlation between monogenean richness and diversity and host geographical range. Most communities of dactylogyrids were dominated by Haliotrema aurigae and H. angelopterum, indicating the importance of the genus Haliotrema in shaping monogenean communities of butterflyfishes. This study casts light on the structure of the monogenean communities of butterflyfishes, suggesting that the diversity and complexity of community structures arises from a combination of host species-specific parameters.

  1. Cholinergic, serotoninergic and peptidergic components of the nervous system of Discocotyle sagittata (Monogenea:Polyopisthocotylea).

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    Cable, J; Marks, N J; Halton, D W; Shaw, C; Johnston, C F; Tinsley, R C; Gannicott, A M

    1996-12-01

    Cholinergic, serotoninergic (5-HT) and peptidergic neuronal pathways have been demonstrated in both central and peripheral nervous systems of adult Discocotyle sagittata, using enzyme histochemistry and indirect immunocytochemistry in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy. Antisera to 2 native flatworm neuropeptides, neuropeptide F and the FMRFamide-related peptide (FaRP), GNFFRFamide, were employed to detect peptide immunoreactivity. The CNS is composed of paired cerebral ganglia and connecting dorsal commissure, together with several paired longitudinal nerve cords. The main longitudinal nerve cords (lateral, ventral and dorsal) are interconnected at intervals by a series of annular cross-connectives, producing a ladder-like arrangement typical of the platyhelminth nervous system. At the level of the haptor, the ventral cords provide nerve roots which innervate each of the 9 clamps. Cholinergic and peptidergic neuronal organisation was similar, but distinct from that of the serotoninergic components. The PNS and reproductive system are predominantly innervated by peptidergic neurones.

  2. Complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal RNA operons of two species of Diplostomum (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda): a molecular resource for taxonomy and molecular epidemiology of important fish pathogens

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Brabec, Jan; Kostadinova, Aneta; Scholz, Tomáš; Littlewood, D. T. J.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 8, JUN 19 2015 (2015), s. 336 ISSN 1756-3305 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.30.0032; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-14198S Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010005 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Diplostomum (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) * fish pathogens * mitochondrial genome * ribosomal RNA * illumina next-generation sequencing * phylogeny Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 3.234, year: 2015

  3. First molecular data on the phylum Loricifera: an investigation into the phylogeny of ecdysozoa with emphasis on the positions of Loricifera and Priapulida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Joong-Ki; Rho, Hyun Soo; Kristensen, Reinhardt Møbjerg; Kim, Won; Giribet, Gonzalo

    2006-11-01

    Recent progress in molecular techniques has generated a wealth of information for phylogenetic analysis. Among metazoans all but a single phylum have been incorporated into some sort of molecular analysis. However, the minute and rare species of the phylum Loricifera have remained elusive to molecular systematists. Here we report the first molecular sequence data (nearly complete 18S rRNA) for a member of the phylum Loricifera, Pliciloricus sp. from Korea. The new sequence data were analyzed together with 52 other ecdysozoan sequences, with all other phyla represented by three or more sequences. The data set was analyzed using parsimony as an optimality criterion under direct optimization as well as using a Bayesian approach. The parsimony analysis was also accompanied by a sensitivity analysis. The results of both analyses are largely congruent, finding monophyly of each ecdysozoan phylum, except for Priapulida, in which the coelomate Meiopriapulus is separate from a clade of pseudocoelomate priapulids. The data also suggest a relationship of the pseudocoelomate priapulids to kinorhynchs, and a relationship of nematodes to tardigrades. The Bayesian analysis placed the arthropods as the sister group to a clade that includes tardigrades and nematodes. However, these results were shown to be parameter dependent in the sensitivity analysis. The position of Loricifera was extremely unstable to parameter variation, and support for a relationship of loriciferans to any particular ecdysozoan phylum was not found in the data.

  4. A new species of Cacatuocotyle (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae) parasitizing Astyanax spp. (Characiformes, Characidae) from Brazil, including molecular data and a key to species identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zago, Aline Cristina; Franceschini, Lidiane; Müller, Maria Isabel; Silva, Reinaldo José da

    2018-06-26

    The present study describes Cacatuocotyle papilionis n. sp. (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae) from the skin of the characid fishes Astyanax lacustris (Lütken, 1875) (=Astyanax altiparanae Garutti & Britski, 2000) and Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819) (Characiformes, Characidae) from the Southeast of Brazil, supported by morphological and molecular data. The new species differs from all congeners, mainly due to the morphology of the ventral bar (resembling a butterfly), accessory piece, and the number of rings of the male copulatory organ (MCO), comprising a coiled tube with 4.5-5.5 counterclockwise rings. The first molecular data for this monogenean genus is provided in this study, using the partial sequences of the ribosomal gene (28S), as well as providing an identification key to the species.

  5. Triloculotrema euzeti n. sp. (Monogenea, Monocotylidae from the nasal tissues of the blackspotted smooth-hound Mustelus punctulatus (Carcharhiniformes, Triakidae from off Tunisia

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    Boudaya Lobna

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Triloculotrema euzeti n. sp. (Monogenea, Monocotylidae, Merizocotylinae is described from the nasal tissues of the blackspotted smooth-hound Mustelus punctulatus collected from the coastal marine waters off Tunisia. The new parasite species is distinguished from the other two species of the genus, T. japanicae Kearn, 1993 and T. chisholmae Justine, 2009, by the morphology of the sclerotised male copulatory organ which has longitudinal ridges. The species is also characterised by its oötype with short descending and ascending limbs (long and more convoluted in the other two species. The presence of three peripheral loculi, which is the main characteristic of the genus Triloculotrema Kearn, 1993, is unconfirmed. This is the first description of a species of this genus in the Mediterranean Sea and the first record from a coastal shark.

  6. Ocorrência e aspectos ecológicos de metazoários parasitos de peixes do Lago do Parque do Ingá, Maringá, Estado do Paraná - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v29i3.507 Occurrence and ecological aspects of the metazoan fish parasites from Ingá lake, Maringá, Paraná State - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v29i3.507

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    Marion Haruko Machado

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Nenhum estudo de peixes e parasitos foi realizado, até o momento, no Lago do Parque do Ingá que sofre influências antrópicas desde seu represamento, em 1970. Este trabalho analisou alguns aspectos ecológicos dos parasitos metazoários dos peixes deste lago. Dos peixes analisados, (69,5% estavam parasitados por pelo menos uma espécie de parasito. Foram encontrados 1.372 parasitos pertencentes à Nematoda (larvas e Platyhelminthes (Monogenea e Cestoda, sendo estes os mais prevalentes e numerosos. O encontro de larvas de cestóides em Tilapia rendalli e Oreochromis niloticus confirma a importância destas espécies como participantes de níveis tróficos intermediários. A maior abundância de T. rendalli e O. niloticus, no local, pode ser um fator determinante no recrutamento de parasitos. O parasito aproveita-se das espécies de hospedeiros mais abundantes para garantir o desenvolvimento de seu ciclo de vida e também por serem os mais disponíveis à predação pelas aves piscívoras ali presentes, o que torna o local de grande importância para a sustentação do ciclo de vida desses parasitos. A baixa diversidade de endoparasitos coletados pode ser justificada pela presença de metais pesados – Cu e Pb – no sedimento, o que deve estar interferindo no desenvolvimento dos invertebrados, possíveis hospedeiros intermediários.Ingá lake was dammed in 1970 and, since then, no study on fish and parasites had been done, but it has suffered anthropic influences. This study analyzed some ecological aspects of the metazoan parasites form this lake. From analyzed fish, 69.5% had at least one species of parasite. Among them, 1.372 parasites were found, prevailing Nematoda (larvae and Platyhelminthes (Monogenea and Cestoda. The discovery of cestode larvae in Tilapia rendalli and Oreochromis nitolicus confirms the importance of these species as participants of intermediate trophic levels. The great number of Tilapia rendalli and Oreochromis

  7. Ocorrência e aspectos ecológicos de metazoários parasitos de peixes do Lago do Parque do Ingá, Maringá, Estado do Paraná = Occurrence and ecological aspects of the metazoan fish parasites from Ingá lake, Maringá, Paraná State

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    Marion Haruko Machado

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Nenhum estudo de peixes e parasitos foi realizado, até o momento, no Lago do Parque do Ingá que sofre influências antrópicas desde seu represamento, em 1970. Este trabalho analisou alguns aspectos ecológicos dos parasitos metazoários dos peixes deste lago. Dos peixes analisados, (69,5% estavam parasitados por pelo menos uma espécie de parasito. Foram encontrados 1.372 parasitos pertencentes à Nematoda (larvas e Platyhelminthes (Monogenea e Cestoda, sendo estes os mais prevalentes e numerosos. O encontro de larvas decestóides em Tilapia rendalli e Oreochromis niloticus confirma a importância destas espécies como participantes de níveis tróficos intermediários. A maior abundância de T. rendalli e O. niloticus,no local, pode ser um fator determinante no recrutamento de parasitos. O parasito aproveita-se das espécies de hospedeiros mais abundantes para garantir o desenvolvimento de seu ciclo de vida e também por serem os mais disponíveis à predação pelas aves piscívorasali presentes, o que torna o local de grande importância para a sustentação do ciclo de vida desses parasitos. A baixa diversidade de endoparasitos coletados pode ser justificada pela presença de metais pesados – Cu e Pb – no sedimento, o que deve estar interferindo nodesenvolvimento dos invertebrados, possíveis hospedeiros intermediários.Ingá lake was dammed in 1970 and, since then, no study on fish and parasites had been done, but it has suffered anthropic influences. This study analyzed some ecological aspects of the metazoan parasites form this lake. From analyzed fish, 69.5% had at least one species of parasite. Among them, 1.372 parasites were found, prevailing Nematoda (larvae and Platyhelminthes (Monogenea and Cestoda. The discovery of cestode larvae in Tilapia rendalli and Oreochromis nitolicus confirms the importance of these species as participants of intermediate trophic levels. The great number of Tilapia rendalli and Oreochromis nitolicus

  8. Functional type 2 photosynthetic reaction centers found in the rare bacterial phylum Gemmatimonadetes

    OpenAIRE

    Zeng, Yonghui; Feng, Fuying; Medová, Hana; Dean, Jason; Koblížek, Michal

    2014-01-01

    Photosynthesis is one of the most fundamental biological processes on Earth. To date, species capable of performing (bacterio)chlorophyll-based phototrophy have been reported in six bacterial phyla. Here we report a phototrophic bacterium belonging to the rare and understudied phylum Gemmatimonadetes. This strain, isolated from a freshwater lake in the Gobi Desert, contains fully functional photosynthetic reaction centers. Its photosynthesis genes appear to originate from an ancient horizonta...

  9. Genome analysis of Elusimicrobium minutum, the first cultivated representative of the Elusimicrobia phylum (formerly Termite Group 1)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herlemann, D. P. R.; Geissinger, O.; Ikeda-Ohtsubo, W.; Kunin, V.; Sun, H.; Lapidus, A.; Hugenholtz, P.; Brune, A.

    2009-02-01

    The candidate phylum Termite group 1 (TG1), is regularly 1 encountered in termite hindguts but is present also in many other habitats. Here we report the complete genome sequence (1.64 Mbp) of Elusimicrobium minutum strain Pei191{sup T}, the first cultured representative of the TG1 phylum. We reconstructed the metabolism of this strictly anaerobic bacterium isolated from a beetle larva gut and discuss the findings in light of physiological data. E. minutum has all genes required for uptake and fermentation of sugars via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway, including several hydrogenases, and an unusual peptide degradation pathway comprising transamination reactions and leading to the formation of alanine, which is excreted in substantial amounts. The presence of genes encoding lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and the presence of a pathway for peptidoglycan formation are consistent with ultrastructural evidence of a Gram-negative cell envelope. Even though electron micrographs showed no cell appendages, the genome encodes many genes putatively involved in pilus assembly. We assigned some to a type II secretion system, but the function of 60 pilE-like genes remains unknown. Numerous genes with hypothetical functions, e.g., polyketide synthesis, non-ribosomal peptide synthesis, antibiotic transport, and oxygen stress protection, indicate the presence of hitherto undiscovered physiological traits. Comparative analysis of 22 concatenated single-copy marker genes corroborated the status of Elusimicrobia (formerly TG1) as a separate phylum in the bacterial domain, which was so far based only on 16S rRNA sequence analysis.

  10. Triloculotrema euzeti n. sp. (Monogenea, Monocotylidae) from the nasal tissues of the blackspotted smooth-hound Mustelus punctulatus (Carcharhiniformes, Triakidae) from off Tunisia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boudaya, Lobna; Neifar, Lassad

    2016-01-01

    Triloculotrema euzeti n. sp. (Monogenea, Monocotylidae, Merizocotylinae) is described from the nasal tissues of the blackspotted smooth-hound Mustelus punctulatus collected from the coastal marine waters off Tunisia. The new parasite species is distinguished from the other two species of the genus, T. japanicae Kearn, 1993 and T. chisholmae Justine, 2009, by the morphology of the sclerotised male copulatory organ which has longitudinal ridges. The species is also characterised by its oötype with short descending and ascending limbs (long and more convoluted in the other two species). The presence of three peripheral loculi, which is the main characteristic of the genus Triloculotrema Kearn, 1993, is unconfirmed. This is the first description of a species of this genus in the Mediterranean Sea and the first record from a coastal shark. © L. Boudaya & L. Neifar, published by EDP Sciences, 2016.

  11. Telonemia, a new protist phylum with affinity to chromist lineages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shalchian-Tabrizi, K.; Eikrem, W.; Klaveness, D.

    2006-01-01

    Recent molecular investigations of marine samples taken from different environments, including tropical, temperate and polar areas, as well as deep thermal vents, have revealed an unexpectedly high diversity of protists, some of them forming deep-branching clades within important lineages......, such as the alveolates and heterokonts. Using the same approach on coastal samples, we have identified a novel group of protist small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequences that do not correspond to any phylogenetic group previously identified. Comparison with other sequences obtained from cultures of heterotrophic protists...... eukaryotic phylum, here defined as Telonemia, possibly representing a key clade for the understanding of the early evolution of bikont protist groups, such as the proposed chromalveolate supergroup...

  12. Evolution of plant parasitism in the phylum Nematoda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quist, Casper W; Smant, Geert; Helder, Johannes

    2015-01-01

    Within the species-rich and trophically diverse phylum Nematoda, at least four independent major lineages of plant parasites have evolved, and in at least one of these major lineages plant parasitism arose independently multiple times. Ribosomal DNA data, sequence information from nematode-produced, plant cell wall-modifying enzymes, and the morphology and origin of the style(t), a protrusible piercing device used to penetrate the plant cell wall, all suggest that facultative and obligate plant parasites originate from fungivorous ancestors. Data on the nature and diversification of plant cell wall-modifying enzymes point at multiple horizontal gene transfer events from soil bacteria to bacterivorous nematodes resulting in several distinct lineages of fungal or oomycete-feeding nematodes. Ribosomal DNA frameworks with sequence data from more than 2,700 nematode taxa combined with detailed morphological information allow for explicit hypotheses on the origin of agronomically important plant parasites, such as root-knot, cyst, and lesion nematodes.

  13. Taxonomic hierarchy of the phylum Firmicutes and novel Firmicutes species originated from various environments in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seong, Chi Nam; Kang, Joo Won; Lee, Ji Hee; Seo, So Yeon; Woo, Jung Jae; Park, Chul; Bae, Kyung Sook; Kim, Mi Sun

    2018-01-01

    This study assessed the taxonomic hierarchy of the phylum Firmicutes as well as elucidated the isolation and classification states of novel Firmicutes species isolated from Korean territory. The hierarchical classification system of the phylum Firmicutes has been developed since 1872 when the genus Bacillus was first reported and has been generally adopted since 2001. However, this taxonomic hierarchy is still being modified. Until Feb. 2017, the phylum Firmicutes consisted of seven classes (Bacilli, Clostridia, Erysipelotrichia, Limnochordia, Negativicutes, Thermolithobacteria, and Tissierellia), 13 orders, 45 families, and 421 genera. Firmicutes species isolated from various environments in Korea have been reported from 2000, and 187 species have been approved as of Feb. 2017. All Firmicutes species were affiliated with three classes (Bacilli, Clostridia, and Erysipelotrichia), four orders (Bacillales, Lactobacillales, Clostridiales, and Erysipelotrichales), 17 families, and 54 genera. A total of 173 species belong to the class Bacilli, of which 151 species were affiliated with the order Bacillales and the remaining 22 species with the order Lactobacillales. Twelve species belonging to the class Clostridia were affiliated within only one order, Clostridiales. The most abundant family was Bacillaceae (67 species), followed by the family Paenibacillaceae (56 species). Thirteen novel genera were created using isolates from the Korean environment. A number of Firmicutes species were isolated from natural environments in Korean territory. In addition, a considerable number of species were isolated from artificial resources such as fermented foods. Most Firmicutes species, belonging to the families Bacillaceae, Planococcaceae, and Staphylococcaceae, isolated from Korean fermented foods and solar salterns were halophilic or halotolerant. Firmicutes species were isolated from the whole territory of Korea, especially large numbers from Provinces Gyeonggi, Chungnam, and

  14. Developmental diversity in free-living flatworms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martín-Durán José

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Flatworm embryology has attracted attention since the early beginnings of comparative evolutionary biology. Considered for a long time the most basal bilaterians, the Platyhelminthes (excluding Acoelomorpha are now robustly placed within the Spiralia. Despite having lost their relevance to explain the transition from radially to bilaterally symmetrical animals, the study of flatworm embryology is still of great importance to understand the diversification of bilaterians and of developmental mechanisms. Flatworms are acoelomate organisms generally with a simple centralized nervous system, a blind gut, and lacking a circulatory organ, a skeleton and a respiratory system other than the epidermis. Regeneration and asexual reproduction, based on a totipotent neoblast stem cell system, are broadly present among different groups of flatworms. While some more basally branching groups - such as polyclad flatworms - retain the ancestral quartet spiral cleavage pattern, most flatworms have significantly diverged from this pattern and exhibit unique strategies to specify the common adult body plan. Most free-living flatworms (i.e. Platyhelminthes excluding the parasitic Neodermata are directly developing, whereas in polyclads, also indirect developers with an intermediate free-living larval stage and subsequent metamorphosis are found. A comparative study of developmental diversity may help understanding major questions in evolutionary biology, such as the evolution of cleavage patterns, gastrulation and axial specification, the evolution of larval types, and the diversification and specialization of organ systems. In this review, we present a thorough overview of the embryonic development of the different groups of free-living (turbellarian platyhelminths, including the Catenulida, Macrostomorpha, Polycladida, Lecithoepitheliata, Proseriata, Bothrioplanida, Rhabdocoela, Fecampiida, Prolecithophora and Tricladida, and discuss their main features

  15. Phylum-Level Conservation of Regulatory Information in Nematodes despite Extensive Non-coding Sequence Divergence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Kacy L.; Arthur, Robert K.; Ruvinsky, Ilya

    2015-01-01

    Gene regulatory information guides development and shapes the course of evolution. To test conservation of gene regulation within the phylum Nematoda, we compared the functions of putative cis-regulatory sequences of four sets of orthologs (unc-47, unc-25, mec-3 and elt-2) from distantly-related nematode species. These species, Caenorhabditis elegans, its congeneric C. briggsae, and three parasitic species Meloidogyne hapla, Brugia malayi, and Trichinella spiralis, represent four of the five major clades in the phylum Nematoda. Despite the great phylogenetic distances sampled and the extensive sequence divergence of nematode genomes, all but one of the regulatory elements we tested are able to drive at least a subset of the expected gene expression patterns. We show that functionally conserved cis-regulatory elements have no more extended sequence similarity to their C. elegans orthologs than would be expected by chance, but they do harbor motifs that are important for proper expression of the C. elegans genes. These motifs are too short to be distinguished from the background level of sequence similarity, and while identical in sequence they are not conserved in orientation or position. Functional tests reveal that some of these motifs contribute to proper expression. Our results suggest that conserved regulatory circuitry can persist despite considerable turnover within cis elements. PMID:26020930

  16. Phylum-Level Conservation of Regulatory Information in Nematodes despite Extensive Non-coding Sequence Divergence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kacy L Gordon

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Gene regulatory information guides development and shapes the course of evolution. To test conservation of gene regulation within the phylum Nematoda, we compared the functions of putative cis-regulatory sequences of four sets of orthologs (unc-47, unc-25, mec-3 and elt-2 from distantly-related nematode species. These species, Caenorhabditis elegans, its congeneric C. briggsae, and three parasitic species Meloidogyne hapla, Brugia malayi, and Trichinella spiralis, represent four of the five major clades in the phylum Nematoda. Despite the great phylogenetic distances sampled and the extensive sequence divergence of nematode genomes, all but one of the regulatory elements we tested are able to drive at least a subset of the expected gene expression patterns. We show that functionally conserved cis-regulatory elements have no more extended sequence similarity to their C. elegans orthologs than would be expected by chance, but they do harbor motifs that are important for proper expression of the C. elegans genes. These motifs are too short to be distinguished from the background level of sequence similarity, and while identical in sequence they are not conserved in orientation or position. Functional tests reveal that some of these motifs contribute to proper expression. Our results suggest that conserved regulatory circuitry can persist despite considerable turnover within cis elements.

  17. [Peculiarities of ultrastructure of excretory system in Bothrioplana semperi (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kornakova, E E

    2010-01-01

    Ultrastructural study of morphology of cirtocytes and excretory channels was performed in the free living turbellaria Bothrioplana semperi (Turbellaria, Seriata). It has been shown that cirtocytes of this species are formed by two cells--the terminal and the proximal cells of the channel. The fan is composed of two rod rows. The external row goes out from the terminal cell, the internal one is a derivate of the channel proximal cell. Inside each rod of the external row there runs a bundle of microfilaments; it originates in the cytoplasm of the channel proximal cell distal to bases of the external rods. On the internal rod membranes there are noted small electrondense granules disposed separately or fused in the solid layer continuing into a dense "membrane" connecting rods of the external and internal rows. Rare internal leptotrichiae go out from the cirtocyte cavity bottom. External leptotrichiae are absent. The septate desmosome at the level of the terminal cell is absent, but is present in the channel proximal cell at the level of terminal of cilia. The apical surface of the channel cell carries rare short microvilli. The basement membrane of cells of excretory channels forms deep invaginations almost reaching the apical membrane. Epithelium of excretory channels is deprived of cilia. Ultrastructure of cirtocytes and excretory channels of B. semperi is similar to those in representatives of the suborder Proseriata (Seriata). The significance of ultrastructure of the Proseriata cirtocytes, especially of the order of formation of versh, for construction of phylogeny of Platyhelminthes is discussed.

  18. Microstomum (Platyhelminthes, Macrostomorpha, Microstomidae from the Swedish west coast: two new species and a population description

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Atherton

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Two new species of marine Platyhelminthes, Microstomum laurae sp. nov. and Microstomum edmondi sp. nov. (Macrostomida: Microstomidae are described from the west coast of Sweden. Microstomum laurae sp. nov. is distinguished by the following combination of characters: rounded anterior and posterior ends; presence of approximately 20 adhesive papillae on the posterior rim; paired lateral red eyespots located level with the brain; preoral gut extending anterior to brain and very small sensory pits. Microstomum edmondi sp. nov. is a protandrous hermaphrodite with a single ovary, single testis and male copulatory organ with stylet. It is characterized by a conical pointed anterior end, a blunt posterior end with numerous adhesive papillae along the rim, and large ciliary pits. The stylet is shaped as a narrow funnel with a short, arched tip. In addition, the first records of fully mature specimens of Microstomum rubromaculatum von Graff, 1882 from Fiskebäckskil and a phylogenetic analysis of Microstomum Schmidt, 1848 based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI gene are presented.

  19. Genomic Analysis of Caldithrix abyssi, the Thermophilic Anaerobic Bacterium of the Novel Bacterial Phylum Calditrichaeota

    OpenAIRE

    Kublanov, Ilya V.; Sigalova, Olga M.; Gavrilov, Sergey N.; Lebedinsky, Alexander V.; Rinke, Christian; Kovaleva, Olga; Chernyh, Nikolai A.; Ivanova, Natalia; Daum, Chris; Reddy, T.B.K.; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Spring, Stefan; G?ker, Markus; Reva, Oleg N.; Miroshnichenko, Margarita L.

    2017-01-01

    © 2017 Kublanov, Sigalova, Gavrilov, Lebedinsky, Rinke, Kovaleva, Chernyh, Ivanova, Daum, Reddy, Klenk, Spring, Göker, Reva, Miroshnichenko, Kyrpides, Woyke, Gelfand, Bonch-Osmolovskaya. The genome of Caldithrix abyssi, the first cultivated representative of a phylum-level bacterial lineage, was sequenced within the framework of Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project. The genomic analysis revealed mechanisms allowing this anaerobic bacterium to ferment peptides or to impl...

  20. Complete Sequence of the mitochondrial genome of the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta: Gene arrangements indicate that platyhelminths are eutrochozoans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    von Nickisch-Rosenegk, Markus; Brown, Wesley M.; Boore, Jeffrey L.

    2001-01-01

    Using ''long-PCR'' we have amplified in overlapping fragments the complete mitochondrial genome of the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) and determined its 13,900 nucleotide sequence. The gene content is the same as that typically found for animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) except that atp8 appears to be lacking, a condition found previously for several other animals. Despite the small size of this mtDNA, there are two large non-coding regions, one of which contains 13 repeats of a 31 nucleotide sequence and a potential stem-loop structure of 25 base pairs with an 11-member loop. Large potential secondary structures are identified also for the non-coding regions of two other cestode mtDNAs. Comparison of the mitochondrial gene arrangement of H. diminuta with those previously published supports a phylogenetic position of flatworms as members of the Eutrochozoa, rather than being basal to either a clade of protostomes or a clade of coelomates.

  1. High copy number of highly similar mariner-like transposons in planarian (Platyhelminthe): evidence for a trans-phyla horizontal transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Fernàndez, J; Bayascas-Ramírez, J R; Marfany, G; Muñoz-Mármol, A M; Casali, A; Baguñà, J; Saló, E

    1995-05-01

    Several DNA sequences similar to the mariner element were isolated and characterized in the platyhelminthe Dugesia (Girardia) tigrina. They were 1,288 bp long, flanked by two 32 bp-inverted repeats, and contained a single 339 amino acid open-reading frame (ORF) encoding the transposase. The number of copies of this element is approximately 8,000 per haploid genome, constituting a member of the middle-repetitive DNA of Dugesia tigrina. Sequence analysis of several elements showed a high percentage of conservation between the different copies. Most of them presented an intact ORF and the standard signals of actively expressed genes, which suggests that some of them are or have recently been functional transposons. The high degree of similarity shared with other mariner elements from some arthropods, together with the fact that this element is undetectable in other planarian species, strongly suggests a case of horizontal transfer between these two distant phyla.

  2. LA COLECCIÓN NACIONAL DEL PHYLUM PORIFERA GERARDO GREEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Gómez

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Se presenta la importancia y el estado actual de la Colección Nacional del Phylum Porifera Gerardo Green, cuyo acervo alberga a los animales más primitivos de los metazoarios. Es la colección más completa y de mayor diversidad del país, al contener ejemplares provenientes de las costas de todos los estados que presentan litorales marinos y salobres y de algunos cuerpos de agua dulce. Las colecciones científicas son una herramienta básica para la investigación, no sólo proveen de la biodiversidad de especies pasadas y presentes, sino que también nos han permitido rehacer el pasado de la vida en la Tierra. Asimismo, brindan el estado ambiental en el que se desarrollaron lo cual permite compararlas con las actuales y resguardar especies de las cuales se ha obtenido un beneficio para el hombre.

  3. The human gut and groundwater harbor non-photosynthetic bacteria belonging to a new candidate phylum sibling to Cyanobacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Rienzi, Sara C; Sharon, Itai; Wrighton, Kelly C; Koren, Omry; Hug, Laura A; Thomas, Brian C; Goodrich, Julia K; Bell, Jordana T; Spector, Timothy D; Banfield, Jillian F; Ley, Ruth E

    2013-01-01

    Cyanobacteria were responsible for the oxygenation of the ancient atmosphere; however, the evolution of this phylum is enigmatic, as relatives have not been characterized. Here we use whole genome reconstruction of human fecal and subsurface aquifer metagenomic samples to obtain complete genomes for members of a new candidate phylum sibling to Cyanobacteria, for which we propose the designation ‘Melainabacteria’. Metabolic analysis suggests that the ancestors to both lineages were non-photosynthetic, anaerobic, motile, and obligately fermentative. Cyanobacterial light sensing may have been facilitated by regulators present in the ancestor of these lineages. The subsurface organism has the capacity for nitrogen fixation using a nitrogenase distinct from that in Cyanobacteria, suggesting nitrogen fixation evolved separately in the two lineages. We hypothesize that Cyanobacteria split from Melainabacteria prior or due to the acquisition of oxygenic photosynthesis. Melainabacteria remained in anoxic zones and differentiated by niche adaptation, including for symbiosis in the mammalian gut. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01102.001 PMID:24137540

  4. Taxonomy of Cotylea (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from Cabo Frio, southeastern Brazil, with the description of a new species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahia, Juliana; Padula, Vinicius; Lavrado, Helena Passeri; Quiroga, Sigmer

    2014-10-20

    Polyclads are free-living Platyhelminthes with a simple, dorsoventrally flattened body and a much ramified intestine. In Brazil, 66 species are reported; only three from Rio de Janeiro State (RJ). The main objective of this study is to describe and illustrate coloration pattern, external morphology, reproductive system morphology and, when possible, biological and ecological aspects of species of the suborder Cotylea found in Cabo Frio, RJ. Of the 13 cotylean polyclad species found, Pseudobiceros pardalis, Cycloporus variegatus and Eurylepta aurantiaca are new records from the Brazilian coast and one species is new to science, Pseudoceros juani sp. nov. Feeding observations were made of four species. It is the first time that Lurymare utarum, Cycloporus gabriellae, C. variegatus and E. aurantiaca are illustrated with digital photographs of live specimens and histological preparations. This study increases to 70 the number of Brazilian Polycladida and to 14 the number of species known from Rio de Janeiro State. However, the knowledge about Polycladida in Brazil still has gaps, with great parts of the coast remaining unsampled. 

  5. First record of larvae of Chironomidae (Insecta, Diptera as prey of Temnocephala sp. (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalidae, an ectosymbiont on larvae of Corydalidae (Megaloptera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susana Trivinho-Strixino

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available First record of larvae of Chironomidae (Insecta, Diptera as prey of Temnocephala sp. (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalidae, an ectosymbiont on larvae of Corydalidae (Megaloptera. This study constitutes the first record of Temnocephala Blanchard, an ectosymbiont on Corydalidae, as a possible predator of chironomid larvae. Twenty-eight Corydalidae larvae (Corydalus and Protochauliodes were examined under stereomicroscopic in search for Temnocephala and Chironomidae larvae, of which five megalopteran larvae had 24 Temnocephala sp. associated. Furthermore, eight of these Temnocephala worms had chironomid larvae in their gut contents, an interaction previously unknown. Gut content analyses revealed Corynoneura as the commonest chironomid, but larvae of Larsia, Rheotanytarsus and Tanytarsus were recorded as well. This study included Corydalus and Protochauliodes as hosts for Temnocephala, which might be important for this worm dispersion and population dynamics.

  6. Korean indigenous bacterial species with valid names belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Kyung Sook; Kim, Mi Sun; Lee, Ji Hee; Kang, Joo Won; Kim, Dae In; Lee, Ji Hee; Seong, Chi Nam

    2016-12-01

    To understand the isolation and classification state of actinobacterial species with valid names for Korean indigenous isolates, isolation source, regional origin, and taxonomic affiliation of the isolates were studied. At the time of this writing, the phylum Actinobacteria consisted of only one class, Actinobacteria, including five subclasses, 10 orders, 56 families, and 330 genera. Moreover, new taxa of this phylum continue to be discovered. Korean actinobacterial species with a valid name has been reported from 1995 as Tsukamurella inchonensis isolated from a clinical specimen. In 1997, Streptomyces seoulensis was validated with the isolate from the natural Korean environment. Until Feb. 2016, 256 actinobacterial species with valid names originated from Korean territory were listed on LPSN. The species were affiliated with three subclasses (Acidimicrobidae, Actinobacteridae, and Rubrobacteridae), four orders (Acidimicrobiales, Actinomycetales, Bifidobacteriales, and Solirubrobacterales), 12 suborders, 36 families, and 93 genera. Most of the species belonged to the subclass Actinobacteridae, and almost of the members of this subclass were affiliated with the order Actinomycetales. A number of novel isolates belonged to the families Nocardioidaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Intrasporangiaceae, and Streptomycetaceae as well as the genera Nocardioides, Streptomyces, and Microbacterium. Twenty-six novel genera and one novel family, Motilibacteraceae, were created first with Korean indigenous isolates. Most of the Korean indigenous actionobacterial species were isolated from natural environments such as soil, seawater, tidal flat sediment, and fresh-water. A considerable number of species were isolated from artificial resources such as fermented foods, wastewater, compost, biofilm, and water-cooling systems or clinical specimens. Korean indigenous actinobacterial species were isolated from whole territory of Korea, and especially a large number of species were from Jeju

  7. A robust molecular phylogeny of the Tricladida (Platyhelminthes: Seriata) with a discussion on morphological synapomorphies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carranza, S; Littlewood, D T; Clough, K A; Ruiz-Trillo, I; Baguñà, J; Riutort, M

    1998-01-01

    The suborder Tricladida (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria, Seriata) comprises most well-known species of free-living flatworms. Four infraorders are recognized: (i) the Maricola (marine planarians); (ii) the Cavernicola (a group of primarily cavernicolan planarians); (iii) the Paludicola (freshwater planarians); and (iv) the Terricola (land planarians). The phylogenetic relationships among these infraorders have been analysed using morphological characters, but they remain uncertain. Here we analyse the phylogeny and classification of the Tricladida, with additional, independent, molecular data from complete sequences of 18S rDNA and 18S rRNA. We use maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining methods and the characterization of a unique gene duplication event involving the Terricola and the dugesiids to reconstruct the phylogeny. The results show that the Maricola is monophyletic and is the primitive sister group to the rest of the Tricladida (the Paludicola plus the Terricola). The Paludicola are paraphyletic since the Terricola and one paludicolan family, the Dugesiidae, share a more recent common ancestor than the dugesiids with other paludicolans (dendrocoelids and planariids). A reassessment of morphological evidence may confirm the apparent redundancy of the existing infraorders Paludicola and Terricola. In the meantime, we suggest replacing the Paludicola and Terricola with a new clade, the Continenticola, which comprises the families Dugesiidae, Planariidae, Dendrocoelidae and the Terricola. PMID:9881470

  8. RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE DENSITY ESTIMATES OF LAND PLANARIANS (PLATYHELMINTHES, TRICLADIDA IN URBAN RAINFOREST PATCHES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FERNANDO CARBAYO

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Land planarians (Platyhelminthes are likely important components of the soil cryptofauna, although relevant aspects of their ecology such as their density remain largely unstudied. We investigated absolute and relative densities of flatworms in three patches of secondary Brazilian Atlantic rainforest in an urban environment. Two methods of sampling were carried out, one consisting of 90 hours of active search in delimited plots covering 6,000 m² over a year, and the other consisting of leaf litter extraction from a 60 m² soil area, totaling 480-600 l leaf litter. We found 288 specimens of 16 species belonging to the genera Geobia, Geoplana, Issoca, Luteostriata, Obama, Paraba, Pasipha, Rhynchodemus, Xerapoa, and the exotic species Bipalium kewense and Dolichoplana striata. Specimens up to 10 mm long were mostly sampled only with the leaf litter extraction method. Absolute densities, calculated from data obtained with leaf litter extraction, ranged between 1.25 and 2.10 individuals m-2. These values are 30 to 161 times higher than relative densities, calculated from data obtained by active search. Since most common sampling method used in land planarian studies on species composition and faunal inventories is active search for a few hours in a locality, our results suggest that small species might be overlooked. It remains to be tested whether similar densities of this cryptofauna are also found in primary forests.

  9. Anaerobic fungi (phylum Neocallimastigomycota): advances in understanding their taxonomy, life cycle, ecology, role and biotechnological potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruninger, Robert J; Puniya, Anil K; Callaghan, Tony M; Edwards, Joan E; Youssef, Noha; Dagar, Sumit S; Fliegerova, Katerina; Griffith, Gareth W; Forster, Robert; Tsang, Adrian; McAllister, Tim; Elshahed, Mostafa S

    2014-10-01

    Anaerobic fungi (phylum Neocallimastigomycota) inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of mammalian herbivores, where they play an important role in the degradation of plant material. The Neocallimastigomycota represent the earliest diverging lineage of the zoosporic fungi; however, understanding of the relationships of the different taxa (both genera and species) within this phylum is in need of revision. Issues exist with the current approaches used for their identification and classification, and recent evidence suggests the presence of several novel taxa (potential candidate genera) that remain to be characterised. The life cycle and role of anaerobic fungi has been well characterised in the rumen, but not elsewhere in the ruminant alimentary tract. Greater understanding of the 'resistant' phase(s) of their life cycle is needed, as is study of their role and significance in other herbivores. Biotechnological application of anaerobic fungi, and their highly active cellulolytic and hemi-cellulolytic enzymes, has been a rapidly increasing area of research and development in the last decade. The move towards understanding of anaerobic fungi using -omics based (genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic) approaches is starting to yield valuable insights into the unique cellular processes, evolutionary history, metabolic capabilities and adaptations that exist within the Neocallimastigomycota. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Gill lesions associated with Erpocotyle tiburonis (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) on wild and aquarium-held bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullard, S A; Frasca, S; Benz, G W

    2001-10-01

    Gill lesions associated with infections of Erpocotyle tiburonis (Brooks, 1934) (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) on wild bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo (L., 1758) (Carcharhiniformes: Sphyrinidae)) were compared with those on aquarium-held ones using light and scanning electron microscopy. Uninfected gill filaments had slender, triangular, smooth-surfaced lamellae and interlamellar water channels that were approximately equal in size. Four wild sharks were each infected by 3-11 widely separated adult E. tiburonis, and 1 of these sharks hosted a juvenile specimen. Lamellae flanking or touching adult E. tiburonis were pushed aside or bent, but were otherwise identical to those of uninfected filaments. Two aquarium-held sharks were each infected by hundreds of juvenile and adult E. tiburonis. In these sharks, lamellae near juveniles were pushed apart or bent, but were otherwise normal, whereas a thick, ragged-surfaced layer of hyperplastic epithelium both filled interlamellar water channels and partially or completely covered lamellae near adults. Results of this study suggest that the intense infections of E. tiburonis were facilitated by captivity and caused severe hyperplastic lesions that ultimately led to the death of the sharks by reducing or blocking the respiratory water flow over lamellae and thus reducing the exchange of gases and ions across the lamellar epithelium. In contrast, the wild sharks were infected by fewer worms and exhibited relatively minor lesions.

  11. Predatory behavior of the land flatworm Notogynaphallia abundans (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria E. T. Prasniski

    2009-12-01

    platyhelminth groups is emphasized.

  12. Type material of Platyhelminthes housed in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute/ FIOCRUZ (CHIOC, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1979 to 2016 (Rhabditophora, Trematoda and Cestoda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela A. Lopes

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The second part of the catalogue of type material deposited in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute/ FIOCRUZ (CHIOC, between 1979 and 2016, is presented, to complement the first list of all types that was published in 1979. This part includes Platyhelminthes other than monogenoids, which were covered in the first part published in September 2016. The present catalogue comprises type material for 104 species, distributed across three classes, 40 families and 75 genera. Species names are listed systematically, followed by type host, infection site, type locality and specimens with their collection numbers and references. The classification and the nomenclature of the species have been updated.

  13. A Unique Pool of Compatible Solutes on Rhodopirellula baltica, Member of the Deep-Branching Phylum Planctomycetes.

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    Ana Filipa d'Avó

    Full Text Available The intracellular accumulation of small organic solutes was described in the marine bacterium Rhodopirellula baltica, which belongs to the globally distributed phylum Planctomycetes whose members exhibit an intriguing lifestyle and cell morphology. Sucrose, α-glutamate, trehalose and mannosylglucosylglycerate (MGG are the main solutes involved in the osmoadaptation of R. baltica. The ratio and total intracellular organic solutes varied significantly in response to an increase in salinity, temperature and nitrogen content. R. baltica displayed an initial response to both osmotic and thermal stresses that includes α-glutamate accumulation. This trend was followed by a rather unique and complex osmoadaptation mechanism characterized by a dual response to sub-optimal and supra-optimal salinities. A reduction in the salinity to sub-optimal conditions led primarily to the accumulation of trehalose. In contrast, R. baltica responded to salt stress mostly by increasing the intracellular levels of sucrose. The switch between the accumulation of trehalose and sucrose was by far the most significant effect caused by increasing the salt levels of the medium. Additionally, MGG accumulation was found to be salt- as well as nitrogen-dependent. MGG accumulation was regulated by nitrogen levels replacing α-glutamate as a K(+ counterion in nitrogen-poor environments. This is the first report of the accumulation of compatible solutes in the phylum Planctomycetes and of the MGG accumulation in a mesophilic organism.

  14. Hatchability and survival of oncomiracidia of Paradiplozoon ichthyoxanthon (Monogenea: Diplozoidae) exposed to aqueous aluminium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Beric M; Avenant-Oldewage, Annemariè

    2016-07-28

    Monogenea is a diverse group of ectoparasites showing great potential as sentinel organisms for monitoring environmental health. Exposure to metals negatively affects infrapopulations of monogeneans and exposure to aluminium has been found to negatively impact the survival of gyrodactylids. Samples of infected host fish, the smallmouth yellowfish Labeobarbus aeneus (Cyprinidae), were collected from the Vaal Dam, South Africa and transported back to the laboratory in dark 160 l containers. Eggs of the monogenean Paradiplozoon ichthyoxanthon infecting L. aeneus were collected and exposed to varying concentrations of aluminium along with a control group in static tanks. The eggs were checked every 24 h and hatching commenced 13-14 days after exposure. Water samples were taken from exposure tanks and acidified for analysis of Al levels with inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Hatching of eggs was variable between exposures, and in 30 μg Al/l and 60 μg Al/l was found to occur before eggs in control beakers, whereas, exposure to 120 μg Al/l delayed hatching and reduced hatchability. Survival of hatched oncomiracidia was concentration dependent and negatively correlated with aluminium concentrations. Lowest survival was recorded for 60 μg Al/l and 120 μg Al/l where all larvae died shortly after or during hatching. Normal development of embryos of P. ichthyoxanthon within eggs exposed to all doses of aluminium indicates that the egg shell is moderately impermeable to metals and inhibits movement of aluminium across the shell and interacting with developing embryos. Higher larval mortality rate in 120 μg/l exposure can be related to aluminium crossing the egg shell in the late stages and causing death of unhatched yet fully developed embryos, possibly due to changes in the permeability of the egg shell as embryos neared developmental completion. Accelerated death of oncomiracidia after hatching indicates sensitivity toward high concentrations of aluminium.

  15. Ancyrocephalidae (Monogenea of Lake Tanganyika: I: Four new species of Cichlidogyrus from Ophthalmotilapia ventralis (Teleostei: Cichlidae, the first record of this parasite family in the basin

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    Maarten P. M. Vanhove

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Examination of gill parasites from Ophthalmotilapia ventralis (Boulenger, 1898 in Lake Tanganyika (Africa revealed the presence of four new species of Monogenea, all members of Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 (Ancyrocephalidae. In view of the systematic importance of haptoral structure, the fish host shows a remarkable diversity of morphological groups. Cichlidogyrus vandekerkhovei sp. nov. and C. makasai sp. nov. are especially characterized by the unusual length of the dorsal transverse bar auricles, while C. sturmbaueri sp. nov. is distinguished by the unique shape of the accessory piece of its male copulatory organ. Importantly, C. centesimus sp. nov. displays a number of features new to the genus, namely a spirally coiled thickening at the end of the penis, the absence of an accessory piece in the genital apparatus, and a hitherto unknown uncinuli configuration in the haptor. This is the first record of ancyrocephalid parasites from the Tanganyika basin. Some mechanisms possibly contributing to this yet unknown diversity are discussed, identifying topics deserving further scientific scrutiny.

  16. The morphology and attachment of Protopolystoma xenopodis (Monogenea: Polystomatidae infecting the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis

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    Theunissen Maxine

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The African clawed frog Xenopus laevis (Anura: Pipidae is host to more than 25 parasite genera encompassing most of the parasitic invertebrate groups. Protopolystoma xenopodis Price, 1943 (Monogenea: Polystomatidae is one of two monogeneans infecting X. laevis. This study focussed on the external morphology of different developmental stages using scanning electron microscopy, histology and light microscopy. Eggs are released continuously and are washed out when the frog urinates. After successful development, an active swimming oncomiracidium leaves the egg capsule and locates a potential post-metamorphic clawed frog. The oncomiracidium migrates to the kidney where it attaches and starts to feed on blood. The parasite then migrates to the urinary bladder where it reaches maturity. Eggs are fusiform, about 300 μm long, with a smooth surface and are operculated. Oncomiracidia are elongated and cylindrical in shape, with an oval posterior cup-shaped haptor that bears a total of 20 sclerites; 16 marginal hooklets used for attachment to the kidney of the host and two pairs of hamulus primordia. Cilia from the 64 ciliated cells enable the oncomiracidium to swim for up to 24 h when the cilia subsequently curl up, become non-functional and are shed from the body. The tegument between the ciliated cells bears a series of sensory papillae. The body of the mature parasite is elongated and pyriform and possesses an opisthaptor armed with three pairs of suckers and two pairs of falciform hooks to ensure a firm grip on the flexible internal surface of the urinary bladder.

  17. The Ascomycota tree of life: a phylum-wide phylogeny clarifies the origin and evolution of fundamental reproductive and ecological traits

    Science.gov (United States)

    C.L. Schoch; G.-H. Sung; F. Lopez-Giraldez

    2009-01-01

    We present a six-gene, 420-species maximum-likelihood phylogeny of Ascomycota, the largest phylum of fungi. This analysis is the most taxonomically complete to date with species sampled from all 15 currently circumscribed classes. A number of superclass-level nodes that have previously evaded resolution and were unnamed in classifications of the fungi are resolved for...

  18. Two new species of Monogenea (Platyhelminthes: Cercomeridea parasitic on Chaetodipterus faber (Teleostei: Ephippidae from the Brazilian coastal zone

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    A. D. Cezar

    1999-09-01

    Full Text Available Metazoan parasites were extracted for 110 Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782 (Teleostei: Ephippidae specimens from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (nearly 21-23° S, 41-45° W. Two new species of monogeneans belonging to genera Sprostoniella and Parancylodiscoides are described and illustrated. The new species of Sprostoniella, differ from S. multitestis, the only known species of the genus, by: 1. the arrangement of septa (with 17 septa, two of them bifid and two incomplet in the new species; 17 septa, two of them trifid in S. multitestis. 2. the new species showed two central loculi, while S. multitestis only one, and 3. the first pair of anchors of the new species is small and poorly developed, while in S. multitestis is well developed and strong. The new species of Parancylodiscoides differs from P. chaetodipteri, the only known species of the genus, by: 1. the testis shape (bilobated in the new species, not bilobated in P. chaetodipteri, and 2. by the presence of accessory prostatic reservoir at the copulatory organ base (absent in P. chaetodipteri.Se extrajeron metazoos parásitos de 110 Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782 (Teleostei: Ephippidae del litoral del Estado de Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (aprox. 21-23° S, 41-45° W. Se describe e ilustra dos nuevas especies de monogéneos de los géneros Sprostoniella y Parancylodiscoides. La nueva especie de Sprostoniella difiere de S. multitestis, la otra especie del género, por 1. la disposición de los septos (con 17 septos, dos de ellos bífidos y dos incompletos en la nueva especie; 17 septos, dos de ellos trífidos en S. multitestis, 2. la nueva especie muestra dos lóculos centrales, mientras S. multitestis sólo uno, y 3. el primer par de ganchos en la nueva especie es pequeño y poco desarrollado, mientras que en S. multitestis es robusto y bien desarrollado. La nueva especie de Parancylodiscoides difiere de P. chaetodipteri, la otra especie del género, por 1. la forma del testículo (bilobulado en la nueva especie, no bilobulado en P. chaetodipteri, y 2. por la presencia de un reservorio prostático accesorio que alcanza la base del órgano copulador (ausente en P. chaetodipteri.

  19. First survey on ecological host range of aphid pathogenic fungi (Phylum Entomophthoromycota) in Tunisia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ben Fekih, Ibtissem; Boukhris-Bouhachem, Sonia; Allagui, Mohamed Bechir

    2015-01-01

    Summary. The natural occurrence of fungal pathogens of aphids and their ecological host range was investigated in Tunisia from 2009 to 2012. The survey focused on aphid infesting different crops and weeds and included 10 different aphid species. Samples were collected from eight agricultural crops...... (Entomophthorales: Ancylistaceae) and Neozygites fresenii (Neozygitales: Neozygitaceae). The occurrence of entomophthoralean fungi depended on the sampling area, the bioclimatic zone, and aphid species. P. neoaphidis and E. planchoniana were the predominant pathogens infecting a wide range of aphid species whereas...... sites belonging to three different bioclimatic zones. Four pathogens from the phylum Entomophthoromycota were found to occur naturally in Tunisian ecosystems: Pandora neoaphidis (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae), Entomophthora planchoniana (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae), Conidiobolus obscurus...

  20. Four new species of Ligophorus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) parasitic on Mugil liza (Actinopterygii: Mugilidae) from Guandu River, southeastern Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdallah, Vanessa D; de Azevedo, Rodney K; Luque, José L

    2009-08-01

    Four species of Ligophorus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae), i.e., L. tainhae n. sp., L. brasiliensis n. sp., L. guanduensis n. sp., and L. lizae n. sp., are described. The specimens were collected from the gills of Mugil liza (Mugilidae) from the Guandu River (22 degrees 48'32"S, 43 degrees 37'35"W), State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between January 2008 and March 2008. The male copulatory organ of L. tainhae n. sp. differs from the all known species of this genus in having the largest accessory piece, the length of accessory piece exceeding the length of the copulatory organ tube, and the distal tip of the lower lobe crossing the upper lobe. Ligophorus brasiliensis n. sp. and L. guanduensis n. sp. have a similar shape of the accessory piece, but in L. guanduensis n. sp. the lower lobe is larger than the upper lobe (as opposed to L. brasiliensis n. sp.), the ratio between length of upper lobe and the length of the proximal part of the accessory piece before the bifurcation is shorter and the distal tip of the lower lobe extends to the level of the upper lobe (in L. brasiliensis n. sp. the distal tip of lower lobe crossing the upper lobe). In L. lizae n. sp., the terminal bifurcations of the accessory piece are equal in length and unequal in the other 3 new species. Species of Ligophorus are recorded for the first time from Brazil.

  1. Diaspore bank of bryophytes in tropical rain forests: the importance of breeding system, phylum and microhabitat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maciel-Silva, Adaíses S; Válio, Ivany Ferraz Marques; Rydin, Håkan

    2012-02-01

    Diaspore banks are crucial for the maintenance and resilience of plant communities, but diaspore banks of bryophytes remain poorly known, especially from tropical ecosystems. This is the first study to focus on the role of diaspore banks of bryophytes in tropical rain forests. Our aim was to test whether microhabitat (substrate type) and species traits (breeding system, phylum) are important in explaining the diaspore bank composition. Using samples cultivated in the laboratory, we assessed the number of species and shoots emerging from bark, decaying wood and soil from two sites of the Atlantic rain forest (montane and sea level) in Brazil by comparing the contribution of species by phylum (mosses, liverworts) and breeding system (monoicous, dioicous). More species emerged from bark (68) and decaying wood (55) than from soil (22). Similar numbers of species were found at both sites. Mosses were more numerous in terms of number of species and shoots, and monoicous species dominated over dioicous species. Substrate pH had only weak effects on shoot emergence. Species commonly producing sporophytes and gemmae had a high contribution to the diaspore banks. These superficial diaspore banks represented the extant vegetation rather well, but held more monoicous species (probably short-lived species) compared to dioicous ones. We propose that diaspore bank dynamics are driven by species traits and microhabitat characteristics, and that short-term diaspore banks of bryophytes in tropical rain forests contribute to fast (re)establishment of species after disturbances and during succession, particularly dioicous mosses investing in asexual reproduction and monoicous mosses investing in sexual reproduction.

  2. The candidate phylum Poribacteria by single-cell genomics: new insights into phylogeny, cell-compartmentation, eukaryote-like repeat proteins, and other genomic features.

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    Janine Kamke

    Full Text Available The candidate phylum Poribacteria is one of the most dominant and widespread members of the microbial communities residing within marine sponges. Cell compartmentalization had been postulated along with their discovery about a decade ago and their phylogenetic association to the Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, Chlamydiae superphylum was proposed soon thereafter. In the present study we revised these features based on genomic data obtained from six poribacterial single cells. We propose that Poribacteria form a distinct monophyletic phylum contiguous to the PVC superphylum together with other candidate phyla. Our genomic analyses supported the possibility of cell compartmentalization in form of bacterial microcompartments. Further analyses of eukaryote-like protein domains stressed the importance of such proteins with features including tetratricopeptide repeats, leucin rich repeats as well as low density lipoproteins receptor repeats, the latter of which are reported here for the first time from a sponge symbiont. Finally, examining the most abundant protein domain family on poribacterial genomes revealed diverse phyH family proteins, some of which may be related to dissolved organic posphorus uptake.

  3. Single-Cell Genome and Group-Specific dsrAB Sequencing Implicate Marine Members of the Class Dehalococcoidia (Phylum Chloroflexi) in Sulfur Cycling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wasmund, Kenneth; Cooper, Myriel; Schreiber, Lars

    2016-01-01

    The marine subsurface sediment biosphere is widely inhabited by bacteria affiliated with the class Dehalococcoidia (DEH), phylum Chloroflexi, and yet little is known regarding their metabolisms. In this report, genomic content from a single DEH cell (DEH-C11) with a 16S rRNA gene that was affilia......The marine subsurface sediment biosphere is widely inhabited by bacteria affiliated with the class Dehalococcoidia (DEH), phylum Chloroflexi, and yet little is known regarding their metabolisms. In this report, genomic content from a single DEH cell (DEH-C11) with a 16S rRNA gene...... that was affiliated with a diverse cluster of 16S rRNA gene sequences prevalent in marine sediments was obtained from sediments of Aarhus Bay, Denmark. The distinctive gene content of this cell suggests metabolic characteristics that differ from those of known DEH and Chloroflexi. The presence of genes encoding...... dissimilatory sulfite reductase (Dsr) suggests that DEH could respire oxidized sulfur compounds, although Chloroflexi have never been implicated in this mode of sulfur cycling. Using long-range PCR assays targeting DEH dsr loci, dsrAB genes were amplified and sequenced from various marine sediments. Many...

  4. Host-based identification is not supported by morphometrics in natural populations of Gyrodactylus salaris and G. thymalli (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olstad, K; Shinn, A P; Bachmann, L; Bakke, T A

    2007-12-01

    Gyrodactylus salaris is a serious pest of wild pre-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Norway. The closely related G. thymalli, originally described from grayling (Thymallus thymallus), is assumed harmless to both grayling and salmon. The 2 species are difficult to distinguish using traditional, morphometric methods or molecular approaches. The aim of this study was to explore whether there is a consistent pattern of morphometrical variation between G. salaris and G. thymalli and to analyse the morphometric variation in the context of 'diagnostic realism' (in natural populations). Specimens from the type-material for the 2 species are also included. In total, 27 point-to-point measurements from the opisthaptoral hard parts were used and analysed by digital image processing and uni- and multivariate morphometry. All populations most closely resembled its respective type material, as expected from host species, with the exception of G. thymalli from the Norwegian river Trysilelva. We, therefore, did not find clear support in the morphometrical variation among G. salaris and G. thymalli for an a priori species delineation based on host. The present study also indicates an urgent need for more detailed knowledge on the influence of environmental factors on the phenotype of gyrodactylid populations.

  5. Evidence of carbon fixation pathway in a bacterium from candidate phylum SBR1093 revealed with genomic analysis.

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    Zhiping Wang

    Full Text Available Autotrophic CO2 fixation is the most important biotransformation process in the biosphere. Research focusing on the diversity and distribution of relevant autotrophs is significant to our comprehension of the biosphere. In this study, a draft genome of a bacterium from candidate phylum SBR1093 was reconstructed with the metagenome of an industrial activated sludge. Based on comparative genomics, this autotrophy may occur via a newly discovered carbon fixation path, the hydroxypropionate-hydroxybutyrate (HPHB cycle, which was demonstrated in a previous work to be uniquely possessed by some genera from Archaea. This bacterium possesses all of the thirteen enzymes required for the HPHB cycle; these enzymes share 30∼50% identity with those in the autotrophic species of Archaea that undergo the HPHB cycle and 30∼80% identity with the corresponding enzymes of the mixotrophic species within Bradyrhizobiaceae. Thus, this bacterium might have an autotrophic growth mode in certain conditions. A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene reveals that the phylotypes within candidate phylum SBR1093 are primarily clustered into 5 clades with a shallow branching pattern. This bacterium is clustered with phylotypes from organically contaminated environments, implying a demand for organics in heterotrophic metabolism. Considering the types of regulators, such as FnR, Fur, and ArsR, this bacterium might be a facultative aerobic mixotroph with potential multi-antibiotic and heavy metal resistances. This is the first report on Bacteria that may perform potential carbon fixation via the HPHB cycle, thus may expand our knowledge of the distribution and importance of the HPHB cycle in the biosphere.

  6. Genomic Analysis of Caldithrix abyssi, the Thermophilic Anaerobic Bacterium of the Novel Bacterial Phylum Calditrichaeota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kublanov, Ilya V; Sigalova, Olga M; Gavrilov, Sergey N; Lebedinsky, Alexander V; Rinke, Christian; Kovaleva, Olga; Chernyh, Nikolai A; Ivanova, Natalia; Daum, Chris; Reddy, T B K; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Spring, Stefan; Göker, Markus; Reva, Oleg N; Miroshnichenko, Margarita L; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Woyke, Tanja; Gelfand, Mikhail S; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Elizaveta A

    2017-01-01

    The genome of Caldithrix abyssi , the first cultivated representative of a phylum-level bacterial lineage, was sequenced within the framework of Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project. The genomic analysis revealed mechanisms allowing this anaerobic bacterium to ferment peptides or to implement nitrate reduction with acetate or molecular hydrogen as electron donors. The genome encoded five different [NiFe]- and [FeFe]-hydrogenases, one of which, group 1 [NiFe]-hydrogenase, is presumably involved in lithoheterotrophic growth, three other produce H 2 during fermentation, and one is apparently bidirectional. The ability to reduce nitrate is determined by a nitrate reductase of the Nap family, while nitrite reduction to ammonia is presumably catalyzed by an octaheme cytochrome c nitrite reductase εHao. The genome contained genes of respiratory polysulfide/thiosulfate reductase, however, elemental sulfur and thiosulfate were not used as the electron acceptors for anaerobic respiration with acetate or H 2 , probably due to the lack of the gene of the maturation protein. Nevertheless, elemental sulfur and thiosulfate stimulated growth on fermentable substrates (peptides), being reduced to sulfide, most probably through the action of the cytoplasmic sulfide dehydrogenase and/or NAD(P)-dependent [NiFe]-hydrogenase (sulfhydrogenase) encoded by the genome. Surprisingly, the genome of this anaerobic microorganism encoded all genes for cytochrome c oxidase, however, its maturation machinery seems to be non-operational due to genomic rearrangements of supplementary genes. Despite the fact that sugars were not among the substrates reported when C. abyssi was first described, our genomic analysis revealed multiple genes of glycoside hydrolases, and some of them were predicted to be secreted. This finding aided in bringing out four carbohydrates that supported the growth of C. abyssi : starch, cellobiose, glucomannan and xyloglucan. The genomic analysis

  7. Expression of a neuropeptide similar to allatotropin in free living turbellaria (platyhelminthes).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adami, Mariana Laura; Damborenea, Cristina; Ronderos, Jorge Rafael

    2011-12-01

    Mechanisms coordinating cell-cell interaction have appeared early in evolution. Allatotropin (AT), a neuropeptide isolated based on its ability to stimulate the synthesis of juvenile hormones (JHs) in insects has also been found in other invertebrate phyla. Despite this function, AT has proved to be myotropic. In the present study we analyze its expression in two groups of Turbellaria (Catenulida, Macrostomida), and its probable relationship with muscle tissue. The results show the presence of an AT-like peptide in the free living turbellaria analyzed. The analysis of the expression of the peptide together with phalloidin, suggests a functional relationship between the peptide and muscle tissue, showing that it could be acting as a myoregulator. The finding of immunoreactive fibers associated with sensory organs like ciliated pits in Catenulida and eyes in Macrostomida makes probable that AT could play a role in the physiological mechanisms controlling circadian activities. Furthermore, the existence of AT in several phyla of Protostomata suggests that this peptide could be a synapomorphic feature of this group. Indeed, the presence in organisms that do not undergo metamorphosis, could be signaling that it was first involved in myotropic activities, being the stimulation of the synthesis of JHs a secondary function acquired by the phylum Arthropoda. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Evidence that two types of 18S rDNA coexist in the genome of Dugesia (Schmidtea) mediterranea (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Tricladida).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carranza, S; Giribet, G; Ribera, C; Baguñà; Riutort, M

    1996-07-01

    Sequences of 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) are increasingly being used to infer phylogenetic relationships among living taxa. Although the 18S rDNA belongs to a multigene family, all its copies are kept homogeneous by concerted evolution (Dover 1982; Hillis and Dixon 1991). To date, there is only one well-characterized exception to this rule, the protozoan Plasmodium (Gunderson et al. 1987; Waters, Syin, and McCutchan 1989; Qari et al. 1994). Here we report the 1st case of 18S rDNA polymorphism within a metazoan species. Two types (I and II) of 18S rDNA have been found and sequenced in the platyhelminth Dugesia (Schmidtea) mediterranea (Turbellaria, Seriata, Tricladida). Southern blot analysis suggested that both types of rDNA are present in the genome of this flatworm. This was confirmed through sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining method and bootstrap test. Although secondary structure analysis suggests that both types are functional, only type I seems to be transcribed to RNA, as demonstrated by Northern blot analysis. The finding of different types of 18S rDNAs in a single genome stresses the need for analyzing a large number of clones whenever 18S sequences obtained by PCR amplification and cloning are being used in phylogenetic reconstruction.

  9. Hematologia de teleósteos brasileiros com infecção parasitária. I. Variáveis do Leporinus macrocephalus Garavelo e Britski, 1988 (Anostomidae e Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 (Characidae Haematology of parasitized Brazilian teleost fishes. I. Parameters of Leporinus macrocephalus Garavelo and Britski, 1988 (Anostomidae and Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 (Characidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dilermando Perecin

    1999-07-01

    Full Text Available Espécimes de Leporinus macrocephalus (piauçu e de Piaractus mesopotamicus (pacu foram colhidos em piscicultura do município de Franca (SP para avaliação dos efeitos da infecção parasitária sobre a taxa de hemoglobina e de hematócrito, a concentração de hemoglobina corpuscular média (CHCM, o fator relativo de condição (Kn e a distribuição percentual de células sangüíneas de defesa orgânica (leucócitos e trombócitos. Ambas as espécies apresentavam-se parasitadas por monogenea ou por monogenea e outros parasitas: monogenea e Trichodina sp; monogenea e Lernaea cyprinacea; monogenea e Piscinoodinium pillulare; monogenea e Ichthyophthirius multifiliis; monogenea, I. multifiliis e Trichodina sp. Os resultados demonstraram que os parâmetros estudados em L. macrocephalus e em P. mesopotamicus não foram significativamente (p > 0,05 alterados pelo parasitismo. A análise de regressão linear mostrou correlação negativa (p > 0,05 entre linfócitos e trombócitos em L. macrocephalus e correlação positiva (p > 0,01 da taxa de hemoglobina com o peso e com o comprimento total em P. mesopotamicus.Specimens of cultivated Leporinus macrocephalus (piauçu and Piaractus mesopotamicus (pacu were collected in a fishfarm at Franca, SP. Effects of parasite infection upon hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC, condition factor (Kn and differential count of defense cells (leucocyte and thrombocyte were evaluated. Both fish species were parasitized by monogenean; monogenean and Trichodina sp; monogenean and Lernaea cyprinacea; monogenean and Piscinoodinium pillulare; monogenean and Ichthyophthirius miltifiliis; monogenean, I. multifiliis and Trichodina sp. Parasitism did not influence (p > 0.05 the studied haematological characteristics in L. macrocephalus and P. mesopotamicus. Linnear regression showed negative correlation (p > 0.05 between lymphocytes and thrombocytes in L. macrocephalus and positive

  10. The surface topography of Callorhynchocotyle callorhynchi (Manter, 1955) (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae), a parasite of the holocephalan fish Callorhinchus capensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poddubnaya, Larisa G; Reed, Cecile; Gibson, David I

    2015-09-01

    A scanning electron microscopical study, incorporating some transmission electron microscopical observations, was undertaken on the surface topography of the gill parasite Callorhynchocotyle callorhynchi (Manter, 1955) (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) from the Cape elephant fish Callorhinchus capensis (Holocephali) off the western coast of South Africa. The study revealed the presence of several new characteristics for this species. These include the presence of regularly distributed, knob-shaped projections on the surface of the haptor, haptoral appendix and sucker peduncles measuring 0.2 μm and in concentrations of approximately 100 per 10 μm(2) and the existence of a ridge which bisects each sucker lumen, forming two different loculi. We also report, for the first time for any monogenean, the presence of 'true spines'; these occur on the luminal surface of the haptoral suckers and have all of the characteristics of the tegumental spines of digeneans, i.e. they are situated within the distal syncytial tegumental cytoplasm, rest on the basal plasma membrane, have a uniform structure and are covered apically by the tegumental surface plasma membrane. These spines are simple, straight and single-pointed. Under the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), within an area of 20 μm in diameter, 23 such spines were counted, but their concentration and arrangement varies in different regions of the sucker. At their base, they measure about 1.5 μm in width and reach approximately 2 μm in height above the general level of the tegument, but transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements of an entire spine indicate that they may reach 3 μm in total length. The presence of spines, possessing similar morphological characteristics in both basal polyopisthocotylean monogeneans and digeneans, represents another characteristic which may prove useful in understanding the evolutionary relationships within the Neodermata.

  11. Isolation and expression of a Pax-6 gene in the regenerating and intact Planarian Dugesia(G)tigrina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callaerts, P.; Munoz-Marmol, A. M.; Glardon, S.; Castillo, E.; Sun, H.; Li, W.-H.; Gehring, W. J.; Salo, E.

    1999-01-01

    The Pax-6 gene encodes a transcription factor containing both a paired and a homeodomain and is highly conserved among Metazoa. In both vertebrates and invertebrates, Pax-6 is required for eye morphogenesis, development of parts of the central nervous system, and, in some phyla, for the development of olfactory sense organs. Ectopic expression of Pax-6 from insects, mammals, cephalopods, and ascidians induces ectopic eyes in Drosophila, suggesting that Pax-6 may be a universal master control gene for eye morphogenesis. Platyhelminthes are an ancient phylum, originating from the base of spiralian protostomes, that bear primitive eyes, consisting of a group of rhabdomeric photoreceptor cells enclosed in a cup of pigment cells. The analysis of Pax-6 and its expression pattern should provide insights into the ancestral function of Pax-6 in eye morphogenesis. We have identified the Pax-6 gene of the planarian Dugesia(G)tigrina (Platyhelminthes; Turbellaria; Tricladida). This gene shares significant sequence identity and conserved genomic organization with Pax-6 proteins from other phyla. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that it clusters with the other Pax-6 genes, but in the most basal position. DtPax-6 is expressed as a single transcript in both regenerating and fully grown eyes, and electron microscopy studies show strong expression in the perykarion of both photoreceptor and pigment cells. Very low levels of expression also are detectable in other body regions. Because a bona fide Pax-6 homolog so far has not been detected in diploblastic animals, we speculate that Pax-6 may be typical for triploblasts and that the appearance of additional Pax genes may have coincided with increasingly complex body plans. PMID:9892672

  12. A new species of Dermopristis Kearn, Whittington & Evans-Gowing, 2010 (Monogenea: Microbothriidae), with observations on associations between the gut diverticula and reproductive system and on the presence of denticles in the nasal fossae of the host Glaucostegus typus (Bennett) (Elasmobranchii: Rhinobatidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittington, Ian D; Kearn, Graham C

    2011-09-01

    Dermopristis cairae n. sp. (Monogenea: Microbothriidae) is described from the skin and possibly from the nasal fossae of the giant shovel-nosed ray Glaucostegus typus (Bennett). The new species is distinguished from D. paradoxus Kearn, Whittington & Evans-Gowing, 2010 by its larger size, body shape, lack of transverse ridges on the ventral surface and absence of a seminal receptacle. Extensive short gut branches lie dorsal to the testes and adjacent to the coiled region of the vas deferens and the oötype, possibly reflecting high metabolic demand in these areas. Denticles are present in the lining of the nasal fossae of G. typus, providing a firm substrate for the cement-based attachment of a microbothriid. However, confirmation that D. cairae inhabits the nasal fossae of G. typus is required.

  13. Three new species of Merizocotyle Cerfontaine, 1894 (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) from the nasal tissues of dasyatid rays collected off Malaysian and Indonesian Borneo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chisholm, Leslie A; Whittington, Ian D

    2012-06-01

    Three new species of Merizocotyle Cerfontaine, 1894 (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) are described from the nasal tissues of stingrays collected off Borneo. Merizocotyle macrostrobus n. sp. is described from the dwarf whipray Himantura walga (Müller & Henle) collected in shallow waters off Sematan, Sarawak, Malaysia. This species can be distinguished from the other members of the genus by the morphology of the sclerotised male copulatory organ, which is long with many twists and loops. The vaginae of this species are also long and looped. Merizocotyle papillae n. sp. is described from the roughnose stingray Pastinachus solocirostris Last, Manjaji & Yearsley collected off Sematan and Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is distinguished from the other species of Merizocotyle by the morphology of the male copulatory organ, which is a sclerotised tube that expands slightly and then tapers at the distal end, and by the presence of papillae on the dorsal edge of the haptor. Merizocotyle rhadinopeos n. sp. is described from the whitenose whip ray Himantura uarnacoides (Bleeker) collected off Manggar, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It can be differentiated by the male copulatory organ, which is a short, narrow, curved, sclerotised tube tapering distally, and the path of the ovary, which runs anteriorly to the base of the oötype. We also provide details of new host and/or locality records for M. australensis (Beverley-Burton & Williams, 1989) Chisholm, Wheeler & Beverley-Burton, 1995, M. icopae Beverley-Burton & Williams, 1989 and M. pseudodasybatis (Hargis, 1955) Chisholm, Wheeler & Beverley-Burton, 1995.

  14. The Deinococcus-Thermus phylum and the effect of rRNA composition on phylogenetic tree construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisburg, W. G.; Giovannoni, S. J.; Woese, C. R.

    1989-01-01

    Through comparative analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, it can be shown that two seemingly dissimilar types of eubacteria Deinococcus and the ubiquitous hot spring organism Thermus are distantly but specifically related to one another. This confirms an earlier report based upon 16S rRNA oligonucleotide cataloging studies (Hensel et al., 1986). Their two lineages form a distinctive grouping within the eubacteria that deserved the taxonomic status of a phylum. The (partial) sequence of T. aquaticus rRNA appears relatively close to those of other thermophilic eubacteria. e.g. Thermotoga maritima and Thermomicrobium roseum. However, this closeness does not reflect a true evolutionary closeness; rather it is due to a "thermophilic convergence", the result of unusually high G+C composition in the rRNAs of thermophilic bacteria. Unless such compositional biases are taken into account, the branching order and root of phylogenetic trees can be incorrectly inferred.

  15. Monogeneans from Pangasiidae (Siluriformes in Southeast Asia: V. Five new species of Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Ancylodiscoididae from Pangasius nasutus

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    Pariselle A.

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius nasutus (Bleeker, 1862 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae revealed the presence of five new species of Monogenea, all belonging to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae as defined by Lim (1996 and Lim et al. (2001: T. serpens n. sp., T. ocrea n. sp., T. megagripus n. sp., T. citreum n. sp. and T. alatus n. sp.

  16. Obligate sugar oxidation in Mesotoga spp., phylum Thermotogae, in the presence of either elemental sulfur or hydrogenotrophic sulfate-reducers as electron acceptor

    OpenAIRE

    Fadhlaoui, K.; Ben Hania, W.; Armougom, Fabrice; Bartoli, M.; Fardeau, Marie-Laure; Erauso, G.; Brasseur, G.; Aubert, C.; Hamdi, M.; Brochier-Armanet, C.; Dolla, A.; Ollivier, Bernard

    2018-01-01

    Mesotoga prima strain PhosAc3 is a mesophilic representative of the phylum Thermotogae comprising only fermentative bacteria so far. We show that while unable to ferment glucose, this bacterium is able to couple its oxidation to reduction of elemental sulfur. We demonstrate furthermore that M. prima strain PhosAc3 as well as M. prima strain MesG1 and Mesotoga infera are able to grow in syntrophic association with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) acting as hydrogen scavengers through interspeci...

  17. Electrocotyle whittingtoni n. gen., n. sp. (Monogenea: Monocotylidae: Heterocotylinae) from the gills of a captive onefin electric ray, Narke capensis (Narkidae) at Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, David B; Chisholm, Leslie A; Hansen, Haakon

    2016-09-01

    Electrocotyle whittingtoni n. gen., n. sp. (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) is described from the gills of a captive female onefin electric ray, Narke capensis, collected for exhibition at Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa. Electrocotyle n. gen. is most similar to the heterocotyline genera Heterocotyle and Potamotrygonocotyle but could not be accommodated easily in either of these groups. The new genus is characterised by a haptor with one central and eight peripheral loculi, four unsclerotised structures on the dorsal surface of the haptor, a single unsclerotised non-sinous ridge on the ventral surface of the haptoral septa, large hamuli with a long handle and reduced guard, a vagina with sclerotised walls, and tetrahedral eggs. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 28S sequences strongly support the separate genus status of Electrocotyle n. gen and thus support our morphological conclusion. The Heterocotylinae is amended to accommodate the new genus, and the new species is fully described and illustrated herein. This is the first record of a monocotylid from the Narkidae. Electrocotyle whittingtoni n. gen. n. sp. is considered potentially pathogenic given its negative impact on the health of its captive host kept in the quarantine facility at Two Oceans Aquarium.

  18. Six new and one previously described species of pseudorhabdosynochus (Monogenoidea, Diplectanidae) infecting the gills of groupers (Perciformes, Serranidae) from the Pacific Coasts of Mexico and Panama

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mendoza-Franco, Edgar F.; Violante-González, J.; Rojas Herrera, A.A.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 97, č. 1 (2011), 20-35 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : N. SP MONOGENEA * SOUTH CHINA SEA * EPINEPHELUS-MACULATUS PERCIFORMES * E-MERRA PERCIFORMES * SP-NOV MONOGENEA * NEW-CALEDONIA * CYCLOPLECTANUM OLIVER * DAPENG BAY * YUCATAN PENINSULA * YAMAGUTI Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.405, year: 2011

  19. SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF HELMINTH COMMUNITIES IN THE GOLDEN GREY MULLET, LIZA AURATA (ACTINOPTERYGII: MUGILIDAE), FROM THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Míguez-Lozano, R.; Pardo-Carranza, T.V.; Blasco-Costa, Maria Isabel; Balbuena, J. A.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 98, č. 5 (2012), s. 904-912 ISSN 0022-3395 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : 1914 DIGENEA HAPLOPORIDAE * PARASITE SPECIES RICHNESS * N. SP MONOGENEA * MARINE FISHES * ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS * LIGOPHORUS MONOGENEA * SATURNIUS MANTER * BETA DIVERSITY * DISTANCE DECAY * BLACK-SEA Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 1.321, year: 2012 http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1645/GE-2897.1#fn2

  20. Comparative Metagenomics Reveal Phylum Level Temporal and Spatial Changes in Mycobiome of Belowground Parts of Crocus sativus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheetal Ambardar

    Full Text Available Plant-fungal associations have been explored by routine cultivation based approaches and cultivation based approaches cannot catalogue more than 5% of fungal diversity associated with any niche. In the present study, an attempt has been made to catalogue fungal diversity associated with belowground parts i.e. rhizosphere and cormosphere, of Crocus sativus (an economically important herb during two growth stages, using cultivation independent ITS gene targeted approach, taking bulk soil as reference. The 454 pyrosequencing sequence data analysis suggests that the fungal diversity was niche and growth stage specific. Fungi diversity, in the present case, was not only different between the two organs (roots and corm but the dominance pattern varies between the cormosphere during two growth stages. Zygomycota was dominant fungal phylum in the rhizosphere whereas Basidiomycota was dominant in cormosphere during flowering stage. However in cormosphere though Basidiomycota was dominant phylum during flowering stage but Zygomycota was dominant during dormant stage. Interestingly, in cormosphere, the phyla which was dominant at dormant stage was rare at flowering stage and vice-versa (Basidiomycota: Flowering = 93.2% Dormant = 0.05% and Zygomycota: Flowering = 0.8% Dormant = 99.7%. At genus level, Rhizopus was dominant in dormant stage but was rare in flowering stage (Rhizopus: Dormant = 99.7% Flowering = 0.55%. This dynamics is not followed by the bulk soil fungi which was dominated by Ascomycota during both stages under study. The genus Fusarium, whose species F. oxysporum causes corm rot in C. sativus, was present during both stages with slightly higher abundance in roots. Interestingly, the abundance of Rhizopus varied a great deal in two stages in cormosphere but the abundance of Fusarium was comparable in two growth stages (Bulk soil Flowering = 0.05%, Rhizosphere Flowering = 1.4%, Cormosphere Flowering = 0.06%, Bulk soil Dormant = 2.47% and

  1. Global Habitat Suitability and Ecological Niche Separation in the Phylum Placozoa.

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    Omid Paknia

    Full Text Available The enigmatic placozoans, which hold a key position in the metazoan Tree of Life, have attracted substantial attention in many areas of biological and biomedical research. While placozoans have become an emerging model system, their ecology and particularly biogeography remain widely unknown. In this study, we use modelling approaches to explore habitat preferences, and distribution pattern of the placozoans phylum. We provide hypotheses for discrete ecological niche separation between genetic placozoan lineages, which may also help to understand biogeography patterns in other small marine invertebrates. We, here, used maximum entropy modelling to predict placozoan distribution using 20 environmental grids of 9.2 km2 resolution. In addition, we used recently developed metrics of niche overlap to compare habitat suitability models of three genetic clades. The predicted distributions range from 55°N to 44°S and are restricted to regions of intermediate to warm sea surface temperatures. High concentrations of salinity and low nutrient concentrations appear as secondary factors. Tests of niche equivalency reveal the largest differences between placozoan clades I and III. Interestingly, the genetically well-separated clades I and V appear to be ecologically very similar. Our habitat suitability models predict a wider latitudinal distribution for placozoans, than currently described, especially in the northern hemisphere. With respect to biogeography modelling, placozoans show patterns somewhere between higher metazoan taxa and marine microorganisms, with the first group usually showing complex biogeographies and the second usually showing "no biogeography."

  2. Monogeneans from Pangasiidae (Siluriformes in Southeast Asia: VII. Six new host-specific species of Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Ancylodiscoididae from Pangasius polyuranodon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pariselle A.

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius polyuranodon Bleeker, 1852 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae revealed the presence of six new host-specific species of Monogenea, all belonging to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae as defined by Lim (1996 and Lim et al. (2001: T. caestus n. sp., T. crassipenis n. sp., T. legendrei n. sp., T. levangi n. sp., T. slembroucki n. sp. and T. virgula n. sp.

  3. Genomic insights into the uncultured genus 'Candidatus Magnetobacterium' in the phylum Nitrospirae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wei; Deng, Aihua; Wang, Zhang; Li, Ying; Wen, Tingyi; Wu, Long-Fei; Wu, Martin; Pan, Yongxin

    2014-12-01

    Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) of the genus 'Candidatus Magnetobacterium' in phylum Nitrospirae are of great interest because of the formation of hundreds of bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes in multiple bundles of chains per cell. These bacteria are worldwide distributed in aquatic environments and have important roles in the biogeochemical cycles of iron and sulfur. However, except for a few short genomic fragments, no genome data are available for this ecologically important genus, and little is known about their metabolic capacity owing to the lack of pure cultures. Here we report the first draft genome sequence of 3.42 Mb from an uncultivated strain tentatively named 'Ca. Magnetobacterium casensis' isolated from Lake Miyun, China. The genome sequence indicates an autotrophic lifestyle using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for CO2 fixation, which has not been described in any previously known MTB or Nitrospirae organisms. Pathways involved in the denitrification, sulfur oxidation and sulfate reduction have been predicted, indicating its considerable capacity for adaptation to variable geochemical conditions and roles in local biogeochemical cycles. Moreover, we have identified a complete magnetosome gene island containing mam, mad and a set of novel genes (named as man genes) putatively responsible for the formation of bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes and the arrangement of multiple magnetosome chains. This first comprehensive genomic analysis sheds light on the physiology, ecology and biomineralization of the poorly understood 'Ca. Magnetobacterium' genus.

  4. Discovery and molecular characterization of a Bcl-2-regulated cell death pathway in schistosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Erinna F; Clarke, Oliver B; Evangelista, Marco; Feng, Zhiping; Speed, Terence P; Tchoubrieva, Elissaveta B; Strasser, Andreas; Kalinna, Bernd H; Colman, Peter M; Fairlie, W Douglas

    2011-04-26

    Schistosomiasis is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the phylum platyhelminthe. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a Bcl-2-regulated apoptosis pathway in Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni. Genomic, biochemical, and cell-based mechanistic studies provide evidence for a tripartite pathway, similar to that in humans including BH3-only proteins that are inhibited by prosurvival Bcl-2-like molecules, and Bax/Bak-like proteins that facilitate mitochondrial outer-membrane permeabilization. Because Bcl-2 proteins have been successfully targeted with "BH3 mimetic" drugs, particularly in the treatment of cancer, we investigated whether schistosome apoptosis pathways could provide targets for future antischistosomal drug discovery efforts. Accordingly, we showed that a schistosome prosurvival protein, sjA, binds ABT-737, a well-characterized BH3 mimetic. A crystal structure of sjA bound to a BH3 peptide provides direct evidence for the feasibility of developing BH3 mimetics to target Bcl-2 prosurvival proteins in schistosomes, suggesting an alternative application for this class of drugs beyond cancer treatment.

  5. Discovery and molecular characterization of a Bcl-2–regulated cell death pathway in schistosomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Erinna F.; Clarke, Oliver B.; Evangelista, Marco; Feng, Zhiping; Speed, Terence P.; Tchoubrieva, Elissaveta B.; Strasser, Andreas; Kalinna, Bernd H.; Colman, Peter M.; Fairlie, W. Douglas

    2011-01-01

    Schistosomiasis is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the phylum platyhelminthe. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a Bcl-2–regulated apoptosis pathway in Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni. Genomic, biochemical, and cell-based mechanistic studies provide evidence for a tripartite pathway, similar to that in humans including BH3-only proteins that are inhibited by prosurvival Bcl-2–like molecules, and Bax/Bak-like proteins that facilitate mitochondrial outer-membrane permeabilization. Because Bcl-2 proteins have been successfully targeted with “BH3 mimetic” drugs, particularly in the treatment of cancer, we investigated whether schistosome apoptosis pathways could provide targets for future antischistosomal drug discovery efforts. Accordingly, we showed that a schistosome prosurvival protein, sjA, binds ABT-737, a well-characterized BH3 mimetic. A crystal structure of sjA bound to a BH3 peptide provides direct evidence for the feasibility of developing BH3 mimetics to target Bcl-2 prosurvival proteins in schistosomes, suggesting an alternative application for this class of drugs beyond cancer treatment. PMID:21444803

  6. Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Urechis caupo, a representative of the phylum Echiura.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boore, Jeffrey L

    2004-09-15

    Mitochondria contain small genomes that are physically separate from those of nuclei. Their comparison serves as a model system for understanding the processes of genome evolution. Although hundreds of these genome sequences have been reported, the taxonomic sampling is highly biased toward vertebrates and arthropods, with many whole phyla remaining unstudied. This is the first description of a complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a representative of the phylum Echiura, that of the fat innkeeper worm, Urechis caupo. This mtDNA is 15,113 nts in length and 62% A+T. It contains the 37 genes that are typical for animal mtDNAs in an arrangement somewhat similar to that of annelid worms. All genes are encoded by the same DNA strand which is rich in A and C relative to the opposite strand. Codons ending with the dinucleotide GG are more frequent than would be expected from apparent mutational biases. The largest non-coding region is only 282 nts long, is 71% A+T, and has potential for secondary structures. Urechis caupo mtDNA shares many features with those of the few studied annelids, including the common usage of ATG start codons, unusual among animal mtDNAs, as well as gene arrangements, tRNA structures, and codon usage biases.

  7. Isolation and survey of novel fluoroacetate-degrading bacteria belonging to the phylum Synergistetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Carl K; Webb, Richard I; Sly, Lindsay I; Denman, Stuart E; McSweeney, Chris S

    2012-06-01

    Microbial dehalogenation of chlorinated compounds in anaerobic environments is well known, but the degradation of fluorinated compounds under similar conditions has rarely been described. Here, we report on the isolation of a bovine rumen bacterium that metabolizes fluoroacetate under anaerobic conditions, the mode of degradation and its presence in gut ecosystems. The bacterium was identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as belonging to the phylum Synergistetes and was designated strain MFA1. Growth was stimulated by amino acids with greater quantities of amino acids metabolized in the presence of fluoroacetate, but sugars were not fermented. Acetate, formate, propionate, isobutryate, isovalerate, ornithine and H(2) were end products of amino acid metabolism. Acetate was the primary end product of fluoroacetate dehalogenation, and the amount produced correlated with the stoichiometric release of fluoride which was confirmed using fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance ((19) F NMR) spectroscopy. Hydrogen and formate produced in situ were consumed during dehalogenation. The growth characteristics of strain MFA1 indicated that the bacterium may gain energy via reductive dehalogenation. This is the first study to identify a bacterium that can anaerobically dehalogenate fluoroacetate. Nested 16S rRNA gene-specific PCR assays detected the bacterium at low numbers in the gut of several herbivore species. © 2012 Commonwealth of Australia.

  8. First genomic insights into members of a candidate bacterial phylum responsible for wastewater bulking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuji Sekiguchi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Filamentous cells belonging to the candidate bacterial phylum KSB3 were previously identified as the causative agent of fatal filament overgrowth (bulking in a high-rate industrial anaerobic wastewater treatment bioreactor. Here, we obtained near complete genomes from two KSB3 populations in the bioreactor, including the dominant bulking filament, using differential coverage binning of metagenomic data. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with 16S rRNA-targeted probes specific for the two populations confirmed that both are filamentous organisms. Genome-based metabolic reconstruction and microscopic observation of the KSB3 filaments in the presence of sugar gradients indicate that both filament types are Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic fermenters capable of non-flagellar based gliding motility, and have a strikingly large number of sensory and response regulator genes. We propose that the KSB3 filaments are highly sensitive to their surroundings and that cellular processes, including those causing bulking, are controlled by external stimuli. The obtained genomes lay the foundation for a more detailed understanding of environmental cues used by KSB3 filaments, which may lead to more robust treatment options to prevent bulking.

  9. Patterns and Drivers of Egg Pigment Intensity and Colour Diversity in the Ocean: A Meta-Analysis of Phylum Echinodermata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, E M; Hamel, J-F; Mercier, A

    Egg pigmentation is proposed to serve numerous ecological, physiological, and adaptive functions in egg-laying animals. Despite the predominance and taxonomic diversity of egg layers, syntheses reviewing the putative functions and drivers of egg pigmentation have been relatively narrow in scope, centring almost exclusively on birds. Nonvertebrate and aquatic species are essentially overlooked, yet many of them produce maternally provisioned eggs in strikingly varied colours, from pale yellow to bright red or green. We explore the ways in which these colour patterns correlate with behavioural, morphological, geographic and phylogenetic variables in extant classes of Echinodermata, a phylum that has close phylogenetic ties with chordates and representatives in nearly all marine environments. Results of multivariate analyses show that intensely pigmented eggs are characteristic of pelagic or external development whereas pale eggs are commonly brooded internally. Of the five egg colours catalogued, orange and yellow are the most common. Yellow eggs are a primitive character, associated with all types of development (predominant in internal brooders), whereas green eggs are always pelagic, occur in the most derived orders of each class and are restricted to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Orange eggs are geographically ubiquitous and may represent a 'universal' egg pigment that functions well under a diversity of environmental conditions. Finally, green occurs chiefly in the classes Holothuroidea and Ophiuroidea, orange in Asteroidea, yellow in Echinoidea, and brown in Holothuroidea. By examining an unprecedented combination of egg colours/intensities and reproductive strategies, this phylum-wide study sheds new light on the role and drivers of egg pigmentation, drawing parallels with theories developed from the study of more derived vertebrate taxa. The primary use of pigments (of any colour) to protect externally developing eggs from oxidative damage and predation is

  10. Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Urechis caupo, a representative of the phylum Echiura

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boore Jeffrey L

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mitochondria contain small genomes that are physically separate from those of nuclei. Their comparison serves as a model system for understanding the processes of genome evolution. Although hundreds of these genome sequences have been reported, the taxonomic sampling is highly biased toward vertebrates and arthropods, with many whole phyla remaining unstudied. This is the first description of a complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a representative of the phylum Echiura, that of the fat innkeeper worm, Urechis caupo. Results This mtDNA is 15,113 nts in length and 62% A+T. It contains the 37 genes that are typical for animal mtDNAs in an arrangement somewhat similar to that of annelid worms. All genes are encoded by the same DNA strand which is rich in A and C relative to the opposite strand. Codons ending with the dinucleotide GG are more frequent than would be expected from apparent mutational biases. The largest non-coding region is only 282 nts long, is 71% A+T, and has potential for secondary structures. Conclusions Urechis caupo mtDNA shares many features with those of the few studied annelids, including the common usage of ATG start codons, unusual among animal mtDNAs, as well as gene arrangements, tRNA structures, and codon usage biases.

  11. The occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota in Israeli soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janusz Błaszkowski

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In December 1997 and June-July 2000, 49 and 113 rhizosphere soil and root mixtures were collected, respectively, to determine the occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF of the phylum Glomeromycota in different sites of Israel. Except for five samples taken from under cultivated plants, all the others came from under Ammophila arenaria and Oenothera drummondii colonizing sand dunes adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. After a continuous cultivation of the mixtures in pot trap cultures with Plantago lanceolata as the plant host up to 2006 and their examination at least twice a year, spores of AMF were found in 41 and 103 cultures with the 1997 and 2000 soil and root mixtures, respectively. The spores represented 30 species and 8 undescribed morphotypes in 7 genera of the Glomeromycota. The AMF most frequently found in Israeli soils were Glomus aurantium and G. constrictum, followed by G. coronatum, G. gibbosum, an undescribed Glomus 178, and Scutellospora dipurpurescens. Up to 2001, 21 species of AMF were known to occur in Israel, and this paper increases this number to 33, of which 11 are new fungi for this country. Moreover, four species, G. aurantium, G. drummondii, G. walkeri and G. xanthium, were recently described as new for science based on spores isolated from Israeli soils. Additionally, the general distribution in the world of the formally described species found in Israel was presented.

  12. Development of a multilocus-based approach for sponge (phylum Porifera) identification: refinement and limitations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Qi; Franco, Christopher M M; Sorokin, Shirley J; Zhang, Wei

    2017-02-02

    For sponges (phylum Porifera), there is no reliable molecular protocol available for species identification. To address this gap, we developed a multilocus-based Sponge Identification Protocol (SIP) validated by a sample of 37 sponge species belonging to 10 orders from South Australia. The universal barcode COI mtDNA, 28S rRNA gene (D3-D5), and the nuclear ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region were evaluated for their suitability and capacity for sponge identification. The highest Bit Score was applied to infer the identity. The reliability of SIP was validated by phylogenetic analysis. The 28S rRNA gene and COI mtDNA performed better than the ITS region in classifying sponges at various taxonomic levels. A major limitation is that the databases are not well populated and possess low diversity, making it difficult to conduct the molecular identification protocol. The identification is also impacted by the accuracy of the morphological classification of the sponges whose sequences have been submitted to the database. Re-examination of the morphological identification further demonstrated and improved the reliability of sponge identification by SIP. Integrated with morphological identification, the multilocus-based SIP offers an improved protocol for more reliable and effective sponge identification, by coupling the accuracy of different DNA markers.

  13. Control of Ectoparasitic Monogenean Infestation on GIFT Tilapia (Oreochromis sp. using Salt Addition

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    Yani Hadiroseyani

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Ectoparasitic monogenean infestation is one of fish diseases which may cause mass mortality, therefore controlling the parasites is one of the important factors to ensure the success of aquaculture activities. Salt addition is one of disease curative and controlling techniques which is cheap, easy and environmental friendly as well as effective to control ectoparasites in freshwater environment. The objectives of this study were to examine monogenean parasites species in GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia tilapia, their tolerance to salt concentration and the most effective salt concentration to control the parasites. Identification, intensity and prevalence of parasitic monogenean were carried out on the external parts (body surface, fins and gills of 31 fishes. Subsequently, two different experiments were carried out  to determine parasites and fish resistance on various salt concentration at a range of 0 - 24 g/l with an interval of 2 g/l. To confirm the results of previous experiment, parasites infected fish was immersed in salt water at various concentration based on previous experiments. Two genera of monogenean were identified in GIFT tilapia, i.e. Gyrodactylus sp. on body surface and fins, and Cichlidogyrus sp. on gills with the same prevalence (100%. The intensity of those parasites was different, namely 27.84 ind/fish for Gyrodactylus sp. and 6.06 ind/fish for Cichlidogyrus sp. The intensity of both parasites was found to be lower as salt concentration increase. Salt concentration of 24 g/l was the most effective concentration to reduce parasites infestation and could totally treat the infested fish within 6 days. Keyword : tilapia, Oreochromis, monogenea, parasite and salt     ABSTRAK Serangan monogenea ektoparasitik merupakan salah satu masalah penyakit ikan yang dapat menyebabkan kematian masal, sehingga pengendaliannya merupakan salah satu kunci keberhasilan dalam usaha budidaya. Garam merupakan agen penyembuh atau

  14. Forest-to-pasture conversion increases the diversity of the phylum Verrucomicrobia in Amazon rainforest soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranjan, Kshitij; Paula, Fabiana S; Mueller, Rebecca C; Jesus, Ederson da C; Cenciani, Karina; Bohannan, Brendan J M; Nüsslein, Klaus; Rodrigues, Jorge L M

    2015-01-01

    The Amazon rainforest is well known for its rich plant and animal diversity, but its bacterial diversity is virtually unexplored. Due to ongoing and widespread deforestation followed by conversion to agriculture, there is an urgent need to quantify the soil biological diversity within this tropical ecosystem. Given the abundance of the phylum Verrucomicrobia in soils, we targeted this group to examine its response to forest-to-pasture conversion. Both taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities were higher for pasture in comparison to primary and secondary forests. The community composition of Verrucomicrobia in pasture soils was significantly different from those of forests, with a 11.6% increase in the number of sequences belonging to subphylum 3 and a proportional decrease in sequences belonging to the class Spartobacteria. Based on 99% operational taxonomic unit identity, 40% of the sequences have not been detected in previous studies, underscoring the limited knowledge regarding the diversity of microorganisms in tropical ecosystems. The abundance of Verrucomicrobia, measured with quantitative PCR, was strongly correlated with soil C content (r = 0.80, P = 0.0016), indicating their importance in metabolizing plant-derived carbon compounds in soils.

  15. Parasite fauna of wild and cultured dusky-grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834 from Ubatuba, Southeastern Brazil

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    K Roumbedakis

    Full Text Available This study aimed at identifying and quantifying the parasites of wild and cultured dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus. During a year and thereby all four seasons, 20 wild and 20 cultured groupers were examined for the presence of parasites, except in the last season, in which 19 wild and 20 cultured fish were examined, totalling 159 groupers analysed from Ubatuba, southeastern Brazil. Prevalence, mean intensity of infection, mean abundance and mean relative dominance were calculated. Five species of parasites were identified in fish from both origins: Pseudorhabdosynochus beverleyburtonae (Monogenea, Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea, Pseudempleurosoma sp. (Monogenea, Helicometrina nimia (Digenea and larvae of Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda. The prevalence of ectoparasites, in most cases, was higher than endoparasites. The most abundant parasite was the monogenea Pseudorhabdosynochus beverleyburtonae in both wild and cultured fish, along all seasons. Neobenedenia melleni was observed in wild and cultured fish in all seasons, with a gradual increase in the number of parasites from the coldest to the hottest seasons, with the highest prevalence and mean intensity in the summer. Helicometrina nimia was found in all seasons in both wild and cultured fish, except for summer, where its presence was detected only in wild fish. Pseudempleurosoma sp. and larvae of Contracaecum sp. showed low prevalence occurring in wild and cultured fish in the autumn and spring, respectively. This study revealed high intensities of potentially pathogenic parasites that could favour disease outbreaks in culture conditions.

  16. Parasite fauna of wild and cultured dusky-grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) from Ubatuba, southeastern Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roumbedakis, K; Marchiori, N C; Paseto, Á; Gonçalves, E L T; Luque, J L; Cepeda, P B; Sanches, E G; Martins, M L

    2013-11-01

    This study aimed at identifying and quantifying the parasites of wild and cultured dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus. During a year and thereby all four seasons, 20 wild and 20 cultured groupers were examined for the presence of parasites, except in the last season, in which 19 wild and 20 cultured fish were examined, totalling 159 groupers analysed from Ubatuba, southeastern Brazil. Prevalence, mean intensity of infection, mean abundance and mean relative dominance were calculated. Five species of parasites were identified in fish from both origins: Pseudorhabdosynochus beverleyburtonae (Monogenea), Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea), Pseudempleurosoma sp. (Monogenea), Helicometrina nimia (Digenea) and larvae of Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda). The prevalence of ectoparasites, in most cases, was higher than endoparasites. The most abundant parasite was the monogenea Pseudorhabdosynochus beverleyburtonae in both wild and cultured fish, along all seasons. Neobenedenia melleni was observed in wild and cultured fish in all seasons, with a gradual increase in the number of parasites from the coldest to the hottest seasons, with the highest prevalence and mean intensity in the summer. Helicometrina nimia was found in all seasons in both wild and cultured fish, except for summer, where its presence was detected only in wild fish. Pseudempleurosoma sp. and larvae of Contracaecum sp. showed low prevalence occurring in wild and cultured fish in the autumn and spring, respectively. This study revealed high intensities of potentially pathogenic parasites that could favour disease outbreaks in culture conditions.

  17. Description of a Riboflavin Biosynthetic Gene Variant Prevalent in the Phylum Proteobacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brutinel, Evan D.; Dean, Antony M.

    2013-01-01

    Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is the precursor of flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide, which are cofactors essential for a host of intracellular redox reactions. Microorganisms synthesize flavins de novo to fulfill nutritional requirements, but it is becoming increasingly clear that flavins play a wider role in cellular physiology than was previously appreciated. Flavins mediate diverse processes beyond the cytoplasmic membrane, including iron acquisition, extracellular respiration, and interspecies interactions. While investigating the regulation of flavin electron shuttle biosynthesis in the Gram-negative gammaproteobacterium Shewanella oneidensis, we discovered that a riboflavin biosynthetic gene (ribBA) annotated as encoding a bifunctional 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate (DHBP) synthase/GTP cyclohydrolase II does not possess both functions. The novel gene, renamed ribBX here, encodes an amino-terminal DHBP synthase domain. The carboxy-terminal end of RibBX not only lacks GTP cyclohydrolase II activity but also has evolved a different function altogether in S. oneidensis, regulating the activity of the DHBP synthase domain. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the misannotation of ribBX as ribBA is rampant throughout the phylum Proteobacteria (40% of 2,173 annotated ribBA genes) and that ribBX emerged early in the evolution of this group of microorganisms. We examined the functionality of representative ribBX genes from Beta-, Gamma-, and Epsilonproteobacteria and found that, consistent with sequence-based predictions, the encoded GTP cyclohydrolase II domains lack catalytic activity. The persistence of ribBX in the genomes of so many phylogenetically divergent bacterial species lends weight to the argument that ribBX has evolved a function which lends a selective advantage to the host. PMID:24097946

  18. Shedding light on cell compartmentation in the candidate phylum Poribacteria by high resolution visualisation and transcriptional profiling

    KAUST Repository

    Jahn, Martin T.

    2016-10-31

    Assigning functions to uncultivated environmental microorganisms continues to be a challenging endeavour. Here, we present a new microscopy protocol for fluorescence in situ hybridisation-correlative light and electron microscopy (FISH-CLEM) that enabled, to our knowledge for the first time, the identification of single cells within their complex microenvironment at electron microscopy resolution. Members of the candidate phylum Poribacteria, common and uncultivated symbionts of marine sponges, were used towards this goal. Cellular 3D reconstructions revealed bipolar, spherical granules of low electron density, which likely represent carbon reserves. Poribacterial activity profiles were retrieved from prokaryotic enriched sponge metatranscriptomes using simulation-based optimised mapping. We observed high transcriptional activity for proteins related to bacterial microcompartments (BMC) and we resolved their subcellular localisation by combining FISH-CLEM with immunohistochemistry (IHC) on ultra-thin sponge tissue sections. In terms of functional relevance, we propose that the BMC-A region may be involved in 1,2-propanediol degradation. The FISH-IHC-CLEM approach was proven an effective toolkit to combine -omics approaches with functional studies and it should be widely applicable in environmental microbiology.

  19. Planarians Sense Simulated Microgravity and Hypergravity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teresa Adell

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Planarians are flatworms, which belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes. They have been a classical subject of study due to their amazing regenerative ability, which relies on the existence of adult totipotent stem cells. Nowadays they are an emerging model system in the field of developmental, regenerative, and stem cell biology. In this study we analyze the effect of a simulated microgravity and a hypergravity environment during the process of planarian regeneration and embryogenesis. We demonstrate that simulated microgravity by means of the random positioning machine (RPM set at a speed of 60 °/s but not at 10 °/s produces the dead of planarians. Under hypergravity of 3 g and 4 g in a large diameter centrifuge (LDC planarians can regenerate missing tissues, although a decrease in the proliferation rate is observed. Under 8 g hypergravity small planarian fragments are not able to regenerate. Moreover, we found an effect of gravity alterations in the rate of planarian scission, which is its asexual mode of reproduction. No apparent effects of altered gravity were found during the embryonic development.

  20. Complete genome sequence of the extremely acidophilic methanotroph isolate V4, Methylacidiphilum infernorum, a representative of the bacterial phylum Verrucomicrobia

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    Stott Matthew B

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The phylum Verrucomicrobia is a widespread but poorly characterized bacterial clade. Although cultivation-independent approaches detect representatives of this phylum in a wide range of environments, including soils, seawater, hot springs and human gastrointestinal tract, only few have been isolated in pure culture. We have recently reported cultivation and initial characterization of an extremely acidophilic methanotrophic member of the Verrucomicrobia, strain V4, isolated from the Hell's Gate geothermal area in New Zealand. Similar organisms were independently isolated from geothermal systems in Italy and Russia. Results We report the complete genome sequence of strain V4, the first one from a representative of the Verrucomicrobia. Isolate V4, initially named "Methylokorus infernorum" (and recently renamed Methylacidiphilum infernorum is an autotrophic bacterium with a streamlined genome of ~2.3 Mbp that encodes simple signal transduction pathways and has a limited potential for regulation of gene expression. Central metabolism of M. infernorum was reconstructed almost completely and revealed highly interconnected pathways of autotrophic central metabolism and modifications of C1-utilization pathways compared to other known methylotrophs. The M. infernorum genome does not encode tubulin, which was previously discovered in bacteria of the genus Prosthecobacter, or close homologs of any other signature eukaryotic proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal proteins and RNA polymerase subunits unequivocally supports grouping Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia and Chlamydiae into a single clade, the PVC superphylum, despite dramatically different gene content in members of these three groups. Comparative-genomic analysis suggests that evolution of the M. infernorum lineage involved extensive horizontal gene exchange with a variety of bacteria. The genome of M. infernorum shows apparent adaptations for existence under extremely

  1. Genomic distribution of B-vitamin auxotrophy and uptake transporters in environmental bacteria from the Chloroflexi phylum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodionova, Irina A.; Li, Xiaoqing; Plymale, Andrew E.; Motamedchaboki, Khatereh; Konopka, Allan; Romine, Margaret F.; Fredrickson, Jim K.; Osterman, Andrei; Rodionov, Dmitry A.

    2015-04-01

    Bacteria from the Chloroflexi phylum are dominant members of phototrophic microbial mat communities in terrestrial thermal environments. Vitamins of B-group are key intermediates (precursors) in the biosynthesis of indispensable enzyme cofactors driving numerous metabolic processes in all forms of life. A genomics-based reconstruction and comparative analysis of respective biosynthetic and salvage pathways and riboswitch regulons in over 20 representative Chloroflexi genomes revealed a widespread auxotrophy for some of the vitamins. The most prominent predicted phenotypic signature, auxotrophy for vitamins B1 and B7 was experimentally confirmed for the best studied model organism Chloroflexus aurantiacus. These observations along with identified candidate genes for the respective uptake transporters pointed to B vitamin exchange as an important aspect of syntrophic metabolism in microbial communities. Inferred specificities of homologous substrate-binding components of ABC transporters for vitamins B1 (ThiY) and B2 (RibY) were verified by thermofluorescent shift approach. A functional activity of the thiamine-specific transporter ThiXYZ from C. aurantiacus was experimentally verified by genetic complementation in E. coli. Expanding the integrative approach, which was applied here for a comprehensive analysis of B-vitamin metabolism in Chloroflexi would allow reconstruction of metabolic interdependencies in microbial communities.

  2. Monogeneans from Pangasiidae (Siluriformes in Southeast Asia: X. Six new species of Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Ancylodiscoididae from Pangasius micronema

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    Pariselle A.

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius micronema Bleeker, 1847 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae in Southeast Asia revealed the presence of nine species of Monogenea. Two (Thaparocleidus brevicochleus Pariselle, Lim & Lambert, 2001 and T. sinespinae Pariselle, Lim & Lambert, 2001 have been previously described. Among the others, six species, belonging to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae as defined by Lim (1996 and Lim et al. (2001, are considered new species: T. tacitus n. sp., T. summagracilis n. sp., T. portentosus n. sp., T. rukyanii n. sp., T. durandi n. sp., and T. lebrunae n. sp. The remaining species is represented by too few individuals to be conclusively described.

  3. Metagenome-assembled genomes of deep-branching magnetotactic bacteria in the Nitrospirae phylum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, W.; He, M.; Gu, L.; Tang, X.; Pan, Y.; Lin, W.

    2017-12-01

    Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are aquatic microorganisms that synthesize intracellular magnetic nanoparticles composed of magnetite and/or greigite. MTB have thus far been identified in the phyla of Proteobacteria, Nitrospirae, Omnitrophica, Latescibacteria and Planctomycetes (Lin et al., 2017b). Among these organisms, MTB belonging to the Nitrospirae phylum are of great interest because of the formation of hundreds of magnetite magnetosomes in a single cell and of the great potential for iron, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon cycling in natural environments. However, due to the lack of genomic information, our current knowledge on magnetotactic Nitrospirae remains very limited. In the present study, we have identified and characterized two novel populations of uncultivated MTB from freshwater lakes in Shaanxi province, China. 16S rRNA gene-based analyses revealed that they belonged to two different clusters in the Nitrospirae. The draft population genomes of these two Nitrospirae MTB were successfully recovered through genome-resolved metagenomics, both of which containing nearly complete magnetosome gene clusters (MGCs) responsible for magnetosome biomineralization and organization. In consistent with our previous study (Lin et al., 2017a), we found that the gene content and gene organization of the MGCs in the Nitrospirae MTB were highly conserved, indicating that Nitrospirae gene clusters represent one of the ancestral types of MGCs. The population genome sequences suggest that magnetotactic Nitrospirae are capable of CO2 fixtion through Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. They may also reduce sulfate and nitrate/nitrite through sulfate reduction pathway and denitrification pathway, respectively. Our genomic analyses revealed the potential metabolic capability of the Nitrospirae MTB and shed light on their ecology, evolution and biomineralization mechanism. References: Lin W, Paterson GA, Zhu Q, Wang Y, Kopylova E, Li Y, Knight R, Bazylinski DA, Zhu R, Kirschvink JL, Pan Y

  4. Nuclear hormone receptors in parasitic helminths

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Wenjie; LoVerde, Philip T

    2010-01-01

    Nuclear receptors (NRs) belong to a large protein superfamily that are important transcriptional modulators in metazoans. Parasitic helminths include parasitic worms from the Lophotrochozoa (Platyhelminths) and Ecdysozoa (Nematoda). NRs in parasitic helminths diverged into two different evolutionary lineages. NRs in parasitic Platyhelminths have orthologues in Deuterostomes, in arthropods or both with a feature of extensive gene loss and gene duplication within different gene groups. NRs in p...

  5. Northeast India Helminth Parasite Information Database (NEIHPID: Knowledge Base for Helminth Parasites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Devendra Kumar Biswal

    Full Text Available Most metazoan parasites that invade vertebrate hosts belong to three phyla: Platyhelminthes, Nematoda and Acanthocephala. Many of the parasitic members of these phyla are collectively known as helminths and are causative agents of many debilitating, deforming and lethal diseases of humans and animals. The North-East India Helminth Parasite Information Database (NEIHPID project aimed to document and characterise the spectrum of helminth parasites in the north-eastern region of India, providing host, geographical distribution, diagnostic characters and image data. The morphology-based taxonomic data are supplemented with information on DNA sequences of nuclear, ribosomal and mitochondrial gene marker regions that aid in parasite identification. In addition, the database contains raw next generation sequencing (NGS data for 3 foodborne trematode parasites, with more to follow. The database will also provide study material for students interested in parasite biology. Users can search the database at various taxonomic levels (phylum, class, order, superfamily, family, genus, and species, or by host, habitat and geographical location. Specimen collection locations are noted as co-ordinates in a MySQL database and can be viewed on Google maps, using Google Maps JavaScript API v3. The NEIHPID database has been made freely available at http://nepiac.nehu.ac.in/index.php.

  6. Northeast India Helminth Parasite Information Database (NEIHPID): Knowledge Base for Helminth Parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswal, Devendra Kumar; Debnath, Manish; Kharumnuid, Graciously; Thongnibah, Welfrank; Tandon, Veena

    2016-01-01

    Most metazoan parasites that invade vertebrate hosts belong to three phyla: Platyhelminthes, Nematoda and Acanthocephala. Many of the parasitic members of these phyla are collectively known as helminths and are causative agents of many debilitating, deforming and lethal diseases of humans and animals. The North-East India Helminth Parasite Information Database (NEIHPID) project aimed to document and characterise the spectrum of helminth parasites in the north-eastern region of India, providing host, geographical distribution, diagnostic characters and image data. The morphology-based taxonomic data are supplemented with information on DNA sequences of nuclear, ribosomal and mitochondrial gene marker regions that aid in parasite identification. In addition, the database contains raw next generation sequencing (NGS) data for 3 foodborne trematode parasites, with more to follow. The database will also provide study material for students interested in parasite biology. Users can search the database at various taxonomic levels (phylum, class, order, superfamily, family, genus, and species), or by host, habitat and geographical location. Specimen collection locations are noted as co-ordinates in a MySQL database and can be viewed on Google maps, using Google Maps JavaScript API v3. The NEIHPID database has been made freely available at http://nepiac.nehu.ac.in/index.php.

  7. Northeast India Helminth Parasite Information Database (NEIHPID): Knowledge Base for Helminth Parasites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debnath, Manish; Kharumnuid, Graciously; Thongnibah, Welfrank; Tandon, Veena

    2016-01-01

    Most metazoan parasites that invade vertebrate hosts belong to three phyla: Platyhelminthes, Nematoda and Acanthocephala. Many of the parasitic members of these phyla are collectively known as helminths and are causative agents of many debilitating, deforming and lethal diseases of humans and animals. The North-East India Helminth Parasite Information Database (NEIHPID) project aimed to document and characterise the spectrum of helminth parasites in the north-eastern region of India, providing host, geographical distribution, diagnostic characters and image data. The morphology-based taxonomic data are supplemented with information on DNA sequences of nuclear, ribosomal and mitochondrial gene marker regions that aid in parasite identification. In addition, the database contains raw next generation sequencing (NGS) data for 3 foodborne trematode parasites, with more to follow. The database will also provide study material for students interested in parasite biology. Users can search the database at various taxonomic levels (phylum, class, order, superfamily, family, genus, and species), or by host, habitat and geographical location. Specimen collection locations are noted as co-ordinates in a MySQL database and can be viewed on Google maps, using Google Maps JavaScript API v3. The NEIHPID database has been made freely available at http://nepiac.nehu.ac.in/index.php PMID:27285615

  8. Single-Cell-Genomics-Facilitated Read Binning of Candidate Phylum EM19 Genomes from Geothermal Spring Metagenomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becraft, Eric D; Dodsworth, Jeremy A; Murugapiran, Senthil K; Ohlsson, J Ingemar; Briggs, Brandon R; Kanbar, Jad; De Vlaminck, Iwijn; Quake, Stephen R; Dong, Hailiang; Hedlund, Brian P; Swingley, Wesley D

    2016-02-15

    The vast majority of microbial life remains uncatalogued due to the inability to cultivate these organisms in the laboratory. This "microbial dark matter" represents a substantial portion of the tree of life and of the populations that contribute to chemical cycling in many ecosystems. In this work, we leveraged an existing single-cell genomic data set representing the candidate bacterial phylum "Calescamantes" (EM19) to calibrate machine learning algorithms and define metagenomic bins directly from pyrosequencing reads derived from Great Boiling Spring in the U.S. Great Basin. Compared to other assembly-based methods, taxonomic binning with a read-based machine learning approach yielded final assemblies with the highest predicted genome completeness of any method tested. Read-first binning subsequently was used to extract Calescamantes bins from all metagenomes with abundant Calescamantes populations, including metagenomes from Octopus Spring and Bison Pool in Yellowstone National Park and Gongxiaoshe Spring in Yunnan Province, China. Metabolic reconstruction suggests that Calescamantes are heterotrophic, facultative anaerobes, which can utilize oxidized nitrogen sources as terminal electron acceptors for respiration in the absence of oxygen and use proteins as their primary carbon source. Despite their phylogenetic divergence, the geographically separate Calescamantes populations were highly similar in their predicted metabolic capabilities and core gene content, respiring O2, or oxidized nitrogen species for energy conservation in distant but chemically similar hot springs. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  9. Water bears in the Anthropocene: a comparison of urban and woodland tardigrade (Phylum Tardigrada communities in Southwestern Louisiana, USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harry A. Meyer

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Humans have had such a profound effect on global ecosystems, including biodiversity, that Anthropocene is being increasingly used as a chronological term to mark the period of greatest human impact. No areas show the effect of human impact on the environment more than cities, which often have novel combinations of species in unique communities. Tardigrades (Phylum Tardigrada have often been collected in cities, but studies dedicated to urban tardigrade biodiversity are few, and those comparing urban diversity with nearby rural or natural sites even fewer. In this paper we compare the diversity and abundance of tardigrade species in Lake Charles with a nearby forested nonurban site, Sam Houston Jones State Park (SHJSP. Although tardigrade density did not differ significantly between Lake Charles and SHJSP, species richness and diversity were greater in SHJSP (17 species, H1=3.01 than in Lake Charles (8 species, H1=1.30. All but one species found in Lake Charles also occurred in SHJSP. The number of species found in Lake Charles lies within the range (5-10 found in previous urban surveys. All tardigrade studies comparing urban with nearby nonurban habitats have found lower species richness in cities.

  10. Phylogeny, diversity and host specialization in the phylum Synergistetes with emphasis on strains and clones of human origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchandin, Hélène; Damay, Audrey; Roudière, Laurent; Teyssier, Corinne; Zorgniotti, Isabelle; Dechaud, Hervé; Jean-Pierre, Hélène; Jumas-Bilak, Estelle

    2010-03-01

    Members of the phylum Synergistetes have been demonstrated in several environmental ecosystems and mammalian microflorae by culture-independent methods. In the past few years, the clinical relevance of some uncultivated phylotypes has been demonstrated in endodontic infections, and uncultured Synergistetes have been demonstrated in human mouth, gut and skin microbiota. However, Synergistetes are rarely cultured from human samples, and only 17 isolates are currently reported. Twelve members of Synergistetes isolated in the course of various infectious processes, including 3 Jonquetella anthropi, 2 Cloacibacillus evryensis, 2 Pyramidobacter piscolens and 5 unidentified strains, as well as 56 clones obtained by specific PCR from the normal vaginal microflora, were studied. 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny showed that the clones were grouped into 3 clusters, corresponding to the genus Jonquetella, P. piscolens and one novel Synergistetes taxon. The presence and diversity of Synergistetes were reported for the first time in the vaginal microflora. Synergistetes were found in healthy patients, suggesting that they could play a functional role in human microflorae, but may also act as opportunistic pathogens. Studying the phylogenetic relationships between environmental and mammalian strains and clones revealed clearly delineated independent lineages according to the origin of the sequences. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. Accession data for analysed Xestospongia testudinaria metatranscriptomes, supplement to: Jahn, Martin T; Markert, Sebastian M; Ryu, Taewoo; Ravasi, Timothy; Stigloher, Christian; Hentschel, Ute; Moitinho-Silva, Lucas (2016): Shedding light on cell compartmentation in the candidate phylum Poribacteria by high resolution visualisation and transcriptional profiling. Scientific Reports, 6, 35860

    KAUST Repository

    Jahn, Martin T; Markert, Sebastian M; Ryu, Tae Woo; Ravasi, Timothy; Stigloher, Christian; Hentschel, Ute; Moitinho-Silva, Lucas

    2016-01-01

    -CLEM) that enabled, to our knowledge for the first time, the identification of single cells within their complex microenvironment at electron microscopy resolution. Members of the candidate phylum Poribacteria, common and uncultivated symbionts of marine sponges

  12. Put a tiger in your tank: the polyclad flatworm Maritigrella crozieri as a proposed model for evo-devo

    OpenAIRE

    Lapraz, François; Rawlinson, Kate A; Girstmair, Johannes; Tomiczek, Bartłomiej; Berger, Jürgen; Jékely, Gáspár; Telford, Maximilian J; Egger, Bernhard

    2013-01-01

    Polyclad flatworms are an early branching clade within the rhabditophoran Platyhelminthes. They provide an interesting system with which to explore the evolution of development within Platyhelminthes and amongst Spiralia (Lophotrochozoa). Unlike most other flatworms, polyclads undergo spiral cleavage (similar to that seen in some other spiralian taxa), they are the only free-living flatworms where development via a larval stage occurs, and they are the only flatworms in which embryos can be r...

  13. Nafulsella turpanensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a member of the phylum Bacteroidetes isolated from soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lei; Shen, Xihui; Liu, Yingbao; Li, Shiqing

    2013-05-01

    A Gram-staining-negative, rod-shaped, gliding and pale-pink-pigmented bacterium, designated strain ZLM-10(T), was isolated from a soil sample collected from an arid area in Xinjiang province, China, and characterized in a taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach. The novel strain grew optimally at 30-37 °C and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) sea salts. The only respiratory quinone detected was MK-7 and the major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (iso-C15 : 0 2-OH and/or C16 : 1ω7c), iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified aminophospholipids. The DNA G+C content was 45.4 mol%. Flexirubin-type pigments were not produced. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ZLM-10(T) was a member of the phylum Bacteroidetes and appeared most closely related to Cesiribacter roseus 311(T) (90.2 % sequence similarity), Marivirga sericea LMG 13021(T) (89.2 %), Cesiribacter andamanensis AMV16(T) (89.1 %) and Marivirga tractuosa DSM 4126(T) (89.1 %). On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic data and phylogenetic inference, strain ZLM-10(T) should be classified as a novel species of a new genus in the family Flammeovirgaceae, for which the name Nafulsella turpanensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is ZLM-10(T) ( = CCTCC AB 208222(T) = KCTC 23983(T)).

  14. Status Pencemaran Lingkungan Sungai Badung dan Sungai Mati di Provinsi Bali Berdasarkan Bioindikator Phylum Annelida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mawardi Labbaik

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Water pollution is the entry or inclusion of substances, energy and other components into the water by human activities, so that water quality decrease to a certain level. This study a timed to monitor the pollution of aquatic environment in the Badung River and Mati River by using Annelida phylum as bioindicator, the study was conducted from February to March 2017. The data obtained were analyzed by the structure of the community, and also used ABC (Abudance-Biomass Comparison method. The result of the research showed that the most abundance of Annelida and dominant from all stations of Badung River and Mati River was Lumbriculus variegatus. Is showed that it contamination status was categorized as mild contamination because it was dominant by facultative organism. The structure of the Annelida community in the Badung River and Mati River with the value of the diversity index was categorized as low Annelida (H '<1.0. The uniformity index was categorized as depressed Annelida community (0.00

  15. Development and evaluation of a single-step duplex PCR for simultaneous detection of Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica (family Fasciolidae, class Trematoda, phylum Platyhelminthes).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Thanh Hoa; Nguyen, Khue Thi; Nguyen, Nga Thi Bich; Doan, Huong Thi Thanh; Le, Xuyen Thi Kim; Hoang, Chau Thi Minh; De, Nguyen Van

    2012-08-01

    A single-step multiplex PCR (here referred to as a duplex PCR) has been developed for simultaneous detection and diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. These species overlap in distribution in many countries of North and East Africa and Central and Southeast Asia and are similar in egg morphology, making identification from fecal samples difficult. Based on a comparative alignment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) spanning the region of cox1-trnT-rrnL, two species-specific forward primers were designed, FHF (for F. hepatica) and FGF (for F. gigantica), and a single reverse primer, FHGR (common for both species). Conventional PCR followed by sequencing was applied using species-specific primer pairs to verify the specificity of primers and the identity of Fasciola DNA templates. Duplex PCR (using three primers) was used for testing with the DNA extracted from adult worms, miracidia, and eggs, producing amplicons of 1,031 bp for F. hepatica and 615 bp for F. gigantica. The duplex PCR failed to amplify from DNA of other common liver and intestinal trematodes, including two opisthorchiids, three heterophyids, an echinostomid, another fasciolid, and a taeniid cestode. The sensitivity assay showed that the duplex PCR limit of detection for each Fasciola species was between 0.012 ng and 0.006 ng DNA. Evaluation using DNA templates from 32 Fasciola samples (28 adults and 4 eggs) and from 25 field-collected stools of ruminants and humans revealed specific bands of the correct size and the presence of Fasciola species. This novel mtDNA duplex PCR is a sensitive and fast tool for accurate identification of Fasciola species in areas of distributional and zonal overlap.

  16. Development and Evaluation of a Single-Step Duplex PCR for Simultaneous Detection of Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica (Family Fasciolidae, Class Trematoda, Phylum Platyhelminthes)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Khue Thi; Nguyen, Nga Thi Bich; Doan, Huong Thi Thanh; Le, Xuyen Thi Kim; Hoang, Chau Thi Minh; De, Nguyen Van

    2012-01-01

    A single-step multiplex PCR (here referred to as a duplex PCR) has been developed for simultaneous detection and diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. These species overlap in distribution in many countries of North and East Africa and Central and Southeast Asia and are similar in egg morphology, making identification from fecal samples difficult. Based on a comparative alignment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) spanning the region of cox1-trnT-rrnL, two species-specific forward primers were designed, FHF (for F. hepatica) and FGF (for F. gigantica), and a single reverse primer, FHGR (common for both species). Conventional PCR followed by sequencing was applied using species-specific primer pairs to verify the specificity of primers and the identity of Fasciola DNA templates. Duplex PCR (using three primers) was used for testing with the DNA extracted from adult worms, miracidia, and eggs, producing amplicons of 1,031 bp for F. hepatica and 615 bp for F. gigantica. The duplex PCR failed to amplify from DNA of other common liver and intestinal trematodes, including two opisthorchiids, three heterophyids, an echinostomid, another fasciolid, and a taeniid cestode. The sensitivity assay showed that the duplex PCR limit of detection for each Fasciola species was between 0.012 ng and 0.006 ng DNA. Evaluation using DNA templates from 32 Fasciola samples (28 adults and 4 eggs) and from 25 field-collected stools of ruminants and humans revealed specific bands of the correct size and the presence of Fasciola species. This novel mtDNA duplex PCR is a sensitive and fast tool for accurate identification of Fasciola species in areas of distributional and zonal overlap. PMID:22692744

  17. Monogeneans from Pangasiidae (Siluriformes in Southeast Asia: III. Five new species of Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Ancylodiscoididae from Pangasius bocourti, P. djambal and P. hypophthalmus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pariselle A.M.

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius bocourti Sauvage, 1880; P. djambal Bleeker, 1846; P. hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878 and P. gigas Chevey, 1930 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae revealed the presence of seven species of Monogenea among which five are considered new species. They all belong to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Ancylodiscoididae as defined by Lim (1996 and Lim et al. (2001. . P. bocourti: T. combesi n. sp.: T. komarudini n. sp. and T. vietnamensis n. sp. . P. djambal: T. caecus (Mizelle & Kritsky, 1969, T. combesi n. sp., T. euzeti n. sp., T. komarudini n. sp. and T. sadilii n. sp. . P. hypophthalmus: T. caecus, T. siamensis (Lim, 1990 and T. vietnamensis n. sp. . P. gigas : no Monogenea were found on this host species.

  18. Helminth parasites of the oceanic horse mackerel Trachurus picturatus Bowdich 1825 (Pisces: Carangidae) from Madeira Island, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, G; Melo-Moreira, E; Pinheiro de Carvalho, M A A

    2012-09-01

    The helminth parasite fauna of the oceanic horse mackerel Trachurus picturatus Bowdich 1825, caught off the Madeira Islands was composed of six different taxa. Prevalence and abundance of larval Anisakis sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) and Nybelinia lingualis (Trypanorhyncha: Tentaculariidae), the most common parasite taxa, were 24.3%, 0.9 and 37.9%, 0.7, respectively. Bolbosoma vasculosum (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) and the monogeneans Heteraxinoides atlanticus (Monogenea: Heteraxinidae) and Pseudaxine trachuri (Monogenea: Gastrocotylidae) were comparatively rare. The depauperate helminth fauna of the oceanic horse mackerel at Madeira compared to other geographical regions of the north-eastern Atlantic, namely the Azores banks and the West African coast, may be attributed to the paucity of nutrients off oceanic islands and to a low density of the fish population.

  19. Evidence for the presence of key chlorophyll-biosynthesis-related proteins in the genus Rubrobacter (Phylum Actinobacteria) and its implications for the evolution and origin of photosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Radhey S; Khadka, Bijendra

    2016-02-01

    Homologs showing high degree of sequence similarity to the three subunits of the protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase enzyme complex (viz. BchL, BchN, and BchB), which carries out a central role in chlorophyll-bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) biosynthesis, are uniquely found in photosynthetic organisms. The results of BLAST searches and homology modeling presented here show that proteins exhibiting a high degree of sequence and structural similarity to the BchB and BchN proteins are also present in organisms from the high G+C Gram-positive phylum of Actinobacteria, specifically in members of the genus Rubrobacter (R. x ylanophilus and R. r adiotolerans). The results presented exclude the possibility that the observed BLAST hits are for subunits of the nitrogenase complex or the chlorin reductase complex. The branching in phylogenetic trees and the sequence characteristics of the Rubrobacter BchB/BchN homologs indicate that these homologs are distinct from those found in other photosynthetic bacteria and that they may represent ancestral forms of the BchB/BchN proteins. Although a homolog showing high degree of sequence similarity to the BchL protein was not detected in Rubrobacter, another protein, belonging to the ParA/Soj/MinD family, present in these bacteria, exhibits high degree of structural similarity to the BchL. In addition to the BchB/BchN homologs, Rubrobacter species also contain homologs showing high degree of sequence similarity to different subunits of magnesium chelatase (BchD, BchH, and BchI) as well as proteins showing significant similarity to the BchP and BchG proteins. Interestingly, no homologs corresponding to the BchX, BchY, and BchZ proteins were detected in the Rubrobacter species. These results provide the first suggestive evidence that some form of photosynthesis either exists or was anciently present within the phylum Actinobacteria (high G+C Gram-positive) in members of the genus Rubrobacter. The significance of these results concerning the

  20. Parasitic fauna of eight species of ornamental freshwater fish species from the middle Negro River in the Brazilian Amazon Region Fauna parasitária de oito espécies de peixes ornamentais de água doce do médio Rio Negro na Amazônia brasileira

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Tavares-Dias

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Twenty-seven specimens of cardinal tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi, 33 rosy tetra Hyphessobrycon copelandi (Characidae, 28 marbled hatchetfish Carnegiella strigata, 26 blackwing hatchetfish Carnegiella martae (Gasteropelecidae, 27 bodó Ancistrus hoplogenys (Loricariidae, 31 brown pencilfish Nannostomus eques, 38 oneline pencilfish Nannostomus unifasciatus (Lebiasinidae and 13 angelfish Pterophyllum scalare (Cichlidae were collected from the middle Negro River, State of Amazonas, Brazil, for parasitological studies. Out of the total of 223 fish examined, 143 (64.1% were parasitized by at least one parasite species. The highest prevalence rate was for Monogenea (36.7%, followed by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ciliophora (20.6%, Trichodina spp. (Ciliophora (4.0%, Piscinoodinium pillulare (Dinoflagellida (1.3%, Tetrahymena sp. (Ciliophora (0.89%, and Procamallanus sp. (Nematoda (0.4%. All eight fish species had Monogenea (Gyrodactylidae and Dactylogyridae in the gills, but the highest prevalence occurred in P. scalare and the lowest in P. axelrodi and C. strigata. However, the highest mean intensity of Monogenea was found in P. scalare and A. hoplogenys. The protozoan I. multifiliis occurred in the six ornamental fish species examined, but C. strigata and C. martae had higher prevalence and mean intensity. Trichodina spp. were found only in the gills of C. strigata, C. martae and N. eques, and with higher mean intensity in C. strigata. On the other hand, the protozoan P. pilullare was found only in the gills of C. martae. This is the first report of Tetrahymena sp. in Brazil, and it occurred in the gills of C. strigata.Para estudos parasitológicos, 27 espécimes de cardinal Paracheirodon axelrodi, 33 rosa-céu Hyphessobrycon copelandi (Characidae, 28 peixes borboleta Carnegiella strigata e 26 Carnegiella martae (Gasteropelecidae, 27 bodó ou cascudo Ancistrus hoplogenys (Loricariidae, 31 peixes-lápis Nannostomus eques e 38 Nannostomus unifasciatus

  1. Fauna Europaea: Helminths (Animal Parasitic)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Gibson, D. I.; Bray, R. A.; Hunt, D.; Georgiev, B. B.; Scholz, Tomáš; Harris, P.D.; Bakke, T.A.; Pomajska, T.; Niewiadomska, K.; Kostadinova, Aneta; Tkach, V.; Bain, O.; Durette-Desset, M.-C.; Gibbons, L.; Moravec, František; Petter, A.; Dimitrova, Z.M.; Buchmann, K.; Valtonen, E. T.; de Jong, Y.

    -, č. 2 (2014), e1060 ISSN 1314-2828 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Acanthocephala * Biodiversity * Biodiversity Informatics * Cestoda * Fauna Europaea * Helminth * Monogenea * Nematoda * Parasite * Taxonomic indexing * Taxonomy * Trematoda * Zoology Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology

  2. New perspectives on host-parasite interplay by comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of Schistosoma japonicum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Liu

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Schistosomiasis remains a serious public health problem with an estimated 200 million people infected in 76 countries. Here we isolated ~ 8,400 potential protein-encoding cDNA contigs from Schistosoma japonicum after sequencing circa 84,000 expressed sequence tags. In tandem, we undertook a high-throughput proteomics approach to characterize the protein expression profiles of a number of developmental stages (cercariae, hepatic schistosomula, female and male adults, eggs, and miracidia and tissues at the host-parasite interface (eggshell and tegument by interrogating the protein database deduced from the contigs. Comparative analysis of these transcriptomic and proteomic data, the latter including 3,260 proteins with putative identities, revealed differential expression of genes among the various developmental stages and sexes of S. japonicum and localization of putative secretory and membrane antigens, enzymes, and other gene products on the adult tegument and eggshell, many of which displayed genetic polymorphisms. Numerous S. japonicum genes exhibited high levels of identity with those of their mammalian hosts, whereas many others appeared to be conserved only across the genus Schistosoma or Phylum Platyhelminthes. These findings are expected to provide new insights into the pathophysiology of schistosomiasis and for the development of improved interventions for disease control and will facilitate a more fundamental understanding of schistosome biology, evolution, and the host-parasite interplay.

  3. Geoarchaeota: a new candidate phylum in the Archaea from high-temperature acidic iron mats in Yellowstone National Park.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozubal, Mark A; Romine, Margaret; Jennings, Ryan deM; Jay, Zack J; Tringe, Susannah G; Rusch, Doug B; Beam, Jacob P; McCue, Lee Ann; Inskeep, William P

    2013-03-01

    Geothermal systems in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) provide an outstanding opportunity to understand the origin and evolution of metabolic processes necessary for life in extreme environments including low pH, high temperature, low oxygen and elevated concentrations of reduced iron. Previous phylogenetic studies of acidic ferric iron mats from YNP have revealed considerable diversity of uncultivated and undescribed archaea. The goal of this study was to obtain replicate de novo genome assemblies for a dominant archaeal population inhabiting acidic iron-oxide mats in YNP. Detailed analysis of conserved ribosomal and informational processing genes indicates that the replicate assemblies represent a new candidate phylum within the domain Archaea referred to here as 'Geoarchaeota' or 'novel archaeal group 1 (NAG1)'. The NAG1 organisms contain pathways necessary for the catabolism of peptides and complex carbohydrates as well as a bacterial-like Form I carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complex likely used for energy conservation. Moreover, this novel population contains genes involved in the metabolism of oxygen including a Type A heme copper oxidase, a bd-type terminal oxidase and a putative oxygen-sensing protoglobin. NAG1 has a variety of unique bacterial-like cofactor biosynthesis and transport genes and a Type3-like CRISPR system. Discovery of NAG1 is critical to our understanding of microbial community structure and function in extant thermophilic iron-oxide mats of YNP, and will provide insight regarding the evolution of Archaea in early Earth environments that may have important analogs active in YNP today.

  4. Geoarchaeota: a new candidate phylum in the Archaea from high-temperature acidic iron mats in Yellowstone National Park

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kozubal, Mark; Romine, Margaret F.; Jennings, Ryan; Jay, Z.; Tringe, Susannah G.; Rusch, Douglas B.; Beam, Jake; McCue, Lee Ann; Inskeep, William P.

    2013-03-01

    Geothermal systems in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) provide an outstanding opportunity to understand the origin and evolution of metabolic processes necessary for life in extreme environments including low pH, high temperature, low oxygen and elevated concentrations of reduced iron. Previous phylogenetic studies of acidic ferric iron mats from YNP have revealed considerable diversity of uncultivated and undescribed archaea. The goal of this study was to obtain replicate de novo genome assemblies for a dominant archaeal population inhabiting acidic iron oxide mats in YNP. Detailed analysis of conserved ribosomal and informational processing genes indicate that the replicate assemblies represent a new phylum-level lineage referred to here as 'novel archaeal group 1 (NAG1)'. The NAG1 organisms contain pathways necessary for the catabolism of peptides and complex carbohydrates as well as a bacterial-like Form I CO dehydrogenase complex likely used for energy conservation. Moreover, this novel population contains genes involved in metabolism of oxygen including a Type A heme copper oxidase, a bd-type terminal oxidase and a putative oxygen sensing protoglobin. NAG1 has a variety of unique bacterial-like cofactor biosynthesis and transport genes and a Type3-like CRISPR system. Discovery of NAG1 is critical to our understanding of microbial community structure and function in extant thermophilic iron mats of YNP, and will provide insight regarding the evolution of Archaea in early Earth environments that may have important analogues active in YNP today.

  5. Checklist of helminth parasites of Goodeinae (Osteichthyes: Cyprinodontiformes: Goodeidae), an endemic subfamily of freshwater fishes from Mexico

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Martinez-Aquino, A.; Mendoza-Palmero, Carlos Alonso; Aguilar-Aguilar, R.; Pérez-Ponce de León, G.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 3856, č. 2 (2014), s. 151-191 ISSN 1175-5326 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : taxonomy * Digenea * Monogenea * Cestoda * Nematoda * Acanthocephala * Mexico Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 0.906, year: 2014

  6. Transfection of Platyhelminthes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bárbara Moguel

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Flatworms are one of the most diverse groups within Lophotrochozoa with more than 20,000 known species, distributed worldwide in different ecosystems, from the free-living organisms in the seas and lakes to highly specialized parasites living in a variety of hosts, including humans. Several infections caused by flatworms are considered major neglected diseases affecting countries in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. For several decades, a particular interest on free-living flatworms was due to their ability to regenerate considerable portions of the body, implying the presence of germ cells that could be important for medicine. The relevance of reverse genetics for this group is clear; understanding the phenotypic characteristics of specific genes will shed light on developmental traits of free-living and parasite worms. The genetic manipulation of flatworms will allow learning more about the mechanisms for tissue regeneration, designing new and more effective anthelmintic drugs, and explaining the host-parasite molecular crosstalk so far partially inaccessible for experimentation. In this review, availability of transfection techniques is analyzed across flatworms, from the initial transient achievements to the stable manipulations now developed for free-living and parasite species.

  7. Ecophysiology of Uncultured Filamentous Anaerobes Belonging to the Phylum KSB3 That Cause Bulking in Methanogenic Granular Sludge▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Takeshi; Kikuchi, Kae; Yamauchi, Toshihiro; Shiraishi, Koji; Ito, Tsukasa; Okabe, Satoshi; Hiraishi, Akira; Ohashi, Akiyoshi; Harada, Hideki; Kamagata, Yoichi; Nakamura, Kazunori; Sekiguchi, Yuji

    2011-01-01

    A filamentous bulking of a methanogenic granular sludge caused by uncultured filamentous bacteria of the candidate phylum KSB3 in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) system has been reported. To characterize the physiological traits of the filaments, a polyphasic approach consisting of rRNA-based activity monitoring of the KSB3 filaments using the RNase H method and substrate uptake profiling using microautoradiography combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (MAR-FISH) was conducted. On the basis of rRNA-based activity, the monitoring of a full-scale UASB reactor operated continuously revealed that KSB3 cells became active and predominant (up to 54% of the total 16S rRNA) in the sludge when the carbohydrate loading to the system increased. Batch experiments with a short incubation of the sludge with maltose, glucose, fructose, and maltotriose at relatively low concentrations (approximately 0.1 mM) in the presence of yeast extract also showed an increase in KSB3 rRNA levels under anaerobic conditions. MAR-FISH confirmed that the KSB3 cells took up radioisotopic carbons from [14C]maltose and [14C]glucose under the same incubation conditions in the batch experiments. These results suggest that one of the important ecophysiological characteristics of KSB3 cells in the sludge is carbohydrate degradation in wastewater and that high carbohydrate loadings may trigger an outbreak of KSB3 bacteria, causing sludge bulking in UASB systems. PMID:21257808

  8. Molecular cloning and characteristic analysis of a thioredoxin from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2012-04-12

    Apr 12, 2012 ... which is conserved in bacteria, plants, and animals. (Spyrou et al. .... 1 h with HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies. Proteins .... metabolism. They are .... Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea: Capsalidae) from marine fishes in Fujian ... (BbTrx) from the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana and.

  9. Does interspecies hybridization affect the host specificity of parasites in cyprinid fish?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Šimková, A.; Dávidová, M.; Papoušek, Ivo; Vetešník, Lukáš

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 95 (2013), s. 95 ISSN 1756-3305 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP505/12/0375 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Cyprinid fish * Interspecies hybridization * Metazoan parasites * Monogenea * Host specificity Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 3.251, year: 2013

  10. Deep-water parasite diversity in Lake Tanganyika: description of two new monogenean species from benthopelagic cichlid fishes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kmentová, N.; Gelnar, M.; Koblmüller, Stephan; Vanhove, M. P. M.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 9, č. 426 (2016), s. 426 ISSN 1756-3305 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Benthochromis horii * Cichlidae * Cichlidogyrus * Monogenea * Trematocara unimaculatum Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 3.080, year: 2016

  11. Revision of the amphiamerican Neotetraonchus BravoHollis,1968(Monogenoidea:Dactylogyridae),with a description of N. vegrandis n. sp from the gill lamellae of the blue sea catfish Ariopsis guatemalensis(Siluriformes:Ariidae)off the Pacific Coast of Mexico

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kritsky, D. C.; Mendoza-Franco, Edgar F.; Bullard, S. A.; Vidal-Martínez, V. M.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 74, č. 1 (2009), s. 1-15 ISSN 0165-5752 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Monogenea * Dactylogyridae * catfish es * morphology * morphology * Pacific Ocean * Panama Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 0.911, year: 2009

  12. Understanding alternative fluxes/effluxes through comparative metabolic pathway analysis of phylum actinobacteria using a simplified approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Mansi; Lal, Devi; Saxena, Anjali; Anand, Shailly; Kaur, Jasvinder; Kaur, Jaspreet; Lal, Rup

    2013-12-01

    Actinobacteria are known for their diverse metabolism and physiology. Some are dreadful human pathogens whereas some constitute the natural flora for human gut. Therefore, the understanding of metabolic pathways is a key feature for targeting the pathogenic bacteria without disturbing the symbiotic ones. A big challenge faced today is multiple drug resistance by Mycobacterium and other pathogens that utilize alternative fluxes/effluxes. With the availability of genome sequence, it is now feasible to conduct the comparative in silico analysis. Here we present a simplified approach to compare metabolic pathways so that the species specific enzyme may be traced and engineered for future therapeutics. The analyses of four key carbohydrate metabolic pathways, i.e., glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, tri carboxylic acid cycle and pentose phosphate pathway suggest the presence of alternative fluxes. It was found that the upper pathway of glycolysis was highly variable in the actinobacterial genomes whereas lower glycolytic pathway was highly conserved. Likewise, pentose phosphate pathway was well conserved in contradiction to TCA cycle, which was found to be incomplete in majority of actinobacteria. The clustering based on presence and absence of genes of these metabolic pathways clearly revealed that members of different genera shared identical pathways and, therefore, provided an easy method to identify the metabolic similarities/differences between pathogenic and symbiotic organisms. The analyses could identify isoenzymes and some key enzymes that were found to be missing in some pathogenic actinobacteria. The present work defines a simple approach to explore the effluxes in four metabolic pathways within the phylum actinobacteria. The analysis clearly reflects that actinobacteria exhibit diverse routes for metabolizing substrates. The pathway comparison can help in finding the enzymes that can be used as drug targets for pathogens without effecting symbiotic organisms

  13. Effect of gamma irradiation on different stages of Fasciola hepatica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torres, J.L.; Chiriboga, J.

    1976-04-01

    Fascioliasis or hepatic distomatosis is one of the most widespread liver diseases throughout the world. It is caused by a parasitic worm of the class Trematoda of the phylum Platyhelminthes. This flatworm is commonly known as liver-fluke in the United States and Europe; babosa del higado in Cuba; cucaracha del higado in Puerto Rico; saguaype in Argentina and Chile; pirihuin in Chile; yuta in North Chile, and it is taxonomically classified as Fasciola hepatica. The adult trematode is a common parasite of warm blooded animals especially cattle, sheep, and goats. Alterations in the viability of normal Fasciola hepatica metacercariae as a result of time of storage at 4/sup 0/C were studied by the method of Wikerhauser (1960). A significant decrease in viability was observed only after one hundred days of storage. The in vitro viability of normal metacercariae was compared with that of metacercariae that were exposed to increasing ..gamma.. radiation doses. Two plainly opposite effects observed were: the activation of the excystation process by the lower radiation doses (1.5 and 2.5 Kr), an effect that persisted up to the 14th day post-radiation, and the impairment of the process evidenced on the 14th day in the metacercariae exposed to 3.5 and 5.0 Kr. Correlation between liver damage and the increasing radiation doses to which the metacercariae were exposed was studied up to 34 days after the oral inoculation in rats. (auth)

  14. Effect of gamma irradiation on different stages of Fasciola hepatica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torres, J.L.; Chiriboga, J.

    1976-04-01

    Fascioliasis or hepatic distomatosis is one of the most widespread liver diseases throughout the world. It is caused by a parasitic worm of the class Trematoda of the phylum Platyhelminthes. This flatworm is commonly known as liver-fluke in the United States and Europe; babosa del higado in Cuba; cucaracha del higado in Puerto Rico; saguaype in Argentina and Chile; pirihuin in Chile; yuta in North Chile, and it is taxonomically classified as Fasciola hepatica. The adult trematode is a common parasite of warm blooded animals especially cattle, sheep, and goats. Alterations in the viability of normal Fasciola hepatica metacercariae as a result of time of storage at 4 0 C were studied by the method of Wikerhauser (1960). A significant decrease in viability was observed only after one hundred days of storage. The in vitro viability of normal metacercariae was compared with that of metacercariae that were exposed to increasing γ radiation doses. Two plainly opposite effects observed were: the activation of the excystation process by the lower radiation doses (1.5 and 2.5 Kr), an effect that persisted up to the 14th day post-radiation, and the impairment of the process evidenced on the 14th day in the metacercariae exposed to 3.5 and 5.0 Kr. Correlation between liver damage and the increasing radiation doses to which the metacercariae were exposed was studied up to 34 days after the oral inoculation in rats

  15. First data on the parasites of Hoplias aimara (Characiformes): description of two new species of gill monogeneans (Dactylogyridae)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Moreira, J.; Scholz, Tomáš; Luque, J.L.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 60, č. 2 (2015), s. 254-260 ISSN 1230-2821 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Monogenea * Dactylogyridae * Urocleidoides * Erythrinidae * Hoplias aimara * Xingu River * Brazil Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.293, year: 2015

  16. Complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal RNA operons of two species of Diplostomum (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda): a molecular resource for taxonomy and molecular epidemiology of important fish pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brabec, Jan; Kostadinova, Aneta; Scholz, Tomáš; Littlewood, D Timothy J

    2015-06-19

    The genus Diplostomum (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda: Diplostomidae) is a diverse group of freshwater parasites with complex life-cycles and global distribution. The larval stages are important pathogens causing eye fluke disease implicated in substantial impacts on natural fish populations and losses in aquaculture. However, the problematic species delimitation and difficulties in the identification of larval stages hamper the assessment of the distributional and host ranges of Diplostomum spp. and their transmission ecology. Total genomic DNA was isolated from adult worms and shotgun sequenced using Illumina MiSeq technology. Mitochondrial (mt) genomes and nuclear ribosomal RNA (rRNA) operons were assembled using established bioinformatic tools and fully annotated. Mt protein-coding genes and nuclear rRNA genes were subjected to phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood and the resulting topologies compared. We characterised novel complete mt genomes and nuclear rRNA operons of two closely related species, Diplostomum spathaceum and D. pseudospathaceum. Comparative mt genome assessment revealed that the cox1 gene and its 'barcode' region used for molecular identification are the most conserved regions; instead, nad4 and nad5 genes were identified as most promising molecular diagnostic markers. Using the novel data, we provide the first genome wide estimation of the phylogenetic relationships of the order Diplostomida, one of the two fundamental lineages of the Digenea. Analyses of the mitogenomic data invariably recovered the Diplostomidae as a sister lineage of the order Plagiorchiida rather than as a basal lineage of the Diplostomida as inferred in rDNA phylogenies; this was concordant with the mt gene order of Diplostomum spp. exhibiting closer match to the conserved gene order of the Plagiorchiida. Complete sequences of the mt genome and rRNA operon of two species of Diplostomum provide a valuable resource for novel genetic markers for species delineation and

  17. Monogenean parasites of Lepomis gibbosus Linnaeus introduced into the River Durance, France

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Havlátová, Lucie; Ondračková, Markéta; Přikrylová, I.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 4 (2015), s. 323-330 ISSN 0440-6605 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : non-native fish * invasive species * parasites * sunfish * Monogenea * host introductions Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.602, year: 2015

  18. Obligate sugar oxidation in Mesotoga spp., phylum Thermotogae, in the presence of either elemental sulfur or hydrogenotrophic sulfate-reducers as electron acceptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fadhlaoui, Khaled; Ben Hania, Wagdi; Armougom, Fabrice; Bartoli, Manon; Fardeau, Marie-Laure; Erauso, Gaël; Brasseur, Gaël; Aubert, Corinne; Hamdi, Moktar; Brochier-Armanet, Céline; Dolla, Alain; Ollivier, Bernard

    2018-01-01

    Mesotoga prima strain PhosAc3 is a mesophilic representative of the phylum Thermotogae comprising only fermentative bacteria so far. We show that while unable to ferment glucose, this bacterium is able to couple its oxidation to reduction of elemental sulfur. We demonstrate furthermore that M. prima strain PhosAc3 as well as M. prima strain MesG1 and Mesotoga infera are able to grow in syntrophic association with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) acting as hydrogen scavengers through interspecies hydrogen transfer. Hydrogen production was higher in M. prima strain PhosAc3 cells co-cultured with SRB than in cells cultured alone in the presence of elemental sulfur. We propose that the efficient sugar-oxidizing metabolism by M. prima strain PhosAc3 in syntrophic association with a hydrogenotrophic sulfate-reducing bacterium can be extrapolated to all members of the Mesotoga genus. Genome comparison of Thermotogae members suggests that the metabolic difference between Mesotoga and Thermotoga species (sugar oxidation versus fermentation) is mainly due to the absence of the bifurcating [FeFe]-hydrogenase in the former. Such an obligate oxidative process for using sugars, unusual within prokaryotes, is the first reported within the Thermotogae. It is hypothesized to be of primary ecological importance for growth of Mesotoga spp. in the environments that they inhabit. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Rhodonellum psychrophilum gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel psychrophilic and alkaliphilic bacterium of the phylum Bacteroidetes isolated from Greenland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Mariane; Priemé, Anders; Stougaard, Peter

    2006-12-01

    A novel alkaliphilic and psychrophilic bacterium was isolated from the cold and alkaline ikaite tufa columns of the Ikka Fjord in south-west Greenland. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain GCM71(T) belonged to the family 'Flexibacteraceae' in the phylum Bacteroidetes. Strain GCM71(T), together with five related isolates from ikaite columns, formed a separate cluster with 86-93 % gene sequence similarity to their closest relative, Belliella baltica. The G+C content of the DNA from strain GCM71(T) was 43.1 mol%, whereas that of B. baltica was reported to be 35 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization between strain GCM71(T) and B. baltica was 9.5 %. The strain was red pigmented, Gram-negative, strictly aerobic with non-motile, rod-shaped cells. The optimal growth conditions for strain GCM71(T) were pH 9.2-10.0, 5 degrees C and 0.6 % NaCl. The fatty acid profile of the novel strain was dominated by branched and unsaturated fatty acids (90-97 %), with a high abundance of iso-C(17 : 1)omega9c (17.5 %), iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH (17.5 %) and summed feature 3, comprising iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH and/or C(16 : 1)omega7c (12.6 %). Phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and physiological characteristics showed that the novel strain could not be affiliated to any known genus. A new genus, Rhodonellum gen. nov., is proposed to accommodate the novel strain. Strain GCM71(T) (=DSM 17998(T)=LMG 23454(T)) is proposed as the type strain of the type species, Rhodonellum psychrophilum sp. nov.

  20. TUCUNARELLA N. GEN. AND OTHER DACTYLOGYRIDS (MONOGENOIDEA) FROM CICHLID FISH (PERCIFORMES) FROM PERUVIAN AMAZONIA

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mendoza-Franco, Edgar F.; Scholz, Tomáš; Rozkošná, Petra

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 96, č. 3 (2010), s. 491-498 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : NEOTROPICAL MONOGENEA * ANCYROCEPHALINAE * PROPOSAL * GILLS * TREMATODES * TELEOSTEI Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.208, year: 2010

  1. Identification of transcriptional signals in Encephalitozoon cuniculi widespread among Microsporidia phylum: support for accurate structural genome annotation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wincker Patrick

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microsporidia are obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasites with genomes ranging in size from 2.3 Mbp to more than 20 Mbp. The extremely small (2.9 Mbp and highly compact (~1 gene/kb genome of the human parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi has been fully sequenced. The aim of this study was to characterize noncoding motifs that could be involved in regulation of gene expression in E. cuniculi and to show whether these motifs are conserved among the phylum Microsporidia. Results To identify such signals, 5' and 3'RACE-PCR experiments were performed on different E. cuniculi mRNAs. This analysis confirmed that transcription overrun occurs in E. cuniculi and may result from stochastic recognition of the AAUAAA polyadenylation signal. Such experiments also showed highly reduced 5'UTR's (E. cuniculi genes presented a CCC-like motif immediately upstream from the coding start. To characterize other signals involved in differential transcriptional regulation, we then focused our attention on the gene family coding for ribosomal proteins. An AAATTT-like signal was identified upstream from the CCC-like motif. In rare cases the cytosine triplet was shown to be substituted by a GGG-like motif. Comparative genomic studies confirmed that these different signals are also located upstream from genes encoding ribosomal proteins in other microsporidian species including Antonospora locustae, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Anncaliia algerae (syn. Brachiola algerae and Nosema ceranae. Based on these results a systematic analysis of the ~2000 E. cuniculi coding DNA sequences was then performed and brings to highlight that 364 translation initiation codons (18.29% of total CDSs had been badly predicted. Conclusion We identified various signals involved in the maturation of E. cuniculi mRNAs. Presence of such signals, in phylogenetically distant microsporidian species, suggests that a common regulatory mechanism exists among the microsporidia. Furthermore

  2. Echinococcus granulosus fatty acid binding proteins subcellular localization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvite, Gabriela; Esteves, Adriana

    2016-05-01

    Two fatty acid binding proteins, EgFABP1 and EgFABP2, were isolated from the parasitic platyhelminth Echinococcus granulosus. These proteins bind fatty acids and have particular relevance in flatworms since de novo fatty acids synthesis is absent. Therefore platyhelminthes depend on the capture and intracellular distribution of host's lipids and fatty acid binding proteins could participate in lipid distribution. To elucidate EgFABP's roles, we investigated their intracellular distribution in the larval stage by a proteomic approach. Our results demonstrated the presence of EgFABP1 isoforms in cytosolic, nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions, suggesting that these molecules could be involved in several cellular processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. [Isolation and characterization of Thermopirellula anaerolimosa gen. nov., sp. nov., an obligate anaerobic hydrogen-producing bacterium of the phylum Planctomycetes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dongying; Liu, Yi; Men, Xuehui; Guo, Qunqun; Guo, Rongbo; Qiu, Yanling

    2012-08-04

    To cultivate various yet-to-be cultured heterotrophs from anaerobic granule sludge, we used a selective culture medium with low concentrations of substrates supplemented a variety of antibiotics. An obligate anaerobic, thermophilic, hydrogen-producing bacterium, strain VM20-7(T), was isolated from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating high-strength organic wastewater from isomerized sugar production processes. Cells of strain VM20-7(T) are non-motile, spherical, pear or teardrop shaped, occurring singly(o)r as aggregates (0.7 - 2.0 microm x 0.7 - 2.0 microm). Spore formation was not observed. Growth temperature ranges from 35 - 50 degrees C (optimum 45 degrees C), pH ranges from 6.0 - 8.3 (optimum 7.0 - 7.5) , NaCl tolerant concentration ranges from 0% - 0.5% (w/v, optimum 0% ). Nitrate, sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfite, elemental sulfur and Fe (III)-NTA were not used as terminal electron acceptors. Strain VM20-7(T) utilizes a wide range of carbohydrates, including glucose, maltose, ribose, xylose, sucrose, galactose, mannose, raffinose, pectin, yeast extract and xylan. Acetate and H2 are the main end products of glucose fermentation. The G + C content of the genomic DNA was 60.9 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that it is related to the Pirellula-Rhodopirellula-Blastopirellula (PRB) clade within the order Planctomycetales (82.7 - 84.3% similarity with 16S rRNA genes of other known related species). The first obligate anaerobic bacterium within the phylum Planctomycetes was isolated with low concentration of carbohydrates and antibiotics. On the basis of the physiological and phylogenetic data, the name Thermopirellula anaerolimosa gen. nov. , sp. nov. is proposed for strain VM20-7(T) (= CGMCC 1.5169(T) = JCM 17478(T) = DSM 24165(T)).

  4. Description of Acleotrema maculatus sp. nov. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae infecting the spotted coral grouper Plectropomus maculatus (F:Serranidea from the Red Sea and its histopathological impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kareem Morsy

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Acleotrema maculatus sp. nov. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae was described from the gills of The spotted coral grouper Plectropomus maculatus (F:Serranidea, Forsskal, 1775. Fish were collected from boot landing sites and fishermen at different water locations along the Red Sea at Hurghada City, Egypt. The morphology and morphometric characterization of the recovered worms were described by means of light microscopy. Eight (53.3% out 15 specimens of P. maculatus were infected. Most of the infected fish had very pale gills. Morphologically, the adult worm of A. maculatus sp. nov., possessed a body which was elongated, fusiform with a total length 0.86–0.90 (0.88 ± 0.02 mm, and a maximum width 0.09–0.13 (0.11 ± 0.02 mm at the level of ovary. Haptor, broad, differentiated from the rest of the body, measured 0.04–0.08 (0.06 ± 0.02 mm and provided with continuous rows of squamodiscs. Two pairs of lateral hamuli, three bars and 14 marginal hooklets were also observed. Lateral (dorsal bars two, stout, dumbbell-shaped, measured 0.052–0.056 (0.054 ± 0.002 mm in length. Ventral bar slender, with transverse groove, measured 0.09–0.11 (0.10 ± 0.01 mm in length. Ventral hamuli measured 0.02–0.06 (0.04 ± 0.02 mm in total length with an outer root that was very long measured 0.016–0.02 (0.018 ± 0.002, stout, slightly notched at broad proximal end; inner root was conical and measured 0.013–0.017 (0.015 ± 0.002 mm, with shaft measured 0.025–0.029 (0.027 ± 0.002 mm and point length 0.007–0.009 (0.008 ± 0.002 mm. Dorsal hamuli measured 0.034–0.038 (0.036 ± 0.002 in total length; base large, stout, with only lateral rudiment of roots; blade and point were long and curved with shaft length measured 0.024–0.028 (0.026 ± 0.002 mm and 0.02–0.06 (0.04 ± 0.02 mm point length. The worm is hermaphrodite, male copulatory organ measured 0.058–0.062 (0.060 ± 0.002 mm in length with a sclerotized part composed of

  5. Endomicrobium proavitum, the first isolate of Endomicrobia class. nov. (phylum Elusimicrobia)--an ultramicrobacterium with an unusual cell cycle that fixes nitrogen with a Group IV nitrogenase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Hao; Dietrich, Carsten; Radek, Renate; Brune, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    The bacterial tree contains many deep-rooting clades without any cultured representatives. One such clade is 'Endomicrobia', a class-level lineage in the phylum Elusimicrobia represented so far only by intracellular symbionts of termite gut flagellates. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of the first free-living member of this clade from sterile-filtered gut homogenate of defaunated (starch-fed) Reticulitermes santonensis. Strain Rsa215 is a strictly anaerobic ultramicrobacterium that grows exclusively on glucose, which is fermented to lactate, acetate, hydrogen and CO2. Ultrastructural analysis revealed a Gram-negative cell envelope and a peculiar cell cycle. The genome contains a single set of nif genes that encode homologues of Group IV nitrogenases, which were so far considered to have functions other than nitrogen fixation. We documented nitrogenase activity and diazotrophic growth by measuring acetylene reduction activity and (15)N2 incorporation into cell mass, and demonstrated that transcription of nifH and nitrogenase activity occur only in the absence of ammonium. Based on the ancestral relationship to 'Candidatus Endomicrobium trichonymphae' and other obligate endosymbionts, we propose the name 'Endomicrobium proavitum' gen. nov., sp. nov. for the first isolate of this lineage and the name 'Endomicrobia' class. nov. for the entire clade. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Influence of preservative and mounting media on the size and shape of monogenean sclerites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fankoua, Severin-Oscar; Bitja Nyom, Arnold R; Bahanak, Dieu Ne Dort; Bilong Bilong, Charles F; Pariselle, Antoine

    2017-08-01

    Based on Cichlidogyrus sp. (Monogenea, Ancyrocephalidae) specimens from Hemichromis sp. hosts, we tested the influence of different methods to fix/preserve samples/specimens [frozen material, alcohol or formalin preserved, museum process for fish preservation (fixed in formalin and preserved in alcohol)] and different media used to mount the slides [tap water, glycerin ammonium picrate (GAP), Hoyer's one (HM)] on the size/shape of sclerotized parts of monogenean specimens. The results show that the use of HM significantly increases the size of haptoral sclerites [marginal hooks I, II, IV, V, and VI; dorsal bar length, width, distance between auricles and auricle length, ventral bar length and width], and changes their shape [angle opening between shaft and guard (outer and inner roots) in both ventral and dorsal anchors, ventral bar much wider, dorsal one less curved]. This influence seems to be reduced when specimens/samples are fixed in formalin. The systematics of Monogenea being based on the size and shape of their sclerotized parts, to prevent misidentifications or description of invalid new species, we recommend the use of GAP as mounting medium; Hoyer's one should be restricted to monogenean specimens fixed for a long time which are more shrunken.

  7. Helminths and Cancers From the Evolutionary Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholte, Larissa L S; Pascoal-Xavier, Marcelo A; Nahum, Laila A

    2018-01-01

    Helminths include free-living and parasitic Platyhelminthes and Nematoda which infect millions of people worldwide. Some Platyhelminthes species of blood flukes ( Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma japonicum , and Schistosoma mansoni ) and liver flukes ( Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini ) are known to be involved in human cancers. Other helminths are likely to be carcinogenic. Our main goals are to summarize the current knowledge of human cancers caused by Platyhelminthes, point out some helminth and human biomarkers identified so far, and highlight the potential contributions of phylogenetics and molecular evolution to cancer research. Human cancers caused by helminth infection include cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal hepatocellular carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and urinary bladder cancer. Chronic inflammation is proposed as a common pathway for cancer initiation and development. Furthermore, different bacteria present in gastric, colorectal, and urogenital microbiomes might be responsible for enlarging inflammatory and fibrotic responses in cancers. Studies have suggested that different biomarkers are involved in helminth infection and human cancer development; although, the detailed mechanisms remain under debate. Different helminth proteins have been studied by different approaches. However, their evolutionary relationships remain unsolved. Here, we illustrate the strengths of homology identification and function prediction of uncharacterized proteins from genome sequencing projects based on an evolutionary framework. Together, these approaches may help identifying new biomarkers for disease diagnostics and intervention measures. This work has potential applications in the field of phylomedicine (evolutionary medicine) and may contribute to parasite and cancer research.

  8. Helminths and Cancers From the Evolutionary Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larissa L. S. Scholte

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Helminths include free-living and parasitic Platyhelminthes and Nematoda which infect millions of people worldwide. Some Platyhelminthes species of blood flukes (Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma japonicum, and Schistosoma mansoni and liver flukes (Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini are known to be involved in human cancers. Other helminths are likely to be carcinogenic. Our main goals are to summarize the current knowledge of human cancers caused by Platyhelminthes, point out some helminth and human biomarkers identified so far, and highlight the potential contributions of phylogenetics and molecular evolution to cancer research. Human cancers caused by helminth infection include cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal hepatocellular carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and urinary bladder cancer. Chronic inflammation is proposed as a common pathway for cancer initiation and development. Furthermore, different bacteria present in gastric, colorectal, and urogenital microbiomes might be responsible for enlarging inflammatory and fibrotic responses in cancers. Studies have suggested that different biomarkers are involved in helminth infection and human cancer development; although, the detailed mechanisms remain under debate. Different helminth proteins have been studied by different approaches. However, their evolutionary relationships remain unsolved. Here, we illustrate the strengths of homology identification and function prediction of uncharacterized proteins from genome sequencing projects based on an evolutionary framework. Together, these approaches may help identifying new biomarkers for disease diagnostics and intervention measures. This work has potential applications in the field of phylomedicine (evolutionary medicine and may contribute to parasite and cancer research.

  9. An introduction to loricifera, cycliophora, and micrognathozoa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristensen, Reinhardt Møbjerg

    2002-07-01

    Loriciferans, cycliophorans and micrognathozoans are amongst the latest groups of animals to be discovered. Other than all being microscopic, they have very different body plans and are not closely related. Loriciferans were originally assigned to the Aschelminthes. However, both new molecular and ultrastructural researches have shown that Aschelminthes consist of two unrelated groups, Cycloneuralia and Gnathifera. Cycloneuralia may be included in the Ecdysozoa, including all molting invertebrates, and Gnathifera are more closely related to Platyhelminthes. The phylum Loricifera shares many apomorphic characters (e.g., scalids on the introvert) with both Priapulida and Kinorhyncha, and can be included in the taxon Scalidophora, a subgroup of Cycloneuralia. Cycliophora was originally allied to the Entoprocta and Ectoprocta (Bryozoa) based on ultrastructual research. Subsequent molecular data show they may be related to Rotifera and Acanthocephala, within the taxon Gnathifera. The phylogenetic position of Cycliophora is therefore not settled, and more ultrastructural and molecular data are needed. Micrognathozoa is the most recent major group of animals to be described. They show strong affinities with both Rotifera and Gnathostomulida (within the taxon Gnathifera), especially in the fine structure of the pharyngeal apparatus, where the jaw elements have cuticular rods with osmiophilic cores. Furthermore the micrognathozoans have two rows of multiciliated cells that form a locomotory organ, similar to that seen in some gastrotrichs and interstitial annelids. This character is never seen in Rotifera or in the monociliated Gnathostomulida. Rotifera and Acanthocephala always have a syncytial epidermis (Syndermata). Micrognathozoa lack this characteristic feature. Therefore, they are postulated to be placed basally in the Gnathifera, either as a sister-group to Gnathostomulida or as a sister-group to Rotifera + Acanthocephala.

  10. Myospora metanephrops (n. g., n. sp.) from marine lobsters and a proposal for erection of a new order and family (Crustaceacida; Myosporidae) in the Class Marinosporidia (Phylum Microsporidia).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stentiford, G D; Bateman, K S; Small, H J; Moss, J; Shields, J D; Reece, K S; Tuck, I

    2010-10-01

    In this study we describe, the first microsporidian parasite from nephropid lobsters. Metanephrops challengeri were captured from an important marine fishery situated off the south coast of New Zealand. Infected lobsters displayed an unusual external appearance and were lethargic. Histology was used to demonstrate replacement of skeletal and other muscles by merogonic and sporogonic stages of the parasite, while transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of diplokaryotic meronts, sporonts, sporoblasts and spore stages, all in direct contact with the host sarcoplasm. Analysis of the ssrDNA gene sequence from the lobster microsporidian suggested a close affinity with Thelohania butleri, a morphologically dissimilar microsporidian from marine shrimps. Whilst morphological features of the lobster parasite are consistent with members of the family Nosematidae, molecular data place the parasite closer to members of the family Thelohanidae. Due to the contradiction between morphological and molecular taxonomic data, we propose the erection of a new genus in which the lobster parasite is the type species (Myospora metanephrops). Furthermore, we recommend the erection of a new family (Myosporidae) and a new order (Crustaceacida) to contain this genus. The taxonomic framework presented could be further applied to the re-classification of existing members of the Phylum Microsporidia. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Vitellogenesis of diphyllobothriidean cestodes (Platyhelminthes)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yoneva, Aneta; Scholz, Tomáš; Bruňanská, M.; Kuchta, Roman

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 338, č. 3 (2015), s. 169-179 ISSN 1631-0691 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP506/12/1632 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Vitellogenesis * Ultrastructure * Cestoda * Diphyllobothriidea * Cephalochlamys namaquensis * Duthiersia expansa * Schistocephalus solidus Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.064, year: 2015

  12. Isotopic discrimination of stable isotopes of nitrogen (delta N-15) and carbon (delta C-13) in a host-specific holocephalan tapeworm

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Navarro, J.; Albo-Puigserver, M.; Coll, M.; Saez, R.; Forero, M. G.; Kuchta, Roman

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 88, č. 3 (2014), s. 371-375 ISSN 0022-149X Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : food webs * fractionation * Gyrocotylidea * parasites * ecology * cercomeromorpha * Platyhelminthes * cercomeria * community * patterns Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.421, year: 2014

  13. Polystomoides bourgati (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) infecting ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    While the testes of the specimens recovered from Ossisa and Abeokuta were ovoid to round in shape, those in parasites recovered from turtles purchased from Sapele were lobed and laterally elongated. Two of the parasite specimens recovered from turtles purchased in Ossisa had seven haptoral suckers. This is the first ...

  14. Searching for the prototypic eye genetic network: Sine oculis is essential for eye regeneration in planarians

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pineda, D.; Gonzalez, J.; Callaerts, P.; Ikeo, K.; Gehring, W. J.; Salo, E.

    2000-01-01

    We have identified a sine oculis gene in the planarian Girardia tigrina (Platyhelminthes; Turbellaria; Tricladida). The planarian sine oculis gene (Gtso) encodes a protein with a sine oculis (Six) domain and a homeodomain that shares significant sequence similarity with so proteins assigned to the Six-2 gene family. Gtso is expressed as a single transcript in both regenerating and fully developed eyes. Whole-mount in situ hybridization studies show exclusive expression in photoreceptor cells. Loss of function of Gtso by RNA interference during planarian regeneration inhibits eye regeneration completely. Gtso is also essential for maintenance of the differentiated state of photoreceptor cells. These results, combined with the previously demonstrated expression of Pax-6 in planarian eyes, suggest that the same basic gene regulatory circuit required for eye development in Drosophila and mouse is used in the prototypic eye spots of platyhelminthes and, therefore, is truly conserved during evolution. PMID:10781056

  15. Benthic and Sedimentologic Studies on the Charleston Harbor Ocean Disposal Area, Charleston Harbor Deepening Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-08-01

    Nolella stipate 1 Phylum S ipuncula Sipunculid (undet.) 14 Phylum Echiura Echiurid (undet.) 1 Phylum-. Annelida Hvdroides dianthus 27 Sabellaria...undet.) LEr-idomotus subievi.s Sab)ellaria \\’ulgaris HIvdroides dianthus 9 lu- Mloliusca * Polinices duplicatus0 Modiclus mocilolus squarnosus...tenuis Microporella ciliata Schizoporella cornuta Phvlum Annelida H-vdroides dianthus Sabelliaria x’ulgaris 41Ph’iu MToi 7lusca Creoidula olana Phylum

  16. Neopsilotrema n. g. (Digenea: Psilostomidae) and three new species from ducks (Anseriformes: Anatidae) in North America and Europe

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

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

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 93, č. 4 (2016), s. 307-319 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : sequences * Platyhelminthes * morphology Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.181, year: 2016

  17. 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

  18. Morphological and molecular data for larval stages of four species of Petasiger Dietz, 1909 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) with an updated key to the known cercariae from the Palaearctic

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Selbach, C.; Soldánová, Miroslava; Georgieva, Simona; Kostadinova, Aneta; Kalbe, M.; Sures, B.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 89, č. 2 (2014), s. 153-166 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Grandivesicularis ishii * life cycle * Trematoda * Platyhelminthes * phylogeny Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.336, year: 2014

  19. Microscopia eletrônica de varredura de parasitos branquiais de Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 cultivados no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil Scanning electron microscopy of the gill parasites of cultivated Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurício Laterça Martins

    2000-05-01

    Full Text Available Foram coletados 15 exemplares de Piaractus mesopotamicus (pacu, medindo em torno de 15 cm de comprimento padrão, de tanques do Centro de Aqüicultura da Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil. Os peixes foram mantidos em aquários de 350 litros para posterior sacrifício com MS-222. Os filamentos brânquiais foram fixados em glutaraldeído a 3% para a microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Foram observados espécimes de Trichodina sp (Ciliophora, Henneguya piaractus (Myxozoa, e Anacanthorus penilabiatus (Monogenea, atacando o epitélio branquial. Neste trabalho, foram reportados a morfologia externa dos parasitos e as alterações no epitélio branquial dos peixes parasitadosFifteen specimens of Piaractus mesopotamicus (pacu, measuring 15 cm standard length, were collected from a fishpond at Aquaculture Center of Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. Fishes were maintained in 350 L aquariums for a further sacrifice with MS-222. For the Scanning Electron Microscopy, gill filaments were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde. Specimens of Trichodina sp (Ciliophora, Henneguya piaractus (Myxozoa and Anacanthorus penilabiatus (Monogenea attacking on the gill epithelium were observed. In the present paper, the external morphology of parasites and the alterations in the gill epithelium of parasitized fishes were reported

  20. Phylum level change in the cecal and fecal gut communities of rats fed diets containing different fermentable substrates supports a role for nitrogen as a factor contributing to community structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalmokoff, Martin; Franklin, Jeff; Petronella, Nicholas; Green, Judy; Brooks, Stephen P J

    2015-05-06

    Fermentation differs between the proximal and distal gut but little is known regarding how the bacterial communities differ or how they are influenced by diet. In order to investigate this, we compared community diversity in the cecum and feces of rats by 16S rRNA gene content and DNA shot gun metagenomics after feeding purified diets containing different fermentable substrates. Gut community composition was dependent on the source of fermentable substrate included in the diet. Cecal communities were dominated by Firmicutes, and contained a higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae compared to feces. In feces, community structure was shifted by varying degrees depending on diet towards the Bacteroidetes, although this change was not always evident from 16S rRNA gene data. Multi-dimensional scaling analysis (PCoA) comparing cecal and fecal metagenomes grouped by location within the gut rather than by diet, suggesting that factors in addition to substrate were important for community change in the distal gut. Differentially abundant genes in each environment supported this shift away from the Firmicutes in the cecum (e.g., motility) towards the Bacteroidetes in feces (e.g., Bacteroidales transposons). We suggest that this phylum level change reflects a shift to ammonia as the primary source of nitrogen used to support continued microbial growth in the distal gut.

  1. Freshwater invertebrates of sub-Antarctic Marion Island | Dartnall ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aquatic species include five platyhelminthes, a gastrotrich, three tardigrades, 28 rotifers, six nematodes, two annelids and 11 arthropods. Most are familiar species that have been recorded on other sub-Antarctic islands. The invertebrate faunas of the various freshwater habitats were basically similar in species ...

  2. First freshwater bothriocephalidean (Cestoda) from tropical South America, closely related to african taxa

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Scholz, Tomáš; Takemoto, R.M.; Kuchta, Roman

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 103, č. 6 (2017), s. 747-755 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : fish * Argentina * Eucestoda * pisces * platyhelminthes * diversity Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 1.326, year: 2016

  3. A new species of Saturnius Manter, 1969 (Digenea: Hemiuridae) from Mediterranean mullet (Teleostei: Mugilidae)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Marzoug, D.; Rima, M.; Boutiba, Z.; Georgieva, Simona; Kostadinova, Aneta; Pérez-del-Olmo, A.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 87, č. 2 (2014), s. 127-134 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Digenea * phylogeny * Platyhelminthes * Trematoda * inference * evolution Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.336, year: 2014

  4. Ultrastructural aspects of spermatogenesis, testes, and vas deferens in the parthenogenetic tapeworm Atractolytocestus huronensis Anthony, 1958 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), a carp parasite from Slovakia

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bruňanská, M.; Nebesářová, Jana; Oros, M.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 108, č. 1 (2011), 61-68 ISSN 0932-0113 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : GLARIDACRIS-CATOSTOMI * SYNAPTONEMAL COMPLEX * REPRODUCTIVE DUCTS * COMMON CARP * SPERMATOZOA * PLATYHELMINTHES * VITELLOGENESIS * EVOLUTION * TRIPLOIDY * CESTOIDEA Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 2.149, year: 2011

  5. PwRn1, a novel Ty3/gypsy-like retrotransposon of Paragonimus westermani: molecular characters and its differentially preserved mobile potential according to host chromosomal polyploidy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kong Yoon

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Retrotransposons have been known to involve in the remodeling and evolution of host genome. These reverse transcribing elements, which show a complex evolutionary pathway with diverse intermediate forms, have been comprehensively analyzed from a wide range of host genomes, while the information remains limited to only a few species in the phylum Platyhelminthes. Results A LTR retrotransposon and its homologs with a strong phylogenetic affinity toward CsRn1 of Clonorchis sinensis were isolated from a trematode parasite Paragonimus westermani via a degenerate PCR method and from an insect species Anopheles gambiae by in silico analysis of the whole mosquito genome, respectively. These elements, designated PwRn1 and AgCR-1 – AgCR-14 conserved unique features including a t-RNATrp primer binding site and the unusual CHCC signature of Gag proteins. Their flanking LTRs displayed >97% nucleotide identities and thus, these elements were likely to have expanded recently in the trematode and insect genomes. They evolved heterogeneous expression strategies: a single fused ORF, two separate ORFs with an identical reading frame and two ORFs overlapped by -1 frameshifting. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the elements with the separate ORFs had evolved from an ancestral form(s with the overlapped ORFs. The mobile potential of PwRn1 was likely to be maintained differentially in association with the karyotype of host genomes, as was examined by the presence/absence of intergenomic polymorphism and mRNA transcripts. Conclusion Our results on the structural diversity of CsRn1-like elements can provide a molecular tool to dissect a more detailed evolutionary episode of LTR retrotransposons. The PwRn1-associated genomic polymorphism, which is substantial in diploids, will also be informative in addressing genomic diversification following inter-/intra-specific hybridization in P. westermani populations.

  6. Morphology and molecules reveal the alien Posthodiplostomum centrarchi Hoffman, 1958 as the third species of Posthodiplostomum Dubois, 1936 (Digenea: Diplostomidae) in Europe

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Stoyanov, B.; Georgieva, Simona; Pankov, P.; Kudlai, Olena; Kostadinova, Aneta; Georgiev, B. B.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 94, č. 1 (2017), s. 1-20 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : maximum likelihood * host specificity * platyhelminthes * phylogenies * systematics * trematoda Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 1.181, year: 2016

  7. Phylum Level Change in the Cecal and Fecal Gut Communities of Rats Fed Diets Containing Different Fermentable Substrates Supports a Role for Nitrogen as a Factor Contributing to Community Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Kalmokoff

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Fermentation differs between the proximal and distal gut but little is known regarding how the bacterial communities differ or how they are influenced by diet. In order to investigate this, we compared community diversity in the cecum and feces of rats by 16S rRNA gene content and DNA shot gun metagenomics after feeding purified diets containing different fermentable substrates. Gut community composition was dependent on the source of fermentable substrate included in the diet. Cecal communities were dominated by Firmicutes, and contained a higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae compared to feces. In feces, community structure was shifted by varying degrees depending on diet towards the Bacteroidetes, although this change was not always evident from 16S rRNA gene data. Multi-dimensional scaling analysis (PCoA comparing cecal and fecal metagenomes grouped by location within the gut rather than by diet, suggesting that factors in addition to substrate were important for community change in the distal gut. Differentially abundant genes in each environment supported this shift away from the Firmicutes in the cecum (e.g., motility towards the Bacteroidetes in feces (e.g., Bacteroidales transposons. We suggest that this phylum level change reflects a shift to ammonia as the primary source of nitrogen used to support continued microbial growth in the distal gut.

  8. The serotonin-lir nervous system of the Bryozoa (Lophotrochozoa): a general pattern in the Gymnolaemata and implications for lophophore evolution of the phylum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwaha, Thomas F; Wanninger, Andreas

    2015-10-14

    Serotonin represents an evolutionary ancient neurotransmitter that is ubiquitously found among animals including the lophotrochozoan phylum Bryozoa, a group of colonial filter-feeders. Comparatively little is known on their nervous system, and data on their serotonin-lir nervous system currently are mostly limited to the basal phylactolaemates. Previous investigations indicated a common ground-pattern of the serotonin-lir nervous system in these animals, but in order to assess this on a larger scale, 21 gymnolaemate species from 21 genera were comparatively analysed herein. Twenty-one species from 21 gymnolaemate genera were analysed by immunocytochemical stainings and confocal laser scanning microscopy. In all species the serotonin-lir signal is concentrated in the cerebral ganglion from where a nerve tract emanates laterally and traverses orally to engulf the foregut. Serotonin-lir perikarya are situated at the base of the tentacles that almost always correspond to the number of tentacles minus two. The oral side in almost all species shows three serotonin-lir perikarya followed by a 'serotonergic gap' that to our knowledge is not reflected in the morphology of the nervous system. Some species show additional serotonin-lir signal in tentacle nerves, visceral innervation and pore complexes. Paludicella articulata is exceptional as it shows signal in the latero-visceral nerves with serotonin-lir perikarya in the esophagus, parts of the tentacle sheath nerves as well as the frontal body wall around the parietal muscle bundles. In general, the serotonin-lir nervous system in the Bryozoa shows a consistent pattern among its different clades with few deviations. Preliminary data on phylactolaemates suggest the presence of a 'serotonergic gap' similar to gymnolaemates. Both show a subset of oral tentacles and the remaining tentacles in gymnolaemates which correspond to the lateral tentacles of phylactolaemates. The lophophoral concavity lacks serotonin-lir perikarya

  9. COMMON EURASIAN FISH TAPEWORM, CARYOPHYLLAEIDES FENNICA (CESTODA), IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA: FURTHER EVIDENCE OF 'AMPHI-PACIFIC' VICARIANCE IN FRESHWATER FISH PARASITES

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Oros, M.; Choudhury, A.; Scholz, Tomáš

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 103, č. 5 (2017), s. 486-496 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : phylogenetic-relationships * palearctic region * platyhelminthes * identification * biogeography * oligochaeta * morphology * sequences * patterns Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 1.326, year: 2016

  10. A new species of microphallid (Trematoda: Digenea) infecting a novel host family, the Muraenidae, on the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kudlai, Olena; Cribb, T.H.; Cutmore, S.C.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 93, č. 9 (2016), s. 863-876 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : phylogenetic analysis * molecular phylogeny * life cycle * platyhelminthes * parasites * gastropoda * helminths * marine * fishes * Canada Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.181, year: 2016

  11. Polystoma umthakathi (Monogenea): establishment, mortality and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    1989-02-28

    Feb 28, 1989 ... tized with MS 222 Sandoz (2 mg /10 ml water). The period of narcotization seldom exceeded 5 min. In N. bonebergi tadpoles the body wall ventral to the branchial chambers remains almost completely free of pigment up to metamorphosis. The gills can therefore be examined microscopically throughout the ...

  12. Population study of Atractolytocestus huronensis (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), an invasive parasite of common carp introduced to Europe: mitochondrial cox1 haplotypes and intragenomic ribosomal ITS2 variants

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bazsalovicsová, E.; Kraľová-Hromadová, I.; Štefka, Jan; Scholz, Tomáš; Hanzelová, V.; Vávrová, S.; Szemes, T.; Kirk, R.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 109, č. 1 (2011), 125-131 ISSN 0932-0113 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER-1 * CYPRINUS - CARPIO * SEQUENCE VARIATION * ANTHONY * PLATYHELMINTHES * VARIABILITY * CESTOIDEA Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 2.149, year: 2011

  13. Molecular characterisation of four echinostomes (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) from birds in New Zealand, with descriptions of Echinostoma novaezealandense n. sp and Echinoparyphium poulini n. sp.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Georgieva, Simona; Blasco-Costa, Maria Isabel; Kostadinova, Aneta

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 94, č. 4 (2017), s. 477-497 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : phylogenetic-relationships * maximum-likelihood * morphological data * miyagawai ishii * nuclear rdna * trematoda * platyhelminthes * systematics * genes * diversity Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 1.181, year: 2016

  14. Phylogenetic position of Loricifera inferred from nearly complete 18S and 28S rRNA gene sequences

    OpenAIRE

    Yamasaki, Hiroshi; Fujimoto, Shinta; Miyazaki, Katsumi

    2015-01-01

    Background Loricifera is an enigmatic metazoan phylum; its morphology appeared to place it with Priapulida and Kinorhyncha in the group Scalidophora which, along with Nematoida (Nematoda and Nematomorpha), comprised the group Cycloneuralia. Scarce molecular data have suggested an alternative phylogenetic hypothesis, that the phylum Loricifera is a sister taxon to Nematomorpha, although the actual phylogenetic position of the phylum remains unclear. Methods Ecdysozoan phylogeny was reconstruct...

  15. Helmintos parasitos do pirarucu, Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822 (Osteoglossiformes: Arapaimidae, no rio Araguaia, estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil Helminth parasites of pirarucu, Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822 (Osteoglossiformes: Arapaimidae from Araguaia River, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia M. C. dos Santos

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Foram examinados 65 exemplares de pirarucu em agosto de 2004, provenientes do rio Araguaia, Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil para o estudo dos seus helmintos parasitos. Cinco espécies foram registradas parasitando Arapaima gigas: Dawestrema cycloancistrium (Monogenea nas brânquias, Nilonema senticosum e Goezia spinulosa (Nematoda na vesícula gasosa e no estômago respectivamente; Caballerotrema brasiliense (Digenea e Polyacanthorhynchus rhopalorhynchus (Acanthocephala no intestino. Os valores mais altos de prevalência foram observados para D. cycloancistrium (100% and P. rhopalorhynchus (96,9%. Os maiores valores de intensidade e abundância média foram calculados para C. brasiliense e N. senticosum (61 e 46,9, respectivamente. Todas estas espécies são registradas pela primeira vez na Bacia do Rio Araguaia.Sixty-five specimens of pirarucu collected in August 2004 from Araguaia River, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, were examined to study their helminth parasites. Five species were recorded parasitic Arapaima gigas: Dawestrema cycloancistrium (Monogenea in gills, Nilonema senticosum and Goezia spinulosa (Nematoda in the swimbladder and stomach, respectively; Caballerotrema brasiliense (Digenea and Polyacanthorhynchus rhopalorhynchus (Acanthocephala in the intestine. Highest prevalence values were detected for D. cycloancistrium (100% and P. rhopalorhynchus (96.9%. Highest values of mean intensity and mean abundance were detected for C. brasiliense and N. senticosum (61 and 46.9, respectively. All these species are recorded by the first time in the Araguaia River basin.

  16. Material tipo de helmintos en el Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, (MUSM, Lima, Perú

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Morales

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Se presenta una lista de 44 especies correspondiente al material tipo de 511 especímenes (34 holotipos, 9 alotipos, 418 paratipos y 50 sintipos de helmintos (Trematoda, Monogenea, Cestoidea, Nematoda y Acanthocephala , parásitos en vertebrados e invertebrados de Perú, Chile y Estados Unidos de Norte América, que se encuentran depositados en la Colección Helmintológica del Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (MUSM, Lima, Perú. Se incluye también algunos comentarios nomenclaturales.

  17. Put a tiger in your tank: the polyclad flatworm Maritigrella crozieri as a proposed model for evo-devo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapraz, François; Rawlinson, Kate A; Girstmair, Johannes; Tomiczek, Bartłomiej; Berger, Jürgen; Jékely, Gáspár; Telford, Maximilian J; Egger, Bernhard

    2013-10-09

    Polyclad flatworms are an early branching clade within the rhabditophoran Platyhelminthes. They provide an interesting system with which to explore the evolution of development within Platyhelminthes and amongst Spiralia (Lophotrochozoa). Unlike most other flatworms, polyclads undergo spiral cleavage (similar to that seen in some other spiralian taxa), they are the only free-living flatworms where development via a larval stage occurs, and they are the only flatworms in which embryos can be reared outside of their protective egg case, enabling embryonic manipulations. Past work has focused on comparing early cleavage patterns and larval anatomy between polyclads and other spiralians. We have selected Maritigrella crozieri, the tiger flatworm, as a suitable polyclad species for developmental studies, because it is abundant and large in size compared to other species. These characteristics have facilitated the generation of a transcriptome from embryonic and larval material and are enabling us to develop methods for gene expression analysis and immunofluorescence techniques. Here we give an overview of M. crozieri and its development, we highlight the advantages and current limitations of this animal as a potential evo-devo model and discuss current lines of research.

  18. Cytogenetics and Chromosomes of Tapeworms (Platyhelminthes, Cestoda)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Špakulová, M.; Orosová, Martina; Mackiewicz, J. S.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 74, - (2011), 177-230 ISSN 0065-308X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : PROTEOCEPHALUS-PERCAE CESTODA * RIBOSOMAL-RNA GENES * CARYOPHYLLIDEA CESTOIDEA * ATRACTOLYTOCESTUS-HURONENSIS * EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT * ECHINOCOCCUS -MULTILOCULARIS * HYMENOLEPIS MICROSTOMA * NIPPOTAENIA-MOGURNDAE * PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 4.390, year: 2011

  19. Polystomatidae (Monogenea) of southern African Anura: Polystoma ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    sp. parasitic in two closely related Cacosternum species. ... The prevalence of infection with P. channingi n.sp. was 25% for C. nanum and 40% for C. boettgeri, while the mean intensity of infections in adult frogs was 1.5 for C. boettgeri and 1.0 ...

  20. (Ridley, 1884) (Phylum: Porifera, Class: Demospongiae)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abstract—The distribution and abundance of the sponge Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) was investigated in a shallow lagoon (Albion) of. Mauritius (Western Indian Ocean). Sponge abundance and environmental parameters were assessed. Sponges in Albion lagoon were mostly distributed in the central part of ...

  1. Spermiogenesis and spermatozoon ultrastructure of the paruterinid cestode Notopentorchis sp. (Cyclophyllidea)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yoneva, A.; Levron, Céline; NIkolov, P. N.; Mizinska, Y.; Mariaux, J.; Georgiev, B. B.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 111, č. 1 (2012), s. 135-142 ISSN 0932-0113 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : INTESTINAL PARASITE * MATURE SPERMATOZOON * SPERMATOLOGICAL CHARACTERS * TAPEWORMS PLATYHELMINTHES * COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY * SPERM ULTRASTRUCTURE * ELECTRON MICROSCOPY * GOLDEN-HAMSTERS * FINE-STRUCTURE * VON LINSTOW Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 2.852, year: 2012

  2. Ultrastructure of the ovarian follicles, oviducts and oocytes of Gyrocotyle urna (Neodermata: Gyrocotylidea)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Poddubnaya, L. G.; Kuchta, Roman; Scholz, Tomáš; Xylander, W.E.R.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 3 (2010), s. 173-184 ISSN 0015-5683 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA AV ČR KJB600960902; GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Platyhelminthes * comparative morphology * TEM * ovary * oocapt * ovarian receptacle * fertilisation canal Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.533, year: 2010

  3. Species diversity of Plagiorchis Luhe, 1899 (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae) in lymnaeid snails from freshwater ecosystems in central Europe revealed by molecules and morphology

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zikmundová, Jana; Georgieva, Simona; Faltýnková, Anna; Soldánová, Miroslava; Kostadinova, Aneta

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 88, č. 1 (2014), s. 37-54 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP505/10/1562; GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : larval trematodes digenea * partial lsrDNA sequences * great pond snail * maximum-likelihood * Lymnea stagnalis * life -cycle * platyhelminthes * differentiation * omphalometridae * phylogenies Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 1.336, year: 2014

  4. Morphological and molecular characterisation of Aporocotyle margolisi Smith, 1967 (Digenea: Aporocotylidae) from the North Pacific hake Merluccius productus (Ayres) (Gadiformes: Merlucciidae) off Oregon, USA

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hernandez-Orts, J. S.; Hernández-Mena, D. I.; Alama-Bermejo, Gema; Kuchta, Roman; Jacobson, K. C.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 94, č. 7 (2017), s. 819-829 ISSN 0165-5752 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112; GA ČR(CZ) GP14-28784P Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : blood flukes * phylogeny * platyhelminthes * sequences * sanguinicolidae * perciformes * models * gene Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine OBOR OECD: Veterinary science Impact factor: 1.181, year: 2016

  5. A Transcriptomic Analysis of Echinococcus granulosus Larval Stages: Implications for Parasite Biology and Host Adaptation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkinson, John; Wasmuth, James D.; Salinas, Gustavo; Bizarro, Cristiano V.; Sanford, Chris; Berriman, Matthew; Ferreira, Henrique B.; Zaha, Arnaldo; Blaxter, Mark L.; Maizels, Rick M.; Fernández, Cecilia

    2012-01-01

    Background The cestode Echinococcus granulosus - the agent of cystic echinococcosis, a zoonosis affecting humans and domestic animals worldwide - is an excellent model for the study of host-parasite cross-talk that interfaces with two mammalian hosts. To develop the molecular analysis of these interactions, we carried out an EST survey of E. granulosus larval stages. We report the salient features of this study with a focus on genes reflecting physiological adaptations of different parasite stages. Methodology/Principal Findings We generated ∼10,000 ESTs from two sets of full-length enriched libraries (derived from oligo-capped and trans-spliced cDNAs) prepared with three parasite materials: hydatid cyst wall, larval worms (protoscoleces), and pepsin/H+-activated protoscoleces. The ESTs were clustered into 2700 distinct gene products. In the context of the biology of E. granulosus, our analyses reveal: (i) a diverse group of abundant long non-protein coding transcripts showing homology to a middle repetitive element (EgBRep) that could either be active molecular species or represent precursors of small RNAs (like piRNAs); (ii) an up-regulation of fermentative pathways in the tissue of the cyst wall; (iii) highly expressed thiol- and selenol-dependent antioxidant enzyme targets of thioredoxin glutathione reductase, the functional hub of redox metabolism in parasitic flatworms; (iv) candidate apomucins for the external layer of the tissue-dwelling hydatid cyst, a mucin-rich structure that is critical for survival in the intermediate host; (v) a set of tetraspanins, a protein family that appears to have expanded in the cestode lineage; and (vi) a set of platyhelminth-specific gene products that may offer targets for novel pan-platyhelminth drug development. Conclusions/Significance This survey has greatly increased the quality and the quantity of the molecular information on E. granulosus and constitutes a valuable resource for gene prediction on the parasite genome

  6. Homology-based annotation of non-coding RNAs in the genomes of Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santana Clara

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Schistosomes are trematode parasites of the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are considered the most important of the human helminth parasites in terms of morbidity and mortality. Draft genome sequences are now available for Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA plays a crucial role in gene expression regulation, cellular function and defense, homeostasis, and pathogenesis. The genome-wide annotation of ncRNAs is a non-trivial task unless well-annotated genomes of closely related species are already available. Results A homology search for structured ncRNA in the genome of S. mansoni resulted in 23 types of ncRNAs with conserved primary and secondary structure. Among these, we identified rRNA, snRNA, SL RNA, SRP, tRNAs and RNase P, and also possibly MRP and 7SK RNAs. In addition, we confirmed five miRNAs that have recently been reported in S. japonicum and found two additional homologs of known miRNAs. The tRNA complement of S. mansoni is comparable to that of the free-living planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, although for some amino acids differences of more than a factor of two are observed: Leu, Ser, and His are overrepresented, while Cys, Meth, and Ile are underrepresented in S. mansoni. On the other hand, the number of tRNAs in the genome of S. japonicum is reduced by more than a factor of four. Both schistosomes have a complete set of minor spliceosomal snRNAs. Several ncRNAs that are expected to exist in the S. mansoni genome were not found, among them the telomerase RNA, vault RNAs, and Y RNAs. Conclusion The ncRNA sequences and structures presented here represent the most complete dataset of ncRNA from any lophotrochozoan reported so far. This data set provides an important reference for further analysis of the genomes of schistosomes and indeed eukaryotic genomes at large.

  7. Validation of suitable reference genes for expression normalization in Echinococcus spp. larval stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espínola, Sergio Martin; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer; Zaha, Arnaldo

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, a significant amount of sequence data (both genomic and transcriptomic) for Echinococcus spp. has been published, thereby facilitating the analysis of genes expressed during a specific stage or involved in parasite development. To perform a suitable gene expression quantification analysis, the use of validated reference genes is strongly recommended. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify suitable reference genes to allow reliable expression normalization for genes of interest in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1) and Echinococcus ortleppi upon induction of the early pre-adult development. Untreated protoscoleces (PS) and pepsin-treated protoscoleces (PSP) from E. granulosus s.s. (G1) and E. ortleppi metacestode were used. The gene expression stability of eleven candidate reference genes (βTUB, NDUFV2, RPL13, TBP, CYP-1, RPII, EF-1α, βACT-1, GAPDH, ETIF4A-III and MAPK3) was assessed using geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder. Our qPCR data showed a good correlation with the recently published RNA-seq data. Regarding expression stability, EF-1α and TBP were the most stable genes for both species. Interestingly, βACT-1 (the most commonly used reference gene), and GAPDH and ETIF4A-III (previously identified as housekeeping genes) did not behave stably in our assay conditions. We propose the use of EF-1α as a reference gene for studies involving gene expression analysis in both PS and PSP experimental conditions for E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi. To demonstrate its applicability, EF-1α was used as a normalizer gene in the relative quantification of transcripts from genes coding for antigen B subunits. The same EF-1α reference gene may be used in studies with other Echinococcus sensu lato species. This report validates suitable reference genes for species of class Cestoda, phylum Platyhelminthes, thus providing a foundation for further validation in other epidemiologically important cestode species, such as those from the

  8. Validation of Suitable Reference Genes for Expression Normalization in Echinococcus spp. Larval Stages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espínola, Sergio Martin; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer; Zaha, Arnaldo

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, a significant amount of sequence data (both genomic and transcriptomic) for Echinococcus spp. has been published, thereby facilitating the analysis of genes expressed during a specific stage or involved in parasite development. To perform a suitable gene expression quantification analysis, the use of validated reference genes is strongly recommended. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify suitable reference genes to allow reliable expression normalization for genes of interest in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1) and Echinococcus ortleppi upon induction of the early pre-adult development. Untreated protoscoleces (PS) and pepsin-treated protoscoleces (PSP) from E. granulosus s.s. (G1) and E. ortleppi metacestode were used. The gene expression stability of eleven candidate reference genes (βTUB, NDUFV2, RPL13, TBP, CYP-1, RPII, EF-1α, βACT-1, GAPDH, ETIF4A-III and MAPK3) was assessed using geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder. Our qPCR data showed a good correlation with the recently published RNA-seq data. Regarding expression stability, EF-1α and TBP were the most stable genes for both species. Interestingly, βACT-1 (the most commonly used reference gene), and GAPDH and ETIF4A-III (previously identified as housekeeping genes) did not behave stably in our assay conditions. We propose the use of EF-1α as a reference gene for studies involving gene expression analysis in both PS and PSP experimental conditions for E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi. To demonstrate its applicability, EF-1α was used as a normalizer gene in the relative quantification of transcripts from genes coding for antigen B subunits. The same EF-1α reference gene may be used in studies with other Echinococcus sensu lato species. This report validates suitable reference genes for species of class Cestoda, phylum Platyhelminthes, thus providing a foundation for further validation in other epidemiologically important cestode species, such as those from the

  9. A review of applied aspects of dealing with gut microbiota impact on rodent models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Axel Kornerup; Krych, Lukasz; Nielsen, Dennis Sandris

    2015-01-01

    -negative phylum Bacteroidetes. Other important phyla are the gram-negative phyla Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, and the gram-positive phylum Actinobacteria. GM members influence models for diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, allergies, autoimmunity, cancer, and neuropsychiatric diseases. GM...

  10. Monogeneans from Pangasiidae (Siluriformes in Southeast Asia: I. Five new species of Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Ancylodiscoidinae from Pangasius pangasius, P. kinabatanganensis, P. rheophilus and P. nieuwenhuisii

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pariselle A.

    2001-06-01

    Full Text Available The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius pangasius (Hamilton, 1822 ; P. kinabatanganensis Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 ; P. rheophilus Pouyaud & Teugels, 2000 and P. nieuwenbuisii (Popta, 1904 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae in Southeast Asia revealed the presence of six species of Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoidinae. One has been previously described from P. pangasius: T. pangasi (Tripathi, 1957. The other five are new species: T. chandpuri n. sp. from P. pangasius; T. bahari n. sp. and T. sabanensis n. sp. from P. kinabatanganensis; T. redebensis n. sp. from P. rheophilus and T. mahakamensis n. sp. from P. nieuwenhuisii.

  11. Cell biology of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Niftrik, L.A.M.P. van

    2008-01-01

    Anammox bacteria perform anaerobic ammonium oxidation to dinitrogen gas and belong to the phylum Planctomycetes. Whereas most Prokaryotes consist of one compartment, the cytoplasm bounded by the cytoplasmic membrane and cell wall, the species within this phylum are compartmentalized by intracellular

  12. TAPEWORMS (CESTODA: CARYOPHYLLIDEA), PARASITES OF CLARIAS BATRACHUS (PISCES: SILURIFORMES) IN THE INDOMALAYAN REGION

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ash, Anirban; Scholz, Tomáš; Oros, M.; Kar, P. K.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 97, č. 3 (2011), s. 435-459 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522; GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA ČR GAP506/10/1994; GA ČR GD206/09/H026 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : CESTOIDEA * PLATYHELMINTHES * EVOLUTION * INDIA Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.405, year: 2011

  13. Molecular and Structural Characterization of the Tegumental 20.6-kDa Protein in Clonorchis sinensis as a Potential Druggable Target

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Yu-Jung; Yoo, Won Gi; Lee, Myoung-Ro; Kang, Jung-Mi; Na, Byoung-Kuk; Cho, Shin-Hyeong; Park, Mi-Yeoun; Ju, Jung-Won

    2017-01-01

    The tegument, representing the membrane-bound outer surface of platyhelminth parasites, plays an important role for the regulation of the host immune response and parasite survival. A comprehensive understanding of tegumental proteins can provide drug candidates for use against helminth-associated diseases, such as clonorchiasis caused by the liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis. However, little is known regarding the physicochemical properties of C. sinensis teguments. In this study, a novel 20.6...

  14. Protein Translation Enzyme lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Presents a New Target for Drug Development against Causative Agents of Loiasis and Schistosomiasis

    OpenAIRE

    Sharma, Arvind; Sharma, Manmohan; Yogavel, Manickam; Sharma, Amit

    2016-01-01

    Helminth parasites are an assemblage of two major phyla of nematodes (also known as roundworms) and platyhelminths (also called flatworms). These parasites are a major human health burden, and infections caused by helminths are considered under neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). These infections are typified by limited clinical treatment options and threat of drug resistance. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are vital enzymes that decode genetic information and enable protein translation. ...

  15. Alterações hematológicas e histopatológicas em pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 (Osteichthyes, Characidae, Hematological and histopathological alteration in pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 (Osteichthyes, Characidae after treatment with copper sulphate (CuSO4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávio Ruas de Moraes

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho avaliou os valores hematológicos e glicêmicos e histopatologia de Piaractus mesopotamicus (Osteichthyes, Characidae infectados com Monogenea Anacanthorus penilabiatus Boeger, Husak & Martins, 1995 (Dactylogyridae após tratamento com 0,50 mg/L e 1,00 mg/L de sulfato de cobre (CuSO4. A eficiência da droga sobre as infecções com Monogenea foi observada no primeiro dia após administração mas não após 8, 15 ou 30 dias do tratamento. As análises histopatológicas mostraram hiperplasia do epitélio e alterações circulatórias nas brânquias. No primeiro dia após tratamento, foram observadas alterações significativas (P4 mostraram redução da taxa de hemoglobina e do percentual de neutrófilos. No 8o dia do tratamento a dose de 1,00 mg/L provocou aumento da glicemia mas redução no percentual de linfócitos quando comparada com 0,50 mg/L. No 15o dia após tratamento com 1,00 mg/L os valores médios do volume corpuscular médio e o percentual de células granulocíticas especiais (C.G.E. decresceram mas o número de leucócitos totais aumentaram. No 30o dia após tratamento com 0,50 mg/L de sulfato de cobre houve aumento de C.G.E. e no tratamento com 1,00 mg/L o aumento foi de linfócitos.This paper evaluated the haematological and glycaemic parameters in Piaractus mesopotamicus (Osteichthyes, Characidae infected with Monogenea Anacanthorus penilabiatus Boeger, Husak & Martins, 1995 (Dactylogyridae after treatment with 0.50 mg/L and 1.00 mg/L of copper sulphate (CuSO4. The efficacy of the CuSO4 was observed in the first day after administration but not after eight, fifteen or thirty days. The histopathological analyses showed hyperplasia of the epithelium and circulatory changes in the gills. In the first day after treatment significant changes (Pth day. Fifteen days after 1.00 mg/L treatment, values of mean corpuscular volume (MCV and special granulocitic cells (S.G.C. percentage decreased. Nevertheless, increase of

  16. Monogenean anchor morphometry: systematic value, phylogenetic signal, and evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soo, Oi Yoon Michelle; Tan, Wooi Boon; Lim, Lee Hong Susan

    2016-01-01

    Background. Anchors are one of the important attachment appendages for monogenean parasites. Common descent and evolutionary processes have left their mark on anchor morphometry, in the form of patterns of shape and size variation useful for systematic and evolutionary studies. When combined with morphological and molecular data, analysis of anchor morphometry can potentially answer a wide range of biological questions. Materials and Methods. We used data from anchor morphometry, body size and morphology of 13 Ligophorus (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) species infecting two marine mugilid (Teleostei: Mugilidae) fish hosts: Moolgarda buchanani (Bleeker) and Liza subviridis (Valenciennes) from Malaysia. Anchor shape and size data (n = 530) were generated using methods of geometric morphometrics. We used 28S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and ITS1 sequence data to infer a maximum likelihood phylogeny. We discriminated species using principal component and cluster analysis of shape data. Adams’s Kmult was used to detect phylogenetic signal in anchor shape. Phylogeny-correlated size and shape changes were investigated using continuous character mapping and directional statistics, respectively. We assessed morphological constraints in anchor morphometry using phylogenetic regression of anchor shape against body size and anchor size. Anchor morphological integration was studied using partial least squares method. The association between copulatory organ morphology and anchor shape and size in phylomorphospace was used to test the Rohde-Hobbs hypothesis. We created monogeneaGM, a new R package that integrates analyses of monogenean anchor geometric morphometric data with morphological and phylogenetic data. Results. We discriminated 12 of the 13 Ligophorus species using anchor shape data. Significant phylogenetic signal was detected in anchor shape. Thus, we discovered new morphological characters based on anchor shaft shape, the length between the inner root point and the outer root

  17. AN EVALUATION OF THREE CONVENTIONAL HISTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES FOR STAINING THE CERATA OF CRATENA PILATA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fixation and staining methods for different types of tissue in the marine nudibranch Cratena pilata were evaluated. Cratena pilata, a marine snail in the Phylum Mollusca, has the ability to take stinging cells, called nematocysts, from ingested animals belonging to another phylum...

  18. 13,16-Dimethyl octacosanedioic acid (iso-diabolic acid), a common membrane-spanning lipid of Acidobacteria subdivisions 1 and 3

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Rijpstra, W.I.C.; Hopmans, E.C.; Weijers, J.W.H.; Foesel, B.U.; Overmann, J.; Dedysh, S.N.

    2011-01-01

    The distribution of membrane lipids of 17 different strains representing 13 species of subdivisions 1 and 3 of the phylum Acidobacteria, a highly diverse phylum of the Bacteria, were examined by hydrolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) and by high-performance liquid

  19. Extensive sampling of basidiomycete genomes demonstrates inadequacy of the white-rot/brown-rot paradigm for wood decay fungi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes) make up some 37% of the described fungi and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes symbionts, pathogens, and saprotrophs including the majority of wood decaying and ectomycorrhizal species. To b...

  20. Identification of genes encoding the type IX secretion system and secreted proteins in Flavobacterium columnare IA-S-4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flavobacterium columnare, a member of the phylum Bacteroidetes, causes columnaris disease in wild and aquaculture-reared freshwater fish. The mechanisms responsible for columnaris disease are not known. Many members of the phylum Bacteroidetes use type IX secretion systems (T9SSs) to secrete enzymes...

  1. 13,16-Dimethyl Octacosanedioic Acid (

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Rijpstra, W.I.C.; Hopmans, E.C.; Weijers, J.W.; Foesel, B.U.; Overmann, J.; Dedysh, S.N.

    2011-01-01

    The distribution of membrane lipids of 17 different strains representing 13 species of subdivisions 1 and 3 of the phylum Acidobacteria, a highly diverse phylum of the Bacteria, were examined by hydrolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) and by high-performance liquid chromatography-MS

  2. A molecular approach to arthrotardigrade phylogeny (Heterotardigrada, Tardigrada)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fujimoto, Shinta; Jørgensen, Aslak; Hansen, Jesper Guldberg

    2017-01-01

    The marine order Arthrotardigrada (class Heterotardigrada, phylum Tardigrada) is known for its conspicuously high morphological diversity and has been traditionally recognized as the most ancestral group within the phylum. Despite its potential importance in understanding the evolution of the phy...... of the inferred phylogeny....

  3. Diet type dictates the gut microbiota and the immune response against Yersinia ruckeri in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingerslev, Hans-Christian; Strube, Mikael Lenz; Jørgensen, Louise von Gersdorff

    2014-01-01

    of rainbow trout. The plant-based diet gave rise to an intestinal microbiota dominated by the genera Streptococcus, Leuconostoc and Weissella from phylum Firmicutes whereas phylum Proteobacteria/Bacteroidetes/Actinobacteria dominated the community in the marine fed fish. In connection to the Y. ruckeri bath...

  4. Gestational diabetes is associated with change in the gut microbiota composition in third trimester of pregnancy and postpartum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crusell, Mie Korslund Wiinblad; Hansen, Tue Haldor; Nielsen, Trine

    2018-01-01

    and after pregnancy. RESULTS: Gut microbiota of women with GDM was aberrant at multiple levels, including phylum and genus levels, compared with normoglycaemic pregnant women. Actinobacteria at phylum level and Collinsella, Rothia and Desulfovibrio at genus level had a higher abundance in the GDM cohort...

  5. Structural analysis of the α subunit of Na(+)/K(+) ATPase genes in invertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thabet, Rahma; Rouault, J-D; Ayadi, Habib; Leignel, Vincent

    2016-01-01

    The Na(+)/K(+) ATPase is a ubiquitous pump coordinating the transport of Na(+) and K(+) across the membrane of cells and its role is fundamental to cellular functions. It is heteromer in eukaryotes including two or three subunits (α, β and γ which is specific to the vertebrates). The catalytic functions of the enzyme have been attributed to the α subunit. Several complete α protein sequences are available, but only few gene structures were characterized. We identified the genomic sequences coding the α-subunit of the Na(+)/K(+) ATPase, from the whole-genome shotgun contigs (WGS), NCBI Genomes (chromosome), Genomic Survey Sequences (GSS) and High Throughput Genomic Sequences (HTGS) databases across distinct phyla. One copy of the α subunit gene was found in Annelida, Arthropoda, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Hemichordata, Mollusca, Placozoa, Porifera, Platyhelminthes, Urochordata, but the nematodes seem to possess 2 to 4 copies. The number of introns varied from 0 (Platyhelminthes) to 26 (Porifera); and their localization and length are also highly variable. Molecular phylogenies (Maximum Likelihood and Maximum Parsimony methods) showed some clusters constituted by (Chordata/(Echinodermata/Hemichordata)) or (Plathelminthes/(Annelida/Mollusca)) and a basal position for Porifera. These structural analyses increase our knowledge about the evolutionary events of the α subunit genes in the invertebrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Classical and molecular cytogenetics of Khawia sinensis (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), invasive parasite of carp, Cyprinus carpio

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Orosová, Martina; Oros, A. M.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 110, č. 5 (2012), s. 1397-1944 ISSN 0932-0113 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC522; GA ČR GA524/08/0885 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : TAPEWORMS PLATYHELMINTHES * RIBOSOMAL DNA * CHROMOSOMES * EVOLUTION * FISH * RDNA * PSEUDOPHYLLIDEA * LOCATION * GENES * DIFFERENTIATION Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.852, year: 2012 http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00436-011-2720-x

  7. The Ecological Controls on the Prevalence of Candidate Division TM7 in Polar Regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tristrom eWinsley

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The candidate division TM7 is ubiquitous and yet uncultured phylum of the Bacteria that encompasses a commonly environmental associated clade, TM7-1, and a ‘host-associated’ clade, TM7-3. However, as members of the TM7 phylum have not been cultured, little is known about what differs between these two clades. We hypothesized that these clades would have different environmental niches. To test this, we used a large-scale global soil dataset, encompassing 223 soil samples, their environmental parameters and associated bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence data. We correlated chemical, physical and biological parameters of each soil with the relative abundance of the two major classes of the phylum to deduce factors that influence the groups’ seemingly ubiquitous nature. The two classes of the phylum (TM7-1 and TM7-3 were indeed distinct from each other in their habitat requirements. A key determinant of each class’ prevalence appears to be the pH of the soil. The class TM7-1 displays a facultative anaerobic nature with correlations to more acidic soils with total iron, silicon, titanium and copper indicating a potential for siderophore production. However, the TM7-3 class shows a more classical oligotrophic, heterotroph nature with a preference for more alkaline soils, and a probable pathogenic role with correlations to extractable iron, sodium and phosphate. In addition, the TM7-3 was abundant in diesel contaminated soils highlighting a resilient nature along with a possible carbon source. In addition to this both classes had unique co-occurrence relationships with other bacterial phyla. In particular, both groups had opposing correlations to the Gemmatimonadetes phylum, with the TM7-3 class seemingly being outcompeted by this phylum to result in a negative correlation. These ecological controls allow the characteristics of a TM7 phylum preferred niche to be defined and give insight into possible avenues for cultivation of this previously

  8. Physico-chemical characteristics and abundance of aquatic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Macroinvertebrates abundance shows that, out of the total number of species identified, 14 were arthropods, distributed among 3 classes; 10 species were of class Insecta, 2 species from class Arachnida and 2 species from the class Crustacean. Phylum Mollusca and phylum Annelida had 2 and 1 species, respectively.

  9. The evolution of shell form in tropical terrestrial microsnails

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liew, Thor Seng

    2014-01-01

    Mollusca form an important animal phylum that first appeared in the Cambrian, and today is,after Arthropoda, the second largest animal phylum, with more than 100,000 extant species(Bieler, 1992, Brusca and Brusca, 2003), with the class Gastropoda accounting for 80% of the extant species in the

  10. A new species of land planarian (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    There is a large copulatory bursa with both a ductus vaginalis opening directly to the exterior and a Beauchamp's canal connecting to the common ovovitelline duct. A list of all African land planarian species with brief descriptions and locations is included in the hope of encouraging further records. Keywords: Othelosoma ...

  11. [Helminth parasites of pirarucu, Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) (Osteoglossiformes: Arapaimidae) from Araguaia River, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dos Santos, Sonia M C; Ceccarelli, Paulo S; Luque, José L

    2008-01-01

    Sixty-five specimens of pirarucu collected in August 2004 from Araguaia River, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, were examined to study their helminth parasites. Five species were recorded parasitic Arapaima gigas: Dawestrema cycloancistrium (Monogenea) in gills, Nilonema senticosum and Goezia spinulosa (Nematoda) in the swimbladder and stomach, respectively; Caballerotrema brasiliense (Digenea) and Polyacanthorhynchus rhopalorhynchus (Acanthocephala) in the intestine. Highest prevalence values were detected for D. cycloancistrium (100%) and P. rhopalorhynchus (96.9%). Highest values of mean intensity and mean abundance were detected for C. brasiliense and N. senticosum (61 and 46.9, respectively). All these species are recorded by the first time in the Araguaia River basin.

  12. Polystomatidae (Monogenea) parasitic in the anuran genus Kassina ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    An investigation into the parasite loads of several anuran species in the central and eastern parts of the Orange Free State led to the discovery of another new South African species of Polystoma, harboured in running frogs of the genus Kassina which has not previously been known as a host of adult polystomes. Detailed ...

  13. Phylogenetic study on Microcotyle sp. (Monogenea) from common ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aghomotsegin

    2015-08-13

    Aug 13, 2015 ... other parasites and secondary bacterial infections (Cruz e Silva et al., 1997; ... Parasites (2-6 mm in length) attaching to the gills of fish were observed in ... AF026103. Diclidophoridae. Chalguacotyle mugiloides isolate Ch1a. Pinguipes chilensis. Chile. 744/904 (82%). KJ397726. Choricotyle australiensis.

  14. Checklist of the fish parasitic genus Cichlidogyrus (Monogenea ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Current knowledge of the 85 species in the genus Cichlidogyrus, collected worldwide, including their hosts, localities and authors, is summarised in a table. Although these parasites occur mainly in Africa, representatives have been recorded on cichlids in Mexico. Their distribution and host specificity are commented on.

  15. Representações sociais dos moradores da Baía de Camamu sobre o Filo Porifera Social representations of Camamu Bay, Brazil, inhabitants of the Phylum Porífera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loyana Docio

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available O artigo apresenta uma pesquisa que teve o objetivo de traçar um perfil das representações sociais dos moradores de três localidades da Baía de Camamu, Estado da Bahia, sobre o Filo Porifera. O foco nos poríferos foi motivado pela grande biomassa de esponjas no fenômeno de arribação da baía e ausência de pesquisas sobre esses animais na área do ensino. A metodologia esteve pautada nas representações sociais, pois conhecimentos (reconstruídos na vivência de um local característico, como o apresentado por esse ambiente, permitem desenhar perspectivas que subsidiam o ensino de Ciências, por exemplo, no tratamento dos obstáculos epistemológicos à aprendizagem de conceitos científicos. Foram realizadas sessenta entrevistas semiestruturadas, vinte em cada lugarejo (Ilha do Contrato, Barra Grande e Ilha dos Tubarões. Os dados foram organizados em categorias que resultaram num perfil de conhecimentos sobre os seguintes aspectos dos poríferos: estado vital, origem, taxonomia, ecologia, anatomia, fisiologia, utilidade antrópica e espongose.This study established a profile of social representations by inhabitants in three locations in Camamu Bay (state of Bahia of the Phylum Porifera. Among other reasons, the focus on Porifera is due to its significant biomass ascertained in the bay region's migration phenomenon and the lack of research on these animals in education. The methodology used was based on social representations because when knowledge is (rebuilt from experience of a location with a characteristic profile is compared to scientific knowledge, it is possible to draw perspectives for Science education, such as the epistemological obstacles to the learning of scientific concepts. Sixty semi-structured interviews were carried out, twenty in each place (Ilha do Contrato, Barra Grande, and Ilha dos Tubarões. The gathered data was organized into categories that outlined a profile of knowledge that includes characteristics such

  16. Molecular characterization of Atractolytocestus sagittatus (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), monozoic parasite of common carp, and its differentiation from the invasive species Atractolytocestus huronensis

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bazsalovicsová, E.; Kráľová-Hromadová, I.; Štefka, Jan; Scholz, Tomáš

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 110, č. 5 (2012), s. 1621-1629 ISSN 0932-0113 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA MŠk LC522 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER-1 * RIBOSOMAL-RNA GENES * SEQUENCE VARIATION * CYPRINUS - CARPIO * INTRAGENOMIC HETEROGENEITY * TAPEWORMS PLATYHELMINTHES * RDNA * EVOLUTION * POPULATION Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 2.852, year: 2012 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00436-011-2673-0

  17. Accession data for analysed Xestospongia testudinaria metatranscriptomes, supplement to: Jahn, Martin T; Markert, Sebastian M; Ryu, Taewoo; Ravasi, Timothy; Stigloher, Christian; Hentschel, Ute; Moitinho-Silva, Lucas (2016): Shedding light on cell compartmentation in the candidate phylum Poribacteria by high resolution visualisation and transcriptional profiling. Scientific Reports, 6, 35860

    KAUST Repository

    Jahn, Martin T

    2016-01-01

    Assigning functions to uncultivated environmental microorganisms continues to be a challenging endeavour. Here, we present a new microscopy protocol for fluorescence in situ hybridisation-correlative light and electron microscopy (FISH-CLEM) that enabled, to our knowledge for the first time, the identification of single cells within their complex microenvironment at electron microscopy resolution. Members of the candidate phylum Poribacteria, common and uncultivated symbionts of marine sponges, were used towards this goal. Cellular 3D reconstructions revealed bipolar, spherical granules of low electron density, which likely represent carbon reserves. Poribacterial activity profiles were retrieved from prokaryotic enriched sponge metatranscriptomes using simulation-based optimised mapping. We observed high transcriptional activity for proteins related to bacterial microcompartments (BMC) and we resolved their subcellular localisation by combining FISH-CLEM with immunohistochemistry (IHC) on ultra-thin sponge tissue sections. In terms of functional relevance, we propose that the BMC-A region may be involved in 1,2-propanediol degradation. The FISH-IHC-CLEM approach was proven an effective toolkit to combine -omics approaches with functional studies and it should be widely applicable in environmental microbiology.

  18. Nutritional and respiratory pathways to parasitism exemplified in the Turbellaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jennings, J B

    1997-06-01

    Symbiosis is a dominant trait in the Platyhelminthes. The Neodermata (Aspidogastrea, Monogenea, Digenea, Udonellidea, Cestoda) are wholly parasitic and even the predominantly free-living Turbellaria have almost 200 species from 35 families living in permanent associations with other animals. In the simplest turbellarian symbioses, ectosymbiotes such as the Temnocephalida, some other Rhabdocoela and a few Tricladida live on the body surfaces or in the branchial chambers of their mainly arthropodan or chelonian hosts. They feed on the same types of prey as their free-living relatives but supplement their diet by opportunistic commensalism. Their digestive physiology and food reserves are the same as in free-living species. The entosymbiotic Umagillidae, Graffillidae, Pterastericolidae, Fecamplidae and Acholadidae live in internal body cavities or body wall derivatives of echinoderms, molluscs or arthropods and show increasing metabolic dependence on their hosts. Patterns of digestive physiology and food storage generally differ markedly from those of ectosymbiotic and free-living species. Some umagillids, in echinoids, feed as entozoic predators on co-symbiotic protozoa, supplemented by opportunistic ingestion of the hosts' ingesta, gut cells or coelomocytes. Others, in holothurians, feed mainly on gut cells, which also provide some digestive enzymes, and to a lesser extent on host ingesta and co-symbiotes. Graffillids, in molluscs, lack endogenous digestive enzymes and rely entirely on those taken in with host ingesta and gut tissues. Pterastericolids, in asteroids, similarly utilise gut tissues both as food and enzyme sources. The climax to metabolic dependence occurs in the Fecamplidae and Acholadidae. The former, in crustacean haemocoels and myzostomid tissues, lack conventional alimentary systems and absorb soluble nutrients through the epidermis. In the latter the only known species lives in the tube feet of its asteroid host, lacks a normal endodermal gut, but

  19. Metagenomics of Kamchatkan hot spring filaments reveal two new major (hyper)thermophilic lineages related to Thaumarchaeota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eme, Laura; Reigstad, Laila J; Spang, Anja; Lanzén, Anders; Weinmaier, Thomas; Rattei, Thomas; Schleper, Christa; Brochier-Armanet, Céline

    2013-06-01

    Based on phylogenetic analyses and gene distribution patterns of a few complete genomes, a new distinct phylum within the Archaea, the Thaumarchaeota, has recently been proposed. Here we present analyses of six archaeal fosmid sequences derived from a microbial hot spring community in Kamchatka. The phylogenetic analysis of informational components (ribosomal RNAs and proteins) reveals two major (hyper-)thermophilic clades ("Hot Thaumarchaeota-related Clade" 1 and 2, HTC1 and HTC2) related to Thaumarchaeota, representing either deep branches of this phylum or a new archaeal phylum and provides information regarding the ancient evolution of Archaea and their evolutionary links with Eukaryotes. Copyright © 2013 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Genome sequence of the moderately thermophilic, amino-acid-degrading and sulfur-reducing bacterium Thermovirga lienii type strain (Cas60314(T)).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Göker, Markus; Saunders, Elisabeth; Lapidus, Alla; Nolan, Matt; Lucas, Susan; Hammon, Nancy; Deshpande, Shweta; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Han, Cliff; Tapia, Roxanne; Goodwin, Lynne A; Pitluck, Sam; Liolios, Konstantinos; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Pagani, Ioanna; Ivanova, Natalia; Mikhailova, Natalia; Pati, Amrita; Chen, Amy; Palaniappan, Krishna; Land, Miriam; Chang, Yun-Juan; Jeffries, Cynthia D; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie; Rohde, Manfred; Spring, Stefan; Detter, John C; Woyke, Tanja; Bristow, James; Eisen, Jonathan A; Markowitz, Victor; Hugenholtz, Philip; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Klenk, Hans-Peter

    2012-05-25

    Thermovirga lienii Dahle and Birkeland 2006 is a member of the genus Thermovirga in the genomically moderately well characterized phylum 'Synergistetes'. Members of this relatively recently proposed phylum 'Synergistetes' are of interest because of their isolated phylogenetic position and their diverse habitats, e.g. from humans to oil wells. The genome of T. lienii Cas60314(T) is the fifth genome sequence (third completed) from this phylum to be published. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 1,999,646 bp long genome (including one plasmid) with its 1,914 protein-coding and 59 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

  1. Revision of Gangesia (Cestoda: Proteocephalidea) in the Indomalayan Region: Morphology, Molecules and Surface Ultrastructure

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ash, Anirban; Scholz, Tomáš; de Chambrier, A.; Brabec, Jan; Oros, M.; Kar, P. K.; Chavan, S. P.; Mariaux, J.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 7, č. 10 (2012), e46421 E-ISSN 1932-6203 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA ČR GD206/09/H026; GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : PHYLOGENETIC TREE SELECTION * APEWORMS PLATYHELMINTHES * SCOLEX MORPHOLOGY * CARYOPHYLLIDEA * EUCESTODA * SILURIFORMES * EVOLUTION Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.730, year: 2012 http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0046421

  2. Trematodes in Mediterranean coastal habitats: Transmission, life cycles and detection Methods

    OpenAIRE

    Born Torrijos, Ana Isabel

    2015-01-01

    1. Introducción general Los metazoos trematodos (Platyhelminthes) son componentes ubicuos de los ecosistemas naturales entando temporal o permanentemente presentes en más de la mitad de las especies animales (Bush y col. 2001, Prietrock & Marcogliese 2003). Los parásitos trematodos pueden encontrarse en un amplio rango de condiciones y hábitats, teniendo un gran impacto en los procesos ecológicos: mediante la regulación de las poblaciones de hospedadores (Hudson y col. 2006) y afectando a ...

  3. Genome sequence of the moderately thermophilic, amino-acid-degrading and sulfur-reducing bacterium Thermovirga lienii type strain (Cas60314T)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goker, Markus [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Saunders, Elizabeth H [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Lapidus, Alla L. [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Nolan, Matt [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Lucas, Susan [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Hammon, Nancy [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Deshpande, Shweta [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Cheng, Jan-Fang [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Han, Cliff [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Tapia, Roxanne [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Goodwin, Lynne A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Pitluck, Sam [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Liolios, Konstantinos [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mavromatis, K [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pagani, Ioanna [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Ivanova, N [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mikhailova, Natalia [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pati, Amrita [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Chen, Amy [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Palaniappan, Krishna [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Land, Miriam L [ORNL; Chang, Yun-Juan [ORNL; Jeffries, Cynthia [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Rohde, Manfred [HZI - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Spring, Stefan [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Detter, J. Chris [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Woyke, Tanja [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Bristow, James [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Eisen, Jonathan [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Markowitz, Victor [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Hugenholtz, Philip [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Kyrpides, Nikos C [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Klenk, Hans-Peter [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany

    2012-01-01

    Thermovirga lienii Dahle and Birkeland 2006 is a member to the genomically so far uncharacterized genus Thermovirga in the phylum 'Synergistetes'. Members of the only recently (2007) proposed phylum 'Synergistetes' are of interest because of their isolated phylogenetic position and their diverse habitats, e.g. from man to oil well. The genome of T. lienii Cas60314T is only the 5th genome sequence (3rd completed) from this phylum to be published. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 1,999,646 bp long genome (including one plasmid) with its 1,914 protein-coding and 59 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

  4. A novel alternative method for 3D visualisation in Parasitology: the construction of a 3D model of a parasite from 2D illustrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teo, B G; Sarinder, K K S; Lim, L H S

    2010-08-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) models of the marginal hooks, dorsal and ventral anchors, bars and haptoral reservoirs of a parasite, Sundatrema langkawiense Lim & Gibson, 2009 (Monogenea) were developed using the polygonal modelling method in Autodesk 3ds Max (Version 9) based on two-dimensional (2D) illustrations. Maxscripts were written to rotate the modelled 3D structures. Appropriately orientated 3D haptoral hard-parts were then selected and positioned within the transparent 3D outline of the haptor and grouped together to form a complete 3D haptoral entity. This technique is an inexpensive tool for constructing 3D models from 2D illustrations for 3D visualisation of the spatial relationships between the different structural parts within organisms.

  5. Bacterial diversity in rhizosphere soil from Antarctic vascular plants of Admiralty Bay, maritime Antarctica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Lia C R S; Peixoto, Raquel S; Cury, Juliano C; Sul, Woo Jun; Pellizari, Vivian H; Tiedje, James; Rosado, Alexandre S

    2010-08-01

    The Antarctic is a pristine environment that contributes to the maintenance of the global climate equilibrium. The harsh conditions of this habitat are fundamental to selecting those organisms able to survive in such an extreme habitat and able to support the relatively simple ecosystems. The DNA of the microbial community associated with the rhizospheres of Deschampsia antarctica Desv (Poaceae) and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) BartI (Caryophyllaceae), the only two native vascular plants that are found in Antarctic ecosystems, was evaluated using a 16S rRNA multiplex 454 pyrosequencing approach. This analysis revealed similar patterns of bacterial diversity between the two plant species from different locations, arguing against the hypothesis that there would be differences between the rhizosphere communities of different plants. Furthermore, the phylum distribution presented a peculiar pattern, with a bacterial community structure different from those reported of many other soils. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum in almost all the analyzed samples, and there were high levels of anaerobic representatives. Also, some phyla that are dominant in most temperate and tropical soils, such as Acidobacteria, were rarely found in the analyzed samples. Analyzing all the sample libraries together, the predominant genera found were Bifidobacterium (phylum Actinobacteria), Arcobacter (phylum Proteobacteria) and Faecalibacterium (phylum Firmicutes). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first major bacterial sequencing effort of this kind of soil, and it revealed more than expected diversity within these rhizospheres of both maritime Antarctica vascular plants in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, which is part of the South Shetlands archipelago.

  6. Spermatological characters of monozoic tapeworms (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), including first data on a species from the Indomalayan catfish

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yoneva, A.; Levron, Céline; Ash, Anirban; Scholz, Tomáš

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 98, č. 2 (2012), s. 423-430 ISSN 0022-3395 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA ČR GD206/09/H026; GA ČR GAP506/10/1994; GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : GLARIDACRIS-CATOSTOMI COOPER * WENYONIA-VIRILIS WOODLAND * EUBOTHRIUM-CRASSUM BLOCH * SPERM ULTRASTRUCTURE * SPERMIOGENESIS * PLATYHELMINTHES * SPERMATOZOA * EUCESTODA * SPERMATOGENESIS * PHYLOGENY Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.321, year: 2012

  7. Taxonomy Icon Data: Planaria [Taxonomy Icon

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Planaria Dugesia japonica Platyhelminthes Dugesia_japonica_L.png Dugesia_japonica_NL.png Dugesia_jap...onica_S.png Dugesia_japonica_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Dugesia+jap...onica&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Dugesia+japonica&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.j...p/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Dugesia+japonica&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_...icon/icon.cgi?i=Dugesia+japonica&t=NS http://togodb.biosciencedbc.jp/togodb/view/taxonomy_icon_comment_en?species_id=124 ...

  8. Assessing the Potential Consequences of Subsurface Bioremediation: Fe-oxide Bioreductive Processes and the Propensity for Contaminant-colloid Co-transport and Media Structural Breakdown

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-05-12

    clay particles together into aggregates ( Goldberg and Glaubig, 1987; Goldberg et al., 1990). Reduction of Fe(III)-oxide under anaerobic conditions...cryptic Phylum. To confirm that the changes in the relative abundance of the Phylum Proteobacteria was likely due variation in the abundance and...bioremediation. Environmental Science and Technology 34 (11), 2254–2260. DOI: 10.1021/es990638e 10. Goldberg , S., and R.A. Glaubig. 1987. Effect of saturating

  9. Embryonic muscle development of Convoluta pulchra (Turbellaria-acoelomorpha, platyhelminthes).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladurner, P; Rieger, R

    2000-06-15

    We studied the embryonic development of body-wall musculature in the acoel turbellarian Convoluta pulchra by fluorescence microscopy using phalloidin-bound stains for F-actin. During stage 1, which we define as development prior to 50% of the time between egg-laying and hatching, actin was visible only in zonulae adhaerentes of epidermal cells. Subsequent development of muscle occurred in two distinct phases: first, formation of an orthogonal grid of early muscles and, second, differentiation of other myoblasts upon this grid. The first elements of the primary orthogonal muscle grid appeared as short, isolated, circular muscle fibers (stage 2; 50% developmental time), which eventually elongated to completely encircle the embryo (stage 3; at 60% of total developmental time). The first primary longitudinal fibers appeared later, along with some new primary circular fibers, by 60-63% of total developmental time (stage 4). From 65 to 100% of total developmental time (stages 5 to 7), secondary fibers, using primary fibers as templates, arose; the number of circular and longitudinal muscles thus increased, and at the same time parenchymal muscles began appearing. Hatchlings (stage 8) possessed about 25 circular and 30 longitudinal muscles as well as strong parenchymal muscles. The remarkable feature of the body wall of many adult acoel flatworms is that longitudinal muscles bend medially and cross each other behind the level of the mouth. We found that this development starts shortly after the appearance of the ventral mouth opening within the body wall muscle grid. The adult organization of the body-wall musculature consists of a grid of several hundred longitudinal and circular fibers and a few diagonal muscles. Musculature of the reproductive organs developed after hatching. Thus, extensive myogenesis must occur also during postembryonic development. Comparison between the turbellarians and the annelids suggests that formation of a primary orthogonal muscle grid and its subsequent use as a template for myoblast differentiation are the two basic developmental phases in vermiform Spiralia if not in the Bilateria as a whole. Finally, our new data suggest that for the Acoela the orthogonal primary patterning of longitudinal and circular muscles in the body wall is achieved without using originally positional information of the nervous system. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  10. Codon Usage Patterns of Tyrosinase Genes in Clonorchis sinensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Young-An

    2017-04-01

    Codon usage bias (CUB) is a unique property of genomes and has contributed to the better understanding of the molecular features and the evolution processes of particular gene. In this study, genetic indices associated with CUB, including relative synonymous codon usage and effective numbers of codons, as well as the nucleotide composition, were investigated in the Clonorchis sinensis tyrosinase genes and their platyhelminth orthologs, which play an important role in the eggshell formation. The relative synonymous codon usage patterns substantially differed among tyrosinase genes examined. In a neutrality analysis, the correlation between GC 12 and GC 3 was statistically significant, and the regression line had a relatively gradual slope (0.218). NC-plot, i.e., GC 3 vs effective number of codons (ENC), showed that most of the tyrosinase genes were below the expected curve. The codon adaptation index (CAI) values of the platyhelminth tyrosinases had a narrow distribution between 0.685/0.714 and 0.797/0.837, and were negatively correlated with their ENC. Taken together, these results suggested that CUB in the tyrosinase genes seemed to be basically governed by selection pressures rather than mutational bias, although the latter factor provided an additional force in shaping CUB of the C. sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini genes. It was also apparent that the equilibrium point between selection pressure and mutational bias is much more inclined to selection pressure in highly expressed C. sinensis genes, than in poorly expressed genes.

  11. Dawestrema cycloancistrium (Monogenea) from the head pores of arapaimas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portes Santos, Cláudia; da Silva, Maralina Torres; Moravec, Franti Ek

    2017-07-24

    Arapaima gigas is one of the main cultured fish species in South America, and monogenean parasites of this species cause large economic losses to fish farmers. During surveys of the parasites of cultured arapaimas from Mexiana Island in the Amazon River Delta, Rio Branco, in northwestern Brazilian Amazonia, and Yurimaguas, Peru, the monogenean Dawestrema cycloancistrium was found in the gills of A. gigas as well as in previously unreported sites, i.e. the head pores and chambers. The aim of this study was to investigate the transmission route of this parasite and its geographical distribution as well as to describe its morphology as observed by light and confocal imaging. Phalloidin labeling confirmed the presence of 2 prostatic reservoirs and showed muscular branches of fibers supporting haptoral sclerites. In arapaimas, the head connects to the gill chambers via 2 perforated scales located at the dorsolateral sides of the distal part of the head. The scales connect to thin channels and chambers situated in the proximal part of the head. These chambers are filled with cephalic mucus, which flows out to the environment through terminal pores. Adults and egg masses of monogeneans were found on the gills and inside the head pores and cavities of fish along with cephalic mucus. This indicates a specialized method of parasite transmission from adult fish to fingerlings during parental care (holding offspring in the mouth) or via head secretions, providing evidence of a new adapted mechanism of dispersion.

  12. Bacterial microbiota profiling in gastritis without Helicobacter pylori infection or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Xing Li

    Full Text Available Recent 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rRNA molecular profiling of the stomach mucosa revealed a surprising complexity of microbiota. Helicobacter pylori infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID use are two main contributors to gastritis and peptic ulcer. However, little is known about the association between other members of the stomach microbiota and gastric diseases. In this study, cloning and sequencing of the 16S rRNA was used to profile the stomach microbiota from normal and gastritis patients. One hundred and thirty three phylotypes from eight bacterial phyla were identified. The stomach microbiota was found to be closely adhered to the mucosa. Eleven Streptococcus phylotypes were successfully cultivated from the biopsies. One to two genera represented a majority of clones within any of the identified phyla. We further developed two real-time quantitative PCR assays to quantify the relative abundance of the Firmicutes phylum and the Streptococcus genus. Significantly higher abundance of the Firmicutes phylum and the Streptococcus genus within the Firmicutes phylum was observed in patients with antral gastritis, compared with normal controls. This study suggests that the genus taxon level can largely represent much higher taxa such as the phylum. The clinical relevance and the mechanism underlying the altered microbiota composition in gastritis require further functional studies.

  13. Comparative Genome Analysis of Basidiomycete Fungi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riley, Robert; Salamov, Asaf; Morin, Emmanuelle; Nagy, Laszlo; Manning, Gerard; Baker, Scott; Brown, Daren; Henrissat, Bernard; Levasseur, Anthony; Hibbett, David; Martin, Francis; Grigoriev, Igor

    2012-03-19

    Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes the mushrooms, wood rots, symbionts, and plant and animal pathogens. To better understand the diversity of phenotypes in basidiomycetes, we performed a comparative analysis of 35 basidiomycete fungi spanning the diversity of the phylum. Phylogenetic patterns of lignocellulose degrading genes suggest a continuum rather than a sharp dichotomy between the white rot and brown rot modes of wood decay. Patterns of secondary metabolic enzymes give additional insight into the broad array of phenotypes found in the basidiomycetes. We suggest that the profile of an organism in lignocellulose-targeting genes can be used to predict its nutritional mode, and predict Dacryopinax sp. as a brown rot; Botryobasidium botryosum and Jaapia argillacea as white rots.

  14. Taxonomy Icon Data: Schistosoma japonicum [Taxonomy Icon

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Schistosoma japonicum Schistosoma japonicum Platyhelminthes Schistosoma_japonicum_L.png Schistoso...ma_japonicum_NL.png Schistosoma_japonicum_S.png Schistosoma_japonicum_NS.png http://bioscience...dbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Schistosoma+japonicum&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Schistoso...ma+japonicum&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Schistoso...ma+japonicum&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Schistosoma+japonicum&t=NS http://togodb.biosciencedbc.jp/togodb/view/taxonomy_icon_comment_en?species_id=132 ...

  15. Sequence structure and intragenomic variability of ribosomal ITS2 in monozoic tapeworms of the genus Khawia (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of cyprinid fish

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kraľová-Hromadová, I.; Bazsalovicsová, E.; Oros, M.; Scholz, Tomáš

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 111, č. 4 (2012), s. 1621-1627 ISSN 0932-0113 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA ČR GD206/09/H026; GA ČR GBP505/12/G112 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER-1 * ATRACTOLYTOCESTUS-HURONENSIS * SYMPATRIC SPECIATION * SINENSIS HSU * RDNA * DNA * PLATYHELMINTHES * PARALOGUES * EVOLUTION * carp Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 2.852, year: 2012 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00436-012-3001-z

  16. Genome sequence of the moderately thermophilic sulfur-reducing bacterium Thermanaerovibrio velox type strain (Z-9701T) and emended description of the genus Thermanaerovibrio

    OpenAIRE

    Palaniappan, Krishna; Meier-Kolthoff, Jan P.; Teshima, Hazuki; Nolan, Matt; Lapidus, Alla; Tice, Hope; Del Rio, Tijana Glavina; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Han, Cliff; Tapia, Roxanne; Goodwin, Lynne A.; Pitluck, Sam; Liolios, Konstantinos; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Pagani, Ioanna

    2013-01-01

    Thermanaerovibrio velox Zavarzina et al. 2000 is a member of the Synergistaceae , a family in the phylum Synergistetes that is already well-characterized at the genome level. Members of this phylum were described as Gram-negative staining anaerobic bacteria with a rod/vibrioid cell shape and possessing an atypical outer cell envelope. They inhabit a large variety of anaerobic environments including soil, oil wells, wastewater treatment plants and animal gastrointestinal tracts. They are also ...

  17. Greengenes: Chimera-checked 16S rRNA gene database and workbenchcompatible in ARB

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DeSantis, T.Z.; Hugenholtz, P.; Larsen, N.; Rojas, M.; Brodie,E.L; Keller, K.; Huber, T.; Dalevi, D.; Hu, P.; Andersen, G.L.

    2006-02-01

    A 16S rRNA gene database (http://greengenes.lbl.gov) addresses limitations of public repositories by providing chimera-screening, standard alignments and taxonomic classification using multiple published taxonomies. It was revealed that incongruent taxonomic nomenclature exists among curators even at the phylum-level. Putative chimeras were identified in 3% of environmental sequences and 0.2% of records derived from isolates. Environmental sequences were classified into 100 phylum-level lineages within the Archaea and Bacteria.

  18. Genome sequence of the moderately thermophilic sulfur-reducing bacterium Thermanaerovibrio velox type strain (Z-9701T) and emended description of the genus Thermanaerovibrio

    OpenAIRE

    Palaniappan, K; Meier-Kolthoff, JP; Teshima, H; Nolan, M; Lapidus, A; Tice, H; Del Rio, TG; Cheng, JF; Han, C; Tapia, R; Goodwin, LA; Pitluck, S; Liolios, K; Mavromatis, K; Pagani, I

    2013-01-01

    Thermanaerovibrio velox Zavarzina et al. 2000 is a member of the Synergistaceae, a family in the phylum Synergistetes that is already well-characterized at the genome level. Members of this phylum were described as Gram-negative staining anaerobic bacteria with a rod/vibrioid cell shape and possessing an atypical outer cell envelope. They inhabit a large variety of an-aerobic environments including soil, oil wells, wastewater treatment plants and animal gas-trointestinal tracts. They are also...

  19. Water Quality Criteria for Colored Smokes: Solvent Yellow 33

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-11-01

    Wr e. a benthic crustacean (e.g, ostracod, isopod, or amphipod): f. an insect (e.g., mayfly, midge, stonefly)- g. a family in a phylum other than...Arthropoda or Chordata (e.g, Annelida or Mollusca): and h, a family in any order of insect or any phylum not represented. 2. Acute-chronic ratios (see...acute toxicity to freshwater acuatic animals should be used: a. Tests with daphnids and other cladocerans should be started with organisms < 24 hr old

  20. Morphometry of the eyes in regenerant of genus Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Dugesiidae Morfometria de olhos em regenerantes do gênero Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Dugesiidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. M. R. de Campos-Velho

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available The photodocumentation technique was used weekly to observe until the end of the regenerative process of eyes in three species of Dugesia. Morphometric data based on the measurement of 96 samples of the species: Dugesia tigrina, D. schubarti, and D. anderlani were analyzed A comparative analysis was made through graphic representation of statistical parameters of the following morphometric characters: the length of the transversal and longitudinal axes of the macula alba, pigment spot, and ocular opening. An interesting feature appeared in D. schubarti: the average of ocular opening during the regenerative process is bigger than in the original samples.A técnica de fotodocumentação foi utilizada para observar semanalmente os olhos de regenerantes de três espécies de Dugesia até o final do processo regenerativo. Os dados morfométricos analisados foram baseados na mensuração de 96 exemplares das espécies: Dugesia tigrina, D. schubarti e D. anderlani. Uma análise comparativa foi realizada por meio de representação gráfica de parâmetros estatísticos dos seguintes caracteres morfométricos: comprimento dos eixos transversal e longitudinal da mácula alba, cálice do pigmento e abertura ocular. D. schubarti apresenta um aspecto interessante: a média da abertura ocular na fase do processo regenerativo é maior do que nos exemplares originais.

  1. Diversity, structure and convergent evolution of the global sponge microbiome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Torsten; Moitinho-Silva, Lucas; Lurgi, Miguel; Björk, Johannes R.; Easson, Cole; Astudillo-García, Carmen; Olson, Julie B.; Erwin, Patrick M.; López-Legentil, Susanna; Luter, Heidi; Chaves-Fonnegra, Andia; Costa, Rodrigo; Schupp, Peter J.; Steindler, Laura; Erpenbeck, Dirk; Gilbert, Jack; Knight, Rob; Ackermann, Gail; Victor Lopez, Jose; Taylor, Michael W.; Thacker, Robert W.; Montoya, Jose M.; Hentschel, Ute; Webster, Nicole S.

    2016-01-01

    Sponges (phylum Porifera) are early-diverging metazoa renowned for establishing complex microbial symbioses. Here we present a global Porifera microbiome survey, set out to establish the ecological and evolutionary drivers of these host–microbe interactions. We show that sponges are a reservoir of exceptional microbial diversity and major contributors to the total microbial diversity of the world's oceans. Little commonality in species composition or structure is evident across the phylum, although symbiont communities are characterized by specialists and generalists rather than opportunists. Core sponge microbiomes are stable and characterized by generalist symbionts exhibiting amensal and/or commensal interactions. Symbionts that are phylogenetically unique to sponges do not disproportionally contribute to the core microbiome, and host phylogeny impacts complexity rather than composition of the symbiont community. Our findings support a model of independent assembly and evolution in symbiont communities across the entire host phylum, with convergent forces resulting in analogous community organization and interactions. PMID:27306690

  2. Taxonomy of Fungi Causing Mucormycosis and Entomophthoramycosis (Zygomycosis) and Nomenclature of the Disease: Molecular Mycologic Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed the phylum Zygomycota to be polyphyletic, and the taxa conventionally classified in Zygomycota are now distributed among the new phylum Glomeromycota and 4 subphyla incertae sedis (uncertain placement). Because the nomenclature of the disease zygomycosis was based on the phylum Zygomycota (Zygomycetes) in which the etiologic agents had been classified, the new classification profoundly affects the name of the disease. Zygomycosis was originally described as a convenient and inclusive name for 2 clinicopathologically different diseases, mucormycosis caused by members of Mucorales and entomophthoramycosis caused by species in the order Entomophthorales of Zygomycota. Without revision of original definition, the name “zygomycosis,” however, has more often been used as a synonym only for mucormycosis. This article reviews the progress and changes in taxonomy and nomenclature of Zygomycota and the disease zygomycosis. The article also reiterates the reasons why the classic names “mucormycosis” and “entomophthoramycosis” are more appropriate than “zygomycosis.” PMID:22247451

  3. Neurobehavioral toxicity of cadmium sulfate to the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grebe, E.; Schaeffer, D.J. (Univ. of Illinois, Urbana (United States))

    1991-05-01

    The authors are developing bioassays which use planarians (free-living platyhelminthes) for the rapid determination of various types of toxicity, including acute mortality, tumorigenicity, and short-term neurobehavioral responses. Their motivation for using these animals is due to their importance as components of the aquatic ecology of unpolluted streams their sensitivity to low concentrations of environmental toxicants and the presence of a sensitive neurological system with a true brain which allows for complex social behavior. A previous paper described the results of a neurobehavioral bioassay using phenol in a crossover study. This paper reports a similar crossover study using cadmium sulfate.

  4. Comparative myoanatomy of cycliophoran life cycle stages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neves, Ricardo C.; Cunha, Maria R.; Funch, Peter

    2010-01-01

    The metazoan phylum Cycliophora includes small cryptic epibionts that live attached to the mouthparts of clawed lobsters. The life cycle is complex, with alternating sexual and asexual generations, and involves several sessile and free-living stages. So far, the morphological and genetic characte......The metazoan phylum Cycliophora includes small cryptic epibionts that live attached to the mouthparts of clawed lobsters. The life cycle is complex, with alternating sexual and asexual generations, and involves several sessile and free-living stages. So far, the morphological and genetic...

  5. Diversity and distribution of parasites from potentially cultured freshwater fish in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supamattaya, K.

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available Twenty-one species from 16 genera of potentially cultured freshwater fish were examined for external and internal parasites. Ten individuals of each fish species were sampled from various places in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Eight groups, 72 species were identified and the majority was external (52 spp.. The parasites found were ciliated protozoan (2 spp., myxozoan (2 spp., monogenean (44 spp., digenean (7 spp., cestode (6 spp., nematode (6 spp., acanthocephalan (2 spp. and crustacean (3 spp.. Monogenean was regarded as a major group of parasites with 44 species. Dactylogyrus (Monogenea had the highest number of species (12 spp., whereas Trichodina pediculus (Ciliophora was the most widely distributed species observed from at least 7 fish species (7 families. Most of the parasites (72 % found in this study were specific to their host species.

  6. The phyletic status of the genus Planaria (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Tricladida)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ball, Ian R.; Gourbault, Nicole

    1978-01-01

    The amphiatlantic distribution of the genus Planaria is incompatible with our current hypothesis of the historical biogeography of freshwater planarians. New anatomical studies suggest the possibility that the genus is not strictly monophyletic; new karyological data are strongly corroborative of

  7. Global diversity of free living flatworms (Platyhelminthes, "Turbellaria") in freshwater

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schockaert, E.R.; Hooge, M.; Sluys, R.; Schilling, S.; Tyler, S.; Artois, T.

    2008-01-01

    This contribution reviews diversity of turbellarian species by biogeographical regions, with comments on species biology. The review draws on the database available at http://www.devbio.umesci.maine.edu/styler/turbellaria. Comparisons between regions suggest that species richness may be at least one

  8. A Checklist of the Aspidogastrea (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) of the World

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Alves, P.V.; Vieira, F.M.; Santos, C. P.; Scholz, Tomáš; Luque, J.L.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 3918, č. 3 (2015), s. 339-396 ISSN 1175-5326 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : biodiversity * taxonomy * Aspidogastridae * Multicalycidae * Rugogastridae * Stichocotylidae Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.994, year: 2015

  9. Comparative genome analysis of Basidiomycete fungi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riley, Robert; Salamov, Asaf; Henrissat, Bernard; Nagy, Laszlo; Brown, Daren; Held, Benjamin; Baker, Scott; Blanchette, Robert; Boussau, Bastien; Doty, Sharon L.; Fagnan, Kirsten; Floudas, Dimitris; Levasseur, Anthony; Manning, Gerard; Martin, Francis; Morin, Emmanuelle; Otillar, Robert; Pisabarro, Antonio; Walton, Jonathan; Wolfe, Ken; Hibbett, David; Grigoriev, Igor

    2013-08-07

    Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes symbionts, pathogens, and saprotrophs including the majority of wood decaying and ectomycorrhizal species. To better understand the genetic diversity of this phylum we compared the genomes of 35 basidiomycetes including 6 newly sequenced genomes. These genomes span extremes of genome size, gene number, and repeat content. Analysis of core genes reveals that some 48percent of basidiomycete proteins are unique to the phylum with nearly half of those (22percent) found in only one organism. Correlations between lifestyle and certain gene families are evident. Phylogenetic patterns of plant biomass-degrading genes in Agaricomycotina suggest a continuum rather than a dichotomy between the white rot and brown rot modes of wood decay. Based on phylogenetically-informed PCA analysis of wood decay genes, we predict that that Botryobasidium botryosum and Jaapia argillacea have properties similar to white rot species, although neither has typical ligninolytic class II fungal peroxidases (PODs). This prediction is supported by growth assays in which both fungi exhibit wood decay with white rot-like characteristics. Based on this, we suggest that the white/brown rot dichotomy may be inadequate to describe the full range of wood decaying fungi. Analysis of the rate of discovery of proteins with no or few homologs suggests the value of continued sequencing of basidiomycete fungi.

  10. EPR investigation of some desiccated Ascomycota and Basidiomycota gamma-irradiated mushrooms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bercu, V., E-mail: vbercu@gmail.co [University of Bucharest, Department of Atomic and Nuclear Physics, P.O. Box MG-11, 077125 Magurele (Ilfov) (Romania); Negut, C.D., E-mail: dnegut@nipne.r [University of Bucharest, Department of Atomic and Nuclear Physics, P.O. Box MG-11, 077125 Magurele (Ilfov) (Romania); Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, P.O. Box MG-6, 077125 Magurele (Ilfov) (Romania); Duliu, O.G., E-mail: duliu@b.astral.r [University of Bucharest, Department of Atomic and Nuclear Physics, P.O. Box MG-11, 077125 Magurele (Ilfov) (Romania)

    2010-12-15

    The suitability of the EPR spectroscopy for detection of {gamma}-irradiation in five species of dried mushroom, currently used in gastronomy: yellow morel-Morchella esculenta, (L.) Pers. (Phylum Ascomycota), button mushroom-Agaricus bisporus (J.E.Lange), Agaricus haemorrhoidarius Fr., golden chantarelle-Cantharellus cibarius Fr., as well as oyster mushroom-Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) (Phylum Basidiomycota) is presented and discussed. Although after irradiation at doses up to 11 kGy, all specimens presented well defined EPR spectra, only A. bisporus EPR signal was enough stable to make detection possible after 18 months.

  11. EPR investigation of some desiccated Ascomycota and Basidiomycota gamma-irradiated mushrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bercu, V.; Negut, C. D.; Duliu, O. G.

    2010-12-01

    The suitability of the EPR spectroscopy for detection of γ-irradiation in five species of dried mushroom, currently used in gastronomy: yellow morel— Morchella esculenta, (L.) Pers. (Phylum Ascomycota), button mushroom— Agaricus bisporus (J.E.Lange), Agaricus haemorrhoidarius Fr., golden chantarelle— Cantharellus cibarius Fr., as well as oyster mushroom— Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) (Phylum Basidiomycota) is presented and discussed. Although after irradiation at doses up to 11 kGy, all specimens presented well defined EPR spectra, only A. bisporus EPR signal was enough stable to make detection possible after 18 months.

  12. EPR investigation of some desiccated Ascomycota and Basidiomycota gamma-irradiated mushrooms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bercu, V.; Negut, C.D.; Duliu, O.G.

    2010-01-01

    The suitability of the EPR spectroscopy for detection of γ-irradiation in five species of dried mushroom, currently used in gastronomy: yellow morel-Morchella esculenta, (L.) Pers. (Phylum Ascomycota), button mushroom-Agaricus bisporus (J.E.Lange), Agaricus haemorrhoidarius Fr., golden chantarelle-Cantharellus cibarius Fr., as well as oyster mushroom-Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) (Phylum Basidiomycota) is presented and discussed. Although after irradiation at doses up to 11 kGy, all specimens presented well defined EPR spectra, only A. bisporus EPR signal was enough stable to make detection possible after 18 months.

  13. Molecular signatures for the Crenarchaeota and the Thaumarchaeota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Radhey S; Shami, Ali

    2011-02-01

    Crenarchaeotes found in mesophilic marine environments were recently placed into a new phylum of Archaea called the Thaumarchaeota. However, very few molecular characteristics of this new phylum are currently known which can be used to distinguish them from the Crenarchaeota. In addition, their relationships to deep-branching archaeal lineages are unclear. We report here detailed analyses of protein sequences from Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota that have identified many conserved signature indels (CSIs) and signature proteins (SPs) (i.e., proteins for which all significant blast hits are from these groups) that are specific for these archaeal groups. Of the identified signatures 6 CSIs and 13 SPs are specific for the Crenarchaeota phylum; 6 CSIs and >250 SPs are uniquely found in various Thaumarchaeota (viz. Cenarchaeum symbiosum, Nitrosopumilus maritimus and a number of uncultured marine crenarchaeotes) and 3 CSIs and ~10 SPs are found in both Thaumarchaeota and Crenarchaeota species. Some of the molecular signatures are also present in Korarchaeum cryptofilum, which forms the independent phylum Korarchaeota. Although some of these molecular signatures suggest a distant shared ancestry between Thaumarchaeota and Crenarchaeota, our identification of large numbers of Thaumarchaeota-specific proteins and their deep branching between the Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota phyla in phylogenetic trees shows that they are distinct from both Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota in both genetic and phylogenetic terms. These observations support the placement of marine mesophilic archaea into the separate phylum Thaumarchaeota. Additionally, many CSIs and SPs have been found that are specific for different orders within Crenarchaeota (viz. Sulfolobales-3 CSIs and 169 SPs, Thermoproteales-5 CSIs and 25 SPs, Desulfurococcales-4 SPs, and Sulfolobales and Desulfurococcales-2 CSIs and 18 SPs). The signatures described here provide novel means for distinguishing the Crenarchaeota and

  14. The chemical properties and microbial community characterization of the thermophilic microaerobic pretreatment process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Shan-Fei; He, Shuai; Shi, Xiao-Shuang; Katukuri, Naveen Reddy; Dai, Meng; Guo, Rong-Bo

    2015-12-01

    Thermophilic microaerobic pretreatment (TMP) was recently reported as an efficient pretreatment method of anaerobic digestion (AD). In this study, the chemical properties and microbial community were characterized to reveal how TMP working. Compared with thermophilic treatment under anaerobic condition (TMP0), cellulase activity obviously improved under microaerobic condition (TMP1), which was 10.9-49.0% higher than that of TMP0. Reducing sugar, SCOD and VFAs concentrations of TMP1 were 2.6-8.9%, 1.8-4.8% and 13.8-24% higher than those of TMP0, respectively. TMP gave obvious rise to phylum Firmicutes, which associated with extracellular enzymes production. The proportion of class Bacilli (belongs to phylum Firmicutes and mainly acts during hydrolysis) in TMP1 was 124.89% higher than that of TMP0, which reflected the greater hydrolytic ability under microaerobic condition. The improved abundance of phylum Firmicutes (especially class Bacilli, order Bacillales) under microaerobic condition could be the fundamental reason for the improved AD performance of thermophilic microaerobic pretreated corn straw. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Transcriptomes of Xiphinema index and Longidorus elongatus Suggest Independent Acquisition of Some Plant Parasitism Genes by Horizontal Gene Transfer in Early-Branching Nematodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danchin, Etienne G.J.; Perfus-Barbeoch, Laetitia; Rancurel, Corinne; Thorpe, Peter; Da Rocha, Martine; Bajew, Simon; Neilson, Roy; Sokolova (Guzeeva), Elena; Da Silva, Corinne; Guy, Julie; Labadie, Karine; Esmenjaud, Daniel; Helder, Johannes; Jones, John T.

    2017-01-01

    Nematodes have evolved the ability to parasitize plants on at least four independent occasions, with plant parasites present in Clades 1, 2, 10 and 12 of the phylum. In the case of Clades 10 and 12, horizontal gene transfer of plant cell wall degrading enzymes from bacteria and fungi has been implicated in the evolution of plant parasitism. We have used ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNAseq) to generate reference transcriptomes for two economically important nematode species, Xiphinema index and Longidorus elongatus, representative of two genera within the early-branching Clade 2 of the phylum Nematoda. We used a transcriptome-wide analysis to identify putative horizontal gene transfer events. This represents the first in-depth transcriptome analysis from any plant-parasitic nematode of this clade. For each species, we assembled ~30 million Illumina reads into a reference transcriptome. We identified 62 and 104 transcripts, from X. index and L. elongatus, respectively, that were putatively acquired via horizontal gene transfer. By cross-referencing horizontal gene transfer prediction with a phylum-wide analysis of Pfam domains, we identified Clade 2-specific events. Of these, a GH12 cellulase from X. index was analysed phylogenetically and biochemically, revealing a likely bacterial origin and canonical enzymatic function. Horizontal gene transfer was previously shown to be a phenomenon that has contributed to the evolution of plant parasitism among nematodes. Our findings underline the importance and the extensiveness of this phenomenon in the evolution of plant-parasitic life styles in this speciose and widespread animal phylum. PMID:29065523

  16. The Transcriptomes of Xiphinema index and Longidorus elongatus Suggest Independent Acquisition of Some Plant Parasitism Genes by Horizontal Gene Transfer in Early-Branching Nematodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danchin, Etienne G J; Perfus-Barbeoch, Laetitia; Rancurel, Corinne; Thorpe, Peter; Da Rocha, Martine; Bajew, Simon; Neilson, Roy; Guzeeva, Elena Sokolova; Da Silva, Corinne; Guy, Julie; Labadie, Karine; Esmenjaud, Daniel; Helder, Johannes; Jones, John T; den Akker, Sebastian Eves-van

    2017-10-23

    Nematodes have evolved the ability to parasitize plants on at least four independent occasions, with plant parasites present in Clades 1, 2, 10 and 12 of the phylum. In the case of Clades 10 and 12, horizontal gene transfer of plant cell wall degrading enzymes from bacteria and fungi has been implicated in the evolution of plant parasitism. We have used ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNAseq) to generate reference transcriptomes for two economically important nematode species, Xiphinema index and Longidorus elongatus , representative of two genera within the early-branching Clade 2 of the phylum Nematoda. We used a transcriptome-wide analysis to identify putative horizontal gene transfer events. This represents the first in-depth transcriptome analysis from any plant-parasitic nematode of this clade. For each species, we assembled ~30 million Illumina reads into a reference transcriptome. We identified 62 and 104 transcripts, from X. index and L. elongatus , respectively, that were putatively acquired via horizontal gene transfer. By cross-referencing horizontal gene transfer prediction with a phylum-wide analysis of Pfam domains, we identified Clade 2-specific events. Of these, a GH12 cellulase from X. index was analysed phylogenetically and biochemically, revealing a likely bacterial origin and canonical enzymatic function. Horizontal gene transfer was previously shown to be a phenomenon that has contributed to the evolution of plant parasitism among nematodes. Our findings underline the importance and the extensiveness of this phenomenon in the evolution of plant-parasitic life styles in this speciose and widespread animal phylum.

  17. The Transcriptomes of Xiphinema index and Longidorus elongatus Suggest Independent Acquisition of Some Plant Parasitism Genes by Horizontal Gene Transfer in Early-Branching Nematodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Etienne G.J. Danchin

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Nematodes have evolved the ability to parasitize plants on at least four independent occasions, with plant parasites present in Clades 1, 2, 10 and 12 of the phylum. In the case of Clades 10 and 12, horizontal gene transfer of plant cell wall degrading enzymes from bacteria and fungi has been implicated in the evolution of plant parasitism. We have used ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNAseq to generate reference transcriptomes for two economically important nematode species, Xiphinema index and Longidorus elongatus, representative of two genera within the early-branching Clade 2 of the phylum Nematoda. We used a transcriptome-wide analysis to identify putative horizontal gene transfer events. This represents the first in-depth transcriptome analysis from any plant-parasitic nematode of this clade. For each species, we assembled ~30 million Illumina reads into a reference transcriptome. We identified 62 and 104 transcripts, from X. index and L. elongatus, respectively, that were putatively acquired via horizontal gene transfer. By cross-referencing horizontal gene transfer prediction with a phylum-wide analysis of Pfam domains, we identified Clade 2-specific events. Of these, a GH12 cellulase from X. index was analysed phylogenetically and biochemically, revealing a likely bacterial origin and canonical enzymatic function. Horizontal gene transfer was previously shown to be a phenomenon that has contributed to the evolution of plant parasitism among nematodes. Our findings underline the importance and the extensiveness of this phenomenon in the evolution of plant-parasitic life styles in this speciose and widespread animal phylum.

  18. Genome sequence of the thermophilic sulfate-reducing ocean bacterium Thermodesulfatator indicus type strain (CIR29812T)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, Iain [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Saunders, Elizabeth H [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Lapidus, Alla L. [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Nolan, Matt [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Lucas, Susan [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Tice, Hope [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Glavina Del Rio, Tijana [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Cheng, Jan-Fang [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Han, Cliff [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Tapia, Roxanne [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Goodwin, Lynne A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Pitluck, Sam [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Liolios, Konstantinos [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mavromatis, K [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pagani, Ioanna [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Ivanova, N [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mikhailova, Natalia [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pati, Amrita [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Chen, Amy [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Palaniappan, Krishna [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Land, Miriam L [ORNL; Hauser, Loren John [ORNL; Jeffries, Cynthia [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Chang, Yun-Juan [ORNL; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Rohde, Manfred [HZI - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Spring, Stefan [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Goker, Markus [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Detter, J. Chris [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Woyke, Tanja [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Bristow, James [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Eisen, Jonathan [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Markowitz, Victor [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Hugenholtz, Philip [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Kyrpides, Nikos C [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Klenk, Hans-Peter [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany

    2012-01-01

    Thermodesulfatator indicus Moussard et al. 2004 is a member of the genomically so far poorly characterized family Thermodesulfobacteriaceae in the phylum Thermodesulfobacteria. Members of this phylum are of interest because they represent a distinct, deep-branching, Gram-negative lineage. T. indicus is an anaerobic, thermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic sulfate reducer isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. The 2,322,224 bp long chromosome with its 2,233 protein-coding and 58 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

  19. 16S rRNA-targeted probes for specific detection of Thermoanaerobacterium spp., Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum, and Caldicellulosiruptor spp. by fluorescent in situ hybridization in biohydrogen producing systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O-Thong, Sompong; Prasertsan, P.; Karakashev, Dimitar Borisov

    2008-01-01

    % and 36%), T. thermosaccharolyticum (16% and 10%), phylum Firmicutes (low G+C) gram positive bacteria (15% and 27%). Extreme-thermophilic (70 °C) hydrogen producing reactors, one fed with xylose and another, fed with lignocellulosic hydrolysate comprised of following major groups of hydrogen producers......: Caldicellulosiruptor spp. (40.5% and 20.5%), phylum Firmicutes (low G+C) gram positive bacteria (17% and 20%), Archaea (7% and 8.5%), and Thermoanaerobacterium spp. (0% and 5%). Results obtained, showed good applicability of the probes Tbm1282, Tbmthsacc184 and Ccs432 for specific detection and quantification...... of thermophilic and extreme-thermophilic hydrogen producers in complex environments....

  20. [Helminthic fauna of commercial fishes from the Saya-de-Malya bank (Indian Ocean)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parukhin, A M

    1988-01-01

    The data on infestation of 8 species of commercial fishes from Saya-de-Malya bank (the Indian Ocean) are presented. 43 helminth species were identified: 10 Monogenea species, 18 trematode, 7 cestode and 8 nematode species. The mature worms are observed to be related to a certain host, whereas the nematode and cestode larvae have wide specificity. High infestation degree by Anisakis larvae is found in fishes, especially in Carangidae. At the bank area fishes are found to be free from Acanthocephala while those Acanthocephala are found in fishes from other areas of the Indian Ocean which may be attributed to the specific diet at the Saya-de-Malya bank. On the whole the helminth fauna of fishes examined at the Saya-de-Malya bank does not demonstrate the endemic pattern. The most specific helminth species were found in some fish species.

  1. Phylogenetic position of Loricifera inferred from nearly complete 18S and 28S rRNA gene sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamasaki, Hiroshi; Fujimoto, Shinta; Miyazaki, Katsumi

    2015-01-01

    Loricifera is an enigmatic metazoan phylum; its morphology appeared to place it with Priapulida and Kinorhyncha in the group Scalidophora which, along with Nematoida (Nematoda and Nematomorpha), comprised the group Cycloneuralia. Scarce molecular data have suggested an alternative phylogenetic hypothesis, that the phylum Loricifera is a sister taxon to Nematomorpha, although the actual phylogenetic position of the phylum remains unclear. Ecdysozoan phylogeny was reconstructed through maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses of nuclear 18S and 28S rRNA gene sequences from 60 species representing all eight ecdysozoan phyla, and including a newly collected loriciferan species. Ecdysozoa comprised two clades with high support values in both the ML and BI trees. One consisted of Priapulida and Kinorhyncha, and the other of Loricifera, Nematoida, and Panarthropoda (Tardigrada, Onychophora, and Arthropoda). The relationships between Loricifera, Nematoida, and Panarthropoda were not well resolved. Loricifera appears to be closely related to Nematoida and Panarthropoda, rather than grouping with Priapulida and Kinorhyncha, as had been suggested by previous studies. Thus, both Scalidophora and Cycloneuralia are a polyphyletic or paraphyletic groups. In addition, Loricifera and Nematomorpha did not emerge as sister groups.

  2. Fauna do solo em áreas com Eucalyptus spp. E Pinus elliottii, Santa Maria, RS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Izabel Jacques Soares

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available This work started in the spring in 1996 and finished in the winter in 1997 and it had as its objective to study the populational survey of soil fauna in the Pinus elliotti and Eucalyptus spp. in areas situaded in “Campus” at Federal University of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. An extractor was utilized to collect the soil from 10 sample points, in the 0-5, 5-10, 10-15 and 15-20 cm of soil depth, in each season of the year. With this study it was possible to identify some representants of Phylum Annelida and Arthropoda who belong to fauna-soil-vegetable context. The individual total, its percentile and number of individual for square meter were obtained. It was observed the predominance of Phylum Arthropoda and, in special, of Insecta class in the Eucalyptus spp. area; and the Phylum Annelida in the Pinus elliottii area. The depth variable originated mathematical models to explain the populational distribution for each studied areas. The seasons of year variable did not show a significative difference. It was not possible to establish a populational distribution model.

  3. Molecular identification of Fasciola spp. (Digenea: Platyhelminthes) in cattle from Vietnam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, S.; Amer, S.; Ichikawa, M.; Itagaki, T.; Fukuda, Y.; Nakai, Y.

    2012-01-01

    Fasciola spp. were collected from naturally infected cattle at a local abattoir of Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, for morphological and genetic investigations. Microscopic examination detected no sperm cells in the seminal vesicles, suggesting a parthenogenetic reproduction of the flukes. Analyses of sequences from the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of the ribosomal RNA revealed that 13 out of 16 isolates were of Fasciola gigantica type, whereas three isolates presented a hybrid sequence from F. gigantica and Fasciola hepatica. Interestingly, all the mitochondrial sequences (partial COI and NDI) were of F. gigantica type, suggesting that the maternal lineage of the hybrid form is from F. gigantica. No intra-sequence variation was detected. PMID:22314245

  4. The karyotypes of two Dugesia species from Corfu, Greece (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ball, Ian R.

    1979-01-01

    Dugesia gonocephala (Dugès, 1830) and D. polychroa (Schmidt, 1861), collected from the Greek island of Corfu, have been investigated karyologically. The former is a sexual diploid (2n = 16) in which all the chromosomes are metacentric. The latter is a sexual diploid (2n = 8) with one submetacentric

  5. 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.

  6. 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

  7. Freshwater planarians from artesian springs in Queensland, Australia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Paludicola)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sluys, R.; Grant, L.J.; Blair, D.

    2007-01-01

    Two new species of triclad flatworm are described from artesian springs in Queensland, Australia, viz. Dugesia artesiana Sluys and Grant, sp. nov. and Weissius capaciductus Sluys, gen. et sp. nov. Some historical biogeographic scenarios are discussed that may explain the occurrence of the new

  8. Complete genome sequence of the thermophilic sulfate-reducing ocean bacterium Thermodesulfatator indicus type strain (CIR29812(T)).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Iain; Saunders, Elizabeth; Lapidus, Alla; Nolan, Matt; Lucas, Susan; Tice, Hope; Del Rio, Tijana Glavina; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Han, Cliff; Tapia, Roxanne; Goodwin, Lynne A; Pitluck, Sam; Liolios, Konstantinos; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Pagani, Ioanna; Ivanova, Natalia; Mikhailova, Natalia; Pati, Amrita; Chen, Amy; Palaniappan, Krishna; Land, Miriam; Hauser, Loren; Jeffries, Cynthia D; Chang, Yun-Juan; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie; Rohde, Manfred; Spring, Stefan; Göker, Markus; Detter, John C; Woyke, Tanja; Bristow, James; Eisen, Jonathan A; Markowitz, Victor; Hugenholtz, Philip; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Klenk, Hans-Peter

    2012-05-25

    Thermodesulfatator indicus Moussard et al. 2004 is a member of the Thermodesulfobacteriaceae, a family in the phylum Thermodesulfobacteria that is currently poorly characterized at the genome level. Members of this phylum are of interest because they represent a distinct, deep-branching, Gram-negative lineage. T. indicus is an anaerobic, thermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic sulfate reducer isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. The 2,322,224 bp long chromosome with its 2,233 protein-coding and 58 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

  9. The mitochondrial genome of the sipunculid Phascolopsis gouldii supports its association with Annelida rather than Mollusca

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boore, Jeffrey L.; Staton, Joseph

    2001-09-01

    We have determined the sequence of about half (7470 nts) of the mitochondrial genome of the sipunculid Phascolopsis gouldii, the first representative of this phylum to be so studied. All of the 19 identified genes are transcribed from the same DNA strand. The arrangement of these genes is remarkably similar to that of the oligochaete annelid Lumbricus terrestris. Comparison of both the inferred amino acid sequences and the gene arrangements of a variety of diverse metazoan taxa reveals that the phylum Sipuncula is more closely related to Annelida than to Mollusca. This requires reinterpretation of the homology of several embryological features and of patterns of animal body plan evolution.

  10. Reproductive Strategies of the Insidious Fish Ectoparasite, Neobenedenia sp. (Capsalidae: Monogenea)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinh Hoai, Truong; Hutson, Kate S.

    2014-01-01

    Fish monogeneans are lethal parasites in aquaculture. We provide the first experimental evidence that a notorious fish monogenean, Neobenedenia sp., can produce viable eggs in isolation for three consecutive generations. We infected individual, isolated, farmed barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch) with a single oncomiracidium (larva) of the hermaphroditic monogenean Neobenedenia sp. Isolated parasites reached sexual maturity at day 10 post-hatch (24°C, 35‰) and laid ∼3,300 embryonated eggs over 17 days. Egg production rapidly increased following sexually maturity on day 10 (58±15 eggs) and peaked on day 15 (496±68 eggs) before gradually decreasing. Neobenedenia sp. exhibited egg laying and egg hatching rhythms. Parasites laid eggs continuously, but egg production increased in periods of darkness (64.3%), while the majority of oncomiracidia (81%) emerged from eggs in the first three hours of light. Eggs laid by isolated ‘parent’ parasites hatched and individual emerging oncomiracidia were used to infect more individual, isolated fish, with three consecutive, isolated, parasite generations (F1, F2 and F3) raised in the laboratory. Infection success and egg hatching success did not differ between generations. Our data show that one parasite, in the absence of a mate, presents a severe threat to captive fish populations. PMID:25264931

  11. Morphological variation in the cosmopolitan fish parasite Neobenedenia girellae (Capsalidae: Monogenea).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brazenor, Alexander K; Saunders, Richard J; Miller, Terrence L; Hutson, Kate S

    2018-02-01

    Intra-species morphological variation presents a considerable problem for species identification and can result in taxonomic confusion. This is particularly pertinent for species of Neobenedenia which are harmful agents in captive fish populations and have historically been identified almost entirely based on morphological characters. This study aimed to understand how the morphology of Neobenedenia girellae varies with host fish species and the environment. Standard morphological features of genetically indistinct parasites from various host fish species were measured under controlled temperatures and salinities. An initial field-based investigation found that parasite morphology significantly differed between genetically indistinct parasites infecting various host fish species. The majority of the morphological variation observed (60%) was attributed to features that assist in parasite attachment to the host (i.e. the posterior and anterior attachment organs and their accessory hooks) which are important characters in monogenean taxonomy. We then experimentally examined the effects of the interaction between host fish species and environmental factors (temperature and salinity) on the morphology of isogenic parasites derived from a single, isolated hermaphroditic N. girellae infecting barramundi, Lates calcarifer. Experimental infection of L. calcarifer and cobia, Rachycentron canadum, under controlled laboratory conditions did not confer host-mediated phenotypic plasticity in N. girellae, suggesting that measured morphological differences could be adaptive and only occur over multiple parasite generations. Subsequent experimental infection of a single host species, L. calcarifer, at various temperatures (22, 30 and 32 °C) and salinities (35 and 40‰) showed that in the cooler environments (22 °C) N. girellae body proportions were significantly smaller compared with warmer temperatures (30 and 32 °C; P < 0.0001), whereas salinity had no effect. This is evidence that temperature can drive phenotypic plasticity in key taxonomic characters of N. girellae under certain environmental conditions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Ultrastructural Observations of the Vitelline Cells of Metamicrocotyla macracantha (Monogenea, Microcotylidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria de Fatima D Baptista-Farias

    1998-07-01

    Full Text Available An electron microscopic study of the vitelline follicles of Metamicrocotyla macracantha (Alexander, 1954 Koratha,1955 showed that they are composed of cells in different stages of development. The immature cells have a large nucleus, nucleolus, cytoplasm with free ribosomes and few mitochondria. The developing vitelline cells present granules which are small in the early stages, increasing with maturity. The mature cells have an extensive granular endoplasmic reticulum and droplets of shell-protein; with maturation, clusters of shell protein and yolk bodies are formed and released in the ciliated vitelline ducts. Vitelline development is continuous and all of the cellular stages involved can be found in each follicle.

  13. Does invasive Chondrostoma nasus shift the parasite community structure of endemic Parachondrostoma toxostoma in sympatric zones?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background The composition of parasite communities in two cyprinid species in southern France – native and threatened Parachondrostoma toxostoma and introduced Chondrostoma nasus – was investigated. In sympatry, these two species form two hybrid zones in the Durance and Ardeche Rivers. Due to their different feeding preference and habitat positions in allopatry, we supposed a difference in parasite communities between fish species. We expected more similar parasite communities in sympatric zones associated with habitat overlap (facilitating the transmission of ectoparasites) and similar feeding (more generalist behaviour when compared to allopatry, facilitating the transmission of endoparasites) in both fish species. Finally, we investigated whether P. toxostoma x C. nasus hybrids are less parasitized then parental species. Methods One allopatric population of each fish species plus two sympatric zones were sampled. Fish were identified using cytochrome b gene and 41 microsatellites loci and examined for all metazoan parasites. Results A high Monogenea abundance was found in both allopatric and sympatric populations of C. nasus. Trematoda was the dominant group in parasite communities of P. toxostoma from the allopatric population. In contrast, the populations of P. toxostoma in sympatric zones were parasitized by Dactylogyrus species found in C. nasus populations, but their abundance in endemic species was low. Consequently, the similarity based on parasite presence/absence between the sympatric populations of P. toxostoma and C. nasus was high. Sympatric populations of P. toxostoma were more similar than allopatric and sympatric populations of this species. No difference in ectoparasite infection was found between P. toxostoma and hybrids, whilst C. nasus was more parasitized by Monogenea. Conclusions The differences in endoparasites between P. toxostoma and C. nasus in allopatry are probably linked to different feeding or habitat conditions, but host

  14. Screening of proteins based on macro-algae from West Java coast in Indonesian marine as a potential anti-aging agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putri, Arlina Prima; Dewi, Rizna Triana; Handayani, Aniek Sri; Harjanto, Sri; Chalid, Mochamad

    2018-02-01

    Algae has been known as one of the potential marine bio-resources that have been used in many fields such as bio-energy, food, pharmaceutical and medical applications. Study of macro-algae or seaweed for medicine application, in particular, highlights to empower their ingredients as a promising antioxidant like anti-aging agent due to their diversity in biological activity. The tropical climate of Indonesia with the highest marine biodiversity puts this country an auspicious source of numerous alga species as a novel antioxidant source. A Sample of 29 species of macroalgae has been collected from Coast of Pari Island as a part of Seribu Islands, Indonesia. Screening and extracting of aqueous tropical marine alga protein as a potential source for an antioxidant agent has been done by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging method, and protein contents have been determined by Lowry method. Sample number 26 of the phylum Rhodophyta have 9.00±0.03 % protein content, which is potential for nutritional food in form of nutraceutical. That sample demonstrated the maximum DPPH scavenging activity 79.27±1.81 %. Moreover, crude extract from another species from phylum Rhodophyta had the very lower IC50 (3.4333±0.29 mg/ml) followed by Chlorophyta species (7.1069±1.78 mg/ml). In general, this study found that algae from phylum Rhodophyta possess a high content of protein, high activity towards free radical. Nevertheless, algae acquire the lowest IC50 value not only dominated by Rhodophyta but also from phylum Chlorophyta. The conclusion of this study leads to empowering high antioxidant activity algae as an anti-aging agent, which can be used in pharmaceutical applications. Therefore, the next study should be concerned on the properties of the algae which has been known to be suitable for pharmaceutical fields.

  15. A survey of innovation through duplication in the reduced genomes of twelve parasites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy D DeBarry

    Full Text Available We characterize the prevalence, distribution, divergence, and putative functions of detectable two-copy paralogs and segmental duplications in the Apicomplexa, a phylum of parasitic protists. Apicomplexans are mostly obligate intracellular parasites responsible for human and animal diseases (e.g. malaria and toxoplasmosis. Gene loss is a major force in the phylum. Genomes are small and protein-encoding gene repertoires are reduced. Despite this genomic streamlining, duplications and gene family amplifications are present. The potential for innovation introduced by duplications is of particular interest. We compared genomes of twelve apicomplexans across four lineages and used orthology and genome cartography to map distributions of duplications against genome architectures. Segmental duplications appear limited to five species. Where present, they correspond to regions enriched for multi-copy and species-specific genes, pointing toward roles in adaptation and innovation. We found a phylum-wide association of duplications with dynamic chromosome regions and syntenic breakpoints. Trends in the distribution of duplicated genes indicate that recent, species-specific duplicates are often tandem while most others have been dispersed by genome rearrangements. These trends show a relationship between genome architecture and gene duplication. Functional analysis reveals: proteases, which are vital to a parasitic lifecycle, to be prominent in putative recent duplications; a pair of paralogous genes in Toxoplasma gondii previously shown to produce the rate-limiting step in dopamine synthesis in mammalian cells, a possible link to the modification of host behavior; and phylum-wide differences in expression and subcellular localization, indicative of modes of divergence. We have uncovered trends in multiple modes of duplicate divergence including sequence, intron content, expression, subcellular localization, and functions of putative recent duplicates that

  16. Pyrosequencing revealed shifts of prokaryotic communities between healthy and disease-like tissues of the Red Sea sponge Crella cyathophora

    KAUST Repository

    Gao, Zhao-Ming

    2015-06-11

    Sponge diseases have been widely reported, yet the causal factors and major pathogenic microbes remain elusive. In this study, two individuals of the sponge Crella cyathophora in total that showed similar disease-like characteristics were collected from two different locations along the Red Sea coast separated by more than 30 kilometers. The disease-like parts of the two individuals were both covered by green surfaces, and the body size was much smaller compared with adjacent healthy regions. Here, using high-throughput pyrosequencing technology, we investigated the prokaryotic communities in healthy and disease-like sponge tissues as well as adjacent seawater. Microbes in healthy tissues belonged mainly to the Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes, and were much more diverse at the phylum level than reported previously. Interestingly, the disease-like tissues from the two sponge individuals underwent shifts of prokaryotic communities and were both enriched with a novel clade affiliated with the phylum Verrucomicrobia, implying its intimate connection with the disease-like Red Sea sponge C. cyathophora. Enrichment of the phylum Verrucomicrobia was also considered to be correlated with the presence of algae assemblages forming the green surface of the disease-like sponge tissues. This finding represents an interesting case of sponge disease and is valuable for further study.

  17. Metazoan Parasite Infracommunities in Five Sciaenids from the Central Peruvian Coast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliva Marcelo E

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available Parasitological analysis of 237 Menticirrhus ophicephalus, 124 Paralonchurus peruanus, 249 Sciaena deliciosa, 50 Sciaena fasciata and 308 Stellifer minor from Callao (Perú yielded 37 species of metazoan parasites (14 Monogenea, 11 Copepoda, 4 Nematoda, 3 Acanthocephala, 1 Digenea, 1 Aspidobothrea, 1 Eucestoda, 1 Isopoda and 1 Hirudinea. Only one species, the copepoda Bomolochus peruensis, was common to all five hosts. The majority of the components of the infracommunities analyzed are ectoparasites. The Brillouin index (H and evenness (J´ were applied to the fully sampled metazoan parasite infracommunities. High values of prevalence and mean abundance of infection are associated to the polyonchoinean monogeneans; the low values of J' reinforce the strong dominance of this group in the studied communities. The paucity of the endoparasite fauna may be a consequence of the unstable environment due to an upwelling system, aperiodically affected by the El Niño Southern Oscillation phenomena.

  18. Repurposing pharma assets: an accelerated mechanism for strengthening the schistosomiasis drug development pipeline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramamoorthi, Roopa; Graef, Katy M; Dent, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    Schistosomiasis, one of 17 diseases deemed to be neglected by the World Health Organization, has received little attention from the biopharmaceutical industry. Due to this, only a handful of drugs have been developed to treat schistosomiasis, with only one, praziquantel, used in most endemic regions. Growing concern over resistance coupled with praziquantel's incomplete efficacy across all stages of the Schistosoma platyhelminth life cycle highlights the urgent need for new drugs. The WIPO Re:Search consortium is a platform whereupon biopharmaceutical company compounds are being repurposed to efficiently and cost-effectively develop new drugs for neglected diseases such as schistosomiasis. This article summarizes recent clinical-stage efforts to identify new antischistosomals and highlights biopharmaceutical company compounds with potential for repurposing to treat schistosomiasis.

  19. Dissecting Biological Dark Matter: Single Cell Genetic Analysis of TM7, a Rare and Uncultivated Microbe from the Human Mouth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fenner, Marsha W; Marcy, Yann; Ouverney, Cleber; Bik, Elisabeth M.; Losekann, Tina; Ivanova, Natalia; Martin, H. Garcia; Szeto, E.; Platt, Darren; Hugenholtz, Philip; Relman, David A.; Quake, Stephen R.

    2007-07-01

    We have developed a microfluidic device that allows the isolation and genome amplification of individual microbial cells, thereby enabling organism-level genomic analysis of complex microbial ecosystems without the need for culture. This device was used to perform a directed survey of the human subgingival crevice and to isolate bacteria having rod-like morphology. Several isolated microbes had a 16S rRNA sequence that placed them in candidate phylum TM7, which has no cultivated or sequenced members. Genome amplification from individual TM7 cells allowed us to sequence and assemble >1,000 genes, providing insight into the physiology of members of this phylum. This approach enables single-cell genetic analysis of any uncultivated minority member of a microbial community.

  20. Periodical episodes of foaming involving Gram-negative filaments. Morpho type 0581: an unknown; Episodios periodicos de espumacion con impliaciond e filamentos Gram negativos. El morfotipo 0581: un desconido

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zarnoza, A; Rodriguez, E; Isac, L; Alonso, J L; Fernandez, N; Zorrila, F; Fajardo, V

    2006-07-01

    The bacteria GALO and Microthrix parvicella are responsible for foaming in active sludge in WWTP. According to Eikelboom (2000) and Jenkins, et al. (2003), these micro-organisms are classified by morpho types, which sometimes show a diversity of species when specific probes are used. A study of the periodical foaming process in the WWTP in the municipally of Torres-Torres (Valencia, Spain), with a predominance of morpho type 0581, has made it possible to ascertain both the optical and phylogenetic identity of this morpho type. Contrary to what might have been expected in view of its morphological similarity to Microthrix parvicella, morpho type 0581 is photogenically related to the phylum Chloroflexi and not to the phylum Actinobacteria, to which Microthrix parvicella belong. (Author)

  1. Faecal microbiota of healthy adults in south India: Comparison of a tribal & a rural population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balamurugan Ramadass

    2017-01-01

    Interpretation & conclusions: Phylum Firmicutes and genus Clostridium constituted the bulk of the faecal microbiota, while significant differences in composition between the groups were probably due to differences in diet and lifestyle.

  2. [An ultrastructural study of oogenesis in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea (Platyhelminthe, Paludicola)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrath, Abdul Halim; Alwasal, Saleh H; Alhazza, Ibrahim; Zghal, Fathia; Tekaya, Saida

    2011-07-01

    The ovary of the freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea has been studied for the first time using both light and electron microscopy methods. The ultrastructure of the ovary revealed two types of cells: accessory cells and germinal cells at various stages of differentiation, distributed along a maturation axis. Initially, oogonia underwent cytoplasm growth due to the development of organelles, such as endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, and mitochondria, which are all involved in the production of cytoplasmic inclusions or yolk globules. It is shown that the chromatoid body and fibrogranular aggregates may participate in the synthesis of vitelline inclusions. When completely mature, the oocytes have become larger, due to the accumulation of nutritive inclusions, which are round in shape and have a paracrystalline structure. These inclusions are interpreted as being yolk globules and may represent a kind of nutritive material for the developing embryo. These ultrastructural features of the ovary agree with the available phylogenetic tree, based on morphological and karyological characters that considers Schmidtea group as a genus and not a subgenus. The presence of sperm between the oocytes suggests that fertilization may occur within the ovary, representing an uncommon condition within the Triclads, in which fertilization usually takes places outside of the ovaries. Copyright © 2011 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Morphometry of the eyes in regenerant of genus Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Dugesiidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Campos-Velho, N M; Lopes, K A; Hauser, J

    2004-02-01

    The photodocumentation technique was used weekly to observe until the end of the regenerative process of eyes in three species of Dugesia. Morphometric data based on the measurement of 96 samples of the species: Dugesia tigrina, D. schubarti, and D. anderlani were analyzed. A comparative analysis was made through graphic representation of statistical parameters of the following morphometric characters: the length of the transversal and longitudinal axes of the macula alba, pigment spot, and ocular opening. An interesting feature appeared in D. schubarti: the average of ocular opening during the regenerative process is bigger than in the original samples.

  4. Fine-scale differences in diel activity among nocturnal freshwater planarias (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cicolani Bruno

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although most freshwater planarias are well known photonegative organisms, their diel rhythms have never been quantified. Differences in daily activity rhythms may be particularly important for temperate-climate, freshwater planarias, which tend to overlap considerably in spatial distribution and trophic requirements. Methods Activity of stress-free, individually tested young adults of three common planarian species was recorded at 3-h intervals in a 10-d experiment under natural sunlight and photoperiod during autumnal equinox (D:L ~12:12. Individual activity status was averaged over the 10-d experiment, each tested individual thus serving as a true replicate. Twelve individuals per species were tested. Food was provided every 36 h, resulting in alternating day- and nighttime feeding events. Activity during the first post-feeding h was recorded and analyzed separately. Statistical procedures included ANOVAs, correlations, and second-order analyses of angles. Results Dugesia (= Girardia tigrina Girard 1850 exhibited clear nocturnal behavior, Dugesia (= Schmidtea polychroa Schmidt 1861 was predominantly but not exclusively nocturnal, and Polycelis tenuis Ijima 1884 was relatively more active from midnight through noon. Species-specific activity peaks were statistically similar, with peaks at dawn for P. tenuis and just before midnight for the two dugesiids; however, D. tigrina was comparatively more active in the early night hours, while D. polychroa was more active than D. tigrina during daytime. D. tigrina also responded less readily to daytime food addition. P. tenuis remained poorly active and unresponsive throughout the experiment. Individual variability in diel behavior was highest for D. polychroa and lowest for D. tigrina. P. tenuis's general low degree of activity and late activity peak in the experiment may be related to a strong reliance on external stimuli. Conclusions The tested species are mainly nocturnal, consistent with their photonegative characteristics. The fine-scale differences in diel behavior among these three triclad species may not be sufficient to allow coexistence in the wild, with the nonnative D. tigrina eventually displacing D. polychroa and P. tenuis in many European waters. The link between planarian diel rhythms and ecological characteristics are worth of further, detailed investigation.

  5. Description of a New Temnocephala Species (Platyhelminthes) from the Southern Neotropical Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de León, Rodrigo Ponce; Vera, Bárbara Berón; Volonterio, Odile

    2015-08-01

    The genus Temnocephala is endemic to the Neotropical region. Temnocephala mexicana and Temnocephala chilensis are the only 2 temnocephalans whose known distribution ranges extend to the south beyond Parallel 40°S. No Temnocephala species has ever been recorded from the extensive area between Parallel 43°S and the southern end of the South American continent, which makes the study of the southern limit of the distribution of the genus a topic of great interest. The southernmost report corresponds to T. chilensis from the Telsen River, Chubut Province, Argentina. In March 2000, several temnocephalans were found on the freshwater anomuran crustacean Aegla neuquensis from the same locality; the specimens were identified as belonging to a new species, which is described here. This species is characterized by possessing an unusually thin-walled, narrow zone that has the appearance of a deep groove connecting the introvert to the shaft of the penial stylet; an introvert with 36 longitudinal rows of spines, each bearing 6-8 spines that are progressively smaller towards the distal end; a distal end of the introvert with a very thin, sclerotized wall without spines; a seminal vesicle that opens sub-polarly into the contractile vesicle; a pair of paranephrocytes at the level of the pharynx and a second pair at the level of the anterior portion of the anterior testes, and eggs with very long stalks. On the basis of their overall morphology, host preference, and geographical distribution, T. chilensis and the new species are closely related, so a diagnostic key for the southern species of Temnocephala is also included. The type locality of the new species is in the southern limit of the known distribution area of T. chilensis, so after this work there are 2 known species marking the southern limit of the distribution of the genus.

  6. Biological consequences of ancient gene acquisition and duplication in the large genome soil bacterium, ""solibacter usitatus"" strain Ellin6076

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Challacombe, Jean F [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Eichorst, Stephanie A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Xie, Gary [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kuske, Cheryl R [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Hauser, Loren [ORNL; Land, Miriam [ORNL

    2009-01-01

    Bacterial genome sizes range from ca. 0.5 to 10Mb and are influenced by gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, gene loss and other evolutionary processes. Sequenced genomes of strains in the phylum Acidobacteria revealed that 'Solibacter usistatus' strain Ellin6076 harbors a 9.9 Mb genome. This large genome appears to have arisen by horizontal gene transfer via ancient bacteriophage and plasmid-mediated transduction, as well as widespread small-scale gene duplications. This has resulted in an increased number of paralogs that are potentially ecologically important (ecoparalogs). Low amino acid sequence identities among functional group members and lack of conserved gene order and orientation in the regions containing similar groups of paralogs suggest that most of the paralogs were not the result of recent duplication events. The genome sizes of cultured subdivision 1 and 3 strains in the phylum Acidobacteria were estimated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to determine the prevalence of the large genome trait within the phylum. Members of subdivision 1 were estimated to have smaller genome sizes ranging from ca. 2.0 to 4.8 Mb, whereas members of subdivision 3 had slightly larger genomes, from ca. 5.8 to 9.9 Mb. It is hypothesized that the large genome of strain Ellin6076 encodes traits that provide a selective metabolic, defensive and regulatory advantage in the variable soil environment.

  7. Genomic analysis of Melioribacter roseus, facultatively anaerobic organotrophic bacterium representing a novel deep lineage within Bacteriodetes/Chlorobi group.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitaly V Kadnikov

    Full Text Available Melioribacter roseus is a moderately thermophilic facultatively anaerobic organotrophic bacterium representing a novel deep branch within Bacteriodetes/Chlorobi group. To better understand the metabolic capabilities and possible ecological functions of M. roseus and get insights into the evolutionary history of this bacterial lineage, we sequenced the genome of the type strain P3M-2(T. A total of 2838 open reading frames was predicted from its 3.30 Mb genome. The whole proteome analysis supported phylum-level classification of M. roseus since most of the predicted proteins had closest matches in Bacteriodetes, Proteobacteria, Chlorobi, Firmicutes and deeply-branching bacterium Caldithrix abyssi, rather than in one particular phylum. Consistent with the ability of the bacterium to grow on complex carbohydrates, the genome analysis revealed more than one hundred glycoside hydrolases, glycoside transferases, polysaccharide lyases and carbohydrate esterases. The reconstructed central metabolism revealed pathways enabling the fermentation of complex organic substrates, as well as their complete oxidation through aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Genes encoding the photosynthetic and nitrogen-fixation machinery of green sulfur bacteria, as well as key enzymes of autotrophic carbon fixation pathways, were not identified. The M. roseus genome supports its affiliation to a novel phylum Ignavibateriae, representing the first step on the evolutionary pathway from heterotrophic ancestors of Bacteriodetes/Chlorobi group towards anaerobic photoautotrophic Chlorobi.

  8. High-throughput profiling of microbial community structures in an ANAMMOX-UASB reactor treating high-strength wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Shenbin; Du, Rui; Li, Baikun; Ren, Nanqi; Peng, Yongzhen

    2016-07-01

    In this study, the microbial community structure was assessed in an anaerobic ammonium oxidation-upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (ANAMMOX-UASB) reactor treating high-strength wastewater (approximately 700 mg N L(-1) in total nitrogen) by employing Illumina high-throughput sequencing analysis. The reactor was started up and reached a steady state in 26 days by seeding mature ANAMMOX granules, and a high nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of 2.96 kg N m(-3) day(-1) was obtained at 13.2∼17.6 °C. Results revealed that the abundance of ANAMMOX bacteria increased during the operation, though it occupied a low proportion in the system. The phylum Planctomycetes was only 8.39 % on day 148 and Candidatus Brocadia was identified as the dominant ANAMMOX species with a percentage of 2.70 %. The phylum of Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria constituted a percentage up to 70 % in the community, of which the Chloroflexi and Bacteroidetes were likely to be related to the sludge granulation. In addition, it was found that heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria of Denitratisoma belonging to Proteobacteria phylum occupied a large proportion (22.1∼23.58 %), which was likely caused by the bacteria lysis and decay with the internal carbon source production. The SEM images also showed that plenty of other microorganisms existed in the ANAMMOX-UASB reactor.

  9. Spatial Variability of PAHs and Microbial Community Structure in Surrounding Surficial Soil of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Xuzhou, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Jing; Zhang, Wangyuan; Chen, Yi; Zhang, Shaoliang; Feng, Qiyan; Hou, Huping; Chen, Fu

    2016-09-02

    This work investigated the spatial profile and source analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil that surrounds coal-fired power plants in Xuzhou, China. High-throughput sequencing was employed to investigate the composition and structure of soil bacterial communities. The total concentration of 15 PAHs in the surface soils ranged from 164.87 to 3494.81 μg/kg dry weight. The spatial profile of PAHs was site-specific with a concentration of 1400.09-3494.81 μg/kg in Yaozhuang. Based on the qualitative and principal component analysis results, coal burning and vehicle emission were found to be the main sources of PAHs in the surface soils. The phylogenetic analysis revealed differences in bacterial community compositions among different sampling sites. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum, while Acidobacteria was the second most abundant. The orders of Campylobacterales, Desulfobacterales and Hydrogenophilales had the most significant differences in relative abundance among the sampling sites. The redundancy analysis revealed that the differences in bacterial communities could be explained by the organic matter content. They could also be explicated by the acenaphthene concentration with longer arrows. Furthermore, OTUs of Proteobacteria phylum plotted around particular samples were confirmed to have a different composition of Proteobacteria phylum among the sample sites. Evaluating the relationship between soil PAHs concentration and bacterial community composition may provide useful information for the remediation of PAH contaminated sites.

  10. The Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Funneliformis mosseae Alters Bacterial Communities in Subtropical Forest Soils during Litter Decomposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heng Gui

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial communities and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF co-occur in the soil, however, the interaction between these two groups during litter decomposition remains largely unexplored. In order to investigate the effect of AMF on soil bacterial communities, we designed dual compartment microcosms, where AMF (Funneliformis mosseae was allowed access (AM to, or excluded (NM from, a compartment containing forest soil and litterbags. Soil samples from this compartment were analyzed at 0, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days. For each sample, Illumina sequencing was used to assess any changes in the soil bacterial communities. We found that most of the obtained operational taxonomic units (OTUs from both treatments belonged to the phylum of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria. The community composition of bacteria at phylum and class levels was slightly influenced by both time and AMF. In addition, time and AMF significantly affected bacterial genera (e.g., Candidatus Solibacter, Dyella, Phenylobacterium involved in litter decomposition. Opposite to the bacterial community composition, we found that overall soil bacterial OTU richness and diversity are relatively stable and were not significantly influenced by either time or AMF inoculation. OTU richness at phylum and class levels also showed consistent results with overall bacterial OTU richness. Our study provides new insight into the influence of AMF on soil bacterial communities at the genus level.

  11. FAUNA DO SOLO EM ÁREAS COM Eucalyptus spp. E Pinus elliottii, SANTA MARIA, RS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Izabel Jacques Soares

    2000-10-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho, com início na primavera de 1996 e término no inverno de 1997, teve como objetivo realizar o levantamento populacional da fauna do solo em áreas com Eucalyptus spp. e Pinus elliottii, situadas no Campus da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Para a coleta do solo, utilizou-se um extrator, formando-se amostras em dez pontos, nas profundidades de 0-5, 5-10, 10-15 e de 15-20 cm, em cada estação do ano. Por meio deste estudo, pôde-se identificar alguns representantes dos Phylum Annelida e Arthropoda que participam do contexto fauna-solo-vegetação. O total de indivíduos, seu respectivo percentual e número de indivíduos por metro quadrado foram obtidos. Observou-se o predomínio do Phylum Arthropoda e, mais especificamente, da classe Insecta na área com Eucalyptus spp. e do Phylum Annelida na área com Pinus elliottii. A variável profundidade originou modelos matemáticos que explicam a distribuição populacional dentre as áreas estudadas. A variável estação do ano não apresentou uma diferença significativa. Não foi possível, portanto, estabelecer um modelo de distribuição populacional.

  12. Distribution, abundance and ecology of the sponge Spheciospongia ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science ... Journal Home > Vol 12, No 1 (2013) > ... Distribution, abundance and ecology of the sponge Spheciospongia vagabunda (Phylum: Porifera, Class: Demospongiae) in a shallow lagoon of ...

  13. Cycliophora is a new phylum with affinities to Entoprocta and Ectoprocta

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Funch, P.; Kristensen, R.M.

    1995-01-01

    The mouthparts of the Norway lobster Nephrops are colonized by an acoelomate metazoan, Symbion pandora gen. et sp, nov. Sessile stages continually produce inner buds replacing feeding structures, They also produce one of three motile stages: (1) larvae containing new feeding stages, (2) dwarf males......, which settle on feeding stages, or (3) females, which settle onto lobster mouthparts, and eventually degenerate, giving rise to dispersive larvae, All motile stages are short-lived, and do not feed, The structure and function of the cilia suggest a phylogenetic position in Protostomia, while some...

  14. The sponge microbiome project

    KAUST Repository

    Moitinho-Silva, Lucas; Nielsen, Shaun; Amir, Amnon; Gonzalez, Antonio; Ackermann, Gail L.; Cerrano, Carlo; Astudillo-Garcia, Carmen; Easson, Cole; Sipkema, Detmer; Liu, Fang; Steinert, Georg; Kotoulas, Giorgos; McCormack, Grace P.; Feng, Guofang; Bell, James J.; Vicente, Jan; Bjö rk, Johannes R.; Montoya, Jose M.; Olson, Julie B.; Reveillaud, Julie; Steindler, Laura; Pineda, Mari-Carmen; Marra, Maria V.; Ilan, Micha; Taylor, Michael W.; Polymenakou, Paraskevi; Erwin, Patrick M.; Schupp, Peter J.; Simister, Rachel L.; Knight, Rob; Thacker, Robert W.; Costa, Rodrigo; Hill, Russell T.; Lopez-Legentil, Susanna; Dailianis, Thanos; Ravasi, Timothy; Hentschel, Ute; Li, Zhiyong; Webster, Nicole S.; Thomas, Torsten

    2017-01-01

    Marine sponges (phylum Porifera) are a diverse, phylogenetically deep-branching clade known for forming intimate partnerships with complex communities of microorganisms. To date, 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies have largely utilised different

  15. Systematics, zoogeography, and ecology of the Priapulida

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Land, van der J.

    1970-01-01

    CONTENTS 1 Introduction.................. 4 1.1 Plan .................. 4 1.2 Material and methods.............. 5 1.3 Acknowledgements............... 6 2 Systematics.................. 8 2.1 Historical introduction.............. 8 2.2 Phylum Priapulida............... 9 2.2.1

  16. Phylogeny and comparative genome analysis of a Basidiomycete fungi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riley, Robert W.; Salamov, Asaf; Grigoriev, Igor; Hibbett, David

    2011-03-14

    Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota, make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important from the perspectives of forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes the mushrooms, wood rots, plant pathogenic rusts and smuts, and some human pathogens. To better understand these important fungi, we have undertaken a comparative genomic analysis of the Basidiomycetes with available sequenced genomes. We report a phylogeny that sheds light on previously unclear evolutionary relationships among the Basidiomycetes. We also define a `core proteome? based on protein families conserved in all Basidiomycetes. We identify key expansions and contractions in protein families that may be responsible for the degradation of plant biomass such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Finally, we speculate as to the genomic changes that drove such expansions and contractions.

  17. Histological identification of muscular sarcocystis: A report of two cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mani Makhija

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Sarcocystis is an apicomplexan protozoan belonging to same phylum as toxoplasma. The parasite encysts inside striated muscles of its intermediate host. Humans are accidental host infected by eating food or water contaminated with oocysts or sporocysts of an infected definitive host. The infection is increasing in Southeast Asia and may be overlooked in histological sections if one is not aware of the histomorphological features. The size and shape of the bradyzoites and the appearance of the cyst wall are the reliable features to distinguish this parasite from other parasites of the same phylum. The incidence of human infection is rising in Southeast Asia and histopathology is an important method for the diagnosis of muscular infection. It is important to recognize the histomorphology of this parasite and its differentiation from similar parasites.

  18. The development of the gut microbiota in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is affected by first feeding and diet type

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingerslev, Hans-Christian; von Gersdorff Jørgensen, L.; Strube, Mikael Lenz

    2014-01-01

    - or plant based diet with or without the probiont Pediococcus acidilactici. Before first feeding the main part of the sequence reads grouped to the genus Sediminibacterium probably originating from the surrounding water. The microbial abundance and diversity increased after first-feeding and the microbiota...... then changed towards phylum Firmicutes dominance for plant based fed fish and towards dominance of phylum Proteobacteria for the marine fed fish. After first-feeding, there were significantly higher abundances of Streptococcus, Leuconostoc and Weissella in fish fed the plant-based diet. The microbiota...... clustered separately according to the diet type, but only minor effects were seen from the probiont when using PCA-analysis. The constitutive transcription level of most examined immune genes increased during the ontogenic shift, but the results could not explain the differences in the composition...

  19. Analysis of bacterial and fungal communities in Marcha and Thiat, traditionally prepared amylolytic starters of India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sha, Shankar Prasad; Jani, Kunal; Sharma, Avinash; Anupma, Anu; Pradhan, Pooja; Shouche, Yogesh; Tamang, Jyoti Prakash

    2017-09-08

    Marcha and thiat are traditionally prepared amylolytic starters use for production of various ethnic alcoholic beverages in Sikkim and Meghalaya states in India. In the present study we have tried to investigate the bacterial and fungal community composition of marcha and thiat by using high throughput sequencing. Characterization of bacterial community depicts phylum Proteobacteria is the most dominant in both marcha (91.4%) and thiat (53.8%), followed by Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Estimates of fungal community composition showed Ascomycota as the dominant phylum. Presence of Zygomycota in marcha distinguishes it from the thiat. The results of NGS analysis revealed dominance of yeasts in marcha whereas molds out numbers in case of thiat. This is the first report on microbial communities of traditionally prepared amylolytic starters of India using high throughput sequencing.

  20. Immigration has a large impact on the observed microbial community in anaerobic digesters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirkegaard, Rasmus Hansen; McIlroy, Simon Jon; Kristensen, Jannie Munk

    Anaerobic digestion (AD) is globally applied for bioenergy production. Although its widespread application, improved understanding of the underlying microbial ecology is needed to provide solutions for optimised process performance. In this study, we investigated the impact of immigration...... on the microbial community and conducted detailed investigations of bacteria from the hitherto undescribed phylum Hyd24-12, which’s role in AD has been overlooked so far. A total of 32 AD reactors at 18 Danish full-scale wastewater treatment plants were sampled during five years of operation. The bacterial...... immigration into account, would highly bias the conclusions. One of the most abundant non-immigrating bacteria belonged to candidate phylum Hyd24-12. Using differential coverage binning of multiple AD metagenomes, we retrieved the first genome of Hyd24-12. The genome allowed for detailed metabolic...

  1. The invasive New Guinea flatworm Platydemus manokwari in France, the first record for Europe: time for action is now.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Justine, Jean-Lou; Winsor, Leigh; Gey, Delphine; Gros, Pierre; Thévenot, Jessica

    2014-01-01

    Non-indigenous terrestrial flatworms (Platyhelminthes) have been recorded in thirteen European countries. They include Bipalium kewense and Dolichoplana striata that are largely restricted to hothouses and may be regarded as non-invasive species. In addition there are species from the southern hemisphere such as the invasive New Zealand flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulatus in the United Kingdom, Eire and the Faroe Islands, the Australian flatworm Australoplana sanguinea alba in Eire and the United Kingdom, and the Australian Blue Garden flatworm Caenoplana coerulea in France, Menorca and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has some twelve or more non-indigenous species most of which are Australian and New Zealand species. These species may move to an invasive stage when optimum environmental and other conditions occur, and the flatworms then have the potential to cause economic or environmental harm. In this paper, we report the identification (from morphology and molecular analysis of COI sequences) of non-indigenous terrestrial flatworms found in a hothouse in Caen (France) as the New Guinea flatworm Platydemus manokwari de Beauchamp, 1963 (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola, Geoplanidae, Rhynchodeminae). Platydemus manokwari is among the "100 World's Worst Invader Alien Species". Lists of World geographic records, prey in the field and prey in laboratories of P. manokwari are provided. This species is considered a threat to native snails wherever it is introduced. The recent discovery of P. manokwari in France represents a significant extension of distribution of this Invasive Alien Species from the Indo-Pacific region to Europe. If it escaped the hothouse, the flatworm might survive winters and become established in temperate countries. The existence of this species in France requires an early warning of this incursion to State and European Union authorities, followed by the eradication of the flatworm in its locality, tightening of internal quarantine measures

  2. The invasive New Guinea flatworm Platydemus manokwari in France, the first record for Europe: time for action is now

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Lou Justine

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Non-indigenous terrestrial flatworms (Platyhelminthes have been recorded in thirteen European countries. They include Bipalium kewense and Dolichoplana striata that are largely restricted to hothouses and may be regarded as non-invasive species. In addition there are species from the southern hemisphere such as the invasive New Zealand flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulatus in the United Kingdom, Eire and the Faroe Islands, the Australian flatworm Australoplana sanguinea alba in Eire and the United Kingdom, and the Australian Blue Garden flatworm Caenoplana coerulea in France, Menorca and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has some twelve or more non-indigenous species most of which are Australian and New Zealand species. These species may move to an invasive stage when optimum environmental and other conditions occur, and the flatworms then have the potential to cause economic or environmental harm. In this paper, we report the identification (from morphology and molecular analysis of COI sequences of non-indigenous terrestrial flatworms found in a hothouse in Caen (France as the New Guinea flatworm Platydemus manokwari de Beauchamp, 1963 (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola, Geoplanidae, Rhynchodeminae. Platydemus manokwari is among the “100 World’s Worst Invader Alien Species”. Lists of World geographic records, prey in the field and prey in laboratories of P. manokwari are provided. This species is considered a threat to native snails wherever it is introduced. The recent discovery of P. manokwari in France represents a significant extension of distribution of this Invasive Alien Species from the Indo-Pacific region to Europe. If it escaped the hothouse, the flatworm might survive winters and become established in temperate countries. The existence of this species in France requires an early warning of this incursion to State and European Union authorities, followed by the eradication of the flatworm in its locality, tightening of

  3. Anti-schistosomal intervention targets identified by lifecycle transcriptomic analyses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer M Fitzpatrick

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Novel methods to identify anthelmintic drug and vaccine targets are urgently needed, especially for those parasite species currently being controlled by singular, often limited strategies. A clearer understanding of the transcriptional components underpinning helminth development will enable identification of exploitable molecules essential for successful parasite/host interactions. Towards this end, we present a combinatorial, bioinformatics-led approach, employing both statistical and network analyses of transcriptomic data, for identifying new immunoprophylactic and therapeutic lead targets to combat schistosomiasis.Utilisation of a Schistosoma mansoni oligonucleotide DNA microarray consisting of 37,632 elements enabled gene expression profiling from 15 distinct parasite lifecycle stages, spanning three unique ecological niches. Statistical approaches of data analysis revealed differential expression of 973 gene products that minimally describe the three major characteristics of schistosome development: asexual processes within intermediate snail hosts, sexual maturation within definitive vertebrate hosts and sexual dimorphism amongst adult male and female worms. Furthermore, we identified a group of 338 constitutively expressed schistosome gene products (including 41 transcripts sharing no sequence similarity outside the Platyhelminthes, which are likely to be essential for schistosome lifecycle progression. While highly informative, statistics-led bioinformatics mining of the transcriptional dataset has limitations, including the inability to identify higher order relationships between differentially expressed transcripts and lifecycle stages. Network analysis, coupled to Gene Ontology enrichment investigations, facilitated a re-examination of the dataset and identified 387 clusters (containing 12,132 gene products displaying novel examples of developmentally regulated classes (including 294 schistosomula and/or adult transcripts with no

  4. Modular evolution of glutathione peroxidase genes in association with different biochemical properties of their encoded proteins in invertebrate animals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zo Young-Gun

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidases (PHGPx, the most abundant isoforms of GPx families, interfere directly with hydroperoxidation of lipids. Biochemical properties of these proteins vary along with their donor organisms, which has complicated the phylogenetic classification of diverse PHGPx-like proteins. Despite efforts for comprehensive analyses, the evolutionary aspects of GPx genes in invertebrates remain largely unknown. Results We isolated GPx homologs via in silico screening of genomic and/or expressed sequence tag databases of eukaryotic organisms including protostomian species. Genes showing strong similarity to the mammalian PHGPx genes were commonly found in all genomes examined. GPx3- and GPx7-like genes were additionally detected from nematodes and platyhelminths, respectively. The overall distribution of the PHGPx-like proteins with different biochemical properties was biased across taxa; selenium- and glutathione (GSH-dependent proteins were exclusively detected in platyhelminth and deuterostomian species, whereas selenium-independent and thioredoxin (Trx-dependent enzymes were isolated in the other taxa. In comparison of genomic organization, the GSH-dependent PHGPx genes showed a conserved architectural pattern, while their Trx-dependent counterparts displayed complex exon-intron structures. A codon for the resolving Cys engaged in reductant binding was found to be substituted in a series of genes. Selection pressure to maintain the selenocysteine codon in GSH-dependent genes also appeared to be relaxed during their evolution. With the dichotomized fashion in genomic organizations, a highly polytomic topology of their phylogenetic trees implied that the GPx genes have multiple evolutionary intermediate forms. Conclusion Comparative analysis of invertebrate GPx genes provides informative evidence to support the modular pathways of GPx evolution, which have been accompanied with sporadic

  5. Cecembia lonarensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a haloalkalitolerant bacterium of the family Cyclobacteriaceae, isolated from a haloalkaline lake and emended descriptions of the genera Indibacter, Nitritalea and Belliella

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    AnilKumar, P.; Srinivas, T.N.R; Madhu, S.; Sravan, R; Singh, S.; Naqvi, S.W.A.; Mayilraj, S.; Shivaji, S.

    .5 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the type strains of Indibacter alkaliphilus and Aquiflexum balticum, two members of the family Cyclobacteriaceae (phylum 'Bacteroidetes') were the most closely related strains with sequence...

  6. Acidicapsa borealis gen. nov., sp nov and Acidicapsa ligni sp nov., subdivision 1 Acidobacteria from Sphagnum peat and decaying wood

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kulichevskaya, I.; Kostina, L. A.; Valášková, Vendula; Rijpstra, W. I.; Damste, J. S. S.; de Boer, W.; Dedysh, S. N.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 62, č. 7 (2012), s. 1512-1520 ISSN 1466-5026 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : PHYLUM ACIDOBACTERIA * ENVIRONMENT * SOIL Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.112, year: 2012

  7. Lophotrochozoan mitochondrial genomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Valles, Yvonne; Boore, Jeffrey L.

    2005-10-01

    Progress in both molecular techniques and phylogeneticmethods has challenged many of the interpretations of traditionaltaxonomy. One example is in the recognition of the animal superphylumLophotrochozoa (annelids, mollusks, echiurans, platyhelminthes,brachiopods, and other phyla), although the relationships within thisgroup and the inclusion of some phyla remain uncertain. While much ofthis progress in phylogenetic reconstruction has been based on comparingsingle gene sequences, we are beginning to see the potential of comparinglarge-scale features of genomes, such as the relative order of genes.Even though tremendous progress is being made on the sequencedetermination of whole nuclear genomes, the dataset of choice forgenome-level characters for many animals across a broad taxonomic rangeremains mitochondrial genomes. We review here what is known aboutmitochondrial genomes of the lophotrochozoans and discuss the promisethat this dataset will enable insight into theirrelationships.

  8. Two novel Mesocestoides vogae fatty acid binding proteins--functional and evolutionary implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvite, Gabriela; Canclini, Lucía; Corvo, Ileana; Esteves, Adriana

    2008-01-01

    This work describes two new fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) identified in the parasite platyhelminth Mesocestoides vogae (syn. corti). The corresponding polypeptide chains share 62% identical residues and overall 90% similarity according to CLUSTALX default conditions. Compared with Cestoda FABPs, these proteins share the highest similarity score with the Taenia solium protein. M. vogae FABPs are also phylogenetically related to the FABP3/FABP4 mammalian FABP subfamilies. The native proteins were purified by chromatographical procedures, and apparent molecular mass and isoelectric point were determined. Immunolocalization studies determined the localization of the expression of these proteins in the larval form of the parasite. The genomic exon-intron organization of both genes is also reported, and supports new insights on intron evolution. Consensus motifs involved in splicing were identified.

  9. Type material of Acanthocephala, Nematoda and other non-helminths phyla (Cnidaria, Annelida, and Arthropoda housed in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute/ FIOCRUZ (CHIOC, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1979 to 2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela A. Lopes

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The third part of the catalogue of type material in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute/FIOCRUZ (CHIOC, comprising types deposited between 1979 and 2016, is presented to complement the first list of all types that was published in 1979. This part encompasses Acanthocephala, Nematoda and the other non-helminth phyla Cnidaria, Annelida, and Arthropoda. Platyhelminthes was covered in the first (Monogenoidea and second (Rhabditophora Trematoda and Cestoda parts of the catalogue published in September 2016 and March 2017, respectively. The present catalogue comprises type material for 116 species distributed across five phyla, nine classes, 50 families, and 80 genera. Specific names are listed systematically, followed by type host, infection site, type locality, and specimens with their collection numbers and references. Species classification and nomenclature are updated.

  10. According to the system of classification adopted by Stephen and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    spamer

    1972), the phylum Echiura contains four families, 34 genera and ... Department of Zoology, University of Durban-Westville, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa. E-mail:gkmood@pixie.edw.ac.za. Manuscript received: December 1996 ...

  11. Lysozymes in the animal kingdom

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In the animal kingdom, three major distinct lysozyme types have been ... reveals that c-type lysozymes are predominantly present in the phylum of the Chordata and in different classes of the Arthropoda. ... Journal of Biosciences | News ...

  12. Genomic Analysis of Pathogenicity Determinants in Mycobacterium kansasii Type I

    KAUST Repository

    Guan, Qingtian

    2016-01-01

    Mycobacteria, a genus within Actinobacteria Phylum, are well known for two pathogens that cause human diseases: leprosy and tuberculosis. Other than the obligate human mycobacteria, there is a group of bacteria that are present in the environment

  13. Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens gen. nov., sp. nov., a reductively dehalogenating bacterium isolated from chlorinated solvent-contaminated groundwater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moe, William M; Yan, Jun; Nobre, M Fernanda; da Costa, Milton S; Rainey, Fred A

    2009-11-01

    Two recently reported bacterial strains that are able to reductively dehalogenate polychlorinated aliphatic alkanes, including 1,2,3-trichloropropane, 1,2-dichloropropane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,2-dichloroethane, were further characterized to clarify their taxonomic position. The two strains, designated BL-DC-8 and BL-DC-9(T), were mesophilic, non-spore-forming, non-motile, Gram-negative staining and strictly anaerobic. Cells were irregular cocci, 0.3-0.6 mum in diameter. The two strains were resistant to ampicillin and vancomycin. Hydrogen was utilized as an electron donor. The genomic DNA G+C content of strains BL-DC-8 and BL-DC-9(T) was 54.0 and 53.8 mol%, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids were C(18 : 1)omega9c, C(16 : 1)omega9c, C(16 : 0) and C(14 : 0). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strains cluster within the phylum Chloroflexi, but are related only distantly to all recognized taxa in the phylum. Morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomic traits as well as phylogenetic analysis support the conclusion that these two strains represent a novel species of a new genus in the phylum Chloroflexi, for which the name Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens is BL-DC-9(T) (=ATCC BAA-1523(T) =JCM 15061(T)).

  14. Spatial Variability of PAHs and Microbial Community Structure in Surrounding Surficial Soil of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Xuzhou, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Ma

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This work investigated the spatial profile and source analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs in soil that surrounds coal-fired power plants in Xuzhou, China. High-throughput sequencing was employed to investigate the composition and structure of soil bacterial communities. The total concentration of 15 PAHs in the surface soils ranged from 164.87 to 3494.81 μg/kg dry weight. The spatial profile of PAHs was site-specific with a concentration of 1400.09–3494.81 μg/kg in Yaozhuang. Based on the qualitative and principal component analysis results, coal burning and vehicle emission were found to be the main sources of PAHs in the surface soils. The phylogenetic analysis revealed differences in bacterial community compositions among different sampling sites. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum, while Acidobacteria was the second most abundant. The orders of Campylobacterales, Desulfobacterales and Hydrogenophilales had the most significant differences in relative abundance among the sampling sites. The redundancy analysis revealed that the differences in bacterial communities could be explained by the organic matter content. They could also be explicated by the acenaphthene concentration with longer arrows. Furthermore, OTUs of Proteobacteria phylum plotted around particular samples were confirmed to have a different composition of Proteobacteria phylum among the sample sites. Evaluating the relationship between soil PAHs concentration and bacterial community composition may provide useful information for the remediation of PAH contaminated sites.

  15. Genomic analysis indicates the presence of an asymmetric bilayer outer membrane in Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daan R Speth

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria of the phylum Planctomycetes are of special interest for the study of compartmental cellular organization. Members of this phylum share a very unusual prokaryotic cell plan, featuring several membrane-bound compartments. Recently, it was shown that this cellular organization might extend to certain members of the phylum Verrucomicrobia. The Planctomycete cell plan has been defined as featuring a proteinaceous cell wall, a cytoplasmic membrane surrounding the paryphoplasm and an intracytoplasmic membrane defining the riboplasm. So far it was presumed that Planctomycetes did not have an asymmetric bilayer outer membrane as observed in Gram-negative bacteria. However, recent work on outer membrane biogenesis has provided several marker genes in the outer membrane protein (OMP assembly and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS insertion complexes. Additionally, advances in computational prediction of OMPs provided new tools to perform more accurate genomic screening for such proteins.Here we searched all 22 Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia genomes available in Genbank, plus the recently published genome of ‘Candidatus Scalindua profunda’, for markers of outer membrane biogenesis and OMPs. We were able to identify the key components of LPS insertion, OMP assembly and at least eight OMPs in all genomes tested. Additionally, we have analyzed the transcriptome and proteome data of the Planctomycetes ‘Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis’ and ‘Ca. S. profunda’ and could confirm high expression of several predicted OMPs, including the biomarkers of outer membrane biogenesis.

  16. Evolution of the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle and recent transfer of anoxygenic photosynthesis into the Chloroflexi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shih, Patrick M.; Ward, Lewis M.; Fischer, Woodward W.

    2017-10-01

    Various lines of evidence from both comparative biology and the geologic record make it clear that the biochemical machinery for anoxygenic photosynthesis was present on early Earth and provided the evolutionary stock from which oxygenic photosynthesis evolved ca. 2.3 billion years ago. However, the taxonomic identity of these early anoxygenic phototrophs is uncertain, including whether or not they remain extant. Several phototrophic bacterial clades are thought to have evolved before oxygenic photosynthesis emerged, including the Chloroflexi, a phylum common across a wide range of modern environments. Although Chloroflexi have traditionally been thought to be an ancient phototrophic lineage, genomics has revealed a much greater metabolic diversity than previously appreciated. Here, using a combination of comparative genomics and molecular clock analyses, we show that phototrophic members of the Chloroflexi phylum are not particularly ancient, having evolved well after the rise of oxygen (ca. 867 million years ago), and thus cannot be progenitors of oxygenic photosynthesis. Similarly, results show that the carbon fixation pathway that defines this clade—the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle—evolved late in Earth history as a result of a series of horizontal gene transfer events, explaining the lack of geological evidence for this pathway based on the carbon isotope record. These results demonstrate the role of horizontal gene transfer in the recent metabolic innovations expressed within this phylum, including its importance in the development of a novel carbon fixation pathway.

  17. The Arctic soil bacterial communities in the vicinity of a little auk colony

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylwia Zielinska

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Due to deposition of birds’ guano, eggshells or feathers, the vicinity of a large seabirds’ breeding colony is expected to have a substantial impact on the soil’s physicochemical features as well as on diversity of vegetation and the soil invertebrates. Consequently, due to changing physicochemical features the structure of bacterial communities might fluctuate in different soil environments. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial assemblages in the Arctic soil within the area of a birds’ colony and in a control sample from a topographically similar location but situated away from the colony’s impact area. A high number of OTUs found in both areas indicates a highly complex microbial populations structure. The most abundant phyla in both of the tested samples were: Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi, with different proportions in the total share. Despite differences in the physicochemical soil characteristics, the soil microbial community structures at the phylum level were similar to some extent in the two samples. The only share that was significantly higher in the control area when compared to the sample obtained within the birds’ colony, belonged to the Actinobacteria phylum. Moreover, when analyzing the class level for each phylum, several differences between the samples were observed. Furthermore, lower proportions of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were observed in the soil sample under the influence of the bird’s colony, which most probably could be linked to higher nitrogen concentrations in that sample.

  18. Composition, variability, and temporal stability of the intestinal microbiota of the elderly.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Claesson, Marcus J

    2011-03-15

    Alterations in the human intestinal microbiota are linked to conditions including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and obesity. The microbiota also undergoes substantial changes at the extremes of life, in infants and older people, the ramifications of which are still being explored. We applied pyrosequencing of over 40,000 16S rRNA gene V4 region amplicons per subject to characterize the fecal microbiota in 161 subjects aged 65 y and older and 9 younger control subjects. The microbiota of each individual subject constituted a unique profile that was separable from all others. In 68% of the individuals, the microbiota was dominated by phylum Bacteroides, with an average proportion of 57% across all 161 baseline samples. Phylum Firmicutes had an average proportion of 40%. The proportions of some phyla and genera associated with disease or health also varied dramatically, including Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Faecalibacteria. The core microbiota of elderly subjects was distinct from that previously established for younger adults, with a greater proportion of Bacteroides spp. and distinct abundance patterns of Clostridium groups. Analyses of 26 fecal microbiota datasets from 3-month follow-up samples indicated that in 85% of the subjects, the microbiota composition was more like the corresponding time-0 sample than any other dataset. We conclude that the fecal microbiota of the elderly shows temporal stability over limited time in the majority of subjects but is characterized by unusual phylum proportions and extreme variability.

  19. A comparative study of the molecular evolution of signalling pathway ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2013-08-05

    Aug 5, 2013 ... formed using DnaSP ver. 5 (Librado and Rozas 2009) from ... a context of global divergence within each phylum we exam- ined genomewide ... suggests that the overall conserved sensory signalling cas- cade members are ...

  20. Arabinogalactan proteins have deep roots in eukaryotes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hervé, Cécile; Siméon, Amandine; Jam, Murielle

    2016-01-01

    Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are highly glycosylated, hydroxyproline-rich proteins found at the cell surface of plants, where they play key roles in developmental processes. Brown algae are marine, multicellular, photosynthetic eukaryotes. They belong to the phylum Stramenopiles, which...

  1. Complete genome sequence of Leptotrichia buccalis type strain (C-1013-bT)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ivanova, Natalia; Gronow, Sabine; Lapidus, Alla; Copeland, Alex; Glavina Del Rio, Tijana; Nolan, Matt; Lucas, Susan; Chen, Feng; Tice, Hope; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Saunders, Liz; Bruce, David; Goodwin, Lynne; Brettin, Thomas; Detter, John C.; Han, Cliff; Pitluck, Sam; Mikhailova, Natalia; Pati, Amrita; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Chen, Amy; Palaniappan, Krishna; Land, Miriam; Hauser, Loren; Chang, Yun-Juan; Jefferies, Cynthia C.; Chain, Patrick; Rohde, Christine; Goker, Markus; Bristow, Jim; Eisen, Jonathan A.; Markowitz, Victor; Hugenholtz, Philip; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Klenk, Hans-Peter

    2009-05-20

    Leptotrichia buccalis (Robin 1853) Trevisan 1879 is the type species of the genus, and is of phylogenetic interest because of its isolated location in the sparsely populated and neither taxonomically nor genomically adequately accessed family 'Leptotrichiaceae' within the phylum 'Fusobacteria'. Species of Leptotrichia are large fusiform non-motile, non-sporulating rods, which often populate the human oral flora. L. buccalis is anaerobic to aerotolerant, and saccharolytic. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the order 'Fusobacteriales' and no more than the second sequence from the phylum 'Fusobacteria'. The 2,465,610 bp long single replicon genome with its 2306 protein-coding and 61 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

  2. The intestinal microbiota in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) is influenced by diet type and Yersinia Ruckeri challenge

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingerslev, Hans-Christian; Dalsgaard, Inger; Jørgensen, L. von Gersdorff

    colonization of pathogenic bacteria. The question is if the gut microbiota is also important in lower vertebrates such as fish? Is the microbiota related to the diet type and does it play a protective role in connection to pathogenic challenge? To examine these questions rainbow trout fry were fed two...... of reads belonging to phylum Firmicutes were significantly higher in the intestines of vegetable fed fish. The genera within phylum Firmicutes present in significantly higher amounts in vegetable fed fish were Weissella, Leuconostoc and Streptococcus. Genus Aeromonas from the γ-proteobacteria class...... was also present in significantly higher amounts in the vegetable fed fish. When challenged with Yersinia ruckeri, fish with a high amount of sequence reads belonging to genus Yersinia had a significantly lower amount of reads from the order Burkholderiales relative to non-infected control fish and fish...

  3. Neuro-endocrine disruption in molluscs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holbech, Henrik; Bech Sanderhoff, Lene; Waller, Stine P.

    The Mollusca phylum is the second largest animal phylum with around 85,000 registered mollusc species and increasing attention to effects of chemicals on the molluscan endocrine system have been given during the last years. This includes initiation of the development of OECD test guidelines (TG...... efficient and fast in vivo system using embryos of the freshwater pulmonate gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis (the great pond snail). It is known that serotonin and dopamine are involved in many reproductive processes in molluscs Incl. egg maturation and spawning and that pedal ciliary activity causing L....... stagnalis embryos to rotate in the eggs is serotonin/dopamine regulated. We have developed a system to quantify embryo rotation and present results of exposure to serotonin, dopamine and different anti-depressive pharmaceuticals (e.g. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRI´s) using the L. stagnalis...

  4. Diet strongly influences the gut microbiota of surgeonfishes

    KAUST Repository

    Miyake, Sou; Ngugi, David; Stingl, Ulrich

    2015-01-01

    on the reef ecology. Here, we studied the composition of the gut microbiota of nine surgeonfish and three nonsurgeonfish species from the Red Sea. High-throughput pyrosequencing results showed that members of the phylum Firmicutes, especially of the genus

  5. The occurrence of haplosporidian parasites, Haplosporidium nelsoni and Haplosporidium sp., in oysters in Ireland

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lynch, S.A.; Villalba, A.; Abollo, E.; Engelsma, M.Y.; Stokes, N.; Culloty, S.C.

    2013-01-01

    The phylum Haplosporidia is a group of obligate protozoan parasites that infect a number of freshwater and marine invertebrates. Haplosporidian parasites have caused significant mortalities in commercially important shellfish species worldwide. In this study, haplosporidia were detected in Pacific

  6. Phylogeny of Fish-Infecting Calyptospora species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriorina)

    Science.gov (United States)

    There are numerous species of apicomplexans that infect poikilothermic vertebrates such as fishes, and possess unique morphological features that provide insight into the evolution of this important phylum of parasites. Here the relationship of the fish-infecting Calyptospora spe...

  7. Bioprospecting Sediments from Red Sea Coastal Lagoons for Microorganisms and Their Antimicrobial Potential

    KAUST Repository

    Al Amoudi, Soha

    2016-01-01

    location with an increased probability of successful antibiotic bioprospecting, while the best sediment type in RHL for this purpose is microbial mat. Moreover, the phylum Actinobacteria tends to be the common target for research when it comes to antibiotic

  8. Combining flow cytometry and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing: A promising approach for drinking water monitoring and characterization

    KAUST Repository

    Prest, Emmanuelle I E C; El Chakhtoura, Joline; Hammes, Frederik A.; Saikaly, Pascal; van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

    2014-01-01

    concentration changes for each bacterial phylum. The results revealed an increase in cell concentrations of specific bacterial phyla (e.g., Proteobacteria), along with a decrease in other phyla (e.g., Actinobacteria), which could not be concluded from the two

  9. Identification of Eimeria acervulina conoid antigen using chicken monoclonal antibody and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Protozoan parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa include a large number of medically important species. Among them, Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium, Cryptosporidium that cause watery diarrhea and mortality in humans and livestock, and Eimeria which induces gastrointestinal disorder in livestock and poul...

  10. The phylogeny of Arthrotardigrada

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jesper Guldberg

    2011-01-01

    The order Arthrotardigrada, or water bears, constitutes a small group of 160 species of marine, microscopical invertebrates, within the phylum Tardigrada. Although the position of tardigrades in the Animal Kingdom has received much attention focusing on the metazoan phylogeny, the phylogenetic...

  11. Recent progress in understanding host immune response to Avian Coccidiosis: Th1 and Th17 responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Host-pathogen interaction leading to protection against coccidiosis is complex, involving many aspects of innate and adaptive immunity to intracellular parasites. The etiologic agent of avian coccidiosis is Eimeria, a genus of eukaryotic obligate intracellular parasites belonging to the phylum Apico...

  12. Immunocytochemistry of the nervous system and the musculature of the chordoid larva of Symbion pandora (Cycliophora)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wanninger, Andreas

    2005-01-01

    To date, the phylum Cycliophora comprises only one described extant species of acoelomate marine invertebrates, Symbion pandora. Adult specimens live commensally on the mouthparts of the Norwegian lobster, Nephrops norvegicus. Its complicated life cycle includes an asexually produced Pandora larva...

  13. Discovery of extremely halophilic, methyl-reducing euryarchaea provides insights into the evolutionary origin of methanogenesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sorokin, Dimitry Y.; Makarova, Kira S.; Abbas, B.A.; Ferrer, Manuel; Golyshin, Peter N.; Galinski, Erwin A.; Ciordia, Sergio; Mena, María Carmen; Merkel, Alexander Y.; Wolf, Yuri I.; van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.; Koonin, Eugene V.

    2017-01-01

    Methanogenic archaea are major players in the global carbon cycle and in the biotechnology of anaerobic digestion. The phylum Euryarchaeota includes diverse groups of methanogens that are interspersed with non-methanogenic lineages. So far, methanogens inhabiting hypersaline environments have

  14. Genome Sequence of “Pedosphaera parvula” Ellin514, an Aerobic Verrucomicrobial Isolate from Pasture Soil▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kant, Ravi; van Passel, Mark W. J.; Sangwan, Parveen; Palva, Airi; Lucas, Susan; Copeland, Alex; Lapidus, Alla; Glavina del Rio, Tijana; Dalin, Eileen; Tice, Hope; Bruce, David; Goodwin, Lynne; Pitluck, Sam; Chertkov, Olga; Larimer, Frank W.; Land, Miriam L.; Hauser, Loren; Brettin, Thomas S.; Detter, John C.; Han, Shunsheng; de Vos, Willem M.; Janssen, Peter H.; Smidt, Hauke

    2011-01-01

    “Pedosphaera parvula” Ellin514 is an aerobically grown verrucomicrobial isolate from pasture soil. It is one of the few cultured representatives of subdivision 3 of the phylum Verrucomicrobia. Members of this group are widespread in terrestrial environments. PMID:21460084

  15. The sponge microbiome project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moitinho-Silva, Lucas; Nielsen, Shaun; Amir, Amnon; Gonzalez, Antonio; Ackermann, Gail L.; Cerrano, Carlo; Astudillo-Garcia, Carmen; Easson, Cole; Sipkema, Detmer; Liu, Fang; Steinert, Georg; Kotoulas, Giorgos; McCormack, Grace P.; Feng, Guofang; Bell, James J.; Vicente, Jan; Björk, Johannes R.; Montoya, Jose M.; Olson, Julie B.; Reveillaud, Julie; Steindler, Laura; Pineda, Mari Carmen; Marra, Maria V.; Ilan, Micha; Taylor, Michael W.; Polymenakou, Paraskevi; Erwin, Patrick M.; Schupp, Peter J.; Simister, Rachel L.; Knight, Rob; Thacker, Robert W.; Costa, Rodrigo; Hill, Russell T.; Lopez-Legentil, Susanna; Dailianis, Thanos; Ravasi, Timothy; Hentschel, Ute; Li, Zhiyong; Webster, Nicole S.; Thomas, Torsten

    2017-01-01

    Marine sponges (phylum Porifera) are a diverse, phylogenetically deep-branching clade known for forming intimate partnerships with complex communities of microorganisms. To date, 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies have largely utilised different extraction and amplification methodologies to target the

  16. Draft Genome of Scalindua rubra, Obtained from the Interface Above the Discovery Deep Brine in the Red Sea, Sheds Light on Potential Salt Adaptation Strategies in Anammox Bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Speth, Daan R.; Lagkouvardos, Ilias; Wang, Yong; Qian, Pei Yuan; Dutilh, Bas E.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304546313; Jetten, Mike S M

    2017-01-01

    Several recent studies have indicated that members of the phylum Planctomycetes are abundantly present at the brine-seawater interface (BSI) above multiple brine pools in the Red Sea. Planctomycetes include bacteria capable of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). Here, we investigated the

  17. Novel Mono-, Di-, and Trimethylornithine Membrane Lipids in Northern Wetland Planctomycetes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moore, E.K.; Hopmans, E.C.; Rijpstra, W.I.C.; Villanueva, L.; Dedysh, S.N.; Kulichevskaya, I.S.; Wienk, H.L.J.; Schoutsen, F.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.

    2013-01-01

    Northern peatlands represent a significant global carbon store and commonly originate from Sphagnum moss-dominated wetlands. These ombrotrophic ecosystems are rain fed, resulting in nutrient-poor, acidic conditions. Members of the bacterial phylum Planctomycetes are highly abundant and appear to

  18. The anammoxosome: an intracytoplasmic compartment in anammox bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Niftrik, L.A.M.P. van; Fuerst, J.A.; Damste, J.S.S.; Kuenen, J.G.; Jetten, M.S.M.; Strous, M.

    2004-01-01

    Anammox bacteria belong to the phylum Planctomycetes and perform anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox); they oxidize ammonium with nitrite as the electron acceptor to yield dinitrogen gas. The anammox reaction takes place inside the anammoxosome: an intracytoplasmic compartment bounded by a single

  19. The anammoxosome : An intracytoplasmic compartment in anammox bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Niftrik, L.A. van; Fuerst, J.A.; Kuenen, J.G.; Jetten, M.S.M.; Strous, M.

    2004-01-01

    Anammox bacteria belong to the phylum Planctomycetes and perform anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox); they oxidize ammonium with nitrite as the electron acceptor to yield dinitrogen gas. The anammox reaction takes place inside the anammoxosome: an intracytoplasmic compartment bounded by a single

  20. Genetic technologies for extremely thermophilic microorganisms of Sulfolobus, the only genetically tractable genus of crenarchaea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peng, Nan; Han, Wenyuan; Li, Yingjun

    2017-01-01

    Archaea represents the third domain of life, with the information-processing machineries more closely resembling those of eukaryotes than the machineries of the bacterial counterparts but sharing metabolic pathways with organisms of Bacteria, the sister prokaryotic phylum. Archaeal organisms also...

  1. Complete genome sequence of Nitrosomonas sp. Is79, an ammonia oxidizing bacterium adapted to low ammonium concentrations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bollmann, A.; Sedlacek, C.J.; Norton, J.; Laanbroek, H.J.; Suwa, Y.; Stein, L.Y.; Klotz, M.G.; Arp, D.; Sayavedra-Soto, L.; Lu, M.; Bruce, D.; Detter, C.; Tapia, R.; Han, J.; Woyke, T.; Lucas, S.; Pitluck, S.; Pennacchio, L.; Nolan, M.; Land, M.L.; Huntemann, M.; Deshpande, S.; Han, C.; Chen, A.; Kyrpides, N.; Mavromatis, K.; Markowitz, V.; Szeto, E.; Ivanova, N.; Mikhailova, N.; Pagani, I.; Pati, A.; Peters, L.; Ovchinnikova, G.; Goodwin, L.

    2013-01-01

    Nitrosomonas sp. Is79 is a chemolithoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium that belongs to the family Nitrosomonadaceae within the phylum Proteobacteria. Ammonia oxidation is the first step of nitrification, an important process in the global nitrogen cycle ultimately resulting in the production

  2. A new and primitive retrobursal planarian from Australian fresh waters (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Tricladida)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ball, Ian R.

    1977-01-01

    A primitive freshwater planarian, Eviella hynesae gen. et sp. nov. is described from Australia. It is characterized by its lack of eyes and pigment, possession of caudally branched oviducts, and fully fused testes. Although a primary bursa is absent, its function being taken over by the modified

  3. On the species of the Dugesia gonocephala group (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Tricladida) from Greece

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, de Elizabeth J.

    1984-01-01

    Dugesia gonocephala is a species group, comprising numerous closely related species, which differ from each other in morphological and karyological aspects. In this paper known and presently described species, of the group from the eastern Mediterranean region, are reviewed. Hitherto the triclads of

  4. Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Khawia sinensis belongs among platyhelminths, cestodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yan; Feng, Han-Li; Fang, Yi-Hui; Su, Ying-Bing

    2017-06-01

    Khawia sinensis is an important species in freshwater fish causing considerable economic losses to the breeding industry. This is the first mt genome of a caryophyllidean cestode characterised. The entire mt genome of K. sinensis is 13,759 bp in length. This mt genome contains 12 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and two non-coding regions. The arrangement of the K. sinensis mt genome is the same as other tapeworms, however, the incomplete stop codon (A) is more frequent that other species. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated amino-acid sequences of the 12 protein-coding genes of 17 tapeworms including K. sinensis were conducted to assess the relationship of K. sinensis with other species, the result indicated K. sinensis was closely related with cestode species. This complete mt genome of K. sinensis will enrich the mitochondrial genome databases of tapeworms and provide important molecular markers for ecology, diagnostics, population variation and evolution of K. sinensis and other species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Redescription and designation of a neotype of Temnocephala talicei Dioni, 1967 (Platyhelminthes: Temnocephalida).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volonterio, Odile

    2009-04-01

    Temnocephala talicei was described from Uruguayan material found mainly on Aegla prado. Its original description was based principally on its distinctive penial stylet, and, therefore, many aspects of the species anatomy that are now important in the taxonomy of the genus were not contemplated; type specimens were never designated; and the material used to describe the species has been lost. The present work provides a redescription of the species based upon material collected from the type host and in the type locality. Given the possibility of confusion in its identification, and in order to preserve its taxonomic stability, a neotype of T. talicei is designated. The closest species to T. talicei is Temnocephala mertoni, from which it can be separated by the presence of conspicuous intestinal septa, a markedly asymmetrical sphincter in the vagina, markedly lobed testes, a straight penial stylet with a non-sinuous distal portion of the shaft, a characteristic large, 'mouthpiece'-shaped introvert without discrete thickenings, and approximately 10 crowns of well-developed spines of decreasing length placed throughout the whole extension of the introvert. A comparison of material from Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay shows that there is little variation in the morphometry of the species. Finally, a comparison of the post-tentacular syncytia of T. talicei and T. mertoni shows that this is not always a species-specific character.

  6. New host records and description of the egg of Anacanthorus penilabiatus (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MC Pamplona-Basilio

    2001-07-01

    Full Text Available Anacanthorus penilabiatus is referred parasitizing the type-host Piaractus mesopotamicus (Serrasalmidae and two new hosts, Colossoma macropomum and C. brachypomum (Characidae from fish ponds of "Departamento Nacional de Obras Contra as Secas", Pentecoste, State of Ceará, Brazil. Table of measurements and the first description of the egg are presented.

  7. Anthelmintic activity of Rosmarinus officinalis against Dactylogyrus minutus (Monogenea) infections in Cyprinus carpio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoral, M A; Futami, K; Endo, M; Maita, M; Katagiri, T

    2017-11-30

    Monogenean parasites are important ectoparasites of fish, and are responsible for severe economic impacts in the aquaculture industry. They are usually treated with chemicals, but the chemicals can have harmful side effects in the fish and may pose threats to human health. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a common medicinal herb, with antimicrobial and antitumor properties. Here, we examined the anthelmintic activity of rosemary extract against the monogenean (Dactylogyrus minutus) in vitro and in vivo using bath treatment and oral administration. The in vitro experiments showed that parasite survival was affected by both rosemary extract concentration and the solvent (water and ethanol). Parasites were dead at 61.8±5.6 and 7.8±1.4min when exposed to 100 and 200g aqueous rosemary extract solution/L of water respectively. It took 166.7±48.2 and 5.4±1.01min to kill the parasites when exposed to 1 and 32g ethanol rosemary extract solution/L of water respectively. Moreover, pure component of rosemary extract obtained commercially used in in vitro experiments showed that 1,8-Cineole was the most toxic component of the main components tested. Parasite intensity and prevalence in fish exposed to 50 and 100g aqueous rosemary solution/L water for 30min were significantly lower than they were in controls (p<0.05). In oral treatment experiments, diets of Cyprinus carpio were supplemented with eight different concentrations of aqueous rosemary extract. The intensity of parasites was significantly less in fish fed for 30days with feed containing 60, 80 and 100ml aqueous extract/100g feed than in control (p<0.05). Together these results indicate that rosemary is a promising candidate for prevention and control of monogenean infection. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. Endoparasitic fauna of Serrasalmus spp. (Characidae: Serrasalminae in a neotropical floodplain

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    Guilherme Pomaro Casali

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Floodplains systems present complex biodiversity and upper Paraná river floodplain retains a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic species. Serrasalmus marginatus (nonindigenous species and Serrasalmus maculatus (native species are part of this biodiversity component and can be infected by trophic transmission. In order to understand the ecological processes within the upper Paraná river floodplain, endoparasite fauna of those two hosts species were analyzed, considering prevalence, abundance, intensity and richness variables to determine this relationship. So, abundance of acantocephalan Echinorhynchus sp. was positively correlated to S. marginatus length, while Kritskyia annakohnae (Monogenea prevalence and S. marginatus length presented a negative correlation. S. marginatus relative condition factor (Kn was negatively and significantly associated to the abundance of K. annakohnae, and Kn of infected fish by that species is lower compared with the non- infected fish. Since hosts are in the context of the introducing of species, the research of endoparasites ecological variables allows to understansd infracommunity and component community as a way of analyzing the consequence of these parasites distribution in the native and non-native species.

  9. Helminth parasite communities of two Physalaemus cuvieri Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leiuperidae populations under different conditions of habitat integrity in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Aguiar

    Full Text Available Abstract Adults of Physalaemus cuvieri were collected and necropsied between November 2009 and January 2010. This was carried out in order to report and compare the helminth fauna associated with two populations of this anuran species from the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest under different conditions of habitat integrity. The hosts from the disturbed area were parasitized with five helminth taxa: Cosmocerca parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., Oswaldocruzia subauricularis (Nematoda and Polystoma cuvieri (Monogenea while those from the preserved area had four helminth taxa: C. parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., and Acanthocephalus saopaulensis (Acanthocephala. Prevalence, mean intensity of infection, mean abundance, mean richness, importance index and dominance frequency of helminth component communities were similar in both areas. The helminth community associated with anurans from the disturbed area had higher diversity than that from the preserved area. This study is the first to report on the acanthocephalan parasites of Ph. cuvieri, and the similarity between helminth fauna composition of two host populations under different selective pressures.

  10. Parasitic infections in juveniles of Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) cultivated in the Peruvian Amazon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado, Patrick Mathews; Delgado, John Paul Mathews; Orbe, Rosa Ismińo

    2013-01-01

    The paiche, Arapaima gigas represents a socio-economically important species in the Peruvian Amazon, and actually an intensive production for human consumption has emerged during the last years. Therefore, more studies are required in fish farming development, especially concerning populations of parasites that affect fish production yields. Eighty specimens of paiche collected between September and October of 2011 from semi-intensive fish farm in Loreto State, Peru, were examined for their helminthic parasites. Five species were recorded parasitizing A. gigas: Dawestrema cycloancistrium and Dawestrema cycloancistrioides (Monogenea) on gills, Trichodina sp. (Protozoa) on the skin, Caballerotrema arapaimense (Trematoda) in stomachs and Philometra senticosa (Nematoda) in the swim bladder. Highest prevalence was recorded for D. cycloancistrium (100.0%), D. cycloancistrioides (83.0%) and Trichodina sp. (50.0%) and highest values of mean intensity and mean abundance were recorded for D. cycloancistrium (260) parasites per individual. The results confirm the necessity of constant monitoring of fish, seeking the diagnosis and timely control of infestations with parasites, in order to eradicate the mortality of the host that leads unviable the fish farming intended for human consumption.

  11. Eimeria-induced chicken cNK-2 is an anti-infective host defense peptide and an immunomodulator of host innate immunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avian coccidiosis is one of the most widespread infectious diseases of chickens. The etiologic agent of avian coccidiosis is Eimeria, a genus of eukaryotic obligate intracellular parasites belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. Clinical manifestations of infection include damage to the intestinal epit...

  12. Chemical and biological characterization of a crude venom extract ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Sea-anemones, in common with other members of the phylum cnidaria (coelenterate) possess numerous tentacles containing specialized stinging cells of cnidocysts. Our main objective is to elucidate the chemical character and biological properties of this Nigerian species of sea anemone Bunodosoma ...

  13. Genome Sequence of Campylobacter jejuni strain 327, a strain isolated from a turkey slaughterhouse

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Takamiya, Monica; Özen, Asli Ismihan; Rasmussen, Morten

    2011-01-01

    Campylobacter is one of the leading causes of food-borne gastroenteritis and has a high prevalence in poultry. Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni 327 is a subspecies of the genus Campylobacter of the family Campylobacteraceae in the phylum Proteobacteria. The microaerophilic, spiral shaped...

  14. Rotiferan Hox genes give new insights into the evolution of metazoan bodyplans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreas, Fröbius C.; Funch, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The phylum Rotifera consists of minuscule, nonsegmented animals with a unique body plan and an unresolved phylogenetic position. The presence of pharyngeal articulated jaws supports an inclusion in Gnathifera nested in the Spiralia. Comparison of Hox genes, involved in animal body plan patterning...

  15. Growth and metabolism of sponges

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopmans, M.

    2009-01-01

    Sponges (phylum Porifera) are multi cellular filter-feeding invertebrate animals living attached to a substratum in mostly marine but also in freshwater habitats. The interest in sponges has increased rapidly since the discovery of potential new pharmaceutical compounds produced by many sponges. An

  16. Draft Genome of Scalindua rubra, Obtained from the Interface Above the Discovery Deep Brine in the Red Sea, Sheds Light on Potential Salt Adaptation Strategies in Anammox Bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Speth, Daan R.; Lagkouvardos, Ilias; Wang, Yong; Qian, Pei Yuan; Dutilh, Bas E.; Jetten, M.S.M.

    2017-01-01

    Several recent studies have indicated that members of the phylum Planctomycetes are abundantly present at the brine-seawater interface (BSI) above multiple brine pools in the Red Sea. Planctomycetes include bacteria capable of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). Here, we investigated the

  17. Characterization of the Mobilome and Microbiome of Rat Cecum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Tue Sparholt

    Where eukaryotic recombination relies on sex between two individuals of the same species, prokaryotic recombination is much, much more promiscuous. Here, an almost universal genetic language allow for traits to be shared between existing cells of different Family, Phylum and even Kingdom...

  18. Molecular and biochemical characteristics of the inulosucrase HugO from Streptomyces viridochromogenes DSM40736 (Tü494)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frasch, Hans-Jörg; Leeuwen, Sander S van; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert

    2017-01-01

    Polyfructans are synthesized from sucrose by plants (mostly inulin) and by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (mostly levan). In the phylum Actinobacteria only levan synthesis by Actinomyces species has been reported. We have identified a putative fructansucrase gene (hugO) in

  19. Community analysis of bacteria colonizing intestinal tissue of neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smith, Birgitte; Bodé, Susan; Petersen, Bodil L.

    2011-01-01

    (30.4%), Actinobacteria (17.1%) and Bacteroidetes (3.6%). A major detected class of the phylum Proteobacteria belonged to δ-proteobacteria. Surprisingly, Clostridium species were only detected in 4 of the specimens by FISH, but two of these specimens exhibited histological pneumatosis intestinalis...

  20. Carbon availability triggers fungal nitrogen uptake and transport in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fellbaum, C.R.; Gachomo, E.W.; Beesetty, Y.; Choudhari, S.; Strahan, G.D.; Pfeffer, P.E.; Kiers, E.T.; Bücking, H.

    2012-01-01

    The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, formed between the majority of land plants and ubiquitous soil fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota, is responsible for massive nutrient transfer and global carbon sequestration. AM fungi take up nutrients from the soil and exchange them against

  1. Complete genome sequence of 'Thermobaculum terrenum' type strain (YNP1).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiss, Hajnalka; Cleland, David; Lapidus, Alla; Lucas, Susan; Del Rio, Tijana Glavina; Nolan, Matt; Tice, Hope; Han, Cliff; Goodwin, Lynne; Pitluck, Sam; Liolios, Konstantinos; Ivanova, Natalia; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Ovchinnikova, Galina; Pati, Amrita; Chen, Amy; Palaniappan, Krishna; Land, Miriam; Hauser, Loren; Chang, Yun-Juan; Jeffries, Cynthia D; Lu, Megan; Brettin, Thomas; Detter, John C; Göker, Markus; Tindall, Brian J; Beck, Brian; McDermott, Timothy R; Woyke, Tanja; Bristow, James; Eisen, Jonathan A; Markowitz, Victor; Hugenholtz, Philip; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Cheng, Jan-Fang

    2010-10-27

    'Thermobaculum terrenum' Botero et al. 2004 is the sole species within the proposed genus 'Thermobaculum'. Strain YNP1(T) is the only cultivated member of an acid tolerant, extremely thermophilic species belonging to a phylogenetically isolated environmental clone group within the phylum Chloroflexi. At present, the name 'Thermobaculum terrenum' is not yet validly published as it contravenes Rule 30 (3a) of the Bacteriological Code. The bacterium was isolated from a slightly acidic extreme thermal soil in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (USA). Depending on its final taxonomic allocation, this is likely to be the third completed genome sequence of a member of the class Thermomicrobia and the seventh type strain genome from the phylum Chloroflexi. The 3,101,581 bp long genome with its 2,872 protein-coding and 58 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

  2. Prokaryote community dynamics in anaerobic co-digestion of swine manure, rice straw and industrial clay residuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez, Janet; Theuerl, Susanne; Bergmann, Ingo; Klocke, Michael; Guerra, Gilda; Romero-Romero, Osvaldo

    The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the addition of rice straw and clay residuals on the prokaryote methane-producing community structure in a semi-continuously stirred tank reactor fed with swine manure. Molecular techniques, including terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and a comparative nucleotide sequence analyses of the prokaryotic 16S rRNA genes, were performed. The results showed a positive effect of clay addition on methane yield during the co-digestion of swine manure and rice straw. At the digestion of swine manure, the bacterial phylum Firmicutes and the archaeal family Methanosarcinaceae, particularly Methanosarcina species, were predominant. During the co-digestion of swine manure and rice straw the microbial community changed, and with the addition of clay residual, the phylum Bacteroidetes predominated. The new nutritional conditions resulted in a shift in the archaeal family Methanosarcinaceae community as acetoclastic Methanosaeta species became dominant.

  3. Insights on the Effects of Heat Pretreatment, pH, and Calcium Salts on Isolation of Rare Actinobacteria from Karstic Caves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Bao-Zhu; Salam, Nimaichand; Han, Ming-Xian; Jiao, Jian-Yu; Cheng, Juan; Wei, Da-Qiao; Xiao, Min; Li, Wen-Jun

    2017-01-01

    The phylum Actinobacteria is one of the most ubiquitously present bacterial lineages on Earth. In the present study, we try to explore the diversity of cultivable rare Actinobacteria in Sigangli Cave, Yunnan, China by utilizing a combination of different sample pretreatments and under different culture conditions. Pretreating the samples under different conditions of heat, setting the isolation condition at different pHs, and supplementation of media with different calcium salts were found to be effective for isolation of diverse rare Actinobacteria. During our study, a total of 204 isolates affiliated to 30 genera of phylum Actinobacteria were cultured. Besides the dominant Streptomyces, rare Actinobacteria of the genera Actinocorallia, Actinomadura, Agromyces, Alloactinosynnema, Amycolatopsis, Beutenbergia, Cellulosimicrobium, Gordonia, Isoptericola, Jiangella, Knoellia, Kocuria, Krasilnikoviella, Kribbella, Microbacterium, Micromonospora, Mumia, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Nocardioides, Nocardiopsis, Nonomuraea, Oerskovia, Pseudokineococcus, Pseudonocardia, Rhodococcus, Saccharothrix, Streptosporangium, and Tsukamurella were isolated from these cave samples. PMID:28848538

  4. Animal Fascioliasis: Perspectives from high altitudinal regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyngdoh, Damanbha; Sharma, Sunil; Roy, Bishnupada; Tandon, Veena

    2016-12-15

    The parasitic flukes of the genus Fasciola (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda: Digenea) cause fascioliasis or liver-rot disease in ruminant livestock in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Classically, two species of Fasciola- F. hepatica and F. gigantica, are universally recognized as taxonomically valid species. Our survey studies on ovid and bovid animals including yak and mithun from high altitudinal mountainous regions in Northeast India revealed the occurrence of Fasciola gigantica and also Fasciola sp.- an intermediate form, at altitudes between 5000 and 14,085 feet above sea level (asl). Two morphotypes- F. hepatica - like and F. gigantica - like, of Fasciola species were reported from the high altitudinal areas of Northeast India; most of these locales constitute new-locality and first records for the occurrence of these liver flukes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Expansion of TALE homeobox genes and the evolution of spiralian development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morino, Yoshiaki; Hashimoto, Naoki; Wada, Hiroshi

    2017-12-01

    Spiralians, including molluscs, annelids and platyhelminths, share a unique development process that includes the typical geometry of early cleavage and early segregation of cell fate in blastomeres along the animal-vegetal axis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this early cell fate segregation are largely unknown. Here, we report spiralian-specific expansion of the three-amino-acid loop extension (TALE) class of homeobox genes. During early development, some of these TALE genes are expressed in staggered domains along the animal-vegetal axis in the limpet Nipponacmea fuscoviridis and the polychaete Spirobranchus kraussii. Inhibition or overexpression of these genes alters the developmental fate of blastomeres, as predicted by the gene expression patterns. These results suggest that the expansion of novel TALE genes plays a critical role in the establishment of a novel cell fate segregation mechanism in spiralians.

  6. Mini review on chemotherapy of taeniasis and cysticercosis due to Taenia solium in Asia, and a case report with 20 tapeworms in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, A; Li, T; Chen, X; Long, C; Yanagida, T; Nakao, M; Sako, Y; Okamoto, M; Wu, Y; Raoul, F; Giraudoux, P; Craig, P S

    2013-06-01

    A 43-year-old Tibetan woman living in northwest Sichuan, China, confirmed to be a taeniasis carrier of Taenia solium was treated with pumpkin seeds combined with Areca nut extract in October 2009. All 20 tapeworms except one without scolex were expelled under good conditions. She was free of secondary cysticercosis within one year follow up. Although the first choice for treatment of taeniasis is still praziquantel, it may often cause serious side effect on asymptomatic cysticercosis cases to suddenly become symptomatic within a half day of the treatment. Therefore, the problems in treatment of taeniasis and/or cysticercosis in Asia are briefly overviewed, since other platyhelminthic diseases including schistosomiasis, opisthorchiasis etc. are more common and praziquantel is strongly recommended for mass treatment of these trematodiases with no idea on the co-infection with eggs of T. solium which cause asymptomatic cysticercosis.

  7. Evolution of Phototrophy in the Chloroflexi Phylum Driven by Horizontal Gene Transfer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lewis M. Ward

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The evolutionary mechanisms behind the extant distribution of photosynthesis is a point of substantial contention. Hypotheses range from the presence of phototrophy in the last universal common ancestor and massive gene loss in most lineages, to a later origin in Cyanobacteria followed by extensive horizontal gene transfer into the extant phototrophic clades, with intermediate scenarios that incorporate aspects of both end-members. Here, we report draft genomes of 11 Chloroflexi: the phototrophic Chloroflexia isolate Kouleothrix aurantiaca as well as 10 genome bins recovered from metagenomic sequencing of microbial mats found in Japanese hot springs. Two of these metagenome bins encode photrophic reaction centers and several of these bins form a metabolically diverse, monophyletic clade sister to the Anaerolineae class that we term Candidatus Thermofonsia. Comparisons of organismal (based on conserved ribosomal and phototrophy (reaction center and bacteriochlorophyll synthesis protein phylogenies throughout the Chloroflexi demonstrate that two new lineages acquired phototrophy independently via horizontal gene transfer (HGT from different ancestral donors within the classically phototrophic Chloroflexia class. These results illustrate a complex history of phototrophy within this group, with metabolic innovation tied to HGT. These observations do not support simple hypotheses for the evolution of photosynthesis that require massive character loss from many clades; rather, HGT appears to be the defining mechanic for the distribution of phototrophy in many of the extant clades in which it appears.

  8. Utilizing genomics to study entomopathogenicity in the fungal phylum Entomophthoromycota

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard; Hajek, Ann E.; Eilenberg, Jørgen

    2016-01-01

    primers, expressed sequence tag methodology or de novo transcriptome sequencing with molecular function inferred by homology analysis; and third, primarily forthcoming whole-genome sequencing data sets. Here we summarize the current genetic resources for Entomophthoromycota and identify research areas...

  9. Diversity and Distribution of Thermophilic Bacteria in Hot Springs of Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amin, Arshia; Ahmed, Iftikhar; Salam, Nimaichand; Kim, Byung-Yong; Singh, Dharmesh; Zhi, Xiao-Yang; Xiao, Min; Li, Wen-Jun

    2017-07-01

    Chilas and Hunza areas, located in the Main Mantle Thrust and Main Karakoram Thrust of the Himalayas, host a range of geochemically diverse hot springs. This Himalayan geothermal region encompassed hot springs ranging in temperature from 60 to 95 °C, in pH from 6.2 to 9.4, and in mineralogy from bicarbonates (Tato Field), sulfates (Tatta Pani) to mixed type (Murtazaabad). Microbial community structures in these geothermal springs remained largely unexplored to date. In this study, we report a comprehensive, culture-independent survey of microbial communities in nine samples from these geothermal fields by employing a bar-coded pyrosequencing technique. The bacterial phyla Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi were dominant in all samples from Tato Field, Tatta Pani, and Murtazaabad. The community structures however depended on temperature, pH, and physicochemical parameters of the geothermal sites. The Murtazaabad hot springs with relatively higher temperature (90-95 °C) favored the growth of phylum Thermotogae, whereas the Tatta Pani thermal spring site TP-H3-b (60 °C) favored the phylum Proteobacteria. At sites with low silica and high temperature, OTUs belonging to phylum Chloroflexi were dominant. Deep water areas of the Murtazaabad hot springs favored the sulfur-reducing bacteria. About 40% of the total OTUs obtained from these samples were unclassified or uncharacterized, suggesting the presence of many undiscovered and unexplored microbiota. This study has provided novel insights into the nature of ecological interactions among important taxa in these communities, which in turn will help in determining future study courses in these sites.

  10. Characteristics of Bacterial Communities in Cyanobacteria-Blooming Aquaculture Wastewater Influenced by the Phytoremediation with Water Hyacinth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Zhou

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Cyanobacterial blooms often occur in aquaculture wastewater in China. A floating plant, water hyacinth has been widely used to treat this wastewater. Little is known, however, about bacterial community characteristics and the risk of potential pathogens in cyanobacteria-blooming aquaculture wastewater remediated by water hyacinth. In wastewater treated with water hyacinth, we used culture enumeration and high-throughput sequencing to explore the characteristics of bacterial communities, the status of coliform bacteria, and pathogenic bacteria potentially conducive to human disease. Our results indicated that the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, Actinobacteria, Chlorobi, Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and phylum OD1 in cyanobacteria-blooming aquaculture wastewater were significantly influenced by water hyacinth. After 30 days, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and phylum OD1 in the water hyacinth treatments increased remarkably, while the relative abundance of the other 5 phyla in treatment was significantly reduced compared with the controls. In 21 major families, the relative abundance of Comamonadaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, Rhodocylclaceae, and an unnamed group from phylum OD1 increased significantly in the water hyacinth treatments compared with the controls. The number of total coliforms in wastewater treated by water hyacinth was significantly elevated and higher than controls during the first 6–18 days, with the maximum reaching 23,800 MPN/L. The level of potential pathogenic bacteria in wastewater treated by water hyacinth significantly reduced compared with the controls after 18 days, but it significantly increased from the initial level. It appears that water hyacinth by itself is not an effective treatment for reducing potential pathogens in aquaculture water.

  11. Identification and partial characterization of a novel UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase/UDP-N-acetylmuramate:L-alanine ligase fusion enzyme from Verrucomicrobium spinosum DSM 4136T

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kubra F Naqvi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The enzymes involved in synthesizing the bacterial cell wall are attractive targets for the design of antibacterial compounds, since this pathway is essential for bacteria and is absent in animals, particularly humans. A survey of the genome of a bacterium that belongs to the phylum Verrucomicrobia, the closest free-living relative to bacteria from the Chlamydiales phylum, shows genetic evidence that Verrucomicrobium spinosum possesses a novel fusion open reading frame (ORF annotated by the locus tag (VspiD_010100018130. The ORF, which is predicted to encode the enzymes UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase (MurB and UDP-N-acetylmuramate:L-alanine ligase (MurC that are involved in the cytoplasmic steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, was cloned. In vivo analyses using functional complementation showed that the fusion gene was able to complement E. coli murB and murC temperature sensitive mutants. The purified recombinant fusion enzyme (MurB/CVs was shown to be endowed with UDP-N-acetylmuramate:L-alanine ligase activity. In vitro analyses demonstrated that the latter enzyme had a pH optimum of 9.0, a magnesium optimum of 10 mM and a temperature optimum of 44-46 oC. Its apparent Km values for ATP, UDP-MurNAc and L-alanine were 470, 90 and 25 µM, respectively. However, all attempts to demonstrate an in vitro UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase (MurB activity were unsuccessful. Lastly, Hidden Markov Model-based similarity search and phylogenetic analysis revealed that this fusion enzyme could only be identified in specific lineages within the Verrucomicrobia phylum.

  12. Identification and Partial Characterization of a Novel UDP-N-Acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine Reductase/UDP-N-Acetylmuramate:l-Alanine Ligase Fusion Enzyme from Verrucomicrobium spinosum DSM 4136(T).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naqvi, Kubra F; Patin, Delphine; Wheatley, Matthew S; Savka, Michael A; Dobson, Renwick C J; Gan, Han Ming; Barreteau, Hélène; Blanot, Didier; Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Hudson, André O

    2016-01-01

    The enzymes involved in synthesizing the bacterial cell wall are attractive targets for the design of antibacterial compounds, since this pathway is essential for bacteria and is absent in animals, particularly humans. A survey of the genome of a bacterium that belongs to the phylum Verrucomicrobia, the closest free-living relative to bacteria from the Chlamydiales phylum, shows genetic evidence that Verrucomicrobium spinosum possesses a novel fusion open reading frame (ORF) annotated by the locus tag (VspiD_010100018130). The ORF, which is predicted to encode the enzymes UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase (MurB) and UDP-N-acetylmuramate:l-alanine ligase (MurC) that are involved in the cytoplasmic steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, was cloned. In vivo analyses using functional complementation showed that the fusion gene was able to complement Escherichia coli murB and murC temperature sensitive mutants. The purified recombinant fusion enzyme (MurB/C Vs ) was shown to be endowed with UDP-N-acetylmuramate:l-alanine ligase activity. In vitro analyses demonstrated that the latter enzyme had a pH optimum of 9.0, a magnesium optimum of 10 mM and a temperature optimum of 44-46°C. Its apparent K m values for ATP, UDP-MurNAc, and l-alanine were 470, 90, and 25 μM, respectively. However, all attempts to demonstrate an in vitro UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase (MurB) activity were unsuccessful. Lastly, Hidden Markov Model-based similarity search and phylogenetic analysis revealed that this fusion enzyme could only be identified in specific lineages within the Verrucomicrobia phylum.

  13. Identification and Partial Characterization of a Novel UDP-N-Acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine Reductase/UDP-N-Acetylmuramate:l-Alanine Ligase Fusion Enzyme from Verrucomicrobium spinosum DSM 4136T

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naqvi, Kubra F.; Patin, Delphine; Wheatley, Matthew S.; Savka, Michael A.; Dobson, Renwick C. J.; Gan, Han Ming; Barreteau, Hélène; Blanot, Didier; Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Hudson, André O.

    2016-01-01

    The enzymes involved in synthesizing the bacterial cell wall are attractive targets for the design of antibacterial compounds, since this pathway is essential for bacteria and is absent in animals, particularly humans. A survey of the genome of a bacterium that belongs to the phylum Verrucomicrobia, the closest free-living relative to bacteria from the Chlamydiales phylum, shows genetic evidence that Verrucomicrobium spinosum possesses a novel fusion open reading frame (ORF) annotated by the locus tag (VspiD_010100018130). The ORF, which is predicted to encode the enzymes UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase (MurB) and UDP-N-acetylmuramate:l-alanine ligase (MurC) that are involved in the cytoplasmic steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, was cloned. In vivo analyses using functional complementation showed that the fusion gene was able to complement Escherichia coli murB and murC temperature sensitive mutants. The purified recombinant fusion enzyme (MurB/CVs) was shown to be endowed with UDP-N-acetylmuramate:l-alanine ligase activity. In vitro analyses demonstrated that the latter enzyme had a pH optimum of 9.0, a magnesium optimum of 10 mM and a temperature optimum of 44–46°C. Its apparent Km values for ATP, UDP-MurNAc, and l-alanine were 470, 90, and 25 μM, respectively. However, all attempts to demonstrate an in vitro UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase (MurB) activity were unsuccessful. Lastly, Hidden Markov Model-based similarity search and phylogenetic analysis revealed that this fusion enzyme could only be identified in specific lineages within the Verrucomicrobia phylum. PMID:27047475

  14. Comparative analyses of the bacterial microbiota of the human nostril and oropharynx.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemon, Katherine P; Klepac-Ceraj, Vanja; Schiffer, Hilary K; Brodie, Eoin L; Lynch, Susan V; Kolter, Roberto

    2010-06-22

    The nose and throat are important sites of pathogen colonization, yet the microbiota of both is relatively unexplored by culture-independent approaches. We examined the bacterial microbiota of the nostril and posterior wall of the oropharynx from seven healthy adults using two culture-independent methods, a 16S rRNA gene microarray (PhyloChip) and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. While the bacterial microbiota of the oropharynx was richer than that of the nostril, the oropharyngeal microbiota varied less among participants than did nostril microbiota. A few phyla accounted for the majority of the bacteria detected at each site: Firmicutes and Actinobacteria in the nostril and Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes in the oropharynx. Compared to culture-independent surveys of microbiota from other body sites, the microbiota of the nostril and oropharynx show distinct phylum-level distribution patterns, supporting niche-specific colonization at discrete anatomical sites. In the nostril, the distribution of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes was reminiscent of that of skin, though Proteobacteria were much less prevalent. The distribution of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes in the oropharynx was most similar to that in saliva, with more Proteobacteria than in the distal esophagus or mouth. While Firmicutes were prevalent at both sites, distinct families within this phylum dominated numerically in each. At both sites there was an inverse correlation between the prevalences of Firmicutes and another phylum: in the oropharynx, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, and in the nostril, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. In the nostril, this inverse correlation existed between the Firmicutes family Staphylococcaceae and Actinobacteria families, suggesting potential antagonism between these groups.

  15. Zooplankton diversity across three Red Sea reefs using pyrosequencing

    KAUST Repository

    Pearman, John K.; El-Sherbiny, Mohsen M.; Lanzé n, Anders; Al-Aidaroos, Ali M.; Irigoien, Xabier

    2014-01-01

    % sequence similarity. A total of 754 and 854 metazoan OTUs were observed in the data set for the 1380F and 1389F primer sets respectively. The phylum Arthropoda dominated both primer sets accounting for ~60% of reads followed by Cnidaria (~20%). Only about

  16. Zoology: War of the Worms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telford, Maximilian J; Copley, Richard R

    2016-04-25

    The phylogenetic affinities of Xenacoelomorpha - the phylum comprising Xenoturbella bocki and acoelomorph worms - are debated. Two recent studies conclude they represent the earliest branching bilaterally symmetrical animals, but additional tests may be needed to confirm this notion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the musculature of various life cycle stages of the cycliophoran Symbion americanus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cardoso Neves, Ricardo; Kristensen, Reinhardt Møbjerg; Wanninger, Andreas Wilhelm Georg

    2009-01-01

    Cycliophora is a very recently described phylum of acoelomate metazoans with a complex life cycle and a phylogenetic position that has been under debate ever since its discovery in 1995. Symbion americanus, which lives attached to the mouthparts of the American lobster, Homarus americanus...

  18. Co-ordinated changes in the accumulation of metal ions in maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.) in response to inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Funneliformis mosseae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ramrez-Flores, M. Rosario; Relln-Lvarez, Rubn; Wozniak, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is an ancient interaction between plants and fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota. In exchange for photosynthetically fixed carbon, the fungus provides the plant host with greater access to soil nutrients via an extensive network of root-external hyphae. Here, to det...

  19. In four shallow and mesophotic tropical reef sponges from Guam the microbial community largely depends on host identity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steinert, Georg; Taylor, Michael W.; Deines, Peter; Simister, Rachel L.; Voogd, De Nicole J.; Hoggard, Michael; Schupp, Peter J.

    2016-01-01

    Sponges (phylum Porifera) are important members of almost all aquatic ecosystems, and are renowned for hosting often dense and diverse microbial communities. While the specificity of the sponge microbiota seems to be closely related to host phylogeny, the environmental factors that could shape

  20. Larval Myogenesis in the Articulate Brachiopod Argyrotheca cordata (Risso, 1826)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Altenburger, Andreas; Wanninger, Andreas Wilhelm Georg

    2008-01-01

    Brachiopoda is a metazoan phylum with a fossil record dating back to the lower Cambrium and comprises over 12,000 extinct and 400 recent species. Despite some recent progress using mainly palaeontological and molecular datasets, the discussion concerning the phylogenetic position of Brachiopoda r...

  1. Reconstructing the early evolution of the fungi using a six gene phylogeny

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    James, T.Y.; Kauff, F.; Schoch, C.L.; Matheny, P.B.; Hofstetter, V.; Cox, C.J.; Celio, G.; Gueidan, C.; Fraker, E.; Miadlikowska, J.; Lumbsch, H.T.; Rauhut, A.; Reeb, V.; Arnold, A.E.; Amtoft, A.; Stajich, J.E.; Hosaka, K.; Sung, G.H.; Johnson, D.; O'Rourke, B.; Binder, M.; Curtis, J.M.; Slot, J.C.; Wang, Z.; Wilson, A.W.; Schüßler, A.; Longcore, J.E.; O'Donnell, K.; Mozley-Standridge, S.; Porter, D.; Letcher, P.M.; Powell, M.J.; Taylor, J.W.; White, M.M.; Griffith, G.W.; Davies, D.R.; Sugiyama, J.; Rossman, A.Y.; Rogers, J.D.; Pfister, D.H.; Hewitt, D.; Hansen, K.; Hambleton, S.; Shoemaker, R.A.; Kohlmeyer, J.; Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, B.; Spotts, R.A.; Serdani, M.; Crous, P.W.; Hughes, K.W.; Matsuura, K.; Langer, E.; Langer, G.; Untereiner, W.A.; Lücking, R.; Büdel, B.; Geiser, D.M.; Aptroot, A.; Diederich, P.; Schmitt, I.; Schultz, M.; Yahr, R.; Hibbett, D.S.; Lutzoni, F.; McLaughlin, D.J.; Spatafora, J.W.; Vilgalys, R.

    2006-01-01

    The ancestors of fungi are believed to be simple aquatic forms with flagellated spores, similar to members of the extant phylum Chytridiomycota (chytrids). Current classifications assume that chytrids form an early-diverging clade within the kingdom Fungi and imply a single loss of the spore

  2. Microsporidiosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    unicellular protists of the phylum Microsporidia.1 They are considered most closely related to the fungi,2 but customarily are dis- cussed among the...histochemically identifiable Gol- gi organelles indicate that they may be parasitically evolved degenerate protists ,73,74 microtubule gene data75,76

  3. Characterization of the bacterial gut microbiota of piglets suffering from new neonatal porcine diarrhoea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hermann-Bank, Marie Louise; Skovgaard, Kerstin; Stockmarr, Anders

    2015-01-01

    . Results: NNPD was associated with a diminished quantity of bacteria from the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes while genus Enterococcus was more than 24 times more abundant in diarrhoeic piglets. The number of bacteria from the phylum Fusobacteria was also doubled in piglets suffering from diarrhoea...

  4. Comprehensive microbial analysis of combined mesophilic anaerobic-thermophilic aerobic process treating high-strength food wastewater

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jang, Hyun Min; Ha, Jeong Hyub; Park, Jong Moon

    2015-01-01

    of phylum Actinobacteria in both R1 and R2, and a predominance of phyla Synergistetes and Firmicutes in R3 during Run II. Furthermore, R1 and R2 shared genera (Prevotella, Aminobacterium, Geobacillus and Unclassified Actinobacteria), which suggests synergy between mesophilic anaerobic digestion...

  5. Insights into the microbiota of the bovine uterus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rødtness Vesterby Knudsen, Lif; Christensen Karstrup, Cecilia; Gervi Pedersen, Hanne

    (Machado et al. 2012 and Galvão et al. 2012) while Escherichia coli, Trueperella Pyogenes, Prevotella species and Fusobacterium necrophorum have commonly been associated with endometritis (Sheldon 2006). Preliminary results indicate that we often find bacteria from phylum Actinobacteria in the healthy cows...

  6. A new species of Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalida commensal of Pomella megastoma (Mollusca, Ampullariidae from Misiones, Argentina Una especie nueva de Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalida comensal de Pomella megastoma (Mollusca, Ampullariidae de Misiones, Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Damborenea

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Temnocephala lamothei n. sp., a commensal of Pomella megastoma (Sowerby, 1825, is described herein from specimens collected at Arroyo Yabotí-Miní (Misiones province, Argentina. Juveniles and adults were removed from the mantle cavity by host relaxation. Distinctive characters of the new species are: non-partitioned intestine; conical cirrus with 1 face flat and another concave; distal area with spines, as evidenced by a strong, oblique sclerotized ring, and 2 rows of long spines, an internal one with long spines arising from base of introvert and an external one arising from distal end of the introvert. The closest species are T. iheringi, T. rochensis and T. haswelli, which are also commensals of mollusc species. The presence of this new species of Temnocephala, and its similarity to the other species that are commensals of molluscan species, suggest the existence of a morphologically homogeneous group.Temnocephala lamothei n. sp., comensal de Pomella megastoma (Sowerby, 1825, se describe para el arroyo Yabotí-Miní, provincia de Misiones, Argentina. Se extrajeron ejemplares juveniles y adultos de la cavidad paleal, por relajación de los hospederos. Las características distintivas de la nueva especie son: intestino no septado, cirro de forma cónica, con una cara plana y otra cóncava, zona distal con espinas evidente por un fuerte anillo oblicuo esclerosado. Dos hileras de espinas se reconocen en el extremo distal, 1 interna de espinas largas, que surge desde la base del introverso, y 1 externa, que surge del extremo distal del mismo. Las especies más semejantes son T. iheringi, T. rochensis y T. haswelli, especies comensales de moluscos con las que es comparada. El hallazgo de esta nueva especie de Temnocephala y sus características semejantes a las restantes especies del género comensales de moluscos, sugieren que las especies conocidas hasta la fecha formen un grupo morfológicamente homogéneo.

  7. A novel extracellular gut symbiont in the marine worm Priapulus caudatus (Priapulida) reveals an alphaproteobacterial symbiont clade of the Ecdysozoa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kroer, Paul; Kjeldsen, Kasper Urup; Nyengaard, Jens Randel

    2016-01-01

    Priapulus caudatus (phylum Priapulida) is a benthic marine predatory worm with a cosmopolitan distribution. In its digestive tract we detected symbiotic bacteria that were consistently present in specimens collected over eight years from three sites at the Swedish west coast. Based on their 16S r...

  8. The evolution of fungal epiphytes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hongsanan, S.; Sánchez-Ramírez, S.; Crous, P.W.; Ariyawansa, H.A.; Zhao, R.L.; Hyde, K.D.

    2016-01-01

    Fungal epiphytes are a polyphyletic group found on the surface of plants, particularly on leaves, with a worldwide distribution. They belong in the phylum Ascomycota, which contains the largest known number of fungal genera. There has been little research dating the origins of the common ancestors

  9. On the ecology and evolution of microorganisms associated with fungus-growing termites

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, A.A.

    2011-01-01


    Organisms living in symbiosis fascinate us with their adaptations to live in extreme proximity to, or even inside, a partner that may be from a completely different Class, Phylum or Kingdom. Combinations of organisms that live in mutualistic symbiosis seem very exceptional, but when

  10. Acleotrema lamothei n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae from the gills of Kyphosus incisor in Brazilian waters Acleotrema lamothei n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae de las branquias de Kyphosus incisor en aguas brasileñas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cláudia P. Santos

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available A diplectanid monogenean, Acleotrema lamothei n. sp., is described from the gills of the yellow sea chub Kyphosus incisor (Cuvier, 1831 in Brazilian waters off Rio de Janeiro State. This species is distinguished by the facts that the male copulatory organ is armed with spines throughout most of its length, the ventral hamuli have a very long, stout outer root, which is slightly notched proximally, an inner root less than half the length of the outer root and a fine blade and point. It also differs from most species of the genus by the greater size of the haptor and its hard parts. This is the first record of a species of Acleotrema Johnston and Tiegs, 1922 from South American waters.Se describe Acleotrema lamothei n. sp. de las branquias del pez Kyphosus incisor (Cuvier, 1831 recolectado en las costas del estado de Río de Janeiro, Brasil. La nueva especie se distingue por la armadura del órgano copulador con espinas en casi toda su longitud, por la presencia de una raíz externa larga y robusta en el hámuli ventral, provista de una pequeña muesca proximal, por la raíz interna que mide menos de la mitad de la longitud de la externa y por tener la hoja y la punta finas. Asimismo, difiere de muchas de las especies del género por el gran tamaño del haptor y de sus partes esclerozadas. El presente constituye el primer registro de una especie de Acleotrema Johnston y Tiegs, 1922 en aguas sudamericanas.

  11. Characterization of bacterial diversity associated with deep sea ferromanganese nodules from the South China Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, De-Chao; Liu, Yan-Xia; Li, Xin-Zheng

    2015-09-01

    Deep sea ferromanganese (FeMn) nodules contain metallic mineral resources and have great economic potential. In this study, a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent (16S rRNA genes clone library and pyrosequencing) methods was used to investigate the bacterial diversity in FeMn nodules from Jiaolong Seamount, the South China Sea. Eleven bacterial strains including some moderate thermophiles were isolated. The majority of strains belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria; one isolate belonged to the phylum Firmicutes. A total of 259 near full-length bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in a clone library and 67,079 valid reads obtained using pyrosequencing indicated that members of the Gammaproteobacteria dominated, with the most abundant bacterial genera being Pseudomonas and Alteromonas. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of many organisms whose closest relatives are known manganese oxidizers, iron reducers, hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria and methylotrophs. This is the first reported investigation of bacterial diversity associated with deep sea FeMn nodules from the South China Sea.

  12. Bio-Prospecting Laccases in the Bacterial Diversity of Activated Sludge From Pulp and Paper Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Vijaya; Capalash, Neena; Gupta, Naveen; Sharma, Prince

    2017-03-01

    Activated sludge is an artificial ecosystem known to harbor complex microbial communities. Bacterial diversity in activated sludge from pulp and paper industry was studied to bioprospect for laccase, the multicopper oxidase applicable in a large number of industries due to its ability to utilize a wide range of substrates. Bacterial diversity using 454 pyrosequencing and laccase diversity using degenerate primers specific to conserved copper binding domain of laccase like multicopper oxidase (LMCO) genes were investigated. 1231 OTUs out of 11,425 sequence reads for bacterial diversity and 11 OTUs out of 15 reads for LMCO diversity were formed. Phylum Proteobacteria (64.95 %) with genus Thauera (13.65 %) was most abundant followed by phylum Bacteriodetes (11.46 %) that included the dominant genera Paludibacter (1.93 %) and Lacibacter (1.32 %). In case of LMCOs, 40 % sequences showed affiliation with Proteobacteria and 46.6 % with unculturable bacteria, indicating considerable novelty, and 13.3 % with Bacteroidetes. LMCOs belonged to H and J families.

  13. Origin of Bacteriochlorophyll a and the Early Diversification of Photosynthesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanai Cardona

    Full Text Available Photosynthesis originated in the domain Bacteria billions of years ago; however, the identity of the last common ancestor to all phototrophic bacteria remains undetermined and speculative. Here I present the evolution of BchF or 3-vinyl-bacteriochlorophyll hydratase, an enzyme exclusively found in bacteria capable of synthetizing bacteriochlorophyll a. I show that BchF exists in two forms originating from an early divergence, one found in the phylum Chlorobi, including its paralogue BchV, and a second form that was ancestral to the enzyme found in the remaining anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. The phylogeny of BchF is consistent with bacteriochlorophyll a evolving in an ancestral phototrophic bacterium that lived before the radiation event that gave rise to the phylum Chloroflexi, Chlorobi, Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes, but only after the divergence of Type I and Type II reaction centers. Consequently, it is suggested that the lack of phototrophy in many groups of extant bacteria is a derived trait.

  14. Constrained vertebrate evolution by pleiotropic genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Haiyang; Uesaka, Masahiro; Guo, Song; Shimai, Kotaro; Lu, Tsai-Ming; Li, Fang; Fujimoto, Satoko; Ishikawa, Masato; Liu, Shiping; Sasagawa, Yohei; Zhang, Guojie; Kuratani, Shigeru; Yu, Jr-Kai; Kusakabe, Takehiro G; Khaitovich, Philipp; Irie, Naoki

    2017-11-01

    Despite morphological diversification of chordates over 550 million years of evolution, their shared basic anatomical pattern (or 'bodyplan') remains conserved by unknown mechanisms. The developmental hourglass model attributes this to phylum-wide conserved, constrained organogenesis stages that pattern the bodyplan (the phylotype hypothesis); however, there has been no quantitative testing of this idea with a phylum-wide comparison of species. Here, based on data from early-to-late embryonic transcriptomes collected from eight chordates, we suggest that the phylotype hypothesis would be better applied to vertebrates than chordates. Furthermore, we found that vertebrates' conserved mid-embryonic developmental programmes are intensively recruited to other developmental processes, and the degree of the recruitment positively correlates with their evolutionary conservation and essentiality for normal development. Thus, we propose that the intensively recruited genetic system during vertebrates' organogenesis period imposed constraints on its diversification through pleiotropic constraints, which ultimately led to the common anatomical pattern observed in vertebrates.

  15. Cnidarian Neurotoxic Peptides Affecting Central Nervous System Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazcano-Pérez, Fernando; Hernández-Guzmán, Ulises; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Judith; Arreguín-Espinosa, Roberto

    2016-01-01

    Natural products from animal venoms have been used widely in the discovery of novel molecules with particular biological activities that enable their use as potential drug candidates. The phylum Cnidaria (jellyfish, sea anemones, corals zoanthids, hydrozoans, etc.) is the most ancient venomous phylum on earth. Its venoms are composed of a complex mixture of peptidic compounds with neurotoxic and cytolitic properties that have shown activity on mammalian systems despite the fact that they are naturally targeted against fish and invertebrate preys, mainly crustaceans. For this reason, cnidarian venoms are an interesting and vast source of molecules with a remarkable activity on central nervous system, targeting mainly voltage-gated ion channels, ASIC channels, and TRPV1 receptors. In this brief review, we list the amino acid sequences of most cnidarian neurotoxic peptides reported to date. Additionally, we propose the inclusion of a new type of voltage-gated sea anemone sodium channel toxins based on the most recent reports.

  16. New molecular method to detect denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation bacteria from different environmental niches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Sai; Lu, Wenjing; Muhammad, Farooq Mustafa; Liu, Yanting; Guo, Hanwen; Meng, Ruihong; Wang, Hongtao

    2018-03-01

    The denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation is an ecologically important process for reducing the potential methane emission into the atmosphere. The responsible bacterium for this process was Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera belonging to the bacterial phylum of NC10. In this study, a new pair of primers targeting all the five groups of NC10 bacteria was designed to amplify NC10 bacteria from different environmental niches. The results showed that the group A was the dominant NC10 phylum bacteria from the sludges and food waste digestate while in paddy soil samples, group A and group B had nearly the same proportion. Our results also indicated that NC10 bacteria could exist in a high pH environment (pH9.24) from the food waste treatment facility. The Pearson relationship analysis showed that the pH had a significant positive relationship with the NC10 bacterial diversity (pbacteria. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Omnivory and resource - sharing in nutrient - deficient Rio Negro waters: stabilization of biodiversity? Omnivoria e repartição de recursos em águas pobres em nutrientes da Bacia do Rio Negro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilse Walker

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Amazonian biodiversity is notorious, this is also valid for the fauna of the mineral-deficient waters of the Rio Negro System. Some 25 years of research on the benthic fauna of Central Amazonian streams resulted in species-rich foodwebs with a high degree of omnivory within dense animal communities. To exemplify the taxonomic range of omnivorous consumers, the detailed resource spectra of 18 consumer species, including Protozoa (2 species, Platyhelminthes (1 species, insects (2 species, fish (6 species and shrimps (Decapoda, 7 species, associated primarily with the benthic habitats of Rio Negro tributaries, are presented. Special features of omnivory are characterized, and the importance of litter-decomposing fungi as essential energy input into the foodwebs is documented. It is shown that general omnivory -diverse omnivore consumers sharing most of the resource types- is a prevalent feature. The relevance of this general omnivory for the maintenance of biodiversity is discussed.A biodiversidade do Amazonas é notório e isto também é válido para as águas pobres em nutrientes da bacia do Rio Negro. Uma pesquisa de 25 anos da fauna béntica de igarapés da Amazônia Central resultou em redes alimentares caraterizadas por alta diversidade de espécies, por intensa omnivoria e por alta densidade populacional. Para demonstrar a generalidade taxonômica de omnivoria no bentos dos igarapés, são apresentados as listas de presas / recursos de 18 espécies de consumidores, sendo Protozoa (2 epécies, Platyhelminthes (1 espécie, insetos (2 espécies, peixes (6 espécies e camarões (Decapoda, 7 espécies. Diferentes categorias de omnivoria são apresentados, e a importância de fungos decompositores da liteira submersa como input básico de energia nas redes alimentares é demonstrada. É prevalente a omnivoria geral, sendo que as diferentes espécies omnívoros estão utilizando os mesmos recursos. Considera- se a relevância desta omnivoria geral

  18. Mating-type locus characterization and variation in Pyrenophora semeniperda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julie Leanna Henry

    2015-01-01

    Pyrenophora semeniperda is a generalist fungal pathogen that occurs primarily on monocot seed hosts. It is in the phylum Ascomycota, which includes both self-compatible (homothallic) and self-incompatible (heterothallic) species. Homothallic fungal species contain complementary mating-type (MAT) idiomorphs in a single unikaryotic strain, while heterothallic strains...

  19. Telmatocola sphagniphila

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kulichevskaya, I.S.; Serkebaeva, Y.M.; Kim, Y.; Rijpstra, W.I.C.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Liesack, W.; Dedysh, S.N.

    2012-01-01

    Members of the phylum Planctomycetes are common inhabitants of northern wetlands. We used barcoded pyrosequencing to survey bacterial diversity in an acidic (pH 4.0) Sphagnum peat sampled from the peat bog Obukhovskoye, European North Russia. A total of 21189 bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were

  20. Host-specific microbial communities in three sympatric North Sea sponges

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naim, Mohd Azrul; Morillo, Jose A.; Sørensen, Søren Johannes

    2014-01-01

    phylotypes belonging to Chlamydiae, TM6, Actinobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were detected in all sponge samples. A number of phylotypes of the phylum Chlamydiae were present at an unprecedentedly high relative abundance of up to 14.4% ± 1.4% of the total reads, which suggests an important ecological role...

  1. Multi-host model-based identification of Armillifer agkistrodontis (Pentastomida), a new zoonotic parasite from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shao-Hong; Liu, Qin; Zhang, Yong-Nian; Chen, Jia-Xu; Li, Hao; Chen, Ying; Steinmann, Peter; Zhou, Xiao-Nong

    2010-04-06

    Pentastomiasis is a rare parasitic infection of humans. Pentastomids are dioecious obligate parasites requiring multiple hosts to complete their lifecycle. Despite their worm-like appearance, they are commonly placed into a separate sub-class of the subphylum Crustacea, phylum Arthropoda. However, their systematic position is not uncontested and historically, they have been considered as a separate phylum. An appraisal of Armillifer agkistrodontis was performed in terms of morphology and genetic identification after its lifecycle had been established in a multi-host model, i.e., mice and rats as intermediate hosts, and snakes (Agkistrodon acutus and Python molurus) as definitive hosts. Different stages of the parasite, including eggs, larvae and adults, were isolated and examined morphologically using light and electron microscopes. Phylogenetic and cluster analysis were also undertaken, focusing on the 18S rRNA and the Cox1 gene. The time for lifecycle completion was about 14 months, including 4 months for the development of eggs to infectious larvae in the intermediate host and 10 months for infectious larvae to mature in the final host. The main morphological difference between A. armillatus and Linguatula serrata is the number of abdominal annuli. Based on the 18S rRNA sequence, the shortest hereditary distance was found between A. agkistrodontis and Raillietiella spp. The highest degree of homology in the Cox 1 nucleic acid sequences and predicted amino acid sequences was found between A. agkistrodontis and A. armillatus. This is the first time that a multi-host model of the entire lifecycle of A. agkistrodontis has been established. Morphologic and genetic analyses supported the notion that pentastomids should be placed into the phylum Arthropoda.

  2. Alterations in Gut Microbiome Composition and Barrier Function Are Associated with Reproductive and Metabolic Defects in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS: A Pilot Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Lindheim

    Full Text Available Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is a common female endocrinopathy of unclear origin characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligo-/anovulation, and ovarian cysts. Women with PCOS frequently display overweight, insulin resistance, and systemic low-grade inflammation. We hypothesized that endotoxemia resulting from a leaky gut is associated with inflammation, insulin resistance, fat accumulation, and hyperandrogenemia in PCOS. In this pilot study, we compared the stool microbiome, gut permeability, and inflammatory status of women with PCOS and healthy controls.16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed on stool samples from 24 PCOS patients and 19 healthy controls. Data processing and microbiome analysis were conducted in mothur and QIIME using different relative abundance cut-offs. Gut barrier integrity, endotoxemia, and inflammatory status were evaluated using serum and stool markers and associations with reproductive, metabolic, and anthropometric parameters were investigated.The stool microbiome of PCOS patients showed a lower diversity and an altered phylogenetic composition compared to controls. We did not observe significant differences in any taxa with a relative abundance>1%. When looking at rare taxa, the relative abundance of bacteria from the phylum Tenericutes, the order ML615J-28 (phylum Tenericutes and the family S24-7 (phylum Bacteroidetes was significantly lower and associated with reproductive parameters in PCOS patients. Patients showed alterations in some, but not all markers of gut barrier function and endotoxemia.Patients with PCOS have a lower diversity and an altered phylogenetic profile in their stool microbiome, which is associated with clinical parameters. Gut barrier dysfunction and endotoxemia were not driving factors in this patient cohort, but may contribute to the clinical phenotype in certain PCOS patients.

  3. Alterations in Gut Microbiome Composition and Barrier Function Are Associated with Reproductive and Metabolic Defects in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindheim, Lisa; Bashir, Mina; Münzker, Julia; Trummer, Christian; Zachhuber, Verena; Leber, Bettina; Horvath, Angela; Pieber, Thomas R; Gorkiewicz, Gregor; Stadlbauer, Vanessa; Obermayer-Pietsch, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common female endocrinopathy of unclear origin characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligo-/anovulation, and ovarian cysts. Women with PCOS frequently display overweight, insulin resistance, and systemic low-grade inflammation. We hypothesized that endotoxemia resulting from a leaky gut is associated with inflammation, insulin resistance, fat accumulation, and hyperandrogenemia in PCOS. In this pilot study, we compared the stool microbiome, gut permeability, and inflammatory status of women with PCOS and healthy controls. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed on stool samples from 24 PCOS patients and 19 healthy controls. Data processing and microbiome analysis were conducted in mothur and QIIME using different relative abundance cut-offs. Gut barrier integrity, endotoxemia, and inflammatory status were evaluated using serum and stool markers and associations with reproductive, metabolic, and anthropometric parameters were investigated. The stool microbiome of PCOS patients showed a lower diversity and an altered phylogenetic composition compared to controls. We did not observe significant differences in any taxa with a relative abundance>1%. When looking at rare taxa, the relative abundance of bacteria from the phylum Tenericutes, the order ML615J-28 (phylum Tenericutes) and the family S24-7 (phylum Bacteroidetes) was significantly lower and associated with reproductive parameters in PCOS patients. Patients showed alterations in some, but not all markers of gut barrier function and endotoxemia. Patients with PCOS have a lower diversity and an altered phylogenetic profile in their stool microbiome, which is associated with clinical parameters. Gut barrier dysfunction and endotoxemia were not driving factors in this patient cohort, but may contribute to the clinical phenotype in certain PCOS patients.

  4. Phylogenetic study of the oxytocin-like immunoreactive system in invertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizuno, J; Takeda, N

    1988-01-01

    1. A phylogenetic study of oxytocin (OXT)-like immunoreactive cells was performed by the PAP method in the central nervous system of invertebrates. 2. The immunoreactivity was detected in the nerve cells of Hydra magnipapillata of the Coelenterata; Neanthes japonica and Pheretima communissima of the Annelida; Oncidium verrucosum, Limax marginatus and Meretrix lamarckii of the Mollusca; and Baratha brassica of the Arthropoda. 3. No immunoreactive cells were found in Bipalium sp. of the Platyhelminthes; Pomacea canaliculata, Aplysia kurodai, Bradybaena similaris and Achatina fulica of the Mollusca; and Gnorimosphaeroma rayi, Procambarus clarkii, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, Helice tridens and Gryllus bimaculatus of the Arthropoda; Asterina pectinifera of the Echinodermata; and Halocynthia roretzi of the Protochordata. 4. These results demonstrate that an OXT-immunoreactive substance is widely present not only in vertebrates but also in invertebrates. 5. OXT seems to have been introduced into these invertebrates at an early stage of their phylogenetic history.

  5. Phylogenetic study of the arginine-vasotocin/arginine-vasopressin-like immunoreactive system in invertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizuno, J; Takeda, N

    1988-01-01

    1. A phylogenetic study of arg-vasotocin (AVT)/arg-vasopressin (AVP)-like immunoreactive cells was performed by the PAP method in the central nervous system of invertebrates. 2. The immunoreactivity was detected in the nerve cells of Hydra magnipapillata of the Coelenterata; Neanthes japonica and Pheretima communissima of the Annelida; Pomacea canaliculata, Aplysia kurodai, Oncidium verrucosum, Bradybaena similaris, Achatina fulica, Limax marginatus and Meretrix lamarckii of the Mollusca; Gnorimosphaeroma rayi, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, Gryllus bimaculatus and Baratha brassicae of the Arthropoda; Asterina pectinifera of the Echinodermata; and Halocynthia roretzi of the Protochordata. 3. No immunoreactivity was detected in Bipalium sp. of the Platyhelminthes, or in Procambarus clarkii and Helice tridens of the Arthropoda. 4. From these results, it appears that AVT/AVP is a phylogenetically ancient peptide which is present in a wide variety of invertebrates. 5. The actions of AVT/AVP and its presence in invertebrates are discussed.

  6. Multigene analysis of lophophorate and chaetognath phylogenetic relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helmkampf, Martin; Bruchhaus, Iris; Hausdorf, Bernhard

    2008-01-01

    Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of seven concatenated fragments of nuclear-encoded housekeeping genes indicate that Lophotrochozoa is monophyletic, i.e., the lophophorate groups Bryozoa, Brachiopoda and Phoronida are more closely related to molluscs and annelids than to Deuterostomia or Ecdysozoa. Lophophorates themselves, however, form a polyphyletic assemblage. The hypotheses that they are monophyletic and more closely allied to Deuterostomia than to Protostomia can be ruled out with both the approximately unbiased test and the expected likelihood weights test. The existence of Phoronozoa, a putative clade including Brachiopoda and Phoronida, has also been rejected. According to our analyses, phoronids instead share a more recent common ancestor with bryozoans than with brachiopods. Platyhelminthes is the sister group of Lophotrochozoa. Together these two constitute Spiralia. Although Chaetognatha appears as the sister group of Priapulida within Ecdysozoa in our analyses, alternative hypothesis concerning chaetognath relationships could not be rejected.

  7. The taxonomy and ecology of a new monocelid flatworm from Macquarie Island (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ball, Ian R.; Hay, David A.

    1977-01-01

    Macquarie Island (54°37'S 158°54'E) has been investigated for the occurrence of freshwater macroturbellarians. Twenty sites were examined but only one species, here ascribed to the genus Minona sensu lato of the Monocelididae, was found and it is described as Minona amnica sp. nov. Its closest

  8. A new marine triclad ectoparasitic on Malaysian and Indonesian horseshoe crabs (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Tricladida)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sluys, Ronald

    1983-01-01

    A new species of marine triclad, Ectoplana undata n. sp., ectoparasitic on the horseshoe crab Tachypleus gigas, is described. Cocoons of triclads were found on T. gigas as well as on the horseshoe crab Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda; since from the latter species no triclads were collected, it remains

  9. Monogenea of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll in the Central Pacific

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor Manuel Vidal-Martinez

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available A survey of the monogeneans of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll detected 16 species already reported from the Indo-West Pacific faunal region. A total of 653 individual fish from 44 species were collected from the sand flats bordering the lagoon of the atoll. Eighteen species of fish were infected with monogeneans. The monogenean species recovered were: Benedenia hawaiiensis on Acanthurus xanthopterus, Chaetodon auriga, Chaetodon lunula, Mulloidichthys flavolineatus, Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus and Rhinecanthus aculeatus; Ancyrocephalus ornatus on Arothron hispidus; Euryhaliotrema annulocirrus on Chaetodon auriga and Chaetodon lunula; Euryhaliotrema chrysotaeniae on Lutjanus fulvus; Euryhaliotrema grandis on Chaetodon auriga and Chaetodon lunula; Haliotrema acanthuri on Acanthurus triostegus; Haliotrema aurigae on Chaetodon auriga and Chaetodon lunula; Haliotrema dempsteri on Acanthurus xanthopterus; Haliotrema minutospirale on Mulloidichthys flavolineatus; Haliotrematoides patellacirrus on Lutjanus monostigma; Neohaliotrema bombini on Abudefduf septemfasciatus and Abudefduf sordidus; Acleotrema girellae and Acleotrema parastromatei on Kyphosus cinerascens; Cemocotylella elongata on Caranx ignobilis, Caranx melampygus and Caranx papuensis; Metamicrocotyla macracantha on Crenimugil crenilabris; and Pseudopterinotrema albulae on Albula glossodonta. All these monogenean–host combinations represent new geographical records. The monogenean species composition of the Palmyra Atoll is similar to that of the Hawaiian Islands. However, the number of species recovered was lower compared with other localities within the Indo-West Pacific, perhaps due to the geographical isolation of Palmyra Atoll.

  10. Molecular phylogeny of species of Ligophorus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) and their affinities within the Dactylogyridae

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Blasco-Costa, Maria Isabel; Míguez-Lozano, R.; Sarabeev, V.; Balbuena, J. A.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 61, č. 4 (2012), s. 619-627 ISSN 1383-5769 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : 28S ribosomal DNA region * Internal transcribed spacer 1 * Morphology * Molecular systematics * Diversification processes * Mediterranean basin * Ergenstrema * Mugilidae Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 2.302, year: 2012 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138357691200089X

  11. External morphology of the cycliophoran dwarf male

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neves, Ricardo Cardoso; da Cunha, Maria Ribeiro; Funch, Peter

    2010-01-01

    the phylum was first described, the dwarf male has a remarkably complex bodyplan albeit its very small size (approx. 30–40 lm in length). Aiming to increase the knowledge on the gross morphology of the cycliophoran dwarf male, specimens from S. pandora and S. americanus were analyzed by scanning electron...

  12. Sciences's Super Star

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magie, Craig; Bossert, Patricia; Aramli, Lili; Thomsen, Gerald

    2016-01-01

    Animal biology is fascinating for its incredible diversity in life strategies. These strategies amaze scientists and can also fire the enthusiasm of science students. One group of animals impressive in this way is the phylum "Cnidaria," containing some 10,000 invertebrate species that include jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, hydroids,…

  13. The Transcriptomes of Xiphinema index and Longidorus elongatus Suggest Independent Acquisition of Some Plant Parasitism Genes by Horizontal Gene Transfer in Early-Branching Nematodes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Danchin, Etienne G.J.; Perfus-Barbeoch, Laetitia; Rancurel, Corinne; Thorpe, Peter; Rocha, Da Martine; Bajew, Simon; Neilson, Roy; Sokolova, Elena; Silva, Da Corinne; Guy, Julie; Labadie, Karine; Esmenjaud, Daniel; Helder, Hans; Jones, John T.; Eves-van den Akker, Sebastian

    2017-01-01

    Nematodes have evolved the ability to parasitize plants on at least four independent occasions, with plant parasites present in Clades 1, 2, 10 and 12 of the phylum. In the case of Clades 10 and 12, horizontal gene transfer of plant cell wall degrading enzymes from bacteria and fungi has been

  14. Molluscan Evolutionary Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wanninger, Andreas Wilhelm Georg; Koop, Damien; Moshel-Lynch, Sharon

    2008-01-01

    Brought together by Winston F. Ponder and David R. Lindberg, thirty-six experts on the evolution of the Mollusca provide an up-to-date review of its evolutionary history. The Mollusca are the second largest animal phylum and boast a fossil record of over 540 million years. They exhibit remarkable...

  15. Responses of anaerobic rumen fungal diversity (phylum Neocallimastigomycota) to changes in bovine diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boots, B; Lillis, L; Clipson, N; Petrie, K; Kenny, D A; Boland, T M; Doyle, E

    2013-03-01

    Anaerobic rumen fungi (Neocallimastigales) play important roles in the breakdown of complex, cellulose-rich material. Subsequent decomposition products are utilized by other microbes, including methanogens. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary changes on anaerobic rumen fungi diversity. Altered diets through increasing concentrate/forage (50 : 50 vs 90 : 10) ratios and/or the addition of 6% soya oil were offered to steers and the Neocallimastigales community was assessed by PCR-based fingerprinting with specific primers within the barcode region. Both a decrease in fibre content and the addition of 6% soya oil affected Neocallimastigales diversity within solid and liquid rumen phases. The addition of 6% soya oil decreased species richness. Assemblages were strongly affected by the addition of 6% soya oil, whereas unexpectedly, the fibre decrease had less effect. Differences in volatile fatty acid contents (acetate, propionate and butyrate) were significantly associated with changes in Neocallimastigales assemblages between the treatments. Diet clearly influences Neocallimastigales assemblages. The data are interpreted in terms of interactions with other microbial groups involved in fermentation processes within the rumen. Knowledge on the influence of diet on anaerobic fungi is necessary to understand changes in microbial processes occurring within the rumen as this may impact on other rumen processes such as methane production. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  16. Functional type 2 photosynthetic reaction centers found in the rare bacterial phylum Gemmatimonadetes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zeng, Y.; Feng, F.; Medová, Hana; Dean, Jason; Koblížek, Michal

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 111, č. 21 (2014), s. 7795-7800 ISSN 0027-8424 R&D Projects: GA ČR P501/10/0221; GA MŠk ED2.1.00/03.0110; GA MŠk EE2.3.30.0059 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : anoxygenic photosynthesis * pigments * horizontal gene transfer Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 9.674, year: 2014

  17. Codon usage bias in phylum Actinobacteria: relevance to environmental adaptation and host pathogenicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lal, Devi; Verma, Mansi; Behura, Susanta K; Lal, Rup

    2016-10-01

    Actinobacteria are Gram-positive bacteria commonly found in soil, freshwater and marine ecosystems. In this investigation, bias in codon usages of ninety actinobacterial genomes was analyzed by estimating different indices of codon bias such as Nc (effective number of codons), SCUO (synonymous codon usage order), RSCU (relative synonymous codon usage), as well as sequence patterns of codon contexts. The results revealed several characteristic features of codon usage in Actinobacteria, as follows: 1) C- or G-ending codons are used frequently in comparison with A- and U ending codons; 2) there is a direct relationship of GC content with use of specific amino acids such as alanine, proline and glycine; 3) there is an inverse relationship between GC content and Nc estimates, 4) there is low SCUO value (Actinobacteria, extreme GC content and codon bias are driven by mutation rather than natural selection; (2) traits like aerobicity are associated with effective natural selection and therefore low GC content and low codon bias, demonstrating the role of both mutational bias and translational selection in shaping the habitat and phenotype of actinobacterial species. Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. La Scientificite En Langues Africaines : L'exemple Du Kalabari Et De ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this paper, a case is made for formulating scientific terms and coinages in African languages by analyzing the components of technical discourse evident in languages that display them. Two African languages of the Niger-Congo phylum, Kalabari and Ikwerre, will be studied vis-à-vis two European languages of the ...

  19. Untitled

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    forests. The leechs are classified in phylum Annelida, genera himinatis and the species that commonly affects man is nilotica (1, 2). They usually affect the oropharynx causing epistaxis, hemoptysis and hematemesis. ... Taboratory Methods and Diagnosis. 8th ed. Vol. II., pp- 1578 -. 1582. 7. Kunin C.M. 1907 A Ten Year ...

  20. Novel Insights into Fur Regulation in Helicobacter pylori

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-10

    site (tumor vs. mucin); the dominant phyla are the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria , Firmicutes, and Bactroidetes. Furthermore, a core set of...used for ISH are listed in Table 14. The Actinobacteria , Bacteroidetes, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Rhizobiales, Pseudomonas...Probe (Abbreviation) Taxonomic Depth Sequence (5’-3’) Target Actinobacteria (ACT) Phylum TATAGTTACCACCGCCGT 23S rRNA

  1. Metazoan parasite fauna of the bigeye flounder, Hippoglossina macrops, from Northern Chile. Influence of host age and sex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    González M Teresa

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available The metazoan parasite fauna of Hippoglossina macrops (n = 123 from northern Chile (30°S is quantitatively described for the first time, and the role of host age and sex was evaluated. Twelve parasite species were recovered, including 5 ectoparasites (2 Monogenea, 2 Copepoda and 1 Piscicolidae and 7 endoparasites (1 Digenea, 3 Cestoda, 2 Acanthocephala, and 1 Nematoda. The copepod Holobomolochus chilensis, the monogenean Neoheterobothrium sp., the adult acanthocephalan Floridosentis sp. and the hirudinean, Gliptonobdella sp. are new geographical and host records. The most prevalent ectoparasitic species were the monogenean, Neoheterobothrium sp. and the copepod, H. chilensis. Among endoparasites, the acanthocephalans Floridosentis sp. and Corynosoma australe were most prevalent and abundant. Prevalence and mean intensity of infection for most parasitic species were not affected by host sex, however the prevalence of Floridosentis sp. was significantly greater in males. Intensity of infection was positively correlated with host age for Neoheterobothrium sp., and negatively correlated for Floridosentis sp. and H. chilensis. The helminth species richness of the host H. macrops was lower compared to related flatfishes from the Northern Hemisphere. The relationship of the helminth fauna of H. macrops, its feeding habits and ecological habitats are discussed.

  2. Metazoan parasites of Mandi-amarelo Pimelodus maculatus and of Jundiá Rhamdia quelen (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes) of Paraíba do Sul River, Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venancio, Aline Cristine Pinto; de Aguiar, Gesilene Ribeiro; Lopes, Patrícia da Silva; Alves, Dimitri Ramos

    2010-01-01

    Forty-one specimens of mandi-amarelo Pimelodus maculatus Lacépède, 1803 (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) and 54 specimens of jundiá Rhamdia quelen (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) were collected from the Paraíba do Sul River, Volta Redonda, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil between November 2007 and October 2008. These fish underwent necropsy so their infracommunities of metazoan parasites could be studied. The same three species of parasites were collected in the two fish species studied. These were one monogenean, one nematode, and one hirudinean. Cucullanus pinnai (Travassos, Artiga, and Pereira, 1928) (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) and Aphanoblastella sp. (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) were the dominant species with the highest prevalence in P. maculatus and R. quelen. The parasite species of P. maculatus and R. quelen showed an atypical over-dispersed pattern of distribution. No parasite species showed significant correlation between the body total length of the siluriform hosts and their prevalence and abundance. The parasite species richness showed a mean value of 0.87 ± 0.67 (0-2) and 0.57 ± 0.56 (0-2) in P. maculatus and R. quelen, respectively, and no correlation with the body total length.

  3. [Characterizing Beijing's Airborne Bacterial Communities in PM2.5 and PM1 Samples During Haze Pollution Episodes Using 16S rRNA Gene Analysis Method].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bu-ying; Lang, Ji-dong; Zhang, Li-na; Fang, Jian-huo; Cao, Chen; Hao, Ji-ming; Zhu, Ting; Tian, Geng; Jiang, Jing-kun

    2015-08-01

    During 8th-14th Jan., 2013, severe particulate matter (PM) pollution episodes happened in Beijing. These air pollution events lead to high risks for public health. In addition to various PM chemical compositions, biological components in the air may also impose threaten. Little is known about airborne microbial community in such severe air pollution conditions. PM2.5 and PM10 samples were collected during that 7-day pollution period. The 16S rRNA gene V3 amplification and the MiSeq sequencing were performed for analyzing these samples. It is found that there is no significant difference at phylum level for PM2.5 bacterial communities during that 7-day pollution period both at phylum and at genus level. At genus level, Arthrobacter and Frankia are the major airborne microbes presented in Beijing winter.samples. At genus level, there are 39 common genera (combined by first 50 genera bacterial of the two analysis) between the 16S rRNA gene analysis and those are found by Metagenomic analysis on the same PM samples. Frankia and Paracoccus are relatively more abundant in 16S rRNA gene data, while Kocuria and Geodermatophilus are relatively more abundant in Meta-data. PM10 bacterial communities are similar to those of PM2.5 with some noticeable differences, i.e., at phylum level, more Firmicutes and less Actinobacteria present in PM10 samples than in PM2.5 samples, while at genus level, more Clostridium presents in PM10 samples. The findings in Beijing were compared with three 16S rRNA gene studies in other countries. Although the sampling locations and times are different from each other, compositions of bacterial community are similar for those sampled at the ground atmosphere. Airborne microbial communities near the ground surface are different from those sampled in the upper troposphere.

  4. Alternation of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mei Luo

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available One-third of the world's population has been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis, a primary pathogen of the mammalian respiratory system, while about 10% of latent infections progress to active tuberculosis (TB, indicating that host and environmental factors may determine the outcomes such as infection clearance/persistence and treatment prognosis. The gut microbiota is essential for development of host immunity, defense, nutrition and metabolic homeostasis. Thus, the pattern of gut microbiota may contribute to M. tuberculosis infection and prognosis. In current study we characterized the differences in gut bacterial communities in new tuberculosis patients (NTB, recurrent tuberculosis patients (RTB, and healthy control. The abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE showed the diversity index of the gut microbiota in the patients with recurrent tuberculosis was increased significantly compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05. At the phyla level, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, which contain many pathogenic species, were significantly enriched in the feces RTB patients. Conversely, phylum Bacteroidetes, containing a variety of beneficial commensal organisms, was reduced in the patients with the recurrent tuberculosis compared to healthy controls. The Gram-negative genus Prevotella of oral origin from phylum of Bacteroidetes and genus Lachnospira from phylum of Firmicutes were significantly decreased in both the new and recurrent TB patient groups, compared with the healthy control group (p < 0.05. We also found that there was a positive correlation between the gut microbiota and peripheral CD4+ T cell counts in the patients. This study, for the first time, showed associations between gut microbiota with tuberculosis and its clinical outcomes. Maintaining eubiosis, namely homeostasis of gut microbiota, may be beneficial for host recovery and prevention of recurrence of M. tuberculosis infection.

  5. Multi-host model-based identification of Armillifer agkistrodontis (Pentastomida, a new zoonotic parasite from China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shao-Hong Chen

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pentastomiasis is a rare parasitic infection of humans. Pentastomids are dioecious obligate parasites requiring multiple hosts to complete their lifecycle. Despite their worm-like appearance, they are commonly placed into a separate sub-class of the subphylum Crustacea, phylum Arthropoda. However, their systematic position is not uncontested and historically, they have been considered as a separate phylum. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An appraisal of Armillifer agkistrodontis was performed in terms of morphology and genetic identification after its lifecycle had been established in a multi-host model, i.e., mice and rats as intermediate hosts, and snakes (Agkistrodon acutus and Python molurus as definitive hosts. Different stages of the parasite, including eggs, larvae and adults, were isolated and examined morphologically using light and electron microscopes. Phylogenetic and cluster analysis were also undertaken, focusing on the 18S rRNA and the Cox1 gene. The time for lifecycle completion was about 14 months, including 4 months for the development of eggs to infectious larvae in the intermediate host and 10 months for infectious larvae to mature in the final host. The main morphological difference between A. armillatus and Linguatula serrata is the number of abdominal annuli. Based on the 18S rRNA sequence, the shortest hereditary distance was found between A. agkistrodontis and Raillietiella spp. The highest degree of homology in the Cox 1 nucleic acid sequences and predicted amino acid sequences was found between A. agkistrodontis and A. armillatus. CONCLUSION: This is the first time that a multi-host model of the entire lifecycle of A. agkistrodontis has been established. Morphologic and genetic analyses supported the notion that pentastomids should be placed into the phylum Arthropoda.

  6. Analysis of potential risks from the bacterial communities associated with air-contact surfaces from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fish farming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grande Burgos, Maria Jose; Romero, Jose Luis; Pérez Pulido, Rubén; Cobo Molinos, Antonio; Gálvez, Antonio; Lucas, Rosario

    2018-01-01

    Tilapia farming is a promising growing sector in aquaculture. Yet, there are limited studies on microbiological risks associated to tilapia farms. The aim of the present study was to analyse the bacterial communities from solid surfaces in contact with air in a tilapia farm in order to evaluate the presence of bacteria potentially toxinogenic or pathogenic to humans or animals. Samples from a local tilapia farm (tank wall, aerator, water outlets, sink and floor) were analyzed by high throughput sequencing technology. Sequences were assigned to operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Proteobacteria was the main phylum represented in most samples (except for one). Cyanobacteria were a relevant phylum in the inner wall from the fattening tank and the wet floor by the pre-fattening tank. Bacteroidetes were the second phylum in relative abundance for samples from the larval rearing tank and the pre-fattening tank and one sample from the fattening tank. Fusobacteria showed highest relative abundances in samples from the larval rearing tank and pre-fattening tank. Other phyla (Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Planktomycetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Chlorobi, Gemmatiomonadetes or Fibrobacters) had lower relative abundances. A large fraction of the reads (ranging from 43.67% to 72.25%) were assigned to uncultured bacteria. Genus Acinetobacter (mainly A. calcoaceticus/baumanni) was the predominant OTU in the aerator of the fattening tank and also in the nearby sink on the floor. The genera Cetobacterium and Bacteroides showed highest relative abundances in the samples from the larval rearing tank and the pre-fattening tank. Genera including fish pathogens (Fusobacterium, Aeromonas) were only detected at low relative abundances. Potential human pathogens other than Acinetobacter were either not detected or had very low relative abundances (Acinetobacter and potential cyanotoxin-producing cyanobacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Balancing Herbal Medicine and Functional Food for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases through Modulating Gut Microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyu, Ming; Wang, Yue-Fei; Fan, Guan-Wei; Wang, Xiao-Ying; Xu, Shuang-Yong; Zhu, Yan

    2017-01-01

    It has become apparent that gut microbiota is closely associated with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), and alteration in microbiome compositions is also linked to the host environment. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has facilitated in-depth studies on the effects of herbal medicine and functional food on gut microbiota. Both herbal medicine and functional food contain fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides, exerting prebiotics-like activities in the prevention and treatment of CMDs. The administrations of herbal medicine and functional food lead to increased the abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella , while reducing phylum Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in gut. Both herbal medicine and functional food interact with gut microbiome and alter the microbial metabolites including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are now correlated with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In addition, trimethylamine (TMA)-N-oxide (TMAO) is recently linked to atherosclerosis (AS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks. Moreover, gut-organs axes may serve as the potential strategy for treating CMDs with the intervention of herbal medicine and functional food. In summary, a balance between herbal medicine and functional food rich in fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides plays a vital role in modulating gut microbiota (phylum Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella ) through SCFAs, BAs, LPS and TMAO signaling regarding CMDs. Targeting gut-organs axes may serve as a new therapeutic strategy for CMDs by herbal medicine and functional food in the future. This review aims to summarize the balance between herbal medicine and functional food utilized for the prevention and

  8. Balancing Herbal Medicine and Functional Food for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases through Modulating Gut Microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Lyu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available It has become apparent that gut microbiota is closely associated with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs, and alteration in microbiome compositions is also linked to the host environment. Next generation sequencing (NGS has facilitated in-depth studies on the effects of herbal medicine and functional food on gut microbiota. Both herbal medicine and functional food contain fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides, exerting prebiotics-like activities in the prevention and treatment of CMDs. The administrations of herbal medicine and functional food lead to increased the abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella, while reducing phylum Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in gut. Both herbal medicine and functional food interact with gut microbiome and alter the microbial metabolites including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs, bile acids (BAs and lipopolysaccharides (LPS, which are now correlated with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. In addition, trimethylamine (TMA-N-oxide (TMAO is recently linked to atherosclerosis (AS and cardiovascular disease (CVD risks. Moreover, gut-organs axes may serve as the potential strategy for treating CMDs with the intervention of herbal medicine and functional food. In summary, a balance between herbal medicine and functional food rich in fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides plays a vital role in modulating gut microbiota (phylum Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella through SCFAs, BAs, LPS and TMAO signaling regarding CMDs. Targeting gut-organs axes may serve as a new therapeutic strategy for CMDs by herbal medicine and functional food in the future. This review aims to summarize the balance between herbal medicine and functional food utilized for the prevention and

  9. Balancing Herbal Medicine and Functional Food for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases through Modulating Gut Microbiota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyu, Ming; Wang, Yue-fei; Fan, Guan-wei; Wang, Xiao-ying; Xu, Shuang-yong; Zhu, Yan

    2017-01-01

    It has become apparent that gut microbiota is closely associated with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), and alteration in microbiome compositions is also linked to the host environment. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has facilitated in-depth studies on the effects of herbal medicine and functional food on gut microbiota. Both herbal medicine and functional food contain fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides, exerting prebiotics-like activities in the prevention and treatment of CMDs. The administrations of herbal medicine and functional food lead to increased the abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella, while reducing phylum Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in gut. Both herbal medicine and functional food interact with gut microbiome and alter the microbial metabolites including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are now correlated with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In addition, trimethylamine (TMA)-N-oxide (TMAO) is recently linked to atherosclerosis (AS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks. Moreover, gut-organs axes may serve as the potential strategy for treating CMDs with the intervention of herbal medicine and functional food. In summary, a balance between herbal medicine and functional food rich in fiber, polyphenols and polysaccharides plays a vital role in modulating gut microbiota (phylum Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and genus Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella) through SCFAs, BAs, LPS and TMAO signaling regarding CMDs. Targeting gut-organs axes may serve as a new therapeutic strategy for CMDs by herbal medicine and functional food in the future. This review aims to summarize the balance between herbal medicine and functional food utilized for the prevention and treatment

  10. Fauna do solo em áreas com Eucalyptus spp. e Pinus elliottii, Santa Maria, RS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Izabel Jacques Soares

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 21 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabela normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Este trabalho, com início na primavera de 1996 e término no inverno de 1997, teve como objetivo realizar o levantamento populacional da fauna do solo em áreas com Eucalyptus spp. e Pinus elliottii, situadas no Campus da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Para a coleta do solo, utilizou-se um extrator, formando-se amostras em dez pontos, nas profundidades de 0-5, 5-10, 10-15 e de 15-20 cm, em cada estação do ano. Por meio deste estudo, pôde-se identificar alguns representantes dos Phylum Annelida e Arthropoda que participam do contexto fauna-solo-vegetação. O total de indivíduos, seu respectivo percentual e número de indivíduos por metro quadrado foram obtidos. Observou-se o predomínio do Phylum Arthropoda e, mais especificamente, da classe Insecta na área com Eucalyptus spp. e do Phylum Annelida na área com Pinus elliottii. A variável profundidade originou modelos matemáticos que explicam a distribuição populacional dentre as áreas estudadas. A variável estação do ano não apresentou uma diferença significativa. Não foi possível, portanto, estabelecer um modelo de distribuição populacional.

  11. The Structural Diversity of Carbohydrate Antigens of Selected Gram-Negative Marine Bacteria

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    Elena P. Ivanova

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Marine microorganisms have evolved for millions of years to survive in the environments characterized by one or more extreme physical or chemical parameters, e.g., high pressure, low temperature or high salinity. Marine bacteria have the ability to produce a range of biologically active molecules, such as antibiotics, toxins and antitoxins, antitumor and antimicrobial agents, and as a result, they have been a topic of research interest for many years. Among these biologically active molecules, the carbohydrate antigens, lipopolysaccharides (LPSs, O-antigens found in cell walls of Gram-negative marine bacteria, show great potential as candidates in the development of drugs to prevent septic shock due to their low virulence. The structural diversity of LPSs is thought to be a reflection of the ability for these bacteria to adapt to an array of habitats, protecting the cell from being compromised by exposure to harsh environmental stress factors. Over the last few years, the variety of structures of core oligosaccharides and O-specific polysaccharides from LPSs of marine microrganisms has been discovered. In this review, we discuss the most recently encountered structures that have been identified from bacteria belonging to the genera Aeromonas, Alteromonas, Idiomarina, Microbulbifer, Pseudoalteromonas, Plesiomonas and Shewanella of the Gammaproteobacteria phylum; Sulfitobacter and Loktanella of the Alphaproteobactera phylum and to the genera Arenibacter, Cellulophaga, Chryseobacterium, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter of the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides phylum. Particular attention is paid to the particular chemical features of the LPSs, such as the monosaccharide type, non-sugar substituents and phosphate groups, together with some of the typifying traits of LPSs obtained from marine bacteria. A possible correlation is then made between such features and the environmental adaptations undertaken by marine bacteria.

  12. Aliens in the Classroom: Fantastical Creatures as Tools in Teaching Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Ronald Allan L.

    2013-01-01

    Creatures from science fiction and fantasy can be used to illustrate key concepts and principles in biology. This article describes a project for a university-level general zoology course wherein the students classify, down to at least the phylum level, "animals" from the Alien Species Wiki (2013). This is an online database of creatures from…

  13. Association of ectomycorrhizal fungi with Picea crassifolia (Pinaceae, Piceoidae) from high-altitude stands in Mount Helan Nature Reserve, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Y J; Grebenc, T; Wei, J; Zhao, Y L; Yan, W; Wang, L B

    2016-09-02

    We investigated the diversity of ectomycorrhiza associated with the endemic Picea crassifolia in Mount Helan National Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia, China. Toward this objective, we conducted morphological and molecular identification of ectomycorrhizae in soil cubes taken from pure P. crassifolia stands. Eleven types of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) organisms were separated, briefly described, and identified. Nine morphotypes belonged to the phylum Basidiomycotina [Amphinema byssoides, Cortinarius sp (cf. limonius), Cortinarius vernus, Inocybe cf. nitidiscula, Inocybe sp 1, Sebacina incrustans, Sebacina sp, Suillus luteus, and Piceirhiza tuberculata x Picea crassifolia (comb. Nov.)], and two morphotypes to the phylum Ascomycotina (Cenococcum geophilum and Helvella sp). The diversity of ECM organisms in P. crassifolia was lower than that reported by other studies on spruce or pine forests, or on sporocarp diversity in the high-mountain forests of China. Most of the fungi in the rhizosphere did not correspond to species previously recorded as sporocarps above ground. Here, several new ectomycorrhiza morphotypes are proposed and described. We also confirmed the ectomycorrhizal status of the genus Sebacina (order Sebacinales).

  14. Effects of byproducts on intestinal microbiota and the immune modulation

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    Da Yoon Yu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective Although the efficacy of Rubus coreanus (RC byproducts as a feed additive has been recognized, its effects on intestinal microorganisms and the immune system are still unknown. Methods Six-week-old male rats were treated with 0.5% RC (T1, 1.0% RC (T2, and 1.5% RC (T3 for 4 weeks. Results We found that treatment with RC byproducts significantly increased the daily gain of body weight and feed intake. Treg-cell differentiation was enhanced in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen from the rats fed with RC byproducts. Illumina sequencing showed that bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes decreased and while those in the phylum Bacteroidetes increased in RC-treated groups. Particularly, the pathogenic microorganisms in the family Peptococcaceae decreased, and the non-pathogenic families Lachnospiraceae and S24-7 increased. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the RC byproducts increased the lactic acid bacteria Bifidobacterium spp., Oscillospira spp., Leuconostoc citreum, and Weissella cibaria in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion RC byproducts may be effective in immunomodulation by affecting intestinal microorganisms.

  15. Taxonomy, Physiology, and Natural Products of Actinobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barka, Essaid Ait; Vatsa, Parul; Sanchez, Lisa; Gaveau-Vaillant, Nathalie; Jacquard, Cedric; Meier-Kolthoff, Jan P; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Clément, Christophe; Ouhdouch, Yder; van Wezel, Gilles P

    2016-03-01

    Actinobacteria are Gram-positive bacteria with high G+C DNA content that constitute one of the largest bacterial phyla, and they are ubiquitously distributed in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Many Actinobacteria have a mycelial lifestyle and undergo complex morphological differentiation. They also have an extensive secondary metabolism and produce about two-thirds of all naturally derived antibiotics in current clinical use, as well as many anticancer, anthelmintic, and antifungal compounds. Consequently, these bacteria are of major importance for biotechnology, medicine, and agriculture. Actinobacteria play diverse roles in their associations with various higher organisms, since their members have adopted different lifestyles, and the phylum includes pathogens (notably, species of Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Propionibacterium, and Tropheryma), soil inhabitants (e.g., Micromonospora and Streptomyces species), plant commensals (e.g., Frankia spp.), and gastrointestinal commensals (Bifidobacterium spp.). Actinobacteria also play an important role as symbionts and as pathogens in plant-associated microbial communities. This review presents an update on the biology of this important bacterial phylum. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  16. Ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Dipylidium caninum (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea, Dilepididae), an intestinal parasite of Canis familiaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miquel, J; Marchand, B

    1997-01-01

    We report for the first time the ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of a Dilepididae cestode. The mature spermatozoa of Dipylidium caninum is filiform and tapered at both ends and lacks mitochondria. The anterior extremity exhibits an apical cone of electron-dense material measuring about 600 nm in length and a single helicoidal crested-like body that is 150 nm thick. This single crested-like body is spiralized at an angle of about 40 degrees to the spermatozoon axis. The axoneme, showing the 9 + "l" pattern of the Platyhelminthes, lacks a periaxonemal sheath. The cortical microtubules constitute a continuous, submembranous, electron-dense material, and they are also twisted at an angle of about 40 degrees to the spermatozoon axis. Moreover, the nucleus is coiled in a helix around the axoneme, which is centrally located throughout its length. We demonstrate for the first time the presence of peripheral microtubules twisted to the spermatozoon axis up to the posterior extremity of the gamete.

  17. Preliminary analysis of cold stress responsive proteins in Mesocestoides corti larvae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canclini, Lucía; Esteves, Adriana

    2007-07-01

    Many parasites undergo sudden changes in environmental conditions at some stage during their life cycle. The molecular response to this variation is characterised by a rapid transcriptional activation of a specific set of genes coding for proteins generically known as stress proteins. They appear to be also involved in various biological processes including cell proliferation and differentiation. The platyhelminth parasite, Mesocestoides corti (Cestoda) presents important properties as a model organism. Under stress conditions, key molecules involved in metabolic pathways as well as in the growth and differentiation of the parasite can be identified. 2D protein expression profile of tetrathyridia of M. corti, submitted to nutritional starvation and cold stress is described, as well as the recovery pattern. A set of specifically expressed proteins was observed in each experimental condition. Quantitative and qualitative differences and stress recovery pattern are also reported. This work makes evident the high plasticity and resistance to extreme environmental conditions of these parasites at the molecular level.

  18. A new species of Aphanoblastella (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae parasitic on Rhamdia quelen (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae from Southeastern Brazil = Nova espécie de Aphanoblastella (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae parasito de Rhamdia quelen (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae do sudeste do Brasil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriano Reder de Carvalho

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Aphanoblastella juizforense sp. nov. is described in the gills of the heptapterid fish Rhamdia quelen (Quoy et Gaimard, 1824 from the Paraibuna River, Juiz de Fora, Minasn Gerais State, Brazil. The new species can be separated from all congeners by the long coiledcopulatory organ with one counterclockwise ring; sinuous accessory piece and for the robust shape of the ventral bar.Aphanoblastella juizforense sp. nov. é descrita parasitando as brânquias de Rhamdia quelen (Quoy et Gaimard, 1824 do rio Paraibuna, Juiz de Fora, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A nova espécie podeser diferenciada de todas as outras espécies do gênero por apresentar o órgão copulatório alongado, em forma de espiral, em sentido anti-horário, com peça acessória sinuosa e pela constituição mais robusta da barra ventral.

  19. Animal Classification. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. They learn what the terms "kingdom", "phylum", and "order" mean, and discover how the 3.5 million-plus organisms found on Earth fit into…

  20. Influence of cultivation regime of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal isolate on its symbiotic efficacy in phyto restoration of disturbed ecosystems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, R. S.; Vosatka, M.; Castro, P. M. L.; Dodd, J. C.

    2009-01-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), from the Phylum Glomeromycota, are a group of soil organisms that forms symbiotic associations with plant roots and can contribute to increase plant biomass and promote phyto restoration of disturbed ecosystems. The influence of cultivation regime of a Glomus geosporum isolate, obtained from a highly alkaline anthropogenic sediment, on its symbiotic efficacy was investigated. (Author)

  1. Influence of cultivation regime of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal isolate on its symbiotic efficacy in phyto restoration of disturbed ecosystems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oliveira, R. S.; Vosatka, M.; Castro, P. M. L.; Dodd, J. C.

    2009-07-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), from the Phylum Glomeromycota, are a group of soil organisms that forms symbiotic associations with plant roots and can contribute to increase plant biomass and promote phyto restoration of disturbed ecosystems. The influence of cultivation regime of a Glomus geosporum isolate, obtained from a highly alkaline anthropogenic sediment, on its symbiotic efficacy was investigated. (Author)

  2. Complete Genome Sequence of Alkaliphilus metalliredigens Strain QYMF, an Alkaliphilic and Metal-Reducing Bacterium Isolated from Borax-Contaminated Leachate Ponds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, C; Copeland, A; Lucas, S; Lapidus, A; Barry, K; Detter, J C; Glavina Del Rio, T; Hammon, N; Israni, S; Dalin, E; Tice, H; Pitluck, S; Chertkov, O; Brettin, T; Bruce, D; Han, C; Schmutz, J; Larimer, F; Land, M L; Hauser, L; Kyrpides, N; Mikhailova, N; Ye, Q; Zhou, J; Richardson, P; Fields, M W

    2016-11-03

    Alkaliphilus metalliredigens strain QYMF is an anaerobic, alkaliphilic, and metal-reducing bacterium associated with phylum Firmicutes QYMF was isolated from alkaline borax leachate ponds. The genome sequence will help elucidate the role of metal-reducing microorganisms under alkaline environments, a capability that is not commonly observed in metal respiring-microorganisms. Copyright © 2016 Hwang et al.

  3. Modeling and Decision Support Tools Based on the Effects to Sediment Geochemistry and Microbial Populations on Contaminant Reactions in Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-01

    Deltaproteobacteria(4) Others(5) Unclassified bacteria(7) Nitrospira(2) Actinobacteria (2) Betaproteobacteria(17) Re su lts  a nd  D is cu...3/7.18E-1) » » » phylum Actinobacteria (2/0/2.38E-1) » » » » class Actinobacteria (2/0/2.38E-1) » » » » » subclass Coriobacteridae

  4. Gastrointestinal digeneans (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda of horseshoe and vesper bats (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae and Vespertilionidae in Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horvat Ž.

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The qualitative and quantitative analyses of the digenean fauna of bats were conducted for the first time in Serbia. The sample comprised of 118 individuals of 12 bat species (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Myotis mystacinus, M. alcathoe, M. brandtii, M. oxygnathus, M. myotis, Hypsugo savii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. nathusii, Plecotus auritus, P. austriacus and Nyctalus noctula collected from 15 sites throughout Serbia. Six digenean species were identified: Lecithodendrium linstowi, Plagiorchis sp., Prosthodendrium longiforme, P. chilostomum, P. parvouterus and Mesotretes peregrinus. The helminths were recorded from 35 individual hosts (29.7 %. The species Lecithodendrium linstowi infected the highest percentage of hosts (19.5 %, with a mean abundance of 4.6. GLM analysis of exploratory factors showed that host species and host sex had a significant influence on parasite load, while locality and host age did not influence parasite abundance. No evidence of zoonotic species was found.

  5. Insight into the role of cetaceans in the life cycle of the tetraphyllideans (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aznar, F J; Agustí, C; Littlewood, D T J; Raga, J A; Olson, P D

    2007-02-01

    Four types of tetraphyllidean larvae infect cetaceans worldwide: two plerocercoids differing in size, 'small' (SP) and 'large' (LP), and two merocercoids referred to as Phyllobothrium delphini and Monorygma grimaldii. The latter merocercoid larvae parasitize marine mammals exclusively and exhibit a specialised cystic structure. Adult stages are unknown for any of the larvae and thus the role of cetaceans in the life cycle of these species has been a long-standing problem. The SP and LP forms are thought to be earlier stages of P. delphini and M. grimaldii that are presumed to infect large pelagic sharks that feed on cetaceans. A molecular analysis of the D2 variable region of the large subunit ribosomal DNA gene based on several individuals of each larval type collected from three Mediterranean species of cetaceans showed consistent and unique molecular signatures for each type regardless of host species or site of infection. The degree of divergence suggested that LP, P. delphini and M. grimaldii larvae may represent separate species, whereas SP may be conspecific with M. grimaldii. In all host species, individuals of SP accumulated in the gut areas in which the lymphoid tissue was especially developed. We suggest therefore that these larvae use the lymphatic system to migrate to the abdominal peritoneum and mesenteries where they develop into forms recognizable as M. grimaldii. The plerocercoid stage of P. delphini remains unknown. In a partial phylogenetic tree of the Tetraphyllidea, all larvae formed a clade that included a representative of the genus Clistobothrium, some species of which parasitize sharks such as the great white which is known to feed on cetaceans. A bibliographic examination of tetraphyllidean infections in marine mammals indicated that these larvae are acquired mostly offshore. In summary, the evidence suggests that cetaceans play a significant role in the life cycle of these larvae. In addition, it seems clear that cetaceans act as natural intermediate hosts for P. delphini and M. grimaldii, as within these hosts they undergo development from the plerocercoid stage to the merocercoid stage. Because tetraphyllidean species use fish, cephalopods and other marine invertebrates as intermediate hosts, the inclusion of cetaceans in the life cycle would have facilitated their transmission to apex predators such as the large, lamnid sharks. The biological significance of infections of LP in cetaceans is unclear, but infections do not seem to be accidental as such larvae show high prevalence and abundance as well as a high degree of site specificity, particularly in the anal crypts and bile ducts.

  6. Monorchiids (Platyhelminthes: Digenea) of chaetodontid fishes (Perciformes): biogeographical patterns in the tropical Indo-West Pacific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, M K A; Adlard, R D; Bray, R A; Sasal, P; Cribb, T H

    2012-06-01

    Species richness and biogeography of the monorchiid genus Hurleytrematoides was studied by the examination of 2834 individuals of 45 species of Chaetodontidae at six major sites in the tropical Indo-West Pacific: Heron Island, Lizard Island, Ningaloo (Western Australia), Palau, New Caledonia and Moorea (French Polynesia). In total, 18 species were distributed among six sites; descriptions are provided for eight new species: H. boucheti n. sp., H. combesi n. sp., H. deblocki n. sp., H. dollfusi n. sp., H. euzeti n. sp., H. kulbickii n. sp., H. pasteuri n. sp., and H. planesi n. sp. Overall richness ranged from zero to five Hurleytrematoides species per chaetodontid species. Seven Hurleytrematoides species were found at only one locality and eleven were found at multiple localities. Only one species, H. morandi, was found at all localities. Individual localities had between six (Moorea) and 10 (Heron Island) species; we attribute Moorea's depauperate parasite fauna to its isolation and distance from the Indo-Philippine centre of biological diversity. Using cluster analysis of 18 species of Hurleytrematoides and 45 species of chaetodontids sampled in the Indo-West Pacific, we show that the localities on the Great Barrier Reef (Heron Island and Lizard Island) and New Caledonia have the most similar chaetodontid and parasite fauna of any locality pairs. Cluster analysis results also show that the similarity of the chaetodontid assemblages at five of the six localities is relatively high and that Ningaloo has the most distinct fauna. Similarity values based on sharing of species of Hurleytrematoides are generally lower than those for their hosts; Moorea, Ningaloo and Palau all have low similarity to New Caledonia and Great Barrier Reef sites. We attribute these distinctions to the differential dispersal capability of the fish and their parasites. Chaetodontids have long-lived mobile pelagic larvae, the dispersal of which would be most affected by prominent biogeographical barriers, such as that between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In contrast, monorchiids have no obvious dispersal stage, and vast distances have the capacity to act as effective barriers to dispersal. We conclude that the present distributions of species of Hurleytrematoides in the Indo-Pacific are driven by historical opportunity and capacity to disperse, and that some disjunct distributions are sculpted by stochasticity. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  7. New insights into the karyotype evolution of the free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zadesenets, Kira S; Schärer, Lukas; Rubtsov, Nikolay B

    2017-07-20

    The free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano is a model organism for evolutionary and developmental biology studies. Recently, an unusual karyotypic diversity was revealed in this species. Specifically, worms are either 'normal' 2n = 8, or they are aneuploid with one or two additional large chromosome(s) (i.e. 2n = 9 or 2n = 10, respectively). Aneuploid worms did not show visible behavioral or morphological abnormalities and were successful in reproduction. In this study, we generated microdissected DNA probes from chromosome 1 (further called MLI1), chromosome 2 (MLI2), and a pair of similar-sized smaller chromosomes (MLI3, MLI4). FISH using these probes revealed that MLI1 consists of contiguous regions homologous to MLI2-MLI4, suggesting that MLI1 arose due to the whole genome duplication and subsequent fusion of one full chromosome set into one large metacentric chromosome. Therefore, one presumably full haploid genome was packed into MLI1, leading to hidden tetraploidy in the M. lignano genome. The study of Macrostomum sp. 8 - a sibling species of M. lignano - revealed that it usually has one additional pair of large chromosomes (2n = 10) showing a high homology to MLI1, thus suggesting hidden hexaploidy in its genome. Possible evolutionary scenarios for the emergence of the M. lignano and Macrostomum sp. 8 genomes are discussed.

  8. Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea Carus, 1863: Distribution extension in Argentina and new Anura and Ophidia hosts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lunaschi, L. I.

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to increase the knowledge on the diversity of digenean parasites in ophidians andanurans from northeastern Argentina. Specimens of the snakes Eunectes notaeus, Hydrodynastes gigas, Micrurus corallinus,Philodryas sp. and Sibynomorphus sp., and the anurans Rhinella schneideri, Phyllomedusa azurea and Leptodactylus latranswere examined. Twelve digenean species were identified: Catadiscus corderoi Mañé-Garzón, 1958, Catadiscus dolichocotyle(Cohn, 1903, Catadiscus uruguayensis Freitas & Lent, 1939, Choledocystus elegans (Travassos, 1926, Gorgoderina parvicavaTravassos, 1922, Haplometroides buccicola Odhner, 1911, Heterodiplostomum lanceolatum Dubois, 1936, Infidum similisTravassos, 1916, Mesocoelium monas (Rudolphi, 1819, Plagiorchis luehei (Travassos, 1927, Telorchis clava (Diesing, 1850and Travtrema stenocotyle (Cohn, 1902. New host species and/or new locality records from Argentina are presented.

  9. Reproductive strategies, karyology, parasites, and taxonomic status of Dugesia populations from Yemen (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Dugesiidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrath, Abdul Halim; Sluys, Ronald; Aldahmash, Waleed; Al-Razaki, Abdulkarim; Alwasel, Saleh

    2013-06-01

    We present new data on the distribution, reproductive strategies, karyology, and taxonomic status of populations of freshwater planarians from Yemen. Nine populations were sampled and significant differences in their reproductive strategies and karyology are reported. The present study presents the first fully documented record of a naturally sexual, diploid (2n = 18) population of a Dugesia species in the eastern part of the Afrotropical region. Morphological characters combined with karyological data suggest that these Dugesia populations from Yemen represent a new species, which is herein described as Dugesia arabica Harrath and Sluys, sp. nov. This new species is mainly distinguishable from other Dugesia species that are distributed exclusively in the Mediterranean basin and in the eastern part of the Afrotropical region by the presence of the following features: well-developed and cone-shaped penis papilla, housing an ejaculatory duct that runs ventrally and has a subterminal and ventral opening; a considerably expanded and folded section of the bursal canal at the level of the oviducal openings; absence of a layer of longitudinal muscles on the copulatory bursa and the bursal canal. Specimens from two populations from Yemen were infested with a gregarine Protozoon.

  10. A new genus with six new species of Typhlopolycystidinae Evdonin, 1977 (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia, Polycystididae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schockaert, Ernest R; Martens, Paul M; Revis, Nathalie; Janssen, Toon; Willems, Wim; Artois, Tom J

    2014-01-22

    Five new species of the new taxon Brunetorhynchus n. gen. are described: B. deconincki n. sp., B. microstylis n. sp. and B. complicatus n. sp. are from the Mediterranean, B. canariensis n. sp. is from the Canary Island Lanzarote, B. cannoni n. sp. is from the Australian East coast and one species from the Galapagos, formerly described as Limipolycystis spec., is transferred to the new genus as B. dubius n. sp.. As in Limipolycystis, these species have a single stylet, (accessory stylet type II), an accessory secretion vesicle (type II) and a prostate vesicle (type III) in the male atrium, although the latter vesicle is absent in some species. Unlike the species of Limipolycystis, where the seminal receptacle is a sclerotized tubule, the species of the new taxon have a pear-shaped seminal receptacle on the oviduct. 

  11. Attachment-inducing capacities of fish skin epithelial extracts on oncomiracidia of Benedenia seriolae (Monogenea: Capsalidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshinaga, Tomoyoshi; Nagakura, Tatsuhiro; Ogawa, Kazuo; Fukuda, Yutaka; Wakabayashi, Hisatsugu

    2002-03-01

    Attachment-inducing capacities of skin epithelial extracts of yellowtail, Japanese flounder and red sea bream on oncomiracidia of the monogenean Benedenia seriolae were examined. Clear differences were not detected in the capacity among the fish species, although B. seriolae infects only yellowtail and its congeners in Seriola. This suggests that either the capacity is not host specific or host-specific attachment-inducing capacity cannot be detected by the assay method. Further, the attachment-inducing capacities were suppressed by wheat-germ lectin and concanavalin A in skin epithelial extracts of Japanese flounder and yellowtail, respectively. This suggests that some sugar-related chemical substances existing in fish epithelia induce the attachment of B. seriolae oncomiracidia.

  12. Evolutionary morphology in shape and size of haptoral anchors in 14 Ligophorus spp. (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-González, Abril; Sarabeev, Volodimir; Balbuena, Juan Antonio

    2017-01-01

    The search for phylogenetic signal in morphological traits using geometric morphometrics represents a powerful approach to estimate the relative weights of convergence and shared evolutionary history in shaping organismal form. We assessed phylogenetic signal in the form of ventral and dorsal haptoral anchors of 14 species of Ligophorus occurring on grey mullets (Osteichthyes: Mugilidae) from the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The phylogenetic relationships among these species were mapped onto the morphospaces of shape and size of dorsal and ventral anchors and two different tests were applied to establish whether the spatial positions in the morphospace were dictated by chance. Overall significant phylogenetic signal was found in the data. Allometric effects on anchor shape were moderate or non-significant in the case of evolutionary allometry. Relatively phylogenetically distant species occurring on the same host differed markedly in anchor morphology indicating little influence of host species on anchor form. Our results suggest that common descent and shared evolutionary history play a major role in determining the shape and, to a lesser degree in the size of haptoral anchors in Ligophorus spp. The present approach allowed tracing paths of morphological evolution in anchor shape. Species with narrow anchors and long shafts were associated predominately with Liza saliens. This morphology was considered to be ancestral relative to anchors of species occurring on Liza haematocheila and M. cephalus possessing shorter shafts and longer roots. Evidence for phylogenetic signal was more compelling for the ventral anchors, than for the dorsal ones, which could reflect different functional roles in attachment to the gills. Although phylogeny and homoplasy may act differently in other monogeneans, the present study delivers a common framework to address effectively the relationships among morphology, phylogeny and other traits, such as host specificity or niche occupancy.

  13. Evolutionary morphology in shape and size of haptoral anchors in 14 Ligophorus spp. (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abril Rodríguez-González

    Full Text Available The search for phylogenetic signal in morphological traits using geometric morphometrics represents a powerful approach to estimate the relative weights of convergence and shared evolutionary history in shaping organismal form. We assessed phylogenetic signal in the form of ventral and dorsal haptoral anchors of 14 species of Ligophorus occurring on grey mullets (Osteichthyes: Mugilidae from the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The phylogenetic relationships among these species were mapped onto the morphospaces of shape and size of dorsal and ventral anchors and two different tests were applied to establish whether the spatial positions in the morphospace were dictated by chance. Overall significant phylogenetic signal was found in the data. Allometric effects on anchor shape were moderate or non-significant in the case of evolutionary allometry. Relatively phylogenetically distant species occurring on the same host differed markedly in anchor morphology indicating little influence of host species on anchor form. Our results suggest that common descent and shared evolutionary history play a major role in determining the shape and, to a lesser degree in the size of haptoral anchors in Ligophorus spp. The present approach allowed tracing paths of morphological evolution in anchor shape. Species with narrow anchors and long shafts were associated predominately with Liza saliens. This morphology was considered to be ancestral relative to anchors of species occurring on Liza haematocheila and M. cephalus possessing shorter shafts and longer roots. Evidence for phylogenetic signal was more compelling for the ventral anchors, than for the dorsal ones, which could reflect different functional roles in attachment to the gills. Although phylogeny and homoplasy may act differently in other monogeneans, the present study delivers a common framework to address effectively the relationships among morphology, phylogeny and other traits, such as host specificity or niche occupancy.

  14. Multi-centre testing and validation of current protocols for the identification of Gyrodactylus salaris (Monogenea)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shinn, A.P.; Collins, C.; García-Vásquez, A.

    2010-01-01

    Tilgængelige metoder til diagnose af G. salaris er blevet afprøvet i en række laboratorier Udgivelsesdato: September......Tilgængelige metoder til diagnose af G. salaris er blevet afprøvet i en række laboratorier Udgivelsesdato: September...

  15. Two new species of Neoentobdella (Monogenea: Capsalidae: Entobdellinae) from the skin of Australian stingrays (Dasyatidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittington, Ian D; Kearn, Graham C

    2009-03-01

    Two new species of entobdelline (capsalid) monogeneans are described from the skin of Australian dasyatid stingrays, namely Neoentobdella cribbi sp. n., a small parasite from the estuarine stingray, Dasyatis fluviorum Ogilby (Elasmobranchii: Dasyatidae) and Neoentobdella baggioi sp. n., a relatively large parasite from the porcupine ray, Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch et Schneider) (Elasmobranchii: Dasyatidae). A striking feature of both of these new parasite species is a pad, possibly located within the genital atrium, armed with rows of closely spaced, rod-shaped microsclerites. Both species also possess a muscular papilla in the genital tract and a club-shaped structure near the common genital opening on the left lateral margin of the body. In N. cribbi, the latter feature is large and located anterior to the genital pad and in N. baggioi, it is small and located in a more posterior position. Similar embellishments in the genital area occur in N. natans Kearn et Whittington, 2005 and in N. parvitesticulata Kearn et Whittington, 2005, while other species (e.g. N. garneri Whittington et Kearn, 2009 and N. taiwanensis Whittington et Kearn, 2009) lack these features and differ also in functional aspects of the male copulatory apparatus and the haptor. Separate generic status for these two groupings is indicated, but must await a comparative and comprehensive review of all Neoentobdella spp.

  16. Purification and kinetic analysis of cytosolic and mitochondrial thioredoxin glutathione reductase extracted from Taenia solium cysticerci.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plancarte, Agustin; Nava, Gabriela

    2015-02-01

    Thioredoxin glutathione reductases (TGRs) (EC 1.8.1.9) were purified to homogeneity from the cytosolic (cTsTGR) and mitochondrial (mTsTGR) fractions of Taenia solium, the agent responsible for neurocysticercosis, one of the major central nervous system parasitic diseases in humans. TsTGRs had a relative molecular weight of 132,000, while the corresponding value per subunit obtained under denaturing conditions, was of 62,000. Specific activities for thioredoxin reductase and glutathione reductase substrates for both TGRs explored were in the range or lower than values obtained for other platyhelminths and mammalian TGRs. cTsTGR and mTsTGR also showed hydroperoxide reductase activity using hydroperoxide as substrate. Km(DTNB) and Kcat(DTNB) values for cTsTGR and mTsTGR (88 µM and 1.9 s(-1); 45 µM and 12.6 s(-1), respectively) and Km(GSSG) and Kcat(GSSG) values for cTsTGR and mTsTGR (6.3 µM and 0.96 s(-1); 4 µM and 1.62 s(-1), respectively) were similar to or lower than those reported for mammalian TGRs. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that 12 peptides from cTsTGR and seven from mTsTGR were a match for gi|29825896 thioredoxin glutathione reductase [Echinococcus granulosus], confirming that both enzymes are TGRs. Both T. solium TGRs were inhibited by the gold compound auranofin, a selective inhibitor of thiol-dependent flavoreductases (I₅₀ = 3.25, 2.29 nM for DTNB and GSSG substrates, respectively for cTsTGR; I₅₀ = 5.6, 25.4 nM for mTsTGR toward the same substrates in the described order). Glutathione reductase activity of cTsTGR and mTsTGR exhibited hysteretic behavior with moderate to high concentrations of GSSG; this result was not observed either with thioredoxin, DTNB or NADPH. However, the observed hysteretic kinetics was suppressed with increasing amounts of both parasitic TGRs. These data suggest the existence of an effective substitute which may account for the lack of the detoxification enzymes glutathione reductase

  17. The benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of highland streams in southern Brazil: composition, diversity and structure Fauna de macro-invertebrados bentônicos de rios de montanha no sul do Brasil: composição, diversidade e estrutura

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludwig Buckup

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Benthic macroinvertebrate in four rivers, three in the Pelotas River basin (Divisa, Marco and Silveira rivers, in the headwaters of the Uruguai River and one in the Taquari-Antas system (Antas River, a tributary in the Guaíba basin, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, were identified. Two samples were collected in summer, autumn and spring, with one replicate in each river. The total of 28,961 specimens included members of Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Acarina, Insecta, Crustacea and Mollusca. The Silveira and Marco rivers showed significant differences in the indices of Shannon-Weaver (H’, Simpson’s Reciprocal (1/D, Margalef (DMg and Equitability (E. The Silveira River showed the highest means of diversity and the EPT index (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera. Comparison among the diversity indices, considered individually, were insufficient to show differences in community structure, for the purpose of ecological characterization of the rivers. The EPT values characterized the Divisa River as having the highest abundance (73%, followed by the Marco (71%, Antas (48% and Silveira (36%. These results suggest that the Silveira River is subject to moderate environmental stress, from human impact, although it showed the highest diversity of the major macrobenthic groups.Os macro-invertebrados bentônicos que ocorrem em quatro rios, três pertencentes à bacia do Rio Pelotas (Rios Divisa, Marco e Silveira nas cabeceiras do Rio Uruguai e um ao sistema Taquari-Antas (Rio Antas, tributário da bacia do Guaíba, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, foram identificados. Duas amostras foram coletadas no verão, outono e primavera, com uma réplica em cada rio. Foram coletados 28961 espécimes de macro-invertebrados compreendendo Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Acarina, Insecta, Crustacea e Mollusca. Na comparação entre os rios, Silveira e Marco mostraram diferenças significativas nos índices de Shannon-Weaver (H’, no Recíproco de Simpson (1/D, de

  18. External morphology of the cycliophoran dwarf male: a comparative study of Symbion pandora and S. americanus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neves, Ricardo C.; Cunha, Marina R.; Funch, Peter

    2010-01-01

    the phylum was first described, the dwarf male has a remarkably complex bodyplan albeit its very small size (approx. 30–40 lm in length). Aiming to increase the knowledge on the gross morphology of the cycliophoran dwarf male, specimens from S. pandora and S. americanus were analyzed by scanning electron...... with the data currently available on other metazoan dwarf males....

  19. Testing the new animal phylogeny: a phylum level molecular analysis of the animal kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourlat, Sarah J; Nielsen, Claus; Economou, Andrew D; Telford, Maximilian J

    2008-10-01

    The new animal phylogeny inferred from ribosomal genes some years ago has prompted a number of radical rearrangements of the traditional, morphology based metazoan tree. The two main bilaterian clades, Deuterostomia and Protostomia, find strong support, but the protostomes consist of two sister groups, Ecdysozoa and Lophotrochozoa, not seen in morphology based trees. Although widely accepted, not all recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have supported the tripartite structure of the new animal phylogeny. Furthermore, even if the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) based phylogeny is correct, there is a frustrating lack of resolution of relationships between the phyla that make up the three clades of this tree. To address this issue, we have assembled a dataset including a large number of aligned sequence positions as well as a broad sampling of metazoan phyla. Our dataset consists of sequence data from ribosomal and mitochondrial genes combined with new data from protein coding genes (5139 amino acid and 3524 nucleotide positions in total) from 37 representative taxa sampled across the Metazoa. Our data show strong support for the basic structure of the new animal phylogeny as well as for the Mandibulata including Myriapoda. We also provide some resolution within the Lophotrochozoa, where we confirm support for a monophyletic clade of Echiura, Sipuncula and Annelida and surprising evidence of a close relationship between Brachiopoda and Nemertea.

  20. Somatic and Germline Diversification of a Putative Immunoreceptor within One Phylum: Dscam in Arthropods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brites, Daniela; Du Pasquier, Louis

    2015-01-01

    Arthropod Dscam, the homologue of the human Down Syndrome cell adhesion molecule, is a receptor used by the nervous and immune systems. Unlike in vertebrates, evolutionary pressure has selected and maintained a vast Dscam diversity of isoforms, known to specifying neuronal identity during the nervous system differentiation. This chapter examines the different modes of Dscam diversification in the context of arthropods' evolution and that of their immune system, where its role is controversial. In the single Dscam gene of insects and crustaceans, mutually exclusive alternative splicing affects three clusters of duplicated exons encoding the variable parts of the receptor. The Dscam gene produces over 10,000 isoforms. In the more basal arthropods such as centipedes, Dscam diversity results from a combination of many germline genes (over 80) with, in about half of those, the possibility of alternative splicing affecting only one exon cluster. In the even more basal arthropods, such as chelicerates, no splicing possibility is detected, but there exist dozens of germline Dscam genes. Compared to controlling the expression of multiple germline genes, the somatic mutually alternative splicing within a single gene may offer a simplified way of expressing a large Dscam repertoire. Expressed by hemocytes, Dscam is considered a phagocytic receptor but is also encountered in solution. More information is necessary about its binding to pathogens, its role in phagocytosis, its possible role in specifying hemocyte identity, its kinetics of expression, and the regulation of its RNA splicing to understand how its diversity is linked to immunity.