Petrosal bones of metatherian mammals from the Late Palaeocene of Itaboraí (Brazil), and a cladistic analysis of petrosal features in metatherians

Metatherian petrosal bones were recovered from the early Late Palaeocene Itaboraí, Brazil, and are formally described. A cladistic analysis of the distribution of 56 petrosal and basicranial characters among extant and fossil metatherians was conducted, resulting in seven parsimonious trees. Relationships among metatherian ingroup taxa are congruent with current understanding of metatherian phylogeny. Metatheria is diagnosed by eight petrosal synapomorphies: stapedial artery absent in adults; reduced, intramural prootic canal; extrabullar internal carotid artery; inferior petrosal sinus between petrosal, basisphenoid, and basioccipital; cava supracochleare and epiptericum completely separated; reduction of the lateral flange; reduction of the anterior lamina; separation of the jugular foramen from the opening for the inferior petrosal sinus. The Palaeocene taxa Mayulestes , Pucadelphy s, and Andinodelphys from Tiupampa, and Petrosal Type II from Itaboraí are the sister groups of all other South American and Australian metatherians. This analysis confirms previous results showing the South American 'monito del monte' Dromiciops nested within the Australasian radiation. Within this australidelphian clade, Dromiciops is closely related to the dasyurids. The South American Caenolestes appears more closely related to the Australidelphia than to the South American didelphids. The Petrosal Types I, III, IV and V from Itaboraí are the stem taxa of the clade Australidelphia plus Caenolestes . The significant synapomorphies supporting this relationship are: enlargement of the fossa subarcuata that produces a bulbous ventral aspect of the mastoid and loss of post-temporal canal.  Journal compilation © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 150 , 85–115. No claim to original French government works.     

Paraoxonase 55 and 192 polymorphism and its relationship to serum paraoxonase activity and serum lipids in Turkish patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

We investigated the effect of PON 55 and PON 192 polymorphisms on serum PON1 activity and lipid profiles in 213 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) individuals and 116 non-diabetic controls among Turkish subjects. The distribution of PON 55/192 gene polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum lipid levels were measured enzymically. PON activity was measured by spectrophotometric assay of p-nitrophenol production following addition of paraoxon. We found that PON 55 and 192 genotype distribution was similar in patients and controls and paraoxonase activity was generally lower in diabetics than in control subjects. We showed that PON 55 and 192 genotypes have a major effect on serum PON activity. PON 192 BB homozygotes had significantly higher PON activity than AA and AB genotypes among the control and NIDDM populations (p<0.001). PON 55 MM homozygotes had significantly lower PON activity than did LL and LM genotypes in control and NIDDM populations (p<0.05). The PON1 55 and 192 polymorphisms did not consistently influence the serum lipid profiles in either population. In conclusion, our results suggest that the paraoxonase activities are affected by PON1 genetic variability in Turkish NIDDM patients and controls.     

Effect of genetic variants of chemokine receptors on the development of myocardial infarction in Turkish population

Inflammation is a crucial component of coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (MI). Chemokine receptors are important modulators of inflammation. Polymorphisms in genes coding for chemokine receptors, CCR2 and CCR5, have been studied as genetic markers of coronary artery disease. In the present study, we investigated whether genetic variants of CCR2-V64I and CCR5-delta32 chemokine receptors have any effect on the development of myocardial infarction. A total of 146 MI patients and 202 control subjects were genotyped for CCR2 and CCR5. CCR2-V64I genotypes were not significantly different between patients with MI and controls (P > 0.05). CCR5-delta32 genotype distribution in cases was significantly different from that of controls (P = 0.042). The CCR5-delta32 wt/deletion genotype frequencies for controls and cases were 0.10 and 0.19, respectively and individuals with CCR5-delta32 wt/deletion genotype had a 2.13-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction (P = 0.0013). Individuals carrying the CCR5-delta32 heterozygote or homozygous variant genotype (deletion/deletion + wt/deletion) had a 1.96-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction compared with the wild-type genotype (wt/wt) (p: 0.016). In conclusion, our data have suggested that genetic variant of CCR5 might be associated with the development of MI. Further larger sample size studies are required to confirm our findings.     

三种绿叶挥发性物质对云南切梢小蠹寄主定位行为的干扰作用

为了研究环境中非寄主阔叶植物释放出的绿叶挥发性物质（GLVs）对针叶树蛀干害虫云南切梢小蠹Tomicus yunnanesis的影响, 选取了(E)-2-己烯醛、 (E)-2-己烯醇和(Z)-3-己烯醇3种释放量较大的绿叶挥发性物质, 通过室内松梢取食试验测试了单组分及两两混合后对云南切梢小蠹寄主定位行为的干扰作用。结果表明： 源于阔叶植物的3种绿叶挥发性物质及其混合物能够不同程度干扰云南切梢小蠹的寄主定位行为。当虫放入广口瓶12 h后, 3个单组分绿叶挥发性物质处理组［A： (E)-2-己烯醛, P＜0.01; B： (E)-2-己烯醇, P＜0.01; C： (Z)-3-己烯醇, P＜0.01］及2个混合组分［D： (E)-2-己烯醛+(E)-2-己烯醇, P＜0.01）; E： (E)-2-己烯醛+(Z)-3-己烯醇, P＜0.01］中滞留在松梢外部的虫数与对照组相比都有显著性差异, 绿叶挥发性物质的存在显著降低了云南切梢小蠹侵害云南松松梢的概率。但是, 24 h后只有D组（P＜0.01）和E组（P＜0.01）滞留在松梢外部的虫数与对照组相比具有显著性差异, 在48 h后只有D组（P＜0.01）与对照相比仍具有显著性差异。本研究为利用非寄主植物的次生代谢产物防治云南切梢小蠹进行了有益的探索。     

Effect of TNF-α and IL-1β genetic variants on the development of myocardial infarction in Turkish population

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) genetic variants which resulting in TNF-α and IL-1 overproduction may increase susceptibility to autoimmune diseases such as atherosclerosis. We have studied the association of TNF-α G308A and IL-1β (+3953) C/T polymorphism with myocardial infarction in Turkish population. 143 patients with myocardial infarction and 213 age-matched healthy controls were included in the study. In univariant analysis, the frequencies of IL-1β, TNF-α genotype or allele, and haplotype of C:A and T:A were significantly elevated in patients when compared with those of controls. GA genotype of TNF-α, T allele of IL-1β and A of TNF-α allele seem to be risk factors for myocardial infarction. In contrast, CC genotype of IL-1β and GG genotype of TNF-α have protective effect against myocardial infarction. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, TNF-α A allele, gender and smoking were associated with myocardial infarction. In conclusion, we can state that TNF-α A allele might be associated with myocardial infarction.     

Elevated S100B and Neuron Specific Enolase Levels in Patients with Migraine-without Aura: Evidence for Neurodegeneration?

Although migraine has mainly been considered as a benign disease, there is cumulative evidence of silent changes in the brain, brainstem, or cerebellum and subtle subclinical cerebellar dysfunction. In this study, in order to investigate a possible neuronal and/or glial damage at the cellular level in migraine, we measured and compared serum levels of S100B which is a protein marker of glial damage or activation, and neuron specific enolase (NSE) which is a marker of neuronal damage, in migraine patients and control subjects. Serum levels of S100B and NSE were measured in blood samples from 41 patients with migraine-without aura taken during a migraine attack (ictal) and in the attack-free period between migraine attacks (interictal) and 35 age- and sex-matched controls. Patients with migraine-without aura had significantly higher ictal serum levels of S100B and NSE (P < 0.05, for both) than control subjects; whereas in the interictal phase, there was a significant increment only in S100B levels (P < 0.05) compared to controls. On the other hand, serum levels of S100B and NSE in ictal and interictal blood samples did not differ significantly. The findings of increased ictal serum S100B and NSE levels together with increased interictal levels of S100B suggested that migraine might be associated with glial and/or neuronal damage in the brain and a prolonged disruption of blood–brain barrier. Increased interictal serum levels of S100B might point out to an insidious and slow damaging process in migraine patients.     

云南切梢小蠹对初侵害云南松挥发物的电生理和行为反应

云南切梢小蠹Tomicus yunnanensis(Kirkendall and Faccoli)是一种蛀害云南松Pinus yunnanensis的本土害虫.为深入了解其寄主选择机制,用顶空动态法和浸提法分别提取了初侵染云南松针叶和松脂的挥发性化合物,并用气相色谱-质谱联用技术(GC-MS)、气相色谱-昆虫触角电位测量系统(GC-EAD)、生测法鉴定和筛选了对云南切梢小蠹具有活性功能的成分.结果表明:云南松针叶和松脂中共有18种化合物,均为萜烯类物质,但两者化学成分的构成有显著差异.针叶中单萜类占99.98％,主要是 α-蒎烯(80.82％)、β-蒎烯(8.78％)、D-柠檬烯(4.77％)、莰烯(2.86％)和β-月桂烯(1.42％),而松脂以单萜类和双萜类为主,前者以α-蒎烯(21.38％)、3-蒈烯(21.42％)和异松油烯(2.78％)为主要成分,后者仅有长叶松酸(51.13％)一种.云南切梢小蠹对α-蒎烯、β-蒎烯、3-蒈烯、γ-萜品烯和4-烯丙基苯甲醚有触角电位反应,其中α-蒎烯、3-蒈烯和γ-萜品烯具引诱作用,4-烯丙基苯甲醚和β-蒎烯则为驱避功能.研究可为开发植物源引诱剂或与性信息素结合进行种群监测和诱杀提供科学依据.     

Evidence of early evolution of Australidelphia (Metatheria,Mammalia) in South America: phylogenetic relationships of the metatherians from the Late Palaeocene of Itaboraí (Brazil) based on teeth and petrosal bones

New metatherian petrosal bones from the mid to Late Palaeocene of Itaboraí, belonging to three morphotypes (VI, VII, and VII), are formally described and compared to fossil and extant taxa known by their auditory region. An attempt at assigning petrosal types to tooth‐based taxa from Itaboraí was made by combining parsimony and morphometric methods. The first large scale phylogenetic analysis of the Itaboraían metatherians, involving basicranial and dental characters in a larger number of taxa, is provided here and is at the basis of a systematic revision of the metatherians from Itaboraí. The combination of morphometric and cladistic analyses helps in understanding the affinities between the petrosals and the tooth‐based taxa. The metatherians from Itaboraí were taxonomically diverse, belonging to each of the most important radiations in marsupial evolutionary history (Didelphimorphia, Paucituberculata, Eometatheria). The inclusion of Palaeocene taxa in the crown group Marsupialia and above all in the Eometatheria radiation points to an early emergence of these clades in South America and corroborates the main molecular hypotheses. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 159 , 746–784.