New species of the tenebrionid-beetle genera <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tagonoides</Emphasis> Fairm., <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gnaptorina</Emphasis> Rtt. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agnaptoria</Emphasis> Rtt. (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae) from China

Six new species Tagonoides belousovi sp. n., T. yunnana sp. n., Gnaptorina australis sp. n., Agnaptoria elongata sp. n. (Yunnan), A. lecta sp. n., and A. ruida sp. n. (Sichuan), and a new subspecies Gnaptorina potanini minxiana subsp. n. are described from China. Morphological adaptations of tenebrionids of the tribe Blaptini associated with phytophagous habit are discussed.     

Hidden diversity in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Antrodia malicola</Emphasis> group (Polyporales,Basidiomycota)

Taxonomy of the Antrodia malicola group is revised based on DNA, morphological, ecological, and geographic data. This species complex is not related to Antrodia s. str. but constitutes its own lineage within the large Fomitopsis – Daedalea clade. The A. malicola group includes five species. Antrodia malicola s. str. is distributed in North America and East Asia, and a few records of this species are reported from Azores and Africa. Its European counterpart is A. kuzyana, comb. nova, with wider pores. Infraspecific variability of A. malicola and possible gene flow between it and A. kuzyana in East Asia are detected based on tef1 sequence data. Antrodia cyclopis, sp. nova, is described as a large-spored relative of A. malicola from New Guinea. Antrodia minuta is reported here from several European countries and Siberia, and its morphological characters and host preferences are discussed. Its close relative is A. tuvensis, sp. nova, from Central Siberia, an unusual member of the group with sparse, flexuous skeletal hyphae.     

Parasitism rates and parasitoid complexes of the wheat midges, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitodiplosis mosellana</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Contarinia tritici</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haplodiplosis marginata</Emphasis>

Three species of cecidomyiid midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), whose larvae overwinter in the soil, can cause significant yield losses on wheat in Europe: the orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), the yellow wheat blossom midge, Contarinia tritici (Kirby), and the saddle gall midge, Haplodiplosis marginata (von Roser). The biological control of wheat midges by their parasitoids can contribute to reduce the midge populations. Soil samples were collected in several fields in Belgium in 2012–2014 in order to characterize the parasitism rates and parasitoid complexes in overwintering larvae. The parasitism rates varied greatly between the sampled fields: 3–100, 0–100 and 2% for S. mosellana, H. marginata and C. tritici, respectively. The parasitism rate was not related to the larval density of wheat midge. The three wheat midges have totally distinct parasitoid complexes in Belgium. Eight species (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae and Platygastridae) were found as parasitoid of S. mosellana: Macroglenes penetrans (Kirby), Amblypasis tritici (Walker), Euxestonotus error (Fitch), Euxestonutus sp. Fouts, Leptacis sp. Foerster, Platygaster gracilipes (Huggert), Platygaster nisus Walker, and Platygaster tuberosula (Kieffer). According to their abundance, M. penetrans, E. error and P. tuberosula appeared as the main parasitoids of S. mosellana in Belgium. For the two other wheat midges, only one species of the family Platygastridae was found for each midge: Platygaster equestris (Spittler) for H. marginata and Synopeas myles (Walker) for C. tritici.     

Deletion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ldh</Emphasis>A and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ald</Emphasis>H genes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Klebsiella</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">pneumoniae</Emphasis> to enhance 1,3-propanediol production

Objectives

To improve 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) production and reduce byproduct concentration during the fermentation of Klebsiella pneumonia.

Results

Klebsiella. pneumonia 2-1ΔldhA, K. pneumonia 2-1ΔaldH and K. pneumonia 2-1ΔldhAΔaldH mutant strains were obtained through deletion of the ldhA gene encoding lactate dehydrogenase required for lactate synthesis and the aldH gene encoding acetaldehyde dehydrogenase involved in the synthesis of ethanol. After fed-batch fermentation, the production of 1,3-PD from glycerol was enhanced and the concentrations of byproducts were reduced compared with the original strain K. pneumonia 2-1. The maximum yields of 1,3-PD were 85.7, 82.5 and 87.5 g/l in the respective mutant strains.

Conclusion

Deletion of either aldH or ldhA promoted 1,3-PD production in K. pneumonia.

     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Viola woosanensis</Emphasis>, a recurrent spontaneous hybrid between <Emphasis Type="Italic">V. ulleungdoensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">V. chaerophylloides</Emphasis> (Violaceae) endemic to Ulleung Island,Korea

Ulleung Island is an oceanic volcanic island in Korea, which has never been connected to the adjacent continent. Previous studies highlighted Ulleung Island as an excellent system to study the pattern and process of early stages of flowering plant evolutions on oceanic island. The predominant mode of speciation in flowering plants on Ulleung Island appears to be anagenesis. However, the potentially important role of hybrid speciation among incompletely reproductively isolated lineages cannot be ruled out. Viola woosanensis (Violaceae) is of purportedly hybrid origin between V. ulleungdoensis (i.e., formerly recognized as V. selkirkii in Ulleung Island) and V. chaerophylloides, based on morphology. To examine the origin of V. woosanensis, we sampled a total of 80 accessions, including V. woosanensis and its putative parental species and sequenced nrDNA ITS, and four highly variable chloroplast noncoding regions (trnL-trnF, rpl16 intron, atpF-atpH, and psbA-trnH). Representative species of Viola from Korea were also included in the phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference). Additive polymorphic sites in the nrDNA ITS regions were confirmed by cloning amplicons from representative species. The molecular data strongly supported the hybrid origin of V. woosanensis, and the maternal and paternal parent were determined to be V. ulleungdoensis and V. chaerophylloides, respectively. The presence of two parental ribotypes in V. woosanensis (with the exception in one population) was confirmed by cloning, suggesting V. woosanensis is primarily the F₁ generation. No trace of backcrossing and introgression with its parents was detected due to low fertility of hybrid species. We found a multiple and unidirectional hybrid origin of V. woosanensis. Additional studies are required to determine which factors contribute to asymmetric gene flow of Viola species in Ulleung Island.     

The endosymbiont <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wolbachia</Emphasis> in Eurasian populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

The endosymbiotic α-proteobacteria Wolbachia is widely spread among arthropods and Filariidae nematodes. This bacterium is transmitted vertically via a transovarian route. Wolbachia is a cause of several reproductive abnormalities in the host species. We analyzed the isofemale lines created using flies collected from Drosophila melanogaster natural populations for infection with the endosymbiont Wolbachia. Wolbachia were genotyped according to five variable markers: the presence of insertion sequence IS5 in two loci, the copy number of two minisatellite repeats, and an inversion. Overall, 665 isofemale lines isolated from the populations of D. melanogaster from Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Caucasus, Central Asia, Ural, Udmurtia, Altai, West and East Siberia, and Far East in 1974 through 2005 were used in the work. The samples from Ukrainian, Altaian, and Middle Asian populations were largest. The infection rate of D. melanogaster populations from Middle Asia, Altaian, and Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Moldavia, and Belarus) with Wolbachia amounted to 64, 56, and 39%, respectively. The D. melanogaster population from the Caucasus displayed heterogeneity in the genotypes of this cytoplasmic infection. The Wolbachia genotype wMel, detected in all the populations studied, was the most abundant. The genotype wMelCS2 was always present in the populations from Middle Asia and Altai and was among the rare variants in the D. melanogaster populations from the Eastern Europe. Single instances of the Wolbachia genotype wMelCS occurred in a few flies from the Central Asian and Altai populations, but was not found this genotype in the other regions.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cantharellus</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amethystini</Emphasis> in Asia

In this contribution on the genus Cantharellus in Asia, C. subvaginatus is described from the Republic of Korea as a close relative to the Chinese C. vaginatus, which is here reported for the first time from India. Both species are here placed in Cantharellus subg. Cantharellus sect. Amethystini, together with the Indian C. pseudoformosus (syn.: C. umbonatus) and the Malayan C. subamethysteus. As such, Asia has suddenly become the continent with the highest diversity for Amethystini. Species delimitation in sect. Amethystini is molecularly supported by a combined phylogenetic analysis of rDNA sequences obtained for LSU and ITS and additionally suggests the existence of a still undescribed species in North America. Character variability is discussed for all known members of Amethystini, including atypical specimens of the North American C. lewisii that are morphologically more reminiscent of the South Korean C. subvaginatus.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Diaporthe</Emphasis> from walnut tree (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Juglans regia</Emphasis>) in China,with insight of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diaporthe eres</Emphasis> complex

Species of Diaporthe are important plant pathogenic fungi that commonly occur on a wide range of hosts. They are relatively difficult to identify due to their extreme similarity in morphology and confusing multigene phylogeny, especially in the Diaporthe eres complex. In the present study, isolates were collected from diseased branches of Juglans regia in China. Most strains were clustered into the D. eres species complex based on the combined internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, partial calmodulin (CAL), histone H3 (HIS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) and beta-tubulin (TUB) genes. To focus on this complex, CAL, TEF1-α and TUB were selected in further phylogenetic analyses that showed a better topology compared with combined five-gene phylogeny. Results revealed that all strains which clustered in the Diaporthe eres complex from Juglans regia in China were Diaporthe eres. Results suggested a revised species criterion in the Diaporthe eres complex. The current study uncovered a new species here described as Diaporthe. tibetensis.     

Steroid Compounds from Far Eastern Starfishes <Emphasis Type="Italic">Henricia aspera</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">H. tumida</Emphasis>

Six new natural compounds were isolated from two Far Eastern starfish species, Henricia aspera and H. tumida, collected in the Sea of Okhotsk. Two new glycosylated steroid polyols were obtained from H. aspera: asperoside A and asperoside B, which were shown to be (20R,24R, 25S)-3-O-(2,3-di-O-methyl-β -D-xylopyranosyl)-24-methyl-5α-cholest-4-ene-3β, 6β,8,15α,16β,26-hexaol and (20R, 24R,25S,22E)-3-O-(2,4-di-O-methyl-β-D-xylopyranosyl)-24-methyl-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β,4β,6β,8,15α,26-hexaol, respectively. Two other glycosylated polyols, tumidoside A, with the structure elucidated as (20R, 22E)-3-O-(2,4-di-O-methyl-β -D-xylopyranosyl)-26,27-dinor-24-methyl-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β,4β,6β,8,15α,25-hexaol, and tumidoside B, whose structure was elucidated as (20R,24S)-3-O-(2,3-di-O-methyl-β-D-xylopyranosyl)-5α-cholestan-3β,4β,6β,8,15α,24-hexaol, were isolated from the two starfish species. (20R, 24S)-5α-Cholestan-3β,6β,15α,24-tetraol and (20R, 24S)-5α-cholestan-3β,6β,8,15α,24-pentaol were identified only in H. tumida. The known monoglycosides henricioside H1 and laeviuscolosides H and G were also identified in both species.     

Revision of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Serrulati</Emphasis> species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penstemon</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccanthera</Emphasis> subsection <Emphasis Type="Italic">Serrulati</Emphasis>

A revision of Penstemon sect. Saccanthera subsect. Serrulati includes a new species (P. salmonensis), a new variety (P. triphyllus var. infernalis), and the elevation of a subspecies to species (P. curtiflorus), bringing the total number of species to eight, which are keyed and described, complete with nomenclature and type citations.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaphoglossum mickeliorum</Emphasis> (Dryopteridaceae), a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaphoglossum</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polytrichia</Emphasis> from Peru

Elaphoglossum mickeliorum, a new species from the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes, is here described and illustrated. It belongs to E. sect. Polytrichia, which is characterized by the presence of subulate scales and absence of hydathodes on the sterile leaves of adult sporophytes. Herbarium specimens of this new species were first collected by Alwyn H. Gentry ca. 40 years ago, but these got readily confused with E. erinaceum and went undescribed since then. The new species differs from members of the E. erinaceum complex by having a nearly continuous band of planar, nonsubulate scales along the laminar margins of sterile leaves. Based on this character, E. mickeliorum resembles species such as E. glaziovii, E. ornatum, and E. scolopendrifolium. It differs from these by the presence of minute glandular hairs on petioles and costae. A distribution map and a figure with line drawings are also provided. For comparative purposes, the line drawing includes E. blepharoglottis, which is here illustrated for the first time.     

New and little known species of the dance-fly subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthempis</Emphasis> Bezzi,genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Empis</Emphasis> L. (Diptera,Empididae), from the Caucasus

Five new species of the subgenus Xanthempis Bezzi are described from the Caucasus: Empis (Xanthempis) annae sp. n. (Russia: Krasnodar Territory), E. (X.) grichanovi sp. n. (Russia: Krasnodar Territory; Georgia), E. (X.) pseudoconcolor sp. n. (Russia: Krasnodar and Stavropol territories; Georgia: Abkhazia), E. (X.) teberdaensis sp. n. (Russia: Karachay-Cherkessia), and E. (X.) zamotajlovi sp. n. (Russia: Krasnodar Territory and Adygea). The females of E. (X.) alanica Shamshev and E. (X.) kovalevi Shamshev are described for the first time. New data on the distribution of some previously described species are reported. The geographical distribution of Xanthempis is discussed. A key to Xanthempis species from the Caucasus is compiled.     

A New record of four <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> species isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agarum clathratum</Emphasis> in Korea

Agarum clathratum, brown algae, play important ecological roles in marine ecosystem, but can cause secondary environment pollution when they pile up on the beach. In order to resolve the environment problem by A. clathratum, we focus to isolate and identify Penicillium because many species are well known to produce extracellular enzymes. A total of 32 Penicillium strains were isolated from A. clathratum samples that collected from 13 sites along the mid-east coast of Korea in summer. They were identified based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis using β-tubulin DNA sequences as well as a combined dataset of β-tubulin and calmodulin. A total of 32 strains were isolated and they were identified to 13 Penicillium species. The commonly isolated species were Penicillium citrinum, P. roseomaculatum, and Penicillium sp. Among 13 Penicillium species, four species – P. bilaiae, P. cremeogriseum, P. madriti, and P. roseomaculatum – have not been previously recorded in Korea. For these four new species records to Korea, we provide morphological characteristics of each strain.     

Identification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pm58</Emphasis> from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegilops tauschii</Emphasis>

Key message

A novel powdery mildew-resistance gene, designated Pm58, was introgressed directly from Aegilops tauschii to hexaploid wheat, mapped to chromosome 2DS, and confirmed to be effective under field conditions. Selectable KASP? markers were developed for MAS.

Abstract

Powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis (DC.) f. sp. tritici (Bgt) remains a significant threat to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. The rapid breakdown of race-specific resistance to Bgt reinforces the need to identify novel sources of resistance. The d-genome species, Aegilops tauschii, is an excellent source of disease resistance that is transferrable to T. aestivum. The powdery mildew-resistant Ae. tauschii accession TA1662 (2n?=?2x?=?DD) was crossed directly with the susceptible hard white wheat line KS05HW14 (2n?=?6x?=?AABBDD) followed by backcrossing to develop a population of 96 BC₂F₄ introgression lines (ILs). Genotyping-by-sequencing was used to develop a genome-wide genetic map that was anchored to the Ae. tauschii reference genome. A detached-leaf Bgt assay was used to screen BC₂F_4:6 ILs, and resistance was found to segregate as a single locus (χ?=?2.0, P value?=?0.157). The resistance gene, referred to as Pm58, mapped to chromosome 2DS. Pm58 was evaluated under field conditions in replicated trials in 2015 and 2016. In both years, a single QTL spanning the Pm58 locus was identified that reduced powdery mildew severity and explained 21% of field variation (P value?<?0.01). KASP? assays were developed from closely linked GBS-SNP markers, a refined genetic map was developed, and four markers that cosegregate with Pm58 were identified. This novel source of powdery mildew-resistance and closely linked genetic markers will support efforts to develop wheat varieties with powdery mildew resistance.

     

Geographical variation of skull characters in pikas (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ochotona</Emphasis>, Lagomorpha) of the<Emphasis Type="Italic">alpina-hyperborea</Emphasis> group

A multivariate analysis of 11 skull measurements, along with evaluation of the shape of maxill-premaxill suture at palatine foramina, was carried out in pikas of thealpina-hyperborea group. The study provided rational for recognition of three distinct species in this group:Ochotona alpina (Pallas, 1773),O. hyperborea (Pallas, 1811), andO. turuchanensis Naumov, 1934.O. turuchanensis is a species from central Siberia differing fromO. hyperborea in the chromosome number and type of palatine foramina and fromO. alpina in size of the skull. This species is allopatric withO. alpina and partly sympatric withO. hyperborea. The subspeciessvatoshi is reportedly allocated toO. hyperborea. The taxonomic status ofmantchurica (now allocated tohyperborea) and scorodumovi (treated at present as an isolated subspecies of O. alpina) needs careful investigation.     

Association between <Emphasis Type="Italic">cagA</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">vacAi</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">dupA</Emphasis> genes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis> and gastroduodenal pathologies in Chilean patients

In addition to the already known cagA gene, novel genetic markers have been associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) virulence: the dupA and vacAi genes. These genes might play an important role as specific markers to determine the clinical outcome of the disease, especially the vacAi gene, which has been expected to be a good marker of severe pathologies like gastric adenocarcinoma. In the present study, the association of cagA, dupA, and vacAi genes with gastroduodenal pathologies in Chilean patients was studied. One hundred and thirty-two patients positive for H. pylori were divided into two groups—non-severe and severe gastric pathologies—and investigated for the presence of cagA, dupA, and vacAi H. pylori virulence genes by PCR. The cagA gene was detected in 20/132 patients (15.2%), the vacAi1 gene was detected in 54/132 patients (40.9%), the vacAi2 gene was detected in 26/132 patients (19.7%), and the dupA gene was detected in 50/132 (37.9%) patients. Logistic regression model analysis showed that the vacAi1 isoform gene in the infected strains and the severity of the diseases outcome were highly associated, causing severe gastric damage that may lead to gastric cancer (p < 0.0001; OR = 8.75; 95% CI 3.54–21.64). Conversely, cagA (p = 0.3507; OR = 1.62; 95% CI 0.59–4.45) and vacAi2 (p = 0.0114; OR = 3.09; 95% CI 1.26–7.60) genes were not associated with damage, while the dupA gene was associated significantly with non-severe clinical outcome (p = 0.0032; OR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.09–0.65). In addition, dupA gene exerts protection against severe gastric pathologies induced by vacAi1 by delaying the outcome of the disease by approximately 20 years.     

Multilocus phylogeny of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clonostachys</Emphasis> subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bionectria</Emphasis> from Brazil and description of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clonostachys chloroleuca</Emphasis> sp. nov.

Phylogenetic analyses based on protein-encoding gene exons and introns of ATP citrate lyase (ACL1), beta tubulin (TUB), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1), and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1) are used for inferring the existence of a new Clonostachys species from the Cerrado biome in Brazil, described here as C. chloroleuca. The species produces dimorphic, primary, and secondary conidiophores that form consistently greenish conidial masses on artificial media. It resembles therefore C. rosea f. catenulata although it differs from this species by less adpressed branches in the secondary conidiophores. The new species is also phylogenetically related to C. byssicola and C. rhizophaga. Our inventory suggests that C. byssicola, C. chloroleuca, C. pseudochroleuca, C. rhizophaga, C. rogersoniana, and C. rosea commonly occur in native and agriculturally used soils of the Cerrado and Amazon Forest. Using sequences available from two genome-sequenced strains employed as biological control agents, we confirm the identity of the European strain IK726 as C. rosea and identify strain 67-1 from China as C. chloroleuca.