Fine mapping of a murine growth locus to a 1.4-cM region and resolution of linked QTL

Previous work identified a QTL affecting murine size (particularly tail length) in a cross between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice and refined its location to an 8-cM region between D1Mit30 and D1Mit57. The present study used recombinant progeny testing to fine map this QTL. Individuals from a partially congenic strain carrying chromosomes recombinant between D1Mit30 and D1Mit57 were mated to DBA/2J, generating 942 progeny. Two QTL affecting 10-week tail length were identified in this population: one at 9.7 cM distal to D1Mit30 (the position estimated in previous work), and another of smaller effect near D1Mit30. A second population (n=787) was generated by mating siblings from the progeny test population that were heterozygous for the same segment of chromosome, including only recombinants between D1Mit265 and D1Mit57. In the latter population, two QTL were also identified: one at 10.2 cM distal to D1Mit30, and another of smaller effect at the distal end of the mapped region (at D1Mit150). When the two populations were analyzed together, the estimated location of the central QTL was 10.2 cM distal to D1Mit30 and there was marginally significant evidence of the distal QTL. The central QTL explained approximately 7% of the phenotypic variance, and the 95% confidence interval for its position (determined by bootstrapping) was a 1.4-cM region, approximately the region from D1Mit451 to D1Mit219. The central QTL also affected tail length and body mass at 3 and 6 weeks of age, but to a lesser degree than 10-week tail length.     

Monodelphoxyuris dollmeiri n. g., n. sp. (Nematoda: Oxyurida) from Monodelphis emiliae in Peru

Monodelphoxyuris dollmeiri n. g., n. sp. is described from the caecum of Monodelphis emiliae (Thomas) (Marsupiala: Monodelphidae) collected in the eastern region of the Andes of Peru. M. dollmeiri n. sp. differs from the closest pinworm described from marsupials in the Neotropics (Didelphoxyuris thylamisis Gardner & Hugot, 1995) in having operculate eggs and males that possess a tip prolonged of tail and a different kind of area rugosa. Several other species of pinworms have been described from marsupials in Australia, but all are characterised by possessing of a buccal capsule that is strongly cuticularised with interradial lamellae. These structures are lacking both in M. dollmeiriandD. thylamisis. Monodelphoxyuris n. g. is characterised by a mouth opening into a depression and lateral alae composed of two longitudinal crests. Males possess an area rugosa composed of six ventral sagittal mamelons, a caudal extremity prolonged by a robust tip of the tail which is directed backwards, four pairs of genital papillae (two pairs lateral adanal and sessile, one pair just posterior to the spicule aperture, and the last pair at posterior extremity and pedunculate). Females possess an opisthodelphic uterus, a reflected ovary and operculate, unembryonated, oval eggs.     

Molecular analysis and comparative morphology to resolve a complex of cryptic Xiphinema species

Gutiérrez‐Gutiérrez, C., Palomares‐Rius, J.E., Cantalapiedra‐Navarrete, C., Landa, B.B., Esmenjaud, D. & Castillo, P. (2010). Molecular analysis and comparative morphology to resolve a complex of cryptic Xiphinema species. —Zoologica Scripta, 39, 483–498. During nematode surveys in cultivated and natural environments in southern Spain nine populations of parthenogenic Xiphinema species tentatively identified as Xiphinema cf. pyrenaicum and one population morphologically close to Xiphinema turcicum were detected. Surveys in southern France also identified one population resembling X. pyrenaicum. We developed a comparative study among these related Xiphinema species, including topotypes of two species of this group previously synonymized, viz. Xiphinema hispanum and Xiphinema sphaerocephalum, by considering morphological and morphometrical features together with molecular data from nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (D2‐D3 expansion segments of 28S, ITS1, and partial 18S). Morphological and morphometrical results identified eight of the Spanish populations as Xiphinema nuragicum (previously synonymized with X. pyrenaicum) whereas the ninth population was identified as Xiphinema adenohystherum (also synonymized with X. pyrenaicum). The species X. adenohystherum, X. nuragicum, X. pyrenaicum, and X. sphaerocephalum were shown to be morphologically almost indistinguishable but clearly separated by phylogenetic analyses, thus constituting a complex of cryptic species. Consequently, X. adenohystherum, X. nuragicum, and X. sphaerocephalum were re‐established as valid species. Similarly, X. hispanum (morphologically similar to X. aceri) was also shown as a valid species. Xiphinema turcicum, morphologically related to X. pyrenaicum complex by its rounded tail, uterus with a pseudo‐Z‐differentiation and small spines, was phylogenetically distant to these species based on D2‐D3 expansion segments of 28S and ITS1, which suggests a morphological convergence in their evolution.     

Dorylaimellus egmonti n. sp. (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from Taranaki,New Zealand

Abstract

Dorylaimellus egmonti n. sp. from New Zealand can be distinguished from D. montenegricus Andrássy, 1959, and from D. monticolus Clark, 1963, by the presence of prominent globular structures in the anterior part of the oesophageal bulb. It is further distinguished from D. montenegricus by the relatively longer basal oesophageal bulb, and from D. monticolus by the differently shaped tail.     

Immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D and a possible role of melanocytes during tail resorption in tadpoles of a tropical toad

Programmed cell death during anuran tail resorption is primarily brought about by apoptosis. Cathepsin D, a lysosomal aspartyl protease, is involved in the death of tail tissues. Thus, anuran tail resorption presents an ideal model to study cathepsin‐mediated cell death during vertebrate development. Present study describes the trend of specific activity of cathepsin D in the tail of different developmental stages and immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D in the tail tissues of the common Asian toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus. Cathepsin D was involved in programmed cell death in epidermis, muscle, spinal cord, and blood cells in the resorbing tail. Interestingly, it was also involved in the pre‐resorbing tail before visible tail resorption which indicates initiation of cell death even before actually the tail resorbs. Melanocytes were found to be one of the causative agents in degrading tail tissues and were associated with the degradation of muscle, epidermis and spinal cord of the resorbing tail. J. Morphol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Description of Dolichodorus grandaspicatus n. sp. (Nematoda: Dolichodoridae)

Dolichodorus grandaspicatus n. sp., collected from soil about roots of a red maple (Acer rubrum L.) in a creek bottom near Ludwig. Johnson County, Arkansas, is described. It differs from two closely related species, D. marylandicus and D. heterocephalus, by the longer spike on the female tail, the lenght of the female tail, and the shape of the extrudable portion of the gubernaculum of the males. It further differs from D. marylandicus by having heavily sclerotized accessory pieces of the vuvla and from D. heterocephalus by having a shorter stylet.     

Quelques nouvelles espèces du genre Benthimermis Petter, 1980 (Benthimermithidae: Nematoda) du Sud de l'Océan Indien

Summary Some new species of Benthimermis Petter, 1980 (Benthimermithidae, Nematoda) from the South Indian Ocean. Six new species of Benthimermis collected from the shallows of the Crozet-Prince Edward ridge (South Indian Ocean) are described. Benthimermis australis n.sp. is the first species in the genus of which both male and female are known; the male differs from previously described males in lacking cervical alae as well as a cuticular ring-like thickening around the amphids; the female is characterized by a rounded tail with a thick mucron and with a cuticular thickening at its end. Benthimermis crozetensis n.sp., of which only the male is known, resembles B. breviptera in the form of the cervical alae and reproductive system, but is distinguished by the length of the cervical alae and tail, and the diameter of the anterior vas deferens. The following four species are known only by their females: B. hureaui n.sp. is distinguished by a short conical tail; B. edouardensis n.sp. is distinguished by a tail with a long terminal spike bearing refringment granules; B. marionensis n.sp. and B. arnaudi n.sp. are characterized by a short round tail without a cuticular thickening at its end and are distinguished from one another by the length of the ovaries. These species are the first in the Benthimermithidae which have been found in relatively shallow sediments (between 90 and 980 m). Keys to males and females of the genus Benthimermis are given. ac]19820408

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Quelques nouvelles espèces du genre Benthimermis Petter, 1980 (Benthimermithidae: Nematoda) du Sud de l'Océan Indien

     

The species of Pareromene Osthelder (Pyralidae: Crambinae: Diptychophorini) from Malaysia,Indonesia and New Guinea

Eleven new species of Pareromene Osthelder are described. One species from Malaya, D.xanthogramma Meyrick, and one from Indonesia, D.fuscobasella Snellen, are redescribed and transferred from Diptychophora Zeller to Pareromene Osthelder. Four species, the widely distributed P.clytia Bleszynski, and P.lathonia Blesz., and P.ajaxella Blesz., and P.morobella Blesz., both of New Guinea are discussed and redescribed. Notes on the interrelationships of the species are included and the two evolutionary lines, recognised in this region are discussed.     

Characterization of a QTL affecting skeletal size in mice

Abstract Previous work identified a tail length QTL on Chromosome (Chr) 1 in an F₂ population of C57BL/6J × DBA/2J mice. The goals of the present study were to (1) refine the position of this QTL by additional genotyping of samples from the original study; (2) confirm the effect of this QTL by producing a partially congenic strain carrying the C57BL/6J allele against the DBA/2J background; and (3) examine the effect of the QTL on skeletal dimensions. The presence of the QTL was confirmed in a new F₂ population (N = 431) derived from the partially congenic strain, and estimates of its additive effects were similar to those from the original F₂ population (N = 901) in both sexes, i.e., the C57BL/6J chromosomal segment increased tail length, the additive effect (half the difference between homozygotes) being 0.5–0.8 standard deviations. The QTL region was more than halved, relative to that in the previous study, to an 8-cM region between D1Mit30 and D1Mit57. Among a subsample of individuals (N = 30) from the new F₂ population that were not recombinant within the QTL region, there was a significant additive effect of the QTL on the length of the humerus, femur, tibia, mandible, scapula, pelvic girdle, and a tail bone; the direction of the effect was the same as for tail length. No significant effect was found on the number of bones in the tail or on the dimensions of the ulna, skull, or first vertebra.     

Cyclomorphosis in Daphnia: an adaptation to avoid invertebrate predation

Seasonal morphological changes in three Daphnia species were followed over a two-year period in two lakes that differ in invertebrate and fish pressure. Whereas the morphology of D. hyalina, the biggest of the three species, varied little from season to season, D. cucullata, the smallest, exhibited the most pronounced seasonal changes in head height/carapace length ratio. The pattern of seasonal changes of body proportions was similar in all size classes and isometric growth of the head was reported for D. cucullata. Unlike the head, tail spine length/carapace length ratio almost did not vary seasonally. Strong negative allometry of tail spine growth was observed. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that helmets and tail spines provide protection against invertebrates in the two smallest, thus most endangered species.     

MTH187 from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum has three HEAT-like Repeats

With the completion of genome sequencing projects, there are a large number of proteins for which we have little or no functional information. Since protein function is closely related to three-dimensional conformation, structural proteomics is one avenue where the role of proteins with unknown function can be investigated. In the present structural project, the structure of MTH187 has been determined by solution-state NMR spectroscopy. This protein of 12.4 kDa is one of the 424 non-membrane proteins that were cloned and purified for the structural proteomic project of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum [Christendat, D., Yee, A., Dharamsi, A., Kluger, Y., Gerstein, M., Arrowsmith, C.H. and Edwards, A.M. (2000) Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol., 73, 339–345]. Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum is a thermophilic archaeon that grows optimally at 65 °C. A particular characteristic of this microorganism is its ability to generate methane from carbon dioxide and hydrogen [Smith, D.R., Doucette-Stamm, L.A., Deloughery, C., Lee, H., Dubois, J., Aldredge, T., Bashirzadeh, R., Blakely, D., Cook, R., Gilbert, K., Harrison, D., Hoang, L., Keagle, P., Lumm, W., Pothier, B., Qiu, D., Spadafora, R., Vicaire, R., Wang, Y., Wierzbowski, J., Gibson, R., Jiwani, N., Caruso, A., Bush, D., Reeve, J. N. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol., 179, 7135–7155].Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users. Structure data have been deposited at PDB (1TE4) and NMR data at BMRB (5629).Olivier Julien and Isabelle Gignac - Both authors contributed equally to this work.     

Ciliate Protozoa in the Rumen of Brazilian Water Buffalo,Bubalus bubalis Linnaeus*

SYNOPSIS Total numbers and distribution of genera, subgenera and species were determined for the ciliate protozoa in rumen contents of 4 Brazilian water buffalo Bubalus bubalis Linnaeus. The fauna of one animal, housed in close proximity to European and zebu-type cattle, differed considerably from that of the remaining animals, which were somewhat isolated on a large ranch. Several of the protozoan species observed in the semi-isolated animals were first described in rumen contents from humped Indian cattle, and their subsequent occurrence in other hosts and geographic locations has been limited or absent. In all, 49 different species of protozoa were found, 8 of which have not been previously described. Three of the new species belong to the genus Entodinium: E. ciculum sp. n., E. spinonucleatum sp. n. and E. triangulum sp. n.: 4 to Diplodinium (Ostracodinium): D. (O.) brazili sp. n., D. (O.) esalqum sp. n., D. (O.) nucleolobum sp. n., and D. (O.) tiete sp. n.; and one to Diplodinium (Eudiplodinium): D. (E.) bubalus sp. n.     

Six new species of the genus Dicranosepsis Duda (Diptera, Sepsidae) from Vietnam, with a revised key to the species

The flies of the genus Dicranosepsis from Vietnam were investigated and classified taxonomically. Six new species (D. longa sp. nov., D. kurahashii sp. nov., D. monoseta sp. nov., D. sinuosa sp. nov., D. barbata sp. nov., and D. vietnamensis sp. nov.) are described and illustrated. Dicranosepsis is redefined and a revised key to the species is also provided.     

Reappraisal of the Eocene whiptail stingrays (Myliobatiformes,Dasyatidae) of the Bolca Lagerstätte,Italy

The Eocene whiptail stingrays of the family Dasyatidae from the Bolca Lagerstätte, NE Italy, are revised herein in detail. The analysis of the anatomical and morphometric features allows us to identify the species “Dasyatis” zigni (Molin, 1861) as a junior synonym of “D.” muricatus (Volta, 1796), and to assign it to the new genus Tethytrygon gen. n. This new taxon exhibits a unique combination of features (e.g., rhombic disc wider than long, elongated tail folds fail to reach the tip of the tail, thorns absent, single serrated tail sting, “caniniform” teeth on upper jaw, tooth crown ornamentation absent, 175–179 vertebrae, 108–117 pectoral radials, 24–27 pelvic radials and other features of clasper anatomy) that clearly support its attribution to the subfamily Neotrygoninae of the stingray family Dasyatidae. The morphological and phylogenetic affinities of Tethytrygon gen. n. with the living neotrygonines (Neotrygon and Taeniura) suggest a close association of this taxon with the tropical shallow‐water habitats hypothesized for the Bolca palaeoenvironment during the early Eocene. Moreover, the analysis of the fossil occurrences of the neotrygonines provides new insights into the role of the Tethys for the origin and evolutionary history of certain whiptail stingrays.     

Fine genetic mapping defines the genetic order of Pax9, Tcf3a,and Acrodysplasia (Adp)

We present here the fine genetic mapping of the proximal part of mouse Chromosome (Chr) 12 between D12Mit54 and D12Mit4. This chromosomal region contains three loci, Pax9, Tcf3a, and Acrodysplasia (Adp), which seem to play an important role in pattern formation during mouse embryogenesis. The Adp mutation, which was created by transgene integration, causes skull, paw, and tail deformities. Pax9, which is expressed in the face, paws, and tail, once qualified as a possible candidate for the Adp locus. We analyzed 997 interspecific backcross progeny for recombination between the markers D12Mit54 and D12Mit4; we recovered 117 recombinants, which were further typed for Pax9, Tcf3a, Adp, D12Mit88, D12Nds1, D12Mit36, and D12Mit34. This study represents the first instance in which all the above loci have been included in a single analysis, thereby allowing unambiguous determination of the genetic order and distance between D12Mit54 and D12Mit4. From our results, we conclude that the Adp locus is distinct from either Pax9 or Tcf3a.     

Taxonomic revision of the Dianthus sylvestris group (Caryophyllaceae) in central–southern Italy,Sicily and Sardinia

A taxonomic revision of the populations belonging to the Dianthus sylvestris Wulfen group (Caryophyllaceae) occurring in central and southern Italy, Sardinia and Sicily has been made. This group is represented in the surveyed territories by 17 morphologically and ecologically well differentiated species: Dianthus arrosti C. Presl, D. siculus C. Presl, D. graminifolius C. Presl, D. cyathophorus Moris, D. gasparrinii Guss., D. longicaulis Ten., D. virgatus Pasquale, D. tarentinus Lacaita, D. morisianus Vals., D. japygicus Bianco & Brullo, D. sardous Bacch., Brullo, Casti & Giusso, D. busambrae Soldano & F. Conti, D. brachycalyx Huet sp. nov., D. oliastrae sp. nov., D. insularis sp. nov., D. genargenteus sp. nov. and D. ichnusae sp. nov. Besides, two new subspecies are recognized within D. ichnusae (subsp. ichnusae and subsp. toddei). This taxonomical treatment is supported by a multivariate analysis based on 25 morphological characters and 1 phenological character. Each of the taxa is described and illustrated. In addition, notes on nomenclature, ecology, chorology, taxonomical relationships and conservation status are given. Lectotypes are designated for those taxa that are based on material from the investigated territories.     

DESCRIPTION OF SEVEN NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS DICHOMERIS HÜBNER FROM CHINA (LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIIDAE)*

Abstract The present paper reports seven new species of the genus Dichomeris Hübner from China, with genital structures illustrated. The species are: D. anglcstiptera sp. nov., D. mengdanu sp. nov., D. obscura sp. nov., D. rectifascia sp. nov., D. simacensis sp. nov., D. ferrogra sp. nov. and D. zonata sp. nov. The type specimens are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Normal University.     

Why do curly tail lizards (genus Leiocephalus) curl their tails? An assessment of displays toward conspecifics and predators

Animal display behaviors are used to convey specific messages to other animals, including potential mates, rivals, and predators. However, because these different types of interactions can be mediated by a single behavioral display, or conversely, multiple signals can be used to convey one specific message, interpretation of any particular behavioral display can be difficult. Leiocephalus lizards (i.e., curly tails) provide an excellent opportunity to study the use of display behaviors across multiple contexts. Previous research has demonstrated that the use of tail curling in these lizards is associated with predation risk, but less is known regarding the use of this behavior in social interactions with conspecifics. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which tail curling display behavior is used to mediate both social and predatory interactions in two species, Leiocephalus barahonensis and L. carinatus. We found that in lizards of both species, tail curling was used in interactions with both conspecifics and potential (human) predators. However, tail curl intensity did not differ between lizards involved in social encounters and solitary lizards, although L. barahonensis lizards performed more headbobs during social than non‐social observations. Further, L. carinatus lizards exhibited greater intensity of tail curling upon fleeing from a human predator than during observations in which individuals interacted with conspecifics, and lizards that exhibited tighter tail curls fled from predators for a longer distance. Finally, tail curl intensity was not correlated with headbob displays in either species, suggesting that these two components of display communicate different information. Our results suggest that tail curling displays, while consistently a component of interactions with potential predators, are not a necessary component of social interactions. These data contribute to a more complete understanding of how and why visual signals evolve for use in communication across multiple contexts.