Novel and recurrent mutations in the tyrosinase gene and the P gene in the German albino population

Albinism is a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders resulting from deficiencies in pigmentation. Clinically, it is divided into ocular (OA) and oculocutaneous albinism (OCA). OCA involves lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes and results from mutations in the tyrosinase gene or in the P gene. OA mainly affects pigmentation in the visual system and may be a mild form of OCA or may be caused by other genetic defects. Clinical diagnosis of albinism type is difficult, because of the observed range of phenotypic variation. Thus, genetic analysis may be helpful with respect to a more accurate diagnosis. Here, we report the mutational profile, determined by genetic analysis of the tyrosinase and P genes, of a large German albino population. We have revealed a total of 42 distinct mutations, 19 of which are novel. Of the 74 unrelated patients screened, 32 (43%) had mutations in the tyrosinase gene, 16 (22%) had P gene mutations, and 26 (35%) patients had no detectable genetic abnormalities. This defines a population of albino patients who are tyrosinase-gene- and P-gene-negative and who thus may represent a good study group for searching for additional genes associated with albinism.     

Differences in baseline lung cancer mortality between the German uranium miners cohort and the population of the former German Democratic Republic (1960–2003)

A previous analysis of the radon-related lung cancer mortality risk, in the German uranium miners cohort, using Poisson modeling techniques, noted internal (spontaneous) rates that were higher on average than the external rates by 16.5% (95% CI: 9%; 24%). The main purpose of the present paper is to investigate the nature of, and possible reasons for, this difference by comparing patterns in spontaneous lung cancer mortality rates in a cohort of male miners involved in uranium extraction at the former Wismut mining company in East Germany with national male rates from the former German Democratic Republic. The analysis is based on miner data for 3,001 lung cancer deaths, 1.76 million person-years for the period 1960–2003, and national rates covering the same calendar-year range. Simple “age–period–cohort” graphical analyses were applied to assess the main qualitative differences between the national and cohort baseline lung cancer rates. Some differences were found to occur mainly at higher attained ages above 70 years. Although many occupational risk factors may have contributed to these observed age differences, only the effects of smoking have been assessed here by applying the Peto–Lopez indirect method for calculating smoking attributability. It is inferred that the observed age differences could be due to the greater prevalence of smoking and more mature smoking epidemic in the Wismut cohort compared to the general population of the former German Democratic Republic. In view of these observed differences between external population-based rates and internal (spontaneous) cohort baseline lung cancer rates, it is strongly recommended to apply only the internal rates in future analyses of uranium miner cohorts.     

Procrastination,Distress and Life Satisfaction across the Age Range – A German Representative Community Study

Addressing the lack of population-based data the purpose of this representative study was to assess procrastination and its associations with distress and life satisfaction across the life span. A representative German community sample (1,350 women; 1,177 men) between the ages of 14 and 95 years was examined by the short form of the General Procrastination Scale (GPS-K; 1) and standardized scales of perceived stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue and life satisfaction. As hypothesized, procrastination was highest in the youngest cohort (14–29 years). Only in the youngest and most procrastinating cohort (aged 14 to 29 years), men procrastinated more than women. As we had further hypothesized, procrastination was consistently associated with higher stress, more depression, anxiety, fatigue and reduced satisfaction across life domains, especially regarding work and income. Associations were also found with lack of a partnership and unemployment. Findings are discussed with regard to potential developmental and cohort effects. While procrastination appears to be a pervasive indicator for maladjustment, longitudinal analyses in high-risk samples (e.g. late adolescence, unemployment) are needed to identify means and mechanisms of procrastinating.     

Mediterranean types of β-thalassemia in the German population

Summary Forty -thalassemia genes from unrelated German heterozygotes with no known foreign ancestry were examined using the oligonucleotide technique and DNA restriction analysis, with the aim of determining the contribution of Mediterranean -thalassemia mutations to the prevalence of this trait in the German population. Of the 40 -thalassemia genes, 26 were identified as Mediterranean types (20 39 nonsense, 3 IVS2 nt 110, 2 IVS2 nt1, 1 IVS1 ntl GA). The geographic distribution of the birthplaces of the probands' grandparents revealed no difference in the proportion of Mediterranean and unidentified -thalassemia genes in the west and the north of Germany.     

Othenio Abel (1875–1946): the rise and decline of paleobiology in German paleontology

Othenio Abel is widely acclaimed as the founder of paleobiology; of the journal Palaeobiologica and of the Paleobiological Society in Vienna. His National–Socialist sympathies, which he shared with fellow paleobiologist Henry Fairfield Osborn from the American Museum of Natural History, resulted in his forced retirement from the University of Vienna in 1934. Abel secured subsequent employment at the University of Göttingen, later sought help from Nazi officials to create his own institute in Salzburg. A leader amongst German paleontologists, Abel supported efforts of the Deutsche Palaeontologische Gesellschaft to align paleobiology with Nazi ideology (‘National–Socialism is politically applied biology’) to secure more support for the discipline. Abel's paleobiology was neo-Lamarckian in nature, based on a ‘reaction theory’ of adaptation. Abel attempted to unify paleontology with biology under a universal law of nature – the Law of Biological Inertia – that itself was anchored in classical physics.     

Particle size-related phosphate binding and P-release at the sediment–water interface in a shallow German lake

Phosphate binding and P-release in the sediment of the eutrophic shallow Lake Bützow are described based on sediment profiles, particle size fractions and incubation experiments. Total phosphorus was about 15% higher in the upper 0.5 cm layer than in the 0.5–1 cm layer. Phosphorus binding varied with sediment depth. Hot P_NaOH and P_HCl were the dominant fractions in all sediment horizons down to 10 cm depth, with values ranging from 20 to 30%. The P_H2O, P_BD, o-P_NaOH and nr-P_NaOH decreased with depth. The P_BD contributed 21% to Tot-P in the horizon 0–0.5 cm and decreased by half in 1–2 cm. The greatest proportion of particles (35%) was found in the 100–200 m fraction. This size fraction also accumulated most of the phosphate. Moreover, P-forms were differently distributed in the various particle sizes of the sediment. Sediment particles <40 m can be resuspended by a wind velocity of 2 m s^–1, whereby 17% of the Tot-P from the topmost sediment were transported into the water column. The proportions of released labile phosphate, organic phosphate and hydrolysable phosphate were higher, with values of 24, 33 and 26%, respectively. Dissolved P was released under oxic and anoxic incubation, but anoxic release was higher. Comparison of the results shows that the P-release under anoxic conditions was equal to the P-release by resuspension, but under anoxic conditions the release of bioavailable P was higher.     

Parasites, flies and men--21st Meeting of the German Society of Parasitology in Würzburg

The German Society of Parasitology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Parasitologie) was founded in 1960 and its 21st biannual meeting took place in Würzburg, Germany, from March 17 to 20, 2004. Whereas interim meetings that are being held every other year focus on specific topics of parasitology, such as the symposia on "Life in Vacuoles" in 2003 and on "Immunomodulation by Parasites" in 2001, the general biannual meetings cover a wide range of topics. This year's meeting at the University of Würzburg was organised by Klaus Brehm and Matthias Frosch (both at the Institute of Hygiene) and Heidrun Moll (Institute for Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases). It was attended by more than 500 scientists from 16 countries who presented 181 research projects dealing with the topics defence mechanisms and immunology, genomics and proteomics, epidemiology, cell biology and biochemistry, chemotherapy and vaccines, parasite classification and morphology, vectors, intermediate hosts, and veterinary parasitology. In addition, six plenary lectures highlighted the subjects of comparative nematode genomics, cell biology, immunology, and parasite eradication programmes.     

Ecosystem based modeling and indication of ecological integrity in the German North Sea—Case study offshore wind parks

Human exploitation and use of marine and coastal areas are apparent and growing in many regions of the world. For instance, fishery, shipping, military, raw material exploitation, nature protection and the rapidly expanding offshore wind power technology are competing for limited resources and space. The development and implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) strategies could help to solve these problems. Therefore, suitable spatial assessment, modeling, planning and management tools are urgently needed. These tools have to deal with data that include complex information on different spatial and temporal scales. A systematic approach based on the development of future scenarios which are assessed by combining different simulation models, GIS methods and an integrating set of ecological integrity indicators, was applied in a case study in the German North Sea. Here, the installation of huge offshore wind parks within the near future is planned. The aim was to model environmental effects of altered sea-use patterns on marine biota. Indicators of ecological integrity were used to assess altering conditions and possible ecosystem shifts ranging from systems’ degradations to the development of highly productive and diverse artificial reef systems. The results showed that some ecosystem processes and properties and related indicators are sensitive to changes generated by offshore wind park installations while others did not react as hypothesized.     

Anthropology and television: Ethnographic‐ethnological topics on German television

The following paper gives an overview of the various programs with ethnographic‐ethnological content shown on Channels I and III of ARD, a public broadcasting company in Germany, from 1965 until 1989. Research focused on ethnographic‐ethnological content of documentary films in general and thus also included television programs whose theme as a whole differed from this topic. Based on a review of the data of a total of 280 programs, 4 categories of program are classified: 1. Eth nographic television programs; 2. Television programs with ethnographic elements; 3. Television programs with an ethnological topic; and 4. Border‐line cases, i.e. programs which are remarkable from an anthropological point of view but which cannot directly be classed with one of the categories above. Most of the programs with ethnographic‐ethnological content are broadcast on Channel III which addresses target groups with specific interests. This aim was more visible during the first years of the existence of Channel III at the end of the Sixties and during the Seventies than it is nowadays. The change is reflected in the quality of programs containing ethnographic‐ethnological topics over the years. In general a shift can be noted from programs with an outstanding visual quality (although they always have been rare) to programs which derive from the journalistic tradition of television and put a major stress on commentary. Through the years a change in the topics presented becomes apparent. The Seventies were the period when the majority of programs shown were on tribal societies. From the end of that decade until the mid‐Eighties there was an increase in the number of programs covering other non‐tribal ethnic groups. Moreover, topics such as ethnic minorities, even in Europe, urban groups or the various daily life‐styles of people within a whole state or country, emerged, and more emphasis was given to social and political aspects. The research reveals that television as a medium is open to different programs with ethnographic‐ethnological content. Apart from the quality of the programs offered, the abundance and variety of programs available reflects a wide interest in foreign nations and cultures. Anthropologists should acknowledge that fact in order to make ethnological knowledge available to a wider audience.     

The spontaneous generation controversy (1859–1880): British and German reactions to the problem of abiogenesis

Conclusion The controversy over spontaneous generation and the theory of evolution was part of the broader issue of the nature of life. It was the vitalists, who had originally accepted the doctrine of heterogenesis, who now were forced to reject abiogenesis. Their commitment to the view that life was unique and autonomous was so strong that, once the link between evolution and the abiogenetic origin of life had been made, they were almost constrained to reject evolution. It is not surprising that one finds this extreme position among German scientists, for it was only in Germany that the strong connection had been made. In Britain, with its strong empirical tradition, the theory of evolution was never completely tied to the doctrine of abiogenesis.Many nonvitalistic biologists were equally committed to the view that there was a gradation between the living and the nonliving, and saw in the doctrine of evolution a vindication of these views. To many of this school, abiogenesis was an a priori necessity requiring no empirical proof. If they sought for any empirical justification for their views on abiogenesis, one feels that such proof was never of great importance to them. Many—particularly the Germans—regarded those who denied abiogenesis because of the lack of proof to be guilty of following an outdated methodology: that modern scientists still put so uncommon value on the inductive proof of spontaneous generation, is the clearest indication that few place confidence in the first principle of the theory of knowledge. To them an acceptance of abiogenesis was necessary in order to understand nature according to the laws of causality. ¹⁰⁵     

The Use of Placebo and Non-Specific Therapies and Their Relation to Basic Professional Attitudes and the Use of Complementary Therapies among German Physicians – A Cross-Sectional Survey

We aimed to investigate the use of placebos (e.g. saline injections) and non-specific treatments (e.g. vitamin supplements in individuals without a relevant deficiency) among physicians working in private practices in Germany, and how such use is associated with the belief in and the use of complementary and alternative treatments, and basic professional attitudes. A four-page questionnaire was sent to nationwide random samples of general practitioners (GP), internists and orthopaedists working in private practices. The response rate was 46% (935 of 2018). 24% of GPs, 44% of internists and 57% of orthopaedists had neither used pure placebos nor non-specific therapies in the previous 12 months. 11% percent of GPs, 12% of internists and 7% of orthopaedists had exclusively used pure placebos; 30%, 33% and 26%, respectively, had exclusively used non-specific therapies; 35%, 12% and 9% had used both. Age, sex and agreement to the statement that physicians should harness placebo effects were not significantly associated with any pattern of use. Exclusive use of pure placebos was associated with being a GP, being an internist, and having unorthodox professional views. In addition to these three factors, a lower use of CAM therapies and a wish for having more time was associated with the exclusive use of non-specific therapies. Among physicians using both pure placebo and non-specific therapies, heterodox views were also somewhat more pronounced. However, associations were particularly strong for being a GP (Odds ratio 11.6 (95%CI 6.41; 21.3)) and having orthodox views (Odds ratio 0.10 (95%CI 0.06; 0.18)) among this group. In conclusion, the use of placebos and non-specific treatments varies strongly between medical specialties and is associated with basic professional attitudes. The findings support the view that the use of placebos and, in particular, of non-specific therapies is primarily a coping behaviour for difficult and uncertain situations.     

Is the German suspension of MON810 maize cultivation scientifically justified?

We examined the justifications invoked by the German government in April 2009 to suspend the cultivation of the genetically modified maize varieties containing the Bt insect-resistance trait MON810. We have carried out a critical examination of the alleged new data on a potential environmental impact of these varieties, namely two scientific papers describing laboratory force-feeding trials on ladybirds and daphnia, and previous data on Lepidoptera, aquatic and soil organisms. We demonstrate that the suspension is based on an incomplete list of references, ignores the widely admitted case-by-case approach, and confuses potential hazard and proven risk in the scientific procedure of risk assessment. Furthermore, we did not find any justification for this suspension in our extensive survey of the scientific literature regarding possible effects under natural field conditions on non-target animals. The vast majority of the 41 articles published in 2008 and 2009 indicate no impact on these organisms and only two articles indicate a minor effect, which is either inconsistent during the planting season or represents an indirect effect. Publications from 1996 to 2008 (376 publications) and recent meta-analyses do not allow to conclude on consistent effects either. The lower abundance of some insects concerns mainly specialized enemies of the target pest (an expected consequence of its control by Bt maize). On the contrary, Bt maize have generally a lower impact than insecticide treatment. The present review demonstrates that the available meta-knowledge on Cry1Ab expressing maize was ignored by the German government which instead used selected individual studies.     

Are the fluorescence parameters of German chamomile leaves the first indicators of the anthodia yield in drought conditions?

7-day soil drought followed by 7-day rehydration was applied to potted German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) plants at the beginning of their generative stage. Plants of a wild type (WT), plus two diploid (2n) and two tetraploid (4n) genotypes were studied, in order to examine the alterations in chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoids (Car) contents, and chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) parameters during water shortage and rehydration. The fresh mass of the anthodia after the recovery was also studied.     

External gamma radiation and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in the German WISMUT uranium miners cohort study, 1946–2008

It is currently unclear whether exposure of the heart and vascular system, at lifetime accumulated dose levels relevant to the general public (<500 mGy), is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, data from the German WISMUT cohort of uranium miners were investigated for evidence of a relationship between external gamma radiation and death from cardiovascular diseases. The cohort comprises 58,982 former employees of the Wismut company. There were 9,039 recorded deaths from cardiovascular diseases during the follow-up period from 1946 to 2008. Exposures to external gamma radiation were estimated using a detailed job-exposure matrix. The exposures were based on expert ratings for the period 1946–1954 and measurements thereafter. The excess relative risk (ERR) per unit of cumulative gamma dose was obtained with internal Poisson regression using a linear ERR model with baseline stratification by age and calendar year. The mean cumulative gamma dose was 47 mSv for exposed miners (86 %), with a maximum of 909 mSv. No evidence for an increase in risk with increasing cumulative dose was found for mortality from all cardiovascular diseases (ERR/Sv = ?0.13; 95 % confidence interval (CI): ?0.38; 0.12) and ischemic heart diseases (n = 4,613; ERR/Sv = ?0.03; 95 % CI: ?0.38, 0.32). However, a statistically insignificant increase (n = 2,073; ERR/Sv = 0.44; 95 % CI: ?0.16, 1.04) for mortality from cerebrovascular diseases was observed. Data on smoking, diabetes, and overweight are available for subgroups of the cohort, indicating no major correlation with cumulative gamma radiation. Confounding by these factors or other risk factors, however, cannot be excluded. In conclusion, the results provide weak evidence for an increased risk of death due to gamma radiation only for cerebrovascular diseases.     

Do Mormonism and the former German democratic republic have anything in common?: An examination of Marx's concept of the Asiatic mode of production

Conclusion While both Mormonism and the GDR state promoted conformity and obedience in their respective populaces, these two centralized bureaucratic systems also fostered high levels of education which often stimulated critical thought. Needless to say, the paternalistic outlooks of both Mormon Church leaders and SED elites clashed increasingly in recent decades with the views, respectively, of many rank-and-file Mormons (particularly those who earned advanced degrees at secular universities) and many rank-and-file SED members as well as ordinary GDR citizens. The paternalistic posture of SED elites produced a deep cynicism and resentment towards public statements made by the former. At some level, most GDR citizens believed that serious contradictions existed between the ideals and realities of socialism in their country. Bahro went so far as to state: Ours is a state-machine the likes of which Marx and Engels wanted the proletarian revolution to smash.³⁸ Since SED elites routinely suppressed the publication of critical historical and social scientific studies of the GDR, many GDR intellectuals expressed critical views of their society in literature, poetry, and theater. Other GDR citizens found a forum for their critical views within the sanctuary of Protestant church-based peace and environmental movements. Intellectuals played key roles within these movements as well as in small clandestine circles within the SED. These intellectuals functioned as a vanguard for events that led up to the revolution or Wende (turn) in the former GDR. While the reformers wanted to create a democratic and ecologically-sensitive socialist society, the East German masses clamored for rapid unification which they believed would give them access to the D-Mark (West German currency) and the capitalist culture of consumption. The split between intellectual/social activists and the working class served as one of the crucial factors that contributed to the present status of East Germans as second-class citizens in the new Germany.Other than a few out-spoken feminists and gays/lesbians, however, comparable protest movements have been virtually nonexistent among Mormons. Nevertheless, the summer of 1992 saw the formation of the Mormon Alliance (briefly called the Mormon Defense League), a group designed to uncover, identify, define, name, and chronicle, resist, and even combat acts and threats of defamation and spiritual abuse perpetuated on Mormon individuals and institutions by Mormon and non-Mormon individuals and institutions.³⁹ More recently, however, the hierarchy struck out against not only intellectuals but also gays/lesbians and feminists within the church. In May 1993, Apostle Boyd K. Packer spoke to the All-Church Coordinating Committee, which consists of department heads and senior personnel in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, about the presence of three dangers which allegedly make major invasions into the membership of the Church: the gay-lesbian movement, the feminist movement ... and the ever-present challenge from the so-called scholars or intellectuals.⁴⁰ In September 6, six Mormon scholars were disciplined by the church hierarchy for apostasy.⁴¹ Anthropologist David Knowlton was dismissed by Brigham Young University (BYU) allegedly for academic reasons but in all likelihood for his critiques of the policies of his church in the Third World. Michael Quinn, an eminent Mormon historian and a former BYU professor, was excommunicated from the church for his unorthodox interpretations of Mormon history and later resigned from his teaching position at BYU. As Omar M. Kader astutely observes, such infringements on academic freedom have transformed BYU into a pariah among academic institutions.⁴² While a few Mormon intellectuals have threatened to form a schismatic group, most Mormon intellectuals, particularly those functioning within church offices and Brigham Young University, find themselves bewildered by the increasingly suppressive tactics employed by the church hierarchy. Indeed, one of the editors of an anthology of social scientific studies of Mormonism which consists largely of essays by Mormon scholars writes that the contributors to this volume who have BYU affiliations could face serious consequences if their analysis is deemed overly critical by church leaders or BYU administrators.⁴³ BYU recently added an additional step in its hiring process of faculty members. Whereas the former policy required only one review by the board of trustees, the new policy requires that candidates must receive both preliminary and final approval before a job offer is made.⁴⁴ Even Mormon academics who do not teach at BYU feel the brunt of the Mormon hierarchy's attack on intellectuals within the church. Armand Mauss, perhaps the foremost contemporary sociologist of Mormon social life, recently wrote: I have come to feel increasingly marginal to the Mormon community during my adult life, at least in a social and intellectual sense, despite my continuing and conscientious participation in church activity (including leadership), and despite my own deep personal faith in the religion itself.⁴⁵ Such observances poignantly illustrate that the cultural wars within Mormonism may in reality function as a microcosm of growing conservative assault on progressive and even liberal intellectuals in U.S. society as a whole. While the Asiatic component of Soviet-bloc societies, such as the GDR, appears to by and large have ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, late capitalist societies continue to retain this component in the centralized bureaucratic structure of corporate life.Hans A. Baer is Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.     

Nature conservation on decommissioned military training areas – German approaches and experiences

Military training areas (MTAs) host high numbers of endangered habitats and species due to their large area, generally low fertilizer and biocide exposure, and a high dynamic of disturbances caused by military training activities. Since the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, thousands of former military properties have been closed due to international disarmament agreements. Based on a literature review, we present the importance of decommissioned MTAs in Germany for nature conservation, their number, area, and status, as well as the German approaches and experiences managing these sites. More than 119,000 ha of former military areas of high conservation value were transferred by the Federal Government to German Federal States, the German Federal Environmental Foundation, and other nature conservation organizations as part of the so-called National Nature Heritage (NNH), and an additional 60,000 ha were saved in other ways. It is a big challenge in nature conservation to establish appropriate management systems to maintain the endangered habitats and species on these sites, most of which are contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO). Several projects have been implemented in Germany to develop strategies to deal with UXO contamination. We discuss management options, from prescribed burning on UXO contaminated sites to the establishment of wilderness, in the light of the requirements of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas.     

Why Has the Continuous Decline in German Suicide Rates Stopped in 2007?

Background

Whereas German suicide rates had a clear decreasing tendency between 1991 and 2006, they increased from 2007 to 2010. Deeper analyses of suicide data might help to understand better this change. The aim of this study was to analyze 1) whether recent trends can be related to changes in specific suicide methods and diverge by gender and age; 2) whether the decrease of suicide rates before 2007 as well as the increase from 2007 to 2010 are driven by the same suicide method.

Methods

Analyses were based on suicide data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany. For 1998–2010, 136.583 suicide cases of men and women with known age and suicide method could be identified. These data were analyzed by joinpoint regression analysis, allowing identification of the best fitting point in time (“joinpoint”) at which the suicide rate significantly changes in magnitude or direction.

Results

The national downward trend between 1998 and 2007 was mainly due to corresponding changes in self-poisoning by other means than drugs (e.g., pesticides) (annual percentage change (APC) ≤ −4.33), drowning (APC ≤ −2.73), hanging (APC ≤ −2.69) and suicides by firearms (APC ≤ −1.46) in both genders. Regarding the overall increase of age-adjusted suicide rates in Germany 2007–2010, mainly the increase of self-poisoning (e.g., by drugs) and “being overrun” (APC ≥ 1.50) contributed to this trend.

Limitations

The true suicide rates might have been underestimated because of errors in the official death certificates.

Conclusions

Increase in suicide rates in Germany since 2007 went along with corresponding changes for “being overrun” and “self-poisoning”. Copycat suicides following the railway suicide of the goalkeeper Robert Enke partly contributed to the results. Thus, prevention of Werther effects and limitation of the availability of high pack sizes for drugs are of special relevance for the reversal of this trend.     

Heterogeneity of the α-globin gene defects in German α-thalassemia affected families

Summary Analysis of -thalassemia syndromes in several German families revealed DNA deletion as well as nondeletion forms as the molecular basis for the defects. Thus, the -thalassemia haplotype was identified as the (–)^3.7 rightward deletion form, and the region of the putative recombination process generating such a deletion was further characterized. In addition three different ° haplotypes, (--)^MED, (--)^>26, and ()^T, could be detected using -and -globin gene-specific probes.     

Tropical oomycetes in the German Bight – Climate warming or overlooked diversity?

Oomycetes have colonised both terrestrial and marine habitats, and leaf litter decomposing oomycetes have been found in coastal and estuarine environments, yet their ecological relevance remains unclear. In tropical and subtropical ecosystems, Halophytophthora species were reported from mangroves and salt marshes, and recently, the genus Salisapilia was described based on oomycetes recovered from leaf litter in subtropical Georgia, USA. In cool temperate regions, only Pythium and Phytophthora species have so far been reported from coastal environments. Here we report the presence of two species of Halophytophthora in the German Bight, north of Hamburg. The presence of a group of oomycetes, previously reported only from the subtropics and tropics, in the cool temperate German Bight raises the question of whether these were previously overlooked, introduced with ballast water or have migrated there as a result of climate change. Temperature preference of the strains hints at the first hypothesis.