Hormone and metabolite differences between lactating beef and dairy cattle

Hourly blood samples were taken throughout a 24h (metabolites) or 48h (hormones) period from three lactating beef (Hereford-cross) and three dairy (Friesian) cows which had been matched for age, stage of lactation (89–110 days) and diet (0.55 kg hay + 4.95 kg concentrates, twice daily). During the first 15 weeks of lactation the beef cows (B) gained weight and gave a poor yield of milk, whereas the dairy animals (D) lost weight but gave a good yield of milk. Significantly higher circulating levels of growth hormone (D = 4.2 ± 0.5 B = 1.5 ± 0.2 ng/ml ± SEMP < 0.005), non-esterified fatty acids (D = 311.0 ± 48.3 B = 181.3 ± 18.9 μEq/1 P<0.0001) and β-hydroxybutyric acid (D= 0.170 ± 0.011 B=0.093 ± 0.0007 mg/mlP<0.0005) were found in the dairy cows, whereas in the beef animals there were significantly higher concentrations of prolactin (D = 8.3 ± 1.1 B = 15.4 ± 1.8 ng/mlP<0.025), insulin (D = 9.5 ± 0.08 B = 28.8 ± 2.6 μU/mlP<0.0001) and glucose (D = 0.654 ± 0.008 B= 0.705 ± 0.009 mg/mlP<0.025). No significant difference in L-lactic acid levels was found at this stage of lactation (D = 0.097 ±0.003 B =0.117 ± 0.006 mg/mlP<0.05).     

Lateral Dispersal and Foraging Behavior of Entomopathogenic Nematodes in the Absence and Presence of Mobile and Non-Mobile Hosts

Entomopathogenic nematodes have been classified into cruisers (active searchers) and ambushers (sit and wait foragers). However, little is known about their dispersal and foraging behavior at population level in soil. We studied lateral dispersal of the ambush foraging Steinernema carpocapsae (ALL strain) and cruise foraging Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (GPS11 strain) from infected host cadavers in microcosms (0.05 m²) containing Wooster silt-loam soil (Oxyaquic fragiudalf) and vegetation in the presence or absence of non-mobile and mobile hosts. Results showed that the presence of a non-mobile host (Galleria mellonella larva in a wire mesh cage) enhanced H. bacteriophora dispersal for up to 24 hr compared with no-host treatment, but had no impact on S. carpocapsae dispersal. In contrast, presence of a mobile host (G. mellonella larvae) increased dispersal of S. carpocapsae compared with no host treatment, but had no effect on H. bacteriophora dispersal. Also H. bacteriophora was better at infecting non-mobile than mobile hosts released into the microcosms and S. carpocapsae was better at infecting mobile than non-mobile hosts, thus affirming the established cruiser-ambusher theory. However, results also revealed that a large proportion of infective juveniles (IJs) of both species stayed near (≤ 3.8 cm) the source cadaver (88-96% S. carpocapsae; 67–79% H. bacteriophora), and the proportion of IJs reaching the farthest distance (11.4 cm) was significantly higher for S. carpocapsae (1.4%) than H. bacteriophora (0.4%) in the presence of mobile hosts. S. carpocapsae also had higher average population displacement than H. bacteriophora in the presence of both the non-mobile (5.07 vs. 3.6 cm/day) and mobile (8.06 vs. 5.3 cm/day) hosts. We conclude that the two species differ in their dispersal and foraging behavior at the population level and this behavior is affected by both the presence and absence of hosts and by their mobility.     

Species limits and phylogeography of Newportia (Scolopendromorpha) and implications for widespread morphospecies

The genus Newportia Gervais, 1847, includes some 60 nominal species distributed in the Caribbean islands and from Mexico to central South America. Modern keys to species and subspecies are available, greatly facilitating identification, but some species are based on few specimens and have incomplete documentation of taxonomically-informative characters. In order to explore genetic variability and evolutionary relationships within geographically-widespread morphospecies, specimens of Newportia (Newportia) stolli (Pocock, 1896) and Newportia (Newportia) divergens Chamberlin, 1922, two nominal species distinguished principally by differences in suture patterns on T1, were sequenced for mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes from populations in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Brazil. Newportia (Newportia) stolli is paraphyletic with respect to Newportia (Newportia) divergens within a clade from Guatemala, Honduras, and Chiapas (Mexico), most trees being consistent with a single loss of a connection between the anterior transverse suture on T1, whereas specimens of “Newportia (Newportia) stolli” from Brazil are not closely allied to those from the Mesomerican type area. The widespread morphospecies Newportia (Newportia) monticola Pocock, 1890, was sequenced for the same loci from populations in Costa Rica, Colombia and Brazil, finding that specimens from these areas do not unite as a monophyletic group. Samples of Newportia (Newportia) oreina Chamberlin, 1915, from different regions of Mexico form geographic clusters that resolve as each other’s closest relatives. These results suggest that some widespread species of Newportia may be taxa of convenience more so than natural groupings. In several cases geographic proximity fits the phylogeny better than taxonomy, suggesting that non-monophyletic species do not result from use of inappropriate molecular markers. Molecular identification is possible for specimens missing taxonomically informative morphological characters, notably damaged specimens that lack the ultimate leg pair, a protocol that may also apply to other taxonomically difficult genera that are prone to damage (such as Cryptops).     

Structural polypeptides and products of late genes of bacteriophage Mu: Characterization and functional aspects

This paper describes the identification and functional role of late gene products of bacteriophage Mu, including an analysis of the structural proteins of the Mu virion.In vitro reconstitution of infectious phage particles has shown that four genes (E, D, I, J) control the formation of phage heads and that a cluster of eight genes (K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S) controls the formation of phage tails.Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of Mu polypeptides synthesized in Escherichia coli minicells infected by Mu phages carrying amber mutations in various late genes has resulted in the identification of the products of gene C (15.5 × 10³M_r); H (64 × 10³M_r); F (54 × 10³M_r); G (16 × 10³M_r); L (55 × 10³M_r); N (60 × 10³M_r); P (43 × 10³M_r) and S (56 × 10³M_r). Minicells infected with λpMu hybrid phages and deletion mutants of Mu were used to identify polypeptides encoded by the V-β region of the Mu genome. These are the products of genes V, W or R (41.5 × 10³M_r, and 45 × 10³M_r); U (20.5 × 10³M_r) and of genes located in the β region (24 × 10³M_r (gpgin) and 37 × 10³M_r (possibly gpmom)).Analytical separation of the proteins of the Mu virion revealed that it consists of a major head polypeptide with a molecular weight of 33 × 10³, a second head polypeptide of 54 × 10³ (gpF) and two major tail polypeptides with molecular weights of 55 × 10³ and 12.5 × 10³ (gpL and gpY, respectively). In addition, there are five minor components of the tail (including gpN, gpS and gpU) and approximately seven minor components of the head structure of the virion (including gpH).     

Calcineurin Subunits A and B Interact to Regulate Growth and Asexual and Sexual Development in Neurospora crassa

Calcineurin is a calcium/calmodulin dependent protein phosphatase in eukaryotes that consists of a catalytic subunit A and a regulatory subunit B. Previous studies in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa had suggested that the catalytic subunit of calcineurin might be an essential protein. We generated N. crassa strains expressing the A (cna-1) and B (cnb-1) subunit genes under the regulation of P_tcu-1, a copper-responsive promoter. In these strains, addition of bathocuproinedisulfonic acid (BCS), a copper chelator, results in induction of cna-1 and cnb-1, while excess Cu²⁺ represses gene expression. Through analysis of these strains under repressing and inducing conditions, we found that the calcineurin is required for normal growth, asexual development and female fertility in N. crassa. Moreover, we isolated and analyzed cnb-1 mutant alleles generated by repeat-induced point mutation (RIP), with the results further supporting roles for calcineurin in growth and fertility in N. crassa. We demonstrated a direct interaction between the CNA-1 and CNB-1 proteins using an assay system developed to study protein-protein interactions in N. crassa.     

Nucleotide divergence and genetic relationships of Pseudoroegneria species

Nucleotide variation in 8 diploid Pseudoroegneria species was characterized using two single copy nuclear genes, the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) and the translation elongation factor G (EF-G), and one chloroplast TrnD/T intergenic region. Among the Pseudoroegneria species studied, the estimates of nucleotide diversity (π) ranged from 0.04577 (RPB2) and 0.00183 (TrnD/T) for Pseudoroegneria tauri to 0.10667 (RPB2), 0.06174 (EF-G) and 0.03743 (TrnD/T) for Pseudoroegneria spicata. The highest nucleotide diversity of the RPB2 data set was found for P. spicata among the taxa analyzed. Our phylogenetic analyses separated the accessions of P. spicata into several groups, with 7 accessions of P. spicata forming a highly supported subclade (BS = 100%, PP = 1.00). The phylogenetic analysis also suggests that P. spicata, Pseudoroegneria gracillima and Pseudoroegneria stipifolia have a closer relationship than the other species within Pseudoroegneria. Pseudoroegneria libanotica and P. tauri were also found to exhibit a high level of sequence homology, however, only nuclear gene data (RPB2 and EF-G) clearly indicated the differentiation between the P. libanotica + P. tauri group with other St genome species.     

Miocene ostracods from the Tremiti Islands and Hyblean Plateau: biostratigraphy and description of new and poorly known species

The main taxonomic and stratigraphical results of a study of ostracods from the middle-late Miocene of the Tremiti Islands and the Hyblean Plateau are presented. The faunas are mostly typical of deep thermospheric or psychrospheric bathyal environments. Excluding a few, mostly juvenile shallow water contaminants, a total of 127 species were recorded. Twenty-four taxa are discussed herein; of these, 13 species (Cytherella dissimilis nov. sp., Cytherella parvula nov. sp., Cytherella subtilis nov. sp., Argilloecia triangularis nov. sp., Retibythere (Retibythere)? claudii nov. sp., Retibythere (Retibythere)? gibba nov. sp., Cytheropteron (Cytheropteron) joachinoi nov. sp., Cytheropteron (Aversovalva) consuetum nov. sp., Cytheropteron (Aversovalva) trimerumense nov. sp., Cytheropteron (Aversovalva) turgidum nov. sp., Loxoconcha julianii nov. sp., Buntonia whatleyi nov. sp., Pterygocythere nuda nov. sp.) and a subspecies (Costa tricostata dorsoarcuata nov. subsp.) are described as new, while six are left in open nomenclature. The stratigraphical distribution of ostracods is expressed in terms of planktonic foraminiferal zones. Information obtained from this study enriches biostratigraphical data on Mediterranean Miocene deep-sea ostracods, especially with respect to the Langhian.     

Influence of ARHGEF3 and RHOA Knockdown on ACTA2 and Other Genes in Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts

Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that has a strong genetic component. Genome-wide linkage studies have identified the chromosomal region 3p14-p22 as a quantitative trait locus for bone mineral density (BMD). We have previously identified associations between variation in two related genes located in 3p14-p22, ARHGEF3 and RHOA, and BMD in women. In this study we performed knockdown of these genes using small interfering RNA (siRNA) in human osteoblast-like and osteoclast-like cells in culture, with subsequent microarray analysis to identify genes differentially regulated from a list of 264 candidate genes. Validation of selected findings was then carried out in additional human cell lines/cultures using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The qRT-PCR results showed significant down-regulation of the ACTA2 gene, encoding the cytoskeletal protein alpha 2 actin, in response to RHOA knockdown in both osteoblast-like (P<0.001) and osteoclast-like cells (P = 0.002). RHOA knockdown also caused up-regulation of the PTH1R gene, encoding the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor, in Saos-2 osteoblast-like cells (P<0.001). Other findings included down-regulation of the TNFRSF11B gene, encoding osteoprotegerin, in response to ARHGEF3 knockdown in the Saos-2 and hFOB 1.19 osteoblast-like cells (P = 0.003–0.02), and down-regulation of ARHGDIA, encoding the Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha, in response to RHOA knockdown in osteoclast-like cells (P<0.001). These studies identify ARHGEF3 and RHOA as potential regulators of a number of genes in bone cells, including TNFRSF11B, ARHGDIA, PTH1R and ACTA2, with influences on the latter evident in both osteoblast-like and osteoclast-like cells. This adds further evidence to previous studies suggesting a role for the ARHGEF3 and RHOA genes in bone metabolism.     

Transmission and diversity of Schistosoma haematobium and S. bovis and their freshwater intermediate snail hosts Bulinus globosus and B. nasutus in the Zanzibar Archipelago,United Republic of Tanzania

BackgroundThe Zanzibar Archipelago (Pemba and Unguja islands) is targeted for the elimination of human urogenital schistosomiasis caused by infection with Schistosoma haematobium where the intermediate snail host is Bulinus globosus. Following multiple studies, it has remained unclear if B. nasutus (a snail species that occupies geographically distinct regions on the Archipelago) is involved in S. haematobium transmission on Zanzibar. Additionally, S. haematobium was thought to be the only Schistosoma species present on the Zanzibar Archipelago until the sympatric transmission of S. bovis, a parasite of ruminants, was recently identified. Here we re-assess the epidemiology of schistosomiasis on Pemba and Unguja together with the role and genetic diversity of the Bulinus spp. involved in transmission.Methodology/Principal findingsMalacological and parasitological surveys were conducted between 2016 and 2019. In total, 11,116 Bulinus spp. snails were collected from 65 of 112 freshwater bodies surveyed. Bulinus species identification were determined using mitochondrial cox1 sequences for a representative subset of collected Bulinus (n = 504) and together with archived museum specimens (n = 6), 433 B. globosus and 77 B. nasutus were identified. Phylogenetic analysis of cox1 haplotypes revealed three distinct populations of B. globosus, two with an overlapping distribution on Pemba and one on Unguja. For B. nasutus, only a single clade with matching haplotypes was observed across the islands and included reference sequences from Kenya. Schistosoma haematobium cercariae (n = 158) were identified from 12 infected B. globosus and one B. nasutus collected between 2016 and 2019 in Pemba, and cercariae originating from 69 Bulinus spp. archived in museum collections. Schistosoma bovis cercariae (n = 21) were identified from seven additional B. globosus collected between 2016 and 2019 in Pemba. By analysing a partial mitochondrial cox1 region and the nuclear ITS (1–5.8S-2) rDNA region of Schistosoma cercariae, we identified 18 S. haematobium and three S. bovis haplotypes representing populations associated with mainland Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands (Zanzibar, Madagascar, Mauritius and Mafia).Conclusions/SignificanceThe individual B. nasutus on Pemba infected with S. haematobium demonstrates that B. nasutus could also play a role in the local transmission of S. haematobium. We provide preliminary evidence that intraspecific variability of S. haematobium on Pemba may increase the transmission potential of S. haematobium locally due to the expanded intermediate host range, and that the presence of S. bovis complicates the environmental surveillance of schistosome infections.     

Reticulate evolution in Ranunculus cantonensis polyploid complex and its allied species

Hybridization is particularly likely to occur in initial and young polyploid complexes, and interspecies hybridization between diverged species usually leads to a complicated reticulate evolution. The Ranunculus cantoniensis complex and its allied species include R. chinensis (2x), R. silerifolius var. silerifolius (2x), R. cantoniensis (4x), R. trigonus (2x), R. shuichengensis (2x), R. diffusus (4x), R. repens (4x), R. vaginatus (5x) and R. sieboldii (6x, 8x). Many morphological intermediates can be found between the members of this complex, and the relationship among members is complicated. By analyzing internal transcribed spacers and nrDNA FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) signals, we unraveled the phylogenetic and genetic constitution of the various taxonomic units of this complex. Haplotypes were highly separated by median-joining network analysis and at least four haplogroups emerged in which there were 11 primary haplotypes; six out of ten taxa shared haplotype 1, suggesting that haplotype 1, a variation of the primary haplotype R. chinensis, served as the pivotal genome in the complex. The pollen characteristics and electrophoretic patterns of R. vaginatus (5x) showed it to be an intermediate between R. diffusus (4x) and R. sieboldii (6x). The distribution of R. vaginatus (5x) was located at the junction of the distributions of R. diffusus (4x) and R. sieboldii (6x). Ranunculus vaginatus (5x) shared haplotypes 7 and 8 with R. diffusus (4x), and haplotypes 8 and 9 with R. sieboldii (6x). This proved that R. vaginatus (5x) emerged from hybridization between R. diffusus (4x) and R. sieboldii (6x). The results of FISH also support a hybrid origin of R. vaginatus (5x). The findings of this study clearly show that there are only eight taxa in this polyploid complex including R. chinensis (2x), R. silerifolius var. silerifolius (2x), R. trigonus (2x), R. silerifolius var. dolicanthus(2x), R. cantoniensis (4x), R. diffusus (2x), R. vaginatus (5x) and R. sieboldii (6x, 8x). These taxa associated with each other by hybridizing with the pivotal genome. Ranunculus cantoniensis (4x) and R. vaginatus (5x) arose from hybridization events between diverged species in the polyploid complex, leading to a complicated reticulate evolution.     

Complete mitochondrial genome of Bactrocera ritsemai (Insecta: Tephritidae) and phylogenetic relationship with its congeners and related tephritid taxa

Bactrocera ritsemai is a dacine fruit fly found in Indonesia. We report here the complete mitogenome of this fruit fly from Lombok, Indonesia determined by Illumina MiSeq sequencing and its phylogenetic relationship with its congeners and related tephritid taxa. The whole mitogenome of B. ritsemai had a total length of 15,927 bp, comprising 37 genes – 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) and 22 transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) genes – and a control region (D-loop). Of the PCGs, 6 (atp6, cob, cox2, cox3, nad4, nad4l) had ATG start codon, 4 (nad2, nad3, nad5, nad6) had ATT, and one each had ATA (nad1), GTG (atp8) and TCG (cox1). Seven PCGs (atp6, atp8, cox2, cox3, nad2, nad4l, nad6) had TAA stop codon, 3 (cob, nad3, nad4) had TAG, and 3 had incomplete stop codon (cox1 – TA; nad1, nad5 – T). The TΨC-loop of tRNA was absent in trnF while trnS1 lacked the DHU-loop. Phylogenetic analysis based on 15 mt-genes (13 PCGs + 2 rRNA genes) indicated B. ritsemai forming a sister group with B. umbrosa and the subgenus Bactrocera was monophyletic. The genera Bactrocera and Zeugodacus were monophyletic while the subfamilies Dacinae and Tephritinae were paraphyletic. A broader taxa sampling of the Tephritidae is needed to better elucidate the phylogenetics and systematics of the tribes and subfamilies of tephritid fruit flies.     

Phenotypic, genetic and genomic consequences of natural and synthetic polyploidization of Nicotiana attenuata and Nicotiana obtusifolia

Background and Methods

Polyploidy results in genetic turmoil, much of which is associated with new phenotypes that result in speciation. Five independent lines of synthetic allotetraploid N. × obtusiata (N × o) were created from crosses between the diploid N. attenuata (Na) (♂) and N. obtusifolia (No) (♀) and the autotetraploids of Na (NaT) and No (NoT) were synthesized. Their genetic, genomic and phenotypic changes were then compared with those of the parental diploid species (Na and No) as well as to the natural allotetraploids, N. quadrivalvis (Nq) and N. clevelandii (Nc), which formed 1 million years ago from crosses between ancient Na and No.

Key Results

DNA fingerprinting profiles (by UP-PCR) revealed that the five N × o lines shared similar but not identical profiles. Both synthetic and natural polyploidy showed a dosage effect on genome size (as measured in seeds); however, only Nq was associated with a genome upsizing. Phenotypic analysis revealed that at the cellular level, N × o lines had phenotypes intermediate of the parental phenotypes. Both allo- and autotetraploidization had a dosage effect on seed and dry biomass (except for NaT), but not on stalk height at first flower. Nc showed paternal (Na) cellular phenotypes but inherited maternal (No) biomass and seed mass, whereas Nq showed maternal (No) cellular phenotypes but inherited paternal (Na) biomass and seed mass patterns. Principal component analysis grouped Nq with N × o lines, due to similar seed mass, stalk height and genome size. These traits separated Nc, No and Na from Nq and N × o lines, whereas biomass distinguished Na from N × o and Nq lines, and NaT clustered closer to Nq and N × o lines than to Na.

Conclusions

Both allo- and autotetraploidy induce considerable morphological, genetic and genomic changes, many of which are retained by at least one of the natural polyploids. It is proposed that both natural and synthetic polyploids are well suited for studying the evolution of adaptive responses.Key words: Nicotiana, polyploidy, genome size, DNA fingerprinting, phenotypic variation, Solanaceae     

Morphological,molecular and MALDI-TOF MS identification of ticks and tick-associated pathogens in Vietnam

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been reported as a promising and reliable tool for arthropod identification, including the identification of alcohol-preserved ticks based on extracted leg protein spectra. In this study, the legs of 361 ticks collected in Vietnam, including 251 Rhiphicephalus sanguineus s.l, 99 Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, two Amblyomma varanensis, seven Dermacentor auratus, one Dermacentor compactus and one Amblyomma sp. were submitted for MALDI-TOF MS analyses. Spectral analysis showed intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity and the spectra of 329 (91%) specimens were of excellent quality. The blind test of 310 spectra remaining after updating the database with 19 spectra revealed that all were correctly identified with log score values (LSV) ranging from 1.7 to 2.396 with a mean of 1.982 ± 0.142 and a median of 1.971. The DNA of several microorganisms including Anaplasma platys, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma marginale, Ehrlichia rustica, Babesia vogeli, Theileria sinensis, and Theileria orientalis were detected in 25 ticks. Co-infection by A. phagocytophilum and T. sinensis was found in one Rh. (B) microplus.     

Clothing insulation and temperature,layer and mass of clothing under comfortable environmental conditions

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the microclimate temperature and clothing insulation (I_cl) under comfortable environmental conditions. In total, 20 subjects (13 women, 7 men) took part in this study. Four environmental temperatures were chosen: 14°C (to represent March/April), 25°C (May/June), 29°C (July/August), and 23°C (September/October). Wind speed (0.14ms^-1) and humidity (45%) were held constant. Clothing microclimate temperatures were measured at the chest (T_chest) and on the interscapular region (T_scapular). Clothing temperature of the innermost layer (T_innermost) was measured on this layer 30 mm above the centre of the left breast. Subjects were free to choose the clothing that offered them thermal comfort under each environmental condition. We found the following results. 1) All clothing factors except the number of lower clothing layers (L_lower), showed differences between the different environmental conditions (P<0.05). The ranges of T_chest were 31.6 to 33.5°C and 32.2 to 33.4°C in T_scapular. The range of T_innermost was 28.6 to 32.0°C. The range of the upper clothing layers (L_upper) and total clothing mass (M_total) was 1.1 to 3.2 layers and 473 to 1659 g respectively. The range of I_cl was 0.78 to 2.10 clo. 2) Post hoc analyses showed that analysis of T_innermost produced the same results as for that of I_cl. Likewise, the analysis of L_upper produced the same result as the analysis of the number of total layers (L_total) within an outfit. 3) Air temperature (t_a) had positive relationships with T_chest and T_scapular and with T_innermost but had inverse correlations with I_cl, M_total, L_upper and L_total. T_chest, T_scapular, and T_innermost increased as t_a rose. 4) I_cl had inverse relationships with T_chest and T_innermost, but positive relationships with M_total, L_upper and L_total. I_cl could be estimated by M_total, L_upper, and T_scapular using a multivariate linear regression model. 5) L_upper had positive relationships with I_cl and M_total, but L_lower did not. Subjects hardly changed L_lower under environmental comfort conditions between March and October. This indicates that each of the T_chest, M_total, and L_upper was a factor in predicting I_cl. T_innermost might also be a more influential factor than the clothing microclimate temperature.     

Genome-wide association study identifies novel loci associated with circulating phospho- and sphingolipid concentrations

Phospho- and sphingolipids are crucial cellular and intracellular compounds. These lipids are required for active transport, a number of enzymatic processes, membrane formation, and cell signalling. Disruption of their metabolism leads to several diseases, with diverse neurological, psychiatric, and metabolic consequences. A large number of phospholipid and sphingolipid species can be detected and measured in human plasma. We conducted a meta-analysis of five European family-based genome-wide association studies (N = 4034) on plasma levels of 24 sphingomyelins (SPM), 9 ceramides (CER), 57 phosphatidylcholines (PC), 20 lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC), 27 phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), and 16 PE-based plasmalogens (PLPE), as well as their proportions in each major class. This effort yielded 25 genome-wide significant loci for phospholipids (smallest P-value = 9.88×10⁻²⁰⁴) and 10 loci for sphingolipids (smallest P-value = 3.10×10⁻⁵⁷). After a correction for multiple comparisons (P-value<2.2×10⁻⁹), we observed four novel loci significantly associated with phospholipids (PAQR9, AGPAT1, PKD2L1, PDXDC1) and two with sphingolipids (PLD2 and APOE) explaining up to 3.1% of the variance. Further analysis of the top findings with respect to within class molar proportions uncovered three additional loci for phospholipids (PNLIPRP2, PCDH20, and ABDH3) suggesting their involvement in either fatty acid elongation/saturation processes or fatty acid specific turnover mechanisms. Among those, 14 loci (KCNH7, AGPAT1, PNLIPRP2, SYT9, FADS1-2-3, DLG2, APOA1, ELOVL2, CDK17, LIPC, PDXDC1, PLD2, LASS4, and APOE) mapped into the glycerophospholipid and 12 loci (ILKAP, ITGA9, AGPAT1, FADS1-2-3, APOA1, PCDH20, LIPC, PDXDC1, SGPP1, APOE, LASS4, and PLD2) to the sphingolipid pathways. In large meta-analyses, associations between FADS1-2-3 and carotid intima media thickness, AGPAT1 and type 2 diabetes, and APOA1 and coronary artery disease were observed. In conclusion, our study identified nine novel phospho- and sphingolipid loci, substantially increasing our knowledge of the genetic basis for these traits.     

Diversity of Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. and Their Symbiotic Entomopathogenic Nematodes from Thailand

Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. are bacterial symbionts of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). In this study, we isolated and characterized Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. from across Thailand together with their associated nematode symbionts, and characterized their phylogenetic diversity. EPNs were isolated from soil samples using a Galleria-baiting technique. Bacteria from EPNs were cultured and genotyped based on recA sequence. The nematodes were identified based on sequences of 28S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer regions. A total of 795 soil samples were collected from 159 sites in 13 provinces across Thailand. A total of 126 EPNs isolated from samples taken from 10 provinces were positive for Xenorhabdus (n = 69) or Photorhabdus spp. (n = 57). Phylogenetic analysis separated the 69 Xenorhabdus isolates into 4 groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 consisting of 52, 13 and 1 isolates related to X. stockiae, and group 4 consisting of 3 isolates related to X. miraniensis. The EPN host for isolates related to X. stockiae was S. websteri, and for X. miraniensis was S. khoisanae. The Photorhabdus species were identified as P. luminescens (n = 56) and P. asymbiotica (n = 1). Phylogenenic analysis divided P. luminescens into five groups. Groups 1 and 2 consisted of 45 and 8 isolates defined as subspecies hainanensis and akhurstii, respectively. One isolate was related to hainanensis and akhurstii, two isolates were related to laumondii, and one isolate was the pathogenic species P. asymbiotica subsp. australis. H. indica was the major EPN host for Photorhabdus. This study reveals the genetic diversity of Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. and describes new associations between EPNs and their bacterial symbionts in Thailand.     

Description of a new genus and three new species of Otothyrinae (Siluriformes,Loricariidae)

The genus Hisonotus was resurrected as a member of the tribe Otothyrini (actually subfamily Otothyrinae). However, phylogenetic studies based on morphological and molecular data showed that Hisonotus is not monophyletic and independent lineages can be identified, such as the group composed of the species Hisonotus insperatus, Hisonotus luteofrenatus, Hisonotus oliveirai, Hisonotus paresi and Hisonotus piracanjuba, a lineage unrelated to that containing the type species of the genus Hisonotus (Hisonotus notatus). Herein, based in molecular and morphological data, a new genus is described to accommodate the lineage mentioned above, into which are also added three new species. This new genus can be distinguished from other genera of Otothyrinae by the following combination of characters: (1) a pair of rostral plates at the tip of the snout; (2) two large pre-nasal plates just posterior to the rostral plates; (3) a supra-opercular plate that receives the laterosensory canal from the compound pterotic before the preopercle; (4) a well developed membrane at anal opening in females; and (5) a V-shaped spinelet. A key to species of Curculionichthys is provided.