Mycobiota associated with the ambrosia beetle Scolytodes unipunctatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) are associated with strictly entomochoric and mutualistic fungi. We studied the mycobiota associated with Scolytodes unipunctatus, ambrosia beetles that infest Cecropia trees in Central America. Isolates were characterized using morphology and rDNA sequences (ITS region, LSU, and SSU rDNA). Four species are described here: Raffaelea scolytodis sp. nov. (Ophiostomatales), Gondwanamyces scolytodis sp. nov., Custingophora cecropiae sp. nov., and Graphium sp. (Microascales). The genus Custingophora is emended to include Knoxdaviesia anamorphs of Gondwanamyces based on uniformity of DNA sequences and phenotype.     

Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis: An in vitro assay using the expression of GFP for screening of antileishmanial drug

Promastigotes of Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis were successfully transfected with p6.5-egfp to express green fluorescent protein. The transfectants remained infective to macrophages, providing an in vitro model for screening antileishmanial drugs. This was demonstrated by flow cytometry of macrophage-associated GFP after exposure of infected cultures to known antileishmanial drugs, i.e. amphotericin B and glucantime^®. Fluorescence of GFP diminished progressively from infected cells with increasing drug concentrations used in both cases. The availability of this fluorescent assay for infection of macrophages by L. (V.) panamensis facilitates drug discovery program for the Viannia species, which differ significantly from those of the Leishmania subgenus.     

Cyclical expression of the Notch/Wnt regulator Nrarp requires modulation by Dll3 in somitogenesis

Delta-like 3 (Dll3) is a divergent ligand and modulator of the Notch signaling pathway only identified so far in mammals. Null mutations of Dll3 disrupt cycling expression of Notch targets Hes1, Hes5, and Lfng, but not of Hes7. Compared with Dll1 or Notch1, the effects of Dll3 mutations are less severe for gene expression in the presomitic mesoderm, yet severe segmentation phenotypes and vertebral defects result in both human and mouse. Reasoning that Dll3 specifically disrupts key regulators of somite cycling, we carried out functional analysis to identify targets accounting for the segmental phenotype. Using microdissected embryonic tissue from somitic and presomitic mesodermal tissue, we identified new genes enriched in these tissues, including Limch1, Rhpn2, and A130022J15Rik. Surprisingly, we only identified a small number of genes disrupted by the Dll3 mutation. These include Uncx, a somite gene required for rib and vertebral patterning, and Nrarp, a regulator of Notch/Wnt signaling in zebrafish and a cycling gene in mouse. To determine the effects of Dll3 mutation on Nrarp, we characterized the cycling expression of this gene from early (8.5 dpc) to late (10.5 dpc) somitogenesis. Nrarp displays a distinct pattern of cycling phases when compared to Lfng and Axin2 (a Wnt pathway gene) at 9.5 dpc but appears to be in phase with Lfng by 10.5 dpc. Nrarp cycling appears to require Dll3 but not Lfng modulation. In Dll3 null embryos, Nrarp displayed static patterns. However, in Lfng null embryos, Nrarp appeared static at 8.5 dpc but resumed cycling expression by 9.5 and dynamic expression at 10.5 dpc stages. By contrast, in Wnt3a null embryos, Nrarp expression was completely absent in the presomitic mesoderm. Towards identifying the role of Dll3 in regulating somitogenesis, Nrarp emerges as a potentially important regulator that requires Dll3 but not Lfng for normal function.     

Lavandula angustifolia essential oil as a novel and promising natural candidate for tick (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus) control

Lavandula angustifolia is a well known herbal medicine with a variety of useful properties, including its acaricidal effect. This experiment was carried out to study the bioacaricidal activity of L. angustifolia essential oil (EO) against engorged Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Acari; Ixodidae) females. For this purpose six serial concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0% w/v) of L. angustifolia EO were used. There was considerable mortality in concentrations more than 4.0% although there were no differences between 6.0 and 8.0% in all measured criteria. The mortality rate 24 h after inoculation was 73.26 and 100% in groups treated with 4.0 and 8.0% EO, respectively. Lavender EO also reduced tick egg weight in a concentration-dependent manner. The amount of eggs produced varied from 0.12 g (at 0.5% EO) to 0.00 g (at 8.0% EO) but did not differ statistically from the control. L. angustifolia EO caused 100% failure in egg laying at 6.0 and 8.0% whereas this value in the control group was zero. A positive correlation between L. angustifolia EO concentration and tick control, assessed by relative mortality rate and egg-laying weight, was observed by the EO LC/EC₅₀, which, when calculated using the Probit test, was 2.76-fold higher than the control. Lavender is a promising acaricidal against R. (B.) annulatusin vitro.     

RPB2 sequences reveal a close phylogenetic relationship between tetraploid Hordelymus and diploid Hordeum species in Triticeae (Poaceae)

The origin of Hordelymus genome has been debated for years, and no consensus conclusion was reached. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the RPB2 (RNA polymerase subunit II) gene from Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Harz, and its potential diploid ancestor species those were suggested in previous studies. The focus of this study was to examine the phylogenetic relationship of Hordelymus genomes with its potential donor Hordeum, Psathyrostachys, and Taeniatherum species. Two distinguishable copies of sequences were obtained from H. europaeus. The obvious difference between the two copies of sequences is a 24 bp indel (insertion/deletion). Phylogenetic analysis showed a strong affinity between Hordeum genome and Hordelymus with 85% bootstrap support. These results suggested that one genome in tetraploid H. europaeus closely related to the genome in Hordeum species. Another genome in H. europaeus is sister to the genomes in Triticeae species examined here, which corresponds well with the recently published EF-G data. No obvious relationship was found between Hordelymus and either Ta genome donor, Taeniatherum caput-medusae or Ns genome donor, Psathyrostachys juncea. Our data does not support the presence of Ta and Ns genome in H. europaeus, and further confirms that H. europaeus is allopolyploid.     

异育银鲫GABAB受体1亚基cDNA部分序列的克隆及表达分析

为了确定γ-氨基丁酸B受体（gamma-aminobutyric acid B receptor,GABA_BR）基因在异育银鲫（Carassius auratus gibelio）不同组织中的表达,本实验分别对异育银鲫不同组织中GABA_BR1基因进行RT-PCR扩增,并进行了克隆和测序,在与GenBank基因库中已知GABA_BR1序列进行同源性比对的基础上采用邻接法构建系统发育树,并进一步分析其在异育银鲫不同组织内的表达水平。经克隆获得异育银鲫GABA_BR1基因CDS区序列383 bp,编码127个氨基酸。荧光定量PCR结果显示,GABA_BR1基因在异育银鲫脑、肝、肾、心、肠、鳔、鳃、肌、尾鳍、脾、卵巢、精巢组织中均有表达,且在不同组织中的表达水平由高到低依次是：脑>尾鳍>精巢>心、肠、鳔>卵巢、脾、鳃、肌>肝、肾。本研究证实了GABA_BR1基因在异育银鲫各组织中表达的广泛性,且有明显的组织特异性。     

Prenylated acetophenones from Melicope obscura and Melicope obtusifolia ssp. obtusifolia var. arborea and their distribution in Rutaceae

Four prenylated acetophenones 2,6-dihydroxy-4-geranyloxyacetophenone (1), 4-geranyloxy-2,6,β-trihydroxyacetophenone (2), 2,6-dihydroxy-4-geranyloxy-3-prenylacetophenone (3), and 4-geranyloxy-3-prenyl-2,6,β-trihydroxyacetophenone (4) have for the first time been isolated from Melicope obscura (1 and 2) and Melicope obtusifolia ssp. obtusifolia var. arborea (3 and 4). The distribution of prenylated acetophenones in Rutaceae is reviewed and the results, including the new records, indicate that prenylated acetophenones are valuable as chemotaxonomic markers for the subfamily Rutoideae, tribe Xanthoxyleae sensu Engler.     

Evidence of functional trimeric chlorophyll a/c2-peridinin proteins in the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium

The chlorophyll a-chlorophyll c₂-peridinin-protein (apcPC), a major light harvesting component in peridinin-containing dinoflagellates, is an integral membrane protein complex. We isolated functional acpPC from the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium. Both SDS-PAGE and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis quantified the denatured subunit polypeptide molecular weight (MW) as 18 kDa. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and blue native gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) were employed to estimate the size of native acpPC complex to be 64–66 kDa. We also performed native ESI-MS, which can volatilize and ionize active biological samples in their native states. Our result demonstrated that the native acpPC complex carried 14 to 16 positive charges, and the MW of acpPC with all the associated pigments was found to be 66.5 kDa. Based on these data and the pigment stoichiometry, we propose that the functional light harvesting state of acpPC is a trimer. Our bioinformatic analysis indicated that Symbiodinium acpPC shares high similarity to diatom fucoxanthin Chl a/c binding protein (FCP), which tends to form a trimer. Additionally, acpPC protein sequence variation was confirmed by de novo protein sequencing. Its sequence heterogeneity is also discussed in the context of Symbiodinium eco-physiological adaptations.     

Bestrophin genes are expressed in Xenopus development

The Bestrophin-1/VMD2 gene has been implicated in Best disease, a juvenile-onset vitelliform macular dystrophy. The Bestrophin proteins have anion channel activity, and the four mammalian members share sequence homologies in multiple transmembrane domains and an RFP-tripeptide motif. The expression patterns and functions of the Bestrophin genes in retinal pigment epithelium have been studied intensively, whereas little is known about their roles in vertebrate embryogenesis. This study examined the roles of four Xenopus tropicalis homologs of BEST genes. The xtBest genes showed spatially and temporally distinct expression. xtBest-2 was the only maternally expressed Best gene, and both xtBest-2 and the Xenopus laevis Best-2 gene were expressed at the edge of the blastopore lip including the organizer. Ectopic expression of xBest-2 caused defects in dorsal axis formation and in mesodermal gene expression during gastrulation. These results suggest a new role of the Bestrophin family genes in early vertebrate embryogenesis.