The “tomcat compound” 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol occurs in the urine of free-ranging leopards but not in African lions or cheetahs

The felid-specific urinary odour compound 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol and its precursors have been found in several felid species in captivity, but its presence in wild felids has not previously been investigated. We analysed the naturally deposited scent marks from three species of wild, free-ranging big cats in Northern Botswana and found 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol in four samples of leopard urine (N = 13), but not in lion urine (N = 15) or cheetah urine (N = 6). Individual variation in the presence of the tomcat compound in samples from big cats in the wild may reconcile conflicting results from captive cats.     

Vigna unguiculata is nodulated in Spain by endosymbionts of Genisteae legumes and by a new symbiovar (vignae) of the genus Bradyrhizobium

Vigna unguiculata was introduced into Europe from its distribution centre in Africa, and it is currently being cultivated in Mediterranean regions with adequate edapho-climatic conditions where the slow growing rhizobia nodulating this legume have not yet been studied. Previous studies based on rrs gene and ITS region analyses have shown that Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense and B. elkanii nodulated V. unguiculata in Africa, but these two species were not found in this study. Using the same phylogenetic markers it was shown that V. unguiculata, a legume from the tribe Phaseolae, was nodulated in Spain by two species of group I, B. cytisi and B. canariense, which are common endosymbionts of Genisteae in both Europe and Africa. These species have not been found to date in V. unguiculata nodules in its African distribution centres. All strains from Bradyrhizobium group I isolated in Spain belonged to the symbiovar genistearum, which is found at present only in Genisteae legumes in both Africa and Europe. V. unguiculata was also nodulated in Spain by a strain from Bradyrhizobium group II that belonged to a novel symbiovar (vignae). Some African V. unguiculata-nodulating strains also belonged to this proposed new symbiovar.     

Description of a New and Two Known Species of the Free-living Nematode Paroigolaimella Paramonov, 1952 (Diplogastridae) from India

This paper describes a new and two known species of Paroigolaimella collected from India. Paroigolaimella helalii n. sp. is characterized by having conspicuous sexual dimorphism in the stoma and pharynx, ovaries with a sphincter separating the mature oocyte from developing ones, a vagina leading to a strong ovijector, a pore-like vulva with cuticular flap; males with slender strongly arcuate spicules with dilated capitula; the gubernaculum slender with expanded plate-like distal end and nine pairs of genital papillae, and four to five pairs of copulatory muscle bands. P. coprophila (Sudhaus and Rehfeld, 1990) Sudhaus and Fürst von Lieven, 2003 collected from leaf litter from a farmyard has been redescribed with reassessment of its distinguishing characters from P. bernensis. P. bodamica (Micoletzky, 1922) n. comb. has been described and its status has been discussed with context to P. bernensis.     

Ectopic Repo suppresses expression of castor gene in Drosophila central nervous system

The ventral nerve cord (VNC) of the Drosophila embryo is derived from neuroblasts (NBs). NBs divide in a stem cell lineage to generate a series of ganglion mother cells (GMCs), each of which divides once to produce a pair of neurons or glial cells. One of the NB genes, castor (cas), is expressed in a subset of NBs and has never been identified in neurons and the peripheral nervous system; cas plays a role in axonogenesis. But its limited expression along the dorsal-ventral axis within the central nervous system has not been investigated yet. In the present study, we examined the expression patterns of both genes using confocal microscopy to determine the effects of repo mutation on cas expression. Cas was mainly expressed in layers different from repo-expressed layers during early embryogenesis: repo was expressed mostly from deep to mid layers, while cas, from mid to superficial layers. Loss-of-function of repo did not result in an ectopic expression of cas, but rather, a scattering of cas-expressing cells. However, repo gain-of-function mutation caused repression of cas. In addition, repo-expressing cells seemed to block the migration of cas-expressing cells.     

A new genus of metalmark moths (Lepidoptera,Choreutidae) with Afrotropical and Australasian?distribution

Niveas Rota, new genus, and its two new species, N. agassizi Rota, new species, and N. kone Rota, new species, are described and illustrated. Niveas is assigned to the subfamily Choreutinae based on morphological and molecular data. Niveas agassizi is currently known only from Kenya and only from female specimens. Niveas kone has been found on the Solomon Islands and in Papua New Guinea (PNG). In PNG, larvae of this species have been reared from several species of Ficus (Moraceae). The two species are superficially quite dissimilar from each other. However, they share features in wing pattern and venation, as well as female genitalia, and the molecular data strongly support the monophyly of Niveas.     

The ecology of the Bithynia first intermediate hosts of Opisthorchis viverrini

Opisthorchiasis, together with its associated cholangiocarcinoma, is one of the most important human parasitic diseases on continental Southeast Asia. A great deal of epidemiological data from humans is available on this disease, particularly from the northeast of Thailand, however, only limited information is available on those aspects of the life cycle relating to its Bithynia (Gastropoda) and cyprinid fish intermediate hosts. Here we review the information which is available on the Bithynia hosts of Opisthorchis viverrini. Only one major ecological study has been carried out at one site on a single species of Bithynia. We show not only that detailed ecological studies are required to clarify the epidemiology of opisthorchiasis, but also that the taxonomic status of the Bithynia species transmitting O. viverrini requires clarification.     

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.     

Dissecting the fungal biology of Bipolaris papendorfii: from phylogenetic to comparative genomic analysis

Bipolaris papendorfii has been reported as a fungal plant pathogen that rarely causes opportunistic infection in humans. Secondary metabolites isolated from this fungus possess medicinal and anticancer properties. However, its genetic fundamental and basic biology are largely unknown. In this study, we report the first draft genome sequence of B. papendorfii UM 226 isolated from the skin scraping of a patient. The assembled 33.4 Mb genome encodes 11,015 putative coding DNA sequences, of which, 2.49% are predicted transposable elements. Multilocus phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses showed B. papendorfii UM 226 clustering with Curvularia species, apart from other plant pathogenic Bipolaris species. Its genomic features suggest that it is a heterothallic fungus with a putative unique gene encoding the LysM-containing protein which might be involved in fungal virulence on host plants, as well as a wide array of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, degradation of polysaccharides and lignin in the plant cell wall, secondary metabolite biosynthesis (including dimethylallyl tryptophan synthase, non-ribosomal peptide synthetase, polyketide synthase), the terpenoid pathway and the caffeine metabolism. This first genomic characterization of B. papendorfii provides the basis for further studies on its biology, pathogenicity and medicinal potential.     

The anamorphic genus Monotosporella (Ascomycota) from Eocene amber and from modern Agathis resin

The anamorphic fungal genus Monotosporella (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes) has been reco-vered from a piece of Early Eocene Indian amber, as well as from the surface of extant resin flows in New Caledonia. The fossil fungus was obtained from the Tarkeshwar Lignite Mine of Gujarat State, western India, and was part of the biota of an early tropical angiosperm rainforest. The amber inclusion represents the second fossil record of Sordariomycetes, as well as the first fossil of its particular order (either Savoryellales or Chaetosphaeriales). The fossil fungus is distinguished from extant representatives by possessing both short conidiophores and small two-septate pyriform conidia, and is described as Monotosporella doerfeltii sp. nov. Inside the amber, the anamorph is attached to its substrate, which is likely the degraded thallus of a cladoniform lichen. The extant New Caledonian species is assigned to Monotosporella setosa. It was found growing on semi-solidified resin flows of Agathis ovata (Araucariaceae), and is the first record of Monotosporella from modern resin substrates.     

Morphologic and Genetic Identification of Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense in Korea

Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense was first described by Yamane in 1986 but the taxonomical features have been obscure due to lack of critical morphologic criteria in its larval and adult stages. In Korea, this tapeworm had long been known as Diphyllobothrium latum. In this study, we observed 62 specimens collected from Korean residents and analyzed them by morphological features and nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cox1 gene as well as the ITS1 region. Adult tapeworms were examined after carmine or trichrome stain. Longitudinal sections of the gravid proglottids showed an obtuse angle of about 150 degree between the cirrus sac and seminal vesicle. This angle is known as a major differential point compared with that of D. latum. Nucleotide sequence differences between D. latum and the specimens from Koreans represented 17.3% in mitochondrial DNA cox1 gene. Sequence divergence of ITS1 among 4 Korean isolates was 0.3% and similarity was 99.7% with D. nihonkaiense and D. klebanovskii. All of the Korean specimens analyzed in this study were identified as being D. nihonkaiense (n = 62). We propose its Korean name as "Dong-hae-gin-chon-chung" which means ''long tapeworm of the East Sea'' for this newly analyzed diphyllobothriid tapeworm in Korea.     

Quiesone: An inhibitor of the germination of Peronospora tabacina conidia

A potent germination inhibitor of Peronospora tabacina conidia has been isolated from tobacco leaves infected with this pathogen. From consideration of its spectral properties, it is suggested that the structure of this inhibitor is 5-isobutyroxy-β-ionone. The effects of this inhibitor on the germination of P. tabacina conidia have been investigated.     

Genetic and electron-microscopic characterization of Rickettsiella tipulae, an intracellular bacterial pathogen of the crane fly, Tipula paludosa

Rickettsiella tipulae is an intracellular bacterial pathogen of larvae of the crane fly, Tipula paludosa (Diptera: Tipulidae) and has previously been claimed to represent an independent species within the genus Rickettsiella. Recently, this taxon has been reorganized and transferred as a whole from the α-proteobacterial order Rickettsiales to the γ-proteobacterial order Legionellales. Here we present the electron-microscopic identification of this rickettsial pathogen together with the first DNA sequence information for R. tipulae. The results of our 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic analysis demonstrate that the transfer to the order Legionellales is justified for R. tipulae. However, there is no phylogenetic basis to consider R. tipulae an independent species, but instead conclusive evidence substantiating its species level co-assignment with Rickettsiella melolonthae. Furthermore, implications of our results for a possible reorganization of the internal structure of the genus Rickettsiella are discussed.     

Essential oil composition of Eryngium rosulatum P.W. Michael ined.: A new undescribed species from eastern Australia

The essential oil composition from the aerial parts of a new Eryngium species from Australia, Eryngium rosulatum P.W. Michael ined., has been analysed by GC and GC/MS. A total of 34 compounds have been identified representing around 80% of the total oil. The main constituents of the oil were found to be β-elemene (16.0%) and bicyclogermacrene (12.5%). Other representative compounds were identified as δ-elemene (7.0%) and (E)-caryophyllene (5.9%). The sesquiterpene fraction (75.0%) was predominant in the essential oil of this species, most of these were hydrocarbons (53.8%). This paper represents the first study on this new, undescribed Australian species and its chemical composition.     

Recent population expansions of non-native ascidians in The Netherlands

Over the last 50 yrs seven non-native ascidians have settled in The Netherlands, concentrated in the two periods 1974-1977 and 1991-2004 (i.e., Styela clava, Aplidium glabrum, Diplosoma listerianum, Didemnum sp., Botrylloides violaceus, Molgula complanata and Perophora japonica). The year of the introduction of B. violaceus remains a matter of dispute because many of the Botrylloides specimens that are recorded in western Europe, have been identified as the closely resembling species B. leachi. Only Didemnum sp. has become a true invasive species and has become a threat to native ecosystems, especially in the province of Zeeland, by its ability to overgrow virtually all hard substrata present. This includes rocks, stones, sand, algae and almost all sessile marine animals. The sudden population expansion of the didemnid from 1996 onward, coincided with the cold winter of 1995-1996, which caused decreased population sizes of many marine animals. The resulting increase in the availability of suitable substrates for settlement and the strong decrease of grazing sea urchins, may have triggered the population expansion. Studying its population dynamics, the optimal growing temperature for Didemnum sp. appears to be 14-18 °C. Virtually all colonies die when the water temperature gets colder than 5 °C. Colonies growing on live marine animals seem to be more resistant to the cold, than those growing on rocks, stones and plants. Two potential predators of the didemnid have also been recorded in Dutch waters: the gastropods Trivia arctica and Lamellaria sp.     

Midgut juice components affect pore formation by the Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxin Cry9Ca

The pore-forming ability of the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry9Ca, its two single-site mutants R164A and R164K, and the 55-kDa fragment resulting from its proteolytic cleavage at R164 was evaluated under a variety of experimental conditions using an electrophysiological assay. All four toxin preparations depolarized the apical membrane of freshly isolated third-instar Manduca sexta midguts bathing in a solution containing 122 mM KCl at pH 10.5, but the 55-kDa fragment was considerably more active than Cry9Ca and its mutants. The activity of the latter toxins was greatly enhanced, however, when the experiments were conducted in the presence of fifth-instar M. sexta midgut juice. This effect was also observed after midgut juice proteins had been denatured by heating at 95 °C or after inorganic ions and small molecules had been removed from the midgut juice by extensive dialysis. A similar stimulation of toxin activity was also observed when the experiments were carried out in the presence of the lipids extracted from an equivalent volume of midgut juice. Depolarization of the cell membrane was also greatly enhanced, in the absence of midgut juice, by the addition of a cocktail of water-soluble protease inhibitors. These results indicate that, depending on the cleavage site and on the experimental conditions used, further proteolysis of the activated Cry9Ca toxin can either stimulate or be detrimental to its activity and that M. sexta midgut juice probably contains protease inhibitors that could play a major role in the activity of B. thuringiensis toxins in the insect midgut.     

Studies on Guizotia abyssinica L. oil: Biodiesel synthesis and process optimization

Guizotia abyssinica seeds, a common bird feedstock, have been explored for the potential of biodiesel synthesis. The oil was extracted from the seeds by solvent extraction and composition of G. abyssinica oil was examined. The reaction parameters for biodiesel synthesis have been optimized. Temperature, oil: methanol ratio, catalyst type and catalyst concentration were found to have significant role on ester conversion. According to this study, the maximum yield of ester (98.7%) can be obtained with optimized sodium methoxide catalyst dosage (0.6%) at an operational temperature of 65 °C. Methyl ester of G. abyssinica oil was also studied for its oxidation stability and low temperature properties. Further, the synthesized product was blended in diesel at 5–20% ratios and evaluated for physico-chemical properties.     

Paragonimus and Paragonimiasis in Vietnam: an Update

Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic zoonosis caused by infection with lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus. In Vietnam, research on Paragonimus and paragonimiasis has been conducted in northern and central regions of the country. Using a combination of morphological and molecular methods, 7 Paragonimus species, namely P. heterotremus, P. westermani, P. skrjabini, P. vietnamensis, P. proliferus, P. bangkokenis and P. harinasutai, have been identified in Vietnam. Of these, the first 3, P. heterotremus, P. westermani and P. skrjabini, are known to infect humans in other countries. However, in Vietnam, only P. heterotremus, found in some northern provinces, has been shown to infect humans. Even nowadays, local people in some northern provinces, such as Lai Chau and Yen Bai, are still suffering from P. heterotremus infection. In some provinces of central Vietnam, the prevalence and infection intensity of P. westermani metacercariae in freshwater crabs (the second intermediate hosts) are extremely high, but human cases have not been reported. Likewise, although P. skrjabini was found in Thanh Hoa Province, its pathogenicity to humans in Vietnam still remains uncertain. The results of molecular phylogenetic analyses of Vietnamese Paragonimus species provides new insights on the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Paragonimus. Comprehensive molecular epidemiological and geobiological studies on the genus in Vietnam and adjacent countries are needed to clarify the biodiversity and public health significance of the lung flukes.     

Early Pleistocene Dicerorhinus sumatrensis remains from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave, Guangxi, China

The Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave is very famous for its rich mammalian fauna and Gigantopithecus fossils. The Gigantopithecus Cave Fauna has been regarded as the typical Early Pleistocene fauna in South China. The majority of the fossils unearthed has been studied and published during the past decades. The only group remaining unpublished is the rhinoceros, which is studied in this paper. The rhino materials available today are only mandibles and lower cheek teeth. The dimensions of the tooth rows and the isolated teeth fall well within the range of the recent Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. Therefore, the rhino fossils from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave can be referred to this living species. The reduced lower incisors and the U-shaped lingual contour of the mandible also support this taxonomic determination. The rhino materials from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave represent the earliest known record of this species and the smallest Pleistocene rhinocerotid in China.     

Geographic locality greatly influences fungal endophyte communities in Cephalotaxus harringtonia

Although endophytes of conifers have been extensively studied, few data are available on Cephalotaxaceae. We examined foliar and stem endophytes of Cephalotaxus harringtonia, within its natural range in Japan and outside its natural range in France to study the effect of geography on endophyte community composition. In Japan, rapidly growing endophytes were dominant and may have masked the real diversity, in comparison to France where most endophytes were growing slowly. Analyses of ITS rDNA revealed 104 different Blast Groups among 554 isolates. Almost no overlap between endophyte assemblages of C. harringtonia from the two countries was observed. It seems that Japanese C. harringtonia trees, which should be well adapted to their native site, would host a specific, endemic endophyte community, while trees that have been introduced recently to a foreign site, in France, should have captured existing cosmopolitan and more generalist taxa. In Japan the majority of xylariaceous taxa, which dominated the communities, were unknown and, although closely related to Asian taxa, may be new to science. Dothideomycetes were more prevalent in France. Locally, urban environment, particularly in Japan, may have introduced some perturbations in the native endophyte community of C. harringtonia, with an abundance of generalist fungi such as Nigrospora and Colletotrichum.