Classification of crucigenoid algae: phylogenetic position of the reinstated genus Lemmermannia,Tetrastrum spp. Crucigenia tetrapedia,and C. lauterbornii (Trebouxiophyceae,Chlorophyta)1

The subfamily Crucigenioideae was traditionally classified within the well‐characterized family Scenedesmaceae (Chlorophyceae). Several morpho‐logical revisions and questionable taxonomic changes hampered the correct classification of crucigenoid species resulting in a high number of synonymous genera. We used a molecular approach to determine the phylogenetic position of several Tetrastrum and Crucigenia species. The molecular results were correlated with morphological and ontogenetic characters. Phylogenetic analyses of the SSU rDNA gene resolved the position of Tetrastrum heteracanthum and T. staurogeniaeforme as a new lineage within the Oocystis clade of the Trebouxiophyceae. Crucigenia tetrapedia, T. triangulare, T. punctatum, and T. komarekii were shown to be closely related to Botryococcus (Trebouxiophyceae) and were transferred to Lemmer‐mannia. Crucigenia lauterbornii was not closely related to the other Crucigenia strains, but was recovered within the Chlorella clade of the Trebouxiophyceae.     

Effects of cyanobacteria,fish kairomones,and the presence of ostracods on the demography of Simocephalus vetulus (Cladocera)

Simocephalus vetulus is a large (2.0–4.0 mm at maturity) cladoceran often found in the littoral region of lakes and ponds, and capable of moderate growth rates even on poor‐quality cyanobacterial diets. It frequently co‐occurs with fishes and similar sized ostracods such as Heterocypris incongruens, but little is known of its response to fish kairomones or its interactions with potential competitors. We studied the demographic responses of S. vetulus fed the green alga Scenedesmus acutus, Microcystis cf. aeruginosa strain A, Microcystis cf. aeruginosa strain B, or Limnothrix sp. Experiments were conducted separately and together in the presence of Heterocypris incongruens and cichlid fish (Oreochromis) kairomones. A diet of Limnothrix sp. resulted in the lowest population growth rate (0.21±0.023 d^?1), while on diets of S. acutus or Microcystis, population growth was higher (0.30±0.009 d^?1). The presence of ostracods resulted in significantly higher growth rates of S. vetulus fed Limnothrix (0.33±0.01 d^?1), but not Microcystis or S. acutus. Regardless of the diet, the presence of fish kairomones resulted in significantly higher growth rates as compared with controls, particularly when ostracods were also present. Coexistence with ostracods may be beneficial to S. vetulus, particularly when food quality is poor.     

Cyst‐motile stage relationship,morphology, ultrastructure,and molecular phylogeny of the gymnodinioid dinoflagellate Barrufeta resplendens comb. nov., formerly known as Gyrodinium resplendens,isolated from the Gulf of Mexico

In the present study, we redescribed Gyrodinium resplendens through incubation of process bearing cysts extracted from sediment collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The morphology and ultrastructure of the motile stage and cyst stage were examined using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy and this revealed that the species should be transferred to the genus Barrufeta. This genus differs from other gymnodinioid genera in possessing a Smurf‐cap apical structure complex (ASC) and currently encompasses only one species, Barrufeta bravensis. B. resplendens shows a Smurf‐cap ASC that consists of three rows of elongated vesicles with small knobs in the middle one. B. resplendens is very similar to B. bravensis in cell morphology, but can be separated using the ultrastructure such as the shape and location of nucleus and pyrenoids, which highlights the importance of ultrastructure at inter‐specific level in the genus Barrufeta. The unique cysts of B. resplendens are brown and process bearing, and have a tremic archeopyle with a zigzag margin on the dorsal side of the epicyst, and not polar as in cysts of Polykrikos. The cysts do not survive the palynological treatment used here and probably have a wide distribution. Maximum‐likelihood and Bayesian inference were carried out based on partial large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) sequences. Molecular phylogeny supports that the genus Barrufeta is monophyletic, and that the genus Gymnodinium is polyphyletic. Our results suggest that details of the ASC together with ultrastructure are potential features to subdivide the genus Gymnodinium.     

A combined morphological,ultrastructural, molecular,and biochemical study of the peculiar family Gomontiellaceae (Oscillatoriales) reveals a new cylindrospermopsin‐producing clade of cyanobacteria

Members of the morphologically unusual cyanobacterial family Gomontiellaceae were studied using a polyphasic approach. Cultured strains of Hormoscilla pringsheimii, Starria zimbabweënsis, Crinalium magnum, and Crinalium epipsammum were thoroughly examined, and the type specimen of the family, Gomontiella subtubulosa, was investigated. The results of morphological observations using both light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were consistent with previous reports and provided evidence for the unique morphological and ultrastructural traits of this family. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene confirmed the monophyletic origin of non‐marine repre‐sentatives of genera traditionally classified into this family. The family was phylogenetically placed among other groups of filamentous cyanobacterial taxa. The presence of cellulose in the cell wall was analyzed and confirmed in all cultured Gomontiellaceae members using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Evaluation of toxins produced by the studied strains revealed the hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) in available strains of the genus Hormoscilla. Production of this compound in both Hormoscilla strains was detected using high‐performance liquid chromatography in tandem with high resolution mass spectrometry and confirmed by positive PCR amplification of the cyrJ gene from the CYN biosynthetic cluster. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CYN production by soil cyanobacteria, establishing a previously unreported CYN‐producing lineage. This study indicates that cyanobacteria of the family Gomontiellaceae form a separate but coherent cluster defined by numerous intriguing morphological, ultrastructural, and biochemical features, and exhibiting a toxic potential worthy of further investigation.     

DNA sequencing,anatomy, and calcification patterns support a monophyletic,subarctic, carbonate reef‐forming Clathromorphum (Hapalidiaceae,Corallinales, Rhodophyta)

For the first time, morpho‐anatomical characters that were congruent with DNA sequence data were used to characterize several genera in Hapalidiaceae—the major eco‐engineers of Subarctic carbonate ecosystems. DNA sequencing of three genes (SSU, rbcL, ribulose‐1, 5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit gene and psbA, photosystem II D1 protein gene), along with patterns of cell division, cell elongation, and calcification supported a monophyletic Clathromorphum. Two characters were diagnostic for this genus: (i) cell division, elongation, and primary calcification occurred only in intercalary meristematic cells and in a narrow vertical band (1–2 μm wide) resulting in a “meristem split” and (ii) a secondary calcification of interfilament crystals was also produced. Neopolyporolithon was resurrected for N. reclinatum, the generitype, and Clathromorphum loculosum was transferred to this genus. Like Clathromorphum, cell division, elongation, and calcification occurred only in intercalary meristematic cells, but in a wider vertical band (over 10–20 μm), and a “meristem split” was absent. Callilithophytum gen. nov. was proposed to accommodate Clathromorphum parcum, the obligate epiphyte of the northeast Pacific endemic geniculate coralline, Calliarthron. Diagnostic for this genus were epithallial cells terminating all cell filaments (no dorsi‐ventrality was present), and a distinct “foot” was embedded in the host. Leptophytum, based on its generitype, L. laeve, was shown to be a distinct genus more closely related to Clathromorphum than to Phymatolithon. All names of treated species were applied unequivocally by linking partial rbcL sequences from holotype, isotype, or epitype specimens with field‐collected material. Variation in rbcL and psbA sequences suggested that multiple species may be passing under each currently recognized species of Clathromorphum and Neopolyporolithon.     

Phylogenetics of tribe Sabiceeae (Ixoroideae,Rubiaceae) revisited,with a new subgeneric classification for Sabicea

Tribe Sabiceeae (Ixoroideae, Rubiaceae) has undergone recent taxonomical changes with the incorporation of the related genera Ecpoma, Pseudosabicea and Stipularia into the type genus Sabicea. We use phylogenetic analysis and morphological data to verify the relationships among members of the tribe, including the most comprehensive taxon sampling of the tribe to date with 74 of 145 species. Sequence data from the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and three plastid markers (petD, rps16, trnT–F) were used to infer relationships among the members of the tribe. Individual analyses using maximum likelihood, parsimony and Bayesian approaches reveal several supported clades: the former genus Stipularia is resolved as a monophyletic unit, but Ecpoma is monophyletic only if Sabicea urbaniana and Sabicea xanthotricha are included (corresponding to Sabicea subgenus Stipulariopsis sensu Wernham). Pseudosabicea is biphyletic, with one clade corresponding to section Anisophyllae of Hallé (1964) and the other one to the other sections (Floribundae and Sphaericae) of the genus. Eleven morphological characteristics were recorded for all species studied and seven have been mapped onto the phylogenetic tree to study their evolution in the group and assess their value for the classification of Sabicea s.l. Finally, our study shows that a combination of diagnostic characteristics should be used to differentiate each group and we propose to recognise four subgenera in Sabicea.     

Length‐weight relationships of Barilius barila (Hamilton, 1822), Opsarius tileo (Hamilton, 1822) and Cyprinion semiplotum (McClelland, 1839) collected from Manas River in Assam,India

Length‐weight relationships (LWRs) are presented for three hill stream fish species belonging to the family Cyprinidae namely, Barilius barila (Hamilton, 1822), Opsarius tileo (Hamilton, 1822) and Cyprinion semiplotum (McClelland, 1839). Fishes were collected on a monthly basis from January 2016 to December 2017 with the help of cast net (270 cm length, 1.2 cm mesh size) and gillnet (7,500 cm length × 130 cm depth, 5 cm mesh size) from the Manas river in Assam, India.. A new length record for the FishBase LWR database was observed in B. barila.      

Quantification of Alternaria,Cladosporium, Fusarium and Penicillium verrucosum in Conventional and Organic Grains by qPCR

We analysed the levels of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium and Penicillium verrucosum in grain samples harvested in 2011 and 2012 from conventional and organic farms using qPCR. In general, both Alternaria and Cladosporium occurred in all cereal grains in the highest quantities, followed by P. verrucosum and Fusarium. Alternaria, Cladosporium and P. verrucosum had the highest levels in crop mixtures, barley and rye and lower levels in wheat, while Fusarium levels were the highest in crop mixtures and wheat. The levels of Alternaria and P. verrucosum were higher in organic rye and wheat than conventional grains. Although the level of Fusarium was higher in conventional than organic rye, opposite results were obtained for crop mixtures. A positive correlation was found between Alternaria, Cladosporium and P. verrucosum, indicating that similar factors might affect the distribution of these fungi in grains.     

Genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity of epithelial ovarian cancer and the clinical implications for molecular targeted therapy

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynaecological malignancy, and tumoural heterogeneity (TH) has been blamed for treatment failure. The genomic and epigenomic atlas of EOC varies significantly with tumour histotype, grade, stage, sensitivity to chemotherapy and prognosis. Rapidly accumulating knowledge about the genetic and epigenetic events that control TH in EOC has facilitated the development of molecular‐targeted therapy. Poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, designed to target homologous recombination, are poised to change how breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA)‐related ovarian cancer is treated. Epigenetic treatment regimens being tested in clinical or preclinical studies could provide promising novel treatment approaches and hope for improving patient survival.