Comparative characteristics of the bacterial complex in the hyphosphere of basidial macromycetes

A comparison of bacterial complexes from the hyphosphere of 33 basidial macromycetes species (typical representatives of forest biogeocenosis) has been studied. In addition, their similarity to the control soil bacterial complex has been investigated. The changes in the total number of bacteria, the proportion of the potentially viable cell number of saprotrophic bacteria, the structure of the bacterial saprotrophic complex, and the ratio of different phylogenetic groups of prokaryotes in the hyphosphere of basidial macromycetes were determined. A marked species-specific nature of the influence of basidial macromycetes on soil bacterial complexes was specified. Similarities in the saprotrophic bacterial complexes of aphyllophoroid and gasteroid in the hyphosphere of Basidiomycota were revealed.     

Analysis of molecular genetic diversity of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) in Tunisia

The objective of this study is to investigate the genetic diversity, the relationships among six Tunisian wild cardoon populations (Cynara cardunculus var. sylvestris) and a Tunisian's population of cultivated cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC) in seven different geographical locations (Tiurif, Bahra, Zriba, Bouficha, Enfidha, Beja and Wad mliz) from semi-arid and wet regions of Tunisia. Twenty-three selected microsatellite markers are used for a sample of 98 cardoon genotypes. The total of 243 alleles is detected in the studied populations and the number of alleles per locus ranged from six to 23. The dendrogram based on Nei's (1972) UPGMA method divides the seven studied populations to five clusters. These preliminary results show that microsatellites are effective tools for plant species characterization and the analysed populations have a high genetic variability and will be suitable as genetic stocks for conservation and sustainable utilization programs of Cynara cardunculus L. in Tunisia.     

Spread of Leishmania killicki to Central and South-West Tunisia

Twenty cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases were notified from December 2001 to February 2002, in a small village in the district of Oueslatia (governorate of Kairouan, central Tunisia) which is an endemic focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis due to leishmania (L.) infantum and that had never been concerned previously by CL. The parasite typing of two isolates obtained from two children that have never left the region has identified L. killicki. This species had only been reported previously in a limited focus of Tunisian Southeast. In October 2002, an epidemiological survey with isoenzym characterization of the parasite led in a well-known focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis of South-West Tunisia also revealed the presence of L. killicki. These results suggest the spread of this species and stress the need of further investigations for a better control of CL in Tunisia.     

Patterns of macromycete community assemblage along an elevation gradient: options for fungal gradient and metacommunity analyse

Gradient analysis is rarely used in studies of fungal communities. Data on macromycetes from eight sites along an elevation gradient in central Veracruz, Mexico, were used to demonstrate methods for gradient analysis that can be applied to studies of communities of fungi. Selected sites from 100 to 3,500?m altitude represent tropical dry forest, tropical montane cloud forest, conifer forest, and their ecotones. From May to October 2010, macromycetes were collected monthly within ten 10?×?10?m permanent plots per site. In total, 672 individuals of 213 species of macromycetes were recorded. Models for richness and diversity for all macromycete and ectomycorrhizal communities displayed peaks in the mid-part of the gradient, and a tendency to increase with elevation, whereas xylophagous fungi displayed a peak in the mid-lower part but tended to decrease with elevation. Cluster and Maximum Likelihood analyses distinguished four communities for both macromycetes and trees, but plant and fungal communities were only partly concordant. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that macromycete distribution along the gradient is related to slope, relative humidity, soil temperature, soil water content, canopy openness, and litter depth. Spearman’s correlation and regression trees suggested that air and soil temperature, relative humidity, soil water content, canopy openness, vegetation structure and tree species richness were most strongly related to macrofungal functional groups, but these environmental variables were often correlated to the forest type and may not be causal. Variation in the environment along the elevation gradient differentially affected macromycete functional groups. Results from the different methods used in this work were concordant and showed significant patterns.     

Degradation of agarophytic red algal cell wall components by new crude enzyme preparations

Several new crude enzyme preparations were isolated from a marine association of the agarolytic bacterium Cytophaga diffluens and the infusorium Uronema marinum, an axenic culture of Cytophaga diffluens, some species of land micro- and macromycetes adapted to assimilate red algal biomass and from the marine mollusc Littorina littorea. Fungal and mollusc enzyme preparations were shown to have cellulase, xylanase, protease and agarase activities. Fungal agarase activity was revealed only after 3–4 passages of the culture on the medium containing algal biomass. Enzyme preparations from the association and the pure bacterial culture growing on the medium with bactoagar as the sole carbon source contained only agarase activity. The maximum specific agarase activity was found in a preparation from the marine association. The preparations obtained can be used for isolating protoplasts and single cells from red seaweed thalli. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中国两栖、爬行动物更新名录

本文在2015年发表的爬行动物名录及同年《中国两栖类信息系统》发布的两栖动物名录的基础上, 通过整理新发表的分类学研究及先前名录遗漏的部分早期文献, 更新了截至2019年底中国现生本土两栖、爬行动物物种名录。2015-2019年间, 中国两栖动物新记录1科, 新描述2属, 恢复1属有效性, 新记录1属, 新描述或恢复有效种74种, 新增国家纪录18种; 另6属、8种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持(在此视为次定同物异名而未做收录, 后同)。同期, 中国爬行动物新恢复5科, 新描述1亚科, 新描述1属, 恢复3属有效性, 新记录3属, 新描述、恢复或提升有效种43个, 新增国家纪录10种; 另有5属、4种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持, 并移除1属、4种在我国的分布纪录。此外, 通过整理2015年前文献, 爬行动物增补3属, 提升3亚种至种级地位, 增补国家新纪录3种, 另有3属、2种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持, 同时移除1种在我国的分布纪录。综上, 截至2019年底, 我国共记录现生本土两栖动物3目13科62属515种(蚓螈目1科1属1种, 有尾目3科14属82种, 无尾目9科47属431种), 爬行动物3目35科135属511种(鳄形目1科1属1种, 龟鳖目6科18属34种, 有鳞目蛇亚目18科73属265种、蜥蜴亚目10科43属211种)。此外, 本文还对先前名录中部分爬行动物的中文名提出了修改建议, 建议恢复部分物种的惯用中文名。2015-2019年, 新物种及新纪录已知物种数量占现两栖、爬行动物物种总数的17.1%和10.2%。近年来, 我国发表的两栖、爬行动物新物种和已知物种的新纪录数量持续增加, 分类体系也在研究中不断完善, 建议今后及时地进行阶段性总结, 同时对存在的问题提出讨论, 以推动中国两栖、爬行动物分类学研究工作的进一步开展。     

The Enchytraeid fauna of North Africa

As part of a survey of the Mediterranean enchytraeids, large numbers of samples were collected from a wide range of habitats at 38 localities of Tunisia and Algeria in 1989. Twenty species were identified belonging to six genera. Five species are new records for Tunisia and 17 are new for Algeria. Most of the recorded species are widely distributed throughout Europe, or even cosmopolitan, but some have a more restricted range. Fridericia caprensis has a circummediterranean distribution, Fridericia sardorum seems to be endemic to the western Mediterranean and Fridericia berninii is known only from the Balearic Islands and Algeria. Enchytraeus minutus bisetosus n. ssp. is described. A critical revision of some species is also provided.     

New records of ectoparasitic Acari (Arachnida) and Streblidae (Diptera) from bats in Jalisco,Mexico

Ectoparasites of bats in the Neotropics are diverse and play numerous ecological roles as vectors of microbial pathogens and endoparasites and as food sources for other cave fauna living both on their hosts and in bat roosts. The ectoparasites of bats in Jalisco State of western Mexico have not been as well described as those of other states with recent checklists that have focused primarily on the Yucatan Peninsula. We captured bats from 2011–2015 on the south coast and Sierra de Amula, Jalisco using mist nets, and we removed ectoparasites by hand. We identified 24 species of streblid bat flies and six ectoparasitic mites from bats caught in mist nets. There were an additional eight possibly undescribed species of Streblidae. Our collections extend the known range of species into Jalisco.     

Ellenberg indicator values for macromycetes – a methodological approach and first applications

Ellenberg indicator values (EIVs) describe the realized niche of species and habitat parameters, and are commonly used for vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. We provide a methodology for EIVs and an EIV list for nearly 650 species of macromycetes. We propose a new EIV scale, namely substrate openness (O). We also give the results of two applications and compare EIV values related to the Red List classification with those related to lifestyle classification. Mycorrhizal species on average have higher demands on substrate openness and are less tolerant of high nutrient levels than saprotrophic or parasitic species. Critically endangered species have on average distinctly higher demands on openness of habitat and substrate than not threatened or less strongly threatened species, which in turn have higher demands for nutrient availability. This pattern clearly highlights the points of threat for many macromycete species.     

Taxonomic and Ecological Structure of Basidial Macromycetes Biota in Polar Deserts of the Northern Hemisphere

The results of a study of the more than century-long history of taxonomic and ecological structures of basidial macromycete biota in polar deserts of the Northern Hemisphere are discussed. Nowadays, 77 species of macromycetes are known from this region, 40 species of which are agaricoid fungi, 30 are aphyllophoroid, and 7 are gasteromycetes. The highest number of species is known for the Franz Josef Land archipelago and Severanya Zemlya. All the identified species of agaricoid and 86% of gasteroid fungi are native representatives from extremely high latitudes collected under natural conditions, whereas 80% of the aphyllophoroid fungi are alien elements. All alien species are able to exist in the region exclusively in human-modified habitats, colonizing anthropogenic woody and grass substrates, and they disappear with the depletion of these resources. Despite the existence of mycobiota at the limit of the global thermal gradient, a specific species complex of macromycetes that does not occur anywhere in the world is formed here. Symbiotrophic species (basidial lichens and mycorrhiza-formers) are the most adaptable to such extreme conditions. General features of the organization with Antarctic mycobiota are established. The possibility that new species will appear in the region is discussed in connection with the intensification of human economic activity and global climate change.     

A warning for ecologists and conservation biologists using species checklists: How the European marine fauna ‘lost’ all of its 16 <Emphasis Type="Italic">Discodoris</Emphasis> species (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

The European marine fauna used to be considered to include 16 species of Discodoris sea slugs until a recent worldwide revision demonstrated that there is not a single Discodoris species in European waters. This exemplary case illustrates the fact that species checklists do not accurately represent biodiversity unless they are based on sound taxonomic work in which (1) the status of every available species name has been addressed, i.e. whether it is valid, synonymous, or of doubtful application, and (2) classification reflects phylogenetic relationships. It is argued that taxonomic revisions are critically needed, because the status of species names can only be addressed properly through revisions. It is discussed that fields which depend on taxonomic data, such as conservation biology and ecology, might be affected deeply if problematic species names (synonyms and nomina dubia) have not been recognized. Consequently, it is proposed that a taxon that has not been revised be red-flagged in checklists, so that non-taxonomists will know which species names should be applied with caution or not at all.     

Nematode parasites of birds of the fauna in Tunisia

330 birds of Tunisia were necropsied; they belong to 73 species among 29 families and 13 orders. We so collect 36 species of nematodes from 9 families. The relative importance of these is variable. The best represented are: Capillariidae (6 species), Spiruridae (6 species), Acuariidae (9 species) and Filariidae (6 species). The parasitism by nematodes is not uniform. Among the 330 birds autopsied only 51 were parasited by nematodes (15.45%) among 25 of the examined birds species (34.2%). Among these 25, sixteen (64%) presented only one species of parasitic nematode, six (24%) arboured two, (8%) three and only one, (partridges) presents six species of nematodes.     

Antioxidant features of fungal melanin pigments

Fungal melanin pigments were shown to display a high antioxidant activity. An increase in the number of methyl substituents in benzidine molecules of melanins obtained from micromycetes and macromycetes was accompanied by a decrease in the efficiency of inhibition of peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation. Melanins were found to have considerable gene-protecting properties. Pigments isolated from macromycetes and applied at a much lower concentration than those obtained from micromycetes prevented damage to bacteriophage-lambda DNA induced by products of peroxidase-catalyzed degradation of aminobiphenyls.     

Antioxidant properties of fungal melanin pigments

Fungal melanin pigments were shown to display a high antioxidant activity. An increase in the number of methyl substituents in benzidine molecules of melanins obtained from micromycetes and macromycetes was accompanied by a decrease in the efficiency of inhibition of peroxidase-mediated oxidation. Melanins were found to have considerable gene-protecting properties. Pigments isolated from macromycetes and applied at a much lower concentration than those obtained from micromycetes prevented damage to bacteriophage-λ DNA induced by products of peroxidase-mediated degradation of aminobiphenyls.     

Utilization of species checklist data in revealing the spatial distribution of fish diversity

Marine fish species checklists from six Chinese coastal waters were combined for the analysis of taxonomic diversity. The Genus-Family index (G-F index) ranged between 0.39 and 0.84, which generally indicated a decreasing trend with increasing latitude, with the exception of the southernmost area. Average taxonomic distinctness showed a slight increasing trend from northern to central study areas, but whether the taxonomic distinctness indices represent a latitudinal gradient of biodiversity requires further study. The multivariate analysis revealed a distinct latitudinal variation in fish assemblages. These results indicate that species checklist data are helpful in understanding the diversity distribution of fish species in the coastal zone. The potential of a species inventory should be exploited to fully understand biodiversity.     

Karyotypic variation in two species of jerboas Jaculus jaculus and Jaculus orientalis (Rodentia, Dipodidae) from Tunisia

The karyotypes of the lesser Egyptian jerboa Jaculus jaculus and the greater Egyptian jerboa Jaculus orientalis from Tunisia are described and compared with available data particularly from Egypt. The species examined have a similar karyotype consisting of 2n = 48 chromosomes and a fundamental number of autosomes (NFa) varying from 88 to 90 in J. jaculus and from 84 to 88 in J. orientalis. The X chromosome is submetacentric in both species, while the Y is submetacentric in J. orientalis and acrocentric in J. jaculus. Most of the autosomes are meta/submetacentric but the small pairs 22 - 23 in J. jaculus and 20-23 in J. orientalis are frequently acrocentric, yielding considerable differences in the NFa within and among species. Morphological variation in these small pairs of autosomes and/or in the Y chromosome in J. orientalis may distinguish populations of the two species from Egypt and Tunisia. The differences observed either between Egypt and Tunisia or between the Tunisian Jaculus species are probably associated with chromosomal rearrangements such as pericentric inversions or heterochromatin variation. They appear of lesser magnitude than other changes (especially molecular) that have occurred during the evolution of this genus.     

中国不同地理区域鸟兽物种丰富度的相关性

生物类群之间物种丰富度的相关性研究是当前物种多样性研究中的热点问题之一,目前,中国尚无相关的研究报道。我们收集了中国三种区域类型：动物地理亚区、行政区和保护区的鸟兽名录,分析了行政区与保护区、动物地理区和经纬度带中鸟兽物种数比值及其相关性。 结果表明：不同区域、动物地理区和经纬度带中鸟兽物种数都显著相关。保护区尺度鸟兽物种 数的相关系数为0.818和动物地理区中的华北区为0.768,其他所有区域和地理区域的鸟兽物 种数的相关系数都高于0.850。因此,鸟兽物种数的相关关系在一定程度上具有预测价值。我们发现不同区域鸟兽物种数比值无显著性差异;但是,不同区域间鸟兽物种数 比值差异显著。该比值在中国呈中间低四周高的分布趋势,其中东北地区最高。我们还利用历史累积调查数据与非历史累积调查数据进行了鸟兽物种数比值及其相关性分析,发现利用累积数据计算的相关性低于非累积数据计算的相关性,但利用累积数据计算的鸟兽物 种数比值高于非累积数据计算的比值。最后,探讨了为什么鸟类与兽类的物种数目会相关。我们根据物种－面积公式,S=CA^Z,导出了两个生物类群物种丰富度的相关关 系式。利用全国不同区域数据拟合,得到Z₁/Z₂＝0.913,Z₁/Z₂接近于1。于是 ,C₁/C2可视为近似等于R_am。本研究可推广到其他不同生物类群物种。物种数量的相关关系为快速评估区域的物种多样性提供了一条途径。     

Lyme borreliosis situation in North Africa

Many epidemiological studies were conducted for studying Lyme borreliosis (LB) which represents a new global public health problem. It is now the most common vector-borne disease in Europe and North America. The causative agent Borrelia burgdorferi sl is a bacterial species complex comprising 12 delineated and named species. In North Africa, few studies based on clinical and serological features, have suggested that LB could occur. Indeed, recent studies conducted in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco have showm that Ixodes ricinus is present in cooler and humid area of these regions. These studies also revealed that this species is a vector of B. burgdorferi sl with high prevalence of infection. Using IFI and PCR tests, the mean rate of Borrelia-infection ranged from 50 to 60% in I. ricinus adult collected in Tunisia and Morocco and from 30 to 40% in nymphs; in contrast, the prevalence in larvae is less than 2.5%. Several strains of B. burgdorfer were isolated from adult and nymph I ricinus collected in Tunisia and Morocco. The identification of these strains and DNAs directly extracted from Ixodes was done by PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis. The results showed that B. lusitaniae (genotypes Poti B2 and Poti B3) is the predominant species circulating in I. ricinus in Tunisia and Morocco, B. garinii and B. burgdorferi ss and B lusitaniae were also present but very rare. These results provide the evidence for the existence of B. burgdorferi sl in North Africa; however, the impact of LB in the human population seem to be negligible and the seroprevalence of Borrelia in forest workers (considered as population at high risk) in Tunisia is less than 4%.