Antigenic affinity of cestodes in the genus Taenia

Antigens of four species of the genus Taenia (T. ovis ovis, T. ovis krabbei, T. hydatigena and T. parenchimatosa) were studied by means of immunodiffusion reaction in agar gel with the use of hyperimmune sera. It has been established that extracts of the studied cestodes contain a great number of antigens, which during parenteral administration cause a synthesis of antibodies in rabbits. In homologous systems the number of recorded antigen-antibody complexes varied from 5 to 10. The most close antigenic affinity was found between T. ovis ovis and T. ovis krabbei, T. ovis ovis and T. hydatigena, as far as the main mass of precipitation bands in the immunodiffusion reaction fused together that suggests the identity of corresponding antigenic components. In all cases when analysing antiserum to T. parenchimatosa extract no differences of species-specific character in heterologous systems were traced.     

Rapid diversification in the North American minnow genus Nocomis

Diversification rates among stream fishes are likely governed by geographical factors that impact connectivity among and between stream systems. Herein we investigate rates of diversification within species of River Chubs, Nocomis, a monophyletic group of stream fishes distributed throughout the drainage basins of the Mississippi River, Atlantic Slope and Gulf Coast. We used nucleotide sequences of two protein-coding nuclear genes (IRBP and rhodopsin) and one mitochondrial gene (cytochrome b) to generate a phylogenetic hypothesis of population-level relationships within and among species. Results of molecular analyses suggest that morphological and meristic treatments of Nocomis have underestimated species diversity within the group. Tree-based Bayesian methods and diversification statistics were implemented to model the rate of evolutionary change along lineages and estimate divergence dates among phylogroups. Significantly elevated rates of cladogenesis are observed among coastally distributed populations 2-3 million years before present. This period was dominated by dramatic sea level fluctuations that suggest a period of climatic instability. Climatic instability and other factors may have driven the burst of rapid diversification observed in Nocomis. Results generated in this study reinforce faunistic and geologic arguments for the hypothesized existence of extinct rivers, such as White's River and the Appalachian River.     

Brachylepis gen. n.--a new genus of cestodes (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) from shrews in Siberia and the Far East

A new genus Brachylepis gen. n. hymenolepididean cestodes associated with common shrews (Sorex) in Siberia and Russian Far East is created. These genus includes three species removed from the genus Mathevolepis: Brachylepis morosovi (Karpenko, 1994) comb. n. (type species), B. sorextscherskii (Morosov, 1957) comb. n. and B. triovaria Karpenko, 1990) comb. n. The new genus is characterized by the gradual strobila with a little number of segments, unarmed scolex with apical glandular organ, by lack of internal seminal vesicle and differential seminal receptacle, by form of uterus as horse shoe in young worms and buble-like in mature worms. A tendency of inverse proportional dependence between the number of uterus segments in the strobila and the number of hexacanths in the uterus has been noticed. The table of differential characters for the species of the genus Brachylepis is proposed.     

Developmental physiology of cestodes: characterization of putative crowding factors in Hymenolepis diminuta

It was shown previously that worm-conditioned saline (WCS) prepared from crowded 10-day-old H. diminuta inhibited the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA in the anterior regions of uncrowded worms and that the inhibition was partially accounted for by succinate and acetate excreted by the worms. The present study describes further characterization of the active components of WCS. An ultrafiltrate was fully as potent as untreated WCS, indicating that all detectable inhibitory components were less than about 500 daltons in molecular mass. Inhibitory factors in WCS were stable to heat (80 C for 30 min), cold (4 C for 48 hr), drying and reconstitution, alkaline pH (11 to 12 for 3 hr), and ethanolic extraction. Active compounds were probably not lipoidal in nature. Although the acidic ethanol extract of WCS was inhibitory, no activity was observed in fractions of WCS that contained basic, acidic and neutral amino acids. Amino compounds in the WCS were further investigated. Twenty-four amino acids were identified, 3 of which (phosphoserine, 1-methylhistidine, and 3-methylhistidine) have not been reported previously for H. diminuta. On a molar basis, alanine accounted for 40-50% of the amino acids released. The amino sugar, D-glucosaminic acid, was found in the WCS and also has not been heretofore reported from H. diminuta or any other cestode. In concentrations comparable to those in the WCS, D-glucosaminic acid inhibited incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the DNA of the tapeworms by 25-35%, suggesting that D-glucosaminic acid may be one of the crowding factors.     

Observations on the genus Pandanus in Madagascar

The sections of the genus Pandanus which occur in Madagascar are the main subject of this paper. There are 75 species in the island, of which all, or all but one, are endemic. They can be grouped into 12 sections, of which six are endemic, and one is a local endemic subsection. The other sections occur elsewhere, mainly in Africa, but two to the east. A key to the sections is given, and a discussion of field recognition characters is included. One new section and one new subsection are proposed. New lectotypifications for Sections Sussea and Vinsonia are suggested. The Madagascar species of Thouars are discussed. Finally a resume of some recent collections is presented.