Short AntiMicrobial Peptides (SAMPs) as a class of extraordinary promising therapeutic agents

The emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria has a direct impact on global public health because of the reduced potency of existing antibiotics against pathogens. Hence, there is a pressing need for new drugs with different modes of action that can kill microorganisms. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be regarded as an alternative tool for this purpose because they are proven to have therapeutic effects with broad‐spectrum activities. There are some hurdles in using AMPs as clinical candidates such as toxicity, lack of stability and high budgets required for manufacturing. This can be overcome by developing shorter and more easily accessible AMPs, the so‐called S hort A nti M icrobial P eptides (SAMPs) that contain between two and ten amino acid residues. These are emerging as an attractive class of therapeutic agents with high potential for clinical use and possessing multifunctional activities. In this review we attempted to compile those SAMPs that have exhibited biological properties which are believed to hold promise for the future. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study on four genera of Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in South Korea with description of two new species

Of 16 genera of the subfamily Diplazontinae occurring in the Eastern Palearctic region, 11 were previously recognized from South Korea. In previous studies we reviewed eight Diplazontinae genera were reviewed. In this current paper, one genus, Enizemum Förster, is recorded from this country for the first time with one newly described species, E. nigrocoxatum Balueva and Lee sp. nov. Also other three genera, Homotropus Förster, Syrphoctonus Förster and Syrphophilus Dasch, are reviewed here. Here we provide key and diagnosis to eight species of Homotropus including one new species, Homotropus sepiatus Balueva and Lee sp. nov. , and key and diagnosis to two species of genus Syrphoctonus and two species of genus Syrphophilus.     

Genome‐wide association studies based on sequence‐derived genotypes reveal new QTL associated with conformation and performance traits in the Franches–Montagnes horse breed

To identify novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) within horses, we performed genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) based on sequence‐level genotypes for conformation and performance traits in the Franches–Montagnes (FM) horse breed. Sequence‐level genotypes of FM horses were derived by re‐sequencing 30 key founders and imputing 50K data of genotyped horses. In total, we included 1077 FM horses genotyped for ~4 million SNPs and their respective de‐regressed breeding values of the traits in the analysis. Based on this dataset, we identified a total of 14 QTL associated with 18 conformation traits and one performance trait. Therefore, our results suggest that the application of sequence‐derived genotypes increases the power to identify novel QTL which were not identified previously based on 50K SNP chip data.     

Impacts of climate variability on tree demography in second growth tropical forests: the importance of regional context for predicting successional trajectories

Naturally regenerating and restored second growth forests account for over 70% of tropical forest cover and provide key ecosystem services. Understanding climate change impacts on successional trajectories of these ecosystems is critical for developing effective large‐scale forest landscape restoration (FLR) programs. Differences in environmental conditions, species composition, dynamics, and landscape context from old growth forests may exacerbate climate impacts on second growth stands. We compile data from 112 studies on the effects of natural climate variability, including warming, droughts, fires, and cyclonic storms, on demography and dynamics of second growth forest trees and identify variation in forest responses across biomes, regions, and landscapes. Across studies, drought decreases tree growth, survival, and recruitment, particularly during early succession, but the effects of temperature remain unexplored. Shifts in the frequency and severity of disturbance alter successional trajectories and increase the extent of second growth forests. Vulnerability to climate extremes is generally inversely related to long‐term exposure, which varies with historical climate and biogeography. The majority of studies, however, have been conducted in the Neotropics hindering generalization. Effects of fire and cyclonic storms often lead to positive feedbacks, increasing vulnerability to climate extremes and subsequent disturbance. Fragmentation increases forests’ vulnerability to fires, wind, and drought, while land use and other human activities influence the frequency and intensity of fire, potentially retarding succession. Comparative studies of climate effects on tropical forest succession across biogeographic regions are required to forecast the response of tropical forest landscapes to future climates and to implement effective FLR policies and programs in these landscapes.     

Food‐web structure and mercury dynamics in a large subarctic lake following multiple species introductions

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