Effects of Different Rearing Strategies and Ages on Levels of Natural Antibodies in Saliva of the Philippine Crocodile

The endemic Philippine crocodile(Crocodylus mindorensis) is a relatively small, critically endangered freshwater crocodile. In a head start program, crocodile hatchlings are caught in the wild, reared in captivity, and released back into the wild after two years. The current study aimed to determine optimal rearing strategies of Philippine crocodile hatchlings, including identification of possible diseases during rearing, and studying the effect of ages on natural antibody(NAb) levels. Thirty Philippine crocodiles were divided into two groups, half were reared with a hiding board, and half without the hiding board. Both groups received three different kinds of diets: meat, shrimp, or a combination of both. Saliva samples of the crocodiles were taken three times over a period of three months to test for NAb levels. Saliva samples were also taken from older crocodiles and crocodiles from different locations. NAb titres were compared to sheep red blood cells. Each time saliva samples were taken, a health check was done. The results showed that crocodiles would prefer the hiding board, and neither housing nor diet could affect the level of NAb titres in saliva. A positive correlation was found between NAb titres and body size, weight and age. Wild hatchlings had higher NAb titres than the hatchlings born in captivity, but the difference diminished with ageing. Five different diseases were found.     

Nocturne for an unknown pollinator: first description of a night‐flowering orchid (Bulbophyllum nocturnum)

Bulbophyllum nocturnum , a species of section Epicrianthes from New Britain, is described and illustrated. It is the first known example of an orchid species in which the flowers open after dark and close in the morning. The poorly understood pollination biology of section Epicrianthes, a clade with highly unusual flowers, is discussed. Attention is drawn to the close resemblance between the petal appendages of some species and the fruiting bodies of certain Myxogastria. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 167 , 344–350.     

A phylogenetic study of the neotropical catfish family Cetopsidae (Osteichthyes, Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a new classification

A hypothesis on the phylogenetic relationships of the neotropical catfish family Cetopsidae is proposed on the basis of the parsimony analysis of 127 morphological characters and most of the species currently recognized. The family and its two recognized subfamilies, the Cetopsinae and Helogeninae, are corroborated as monophyletic, in agreement with recent studies. Previously proposed classifications of the Cetopsinae, however, were found to be poorly representative of the phylogenetic relationships within the subfamily. Major generic rearrangements are implemented in order that the classification of the Cetopsinae reflects the phylogenetic hypothesis. Pseudocetopsis Bleeker (1862) was found to be polyphyletic and to include several disjunct lineages. One of these lineages, recently named as the genus Cetopsidium Vari, Ferraris, and de Pinna (2005), is the sister group to the rest of the Cetopsinae. Denticetopsis Ferraris (1996) is the next sister group to the remainder of the Cetopsinae. The remaining species of the Cetopsinae belong to one of two sister genera, Paracetopsis Bleeker (1862) and Cetopsis Spix and Agassiz (1829). The latter genus includes species formerly assigned to Hemicetopsis Bleeker (1862), Bathycetopsis Lundberg and Rapp Py‐Daniel (1994) and Pseudocetopsis Bleeker (1862). Continued recognition of Hemicetopsis and Bathycetopsis would have required the creation of several additional new genera for various species previously in Pseudocetopsis that form a series of sister groups to a clade composed of Cetopsis oliveirai (Lundberg and Rapp Py‐Daniel, 1994), C. coecutiens (Lichtenstein, 1819) and C. candiru (Spix and Agassiz, 1829). Cetopsis oliveirai is a highly paedomorphic species that displays surprising similarities with conditions in juvenile specimens of C. coecutiens, a species that attains a large body size. Such similarities are not evident in adult specimens of the latter species. A new classification is proposed, within which the subfamily Cetopsinae consists of three tribes, the Cetopsidiini, the Cetopsini and the Denticetopsini. The results of the study form the basis for a discussion of the phylogenetic position of the family within the Siluriformes, the phylogenetic biogeography of the Cetopsidae, paedomorphosis and gigantism in the family, and the effect of different semaphoronts on the intrafamilial phylogeny. Journal compilation © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 150 , 755–813. No claim to original US government works.     

Drought impact on water use efficiency and intra‐annual density fluctuations in Erica arborea on Elba (Italy)

Erica arborea (L) is a widespread Mediterranean species, able to cope with water stress and colonize semiarid environments. The eco‐physiological plasticity of this species was evaluated by studying plants growing at two sites with different soil moistures on the island of Elba (Italy), through dendrochronological, wood‐anatomical analyses and stable isotopes measurements. Intra‐annual density fluctuations (IADFs) were abundant in tree rings, and were identified as the key parameter to understand site‐specific plant responses to water stress. Our findings showed that the formation of IADFs is mainly related to the high temperature, precipitation patterns and probably to soil water availability, which differs at the selected study sites. The recorded increase in the ¹³C‐derived intrinsic water use efficiency at the IADFs level was linked to reduced water loss rather than to increasing C assimilation. The variation in vessel size and the different absolute values of δ¹⁸O among trees growing at the two study sites underlined possible differences in stomatal control of water loss and possible differences in sources of water uptake. This approach not only helped monitor seasonal environmental differences through tree‐ring width, but also added valuable information on E. arborea responses to drought and their ecological implications for Mediterranean vegetation dynamics.     

Expression and regulation of neurotrophic and angiogenic factors during human intervertebral disc degeneration

Introduction

The degenerate intervertebral disc (IVD) becomes innervated by sensory nerve fibres, and vascularised by blood vessels. This study aimed to identify neurotrophins, neuropeptides and angiogenic factors within native IVD tissue and to further investigate whether pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the regulation of expression levels within nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, nerve and endothelial cells.

Methods

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed on 53 human IVDs from 52 individuals to investigate native gene expression of neurotrophic factors and their receptors, neuropeptides and angiogenic factors. The regulation of these factors by cytokines was investigated in NP cells in alginate culture, and nerve and endothelial cells in monolayer using RT-PCR and substance P (SP) protein expression in interleukin-1 (IL-1β) stimulated NP cells.

Results

Initial investigation on uncultured NP cells identified expression of all neurotrophins by native NP cells, whilst the nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor was only identified in severely degenerate and infiltrated discs, and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) receptor expressed by more degenerate discs. BDNF expression was significantly increased in infiltrated and degenerate samples. SP and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were higher in infiltrated samples. In vitro stimulation by IL-1β induced NGF in NP cells. Neurotropin-3 was induced by tumour necrosis factor alpha in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs). SP gene and protein expression was increased in NP cells by IL-1β. Calcitonin gene related peptide was increased in SH-SY5Y cells upon cytokine stimulation. VEGF was induced by IL-1β and interleukin-6 in NP cells, whilst pleiotrophin was decreased by IL-1β. VEGF and pleiotrophin were expressed by SH-SY5Y cells, and VEGF by HDMECs, but were not modulated by cytokines.

Conclusions

The release of cytokines, in particular IL-1β during IVD degeneration, induced significant increases in NGF and VEGF which could promote neuronal and vascular ingrowth. SP which is released into the matrix could potentially up regulate the production of matrix degrading enzymes and also sensitise nerves, resulting in nociceptive transmission and chronic low back pain. This suggests that IL-1β is a key regulatory cytokine, involved in the up regulation of factors involved in innervation and vascularisation of tissues.     

燕麦EST-SSR标记的开发和利用

为拓展分子标记在燕麦种质资源分析与鉴定中的应用,利用公共数据库中的25376条EST(expressed sequence tags)序列,开展了燕麦EST-SSR功能性标记的开发和利用研究。25376条EST序列经拼接去冗余后获得了11618条序列,从中筛选出含有不同重复基元的SSR且重复次数较多、长度较长的556条EST序列进行引物设计,开发了50对燕麦EST-SSR引物,通过筛选得到40对有效的EST-SSR引物。选取其中4对引物对5个燕麦种质资源进行了PCR扩增及产物测序,结果表明扩增条带多态性是由SSR差异造成的。利用40对ESTSSR引物对15个六倍体燕麦种质资源进行遗传多样性分析,共扩增出89个等位基因,平均每对引物产生2.23个等位基因;UPGMA聚类分析表明,15个六倍体燕麦种质资源在Dice系数为0.93处聚为3支,基本上是按照不同种进行聚类的,在相同种中又根据地理来源分别聚集成支。利用40对EST-SSR引物对31个遗传背景不清的燕麦种质资源进行基因组倍性鉴定,发现这些种质中可能存在有四倍体和二倍体的燕麦新资源。本研究开发的燕麦EST-SSR功能性标记将在燕麦遗传多样性分析、遗传图谱构建及燕麦属内种间基因组鉴定等方面发挥重要作用。