Why study the use of animal products in traditional medicines?

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 80% of the world's more than six billion people rely primarily on animal and plant-based medicines. The healing of human ailments by using therapeutics based on medicines obtained from animals or ultimately derived from them is known as zootherapy. The phenomenon of zootherapy is marked both by a broad geographical distribution and very deep historical origins. Despite their importance, studies on the therapeutic use of animals and animal parts have been neglected, when compared to plants. This paper discusses some related aspects of the use of animals or parts thereof as medicines, and their implications for ecology, culture (the traditional knowledge), economy, and public health.     

Discovery of a series of aminopiperidines as novel iNOS inhibitors

Nitric oxide (NO), a mediator of various physiological and pathophysiological processes, is synthesized by three isozymes of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Potential candidate clinical drugs should be devoid of inhibitory activity against endothelial NOS (eNOS), since eNOS plays an important role in maintaining normal blood pressure and flow. A new series of aminopiperidines as potent inhibitors of iNOS were identified from a HTS lead. From this study, we identified compound 33 as a potent iNOS inhibitor, with >25-fold selectivity over eNOS and 16-fold selectivity over nNOS.     

Population structure in an isolated Arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus, population: the impact of geographical barriers

The genetic composition of a population reflects several aspects of the organism and its environment. The Icelandic Arctic fox population exceeds 8000 individuals and is comprised of both coastal and inland foxes. Several factors may affect within-population movement and subsequent genetic population structure. A narrow isthmus and sheep-proof fences may prevent movement between the north-western and central part and glacial rivers may reduce movement between the eastern and central part of Iceland. Moreover, population density and habitat characteristics can influence movement behaviour further. Here, we investigate the genetic structure in the Icelandic Arctic fox population ( n  = 108) using 10 microsatellite loci. Despite large glacial rivers, we found low divergence between the central and eastern part, suggesting extensive movement between these areas. However, both model- and frequency-based analyses suggest that the north-western part is genetically differentiated from the rest of Iceland (F_ST = 0.04, D_S = 0.094), corresponding to 100–200 generations of complete isolation. This suggests that the fences cannot be the sole cause of divergence. Rather, the isthmus causes limited movement between the regions, implying that protection in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve has a minimal impact on Arctic fox population size in the rest of Iceland.  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 97 , 18–26.     

Phylogeographic analyses reveal distinct lineages of the liverworts Metzgeria furcata (L.) Dumort. and Metzgeria conjugata Lindb. (Metzgeriaceae) in Europe and North America

Seed plant genera often exhibit intercontinental disjunctions where different species are found on different continents. Many morphologically circumscribed bryophyte species exhibit similar disjunctions. We used nucleotide sequences from the plastid and nuclear genomes to test hypotheses of phylogeography within representatives of the genus Metzgeria: Metzgeria furcata, Metzgeria conjugata, and Metzgeria myriopoda. The first two species have sexual and asexual populations, exhibit disjunctions between North America and Europe, and have been split into separate species, numerous subspecies or varieties. The third species occurs in eastern North America but is not reported from Europe. Phylogenetic analyses resolved three distinct lineages within the morphologically defined species, M. furcata: one in North America, and two in Europe. Similarly, three morphologically cryptic clades of M. conjugata were resolved by the molecular data: northern North America, Europe, and south‐eastern North America. For both species, molecular divergence among taxa occurred in the absence of morphological change. In the case of M. myriopoda, all plants from eastern North America were both morphologically uniform and genetically homogeneous (although not identical). The present study provides significant insight into a plant group with complex taxonomy, and indicates that these liverwort taxa with wide distributions, extreme sex ratios, and continental disjunctions harbor cryptic lineages. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98 , 745–756.     

Novel phenylamino acetamide derivatives as potent and selective kappa opioid receptor agonists

A novel series of phenylamino acetamide derivatives was synthesized. These amides were shown to be potent and selective kappa opioid receptor agonists.     

Mercator: a fast and simple web server for genome scale functional annotation of plant sequence data

Next‐generation technologies generate an overwhelming amount of gene sequence data. Efficient annotation tools are required to make these data amenable to functional genomics analyses. The Mercator pipeline automatically assigns functional terms to protein or nucleotide sequences. It uses the MapMan ‘BIN’ ontology, which is tailored for functional annotation of plant ‘omics’ data. The classification procedure performs parallel sequence searches against reference databases, compiles the results and computes the most likely MapMan BINs for each query. In the current version, the pipeline relies on manually curated reference classifications originating from the three reference organisms (Arabidopsis, Chlamydomonas, rice), various other plant species that have a reviewed SwissProt annotation, and more than 2000 protein domain and family profiles at InterPro, CDD and KOG. Functional annotations predicted by Mercator achieve accuracies above 90% when benchmarked against manual annotation. In addition to mapping files for direct use in the visualization software MapMan, Mercator provides graphical overview charts, detailed annotation information in a convenient web browser interface and a MapMan‐to‐GO translation table to export results as GO terms. Mercator is available free of charge via http://mapman.gabipd.org/web/guest/app/Mercator .     

The dipteran sperm tail: ultrastructural characteristics and phylogenetic considerations

The sperm tail from representatives of several families of Diptera has been examined by high resolution electron microscopy and a computer analysis that improved the visualization of recorded patterns. A considerable variability in sperm tail structure is found within Diptera, and is actually greater than that of any other insect order. The 'generalized insect sperm axoneme'. which is characterized as a 9+9+2 axoneme and by the accessory microtubules having 16 protofilaments, was found only in some dipterans; these are members of Mycetophilidae. From this fact we conclude that Mycetophilidae is likely to be the most primitive extant dipteran group. Another mycetophilid, Boletina , was seen to have accessory tubules with 15 protofilaments as have members of families Dixidae, Chironomidae, Culicidae, and Bibionidae. The last two families have spermatozoa of a type designated as 9+9+'1' there is a central rod rather than two microtubules. We regard this 9+9+'1'pattern with 15 protofilaments to represent a synapomorphic feature. Representatives of the neatoceran families Tipulidae and Trichoceridae have accessory tubules with 13 protofilaments as do examined members of several brachyceran families. Brachycera is hence likely to be derived from the vicinity of the tipulid family. The intertubular material is small in Mycetophilidae and most nematoceran groups, whereas in Tipulidae and Brachycera it is enlarged; here it bridges the space between the accessory tubules and contains various inclusions.     

Lost in translation – a history of systematic confusion and comments on the type species of Squalodon and Patriocetus (Cetacea,Odontoceti)

Abstract: The two odontocete taxa Squalodon grateloupii and Patriocetus ehrlichii, both the type species of their respective genera, have been at the centre of a great deal of taxonomic confusion. Originally regarded to be conspecific, these two taxa have been the subject of a bewildering taxonomic debate lasting for more than a century, which recently led to the suggestion to abandon these widely used names and replace S. grateloupii with the similar, yet independently and later proposed name S. gratelupi as the type species of Squalodon. Here, we attempt to summarise the events leading to the current confused situation in the hope of resolving this issue once and for all and argue that the name Squalodon grateloupii, as originally proposed, should be reinstated.     

Morphology and Infraciliature of Trochiliopsis australis N. Sp., Pelagohalteria viridis (Fromentel, 1876) N. G., N. Comb., and Strobilidium lacustris N. Sp. (Protozoa,Ciliophora)1

Three ciliate species from Australia and Norway were examined by silver impregnation, biometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Trochiliopsis australis n. sp. (order Nassulida, family Microthoracidae) differs from the single other known species of the genus, T. opaca, by its prominent ridges on the left side, the distinctly longer anterior segment of somatic kinety 2, and by the doubled total number of kinetosomes. Pelagohalteria n. g. (order Oligotrichida, family Halteriidae) differs from Halteria by the structure of the bristle complexes, which are composed of a vertically and a horizontally oriented row of kinetosomes. Two Halteria species belong to the new genus: P. viridis (Fromentel, 1876) n. comb., which is redescribed here, and P. cirrifera (Kahl, 1935) n. comb. Strobilidium lacustris n. sp. (order Oligotrichida, family Strobilidiidae) differs from its nearest relative, S. velox, by the smooth pellicle, the absence of symbiotic green algae, and by its larger size.     

APPLIED ISSUES Replacement of the native crayfish Astacus astacus by the introduced species Pacifastacus leniusculus in a Swedish lake: possible causes and mechanisms

1. The introduced North American crayfish Pacifastacits leniusculus is currently replacing the native crayfish Astacus astacus in a Swedish lake. Using field data from co-occurring populations on life-history traits and population size structure of the two species, this study evaluated possible mechanisms behind the replacement. 2. Pacifastacus showed a higher capacity for population increase; the species had a higher individual growth rate, reached sexual maturity at a smaller size and lower age, and had a higher per capita egg production than Astacus. 3. A higher frequency of non-lethal injuries in Astacus suggested the predominance of Pacifastacus in interference interactions. These results support a competitive exclusion hypothesis. 4. A dramatic change in relative abundance of the two species in recent years was the result of an almost complete cessation in recruitment of young-of-the-year (YOY) in Astacus. Poor recruitment in Astacus was probably caused by the combined effects of interspecific competition and predation, resulting in increased mortality among YOY Astacus, and by reproductive interference, suppressing the less common species. 5. The results support the hypothesis that the observed replacement of Astacus by Pacifastacus is governed by a combination of several interacting mechanisms, of which