A novel approach to field identification of cryptic Apodemus wood mice: calls differ more than morphology

Field identification of European wood mice Apodemus spp. is challenging due to their morphological resemblance and frequent sympatry. We developed discriminant functions based on body mass and acoustic variables of distress calls to identify three cryptic species of wood mice (Apodemus alpicola, Apodemus flavicollis and Apodemus sylvaticus) in Italy. We achieved an overall correct classification rate of 86–98%; the best results (100% correct classification) were obtained for Apodemus sylvaticus calls. This minimally invasive, effective and low‐cost method highlights the potential role of bioacoustics as a powerful tool for field discrimination of cryptic species of terrestrial mammals.     

Copper acquisition by the SenC protein regulates aerobic respiration in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Actinophage TG1 forms stable lysogens by integrating at a unique site on chromosomes of Streptomyces strains. The phage ( attP _TG1 ) and bacterial ( attB _TG1 ) attachment sites for TG1 were deduced from comparative genomic studies on the TG1-lysogen and nonlysogen of Streptomyces avermitilis . The attB _TG1 was located within the 46-bp region in the dapC gene (SAV4517) encoding the putative N -succinyldiaminopimelate aminotransferase. TG1-lysogens of S. avermitilis , however, did not demand either lysine or diaminopimelate for growth, indicating that the dapC annotation of S. avermitilis requires reconsideration. A bioinformatic survey of DNA databases using the fasta program for the attB _TG1 sequence extracted possible integration sites from varied streptomycete genomes, including Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) and Streptomyces griseus . The gene encoding the putative TG1 integrase ( int _TG1 ) was located adjacent to the attP _TG1 site. TG1 integrase deduced from the int _TG1 gene was a protein of 619 amino acids having a high sequence similarity to φC31 integrase, especially at the N-terminal catalytic region. By contrast, sequence similarities at the C-terminal regions crucial for the recognition of attachment sites were moderate or low. The site-specific recombination systems based on TG1 integrase were shown to work efficiently not only in Streptomyces strains but also in heterologous Escherichia coli .     

Multiple origins of the western European house mouse in the Aeolian Archipelago: clues from mtDNA and chromosomes

The expansion of Mus musculus domesticus from its origin has been studied in detail. The colonization routes and times depended on its commensal habits which favoured a rapid and recent dispersal, making it difficult to unravel the expansion pattern. The situation is still obscure in the central Mediterranean area. Mitochondrial D-loop was sequenced for 65 mice from the Aeolian Archipelago and the sixteen haplotypes identified were compared with the 528 available mouse haplotypes. The central Mediterranean phylogeography, the demographic history of the Aeolian mice and the relationships between mtDNA and karyotypes was investigate. Five lineages are present, belonging to five of the haplogroups previously described for the Mediterranean basin, and most individuals fall within the European haplogroups. The Archipelago was subjected to multiple colonizations and chromosomal and molecular data agree in indicating Sicily and Italy as possible sources of colonization in recent times. Nevertheless, the signatures of earlier colonizations might have been lost through extinction and admixing of mice due to human movements. Drastic events during the entire colonization process have led to the present-day random distribution of haplotypes. Furthermore, Salina emerges as an ancestral condition and no relation between karyotype composition and haplotype variability was highlighted.     

Star Trk(B): The astrocyte path to neurodegeneration

Comment on: Colombo E, et al. J Exp Med 2012; 209:521-35.     

Recovering the osteoblastic differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells derived from diabetic rats by photobiomodulation therapy

Autologous cell-based therapy for bone regeneration might be impaired by diabetes mellitus (DM) due to the negative effects on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiation. Strategies to recover their osteogenic potential could optimize the results. We aimed to evaluate the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy on osteoblast differentiation of rats with induced DM. Bone marrow MSCs of healthy and diabetic rats were isolated and differentiated into osteoblasts (OB and dOB, respectively). dOB were treated with PBM therapy every 72 hour (660 nm; 0.14 J; 20 mW; 0.714 W/cm², and 5 J/cm²). Cell morphology, viability, gene and protein expression of osteoblastic markers, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and the mineralized matrix production of dOB-PBM were compared to dOB. PBM therapy improved viability of dOB, increased the gene and protein expression of bone markers, the ALP activity and the mineralized matrix production. PBM therapy represents an innovative therapeutic approach to optimize the treatment of bone defects in diabetic patients.     

The Madagascan Maastrichtian bryozoans of Ferdinand Canu – Systematic revision and scanning electron microscopic study

In 1922, the first taxonomic work on Maastrichtian bryozoans from Madagascar was published in the Annales de Paléontologie by Ferdinand Canu. Canu described 25 species, 17 of which were regarded as new but the material has never been revised until now. Here we employ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to illustrate Canu's material and revise the taxonomy. Based on this revision, 23 species, comprising eight cyclostomes and 15 cheilostomes, are recognized. A new genus, Fehiborypora, is introduced for the cribrimorph Cribilina (?) labiatula, and two new species are described: ‘Plagioecia’ antanihodiensis sp. nov. and ‘Escharoides’ charbonnieri sp. nov. Galeopsis parvipora is synonymized with Crustoporina prona Stoliczka. All bryozoan species found are encrusters on echinoids or oysters.     

A combined small‐angle X‐ray and neutron scattering study of the structure of purified soluble gastrointestinal mucins

The structures of purified soluble porcine gastric (Muc5ac) and duodenal (Muc2) mucin solutions at neutral and acidic pH were examined using small‐angle X‐ray scattering and small‐angle neutron scattering experiments. We provide evidence for the morphology of the network above the semidilute overlap concentration and above the entanglement concentration. Furthermore, we investigated the gelation of both types of mucin solutions in response to a reduction in pH, where we observed the formation of large‐scale heterogeneities within the polymer solutions, typical of microphase‐separated gels. The concentration dependence of the inhomogeneity length scale (Ξ) and the amplitude of the excess scattering intensity [I_ex(0)] are consistent with previously studied gelled synthetic polymeric systems. The persistence lengths of the chains were found to be similar for both Muc5ac and Muc2 from Kratky plots of the neutron data (8 ± 2 nm). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 101: 1154–1164, 2014.     

Double Stereodifferentiation in the Asymmetric Dihydroxylation of Optically Active Olefins

A study of the stereochemical control on the asymmetric dihydroxylation of the double bond of optically active vinyl epoxides and their derivatives (bromo derivatives, azido derivatives, and vinyl aziridines) was carried out and the obtained results are herein reported. The most interesting results were obtained on trans α,β‐unsaturated epoxy esters, which were successfully converted with a diastereomeric ratio >80% into the corresponding diols using either the matched or the mismatched conditions, depending on the ligand used. Unprotected bromo derivatives and unprotected aziridines did not afford significant results, while for the protected bromo derivatives, azido derivatives, and N‐Boc protected aziridines the matched conditions led to a diastereomeric ratio >95%. Chirality 28:387–393, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.