Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellites in Parnassius apollo and Euphydryas aurinia (Lepidoptera)

Microsatellite loci were developed from Parnassius apollo and Euphydryas aurinia, two endangered Palaearctic butterfly species. Respectively, six and five polymorphic loci were characterized from an enriched partial genomic library. Genetic diversity range from three to 25 alleles for the first species and from seven to 21 for the second. Although the presence of null alleles is suspected, these polymorphic loci are likely to provide important information on the fine scale genetic structure among populations of these species.     

Isolation and characterization of twelve polymorphic microsatellite markers for the invasive ascidian Styela clava (Tunicata)

The invasive solitary ascidian Styela clava has spread extensively along European coasts since its first occurrence in the early 1950s. In order to characterize spatial and temporal patterns of genetic change during its establishment and subsequent spread, we developed 12 species‐specific loci from an enriched microsatellite library. Polymorphism was explored in one native and two introduced populations (N = 31 ± 1). Number of alleles per locus varied from two to 13 (mean = 7). The average expected heterozygosity within populations ranged from 0.539 to 0.580.     

Overview and analysis of the polyprotein cleavage sites in the family Potyviridae

The genomes of plant viruses in the family Potyviridae encode large polyproteins that are cut by virus-encoded proteases into ten mature proteins. Three different types of protease have been identified, each of which cuts at sites with a distinctive sequence pattern. The experimental evidence for this specificity is reviewed and the cleavage site patterns are compiled for all sequenced species within the family. Seven of the nine cleavage sites in each species are cut by the viral NIa-Pro and patterns around these sites are related where possible to the active site–substrate interactions recently deduced following the resolution of the crystal structure of Tobacco etch virus (TEV) NIa-Pro (Phan et al ., 2002. J. Biol. Chem . 277, 50564–50572). In particular, a revised series of cleavage sites for Sweet potato mild mottle virus (genus Ipomovirus ) is proposed with a conserved His at the P1 position. This is supported by homology modelling studies using the TEV structure as a template. The data also provide a standard to correct the annotation of some other published sequences and to help predict these sites in further virus sequences as they become available. Comprehensive data for all sequences of each virus in the family, together with some summaries, have been made available at http://www.rothamsted.bbsrc.ac.uk/ppi/links/pplinks/potycleavage/index.html .