Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in Neogobius kessleri (Perciformes,Gobiidae) and cross‐species amplification within the family Gobiidae

Fourteen polymorphic microsatellites were isolated from Neogobius kessleri, a benthic fish of Ponto‐Caspian origin which has been recently introduced into the Middle and Upper Danube River. Number of alleles and heterozygosity per locus in a sample of 32 fish individuals ranged from two to four and from 0.13 to 0.75, respectively. These primers will be useful in determining the population structure of N. kessleri. In addition, successful cross‐amplification was obtained for four related species, N. melanostomus, N. fluviatilis, N. gymnotrachelus and Proterorhinus marmoratus. These microsatellite loci may be useful for the evaluation of the origin of non‐native goby populations.     

基于红外相机技术分析鼬獾的活动节律

鼬獾(Melogale moschata)是食肉目鼬科鼬獾属动物,在我国分布广泛、种群数量丰富,但有关鼬獾的生态研究报导比较少.为掌握鼬獾的活动节律及其影响因素,2017年2月至2019年2月,利用红外相机技术对江西省桃红岭梅花鹿国家级自然保护区、九岭山国家级自然保护区和齐云山国家级自然保护区的鼬獾进行了监测,每个保护...     

Analysis of Amblyomma sculptum haplotypes in an area endemic for Brazilian spotted fever

Amblyomma sculptum (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Berlese, 1888, a member of the Amblyomma cajennense complex, is the major vector of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) in southeastern Brazil. In this study, the genetic diversity of A. sculptum populations in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, was investigated because genetic variability in tick populations may be related to vector competence. Samples of A. sculptum from 19 municipalities in 7 regions of RJ were subjected to DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of D‐loop, cytochrome oxidase II and 12S rDNA mitochondrial genes. These sequences were used to map the genetic diversity of this tick. Amblyomma sculptum populations are genetically diverse in RJ, especially in the South Centre and Highland regions. Few unique haplotypes were observed in all populations, and the majority of genetic variation found was among ticks within each population. Phylogenetic reconstruction reinforced the assumption that all the haplotypes identified in RJ belong to A. sculptum. However, some RJ haplotypes are closer to A. sculptum from Argentina than to A. sculptum from elsewhere in Brazil. In RJ, A. sculptum has high genetic diversity, although little genetic differentiation. Observations also indicated a high level of gene flow among the studied populations and no evidence of population structure according to region in RJ.     

Feather ornaments are dynamic traits in the Great Tit Parus major

In behavioural studies it has been common to quantify plumage colours or ornaments over a range of dates and link them to fitness characteristics without accounting for seasonal changes in these traits. Such changes are likely to be widespread among birds, yet we lack assessments of this variability within individuals. We studied both within‐ and between‐individual temporal changes in Great Tit Parus major ornaments, specifically the melanin‐based black breast stripe and the pigment‐free white cheek patch. During the non‐breeding season both ornaments varied. In juveniles and adult females, the area of the breast stripe first rose and then, from near the end of December, decreased. In adult males there was a linear decrease. In the cheek patch, the irregularity of the cheek borders showed either a linear (adults) or a non‐linear (juveniles) increase as the season progressed. In individuals repeatedly sampled during the same winter, the decrease in the size of the breast stripe was larger for males than females and there was an overall decrease in the regularity of the cheek borders. There was no relationship between the size of the breast stripe and the white cheek patch irregularities or the cheek patch area. These results imply that more attention should be paid to quantification, within individuals, of the components of expression of phenotypic traits. In addition, we suggest that further research should focus on explaining the causes and functions of ornament change.     

Use of vector control to protect people from sleeping sickness in the focus of Bonon (Côte d’Ivoire)

BackgroundGambian human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT) is a neglected tropical disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense transmitted by tsetse flies (Glossina). In Côte d’Ivoire, Bonon is the most important focus of gHAT, with 325 cases diagnosed from 2000 to 2015 and efforts against gHAT have relied largely on mass screening and treatment of human cases. We assessed whether the addition of tsetse control by deploying Tiny Targets offers benefit to sole reliance on the screen-and-treat strategy.Methodology and principal findingsIn 2015, we performed a census of the human population of the Bonon focus, followed by an exhaustive entomological survey at 278 sites. After a public sensitization campaign, ~2000 Tiny Targets were deployed across an area of 130 km² in February of 2016, deployment was repeated annually in the same month of 2017 and 2018. The intervention’s impact on tsetse was evaluated using a network of 30 traps which were operated for 48 hours at three-month intervals from March 2016 to December 2018. A second comprehensive entomological survey was performed in December 2018 with traps deployed at 274 of the sites used in 2015. Sub-samples of tsetse were dissected and examined microscopically for presence of trypanosomes. The census recorded 26,697 inhabitants residing in 331 settlements. Prior to the deployment of targets, the mean catch of tsetse from the 30 monitoring traps was 12.75 tsetse/trap (5.047–32.203, 95%CI), i.e. 6.4 tsetse/trap/day. Following the deployment of Tiny Targets, mean catches ranged between 0.06 (0.016–0.260, 95%CI) and 0.55 (0.166–1.794, 95%CI) tsetse/trap, i.e. 0.03–0.28 tsetse/trap/day. During the final extensive survey performed in December 2018, 52 tsetse were caught compared to 1,909 in 2015, with 11.6% (5/43) and 23.1% (101/437) infected with Trypanosoma respectively.ConclusionsThe annual deployment of Tiny Targets in the gHAT focus of Bonon reduced the density of Glossina palpalis palpalis by >95%. Tiny Targets offer a powerful addition to current strategies towards eliminating gHAT from Côte d’Ivoire.     

Topology independent protein structural alignment

Background  

Identifying structurally similar proteins with different chain topologies can aid studies in homology modeling, protein folding, protein design, and protein evolution. These include circular permuted protein structures, and the more general cases of non-cyclic permutations between similar structures, which are related by non-topological rearrangement beyond circular permutation. We present a method based on an approximation algorithm that finds sequence-order independent structural alignments that are close to optimal. We formulate the structural alignment problem as a special case of the maximum-weight independent set problem, and solve this computationally intensive problem approximately by iteratively solving relaxations of a corresponding integer programming problem. The resulting structural alignment is sequence order independent. Our method is also insensitive to insertions, deletions, and gaps.     

Evolutionary origins of Brassicaceae specific genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Background  

All sequenced genomes contain a proportion of lineage-specific genes, which exhibit no sequence similarity to any genes outside the lineage. Despite their prevalence, the origins and functions of most lineage-specific genes remain largely unknown. As more genomes are sequenced opportunities for understanding evolutionary origins and functions of lineage-specific genes are increasing.     

The synthesis of short- and medium-chain-length poly(hydroxyalkanoate) mixtures from glucose- or alkanoic acid-grown <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas oleovorans</Emphasis>

Pseudomonas oleovorans NRRL B-778 accumulated mixtures of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and medium-chain-length poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (mcl-PHAs) when grown on glucose, octanoic acid or oleic acid, whereas growth on nonanoic acid or undecanoic acid resulted in copolymers of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHB-co-HV). Acetone fractionation verified the presence of PHB/mcl-PHA mixtures. The acetone-insoluble (AIS) fractions of the polymers derived from glucose (PHA-glucose), octanoic acid (PHA-octanoic) and oleic acid (PHA-oleic) were exclusively PHB while the acetone-soluble (AS) fractions contained mcl-PHA composed of differing ratios of 3-hydroxy-acid monomer units, which ranged in chain length from 6 to 14 carbon atoms. In contrast, both the AIS and AS fractions from the polymers derived from nonanoic acid (PHA-nonanoic) and undecanoic acid (PHA-undecanoic) were composed of comparable ratios of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV). The unfractionated PHA-glucose, PHA-octanoic and PHA-oleic polymers had melting temperatures (T _m) between 177 and 179°C, enthalpies of fusion (ΔH _f) of 20 cal/g and glass transition temperatures (T _g) of 3–4°C. This was due to the large PHB content in the polymer mixtures. On the other hand, the PHA-nonanoic and PHA-undecanoic polymers had thermal properties that supported their copolymer nature. In both cases, the T _m values were 161°C, ΔH _f values were 7cal/g and T _g values were −3°C. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 28, 147–153 DOI: 10.1038/sj/jim/7000231 Received 30 July 2001/ Accepted in revised form 04 November 2001     

Evolution of anaerobic ciliates from the gastrointestinal tract: phylogenetic analysis of the ribosomal repeat from Nyctotherus ovalis and its relatives

The 18S and 5.8S rDNA genes and the internal transcribed spacers ITS-1 and ITS-2 of ciliates living in the hindgut of frogs, millipedes, and cockroaches were analyzed in order to study the evolution of intestinal protists. All ciliates studied here belong to the genus Nycrotherus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these ciliates from a monophyletic group that includes the distantly related anaerobic free-living heterotrichous ciliates Metopus palaeformis and Metopus contortus. The intestinal ciliates from the different vertebrate and invertebrate hosts are clearly divergent at the level of their rDNA repeats. This argues for the antiquity of the associations and a predominantly vertical transmission. This mode of transmission seems to be controlled primarily by the behavior of the host. The different degrees of divergence between ciliates living in different strains of one and the same cockroach species most likely reflect the different geographical origins of the hosts. In addition, host switches must have occurred during the evolution of cockroaches, since identical ciliates were found only in distantly related hosts. These phenomena prevent the reconstruction of potential cospeciation events.