Lignans from the stems and leaves of Brandisia hancei and their effects on VEGF-induced vascular permeability and migration of HRECs and DLAV formation in zebrafish

In our continuing search for novel antiangiogenic agents, a new lignan glycoside, (7R,8R)-1-(4-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-{2-methoxy-4-[1-(E)-propene-3-ol]-phenoxyl}-propane-1,3-diol (1), along with three known lignans (2–4), were isolated from the 80% EtOH extract of Brandisia hancei stems and leaves. These isolates (1–4) were subjected to an in vitro bioassay to evaluate their effects on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced vascular permeability and migration of human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs). Of the compounds tested, compound 1 resulted in the greatest reduction in VEGF-induced vascular permeability by about 31.5% at 10 μM compared to the VEGF-treated control. In the migration assay, compounds 1 and 2 significantly decreased VEGF-induced HREC migration. Furthermore, zebrafish embryos treated with compounds 1 and 2 showed mild reductions of dorsal longitudinal anastomotic vessel (DLAV) formation.     

Genetic evidence for a high diversity and wide distribution of endemic strains of the pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in wild Asian amphibians

Population declines and extinctions of amphibians have been attributed to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), especially one globally emerging recombinant lineage (‘Bd‐GPL’). We used PCR assays that target the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of Bd to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of Bd in South Korea, where Bd is widely distributed but is not known to cause morbidity or mortality in wild populations. We isolated Korean Bd strains from native amphibians with low infection loads and compared them to known worldwide Bd strains using 19 polymorphic SNP and microsatellite loci. Bd prevalence ranged between 12.5 and 48.0%, in 11 of 17 native Korean species, and 24.7% in the introduced bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus. Based on ITS sequence variation, 47 of the 50 identified Korean haplotypes formed a group closely associated with a native Brazilian Bd lineage, separated from the Bd‐GPL lineage. However, multilocus genotyping of three Korean Bd isolates revealed strong divergence from both Bd‐GPL and the native Brazilian Bd lineages. Thus, the ITS region resolves genotypes that diverge from Bd‐GPL but otherwise generates ambiguous phylogenies. Our results point to the presence of highly diversified endemic strains of Bd across Asian amphibian species. The rarity of Bd‐GPL‐associated haplotypes suggests that either this lineage was introduced into Korea only recently or Bd‐GPL has been outcompeted by native Bd strains. Our results highlight the need to consider possible complex interactions among native Bd lineages, Bd‐GPL and their associated amphibian hosts when assessing the spread and impact of Bd‐GPL on worldwide amphibian populations.     

A novel,major, and validated QTL for the effective tiller number located on chromosome arm 1BL in bread wheat

Plant Molecular Biology - A novel and major QTL for the effective tiller number was identified on chromosomal arm 1BL and validated in two genetic backgrounds The effective tiller number (ETN)...     

Correction to: NaCl-induced stress: physiological responses of six halophyte species in in vitro and in vivo culture

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - In the original article, some of the values in the fifth column of Table 2 and in the fifth and eighth columns of Table 4 are incorrect. The corrected...     

A complex pattern of post‐divergence expansion,contraction, introgression,and asynchronous responses to Pleistocene climate changes in two Dipelta sister species from western China

The well‐known vicariance and dispersal models dominate in understanding the allopatric pattern for related species and presume the simultaneous occurrence of speciation and biogeographic events. However, the formation of allopatry could postdate the species divergence. We examined this hypothesis using DNA sequence data from three chloroplast fragments and five nuclear loci of Dipelta floribunda Maxim. and D. yunnanensis Franch, two shrub species with the circum Sichuan Basin distribution, combining the climatic niche modeling approach. The best‐fit model supported by the approximate Bayesian computation analysis indicated that D. floribunda and D. yunnanensis diverged during the mid‐Pleistocene period, consistent with the largest glacial period in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The historically interspecific gene flow was identified, but seemed to have ceased after the last interglacial period, when the range of D. floribunda moved northward from the south of the Sichuan Basin. Furthermore, populations of D. floribunda had expanded obviously in the north of the Sichuan Basin after the last glacial maximum (LGM). Relatively, the range of D. yunnanensis expanded before the LGM, and reduced during the post‐LGM especially in the north of the Sichuan Basin, reflecting the asynchronous responses of related species to contemporary climate changes. Our results suggested that complex topography should be considered in understanding distributional patterns, even for closely related species and their demographic responses.     

Molybdenum Content of Canadian and US Infant Formulas

Molybdenum is an essential trace nutrient in the human diet. Our purpose was to provide a comprehensive analysis of Mo content of various types of powdered infant formulas across Canada and the USA. All infant formulas, available on the day of sampling, were purchased from random supermarkets in Grand Forks, ND, USA; San Diego, CA, USA; Washington, DC, USA; and Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Reference powdered milk, human milk (HM), and formula samples were weighed and acid-digested prior to analysis by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. Mo content in all formulas ranged from 15.4 to 80.3 μg/L (mean ± SE, 37.7 ± 1.7 μg/L). HM Mo concentration ranged from 1.5 to 9.5 μg/L (5.09 ± 0.81 μg/L). Formulas intended for full-term or for premature infants feeding contained, on average, more Mo than HM. Formulas intended for infants with special needs contained similar mean Mo levels to HM. No significant differences were detected between mean Mo values of formulas of a same type purchased from different brands and/or at different locations. High Mo intake may pose health risks, despite lower bioavailability of Mo from formula compared with HM.