Genetic Polymorphism of 11 Allozyme Loci in Populations of Wall Lizards (Podarcis sp.) from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa

The taxonomy of Iberian and North African wall lizards (Podarcis sp.) has been controversial. Recently, morphological and mtDNA sequence data have provided new information on differentiation within these lacertids. To compare these results to those provided by nuclear markers, we investigated variation at 11 polymorphic protein loci using conventional electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in 11 populations belonging to seven different mtDNA lineages. A total of 62 alleles were found. Populations belonging to the same mtDNA type presented high genetic similarity, whereas strong differentiation was observed between groups. These results are consistent with those previously obtained from morphological and mtDNA analysis and support the idea that Iberian and North African Podarcis are composed of several well-differentiated entities, some of which are already recognized as species, whereas others (belonging to the P. hispanica complex) clearly need taxonomic revision.     

Determination of amitraz in canine plasma by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography with thermionic specific detection

A simple and rapid analytical method is presented for the determination of amitraz in canine plasma samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography with thermionic specific detection (GC-TSD). The best conditions for the SPME procedure were: direct extraction on a polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) fiber with 100-microm film thickness; 400 µl of sample plasma matrix modified with 4 ml sodium borate solution (0.01 mol l(-1), pH 6.5); extraction temperature 70 degrees C, with stirring at 2500 rpm for 45 min. The method was linear between 20 and 400 ng ml(-1) with regression coefficients corresponding to 0.998 and coefficient of the variation of the points of the calibration curve lower than 15%. The lowest limit of quantification (LOQ) for amitraz in plasma was 20 ng ml(-1). This LOQ was determined as the lowest concentration on the calibration curve in which the coefficient of variation was lower than 15%. The proposed method was applied to determine amitraz concentrations in canine plasma to look for toxicity after treatment with amitraz in a dipping bath.     

Screening and fractionation of plant extracts with antiproliferative activity on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Three hundred and thirteen extracts from 136 Brazilian plant species belonging to 36 families were tested for their suppressive activity on phytohemaglutinin (PHA) stimulated proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The proliferation was evaluated by the amount of [3H]-thymidine incorporated by the cells. Twenty extracts inhibited or strongly reduced the proliferation in a dose-dependent manner at doses between 10 and 100 micro g/ml. Three of these extracts appeared to be non-toxic to lymphocytes, according to the trypan blue permeability assay and visual inspection using optical microscopy. Bioassay-guided fractionation of Alomia myriadenia extract showed that myriadenolide, a labdane diterpene known to occur in this species, could account for the observed activity of the crude extract. Using a similar protocol, an active fraction of the extract from Gaylussacia brasiliensis was obtained. Analysis of the 1H and 13C NMR spectra of this fraction indicates the presence of an acetylated triterpene whose characterization is underway. The extract of Himatanthus obovatus is currently under investigation.     

Albidovulum inexpectatum gen. nov., sp. nov., a nonphotosynthetic and slightly thermophilic bacterium from a marine hot spring that is very closely related to members of the photosynthetic genus Rhodovulum

Several bacterial isolates, with an optimum growth temperature of about 50 degrees C, were recovered from the marine hot spring at Ferraria on the island of S?o Miguel in the Azores. The geothermal water emerged from a porous lava flow and rapidly cooled in contact with seawater except at low tide. The bacterial species represented by strains FRR-10(T) and FRR-11 was nonpigmented, strictly aerobic, and organotrophic. Several genes, bchZ, pufB, pufA, pufL, or pufM, encoding the photosynthetic reaction center proteins and the core light-harvesting complexes were not detected in these strains. The organism oxidized thiosulfate to sulfate with enhancement of growth. The organism did not require additional NaCl in the culture medium for growth, but NaCl at 1.0% enhanced growth. Phylogenetic analyses using the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain FRR-10(T) indicated that the new organism represented a new species of the alpha-3 subclass of the Proteobacteria and that it branches within the species of the genus Rhodovulum. The contradiction of classifying an organism which branches within the radiation of the genus Rhodovulum but does not possess the hallmark characteristics of this genus is discussed. However, the absence of several of these characteristics, namely, the lack of photosynthesis and pigmentation, which could be related to colonization of dark environments, and growth at high temperatures, leads to our proposal that strains FRR-10(T) and FRR-11 should be classified as a new species of a novel genus, Albidovulum inexpectatum, representing, at present, the most thermophilic organism within the alpha-3 subclass of the Proteobacteria.     

Molecular evolution of the period gene in sandflies

The molecular evolution of the clock gene period was studied in Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae). Comparison of the synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates between sandflies and Drosophila revealed a significantly higher evolutionary rate in the latter in three of the four regions analyzed. The differences in rate were higher in the sequences flanking the Thr–Gly repetitive domain, a region that has expanded in Drosophila but remained stable and short in sandflies, a result consistent with the coevolutionary scenario proposed for this region of the gene. An initial phylogenetic analysis including eight neotropical sandfly species and one from the Old World was also carried out. The results showed that only the subgenus Nyssomyia is well supported by distance (neighbor-joining) and maximum parsimony analysis. The grouping of the other species from the subgenus Lutzomyia and Migonei group shows very low bootstrap values and is not entirely consistent with classical morphological systematics of the genus Lutzomyia.     

Molecular phylogenetic perspective on evolution of lizards of the Anolis grahami series

We report the results of phylogenetic analyses of 1447 bases of mitochondrial DNA sequence for 21 populations representing seven species of the Anolis grahami series (A. conspersus, A. garmani, A. grahami, A. lineatopus, A. opalinus, A. reconditus, and A. valencienni), six of which occur on Jamaica. These data include 705 characters that are phylogenetically informative according to parsimony. A parsimony analysis of these data combined with previously published allozymic data yields a single most parsimonious tree with strong support for monophyly of the A. grahami series, the sister-group relationship between Anolis lineatopus and A. reconditus and a clade composed of Anolis garmani, A. grahami, and A. opalinus. Based on DNA data alone, A. conspersus is nested within A. grahami. Haplotypes sampled from geographic populations of A. grahami, A. lineatopus, and A. opalinus are highly divergent (approximately 12-15% sequence difference on average for each species) and show similar phylogeographic patterns, suggesting that each of these currently recognized species may be a complex of species. Anolis valencienni also shows high sequence divergence among haplotypes from different geographic populations (approximately 8% sequence difference) and may contain cryptic species. Divergence among haplotypes within A. garmani is substantially lower (approximately 3% sequence difference), and phylogeographic patterns are significantly different from those observed in A. grahami, A. lineatopus and A. opalinus.     

Comparative study of the thermostabilizing properties of mannosylglycerate and other compatible solutes on model enzymes

The protection of mannosylglycerate, at 0.5 M concentration, against heat inactivation of the model enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was compared to that exerted by other compatible solutes, namely, trehalose, ectoine, hydroxyectoine, di- myo-inositol phosphate, diglycerol phosphate, and mannosylglyceramide. Mannosylglycerate and hydroxyectoine were the best stabilizers of the enzyme and showed comparable protective effects. Diglycerol phosphate, trehalose, and mannosylglyceramide protected the enzyme to a lower extent. Ectoine conferred no protection, and di- myo-inositol phosphate had a strong destabilizing effect. The superior ability of mannosylglycerate to prevent LDH inactivation was accompanied by a higher efficiency in preventing LDH aggregation induced by heat stress. Moreover, mannosylglycerate induced an increase of 4.5 degrees C in the melting temperature of LDH, whereas the same molar concentration of trehalose caused an increase of only 2.2 degrees C. The effectiveness of mannosylglycerate in protecting LDH was also compared to that of other chemically related compounds: mannose, methyl-mannoside, potassium glycerate, glucosylglycerol, glycerol, and glucose. Mannosylglycerate conferred the highest protection, but glucosylglycerol and potassium glycerate were very efficient; glucose exerted a low degree of protection, glycerol and methyl-mannoside had no significant effect, and mannose caused destabilization. Mannosylglycerate was also a good thermoprotectant of glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger, an enzyme with a net charge opposite to that of LDH under the working conditions. Given the superior performance of mannosylglycerate as a thermoprotectant of enzyme activity in vitro, it is conceivable that it also fulfills a protein thermoprotective function in vivo.     

Determination of the absolute configuration of 6-alkylated alpha-pyrones from Ravensara crassifolia by LC-NMR

The absolute configuration of asymmetric centres of two alpha-pyrones isolated from Ravensara crassifolia was determined using the Mosher method. The conventional analysis of the purified ester derivatives by 1H-NMR was replaced by a rapid and sensitive method in which the alpha-pyrones were analysed under isocratic reversed-phase LC-NMR conditions prior to and after derivatisation reactions. Comparison of the LC-1H-NMR spectra of the actual alpha-pyrones with those of the corresponding Mosher's esters recorded in the acetonitrile:deuterated water solvent system exhibited shifts comparable with those obtained using conventional deuterated solvents. Based on the shifts recorded, determination of the absolute configuration was possible by application of Mosher rules. The use of LC-NMR has permitted a direct analysis of crude reaction mixtures containing less than 50 microg of the starting material. Completion of the reaction was checked by LC-MS and the crude reaction mixture was analysed by stop-flow LC-NMR. This methodology seems very promising for the determination at the micro-scale level of the absolute configuration of natural products which are available only in very small amounts.     

Characterizing subpopulations of neoplastic cells in serous effusions. The role of immunocytochemistry

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of immunochemistry in serous effusions. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed cell blocks of 18 pleural and 18 peritoneal effusions diagnosed as malignant (18), benign (14) and suspicious (4). They were immunostained by the avidin-biotin complex method with a panel of four monoclonal antibodies--CEA, Ber-EP4, LeuM1 (CD15) and p53--and, for lectins (Ulex europaeus) UEA-l, ConA and ConBr. RESULTS: Seventeen of the 18 cases of adenocarcinoma were positive for CEA (95%), 12 (66.6%) for Ber-EP4, 11 (61%) for CD15 and 11 (61%) for p53. Twelve of the 18 (66.6%) were positive for UEA-1, CEA, Ber-EP4 and CD15. UEA-1 did not react with mesothelial cells. p53 Gave a positive reaction in only one case, reactive mesothelial cells. ConA and ConBr reacted indiscriminately with benign and malignant cells; thus, it was not useful in distinguishing between these cells. CONCLUSION: In this context no antibody used alone is reliable for corroborating a diagnosis, but the selective use of a small panel of three markers (CEA, Ber-EP4 and LeuM1) can be very useful in solving diagnostic difficulties in the cytodiagnosis of serous effusions.