Towards a monophyletic genus Albinaria (Gastropoda, Pulmonata): the first molecular study into the phylogenetic position of eastern Albinaria species

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies of the terrestrial snail genus Albinaria have caused a radical reassessment of its taxonomy. These studies, however, were limited to western species. This paper examines mitochondrial 12S sequences and nuclear ITS1 & 2 sequences of both eastern and western species, and demonstrates that Albinaria, in its most recent definition, is not monophyletic. Both molecular datasets place ' Albinaria ' hedenborgi from Lebanon in a well-supported clade with species of the genus Cristataria , distributed south-east of the vicariant range of Albinaria . The remaining species from Cyprus, Turkey and Greece constitute a well-supported monophyletic group. These two clades form geographical clusters, whereas Albinaria in the current definition (including ' A. '  hedenborgi ) has a disjunct distribution. ' A.' hedenborgi should therefore be classified with Cristataria , together with the morphologically similar and geographically close ' A. '  nadimi .  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 143 , 531−542.     

FORMULATING A NEW PASSION FRUIT JUICE BEVERAGE WITH DIFFERENT SWEETENER SYSTEMS

The aim of this work was to optimize the acceptability of a natural passion fruit beverage using different levels of passion fruit pulp and sucrose, and to determine the equi-sweet concentrations of aspartame, sucralose, and a blend of 80% aspartame  +  20% acesulfame-K for the optimized formula. A 2² central composite design was used to optimize the acceptability of the sucrose-sweetened beverage, which was accessed using a 9-point structured hedonic scale. Acceptability data were fitted to a second-order model equation provided in the design. The selected pulp content and sucrose concentration were, respectively, 2.5 ° Brix and 10%. Measurements of sweetness equivalence were accomplished using two types of sensory methods: magnitude estimation and difference-from-control tests. The concentrations of aspartame, sucralose and a blend of 80% aspartame  +  20% acesulfame-K found as equi-sweet to 10% sucrose in the studied passion fruit beverage were, respectively, 0.043, 0.016 and 0.026%.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This article deals with formulating a new passion fruit juice beverage with different sweetener systems. The research makes a very important contribution to the literature on sensory science used on product development by demonstrating the necessity to study the substitution of sucrose by high-intensity sweeteners every time a formulation is changed or a new product is developed.     

Burkholderia species are ancient symbionts of legumes

Burkholderia has only recently been recognized as a potential nitrogen-fixing symbiont of legumes, but we find that the origins of symbiosis in Burkholderia are much deeper than previously suspected. We sampled 143 symbionts from 47 native species of Mimosa across 1800 km in central Brazil and found that 98% were Burkholderia . Gene sequences defined seven distinct and divergent species complexes within the genus Burkholderia . The symbiosis-related genes formed deep Burkholderia -specific clades, each specific to a species complex, implying that these genes diverged over a long period within Burkholderia without substantial horizontal gene transfer between species complexes.     

Infrasectional systematics of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis (Lamiaceae)

RIVERA NUÑEZ, D., OBON DE CASTRO, C., TOMAS-LORENTE, F., FERRERES, F. & TOMAS-BARBERAN, F. A., 1990. Infrasectional systematics of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis (Lamiaceae). A new taxonomic division of the section Sideritis is proposed on the basis of morphological, cytological and chemical characters. The following subsections art-recognized: Grandiflora, Ovata, Camarae, Linearifolia, Gymnocarpae, Stachydioides, Lacaitae, Hirsuta, Chamaedryfolia, Arborescens, Flavovirens, Leucantha, Angustifolia, Serrata and Scordioides . Possible evolutionary pathways are discussed.     

长期不同施氮水平对草原植物群落结构的影响

为探讨施氮对贝加尔针茅草原植物群落结构的影响,该研究于内蒙古贝加尔针茅草原设置不同施氮水平0(N0)、15(N15)、30(N30)、50(N50)、100(N100)、150(N150)、200(N200)和300(N300)kg·hm-2·a-1,研究连续施氮9年后贝加尔针茅草原群落物种组成、重要值、多样性及生物量等指标对不同施氮水平的响应。结果表明:(1)长期施氮导致植物群落物种组成发生了明显的变化,在高浓度氮素添加量下群落物种数最低,但可显著提高优势种在群落中的重要值(P<0.05)。(2)长期施氮使贝加尔针茅草原植物多样性指数不同程度地降低,使优势度指数增加,其中N300添加水平效果最为明显(P<0.05)。(3)长期施氮使草原植被生产力(地上、地下生物量)整体呈先上升后下降的趋势,地上生物量在N100水平时出现峰值,地下生物量在N50水平时出现最大值(P<0.05),且根系分布具有明显的表聚特征(0~10 cm)。(4)RDA分析表明,寸草苔和狭叶柴胡地上生物量与土壤pH呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05);展枝唐松草和二裂委陵菜地上生物量与土壤有机质含量呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05)。研究认为,长期不同施氮水平均可改变贝加尔针茅草原群落物种组成,降低物种多样性,对植物群落结构有着明显的影响。     

The auxin response factor,OsARF19, controls rice leaf angles through positively regulating OsGH3‐5 and OsBRI1

Auxin and brassinosteroid (BR) are important phytohormones for controlling lamina inclination implicated in plant architecture and grain yield. But the molecular mechanism of auxin and BR crosstalk for regulating lamina inclination remains unknown. Auxin response factors (ARFs) control various aspects of plant growth and development. We here report that OsARF19‐overexpression rice lines show an enlarged lamina inclination due to increase of its adaxial cell division. OsARF19 is expressed in various organs including lamina joint and strongly induced by auxin and BR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and yeast one‐hybrid assays demonstrate that OsARF19 binds to the promoter of OsGH3‐5 and brassinosteroid insensitive 1 (OsBRI1) directing their expression. OsGH3‐5‐overexpression lines show a similar phenotype as OsARF19‐O1. Free auxin contents in the lamina joint of OsGH3‐5‐O1 or OsARF19‐O1 are reduced. OsGH3‐5 is localized at the endoplasmic retieulum (ER) matching reduction of the free auxin contents in OsGH3‐5‐O1. osarf19‐TDNA and osgh3‐5‐Tos17 mutants without erected leaves show a function redundancy with other members of their gene family. OsARF19‐overexpression lines are sensitive to exogenous BR treatment and alter the expressions of genes related to BR signalling. These findings provide novel insights into auxin and BR signalling, and might have significant implications for improving plant architecture of monocot crops.     

Electron microscope study of the human neuromuscular junction

A preliminary electron microscope study of human neuromuscular junction is presented. The biopsy material was taken from the palmarus longus, and fixed routinely in osmium tetroxide and embedded in methacrylate. The structure of the motor endings and the relationship of the synaptic vesicles to the axolemmal membrane are described. The synaptic clefts are filled with an homogeneous material in continuity with the basement membrane covering the muscle fiber. The subneural apparatus is described, and special attention is paid to a vesicular component present in the sarcoplasm of the junctional area, which differs from synaptic vesicles and is presumed to be a derivate of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.