Molecular phylogeny of Fusarium oxysporum species complex isolated from agricultural soils in Iran

Abstract

Members of Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) are economically most important plant pathogenic fungi. Until now, the classification of FOSC members in Iran is not well described. So, the objective of the current research was to study the phylogenetic diversity of FOSC strains recovered from agricultural soils in Iran. A total of 45 isolates belonging to the FOSC were recovered from agricultural soils in Iran. The identification of the members of F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov) and F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris (Foc) was confirmed molecularly using Fov-eg-f/Fov-eg-r and Foc0-12f/Foc0-12r primers, respectively. F. redolens isolates were distinguished from other FOSC using Redolens-F/Redolens-R primers. Comparisons of DNA sequence data from a portion of the tef1 gene revealed all isolates belonged to Fov, Foc, F. commune and F. redolens. This is the first in-depth report on molecular identification of FOSC and related species isolated from agricultural soils in Iran.     

Identification of fungal diseases of Rosa damascena in Kerman province of Iran

The oil rose, Rosa damascena Mill. (Rosaceae) is an agricultural crop cultivated in various countries of the northern hemisphere, such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Morocco, Iran, Egypt, France, China and India. Iran, presently, is the largest producer of rose water in world. The major production areas in Iran are Kashan, Fars, Kerman and Azerbaijan. Kerman province with 2297 hectares ha of rose gardens and 6198 tons of flower production is one of the important rose production regions. The productions of this region are organic and do not use anychemical compounds such as pesticides and fertilisers. The major fungal pathogens were studied during 2008–2010 in oil rose production areas in Kerman province, Iran. Verticillium dahlias, Rosellinia necatrix, Alternaria alternata, Seimatosporium fusisporum and Podosphaera pannosa have been detected in the oil rose from different regions in Kerman province. A. alternata has the most isolates and infected plants per cent in the oil rose. This is the first report fromVerticillium dahliae, R. necatrix, A. alternata, S. fusisporum on oil roses (R.damascena) in the world.     

Occurrence,distribution and seasonal changes of viruses infecting common bean in northwestern Iran

Many surveys were conducted during 2003–2005 to study the identity, prevalence and fluctuation of bean infecting viruses in northwestern Iran. In total, 649 bean samples with virus- like symptoms were collected and analysed by double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) and tissue-print immunoassay to detect infectious viruses. Serological tests revealed the presence of Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), Bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV), Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), Bean leaf roll virus (BLRV), Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) and Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV), with some co-infection occurred, with prevalence of BCMV, BCMNV and BYMV (17–29% infection rate). The incidence of viruses showed variation in over 3 years of research including more than double increase in CMV from 2004 to 2005 and obvious one-third decrease in AMV from 2003 to 2005. SBMV and BPMV were detected sporadically in the fields and the response of some differential test plants was analysed by mechanical inoculation. Western immunoblotting analysis of SBMV infected bean leaf total proteins using SBMV-specific polyclonal antibody revealed viral CP with molecular mass of 28.5 kDa which confirmed the presence of SBMV as a new threat for bean production.     

Name typification of Umbelliferae taxa described by Joseph Franz Freyn

Thirty-three new species and 12 new infraspecific taxa of the Umbelliferae have been described by Bohemian botanist Joseph Franz Freyn (1845–1903). The names of these taxa are typified, in most cases by material preserved at the Herbarium of the Moravian Museum (BRNM) in Brno. The names of nine species proposed by Freyn are accepted in the present-day nomenclature of the family; five others are the basionyms of presently accepted names. Type material from BRNM has enabled rehabilitation of the specific status of Angelica brachyradia Freyn from Bosnia and Pastinaca dentata Freyn & Sint. from Turkey. A new nomenclatural combination is proposed (Taeniopetalum urbani (Freyn & Sint. ex H. Wolff) Pimenov). Notes on the distribution of the taxa concerned are added.     

Food diversity and niche-overlap of sympatric tits (Great Tit,Parus major,Blue Tit,Cyanistes caeruleus and Coal Tit Periparus ater) in the Hyrcanian Plain forests

Abstract

This study was carried out between early summer 1998 and late summer 1999 in the Hyrcanian Plain forests, the southern Caspian Sea woodlands. In total, the gizzard contents of 241 specimens of the Great Tit (Parus major Linnaeus, 1758), Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus Linnaeus, 1758), and Coal Tit (Periparus ater (Linnaeus, 1758)) were collected so that the percentages of grit, plants and animal materials could be estimated and the plant and invertebrate species consumed identified. The data were tested by a series of Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests. To survey niche overlap of food materials between species and season, the symmetrical overlap index developed by Pianka (1973) was used. The most important invertebrates (maximum of percentage per season) in the diet of P. major were Coleoptera (36.5%) and Lepidoptera (33.6%), for C. caeruleus Coleoptera (34.5%) and Araneae (31.2%), and for Pe. ater Coleoptera (38.2%) and Araneae (35.6%). The most important plants consumed by P. major were Sorghum halepense (68.7%) and Ficus carica (65.6%), by C. caeruleus were F. carica (67.5%) and Alnus glutinosa (39.4%), and by Pe. ater were Lonicera spp. (82.9%). There was a greater degree of overlap and competition for animal food, but plant feeding overlap among the three tit species was low. Two species, P. major and C. caeruleus, showed high feeding overlap for animal items (0.92), whereas Pe. ater and C. caeruleus had no significant feeding overlap. The Coal Tit had a greater tendency to forage for vegetable matter and P. major had a greater tendency to forage for animal matter. Analysis of gizzard contents of P. major and Pe. ater showed that, despite the high degree of feeding overlap, the extent of plant materials consumed indicated no significant competition between the two species. Because Pe. ater is present mostly in autumn and winter, this study cannot establish any degree of competition and food-niche overlap during the breeding season between this and other tit species.     

Zur Süßwasserfauna des Gilan (Iran)

Abstract

A report is presented on freshwater animals collected in 1993 in the Sefid Rud catchment area and the basin of Anzali (Gilan, Iran). Some species are recorded for the first time for Iran. There is a considerable number of species of North American origin (neophytes, neozoans), e.g. Gambusia holbrooki, Rhithropanopeus harrisii, and Azolla sp.     

Distribution pattern of the Snake-eyed Lizard,Ophisops elegans Ménétriés, 1832 (Squamata: Lacertidae), in Iran

Ophisops elegans, a common lizard with a wide distribution range in Iran, was selected to investigate the influence of environmental factors on its distribution pattern. Based on a distribution model developed with the software Maxent for O. elegans, the most important factors influencing the distribution pattern were found to be high winter precipitation, intermediate levels of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and intermediate levels of sunshine. It seems that overall plant cover and competition with Mesalina watsonana are the main factors which influence the distribution pattern of O. elegans in the central Iranian Plateau.     

New records for the bee fauna of Iran (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

In a survery of the bee fauna of Horand forests in East Azerbaijan province of Iran during 2008 and 2009, 46 species belonging to the families Anthophoridae, Halictidae and Megachilidae were identified. Eight species are new to the fauna of Iran: Evylaeus albipes (Fabricius, 1781), E. corvinus (Morawitz, 1878), E. israelensis (Ebmer, 1974), Seladonia desertorum (Morawitz, 1876), Heriades crenulatus Nylander, 1856, Hoplitis anthocopoides (Schenck, 1853), H. manicata (Morice, 1901) and H. rufohirta (Latreille, 1811).     

Review of the genus Catomus Allard, 1876 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in Iran

Five species of the genus Catomus Allard, 1876 Allard, E. (1876): Révision des Helopines vrais de Lacordaire. L'Abeille. Journal d'Entomologie, 14, 1–80. [Google Scholar] are known from Iran. Catomus fragilis (Ménétriés, 1848) is recorded from Iran for the first time. Lectotypes of C. persicus Allard, 1876 Allard, E. (1876): Révision des Helopines vrais de Lacordaire. L'Abeille. Journal d'Entomologie, 14, 1–80. [Google Scholar] (type species of the genus) and C. semiruber Allard, 1876 Allard, E. (1876): Révision des Helopines vrais de Lacordaire. L'Abeille. Journal d'Entomologie, 14, 1–80. [Google Scholar] are designated. These species are also redescribed and figured. A key to the species of Catomus in the Iranian fauna is given.     

Genetic diversity in merozoite surface protein (MSP)-1 and MSP-2 genes of Plasmodium falciparum in a major endemic region of Iran

Merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) and merozoite surface protein-2 (MSP-2) were used to develop vaccines and to investigate the genetic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Iran. Nested polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to determine polymorphisms of block 2 of the MSP-1 and the central domain of MSP-2 genes. A total of 67 microscopically positive P. falciparum infected individuals from a major endemic region, southeast Iran, were included in this trial. Nine alleles of MSP-1 and 11 alleles of MSP-2 were identified. The results showed that amplified product from these surface antigen genes varied in size and there was specific pattern for each isolate. Besides, regarding this pattern, 23 multiple infections with at least 2 alleles were observed. While the endemic regions of malaria in Iran is classified in low to moderate group, but extensive polymorphism was observed for each marker and the MSP-2 central repeat was the most diverse that could be considered in designing malaria vaccine.