Genetic differentiation of house mice in the fauna of the former U.S.S.R.: results of cytogenetic studies

A cytogenic study of nearly 200 house mice (Mus musculus sensu stneto) and aboriginal mice (Mus hortulanus, Mus abbotti) of the subgenus Mus was carried out. Mice were sampled from most localities in the former U.S.S.R., from the western borders to the Far East, and it was shown that it is possible to use cytogenetic markers to classify the species and rare subspecies of the subgenus. Such markers included the characteristic morphology of the sex chromosomes and the pattern of distribution of the C-heterochromatin in the karyotype. Thus, the aboriginal mice, together with M. spretus , are characterized by a significant reduction in the size of the Y chromosome. In addition, the variant of the X chromosome (so called 'molossinus' lype) previously only observed in Japanese M. in. molossinus was found in all the Mus musculus sampled from the fauna of the former U.S.S.R. Another type, the so called 'domeslicus' is a plesiomorphic variant of the X chromosome which is normally found in M. domestuus. M. hortulanus, M. abbotti and possibly in M. spretus. The presence of the common variant X chromosome in the house mice of the various subspecies in the fauna of the former U.S.S.R., Mongolia (raddei) and Japan (molossinus) provides the basis for the integration of Asian house mice into the one species, At. musculus sensu stricto. The problems of morphology, ecology and systematics of the mouse fauna of the former U.S.S.R. are also discussed with special attention being paid to the studies of the so called 'wagnen' form.     

Pyura lignosa (s. s.), a Pacific ascidian from Central America, with descriptions of species confused under this name

New specimens from the Pacific coast of Panama provide the opportunity to redescribe Pyura lignosa Michaelsen, 1908. The status of this species and of three other similar pyurids ( P. vannamei nomen novum, P. cadamostoi sp. nov., and P. shiinoi Tokioka, 1949) is examined, and all four species are identified, described, and compared.     

Four new Candida species from geographically diverse locations

Four new species of Candida are described based on their unique nucleotide sequences in the D1/D2 domain of large subunit (26S) ribosomal DNA. Candida peoriaensis (type strain NRRL YB-1497, CBS 8800) and C. ponderosae (type strain NRRL YB-2307, CBS 8801) are members of the Pichia anomala clade and were isolated in the U.S. from, respectively, the stump of an elm tree (Ulmus sp.) and from insect frass of a Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). Candida ghanaensis (type strain NRRL YB-1486, CBS 8798) is a phylogenetically divergent species from soil in Ghana and appears related to the Dipodascus/Geotrichum clade. Candida litsaeae (type strain NRRL YB-3246, CBS 8799) was isolated from the frass of an insect-infested Litsaea polyantha tree from India, and is a divergent species that is most closely related to Candida ontarioensis.     

Evolution of Mhc–DRB Introns: Implications for the Origin of Primates

Introns are generally believed to evolve too rapidly and too erratically to be of much use in phylogenetic reconstructions. Few phylogenetically informative intron sequences are available, however, to ascertain the validity of this supposition. In the present study the supposition was tested on the example of the mammalian class II major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) genes of the DRB family. Since the Mhc genes evolve under balancing selection and are believed to recombine or rearrange frequently, the evolution of their introns could be expected to be particularly rapid and subject to scrambling. Sequences of intron 4 and 5 DRB genes were obtained from polymerase chain reaction-amplified fragments of genomic DNA from representatives of six eutherian orders—Primates, Scandentia, Chiroptera, Dermoptera, Lagomorpha, and Insectivora. Although short stretches of the introns have indeed proved to be unalignable, the bulk of the intron sequences from all six orders, spanning >85 million years (my) of evolution, could be aligned and used in a study of the tempo and mode of intron evolution. The analysis has revealed the Mhc introns to evolve at a rate similar to that of other genes and of synonymous sites of non-Mhc genes. No evidence of homogenization or large-scale scrambling of the intron sequences could be found. The Mhc introns apparently evolve largely by point mutations and insertions/deletions. The phylogenetic signals contained in the intron sequences could be used to identify Scandentia as the sister group of Primates, to support the existence of the Archonta superorder, and to confirm the monophyly of the Chiroptera. Received: 26 October 1998 / Accepted: 21 December 1998     

Molecular phylogenetics ofCochlearia (Brassicaceae) and allied genera based on nuclear ribosomal ITS DNA sequence analysis contradict traditional concepts of their evolutionary relationship

The systematics and phylogeny of the genusCochlearia and allied genera are unsettled. There are no clearly defined genera and subtribal structures to determine subtribeCochleariinae in respect to subtribeThlaspidinae. The use of morphological data, such as fruit form or embryo characters have resulted in contradictory taxonomic concepts in the past due to their homoplastic nature. We investigated all sections of genusCochlearia recognised in the most common concepts, as well as some genera such asIonopsidium, Bivonaea, Pastorea andThlaspi s. l. pro parte. Previous studies based on molecular data and morphological studies have shown close relationships between taxa from subtribeCochleariinae andThlaspidinae. The Internal Transcribed Spacer regions of the nuclear encoded ribosomal DNA operon and the plastidictrnL intron were sequenced from a number of genera. A molecular phylogeny was derived and compared to traditional classification systems. These data grouped sections ofCochlearia outside theCochlearial Ionopsidium core group and integrated them either closely to genusNoccaea in subtribeThlaspidinae (sect.Pseudosempervivum) or positioned them outside both theCochlearia core group and theThlaspi s. l. clade (sect.Hilliella). The molecular data indicate that subtribal arrangements in tribeLepidieae are artificial and do not reflect evolutionary history. The genusCochlearia is represented by sectionsCochlearia andGlaucocochlearia and the genusIonopsidium should be integrated intoCochlearia.     

Phylogenetic relationships ofPolemoniaceae inferred from 18S ribosomal DNA sequences

Cladistic analyses of chloroplast DNA disagree with current classifications by placingPolemoniaceae near sympetalous families with two staminal whorls, includingFouquieriaceae andDiapensiaceae, rather than near sympetalous families with a single staminal whorl, such asHydrophyllaceae andConvolvulaceae. To explore further the affinities ofPolemoniaceae, we sequenced 18S ribosomal DNA for eight genera ofPolemoniaceae and 31 families representing a broadly definedAsteridae. The distribution of variation in these sequences suggest some sites are hypervariable and multiple hits at these sites have obscured much of the hierarchical structure present in the data. Nevertheless, parsimony, least-squares minimum evolution, and maximum likelihood methods all support a monophyleticPolemoniaceae that is placed nearFouquieriaceae, Diapensiaceae and related ericalean families.     

The phylogenetic relationships of Cynoglottis (Boraginaceae- Boragineae) inferred from ITS, 5.8S and trnL sequences

A molecular phylogenetic analysis of Cynoglottis was performed to evaluate previous hypotheses based on non-molecular evidence concerning the position of this genus within Boraginaceae tribe Boragineae. ITS-5.8S and trnL_UAA sequences from the nuclear and chloroplast non-coding genomes were obtained for four Cynoglottis taxa and selected members of the related genera Anchusa, Anchusella, Gastrocotyle, Brunnera and Pentaglottis. Cynoglottis is monophyletic, but neither trnL nor ITS support a close relationship with Brunnera, unlike previously supposed on morphological grounds. Brunnera is, instead, related to the southwestern European monotypic genus Pentaglottis, with which it forms a basal clade. ITS-5.8S sequences show that Anchusa thessala, a southeastern European annual species of Anchusa subg. Buglossellum, is sister to Cynoglottis and that the two taxa form a clade which also includes the Balkan endemic Gastrocotyle macedonica. Species of Anchusa subg. Anchusa form a separate lineage with high bootstrap support, suggesting that this heterogeneous genus is paraphyletic with respect to Cynoglottis. ITS sequences also discriminate between the Balkan-Apenninic diploid C. barrelieri and the Anatolian tetraploid C. chetikiana, albeit with low support. The molecular results are discussed in the light of karyological, morphological and chorological aspects.This work has been supported by M.I.U.R. 40% 2003 and the University of Firenze.     

Comprehensive analysis of keratin gene clusters in humans and rodents

Here, we present the comparative analysis of the two keratin (K) gene clusters in the genomes of man, mouse and rat. Overall, there is a remarkable but not perfect synteny among the clusters of the three mammalian species. The human type I keratin gene cluster consists of 27 genes and 4 pseudogenes, all in the same orientation. It is interrupted by a domain of multiple genes encoding keratin-associated proteins (KAPs). Cytokeratin, hair and inner root sheath keratin genes are grouped together in small subclusters, indicating that evolution occurred by duplication events. At the end of the rodent type I gene cluster, a novel gene related to K14 and K17 was identified, which is converted to a pseudogene in humans. The human type II cluster consists of 27 genes and 5 pseudogenes, most of which are arranged in the same orientation. Of the 26 type II murine keratin genes now known, the expression of two new genes was identified by RT-PCR. Kb20, the first gene in the cluster, was detected in lung tissue. Kb39, a new ortholog of K1, is expressed in certain stratified epithelia. It represents a candidate gene for those hyperkeratotic skin syndromes in which no K1 mutations were identified so far. Most remarkably, the human K3 gene which causes Meesmann's corneal dystrophy when mutated, lacks a counterpart in the mouse genome. While the human genome has 138 pseudogenes related to K8 and K18, the mouse and rat genomes contain only 4 and 6 such pseudogenes. Our results also provide the basis for a unified keratin nomenclature and for future functional studies.     

The nucleolus and transcription of ribosomal genes

Ribosome biogenesis is a highly dynamic, steady-state nucleolar process that involves synthesis and maturation of rRNA, its transient interactions with non-ribosomal proteins and RNPs and assembly with ribosomal proteins. In the few years of the 21st century, an exciting progress in the molecular understanding of rRNA and ribosome biogenesis has taken place. In this review, we discuss the recent results on the regulation of rRNA synthesis in relation to the functional organization of the nucleolus, and put an emphasis on the situation encountered in mammalian somatic cells.