Altitudinal variation in the morphometric characteristics of Aedes vexans Meigen from northeastern Turkey

Body size is one of the most significant features of organisms and is correlated with a large number of ecological and physiological variables. Similar to size, biological shape is one of the most conspicuous aspects of an organism's phenotype and provides a link between the genotype and the environment. Body size may change with altitude and also habitat differences associated with altitude may affect the biological shape and some morphological characteristics. Four populations of Aedes vexans Meigen occurring in different ecological subregions at altitudes between 808–1,620 m in the Aras Valley from northeastern Turkey were compared using traditional and geometric morphometrics. When the wing shape differences of populations were analyzed by UPGM, the cluster analyses recognized two main groups of populations. Gödekli (808 m) comprised the first group while Zülfikar (848 m), Sürmeli (944 m), and Cilehane (1,620 m) populations comprised the second group. In the second group, Zülfikar and Cilehane populations showed a similar grouping pattern while Sürmeli appeared as a different group. Centroid sizes were used as measures of overall wing size differences among different regions. Aedes vexans from the Sürmeli region had relatively larger wings.     

Dealing with scarce data to understand how environmental gradients and propagule pressure shape fine‐scale alien distribution patterns on coastal dunes

Questions: On sandy coastal habitats, factors related to substrate and to wind action vary along the sea–inland ecotone, forming a marked directional disturbance and stress gradient. Further, input of propagules of alien plant species associated to touristic exploitation and development is intense. This has contributed to establishment and spread of aliens in coastal systems. Records of alien species in databases of such heterogeneous landscapes remain scarce, posing a challenge for statistical modelling. We address this issue and attempt to shed light on the role of environmental stress/disturbance gradients and propagule pressure on invasibility of plant communities in these typical model systems. Location: Sandy coasts of Lazio (Central Italy). Methods: We proposed an innovative methodology to deal with low prevalence of alien occurrence in a data set and high cost of field‐based sampling by taking advantage, through predictive modelling, of the strong interrelation between vegetation and abiotic features in coastal dunes. We fitted generalized additive models to analyse (1) overall patterns of alien occurrence and spread and (2) specific patterns of the most common alien species recorded. Conclusion: Even in the presence of strong propagule pressure, variation in local abiotic conditions can explain differences in invasibility within a local environment, and intermediate levels of natural disturbance and stress offer the best conditions for spread of alien species. However, in our model system, propagule pressure is actually the main determinant of alien species occurrence and spread. We demonstrated that extending the information of environmental features measured in a subsample of vegetation plots through predictive modelling allows complex questions in invasion biology to be addressed without requiring disproportionate funding and sampling effort.     

Additional moults into 'elongatus' males in laboratory-reared Polydesmus angustus Latzel, 1884 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae) - implications for taxonomy

The number of stadia during post-embryonic development is supposed to be fixed in most species of the millipede order Polydesmida. For the first time since 1928, additional moults were observed in two males of Polydesmus angustus Latzel, 1884 reared in the laboratory. These 'elongatus' males sensu Verhoeff reached stadium IX instead of stadium VIII, with addition of a further podous ring (32 pairs of legs). One male had well-developed gonopods at stadium VIII, which regressed at stadium IX; the other had no gonopods at stadium VIII, which developed at stadium IX. The two cases correspond to the 'regressionis' and 'progressionis' forms described by Verhoeff in Polydesmus complanatus (Linnaeus, 1761), which confirms entirely his results. Additional moults appear to be associated with small body sizes and possible underlying mechanisms are discussed. Comparisons between millipede orders indicate that post-embryonic development is less strictly canalized in Polydesmida than in Chordeumatida. This implies that the adult number of body rings is of limited taxonomic value in Polydesmida and should not be viewed as a character of generic importance.     

Nucleotide diversity and molecular evolution of the WAG-2 gene in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L) and its relatives

In this work, we examined the genetic diversity and evolution of the WAG-2 gene based on new WAG-2 alleles isolated from wheat and its relatives. Only single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and no insertions and deletions (indels) were found in exon sequences of WAG-2 from different species. More SNPs and indels occurred in introns than in exons. For exons, exons+introns and introns, the nucleotide polymorphism π decreased from diploid and tetraploid genotypes to hexaploid genotypes. This finding indicated that the diversity of WAG-2 in diploids was greater than in hexaploids because of the strong selection pressure on the latter. All dn/ds ratios were < 1.0, indicating that WAG-2 belongs to a conserved gene affected by negative selection. Thirty-nine of the 57 particular SNPs and eight of the 10 indels were detected in diploid species. The degree of divergence in intron length among WAG-2 clones and phylogenetic tree topology suggested the existence of three homoeologs in the A, B or D genome of common wheat. Wheat AG-like genes were divided into WAG-1 and WAG-2 clades. The latter clade contained WAG-2, OsMADS3 and ZMM2 genes, indicating functional homoeology among them.     

Diagnostic challenges in retinitis pigmentosa: genotypic multiplicity and phenotypic variability

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited retinal disorders. Diagnosis can be challenging as more than 40 genes are known to cause non-syndromic RP and phenotypic expression can differ significantly resulting in variations in disease severity, age of onset, rate of progression, and clinical findings. We describe the clinical manifestations of RP, the more commonly known causative gene mutations, and the genotypic-phenotypic correlation of RP.     

Chromosome identification in the Andean common bean accession G19833 (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae)

Characterization of all chromosomes of the Andean G19833 bean genotype was carried out by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Eleven single-copy genomic sequences, one for each chromosome, two BACs containing subtelomeric and pericentromeric repeats and the 5S and 45S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were used as probes. Comparison to the Mesoamerican accession BAT93 showed little divergence, except for additional 45S rDNA sites in four chromosome pairs. Altogether, the results indicated a relative karyotypic stability during the evolution of the Andean and Mesoamerican gene pools of P. vulgaris.     

Genetic variation in Mediterranean Helichrysum italicum (Asteraceae; Gnaphalieae): do disjunct populations of subsp. microphyllum have a common origin?

The yellow‐flowered everlasting daisy Helichrysum italicum (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean basin, where it grows in continuous and widespread populations in diverse open habitats. Helichrysum italicum subsp. microphyllum has a disjunct distribution in the Balearic Islands (Majorca and Dragonera), Corsica, Sardinia, Crete and Cyprus. Numerous morphological intermediates between subsp. italicum and subsp. microphyllum are known from Corsica, where the two subspecies co‐occur. The aims of the study were to investigate if subsp. microphyllum has a common origin, constituting an independent gene pool from subsp. italicum, or if the morphological differences between subsp. microphyllum and subsp. italicum have arisen independently in different locations from a common wider gene pool. Our analyses of AFLP, cpDNA sequences and morphological characters show that there is geographic structure to the genetic variation within H. italicum, with eastern and western Mediterranean groups, which do not correspond with the division into subsp. microphyllum and subsp. italicum as currently circumscribed. Local selection on quantitative trait loci provides sufficient explanation for the morphological divergence observed and is consistent with genetic data. Within the western Mediterranean group of the species we found considerable polymorphism in chloroplast DNA sequences among and within some populations. Comparison with chloroplast DNA sequences from other Helichrysum species showed that some chloroplast haplotypes are shared across species.     

天然属性抗LDL及oxLDL IgM亚类抗体的制备与鉴定

目的：制备天然属性抗低密度脂蛋白（LDL）及抗氧化低密度脂蛋白（oxLDL）IgM亚类抗体。方法：给予Babl/c小鼠高胆固醇饮食,4周后取脾细胞直接与SP2/0细胞融合,以纯化的LDL及oxLDL为抗原,对阳性杂交瘤细胞生长孔进行间接ELISA筛选。鉴定杂交瘤上清的免疫球蛋白亚类,进而采用免疫沉淀和免疫印迹法对获得的抗体进行免疫学反应性鉴定。结果：杂交瘤细胞分泌的抗LDL及抗oxLDL的天然抗体通过ELISA法被筛选出来,可以与LDL或oxLDL发生高亲和力结合,经过4次克隆化,最终获得2株稳定分泌天然抗LDL的抗体,命名为5G8和2H7,及1株稳定抗oxLDL的抗体,命名为3A6,3株抗体均属于IgM亚类,无交叉反应,可以满足免疫印迹、免疫沉淀等实验要求。结论：成功制备了抗LDL及抗oxLDL IgM亚类抗体,为研究天然抗体在体内脂质代谢和相关心脑血管疾病如动脉粥样硬化等发生发展中的作用提供了重要的研究工具。     

同名小麦地方品种小红芒和小红芒麦形态学和HMW-GS组成的演变分析

为了研究来自不同麦区的61份同名小麦地方品种小红芒和6份小红芒麦的遗传演变趋势,对与6个产量相关的农艺性状和高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基(high molecular weight glutenin subunits,HMW-GS)组成的变异进行了分析.结果表明,无论是在形态学水平还是蛋白质水平,小红芒和小红芒麦均存在丰富的遗传变异.在形态学水平上,供试材料的变异系数在株高、稳长、有效分蘖数、小穗数、穗粒数和千粒重等农艺性状上的变化范围分别为0.03～0.11、0.06～0.22、0.20～0.65、0.04～0.18、0.14～0.44和0.05～0.29.通过形态学数据计算小红芒和小红芒麦品种内多样性指数和品种间多样性指数,发现前者(0.804)占总多样性指数(0.842)的95.5%,而后者仅占4.5%,可见形态学变异主要来源于品种内而非品种闻,说明这些同名材料是由一个品种演变而来.在HMW-GS组成上,共发现了20种亚基组合类型,其中null,7+8,2+12和null,7+8,2+102种亚基组合出现的频率最高,分别为64.48%和20.00%.比较不同麦区种植的小红芒和小红芒麦的遗传多样性水平,发现无论是在形态学水平还是在蛋白质水平,春麦区材料的遗传多样性均普遍高于冬麦区,并且来自西北春麦区和北部春麦区的材料不仅遗传多样性较高,而且变异来源丰富,其中来自西北春麦区的甘肃天祝一带材料多样性最高,且其所处地理位置便于农作物的传播,故甘肃天祝地区有可能是小红芒的最初种植地点,然后再引种到其他种植区.