The latest Ordovician Hirnantia brachiopod fauna of Myanmar: Significance of new data from the Mandalay Region

A new, latest Ordovician brachiopod fauna is systematically described from the Hwe Mawng Purple Shale Member (Hirnantian) of the Naungkangyi Group of the Pa-thin area, Mandalay Region, Myanmar, revealing one of the most diverse representatives of the typical Hirnantia Fauna. Rhynchonelliformean, craniiformean and linguliformean brachiopods studied belong to 23 genera and a few indeterminate taxa, among which the most abundant genus Kinnella, along with the four common genera (Paromalomena, Pseudopholidops, Fardenia, and Dalmanella), and other genera (such as Cliftonia, Draborthis, Hindella, Hirnantia, Leptaena, Mirorthis, Plectothyrella, Skenidioides, and Xenocrania) are recorded for the first time. This high diversity Hirnantia Fauna represents an ecological differentiation within the benthos of the Sibumasu Terrane during the end Ordovician global crisis. The palaeoeco-unit named herein as the Kinnella-Paromalomena Association is assigned to lower BA3. This paper includes a taxonomic revision with the following conclusions: 1) Sinomena Zeng et al. and Yichangomena Zeng et al. are treated as junior synonyms of Eostropheodonta Bancroft; 2) Hubeinomena Zeng et al. is regarded as a juvenile form of Coolinia Bancroft; 3) Paramirorthis Zeng et al. is considered an immature growth stage of Mirorthis Zeng; 4) Shanomena Cocks and Fortey is treated as a junior synonym of Paromalomena Rong; 5) Scenidium? medlicotti Reed is redesignated as the type species of Kinnella Bergström to replace Hirnantia? kielanae Temple. The distribution of the Hirnantia Fauna in Myanmar, Thailand and western Yunnan of the Sibumasu Terrane highlights the distinctive nature of the Mandalay fauna, and the analyses of the Hirnantia Fauna and others of Sibumasu shows that Sibumasu was not located far from the South China and Lhasa palaeoplates during late Middle and Late Ordovician.     

金色链霉菌DM-1全基因组序列测定及去甲金霉素合成基因簇分析

金色链霉菌Streptomyces aureofaciens DM-1是去甲基金霉素的高产菌株。通过Genome Sequencer FLX系统进行测序,得到一条完整的线性基因组序列,长度为6 824 334 bp,GC含量为72.6%。结合软件glimmer 3.02、Genemark和Z-Curve program进行基因预测,最终在其基因组中鉴定出6 431个基因。应用AntiSMASH软件预测其基因组中存在28个次级代谢生物合成基因簇,其中包含了去甲基金霉素生物合成基因簇。其中甲基转移酶CtcK因移码突变提前终止翻译,很可能是去甲基金霉素相对金霉素 (CTC) 缺失一个甲基的根本原因。研究结果为S. aureofaciens DM-1的功能基因组学和去甲基金霉素高产菌株育种提供了研究基础。     

Repeated horizontal gene transfer of GALactose metabolism genes violates Dollo’s law of irreversible loss

Dollo’s law posits that evolutionary losses are irreversible, thereby narrowing the potential paths of evolutionary change. While phenotypic reversals to ancestral states have been observed, little is known about their underlying genetic causes. The genomes of budding yeasts have been shaped by extensive reductive evolution, such as reduced genome sizes and the losses of metabolic capabilities. However, the extent and mechanisms of trait reacquisition after gene loss in yeasts have not been thoroughly studied. Here, through phylogenomic analyses, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the yeast galactose utilization pathway and observed widespread and repeated losses of the ability to utilize galactose, which occurred concurrently with the losses of GALactose (GAL) utilization genes. Unexpectedly, we detected multiple galactose-utilizing lineages that were deeply embedded within clades that underwent ancient losses of galactose utilization. We show that at least two, and possibly three, lineages reacquired the GAL pathway via yeast-to-yeast horizontal gene transfer. Our results show how trait reacquisition can occur tens of millions of years after an initial loss via horizontal gene transfer from distant relatives. These findings demonstrate that the losses of complex traits and even whole pathways are not always evolutionary dead-ends, highlighting how reversals to ancestral states can occur.     

桑黄Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子及其在不同碳氮源条件下的表达

Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子（C6 zinc）在真菌次生代谢产物合成中发挥重要作用。本研究首先利用本地BLAST,从桑黄Sanghuangporus sanghuang全基因组中获得Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子编码基因,并利用生物信息学手段分析编码蛋白保守结构域、一级结构及二级结构,构建蛋白系统发育树,最后利用半定量PCR对它们在不同碳源和氮源培养条件下的表达情况进行检测。结果显示:从桑黄基因组中分析获得的11个Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白均具有Cy6型锌指基序,属于GAL4型锌簇蛋白转录因子;它们均为不稳定亲水性蛋白,具磷酸化修饰位点,糖基化修饰位点较少或没有,定位于细胞核中;其二级结构主要以无规卷曲和α螺旋为主;系统发育树分析结果显示,桑黄Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白分为2个大分支,其中Ⅰ类分支转录因子的保守结构域分布于蛋白N-端,Ⅱ类分支转录因子的保守结构域则分布于蛋白C-端;11个桑黄Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子在不同培养基培养的菌丝体中呈现差异化表达,其中,肌醇培养基和乳糖培养基能够有效促进大部分锌簇蛋白转录因子的表达;另外,基因簇分析显示桑黄锌簇蛋白SHCZ4可能是NRPS-PKS杂合基因簇体系的途经特异性转录因子。该结果将为桑黄次生代谢产物合成调控相关转录因子的研究以及潜在次生代谢相关基因簇的挖掘提供参考依据。     

Endemism patterns in the Italian leaf beetle fauna (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae)

In this contribution the results of a zoogeographical analysis, carried out on the 123 endemic leaf beetle species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) occurring in Italy and its immediately adjacent regions, are reported. To assess the level of faunistic similarity among the different geographic regions studied, a cluster analysis was performed, based on the endemic component. This was done by calculating the Baroni Urbani & Buser’s similarity index (BUB). Finally, a parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) was used to identify the most important areas of endemism in Italy.