Salt marsh harvest mouse demography and habitat use in the Suisun Marsh,California

We undertook a 2-year (2002–2004) mark–recapture study to investigate demographic performance and habitat use of salt marsh harvest mice (Reithrodontomys raviventris halicoetes) in the Suisun Marsh. We examined the effects of different wetland types and microhabitats on 3 demographic variables: density, reproductive potential, and persistence. Our results indicate that microhabitats dominated by mixed vegetation or pickleweed (Salicornia spp.) supported similar salt marsh harvest mouse densities, reproductive potential, and persistence throughout much of the year, whereas few salt marsh harvest mice inhabited upland grass-dominated microhabitats. We found that densities were higher in diked wetlands, whereas post-winter persistence was higher in tidal wetlands, and reproductive potential did not differ statistically between wetland types. Our results emphasize the importance of mixed vegetation for providing adequate salt marsh harvest mouse habitat and suggest that, despite their physiognomic and hydrological differences, both diked and tidal wetlands support salt marsh harvest mouse populations by promoting different demographic attributes. We recommend that habitat management, restoration, and enhancement efforts include areas containing mixed vegetation in addition to pickleweed in both diked and tidal wetlands. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Phagocytic function in cyclists: correlation with catecholamines and cortisol.

Flow cytometer measurements were made of the basal variations in peripheral blood functional monocytes and granulocytes over the course of a training season (January to November) of a cycling team. Parallel determinations were made of plasma concentration of catecholamines (chromatography) and cortisol (RIA) in a search for neuroendocrine markers. The results showed the greatest phagocytic capacity to occur in the central months (March, May, and July), coinciding with the greatest number and highest level of competitive events with good correlation with a peak in epinephrine during these months (r(2) = 0.998 for monocytes and r(2) = 0.674 for granulocytes). No good correlations were found between phagocytosis and norepinephrine or cortisol. The highest values for phagocytosis and epinephrine concentration were found in May. These results suggest that blood epinephrine concentration could be a good neuroendocrine marker of sportspeople's phagocytic response.     

Semen cryopreservation in golden‐headed lion tamarin,Leontopithecus chrysomelas

Wild animal genetic resource banking (GRB) represents a valuable tool in conservation breeding programs, particularly in cases involving endangered species such as the golden‐headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas). Thus, we aimed to assess a sperm freezing protocol for golden‐headed lion tamarins using two different exenders: BotuBOV® (BB) and Test Yolk Buffer® (TYB). Ejaculates were collected by penile vibrostimulation from animals housed at São Paulo Zoological Park Foundation, São Paulo, Brazil, and after immediate analysis, two aliquots were diluted in BB and TYB. Postthawing samples were evaluated for total and progressive motility, plasma membrane and acrosome integrities, mitochondrial activity, susceptibility to oxidative stress, and sperm–egg‐binding. No differences between BB and TYB were found for most seminal parameters, except for acrosome integrity and susceptibility to oxidative stress (in both cases BB showed higher values). However, in spite of these differences and regardless of the extender used, postthaw sperm motility and viability with the described protocol were encouraging (on average >50% and >80%, respectively), indicating that sperm cryopreservation may be a short‐term measure for the conservation of golden‐headed lion tamarins.     

Cortinarius sarcoflammeus sp. nov, a new species of subgenus Dermocybe (Agaricales) growing in Sphagnum bogs

 Cortinarius sarcoflammeus is proposed as a new species belonging to subgenus Dermocybe, on the basis of its morphological, chemical and ecological characters. The strong red-orange colour of the context and stipe base, large spores, sphagnicolous habitat and high dermorubin content are characteristic for the new species. Holotypes of C. huronensis and C. huronensis var. olivaceus have been examined for comparison, and their differences discussed. Photographs and line drawings of C. sarcoflammeus are added. Received February 13, 2001 Accepted March 23, 2001     

Advances in the systematics and evolution of western Mediterranean representative species of the Pentanema conyzae clade through genetic fingerprinting

Forty-five populations of Pentanema corresponding to seven species included in the Pentanema conyzae clade have been studied using AFLP fingerprinting. The results show that allopolyploidization could have been involved in the diversification of this group, specifically in species P. langeanum and P. maletii. Molecular data confirm the presence of P. britannicum in the Iberian Peninsula and key steps are provided to identify the species that are morphologically the most challenging.     

Multilocus and morphological analysis of south-eastern Iberian Wall lizards (Squamata,Podarcis)

The phylogenetic relationships among the wall lizards of the Podarcis hispanicus complex that inhabit the south-east (SE) of the Iberian Peninsula and other lineages of the complex remain unclear. In this study, four mitochondrial and two nuclear markers were used to study genetic relationships within this complex. The phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA gene trees constructed with ML and BI, and a species tree using *BEAST support three divergent clades in this region: the Valencia, Galera and Albacete/Murcia lineages. These three lineages were also corroborated in species delimitation analyses based on mtDNA using bPTP, mPTP, GMYC, ABGD and BAPS. Bayesian inference species delimitation method (BPP) based on both nuclear data and a combined data set (mtDNA + nuclear) showed high posterior probabilities for these three SE lineages (≥0.94) and another Bayesian analysis (STACEY) based on combined data set recovered the same three groups in this region. Divergence time dating of the species tree provided an estimated divergence of the Galera lineage from the other SE group (Podarcis vaucheri, (Albacete/Murcia, Valencia)) at 12.48 Ma. During this period, the Betic–Rifian arc was isolated, which could have caused the isolation of the Galera form distributed to the south of the Betic Corridor. Although lizards from the Albacete/Murcia and Galera lineage are morphologically similar, they clearly represent distinct genetic lineages. The noteworthy separation of the Galera lineage enables us to conclude that this lineage must be considered as a new full species.     

Search for Drosophila genes encoding a conserved domain present in the achaete-scute complex and myc proteins

Summary Several genes of the achaete-scute complex (ASC) of Drosophila melanogaster encode a 60 amino acids long conserved domain which shares a significant homology with a region of the vertebrate myc proteins. Based on these results, the existence of a family of Drosophila genes that would share both this conserved domain and the neurogenic function of the AS-C has been postulated. To test this proposal, we have searched a D. melanogaster genomic library with a probe that encodes the conserved domain. Only under very low stringency hybridization conditions, clones not belonging to the AS-C cross-hybridized with the probe. Those that gave the strongest signals were characterized. Sequencing of the cross-hybridizing regions showed that they had no significant homology with the conserved domain, the sequence similarity extending at the most for 37 nucleotides. Although our results do not conclusively disprove the existence of a family of AS-C-like genes, they indicate that the conservation of the domain would be lower than that found for shared motifs in other families of Drosophila developmental genes.     

Morphogenesis and tissue cultures of three citrus species

Studies were performed to define tissue culture techniques and culture conditions for morphogenesis, callus culture and plantlet culture of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.), citron (C. medica L.) and lime (C. aurantifolia) (Christm. Swing). The optimal concentrations of NAA to induce root formation on stem segments were 10 mg l^-1 for sweet orange and lime, and 3 mg l^-1 for citron. The optimal BA concentration for shoot and bud proliferation was 3 mg l^-1 for sweet orange and citron, and 1 mg l^-1 for lime. Callus initiation was accomplished in a culture medium containing 10 mg l^-1 NAA and 0.25 mg l^-1 BA. Callus was maintained by periodical subculture into the same medium supplemented with 10% (v:v) organge juice. In vitro plantlets of the three species were obtained by rooting of shoots developed from bud cultures, and of citron and lime by development of shoots from root cultures. The plants were successfully established on soil.