Morphological and Anatomical Studies of Linaria species from South-west Spain: Fruits

A morphological and anatomical study of fruits of 24 taxa ofLinaria Miller from south-west Spain has been made. Followingexamination of these species, by scanning electron and lightmicroscopy, five morphological types are established relatingto hair types, symmetry and dehiscence of capsules. A key tothe different species or groups of species is provided. Finally,dehiscence mechanisms are discussed briefly. Copyright 1999Annals of Botany Company Pericarp, hairs, dehiscence, SEM, Antirrhineae.     

Morphological and Anatomical Studies of Linaria Species from South-west Spain: Seeds

Seeds of 24 taxa of Linaria from south-west Spain were examinedwith a scanning electron microscope and light microscope. Basedon seed features such as shape, surface ornamentation and cellshape, seven morphological types were recognized. Seeds of thedifferent types are described, illustrated and compared. A keyto distinguish the different species or groups of species isprovided. Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Seed-coat, SEM, anatomy, Scrophulariaceae, Antirrhineae, Linaria .     

Electrophoretic characterization of Amaranthus L. seed proteins and its systematic implications

The seed protein profiles of 11 Amaranthus taxa (Amaranthaceae) from Spain were studied. These profiles were evaluated as a chemical character to clarify the taxonomic complexity in the genus. Tricine-sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) profiles of the Amaranthus seed proteins studied showed a range of peptides varying from 64 to 12 kDa, with a larger number of protein bands observed between 25.1 and 12 kDa. For the taxonomic study, 14 bands, some of them subdivided into several isoforms, were considered. The similarity analysis based on the SDS-PAGE profile is a useful character for the discrimination of species in Amaranthus , except for A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus , for which a hybrid population was found. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 57–63.     

A molecular phylogeny of the cosmopolitan hyperdiverse genus Hydraena Kugelann (Coleoptera,Hydraenidae)

With almost 900 described species, Hydraena Kugelann (Hydraenidae) is one of the largest genera among Coleoptera. The subgeneric classification of Hydraena has been controversial, with 11 subgeneric names having so far been attributed to it. Some of these, Haenydra Rey and Spanglerina Perkins, have been treated as valid genera, as subgenera or as species groups. The most recent complete treatment of the genus, based on a cladistic analysis of morphological characters, recognized two major lineages, and only these were classified as subgenera: Hydraenopsis (mainly Gondwanan distribution), and Hydraena s.str. (mainly Laurasian). Here, we reconstruct the phylogeny of Hydraena using 212 species plus several outgroups and approximately 4 kb of sequence data from two nuclear (SSU and LSU) and four mitochondrial genes (cox1, rrnL, trnL and nad1). Data were aligned with two different strategies of multiple alignment (implemented in mafft and prank ), and the phylogenies reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. We estimated approximate ages of the main nodes using a relaxed molecular clock with Bayesian methods, and an a priori evolutionary rate of 0.01 substitutions/site/million years (Ma) plus a calibration point based on a biogeographical split. We found strong support for the monophyly of Hydraena and many of the clades recognized with morphological data. The following clades are considered as subgenera: Phothydraena Kuwert, Spanglerina Perkins, Holcohydraena Kuwert, Hydraenopsis Janssens and Hydraena s.str. The placement of three species groups, two Neotropical (H. multispina group, H. paeminosa group) and one South African/Madagascan (H. monikae group), is uncertain, and they are considered incertae sedis within Hydraena. The origin of the genus was estimated to be in the Lower Eocene, with many species complexes diversifying in the Pleistocene. Dispersal events seem to have played a key role in order to determine the current distribution of the species groups in the southern hemisphere (mainly in Hydraenopsis).     

Curative Effects of the Antipiroplasms Amicarbalide and Imidocarb on Trypanosoma brucei Infection in Mice*

SYNOPSIS The babesicides imidocarb and amicarbalide, which have structural similarities to the antitrypanosomatid diamidines, proved active against Trypanosoma brucei mouse infections: both cured infections when doses were administered daily for 3 days 24 h post-inoculation (curative dose imidocarb, 10 mg/kg; amicarbalide, 25 mg/kg). Mice were considered cured after survival 30 days longer than untreated infected controls, with no trypanosomes present in blood or cerebrospinal fluid smears. Both agents also cured when administered 48 and 72 h after challenge with T. brucei and prolonged the lives of animals 94 h after challenge. The results are discussed in respect to the potential of these carbanilides and their precursors, the antitumor phthalanilides, as lead compounds in chemotherapy of mammalian trypanosomiases.     

Isolated Phosphate-Solubilizing Soil Bacteria Promotes In vitro Growth of Solanum tuberosum L.

The capacity of four bacterial strains isolated from productive soil potato fields to solubilize tricalcium phosphate on Pikovskaya agar or in a liquid medium was evaluated. A bacterial strain was selected to evaluate in vitro capacity of plant-growth promotion on Solanum tuberosum L. culture. Bacterial strain A3 showed the highest value of phosphate solubilization, reaching a 20 mm-diameter halo and a concentration of 350 mg/l on agar and in a liquid medium, respectively. Bacterial strain A3 was identified by 16S rDNA analysis as Bacillus pumilus with 98% identity; therefore, it is the first report for Bacillus pumilus as phosphate solubilizer. Plant-growth promotion assayed by in vitro culture of potato microplants showed that the addition of bacterial strain A3 increased root and stems length after 28 days. It significantly increased stem length by 79.3%, and duplicated the fresh weight of control microplants. In this paper, results reported regarding phosphorus solubilization and growth promotion under in vitro conditions represent a step forward in the use of innocuous bacterial strain biofertilizer on potato field cultures.Key words: Bacillus sp., phosphorus soluble, Pikovskaya agar, potato rhizosphere, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria     

Systematic Consideration of Microcharacters of Fruits and Seeds in the GenusVerbascum(Scrophulariaceae)

A morphological and anatomical study of fruits and seeds often species ofVerbascumfrom south-west Spain has been made.The seeds showed considerable uniformity in shape, size, seed-coatornamentation and internal structure. Two groups of speciesare distinguished on the basis of indumentum of the capsules.The first group has branched hairs which do not appear in thesecond. Only one species,V. virgatummay be included in bothgroups. Other characters such as corolla size or stamen number,support separation of both groups and reaffirm the intermediateposition ofV. virgatum. A key to distinguish the taxa is provided.Copyright1997 Annals of Botany Company Pericarp; seed-coat; SEM; anatomy