An integrated analysis of mammalophilic blackflies in the Simulium variegatum group in Laos.

The management of patients with leukaemia: the role of cytogenetics in this molecular era.

The aim of this study was to investigate the progression of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to provide additional data regarding the proteomic analysis of AML. The protein profiles obtained were correlated to cytogenetic and molecular analyses. Bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) samples were obtained during MDS diagnosis, at MDS transformation to AML, at de novo AML diagnosis and 3months following treatment. As controls, non-leukemic pediatric patients were studied. Cytogenetic and molecular analyses were carried out by G banding and polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing, respectively. Differential proteomic analysis was performed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and protein identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. No significant correlations were noted between protein patterns and cytogenetic or molecular analyses. Certain suppressor genes, metabolic enzymes, immunoglobulins and actin-binding proteins were differentially expressed by BM or PB plasma and cell lysates compared to controls. The obtained data showed that vitamin D and gelsolin played contradicting roles in contributing and restraining leukemogenesis, while MOES, EZRI and AIFM1 could be considered as biomarkers for AML.

Chromosomal localization of conglutinin (CGN1) gene to river buffalo by sequential RBH-banding and FISH.

Karyotypes and reproductive isolation were studied in two allopatric populations of Drosophila tsigana, one from Guizhou Province in southern China and the other from Hokkaido in northern Japan, and in one population of a closely related species, D. longiserrata, from Guizhou. In metaphase plates of larval brain cells, both geographic strains of Drosophila tsigana showed 2n=10 chromosomes, with 2 pairs of metacentric (V-shape), 2 pairs of acrocentric (R-shape), and 1 pair of dot-liked (D-shape) chromosomes. Drosophila longiserrata showed the same number, 10 chromosomes, comprising 2V, 1J (sub-metacentric chromosome), 1R, and 1D. X chromosomes of both species were acrocentric, the presumed ancestral form. Premating isolation was complete between D. tsigana and D. longiserrata, and successful mating was also limited in crosses between the two geographic populations of D. tsigana, especially in crosses between Japanese (JP) females and Guizhou (GZ) males. F1 hybrids were obtained only from crosses between GZ females and JP males, and fertilities of both F1 females and males were quite incomplete. The results of morphological observations, karyotypic analyses, and crossing experiments clearly showed that the GZ and JP populations of "D. tsigana" were highly divergent from each other and that each population should be recognized as a biologically valid species. The present morphological observations and chromosomal analyses, together with the original descriptions, strongly suggest that "Guizhou D. tsigana" might be conspecific with D. bisetata Toda, 1988 from Myanmar, and that D. longiserrata might be conspecific with D. afer Tan, Hsu, and Sheng, 1949 from Meitan, Guizhou.

Few studies have examined systematic relationships of right whales (Eubalaena spp.) since the original species descriptions, even though they are one of the most endangered large whales. Little morphological evidence exists to support the current species designations for Eubalaena glacialis in the northern hemisphere and E. australis in the southern hemisphere. Differences in migratory behaviour or antitropical distribution between right whales in each hemisphere are considered a barrier to gene flow and maintain the current species distinctions and geographical populations. However, these distinctions between populations have remained controversial and no study has included an analysis of all right whales from the three major ocean basins. To address issues of genetic differentiation and relationships among right whales, we have compiled a database of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from right whales representing populations in all three ocean basins that consist of: western North Atlantic E. glacialis, multiple geographically distributed populations of E. australis and the first molecular analysis of historical and recent samples of E. glacialis from the western and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Diagnostic characters, as well as phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses, support the possibility that three distinct maternal lineages exist in right whales, with North Pacific E. glacialis being more closely related to E. australis than to North Atlantic E. glacialis. Our genetic results provide unequivocal character support for the two usually recognized species and a third distinct genetic lineage in the North Pacific under the Phylogenetic Species Concept, as well as levels of genetic diversity among right whales world-wide.

The vocalizations of Ololygon hiemalis, O. ranki, and O. canastrensis are redescribed to provide further details on their complex vocal repertoires. The acoustic diagnosis of O. hiemalis is updated in relation to congeners, especially with respect to the morphologically similar O. ranki, for which we also evaluate the morphological diagnosis of both species. Three distinct types of notes are recognized in the vocalization of the three species (short squawk-like, long squawk-like and click-like), which are emitted in distinct acoustic organizations. The main organization of the three species is herein referred as the call Type “A”, each of which has a multi-note structure composed of a series of short squawk-like notes with note-by-note increase in amplitude along call duration. The call Type A of O. hiemalis was not described in the species original description. That of topotypes of O. ranki structurally resembles the call described in the original species description. Likewise, The call Type A of O. canastrensis matches that described in the original species description. Although O. hiemalis and O. ranki are phenotypically indistinguishable, there are quantitative differences in some call traits. Many species of Ololygon have complex vocalizations consisting of, at least, two types of notes, which can be emitted in different combinations. Despite the complexity of acoustic emissions, the call Type A of many species seems to be phylogenetically conserved. Because calls sometimes are only briefly described, we emphasize the need for, and importance of, comprehensive characterizations of anuran vocalizations to support future acoustic comparisons

Chromosomal data on swamp buffalo especially in East Java province, is still lacking. For breeders, chromosomal analysis needs to be done to detect the possibility of hereditary genetic defects. In Malang Area, farmers lack of care and breeding programs for swamp buffalo also caused a decline in the genetic quality and performance. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of the chromosome analysis of swamp buffalo in Malang and another area in East Java province, which were selected based on differences in phenotypic characters. Chromosome analysis is very important for breeders because the results of this study can be used as a consideration for strategies to improve the genetic quality of swamp buffalo. The method used is standard karyotyping using whole blood with G banding staining. Chromosomal preparation using Karyo MAX medium, Colcemic Solution, Giemsa Stain, and KCl solution. Cell culture was performed according to the standard karyotyping method in mammals. The minimum number of 5 spreading chromosomes is the best was chosen, microphotographed, and then chromosome analysis is performed using Cytovision Image Analysis software. The results of this study did not find swamp buffalo with an abnormal number of chromosomes in East Java Province, Indonesia.

The rise and fall of plant species: a population biologist's perspective

Background & objectives:Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) is the commonest leukaemia in Asia. There is a paucity data on cytogenetic and molecular analyses of Indian CML patients. This apparently reflects the low availability of cytogenetic and molecular techniques in our country. This study aimed to document various types of BCR-ABL fusion transcripts in different phases of CML and to compare the Ph chromosome positivity/negativity vis-a-vis BCR-ABL fusion transcripts in adult CML patients.Methods:Between June 2004 and February 2009, 208 patients were diagnosed as CML in chronic phase (CP), accelerated phase (AP) and blast crisis (BC), according to standard criteria. Cytogenetic and molecular genetic analyses were performed in all patients. Various types of BCR-ABL hybrid transcripts were compared with phases of CML and cytogenetic abnormalities.Results:Among 208 CML patients, b3a2 BCR-ABL transcripts were most commonly detected (66.82%) followed by b2a2 (28.84%), b3a2 + b2a2 (3.36%), b3a2 + e19a2 (0.48%) and b2a2 + e19a2 (0.48%). b3a2 transcripts were more frequently detected than b2a2 transcripts, in the whole group of 208 as well as in 183 CML-CP patients (P<0.0001). Ph chromosome was positive in 135 of 139 patients with b3a2 transcripts and 56 of 60 patients with b2a2 transcripts, difference not being significant. Additional cytogenetic abnormalities detected in 3.8 per cent patients in CML-CP and 44 per cent patients in CML-AP/BC, did not show predilection for any BCR-ABL transcript type.Interpretation & conclusions:This study documents higher Ph positivity (96.15%) by cytogenetic analysis among CML patients, as confirmed by qualitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis in a large patient group from north India. Both the techniques contribute towards understanding the disease biology, and have important implications for diagnosis and management of CML patients.

Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & H.E. Robins. (Asteraceae) threatens several economic and environmental activities in the eastern subtropical regions of South Africa and is a target for biological control. Three populations of Pareuchaetes insulata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) originating from Florida (USA), Cuba and Jamaica were released at 30 separate sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Subsequent overlapping of two of these populations in the field and the likelihood of interbreeding posed a potential risk of establishment failure. To explore the genetic diversity of the different P. insulata populations and test for the existence of pre- and post-zygotic reproductive isolation between them, molecular analyses and cross-mating experiments were conducted. Mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed significant genetic similarity between them. Cross-mating trials between Floridian and Jamaican populations of P. insulata revealed no significant pre- and post-zygotic isolation, with no demonstrable differences in measured parameters between the ‘parental’ populations, the F1 ‘hybrids’ and the backcrosses. These results suggest that P. insulata populations released in South Africa are part of the same ‘parental’ population. Genetic incompatibility is, therefore, relatively unlikely to be the cause of any failure in establishment of P. insulata at any of the release sites.

The re-examination of morphological and anatomical characters of Laminaria appressirhiza and L. inclinatorhiza collected from different localities in the Sea of Okhotsk was performed. Despite their commercial and ecological importance to the region they have not been comprehensively reviewed since their first description in 1970. Our results show that some original diagnostic key characters (e.g., shape of holdfast, shape of sporangial sori, and dissection of blade) are not stable and have deviations from the type morphology when plants grow in different environments. In L. inclinatorhiza, the sporangial sori development occurred differently to the pattern indicated in original species description as they did not develop simultaneously on both sides of the blade. Instead, the sporangial sori outlines on both sides of the blade did not coincide at first and only became coincident later. Also, a deep-water population of L. inclinatorhiza with an unusual and interesting morphology, growing at depths of 15-25 m on opened rocky coasts in Taujskaya Bay (northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk) was found. The stable diagnostic key characters to distinguish these two species are the cone-like, multilayered, very thick and massive holdfast (in L. inclinatorhiza) and rolled margins of blades, lamellar rosette-like part of thallus, and sporangial sori developing only on one side of the blade (in L. appressirhiza). The ecological characteristics, distribution, and abundance of both species in the Sea of Okhotsk are discussed. Both species are perennial and widely distributed in the region. L. appressirhiza is more often found as a subdominant species among other kelps, forming maximum biomass and density of 7-9 kg and 8-25 plants per , respectively. L. inclinatorhiza sometimes forms local mono-species communities with maximum biomass and density of 10-12 kg and 10-15 plants per , respectively.

BackgroundIn Malaysia, the domestic water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are classified into the swamp and the murrah buffaloes. Identification of these buffaloes is usually made via their phenotypic appearances. This study characterizes the subspecies of water buffaloes using karyotype, molecular and phylogenetic analyses. Blood of 105 buffaloes, phenotypically identified as swamp, murrah and crossbred buffaloes were cultured, terminated and harvested using conventional karyotype protocol to determine the number of chromosomes. Then, the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA of 10 swamp, 6 crossbred and 4 murrah buffaloes which were identified earlier by karyotyping were used to construct a phylogenetic tree was constructed.ResultsKaryotypic analysis confirmed that all 93 animals phenotypically identified as swamp buffaloes with 48 chromosomes, all 7 as crossbreds with 49 chromosomes, and all 5 as murrah buffaloes with 50 chromosomes. The D-loop of mitochondrial DNA analysis showed that 10 haplotypes were observed with haplotype diversity of 0.8000 ± 0.089. Sequence characterization revealed 72 variables sites in which 67 were parsimony informative sites with sequence diversity of 0.01906. The swamp and murrah buffaloes clearly formed 2 different clades in the phylogenetic tree, indicating clear maternal divergence from each other. The crossbreds were grouped within the swamp buffalo clade, indicating the dominant maternal swamp buffalo gene in the crossbreds.ConclusionThus, the karyotyping could be used to differentiate the water buffaloes while genotypic analysis could be used to characterize the water buffaloes and their crossbreds.

High resolution G- and R-banding patterns in chromosomes of river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis L.) were obtained by using early (G-bands) and late (R-bands) BrdU-incorporation in synchronized cell cultures. To better characterize the river buffalo chromosomes, GTG-, GBG-, and RBG-techniques were used. The total number of bands achieved were 490 (207 G-positive, 207 R-positive, 45 variable, and 31 centromeric regions). Only one common G- and R-banding nomenclature was reported. The number, position and intensity of G bands were highly similar by the structural GTG and the replicating GBG-techniques. However, the replicating G- and R-bands appeared to be more distinct and reproducible than the structural G-bands. Some changes in chromosome nomenclature (chromosomes 1p, 2p, 5p, and 21) were made when referred to the cattle homologues.

Being able to quickly find and access original species descriptions is essential for efficiently conducting taxonomic research. Linking scientific name queries to the original species description is challenging and requires taxonomic intelligence because on average there are an estimated three scientific names associated with each currently accepted species, and many historical scientific names have fallen into disuse from being synonymized or forgotten. Additionally, non-standard usage of journal abbreviations can make it difficult to automatically disambiguate bibliographic citations and ascribe them to the correct publication. The largest open access resource for biodiversity literature is the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), which was built by a consortium of natural history institutions and contains over 200,000 digitized volumes of natural history publications spanning hundreds of years of biological research. Catalogue of Life (CoL) is the largest aggregator of scientific names globally, publishing an annual checklist of currently accepted scientific names and their historical synonyms. TaxonWorks is an integrative web-based workbench that facilitates collaboration on biodiversity informatics research between scientists and developers. The Global Names project has been collaborating with BHL, TaxonWorks, and CoL to develop a Global Names Index that links all of these services together by finding scientific names in BHL and using the taxonomic intelligence provided by CoL to conveniently link directly to the page referenced in BHL. The Global Names Index is continuously updated as metadata is improved and digitization technologies advance to provide more accurate optical character recognition (OCR) of scanned texts. We developed an open source tool, “BHLnames,” and launched a restful application programming interface (API) service with a freely available Javascript widget that can be embedded on any website to link scientific names to literature citations in BHL. If no bibliographic citation is provided, the widget will link to the oldest name usage in BHL, which often is the original species description. The BHLnames widget can also be used to browse all mentions of a scientific name and its synonyms in BHL, which could make the tool more broadly useful for studying the natural history of any species.

Based on the original species descriptions, a review of the genus Paramacrobiotus was conducted. We divided the genus into two subgenera, Microplacoidus subgen. nov. and Paramacrobiotus subgen. nov., based on the presence or absence of a microplacoid, and characterized species within the genus based on seven different types of eggs. In a moss sample collected in Ecuador, Paramacrobiotus (Paramacrobiotus) spinosus sp. nov., was found. The new species differs from all species of the subgenus Parama crobiotus by the presence of richtersi type eggs and from other species by morphometric characters. Additionally, in the Ecuadorian material we found P. (Microplacoidus) magdalenae comb. nov., which is the first record of this species in Ecuador, and we provide the full set of measurements for this species, not included in the original description. An additional new record is P. (M.) alekseevi comb. nov. found in Vietnam for the first time. After examining microscope slides from the Iharos' collection deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, we prepared re-descriptions of P. (P.) csotiensis comb nov., P. (M.) submorulatus comb. nov. and P. (M.) wauensis comb. nov. Based on the morphological and morphometric characters of adults and eggs, we developed a diagnostic key to the genus Paramacrobiotus.