Entire Diversity Research Articles

Appraising carnivore (Mammalia: Carnivora) studies in Bangladesh from 1971 to 2019 bibliographic retrieves: trends, biases, and opportunities

In contrast to <7% natural forest covers and >1,000 people living km-2, Bangladesh, one of the smallest countries in Asia, shelters 28 carnivorous mammals. The species are of six families, nearly half of the entire carnivore diversity of the Indian Subcontinent. Carnivores of Bangladesh are little understood and they are disappearing fast despite receiving stern protection. Yet, there has been no assessment on the status of existing knowledge. A review was aimed to assess the existing knowledge and evaluate the research trends in country’s mammalian carnivores. Peer-reviewed works published from 1971 to 2019 were skimmed and categorized systematically according to five traits: publication type, research topic, time of publication, region, and species of study. In a total of 95 works examined, substantial numbers were on tiger (n=45) and the Sundarbans (n=47). In imbalance to action plans procured for tiger conservation, 14 carnivores have never been exclusively studied in Bangladesh. Of the research topics, preference was evident for wildlife management and conflict analyses as there were 31 scientific papers out of 63 in these categories. Inventory compilation for books (18 of 24) comprised the next preferred subject. The assessment could identify gaps in related knowledge in different regions of the country. Eastern region has experienced a meagre amount of work, although its mixed evergreen forests have larger combined area than the Sundarbans, and is known for its higher richness of diversity. Exclusive works outside legally defined protected areas were also low. We found no works in northwestern and southern Bangladesh. In the last two decades, the temporal trajectory of research effort has been more, and the topics have started to diversify. In order to improve conservation practices, we stress that gaps in knowledge pertaining to region or subject may be bridged with contemporary study techniques. This is crucial to highlight the status of carnivore species that are otherwise ‘elusive’, ‘apparently absent’, or ‘least-known’.

Monitoring elasmobranch assemblages in a data-poor country from the Eastern Tropical Pacific using baited remote underwater video stations

Understanding how threatened species are distributed in space and time can have direct applications to conservation planning. However, implementing standardized methods to monitor populations of wide-ranging species is often expensive and challenging. In this study, we used baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) to quantify elasmobranch abundance and distribution patterns across a gradient of protection in the Pacific waters of Costa Rica. Our BRUVS survey detected 29 species, which represents 54% of the entire elasmobranch diversity reported to date in shallow waters (< 60 m) of the Pacific of Costa Rica. Our data demonstrated that elasmobranchs benefit from no-take MPAs, yet large predators are relatively uncommon or absent from open-fishing sites. We showed that BRUVS are capable of providing fast and reliable estimates of the distribution and abundance of data-poor elasmobranch species over large spatial and temporal scales, and in doing so, they can provide critical information for detecting population-level changes in response to multiple threats such as overfishing, habitat degradation and climate change. Moreover, given that 66% of the species detected are threatened, a well-designed BRUVS survey may provide crucial population data for assessing the conservation status of elasmobranchs. These efforts led to the establishment of a national monitoring program focused on elasmobranchs and key marine megafauna that could guide monitoring efforts at a regional scale.

Bacterial community variations with salinity in the saltwater-intruded estuarine aquifer

Bacterial community has been significantly enrolled in the biogeochemical cycling of the coastal subsurface ecosystem. The bacterial community variations with salinity have been extensively investigated in the surface environment, such as lake, soil, and estuary, but not in the subsurface environment. Here we explore the responses of bacterial populations to the salinity and other environmental factors (EFs) by considering both the abundant and rare sub-community in a coastal Holocene groundwater system. Our study results indicate that the bacterial diversity was independent of the salinity in both the abundance and rare sub-community. Besides diversity, no flourishing of abundant bacteria relative abundance is observed with increasing or decreasing salinity. Yet the rare taxa exhibit a bio-growth with salinity, which has a significant correlation (p < 0.001) with sulfate concentration. The responses of the abundant sub-community taxa to nutrients, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen are insensitive. However, the correlation between δ18O, δD and the entire community diversity is significant, which demonstrates the bacterial community is affected by the groundwater origin. Besides, not all the species in one class or order are necessarily shaped by the same factor. To quantify the impact of EFs on the community properties, analyses in different taxonomic levels is suggested. These findings imply that the spatial organization of microbial communities is complicated and influenced by multiple factors on a regional scale. The investigated results are useful for understanding biogeochemical processes in the coastal groundwater.

Rethinking Filter: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry into Typology and Concept of Filter, Towards an Active Filter Model

This work aims to re-investigate different aspects of a variety of filters and filtration processes within diverse realms of knowledge from an interdisciplinary point of view, and develops a comprehensive Active Model of Filter that accommodates the phenomena in its entire diversity and complexity. The Active Filter Model proposes to take Filter—from various fields and scales operating at material and symbolic level—not as mere objects, but as difference-producing phenomena that need to be addressed as complex active systems within event-based boundaries. The model underlines a systemic, operative, performative, and negentropic nature to the phenomena that invites one to; recognize various elements and intra-actions within a filter system; follow chains of operations and processes that render the activity; take the performative and ecology building aspect of the filter activity into consideration; and acknowledge the negentropic, order-producing nature of filtering phenomena. The Active Filter Model is meant to serve as a foundation for further analysis and synthesis in various fields dealing with Filter, and the research approach is put forward as a paradigm for how seemingly disciplinary concepts such as Filter can be rethought through interdisciplinary methods, and mutually complement research questions within active matter, biology, information philosophy, data science and sustainability discourses.

Hla-C genetic diversity and evolutionary insights in two samples from Brazil and Benin.

Human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) is a classical HLA class I molecule that binds and presents peptides to cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the cell surface. HLA-C has a dual function because it also interacts with Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) receptors expressed in natural killer and T cells, modulating their activity. The structure and diversity of the HLA-C regulatory regions, as well as the relationship among variants along the HLA-C locus, are poorly addressed, and few population-based studies explored the HLA-C variability in the entire gene in different population samples. Here we present a molecular and bioinformatics method to evaluate the entire HLA-C diversity, including regulatory sequences. Then, we applied this method to survey the HLA-C diversity in two population samples with different demographic histories, one highly admixed from Brazil with major European contribution, and one from Benin with major African contribution. The HLA-C promoter and 3'UTR were very polymorphic with the presence of few, but highly divergent haplotypes. These segments also present conserved sequences that are shared among different primate species. Nucleotide diversity was higher in other segments rather than exons 2 and 3, particularly around exon 5 and the second half of the 3'UTR region. We detected evidence of balancing selection on the entire HLA-C locus and positive selection in the HLA-C leader peptide, for both populations. HLA-C motifs previously associated with KIR interaction and expression regulation are similar between both populations. Each allele group is associated with specific regulatory sequences, reflecting the high linkage disequilibrium along the entire HLA-C locus in both populations.

New Guinea has the world's richest island flora.

New Guinea is the world's largest tropical island and has fascinated naturalists for centuries1,2. Home to some of the best-preserved ecosystems on the planet3 and to intact ecological gradients-from mangroves to tropical alpine grasslands-that are unmatched in the Asia-Pacific region4,5, it is a globally recognized centre of biological and cultural diversity6,7. So far, however, there has been no attempt to critically catalogue the entire vascular plant diversity of New Guinea. Here we present the first, to our knowledge, expert-verified checklist of the vascular plants of mainland New Guinea and surrounding islands. Our publicly available checklist includes 13,634 species (68% endemic), 1,742 genera and 264 families-suggesting that New Guinea is the most floristically diverse island in the world. Expert knowledge is essential for building checklists in the digital era: reliance on online taxonomic resources alone would have inflated species counts by 22%. Species discovery shows no sign of levelling off, and we discuss steps to accelerate botanical research in the 'Last Unknown'8.

Molecular phylogeny and species delimitation of Stachyuraceae: Advocating a herbarium specimen‐based phylogenomic approach in resolving species boundaries

AbstractSpecies concept and delimitation are fundamental to taxonomic and evolutionary studies. Both inadequate informative sites in the molecular data and limited taxon sampling have often led to poor phylogenetic resolution and incorrect species delineation. Recently, the whole chloroplast genome sequences from extensive herbarium specimen samples have been shown to be effective to amend the problem. Stachyuraceae are a small family consisting of only one genus Stachyurus of six to 16 species. However, species delimitation in Stachyurus has been highly controversial because of few and generally unstable morphological characters used for classification. In this study, we sampled 69 individuals of seven species (each with at least three individuals) covering the entire taxonomic diversity, geographic range, and morphological variation of Stachyurus from herbarium specimens for genome‐wide plastid gene sequencing to address species delineation in the genus. We obtained high‐quality DNAs from specimens using a recently developed DNA reconstruction technique. We first assembled four whole chloroplast genome sequences. Based on the chloroplast genome and one nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence of Stachyurus, we designed primers for multiplex polymerase chain reaction and high throughput sequencing of 44 plastid loci for species of Stachyurus. Data of these chloroplast DNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences were used for phylogenetic analyses. The phylogenetic results showed that the Japanese species Stachyurus praecox Siebold &amp; Zucc. was sister to the rest in mainland China, which indicated a typical Sino‐Japanese distribution pattern. Based on diagnostic morphological characters, distinct distributional range, and monophyly of each clade, we redefined seven species for Stachyurus following an integrative species concept, and revised the taxonomy of the family based on previous reports and specimens, in particular the type specimens. Furthermore, our divergence time estimation results suggested that Stachyuraceae split from its sister group Crossosomataceae from the New World at ca. 54.29 Mya, but extant species of Stachyuraceae started their diversification only recently at ca. 6.85 Mya. Diversification time of Stachyurus in mainland China was estimated to be ca. 4.45 Mya. This research has provided an example of using the herbarium specimen‐based phylogenomic approach in resolving species boundaries in a taxonomically difficult genus.

Pan-Genome of Wild and Cultivated Soybeans

Soybean is one of the most important vegetable oil and protein feed crops. To capture the entire genomic diversity, it is needed to construct a complete high-quality pan-genome from diverse soybean accessions. In this study, we performed individual de novo genome assemblies for 26 representative soybeans that were selected from 2,898 deeply sequenced accessions. Using these assembled genomes together with three previously reported genomes, we constructed a graph-based genome and performed pan-genome analysis, which identified numerous genetic variations that cannot be detected by direct mapping of short sequence reads onto a single reference genome. The structural variations from the 2,898 accessions that were genotyped based on the graph-based genome and the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from the representative 26 accessions helped to link genetic variations to candidate genes that are responsible for important traits. This pan-genome resource will promote evolutionary and functional genomics studies in soybean.

Emergence of genomic diversity and recurrent mutations in SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 is a SARS-like coronavirus of likely zoonotic origin first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province. The virus has since spread globally, resulting in the currently ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first whole genome sequence was published on January 5 2020, and thousands of genomes have been sequenced since this date. This resource allows unprecedented insights into the past demography of SARS-CoV-2 but also monitoring of how the virus is adapting to its novel human host, providing information to direct drug and vaccine design. We curated a dataset of 7666 public genome assemblies and analysed the emergence of genomic diversity over time. Our results are in line with previous estimates and point to all sequences sharing a common ancestor towards the end of 2019, supporting this as the period when SARS-CoV-2 jumped into its human host. Due to extensive transmission, the genetic diversity of the virus in several countries recapitulates a large fraction of its worldwide genetic diversity. We identify regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome that have remained largely invariant to date, and others that have already accumulated diversity. By focusing on mutations which have emerged independently multiple times (homoplasies), we identify 198 filtered recurrent mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Nearly 80% of the recurrent mutations produced non-synonymous changes at the protein level, suggesting possible ongoing adaptation of SARS-CoV-2. Three sites in Orf1ab in the regions encoding Nsp6, Nsp11, Nsp13, and one in the Spike protein are characterised by a particularly large number of recurrent mutations (>15 events) which may signpost convergent evolution and are of particular interest in the context of adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 to the human host. We additionally provide an interactive user-friendly web-application to query the alignment of the 7666 SARS-CoV-2 genomes.

An ancestral signalling pathway is conserved in intracellular symbioses-forming plant lineages

Plants are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems, and their colonization of land was probably facilitated by mutualistic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Following this founding event, plant diversification has led to the emergence of a tremendous diversity of mutualistic symbioses with microorganisms, ranging from extracellular associations to the most intimate intracellular associations, where fungal or bacterial symbionts are hosted inside plant cells. Here, through analysis of 271 transcriptomes and 116 plant genomes spanning the entire land-plant diversity, we demonstrate that a common symbiosis signalling pathway co-evolved with intracellular endosymbioses, from the ancestral arbuscular mycorrhiza to the more recent ericoid and orchid mycorrhizae in angiosperms and ericoid-like associations of bryophytes. By contrast, species forming exclusively extracellular symbioses, such as ectomycorrhizae, and those forming associations with cyanobacteria, have lost this signalling pathway. This work unifies intracellular symbioses, revealing conservation in their evolution across 450 million yr of plant diversification.

Phylogeographic diversity and population structure of Carica papaya L. revealed through nuclear microsatellites

It is crucial to analyze the population structure and genetic diversity of the samples to be studied before a breeding program can be launched. Thirty-one genotypes of papaya germplasm from Spain, Brazil, Ecuador, China, Taiwan, India, and several locations in Bangladesh were genotyped using ten polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers to investigate their molecular diversity as well as their genetic relatedness. The highest numbers of alleles, gene diversity and polymorphic information content were seen in the P3K1024CC and P6K900CC markers. This result confirms the suitability of these markers in the assay of the genetic diversity of papaya genotypes. The model-based population structure and the distance-based assessment categorized the genotypes into six different subcategories. The analysis of molecular variance revealed that 11% of the entire genetic diversity was due to differences among the populations, while 89% was a result of differences within the population. The FST value of 0.136 showed a high level of genetic diversity among the groups alongside a negative FIS (− 0.232) and FIT (− 0.065). The diverse material revealed by our research expands the current papaya genetic resources, which can be used effectively in genomic studies in papaya improvement programs as well as in germplasm conservation studies.

Earth’s earliest granitoids are crystal-rich magma reservoirs tapped by silicic eruptions

Granitoids of the tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) series dominate Earth’s earliest continental crust. The geochemical diversity of TTGs is ascribed to several possible geodynamic settings of magma formation, from low-pressure differentiation of oceanic plateaus to high-pressure melting of mafic crust at convergent plate margins. These interpretations implicitly assume that the bulk-rock compositions of TTGs did not change from magma generation in the source to complete crystallization. However, crystal–liquid segregation influences the geochemistry of felsic magmas, as shown by the textural and chemical complementarity between coeval plutons and silicic volcanic rocks in the Phanerozoic Eon. We demonstrate here that Paleoarchean (ca. 3,456 million years old) TTG plutons from South Africa do not represent liquids but fossil, crystal-rich magma reservoirs left behind by the eruption of silicic volcanic rocks, being possibly coeval at the million-year scale as constrained by high-precision uranium–lead geochronology. The chemical signature of the dominant trondhjemites, conventionally interpreted as melts generated by high-pressure melting of basalts, reflects the combined accumulation of plagioclase phenocrysts and loss of interstitial liquid that erupted as silicic volcanic rocks. Our results indicate that the entire compositional diversity of TTGs could derive from the upper crustal differentiation of a single, tonalitic magma formed by basalt melting and/or crystallization at <40 km depth. These results call for a unifying model of Hadean–Archean continent nucleation by intracrustal production of TTG magmas. The chemical diversity of Earth’s early continental building blocks can be explained by differentiation of a single melt, without complex geodynamic settings, according to petrological and geochemical analysis of samples from South Africa.

The evolution of mechanisms involved in vertebrate endothermy.

Endothermy, i.e. the endogenous production of metabolic heat, has evolved multiple times among vertebrates, and several strategies of heat production have been studied extensively by physiologists over the course of the twentieth century. The independent acquisition of endothermy by mammals and birds has been the subject of many hypotheses regarding their origin and associated evolutionary constraints. Many groups of vertebrates, however, are thought to possess other mechanisms of heat production, and alternative ways to regulate thermogenesis that are not always considered in the palaeontological literature. Here, we perform a review of the mechanisms involved in heat production, with a focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms, in a phylogenetic context encompassing the entire vertebrate diversity. We show that endothermy in mammals and birds is not as well defined as commonly assumed by evolutionary biologists and consists of a vast array of physiological strategies, many of which are currently unknown. We also describe strategies found in other vertebrates, which may not always be considered endothermy, but nonetheless correspond to a process of active thermogenesis. We conclude that endothermy is a highly plastic character in vertebrates and provides a guideline on terminology and occurrences of the different types of heat production in vertebrate evolution. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vertebrate palaeophysiology'.

A DNA Barcoding Survey of an Arctic Arthropod Community: Implications for Future Monitoring.

Accurate and cost-effective methods for tracking changes in arthropod communities are needed to develop integrative environmental monitoring programs in the Arctic. To date, even baseline data on their species composition at established ecological monitoring sites are severely lacking. We present the results of a pilot assessment of non-marine arthropod diversity in a middle arctic tundra area near Ikaluktutiak (Cambridge Bay), Victoria Island, Nunavut, undertaken in 2018 using DNA barcodes. A total of 1264 Barcode Index Number (BIN) clusters, used as a proxy for species, were recorded. The efficacy of widely used sampling methods was assessed. Yellow pan traps captured 62% of the entire BIN diversity at the study sites. When complemented with soil and leaf litter sifting, the coverage rose up to 74.6%. Combining community-based data collection with high-throughput DNA barcoding has the potential to overcome many of the logistic, financial, and taxonomic obstacles for large-scale monitoring of the Arctic arthropod fauna.

CROP WILD RELATIVES OF KALININGRAD PROVINCE RECOMMENDED FOR IN SITU CONSERVATION

Background. Preservation of the entire genetic diversity of the world’s flora is indispensable to the deployment of breeding practice aimed at development and improvement of the existing economically useful plant species and varieties. The in situ conservation approach is recognized as the topmost priority. Therefore, a study of crop wild relatives (CWR) in Kaliningrad Province appears vital to identify the most vulnerable species and enhance their in situ conservation.Materials and methods. Crop wild relatives occurring in Kaliningrad Province were the research target. The WIR and LE herbarium collections, published data, and results of VIR’s plant explorations undertaken in 1974 and 1983 served as the material for the research. Plant species included in the Red Data Books of Kaliningrad Province, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, etc. were analyzed, and the data from open databases (GBIF, CWR, ILDIS, etc.) and AgroAtlas maps were employed. CWR requiring special conservation measures were identified.Results and conclusions. Kaliningrad Province, Russia, is home to 324 species of CWR. Natural habitats of the 6 most vulnerable plant species were mapped: Vicia dumetorum L., Trifolium rubens L., Chrisaspis spadiceum L., Elytrigia juncea (L.) Nevski, Phleum phleoides (L.) H. Karst., and Allium vineale L. These species fall under the 1st vulnerability category.

Landscape approach to take into account regional features organization of environmental management of the protected area

Formulation of the problem. The nature protection territories of Ukraine and Vinnytsia region in particular are experiencing the not best period of their development. This is reflected in the low indicators and the rate of development of the Nature Reserve Fund, which are lagging behind those declared in the programming documents and European norms. Substantial expansion of already existent nature protection territories can help the decision of not simple problem and before everything level of national natural park. The purpose of the article. The use of landscape analysis to form an idea of the territorial structure and physiognomic features of the landscape complexes of an economic area of a national nature park and adjacent areas to prevent the loss of their landscape and biodiversity. Research methods included field-based observations and mapping. Results. The area under study for the extension of the Karmelyukove Podillya National Park belongs to the class of plain Eastern European landscapes. The general background of the forest-steppe complexes is formed by landscapes of elevated forest plains, strongly indented by ravines and gullies, with chernozems of podzolized. This type of landscapes is a consequence of the active development of erosion-denudation processes within the most hypsometrically elevated in the studied territory of the southeastern spurs of the Podolsk hills. The forest-steppe type includes three subtypes of landscapes: broad-leaved forest, rare-forested forest steppe, and meadow-steppe. The peculiarity of the manifestation and distribution of types of landscapes is caused by the fact that the areas of their location are intersected by intrasonal anthropogenic landscape complexes, the formation of which is caused by such types of nature management as forestry and agriculture. The consequence of age-old human activity is the formation of different classes of anthropogenic landscapes of agricultural, forestry, water management nature and road. The results of the research were used to create a map of the landscapes of the prospective territory for inclusion in the Karmelyukove Podillya National Park. Apart from high-level typological units (classes and types of landscapes), it presents 33 types of tracts, which are currently the most typical landscapes of the study sites. The information presented on the map does not exhaust their entire landscape diversity and is the basis for further detailed landscape studies. The scientific novelty of the research is determined by the originality and detail of the information about the landscape structure of the national nature park, and its practical importance is determined by the possibility of using the results of landscape-cartographic analysis for the needs of optimizing the functioning of high-level nature protection institutions. Landscape justification for the expediency of including the studied area (text and map of landscapes of the «Vyshenka» tract and adjacent territory) was submitted to the Park administration for permanent use.

Analysis of the State of Woody Plants in the City of Nukus (Streets of Ernazar Alakoz)

This article observed seven species of Fraxinus excelsior L., Fraxinus pensylvanica March., Salix alba L., Populus alba L., Juniperus communis L., Catalpa bignonioides Walt., Ulmus densa Litv for seasonal growth. The Republic of Karakalpakstan is located in the North-West of Uzbekistan, covers 166,600 km2 (28%), and is the largest in terms of territory by region. The study of woody plants in the flora of Karakalpakstan is an important aspect of the convention on biological diversity. The species composition of the natural flora of Karakalpakstan is quite poor in ornamental plants, especially evergreens, suitable for gardening. At the same time, the biodiversity of these plants in Nukus and the factors contributing to them were analyzed. Relevance of the study: Creating an environmentally friendly environment in cities is possible by optimizing intra-urban tree plantations that perform forming, improving and regulating functions in the environment. The effectiveness of green spaces mainly depends on the range of trees and shrubs and their correct use in accordance with biological characteristics, environmental requirements and decorative qualities. The degree of impact of plantings on the environment also depends on the type, age and physiological characteristics of plants [1]. Woody plants, unlike hardwoods, enrich and purify the air throughout the year and can be used for single and group planting when creating hedges and borders, as well as green gardens. All year round, they enrich the air with oxygen, absorb street noises, and lower the air temperature. However, the conservation of flora is necessary not only for individual components, but also for the entire population diversity. Salinized land, unfavorable climate and other environmental factors are among the obstacles or restrictions to the introduction of new species of trees and shrubs, especially evergreen ones, in arid areas [2] [3]. The urban environment differs from the natural environment in terms of the degree of illumination, the amount of solar radiation, air temperature and humidity, soil properties, etc. In this regard, green plants only with proper planning, selection of assortment, sufficient quantity and good care ensure the improvement of the ecological state of the city. For scientifically based gardening, it is necessary to have objective ideas not only about the quantity and quality of existing plantings, but also to know the ecological and physiological state of each species, which allows us to assess the role of plants in improving the quality of the environment [4]. The sharply continental climate, aridity of the territory, increased wind activity and salinity of the soil contribute to the aggravation of environmental problems in the cities of the southern Aral sea region. The deteriorating environmental situation in Nukus requires the development of a specific gardening strategy aimed at creating sustainable urban plantings of various types. In this regard, we conduct research on the biological characteristics of ornamental woody plants in urban conditions. The range of tree and shrub species used in the landscaping of the city of Nukus remains quite poor today [5]. The predominant tree species are P. alba L., P. nigra L., P. diversifolia L., F. excelsior L., F. pensylvanica Marsh., Fraxinus potamaphylla Herd, S. excels S. Gmel, S. babylonica L., S. alba L., Juniperus communis L. In the landscaping of Nukus, introduced plants are also used, which have adapted to local conditions, although they are damaged by frosts. These include C. bignonioides Walt, Ulmus pumila L., F. pensylvanica Marsh.

Экологические эффекты в формировании флористического состава и их отражение в синтаксономии пойменных дубрав бассейна Верхнего Днепра

Экологические эффекты в формировании флористического состава и их отражение в синтаксономии пойменных дубрав бассейна Верхнего Днепра

Evolution and Diversity of Assembly-Line Polyketide Synthases.

Assembly-line polyketide synthases (PKSs) are among the most complex protein machineries known in nature, responsible for the biosynthesis of numerous compounds used in the clinic. Their present-day diversity is the result of an evolutionary path that has involved the emergence of a multimodular architecture and further diversification of assembly-line PKSs. In this review, we provide an overview of previous studies that investigated PKS evolution and propose a model that challenges the currently prevailing view that gene duplication has played a major role in the emergence of multimodularity. We also analyze the ensemble of orphan PKS clusters sequenced so far to evaluate how large the entire diversity of assembly-line PKS clusters and their chemical products could be. Finally, we examine the existing techniques to access the natural PKS diversity in natural and heterologous hosts and describe approaches to further expand this diversity through engineering.

Varietal instrumental style as a performance-related phenomenon (case study: saxophone)

Varietal instrumental style as a performance-related phenomenon (case study: saxophone)