Polymorphic Characters Research Articles

Comparative electron microscopy study of spermatozoa in snakes (Lepidosauria, Squamata)

The ultrastructure of snake sperm has received substantial attention primarily because snakes exhibit considerable variability in reproductive characteristics between species, with a wide range of mating systems and reproductive behaviors. Variability of sperm morphology among snake species may be associated with the reproductive strategies of each taxon, such as competition or sperm storage. We provide a detailed description of the sperm ultrastructure of nine snake species (Anilius scytale, Tropidophis paucisquamis, Bothrops jararaca, Oxyrhopus guibei, Dipsas mikanii, Micrurus corallinus, Xenopholis scalaris, Acrochordus javanicus, and Cylindrophis ruffus) and compared this with sperm data from the literature for the following taxa: Liotyphlops beui, Amerotyphlops reticulatus, Trilepida koppesi, Anilios waitii, Anilios endoterus, Aspidites melanochephalus, Boa constrictor amarali, Corallus hortulana, Epicrates cenchria, Boa constrictor occidentalis, Eryx jayakari, Micrurus corallinus, Micrurus surinamensis, Micrurus frontalis, Micrurus altirostris, Oxyuranus microlepidotus, Bothrops alternatus, Bothrops diporus, Crotalus durissus, Agkistrodon contortrix, Vipera aspis, Boiga irregularis, Zamenis schrenckii, Zamenis scalaris, Stegonotus cuculatus, Nerodia sipedon, Liodytes pygaea, and Myrrophis chinensis. We found twelve polymorphic characters in the ultrastructure of sperm among the described snakes. Our work supports the importance of ultrastructural analysis of sperm morphology to understand snake reproduction, and provides sperm-derived morphological characters for phylogenetic analysis.

Addressing Polymorphism in Linguistic Phylogenetics

AbstractUnderstanding how languages change is important not only for the reconstruction of protolanguages and for estimating diversification dates (i.e. the dates when languages split), but also for the inference of evolutionary trees (or phylogenetic networks) of language families. We propose a parametric model of language change that addresses lexical polymorphism (two or more words for a given basic meaning) based on what is known about how languages change. Under our model, changes of state in lexical characters occur only due to semantic shift or borrowing, leading to (potentially brief) periods in which polymorphism is present. Across a wide range of model conditions, we find that a simple and natural modification to the maximum parsimony (MP) criterion (which seeks the tree with the fewest number of changes) to allow it to handle polymorphic characters has the best accuracy, substantially improving on well‐known Bayesian methods based on appearances and disappearances of words. We also provide a new analysis of Indo–European that takes polymorphism into account, finding support for a previous tree (Nakhleh et al., 2006) and a new tree that differs from the previous tree in the relationship between Italo‐Celtic and Tocharian.

Conchological variation of widely common species of terrestrial mollusks of Uzbekistan

This article presents current research on the variability of widespread common species of terrestrial mollusks of the family Buliminidae of Uzbekistan. The study of features of the population structure of species - indicators of changes in biocenoses under the influence of various factors, including anthropogenic ones, is an important component of environmental monitoring of various territories. These species, in particular, include terrestrial mollusks Pseudonapaeus albiplicatus, Psendonapaeus sogdianus, Pseudonapaeus secalina, Psendonapaeus miser, Chondrulopsina fedtschenkoi. A number of studies have been devoted to the analysis of intrapopulation variability of these species. In the course of these studies, it has been shown that these species are sensitive to successional processes with the morphology of their shell, as well as the frequency ratio of polymorphic characters. In this work, biotopic variability of morphometric characters, conchological variability of the shell, variability of morphometric characters of different habitats of Pseudonapaeus albiplicatus, Psendonapaeus sogdianus, Pseudonapaeus secalina, Psendonapaeus miser, Chondrulopsina fedtschenkoi were studied.Awhich, living in arid conditions, adapt to sharp changes in temperature and humidity, while acquiring a number of additional characteristics, such as: parietal callus, mouth lips and teeth, which play one or another role in reducing the loss of moisture from the body of mollusks.The indicator ability of these species is enhanced by the relative inactivity of individuals and at the same time by the large number of populations and wide distribution throughout Europe. It seems that the study of populations of these mollusks living in various landscapes will provide a clearer picture of the state of the environment, and, in addition, will add to the range of data on microevolutionary processes currently occurring. Goal of the work. Comparison of intrapopulation variability molluscs of the family Buliminidae living on the territory Uzbekistan.

Agromorphological Purification of Farmer’s Seeds and Diversity of Corchorus olitorius Linn.

Corchorus olitorius is commonly cultivated by household women for livelihood in Togo. No database has been found for gene bank tractability in Togo. This study aims to contribute to a better knowledge of diversity in C. olitorius from Togo, thereby developing a database information on this neglected crop. Twenty-seven accessions were collected in the 5 ecological regions in Togo, on which experiments were conducted. First experiment was an accession purification in order to access pure genotypes, second experiment was an Agro-morphological characterization to give an identity to each genotype. RCBD design was considered with 3 replications and repeated in two ecological zones in Togo. The results showed accessions A24, A25 and A26 to be of pure source, other accessions were a mixed of genotypes. Qualitative data identified polymorphic characters among the genotypes, leaf margin was serrate (92.31%) or dentate (7.69%), with a Lanceolate or Ovate leaf shape, and a glossy (53.85%) and matte leaf surface (46.15%). Leaf colour were green (53.85%), dark green (38.46%), and light green (7.69%)); branching habits were either predominantly primary (92.31%) or predominantly secondary (7.69%). Five main clusters were structured from quantitative characters. Cluster II comprises only genotype1, which genetic distance is significantly isolated from other genotypes, this could be a good candidate for genetic improvement with genotypes from other clusters. The abstract should be concise and informative.

Study on the Diversity of Genotypic Varieties of Durum Wheat (Triticum Durum Desf.) In the Sub-Humid Region of El Harrouch, Algeria

The study on the yield parameters and the morpho-biometric characterization of twenty genotypic varieties of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) was carried out in the sub-humid region of El Harrouch of Algeria. A descriptive sheet according to the recommendations of UPOV (2014-2017) and the calculation of the Shannon and Weaver diversity index was prepared with 27 qualitative characters and one quantitative character relating to the different parts of the ear. The yield parameters, such as number of plants/m2, herbaceous tillers, ear tillers, number of ears/m2, number of grains/ear, weight of 1000 grains, grains yield, harvest index, areal biomass, economic yield and straw yield showed a great diversity among these varieties. The Shannon and Weaver index (H') revealed a great diversity of all the studied genotypes (H'=0.52). The high polymorphic characters were the shape of the shoulder of the lower glume (H'=1), the curvature of the beak of the lower glume (H'=0.9), the length of the rachis of the ear (H'=0.87), the disposition barbs (H'=0.86), the length of the hairs of the grain brush (H'=0.84), the hairiness of the first article of the rachis of the ear (H'=0.84) and the length of the first article of the ear (H'=0.81). Based on study result, the varieties suitable to this agro-ecological conditions could be chosen for this region. It is concluded that the creation of descriptive sheets, the knowledge of production and adaptation parameters could be considered as precursors of high yield for economic needs and mastery of production techniques in improvement programs. J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2023, 9(1): 41-60

Genetic Diversity of Circumsporozoite Surface Protein of Plasmodium vivax from the Central Highlands, Vietnam.

The circumsporozoite surface protein of Plasmodium vivax (PvCSP) plays a critical role in parasite biology. It has been extensively studied as a leading vivax-malaria-vaccine candidate. In this study, the genetic polymorphism and natural selection of pvcsp in P. vivax isolates collected from the Central Highlands, Vietnam were analyzed to understand the genetic structure of the parasite circulating in the endemic area and to provide baseline information for effective vaccine development based on the protein. Only two major alleles, VK210 and VK247, were detected in Vietnamese pvcsp, with VK247 being the predominant one. The N-terminal and C-terminal regions of Vietnamese VK210 and VK247 variants showed a low genetic diversity. Amino acid substitutions, insertions of a single amino acid or octapeptide (ANKKAEDA in VK210 and ANKKAGDA in VK247), and tetrapeptide repeat motifs (GGNA) were the main factors generating genetic diversity in the two regions of the Vietnamese VK210 and VK247 variants. Interestingly, these two regions of Vietnamese pvcsp displayed a unique natural selection pressure distinct from global pvcsp, particularly with the neighboring Southeast Asian pvcsp population. Meanwhile, the central repeat region (CRR) in both the VK210 and VK247 variants showed a high degree of polymorphic characters, caused by varying numbers, types, and combinations of peptide repeat motifs (PRMs) in Vietnamese pvcsp. Highly complicated polymorphic patterns of the CRR were also detected in global pvcsp. These results expand our understanding of the genetic structure of Vietnamese pvcsp and the population dynamics of P. vivax in the Central Highlands, Vietnam.

Taxonomic revision of Chinemys pani (Testudines: Geoemydidae) from the Pleistocene of Taiwan and its implications of conservation paleobiology.

Proper taxonomic identification is critical to our understanding of biodiversity and the underlying evolutionary history. Here we re-examine the cast of the holotype of Chinemys pani, a geoemydid turtle from the Pleistocene of Taiwan; the actual specimen was not curated appropriately after the original publication and was most likely lost. Our results provide substantial evidence to show that Chinemys pani should be identified as Mauremys reevesii. The replica, though not ideal, preserves various morphological features that allow reliable taxonomic identification of Mauremys reevesii, including the presence of three longitudinal keels on the carapace, the second to sixth neural bones anteriorly short-sided, and the lack of a movable plastral hinge. In addition, we also confirm that the original diagnostic features that established the new taxon: Chinemys pani - are polymorphic characters of Mauremys reevesii. Our taxonomic revision of a Pleistocene geoemydid turtle from Taiwan confirms the existence of the Pleistocene Mauremys reevesii. More importantly, this study offers new insights into the origin of modern biodiversity in Taiwan and gives a straightforward example of how fossils can be applied to conservation policies.

The configuration of the variant characters of the vowers’ names in the Houma Covenant

Variability and complexity are the most significant features of the characters between the Spring and Autumn and Warring States eras. A large number of polymorphous materials and the configuration details of Spring and Autumn characters had emerged by the time of the excavation of the Houma Covenant. These data make us realize that the heteromorphic characters also exist in the same area of a country, and also let us know that some glyphs can help us to periodize the date of the characters. The configuration and style of names in the Spring and Autumn Period, the phenomenon of polymorphic characters in the Houma Covenant, and the characteristics of the chronological structure of the characters of the names of vowers in the Houma Covenant are the centerpiece of this paper based on 10 vowers’ names.

Dental polymorphisms inCrocidura(Soricomorpha: Soricidae) and evolutionary diversification of crocidurine shrew dentition

AbstractThe upper dentition of Crocidura exhibits polymorphic characters that were revealed for the first time in this study via high-resolution X-ray computed microtomography. Our analyses of 11 Crocidura species and selected Diplomesodon, Suncus and Sylvisorex species from different geographical regions and size groups revealed the most complex character states of upper dentition in the Ethiopian endemic species Crocidura yaldeni. A three-dimensionally based geometric morphometric analysis revealed the dependence of variation in skull muzzle shape on alterations in general upper dentition, such as a reduction in the number of antemolars. Principal components analysis revealed highly significant shape alterations and morphological trajectories in C. yaldeni (and more moderate ones in Suncus murinus) toward the Sorex-like morphotype in the outgroup, and less significant shape alterations in Crocidura obscurior, Crocidura phanluongi and Crocidura sapaensis with double-rooted third antemolar. Cladistic analysis based on a new data matrix for 20 species and 46 characters allowed us to determine the directions of the morphological trajectories: the apomorphic state of the most complex antemolars of C. yaldeni is associated with deviating skull muzzle shape changes, which we determined to be attributable to neomorphosis, and the less significant alterations in the shape of other Crocidura with complex antemolars are attributable to regional adaptation.

Keragaman genotipik entok (Cairina moschata) berdasarkan polimorfisme protein darah

<p class="MDPI17abstract"><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study was to identified genetic diversity of muscovy duck in Central Java through blood protein polymorphisms by using electrophoresis method.</p><p class="MDPI17abstract"><strong>Methods: </strong>Blood sample was collected from a total of 60 muscovy ducks from the districts of Demak, Magelang and Pekalongan, 20 samples each. The Electrophoresis Polyacrylamide Gel of Electrophoresis–Thin Layer Electrophoresis (PAGE-TLE) was used in this study. Parameters observed were protein of albumin (Alb), ceruloplasmin (Cp), transferrin (Tf) and amylase-I (Am-I). Gene frequency, heterozygosity (Ho) and genetic distance were analyzed by using DISPAN program.<strong></strong></p><p class="MDPI17abstract"><strong>Results</strong><strong>: </strong>The results showed that the Alb, Cp, Tf and Am-I of muscovy duck showing polymorphic characters. Gene frequency of Alb<sup>B</sup> (0.61) was higher compared to Alb<sup>A</sup> (0.39). Gene frequency of Cp<sup>A</sup> (0.62) was higher than the Cp<sup>B</sup> (0.38). Furthermore, gene frequency of Tf<sup>A</sup> and Tf<sup>B</sup> were 0.32 and 0.68, respectively as well as gene frequency of Am-I<sup>A</sup> (0.82) was higher than Am-I<sup>B</sup> (0.18). Muscovy duck population of Demak showed higher Ho value for Alb and Am-I, whereas Magelang showed higher value for Cp and Tf. Population of muscovy duck of Demak showed closer genetic distance to Pekalongan than Magelang.<strong></strong></p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The protein blood locus of three population of muscovy duck in Central Jawa showed polymorphic characters.

Polymorphic Characterization, Pharmacokinetics, and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Ginsenoside Compound K Polymorphs.

Polymorphism exhibits different physicochemical properties, which can impact the bioavailability and bioactivity of solid drugs. This study focused on identifying the polymorphs of ginsenoside compound K (CK) and studying their different behaviors in pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Four CK polymorphs (form I, II, III, and IV) from organic solvents were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). A feasible LC-MS/MS method was exploited to determine the PK parameters. Form II displayed the most exposure, followed by form I, III, and IV. Notably, all forms showed sex dimorphism, and the bioavailability in the female group was about two-fold higher than in the male group. The PD properties were investigated in carrageenan-induced acute paw inflammation, and form II at 20 mg/kg showed significant inhibition of edema by 42.7%. This study clarified the polymorphic, PK, and PD characters of four crystal forms of CK, and the data suggested that form II had the best efficacy for drug development.

Biometric approach applied to soybean genotypes cultivated in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The study had the purpose to evidence the agronomic performance, inter-relations of characters and the multivariate differentiation of soybean genotypes cultivated in the preferential season, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In the crops season of 2017/2018, The experimental design was the completely randomized blocks, being 25 genotypes with three replicates. The data obtained was submitted to presuppositions based on normality and homogeneity of residual variances, variance analysis, Tocher method, Euclidian algorithm, linear correlations, relative contribution of characters by Singh and artificial neural networks. The agronomic performance of the genotypes presents superior seeds yield per plant through the elevated magnitude of reproductive nodes, legumes and seeds per plant. The plant height of the soybean is positively associated with the number of total nodes and reproductive nodes in the main stem and branches, where they are directly linked with the soybean productive potential. The most polymorphic characters correspond to the number and mass of thousand seeds, being possible to differentiate in a multivariate way the soybean genotypes though the similarity profiles.

Incorporating Hierarchical Characters into Phylogenetic Analysis.

Popular optimality criteria for phylogenetic trees focus on sequences of characters that are applicable to all the taxa. As studies grow in breadth, it can be the case that some characters are applicable for a portion of the taxa and inapplicable for others. Past work has explored the limitations of treating inapplicable characters as missing data, noting that this strategy may favor trees where internal nodes are assigned impossible states, where the arrangement of taxa within subclades is unduly influenced by variation in distant parts of the tree, and/or where taxa that otherwise share most primary characters are grouped distantly. Approaches that avoid the first two problems have recently been proposed. Here, we propose an alternative approach which avoids all three problems. We focus on data matrices that use reductive coding of traits, that is, explicitly incorporate the innate hierarchy induced by inapplicability, and as such our approach extend to hierarchical characters, in general. In the spirit of maximum parsimony, the proposed criterion seeks the phylogenetic tree with the minimal changes across any tree branch, but where changes are defined in terms of dissimilarity metrics that weigh the effects of inapplicable characters. The approach can accommodate binary, multistate, ordered, unordered, and polymorphic characters. We give a polynomial-time algorithm, inspired by Fitch's algorithm, to score trees under a family of dissimilarity metrics, and prove its correctness. We show that the resulting optimality criteria is computationally hard, by reduction to the NP-hardness of the maximum parsimony optimality criteria. We demonstrate our approach using synthetic and empirical data sets and compare the results with other recently proposed methods for choosing optimal phylogenetic trees when the data includes hierarchical characters. [Character optimization, dissimilarity metrics, hierarchical characters, inapplicable data, phylogenetic tree search.].

Genetic polymorphism of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea and global comparative analysis

BackgroundPlasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) is a potential malaria vaccine candidate, but various polymorphisms of the pfcsp gene among global P. falciparum population become the major barrier to the effectiveness of vaccines. This study aimed to investigate the genetic polymorphisms and natural selection of pfcsp in Bioko and the comparison among global P. falciparum population.MethodsFrom January 2011 to December 2018, 148 blood samples were collected from P. falciparum infected Bioko patients and 96 monoclonal sequences of them were successfully acquired and analysed with 2200 global pfcsp sequences mined from MalariaGEN Pf3k Database and NCBI.ResultsIn Bioko, the N-terminus of pfcsp showed limited genetic variations and the numbers of repetitive sequences (NANP/NVDP) were mainly found as 40 (35%) and 41 (34%) in central region. Most polymorphic characters were found in Th2R/Th3R region, where natural selection (p > 0.05) and recombination occurred. The overall pattern of Bioko pfcsp gene had no obvious deviation from African mainland pfcsp (Fst = 0.00878, p < 0.05). The comparative analysis of Bioko and global pfcsp displayed the various mutation patterns and obvious geographic differentiation among populations from four continents (p < 0.05). The global pfcsp C-terminal sequences were clustered into 138 different haplotypes (H_1 to H_138). Only 3.35% of sequences matched 3D7 strain haplotype (H_1).ConclusionsThe genetic polymorphism phenomena of pfcsp were found universal in Bioko and global isolates and the majority mutations located at T cell epitopes. Global genetic polymorphism and geographical characteristics were recommended to be considered for future improvement of malaria vaccine design.

Research of Mating System in Tupaia belangeri by Microsatellite DNA Markers

Mating system of a population refers to the general behavioral strategies which employed in obtaining mates. In order to investigate the genetic parentage of 151 individuals in Tupaia belangeri from Haikou Forest Farm, 8 microsatellite loci with higher polymorphic characters were used for genetic relationship analysis. The results showed that the number of alleles per polymorphic locus in 151 individuals ranged from 2 to 9. The average observed and expected heterozygosities per locus ranged from 0.2476 to 0.8367 and from 0.2789 to 0.7773, respectively. While the polymorphic information content ranged from 0.2469 to 0.7773. Except the locus (TBC1) deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, the others 7 microsatellite loci were employed to research the mating system in T. belangeri, which found that non-strictly monogamous in T. belangeri, but exhibited evidence of multiple paternity. All of the results suggested that characteristics of 8 microsatellite loci provide an excellent tool for the research of mating systems and fine-scaled population structuring of tree shrew, which was the first molecular evidence for mating system in T. belangeri.

Genetic polymorphism of merozoite surface protein-3 in Myanmar Plasmodium falciparum field isolates

BackgroundPlasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-3 (PfMSP-3) is a target of naturally acquired immunity against P. falciparum infection and is a promising vaccine candidate because of its critical role in the erythrocyte invasion of the parasite. Understanding the genetic diversity of pfmsp-3 is important for recognizing genetic nature and evolutionary aspect of the gene in the natural P. falciparum population and for designing an effective vaccine based on the antigen.MethodsBlood samples collected from P. falciparum-infected patients in Naung Cho and Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar, in 2015 were used in this study. The pfmsp-3 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, cloned, and sequenced. Genetic polymorphism and natural selection of Myanmar pfmsp-3 were analysed using the programs DNASTAR, MEGA6, and DnaSP 5.10.00. Genetic diversity and natural selection of the global pfmsp-3 were also comparatively analysed.ResultsMyanmar pfmsp-3 displayed 2 different alleles, 3D7 and K1. The 3D7 allelic type was predominant in the population, but genetic polymorphism was less diverse than for the K1 allelic type. Polymorphic characters in both allelic types were caused by amino acid substitutions, insertions, and deletions. Amino acid substitutions were mainly occurred at the alanine heptad repeat domains, whereas most insertions and deletions were found at the glutamate rich domain. Overall patterns of amino acid polymorphisms detected in Myanmar pfmsp-3 were similar in the global pfmsp-3 population, but novel amino acid changes were observed in Myanmar pfmsp-3 with low frequencies. Complicated patterns of natural selection and recombination events were predicted in the global pfmsp-3, which may act as major driving forces to maintain and generate genetic diversity of the global pfmsp-3 population.ConclusionGlobal pfmsp-3 revealed genetic polymorphisms, suggesting that the functional and structural consequences of the polymorphisms should be considered in designing a vaccine based on PfMSP-3. Further examination of genetic diversity of pfmsp-3 in the global P. falciparum population is necessary to gain in-depth insight for the population structure and evolutionary aspect of global pfmsp-3.

Taxonomic value of the petiole anatomy in the genus &lt;i&gt;Cinnamomum&lt;/i&gt; (Lauraceae) found in Sri Lanka

We assessed the petiole anatomy of 8 species of Sri Lankan Cinnamomum (C. capparu-coronde, C. citriodorum, C. dubium, C. litseaefolium, C. ovalifolium, C. rivulorum and C. sinharajaense and C. verum) belonging to the family Lauraceae using light microscopy in the petiole anatomy for identification and classification of species. This is the first report on comprehensive petiole anatomy in Cinnamomum species. The distinctive, important and key taxonomic characteristics of the petiole include the shape and outline of the petiole, the presence of winged extensions, surface grooves on upper surface, presence or absence of trichomes, structure of vascular bundle and stone cell characters (shape, structure, pits and fissure size). These identified petiole characters provide the additional information for the identification of Cinnamomum species. Almost all the characters studied had little difference within a species but vary among the species. However, shape of epidermal cells was relatively constant for all species. All polymorphic characters were used for Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and species were divided into three main clusters. The PCA revealed that acicular crystals, cluster of crystals, trichomes and trichome abundance contribute to the first component that account for 31.76% total variance. Shape of the petiole, upper surface wings and raphides are the major loading characters to the second component. Therefore, anatomical structures of the petiole are useful in the identification and may help for crop improvement, conservation, management and future usefulness of germplasm resources of Cinnamomum species. Keywords. Cinnamomum, Lauraceae, PCA, petiole anatomy, taxonomy

Unravelling the genes forming the wing pattern supergene in the polymorphic butterfly Heliconius numata

BackgroundUnravelling the genetic basis of polymorphic characters is central to our understanding of the origins and diversification of living organisms. Recently, supergenes have been implicated in a wide range of complex polymorphisms, from adaptive colouration in butterflies and fish to reproductive strategies in birds and plants. The concept of a supergene is now a hot topic in biology, and identification of its functional elements is needed to shed light on the evolution of highly divergent adaptive traits. Here, we apply different gene expression analyses to study the supergene P that controls polymorphism of mimetic wing colour patterns in the neotropical butterfly Heliconius numata.ResultsWe performed de novo transcriptome assembly and differential expression analyses using high-throughput Illumina RNA sequencing on developing wing discs of different H. numata morphs. Within the P interval, 30 and 17 of the 191 transcripts were expressed differentially in prepupae and day-1 pupae, respectively. Among these is the gene cortex, known to play a role in wing pattern formation in Heliconius and other Lepidoptera. Our in situ hybridization experiments confirmed the relationship between cortex expression and adult wing patterns.ConclusionsThis study found the majority of genes in the P interval to be expressed in the developing wing discs during the critical stages of colour pattern formation, and detect drastic changes in expression patterns in multiple genes associated with structural variants. The patterns of expression of cortex only partially recapitulate the variation in adult phenotype, suggesting that the remaining phenotypic variation could be controlled by other genes within the P interval. Although functional studies on cortex are now needed to determine its exact developmental role, our results are in accordance with the classical supergene hypothesis, whereby several genes inherited together due to tight linkage control a major developmental switch.

Diagnostic Petiole Anatomical Characters and their Systematc Importance in eighteen (18) species of the genus Tephrosia PERS (fabaceae) found in Nigeria

A comprehensive systematic investigation on diagnostic petiole characters of eighteen species of Tephrosia, from family Fabaceae, tribe Milleteae. It habits the fringes often forests, and abandoned, and wastelands. A total of nine diagnostic polymorphic characters were observed, photographed, assessed,scoredand coded as Data matrix for quantitative statistical treatment. The 9 characters codes include PSY, POL, PVS, PPT, and PTE. others include PTA, PTO, PTC, and PTB. Principal Components Analysis (PC) and Cluster Analysis were carried out. Four PC were identified and Cluster analysis indicates twelve hierarchies.

Toll-like receptor polymorphism in host immune response to infectious diseases: A review.

Immunopolymorphism is considered as an important aspect behind the resistance or susceptibility of the host to an infectious disease. Over the years, researchers have explored many genetic factors for their role in immune surveillance against infectious diseases. Polymorphic characters in the gene encoding Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play profound roles in inducing differential immune responses by the host against parasitic infections. Protein(s) encoded by TLR gene(s) are immensely important due to their ability of recognizing different types of pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). This study reviews the polymorphic residues present in the nucleotide or in the amino acid sequence of TLRs and their influence on alteration of inflammatory signalling pathways promoting either susceptibility or resistance to major infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, malaria and filariasis. Population-based studies exploring TLR polymorphisms in humans are primarily emphasized to discuss the association of the polymorphic residues with the occurrence and epidemiology of the mentioned infectious diseases. Principal polymorphic residues in TLRs influencing immunity to infection are mostly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). I602S (TLR1), R677W (TLR2), P554S (TLR3), D299G (TLR4), F616L (TLR5), S249P (TLR6), Q11L (TLR7), M1V (TLR8), G1174A (TLR9) and G1031T (TLR10) are presented as the major influential SNPs in shaping immunity to pathogenic infections. The contribution of these SNPs in the structure-function relationship of TLRs is yet not clear. Therefore, molecular studies on such polymorphisms can improve our understanding on the genetic basis of the immune response and pave the way for therapeutic intervention in a more feasible way.