Larval development of Apiomithrax violaceus (A. Milne Edwards, 1868) (Decapoda : Brachyura : Majoidea : Pisidae) reared in laboratory conditions, and a review of larval characters of Pisidae

Apiomithrax violaceus (A. Milne Edwards, 1868 ) is a pisid majoid crab occurring in tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the eastern and western South Atlantic. Larval development consists of two zoeal stages and a megalopa. Beginning with the first zoea, the duration of each larval stage at 24degreesC was 3-8 (5+/-1), 3-5 (4+/-0.5) and 9-15 (11+/-2) days, the megalopa and first crab instar appearing 9-11 (10+/-1) and 20-27 (23+/-2) days after hatching, respectively. Larval characters agree with those proposed for the Majoidea, in having nine or more setae on the scaphognathite in the first zoea and well-developed pleopods in the second zoea. However, larvae of A . violaceus do not fit larval pisid features. Zoeal stages differ from most other Pisidae in having lateral spines, a long rostral spine extending beyond the antenna, two spines per telson fork and a dorsolateral process on the third abdominal somite. The megalopa differs in having a spine dorsally on the carapace and on the basial segment of the second pereiopod. Two characters that are potentially unique to Apiomithrax include a zoeal antenna with an exopod that is much longer than the protopod, and a rostral spine that is longer than the dorsal spine. These characters should facilitate the identification of this taxon and could also be useful for phylogenetic studies. A review of larvae of 28 species among 14 genera indicated that there is no apparent single larval character that differentiates the Pisidae, with more limited phylogenetic analyses suggesting that this is a paraphyletic group. Apiomithrax , Eurynolambrus , Pisoides , Rochinia and Scyra have the most divergent morphological characters within the family. The analysis and inclusion of additional taxa is likely to shed more light on the sister-group relationships of the Pisidae. However, based on the extent of morphological interspecific variability of known larvae it is likely that the group, as presently defined by adult morphology, is not monophyletic.

Morfoanatomia e ontogênese da sâmara de Pterocarpus violaceus Vogel (Fabaceae: Faboideae)

Neste trabalho, os frutos e sementes de P. violaceus foram descritos morfoanatômica e ontogeneticamente, visando a verificar a origem da ala pericárpica e checar a ocorrência de poliembrionia, previamente descrita para outros gêneros da tribo Dalbergieae. Observouse que o fruto é uma sâmara circular, de aspecto glabro e que a semente possui alguns caracteres típicos de Faboideae, especialmente os relacionados ao hilo. Foram caracterizados atomicamente seis estádios de desenvolvimento. A ala pericárpica origina-se da parede ovariana, por extensões dorso-ventral, apical e basal, produzindo uma estrutura achatada. Não foi possível encontrar poliembrionia, mesmo analisando-se grande número de sementes. Pôde-se também concluir que, no que se refere à estrutura do fruto, P. violaceus é filogeneticamente derivada com relação às outras espécies de Dalbergieae já registradas na literatura, devido à presença de fusão dos feixes ventrais do carpelo.

Petalostemon violaceus - Prunella incisa - Tritoma uvaria - Lavendel - Lavendula vera

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A comparative study of rhodopsin function in the great bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis): spectral tuning and light-activated kinetics

Rhodopsin is the visual pigment responsible for initiating the phototransduction cascade in vertebrate rod photoreceptors. Although well-characterized in a few model systems, comparative studies of rhodopsin function, particularly for non-mammalian vertebrates are comparatively lacking. Bowerbirds are rare among passerines in possessing a key substitution, D83N, at a site that is otherwise highly conserved among G protein-coupled receptors. While this substitution is present in some dim-light adapted vertebrates, often accompanying another unusual substitution, A292S, its functional relevance in birds is uncertain. To investigate functional effects associated with these two substitutions, we use the rhodopsin gene from the great bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis) as a background for site-directed mutagenesis, in vitro expression and functional characterization. We also mutated these sites in two additional rhodopsins that do not naturally possess N83, chicken and bovine, for comparison. Both sites were found to contribute to spectral blue-shifts, but had opposing effects on kinetic rates. Substitutions at site 83 were found to primarily affect the kinetics of light-activated rhodopsin, while substitutions at site 292 had a larger impact on spectral tuning. The contribution of substitutions at site 83 to spectral tuning in particular depended on genetic background, but overall, the effects of substitutions were otherwise surprisingly additive, and the magnitudes of functional shifts were roughly similar across all three genetic backgrounds. By employing a comparative approach with multiple species, our study provides new insight into the joint impact of sites 83 and 292 on rhodopsin structure-function as well as their evolutionary significance for dim-light vision across vertebrates.

Diversity and Distribution of Conidae from the TamilNadu Coast of India (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda: Conidae)

A survey of the marine gastropod genus Conus Linnaeus was conducted along the TamilNadu Coast of India to explore the regional geographic distribution and diversity. The 60 species observed increased the number of Indian Conidae from 77 to 81. Conus imperialis Linne, C. mitratus Hwass in Bruguiere, C. striolatus Kiener and C. violaceus Gmelin are newly recorded from the study area. Conus amadis Gmelin was the most widely distributed species. The highest diversity (48 species) occurred in the Gulf of Mannar, followed by 22 species from northern, six from southern, and five from the Palk Bay regions. We suggest that the rich diversity recorded in the Gulf of Mannar reflects the physical conditions, microhabitats and required resources such as food and shelter that favour the occurrence of the large number of Conus species.

华东地区木材腐朽菌多样性与资源研究

木材腐朽菌是生物多样性的重要组成部分，在森林生态系统中起着关键的降解还原作用；同时，木材腐朽菌还是重要的生物资源，与人类的生产与生活密切相关，具有重要的经济价值。因此，木腐菌一直是真菌研究的重点领域之一，然而过去对华东地区木腐菌的研究还非常薄弱，对华东地区木腐菌的种类和资源还缺乏清晰的认识。本文对华东地区不同森林生态类型中的木腐菌进行了广泛的调查采样，通过形态学、分子系统学和单孢融合交配实验，对华东地区的木腐菌多样性与资源进行了系统的研究，同时对具有重要经济意义和潜在应用价值的种类进行了菌种的分离保藏，并初步分析了华东地区木腐菌的区系特点。通过本论文的研究，提高了对华东地区木腐菌资源与多样性的认识，丰富了我国木材腐朽菌的种类，为控制林木病原菌、开发利用有益真菌资源提供了基本信息和科学依据。本论文的主要研究结论如下： 1．华东地区的木腐菌有3目13科92属270种，其中真菌新种6个，分别是：铁杉集毛孔菌Coltricia tsugicola Y.C. Dai & B.K. Cui，香榧嗜蓝孢孔菌Fomitiporia torreyae Y.C. Dai & B.K. Cui，拟囊状体大孔菌Megasporoporia cystidiolophora B.K. Cui & Y.C. Dai，菌索多年卧孔菌Perenniporia rhizomorpha B.K. Cui, Y.C. Dai & Decock，微小硬孔菌Rigidoporus minutus B.K. Cui & Y.C. Dai，浅黄芮氏孔菌Wrightoporia luteola B.K. Cui & Y.C. Dai；中国新记录种9个，分别是：紫多孢孔菌Abundisporus violaceus (Wakef.) Ryvarden，卡玛蜡孔菌Ceriporia camaresiana (Bourdot & Galzin) Bondartsev & Singer，撕裂蜡孔菌Ceriporia lacerata N. Maek., Suhara & R. Kondo，塔斯马尼亚集毛孔菌Coltriciella tasmanica (Cleland & Rodway) D.A. Reid，瑞克纤孔菌Inonotus rickii (Pat.) D.A. Reid，骨质多年卧孔菌Perenniporia minutissima (Yasuda) T. Hatt. & Ryvarden，灰硬孔菌Rigidoporus cinereus Núñez & Ryvarden，凹形栓孔菌Trametes ectypus (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Gilb. & Ryvarden，变形干酪菌Tyromyces transformatus Núñez & Ryvarden。 2．利用分子系统学方法，确定了一些通过形态学研究难以鉴定或容易混淆的种类的分类地位，并对嗜蓝孢孔菌属、彩孔菌属和多年卧孔菌属进行了系统发育分析，发现木腐菌新种3个：Fomitiporia sp.、Hapalopilus sp. 和Perenniporia sp.。 3．华东地区的异担子菌为岛生异担子菌，并且存在两个生物种：T生物种和Y生物种。T生物种为腐生菌，Y生物种为兼性腐生菌，华东地区不存在多年异担子菌这一严重的森林病原菌。 4．华东地区的木腐菌种类丰富，组成复杂多样。优势科为多孔菌科，其次为锈革孔菌科，这两科的种类构成了华东地区木腐菌类区系的主体；优势属主要有多年卧孔菌属、多孔菌属、针层孔菌属和泊氏孔菌属。 4．华东地区木腐菌科的地理成分分为3类：热带亚热带成分，北温带成分和世界广布成分，以世界广布成分为主。属的地理成分分为5类：世界广布属，北温带分布属，热带–亚热带分布属，东亚–北美分布属，大洋洲–北温带分布属，以世界广布属和北温带分布属为主。种的地理成分分为8类：世界广布种，北温带分布成分，泛热带分布成分，亚–欧共有成分，东亚–北美共有成分，东亚–澳大利亚共有成分，东亚成分，中国特有种，以北温带分布种和世界广布种为主。 5．华东地区木腐菌的各主要区系成分均有分布，以世界广布成分和北温带成分为主，表现出明显的北温带性质，可能起源于北半球，华东地区木腐菌类的区系地理成分与其所处的地理位置、气候特点与植物区系的组成密切相关。此外，华东地区的中国特有种类也较为丰富，说明了华东地区木腐菌类的区系具有一定的独特性，也在一定程度上反映了华东地区生态环境条件的特殊性，而木腐菌的生长与环境条件和寄主树木种类有很大的关系。 6．华东地区的木腐菌资源非常丰富，林木病原菌有36种，其中新发现的病原菌有3种；野生的食用木腐菌有11种，野生的药用木腐菌64种，工业用木腐菌有28种。对其中的一种重要经济真菌——黄白多年卧孔菌进行了分离培养，找出了最佳生长条件：最适生长温度为25℃左右，相对最适pH值为5.5，相对最好的碳源为可溶性淀粉和葡萄糖，相对最好的氮源为酵母汁。

Comparative Analysis of Fatty Acid Desaturases in Cyanobacterial Genomes

Fatty acid desaturases are enzymes that introduce double bonds into the hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids. The fatty acid desaturases from 37 cyanobacterial genomes were identified and classified based upon their conserved histidine-rich motifs and phylogenetic analysis, which help to determine the amounts and distributions of desaturases in cyanobacterial species. The filamentous or N-2-fixing cyanobacteria usually possess more types of fatty acid desaturases than that of unicellular species. The pathway of acyl-lipid desaturation for unicellular marine cyanobacteria Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus differs from that of other cyanobacteria, indicating different phylogenetic histories of the two genera from other cyanobacteria isolated from freshwater, soil, or symbiont. Strain Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421 was isolated from calcareous rock and lacks thylakoid membranes. The types and amounts of desaturases of this strain are distinct to those of other cyanobacteria, reflecting the earliest divergence of it from the cyanobacterial line. Three thermophilic unicellular strains, Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 and two Synechococcus Yellowstone species, lack highly unsaturated fatty acids in lipids and contain only one Delta 9 desaturase in contrast with mesophilic strains, which is probably due to their thermic habitats. Thus, the amounts and types of fatty acid desaturases are various among different cyanobacterial species, which may result from the adaption to environments in evolution. Copyright (c) 2008 Xiaoyuan Chi et al.

蓝藻与绿藻类胡萝卜素合成酶基因的比较基因组学及代谢调控研究

类胡萝卜素在生物体内具有重要的生理功能，其中虾青素是一类高附加值值的类胡萝卜素。本文通过比较基因组学和实验手段，探索了类胡萝卜素相关基因的转录调控，为类胡萝卜素的代谢工程奠定的了基础。 1、对已测序的18种蓝藻的类胡萝卜素合成基因进行了比较基因组学研究，发现除了Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421的类胡萝卜素合成途径是细菌型外，其余的蓝藻类胡萝卜合成途径均属于植物型。序列比对发现蓝藻中参与合成途径上游的酶基因在进化中保守性较高。研究还发现，一些类胡萝卜素合成酶在结构和功能上存在趋同或趋异进化，揭示它们进化上的多样性。 2、 通过比较基因组学分析，发现在集胞藻Synechocystis sp.PCC6803等几种蓝藻中，没有典型的番茄红素环化酶基因的同源基因，而存在着与绿硫细菌中的γ-carotene环化酶基因相似的基因,例如集胞藻中的sll0147和sll0659。但是研究结果显示sll0147和sll0659的突变对番茄红素环化过程影响不明显，提示在这些蓝藻中可能有其他基因参与环化过程，而sll0659基因可能参与了细胞的分裂过程。 3、 从经济绿藻雨生红球藻中克隆了参与类胡萝卜素合成途径的八氢番茄红素合成酶基因（psy）和八氢番茄红素脱氢酶基因（pds）的cDNA和基因组序列。通过基因组步移的方法克隆了这两个基因的5’侧翼序列，以本实验室建立的lacZ为报告基因的瞬间表达体系研究了这两个基因上游区域的启动子活性。 4、 通过ABA、 N饥饿和高光诱导雨生红球藻积累虾青素，利用半定量RT-PCR方法分析了在相同环境因子诱导下雨生红球藻中类胡萝卜素合成基因的表达调控模式，结果显示在虾青素积累过程中，除了番茄红素环化酶基因变化不明显，其他一些基因均存在明显的转录上调。 本研究首次利用比较基因组学的方法分析了类胡萝卜素基因的进化，发现大部分蓝藻的类胡萝卜合成途径属于植物型，一些类胡萝卜合成酶存在结构和功能的多样性。同时分离了雨生红球藻中类胡萝卜素相关基因八氢番茄红素合成酶基因（psy）和八氢番茄红素脱氢酶基因（pds）的5’上游侧翼序列，验证了它们的启动子功能，研究了雨生红球藻虾青素合成酶基因在相同环境因子诱导下的表达调控模式。本文将基础研究与实验验证相结合，为下一步研究类胡萝卜素合成的代谢工程提供了线索。

Review and cladistic analysis of the Neotropical tarantula genus Ephebopus Simon 1892 (Araneae : Theraphosidae) with notes on the Aviculariinae

The tarantula genus Ephebopus Simon 1892 is reviewed and includes the type species, E. murinus (Walckenaer 1837), and E. uatuman Lucas, Silva & Bertani 1992, E. cyanognathus West & Marshall 2000, E. rufescens West & Marshall 2000 and Ephebopus foliatus, sp. nov., from Guyana. Ephebopus violaceus Mello-Leitao 1930 is transferred to Tapinauchenius Ausserer, where it is a senior synonym of Tapinauchenius purpureus Schmidt 1995 new synonymy. Ephebopus fossor Pocock 1903 is considered a nomen dubium. Ephebopus occurs in northeastern South America where it is known only from Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Spiders of the genus are generally fossorial; however, Ephebopus murinus has a developmental stage that is arboreal. A cladistic analysis of the Theraphosidae retrieves the Aviculariinae as monophyletic, including Avicularia Lamarck, Iridopelma Pocock 1901, Pachistopelma Pocock 1901, Tapinauchenius, Psalmopoeus Pocock, Ephebopus, Stromatopelma Karsch and Heteroscodra Pocock, having as a synapomorphy the well-developed scopulae on tarsi and metatarsi I-II that is very laterally extended.

Vocal mimicry in male bowerbirds : who learns from whom?

Vocal mimicry is one of the more striking aspects of avian vocalization and is widespread across songbirds. However, little is known about how mimics acquire heterospecific and environmental sounds. We investigated geographical and individual variation in the mimetic repertoires of males of a proficient mimic, the spotted bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus maculatus. Male bower owners shared more of their mimetic repertoires with neighbouring bower owners than with more distant males. However, interbower distance did not explain variation in the highly repeatable renditions given by bower owners of two commonly mimicked species. From the similarity between model and mimic vocalizations and the patterns of repertoire sharing among males, we suggest that the bowerbirds are learning their mimetic repertoire from heterospecifics and not from each other.

Vocal mimicry in spotted bowerbirds is associated with an alarming context

Although the presence of vocal mimicry in songbirds is well documented, the function of such impressive copying is poorly understood. One explanation for mimicry in species that predominantly mimic alarm calls and predator vocal isations is that these birds use mimicry to confuse or deter potential threats or intruders, so these vocalisations should therefore be produced when the mimic is alarmed and be uncommon in other contexts. Male bowerbirds construct bowers to display to females and anecdotal reports from the Ptilonorhynchus genus suggest that males mimic alarm sounds when disturbed at their bowers. We quantified and compared the rate of mimicry during disturbance to the bower by a human and in naturally occurring social contexts in a population of spotted bowerbirds Ptilonorhynchus maculatus. Male bowerbirds produced mimicry more than thirty times more frequently in response to bower disturbance than they did in any other context. Neither conspecifics nor heterospecifics were attracted to the bower area by mimicry. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the production of mimicry is associated with a response to an alarming situation. Additionally, the predominance of alarm mimicry by spotted bowerbirds raises the possibility that the birds learn these sounds when they experience alarming situations and they reproduce them in subsequent alarming situations.

Male great bowerbirds create forced perspective illusions with consistently different individual quality

Males often produce elaborate displays that increase their attractiveness to females, and some species extend their displays to include structures or objects that are not part of their body. Such "extended phenotypes" may communicate information that cannot be transmitted by bodily signals or may provide a more reliable signal than bodily signals. However, it is unclear whether these signals are individually distinct and whether they are consistent over long periods of time. Male bowerbirds construct and decorate bowers that function in mate choice. Bower display courts constructed by male great bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis) induce a visual illusion known as forced perspective for the female viewing the male's display over the court, and the quality of illusion is associated with mating success. We improved the quality of the forced perspective to determine whether males maintained it at the new higher level, decreased the perspective quality back to its original value, or allowed it to decay at random over time. We found that the original perspective quality was actively recovered to individual original values within 3 d.We measured forced perspective over the course of one breeding season and compared the forced perspective of individual males between two successive breeding seasons. We found that differences in the quality of visual illusion among males were consistent within and between two breeding seasons. This suggests that forced perspective is actively and strongly maintained at a different level by each individual male.

Visual effects in great bowerbird sexual displays and their implications for signal design

It is often assumed that the primary purpose of a male's sexual display is to provide information about quality, or to strongly stimulate prospective mates, but other functions of courtship displays have been relatively neglected. Male great bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis) construct bowers that exploit the female's predictable field of view (FOV) during courtship displays by creating forced perspective illusions, and the quality of illusion is a good predictor of mating success. Here, we present and discuss two additional components of male courtship displays that use the female's predetermined viewpoint: (i) the rapid and diverse flashing of coloured objects within her FOV and (ii) chromatic adaptation of the female's eyes that alters her perception of the colour of the displayed objects. Neither is directly related to mating success, but both are likely to increase signal efficacy, and may also be associated with attracting and holding the female's attention. Signal efficacy is constrained by trade-offs between the signal components; there are both positive and negative interactions within multicomponent signals. Important signal components may have a threshold effect on fitness rather than the often assumed linear relationship.

Feeding habits of the blue shark (Prionace glauca) off the coast of Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)