Can the occurrence of rare insertion/deletion polymorphisms in human mtDNA be verified from phylogeny?

Due to its specific characteristics, such as maternal inheritance and absence of recombination, each mtDNA belongs to certain monophyletic clade in the rooted mtDNA tree (haplogroup) according to the mutations it harbors. Rare mutation (excluding parallel mutation) occurring at multiple times in different haplogroups could thus be a potential reading error according to the mtDNA phylogeny. This experience has been widely used in double-checking the credibility of the rare mutations in human mtDNA sequences. However, no test has been performed so far for the feasibility of applying this strategy to the rare insertion/deletion (indel) events in mtDNA sequences. In this study, we attempted to relate the rare indels in mtDNAs to their haplogroup status in a total of 2352 individuals from 50 populations in China. Our results show that the insertion of A at position 16259 is restricted to a subclade of haplogroup C and can be verified. The other indel polymorphisms, which occur in the repeat of the deleted or inserted nucleotide(s), may not be distinguished from phantom mutations from a phylogenetic point of view. Independently and multiply sequencing the fragment with the indel is the best and the most reliable way for confirmation.

Bunga rus bunga roides , A Record New to China ( Xizang AR) with a Note on Trimeresurus tibeta nus( Plate Ⅵ, lower)

1998 年在西藏墨脱县海拔1000 m 左右地方采到成年雌性环蛇1 号, 系我国新纪录。该蛇全长/ 尾长(mm) 1095/ 112 (尾尖断) 。通身背面黑褐色, 后3/ 4 有由背鳞白色点斑缀成的窄横纹约40 个; 腹面浅黑 色, 每隔3 或4 枚腹鳞有不规则的黄白色横斑。尾背有少数不完整的白色纹, 但尾腹面有7 条很明显的横斑。头 部斑纹与M. Smith (1943 : 410) 描述一致, 可能由于蛇龄较老而不清晰。背鳞通身15 行, 脊鳞略扩大; 腹鳞 233 , 尾下鳞35 (略低于文献记载的44～51 , 可能与尾尖断有关) , 除前端第三、四两枚成单外, 其余均成对。 没有颊鳞; 眶前鳞1 , 眶后鳞2 ; 颞鳞1 + 2 ; 上唇鳞7 (22223 式) ; 下唇鳞7 , 第一对在颏鳞后彼此相接, 前4 对 接前颔片; 前颔片大于后颔片, 后者后半介一小鳞。检查一侧, 除前沟牙及其预备牙外, 没有发现其他上颌齿。

Microrasbora Annandale, a new genus record in China, with description of a new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

A new species of genus Microrasbora Annandale (1918), M. microphthalma, is described from the Nanwan River, a tributary of the Ruili River, Irrawaddy drainage, in southwest Yunnan province, China. This new species is the first record of the genus Microras

Two new species and a new record of the genus Sinogastromyzon (Teleostei: Balitoridae) from Yunnan, China

Two new species and a new record of Sinogastromyzon are described from Lixianjiang River of Yunnan province, China. Sinogastromyzon lixianjiangensis, new species, can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: pectoral fin with XIII-XIV, 15-17 rays; pelvic fin with X-XI, 10-12 rays; 60-65 lateral-line scales; no scales on the dorsum of paired fins or the region between axilla of pectoral fin and pelvic-fin origin; tip of pelvic fin close to anus; tip of anal fin close to caudal-fin base; anal-fin origin nearer to the caudal-fin base than to the posterior pelvic-fin base; anus nearer to anal-fin origin than to the posterior pelvic-fin base; dorsal side of the body with 9-11 black blotches. Sinogastromyzon macrostoma, new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: pectoral fin with XII-XIV, 12-15 rays; pelvic fin with VII-IX, 11-13 rays; 48-56 lateral-line scales; mouth extremely big, slightly arched; no scales on the dorsum of paired fins or the region between axilla of pectoral fin and pelvic-fin origin; tip of pelvic fin far beyond anus; tip of anal fin far from caudal-fin base; anal-fin origin about midway between the posterior pelvic-fin base and caudal-fin base; anus nearer to posterior pelvic-fin base than to anal-fin origin; dorsal side of the body uniformly gray, without regular blotches in formalin preserved specimen. Sinogastromyzon cf. multiocellum is firstly recorded in China.

Co-occurrence of A1555G and G11778A in a Chinese family with high penetrance of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy

Co-occurrence of double pathogenic mtDNA mutations with different claimed pathological roles in one mtDNA is infrequent. It is tentative to believe that each of these pathogenic mutations would have its own deleterious effect. Here we reported one three-g

Agyrius watanabeorum Ishikawa, a New Record Genus and Species from China and Vietnam(Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

瓦氏阿猎蝽Agyrius watanabeorum 为日本半翅目学者石川忠2002 年根据采自泰国北部的标本所命 名，其描记较为详细，配有正模的整体黑白照片和部分特征图，但对该种的阳茎结构没有提及。在研 究中国和越南的猎蝽时，我们发现了该种。本文中我们重新描述了瓦氏阿猎蝽，绘制了较详细的整体 图和局部特征图。阿猎蝽属Agyrius Stål, 1863 为中国和越南的新记录属，瓦氏阿猎蝽Agyrius watanabeorum Ishikawa, 2002 为中国和越南的新记录种；其在中国和越南的分布也是该属种最北的分布 记录。

First report of two Balantidium species from the Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus: Balantidium sinensis Nie 1935 and Balantidium andianusis n. sp.

Two ciliated protozoa, Balantidium sinensis Nie 1935 and Balantidium andianusi n. sp., were isolated from the feces of a wild Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) captured from the mountainous area of Shiyan, Hubei Province, Central China in October 2006. It is the first report of Balantidium species inhabiting Cryptobranchoidea amphibians. The occurrence of B. sinensis in A. davidianus should be a new record because the type specimens were first discovered and named by Nie in 1935 from Rana nigromaculata and Rana plancyi. For the lack of enough descriptions of taxonomic features in the previous report, it was re-described in detail and compared with Nie's type specimens and B. giganteum to complete the morphological descriptions in the present work. B. andianusi n. sp. was considered to be a new species based on its unique morphological characteristics, especially the high length/width ratio of the vestibulum (8:1). Comparisons were also made among Balantidium species that were found from urodele amphibians.

Occurrence of Camallanus cotti in greatly diverse fish species from Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China

Two thousand four hundred fifty-eight fish comprised of 53 species were captured in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, in the northwestern part of Hubei Province, central China during 2004, to examine Camallanus cotti infections. We found that 19 cypriniform, 3 siluriforme, and 4 perciforme fishes were infected by the nematode. Our study revealed the species, Hemiculter bleekeri bleekeri, Culter oxycephaloide, Pseudolaubuca sinensis, Acanthobrama simony, Mylopharyngodon piceus, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Gnathopogon imberbis, G. argentatus, Saurogobio dabryi, S. dumerili, Gobiobotia ichangensis, Liobagrus marginatoides, and Ctenogobius shennongensis as new hosts of the worm. The number and range of fish host species found in this survey were much greater than any of the previous investigations. The mean prevalence, prevalence, mean abundance, and intensity of infection varied in different fish species, indicating a possible host preference. Moreover, we suggest that this nematode is a native parasite of cypriniform fishes in China, perhaps initially in the reaches of the Yangtze River.

Redescription of Trypanosoma ophiocephali Chen 1964 (Kinetoplastida : Trypanosomatina : Trypanosomatidae) and first record from the blood of dark sleeper (Odontobutis obscura Temminck and Schlegel) in China

During the parasite fauna investigation within 2004 and 2005, the freshwater fish trypanosomes were isolated from the blood of dark sleeper (Odontobutis obscura Temminck and Schlegel) and snakehead fish (Ophiocephalus argus Cantor) from Niushan Lake, Hubei Province, China. Blood trypomastigotes were used for light microscopy investigations. The detailed descriptions of three morphological groups of the genus Trypanosoma: Trypanosoma sp. I and Trypanosoma sp. II found in blood of O. obscura, and Trypanosoma sp. III found in blood of O. argus were provided. Morphological features and host species show Trypanosoma sp. III belong to Trypanosoma ophiocephali Chen 1964, an incompletely described species. Infection with trypanosomes of O. obscura was recorded for the first time. According to the size and appearance, the trypanosomes in O. obscura were also tentatively identified as T. ophiocephali Chen 1964.