Speciation and Phylogeography of Opsariichthys bidens (Pisces: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in China: Analysis of the Cytochrome b Gene of mtDNA from Diverse Populations

Gao-Yan Li, Xu-Zhen Wang, Ya-Hui Zhao, Jie Zhang, Chun-Guang Zhang, and Shun-Ping He (2009) Speciation and phylogeography of Opsariichthys bidens (Pisces: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in China: analysis of the cytochrome b gene of mtDNA from diverse populations. Zoological Studies 48(4): 569-583. The cyprinid fish Opsariichthys bidens Gunther is distributed in all major river systems of continental East Asia, and represents an attractive model for phylogeographic studies among cyprinid species or within a given species. In this study, we investigated the phylogeographic and demographic history of this species, using partial sequences of the cytochrome (cyt) b gene in mitochondrial (mt)DNA. Fish samples were collected from almost all major river systems where O. bidens is distributed in China. Sequence analysis showed remarkably high polymorphism, with 125 haplotypes in the 234 specimens examined, and with 89.8% of haplotypes occurring in only 1 specimen. A neutrality test indicated that some groups were not at mutation-drift equilibrium, suggesting a past population expansion. These results were supported by a mismatch distribution analysis. Based on our analysis, O. bidens consists of 4 groups belonging to 2 clades. The divergence time of the 2 clades was estimated to be 11.06-8.04 my. This value corresponds to the time of the 2nd uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the emergence of the East Asian monsoon, and the Epoch-6 Event. A two species scheme is proposed. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/48.4/569.pdf

Molecular evidence for the monophyly of East Asian groups of Cyprinidae (Teleostei : Cypriniformes) derived from the nuclear recombination activating gene 2 sequences

The family Cyprinidae is one of the largest families of fishes in the world and a well-known component of the East Asian freshwater fish fauna. However, the phylogenetic relationships among cyprinids are still poorly understood despite much effort paid on the cyprinid molecular phylogenetics. Original nucleotide sequence data of the nuclear recombination activating gene 2 were collected from 109 cyprinid species and four non-cyprinid cypriniform outgroup taxa and used to infer the cyprinid phylogenetic relationships and to estimate node divergence times. Phylogenetic reconstructions using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis retrieved the same clades, only branching order within these clades varied slightly between trees. Although the morphological diversity is remarkable, the endemic cyprinid taxa in East Asia emerged as a monophyletic clade referred to as Xenocypridini. The monophyly for the subfamilies including Cyprininae and Leuciscinae, as well as the tribes including Labeonini, Gobionini, Acheilognathini, and Leuciscini, was also well resolved with high nodal support. Analysis of the RAG2 gene supported the following cyprinid molecular phylogeny: the Danioninae is the most basal subfamily within the family Cyprinidae and the Cyprininae is the sister group of the Leuciscinae. The divergence times were estimated for the nodes corresponding to the principal clades within the Cyprinidae. The family Cyprinidae appears to have originated in the mid-Eocene in Asia, with the cladogenic event of the key basal group Danioninae occurring in the early Oligocene (about 31-30 MYA), and the origins of the two subfamilies, Cyprininae and Leuciscinae, occurring in the mid-Oligocene (around 26 MYA). (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermoplastic Elastomers Based on Compatibilized Poly(butylene terephthalate) Blends: Effect of Functional Groups and Dynamic Curing

Two sets of graft copolymers were prepared by grafting glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) or ally] (3-isocyanate-4-tolyl) carbamate (TAI) onto ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymer (EPDM) in an internal mixer. These graft copolymers were used as the compatibilizer to prepare the thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) containing 50 wt%, of poly(butylene terephthalate), PBT, 30 wt% of compatibilizer, and 20 wt% of nitrile-butadiene rubber, NBR. The indirect, two-step mixer process was chosen for dynamic curing.

Novel thin-film composite membranes with improved water flux from sulfonated cardo poly(arylene ether sulfone) bearing pendant amino groups

A new class of polymeric amine, namely, sulfonated cardo poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPES-NH2) was synthesized and used for the preparation of thin-film composite membrane. The TFC membranes were prepared on a polysulfone supporting film through interfacial polymerization with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) solutions and amine solutions containing SPES-NH2 and m-phenylenediamine (MPDA). The resultant membranes were characterized with water permeation performance, chemical structure, hydrophilicity of active layer and membrane morphology including top surface and cross-section.

Biodegradable amphiphilic block copolymers bearing protected hydroxyl groups: Synthesis and characterization

A new biodegradable amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-factide-co-9-phenyl-2,4,8, 10-tetraoxaspiro[5,5]undecan-3-one) [PEG-b-P(LA-co-PTO)], was successfully prepared by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) Of L-lactide (LA) and functionalized carbonate monomer 9-phenyl-2,4,8,10-tetraozaspiro[5,5]undecan-3-one (PTO) in the presence of monohydroxyl poly(ethylene glycol) as macroinitiator using Sn(Oct)(2) as catalyst. NMR, FT-IR, and GPC studies confirmed the copolymer structure.

Synthesis and characterization of novel biodegradable poly(carbonate ester)s with photolabile protecting groups

Novel biodegradable poly(carbonate ester)s with photolabile protecting groups were synthesized by ring-opening copolymerization Of L-lactide (LA) with 5-methyl-5-(2-nitro-benzoxycarbonyl)-1,3-dioxan-2-one (MNC) with diethyl zinc (Et2Zn) as catalyst. The poly(L-lactide-co-5-methyl-5-carboxyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one) (P(LA-co-MCC)) was obtained by UV irradiation Of poly(L-lactide acid-co-5-methyl-5-(2-nitro-benzoxycarbonyl)-1,3-dioxan-2-one) (P(LA-co-MNC)) to remove the protective 2-nitrobenzyl group.

Novel aliphatic poly(ester-carhonate) with pendant allyl ester groups and its folic acid functionalization

A series of novel poly(ester-carbonate)s bearing pendant allyl ester groups P(LA-co-MAC)s were prepared by ring-opening copolymerization Of L-lactide (LA) and 5-methyl-5-allyloxycarbonyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one (MAC) with diethyl zinc (ZnEt2) as initiator. NMR analysis investigated the microstructure of the copolymer. DSC results indicated that the copolymers displayed a single glass-transition temperature (T-g), which was indicative of a random copolymer, and the Tg decreased with increasing carbonate content in the copolymer.