New insights to the molecular phylogenetics and generic assessment in the Rhacophoridae (Amphibia: Anura) based on five nuclear and three mitochondrial genes, with comments on the evolution of reproduction

The phylogenetic relationships among 12 genera of treefrogs (Family, Rhacophoridae), were investigated based on a large sequence data set, including five nuclear (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, proopiomelanocortin, recombination activating gene 1, tyr

Molecular characterization of six Chinese families with m.3460G > A and Leber hereditary optic neuropathy

The primary mutation m.3460G > A occurs with a very low frequency (similar to 1%) in Chinese patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Up to now, there is no comprehensive study of Chinese patients harboring this mutation. We characterized six unrelated probands with m.3460G > A in this study, which were identified from 1,626 patients with LHON or suspected with LHON. The overall penetrance of LHON (25.6% [10/39]) in four pedigrees with m.3460G > A was substantially lower than those families with m.11778G > A (33.3% [619/1859]) as reported in our previous study. Intriguingly, family Le688 with a heteroplasmic m.3460G > A presented a lower penetrance (12.5%) than the other three families with a homoplasmic mutation. There is an elevated gender bias (affected male to affected female = 4:1) in the four families with m.3460G > A compared to those LHON families with m.11778G > A (2.4:1). Complete mtDNA sequencing indicated that the six matrilines belonged to haplogroups B4d1, F2, A5b, M12a, D4b2b, and D4b2, respectively. We did not identify any potential secondary mutation(s) that will affect or be associated with the penetrance of LHON in the six probands by using an evolutionary analysis and protein secondary-structure prediction. Taken together, our results suggested that the m.3460G > A mutation occurred multiple times in Chinese LHON patients. The heteroplasmic status of mutation m.3460G > A might influence the penetrance of LHON in family Le688.

Avian comparative genomics: reciprocal chromosome painting between domestic chicken (Gallus gallus) and the stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus, Charadriiformes) - An atypical species with low diploid number

The chicken is the most extensively studied species in birds and thus constitutes an ideal reference for comparative genomics in birds. Comparative cytogenetic studies indicate that the chicken has retained many chromosome characters of the ancestral avia

The stripe-backed weasel Mustela strigidorsa: taxonomy, ecology, distribution and status

1. The stripe-backed weasel Mustela strigidorsa is one of the rarest and least-known mustelids in the world. Its phylogenetic relationships with other Mustela species remain controversial, though several unique morphological features distinguish it from congeners. 2. It probably lives mainly in evergreen forests in hills and mountains, but has also been recorded from plains forest, dense scrub, secondary forest, grassland and farmland. Known sites range in altitude from 90 m to 2500 m. Data are insufficient to distinguish between habitat and altitudes which support populations, and those where only dispersing animals may occur. 3. It has been confirmed from many localities in north-east India, north and central Myanmar, south China, north Thailand, north and central Laos, and north and central Vietnam. Given the limited survey effort, the number of recent records shows that the species is not as rare as hitherto believed. Neither specific nor urgent conservation needs are apparent.