Revision of Affecauda Hall & Chambers, 1999 (Digenea: Gyliauchenidae Fukui, 1929), including the description of two new species from fishes of the Indo-West Pacific

We describe 2 new species of Affecauda from the intestine of acanthuroid fishes of the Indo-West Pacific. Affecauda rugosa n. sp. is described from 1 mature specimen in excellent condition and 1 immature fractured specimen from the intestine of the sailfin tang, Zebrasoma veliferum (Acanthuridae), from Noumea, New Caledonia. Affecauda salacia n. sp. is described from the intestine of the ocellated spinefoot, Siganus corallinus (Siganidae), from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. Each of these species is made distinct from the type-species, Affecauda annulata Hall & Chambers, 1999, by combinations of the extent of tegumental annulations, conformation of the oesophagus and position of the ovary. The description of 2 new species of Affecauda necessitates a revision of the generic diagnosis, which is here amended to incorporate the additional species. A key to species is provided. The description of further species of Affecauda from waters external to the Great Barrier Reef and from siganid fishes expands the biogeographical range for species of Affecauda, from species of Naso on the Great Barrier Reef, to acanthuroid fishes of the western Pacific.

Revision of Telotrema Ozaki, 1933 (Digenea : Gyliauchenidae Fukui, 1929), including the description of a new species from an acanthurid fish from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

We describe one new species of Telotrema Ozaki, 1933 from the intestine of an acanthurid fish of the Great Barrier Reef. Telotrema brevicaudatum n. sp. is described from 2 mature specimens from the yellowfin surgeonfish, Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes, 1835 ( Acanthuridae), from waters off Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia. This species is distinguished from the type-species, Telotrema caudatum Ozaki, 1933, by the smaller excretory papilla, the massive pars prostatica, the unipartite, globular seminal vesicle, and the intertesticular position of the ovary. The proposal of a new species of Telotrema necessitates re-examination of the generic diagnosis, and the genus is here redefined in light of the morphology of T. brevicaudatum. Telotrema is distinguished from Gyliauchen Nicoll, 1915 by the possession of a ventral sucker which is larger than the pharynx, a straight or sigmoid oesophagus, an extensive and dense vitellarium, and a distinct excretory papilla. We here recognise 3 species and distinguish them in a key. The biogeographical range for species of Telotrema now includes acanthurid and pomacentrid fishes of the western Pacific Ocean.

The phylogenetic relationships of Caulobacter, Asticcacaulis and Brevundimonas species and their taxonomic implications

The phylogenetic relationships among the species of Caulobacter, Asticcacaulis and Brevundimonas were studied by comparison of their 16S rDNA sequences. The analysis of almost complete sequences confirmed the early evolutionary divergence of the freshwater and marine species of Caulobacter reported previously [Stahl, D. A., Key, R,, Flesher, B, & Smit, J. (1992), J Bacteriol 174, 2193-2198]. The freshwater species formed two distinct clusters. One cluster contained the species Caulobacter bacteroides, Caulobacter crescentus, Caulobacter fusiformis and Caulobacter henricii. C, bacteroides and C, fusiformis are very closely related (sequence identity 99.8%). The second cluster was not exclusive and contained the species Caulobacter intermedius, Caulobacter subvibrioides and Caulobacter variabilis, as well as Brevundimonas diminuta and Brevundimonas vesicularis, The marine species Caulobacter halobacteroides and Caulobacter maris were very closely related, with a sequence identity of 99.7%, These two species were most closely but distantly related to the marine hyphal/budding bacteria Hyphomonas jannaschiana and Hirschia baltica, which formed a deep phylogenetic line with Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodobacter capsulatus, Caulobacter leidyia is unrelated to the other species of Caulobacter and belongs to the alpha-4 subclass of the Proteobacteria, forming a distinct cluster with Asticcacaulis excentricus and Asticcacaulis biprosthecium, The taxonomic implications of the polyphyletic nature of the genus Caulobacter and the absence of a type culture for the type species of the genus, Caulobacter vibrioides, are discussed.

Biomechanical consequences of impairment: A taxonomically valid basis for classification in a unified disability athletics system

Developing a unified classification system to replace four of the systems currently used in disability athletics (i.e., track and field) has been widely advocated. The diverse impairments to be included in a unified system require severed assessment methods, results of which cannot be meaningfully compared. Therefore, the taxonomic basis of current classification systems is invalid in a unified system. Biomechanical analysis establishes that force, a vector described in terms of magnitude and direction, is a key determinant of success in all athletic disciplines. It is posited that all impairments to be included in a unified system may be classified as either force magnitude impairments (FMI) or force control impairments (FCI). This framework would provide a valid taxonomic basis for a unified system, creating the opportunity to decrease the number of classes and enhance the viability of disability athletics.

A first-principles density-functional calculation of the electronic and vibrational structure of the key melanin monomers

We report first-principles density-functional calculations for hydroquinone (HQ), indolequinone (IQ), and semiquinone (SQ). These molecules are believed to be the basic building blocks of the eumelanins, a class of biomacromolecules with important biological functions (including photoprotection) and with the potential for certain bioengineering applications. We have used the difference of self-consistent fields method to study the energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, HL. We show that HL is similar in IQ and SQ, but approximately twice as large in HQ. This may have important implications for our understanding of the observed broadband optical absorption of the eumelanins. The possibility of using this difference in HL to molecularly engineer the electronic properties of eumelanins is discussed. We calculate the infrared and Raman spectra of the three redox forms from first principles. Each of the molecules have significantly different infrared and Raman signatures, and so these spectra could be used in situ to nondestructively identify the monomeric content of macromolecules. It is hoped that this may be a helpful analytical tool in determining the structure of eumelanin macromolecules and hence in helping to determine the structure-property-function relationships that control the behavior of the eumelanins.

A phylogenetic study of Lepidapedoides Yamaguti, 1970 (Digenea) with a key and descriptions of two new species from western Australia

Two new species of the genus Lepidapedoides are described from the aulopodid teleost Aulopus purpurissatus from south-western Australia. Both are distinguished from other Lepidapedoides spp. by their pedunculate ventral sucker. Lepidapedoides pistoris n. sp. and L. elongatrium n. sp. are distinguished by the possession of a narrow, elongate form, a long ventral sucker to ovary distance: the vitellarium reaching only to the posterior level of the cirrus-sac, the cirrus-sac length and the deep genital atrium with the metraterm entering distally to its base in L. elongatrium. A key to species of the genus is given. A character matrix is included for the genus. Poorly resolved phylogenetic trees indicate two main lineages in the genus. The two new species described here are resolved as sister taxa. The new combination Lepidapedoides freitasi (Kohn gr Fernandes, 1970) is formed for Acanthocolpoides freitasi.

Key residues characteristic of GATA N-fingers are recognized by FOG

Protein-protein interactions play significant roles in the control of gene expression. These interactions often occur between small, discrete domains within different transcription factors. In particular, zinc fingers, usually regarded as DNA-binding domains, are now also known to be involved in mediating contacts between proteins. We have investigated the interaction between the erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 and its partner, the 9 zinc finger protein, FOG (Friend of GATA). We demonstrate that this interaction represents a genuine finger-finger contact, which is dependent on zinc coordinating residues within each protein. We map the contact domains to the core of the N-terminal zinc finger of GATA-1 and the 6th zinc finger of FOG. Using a scanning substitution strategy we identify key residues within the GATA-1 N-finger which are required for FOG binding. These residues are conserved in the N-fingers of all GATA proteins known to bind FOG, but are not found in the respective C-fingers, This observation may, therefore, account for the particular specificity of FOG for N-fingers, Interestingly, the key N-finger residues are seen to form a contiguous surface, when mapped onto the structure of the N-finger of GATA-1.

MiAMP1, a novel protein from Macadamia integrifolia adopts a Greek key beta-barrel fold unique amongst plant antimicrobial proteins

MiAMP1 is a recently discovered 76 amino acid residue, highly basic protein from the nut kernel of:Macadamia integrifolia which possesses no sequence homology to any known protein and inhibits the growth of several microbial plant pathogens in vitro while having no effect on mammalian or plant cells. It is considered to be a potentially useful tool for the genetic engineering of disease resistance in transgenic crop plants and for the design of new fungicides. The three-dimensional structure of MiAMP1 was determined through homonuclear and heteronuclear (N-15) 2D NMR spectroscopy and subsequent simulated annealing calculations with the ultimate aim of understanding the structure-activity relationships of the protein. MiAMP1 is made up of eight beta-strands which are arranged in two Greek key motifs. These Greek key motifs associate to form a Greek key beta-barrel. This structure is unique amongst plant antimicrobial proteins and forms a new class which we term the beta-barrelins. Interestingly, the structure of MiAMP1 bears remarkable similarity to a yeast killer toxin from Williopsis mrakii. This toxin acts by inhibiting beta-glucan synthesis and thereby cell wall construction in sensitive strains of yeast. The structural similarity of MiAMP1 and WmKT, which originate from plant and fungal phyla respectively, may reflect a similar mode of action. (C) 1999 Academic Press.