Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Assessment of the Euphorbiaceae: A Review

The family Euphorbiaceae is assessed taxonomically and phylogenetically in the light of different disciplines of botany. It lacks anatomical homogenity, probable because of diverse habit and habitat. It is heterogenous palynologically, chemically and embryologically. It is, however, fairly homogenous from embryological point of view. The floral anatomical investigations indicate reduction in the number of floral whorls as well as the number of members of whorls from a supposedly 5 - merous, dichlamydeous, heterochlamydeous ancestral flower. A review of taxonomic features especially those from exomorphology, have always remained changing. The present review based on all-pervasive examination of exomorphology and endomorphology suggests close affinities of certain families of this alliance. However, few of them apparently closer because of unisexuality and reduced floral structure.ÂÂ

New records of whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) from Korea

Five species of whiteflies, Aleurolobus iteae Takahashi, Aleurolobus vitis Danzig, Asterobemisia takahashii Danzig, Bemisiella artemisiae Danzig, and Massilieurodes euryae (Takahashi), are newly recorded from Korea

Ornamentaçao do tipo padrao-croton em graos de pólen de scrophulariaceae do Brasil

Ornamentaçáo do tipo padrdo-Croton emn grdos de pólen de Scrophulariaceae do Brasil. Foram estudados, sob microscopia óptica e eletrónica de varredura, graos de pólen acetolisados de algumas espécies brasileira dos géneros Agalinis, Esterhazya, Melasma e Physocalyx (Scrophulariaceae). As análises revelaram que algumas espécies tém gdios de pólen com superficie pilada, estando os pilos organizados num padr~o reticulado (retipilado) ou no conhecido padr~ío-Croton, que é caracterísitico de algumas familias (Buxaceae. Euphorbiaceae e Thymelaeaceae). Os pilos das espécies estudadas se caracterizaram pelo reduzido tamanho, de modo que a ornamenta~o em microscopia óptica é definida como microrreticulado, estando os pilos (alguns multicapitados) visíveis individualmente apenas sob microscopia eletrónica de varredura. A literatura palinológica náo tem referencia de padr~o-Croton em espécies de Scrophulariaceae

Апомиксис и амфимиксис у цветковых растений

Сопоставлены апомиктическое и половое воспроизведение (амфимиксис) у цветковых растений. Рассмотрены светооптические и ультраструктурные аспекты цитоэмбриологических процессов у апомиктов, начиная с ранних этапов развития семяпочки и заканчивая сформированным семенем. У исключительного большинства апомиктов отмечается неспособность к развитию автономного эндосперма и формированию жизнеспособных семян без участия оплодотворения ядер центральной клетки зародышевого мешка. Выявлены характерные признаки ультраструктурной дифференциации мегаспороцитов при диплоспории, апоспоровых инициалей при апоспории, эмбриоцитов при адвентивной эмбрионии, а также яйцеклеток при партеногенезе и синергид при апогаметии, проведено их сопоставление с генеративными структурами амфимиктов. Сделано предположение о сходстве на клеточном уровне механизмов генетической регуляции формирования и развития генеративных структур при апомиксисе и амфимиксисе. Настоящая работа не является обзором по апомиксису в целом. Основой ее написания служат опубликованные оригинальные материалы, полученные в результате многолетних исследований в области апомиксиса.Метою даної статті є порівняння апоміктичного та статевого розмноження (амфіміксис) у квіткових рослин. Розглядаються світлооптичні та ультраструктурні аспекти цитоембріологічних процесів у апоміктів, починаючи з ранніх етапів розвитку насінного зачатка та закінчуючи сформованою насіниною. У переважної більшості апоміктів зазначено нездатність до розвитку автономного ендосперма і формування життєздатного насіння у відсутності запліднення ядер центральної клітини зародкового мішка. Виявлено характерні ознаки на ультраструктурному рівні диференціювання мегаспороцитів при диплоспорії, апоспорових ініціалей при апоспорії, ембріоцитів при адвентивній ембріонії, а також яйцеклітин при партеногенезі та синергід при апогаметії, проведено їхнє порівняння з генеративними структурами амфіміктів. Зроблено припущення щодо подібності на клітинному рівні механізмів генетичної регуляції формування і розвитку генеративних структур при апоміксисі та амфіміксисі.The light microscopic and ultrastuctural events of apomictic seed development from the earliest stages through the embryo and endosperm development to maturity were compared with those of the sexual one. The problem of autonomous endosperm formation was postulated as the main problem in low apomictic seed set. The characteristic features of fine differentiation of megasporocytes at diplospory, aposporous initials at apospory, embryocytes at adventive embryony as well as the egg cells at parthenogenesis and synergids at apogamety were described and compared with sexual reproductive structures. It was supposed that the observed similarities in differentiation at the cell level are the result of identical mechanisms of genetic regulation of reproductive structures at amphimixis and apomixis

What is a tree in the mediterranean basin hotspot? A critical analysis

Background: Tree species represent 20% of the vascular plant species worldwide and they play a crucial role in the global functioning of the biosphere. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the 36 world biodiversity hotspots, and it is estimated that forests covered 82% of the landscape before the first human impacts, thousands of years ago. However, the spatial distribution of the Mediterranean biodiversity is still imperfectly known, and a focus on tree species constitutes a key issue for understanding forest functioning and develop conservation strategies. Methods: We provide the first comprehensive checklist of all native tree taxa (species and subspecies) present in the Mediterranean-European region (from Portugal to Cyprus). We identified some cases of woody species difficult to categorize as trees that we further called “cryptic trees”. We collected the occurrences of tree taxa by “administrative regions”, i.e. country or large island, and by biogeographical provinces. We studied the species-area relationship, and evaluated the conservation issues for threatened taxa following IUCN criteria. Results: We identified 245 tree taxa that included 210 species and 35 subspecies, belonging to 33 families and 64 genera. It included 46 endemic tree taxa (30 species and 16 subspecies), mainly distributed within a single biogeographical unit. The countries with the highest tree richness are Greece (146 taxa), Italy (133), Albania (122), Spain (155), Macedonia (116), and Croatia (110). The species-area relationship clearly discriminated the richest central-eastern (Balkans) and northern (Alpine and Cevenno-Pyrenean) biogeographical provinces, against the five western provinces in the Iberian Peninsula. We identified 44 unrecognized “cryptic trees”, representing 21% of the total trees. Among the 245 taxa identified, 19 are considered to be threatened (15 CR + EN + VU) or near threatened (4 NT) by IUCN. Conclusions: The Mediterranean-European region includes an unsuspectedly high number of tree taxa, almost 200 tree taxa more than in the central European region. This tree diversity is not distributed evenly and culminates in the central-eastern part of the Mediterranean region, whereas some large Tyrrhenian islands shelter several narrow endemic tree taxa. Few taxa are recognized as threatened in the IUCN Red list, and the vulnerability of these species is probably underestimated.French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB). Centre for Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity data ANR-11-LABX-006

Presence of Inulin-Type Fructo-Oligosaccharides and Shift from Raffinose Family Oligosaccharide to Fructan Metabolism in Leaves of Boxtree (Buxus sempervirens)

from raffinose family oligosaccharide to fructan metabolism in leaves of boxtree (Buxus sempervirens) Wim Van den Ende1,* Marlies Coopman1, Rudy Vergauwen1, André Van Laere11 KU Leuven, Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium* Correspondence: Wim Van den Ende, Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology,Institute of Botany and Microbiology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium tel +32 16321952; fax +32 16321967;[email protected]: inulin, oligosaccharides, stress, RFO, fructanAbstractFructans are known to occur in 15% of flowering plants and their accumulation is often associated with stress responses. Typically, particular fructan types occur within particular plant families. The family of the Buxaceae, harbouring Pachysandra terminalis, an accumulator of graminan- and levan-type fructans, also harbours boxtree (Buxus sempervirens), a cold and drought tolerant species. Surprisingly, boxtree leaves do not accumulate the expected graminan- and levan-type fructans but small inulin fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS: 1-kestotriose and nystose) and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO: raffinose and stachyose) instead. The seasonal variation in concentrations of glucose, fructose, sucrose, FOS and RFO were followed. Raffinose and stachyose peaked during the winter months, while FOS peaked at a very narrow time-interval in spring, immediately preceded by a prominent sucrose accumulation. Sucrose may function as a reserve carbohydrate in winter and early spring leaves. The switch from RFO to fructan metabolism in spring strongly suggests that fructan and RFO fulfil distinct roles in boxtree leaves. RFO may play a key role in the cold acclimation of winter leaves while temporal fructan biosynthesis in spring might increase sink strength to sustain the formation of new shoots

The alkaloid-enriched fraction of; The alkaloid-enriched fraction of Pachysandra terminalis (Buxaceae) shows prominent activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiensePachysandra terminalis; (Buxaceae) shows prominent activity against; Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense

In the course of our studies on antiprotozoal natural products and following our recent discovery that certain aminosteroids and aminocycloartanoid compounds from Holarrhena africana A. DC. (Apocynaceae) and Buxus sempervirens L. (Buxaceae), respectively, are strong and selective antitrypanosomal agents, we have extended these studies to another plant, related to the latter-namely, Pachysandra terminalis Sieb. and Zucc. (Buxaceae). This species is known to contain aminosteroids similar to those of Holarrhena and structurally related to the aminocycloartanoids of Buxus. The dicholoromethane extract obtained from aerial parts of P. terminalis and, in particular, its alkaloid fraction obtained by acid-base partitioning showed prominent activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (Tbr). Activity-guided fractionation along with extended UHPLC-(+)ESI QTOF MS analyses coupled with partial least squares (PLS) regression modelling relating the analytical profiles of various fractions with their bioactivity against Tbr highlighted eighteen constituents likely responsible for the antitrypanosomal activity. Detailed analysis of their (+)ESI mass spectral fragmentation allowed identification of four known constituents of P. terminalis as well as structural characterization of ten further amino-/amidosteroids not previously reported from this plant

Стероидные соединения растительного происхождения: стероидные алкалоиды (гликоалкалоиды). Наукометрическое исследование данных научно-практической литературы

Анализ литературы, посвященной изучению противовоспалительной активности стероидных соединений растительного происхождения (стероидных алкалоидов