Morphological character evolution of Amorphophallus (Araceae) based on a combined phylogenetic analysis of trnL, rbcL, and LEAFY second intron sequences

Sequences of three different genes in 69 taxa of Amorphophallus were combined to reconstruct the molecular phylogeny of this species-rich Aroid genus. The data set was analyzed by three different methods, Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analysis, producing slightly different tree topologies. Three major clades identified in all analyses reflect the biogeographical distribution of Amorphophallus. Some clades were supported by morphological characters such as sessile/nonsessile stigma, pollen opening mechanism, shape of the main segments of the lamina, growth cycle, and berry colour. When optimised, a nonsessile stigma may have evolved from a sessile one with several reversals. Pollen opening by connective rupturing evolved from pollen opening by pores. Unequally shaped segments of the lamina evolved from equally shaped segments. Simultaneously existing leaf and inflorescences evolved from alternating leaves and inflorescences. Blue, purple, green, and yellow berries evolved from red/orange/white ones

Imaging dielectric relaxation in nanostructured polymers by frequency modulation electrostatic force microscopy

We have developed a method for imaging the temperature-frequency dependence of the dynamics of nanostructured polymer films with spatial resolution. This method provides images with dielectric compositional contrast well decoupled from topography. Using frequency-modulation electrostatic-force-microscopy, we probe the local frequency-dependent (0.1–100 Hz) dielectric response through measurement of the amplitude and phase of the force gradient in response to an oscillating applied electric field. When the phase is imaged at fixed frequency, it reveals the spatial variation in dielectric losses, i.e., the spatial variation in molecular/dipolar dynamics, with 40 nm lateral resolution. This is demonstrated by using as a model system; a phase separated polystyrene/polyvinyl-acetate (PVAc) blend. We show that nanoscale dynamic domains of PVAc are clearly identifiable in phase images as those which light-up in a band of temperature, reflecting the variations in the molecular/dipolar dynamics approaching the glass transition temperature of PVAc

Specklinia lugduno-batavae (Pleurothallidinae: Orchidaceae), a new species in the S-digitalis group

Specklinia lugduno-batavae from the Caribbean lowlands of Nicaragua and Costa Rica is formally described and illustrated. The new species belongs to the Specklinia digitalis group and can be recognised by the creeping habit, purple spotted abaxial surface of the leaf and the almost immaculate whitish cream flowers, which are produced in succession on a very short, flexuous inflorescence. The name honours Leiden University and the Hortus botanicus Leiden. The novelty is compared with its closest relatives, Specklinia digitalis, S. pisinna and S. succulenta.Plant science

Possible chemical mimicry of the European lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus)

Pollination based on insect deception has been debated in the scientific community since it was first reported over two hundred years ago. A vast majority of deceptive syndromes occur within the orchid family. While many cheating flowers have been described and are well known, there are still many curious cases that need further investigation. One prime example of such a case is Cypripedium calceolus, known as European lady’s slipper orchid. While the flower has been of interest to many prominent scientists for over a century, its pollination is still not fully understood. Both visual and olfactory cues seem to play an important role in pollinator attraction. In this study we focussed on the olfactory cues in order to explore their relationship (in future experiments) with floral visual cues, including the unique asymmetry of these flowers. Some of the plants’ floral fragrances were used in Electroantennography experiments. Eleven chemical compounds were applied to the antennae of Bombus terrestris and Apis mellifera. Even though these species are not regular visitors of C. calceolus, we were interested to see whether there were common principles in their responses to the flowers’ scent that might justify extrapolating to other pollinator species such as sand bees that get trapped in these orchids and fly out of the flowers afterwards with pollen smeared on their body. The results show that while both species react similarly to most of the odours, some of the tested acetates induced a significantly greater reaction in B. terrestris antennae. These acetates play an important role in bumblebee pheromones, but their relevance for the natural pollinators of C. calceolus remains to be confirmed to see whether chemical mimicry by these flowers is deliberately employed to attract pollinators

The effects of COVID-19 litter on animal life

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is massively used, resulting in a new wave of litter: protective face masks and gloves. Here we present the first case of a fish entrapped in a medical glove, encountered during a canal clean-up in Leiden, The Netherlands. We also report the first cases of birds using medical face masks as nesting material, which were also found in the Dutch canals. To place these new findings in context, we collected online reported interactions of animals with PPE litter, since the start of the pandemic. This resulted in the first overview of cases of entanglement, entrapment and ingestion of COVID-19 litter by animals and the use of it as nesting material. We signal COVID-19 litter as a new threat to animal life as the materials designed to keep us safe are actually harming animals around us. To understand the full scale of this problem, we welcome anyone to contribute to our overview by submitting their observations online at www.covidlitter.com. To further prevent PPE litter, it is recommended that, when possible, reusable alternatives are used.Environmental Biolog

DNA barcoding of tuberous Orchidoideae: a resource for identification of orchids used in Salep.

Tubers of terrestrial orchids are harvested and traded from the eastern Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea for the traditional product Salep. Overexploitation of wild populations and increased middle‐class prosperity have escalated prices for Salep, causing overharvesting, depletion of native populations and providing an incentive to expand harvesting to untapped areas in Iran. Limited morphological distinctiveness among traded Salep tubers renders species identification impossible, making it difficult to establish which species are targeted and affected the most. In this study, a reference database of 490 nrITS, trnL‐F spacer and matK sequences of 133 taxa was used to identify 150 individual tubers from 31 batches purchased in 12 cities in Iran to assess species diversity in commerce. The sequence reference database consisted of 211 nrITS, 158 trnL‐F and 121 matK sequences, including 238 new sequences from collections made for this study. The markers enabled unambiguous species identification with tree‐based methods for nrITS in 67% of the tested tubers, 58% for trnL‐F and 59% for matK. Species in the genera Orchis (34%), Anacamptis (27%) and Dactylorhiza (19%) were the most common in Salep. Our study shows that all tuberous orchid species in this area are threatened by this trade, and further stresses the urgency of controlling illegal harvesting and cross‐border trade of Salep tubers.Plant science

Pollination strategy of Gennaria diphylla (Orchidaceae) on the Canary Islands and on Madeira

Gennaria diphylla (Link) Parl. is a terrestrial, inconspicuous green orchid. Its distribution includes the central and western Mediterranean region as well as the Canary Islands and Madeira. Investigations on its pollination biology are scarce. In literature, there are mentions of autogamy and of allogamy. Pollination and pollen import and export were studied on Tenerife and Madeira. The investigations showed autogamy plays a less important role than thought, although a caging experiment showed that the species is well capable of self-pollination. The orchid is pollinated by a variety of small moths, especially of the families Geometridae, Pyralidae and Crambidae. It is flowering in a period when few other plants flower, so there is little competition for pollinators. Complemented by autogamy this seems to be a successful strategy, as the species shows a relatively high average fruit set of 73 %.Naturali

Sexually dimorphic RB inactivation underlies mesenchymal glioblastoma prevalence in males

The prevalence of brain tumors in males is common but unexplained. While sex differences in disease are typically mediated through acute sex hormone actions, sex-specific differences in brain tumor rates are comparable at all ages, suggesting that factors other than sex hormones underlie this discrepancy. We found that mesenchymal glioblastoma (Mes-GBM) affects more males as the result of cell-intrinsic sexual dimorphism in astrocyte transformation. We used astrocytes from neurofibromin-deficient (Nf1(–/–)) mice expressing a dominant-negative form of the tumor suppressor p53 (DNp53) and treated them with EGF as a Mes-GBM model. Male Mes-GBM astrocytes exhibited greater growth and colony formation compared with female Mes-GBM astrocytes. Moreover, male Mes-GBM astrocytes underwent greater tumorigenesis in vivo, regardless of recipient mouse sex. Male Mes-GBM astrocytes exhibited greater inactivation of the tumor suppressor RB, higher proliferation rates, and greater induction of a clonogenic, stem-like cell population compared with female Mes-GBM astrocytes. Furthermore, complete inactivation of RB and p53 in Mes-GBM astrocytes resulted in equivalent male and female tumorigenic transformation, indicating that intrinsic differences in RB activation are responsible for the predominance of tumorigenic transformation in male astrocytes. Together, these results indicate that cell-intrinsic sex differences in RB regulation and stem-like cell function may underlie the predominance of GBM in males