New filovirus disease classification and nomenclature

Filoviruses, the members of the family Filoviridae, are currently classified into one proposed and five established genera (Supplementary Table 1). Of the twelve described filoviruses, six have been identified as aetiological agents of naturally occurring human disease outbreaks

The western painted turtle genome, a model for the evolution of extreme physiological adaptations in a slowly evolving lineage

Background: We describe the genome of the western painted turtle, Chrysemys picta bellii, one of the most widespread, abundant, and well-studied turtles. We place the genome into a comparative evolutionary context, and focus on genomic features associated with tooth loss, immune function, longevity, sex differentiation and determination, and the species' physiological capacities to withstand extreme anoxia and tissue freezing.Results: Our phylogenetic analyses confirm that turtles are the sister group to living archosaurs, and demonstrate an extraordinarily slow rate of sequence evolution in the painted turtle. The ability of the painted turtle to withstand complete anoxia and partial freezing appears to be associated with common vertebrate gene networks, and we identify candidate genes for future functional analyses. Tooth loss shares a common pattern of pseudogenization and degradation of tooth-specific genes with birds, although the rate of accumulation of mutations is much slower in the painted turtle. Genes associated with sex differentiation generally reflect phylogeny rather than convergence in sex determination functionality. Among gene families that demonstrate exceptional expansions or show signatures of strong natural selection, immune function and musculoskeletal patterning genes are consistently over-represented.Conclusions: Our comparative genomic analyses indicate that common vertebrate regulatory networks, some of which have analogs in human diseases, are often involved in the western painted turtle's extraordinary physiological capacities. As these regulatory pathways are analyzed at the functional level, the painted turtle may offer important insights into the management of a number of human health disorders

Levantamento florístico de uma mata decídua em Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil Floriste survey of an area of deciduous forest in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Esse trabalho consistiu de levantamento florístico em mata mesófila decídua situada em solo raso de origem basáltica em Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. Foram feitas visitas quinzenais à mata, no período de fevereiro/93 a junho/95, para coletas de exemplares botânicos férteis. O material coletado foi incorporado ao Herbário da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (HUFU). Foram identificadas 105 espécies de árvores, arbustos, lianas e herbáceas, distribuídas em 88 gêneros e 43 famílias. As espécies mais freqüentes na mata foram: Anadenanthera colubrina, Bauhinia sp., Croton sp., Myracrodruon urundeuva e Sweetiafruticosa. Euphorbiaceae (10), Rubiaceae (8), Mimosaceae (6), Myrtaceae (6), Caesalpinaceae (5) e Fabaceae (5) foram as famílias com maior número de espécies identificadas.<br>A floristic survey was carried out in a deciduous forest on a shallow basaltic soil, in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. Visits were performed fortnightly from February/93 to June/95. The sampled material was lodged at the Herbarium of the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (HUFU). A list is provided with 105 species of trees, shrubs, scandent shrubs, lianas and herbs, belonging to 88 genera and 43 botanic families. The most frequent species were: Anadenanthera colubrina, Bauhinia sp., Croton sp., Myracrodruon urundeuva and Sweetia fruticosa. Euphorbiaceae (10), Rubiaceae (8), Mimosaceae (6), Myrtaceae (6), Caesalpinaceae (5) e Fabaceae (5) were the families with the largest numbers of identified species