Morphometric and genetic analysis as proof of the existence of two sturgeon species in the Guadalquivir river

Morphometric and genetic methods were used to identify two sturgeon species, Acipenser naccarii Bo- naparte, 1836, and A. sturio Linnaeus, 1758, captured in some of the principal rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, including the Guadalquivir. After measuring 25 Iberian specimens from a ®shery and several Spanish and Por- tuguese museums and applying stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA), four specimens preserved in di erent museums [two specimens from the Guadalquivir river (EBD-8173 and EBD-8174), one specimen from the Tagus river (MUC1) and one specimen from the Mondego river (MUC46B)], as well as ®ve specimens captured in the Guadalquivir river in the 1940s but not preserved (CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4 and CM5), were identi®ed as A. naccarii. After cloning and character- isation of a satellite-DNA family, HindIII, from A. naccarii genome, its absence from the genome of A. sturio was determined. Using this satellite-DNA as a genetic marker and by means of dot-blotting, we dem- onstrate that the DNA of the two specimens captured during the mid-1970s in the Guadalquivir river cross- hybridised with HindIII satellite-DNA sequences of A. naccarii. We conclude that A. naccarii is autochtho- nous to the Iberian Peninsula and is not, as was previ- ously believed, endemic to the Adriatic Sea

Genetic characterization of Acipenser sturio L., 1758 in relation to other sturgeon species using satellite DNA

We obtained and characterized a satellite (st) DNA family named HindIII from the genomes of the Adriatic sturgeon Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte, 1836, Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii Brandt, 1869, and beluga sturgeon Huso huso (L., 1758). We did not find this stDNA in the genome of the Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser sturio L., 1758. The comparison of sturgeon species using the HindIII stDNA revealed the following: (1) A. naccarii and A. baerii are closely related; (2) H. huso appears to belong to the genus Acipenser and, probably, Huso is not a separate genus within the Acipenserinae; (3) A. sturio differs from the other three studied species by the absence of the HindIII stDNA and, most likely, it represents a separate evolutionary lineage within the Acipenseridae. The data on the HindIII stDNA can be successfully used for species identification of sturgeon specimens captured in different European regions.En este trabajo presentamos la caracterización del genoma de Acipenser sturio L., 1758 en relación con el genoma de Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte, 1836, Acipenser baerii Brandt, 1869 y Huso huso (L., 1758) utilizando una familia de ADN satélite (la familia HindIII). Nuestro análisis revela que: (1) A. naccarii y A. baerii son especies muy emparentadas; (2) H. huso aparece muy relacionada con las especies del género Acipenser y, probablemente, podría ser considerada como una especie perteneciente a dicho género, y (3) A. sturio difiere del resto de las especies analizadas, lo que sugiere que esta especie ha debido seguir una evolución independiente respecto a las otras especies. Estos datos pueden ser muy útiles, no sólo para establecer las relaciones filogenéticas entre A. sturio y las otras especies de Acipenseridae, sino también para la identificación de ejemplares de esturiones capturados en diferentes regiones europeas.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Pagurta: An interspecific hybrid of common seabream Pagrus pagrus (L., 1758) female and banded seabream males Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843 male: phenotypic and molecular characterization

Hybrids are of great interest in aquaculture. In the present study, we report for the first time an interespecific hybrid between common seabream Pagrus pagrus (L., 1758) females and red banded seabream Pagrus auriga (Valenciennes, 1843) males, which has been named the pagurta. This hybrid was detected in natural spawns during the period from March to April 2004. Phenotipically, the hybrid possessed morphological and meristic characteristics of both parental species. Mitochondrial and nuclear (microsatellite and satellite) molecular markers were used to confirm they were hybrids. The reciprocal cross was not detected.Los híbridos suscitan gran interés en la acuicultura. Sin embargo, su aplicación industrial en espáridos ha estado limitada por las dificultades técnicas que ocasiona su desarrollo. En este trabajo se describe el nacimiento no inducido, o espontáneo, de híbridos entre pargo Pagrus pagrus (L., 1758) y hurta Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843 cuando dichas especies coexisten en un mismo tanque. Estos híbridos surgieron durante los meses de marzo y abril de 2004, cuando se registraron las puestas más abundantes de ambas especies. Fenotípicamente, presentaron características propias de ambas especies parentales. La aplicación de marcadores mitocondriales y nucleares (microsatélite y satélite) permitieron confirmar que eran híbridos intergenéricos de P. pagrus (♀ ) ˟ P. auriga (♂ ) a los que se denominó pagurta. El cruce recíproco no se detectó.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

OPTIMIZATION OF TISSUE SAMPLES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF DISEASE BIOMARKERS: THE OPTIMARK PROJECT

Europe Biobank Week, Sept 13-16, 2016. Vienna, AustriaS

Land- and water-based exercise intervention in women with fibromyalgia: the al-andalus physical activity randomised controlled trial

Background The al-Andalus physical activity intervention study is a randomised control trial to investigate the effectiveness of a land- and water-based exercise intervention for reducing the overall impact of fibromyalgia (primary outcome), and for improving tenderness and pain-related measures, body composition, functional capacity, physical activity and sedentary behaviour, fatigue, sleep quality, health-related quality of life, and cognitive function (secondary outcomes) in women with fibromyalgia. Methods/Design One hundred eighty women with fibromyalgia (age range: 35-65 years) will be recruited from local associations of fibromyalgia patients in Andalucía (Southern Spain). Patients will be randomly assigned to a usual care (control) group (n = 60), a water-based exercise intervention group (n = 60) or a land-based exercise intervention group (n = 60). Participants in the usual care group will receive general physical activity guidelines and participants allocated in the intervention groups will attend three non-consecutive training sessions (60 min each) per week during 24 weeks. Both exercise interventions will consist of aerobic, muscular strength and flexibility exercises. We will also study the effect of a detraining period (i.e., 12 weeks with no exercise intervention) on the studied variables. Discussion Our study attempts to reduce the impact of fibromyalgia and improve patients' health status by implementing two types of exercise interventions. Results from this study will help to assess the efficacy of exercise interventions for the treatment of fibromyalgia. If the interventions would be effective, this study will provide low-cost and feasible alternatives for health professionals in the management of fibromyalgia. Results from the al-Andalus physical activity intervention will help to better understand the potential of regular physical activity for improving the well-being of women with fibromyalgia.This study was supported by the Consejeria de Turismo, Comercio y Deporte (CTCD-201000019242-TRA), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (I + D + I DEP2010-15639, grants: BES-2009-013442, BES-2011-047133, RYC-2010-05957, RYC-2011-09011), the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation (20090635), the Spanish Ministry of Education (AP-2009-3173), Granada Research of Excelence Initiative on Biohealth (GREIB), Campus BioTic, University of Granada, Spain and European University of Madrid. Escuela de Estudios Universitarios Real Madrid. 2010/04RM

Molecular cytogenetics (FISH, GISH) of Coccinia grandis: A ca. 3 myr-old species of Cucurbitaceae with the largest Y/autosome divergence in flowering plants

The independent evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in 19 species from 4 families of flowering plants permits studying X/Y divergence after the initial recombination suppression. Here, we document autosome/Y divergence in the tropical Cucurbitaceae Coccinia grandis, which is ca. 3 myr old. Karyotyping and C-value measurements show that the C. grandis Y chromosome has twice the size of any of the other chromosomes, with a male/female C-value difference of 0.094 pg or 10% of the total genome. FISH staining revealed 5S and 45S rDNA sites on autosomes but not on the Y chromosome, making it unlikely that rDNA contributed to the elongation of the Y chromosome; recent end-to-end fusion also seems unlikely given the lack of interstitial telomeric signals. GISH with different concentrations of female blocking DNA detected a possible pseudo-autosomal region on the Y chromosome, and C-banding suggests that the entire Y chromosome in C. grandis is heterochromatic. During meiosis, there is an end-to-end connection between the X and the Y chromosome, but the X does not otherwise differ from the remaining chromosomes. These findings and a review of plants with heteromorphic sex chromosomes reveal no relationship between species age and degree of sex chromosome dimorphism. Its relatively small genome size (0.943 pg/2C in males), large Y chromosome, and phylogenetic proximity to the fully sequenced Cucumis sativus make C. grandis a promising model to study sex chromosome evolution. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Genetic variability in Muscari comosum (Liliaceae). III. Enzyme polymorphism in European and Canarian populations

[EN] Electrophoretic variation at six loci from 33 European and Canarian populations of Muscari comosum (Liliaceae) were studied. Only GDH was monomorphic, being polymorphic the remaining loci (GOT-1, GOT-2, GOT-3, IDH and ADH). Although apparently the populations are differentiated, such as showed the values of chi-square of heterogeneity, the values of genetic identity and the Fst indicate that this heterogeneity is only moderated. The most likely explanations of this result could be related to the biological characteristics (sexual reproduction, predominantly outcrossing with mechanism of pollination by insects, widespread geographic range)joint with other factors additionally related to life history of the species, such as the plastic response to the environment, and the high longevity. Furthermore the analysis with F-statistics shows that there is a deficit of heterozygotes for four loci (GOT-1, GOT-2, GOT-3- and IDH) and this explained by partial self-pollination, Wahlund effect or consanguineous mating, among other factors. However this analysis shows a clear excess of heterozygotes at the ADH locus. Although many reasons could cause an excess heterozygotes (negative assortive mating, differences in allele frequencies between male and female gamete pools) we think that this obervation can be explained by selection.[ES] Se analiza la variabilidad electroforética en seis loci enzimáticos de 33 poblaciones naturales de M. Comosum. Excepto el sistema GDH todos los demás loci (GOT-1, GOT-2, GOT-3, IDH y ADH) eran polimórficos. Aunque aparentemente las poblaciones están diferenciadas tal como muestran los valores de X2 de heterogeneidad esta diferenciación es solamente moderada de acuerdo con los valores de identidad genética y el estadístico Fst calculados. Las explicaciones más pausibles de este resultado pueden estar relacionadas con características biológicas (reproducción sexual, alogamia predominante, polinización por insectos, amplio rango de distribución geográfica) junto con otros factores adicionales relacionados con el pasado histórico de la especie, tales como su plasticidad fenotípica y su alta longevidad. Además el análisis realizado con estadísticos F muestra que en cuatro de los loci analizados existe un déficit de individuos heterocigotos, que se puede explicar por autopolinización parcial, efecto Whalund o apareamientos consanguíneos. También este análisis muestra que en el locus ADH existe un claro exceso de individuos heterocigotos. Varias causas pueden producir exceso de heterocigotos (apareamientos negativos, diferencias en las frecuencias alélicas entre los acervos gaméticos de machos y de hembras). Pero nosotros pensamos que esta observación podría explicarse por acción de la selección.Peer reviewe

Slow Rates of Evolution and Sequence Homogenization in an Ancient Satellite DNA Family of Sturgeons

Satellite DNA sequences are noncoding, short, tandemly repeated sequences located mainly at centromeres and telomeres (Charlesworth, Sniegowski, and Stephan 1994 ). The main concerns of evolutionary patterns of satellite DNA sequences are their rapid change rate and their concerted mode of evolution. When a satellite DNA family is shared by several related species, this enables one to find specific diagnostic sites for use in phylogenetic studies (Arnason, Grettarsdottir, and Widegren 1992 ; Gretarsdottir and Arnason 1992 ). Here, we analyze an exceptional ancient satellite DNA family of sturgeons which does not fit the evolutionary features of most satellite DNAs. Specifically, we found that the evolution of this satellite DNA family is very slow, as reflected by low mutation and homogenization rates. Notwithstanding, our data offer some information on the tracing of mechanisms accounting for the formation and origin of this satellite DNA family and on the phylogeny of the sturgeons