Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Review and consideration on habitat use, distribution and life history of Lycengraulis grossidens (Agassiz, 1829) (Actinopterygii, Clupeiformes, Engraulididae)

In this paper, we present a summary of the current knowledge of Lycengraulis grossidens, a widely distributed coastal fish that occurs from Belize to Argentina. This species is abundant in estuaries along the Southwest Atlantic Coast and is important for recreational fishing, and as bycatch of shrimp fisheries. We compiled data available on taxonomy, phylogeny, ecology, fisheries and organized conceptually the life cycle of the species according to modern estuarine-use classification. Our review showed that along its geographic distribution and inside some particular environments (i.e., estuaries and costal lagoons) the species have been classified in a variety of ways in order to describe the remarkable complexity of habitat use that varies from freshwater resident, anadromous, marine migrant, estuarine resident, marine stragglers, catadromous to semicatadromous. We conclude that L. grossidens is able to reproduce either in freshwater or estuarine water and postulate that it has a high plasticity in habitat use and life history, with migratory and resident contingents in the same local population. There seems to be a latitudinal change in migratory behavior of this species along the South America Coast, prevailing anadromous or semi-anadromous pattern at higher latitudes and marine migrants at the tropical northeast coast of Brazil.Neste trabalho é apresentada uma compilação do conhecimento atual de Lycengraulis grossidens, uma espécie de peixe amplamente distribuído pela costa oeste do Atlântico Sul, ocorrendo de Belize a Argentina. Esta espécie é abundante nos estuários e tem importância na pesca recreacional além de sofrer impacto da pesca do camarão. São revisados dados publicados sobre a taxonomia, filogenia, ecologia, pesca e ciclo de vida da espécie. Nossa revisão mostrou que, ao longo de sua distribuição, a espécie tem sido classificada de várias formas na tentativa de descrever seu uso do habitat, desde residentes de água doce, anádromos, marinhos migrantes, estuarinos residentes, catádromo e semi-catádromo. Conclui-se que a espécie é capaz de se reproduzir em água doce ou salgada, com uma alta plasticidade no uso do habitat e na sua história de vida, com componentes migrantes e residentes no mesmo local. Além disso, parece haver uma mudança no comportamento migratório da espécie em diferentes latitudes, mostrando um padrão anádromo ou semi-anádromo nas maiores latitudes e marinhos migrantes ao longo da costa tropical do Brasil

Codes, raw predation data on dummy caterpillars, and environmental data about urban green spaces across 26 Brazilian state capitals

Data collected by the Urban Predation Risk Network about predation pressure on dummy caterpillars exposed for eight days in 26 small green spaces and 24 forest patches across 26 Brazilian state capitals. The raw predation data describes the type of predator and the day in which each caterpillar was found with marks, as well as the sites' coordinates. The environmental data provides information for each site about precipitation, annual mean temperature, temperature seasonality, elevation, and coordinates. This database also provides summarized information about predation at each site, such as the total number of attacked caterpillars and the number of attacked caterpillars by each predator group. The data files contain a metadata sheet with a description of each column. The code provided was used to assess the local and large-scale drivers of predation pressure on dummy caterpillars in small green spaces and forest patches across 26 Brazilian cities

Notes for genera – Ascomycota

Knowledge of the relationships and thus the classification of fungi, has developed rapidly with increasingly widespread use of molecular techniques, over the past 10--15 years, and continues to accelerate. Several genera have been found to be polyphyletic, and their generic concepts have subsequently been emended. New names have thus been introduced for species which are phylogenetically distinct from the type species of particular genera. The ending of the separate naming of morphs of the same species in 2011, has also caused changes in fungal generic names. In order to facilitate access to all important changes, it was desirable to compile these in a single document. The present article provides a list of generic names of Ascomycota (approximately 6500 accepted names published to the end of 2016), including those which are lichen-forming. Notes and summaries of the changes since the last edition of `Ainsworth Bisby's Dictionary of the Fungi' in 2008 are provided. The notes include the number of accepted species, classification, type species (with location of the type material), culture availability, life-styles, distribution, and selected publications that have appeared since 2008. This work is intended to provide the foundation for updating the ascomycete component of the ``Without prejudice list of generic names of Fungi'' published in 2013, which will be developed into a list of protected generic names. This will be subjected to the XIXth International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen in July 2017 agreeing to a modification in the rules relating to protected lists, and scrutiny by procedures determined by the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF). The previously invalidly published generic names Barriopsis, Collophora (as Collophorina), Cryomyces, Dematiopleospora, Heterospora (as Heterosporicola), Lithophila, Palmomyces (as Palmaria) and Saxomyces are validated, as are two previously invalid family names, Bartaliniaceae and Wiesneriomycetaceae. Four species of Lalaria, which were invalidly published are transferred to Taphrina and validated as new combinations. Catenomycopsis Tibell Constant. is reduced under Chaenothecopsis Vain., while Dichomera Cooke is reduced under Botryosphaeria Ces. De Not. (Art. 59)