Crabs, scallops, fish, and more: barcoding the marine fauna of the North Sea

Background: During the last years, the effectiveness of DNA barcoding for animal species identification has been proven in many studies, analyzing both vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. In terms of marine organisms, however, most barcoding studies typically focus on economically relevant species, for example, fish, as well asonthedocumentationof hotspots of species diversity, for example, tropical coral reefs or regions of the almost unexplored deep sea regions. In contrast to this, species diversity of “well-known” habitats is nearly neglected. As part of our running project we started to build up a comprehensive DNA barcode library for the metazoan taxa of the North Sea, one of the most extensively studied ecosystems of the world. The North Sea is characterized by a highamountof anthropogenic pressure such as intensive fishing and ship traffic as well as offshore installations. Environmental parameters (e.g., depth, sediment characteristics, temperature, and salinity) of this semi-enclosed shelf sea follow a distinct pattern: high seasonal fluctuations can be observed in southern areas, but low fluctuations are given in the northern regions. This heterogeneity is also displayed in macrobenthic community structures, with a lower number of species in the shallow southern parts (i.e., the German Bight) and more species in the central and northern North Sea. In addition to this, species with a typical Mediterranean-Lusitanean distribution are also known to occur in parts of the North Sea where oceanic influences prevail. Results: Our barcode library includes a broad variety of taxa, including typical taxa of marine barcoding studies, for example, fish or decapod crustaceans. Our on-growing library also includes groups that are often ignored as cnidarians, parasitic crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks, pantopods, polychaets, and others. In total, our library includes more than 4200 DNA barcodes of more than 600 species at the moment. By using the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), unique BINs were identified for more than 90% of the analyzed species. Significance: Our data represent a first step towards the establishment of a comprehensive DNA barcode library of the Metazoa of the North Sea. Despite the fact that various taxa are still missing or are currently underrepresented, our results clearly underline the usefulness of DNA barcodes to discriminate the vast majority of the analyzed species. It should be also kept in mind that the benefits of DNA barcoding are not restricted to taxonomic or systematic research only. The rise of modern high-throughput sequencing technologies will change biomonitoring applications and surveys significantly in the coming years. Following this, reference datasets such as ours will become essential for a correct identification of specimens sequenced as part of a metabarcoding study. This is especially true for the North Sea, a marine region that has been massively affected by cargo ship traffic, the exploitation of oil and gas resources, offshore wind parks, and in particular extensive long-term fisheries

Gastrotricha: A Marine Sister for a Freshwater Puzzle

Background: Within an evolutionary framework of Gastrotricha Marinellina flagellata and Redudasys fornerise bear special interest, as they are the only Macrodasyida that inhabit freshwater ecosystems. Notwithstanding, these rare animals are poorly known; found only once (Austria and Brazil), they are currently systematised as incertae sedis. Here we report on the rediscovery of Redudasys fornerise, provide an account on morphological novelties and present a hypothesis on its phylogenetic relationship based on molecular data. Methodology/Principal Findings: Specimens were surveyed using DIC microscopy and SEM, and used to obtain the 18 S rRNA gene sequence; molecular data was analyzed cladistically in conjunction with data from 42 additional species belonging to the near complete Macrodasyida taxonomic spectrum. Morphological analysis, while providing new information on taxonomically relevant traits (adhesive tubes, protonephridia and sensorial bristles), failed to detect elements of the male system, thus stressing the parthenogenetic nature of the Brazilian species. Phylogenetic analysis, carried out with ML, MP and Bayesian approaches, yielded topologies with strong nodal support and highly congruent with each other. Among the supported groups is the previously undocumented clade showing the alliance between Redudasys fornerise and Dactylopodola agadasys; other strongly sustained clades include the densely sampled families Thaumastodermatidae and Turbanellidae and most genera. Conclusions/Significance: A reconsideration of the morphological traits of Dactylopodola agadasys in light of the new information on Redudasys fornerise makes the alliance between these two taxa very likely. As a result, we create Anandrodasys gen. nov. to contain members of the previously described D. agadasys and erect Redudasyidae fam. nov. to reflect this novel relationship between Anandrodasys and Redudasys. From an ecological perspective, the derived position of Redudasys, which is deeply nested within the Macrodasyida clade, unequivocally demonstrates that invasion of freshwater by gastrotrichs has taken place at least twice, in contrast with the single event hypothesis recently put forward

Diversity of Meiofauna from the 9°50′N East Pacific Rise across a Gradient of Hydrothermal Fluid Emissions

Background: We studied the meiofauna community at deep-sea hydrothermal vents along a gradient of vent fluid emissions in the axial summit trought (AST) of the East Pacific Rise 9 degrees 50'N region. The gradient ranged from extreme high temperatures, high sulfide concentrations, and low pH at sulfide chimneys to ambient deep-sea water conditions on bare basalt. We explore meiofauna diversity and abundance, and discuss its possible underlying ecological and evolutionary processes. Methodology/Principal Findings: After sampling in five physico-chemically different habitats, the meiofauna was sorted, counted and classified. Abundances were low at all sites. A total of 52 species were identified at vent habitats. The vent community was dominated by hard substrate generalists that also lived on bare basalt at ambient deep-sea temperature in the axial summit trough (AST generalists). Some vent species were restricted to a specific vent habitat (vent specialists), but others occurred over a wide range of physico-chemical conditions (vent generalists). Additionally, 35 species were only found on cold bare basalt (basalt specialists). At vent sites, species richness and diversity clearly increased with decreasing influence of vent fluid emissions from extreme flow sulfide chimney (no fauna), high flow pompei worm (S: 4-7, H-loge': 0.11-0.45), vigorous flow tubeworm (S: 8-23; H-loge': 0.44-2.00) to low flow mussel habitats (S: 28-31; H-loge': 2.34-2.60). Conclusions/Significance: Our data suggest that with increasing temperature and toxic hydrogen sulfide concentrations and increasing amplitude of variation of these factors, fewer species are able to cope with these extreme conditions. This results in less diverse communities in more extreme habitats. The finding of many species being present at sites with and without vent fluid emissions points to a non endemic deep-sea hydrothermal vent meiofaunal community. This is in contrast to a mostly endemic macrofauna but similar to what is known for meiofauna from shallow-water vents

Plus- and Minus-End Directed Microtubule Motors Bind Simultaneously to Herpes Simplex Virus Capsids Using Different Inner Tegument Structures

Many viruses depend on host microtubule motors to reach their destined intracellular location. Viral particles of neurotropic alphaherpesviruses such as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) show bidirectional transport towards the cell center as well as the periphery, indicating that they utilize microtubule motors of opposing directionality. To understand the mechanisms of specific motor recruitment, it is necessary to characterize the molecular composition of such motile viral structures. We have generated HSV1 capsids with different surface features without impairing their overall architecture, and show that in a mammalian cell-free system the microtubule motors dynein and kinesin-1 and the dynein cofactor dynactin could interact directly with capsids independent of other host factors. The capsid composition and surface was analyzed with respect to 23 structural proteins that are potentially exposed to the cytosol during virus assembly or cell entry. Many of these proteins belong to the tegument, the hallmark of all herpesviruses located between the capsid and the viral envelope. Using immunoblots, quantitative mass spectrometry and quantitative immunoelectron microscopy, we show that capsids exposing inner tegument proteins such as pUS3, pUL36, pUL37, ICP0, pUL14, pUL16, and pUL21 recruited dynein, dynactin, kinesin-1 and kinesin-2. In contrast, neither untegumented capsids exposing VP5, VP26, pUL17 and pUL25 nor capsids covered by outer tegument proteins such as vhs, pUL11, ICP4, ICP34.5, VP11/12, VP13/14, VP16, VP22 or pUS11 bound microtubule motors. Our data suggest that HSV1 uses different structural features of the inner tegument to recruit dynein or kinesin-1. Individual capsids simultaneously accommodated motors of opposing directionality as well as several copies of the same motor. Thus, these associated motors either engage in a tug-of-war or their activities are coordinately regulated to achieve net transport either to the nucleus during cell entry or to cytoplasmic membranes for envelopment during assembly

FIGURE 1 A–F in First record of rare dasydytid gastrotrich Setopus tongiorgii (Balsamo, 1982) from central Europe with some biological data

FIGURE 1 A–F. Setopus tongiorgii. Light microscopic images (differential interference contrast). A: Habitus. Some motile spines visible (arrowheads). Note the reinforcements within the pharynx (asterisk) B: Dorsal view of anterior part showing spines of the head (arrowheads). Note the special scales with sensory setae (asterisk) C: Trunk region with mature egg D: Ventral view of the trunk with keeled scales (arrowheads) E: Close­up of the ventral terminal plates (arrowheads) F: Close­up of the x­organ (X). lci – locomotory cilia of the head; mig – midgut; oo – mature egg; ts – terminal spines.Published as part of <i>Kieneke, Alexander & Riemann, Ole, 2008, First record of rare dasydytid gastrotrich Setopus tongiorgii (Balsamo, 1982) from central Europe with some biological data, pp. 59-61 in Zootaxa 1680 (1)</i> on page 60, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1680.1.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10088985">http://zenodo.org/record/10088985</a&gt

First record of rare dasydytid gastrotrich Setopus tongiorgii (Balsamo, 1982) from central Europe with some biological data

Kieneke, Alexander, Riemann, Ole (2008): First record of rare dasydytid gastrotrich Setopus tongiorgii (Balsamo, 1982) from central Europe with some biological data. Zootaxa 1680 (1): 59-61, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1680.1.4, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1680.1.

Chimaeradasys Kieneke & Todaro 2021, GEN. NOV.

GENUS CHIMAERADASYS GEN. NOV. Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 832074E4-FCC0-410F-85FB-2AFFCFEC637E Genus type species: Chimaeradasys oligotubulatus sp. nov. Diagnosis: A thaumastodermatin characterized by a smooth cuticle and a forked caudal peduncle. Body slender, slightly arched dorsally and flattened ventrally; adults up to 391 µm in total length (TL) and up to 74 µm in maximum width. Head furnished with ample mouth and oral hood but lacking sensory structures, such as knob-like organs and eye spots. Sensorial (?) papillae present on mouth rim and margins of the oral hood. Trunk widest in the mid-intestinal region, tapering gently to the rear before ending abruptly in a peculiar, narrow caudal peduncle; peduncle branched, indenting medially at U93. Five to eight pairs of large epidermal glands along the pharyngeal and posterior trunk region, other smaller glands may be present along the anterior trunk region. Numerous sensorial cilia are distributed in lateral and dorsolateral columns along the body, sparingly around the head. Locomotor cilia arranged in transverse bands, coveringtheentireventralsurface, excepttheanalregion and peduncle. Anterior adhesive tubes (TbA), one or two per side, in a row just posterior to the mouth; ventral adhesive tubes (TbV) absent or present as a single pair in the anterior pharyngeal region; lateral adhesive tubes (TbL), noticeable, one per side just anterior to the peduncle; ventrolateral adhesive tubes (TbVL), five to ten per side, one of which is in the anterior pharyngeal region and the others distributed along the half to two-thirds of the trunk; dorsal adhesive tubes (TbD) absent; posterior adhesive tubes (TbP), three per side, two of which are at the end of each peduncular branch and one flanking them medially. Mouth wide, (up to 55 µm in breadth), leading to a shallow, funnel-shaped buccal cavity and surmounted dorsally by a scalloped oral hood. Pharynx up to 92 µm in length; pharyngeal pores near the base, with ventrolateral openings at U28–U33. Pharyngeo-intestinal junction (PhIJ) at U32–U34, intestine straight, slightly wider at midbody; anal opening ventral at U80–U88. Hermaphrodite; single testis on right body side, elongate, beginning posterior to the PhIJ; sperm duct presumably opens on the ventral surface, through the anus or near to it; spermatozoa filiform with a corkscrew-like anterior region and a lash-like tail. Ovary solitary, posterior in the trunk region; eggs growing from posterior to anterior with the ripest cell dorsal to the mid-intestine. Caudal organ, compact, posterior to the ovary, glandomuscular in nature, showing several spermatozoa, probably to be released ventrally throughout an independent pore or via the anus; frontal organ inconspicuous, saclike, at midline, adjacent to the caudal organ, with several motile spermatozoa inside. Anatomical and/or functional relationship between testis and the accessory reproductive organs or between the latter structures, indefinite. Type species: Chimaeradasys oligotubulatus; other species: C. multitubulatus. Etymology: The new genus name is derived from the Greek Χίµαιρα (Latinized as Chimaera), a mythological creature composed of a lion, a goat and a snake, and from the Greek δασύς, shaggy, which refers to the dense facing with cilia of the ventral surface of Gastrotricha and which is often used as the second part of generic names of Macrodasyida. Both authors independently found specimens of the new genus, although with almost exactly eight years between the discoveries, and both faced the challenge of a proper systematic placement, because the animals appeared as ‘chimeras’, showing characters of several genera of the Macrodasyida, viz. Dendrodasys Wilke, 1954 and Ptychostomella (see ‘Taxonomic affinities’ for more details).Published as part of Kieneke, Alexander & Todaro, M. Antonio, 2021, Discovery of two ' chimeric' Gastrotricha and their systematic placement based on an integrative approach in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 19