The Allolobophora sturanyi species group revisited: Integrated taxonomy and new taxa (Clitellata: Megadrili)

The Allolobophora sturanyi Rosa, 1895 species group is revisited using DNA barcoding and morphology. Barcoding results corroborated the previous treatment of the Allolobophora sturanyi subspecies and furthermore proved that the morphologically similar Allolobophora gestroides Zicsi, 1970 species belong to this species group. Elaboration of new samples from the Apuseni Mts resulted in discovery of a new subspecies A. sturanyi biharica ssp. nov. from the summit of the Bihor range, and a new species A. zicsica from the Vladeasa range similar to A. gestroides described from Northern Hungary

Morphometric characteristics and COI haplotype diversity of Arctodiaptomus spinosus (Copedoda) populations in soda pans in Hungary

Arctodiaptomus spinosus (Daday, 1891) is a characteristic species of the soda pan zooplankton in the Great Hungarian Plain. The biogeographical distribution of the species is interesting, since its range expands from the Pannonian Biogeographic region to the other side of the Carpathians, occurring in saline lakes in Eastern Anatolia, Armenia, Iran and in temporary waters in Ukraine. Our investigations focused on the morphometric characteristics and the COI haplotype diversity of four Hungarian populations in the Kiskunság area. We detected substantial morphological differences between the Böddi-szék population and the rest of the sampling sites, however considerable differences were not observable in the COI haplotypes in the populations. The 20 animals investigated for COI haplotypes belonged to the same haplotype network. Tajima?s D indicated departures from the neutral Wright ? Fisher population model and suggested population expansion. The genetic composition of Arctodiaptomus spinosus populations in the Kiskunság area is rather uniform

Old views and new insights: taxonomic revision of the Bukovina blind mole rat, Spalax graecus (Rodentia: Spalacinae)

As a result of their rather uniform external appearance and gross cranial morphology, the systematics of blind mole rats has been hotly debated over the last century; however, the separation of the large-bodied and small-bodied blind mole rats at the genus level (Spalax and Nannospalax, respectively), suggested earlier on morphological grounds, is strongly supported by recent molecular biological evidence. The species of Spalax have so far been distinguished from each other by cranial traits only, especially the outline of sutures of the cranium, and the shape and relative size of the nasal and parietal bones. Based on mitochondrial DNA sequences (with the widest taxonomic and geographic coverage so far) and detailed anatomical comparisons of museum specimens, we herewith provide a revision of the taxonomic and phylogenetic status of the westernmost representative of the genus, Spalax graecus s.l. We clarify that antiquus and istricus – presently regarded as synonyms of graecus – are well-defined species, and they together form a separate clade within Spalax. The robustness of our conclusions is supported by the combined evidence of morphology, multilocus phylogeny, species distribution, and taxon history (species congruence with past tectonic and climate events)

Reliable transgene-independent method for determining Sleeping Beauty transposon copy numbers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The transposon-based gene delivery technique is emerging as a method of choice for gene therapy. The <it>Sleeping Beauty </it>(SB) system has become one of the most favored methods, because of its efficiency and its random integration profile. Copy-number determination of the delivered transgene is a crucial task, but a universal method for measuring this is lacking. In this paper, we show that a real-time quantitative PCR-based, transgene-independent (qPCR-TI) method is able to determine SB transposon copy numbers regardless of the genetic cargo.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We designed a specific PCR assay to amplify the left inverted repeat-direct repeat region of SB, and used it together with the single-copy control gene <it>RPPH1 </it>and a reference genomic DNA of known copy number. The qPCR-TI method allowed rapid and accurate determination of SB transposon copy numbers in various cell types, including human embryonic stem cells. We also found that this sensitive, rapid, highly reproducible and non-radioactive method is just as accurate and reliable as the widely used blotting techniques or the transposon display method. Because the assay is specific for the inverted repeat region of the transposon, it could be used in any system where the SB transposon is the genetic vehicle.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have developed a transgene-independent method to determine copy numbers of transgenes delivered by the SB transposon system. The technique is based on a quantitative real-time PCR detection method, offering a sensitive, non-radioactive, rapid and accurate approach, which has a potential to be used for gene therapy.</p

Redescription of two subterranean amphipods Niphargus molnari Méhely, 1927 and Niphargus gebhardti Schellenberg, 1934 (Amphipoda, Niphargidae) and their phylogenetic position

Volume: 509Start Page: 53End Page: 8

Integrated taxonomy reveals multiple species in the Dendrobaena byblica (Rosa, 1893) complex (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)

Szederjesi, Tímea, Pop, Victor V., Pavlíček, Tomáš, Márton, Orsolya, Krízsik, Virág, Csuzdi, Csaba (2018): Integrated taxonomy reveals multiple species in the Dendrobaena byblica (Rosa, 1893) complex (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 182: 500-516, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx04