Morphohistological characteristic of digestive tract of an endemic cichlid fish, Iranocichla hormuzensis Coad, 1982 (Teleostei: Cichlidae)

Objective of the current study was to investigate morphohistology of digestive tract of Iranocichla hormuzensis, one of two native cichlid fishes in Iran. The species present omnivorous feeding habits and restricted in shallow, high temperatures and high salinity water in Mehran River and its drainages. This species has a terminal mouth with several rows of serrated incisive teeth, which covered the upper and lower lips. Esophagus is a short tubular between pharynx and stomach, stomach is relatively small and sac-shape, and intestine is long. Gastric wall, through the digestive tube, consists of four layers of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa with some characters specialized for each organ, such as a well-developed mucosa layer and numerous goblet cell in the ventral section of stomach. Morphohistology of digestive tract of I. hormuzensis supports its generalist diet

Viral metagenomic analysis of fecal samples reveals an enteric virome signature in irritable bowel syndrome

Changes in the enteric microbiota have been suggested to contribute to gastrointestinal diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome. Most of the published work is on bacterial dysbiosis with meager data on the role of the virome in irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal diseases. In the current study, we therefore aimed to investigate the viral community composition of the gut and test for potential dysbiosis linked to irritable bowel syndrome. A metagenomics analysis on fecal samples of 50 individuals - 30 of whom met the Rome IV criteria for IBS and 20 healthy controls- was conducted. There was a noticeable alteration in viral taxa observed in association with irritable bowel syndrome when compared to healthy individuals - where some eukaryotic viral taxa noticeably prevail over others. We observed a significant decrease in the diversity and abundance of enteric virome particularly in eukaryotic viruses of Megavirales in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. These findings shed light on a new hypothesis that the alteration of the viral taxa contributes to the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome and related symptoms, and therefore, pave the way for developing a new diagnostic biomarker or anti-viral drugs for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Data from: Plio-Pleistocene diversification and biogeographic barriers in southern Australia reflected in the phylogeography of a widespread and common lizard species

Palaeoclimatic events and biogeographical processes since the mid-Tertiary have played an important role in shaping the evolution and distribution of Australian fauna. However, their impacts on fauna in southern and arid zone regions of Australia are not well understood. Here we investigate the phylogeography of an Australian scincid lizard, Tiliqua rugosa, across southern Australia using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and 11 nuclear DNA markers (nuDNA), including nine anonymous nuclear loci. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three major mtDNA lineages within T. rugosa, geographically localised north and south of the Murray River in southern Australia, and west of the Nullarbor Plain. Molecular variance and population analyses of both mtDNA and nuDNA haplotypes revealed significant variation among the three populations, although potential introgression of nuDNA markers was also detected for the Northern and Southern population. Coalescent times for major mtDNA lineages coincide with an aridification phase, which commenced after the early Pliocene and increased in intensity during the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene. Species distribution modelling and a phylogeographic diffusion model suggest that the range of T. rugosa may have contracted during the Last Glacial Maximum and the locations of optimal habitat appear to coincide with the geographic origin of several distinct mtDNA lineages. Overall, our analyses suggest that Plio-Pleistocene climatic changes and biogeographic barriers associated with the Nullarbor Plain and Murray River have played a key role in shaping the present-day distribution of genetic diversity in T. rugosa and many additional ground-dwelling animals distributed across southern Australia

Dryad data for Ansari et al. MPE 2019

Population data from ANM nuclear loc