Comparative analysis of two genomic regions among four strains of Buchnera aphidicola, primary endosymbiont of aphids.

Preliminary analysis of two selected genomic regions of Buchnera aphidicola BCc, the primary endosymbiont of the cedar aphid Cinara cedri, has revealed a number of interesting features when compared with the corresponding homologous regions of the three B. aphidicola genomes previously sequenced, that are associated with different aphid species. Both regions exhibit a significant reduction in length and gene number in B. aphidicola BCc, as it could be expected since it possess the smallest bacterial genome. However, the observed genome reduction is not even in both regions, as it appears to be dependent on the nature of their gene content. The region fpr-trxA, that contains mainly metabolic genes, has lost almost half of its genes (45.6%) and has reduced 52.9% its length. The reductive process in the region rrl-aroK, that contains mainly ribosomal protein genes, is less dramatic, since it has lost 9.3% of genes and has reduced 15.5% of its length. Length reduction is mainly due to the loss of protein-coding genes, not to the shortening of ORFs or intergenic regions. In both regions, G+C content is about 4% lower in BCc than in the other B. aphidicola strains. However, when only conserved genes and intergenic regions of the four B. aphidicola strains are compared, the G+C reduction is higher in the fpr-trxA region

Actualización de la checklist de serpentinófitos suribéricos (Andalucía, España) e implicaciones en su conservación

Resumen de comunicación en CongresoLos ecosistemas serpentínicos son centros de endemización que, por su propia confi guración a modo de islas y los sustratos especiales (peridotitas) , han generado un considerable número tanto de especies endémicas como de taxones ligados en mayor o menor medida a dichos sustratos , así como otros que sufren serpentinomorfosis ( Brooks, R. 1987. Serpentine and its vegetation. A multidisciplinary approach. Dioscorides Press. Portland. ). Contar con un listado actualizado de los taxones ligados a los sustratos serpentínicos con datos sobre su abundancia, distribución y estado de amenaz a es fun damental para la conservación vegetal en dichos ecosistemas. La última revisión data del año 2013 y desde entonces se han descrito nuevos taxones y añadido nuevas poblaciones de serpentinófitos, serpentinófilos y plantas con serpentinomorfosis , lo que obli ga a una puesta al día del listado de dichas plantas. Dicho listado podría combinarse con el propio de los afloramientos serpentínicos galaico -portugueses para configurar un catálogo ibérico.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

After Fire Regeneration in a Mediterranean Serpentine Mountain.

https://systems.enpress-publisher.com/index.php/SF/about/editorialPolicies#openAccessPolicyThe objective of this study is to know the response to fire of the main members of the group of serpentine plants, which habit the Spanish Mediterranean ultramafic mountain, to help in their management. For this purpose, monitoring plots were established on a burned ultramafic outcrop, which was affected by fire in August 2012.They were located in the Mediterranean south of the Iberian Peninsula, Andalusia region. The dominant vegetation of this serpentine ecosystem had been studied previously to fire; it was a shrubland composed of endemic serpentinophytes (small shrubs and perennial herbs) included in Digitali laciniatae-Halimietum atriplicifolii plant association (Cisto-Lavanduletea class) in an opened pine forest. The post-fire response of the plants was studied in the stablished burned plots by field works through permanent 200 x 10 m transect methods, consisting on checking whether they were resprouters, seeders, both of them or if they showed no survival response. Additional information about fire related functional traits is provided for the studied taxa from other studies. Of the total of plants studied (23 taxa), 74% acted as resprouters, 30% as seeders, some of which also had the capacity to resprout (13%), and only 9% of the plants did not show any survival strategy. The presence of a resprouting burl was not high (17%), although serpentine small shrubs such as Bupleurum acutifolium and the generalist Teucrium haenseleri had this kind of organ. The herbaceous taxa Sanguisorba verrucosa, Galium boissieranum and Linum carratracense were seen to be resprouters and seeders. The serpentine obligated Ni-accumulator, Alyssum serpyllifolium subsp. malacitanum, did not show any survival strategy in the face of fire and therefore their populations need monitoring after fires

New Insights on the Evolutionary History of Aphids and Their Primary Endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola

Since the establishment of the symbiosis between the ancestor of modern aphids and their primary endosymbiont, Buchnera aphidicola, insects and bacteria have coevolved. Due to this parallel evolution, the analysis of bacterial genomic features constitutes a useful tool to understand their evolutionary history. Here we report, based on data from B. aphidicola, the molecular evolutionary analysis, the phylogenetic relationships among lineages and a comparison of sequence evolutionary rates of symbionts of four aphid species from three subfamilies. Our results support previous hypotheses of divergence of B. aphidicola and their host lineages during the early Cretaceous and indicate a closer relationship between subfamilies Eriosomatinae and Lachninae than with the Aphidinae. They also reveal a general evolutionary pattern among strains at the functional level. We also point out the effect of lifecycle and generation time as a possible explanation for the accelerated rate in B. aphidicola from the Lachninae

Mapa bioclimático del Parque Nacional Sierra de las Nieves (Málaga, España) basado en bioindicadores y aplicación a HIC (pinsapares y vegetación de alta montaña).

La Bioclimatología es la ciencia que se encarga de estudiar cómo afecta el clima a la Biodiversidad, generando índices y clasificaciones bioclimáticas que ayudan a entenderla distribución de los seres vivos en el Planeta y a escalas menores. Uno de los sistemas de clasificación bioclimática adaptado a la flora y vegetación de la Península ibéricay utilizado en este trabajo es el de Rivas-Martínez (2007), basado sobre todo en termotipos y ombrotipos (temperaturas y precipitaciones). El Parque Nacional de la Sierra de las Nieves fue declarado por la Ley 9/2021 del 1 de julio (BOE núm. 157), sin embargo, todavía carece de documentos que recogen todoslos aspectos del medio natural (PORN) para poder realizar una zonificación y ordenación de los usos acordes con la conservación (PRUG). Un mapa bioclimático a escala dedetalle sería muy útil para su zonificación y gestión, así como base para estudios de distribución y adaptaciones de su elevada Biodiversidad. El objetivo de este trabajo es generar un mapa bioclimático de termotipos del Parque Nacional para plataformas cartográficas y SIG. El mapa se desarrolla utilizandoinformación sobre fitoindicadores, sinfitoindicadores e isolineas de nivel como límite entre los distintos termotipos identificados. Otro objetivo es conocer la distribución de los HIC de pinsapar y de vegetación de alta montaña en el mapa bioclimático generado y el área que ocupan en cada termotipo y horizonte.Proyecto cofinanciado por el Ministerio de Ciencia eInnovación con fondos del Fondo Europeo deDesarrollo Regional (FEDER) Proyecto Environmental and Biodiversity ClimateChange Lab (EnBiC2-Lab). Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Metal accumulation by Alyssum serpyllifolium subsp. malacitanum Rivas Goday (Brassicaceae) across different petrographic entities in Sou.th- Iberian ultramafic massifs: plant-soil relationships and prospects for phytomining.

Política de acceso abierto tomada de: https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/5426?template=romeoIn the ultramafic area of Spain, a high quantity of petrographic entities is present. Data on the variability among populations of hyperaccumulation are scarce. We investigated Alyssum serpyllifolium subsp. malacitanum for variations in eleven elements among populations growing in different ultramafic massifs in different petrographic entities (dunites, harzburgite-pyroxenic dunite, harzburgite-lherzolite, pyroxenite, and serpentinites). Samples of leaves and soils were collected from the ultramafic outcrops of Sierra Bermeja and Sierra de Mijas (Andalusia, Spain). The concentrations of Ni, Fe, Mg, Si, Cr, Co, Sr, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Ba and the bioaccumulation factors (BAF) were determined. Although analysis of variance of the data for each element revealed considerable variation in soil chemistry (for Fe, Mg, Sr, and Ba) among the different petrographic entities, population-level variation with regard to the hyperaccumulation in the leaves was not detected. BAF values >1 were obtained for Sr and Ni depending on the petrographic entities. The correlation detected between the concentration of Ni in leaves and concentration in soil is relevant. The population-level variation obtained in the BAF values for Sr and Ni provides comprehensive information on the natural variation of hyperaccumulation. The BAF obtained for Ba is an important result for phytomining

New data on the southern Iberian serpentinophyte flora (Andalusia, Spain)

This work updates the existing list of obligate endemic serpentinophytes of the southern Iberian Peninsula. Serpentine ecosystems are developed on ultramafic outcrops which, although rare, have a worldwide distribution. The highly evolved and specialized flora that manages to inhabit these harsh ecosystems includes a very specialized and highly evolved group of plants known as serpentinophytes. Serpentinophytes are linked exclusively or almost exclusively to serpentine ecosystems. The existing list of obligate serpentinophytes (obligate endemics) which exist in the serpentine ecosystems of the southern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) consists of 22 taxa. New fieldwork has been done resulting in the description of new soil endemics and the discovery of new populations of this specialized flora. Consequently, bibliographical sources, databases such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and existing herbarium sheets have been revised. Crepis bermejana and Galatella malacitana have been added to the list and are proposed to be evaluated as threatened. Teucrium reverchonii has been excluded from the list. Euphorbia flavicoma subsp. bermejense and Armeria villosa subsp. serpentinicola required changes in nomenclature. These nomenclatural changes imply changes in population allocations. The revised list is composed of 23 obligate serpentinophyte taxa. Future conservation measures may include a complete Iberian (including Portugal) serpentinophytes checklist and corresponding revisions of States’ legislation and Red Lists

Quercus × trabutii Hy en el sur de la península ibérica (Sierra Nevada, Granada)

A key of morphological characters, two illustrations and a distribution map are presented

Coexistence of Wolbachia with Buchnera aphidicola and a secondary symbiont in the aphid Cinara cedri.

Intracellular symbiosis is very common in the insect world. For the aphid Cinara cedri, we have identified by electron microscopy three symbiotic bacteria that can be characterized by their different sizes, morphologies, and electrodensities. PCR amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) genes showed that, in addition to harboring Buchnera aphidicola, the primary endosymbiont of aphids, C. cedri harbors a secondary symbiont (S symbiont) that was previously found to be associated with aphids (PASS, or R type) and an alpha-proteobacterium that belongs to the Wolbachia genus. Using in situ hybridization with specific bacterial probes designed for symbiont 16S rDNA sequences, we have shown that Wolbachia was represented by only a few minute bacteria surrounding the S symbionts. Moreover, the observed B. aphidicola and the S symbionts had similar sizes and were housed in separate specific bacterial cells, the bacteriocytes. Interestingly, in contrast to the case for all aphids examined thus far, the S symbionts were shown to occupy a similarly sized or even larger bacteriocyte space than B. aphidicola. These findings, along with the facts that C. cedri harbors the B. aphidicola strain with the smallest bacterial genome and that the S symbionts infect all Cinara spp. analyzed so far, suggest the possibility of bacterial replacement in these species

Plant conservation in National Parks: vegetation checklist, biogeography and protected habitats (Sierra de las Nieves, Malaga, Spain).

A study of the plant communities that develop in the state protected natural area “Parque Nacional de la Sierra de las Nieves” (Andalusia, Spain) has been carried out. It is a very environmentally diverse area, with numerous and contrasting lithological types, mediterranean macro-bioclimate and 4 thermotypes, from thermo-mediterranean (150 m) to oro-mediterranean (1919 m). The park is included in three very different biogeographical sectors (Rondeño: dolomites/limestones, Bermejense: peridotites, Aljibico: siliceous substrates) belonging to the Western Mediterranean subregion and main refuge of Abies pinsapo among other endemic and relict species. The study was carried out using the updated phytosociological method, with inventories taken mainly during the years 2017-2023 and complemented with previous data (1996-1998).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech