Gene Expression and Phenotypic Assessment of Egg Quality across Developmental Stages of Atlantic Cod throughout the Spawning Season

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Nuevos datos sobre los Pamphagidae (Orthoptera, Caelifera) de la Península Ibérica I. Nueva subespecie de Eumigus Bolívar, 1878 de la Sierra de Alcaraz (Albacete, España)

Eumigus punctatus calarensis, a new subspecies of Pamphagidae, is described from Sierra de Alcaraz, in Albacete province (Spain), and its characteristics are discussed. We present data about its sound production and acoustic signals. New data on other species of Pamphagidae are given; including discussion of the taxonomic status of Acinipe mabillei, its account as valid species is proposed. We present the first known data on sound production by flapping method in Iberian Pamphagidae, for Eumigus punctatus punctatus. Lectotype and paralectotype of Kurtharzia nugatoria are designated.Se describe una nueva subespecie de Pamphagidae, Eumigus punctatus calarensis, de la Sierra de Alcaraz (Albacete, España), discutiéndose sus características diferenciales. Se presentan los datos sobre la producción de sonido y las manifestaciones acústicas. Se aportan nuevos datos sobre otras especies de Pamphagidae; entre ellos se discute la situación taxonómica de Acinipe mabillei, proponiéndose su consideración como especie válida, y se presentan los primeros datos conocidos sobre producción de sonido por el método del batido de tegminas (flapping) en panfágidos ibéricos, en Eumigus punctatus punctatus. Se designan lectotipo y paralectotipo de Kurtharzia nugatoria

LAS TAXOCENOSIS DE ACRÍDIDOS (ORTHOPTERA,ACRIDIDAE) DE LOS SISTEMAS MONTAÑOSOS DE LA PENÍNSULA IBÉRICA. SU UTILIDAD COMO ELEMENTOS BIOGEOGRÁFICOS.

The study of acridids’ taxocenosis of eleven mountains on the Iberian Peninsula has allowed to stablish three groups of mountains: Atlantic, Ibero-Continental and Ibero-Mediterranean. Thus, it has been confirmed its usefulness as biogeographical elements even in restricted areas.El estudio de las taxocenosis de acrídidos de once sistemas montañosos de la Península Ibérica ha permitido establecer tres grupos de sistemas montañosos: atlántico, ibérico-continental e ibérico-mediterráneo, confirmando su utilidad como indicadores biogeográficos incluso en áreas restringidas

Estrogen-related genes and postmenopausal osteoporosis risk

Background To date, more than 150 candidate genes related to osteoporosis have been described, but osteoporosis has increasingly been considered a polygenic disease modulated by environmental factors. It is thought that osteoporosis predisposition, pathology, and treatment response depend on the interaction between different genes or between genes and environmental factors. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the estrogen metabolic pathway and the development of osteoporosis and to determine whether this relationship is monogenic or whether interactions between genes exist. Materials and methods A multicentric study with 1980 postmenopausal Spanish women in fi ve Spanish communities was conducted. The women completed a specifi c questionnaire that inquired about risk factors for osteoporosis. Data on participants ’ bone mineral density were obtained with dual-energy X-ray densitometers, and genetic data were obtained from frozen peripheral blood. Results The digenic protection combinations indicated involvement of the wild-type genotype (WT) of the 3 UTR marker for the CYP19A1 gene, the IVS4 marker of the same gene, and the BMP15 and FSHR genes. Among patients who carried two or more of the genotypes considered ‘ risky ’ , the triple combination among markers of the ESR2 and NRIP1 genes with any of the two mutations of the analyzed markers of the BMP15 gene gave a mean T -score value of 2.32 0.91 ( p 0.02). Conclusion Variants of the new candidate genes ( NRIP and BMP15 ) can predispose patients to osteoporosis

Phylogenetic prospecting for cryptic species of the genus Merluccius (Actinopterygii: Merlucciidae).

Hakes of the genus Merluccius include 11 valid species as well a number of rare morphotypes suspected to be “cryptic species”. Concatenated nucDNA ITS1-rDNA and mtDNA cyt b sequences plus nested ITS1Nes sequences allowed to ascribe 14 specimens of nine rare morphotypes from the South Pacific and the South Atlantic to the phylogenetic backbone of this genus. Bayesian analyses pointed to M. bilinearis and M. albidus as the oldest species of the genus and the New World cluster, respectively. The phylogenetic status of M. angustimanus from the upper Gulf of California suggests its hybrid origin between M. gayi and M. productus from about 0.25 MYA, although an ever since confinement of a subset of those species cannot be ruled out. The molecular phylodiagnostic test suggests a common origin of all rare morphotypes and the absence of cryptic hake species in the Southern Cone. The molecular background of the morphotypes distributed between the Western Pacific South of New Zealand and the western Atlantic South of Argentina is compatible with their hybrid origin between M. gayi and both, M. australis or M. hubbsi, respectively.This research was partially supported with the project LETSHAKE (AGL2013-4846-R) co-funded by MINECO (Ministerio Español de Economía y Competitividad) and EU-FEDER to M.P. as well as with grant (IN607B 2018/14) to M. P. from Xunta de Galicia-Axencia Galega de Innovación. This work was also partly funded with grants from “Consellería de Educación e Ordenación Universitaria Xunta de Galicia (Galician Regional Government) cofunding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the framework of the Operational Program Galicia 2014–2020 (CIM-UVIGO), “A way to build Europe”.Versión del edito

Structural phase transitions in BaTi0₃ studied via perturbed angular correlations

Phase transitions in the ferroelectric perovskite BaTiO₃ were studied for ^111In-implanted polycrystalline samples by measuring the electric field gradients by means of Perturbed Angular Correlation spectroscopy. The phase transitions between the orthorhombic double left right arrow rhombohedral double left right arrow tetragonal double left right arrow cubic lattices were investigated in 2 - 10 K steps, for increasing and decreasing temperatures, in order to determine their hysteresis. The transition parameters are compared with results from measurements of the spontaneous polarization, electric susceptibility and neutron scattering

Conservation of limpet populations: a heavily exploited resource in Azores, NE-Atlantic

10th International Temperate Reefs Symposium, The University of Western Australia, 12-17 de janeiro.Limpet harvesting in Azores (NE Atlantic) has been taking place probably since the islands were first colonized in the XV century. Limpet species are highly exploited and populations from most islands have declined steadily bringing about catastrophic effects on coastal communities. Despite their economic importance limpets are also ecologically key species and require prioritizing conservation strategies. Patellid limpets are broadcast spawners which go through a planktonic larval stage in their life cycle. They are benthic as adults and the larva is the only phase during their life-cycle which has the ability to disperse over assumed large spatial distances. However, there is now mounting evidence that gene flow between islands and mainlands can be low, even for species with a relatively long planktonic larval stage. Low levels of larval exchange may thus limit the success of conservation objectives expected upon migration and recruitment. In dispersive isolated oceanic islands such as the Macaronesian Islands, the Azores Archipelago in particular, is not clear whether limpet populations from different islands form a single meta-population or, in contrast, populations on each island are isolated from the rest. Knowledge on this scenario is crucial for the management and conservation of exploited populations of limpets. Here we have developed and described species-specific multiplexed microsatellite markers for the limpets Patella candei and Patella aspera using whole genome shotgun 454 sequencing. These genetic tools have allowed the study of the population genetic structure and evolutionary history of patellid species in the archipelago of Azores. Genetic studies, alongside with biological, ecological and oceanographic information, represent an important contribution for the understanding of population dynamics by allowing testing hypothesis about larval dispersal patterns, recruitment and life history traits, population connectivity, genetic diversity, and population equilibrium