Plecotus microdontus (Mammalia: Vespertilionidae), nova vrsta šišmiša iz Austrije

SPITZENBERGER et al. (2001) reported the existence of more than two different genetic clades within long-eared bats in Austria. A genetic analysis of one specimen from the Dalmatian island of Lastovo (Croatia), close to the locus typicus of Plecotus kolombatovici, and an additional morphological analysis of specimens from some other Dalmatian islands revealed the fact that in contrast to the previous interpretation, clade 2 in SPITZENBERGER et al. (2001) does not represent P. kolombatovici, which is a separate species related to P. austriacus. Clade 2 has to be considered a new species, P. microdontus n. sp., which is the sister group of P. auritus. It is distinguishable in external, skull and teeth characters from other European Plecotus species. It is known from the Alps between Liguria and Slovenia.SPITZENBERGER et al. (2001) su objavili da u Austriji postoji više od dvije genetički različite grupe dugouhih šišmiša. Genetička analiza jednog primjerka šišmiša ove skupine s dalmatinskog otoka Lastova (Hrvatska) koji je neposredno uz locus typicus vrste Plecotus kolombatovici, te dodatna morfološka analiza primjeraka s drugih dalmatinskih otoka, pokazali su suprotno prethodnom objašnjenju da grupa 2 u SPITZENBERGER et al. (2001) ne predstavlja vrstu P. kolombatovici, koja je odijeljena vrsta srodna s P. austriacus. Za navedenu grupu 2 iz tog rada smatramo da predstavlja za znanost novu vrstu, P. microdontus n. sp., koja pripada grupi P. auritus. Ona se od ostalih europskih vrsta roda Plecotus razlikuje u vanjskoj morfologiji, značajkama lubanje i zubiju. Poznata je iz Alpa u području između Ligurije i Slovenije

Morfologija i sekvence mitohondrijske DNK pokazuju da su Plecotus alpinus Kiefer & Veith, 2002 i Plecotus microdontus Spitzenberger, 2002 sinonimi Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzjakin, 1965

Genetic and morphological analyses of long-eared bats from Northern Ossetia and other Caucasian localities revealed that the sister clade of Plecotus auritus discovered in the Eastern Alps (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2001) and described as a new species by Spitzenberger (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2002) (Plecotus microdontus) and by KIEFER & VEITH (2002) (Plecotus alpinus) is conspecific with Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965, described as a subspecies of P. auritus, from the vicinity of Vladikavkaz. The valid name for this species therefore is Plecotus macrobullaris. P. macrobullaris also occurs in central and eastern Turkey. Morphological as well as genetic analyses differentiate between an eastern and a western group within P. macrobullaris. From a morphological comparison of specimens of P. macrobullaris with the type specimens of Plecotus wardi from Kashmir we conclude that macrobullaris is not conspecific with wardi.Genetske i morfološke analize dugouhih šišmiša iz Sjeverne Osetije i drugih kavkaskih lokaliteta otkrile su da je sestrinska grupa vrste Plecotus auritus, otkrivena u Istočnim Alpama (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2001) i opisana kao nova vrsta od Spitzenberger (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2002) (Plecotus microdontus) i KIEFER & VEITH (2002) (Plecotus alpinus), konspecifična s vrstom Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965, opisanom kao podvrsta od P. auritus iz blizine Vladikavkaza. Zato je validno ime ove vrste Plecotus macrobullaris. P. macrobullaris se također javlja u središnjoj i istočnoj Turskoj. Morfološke i genetičke analize pokazuju razliku istočne i zapadne grupe unutar P. macrobullaris. Iz morfološke usporedbe primjeraka P. macrobullaris s tipskim primjercima Plecotus wardi iz Kašmira zaključujemo da macrobullaris nije konspecifičan s wardi

Temporal and between-site variation in helminth communities of bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from N.E. Poland. 1. Regional fauna and component community levels

Helminth infections were studied in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from 3 woodland sites in N.E. Poland in the late summers of 1999 and 2002, to assess the temporal stability of derived statistics describing the regional helminth fauna and component community structure, and spatial influence on the latter. Regional helminth fauna changed dramatically between the two years, primarily due to a fall in the abundance of Syphacia petrusewiczi but was partially compensated for by an increase in Mesocestoides lineatus and Cladotaenia globifera. It was dominated by nematodes overall, but more so in 1999 than in 2002 when larval cestodes were more frequent. Most derived parameters for component community structure varied considerably between sites and the two surveys, the hierarchical order for sites not being maintained between surveys. They were susceptible to the disproportionate influence of three relatively rare, unpredictable species with the greatest overall aggregated distribution among hosts. Jaccard’s similarity index was less influenced by the rare species, showing greater stability between sites and across years. In conclusion, temporal variation confounded any site-specific characteristics of the summary measures quantified in this study and their usefulness is therefore restricted to the years in which the surveys were conducted

Utility of arsenic-treated bird skins for DNA extraction

Background: Natural history museums receive a rapidly growing number of requests for tissue samples from preserved specimens for DNA-based studies. Traditionally, dried vertebrate specimens were treated with arsenic because of its toxicity and insect-repellent effect. Arsenic has negative effects on in vivo DNA repair enzymes and consequently may inhibit PCR performance. In bird collections, foot pad samples are often requested since the feet were not regularly treated with arsenic and because they are assumed to provide substantial amounts of DNA. However, the actual influence of arsenic on DNA analyses has never been tested. Findings: PCR success of both foot pad and body skin samples was significantly lower in arsenic-treated samples. In general, foot pads performed better than body skin samples. Moreover, PCR success depends on collection date in which younger samples yielded better results. While the addition of arsenic solution to the PCR mixture had a clear negative effect on PCR performance after the threshold of 5.4 μg/μl, such high doses of arsenic are highly unlikely to occur in dried zoological specimens. Conclusions: While lower PCR success in older samples might be due to age effects and/or DNA damage through arsenic treatment, our results show no inhibiting effect on DNA polymerase. We assume that DNA degradation proceeds more rapidly in thin tissue layers with low cell numbers that are susceptible to external abiotic influences. In contrast, in thicker parts of a specimen, such as foot pads, the outermost horny skin may act as an additional barrier. Since foot pads often performed better than body skin samples, the intention to preserve morphologically important structures of a specimen still conflicts with the aim to obtain optimal PCR success. Thus, body skin samples from recently collected specimens should be considered as alternative sources of DNA

Random mutagenesis of the prokaryotic peptide transporter YdgR identifies potential periplasmic gating residues

The peptide transporter (PTR) family represents a group of proton-coupled secondary transporters responsible for bulk uptake of amino acids in the form of di- and tripeptides, an essential process employed across species ranging from bacteria to humans. To identify amino acids critical for peptide transport in a prokaryotic PTR member, we have screened a library of mutants of the Escherichia coli peptide transporter YdgR using a high-throughput substrate uptake assay.Wehave identified 35 single point mutations that result in a full or partial loss of transport activity. Additional analysis, including homology modeling based on the crystal structure of the Shewanella oneidensis peptide transporter PepT so, identifies Glu 56 and Arg 305 as potential periplasmic gating residues. In addition to providing new insights into transport by members of the PTR family, these mutants provide valuable tools for further study of the mechanism of peptide transport

The neurobiology of Etruscan shrew active touch

The Etruscan shrew, Suncus etruscus, is not only the smallest terrestrial mammal, but also one of the fastest and most tactile hunters described to date. The shrew's skeletal muscle consists entirely of fast-twitch types and lacks slow fibres. Etruscan shrews detect, overwhelm, and kill insect prey in large numbers in darkness. The cricket prey is exquisitely mechanosensitive and fast-moving, and is as big as the shrew itself. Experiments with prey replica show that shape cues are both necessary and sufficient for evoking attacks. Shrew attacks are whisker guided by motion- and size-invariant Gestalt-like prey representations. Shrews often attack their prey prior to any signs of evasive manoeuvres. Shrews whisk at frequencies of approximately 14 Hz and can react with latencies as short as 25–30 ms to prey movement. The speed of attacks suggests that shrews identify and classify prey with a single touch. Large parts of the shrew's brain respond to vibrissal touch, which is represented in at least four cortical areas comprising collectively about a third of the cortical volume. Etruscan shrews can enter a torpid state and reduce their body temperature; we observed that cortical response latencies become two to three times longer when body temperature drops from 36°C to 24°C, suggesting that endothermy contributes to the animal's high-speed sensorimotor performance. We argue that small size, high-speed behaviour and extreme dependence on touch are not coincidental, but reflect an evolutionary strategy, in which the metabolic costs of small body size are outweighed by the advantages of being a short-range high-speed touch and kill predator

Integrated Operational Taxonomic Units (IOTUs) in Echolocating Bats: A Bridge between Molecular and Traditional Taxonomy

Background: Nowadays, molecular techniques are widespread tools for the identification of biological entities. However, until very few years ago, their application to taxonomy provoked intense debates between traditional and molecular taxonomists. To prevent every kind of disagreement, it is essential to standardize taxonomic definitions. Along these lines, we introduced the concept of Integrated Operational Taxonomic Unit (IOTU). IOTUs come from the concept of Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) and paralleled the Molecular Operational Taxonomic Unit (MOTU). The latter is largely used as a standard in many molecular-based works (even if not always explicitly formalized). However, while MOTUs are assigned solely on molecular variation criteria, IOTUs are identified from patterns of molecular variation that are supported by at least one more taxonomic characteristic. Methodology/Principal Findings: We tested the use of IOTUs on the widest DNA barcoding dataset of Italian echolocating bats species ever assembled (i.e. 31 species, 209 samples). We identified 31 molecular entities, 26 of which corresponded to the morphologically assigned species, two MOTUs and three IOTUs. Interestingly, we found three IOTUs in Myotis nattereri, one of which is a newly described lineage found only in central and southern Italy. In addition, we found a level of molecular variability within four vespertilionid species deserving further analyses. According to our scheme two of them (i.e. M. bechsteinii and Plecotus auritus) should be ranked as unconfirmed candidate species (UCS). Conclusions/Significance: From a systematic point of view, IOTUs are more informative than the general concept of OTUs and the more recent MOTUs. According to information content, IOTUs are closer to species, although it is important to underline that IOTUs are not species. Overall, the use of a more precise panel of taxonomic entities increases the clarity in the systematic field and has the potential to fill the gaps between modern and traditional taxonomy

A gene expression fingerprint of C. elegans embryonic motor neurons

BACKGROUND: Differential gene expression specifies the highly diverse cell types that constitute the nervous system. With its sequenced genome and simple, well-defined neuroanatomy, the nematode C. elegans is a useful model system in which to correlate gene expression with neuron identity. The UNC-4 transcription factor is expressed in thirteen embryonic motor neurons where it specifies axonal morphology and synaptic function. These cells can be marked with an unc-4::GFP reporter transgene. Here we describe a powerful strategy, Micro-Array Profiling of C. elegans cells (MAPCeL), and confirm that this approach provides a comprehensive gene expression profile of unc-4::GFP motor neurons in vivo. RESULTS: Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) was used to isolate unc-4::GFP neurons from primary cultures of C. elegans embryonic cells. Microarray experiments detected 6,217 unique transcripts of which ~1,000 are enriched in unc-4::GFP neurons relative to the average nematode embryonic cell. The reliability of these data was validated by the detection of known cell-specific transcripts and by expression in UNC-4 motor neurons of GFP reporters derived from the enriched data set. In addition to genes involved in neurotransmitter packaging and release, the microarray data include transcripts for receptors to a remarkably wide variety of signaling molecules. The added presence of a robust array of G-protein pathway components is indicative of complex and highly integrated mechanisms for modulating motor neuron activity. Over half of the enriched genes (537) have human homologs, a finding that could reflect substantial overlap with the gene expression repertoire of mammalian motor neurons. CONCLUSION: We have described a microarray-based method, MAPCeL, for profiling gene expression in specific C. elegans motor neurons and provide evidence that this approach can reveal candidate genes for key roles in the differentiation and function of these cells. These methods can now be applied to generate a gene expression map of the C. elegans nervous system

cber Insektenfresser (Insectivora) und W\ufchlm\ue4use (Microtinae) der nordostt\ufcrkischen Feuchtw\ue4lder

Volume: 13Start Page: 284End Page: 31

Die 6kologie der Insectivora und Rodentia (Mammalia) der Stockerauer Donau-Auen (Nieder\uf6sterreich)

Volume: 18Start Page: 258End Page: 29