Evaluation of Genetic Variability among Three Pistacia Species Using Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) Marker

Diversity in Pistacia has been evaluated at all molecular levels using the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) marker in three species (Pistacia atlantica subsp. atlantica; Pistacia vera and Pistacia terebinthus), and compared with other Pistacia species. Results showed that the ITS amplification and sequencing, followed by phylogenetic analyses, identify the species and confirm their classification, which revealed that it can be used as a marker. Our results suggest that ITS1 analyses might provide a simple and inexpensive approach to validate the species of samples collected from the natural population, where species identification can be difficult, especially if hybrids are present or if the season is not optimal for identifying differences in morphological traits

Cenários educacionais na contemporaneidade: reflexões a respeito das diferenças e das performances

The purpose of the text is to identify which are the elements these days that generate inequalities in education, from a local and global perspective. This aims to understand its reality with a macro perspective. In order to answer the objective, it was used the reconstructive hermeneutics, which is seen as a suitable methodology to address the question. The search for these elements is the inevitable consequence of this understanding. The research is supported by a critical evaluation of the PISA reports, understood as a comparative source of extraordinary relevance now. As a result, within an international and locally constructed context, the differences in performance in education in Brazil are significant, especially when compared with those countries with better results. Although historically, Finland and South Korea have better data in the PISA reports, even with different strategies and policies, it is concluded that, above any kind of action, there is the focus, as it is understood in the field of the Administrative Sciences.El objetivo del texto es identificar los elementos más importantes que, en la actualidad, generan desigualdades en la educación, desde una perspectiva global. Con ello se pretende comprender su realidad con una perespectiva macro. Para responder al objetivo se ha recurrido a la hermenéutica reconstructiva, por entenderla como una metodología adecuada para tratar el asunto. La búsqueda y objetivación de esos elementos son la consecuencia inevitable para propiciar esa comprensión. La investigación se apoya en una valoración crítica de los informes PISA, entendidos como una fuente de evaluación comparada de extraordinaria relevancia en la actualidad. Como resultado y dentro de un contexto internacional y localmente construido, se constatan las diferencias de desempeño en la educación en Brasil, especialmente si se compara con las de países con mejores resultados. Aunque históricamente, Finlandia y Corea del Sur tengan mejores datos en los informes PISA, incluso con diferentes estrategias y políticas, se concluye que, por encima de cualquier tipo de acción, está el ‘foco’, tal y como se entiende en el campo de las Ciencias de la Administración.O presente artigo tem como objetivo identificar os elementos mais importantes que, atualmente, geram desigualdades na educação, a partir de perspectivas local e global, entendendo, assim, sua realidade sob uma visão ampla. Para tanto, recorreu-se à hermenêutica reconstrutiva, por entendê-la como uma metodologia adequada para abordar a questão. A busca e objetivação desses elementos são a consequência inevitável para propiciar a compreensão do atual cenário. Nesse sentido, a pesquisa é apoiada por uma avaliação crítica dos relatórios do PISA, entendida como uma fonte de análise comparativa de relevância extraordinária no momento. Como resultado e dentro de um contexto internacional e localmente construído, verificam-se as diferenças de desempenho em educação no Brasil, principalmente quando comparadas com as de países de melhores resultados. Embora, historicamente, a Finlândia e a Coreia do Sul tenham dados melhores nos relatórios do PISA, mesmo com diferentes estratégias e políticas, conclui-se que, acima de qualquer tipo de ação, há o foco, como é entendido no campo das Ciências da Administração

Detection and variability analyses of CRISPR-like loci in the H. pylori genome

Helicobacter pylori is a human pathogenic bacterium with a high genomic plasticity. Although the functional CRISPR-Cas system has not been found in its genome, CRISPR-like loci have been recently identified. In this work, 53 genomes from different geographical areas are analyzed for the search and analysis of variability of this type of structure. We confirm the presence of a locus that was previously described in the VlpC gene in al lgenomes, and we characterize new CRISPR-like loci in other genomic locations. By studying the variability and gene location of these loci, the evolution and the possible roles of these sequences are discussed. Additionally, the usefulness of this type of sequences as a phylogenetic marker has been demonstrated, associating the different strains by geographical area

Pistachio genomes provide insights into nut tree domestication and ZW sex chromosome evolution

Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacio´ n of Spain (project nos. AGL2009-09094 and RYC-2011-08653), the University of Granada (project no. PP2016- PIP13), and the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province, China (project nos. 2021J01142 and 2018J01606) for providing financial support for this research.Pistachio is a nut crop domesticated in the Fertile Crescent and a dioecious species with ZW sex chromosomes. We sequenced the genomes of Pistacia vera cultivar (cv.) Siirt, the female parent, and P. vera cv. Bagyolu, the male parent. Two chromosome-level reference genomes of pistachio were generated, and Z and W chromosomes were assembled. The ZW chromosomes originated from an autosome following the first inversion, which occurred approximately 8.18 Mya. Three inversion events in the W chromosome led to the formation of a 12.7-Mb (22.8% of the W chromosome) non-recombining region. These W-specific sequences contain several genes of interest that may have played a pivotal role in sex determination and contributed to the initiation and evolution of a ZW sex chromosome system in pistachio. The W-specific genes, including defA, defA-like, DYT1, two PTEN1, and two tandem duplications of six VPS13A paralogs, are strong candidates for sex determination or differentiation. Demographic history analysis of resequenced genomes suggest that cultivated pistachio underwent severe domestication bottlenecks approximately 7640 years ago, dating the domestication event close to the archeological record of pistachio domestication in Iran. We identified 390, 211, and 290 potential selective sweeps in 3 cultivar subgroups that underlie agronomic traits such as nut development and quality, grafting success, flowering time shift, and drought tolerance. These findings have improved our understanding of the genomic basis of sex determination/differentiation and horticulturally important traits and will accelerate the improvement of pistachio cultivars and rootstocks.Departamento de Genética. Grupo BIO200. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Granad

An Expressed Sequence Tag (EST)-enriched genetic map of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus): a useful framework for comparative genomics across model and farmed teleosts

[Background] The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a relevant species in European aquaculture. The small turbot genome provides a source for genomics strategies to use in order to understand the genetic basis of productive traits, particularly those related to sex, growth and pathogen resistance. Genetic maps represent essential genomic screening tools allowing to localize quantitative trait loci (QTL) and to identify candidate genes through comparative mapping. This information is the backbone to develop marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs in aquaculture. Expressed sequenced tag (EST) resources have largely increased in turbot, thus supplying numerous type I markers suitable for extending the previous linkage map, which was mostly based on anonymous loci. The aim of this study was to construct a higher-resolution turbot genetic map using EST-linked markers, which will turn out to be useful for comparative mapping studies. [Results] A consensus gene-enriched genetic map of the turbot was constructed using 463 SNP and microsatellite markers in nine reference families. This map contains 438 markers, 180 EST-linked, clustered at 24 linkage groups. Linkage and comparative genomics evidences suggested additional linkage group fusions toward the consolidation of turbot map according to karyotype information. The linkage map showed a total length of 1402.7 cM with low average intermarker distance (3.7 cM; ~2 Mb). A global 1.6:1 female-to-male recombination frequency (RF) ratio was observed, although largely variable among linkage groups and chromosome regions. Comparative sequence analysis revealed large macrosyntenic patterns against model teleost genomes, significant hits decreasing from stickleback (54%) to zebrafish (20%). Comparative mapping supported particular chromosome rearrangements within Acanthopterygii and aided to assign unallocated markers to specific turbot linkage groups. [Conclusions] The new gene-enriched high-resolution turbot map represents a useful genomic tool for QTL identification, positional cloning strategies, and future genome assembling. This map showed large synteny conservation against model teleost genomes. Comparative genomics and data mining from landmarks will provide straightforward access to candidate genes, which will be the basis for genetic breeding programs and evolutionary studies in this species.This study was supported by the projects: Consolider Ingenio Aquagenomics (CSD200700002), Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL2009-13273), and Xunta de Galicia local Government (09MMA011261PR). We are indebted to Lucía Insua, María Portela, Susana Sánchez, María López, Mónica Otero and Sonia Gómez for technical assistance. B.G. Pardo was supported by an Isidro Parga Pondal research fellowship from Xunta de Galicia (Spain)

Encuentro internacional de reflexión y participación Al Otro La'o de la raya: Memoria

Este libro recoge las reflexiones compartidas, así como las propuestas y recomendaciones en torno a los desafíos que plantean las fronteras (la "raya") trazadas a lo largo de la Comarca del Pacífico organizadas según los siguientes ejes temáticos: identidades afrodescendientes en las regiones de frontera; territorialidad, territorios ancestrales y propuestas binacionales; identidad colectiva y memoria compartida; y, finalmente, los caminos de la tradición oral y la memoria

Determinig the Specific Status of the Iberian Sturgeons by Means Genetic Analyses of Old Specimens

To clarify the species status of sturgeon from rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, eight molecular markers (4 nuclear and 4 mitochondrial) have been analysed in different specimens from historical museum samples and prehistoric samples from archaeological sites. These analyses indicate that one of these specimens (UGP captured in the Guadalquivir River in the 19th century) is A. sturio, based on all the eight molecular markers, four of them used from the first time in this study. In previous analyses based on 5 genetic markers, our group assigned two specimens captured in this river in the 1970-80s (EBD8173 and EBD8401) to the species A. naccarii, suggesting the presence of this species in the Iberian Peninsula. In this work, this conclusion is drawn after successfully obtaining a mitochondrial marker in a very old scute from a prehistoric site (Acinipo, about 1500 BC, from the Guadalquivir River basin). On the other hand, in the specimen EBD8174 captured in the Guadalquivir in 1975, we have obtained two new mitochondrial markers confirming that it can be considered A. sturio for all the mitochondrial markers, but nuclear ones identify it as A. naccarii. Finally, two very old samples (Nerja E-VI and Nerja N/62-63) were not successfully characterized by any molecular markers. Some aspects and consequences of our results are discussed, such as the origin of the “mosaic” specimen EBD8174 and, above all, the native status of A. naccarii in historic and prehistoric times in the southern Iberian Peninsula

A chromosome-level genome assembly enables the identification of the follicule stimulating hormone receptor as the master sex-determining gene in the flatfish Solea senegalensis

Sex determination (SD) shows huge variation among fish and a high evolutionary rate, as illustrated by the Pleuronectiformes (flatfishes). This order is characterized by its adaptation to demersal life, compact genomes and diversity of SD mechanisms. Here, we assembled the Solea senegalensis genome, a flatfish of great commercial value, into 82 contigs (614 Mb) combining long- and short-read sequencing, which were next scaffolded using a highly dense genetic map (28,838 markers, 21 linkage groups), representing 98.9% of the assembly. Further, we established the correspondence between the assembly and the 21 chromosomes by using BAC-FISH. Whole genome resequencing of six males and six females enabled the identification of 41 single nucleotide polymorphism variants in the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (fshr) consistent with an XX/XY SD system. The observed sex association was validated in a broader independent sample, providing a novel molecular sexing tool. The fshr gene displayed differential expression between male and female gonads from 86 days post-fertilization, when the gonad is still an undifferentiated primordium, concomitant with the activation of amh and cyp19a1a, testis and ovary marker genes, respectively, in males and females. The Y-linked fshr allele, which included 24 nonsynonymous variants and showed a highly divergent 3D protein structure, was overexpressed in males compared to the X-linked allele at all stages of gonadal differentiation. We hypothesize a mechanism hampering the action of the follicle stimulating hormone driving the undifferentiated gonad toward testisEuropean Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement (AQUA-FAANG). Grant Number: 81792. Junta de Andalucía-FEDER Grant. Grant Number: P20-00938. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, FEDER Grants. Grant Numbers: RTI2018-096847-B-C21, RTI2018-096847-B-C22S