Lacertidae phylogeny nexus file

Phylogeny used in morphometric analyses of Lacertidae, based on the multigene supermatrix phylogeny of Hipsley CA, Miles DB, Müller J. 2014. Morphological disparity opposes latitudinal diversity gradient in lacertid lizards. Biology Letters 10:20140101

Lacertidae size-corrected PC scores

Size-corrected PC scores for species averages (adults only

"Allcompat" consensus tree from the Bayesian analysis using the character-taxon matrix of Chen <i>et al</i>. [12] with <i>Elachistosuchus huenei</i> included.

<p>Numbers indicate the posterior probabilities of branches. Nodes without number indicate a posterior probability of 1.</p

Comparative skull osteology and preliminary systematic revision of the African lizard genus <i>Heliobolus</i> (Squamata: Lacertidae)

<p>The anatomy of African lacertid lizards (Lacertidae: Eremiadini) is poorly known, which has hindered a better understanding of their evolutionary relationships. This applies especially to the East African clade, which includes the genera <i>Nucras</i>, <i>Latastia</i>, <i>Philochortus</i>, <i>Pseuderemias</i> and <i>Heliobolus</i>. We present a detailed description of the skull osteology of the genus <i>Heliobolus</i> using X-ray microcomputed tomography and compare its morphology to the above lacertid taxa. Because the genus <i>Heliobolus</i> includes species of doubtful validity and affinities (<i>Heliobolus neumanni</i> and <i>Heliobolus nitidus</i>), we also present a detailed intrageneric comparison and construct a morphological character matrix that we analyse against a phylogenetic backbone derived from previous molecular studies. <i>Heliobolus lugubris</i> and <i>Heliobolus spekii</i> can be well characterised as a monophyletic group on the basis of a short postorbital and a continuously broad posterior margin of the parietal, differing from <i>H. nitidus</i> and other members of the East African clade in an overall low degree of ossification and reduced ventral extension of the frontal bone. Our preliminary phylogenetic analysis suggests that the genus <i>Heliobolus</i> is currently polyphyletic. We propose that the name <i>H. neumanni</i> be officially retracted, because specimens assigned to this species show very different morphologies relative to each other and are placed in different parts of the tree in our analysis. Also, the type specimen is lost and no specimens were collected from the type locality. <i>H. nitidus</i> shows a signal towards the genus <i>Latastia</i>. A definitive, new generic assignment of <i>H. nitidus</i> must await further investigations based on molecular data.</p

Tooth implantation in <i>Elachistosuchus huenei</i> MB.R. 4520 (holotype).

<p>Cross-sections of maxilla (A1 and A4; scale bars equal 0.35 mm) and dentary (A2, A3, and A5; scale bars equal 0.3 mm) teeth with respective planes of section indicated on the skull in left lateral view. B1-2, sagittal sections of B1, maxillary and B2, dentary tooth rows. Scale bars equal 0.75 mm.</p

Strict consensus tree of 12 most parsimonious trees, each with a length of 810 steps, from the phylogenetic analysis using the character-taxon matrix of Chen <i>et al</i>. [12] with <i>Elachistosuchus huenei</i> included.

<p>Numbers above branches indicate bootstrap values. Numbers below branches indicate jackknife values > 50. Bremer support values were lower than 0 for all branches. CI = 0.314 and RI = 0.581.</p

Single most parsimonious tree with a length of 880 steps from the phylogenetic analysis using the character-taxon matrix of Ezcurra <i>et al</i>. [13] with <i>Elachistosuchus huenei</i> included.

<p>Numbers above branches indicate bootstrap values. Numbers below branches indicate jackknife values > 50. Bremer support values underlined. CI = 0.330 and RI = 0.641.</p

<i>Elachistosuchus huenei</i> MB.R. 4520 (holotype).

<p>A, B, segmented skull bones in A, left and B, right lateral views. Maxilla in orange, jugal in blue, ventral process of postorbital in purple, frontal-nasal complex in green, prefrontal in yellow, piece of bone that is here identified as a broken and displaced part of prefrontal. Scale bar equals 2 mm. C, D, segmented bones of the palate in C, dorsal and D, left lateral views. Vomers and anterior portions of palatine in purple, main body of left palatine in light blue, pterygoids and posterior part of palatines in green, ectopterygoid in gray, parabasisphenoid in yellow, and epipterygoid in dark blue. Scale bar equals 2.5 mm. Red lines indicate breaks along sutures between palatal elements. E, string of articulated trunk vertebrae in left lateral view. Scale bar equals 3 mm. F, G, left mandibular ramus in F, lateral and G, medial views. Coronoid in orange, dentary in purple, surangular in dark blue, angular in light blue, articular in green, prearticular in yellow, and splenial in red. Scale bar equals 2.5 mm. G-I, left side of the braincase in G, posterior and slightly lateral, H, left lateral and I, dorsal views. Braincase bones in green, inner ear structures in yellow. Scale bar equals 1 mm. J, segmentation of articulated trunk vertebrae (anterior to the left). K, ventral view of elements of the pectoral girdle. Interclavicle and clavicles in gray, scapula in purple, and unidentified elements in green. Scale bar equals 2.5 mm. Abbreviations: an, angular; ar, articular; asc, anterior semicircular canal; cl, clavicle; co, coronoid; d, dentary; ec, ectopterygoid; eo, exoccipital; ep, epipterygoid; cp, cultriform process; f, frontal; fo, fenestra ovalis; icl, interclavicle; j, jugal; m, maxilla; ltf, lower temporal fenestra; lsc, lateral semicircular canal; mf, metotic foramen; or, orbit; op, opisthotic; pa, prearticular; pl, palatine; po, postorbital; pop, paroccipital process; pr, prootic; prf, prefrontal; ps, parabasisphenoid; psc, posterior semicircular canal; pt, pterygoid; sa, surangular; sc, scapula; so, supraoccipital; sp, splenial; v, vomer.</p

Functional autoantibodies in patients with different forms of dementia

<div><p>Dementia in general and Alzheimer’s disease in particular is increasingly seen in association with autoimmunity being causatively or supportively involved in the pathogenesis. Besides classic autoantibodies (AABs) present in dementia patients, there is the new autoantibody class called functional autoantibodies, which is directed against G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs; GPCR-AABs) and are seen as pathogenic players. However, less is known about dementia patients’ burden with functional autoantibodies. We present here for the first time a study analyzing the prevalence of GPCR-AABs in patients with different dementia forms such as unclassified, Lewy body, vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia. We identified the GPCR-AABs’ specific targets on the receptors and introduced a neutralization strategy for GPCR-AABs. Patients with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia carried GPCR-AABs targeting the first loop of the alpha1- and the second loop of the beta2-adrenergic receptors (α1-AABs; β2-AABs). Nearly all vascular dementia patients also carry autoantibodies targeting the endothelin A receptor (ETA-AABs). The majority of patients with Lewy body dementia lacked any of the GPCR-AABs. <i>In vitro</i>, the function of the dementia-associated GPCR-AABs could be neutralized by the aptamer BC007. Due to the presence of GPCR-AABs in dementia patients mainly in those suffering from Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, the orchestra of immune players in these dementia forms, so far preferentially represented by the classic autoantibodies, should be supplemented by functional autoantibodies. As dementia-associated functional autoantibodies could be neutralized by the aptamer BC007, the first step was taken for a new <i>in vivo</i> treatment option in dementia patients who were positive for GPCR-AABs.</p></div

"Allcompat" consensus tree from the Bayesian analysis using the character-taxon matrix of Ezcurra <i>et al</i>. [13] with <i>Elachistosuchus huenei</i> included.

<p>Numbers indicate the posterior probabilities of branches. Nodes without number indicate a posterior probability of 1.</p