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Background: Brassica napus, a hybrid resulting from the crossing of Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea, is one of the most important oil crops. Despite its significance, B. napus productivity faces substantial challenges due to heavy metal stress, especially in response to cadmium (Cd), which poses a significant threat among heavy metals. Natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (NRAMPs) play pivotal roles in Cd uptake and transport within plants. However, our understanding of the role of BnNRAMPs in B. napus is limited. Thus, this study aimed to conduct genome-wide identification and bioinformatics analysis of three Brassica species: B. napus, B. rapa, and B. oleracea. Results: A total of 37 NRAMPs were identified across the three Brassica species and classified into two distinct subfamilies based on evolutionary relationships. Conservative motif analysis revealed that motif 6 and motif 8 might significantly contribute to the differentiation between subfamily I and subfamily II within Brassica species. Evolutionary analyses and chromosome mapping revealed a reduction in the NRAMP gene family during B. napus evolutionary history, resulting in the loss of an orthologous gene derived from BoNRAMP3.2. Cis-acting element analysis suggested potential regulation of the NRAMP gene family by specific plant hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). However, gene expression pattern analyses under hormonal or stress treatments indicated limited responsiveness of the NRAMP gene family to these treatments, warranting further experimental validation. Under Cd stress in B. napus, expression pattern analysis of the NRAMP gene family revealed a decrease in the expression levels of most BnNRAMP genes with increasing Cd concentrations. Notably, BnNRAMP5.1/5.2 exhibited a unique response pattern, being stimulated at low Cd concentrations and inhibited at high Cd concentrations, suggesting potential response mechanisms distinct from those of other NRAMP genes. Conclusions: In summary, this study indicates complex molecular dynamics within the NRAMP gene family under Cd stress, suggesting potential applications in enhancing plant resilience, particularly against Cd. The findings also offer valuable insights for further understanding the functionality and regulatory mechanisms of the NRAMP gene family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the study of 15 species belonging to 13 genera under two subfamilies of family Pentatomidae in pearl millet and mungbean during kharif, 2022. 181 adults were identified into 15 species: Acrosternum gramineum, Adria parvula, Bagrada hilaris, Carbula biguttata, Carbula socia, Dolycoris indicus, Eysarcoris ventralis, Eysarcoris sp., Erthesina acuminata, Halys serrigera, Piezodorus hybneri, Placosternum taurus, Sciocoris indicus, Eocanthecona furcellata and Andrallus spinidens. The maximum relative abundance was observed for Eysarcoris ventralis (33.70%) followed by Piezodorus hybneri (20.99%). The minimum relative abundance was observed for Carbula biguttata, Carbula socia, Eysarcoris sp., Erthesina acuminata, and Placosternum taurus with the relative abundance of 0.55% each. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web‐building spiders are formidable predators, yet assassin bugs in the Emesine Complex (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae, Saicinae, and Visayanocorinae) prey on spiders. The Emesine Complex comprises >1000 species and these web‐associated predatory strategies may have driven their diversification. However, lack of natural history data and a robust phylogenetic framework currently preclude tests of this hypothesis. We combine Sanger (207 taxa, 3865 bp) and high‐throughput sequencing data (15 taxa, 381 loci) to generate the first taxon‐ and data‐rich phylogeny for this group. We discover rampant paraphyly among subfamilies and tribes, necessitating revisions to the classification. We use ancestral character state reconstructions for 40 morphological characters to identify diagnostic features for a revised classification. Our new classification treats Saicinae Stål and Visayanocorinae Miller as junior synonyms of Emesinae Amyot and Serville, synonymizes the emesine tribes Ploiariolini Van Duzee and Metapterini Stål with Emesini Amyot and Serville, and recognises six tribes within Emesinae (Collartidini Wygodzinsky, Emesini, Leistarchini Stål, Oncerotrachelini trib.n., Saicini Stål stat.n., and Visayanocorini Miller stat.n.). We show that a pretarsal structure putatively involved in web‐associated behaviours evolved in the last common ancestor of Emesini, the most species‐rich clade within Emesinae, suggesting that web‐associations could be widespread in Emesinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Plants, People, Planet is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Based on recent achievements in phylogenetic studies of the Brassicaceae, a novel infrafamilial classification is proposed that includes major improvements at the subfamilial and supertribal levels. Herein, the family is subdivided into two subfamilies, Aethionemoideae (subfam. nov.) and Brassicoideae. The Brassicoideae, with 57 of the 58 tribes of Brassicaceae, are further partitioned into five supertribes, including the previously recognized Brassicodae and the newly established Arabodae, Camelinodae, Heliophilodae, and Hesperodae. Additional tribus-level contributions include descriptions of the newly recognized Arabidopsideae, Asperuginoideae, Hemilophieae, Schrenkielleae, and resurrection of the Chamireae and Subularieae. Further detailed comments on 17 tribes in need of clarifications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an updated worldwide phylogenetic classification of Poaceae with 11 783 species in 12 subfamilies, 7 supertribes, 54 tribes, 5 super subtribes, 109 subtribes, and 789 accepted genera. The subfamilies (in descending order based on the number of species) are Pooideae with 4126 species in 219 genera, 15 tribes, and 34 subtribes; Panicoideae with 3325 species in 242 genera, 14 tribes, and 24 subtribes; Bambusoideae with 1698 species in 136 genera, 3 tribes, and 19 subtribes; Chloridoideae with 1603 species in 121 genera, 5 tribes, and 30 subtribes; Aristidoideae with 367 species in three genera and one tribe; Danthonioideae with 292 species in 19 genera and 1 tribe; Micrairoideae with 192 species in nine genera and three tribes; Oryzoideae with 117 species in 19 genera, 4 tribes, and 2 subtribes; Arundinoideae with 36 species in 14 genera and 3 tribes; Pharoideae with 12 species in three genera and one tribe; Puelioideae with 11 species in two genera and two tribes; and the Anomochlooideae with four species in two genera and two tribes. Two new tribes and 22 new or resurrected subtribes are recognized. Forty‐five new (28) and resurrected (17) genera are accepted, and 24 previously accepted genera are placed in synonymy. We also provide an updated list of all accepted genera including common synonyms, genus authors, number of species in each accepted genus, and subfamily affiliation. We propose Locajonoa, a new name and rank with a new combination, L. coerulescens. The following seven new combinations are made in Lorenzochloa: L. bomanii, L. henrardiana, L. mucronata, L. obtusa, L. orurensis, L. rigidiseta, and L. venusta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The internal promoter in L1 5'UTR is critical for autonomous L1 transcription and initiating retrotransposition. Unlike the human genome, which features one contemporarily active subfamily, four subfamilies (A_I, Gf_I and Tf_I/II) have been amplifying in the mouse genome in the last one million years. Moreover, mouse L1 5'UTRs are organized into tandem repeats called monomers, which are separated from ORF1 by a tether domain. In this study, we aim to compare promoter activities across young mouse L1 subfamilies and investigate the contribution of individual monomers and the tether sequence. Results: We observed an inverse relationship between subfamily age and the average number of monomers among evolutionarily young mouse L1 subfamilies. The youngest subgroup (A_I and Tf_I/II) on average carry 3–4 monomers in the 5'UTR. Using a single-vector dual-luciferase reporter assay, we compared promoter activities across six L1 subfamilies (A_I/II, Gf_I and Tf_I/II/III) and established their antisense promoter activities in a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line and a mouse embryonal carcinoma cell line. Using consensus promoter sequences for three subfamilies (A_I, Gf_I and Tf_I), we dissected the differential roles of individual monomers and the tether domain in L1 promoter activity. We validated that, across multiple subfamilies, the second monomer consistently enhances the overall promoter activity. For individual promoter components, monomer 2 is consistently more active than the corresponding monomer 1 and/or the tether for each subfamily. Importantly, we revealed intricate interactions between monomer 2, monomer 1 and tether domains in a subfamily-specific manner. Furthermore, using three-monomer 5'UTRs, we established a complex nonlinear relationship between the length of the outmost monomer and the overall promoter activity. Conclusions: The laboratory mouse is an important mammalian model system for human diseases as well as L1 biology. Our study extends previous findings and represents an important step toward a better understanding of the molecular mechanism controlling mouse L1 transcription as well as L1's impact on development and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polygrammoid fern family Polypodiaceae represents one of the most diversified epiphytic fern groups, with more than 1600 species distributed on all continents except Antarctica, with the highest species diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite progress in recent phylogenetic studies of Polypodiaceae, the infrafamilial classification of this group of ferns is still problematic. Here, we explore the phylogenetic relationship within Polypodiaceae using plastid genome (plastome) and nuclear ribosomal cistron genome data obtained from high‐throughput sequencing. Although genome skimming data strongly support the monophyly of many genera and clades of Polypodiaceae, relationships within some clades and along the backbone of the phylogeny remain incongruent between plastome and nuclear data. The explanation is possibly a factor of complex evolutionary history found in these clades, such as rapid radiation, incomplete lineage sorting, ancient hybridization, and recent introgression. Based on the concatenated dataset, our phylogenetic analyses support nine major clades in Polypodiaceae, which merit the recognition as subfamilies, Crypsinoideae, Grammitidoideae, Loxogrammoideae, Microsoroideae, Platycerioideae, Polypodioideae, Adetogrammoideae, Campyloneuroideae, and Serpocauloideae, while the latter three are separated from Polypodioideae as new subfamilies. All of these infrafamilial divisions, identified with molecular data, are further supported by non‐molecular features including leaf dissection, venation, scales and paraphyses, soral features, and geographical distributions. Systematic and taxonomic discussions on the subfamilial treatment are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Airborne particulate matter (PM), a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, is a major public health concern due to its adverse health effects. Understanding the biological action of PM is of particular importance in the improvement of public health. Differential methylation of repetitive elements (RE) by PM might have severe consequences for the structural integrity of the genome and on transcriptional activity, thereby affecting human health. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inhaled and non-inhaled PM (PM2.5, PM10, and PM10-PAH) exposure on DNA methylation. We quantitatively measured the methylation content of Alu and LINE1 in PM-treated normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) and normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) by using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing. Results: All PMs exposure significantly lowered Alu and LINE1 methylation in both cells than in mock-treated controls. Hypomethylation was more prominent in PM10-PAH exposed-NHBE and PM10 exposed-NHEK. Alu and LINE1 methylation change exhibited different sensitivity according to the subfamily evolutionary ages, with stronger effects on the oldest L1-M and Alu J in NHBE, and oldest L1-M and youngest Alu S in NHEK. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the differential susceptibility of PM-induced hypomethylation of Alu and LINE1 depends upon RE evolutionary age and PM type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Plant Protection & Pathology is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rodents of the extant family Gliridae, commonly called dormice, are common in European faunas since the early Eocene. Here we study for the first time specimens from St-Martin-de-Castillon C (France, early Oligocene) previously reported as Gliravus aff. majori and Pseudodryomys aff. fugax. We now refer them to Butseloglis tenuis and Microdyromys misonnei. Besides the French material, new specimens from Montalbán 1D (Spain, early Oligocene) are studied. They include: Butseloglis montisalbani and M. misonnei already known in the locality, but also Oligodyromys libanicus and Glirudinus aff. glirulus reported here for the first time. Previous phylogenies of the family only focused on extant taxa. Here we propose the first phylogenetic analysis of Gliridae including both extant and fossil taxa. The relationships between the taxa show several paraphylies at the generic level and suggest that the classification of the family needs a revision. Two main clades are revealed in our analysis, including most extant taxa, both of them being closely related to the Oligocene genus Microdyromys. By comparing the phylogeny to the evolution of species-richness through time, we show that glirids underwent three major diversification phases. The first diversification event involves several clades of late Eocene and early Oligocene glirids. The second diversification event involves the two main clades still represented today. They both started diversifying in the late Oligocene and led the species richness of the family to reach a peak at the end of the early Miocene. Finally, the third diversification starts in the middle Pliocene and involves mostly extant genera. These diversification phases might have been triggered by successive glaciation events that occurred in the Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene. A potential evolutionary advantage of this family successfully facing cold climatic events could be the ability to hibernate, acquired as early as the early Oligocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyandrous mating behavior of the honeybee queen increases the genetic variability among her worker offspring and the workers of particular subfamilies tend to have a genetic predisposition for tasks preference. In this study, we intended to understand whether there is nepotism in dance communication of honeybees during natural conditions. Microsatellite DNA analyses revealed a total of fourteen and twelve subfamilies in two colonies. The subfamily composition of the dancer and the followers did not deviate from random. The majority of the subfamilies did not show kin recognition in dance-recruit communication in honeybee colonies, but some subfamilies showed significant nepotism for workers to follow their super-sister dancer. Because it seems unlikely that honeybee would change the tendency to follow dancers due to the degree of relatedness, we conclude that honeybees randomly follow a dancer in order to e benefit colony gain and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first large‐scale, total‐evidence phylogeny of the owlflies (Neuroptera, Ascalaphidae) is presented. A combined morphological and molecular dataset was analysed under several analytical regimes for 76 exemplars of Myrmeleontiformia (Psychopsidae, Nymphidae, Nemopteridae, Myrmeleontidae, Ascalaphidae), including 57 of Ascalaphidae. At the subordinal level, the families were recovered in all analyses in the form Psychopsidae + (Nymphidae + (Nemopteridae + (Myrmeleontidae + Ascalaphidae). In the DNA‐only maximum‐likelihood analysis, Ascalaphidae were recovered as paraphyletic with respect to the Myrmeleontidae and the tribe Ululodini. In both the parsimony and Bayesian total‐evidence analyses, however, the latter with strong support, traditional Ascalaphidae were recovered as monophyletic, and in the latter, Stilbopteryginae were placed as the immediate sister group. The long‐standing subfamilies Haplogleniinae and Ascalaphinae were not recovered as monophyletic in any analysis, nor were several of the included tribes of non‐ululodine Ascalaphinae. The Ululodini were monophyletic and well supported in all analyses, as were the New World Haplogleniinae and, separately, the African/Malagasy Haplogleniinae. The remaining Ascalaphidae, collectively, were also consistently cohesive, but included a genus that until now has been placed in the Haplogleniinae, Protidricerus. Protidricerus was discovered to express a well‐developed pleurostoma, a feature previously only encountered in divided‐eye owlflies. The feature traditionally used to differentiate the Haplogleniinae and Ascalaphinae, the entire or divided eye, can no longer be regarded as a spot‐diagnostic synapomorphy to separate these groups within the family. A new subfamilial classification based on these results is proposed and includes the following five subfamilies: Albardiinae, Ululodinae, Haplogleniinae, Melambrotinae and Ascalaphinae. In addition, the monophyletic containing group (Myrmeleontidae + (Palparidae + (Stilbopterygidae + Ascalaphidae))) is elevated to the rank of superfamily, as Myrmeleontoidea, in order to accommodate much‐needed taxonomic and nomenclatural restructuring anticipated to occur within the Ascalaphidae in the future. A list of genera included in each subfamily of Ascalaphidae is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ants are bioindicators and ecosystem engineers. Global estimates show that out of a total of 5.5 million insect species, only 1 million have been described so far. Therefore, studies on the Hymenopteran species diversity are important. In this preliminary study, the diversity of ant species in the main campus of Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India, is discussed. The study was carried out during January-February, 2019. A total of 13 ants, which belonged to 13 genera and four subfamilies were recorded. The subfamily Formicinae was found to be the dominant one, with five genera, followed by Myrmicinae with four genera, and both Ponerinae and Dolichoderinae with two genera each. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate annotation of an unknown protein sequence depends on extant data of template sequences. This could be empirical or sets of reference sequences, and provides an exhaustive pool of probable functions. Individual methods of predicting dominant function possess shortcomings such as varying degrees of inter-sequence redundancy, arbitrary domain inclusion thresholds, heterogeneous parameterization protocols, and ill-conditioned input channels. Here, I present a rigorous theoretical derivation of various steps of a generic algorithm that integrates and utilizes several statistical methods to predict the dominant function in unknown protein sequences. The accompanying mathematical proofs, interval definitions, analysis, and numerical computations presented are meant to offer insights not only into the specificity and accuracy of predictions, but also provide details of the operatic mechanisms involved in the integration and its ensuing rigor. The algorithm uses numerically modified raw hidden markov model scores of well defined sets of training sequences and clusters them on the basis of known function. The results are then fed into an artificial neural network, the predictions of which can be refined using the available data. This pipeline is trained recursively and can be used to discern the dominant principal function, and thereby, annotate an unknown protein sequence. Whilst, the approach is complex, the specificity of the final predictions can benefit laboratory workers design their experiments with greater confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyandrous mating behaviour of the honeybee queen increases the genetic variability amongst her worker offspring and the genetic variability within the honeybee colony can affect their polyethism. In this study, we intend to understand whether there is genetic variability in the task of the queen retinue. MicrosatelliteDNAanalyses revealed a total of 13 and 12 subfamilies in two colonies, respectively. It shows that the subfamily proportion of the queen retinue workers significantly deviated from random distribution, which suggests that they might have a genetic preference in the task of the queen retinue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Aphididae) have distinctive features and significant variability in interesting biological traits. Aphididae comprises c. 5000 species distributed worldwide with a rapid diversification rate, which makes reliable phylogenetic reconstruction difficult as a framework for evolutionary inference. Despite several studies, the phylogenies of various subfamilies of Aphididae are not yet resolved, and their phylogenetic positions are still debated. Our study, based on two mitochondrial markers (COI and COII) and one nuclear marker (EF-1α), provided confirmation of some of the discrepancies as well as concordances of previous work, and thus contributes to an understanding of the higher-level relationships of Aphididae. Analyses of the combined dataset produced a well-resolved phylogenetic tree in which the major ten subfamilies of aphids correspond well with their associations with host plants. Sister relationships were found between Aphidini and Macrosiphini (Hormaphidini + Nipponaphidini) and Cerataphidini, and Fordini and Pemphigini. Lachnini is the only non-monophyletic tribe and Lizeriinae, represented by Paoliella nirmalae, occupied the basal position in Aphididae. Molecular dating of divergence revealed that diversification among the tribes and subtribes occurred in the Late Cretaceous to Late Oligocene. Thus, our phylogenetic analysis provides further insights into understanding the higher-level relationships within Aphidoidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new worldwide phylogenetic classification of 11 506 grass species in 768 genera, 12 subfamilies, seven supertribes, 52 tribes, five supersubtribes, and 90 subtribes; and compare two phylogenetic classifications of the grass family published in 2015 (Soreng et al. and Kellogg). The subfamilies (in descending order based on the number of species) are Pooideae with 3968 species in 202 genera, 15 tribes, and 30 subtribes; Panicoideae with 3241 species in 247 genera, 13 tribes, and 19 subtribes; Bambusoideae with 1670 species in 125 genera, three tribes, and 15 subtribes; Chloridoideae with 1602 species in 124 genera, five tribes, and 26 subtribes; Aristidoideae with 367 species in three genera, and one tribe; Danthonioideae with 292 species in 19 genera, and one tribe; Micrairoideae with 184 species in eight genera, and three tribes; Oryzoideae with 115 species in 19 genera, four tribes, and two subtribes; Arundinoideae with 40 species in 14 genera, two tribes, and two subtribes; Pharoideae with 12 species in three genera, and one tribe; Puelioideae with 11 species in two genera, and two tribes; and the Anomochlooideae with four species in two genera, and two tribes. We also include a radial tree illustrating the hierarchical relationships among the subtribes, tribes, and subfamilies. Newly described taxa include: supertribes Melicodae and Nardodae; supersubtribes Agrostidodinae, Boutelouodinae, Gouiniodinae, Loliodinae, and Poodinae; and subtribes Echinopogoninae and Ventenatinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of 270 species belonging to 210 genera of the family Dolichopodidae was conducted to examine their characters of thorax chaetotaxy. The quantity of acrostichal setae series, number of dorsocentral setae pairs, and quantity and degree of developed scutellar setae were studied. The humeral, posthumeral, intraalar, notopleural, supraalar, postalar, and sutural setae were also investigated. Combinations of chaetotaxy characters typical of the family Dolichopodidae were discovered. A detailed analysis of these characters allowed for the determination of the diagnostic characters of the subfamilies. The comparative analysis of Dolichopodidae morphology and outgroup taxa allowed for the identification of apomorphic and plesiomorphic character states of thorax chaetotaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomic status and phylogenetic placement of the monotypic genus Trichoneuron is studied using DNA sequences of three plastid-coding genes. Trichoneuron was originally assigned to Thelypteridaceae but has been considered to be a synonym of Lastreopsis in recent treatments. In this study, the proposed relationship of Trichoneuron to Lastreopsis was tested using a comprehensive taxa sampling of Dryopteridaceae. Our results strongly support the recognition of Trichoneuron as a distinct genus belonging to Dryopteridaceae. Trichoneuron does not group together with Lastreopsis. Instead the genus was found to be sister to the Neotropical genus Polystichopsis. This sister relationship is supported by the occurrence of long pluricellular hairs attached to the rachis of both genera. The morphological distinction of Trichoneuron from Lastreopsis is backed by the structure of the adaxial groove of rachis-costa junction and the hairs at abaxial side of leaf axes. The Polystichopsis- Trichoneuron clade was found to form the sister clade to an entirely Neotropical clade comprising Polybotrya and its relatives. The new subfamily Polybotryoideae is introduced based on the presented observations. In turn, the newly recovered sister relationship between Polystichopsis and Trichoneuron provides evidence for geographic disjunctions involving the Caribbean islands and the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Histone post-translational modifications play a critical role in the regulation of gene expression. Methylation of lysines at N-terminal tails of histones has been shown to be involved in such regulation. While this modification was long considered to be irreversible, two different classes of enzymes capable of carrying out the demethylation of histone lysines were recently identified: the oxidases, such as LSD1, and the oxygenases (JmjC-containing). Here, a family-wide analysis of the second of these classes is proposed, with over 300 proteins studied at the sequence level. We show that a correlated evolution analysis yields some position/residue pairs which are critical at comparing JmjC sequences and enables the classification of JmjC domains into five families. A few positions appear more frequently among conditions, such as positions 23 (directly C-terminal to the second iron ligand), 24, 252 and 253 (directly N-terminal to a conserved Asn). Implications of family conditions are studied in detail on PHF2, revealing the meaningfulness of the sequence-derived conditions at the structural level. These results should help obtain insights on the diversity of JmjC-containing proteins solely by considering some of the amino acids present in their JmjC domain. Proteins 2016; 84:397-407. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MADS-box genes encode transcription factors that are involved in developmental control and signal transduction in eukaryotes. In plants, they are associated to numerous development processes most notably those related to reproductive development: flowering induction, specification of inflorescence and flower meristems, establishment of flower organ identity, as well as regulation of fruit, seed and embryo development. Genomic analyses of MADS-box genes in different plant species are providing new relevant information on the function and evolution of this transcriptional factor family. We have performed a true genome-wide analysis of the complete set of MADS-box genes in grapevine (Vitis vinifera), analyzed their expression pattern and establish their phylogenetic relationships (including MIKC* and type I MADS-box) with genes from 16 other plant species. This study was integrated to previous works on the family in grapevine. Results: A total of 90 MADS-box genes were detected in the grapevine reference genome by completing current gene annotations with a genome-wide analysis based on sequence similarity. We performed a thorough in-depth curation of all gene models and combined the results with gene expression information including RNAseq data to clarifying the expression of newly identified genes and improve their functional characterization. Curated data were uploaded to the ORCAE database for grapevine in the frame of the grapevine genome curation effort. This approach resulted in the identification of 30 additional MADS box genes. Among them, ten new MIKCC genes were identified, including a potential new group of short proteins similar to the SVP protein subfamily. The MIKC* subgroup contains six genes in grapevine that can be grouped in the S (4 genes) and P (2 genes) clades, showing less redundancy than that observed in Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression pattern of these genes in grapevine is compatible with a role in male gametophyte development. Most of the identified new genes belong to the type I MADS-box genes and were classified as members of the Mα and Mγ subclasses. Ours analyses indicate that only few members of type I genes in grapevine have homology in other species and that species-specific clades appeared both in the Mα and Mγ subclasses. On the other hand, as deduced from the phylogenetic analysis with other plant species, genes that can be crucial for development of central cell, endosperm and embryos seems to be conserved in plants. Conclusions: The genome analysis of MADS-box genes in grapevine, the characterization of their pattern of expression and the phylogenetic analysis with other plant species allowed the identification of new MADS-box genes not yet described in other plant species as well as basic characterization of their possible role, particularly in the case of type I and MIKC* genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germin-like proteins (GLPs) are evolutionary conserved ubiquitous plant glycoproteins belonging to the cupin superfamily. A large number of GLP family members have been identified from different higher and lower plant species, and those have been classified into different subfamilies. Although three histidine residues (H) and one glutamate residue (E) in germin box B and C were conserved among all the GLP subfamily members, how the sequences of one subfamily member differ from the other is unclear. Progress in the field of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics has made it possible to understand the variation at gene level among different GLP members from diverse genera and also their biological significances. GLPs from different plant species were found to have various enzymatic properties including oxalate oxidase (OxO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ADP glucose pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (AGPPase), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities. 'Omics' study demonstrated the expression as well as involvement of GLP family members in almost every part of higher plants as well as in lower plants. Additionally, GLPs from different species were reported to be involved in biotic as well as abiotic stresses and also in the growth and development. This review describes the present research status of GLPs from different plant species, their expressions, and functional significances. Sequence variation was detected among GLP subfamily members at the amino acid level, and based on the sequence variation and phylogenetic analyses, two new GLP subfamilies have been proposed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on recent molecular and morphological studies we present a modern worldwide phylogenetic classification of the ± 12074 grasses and place the 771 grass genera into 12 subfamilies (Anomochlooideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, Bambusoideae, Chloridoideae, Danthonioideae, Micraioideae, Oryzoideae, Panicoideae, Pharoideae, Puelioideae, and Pooideae), 6 supertribes (Andropogonodae, Arundinarodae, Bambusodae, Panicodae, Poodae, Triticodae), 51 tribes (Ampelodesmeae, Andropogoneae, Anomochloeae, Aristideae, Arundinarieae, Arundineae, Arundinelleae, Atractocarpeae, Bambuseae, Brachyelytreae, Brachypodieae, Bromeae, Brylkinieae, Centotheceae, Centropodieae, Chasmanthieae, Cynodonteae, Cyperochloeae, Danthonieae, Diarrheneae, Ehrharteae, Eragrostideae, Eriachneae, Guaduellieae, Gynerieae, Hubbardieae, Isachneae, Littledaleeae, Lygeeae, Meliceae, Micraireae, Molinieae, Nardeae, Olyreae, Oryzeae, Paniceae, Paspaleae, Phaenospermateae, Phareae, Phyllorachideae, Poeae, Steyermarkochloeae, Stipeae, Streptochaeteae, Streptogyneae, Thysanolaeneae, Triraphideae, Tristachyideae, Triticeae, Zeugiteae, and Zoysieae), and 80 subtribes (Aeluropodinae, Agrostidinae, Airinae, Ammochloinae, Andropogoninae, Anthephorinae, Anthistiriinae, Anthoxanthinae, Arthraxoninae, Arthropogoninae, Arthrostylidiinae, Arundinariinae, Aveninae, Bambusinae, Boivinellinae, Boutelouinae, Brizinae, Buergersiochloinae, Calothecinae, Cenchrinae, Chionachninae, Chusqueinae, Coicinae, Coleanthinae, Cotteinae, Cteniinae, Cynosurinae, Dactylidinae, Dichantheliinae, Dimeriinae, Duthieinae, Eleusininae, Eragrostidinae, Farragininae, Germainiinae, Gouiniinae, Guaduinae, Gymnopogoninae, Hickeliinae, Hilariinae, Holcinae, Hordeinae, Ischaeminae, Loliinae, Melinidinae, Melocanninae, Miliinae, Monanthochloinae, Muhlenbergiinae, Neurachninae, Olyrinae, Orcuttiinae, Oryzinae, Otachyriinae, Panicinae, Pappophorinae, Parapholiinae, Parianinae, Paspalinae, Perotidinae, Phalaridinae, Poinae, Racemobambosinae, Rottboelliinae, Saccharinae, Scleropogoninae, Scolochloinae, Sesleriinae, Sorghinae, Sporobolinae, Torreyochloinae, Traginae, Trichoneurinae, Triodiinae, Tripogoninae, Tripsacinae, Triticinae, Unioliinae, Zizaniinae, and Zoysiinae). In addition, we include a radial tree illustrating the hierarchical relationships among the subtribes, tribes, and subfamilies. We use the subfamilial name, Oryzoideae, over Ehrhartoideae because the latter was initially published as a misplaced rank, and we circumscribe Molinieae to include 13 Arundinoideae genera. The subtribe Calothecinae is newly described and the tribe Littledaleeae is new at that rank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage-gated K+ channel (VKC) plays important roles in biology procession, especially in nervous system. Different subfamilies of VKCs have different biological functions. Thus, knowing VKCs' subfamilies has become a meaningful job because it can guide the direction for the disease diagnosis and drug design. However, the traditional wet-experimental methods were costly and time-consuming. It is highly desirable to develop an effective and powerful computational tool for identifying different subfamilies of VKCs. In this study, a predictor, called iVKC-OTC, has been developed by incorporating the optimized tripeptide composition (OTC) generated by feature selection technique into the general form of pseudo-amino acid composition to identify six subfamilies of VKCs. One of the remarkable advantages of introducing the optimized tripeptide composition is being able to avoid the notorious dimension disaster or over fitting problems in statistical predictions. It was observed on a benchmark dataset, by using a jackknife test, that the overall accuracy achieved by iVKC-OTC reaches to 96.77% in identifying the six subfamilies of VKCs, indicating that the new predictor is promising or at least may become a complementary tool to the existing methods in this area. It has not escaped our notice that the optimized tripeptide composition can also be used to investigate other protein classification problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Repetitive elements take up >40% of the human genome and can change distribution through transposition, thus generating subfamilies. Repetitive element DNA methylation has associated with several diseases and environmental exposures, including exposure to airborne pollutants. No systematic analysis has yet been conducted to examine the effects of exposures across different repetitive element subfamilies. The purpose of the study is to evaluate sensitivity of DNA methylation in differentially-evolved LINE, Alu, and HERV subfamilies to different types of airborne pollutants. Methods: We sampled a total of 120 male participants from three studies (20 high-, 20 low-exposure in each study) of steel workers exposed to metal-rich particulate matter (measured as PM10) (Study 1); gas-station attendants exposed to air benzene (Study 2); and truck drivers exposed to traffic-derived elemental carbon (Study 3). We measured methylation by bisulfite-PCR-pyrosequencing in 10 differentially-evolved repetitive element subfamilies. Results: High-exposure groups exhibited subfamily-specific methylation differences compared to low-exposure groups: L1PA2 showed lower DNA methylation in steel workers (P=0.04) and gas station attendants (P=0.03); L1Ta showed lower DNA methylation in steel workers (P=0.02); AluYb8 showed higher DNA methylation in truck drivers (P=0.05). Within each study, dose-response analyses showed subfamily-specific correlations of methylation with exposure levels. Interaction models showed that the effects of the exposures on DNA methylation were dependent on the subfamily evolutionary age, with stronger effects on older LINEs from PM10 (p-interaction=0.003) and benzene (p-interaction=0.04), and on younger Alus fromPM10 (p-interaction=0.02). Conclusions: The evolutionary age of repetitive element subfamilies determines differential susceptibility of DNA methylation to airborne pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The position of the plant genus Pitavia within an infrafamilial phylogeny of Rutaceae (rue, or orange family) was investigated with the use of two non-coding regions from cpDNA, the trnL-trnF region and the rps16 intron. The only species of the genus, Pitavia punctata Molina, is restricted to the temperate forests of the Coastal Cordillera of Central-Southern Chile and threatened by loss of habitat. The genus traditionally has been treated as part of tribe Zanthoxyleae (subfamily Rutoideae) where it constitutes the monogeneric tribe Pitaviinae. This tribe and genus are characterized by fruits of 1 to 4 fleshy drupelets, unlike the dehiscent fruits typical of the subfamily. Fifty-five taxa of Rutaceae, representing 53 genera (nearly one-third of those in the family) and all subfamilies, tribes, and almost all subtribes of the family were included. Parsimony and Bayesian inference were used to infer the phylogeny; six taxa of Meliaceae, Sapindaceae, and Simaroubaceae, all members of Sapindales, were also used as out-groups. Results from both analyses were congruent and showed Pitavia as sister to Flindersia and Lunasia, both genera with species scattered through Australia, Philippines, Moluccas, New Guinea and the Malayan region, and phylogenetically far from other Neotropical Rutaceae, such as the Galipeinae (Galipeeae, Rutoideae) and Pteleinae (Toddalieae, former Toddalioideae). Additionally, a new circumscription of the subfamilies of Rutaceae is presented and discussed. Only two subfamilies (both monophyletic) are recognized: Cneor-oideae (including Dictyolomatoideae, Spathelioideae, Cneoraceae, and Ptaeroxylaceae) and Rutoideae (including not only traditional Rutoideae but also Aurantioideae, Flindersioideae, and Toddalioideae). As a consequence, Aurantioideae (Citrus and allies) is reduced to tribal rank as Aurantieae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic solvent-stable lipases have pronounced impact on industrial economy as they are involved in synthesis by esterification, interesterification, and transesterification. However, very few of such natural lipases have been isolated till date. A study of the recent past provided few pillars to rely on for this work. The three-dimensional structure, inclusive of the surface and active site, of 29 organic solvent-stable lipases was analyzed by subfamily classification and protein solvent molecular docking based on fast Fourier transform correlation approach. The observations revealed that organic solvent stability of lipases is their intrinsic property and unique with respect to each lipase. In this paper, factors like surface distribution of charged, hydrophobic, and neutral residues, interaction of solvents with catalytically immutable residues, and residues interacting with essential water molecules required for lipase activity, synergistically and by mutualism contribute to render a stable lipase organic solvent. The propensity of surface charge in relation to stability in organic solvents by establishing repulsive forces to exclude solvent molecules from interacting with the surface and prohibiting the same from gaining entry to the protein core, thus stabilizing the active conformation, is a new finding. It was also interesting to note that lipases having equivalent surface-exposed positive and negative residues were stable in a wide range of organic solvents, irrespective of their LogP values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Partial genome sequences were determined and subjected to comparative analyses from two fish herpesviruses (HVs). Acipenserid (Aci) HV-2, originating from the white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), and ictalurid (Ic) HV-2, isolated from the black bullhead (Ameiurus melas), are recently approved species of the genus Ictalurivirus of the family Alloherpesviridae. Methods: An almost 8,000-base-pair fragment, spanning between the genes of the DNA polymerase and the ATPase subunit of the terminase, was sequenced from each virus. Results: The size, position and orientation of 2 partial and 3 full open reading frames, contained in the studied genome fragment, proved to be similar to their counterparts in IcHV-1, the type species of the genus Ictalurivirus. Thus, a well-conserved genus-specific gene block was identified. In the members of two other genera (Cyprinivirus and Batrachovirus) of the family Alloherpesviridae, no such gene block could be found; the location and orientation of the homologous genes showed significant divergence. Conclusion: The results of phylogenetic calculations were in good agreement with the genome arrangements inasmuch as AciHV-2, IcHV-1 and -2 are monophyletic and separated from the lineages of the other two genera. The new sequence enabled the inclusion of a hitherto unassigned HV, that of the Australian pilchard, into a phylogenetic calculation. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review deals with structural and functional features of glycoside hydrolases, a widespread group of enzymes present in almost all living organisms. Their catalytic domains are grouped into 120 amino acid sequence-based families in the international classification of the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy database). At a higher hierarchical level some of these families are combined in 14 clans. Enzymes of the same clan have common evolutionary origin of their genes and share the most important functional characteristics such as composition of the active center, anomeric configuration of cleaved glycosidic bonds, and molecular mechanism of the catalyzed reaction (either inverting, or retaining). There are now extensive data in the literature concerning the relationship between glycoside hydrolase families belonging to different clans and/or included in none of them, as well as information on phylogenetic protein relationship within particular families. Summarizing these data allows us to propose a multilevel hierarchical classification of glycoside hydrolases and their homologs. It is shown that almost the whole variety of the enzyme catalytic domains can be brought into six main folds, large groups of proteins having the same three-dimensional structure and the supposed common evolutionary origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic relationships of Pamphagidae were examined using cytochrome oxidase subunit II ( COII) mtDNA sequences (684 bp). Twenty-seven species of Acridoidea from 20 genera were sequenced to obtain mtDNA data, along with four species from the GenBank nucleotide database. The purpose of this study was analyzing the phylogenetic relationships among subfamilies within Pamphagidae and interpreting the phylogenetic position of this family within the Acridoidea superfamily. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. The 684 bp analyzed fragment included 126 parsimony informative sites. Sequences diverged 1.0%-11.1% between genera within subfamilies, and 8.8%-12.3% between subfamilies. Amino acid sequence diverged 0-6.1% between genera within subfamilies, and 0.4%-7.5% between subfamilies. Our phylogenetic trees revealed the monophyly of Pamphagidae and three distinct major groups within this family. Moreover, several well supported and stable clades were found in Pamphagidae. The global clustering results were similar to that obtained through classical morphological classification: Prionotropisinae, Thrinchinae and Pamphaginae were monophyletic groups. However, the current genus Filchnerella (Prionotropisinae) was not a monophyletic group and the genus Asiotmethis (Prionotropisinae) was a sister group of the genus Thrinchus (Thrinchinae). Further molecular and morphological studies are required to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of the genera Filchnerella and Asiotmethis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specificity determining sites (SDSs) in alignments of protein sequences are sites at which subfamilies of the aligned sequences have been under differential selective pressure. Identifying SDSs is important because they are key in understanding the functional specificity of each subfamily. Differential selection at an SDS will result in differences between subfamilies in the distribution of amino-acids at that site. However, statistical analysis of such differences is complicated by phylogenetic relationships within each subfamily, which profoundly influence these differences. We develop a non-parametric approach to evaluating purely statistical SDS evidence in a sequence alignment, taking account of phylogeny through a novel tree-respecting randomisation based on the principle of parsimony. Our approach does not exploit bioinformatic measures based on amino-acid properties or rates of evolution, as do other methods. Our intention is thereby to supplement and strengthen other methods of SDS prediction, not to compete with them. Our methodology is implemented in the R package called SDSparsimony, freely downloadable from http://www.maths.leeds.ac.uk/%7Ewally.gilks/SDSparsimonyPackage/ Welcome.html. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A molecular phylogenetic study of the Drepanoidea based on the EF-1α sequences and combined EF-1a and COI sequences was carried out in order to infer higher classification at and above the subfamily level. The sample contained 14 taxa representing 13 genera recognized in the Drepanoidea. The results revealed that the Drepaninae, Thyatirinae and Cyclidiinae respectively form monophyletic groups. The sister relationship between the Drepaninae and the Thyatirinae was validated. The monophyly of the Cyclidiinae with the Drepaninae + Thyatirinae was supported robustly. Hypsomadius insignis and Oreta vatama within the traditional definition of the Drepaninae formed an individual clade with robust support (100%) and constitutes a sister relationship to a clade containing the rest of the Drepaninae in all the topologies, which means that the subfamily Oretinae of the Drepanidae should be restored. The family Drepanidae is divided into four subfamilies: Drepaninae, Oretinae, Thyatirinae and Cyclidiinae in this work. The family Epicopeiidae formed a monophyly with high bootstrap values. The result of combined analysis of EF-1a and COI showed that the Epicopeiidae have a closer phylogenetic relationship with the Geometridae than with the Drepanidae and belong to neither the Drepanoidea nor the Geometroidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete genome sequences of 11 Drosophila species provide an opportunity to investigate the gene family evolution in closely related species. Drosophila Piwi subfamily, including three members, piwi, Aub and Ago3, has attracted increasing attention as it participates in the biogenesis of piRNA. Here, we identified 33 Piwi homologs from the genome of 11 Drosophila species. The full-length cDNA sequences of piwi and Aub genes were obtained by using New GENSCAN Web Server. The Ago3 homologs were difficult regarding full-length information because they had long introns. The genomic structure of Piwi subfamily genes are highly conserved among diverse Drosophila species. Insect piwi and Aub genes have long first introns. The average length of the first intron is 1 284 bp for piwi and 840 bp for Aub, which is much larger than those of other introns (93 bp for Piwi and 54 bp for Aub). However, this phenomenon is not observed in mammalian piwi genes. We also found that there were abundant repeat sequences in both exons and introns of insect Ago3 genes. Due to recent insertions of long terminal repeat elements in four Drosophila species, part of the third introns exhibit higher conservation than adjacent exons and other introns. An evolutional tree created by Minimum Evolution method indicates that mammalian piwi genes are more closely related to the insect Ago3 Piwi subfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the sequence information on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) continues to grow, many GPCRs remain orphaned (i.e. ligand specificity unknown) or poorly characterized with little structural information available, so an automated and reliable method is badly needed to facilitate the identification of novel receptors. In this study, a method of fast Fourier transform-based support vector machine has been developed for predicting GPCR subfamilies according to protein's hydrophobicity. In classifying Class B, C, D and F subfamilies, the method achieved an overall Matthew's correlation coefficient and accuracy of 0.95 and 93.3%, respectively, when evaluated using the jackknife test. The method achieved an accuracy of 100% on the Class B independent dataset. The results show that this method can classify GPCR subfamilies as well as their functional classification with high accuracy. A web server implementing the prediction is available at . Edited by Lu-Hua LAI [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of Thermoascus aurantiacus endoglucanase (Cel5A), a family 5 glycoside hydrolase, has been determined to 1.62 A˚ resolution by multiple isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering. It is the first report of a structure in the subfamily to which Cel5A belongs. Cel5A consists solely of a catalytic module with compact eight-fold β/α barrel architecture. The length of the tryptophan-rich substrate binding groove suggests the presence of substrate binding subsites −4 to +3. Structural comparison shows that two glycines are completely conserved in the family, in addition to the two catalytic glutamates and six other conserved residues previously identified. Gly 44 in particular is part of a type IV C-terminal helix capping motif, whose disruption is likely to affect the position of an essential conserved arginine. One aromatic residue (Trp 170 in Cel5A), not conserved in term of sequence, is nonetheless spatially conserved in the substrate binding groove. Its role might be to force the bend that occurs in the polysaccharide chain on binding, thus favoring substrate distortion at subsite −1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies with either European or Africanized queens mated to European or Africanized drones alone or in combination were tested for defensive behavior using a breath test. The most defensive colonies were those with European or Africanized queens mated to Africanized drones. In colonies where both European and Africanized patrilines existed, most of the workers participating in nest defense behavior for the first 30 s after a disturbance were of African patrilines. Nest defense behavior appears to be genetically dominant in honey bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninety-nine members of the salmonid HpaI and AvaIII families of short interspersed repetitive elements (SINEs) were aligned and a general consensus sequence was deduced. The presence of 26 correlated changes in nucleotides (diagnostic nucleotides) from those in the consensus sequence allowed us to divide the members of the HpaI family into 12 subfamilies and those of the AvaIII family into two subfamilies. On the basis of the average sequence divergences and the phylogenetic distributions of the subfamilies, the relative antiquity of the subfamilies and the process of sequential changes in the respective source sequences were inferred. Despite the higher mutation rates of CG dinucleotides in individual dispersed members, no hypermutability of CG positions was observed in changes in the source sequences. This result suggests that sequences of SINEs located in a nonmethylated or hypomethylated genomic region could have been selected as source sequences for retroposition and/or that some CG sites are the parts of recognition sequences of retropositional machineries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The previous simple model for treating concerted evolution of multigene families has been revised to be compatible with various new observations on the immunoglobulin variable region family and other families. In the previous model, gene conversion and unequal crossing-over were considered, and it was assumed that genes are randomly arranged on the chromosome; neither subdivision nor correlation of gene identity and chromosomal distance were considered. Although this model satisfactorily explains the observed amino acid diversity within and between species, it fails to predict the very ancient branching of the mouse immunoglobulin heavy chain V-gene family. By incorporating subdivided structure and genetic correlation with chromosomal distance into the simple model, the data of divergence may be satisfactorily explained, as well as the rate of nucleotide substitution and the amino acid diversity. The rate at which a V-gene is duplicated or deleted by conversion or by unequal crossing-over is estimated by the new model to be on the order of 10 per year. The model may be applicable to other multigene families, such as those coding for silkmoth chorion or mammalian kallikrein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number and frequencies of subfamilies in a honey bee colony were determined by DNA fingerprinting. Queen and brood samples were taken from three colonies with artificially inseminated queens and from one colony with a naturally mated queen. Using Hae III restriction enzyme and (GATA) oligonucleotide, the number of subfamilies in the colonies with artificially inseminated queens corresponded with the number of drones used for insemination. In the colony with the naturally mated queen, 12 subfamilies were found in a random sample of 104 workers. Considering that subfamily frequencies range from 1 to 26%, introcolonial worker relationship was estimated to be 0.328, corresponding to a genetical effective number of 6.4 matings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alu elements are primate-specific retroposons that mobilize using the enzymatic machinery of L1 s. The recently completed baboon genome project found that the mobilization rate of Alu elements is higher than in the genome of any other primate studied thus far. However, the Alu subfamily structure present in and specific to baboons had not been examined yet. Results: Here we report 129 Alu subfamilies that are propagating in the genome of the olive baboon, with 127 of these subfamilies being new and specific to the baboon lineage. We analyzed 233 Alu insertions in the genome of the olive baboon using locus specific polymerase chain reaction assays, covering 113 of the 129 subfamilies. The allele frequency data from these insertions show that none of the nine groups of subfamilies are nearing fixation in the lineage. Conclusions: Many subfamilies of Alu elements are actively mobilizing throughout the baboon lineage, with most being specific to the baboon lineage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cladistic analysis of phylogenetic relationships is carried out for the feather mite subfamily Avenzoariinae. The analysis is made at two different taxonomic levels, for 19 genera of the all family Avenzoariidae and for taxa of species rank for the Avenzoaria and Bychovskiata generic groups. A subsequent comparative analysis of phylogenetichypotheseis for the subfamily Avenzoariinae and recently accepted phylogenetic hypotheses of the shorebirds Charadriiformes indicates co-speciation of feather mites with their hosts. As a result of the comparative analysis it is suggested, that the subfamily Avenzoariinae originated from an ancestor of the order Charadriiformes and co-speciated with this host order. The expected pattern of parallel evolution is disturbed by different evolutionary events, such as host shifts, extinction of mites and differential evolutionary rates of mite lineages in different phyletic branches of feather parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]