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Cystoisospora spp. oocysts isolated from dog feces in Changchun, China were morphologically similar to those of Cystoisospora ohioensis and Cystoisospora sp. 1-MM recently isolated from dogs in Japanese. Sequencing results of the 18S subunit RNA gene from isolates in the present study were compared to other Cystoisospora spp. and the results suggested that Cystoisospora spp. from dogs in Changchun was homologous to C. ohioensis and Cystoisospora sp. 1-MM. Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rRNA sequences showed that the Cystoisospora sp. ChangChun 1 and Cystoisospora sp. ChangChun 2 were nested in a clade with other Cystoisospora spp., including C. ohioensis, Cystoisospora belli, Cystoisospora suis, Isospora sp. Harbin/01/08 and C. orlovi,. Cystoisospora sp. ChangChun 2 was confirmed as C. ohioensis, and the other isolate was in a separate clade but the genetic relationship was relatively close to C. suis after analysis of the ITS-1gene., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The rapid reduction in coral reefs worldwide has led to increasing attention toward protecting and restoring coral reef ecosystems. Coral reefs not only have a rich diversity of coral species, but they can also provide important products and services for human beings. One type of coral, Echinogorgia, has important scientific research value and application prospects. To understand the diversity of coral species, diving surveys were conducted in Xiamen Bay in 2017 and 2021, and a total of 928 samples were collected. Taxonomic research was conducted using methods such as morphological identification through electron microscopy. Specific phylogenetic trees of the COI gene, mtMuts gene, and ITS1 gene were analyzed. There were 47 specimens of Echinogorgia coral included among 928 samples. Fifteen species of Echinogorgia were identified, including Echinogorgia ramosa, Echinogorgia flexilis, Echinogorgia russelli, Echinogorgia ramulosa, and Echinogorgia gracilima (which represent the newly recorded species in the waters of China). This study increases the species diversity records in China and contributes to new geographical distribution information of Echinogorgia worldwide. The primary data also serve as the baseline data for long-term biomonitoring programs to estimate the status of octocorals in Xiamen Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife shares grazing areas with herders in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and humans can be infected by zoonotic nematodes through direct contact with animals or contaminated water. In this study, fecal samples (n = 296) from wild carnivores were collected to explore the infection rate and molecular genetic characteristics of nematodes by stratified random sampling in the survey areas. Host species and the nematodes they carried were then identified using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Statistical analysis, neutrality tests, genetic diversity analysis and Bayesian inferred trees were performed to complete the study. In total, 10 species of nematodes were detected in 240 feces from six species of carnivores identified (including dominant Vulpes ferrilata and Vulpes vulpes), namely Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxascaris sp., Crenosoma vulpis, Parapharyngodon bainae, Oesophagostomum muntiacum, Aspiculuris tetraptera, Mastophorus muris, Nematodirus spathiger, Muellerius capillaris, and Molineus patens. Among these nematodes, U. stenocephala (35.83%, 86/240) and Toxascaris sp. (14.58%, 35/240) were detected at higher rates than the other nematodes (χ2 = 516.909, p < 0.05). Of 17 and 18 haplotypes were found based on the ITS1 gene for U. stenocephala and nad1 gene for Toxascaris sp., respectively. For the first time, using molecular methods, we report the infection of V. ferrilata by U. stenocephala, a potential zoonotic parasite, and suggest Toxascaris sp. may be a newly discovered nematode that lives within the fox intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the general consensus that fertilizer is the most important driver of the evolution of soil microbial communities, the specific effects of long-term fertilizer use on microbial communities remain unclear. Here, we collected soil samples from fertilized (NPK) and unfertilized (NF) plots in a subtropical farmland in southwestern China. NPK plots were consistently treated with chemical fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) for the 20 years; NF plots were left unfertilized for the same period. To explore the effects of long-term fertilizer use on soil microbial community structure, microbial community composition in the topsoil was assessed using the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the full-length fungal ITS1 gene. In conjunction, we measured various soil chemical properties. We found that metrics associated with soil fertility (i.e., total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium) were significantly greater in the NPK samples as compared to the NF samples, but that soil pH was significantly lower. We also found that long-term fertilizer use reshaped soil microbial community composition but did not alter community α-diversity. Notably, the bacterial phyla Nitrospirae and Planctomycetes and the fungal phylum Ascomycota were closely associated with the NPK plot, influenced by soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available potassium, and available phosphorus, while the bacterial phyla Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi and the fungal phyla Glomeromycota and Basidiomycota were closely associated with the NF plot, influenced by soil pH. Our results provide long-term data clarifying the microbial regulation mechanisms underlying the response of farmland soil to long-term fertilizer use in subtropical China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dung beetle primarily feeds on the feces of herbivorous animals and play a crucial role in ecological processes like material cycles and soil improvement. This study aims to explore the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota of Catharsius molossus (a renowned dung beetle originating from China and introduced to multiple countries for its ecological value) and exploring whether these gut microbes are transmitted vertically across generations. Using 16S rRNA and ITS rRNA gene sequencing techniques, we described the diversity and composition of gut microbes in C. molossus from different localities and different developmental stages (Egg, young larvae and old larvae). We discovered that the diversity of gut microbiota of dung beetles varied obviously among different geographical localities and different developmental stages, and we also discussed the potential influencing factors. Interestingly, the microbial community structure within the brood balls is more similar to male dung beetle than to that of females, which is consistent with the observation that the brood ball is constructed by the male dung beetle, with the female laying egg in it at the final step. This unique breeding method facilitates offspring in inheriting microbial communities from both the mother and the father. Initially, the larvae's gut microbiota closely mirrors that of the parental gift in these brood balls. As larvae grow, significant changes occur in their gut microbiota, including an increase in symbiotic bacteria like Lactococcus and Enterococcus. Analysis of the gut bacteria of adult dung beetles across various localities and different developmental stages identified nine core genera in adults, contributing to 67.80% of the total microbial abundance, and 11 core genera in beetles at different developmental stages, accounting for 49.13% of the total. Notably, seven genera were common between these two core groups. Our results suggest that Parental gifts can play a role in the vertical transmission of microbes, and the abundance of probiotics increases with larval development, supporting the hypothesis that "larval feeding behavior occurs in two stages: larvae first feed on parental gifts to acquire necessary microbes, then enrich symbiotic microbiota through consuming their own feces." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) nematodes prefer to live in the intestines of wild animals, causing damage and even death, and posing a zoonotic risk. The polyparasitism of GIT nematodes results in the complex dynamics of the nematode communities that occur naturally in wild animals. However, the nematode community in captive wild animals is poorly understood. Methods: We combined microscopic examination and amplicon sequencing for community diversity. Results: We characterized GIT nematode assemblages to one order, one family, four genera, and ten species, in 512 fecal samples of 121 species from captive wild animals in southern China. The positive rate of GIT nematodes was 20.7% (106/512), including 42.3% (11/26) in reptiles, 26.5% (39/147) in herbivores, 25.0% (25/100) in non-human primates, 20.0% (5/25) in omnivores, 12.2% (9/74) in carnivores, and 12.1% (17/140) in avians. The dominant nematodes were Haemonchus contortus in herbivores and Trichuris species in primates. The nematode communities of arboreal primates differed from their terrestrial counterparts, reflecting both host phylogeny and ecological constraints. Soil-transmitted Strongyloides species were widespread throughout the herbivore, primate, avian, and carnivore communities, and tended to infect omnivorous primates and terrestrial herbivores. In addition, new Trichuris and Heterakis species were found in the nematode communities of captive porcupines and peafowls. Conclusion: This study highlights the variation in the composition of the GIT nematode community and strengthens the attention to the harms induced by zoonotic nematodes and co-infective nematodes with low species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrilus mali stands as a significant wood-boring pest prevalent in Northeast Asia. Identifying this pest beetle is often hindered by insufficient efficient, rapid, on-site discrimination methods beyond examining adult morphological features. As a result, an urgent need arises for developing and implementing a rapid and accurate molecular technique to distinguish and manage the beetle. This study presents a straightforward, swift, highly specific, and sensitive method built upon recombinase polymerase amplification combined with a lateral flow dipstick (RPA-LFD). This method demonstrates the capability to promptly identify the beetle, even during its larval stage. RPA primers and probes were designed using the internal transcribed spacer 1 region. Through probe optimization, false-positive signals were successfully eliminated, with an accompanying discussion on the underlying causes of such signals. The RPA-LFD assays exhibited remarkable specificity and sensitivity, requiring as little as 10−3 ng of purified DNA. Furthermore, the extraction of crude DNA was achieved through immersion in sterile distilled water, thus streamlining the assay process. Achievable at temperatures ranging from 30 to 50 °C, the RPA-LFD assay can be executed manually without specialized equipment. By merging the RPA-LFD assay with DNA coarse extraction, A. mali can be detected within just 30 min. This current study effectively demonstrates the immense potential of RPA-LFD in quarantine and pest management. Additionally, it presents a universal technique for the rapid on-site diagnosis of insects, showcasing the wide applicability of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zizania latifolia is usually infected by the obligate parasitic fungus Ustilago esculenta to form an edible fleshy stem which is an aquatic vegetable called Jiaobai in China. The infection by the teliospore (T) strain of U. esculenta induces Z. latifolia forming gray fleshy stems, while the mycelia-teliospore (MT) strain of U. esculenta induces white fleshy stems which are more suitable for edibility than gray fleshy stems. The mechanism of this phenomenon is still largely unknown. One of the possible causes is the diversity of endophytic microbial communities between these two fleshy stems. Therefore, we utilized fungal ITS1 and bacterial 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to investigate the diversity of endophytic microbial communities in the two different fleshy stems of Z. latifolia. The results revealed that the α diversity and richness of endophytic fungi in white Z. latifolia were significantly greater than in gray Z. latifolia. The dominant fungal genus in both fleshy stems was U. esculenta, which accounted for over 90% of the endophytic fungi. The community composition of endophytic fungi in gray and white Z. latifolia was different except for U. esculenta, and a negative correlation was observed between U. esculenta and other endophytic fungi. In addition, the dominant bacterial genus in gray Z. latifolia was Alcaligenaceae which is also negatively correlated with other bacterium communities. Additionally, the co-occurrence network of white Z. latifolia was found to have a stronger scale, connectivity, and complexity compared to that of gray Z. latifolia. And the detected beneficial bacteria and pathogens in the stems of Z. latifolia potentially compete for resources. Furthermore, the function of endophytic bacteria is more abundant than endophytic fungi in Z. latifolia. This research investigated the correlation between the development of Z. latifolia fleshy stems and endophytic microbial communities. Our findings indicate that the composition of endophytic microbial communities is closely related to the type of Z. latifolia fleshy stems. This research also suggests the potential utilization of specific microbial communities to enhance the growth and development of Z. latifolia, thereby contributing to the breeding of Z. latifolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important economic crustacean in China, the crab has been a popular focus in aquaculture in recent years due to its high production and economic value. The epidemic of milky disease has severely damaged the crab farming industry, resulting in heavy economic losses and hindering the sustainable development of high-quality crab farming. The disease is characterized by severe emulsification of all tissues and the presence of large amounts of opaque, milky fluid in the body, with a high infection rate and high mortality. Determining the cause of the disease, its life cycle, transmission routes, and detection methods will help to provide direction for the prevention and control of crab milky disease. This article aims to review the discovery, main pathogens, and pathologies of milky disease, along with the currently established detection methods. We have also attempt to classify the control measures for the prevention and control of milky disease in crabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant species identity influences soil microbial communities directly by host specificity and root exudates, and indirectly by changing soil properties. As a native pioneer species common in early successional communities, Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) forests are widely distributed in subtropical China, and play a key role in improving ecosystem productivity. However, how pine forest composition, especially the dominance of plant functional groups, affects soil microbial diversity remains unclear. Here, we investigated linkages among woody plant composition, soil physicochemical properties, and microbial diversity in forests along a dominance gradient of Masson pine. Soil bacterial and fungal communities were mainly explained by woody plant community composition rather than by woody species alpha diversity, with the dominance of tree (without including shrub) species and ectomycorrhizal woody plant species accounting for more of the variation among microbial communities than pine dominance alone. Structural equation modeling revealed that bacterial diversity was associated with woody plant compositional variation via altered soil physicochemical properties, whereas fungal diversity was directly driven by woody plant composition. Bacterial functional groups involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were negatively correlated with the availability of soil nitrogen and phosphorus, whereas saprotrophic and pathogenic fungal groups showed negative correlations with the dominance of tree species. These findings indicate strong linkages between woody plant composition than soil microbial diversity; meanwhile, the high proportion of unexplained variability indicates great necessity of further definitive demonstration for better understanding of forest–microbe interactions and associated ecosystem processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Soil net nitrogen mineralization (Nmin) rate and its temperature sensitivity (Q10) are critical parameters for predicting nitrogen availability under global warming. However, the controlling factors of the net Nmin rate and its Q10 at the regional scale remain highly uncertain, especially in different ecosystem types. Methods: An incubation experiment at three different temperatures was conducted to measure the net Nmin rate and to calculate its Q10. High-throughput sequencing was applied to explore the microbial community diversity and composition. Results: Results showed that the overall net Nmin rate was highest in paddy fields, followed by forest and dryland fields, whereas its Q10 was not different among ecosystems. Structural equation models revealed that the net Nmin rate was mainly affected by soil properties in dryland habitats, whereas it was mainly influenced by soil microbial communities and mean annual temperature (MAT) in paddy habitats. In forest habitats, the net Nmin rate was mainly affected by bacterial communities rather than fungal communities. The Q10 of net Nmin was close to 2.0, indicating that the net Nmin rate is sensitive to climatic warming. The Q10 was impacted by the bacterial community composition in dryland soils, whereas it was influenced by soil properties and bacterial diversity in paddy and forest soils. Conclusion: This study provides a novel quantification on the contribution of soil microbial diversity and community composition to soil net Nmin process in three ecosystem types, with implications for microbial-mediated N mineralization process under climatic change scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have indicated that the heavy-metal content in tea is increasing gradually. Researchers examining the soil of more than 100 tea gardens in China have observed that lead content was higher in some soils. The effect of lead contamination on soil microorganisms in tea gardens was studied to determine the effect of lead on the essential functions of microorganisms in a tea garden soil ecosystem. Previous studies on pot experiments adopted the method of adding a single instance of pollution, which failed to comprehensively simulate the characteristics of the slow accumulation of heavy metals in soil. This study designed with two pollution modes (multistage and single instance) determined the content of soil lead in different forms according to the European Community Bureau of Reference extraction procedure. The community structure, species diversity and functional abundance of soil bacteria and fungi were examined by high-throughput sequencing. We observed that the content of four forms of lead was higher in the multistage contamination mode than in the single instance contamination mode. The effects of lead contamination on bacteria differed significantly (p < 0.05), and the abundance and diversity of bacteria were higher in the multistage contamination mode than in the single instance contamination mode. The community structure of fungi was more affected by lead than was that of bacteria. The content of each lead form was the environmental factor most strongly affecting soil bacteria and fungi. The predicted main function of the bacterial community was amino acid transport and metabolism, and the trophic mode of the fungal community was mainly pathotroph-saprotroph. This study revealed changes in soil microorganisms caused by different forms of lead and contamination methods in tea garden soil and provide a theoretical basis for examining the effects of lead contamination on soil microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C. korshinskii is one of the most widely-planted sand-fixing legumes in northwest China and exploring its rhizosphere microbiome is of great ecological importance. However, the effect of long-term sand fixation on the composition, diversity, and underlying functions of microbes in the C. korshinskii rhizosphere in dryland ecosystems remain unclear. Here, we performed high-throughput sequencing using a 16S rRNA (absolute quantification) and bacterial functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa (FAPROTAX) analysis and an ITS (relative quantification) and fungal functional guild (FUNGuild) analysis to investigate the C. korshinskii rhizosphere microbiome and metabolic functional groups at different sand-fixing ages (six years, CK6; twelve years, CK12; and eighteen years, CK18) and determined the physicochemical properties of the rhizosphere soil. Results showed that the key bacterial taxa of the rhizosphere were significantly more abundant in CK18 than in CK12 and CK6 at the phylum-classgenus level, and that fungal Glomeromycota was also significantly more abundant in the CK18 rhizosphere compared to CK12 and CK6. Among these bacterial taxa, the enrichment effect of key, functional, genus-level species of bacteria was the most obvious, including Rhizobium, Ensifer, Neorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Streptomyces, Sphingomonas, and Flavobacterium, which are N-fixing and/or phosphate-solubilizing groups. The significant improvement seen in the physicochemical properties of the CK18 rhizosphere soil, including the higher total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), higher N:P ratio, and lower C:N ratio, all demonstrated the relationship between the rhizosphere microbes and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. A redundancy analysis (RDA) of different taxonomic levels indicated a close positive relationship between rhizosphere microbes and AN. In addition, the functional groups of the C. korshinskii rhizosphere bacteria were closely related to soil AN and were mainly composed of chemoheterotrophy and aerobic chemoheterotrophy. A Spearman correlation analysis revealed that these functional groups were mainly identified from bacterial Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Bacteroidetes, and fungal Glomeromycota. Our study provides evidence that the rhizosphere microbes of C. korshinskii are closely related to the accumulation of N in the restoration of desert ecosystems, and that the ecological functional processes they are involved in mainly involve C and N cycles, which play an important role in desertification reversal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical traits of litter are among the most critical factors that affect its decomposition. During vegetation restoration of planted forests, increasing age of the planted species and succession of the understory species may lead to significant changes in litter traits. However, it is unclear how these changes occur and how they affect litter decomposition. Therefore, we studied the decomposition of litter from four Robinia pseudoacacia plantations in the Loess Plateau in China with stand ages of 10–43 years using an indoor simulation test. We measured changes in litter substrate quality and chemical diversity, structural properties of the litter microbial community, activity of litter enzymes, and mixed decomposition effects during vegetation restoration. Their relationships to changes in litter decomposition rate were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Improvements in substrate quality of forest litter induced by vegetation restoration drove changes in fungal community composition during late decomposition (day 358), which in turn increased the activity of lignin‐decomposing enzymes and ultimately accelerated litter decomposition. At the same time, decreases in the chemical diversity of forest litter induced by vegetation restoration reduced the diversity of litter fungi during middle and late decomposition (days 182 and 358). This caused significant negative mixed decomposition effects, thereby inhibiting litter decomposition. However, improvements in litter substrate quality dominated the changes in litter decomposition rate, and the decomposition rate of R. pseudoacacia plantation litter thus increased over the course of vegetation restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four adult female worms of Trichuris were isolated from an individual of the wild blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) inhabiting the Helan Mountains, China, during an epidemiological survey of this wild ruminant. Although there were some differences among the worms in posterior end (rectum) morphology and egg shape, little information regarding species status could be inferred from their morphology. Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on sequences of the ITS1 segment of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and the sequences of the four Trichuris specimens from wild blue sheep were divided into two distinct lineages (Clade A and Clade B). The two specimens in Clade A were named Genotype I, and had the closest relationship with Trichuris skrjabini; the two specimens in Clade B were named Genotype II and had the closest genetic relationship with a previously described Trichuris sp. In the two Trichuris genotypes identified in the present study, the 18S fragments (261 to 262 bp) of the newly obtained sequences were found to be highly conserved, with merely one insert mutation of a single nucleotide present. The genetic distance based on ITS1 between members of Clade A, composed of two T. skrjabini individuals and two Genotype I individuals, ranged from 0 to 0.0034. These distances are within the intraspecies variation of Trichuris (0–0.0272), suggesting that the Genotype I individuals infesting the wild blue sheep were T. skrjabini. In Clade B, the newly obtained sequences clustered with Trichuris sp. specimens isolated from ruminants (sheep and black goat) with strong support, and the genetic distance ranged from 0.0068 to 0.017, which is also within the intraspecies variation of Trichuris (0–0.0272). However, the genetic distances between the Clade A and Clade B were 0.0442 to 0.0578, which are higher than the intraspecies distances in Trichuris but lower than the interspecies distances (0.102–0.5078). These results implied that Clade A and Clade B most likely represent two subpopulations of T. skrjabini; however, the possibility that Clade A is T. skrjabini and Clade B is a Candidatus Trichuris could not be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study proposed to investigate soil N transformation rates under different tea plantation ages. These plantations receive a great deal of nitrogen fertilizer each year. It was hypothesized that the inhibition of nitrification by increasing soil acidification would be counteracted by the N application. We aimed to explore whether this relationship would influence soil nitrogen transformations within tea plantations. Materials and methods: Tea fields with different establishment periods (8 years, 36 years, and 105 years) and adjacent forest soils were collected from Hangzhou city, China. The 15N dilution technique and a 15N tracing model were used to investigate changes in soil gross N transformation rates, additionally combining the 15N dilution technique with acetylene inhibition to distinguish heterotrophic and autotrophic nitrification rates. Results and discussion: Both 15N labeling methods demonstrated that land use conversion and fertilization significantly change the soil N transformation rates. The gross N mineralization rate was much higher in the tea soils compared with that in the adjacent forest soil and increased with planting age in the tea soils. Interestingly, appreciable NO3− production was detected in the forest soil caused by heterotrophic nitrification, whereas only a small amount of nitrate was formed by heterotrophs in the tea soils. Gross nitrification rates increased with the planting age from 8 to 36 years but decreased at 105 years. Nitrification was the main ammonium consuming process in the tea soils and a positive relationship was observed between ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) amoA abundance and nitrification rate, suggesting AOA as the dominant nitrification drivers in these tea soils. Conclusion: Overall, the conversion from forest to tea soil enhanced the gross rate of nitrification, N mineralization, and NH4+ immobilization, but N/I (nitrification/ammonium immobilization) also increased significantly in the tea plantations, indicating a high nitrate leaching and runoff risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella L. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a serious pest of vegetables and horticultural crops and invaded Xinjiang in northwestern China in 2013. In 2016, the author observed a whitefly population "Loaded" type which was different from the typical A. proletella in the morphology of eggs, nymphs, pupae and adults. This phenomenon has not been previously documented. The aim of this study is to determine whether the two types constitute separate gene pools using morphological comparisons, genome sequencing and mating experiments. We found that the mycetome color in the "Bare" type was light yellow, the length of the first abdominal setae was 15 µm and the nymphs were directly shed by the ecdyses. The back of the "Loaded" type was covered by ecdyses in an imbricate pattern with the first abdominal setae concatenate. The mycetomes were orange-red and the length of the first abdominal setae was 200 µm. Multiple sequence alignments of the mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtDNA COI) genes were 91.42% identical while the homology of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (rDNA ITS1) region was 89.64% (Gap=15.91%). Reciprocal crosses at both the individual and population levels indicated reproductive isolation between the two types since all crosses failed to produce female offspring. Although there are significant differences between these two types, considering the still rather weak evidence of specific diversity, further work is required to satisfactorily assess their taxonomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parasites from buffaloes in Guizhou province, southwest China, were suspected to be sarcocysts through morphologic observation. 18S rRNA and the subunit I of cytochrome oxidase (cox1) sequences were amplified, then implemented by phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA and cox1 genes both indicated the low degree of genetic diversity among the isolated sequences and other sequences of Sarcocystis fusiformis. The result shows that the sarcocysts from these buffaloes in Guizhou province S. fusiformis. This study is the first molecular characterization of S. fusiformis from Chinese buffaloes that used two genetic markers (18S rRNA and cox1 sequences) in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Masson pine moth, Dendrolimus punctatus, is one of the most destructive forest pest insects and is an endemic condition in China, we still do not fully understand the patterns of how its distribution range varies in response to Quaternary climatic oscillations. Here, we sequenced one maternally inherited mitochondrial gene (COI) and biparentally inherited nuclear data (ITS1 and ITS2) among 23 natural populations across the entire range of the species in China. A total of 51 mitotypes and 38 ribotypes were separately obtained using mtDNA and ITS1 data. Furthermore, significant phylogeographical structure (NST > GST, p < 0.01) were detected. The spatial distribution of mitotypes implied that two distinct groups existed in the species: one in the southwest distribution, including 10 locations, and the other located in the northeast region of China. It is suggested, therefore, that each group was derived from ancestors that occupied different isolated refugia during previous periods, possibly last glacial maximum. Mismatch distribution and Bayesian population dynamics analysis suggested the population size underwent sudden expansion, which is consistent with the results of ecological niche modeling. As a typical phytophagous insect, the history of population expansion was in accordance with the host plants, providing abundant food resources and habitat. Intraspecific success rate of barcoding identification was lower than interspecific ones, indicating a level of difficulty in barcoding individuals from different populations. However, it still provides an early insight into the pattern of genetic diversity within a species. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES: This article has been awarded an Open Data and Open Materials. All materials and data are publicly accessible via the Open Science Framework at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2df87g2. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae), an important invasive pest of ornamentals and vegetables has been found in China for the past two decades, few studies have focused on its genetics or route of invasive. In this study, we collected 288 L. sativae individuals across 12 provinces to explore its population genetic structure and migration patterns in China using seven microsatellites. We found relatively low levels of genetic diversity but moderate population genetic structure (0.05 < FST < 0.15) in L. sativae from China. All populations deviated significantly from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium due to heterozygote deficiency. Molecular variance analysis revealed that more than 89% of variation was among samples within populations. A UPGMA dendrogram revealed that SH and GXNN populations formed one cluster separate from the other populations, which is in accordance with STRUCTURE and GENELAND analyses. A Mantel test indicated that genetic distance was not correlated to geographic distance (r = −0.0814, P = 0.7610), coupled with high levels of gene flow (M = 40.1–817.7), suggesting a possible anthropogenic influence on the spread of L. sativae in China and on the effect of hosts. The trend of asymmetrical gene flow was from southern to northern populations in general and did not exhibit a Bridgehead effect during the course of invasion, as can be seen by the low genetic diversity of southern populations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The invasive red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii) provides a valuable opportunity for studying the population genetics of invasive species that disperse rapidly. We analyzed the population genetic structure among 12 populations of the crayfish in China based on the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region. The ITS1 of 815 bp aligned across 34 haplotypes; the average GC content was 53.9%. AMOVA showed that intrapopulation variation (95.26%) was much higher than interpopulation variation (4.74%). Genetic differentiation between the Taiwan and mainland populations ( Fst = 0.160) was moderate, but the Chinese population (Taiwan and the mainland combined) and an American population were highly differentiated (0.682 and 0.977, respectively). Gene flow between the Chinese and American populations ( Nm = 0.006 and 0.117, respectively) was lower than that between Taiwan and the mainland (1.536). Phylogenetic trees showed that three major genealogical clusters matched the sample locations well, suggesting that genetic differentiation is created largely by geographic isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coilia nasus is widely distributed in the Yangtze River, the coastal waters of China, Korea and the Ariake Sound of Japan. Several ecotypes exist and this provides a useful model for the study of comparative diversity between molecular markers. Here we analyze and compare the nucleotide sequences between single-copy ribosomal protein S7 gene intron 1 (rpS7) and multiple-copy ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) in this species to compare the phylogenetic signal of the two nuclear genes. Nucleotide substitutions among the two gene sequences and partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene were also analyzed. A total of 115 clones for rpS7 and 122 clones for ITS1 were obtained from 37 specimens. The nucleotide sequence length is 741 to 743 bp for rpS7 and 334 to 348 bp for ITS1. Intra- and inter-specimen variation in rpS7 results from nucleotide substitution, while such variation in ITS1 is mainly due to different numbers of short base repeats. The content of G + C is lower in rpS7 (43.5%) than in ITS1 (68.2%). Our results indicate that the proportion of the sequence variable sites is higher in rpS7 (61) than in ITS1 (23); the informative parsimony of rpS7 is evidently higher than that of ITS1 (26 vs. 2); the overall ratio between transitions and transversions in ITS1 is slightly lower than in rpS7, but remarkably lower than in COI. These results suggest that rpS7 is more suitable than ITS1 as a marker for genetic divergence of this group. Furthermore, gene flow is observed between the different geographic populations of C. nasus from the phylogeny of this species based on rpS7, showing that rpS7 has more evolutionary characteristics for understanding the processes of genomic evolution at the intraspecific level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), causes severe crop losses in many agricultural systems. The worst of these losses are often associated with the invasion and establishment of specific whitefly biotypes. In a comprehensive survey of biotypes present in central China between 2005 and 2007, we obtained 191 samples of B. tabaci from 19 districts in Hubei province and its surrounds. Biotypes were identified by RAPD-PCR and by sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (mtCO1). We determined that these central Chinese haplotypes included the world's two most invasive B. tabaci biotypes (B and Q) and two indigenous biotypes (ZHJ1 and ZHJ3). The B biotype shared >99.7% identity with other Chinese B biotypes and the Q biotype shared >99.5% of its identity with Q samples from the Mediterranean, USA, Africa and East Asia. By 2007, the Q biotype was dominant over much of Hubei province and appeared to be supplanting all other biotypes, although both the invasive and indigenous biotypes existed in sympatry in some regions. The invasion and rapid establishment of the Q biotype in China mirrors events elsewhere in the world, and we suggest that this is a consequence of its reproductive isolation, its polyphagous nature and its broad-spectrum resistance to insecticides. Its dominance has severe implications for the sustainability of some insecticide groups and for the production of a number of crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced from the freshwater monogonont rotifer Brachionus rubens. The genome sequences were 12,041 bp and 13,793 bp in size, and the gene order and contents were identical to those of the freshwater rotifer B. rubens China, but were different in three tRNA-Arg, tRNA-Ile, and tRNA-Leu between both B. rubens mitochondrial genomes, while B. calyciflorus had peculiar gene order in mitochondrial DNA I. Of 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs), one gene (ND5) had incomplete stop codons. Furthermore, the start codon of ND4 and CO2 gene was ATT, while the start codon of other PCGs was ATG. The base composition of 12 PCGs in B. rubens mitogenome showed 22.5% for A, 46.5% for T, 16.3% for C, and 14.7% for G, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigating the microbial communities and physicochemical properties of soil and distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails in marshlands along the Yangtze River basin at different types of land use, and to examine the effects of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties on snail distribution, so as to provide insights into snail control and schistosomiasis prevention in marshland along the Yangtze River basin., Methods: Marshlands with four types of land use were selected along the Yangtze River basin on April 2021, including poplar forest-crops integrated planting, reed areas, agricultural cultivation lands and ditches. The distribution of snails and physicochemical properties of soil were investigated in marshlands with different types of land use, and the V3 to V4 regions of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA ( 16S rRNA ) gene, fungal internal transcribed spacer-1 ( ITS1 ) gene and algal ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase ( rbcL ) gene in soils were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. The occurrence of frames with living snails and density of living snails were compared in marshland with different types of land use. The associations of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties with the density of living snails were examined using Pearson correlation analysis, and the contributions of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties to the density of living snails were evaluated using variance partitioning analysis., Results: In marshlands with four types of land use, the greatest occurrence of frames with living snails [(4.94 ± 2.14)%] and density of living snails [(0.070 ± 0.026) snails/0.1 m 2 ] were seen in ditches, and the lowest were found in [(1.23 ± 1.23)%] agricultural cultivation lands [(0.016 ± 0.019) snails/0.1 m 2 ]. A total of 2 phyla, 5 classes, 8 orders, 9 families and 11 genera of algae were detected in soils at four types of land use, with Chlorophyta as the dominant phylum and Pseudoneochloris as the dominant genus. A total of 44 phyla, 134 classes, 281 orders, 338 families and 516 genera of bacteria were detected in soils at four types of land use, with Proteobacteria and Acidobacteriota as the dominant phyla and uncultured Acidobacterium , MND1 , Mitrospira , Haliangium and Sphingomonas as dominant genera. A total of 11 phyla, 41 classes, 108 orders, 223 families and 408 genera of fungi were detected in soils at four types of land use, with phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota presenting high relative abundances and genera Cladorrhinum , Mortierella and Humicola presenting high relative abundances. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the density of living snails correlated negatively with the relative abundance of Proteobacteria ( r = -0.965, P < 0.05) and soil electronic conductivity ( r = -0.962, P < 0.05) and positively with soil moisture ( r = 0.951, P < 0.05). Variance partitioning analysis demonstrated that the physicochemical properties and microorganisms of soil contributed 69% and 10% to the density of living snails, respectively., Conclusions: The diversity of microbial communities varies in soils at different types of land use in marshland along the Yangtze River basin, and the physicochemical properties and microorganisms of soils may affect the distribution of O. hupensis snails.

Comprehending the phylogeography of invasive organisms enhances our insight into their distribution dynamics, which is instrumental for the development of effective prevention and management strategies. In China, Pomacea canaliculata and Pomacea maculata are the two most widespread and damaging species of the non-native Pomacea spp.. Given this species' rapid spread throughout country, it is urgent to investigate the genetic diversity and structure of its different geographic populations, a task undertaken in the current study using the COI and ITS1 mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA genes, respectively. The result of this study, based on a nationwide systematic survey, a collection of Pomacea spp., and the identification of cryptic species, showed that there is a degree of genetic diversity and differentiation in P. canaliculata, and that all of its variations are mainly due to differences between individuals within different geographical populations. Indeed, this species contains multiple haplotypes, but none of them form a systematic geographical population structure. Furthermore, the COI gene exhibits higher genetic diversity than the ITS1 gene. Our study further clarifies the invasive pathways and dispersal patterns of P. canaliculata in China to provide a theoretical basis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rare earth elements (REEs) have been listed as emerging pollutants and are often enriched together in soils with heavy metals (HMs), which results in ecological crises. The ecological effects caused by REEs have been attracting increasing amounts of attention, but most studies neglect the synergistic effect of REEs and HMs. The soil fungal community plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem functions, and understanding the fungal community structure and its dominant influencing factors in the co-contaminated soils will help to develop soil remediation strategies that could reduce or remedy the impacts of human production activities on the environment. Currently, the effects of long-term contamination of REEs and HMs on the soil fungal communities remain unclear. The Baotou rare earth tailings dam (Inner Mongolia, China) was used as the area of study, and soil samples co-contaminated with REEs and HMs were collected. Illumina high-throughput sequencing with ITS1 gene amplicons was used to analyze the fungal community diversity and structural characteristics. The results showed that the heterogeneity of soil environmental variables determined the distribution of fungal communities in a small area and constituted its own unique ecological niche in the co-contaminated environment. The fungal community richness and diversity in the co-contaminated soils were significantly lower than those in the uncontaminated soils, and the composition of the fungal community was significantly different. The results of a random forest (RF) analysis showed that TN was the most important factor that affected the fungal community richness and diversity, followed by REEs, Zn, and AK. The results of a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that Zn was the most important factor that affected the fungal community structure. A variation partitioning analysis (VPA) was performed to quantify the relative contributions of different environmental variables on the changes in fungal community structure, and the analytical results showed that all the detected environmental variables could explain 93.3% of the variation in soil fungal community. The combined effect of soil physicochemical properties and pollution factors (REEs and HMs) accounted for 58.5% of the total variation, and their contribution alone accounted for 13.5% and 21%, respectively. The effects of these pollution factors on the fungal communities were slightly higher than those of the soil physicochemical properties. The synergistic contributions of REEs and HMs were 40.1%, and their individual effects were 21.8% and 17.9%, respectively. Therefore, the soil physicochemical properties, REEs, and HMs regulated the fungal community structure and composition in concert. The synergistic contributions of REEs and HMs were greater than their individual effects, and these results suggest that it is necessary to further strengthen the risk control of the co-contamination of REEs and HMs in the soil environment.

To investigate the correlation between genotype and distribution of Pogostemon cablin by sequencing ITS1 and ITS2 genes, and provide molecular information for its germplasm evaluation, ITS1 and ITS2 genes of Pogostemon cablin from different localities were identified by PCR direct sequencing. The sequences of ITS1 and ITS2 genes were 424 bp and 380 bp in length, respectively. And nineteen base substitutions were observed in ITS1 gene, and five in ITS2 gene. The results showed a good correlation between genotype and distribution of Pogostemon cablin, and ITS gene sequencing could provide useful molecular information for germplasm evaluation of the plant species verification.