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Currently, the genus Arctia Schrank, 1802 includes approximately 16 species in the Palaearctic region, depending on the taxonomic interpretation. Here, populations of the Arctia villica (Linnaeus, 1758) morphospecies complex were studied from Europe to the Middle East (Turkey, northern Iran) by molecular methods. Morphological treatment has traditionally revealed the presence of five nominal taxa: A. villica (Linnaeus, 1758), A. angelica (Boisduval, 1829), A. konewkaii (Freyer, 1831), A. marchandi de Freina, 1983, and A. confluens Romanoff, 1884. The molecular approach tests whether they represent well-delimited species. Subsequently, this study corroborates the suitability of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) marker sequence for species delimitation. In total, 55 barcodes of the Arctia villica complex were compared, and two molecular species delimitation algorithms were applied to reveal the potential Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs), namely the distance-based Barcode Index Number (BIN) System, and the hierarchical clustering algorithm based on a pairwise genetic distances approach using the Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP). The applied ASAP distance-based species delimitation method for the analysed dataset revealed an interspecific threshold of 2.0-3.5% K2P distance as suitable for species identification purposes of the Iberian A. angelica and the Sicilian A. konewkaii and less than 2% for the three taxa of the A. villica clade: A. villica, A. confluens, and A. marchandi. This study contributes to a better understanding of the taxonomy of the genus Arctia and challenges future revision of this genus in Turkey, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia as well as northern Iran using standard molecular markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Murcia Region (south-eastern Iberian Peninsula) has a great diversity of Lepidopteran fauna, as a zoogeographical crossroads and biodiversity hotspot with more than 850 butterflies and moth species recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Murcia Region (osouth-eastern Iberian Peninsula) has a great diversity of Lepidopteran fauna, as a zoogeographical crossroads and biodiversity hotspot with more than 850 butterflies and moth species recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a powerful host defense that restricts herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) pathogenesis in neurons. As a countermeasure, the viral ICP34.5 polypeptide, which is exclusively encoded by HSV, antagonizes autophagy in part through binding Beclin1. However, whether autophagy is a cell-type-specific antiviral defense or broadly restricts HSV-1 reproduction in nonneuronal cells is unknown. Here, we establish that autophagy limits HSV-1 productive growth in nonneuronal cells and is repressed by the Us3 gene product. Phosphorylation of the autophagy regulators ULK1 and Beclin1 in virusinfected cells was dependent upon the HSV-1 Us3 Ser/Thr kinase. Furthermore, Beclin1 was unexpectedly identified as a direct Us3 kinase substrate. Although disabling autophagy did not impact replication of an ICP34.5-deficient virus in primary human fibroblasts, depleting Beclin1 and ULK1 partially rescued Us3-deficient HSV-1 replication. This shows that autophagy restricts HSV-1 reproduction in a cell-intrinsic manner in nonneuronal cells and is suppressed by multiple, independent viral functions targeting Beclin1 and ULK1. Moreover, it defines a surprising role regulating autophagy for the Us3 kinase, which unlike ICP34.5 is widely encoded by alpha-herpesvirus subfamily members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DNA barcode reference library for Lepidoptera holds much promise as a tool for taxonomic research and for providing the reliable identifications needed for conservation assessment programs. We gathered sequences for the barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene from 160 of the 176 nominal species of Erebidae moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) known from the Iberian Peninsula. These results arise from a research project which constructing a DNA barcode library for the insect species of Spain. New records for 271 specimens (122 species) are coupled with preexisting data for 38 species from the Iberian fauna. Mean interspecific distance was 12.1%, while the mean nearest neighbour divergence was 6.4%. All 160 species possessed diagnostic barcode sequences, but one pair of congeneric taxa (Eublemma rosea and Eublemma rietzi) were assigned to the same BIN. As well, intraspecific sequence divergences higher than 1.5% were detected in four species which likely represent species complexes. This study reinforces the effectiveness of DNA barcoding as a tool for monitoring biodiversity in particular geographical areas and the strong correspondence between sequence clusters delineated by BINs and species recognized through detailed taxonomic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modification of mRNA by N -adenosine methylation (m 6 A) on internal bases influences gene expression in eukaryotes. How the dynamic genome-wide landscape of m 6 A-modified mRNAs impacts virus infection and host immune responses remains poorly understood. Here, we show that type I interferon (IFN) production triggered by dsDNA or human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is controlled by the cellular m 6 A methyltrasferase subunit METTL14 and ALKBH5 demethylase. While METTL14 depletion reduced virus reproduction and stimulated dsDNA- or HCMV-induced IFNB1 mRNA accumulation, ALKBH5 depletion had the opposite effect. Depleting METTL14 increased both nascent IFNB1 mRNA production and stability in response to dsDNA. In contrast, ALKBH5 depletion reduced nascent IFNB1 mRNA production without detectably influencing IFN1B mRNA decay. Genome-wide transcriptome profiling following ALKBH5 depletion identified differentially expressed genes regulating antiviral immune responses, while METTL14 depletion altered pathways impacting metabolic reprogramming, stress responses, and aging. Finally, we determined that IFNB1 mRNA was m 6 A-modified within both the coding sequence and the 3' untranslated region (UTR). This establishes that the host m 6 A modification machinery controls IFNβ production triggered by HCMV or dsDNA. Moreover, it demonstrates that responses to nonmicrobial dsDNA in uninfected cells, which shape host immunity and contribute to autoimmune disease, are regulated by enzymes controlling m 6 A modification machinery controls IFNβ production triggered by HCMV or dsDNA. Moreover, it demonstrates that responses to nonmicrobial dsDNA in uninfected cells, which shape host immunity and contribute to autoimmune disease, are regulated by enzymes controlling m 6 A epitranscriptomic changes., (© 2018 Rubio et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)