Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kristen N. Finch, Adam D. Leache
Summary: Rarity, range restriction, and narrow endemism have significant conservation implications for imperilled species. The study shows that human-associated extinction risk factors can also impact widespread species. Comparing newts in the same region, the research highlights the importance of local-scale landscape genetics in understanding population connectivity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia Leme Pablos, Ana Kristina Silva, Noemy Seraphim, Luiza de Moraes Magaldi, Anete Pereira de Souza, Andre Victor Lucci Freitas, Karina Lucas Silva-Brandao
Summary: The study on Atlantic Forest White Morpho butterflies shows that there is no clear species diversification and population structure among the populations, suggesting that the current distinction between the two species is unreasonable. Northern samples exhibit more intragroup structure, and clustering tests indicate the existence of three genetic clusters, with turnover between the states of Paran ' a and Sa similar to o Paulo.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Morgan Tackett, Colette Berg, Taylor Simmonds, Olivia Lopez, Jason Brown, Robert Ruggiero, Jennifer Weber
Summary: This study examines the impact of geography, breeding system traits, and environmental factors on the population genetic patterns of Triodanis perfoliata. The findings highlight the complex role of intrinsic and extrinsic forces in shaping genetic variation and connectivity.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Russell S. Pfau, Ashley N. Kozora, Ana B. Gatica-Colima, Philip S. Sudman
Summary: This study examined the genetic diversity of the desert pocket gopher, Geomys arenarius, using multilocus nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data. The research found two subspecies of this endemic species, each with distinct genetic differences. Mapping of potentially habitable soils revealed barriers to dispersal. Populations of the southern subspecies had higher genetic diversity, possibly due to greater availability of suitable soils or higher food density.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Jose de Jesus Duenas-Romero, Jasmin Granados-Amores, Deivis Samuel Palacios-Salgado, Jose Francisco Dominguez-Contreras, Juan Ramon Flores-Ortega, Francisco Javier Garcia-Rodriguez
Summary: The study revealed that the genetic structure of Octopus hubbsorum population on the western coast of Mexico is weak, with evidence of sudden population expansion in history that did not affect the distribution of mitochondrial lineages. The species' life history may explain these findings.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Yu-Min Ju, Jui-Hsien Wu, Po-Hsun Kuo, Kui-Ching Hsu
Summary: This study investigated the genetic diversity and structure of the native population of Candidia barbata, a freshwater fish species in Taiwan, as well as the sources of human-intervention populations. The findings revealed that the native populations were distributed in different regions of Taiwan, while the human-intervention populations originated from multiple sources, including native populations and aquarium stocks. The effective size of the populations significantly declined, and the native populations could be categorized into three distinct management units.
Article
Fisheries
Ka Yan Ma, Lai Him Chow, Ling Ming Tsang, Sammy De Grave, Ka Hou Chu
Summary: The fine-scale population structure of five atyid species in highly urbanized Hong Kong has been studied, revealing contrasting phylogeographic patterns and population differentiation at a scale of <1 km. This population structuring is attributed to limited dispersal ability, inbreeding, and demographic fluctuations associated with climate changes since the Pleistocene, shedding new light on the evolution of the widely distributed shrimp genus and aiding in effective conservation planning.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wenge Zhang, Xiuxiang Lu, Luqiong Huo, Sha Zhang, Yan Chen, Zhenxing Zou, Haibo Tan
Summary: Chemical investigation of the EtOAc extract from the endophytic fungus Eutypella scoparia SCBG-8 resulted in the isolation of several new sesquiterpenes and steroids, one of which, compound 7, exhibited antibacterial activity against S. aureus and MRSA with MIC values of 6.3 μg/mL.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jake Goodall, Kristen Marie Westfall, Hildur Magnusdottir, Snaebjorn Palsson, Erla Bjork Ornolfsdottir, Zophonias O. Jonsson
Summary: Buccinum undatum, a subtidal gastropod in the North Atlantic, shows clear spatial genetic structure with high differentiation between Canadian and European populations, and weak but significant genetic structuring within Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and England. Genetic structure in Iceland is correlated with shell shape and color frequency, making this species a promising model for future genome-wide association studies.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Megan L. Smith, Jessica Wallace, David C. Tank, Jack Sullivan, Bryan C. Carstens
Summary: This study examines the impact of Pleistocene glacial cycles on the distribution and genetic structure of endemic invertebrate species in the Pacific Northwest. The results show that glacial periods reduced habitat suitability and increased habitat fragmentation, leading to intraspecific divergence and secondary contact between populations. The findings suggest that refugial dynamics played a significant role in driving population structure and gene flow in these species.
Review
Plant Sciences
Beena Alam, Junwen Li, Qun Ge, Mueen Alam Khan, Juwu Gong, Shahid Mehmood, Youlu Yuan, Wankui Gong
Summary: Endophytic fungi are host-associated fungal communities that provide beneficial effects to their hosts while gaining advantages through multidimensional interactions with host plants and other microbiomes. Secondary metabolites play a key role in these interactions and have various biological applications in modern medicine, agriculture, and industry. Research on endophytic fungi has revealed their biodiversity, ecological distribution, and potential for further study in the field of endophytic biology.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Flavia Rogerio, Riccardo Baroncelli, Francisco Borja Cuevas-Fernandez, Sioly Becerra, JoAnne Crouch, Wagner Bettiol, M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, Martha Malapi-Wight, Veronique Ortega, Javier Betran, Albert Tenuta, Jose S. Dambolena, Paul D. Esker, Pedro Revilla, Tamra A. Jackson-Ziems, Juerg Hiltbrunner, Gary Munkvold, Ivica Buhinicek, Jose L. Vicente-Villardon, Serenella A. Sukno, Michael R. Thon
Summary: Understanding the genetic diversity and reproductive biology of plant pathogens is crucial for controlling diseases. We studied the genetic diversity and reproductive biology of the maize anthracnose pathogen, Colletotrichum graminicola, in 14 countries. Our results show that the pathogen populations are correlated with geographical origin and migration between countries is ongoing. We also found evidence of genetic recombination, which has important implications for disease management and breeding programs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isaac Garrido-Benavent, Asuncion de los Rios, Jano Nunez-Zapata, Rudiger Ortiz-Alvarez, Matthias Schultz, Sergio Perez-Ortega
Summary: This study used a comprehensive dataset and genetic analysis to investigate the species boundaries, evolutionary relationships, and geographic distribution of the genus Lichina. The results identified four species in the genus, with L. pygmaea, L. confinis, and the newly described L. canariensis found in the Northern Hemisphere and L. intermedia restricted to the Southern Hemisphere. The genetic diversity of L. intermedia was much higher than the other species, suggesting species-level lineages within this species.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kevin Korfmann, Marie Temple-Boyer, Thibaut Sellinger, Aurelien Tellier
Summary: The speed of population adaptation is influenced by genetic drift, positive selection, and linkage effects. Sweepstakes reproduction, common in many marine species and pathogens, can affect the efficiency of positive selection and the speed of adaptation due to its consequences on mutation rate, probability, and fixation time of advantageous alleles. Stronger sweepstakes reproduction increases the variance of mutations, amplifies the effect of genetic drift, shortens fixation time for advantageous alleles, and exhibits different probabilities and times to fixation under different selection pressures. Accurately measuring and modeling sweepstakes reproduction is crucial for predicting adaptive potential.
Article
Ecology
Gregory Thom, Camila C. Ribas, Eduardo Shultz, Alexandre Aleixo, Cristina Y. Miyaki
Summary: This study explores the historical demographic changes of populations occurring on the floodplains of the Solimoes River in the Amazon Basin and finds that habitat specificity might be an important predictor of population connectivity.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
M. F. Adame, R. Reef, N. S. Santini, E. Najera, M. P. Turschwell, M. A. Hayes, P. Masque, C. E. Lovelock
Summary: Mangroves in arid climates are unique ecosystems that can survive extreme conditions and have distinctive characteristics in terms of geomorphology, hydrology, forest structure, tree physiology, and soil biogeochemistry. Despite facing threats like extreme drought and alterations in hydrology, these mangroves typically have low human pressure and are under-represented in global maps and assessment programs. Restoration efforts should focus on restoring their hydrology to sustain their valuable ecosystem services.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
I. M. De-la-Cruz, A. Hallab, U. Olivares-Pinto, R. Tapia-Lopez, S. Velazquez-Marquez, D. Pinero, K. Oyama, B. Usadel, J. Nunez-Farfan
Summary: The research provides insights into the genome evolution of Datura stramonium within the Solanaceae family, showing adaptive genomic signatures to biotic and abiotic stresses such as defense against natural enemies and drought. The study also reveals signatures of expansion, physicochemical divergence, and positive selection on proteins related to the production of tropane alkaloids, terpenoids, and glycoalkaloids in the genomes of D. stramonium.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Brenda Solorzano-Garcia, Diego Zubillaga, Daniel Pinero, Ella Vazquez-Dominguez
Summary: The current unprecedented rates of environmental perturbation, particularly in rain forest ecosystems, are jeopardizing the persistence of a variety of tropical species. The genetic study of the Mexican mantled howler monkeys reveals negative genetic effects due to isolation, fragmentation, and small population size. Conservation programs for endangered primates in fragmented populations should incorporate evolutionary history and population genetic information for effective preservation.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marisol De la Mora-Curiel, Daniel Pinero, Ken Oyama, Juan Nunez-Farfan
Summary: The weevil Trichobaris compacta is found in the southwest USA and up to the Tehuantepec Isthmus in Mexico, using various Datura species as host plants. Genetic analysis revealed that there is one main lineage for T. compacta, with its population structure consisting of the admixture of 3 groups, 2 of which are geographically associated with the Colorado River basin. Despite using different host plants in different regions, there is no clear geographic barrier to gene flow for T. compacta.
REVISTA MEXICANA DE BIODIVERSIDAD
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ruth Percino-Daniel, Jose M. Contreras Lopez, Oswaldo Tellez-Valdes, Fausto R. Mendez de la Cruz, Alejandro Gonzalez-Voyer, Daniel Pinero
Summary: Tropical ectotherm species are more sensitive to temperature changes, with elevation and bioclimatic domains affecting their preferred body temperature and thermal tolerance limits.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Karen Noriega-Pina, Daniel Pinero, Teresa Valverde, Miguel Martinez-Ramos
Summary: Eradication of herbivores by human disturbances results in a demographic outburst of highly competitive prey species, leading to reduced plant species diversity. In the Los Tuxtlas tropical rainforest of Mexico, an understory palm species is reportedly excluding other tree species, potentially impacting forest structure and composition in the long term.
Article
Ecology
Adriana Uscanga, Heriberto Lopez, Daniel Pinero, Brent C. Emerson, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes
Summary: The study in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt of Mexico evaluated the colonization of high-elevation habitats and the effect of past landscape configurations on biodiversity. Results indicate that colonization from other mountains and allopatric divergence are the main sources of OTU formation, with ancient genetic structures persisting.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jake Sarver, Ella Schultz, Austen Apigo, David S. Gernandt, Rodolfo Salas-Lizana, Ryoko Oono
Summary: Amplicon sequencing was used to rapidly identify the fungal endophytic community among six pine species in the northeastern United States and detect patterns of specialization. While this technique allowed for large-scale surveys, it had limitations in quantifying the intimacy of host specificity relationships.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nancy Galvez-Reyes, Paula Arribas, Carmelo Andujar, Brent C. Emerson, Daniel Pinero, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes
Summary: This study evaluates the spatial fine-scale patterns of arthropod community assembly in a tropical mountain, finding that distance and altitude influence the decay of similarity at all hierarchical levels. This is attributed to local-scale differentiation mediated by dispersal constraints and the long-term persistence of lineages.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristobal Hernandez-Alvarez, Felipe Garcia-Oliva, Rocio Cruz-Ortega, Miguel F. Romero, Hugo R. Barajas, Daniel Pinero, Luis D. Alcaraz
Summary: The research reveals significant differences in root microbiomes between historically arid and humid sites, with aridity and soil pH levels being the main factors explaining these differences. Additionally, roots under arid conditions show unique associations with specific bacterial genera.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Azalea Guerra-Garcia, Idalia C. Rojas-Barrera, Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, Roberto Papa, Daniel Pinero
Summary: This study investigates the domestication history and genetic diversity of scarlet runner beans, finding that introgression from wild relatives plays a key role in increasing the genetic diversity of cultivated populations. Domesticated varieties experienced a severe genetic bottleneck, but later recovered and showed evidence of introgression from wild populations.
Article
Ecology
Laura Figueroa-Corona, Alejandra Moreno-Letelier, Diego Ortega-Del Vecchyo, Pablo Pelaez, David S. Gernandt, Luis E. Eguiarte, Jill Wegrzyn, Daniel Pinero
Summary: Climate changes and geographical barriers have influenced genetic diversity and distribution patterns of species in northern Mexico. The study on the genetic diversity of Pinus pinceana reveals that it diverged into two lineages and colonized the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Chihuahuan Desert.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Mycology
Rodolfo Salas-Lizana, Margarita Villegas Rios, Julieta Alvarez-Manjarrez, Eduardo Perez-Pazos, Arian Farid, Alan Franck, Mathew E. E. Smith, Roberto Garibay-Orijel
Summary: Through the analysis of morphological and molecular data, nine new Clavulina species-level clades were discovered, two of which are proposed as new species. In addition, C. floridana is a new record for Mexico. The diversity of Clavulina in tropical North America is comparable to that found in lowland tropical South America. However, some species found in tropical deciduous forests produce small, rare, and inconspicuous basidiomata, which go unnoticed and are poorly represented in collections.
Article
Plant Sciences
Nils Poulicard, Israel Pagan, Pablo Gonzalez-Jara, Miguel angel Mora, Jean-Michel Hily, Aurora Fraile, Daniel Pinero, Fernando Garcia-Arenal
Summary: Specificity in plant-pathogen gene-for-gene interactions is determined by the recognition of pathogen proteins by the products of plant resistance genes. This study analyzes the evolution of the L resistance locus to tobamoviruses in wild pepper populations and finds that the frequency of resistance is lower in cultivated populations. The genetic diversity of the L locus shows a strong spatial structure, and different L alleles differ in specificity and expression of resistance.
Article
Ecology
Brenda Solorzano-Garcia, Ella Vazquez-Dominguez, Gerardo Perez-Ponce de Leon, Daniel Pinero
Summary: The study reveals a genetic correlation between two species of pinworms and howler monkeys, with higher similarity in genetic structure, differentiation, and diversity between howler monkeys and T. multilabiatus compared to T. minutus. The results suggest potential local adaptation in pinworms and support the idea of correlated evolution between pinworms and their primate hosts.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)