Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Veron, A. Dell'Anno, M. O. Angelidis, M. Aloupi, R. Danovaro, O. Radakovitch, A. Poirier, S. Heussner
Summary: This study reports lead analyses in Centroscymnus coelolepis, a deep-sea shark species found in the Mediterranean. The results show that the lead concentrations in the muscle and liver of this species are among the lowest recorded in sharks. Stable lead isotope analysis indicates that most of the lead in the shark comes from human activities. Furthermore, a comparison between adult and juvenile sharks suggests that dietary exposure and maternal offloading during gestation may play a role in lead distribution.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Diego F. B. Vaz, Tess M. Avery, Molly K. Gabler-Smith, George V. Lauder
Summary: Using scanning-electron microscopy and micro-CT imaging, we studied the morphology of dermal denticles in Centroscymnus coelolepis. We found eleven distinct dermal-denticle morphotypes across different body regions and ontogenetic stages, suggesting the influence of development on denticle morphology. We also observed a negative allometric relationship between denticle volume/surface area and body length.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Margaret A. McClain, Neil Hammerschlag, Austin J. Gallagher, J. Marcus Drymon, R. Dean Grubbs, Tristan L. Guttridge, Matthew J. Smukall, Bryan S. Frazier, Toby S. Daly-Engel
Summary: Understanding dispersal in large marine fauna is necessary for conservation, as movement patterns vary by sex and life stage. This study used genetic and tracking data to evaluate reproductive dispersal in tiger sharks in the northwestern Atlantic. The findings show that lumping individuals from different life stages in genetic studies may obscure fine-scale genetic structure.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Getulio Rincon, Rafael Mota, Rodrigo Mazzoleni, Rosangela Lessa, Mateus Ferreira de Moura, Patricia Charvet
Summary: The Roughskin Dogfish is a poorly known species with records along the Western South Atlantic. Different dermal denticles have been historically reported for juveniles and adults, suggesting changes during growth. A study based on a male neonate in Brazil observed three different dermal denticle types, indicating a replacement process that undergoes at least three changes.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ailton A. Ariza, Aisni M. C. L. Adachi, Pollyana Roque, Fabio H. Hazin, Marcelo Vianna, Matheus M. Rotundo, Sergio M. Delpiani, Juan M. Diaz de Astarloa, Gabriela Delpiani, Claudio Oliveira, Fausto Foresti, Vanessa P. Cruz
Summary: This study used DNA barcoding to delimit species in the Squalus genus and found that it consists of a complex of previously defined species. Misidentified samples in databases have led to difficulties in analyzing the distribution and diversity of species belonging to this genus.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
C. Isabel Wagner, Martina E. L. Kopp, James Thorburn, Catherine S. Jones, Galice Hoarau, Leslie R. Noble
Summary: In this study, the nuclear genome of the spiny dogfish, a shark of interest to biomedical and conservation efforts, was sequenced and annotated. The genome assembly has a size of 3.7 Gb and a completeness score of 91.6%. A total of 33,283 gene models were predicted, with 31,979 functionally annotated.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Riccardo Melis, Laura Vacca, Alessia Cariani, Laura Carugati, Alessandro Cau, Charis Charilaou, Simone Di Crescenzo, Alice Ferrari, Maria Cristina Follesa, Farid Hemida, Sarah Helyar, Sabrina Lo Brutto, Letizia Sion, Fausto Tinti, Rita Cannas
Summary: This study used microsatellite markers to analyze the population genetics of the small-spotted catshark. Significant genetic differences were found between geographic populations in the Mediterranean Sea and between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. The results also suggest that the Strait of Gibraltar does not represent a complete barrier to the exchange of individuals between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Angeles Cuadrado, Rosa Figueroa, Marta Sixto, Isabel Bravo, Alfredo De Bustos
Summary: This study examines the role of repetitive DNAs in the structure of dinoflagellate chromosomes and the architecture of the dinoflagellate nucleus. The results demonstrate the non-random distribution of microsatellites and the dynamic distribution of telomeres, providing new insights into the structure and function of the nucleosome-less chromatin of dinoflagellates.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nancy Galvez-Reyes, Miguel Salvador-Figueroa, Nadia S. Santini, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes, Juan Nunez-Farfan, Daniel Pinero
Summary: The Mexican fruit fly is an important pest that causes widespread damage to fruit crops in Mexico. This study investigated the genetic diversity and structure of A. ludens populations using nuclear DNA microsatellite loci. The results showed that the genetic diversity and structure of A. ludens are influenced by environmental and anthropogenic factors, and gene flow is present among populations. These findings are important for understanding the evolutionary ecology of pests and their potential impacts on crop production.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Ines Moreira, Ivone Figueiredo, Ines Farias, Neide Lagarto, Catarina Maia, Joana Robalo, Teresa Moura
Summary: The growth and reproductive parameters of Scyliorhinus canicula from the south-western Portuguese coast were estimated in this study. The maximum ages for males and females were determined as 12 and 13 years, respectively. The length and age at first maturity were also calculated for both genders.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jun-Wei Ye, Hai-Yang Wu, Meng-Jiao Fu, Pei Zhang, Bin Tian
Summary: The study focused on Speranskia tuberculata, a drought-enduring herb, to determine its glacial refugia and postglacial demographic history. The research revealed that this species likely survived the last glacial maximum in the Chinese Loess Plateau and expanded to other regions in northern China. The genetic diversity was found to be uniformly distributed, with evidence suggesting wind-dispersed pollen played a major role in spatial expansion.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Marina Giacomin, Patricia M. Schulte, Chris M. Wood
Summary: The osmorespiratory compromise in fishes refers to the trade-off between respiratory gas exchange and osmolyte/water balance at the gills. Exhaustive exercise in Pacific spiny dogfish led to increased oxygen consumption and ammonia losses, while urea-N losses were tightly regulated. Environmental hyperoxia did not alleviate the effects of the compromise.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
George D. Jackson, Christine H. Jackson, Patti Virtue, Miriam Fluckiger, Peter D. Nichols
Summary: Idioteuthis cordiformis, the largest deepwater mastigoteuthid squid in the southern Pacific Ocean, was found to have a broad diet spectrum mainly consisting of teleost fish and deepwater sharks. The lipid class composition and fatty acid profiles of different tissues revealed specific feeding patterns matching with potential prey species. This study indicates that I. cordiformis occupies a high trophic position in the marine ecosystem.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Xinyu Li, Minjun Dai, Minqiu Wang, Xingtong Wu, Mengying Cai, Yiling Tao, Jiadi Huang, Yafeng Wen
Summary: This study filled the research gap on the geographic variation and environmental adaptability of Liushan, a widely distributed tree species in southern China. The results showed strong genetic differentiation among geographic populations, and the needle traits were significantly correlated with geography and environmental factors. Geographic isolation and environmental differences were identified as the main factors shaping the morphological traits and patterns of genetic variation. Conservation measures should focus on preserving populations with rare phenotypes.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ales Snoj, Jernej Bravnicar, Sasa Maric, Simona Susnik Bajec, Hassan Benaissa, Johannes Schoeffmann
Summary: Using nuclear DNA sequences, the study identified three major clades of trout in Morocco, including a native Atlas clade, an Afro-Atlantic clade, and a relict and native Draa clade. The research also showed a substantial impact of hatchery trout stocking on wild populations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeffrey O. Hanson, Ana Verissimo, Guillermo Velo-Anton, Adam Marques, Miguel Camacho-Sanchez, Inigo Martinez-Solano, Helena Goncalves, Fernando Sequeira, Hugh P. Possingham, Silvia B. Carvalho
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of potential surrogate-based approaches for prioritizing protected-area systems based on microsatellite genetic data collected across the Iberian Peninsula for amphibian and reptilian species. Long-term environmental suitability did not effectively represent high genetic diversity sites, and geographic distances as well as resistance distances were not always effective surrogates for identifying sites with individuals of different genetic compositions.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Adrian Casanova, Francesco Maroso, Andres Blanco, Miguel Hermida, Nestor Rios, Graciela Garcia, Alice Manuzzi, Lorenzo Zane, Ana Verissimo, Jose-Luis Garcia-Marin, Carmen Bouza, Manuel Vera, Paulino Martinez
Summary: Different building-loci pipelines for selection of SNP panels seem to have low influence on population genetics inference across the diverse case-study scenarios studied here. However, preliminary trials with different bioinformatic pipelines are suggested to evaluate their influence on population parameters according to the specific goals of each study.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Andre Gomes-dos-Santos, Nair Vilas-Arrondo, Andre M. Machado, Ana Verissimo, Montse Perez, Francisco Baldo, L. Filipe C. Castro, Elsa Froufe
Summary: Cartilaginous fish are fascinating taxa that are present in folklore and art of many different cultures, displaying unique anatomical, physiological, molecular, and behavioral characteristics. This study reports the complete mitogenome sequence of the large-eyed rabbitfish, revealing some inconsistencies in the phylogenetic relationships of certain Chondrichthyan species. Additional molecular data collection is highlighted as important for improving phylogenetic reconstruction in this group of vertebrates.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Andre Gomes-dos-Santos, Andre M. Machado, Sofia Graca Aranha, Ester Dias, Ana Verissimo, L. Filipe C. Castro, Elsa Froufe
Summary: By sequencing the complete mitogenome of the Iberian pygmy skate, researchers were able to gain insights into the phylogenetic relationships of skates within the Batoidea order. The study revealed that family Rajidae is monophyletic and further divided into different tribes, with the newly sequenced N. iberica representing the tribe Rostrorajini for the first time.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tereza Almeida, Yuko Ohta, Arnaud Gaigher, Antonio Munoz-Merida, Fabiana Neves, L. Filipe C. Castro, Andre M. Machado, Pedro J. Esteves, Ana Verissimo, Martin F. Flajnik
Summary: A new MHC lineage, UEA, has been identified in cartilaginous fish, particularly in sharks, but not in chimaeras or rays. UEA, along with the previously reported UCA lineage, shows unique characteristics with highly hydrophobic peptide-binding regions. UEA genes in sharks are MHC linked and fall into three sublineages with distinct features in the peptide-binding regions.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Catarina Moreira, Jonathon H. Stillman, Fernando P. Lima, Raquel Xavier, Rui Seabra, Filipa Gomes, Ana Verissimo, Sofia Marques Silva
Summary: Global warming is challenging wild species in land and water, with intertidal zone organisms particularly vulnerable to slight increases in habitat temperatures. Molecular thermal stress response of the limpet Patella vulgata showed different gene expression patterns under frequent and rare warming events, with core genes induced by thermal stress identified. Signaling genes specific to the intensity of thermal stress were also identified as potential molecular biomarkers for monitoring heat stress in natural populations.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adam Joseph Doncheff Marques, Jeffrey Owen Hanson, Miguel Camacho-Sanchez, Inigo Martinez-Solano, Craig Moritz, Pedro Tarroso, Guillermo Velo-Anton, Ana Verissimo, Silvia Benoliel Carvalho
Summary: Adaptive genetic diversity is crucial for conservation planning. In this study, we applied six selection tests to an Iberian amphibian to identify adaptive markers. Our results showed that the coastal Atlantic localities of the Iberian amphibian exhibited non-neutral patterns of genetic variation.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Joao Neves, Alexandra Almeida Silva, Ana Moreno, Ana Verissimo, Antonio Murias Santos, Susana Garrido
Summary: This study used shape analysis to reveal the population structure of European sardines, identifying five distinct groups from 14 locations in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. The results were compared with previous genetic and morphometric studies, showing general consistency with areas of otolith shape change.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Ines Moreira, Ivone Figueiredo, Ines Farias, Neide Lagarto, Catarina Maia, Joana Robalo, Teresa Moura
Summary: The growth and reproductive parameters of Scyliorhinus canicula from the south-western Portuguese coast were estimated in this study. The maximum ages for males and females were determined as 12 and 13 years, respectively. The length and age at first maturity were also calculated for both genders.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Nair Vilas-Arrondo, Andre Gomes-dos-Santos, Montse Perez, Francisco Baldo, Ana Verissimo, Diana Catarino, Andre M. Machado, Esther Roman-Marcote, Rafael Banon, Elsa Froufe, L. Filipe C. Castro
Summary: This study sequenced and characterized the complete mitogenome of the opal chimera using long-read sequencing technology. The results placed the opal chimera within the Chimaeridae family and reinforced previous findings that the genus Chimera is paraphyletic.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
William T. White, Javier Guallart, David A. Ebert, Gavin J. P. Naylor, Ana Verissimo, Charles F. Cotton, Mark Harris, Fabrizio Serena, Samuel P. Iglesias
Summary: Centrophorus uyato (Rafinesque, 1810) is a deep-sea shark species with a complicated nomenclatural history and multiple scientific names. This study redescribes the problematic species and provides a detailed synonymy. To maintain nomenclatural stability within the genus, the name Centrophorus uyato is retained.
Article
Immunology
Fabiana Neves, Antonio Munoz-Merida, Andre M. Machado, Tereza Almeida, Arnaud Gaigher, Pedro J. Esteves, L. Filipe C. Castro, Ana Verissimo
Summary: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in pathogen recognition and host immune response. This study investigates the evolutionary history of the TLR15 gene, revealing its presence in early branching jawed vertebrates and ongoing pseudogenization in these ancient vertebrates. The unique phylogenetic distribution of TLR15 suggests its ancient origin and potential implications for the immune response in different lineages of vertebrates.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Simone Di Crescenzo, Alice Ferrari, Claudio Barria, Rita Cannas, Alessia Cariani, Jim Drewery, Lourdes Fernandez-Peralta, Daniela Giordano, Manuel Hidalgo, Vasiliki Kousteni, Ilaria Anna Maria Marino, Daniela Massi, Teresa Moura, Javier Rey, Paolo Sartor, Umberto Scacco, Fabrizio Serena, Marco Stagioni, Fausto Tinti
Summary: This study reveals the population genetic structure of the blackmouth catshark, G. melastomus, using a novel set of nuclear and polymorphic DNA markers. The results show significant genetic differentiation of G. melastomus in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent North-eastern Atlantic. The study provides valuable information on the connectivity and response of this deep-water species to anthropogenic impacts.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Joao Neves, Ana Verissimo, Antonio Murias Santos, Susana Garrido
Summary: Otolith shape analysis is commonly used to study population structure. This study compared the performance of two shape descriptors in reconstructing the population structure and connectivity patterns of European sardine. The results showed migration among adjacent areas and differences in population structure between Atlantic and Mediterranean waters.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
J. Andres Pagan, Raquel Xavier, Paul C. Sikkel, Ana Verissimo
Summary: Host-mediated dispersal plays a significant role in shaping the genetic structure of marine symbionts, and the spatial scale at which studies are conducted is a crucial predictor of genetic differentiation in marine symbionts.
BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
