bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bony‐tailed tadpoles: the development of supernumerary caudal vertebrae in larval megophryids (Anura)
Authors: Handrigan Gregory R. , Haas Alexander , Wassersug Richard J.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
The axial skeleton in most anuran families consists of ≤9 presacral vertebrae, a single sacral vertebra, and the urostyle. Tadpoles from one anuran family, the Megophryidae, deviate, however, from this pattern in bearing supernumerary vertebral centra in their tails. At least 5 of 11 genera from this Asian family share this character: Leptobrachella (∼30 caudal centra), Leptolalax (5–6), Megophrys (11–15), Ophryophryne (11–14), and Xenophrys (≥7). Tadpoles from each genus are typically found in streams, where their extended caudal skeleton anchors muscles that facilitate tadpoles wiggling between plant debris and rocks or even burrowing into the stream bed. The extra centra of megophryids ossify differently in each genus. In Leptobrachella and Ophryophryne, the caudal centra ossify around the entire notochord, whereas in Megophrys and Xenophrys each develops from dorsal and ventral pairs of ossifications that expand to meet each other. The evolutionary loss of caudal centra, an apomorphic anuran trait, is reversed in larval megophryids and confirms that the machinery for caudal vertebral development has been retained in some modern anurans. A likely driving force in the reappearance of the trait in megophryids is the selective pressure associated with a riparian lifestyle.
Modular evolution of the Cetacean vertebral column
Authors: Buchholtz Emily A.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
Modular theory predicts that hierarchical developmental processes generate hierarchical phenotypic units that are capable of independent modification. The vertebral column is an overtly modular structure, and its rapid phenotypic transformation in cetacean evolution provides a case study for modularity. Terrestrial mammals have five morphologically discrete vertebral series that are now known to be coincident with Hox gene expression patterns. Here, I present the hypothesis that in living Carnivora and Artiodactyla, and by inference in the terrestrial ancestors of whales, the series are themselves components of larger precaudal and caudal modular units. Column morphology in a series of fossil and living whales is used to predict the type and sequence of developmental changes responsible for modification of that ancestral pattern. Developmental innovations inferred include independent meristic additions to the precaudal column in basal archaeocetes and basilosaurids, stepwise homeotic reduction of the sacral series in protocetids, and dissociation of the caudal series into anterior tail and fluke subunits in basilosaurids. The most dramatic change was the novel association of lumbar and anterior caudal vertebrae in a module that crosses the precaudal/caudal boundary. This large unit is defined by shared patterns of vertebral morphology, count, and size in all living whales (Neoceti).
Cranial modularity and sequence heterochrony in mammals
Authors: Goswami Anjali
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYHeterochrony, the temporal shifting of developmental events relative to each other, requires a degree of autonomy among those processes or structures. Modularity, the division of larger structures or processes into autonomous sets of internally integrated units, is often discussed in relation to the concept of heterochrony. However, the relationship between the developmental modules derived from studies of heterochrony and evolutionary modules, which should be of adaptive importance and relate to the genotype–phenotype map, has not been explicitly studied. I analyzed a series of sectioned and whole cleared‐and‐stained embryological and neonatal specimens, supplemented with published ontogenetic data, to test the hypothesis that bones within the same phenotypic modules, as determined by morphometric analysis, are developmentally integrated and will display coordinated heterochronic shifts across taxa. Modularity was analyzed in cranial bone ossification sequences of 12 therian mammals. A dataset of 12–18 developmental events was used to assess if modularity in developmental sequences corresponds to six phenotypic modules, derived from a recent morphometric analysis of cranial modularity in mammals. Kendall's τ was used to measure rank correlations, with randomization tests for significance. If modularity in developmental sequences corresponds to observed phenotypic modules, bones within a single phenotypic module should show integration of developmental timing, maintaining the same timing of ossification relative to each other, despite differences in overall ossification sequences across taxa. Analyses did not find any significant conservation of developmental timing within the six phenotypic modules, meaning that bones that are highly integrated in adult morphology are not significantly integrated in developmental timing.
First discovery of a primitive coelacanth fin fills a major gap in the evolution of lobed fins and limbs
Authors: Friedman Matt , Coates Michael I. , Anderson Philip
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYThe fossil record provides unique clues about the primitive pattern of lobed fins, the precursors of digit‐bearing limbs. Such information is vital for understanding the evolutionary transition from fish fins to tetrapod limbs, and it guides the choice of model systems for investigating the developmental changes underpinning this event. However, the evolutionary preconditions for tetrapod limbs remain unclear. This uncertainty arises from an outstanding gap in our knowledge of early lobed fins: there are no fossil data that record primitive pectoral fin conditions in coelacanths, one of the three major groups of sarcopterygian (lobe‐finned) fishes. A new fossil from the Middle–Late Devonian of Wyoming preserves the first and only example of a primitive coelacanth pectoral fin endoskeleton. The strongly asymmetrical skeleton of this fin corroborates the hypothesis that this is the primitive sarcopterygian pattern, and that this pattern persisted in the closest fish‐like relatives of land vertebrates. The new material reveals the specializations of paired fins in the modern coelacanth, as well as in living lungfishes. Consequently, the context in which these might be used to investigate evolutionary and developmental relationships between vertebrate fins and limbs is changed. Our data suggest that primitive actinopterygians, rather than living sarcopterygian fishes and their derived appendages, are the most informative comparators for developmental studies seeking to understand the origin of tetrapod limbs.
Variation in fiber number of a male‐specific muscle betweenDrosophilaspecies: a genetic and developmental analysis
Authors: Orgogozo Virginie , Muro Noelle M. , Stern David L.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYWe characterize a newly discovered morphological difference between species of theDrosophila melanogastersubgroup. The muscle of Lawrence (MOL) contains about four to five fibers inD.melanogasterandDrosophila simulansand six to seven fibers inDrosophila mauritianaandDrosophila sechellia. The same number of nuclei per fiber is present in these species but their total number of MOL nuclei differs. This suggests that the number of muscle precursor cells has changed during evolution. Our comparison of MOL development indicates that the species difference appears during metamorphosis. We mapped the quantitative trait loci responsible for the change in muscle fiber number betweenD.sechelliaandD.simulansto two genomic regions on chromosome 2. Our data eliminate the possibility of evolving mutations in thefruitlessgene and suggest that a change in thetwistmight be partly responsible for this evolutionary change.
Evaluating paedomorphic heterochrony in trilobites: the case of the diminutive trilobite Flexicalymene retrorsa minuens from the Cincinnatian Series (Upper Ordovician), Cincinnati region
Authors: Hunda Brenda R. , Hughes Nigel C.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
Flexicalymene retrorsa minuens from the uppermost 3 m of the Waynesville Formation of the Cincinnatian Series (Upper Ordovician) of North America lived approximately 445 Ma and exhibited marked reduction in maximum size relative to its stratigraphically subjacent sister subspecies, Flexicalymene retrorsa retrorsa. Phylogenetic analysis is consistent with the notion that F. retrorsa retrorsa was the ancestor of F. retrorsa minuens. F. retrorsa minuens has been claimed to differ from F. retrorsa retrorsa“in size alone,” and thus presents a plausible example of global paedomorphic evolution in trilobites. Despite strong similarity in the overall form of the two subspecies, F. retrorsa minuens is neither a dwarf nor a simple progenetic descendant of F. retrorsa retrorsa. More complex patterns of global heterochronic paedomorphosis, such as a neotonic decrease in the rate of progress along a common ontogenetic trajectory with respect to size, coupled with growth cessation at a small size, “sequential” progenesis, or non‐uniform changes in the rate of progress along a shared ontogenetic trajectory with respect to size, can also be rejected. Rather, differences between these subspecies are more consistent with localized changes in rates of character development than with a global heterochronic modification of the ancestral ontogeny. The evolution of F. retrorsa minuens from F. retrorsa retrorsa was largely dominated by modifications of the development of characters already evident in the ancestral ontogeny, not by the origin of novel structures. Factors promoting size reduction in F. retrorsa minuens appear to have been specific to this subspecies, because other co‐occurring taxa, including other trilobite species, do not show marked differences in mean size.
Apical organs in echinoderm larvae: insights into larval evolution in the Ambulacraria
Authors: Byrne Maria , Nakajima Yoko , Chee Francis C. , Burke Robert D.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYThe anatomy and cellular organization of serotonergic neurons in the echinoderm apical organ exhibits class‐specific features in dipleurula‐type (auricularia, bipinnaria) and pluteus‐type (ophiopluteus, echinopluteus) larvae. The apical organ forms in association with anterior ciliary structures. Apical organs in dipleurula‐type larvae are more similar to each other than to those in either of the pluteus forms. In asteroid bipinnaria and holothuroid auricularia the apical organ spans ciliary band sectors that traverse the anterior‐most end of the larvae. The asteroid apical organ also has prominent bilateral ganglia that connect with an apical network of neurites. The simple apical organ of the auricularia is similar to that in the hemichordate tornaria larva. Apical organs in pluteus forms differ markedly. The echinopluteus apical organ is a single structure on the oral hood between the larval arms comprised of two groups of cells joined by a commissure and its cell bodies do not reside in the ciliary band. Ophioplutei have a pair of lateral ganglia associated with the ciliary band of larval arms that may be the ophiuroid apical organ. Comparative anatomy of the serotonergic nervous systems in the dipleurula‐type larvae of the Ambulacraria (Echinodermata+Hemichordata) suggests that the apical organ of this deuterostome clade originated as a simple bilaterally symmetric nerve plexus spanning ciliary band sectors at the anterior end of the larva. From this structure, the apical organ has been independently modified in association with the evolution of class‐specific larval forms.
Consequences of Hoxb1 duplication in teleost fish
Authors: Hurley Imogen A. , Scemama Jean‐Luc , Prince Victoria E.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
Vertebrate evolution is characterized by gene and genome duplication events. There is strong evidence that a whole‐genome duplication occurred in the lineage leading to the teleost fishes. We have focused on the teleost hoxb1 duplicate genes as a paradigm to investigate the consequences of gene duplication. Previous analysis of the duplicated zebrafish hoxb1 genes suggested they have subfunctionalized. The combined expression pattern of the two zebrafish hoxb1 genes recapitulates the expression pattern of the single Hoxb1 gene of tetrapods, possibly due to degenerative changes in complementary cis‐regulatory elements of the duplicates. Here we have tested the hypothesis that all teleost duplicates had a similar fate post duplication, by examining hoxb1 genes in medaka and striped bass. Consistent with this theory, we found that the ancestral Hoxb1 expression pattern is subdivided between duplicate genes in a largely similar fashion in zebrafish, medaka, and striped bass. Further, our analysis of hoxb1 genes reveals that sequence changes in cis‐regulatory regions may underlie subfunctionalization in all teleosts, although the specific changes vary between species. It was previously shown that zebrafish hoxb1 duplicates have also evolved different functional capacities. We used misexpression to compare the functions of hoxb1 duplicates from zebrafish, medaka and striped bass. Unexpectedly, we found that some biochemical properties, which were paralog specific in zebrafish, are conserved in both duplicates of other species. This work suggests that the fate of duplicate genes varies across the teleost group.
The correlated evolution ofRunx2tandem repeats, transcriptional activity, and facial length in Carnivora
Authors: Sears K. E. , Goswami A. , Flynn J. J. , Niswander L. A.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYTo assess the ability of protein‐coding mutations to contribute to subtle, inter‐specific morphologic evolution, here, we test the hypothesis that mutations within the protein‐coding region of runt‐related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) have played a role in facial evolution in 30 species from a naturally evolving group, the mammalian order Carnivora. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find significant correlations between changes inRunx2glutamine–alanine tandem‐repeat ratio, and bothRunx2transcriptional activity and carnivoran facial length. Furthermore, we identify a potential evolutionary mechanism for the correlation betweenRunx2tandem repeat ratio and facial length. Specifically, our results are consistent with theRunx2tandem repeat system providing a flexible genetic mechanism to rapidly change the timing of ossification. These heterochronic changes, in turn, potentially act on existing allometric variation in carnivoran facial length to generate the disparity in adult facial lengths observed among carnivoran species. Our results suggest that despite potentially great pleiotropic effects, changes to the protein‐coding regions of genes such asRunx2do occur and have the potential to affect subtle morphologic evolution across a diverse array of species in naturally evolving lineages.
An evolutionary view on tooth development and replacement in wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
Authors: Huysseune A. , Witten P. E.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
To gain an insight into the evolution of tooth replacement mechanisms, we studied the development of first‐generation and replacement teeth on the dentary of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), a protacanthopterygian teleost, using serially sectioned heads of early posthatching stages as well as adults. First‐generation teeth develop within the oral epithelium. The anlage of the replacement tooth is first seen as a placode‐like thickening of the outer dental epithelium of the predecessor, at its lingual and caudal side. Ongoing development of the replacement tooth germ is characterized by the elaboration of a population of epithelial cells, termed here the middle dental epithelium, apposed to the inner dental epithelium on the lingual side of the tooth germ. Before the formation of the new successor, a single‐layered outer dental epithelium segregates from the middle dental epithelium. The dental organs of the predecessor and the successor remain broadly interconnected. The absence of a discrete successional dental lamina in salmon stands in sharp contrast to what is observed in other teleosts, even those that share with salmon the extraosseous formation of replacement teeth. The mode of tooth replacement in Atlantic salmon displays several characters similar to those observed in the shark Squalus acanthias. To interpret similarities in tooth replacement between Atlantic salmon and chondrichthyans as a case of convergence, or to see them as a result of a heterochronic shift, requires knowledge on the replacement process in more basal actinopterygian lineages. The possibility that the middle dental epithelium functionally substitutes for a successional lamina, and could be a source of stem cells, whose descendants subsequently contribute to the placode of the new replacement tooth, needs to be explored.
Observations on continuously growing roots of the sloth and the K14‐Eda transgenic mice indicate that epithelial stem cells can give rise to both the ameloblast and root epithelium cell lineage creating distinct tooth patterns
Authors: Tummers Mark , Thesleff Irma
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
Root development is traditionally associated with the formation of Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS), whose fragments give rise to the epithelial cell rests of Malassez (ERM). The HERS is formed by depletion of the core of stellate reticulum cells, the putative stem cells, in the cervical loop, leaving only a double layer of the basal epithelium with limited growth capacity. The continuously growing incisor of the rodent is subdivided into a crown analog half on the labial side, with a cervical loop containing a large core of stellate reticulum, and its progeny gives rise to enamel producing. The lingual side is known as the root analog and gives rise to ERM. We show that the lingual cervical loop contains a small core of stellate reticulum cells and suggest that it acts as a functional stem cell niche. Similarly we show that continuously growing roots represented by the sloth molar and K14‐Eda transgenic incisor maintain a cervical loop with a small core of stellate reticulum cells around the entire circumference of the tooth and do not form a HERS, and still give rise to ERM. We propose that HERS is not a necessary structure to initiate root formation. Moreover, we conclude that crown vs. root formation, i.e. the production of enamel vs. cementum, and the differentiation of the epithelial cells into ameloblasts vs. ERM, can be regulated independently from the regulation of stem cell maintenance. This developmental flexibility may underlie the developmental and evolutionary diversity in tooth patterning.
Origin of the novel chemoreceptor Aesthetasc “Y” in Ostracoda: morphogenetical thresholds and evolutionary innovation
Authors: Kaji Tomonari , Tsukagoshi Akira
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
The morphology and developmental processes of the two types of ostracod chemoreceptors, the Aesthetasc “Y” and the “Grouped setae,” were compared. Cypridoidea and Pontocypridoidea, belonging to Cypridocopina, have a large baseball bat‐like seta as an autapomorphic character on the second antenna, whereas most ostracod taxa with plesiomorphic characters bear “Grouped setae” consisting of multiple setae on the second antenna. Their budding positions, morphology, and ontogenetic changes were compared, and our deduction is that the Aesthetasc “Y” originated from “Grouped setae‐like” organ in the Paleozoic. The morphogenetic processes in the molting period of these chemoreceptors were compared at the cellular level. The observations suggest that the “Grouped setae” are formed by hypodermal cells and share sheath cells corresponding to those of the Aesthetasc “Y” as a common constraint in the molting process of setae. We conclude that modification of the morphogenetic processes in the molting period of the “Grouped setae” gave rise to the Aesthetasc “Y” as a novel organ in the evolutionary pathway of the Ostracoda.
Analysis of nitric oxide‐cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling during metamorphosis of the nudibranchPhestilla sibogaeBergh (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia)
Authors: Bishop Cory D. , Pires Anthony , Norby Shong‐Wan , Boudko Dmitri , Moroz Leonid L. , Hadfield Michael G.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYThe gas nitric oxide (NO), and in some cases its downstream second messenger, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) function in different taxa to regulate the timing of life‐history transitions. Increased taxonomic sampling is required to foster conclusions about the evolution and function of NO/cGMP signaling during life‐history transitions. We report on the function and localization of NO and cGMP signaling during metamorphosis of the nudibranchPhestilla sibogae. Pharmacological manipulation of NO or cGMP production in larvae modulated responses to a natural settlement cue from the coralPorites compressain a manner that suggest inhibitory function for NO/cGMP signaling. However, these treatments were not sufficient to induce metamorphosis in the absence of cue, a result unique to this animal. We show that induction of metamorphosis in response to the settlement cue is associated with a reduction in NO production. We documented the expression of putative NO synthase (NOS) and the production of cGMP during larval development and observed no larval cells in which NOS and cGMP were both detected. The production of cGMP in a bilaterally symmetrical group of cells fated to occupy the distal tip of rhinophores is correlated with competence to respond to the coral settlement cue. These results suggest that endogenous NO and cGMP are involved in modulating responses ofP. sibogaeto a natural settlement cue. We discuss these results with respect to habitat selection and larval ecology.
Early embryonic development of the priapulid worm Priapulus caudatus
Authors: Wennberg Sofia A. , Janssen Ralf , Budd Graham E.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
The early cleavage up to gastrulation is described here for the priapulid worm Priapulus caudatus, contradicting and clarifying earlier partial reports on this topic. The cleavage pattern up to gastrulation is highly symmetrical, total, subequal, radial, and stereotypical. Gastrulation is intermediate between epiboly and invagination, and the mesendoderm may be derived from both cells of the first cleavage, thus differing significantly in its origin from that of many other protostomes. Priapulids occupy an increasingly important position in studies of animal evolution as they appear to be relatively basal within the new clade Ecdysozoa (panarthropods plus cycloneuralians); and have been described as both morphological and genetic living fossils. The insights derived from priapulids combined with new data published recently on kinorhynchs and tardigrades imply a substantial developmental diversity among basal ecdysozoans, and weakens the hypothesis that irregular cleavage is plesiomorphic to the entire clade. Further study is required to reconstruct basal cleavage patterns in both this clade, and indeed, the Bilateria as a whole.
Platypus Pou5f1 reveals the first steps in the evolution of trophectoderm differentiation and pluripotency in mammals
Authors: Niwa Hitoshi , Sekita Yoko , Tsend‐Ayush Enkhjargal , Grützner Frank
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
Uterine nourishment of embryos by the placenta is a key feature of mammals. Although a variety of placenta types exist, they are all derived from the trophectoderm (TE) cell layer of the developing embryo. Egg‐laying mammals (platypus and echidnas) are distinguished by a very short intrauterine embryo development, in which a simple placenta forms from TE‐like cells. The Pou5f1 gene encodes a class V POU family transcription factor Oct3/4. In mice, Oct3/4 together with the highly conserved caudal‐related homeobox transcription factor Cdx2, determines TE fate in pre‐implantation development. In contrast to Cdx2, Pou5f1 has only been identified in eutherian mammals and marsupials, whereas, in other vertebrates, pou2 is considered to be the Pou5f1 ortholog. Here, we show that platypus and opossum genomes contain a Pou5f1 and pou2 homolog, pou2‐related, indicating that these two genes are paralogues and arose by gene duplication in early mammalian evolution. In a complementation assay, we found that platypus or human Pou5f1, but not opossum or zebrafish pou2, restores self‐renewal in Pou5f1‐null mouse ES cells, showing that platypus possess a fully functional Pou5f1 gene. Interestingly, we discovered that parts of one of the conserved regions (CR4) is missing from the platypus Pou5f1 promoter, suggesting that the autoregulation and reciprocal inhibition between Pou5f1 and Cdx2 evolved after the divergence of monotremes and may be linked to the development of more elaborate placental types in marsupial and eutherian mammals.
Do cnidarians have a ParaHox cluster? Analysis of synteny around a Nematostella homeobox gene cluster
Authors: Hui Jerome H. L. , Holland Peter W. H. , Ferrier David E. K.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
The Hox gene cluster is renowned for its role in developmental patterning of embryogenesis along the anterior–posterior axis of bilaterians. Its supposed evolutionary sister or paralog, the ParaHox cluster, is composed of Gsx, Xlox, and Cdx, and also has important roles in anterior–posterior development. There is a debate as to whether the cnidarians, as an outgroup to bilaterians, contain true Hox and ParaHox genes, or instead the Hox‐like gene complement of cnidarians arose from independent duplications to those that generated the genes of the bilaterian Hox and ParaHox clusters. A recent whole genome analysis of the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis found conserved synteny between this cnidarian and vertebrates, including a region of synteny between the putative Hox cluster of N. vectensis and the Hox clusters of vertebrates. No syntenic region was identified around a potential cnidarian ParaHox cluster. Here we use different approaches to identify a genomic region in N. vectensis that is syntenic with the bilaterian ParaHox cluster. This proves that the duplication that gave rise to the Hox and ParaHox regions of bilaterians occurred before the origin of cnidarians, and the cnidarian N. vectensis has bona fide Hox and ParaHox loci.
Competent stripes for diverse positions of limbs/fins in gnathostome embryos
Authors: Yonei‐Tamura Sayuri , Abe Gembu , Tanaka Yoshio , Anno Hiromasa , Noro Miyuki , Ide Hiroyuki , Aono Hideaki , Kuraishi Ritsu , Osumi Noriko , Kuratani Shigeru , Tamura Koji
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
Every vertebrate species has its own unique morphology adapted to a particular lifestyle and habitat. Limbs and fins are strikingly diversified in size, shape, and position along the body axis. This diversity in morphology suggests the existence of a variety of embryonic developmental programs. However, comparisons of various embryos suggest common mechanisms underlying limb/fin formation. Here, we report the existence of continuous stripes of competency for appendage formation along the dorsal midline and the lateral trunk of all of the major jawed vertebrate (gnathostome) groups. We also show that the developing fin buds of cartilaginous fish share a mechanism of anterior–posterior axis formation as well as an shh (sonic hedgehog) expression domain in the posterior bud. We hypothesize a continuous distribution of competent stripes that represents the common developmental program at the root of appendage formation in gnathostomes. This schema would have permitted subsequent divergence into various levels of limbs/fins in each animal group.
Modularity of the rodent mandible: Integrating bones, muscles, and teeth
Authors: Zelditch Miriam Leah , Wood Aaron R. , Bonett Ronald M. , Swiderski Donald L.
Published: August 2010

SummarySeveral models explain how a complex integrated system like the rodent mandible can arise from multiple developmental modules. The models propose various integrating mechanisms, including epigenetic effects of muscles on bones. We test five for their ability to predict correlations found in the individual (symmetric) and fluctuating asymmetric (FA) components of shape variation. We also use exploratory methods to discern patterns unanticipated by any model. Two models fit observed correlation matrices from both components: (1) parts originating in same mesenchymal condensation are integrated, (2) parts developmentally dependent on the same muscle form an integrated complex as do those dependent on teeth. Another fits the correlations observed in FA: each muscle insertion site is an integrated unit. However, no model fits well, and none predicts the complex structure found in the exploratory analyses, best described as a reticulated network. Furthermore, no model predicts the correlation between proximal parts of the condyloid and coronoid, which can exceed the correlations between proximal and distal parts of the same process. Additionally, no model predicts the correlation between molar alveolus and ramus and/or angular process, one of the highest correlations found in the FA component. That correlation contradicts the basic premise of all five developmental models, yet it should be anticipated from the epigenetic effects of mastication, possibly the primary morphogenetic process integrating the jaw coupling forces generated by muscle contraction with those experienced at teeth.
Interleukin‐1 in reproductive strategies
Authors: Paulesu Luana , Jantra Silke , Ietta Francesca , Brizzi Rossana , Bigliardi Elisa
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
Evolutionary studies on different classes of vertebrates could help clarify the role of cytokines in acceptance of the embryo by the maternal tissues. This review focuses on the cytokine interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) and reports on its presence in the female reproductive tract of species with different reproductive strategies, that is, viviparity, oviparity, and ovuliparity. Unlike oviparity and viviparity, ovuliparity does not involve any contact between paternal‐derived fetal antigens and maternal tissues, because eggs are released unfertilized in the external environment. Therefore, we consider ovuliparity a natural negative control for mechanisms of materno‐fetal immunotolerance. The goal of this review is to discuss the role of the IL‐1 system in the acquisition of the ability to retain the embryo in the female genital tract during the transition from ovuliparity to viviparity.
FMRFamide gene and peptide expression during central nervous system development of the cephalopod mollusk,Idiosepius notoides
Authors: Wollesen Tim , Cummins Scott F. , Degnan Bernard M. , Wanninger Andreas
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYMollusks are a showcase of brain evolution represented by several classes with a varying degree of nervous system centralization. Cellular and molecular processes involved in the evolution of the highly complex cephalopod brain from a simple, monoplacophoran‐like ancestor are still obscure and homologies on the cellular level are poorly established. FMRFamide (Phe‐Ile‐Arg‐Phe‐NH2)‐related peptides (FaRPs) constitute an evolutionarily conserved and diverse group of neuropeptides in the central nervous system (CNS) of many metazoans. Herein, we provide a detailed description of the developing FMRFamide‐like immunoreactive (Fa‐lir) CNS of the pygmy squidIdiosepius notoidesusing gene expression analyses and immunocytochemistry. The open reading frame of theI. notoidesFMRFamide geneInFMRFpredicts one copy each of FIRFamide, FLRFamide (Phe‐Leu‐Arg‐Phe‐NH2), ALSGDAFLRFamide (Ala‐Leu‐Ser‐Gly‐Asp‐Ala‐Phe‐Leu‐Arg‐Phe‐NH2), and 11 copies of FMRFamide. Applying matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight (ToF) mass spectrometry‐based peptide profiling, we characterized all predicted FaRPs except ALSGDAFLRFamide. Two cell clusters expressInFMRFand show FMRFamide‐like‐immunoreactivity within the palliovisceral ganglia, that is, the future posterior subesophageal mass, during the lobe differentiation phase. They project neurites via ventral axonal tracts, which form the scaffold of the future subesophageal mass. In the supraesophageal mass,InFMRFis first expressed during mid‐embryogenesis in the superior and inferior buccal lobes. A neurite of the peduncle commissure represents the first Fa‐lir element. Later, the sub‐ and supraesophageal mass interconnect via Fa‐lir neurites and more brain lobes expressInFMRFand FMRFamide‐like peptides.InFMRFexpression was observed in fewer brain lobes than Fa‐lir elements. The early expression ofInFMRFand FMRFamide‐lir peptides in the visceral system and not the remaining CNS of the cephalopodI. notoidesresembles the condition found in the majority of investigated gastropods.
Caterpillar color patterns are determined by a two‐phase melanin gene prepatterning process: new evidence from tan and laccase2
Authors: Futahashi Ryo , Banno Yutaka , Fujiwara Haruhiko
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY
The larval color patterns in Lepidoptera exhibit splendid diversity, and identifying the genes responsible for pigment distribution is essential to understanding color‐pattern evolution. The swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus, is a good candidate for analyzing marking‐associated genes because its body markings change dramatically at the final molt. Moreover, the silkworm Bombyx mori is most suitable for identification of lab‐generated color mutants because genome information and many color mutants are available. Here, we analyzed the expression pattern of 10 melanin‐related genes in P. xuthus, and analyzed whether these genes were responsible for Bombyx larval color mutants. We found that seven genes correlated strongly with the stage‐specific larval cuticular markings of P. xuthus, suggesting that, compared with Drosophila, more genes showed marking specificity in lepidopteran larvae. We newly found that the expression of both tan and laccase2 is strongly correlated with the larval black markings in both P. xuthus and B. mori. The results of F2 linkage analysis and mutant analysis strongly suggest that tan is the responsible gene for Bombyx larval color mutant rouge, and that tan is important in emphasizing black markings of lepidopteran larvae. Detailed comparison of temporal and spatial expression patterns showed that larval cuticular markings were regulated at two different phases. Marking‐specific expression of oxidizing enzymes preceded the marking‐specific expression of melanin synthesis enzymes at mRNA level, which is the reverse of the melanin synthesis step.
Bullous Pemphigoid in Infancy: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Brad Amos M.D. , Deng Jau‐Shong , Flynn Kevin , Suarez Sylvia
Published: August 2010

Abstract: We report a 2‐month‐old girl who developed bullous pemphigoid on her hands and feet shortly after receiving her routine immunizations. Infantile bullous pemphigoid has a clinical presentation distinct from bullous pemphigoid seen in older children and should be included in the differential diagnosis of blisters involving the hands and feet. Our patient responded well to topical corticosteroid therapy.
Congenital Hemangioma with Milialike Structures: A Case Report
Authors: Rositto Alicia , Avila Silvia , Carames Claudia , Drut Ricardo
Published: August 2010

Abstract: A 4‐month‐old infant had two 3 cm × 4 cm hemangiomatous lesions on the scalp and back, present since birth, which contained peculiar white‐yellowish small nodules. Histologically the lesions proved to have a hemangiomatous (capillary‐type) component together with small keratin‐containing epidermal cysts (milialike) which progressively extruded their contents. The lesions also contained embryonic‐like hair structures. The hemangiomas resolved spontaneously. We were unable to find any reference in the literature describing this peculiar combination of features.
Solitary Mastocytoma on the Palm
Authors: Lee Ho‐Pyo , Yoon Dou‐Hee , Kim Chung‐Won , Kim Tae‐Yoon
Published: August 2010

Abstract: We report a solitary mastocytoma with a recurrent tense bulla on the palm of a 4‐month‐old male infant. Histologically there were numerous mast cells infiltrating the dermis. The bulla subsided without treatment in 2 weeks, remaining an oval reddish patch. The present case shows that solitary mastocytoma can occur on the palm, but to our knowledge, this site is unusual.
Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis Preceding Pyoderma Gangrenosum and Occult Ulcerative Colitis in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Omidi C. Julian , Siegfried Elaine C.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a clinicopathologic entity of unknown origin mainly affecting children and young adults. It shares many clinical features with pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), an uncommon ulcerating inflammatory disorder of the dermis and underlying subcutaneous fat. Both conditions are chronic and relapsing, and have been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The diagnoses are made by exclusion. Histology is nonspecific and cultures are negative. There has been only one previous report of both conditions occurring in the same patient. Here we describe the second case, a 12‐year‐old girl who developed pyoderma gangrenosum in direct continuity to an underlying CRMO lesion of the right anterior tibia. Occult ulcerative colitis (UC) was subsequently discovered.
Itraconazole Oral Solution for the Treatment of Onychomycosis
Authors: Gupta Aditya K. , Adam Paul , Hofstader Sophie L. R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The newer antifungal agents are increasingly being used for the treatment of onychomycosis. Tinea unguium is uncommon in children. In young children who are unable or unwilling to swallow capsules, the alternative to itraconazole capsules may be the oral solution. The pharmacokinetics of the itraconazole capsule when it is broken open and the contents sprinkled onto food has not been reported. Two sisters, ages 8 and 11 years, presented with fingernail dystrophy that was confirmed to be onychomycosis due to Trichophyton rubrum and T. soudanense, respectively. The patients were reluctant to swallow capsules and were treated with itraconazole pulse therapy using the oral solution, 3 mg/kg/day. The treatment regimen consisted of two pulses, each 1 week long, with a 3‐week period between pulses. Both patients were clinically and mycologically cured with no adverse effects. Itraconazole oral solution (3 mg/kg/day) given as pulse therapy may be a consideration in the treatment of onychomycosis in some children.
Biodiversity and the Heterogeneous Disturbance Regime on Military Training Lands
Authors: Warren Steven D. , Holbrook Scott W. , Dale Debra A. , Whelan Nathaniel L. , Elyn Martin , Grimm Wolfgang , Jentsch Anke
Published: August 2010

Disproportionately large numbers of threatened and endangered species and unusually high biodiversity occur on active and former military training areas. Although this may seem paradoxical given the apparently destructive nature of military training, an evaluation of the nature and extent of the disturbances is enlightening. Military training frequently produces heterogeneous landscapes. Large portions of military training areas remain virtually untouched, favoring disturbance‐averse species; other portions are heavily disturbed, favoring disturbance‐dependent species. The rich habitat mosaics include the two extremes as well as the continua of disturbance and succession between them, thus providing suitable habitat for a very large number of species with widely varying habitat requirements. To explain the phenomenon, a heterogeneous disturbance hypothesis is proposed which suggests that biodiversity is maximized where multiple kinds, frequencies, severities, periodicities, sizes, shapes, and/or durations of disturbance occur concomitantly on a landscape in a spatially and temporally distributed fashion. The enhanced biodiversity occurring on active and former military training areas illustrates the need for restoration ecologists to restore or maintain an appropriate heterogeneous disturbance regime when attempting to restore ecosystem function and biodiversity.
Responses to Riparian Restoration in the Spring Creek Watershed, Central Pennsylvania
Authors: Carline Robert F. , Walsh Mary C.
Published: August 2010

Riparian treatments, consisting of 3‐ to 4‐m buffer strips, stream bank stabilization, and rock‐lined stream crossings, were installed in two streams with livestock grazing to reduce sediment loading and stream bank erosion. Cedar Run and Slab Cabin Run, the treatment streams, and Spring Creek, an adjacent reference stream without riparian grazing, were monitored prior to (1991–1992) and 3–5 years after (2001–2003) riparian buffer installation to assess channel morphology, stream substrate composition, suspended sediments, and macroinvertebrate communities. Few changes were found in channel widths and depths, but channel‐structuring flow events were rare in the drought period after restoration. Stream bank vegetation increased from 50% or less to 100% in nearly all formerly grazed riparian buffers. The proportion of fine sediments in stream substrates decreased in Cedar Run but not in Slab Cabin Run. After riparian treatments, suspended sediments during base flow and storm flow decreased 47–87% in both streams. Macroinvertebrate diversity did not improve after restoration in either treated stream. Relative to Spring Creek, macroinvertebrate densities increased in both treated streams by the end of the posttreatment sampling period. Despite drought conditions that may have altered physical and biological effects of riparian treatments, goals of the riparian restoration to minimize erosion and sedimentation were met. A relatively narrow grass buffer along 2.4 km of each stream was effective in improving water quality, stream substrates, and some biological metrics.
Regolith Strength, Water Retention, and Implications for Ripping and Plant Root Growth in Bauxite Mine Restoration
Authors: Kew Geoffrey A. , Mengler Faron C. , Gilkes Robert J.
Published: August 2010

The lateritic bauxite in the Darling Range of Western Australia is approximately 4–6 m deep and is composed of caprock (duricrust) and underlying friable bauxite developed from highly weathered granite and dolerite. This paper investigates the impact of mine floor ripping operations on materials exposed after mining in relation to strength, water retention, and plant root growth. Deep ripping has been shown to create a structured rootzone and increase both recharge and plant available water. Material classified as quartz rich (Zm) lacks structural features for plant root growth, yet the material requires the least force to rip. These materials require deep pre‐ripping followed by contour or multi‐tine ripping for successful restoration. Materials that contain 50% or more coarse fragments (gravels, cobbles, and stones) increase the force required for pre‐ripping operations but only require contour or multi‐tine ripping; doleritic clay with a high coarse fragment content may be readily colonized by roots without pre‐ripping. Localized compression (smearing) of materials may occur during ripping due to the pre‐ripping tine working deeper than its critical depth of 1.0–1.5 m and/or ripping of materials at high moisture content. A relationship exists between the ratio of reactive silica to total silica and the clay content of regolith, both properties being determined from pre‐mining borehole samples. This ratio can be used to identify future mine floor materials from borehole data prior to mining and to target ripping operations to appropriate regolith types to enable the most effective and economical restoration practice.
Return of Ecosystem Function to Restored Bauxite Mines in Western Australia
Authors: Grant Carl D. , Ward Samuel C. , Morley Samantha C.
Published: August 2010

A critical aspect of reestablishing a self‐sustaining Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest ecosystem to bauxite‐mined areas is to ensure that vital ecosystem functions such as litter decomposition and nutrient cycling are returned. Significant research has been undertaken over the past 20 years relating to litter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Studies have shown that litter accumulates rapidly in restored areas (1–4 ton ha−1yr−1) and the accumulated litter tends to be richer in nitrogen due to intentionally elevated densities of nitrogen‐fixing species. This leads to a lower (carbon:nitrogen) C:N ratio (60:1 compared to 130:1 in unmined forest) that may promote mineralization of organic N to inorganic forms in restored areas. The major nutrient store in the unmined forest is in the soil and returning soil during the restoration process largely conserves this resource, particularly in relation to P. Short‐term plant macronutrient requirements for growth are readily restored by fertilizer application. Studies on the reaccumulation of nutrient pools in the successional development of restored areas have shown that pools equivalent to the unmined forest are established within 10–20 years. Ongoing research is focusing on the rates of cycling processes in burnt and unburnt restored areas, and comparing these to the unmined forest to ensure that key functions have been reestablished. To date, all measured ecosystem function parameters are indicating that restored areas have achieved or are on a trajectory toward a self‐sustaining Jarrah forest ecosystem.
Fire and Silvicultural Management of Restored Bauxite Mines in Western Australia
Authors: Grant Carl D. , Norman Melanie A. , Smith Martin A.
Published: August 2010

To be self‐sustaining in the longer‐term and meet defined completion criteria, it is important that the management of restored bauxite mines can be integrated with the surrounding unmined Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest. A number of research projects relating to fire management have been undertaken in restored areas over the past 15 years. The broad objectives of these studies have been to assess the resilience of different‐aged restored sites to fire and define the most suitable fire regime (season, intensity, and frequency) to utilize in the management of these areas. Restored areas were found to be a low fire risk up to five years of age because litter fuel was discontinuous and could not normally carry the fire. Between the ages of five and 12–15 years, restored areas were very susceptible to fire due to high fuel loads and a prominent midstory of senescent legume species. However, if burnt at this age, restoration areas were extremely resilient. Restored areas that are older than 12–15 years can be integrated with prescribed burning of the surrounding unmined forest because the midstory layer has collapsed and the overstory is now separated from the understory fuel. The most suitable fire regime to utilize in restored areas is low‐ to moderate‐intensity spring burns. Silvicultural management of restored areas has recently been investigated incorporating noncommercial thinning and commercial harvesting operations in association with prescribed burning. Restored areas of suitable ages appear to be able to be integrated with the management regimes commonly used in the Jarrah forest.