New Polypheretima and Pithemera (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) species from the Mt. Malindang Range,Mindanao Island,Philippines

We describe four new pheretimoid earthworm species, one in Polypheretima and three in Pithemera, from Mt. Malindang, Misamis Occidental Province, Mindanao Island, Philippines, and provide diagrams of external morphology and internal anatomy. Polypheretima mindanaoensis sp. nov. belongs to the Po. elongata species group, characterised by having genital markings on xix and successive segments and pairs of spermathecal batteries in vi and/or vii. It differs from the other members of the Po. elongata species group in having no copulatory bursae. This species shows individual variation in the number of spermathecae in each battery. Individuals that lack spermathecae are presumed to reproduce parthenogenetically. Pithemera malindangensis sp. nov. and Pi. duminagati sp. nov. belong to the Pi. bicincta species group, characterised by having the first spermathecal pores in 4/5. These two species differ in size and in the distance between male pores. Pithemera donvictorianoi sp. nov. belongs to the Pi. pacifica species group, characterised by having the first spermathecal pores in 5/6. This is the only member of this species group so far reported from the Philippines, and this is the only Philippine Pithemera species whose clitellum covers two rather than two and a half segments. Current studies show that worldwide, the Philippines has the highest diversity for Pithemera, with 13 species, followed by Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, each area with six species. Indonesia has the highest diversity for Polypheretima, with 18 species, followed by Vietnam with 13 species, and then Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, each area with eight species. These findings indicate a high degree of endemicity within these areas, suggesting that many species remain to be detected in the Philippines.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2198709C-F5E1-4A0D-A185-CA506D206171     

Altered proteostasis in aging and heat shock response in C. elegans revealed by analysis of the global and de novo synthesized proteome

Protein misfolding and aggregation as a consequence of impaired protein homeostasis (proteostasis) not only characterizes numerous age-related diseases but also the aging process itself. Functionally related to the aging process are, among others, ribosomal proteins, suggesting an intimate link between proteostasis and aging. We determined by iTRAQ quantitative proteomic analysis in C. elegans how the proteome changes with age and in response to heat shock. Levels of ribosomal proteins and mitochondrial chaperones were decreased in aged animals, supporting the notion that proteostasis is altered during aging. Mitochondrial enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the electron transport chain were also reduced, consistent with an age-associated energy impairment. Moreover, we observed an age-associated decline in the heat shock response. In order to determine how protein synthesis is altered in aging and in response to heat shock, we complemented our global analysis by determining the de novo proteome. For that, we established a novel method that enables both the visualization and identification of de novo synthesized proteins, by incorporating the non-canonical methionine analogue, azidohomoalanine (AHA), into the nascent polypeptides, followed by reacting the azide group of AHA by ‘click chemistry’ with an alkyne-labeled tag. Our analysis of AHA-tagged peptides demonstrated that the decreased abundance of, for example, ribosomal proteins in aged animals is not solely due to degradation but also reflects a relative decrease in their synthesis. Interestingly, although the net rate of protein synthesis is reduced in aged animals, our analyses indicate that the synthesis of certain proteins such as the vitellogenins increases with age.     

Subaerial algae of Navajo National Monument, Arizona

Samples from soils and other xeric substrates in Navajo National Monument, Navajo County, Arizona, were collected in 1978. After being moistened with deionized water for three days, these samples were analyzed for algae. Thirty algal taxa were identified. Five species of filamentous Cyanophyta comprised the majority of the biomass. Diatoms were ubiquitous in the soils although low in density. Diatom floras were very similar throughout the monument. Well-developed algal crusts were common in sites where grazing and excessive litter were absent.     

Diatoms in recent bottom sediments and trophic status of eight lakes and reservoirs in northeastern Utah

Recent bottom sediments of eight lakes and reservoirs in northeastern Utah were examined. One hundred and sixty-four diatom taxa were identified and their relative abundances determined. Seven stand associations were evident by cluster analysis of similarity indices. These association patterns mirrored trophic status of the waters. Shannon-Wiener species diversity values were also determined. The diversities fell in patterns that were similar to the stand associations determined by cluster analysis. The most prevalent diatom taxa encountered in this study were found mostly in eutrophic waters. These taxa included Stephanodiscus astraea, Stephanodiscus astraea var. minutula, Asterionella formosa, and Fragilaria crotonensis. A wide variety of other taxa dominated various mesotrophic and oligotrophic sites.         

Diatom floristics and succession in a peat bog near Lily Lake, Summit County, Utah

Diatoms from core samples obtained from the edge of Lily Lake, Summit County, Utah, were studied. Populations from each 15 cm of the core and niche metrics of the important species were analyzed. This study demonstrates four periods of history in the lake as mirrored by the diatom populations. The first period was mesotrophic and alkaline. This graded into an acidic, dystrophic period which in turn yielded again to a mesotrophic alkaline period. The most recent period can be characterized by a return to dystrophy.     

Influence of cryptogamic crusts on moisture relationships of soils in Navajo National Monument, Arizona

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Environmental interaction in summer algal communities of Utah Lake

Utah Lake is a shallow eutrophic lake in central Utah. It is characterized by high nutrient and silt loads and by large algal blooms in late summer and early fall. Phytoplankton samples and environmental data were taken from June through August 1974. Phytoplankton species were identified and then quantified in a Palmer counting cell. Environmental continuum theory was employed to describe algal succession, and regression analysis was used to discover interactions between algal communities and the environment. Phytoplankton communities in June were characterized by high species diversity. As the lake environment became stressed in late summer due to higher turbidity, nutrient levels, pH, and available inorganic carbon species diversity decreased. By August, the phytoplankton flora was composed essentially of only two species, Ceratium hirundinella and Aphanizomenon flos - aquae.