Description of two new species from South Korea.

Based on molecular markers, mating experiments, morphological observations and ecological data, two species (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) new to science are described. Both were collected from different Scarabaeoid beetles in South Korea, have a gonochoristic mode of reproduction and fall into a sub-clade of the clade. n.

Nine new Pristionchus (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) species from China.

The model organism Pristionchus pacificus and the genus Pristionchus, Kreis, 1932 have been intensively studied in the last decade with contemporary work focusing on the development, evolution, ecology, behavior, neurobiology, and genomics of this group of organisms. In particular, mechanistic studies on the development and evolution of mouth-form plasticity, predation and associated self-recognition processes enabled unique insight into life history strategies and the evolution of novelty. These studies include a comparative research agenda making use of the 39 available species of Pristionchus, all of which can be studied in living cultures.

Comparative genomics and community curation further improve gene annotations in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus.

Background: Nematode model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus are powerful systems for studying the evolution of gene function at a mechanistic level. However, the identification of P. pacificus orthologs of candidate genes known from C.

Two new Species of (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) include the Gonochoristic Sister Species of .

The genus (Kreis, 1932) consists of more than 30 soil nematode species that are often found in association with scarab beetles. Three major radiations have resulted in the " species group" in America, the " species group" in Asia, and the " species group," which contains species from Europe and Asia. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that a group of three species, including the gonochorists and and the hermaphrodite , is basal to the above-mentioned radiations.

Two New Species of (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) from Taiwan and the Definition of the Species-Complex Sensu Stricto.

Pristionchus pacificus Sommer, Carta, Kim, and Sternberg, 1996 is an important model organism in evolutionary biology that aims to integrate developmental biology and evo-devo with population genetics and ecology. Functional studies in P. pacificus are supported by a well-established phylogenetic framework of around 30 species of the genus Pristionchus that have been described in the last decade based on their entomophilic and necromenic association with scarab beetles.

Phylotranscriptomics of Pristionchus Nematodes Reveals Parallel Gene Loss in Six Hermaphroditic Lineages.

Mutation and recombination are main drivers of phenotypic diversity, but the ability to create new allelic combinations is strongly dependent on the mode of reproduction. While most animals are dioecious (i.e.

Samplings of Millipedes in Japan and Scarab Beetles in Hong Kong result in five new Species of (Nematoda: Diplogastridae).

The authors describe five new species of from Japan and Hongkong. Scarab beetle samplings in Hongkong identified sp. n.

Two New Species (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) from Taiwan are Part of a Species-cluster Representing the Closest Known Relatives of the Model Organism .

is an important model organism in evolutionary biology and has been used to establish integrative studies that link developmental biology with ecology and population genetics. This species is part of the species-complex of the genus, many members of which occur in East Asia. While is hermaphroditic, the two most closely related known species are and from Japan, both of which are gonochorists.

Large-scale diversification without genetic isolation in nematode symbionts of figs.

Diversification is commonly understood to be the divergence of phenotypes accompanying that of lineages. In contrast, alternative phenotypes arising from a single genotype are almost exclusively limited to dimorphism in nature. We report a remarkable case of macroevolutionary-scale diversification without genetic divergence.

Gap junctions composed of connexins 41.8 and 39.4 are essential for colour pattern formation in zebrafish.

Interactions between all three pigment cell types are required to form the stripe pattern of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), but their molecular nature is poorly understood. Mutations in leopard (leo), encoding Connexin 41.8 (Cx41.

Endothelin signalling in iridophore development and stripe pattern formation of zebrafish.

Colour patterns of adult fish are composed of several different types of pigment cells distributing in the skin during juvenile development. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, displays a striking pattern of dark stripes of melanophores interspersed with light stripes of xanthophores. A third cell type, silvery iridophores, contributes to both stripes and plays a crucial role in adult pigment pattern formation.

Large-scale mapping of mutations affecting zebrafish development.

Background: Large-scale mutagenesis screens in the zebrafish employing the mutagen ENU have isolated several hundred mutant loci that represent putative developmental control genes. In order to realize the potential of such screens, systematic genetic mapping of the mutations is necessary. Here we report on a large-scale effort to map the mutations generated in mutagenesis screening at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology by genome scanning with microsatellite markers.

iguana encodes a novel zinc-finger protein with coiled-coil domains essential for Hedgehog signal transduction in the zebrafish embryo.

Signaling by lipid-modified secreted glycoproteins of the Hedgehog family play fundamental roles during pattern formation in animal development and in humans; dysfunction of Hedgehog pathway components is frequently associated with a variety of congenital abnormalities and cancer. Transcriptional regulation of Hedgehog target genes is mediated by members of the Gli zinc-finger transcription factors. The relative nuclear concentrations of Gli activator (Gli(act)) and repressor (Gli(rep)) forms, together with their nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, appear to be critical determinants for target gene expression.