Exploring Aquaporin Diversity in Elateroidea: Insights From RNA-Seq Data Sets.

Osmoregulation, the physiological regulation of water and ion balance, is vital for the survival of both aquatic and terrestrial insects. In freshwater aquatic insects, such as those within the Lampyridae family, this function is important due to the natural variation of aquatic habitats. Aquaporins play a key role in this process by facilitating the rapid transport of water molecules across cell membranes, maintaining cellular water balance, and adapting to changes in external salinity.

Dynamics of transcription is affected by oxygen tension and developmental speed during in vitro production of bovine embryos.

This study examines the impact of oxygen tension and embryo kinetics on gene transcription dynamics in pathways crucial for embryonic preimplantation development, including lipid metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, mitochondrial function, stress response, apoptosis and transcription regulation. Bovine embryos were generated in vitro and allocated into two groups based on oxygen tension (20% or 5%) at 18 h post insemination (hpi). At 40 hpi, embryos were categorized into Fast (≥4 cells) or Slow (2 cells) groups, resulting in four experimental groups: FCL20, FCL5, SCL20 and SCL5.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals lineage- and environment-specific adaptations in cacti from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Natural selection influenced adaptive divergence between Cereus fernambucensis and Cereus insularis, revealing key genes governing abiotic stress responses and supporting neoteny in C. insularis. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms driving adaptive divergence in traits related to habitat adaptation remains a central challenge.

Glowing wonders: exploring the diversity and ecological significance of bioluminescent organisms in Brazil.

Bioluminescence, the emission of light by living organisms, is a captivating and widespread phenomenon with diverse ecological functions. This comprehensive review explores the biodiversity, mechanisms, ecological roles, and conservation challenges of bioluminescent organisms in Brazil, a country known for its vast and diverse ecosystems. From the enchanting glow of fireflies and glow-in-the-dark mushrooms to the mesmerizing displays of marine dinoflagellates and cnidarians, Brazil showcases a remarkable array of bioluminescent species.

A historical stepping-stone path for an island-colonizing cactus across a submerged "bridge" archipelago.

Here we use population genomic data (ddRAD-Seq) and ecological niche modeling to test biogeographic hypotheses for the divergence of the island-endemic cactus species Cereus insularis Hemsl. (Cereeae; Cactaceae) from its sister species C. fernambucensis Lem.

BioProtIS: Streamlining protein-ligand interaction pipeline for analysis in genomic and transcriptomic exploration.

The identification of protein-ligand interactions plays a pivotal role in elucidating biological processes and discovering potential bioproducts. Harnessing the capabilities of computational methods in drug discovery, we introduce an innovative Inverted Virtual Screening (IVS) pipeline. This pipeline Integrated molecular dynamics and docking analyses to ensure that protein structures are not only energetically favorable but also representative of stable conformations.

Complete chloroplast genomes of six neotropical palm species, structural comparison, and evolutionary dynamic patterns.

The Arecaceae family has a worldwide distribution, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. We sequenced the chloroplast genomes of Acrocomia intumescens and A. totai, widely used in the food and energy industries; Bactris gasipaes, important for palm heart; Copernicia alba and C.

Opsin diversity and evolution in the Elateroidea superfamily: Insights from transcriptome data.

Vision plays a vital biological role in organisms, which depends on the visual pigment molecules (opsin plus chromophore). The expansion or reduction of spectral channels in the organisms is determined by distinct opsin classes and copy numbers resulting from duplication or loss. Within Coleoptera, the superfamily Elateroidea exhibits a great diversity of morphological and physiological characteristics, such as bioluminescence, making this group an important model for opsin studies.

Draft genome sequence of type strain IBSBF 2867.

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of IBSBF 2867, associated with potato scab in Brazil. Genome analysis using the antiSMASH bioinformatics tool showed the presence of phytopathogenic biosynthetic pathways.

sp. nov. and sp. nov., two new strains associated with potato scab in Brazil.

Two new actinobacteria, designated strains IBSBF 2807 and IBSBF 2953, isolated from scab lesions on potato tubers grown in the southern Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, respectively, were characterized and identified through a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA sequences revealed that these two strains belong to the genus . Multilocus sequence analysis using five concatenated genes, , , , and , allocated strains IBSBF 2807 and IBSBF 2953 in distinct branches of phytopathogenic strains.

Genome analysis of Phrixothrix hirtus (Phengodidae) railroad worm shows the expansion of odorant-binding gene families and positive selection on morphogenesis and sex determination genes.

Among bioluminescent beetles of the Elateroidea superfamily, Phengodidae is the third largest family, with 244 bioluminescent species distributed only in the Americas, but is still the least studied from the phylogenetic and evolutionary points of view. The railroad worm Phrixothrix hirtus is an essential biological model and symbolic species due to its bicolor bioluminescence, being the only organism that produces true red light among bioluminescent terrestrial species. Here, we performed partial genome assembly of P.

Exploring Phylogenetic Relationships and Divergence Times of Bioluminescent Species Using Genomic and Transcriptomic Data.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has dominated the scene of genomics and evolutionary biology as a great amount of genomic data have been accumulated for a diverse set of species. At the same time, phylogenetic approaches and programs are in development to allow better use of such large-size datasets. Phylogenomics appears as a promising field to accommodate and explore all the information of NGS data in phylogenetic methods, being an important approach to investigate the evolution of bioluminescence in different organisms.

A target Capture Probe Set Useful for Deep- and Shallow-Level Phylogenetic Studies in Cactaceae.

The molecular phylogenies of Cactaceae have enabled us to better understand their systematics, biogeography, and diversification ages. However, most of the phylogenetic relationships within Cactaceae major groups remain unclear, largely due to the lack of an appropriate set of molecular markers to resolve its contentious relationships. Here, we explored the genome and transcriptome assemblies available for Cactaceae and identified putative orthologous regions shared among lineages of the subfamily Cactoideae.

Evolutionary Genetics of Cacti: Research Biases, Advances and Prospects.

Here, we present a review of the studies of evolutionary genetics (phylogenetics, population genetics, and phylogeography) using genetic data as well as genome scale assemblies in Cactaceae (Caryophyllales, Angiosperms), a major lineage of succulent plants with astonishing diversity on the American continent. To this end, we performed a literature survey (1992-2021) to obtain detailed information regarding key aspects of studies investigating cactus evolution. Specifically, we summarize the advances in the following aspects: molecular markers, species delimitation, phylogenetics, hybridization, biogeography, and genome assemblies.

The genome of a thorny species: comparative genomic analysis among South and North American Cactaceae.

The first South American cactus nuclear genome assembly associated with comparative genomic analyses provides insights into nuclear and plastid genomic features, such as size, transposable elements, and metabolic processes related to cactus development. Here, we assembled the partial genome, plastome, and transcriptome of Cereus fernambucensis (Cereeae, Cactaceae), a representative species of the South American core Cactoideae. We accessed other genomes and transcriptomes available for cactus species to compare the heterozygosity level, genome size, transposable elements, orthologous genes, and plastome structure.

RNA-Seq analysis of the blue light-emitting Orfelia fultoni (Diptera: Keroplatidae) suggest photoecological adaptations at the molecular level.

Bioluminescence in Diptera is found in the Keroplatidae family, within Arachnocampininae and Keroplatinae subfamilies, with reported occurrences in Oceania, Eurasia, and Americas. Larvae of Orfelia fultoni, which inhabit stream banks in the Appalachian Mountains, emit the bluest bioluminescence among insects, using it for prey attraction, similarly to Arachnocampa spp. Although bioluminescence has a similar prey attraction function, the systems of Arachonocampininae and Keroplatinae subfamilies are morphologically/biochemically distinct, indicating different evolutionary origins.

Streptomyces brasiliscabiei, a new species causing potato scab in south Brazil.

This study aimed to characterize six Streptomyces strains associated with potato scab in south Brazil through polyphasic taxonomy involving morphology, pathogenicity and genetic features. These strains were compared with other potato-scab Streptomyces species mainly S. europaeiscabiei, S.

The potential of genome-wide RAD sequences for resolving rapid radiations: a case study in Cactaceae.

The reconstruction of relationships within recently radiated groups is challenging even when massive amounts of sequencing data are available. The use of restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) to this end is promising. Here, we assessed the performance of RAD-Seq to infer the species-level phylogeny of the rapidly radiating genus Cereus (Cactaceae).

A new brilliantly blue-emitting luciferin-luciferase system from Orfelia fultoni and Keroplatinae (Diptera).

Larvae of O. fultoni (Keroplatidae: Keroplatinae), which occur along river banks in the Appalachian Mountains in Eastern United States, produce the bluest bioluminescence among insects from translucent areas associated to black bodies, which are  located mainly in the anterior and posterior parts of the body. Although closely related to Arachnocampa spp (Keroplatidae: Arachnocampininae), O.

Neoceroplatus betaryiensis nov. sp. (Diptera: Keroplatidae) is the first record of a bioluminescent fungus-gnat in South America.

Blue shining fungus gnats (Diptera) had been long reported in the Waitomo caves of New Zealand (Arachnocampa luminosa Skuse), in stream banks of the American Appalachian Mountains (Orfelia fultoni Fisher) in 1939 and in true spore eating Eurasiatic Keroplatus Bosc species. This current report observes that similar blue light emitting gnat larvae also occur nearby the Betary river in the buffer zone of High Ribeira River State Park (PETAR) in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, where the larvae were found when on fallen branches or trunks enveloped in their own secreted silk. The new species is named Neoceroplatus betaryiensis nov.

Phylogenomic analyses and divergence time estimation of Elateroidea (Coleoptera) based on RNA-Seq data.

Bioluminescence, the emission of visible light in a living organism, is an intriguing phenomenon observed in different species and environments. In terrestrial organisms, the bioluminescence is observed mainly in beetles of the Elateroidea superfamily (Coleoptera). Several phylogenetic studies have been used different strategies to propose a scenario for the origin and evolution of the bioluminescence within this group, however some of them showed incongruences, mainly about the relationship of the bioluminescent families.

Comparison of the Malpighian tubules and fat body transcriptional profiles of Zophobas morio larvae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

The Malpighian tubules in insects play an essential role in osmoregulation, through the transport of ions during excretion, whereas the fat body is usually associated with the intermediary metabolism. The tubules also are involved in excretion of organic solutes and xenobiotics. However, with the exception of a preliminary transcriptional survey of the Zophobas morio (Tenebrionidae) larval tubules, there are no detailed transcriptional analysis of this organ in Coleoptera.