Shared and distinct interactions of type 1 and type 2 Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen 2 with the human genome.

Background: There are two major genetic types of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV): type 1 (EBV-1) and type 2 (EBV-2). EBV functions by manipulating gene expression in host B cells, using virus-encoded gene regulatory proteins including Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen 2 (EBNA2). While type 1 EBNA2 is known to interact with human transcription factors (hTFs) such as RBPJ, EBF1, and SPI1 (PU.

Diversification of spiny-throated reed frogs (Anura: Hyperoliidae) with the description of a new, range-restricted species from the Ukaguru Mountains, Tanzania.

The spiny-throated reed frog species group is a small radiation of Hyperolius frogs from East Africa. Unlike many members of the genus which have relatively wide distributions, these species tend to be small-range endemics found in montane and submontane forests. Recent discovery of a golden-hued frog with the clade-specific traits of spines on their gular discs prompted a morphological and genetic exploration of the distinctness of this new lineage and relationships to other members of the clade.

A new subspecies of giant sengi (Macroscelidea: Rhynchocyon) from coastal Kenya.

A new subspecies of giant sengi or elephant-shrew, first documented in 2008, is described from northern coastal Kenya. All five currently described species and most known subspecies of Rhynchocyon are compared to this new lineage. Molecular analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear markers from the single DNA sample available for the new lineage show differences from other forms and reveal a close relationship with the allopatric golden-rumped sengi R.

Unraveling elephant-shrews: Phylogenetic relationships and unexpected introgression among giant sengis.

Giant sengis, or elephant-shrews (Macroscelidea; Macroscelididae; Rhynchocyon), are small-bodied mammals found in central and eastern African forests. Studies have provided contrasting views of the extent and direction of introgression among species. We generated full mitochondrial genomes, and compiled publically available mtDNA 12S and nuclear vWF sequences from Rhynchocyon cirnei, R.

Architectural evolution in cocoons spun by Hyalophora (Lepidoptera; Saturniidae) silk moth species.

Caterpillars of the silk moth genus Hyalophora (Lepidoptera; Saturniidae) construct multilayered cocoons that function as overwintering housing during the pupal to adult developmental period. While all cocoons share the primary function of protecting the developing moth, cocoons spun by different Hyalophora silk moth species vary significantly in architectural features and in the level of intraspecific cocoon-type polymorphism. We compared the cocoons of Hyalophora species found throughout North America and investigated the evolution of architectural variation.

A new Reed Frog (Hyperoliidae: Hyperolius) from coastal northeastern Mozambique.

A new species of African reed frog (genus Hyperolius Rapp, 1842) is described from the Coastal Forests of the Eastern Africa Biodiversity Hotspot in northeastern Mozambique. It is currently only known from less than ten localities associated with the Mozambican coastal pans system, but may also occur in the southeastern corner of Tanzania. Phylogenetic reconstructions using the mitochondrial 16S marker revealed that it is the sister taxon of Hyperolius mitchelli (>5.

Impact of species delimitation and sampling on niche models and phylogeographical inference: A case study of the East African reed frog Hyperolius substriatus Ahl, 1931.

Ecological niche models (ENMs) have been used in a wide range of ecological and evolutionary studies. In biogeographic studies these models have, among other things, helped in the discovery of new allopatric populations, and even new species. However, small sample sizes and questionable taxonomic delimitation can challenge models, often decreasing their accuracy.

The adaptive genomic landscape of beak morphology in Darwin's finches.

Beak shape in Darwin's ground finches (Geospiza) is emblematic of natural selection and adaptive radiation, yet our understanding of the genetic basis of beak shape variation, and thus the genetic target of natural selection, is still evolving. Here we reveal the genomic architecture of beak shape variation using genomewide comparisons of four closely related and hybridizing species across 13 islands subject to parallel natural selection. Pairwise contrasts among species were used to identify a large number of genomic loci that are consistently related to species differences across a complex landscape.

Leapfrogging into new territory: How Mascarene ridged frogs diversified across Africa and Madagascar to maintain their ecological niche.

The Mascarene ridged frog, Ptychadena mascareniensis, is a species complex that includes numerous lineages occurring mostly in humid savannas and open forests of mainland Africa, Madagascar, the Seychelles, and the Mascarene Islands. Sampling across this broad distribution presents an opportunity to examine the genetic differentiation within this complex and to investigate how the evolution of bioclimatic niches may have shaped current biogeographic patterns. Using model-based phylogenetic methods and molecular-clock dating, we constructed a time-calibrated molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the group based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome b (cytb) genes and the nuclear RAG1 gene from 173 individuals.

Divergence at the edges: peripatric isolation in the montane spiny throated reed frog complex.

Background: Peripatric speciation and peripheral isolation have uncertain importance in species accumulation, and are largely overshadowed by assumed dominance of allopatric modes of speciation. Understanding the role of different speciation mechanisms within biodiversity hotspots is central to understanding the generation of biological diversity. Here, we use a phylogeographic analysis of the spiny-throated reed frogs and examine sister pairings with unbalanced current distributional ranges for characteristics of peripatric speciation.

The evolutionary history of Darwin's finches: speciation, gene flow, and introgression in a fragmented landscape.

Many classic examples of adaptive radiations take place within fragmented systems such as islands or mountains, but the roles of mosaic landscapes and variable gene flow in facilitating species diversification is poorly understood. Here we combine phylogenetic and landscape genetic approaches to understand diversification in Darwin's finches, a model adaptive radiation. We combined sequence data from 14 nuclear introns, mitochondrial markers, and microsatellite variation from 51 populations of all 15 recognized species.

Evolutionary history of the grey-faced Sengi, Rhynchocyon udzungwensis, from Tanzania: a molecular and species distribution modelling approach.

Rhynchocyon udzungwensis is a recently described and poorly understood sengi (giant elephant-shrew) endemic to two small montane forests in Southern Tanzania, and surrounded in lower forests by R. cirnei reichardi. In this study, we investigate the molecular genetic relationship between R.

Diversification in a biodiversity hot spot: landscape correlates of phylogeographic patterns in the African spotted reed frog.

The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot is known for microendemism and exceptional population genetic structure. The region's landscape heterogeneity is thought to limit gene flow between fragmented populations and create opportunities for regional adaptation, but the processes involved are poorly understood. Using a combination of phylogeographic analyses and circuit theory, I investigate how characteristics of landscape heterogeneity including regional distributions of slope, rivers and streams, habitat and hydrological basins (drainages) impact genetic distance among populations of the endemic spotted reed frog (Hyperolius substriatus), identifying corridors of connectivity as well as barriers to dispersal.

Male reproductive fitness and queen polyandry are linked to variation in the supergene Gp-9 in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta.

Supergenes are clusters of tightly linked loci maintained in specific allelic combinations to facilitate co-segregation of genes governing adaptive phenotypes. In species where strong selection potentially operates at different levels (e.g.

The discordance of diversification: evolution in the tropical-montane frogs of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania.

Species with similar geographical distribution patterns are often assumed to have a shared biogeographical history, an assumption that can be tested with a combination of molecular, spatial, and environmental data. This study investigates three lineages of Hyperolius frogs with concordant ranges within the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot to determine whether allopatric populations of co-distributed lineages shared a parallel biogeographical response to their shared paleoclimatic histories. The roles of refugial distributions, isolation, and climate cycles in shaping their histories are examined through Hierarchical Approximate Bayesian Computation, comparative phylogeography, and comparisons of current and past geographical distributions using ecological niche models.