Role of Cytosolic Malic Enzyme in Oleaginicity of High-Lipid-Producing Fungal Strain WJ11.

, an oleaginous filamentous fungus, is gaining popularity due to its ability to synthesize significant amounts of lipids containing γ-linolenic acid (GLA) that have important health benefits. Malic enzyme (ME), which serves as the main source of NADPH in some fungi, has been found to regulate lipid accumulation in oleaginous fungi. In the present study, the role of two cytosolic ME genes, and in the lipid accumulation of the high-lipid-producing strain WJ11, was evaluated.

Avian feathers as a biomonitoring tool to assess heavy metal pollution in a wildlife and bird sanctuary from a tropical coastal ecosystem.

In this study, we have assessed the concentrations of four heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in the feathers of 11 species of birds from the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, a protected environment. Concentrations of copper and zinc were detected in all the bird species, cadmium was observed only in two bird species, and lead was below the detection limits for all birds. The order of concentration of metals in the feathers is Zn > Cu > Cd > Pb.

Envenomation and the bite rate by venomous snakes in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the period (2015-2018).

Snakebite being medical emergency and known cause for increased mortality needs assessment and treatment on high-priority bases, even in patients of snakebite who appear fine initially. The current retrospective study presents the snake bites in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2018 reported by General Administration of Statistics and Information, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The data presented in the current study, was extracted, analyzed, and reported after getting ethical approval from institutional committee.

A provisional checklist of the avifauna of Turaif province, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The richness and diversity of avian species inhabiting Turaif province of Saudi Arabia were surveyed for a period of one-year (2014-2015) using walked belt transects in different habitats of the studied area. Bird species were observed and recorded by sightings or vocal calls. A total of thirty-three bird species belonging to fifteen families were observed across all the surveys in the Turaif area.

Diversity of feeding habitats and diet composition in the turtle doves to buffer loss and modification of natural habitats during breeding season.

The approach of the birds to use physical and alimentary resources in degraded and modified natural habitats is an important aspect of their adaptation. This study was undertaken during 2016-2017 at forty habitats in the Moulouya plain, Morocco to examine behavioral diet, habitat use and foraging ecology of turtle dove, . We monitored turtle doves in four major plots namely cereal plots, lucerne farms, apple orchards, and stations in the Ansgmir River covering 40 habitats.

A survey of mammal diversity in the Turaif province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

One hundred and forty mammals of fifteen different species belonging to nine families, collected during one-year survey period in Turaif province of Saudi Arabia, are reported. Collections were made during studying the diversity of land vertebrate fauna of Turaif area at the northern province of Saudi Arabia. Cricetidae (n = 64) was the most common family.

Food habits of the Arabian skink, Wiegmann 1837, (Sauria: Scincidae), in the Southwest Saudi Arabia.

Food and feeding habits of the Arabian skink, were investigated in Jazan province, southwest of Saudi Arabia. individuals fed during eleven months of the year. The mass of food in the stomachs indicated that a high degree of foraging success occurred during the warm spring while the lowest was during winter with January as an exception to feeding by the lizard.

Survey of the reptilian fauna of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. VI. The snake fauna of Turaif region.

A collection of snakes in Turaif region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an area that has been poorly documented for reptiles, consists of 28 specimens representing 11 species belonging to 4 families (Colubridae, Elapidae, Viperidae and Atractaspididae). This study presents the first comprehensive inventory of the herpetofauna of the Turaif province of Saudi Arabia. Co-ordinates: Latitude, longitude and altitude, of the collected specimens were mapped using GPS.

Morphological characteristics of worm lizard, (Squamata: Trogonophidae), in the central region of Saudi Arabia.

We report morphometric data for 133 specimens of (Squamata: Trogonophidae) collected across its range within Riyadh province of Saudi Arabia. One-way analyses of variance revealed that differences exist in most characters. Snout-vent length and vent-tail length showed slight and inconsistent differences among samples.

Survey of the reptilian fauna of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. V. The lizard fauna of Turaif region.

Turaif area located in the Northern border region of Saudi Arabia is one of the most important regions of the Kingdom. This work was proposed to throw light on the diversity of lizard fauna investigated through the collection and subsequent identification of specimens from different localities of Turaif region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sixteen species of lizards belonging to 5 families (Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, Scincidae and Varanidae) were recorded.

Snake bite envenomation in Riyadh province of Saudi Arabia over the period (2005-2010).

The present investigation is a retrospective review of snake bites in Riyadh province over the period (2005-2010). A total of 1019 cases of bites admitted to the Ministry of Health medical centers in Riyadh province were analyzed on the basis of age, sex, time of bite and its site on the body, outcome of treatment, antiserum dose and type of snake. Bites occurred throughout the six years with the highest frequency in 2005 and least in 2006 where most of the bite cases were mild and all evolved to cure except four patients who died following the administration of antivenom during 24 h after snake bite.

Ecology of the Sand Boa, Eryx jayakari in Riyadh Region of Saudi Arabia.

The ecology, feeding habits and sexual dimorphism in Arabian Sand Boa, Eryx jayakari from the Central region of Saudi Arabia, were studied. In this study the E. jayakari was recorded for the first time from several sites.

Reproductive characteristics of the worm lizard, Diplometopon zarudnyi, in relation to months of the year in Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia.

The biological reproductive aspects of the worm lizard, Diplometopon zarudnyi, in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia, were investigated over a period of 1 year. Study of the reproductive cycles of male and female D. zarudnyi revealed that the breeding season is relatively short, since it extends from early April to late June.

Ultrastructural study of spermiogenesis in a rare desert amphisbaenian Diplometopon zarudnyi.

Spermiogenesis, in particular the head differentiation of Diplometopon zarudnyi, was studied at the ultrastructural level by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The process includes acrosomal vesicle development, nuclear elongation, chromatin condensation and exclusion of excess cytoplasm. In stage I, the proacrosomal vesicle occurs next to a shallow fossa of the nucleus, and a dense acrosomal granule forms beneath it.