Global Brassicaceae phylogeny based on filtering of 1,000-gene dataset.

The mustard family (Brassicaceae) is a scientifically and economically important family, containing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and numerous crop species that feed billions worldwide. Despite its relevance, most phylogenetic trees of the family are incompletely sampled and often contain poorly supported branches. Here, we present the most complete Brassicaceae genus-level family phylogenies to date (Brassicaceae Tree of Life or BrassiToL) based on nuclear (1,081 genes, 319 of the 349 genera; 57 of the 58 tribes) and plastome (60 genes, 265 genera; all tribes) data.

Eco-evolutionary priority and the assembly of the New Zealand flora.

Eco-evolutionary priority effects, in which early arriving taxa pre-empt environmental niches and evolve to exclude or marginalise later arriving taxa, have been claimed to have influenced current vegetation communities in New Zealand. We here critically assess this claim. An examination of the entire New Zealand conifer and angiosperm flora shows that early arriving lineages do not have more species than later arriving lineages, and do not dominate regional species pools.

Basal Cell Carcinoma Arises from Interfollicular Layer of Epidermis.

Background: BCC is currently the most common type of skin cancer in humans. Although having a low-grade malignancy and metastatic potential, BCC is locally aggressive and destructive. Despite numerous studies, the origin of BCC, whether arising from the follicular or interfollicular layer, remains controversial.

Genetic Variation and Hybridisation among Eight Species of kōwhai (Sophora: Fabaceae) from New Zealand Revealed by Microsatellite Markers.

analysed nine microsatellite markers for 626 individuals representing the geographic range of eight closely related endemic New Zealand species of . Structure analysis identified the optimal value as seven, with samples identified as , , , and retrieved as well-defined groups. The remaining samples formed less resolved groups referable to and , with and forming the seventh group.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy status is not the most powerful predictor of prognosis in cutaneous melanoma.

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) status has been advocated in several recently published articles as the single most valuable prognostic marker for melanoma, and of greater prognostic importance than more established parameters such as Breslow thickness. A careful examination of the evidence for these claims, however, indicates that they are not substantiated by the available data, are somewhat misleading and suggest misinterpretation of the statistical analysis of the papers to which they refer. We will examine the basis for these claims and show why they are invalid.

sp. nov., sp. nov., sp. nov., sp. nov. and sp. nov. isolated from root nodules.

In total, 31 strains of Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacteria were isolated from root nodules and authenticated as rhizobia on this host. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, they were shown to belong to the genus , with the representative strains ICMP 19560, ICMP 19523, ICMP 19535, ICMP 19545 and ICMP 19512 being related most closely to SCAU7 (99.9-99.

Mesorhizobium waimense sp. nov. isolated from Sophora longicarinata root nodules and Mesorhizobium cantuariense sp. nov. isolated from Sophora microphylla root nodules.

In total 14 strains of Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacteria were isolated from Sophora longicarinata and Sophora microphylla root nodules and authenticated as rhizobia on these hosts. Based on the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, they were shown to belong to the genus Mesorhizobium, and the strains from S. longicarinata were most closely related to Mesorhizobium amorphae ACCC 19665T (99.

Alkaloid variation in New Zealand kōwhai, Sophora species.

Alkaloid contents of leaf and seed samples of eight species of Sophora native to New Zealand, plus Sophora cassioides from Chile are reported. Fifty-six leaf and forty-two seed samples were analysed for alkaloid content by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which showed major alkaloids as cytisine, N-methyl cytisine and matrine. GC analyses quantified these and identified further alkaloid components.

When do plant radiations influence community assembly? The importance of historical contingency in the race for niche space.

Plant radiations are widespread but their influence on community assembly has rarely been investigated. Theory and some evidence suggest that radiations can allow lineages to monopolize niche space when founding species arrive early into new bioclimatic regions and exploit ecological opportunities. These early radiations may subsequently reduce niche availability and dampen diversification of later arrivals.

Diverse novel mesorhizobia nodulate New Zealand native Sophora species.

Forty eight rhizobial isolates from New Zealand (NZ) native Sophora spp. growing in natural ecosystems were characterised. Thirty eight isolates across five groups showed greatest similarity to Mesorhizobium ciceri LMG 14989(T) with respect to their 16S rRNA and concatenated recA, glnll and rpoB sequences.

Sophora microphylla (Fabaceae) microsatellite markers and their utility across the genus.

Premise Of The Study: Genus-specific microsatellite markers were developed for Sophora for population genetic and systematic studies of the group in New Zealand, and potentially elsewhere in the geographic range. •

Methods And Results: From sequencing a total genomic DNA library (using Roche 454), we identified and developed 29 polymorphic microsatellite markers for S. microphylla and S.

Species radiation by niche shifts in New Zealand's rockcresses (Pachycladon, Brassicaceae).

Adaptive radiations such as the Darwin finches in the Galapagos or the cichlid fishes from the Eastern African Great Lakes have been a constant source of inspiration for biologists and a stimulus for evolutionary thinking. A central concept behind adaptive radiation is that of evolution by niche shifts, or ecological speciation. Evidence for adaptive radiations generally requires a strong correlation between phenotypic traits and the environment.

Chemosystematic analyses of Gingidia volatiles.

The leave volatiles of six Gingidia species from New Zealand and Australia and the seed volatiles of G. grisea were characterized by solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-GC/MS analysis. This technique, using a small quantity of samples and automated extraction, gave repeatable results, with maximum sensitivity for medium volatility compounds.

Rhizobia with 16S rRNA and nifH similar to Mesorhizobium huakuii but Novel recA, glnII, nodA and nodC genes are symbionts of New Zealand Carmichaelinae.

New Zealand became geographically isolated about 80 million years ago and this separation gave rise to a unique native flora including four genera of legume, Carmichaelia, Clianthus and Montigena in the Carmichaelinae clade, tribe Galegeae, and Sophora, tribe Sophoreae, sub-family Papilionoideae. Ten bacterial strains isolated from NZ Carmichaelinae growing in natural ecosystems grouped close to the Mesorhizobium huakuii type strain in relation to their 16S rRNA and nifH gene sequences. However, the ten strains separated into four groups on the basis of their recA and glnII sequences: all groups were clearly distinct from all Mesorhizobium type strains.

A critical review of melanoma pathology reports for patients referred to the Western Australian Melanoma Advisory Service.

Aim: To assess concordance between the histopathological reports of referring pathologists and those of pathologists reviewing the cases for the Western Australia Melanoma Advisory Service.

Methods: A retrospective review of 721 pathology reports from 2000 to 2009 was conducted. Histological features including Breslow thickness, Clark level, tumour type and clinicopathological staging [American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)] were compared.

Plant radiation history affects community assembly: evidence from the New Zealand alpine.

The hypothesis that early plant radiations on islands dampen diversification and reduce habitat occupancy of later radiations via niche pre-emption has never, to our knowledge, been tested. We investigated clade-level dynamics in plant radiations in the alpine zone, New Zealand. Our aim was to determine whether radiations from older colonizations influenced diversification and community dominance of species from later colonizations within a common bioclimatic zone over the past ca 10 Myr.

Island species radiation and karyotypic stasis in Pachycladon allopolyploids.

Background: Pachycladon (Brassicaceae, tribe Camelineae) is a monophyletic genus of ten morphologically and ecogeographically differentiated, and presumably allopolyploid species occurring in the South Island of New Zealand and in Tasmania. All Pachycladon species possess ten chromosome pairs (2n = 20). The feasibility of comparative chromosome painting (CCP) in crucifer species allows the origin and genome evolution in this genus to be elucidated.

Inhibition of established subcutaneous murine tumour growth with topical Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil.

Purpose: Systemic toxicity coupled with long treatment regimes of approved topical chemotherapeutic agents such as imiquimod and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are limiting. There is now more focus on the potential use of topical terpene agents as skin cancer treatments. Here, we show for the first time that topical Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil (TTO), abundant in terpenes, has in vivo antitumour activity.

Atypical fibroxanthoma: a histological and immunohistochemical review of 171 cases.

The clinical and histological features of 171 atypical fibroxanthomas (AFX) from a single institution in Western Australia are outlined. This area experiences high levels of solar radiation, and all assessable biopsies showed solar elastosis. Patients were aged between 41 and 97 years (median age 74), with 76% of tumors occurring in men (male to female ratio approximately 3 to 1).

Transcript and protein profiling identify candidate gene sets of potential adaptive significance in New Zealand Pachycladon.

Background: Transcript profiling of closely related species provides a means for identifying genes potentially important in species diversification. However, the predictive value of transcript profiling for inferring downstream-physiological processes has been unclear. In the present study we use shotgun proteomics to validate inferences from microarray studies regarding physiological differences in three Pachycladon species.

Melanocytic tumors of uncertain malignant potential: results of a tutorial held at the XXIX Symposium of the International Society of Dermatopathology in Graz, October 2008.

Several reports demonstrated the difficulties and lack of agreement in the histopathologic diagnosis of particular melanocytic tumors (atypical Spitz tumors, atypical blue nevi, deep penetrating nevi). These lesions are often referred to as "melanocytic tumors of uncertain malignant potential" (MELTUMP). We studied a large number of such tumors to find out whether repeatable histopathologic criteria for distinction of benign from malignant cases exist.

Pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma: favorable outcome after 5-year follow-up.

Pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma (PEM) is a recently described entity encompassing epithelioid blue nevus (of Carney complex) and most tumors earlier considered as so-called "animal-type melanoma". Loss of expression of a Carney complex gene, cyclic adenosine 3',5' monophosphate-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunit 1alpha, is observed in the majority of PEMs. Initial reports with short-term follow-up have suggested that although PEMs frequently metastasize to lymph nodes, they have a more favorable outcome than conventional melanomas.

A Pleistocene inter-tribal allopolyploidization event precedes the species radiation of Pachycladon (Brassicaceae) in New Zealand.

The Southern Alps in New Zealand contain many herbaceous plant groups that have radiated during the Plicoene-Pleistocene. The species in these genera tend to be polyploid relative to their overseas close relatives, an observation of much interest given that hybridization and allopolyploidy have recently been suggested as a possible stimulus for adaptive radiation. We were interested to determine whether or not allopollyploidy was a feature of Pachycladon, a genus which is hypothesised to have adaptively diversified onto different geological substrates in the mountains of the South Island of New Zealand.