Changes in segmentation and setation along the anterior/posterior axis of the homonomous trunk limbs of a remipede (Crustacea, Arthropoda).

This study describes the segmentation and setation at different developmental stages of the homonomous trunk limbs of the remipede Speleonectes tulumensis Yager, 1987 collected in anchialine caves of the Yucatan Peninsula. Most homonomous trunk limbs originate ventrolaterally and are composed of two protopodal segments, three exopodal segments and four endopodal segments; contralateral limb pairs are united by a sternal bar. However, the last few posterior limbs originate ventrally, are smaller sized, and have regressively fewer segments, suggesting that limb development passes through several intermediate steps beginning with a limb bud. A terminal stage of development is proposed for specimens on which the posterior somite bears a simple bilobate limb bud, and the adjacent somite bears a limb with a protopod comprised of a coxapod and basipod, and with three exopodal and four endopodal segments. On each trunk limb there are 20 serially homologous groups of setae, and the numbers of setae on different limbs usually varies. These groups of setae are arranged linearly and are identified based on the morphology of the setae and their position on the segments. The number of setae in these groups increases gradually from the anterior homonomous limb to a maximum between limbs 8-12; the number then decreases sharply on the more posterior limbs. Changes in the number of setae, which reach a maximum between trunk limbs 8-12, differ from changes in segmentation which vary only over the last few posterior trunk limbs. Following a vector analysis that identified a spatial pattern for these 20 groups of setae among the different homonomous limbs, the hypothesis was confirmed that the number of setae in any given group and any given limb is correlated with the group, with the position of the somite along the body axis, and with the number of somites present on the specimens. This is the first vector analysis used to analyze a pattern of developmental changes in serially homologs of an arthropod. Development of remipede limbs are compared and contrasted with similar copepod limbs. Architecture, particularly the sternal bar uniting contralateral limb pairs, proposed as homologous, and development of trunk limb segmentation of the remipede is generally similar to that of copepods, but the remipede limb differs in several ways including an additional endopodal segment, the proximal, that appears simultaneously with the protopod during development.

Synthesis of (+)-crocacin D and simplified bioactive analogues.

The total synthesis of (+)-crocacin D has been achieved in 15 steps (9 isolated intermediates) and 14% overall yield from commercially available starting materials and using (+)-crocacin C as a key intermediate. A number of simplified analogues and their biological activities are also reported.

Convergent approach to complex spirocyclic pyrans: practical synthesis of the oxa-pinnaic acid core.

The enantioselective synthesis of the oxa-pinnaic acid framework has been achieved through internal asymmetric induction. The synthetic strategy pursued illustrates the adaptability of the Achmatowicz oxidative rearrangement for the synthesis of complex spirocyclic pyrans starting from tertiary alcohols.

Step-economic synthesis of (+)-crocacin C: a concise crotylboronation/[3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement approach.

The step-economic total synthesis of (+)-crocacin C has been achieved in 20% yield from commercially available starting materials. This approach requires the isolation of only 8 intermediates and can provide a reliable supply of (+)-crocacin C for the development of new antifungal and crop protection agents.

Very bright green fluorescent proteins from the Pontellid copepod Pontella mimocerami.

BACKGROUND: Fluorescent proteins (FP) homologous to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria have revolutionized biomedical research due to their usefulness as genetically encoded fluorescent labels. Fluorescent proteins from copepods are particularly promising due to their high brightness and rapid fluorescence development. RESULTS: Here we report two novel FPs from Pontella mimocerami (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pontellidae), which were identified via fluorescence screening of a bacterial cDNA expression library prepared from the whole-body total RNA of the animal. The proteins are very similar in sequence and spectroscopic properties. They possess high molar extinction coefficients (79,000 M(-1) cm(-)) and quantum yields (0.92), which make them more than two-fold brighter than the most common FP marker, EGFP. Both proteins form oligomers, which we were able to counteract to some extent by mutagenesis of the N-terminal region; however, this particular modification resulted in substantial drop in brightness. CONCLUSIONS: The spectroscopic characteristics of the two P. mimocerami proteins place them among the brightest green FPs ever described. These proteins may therefore become valuable additions to the in vivo imaging toolkit.