Genome skimming elucidates the evolutionary history of Octopoda.

Phylogenies for Octopoda have, until now, been based on morphological characters or a few genes. Here we provide the complete mitogenomes and the nuclear 18S and 28S ribosomal genes of twenty Octopoda specimens, comprising 18 species of Cirrata and Incirrata, representing 13 genera and all five putative families of Cirrata (Cirroctopodidae, Cirroteuthidae, Grimpoteuthidae, Opisthoteuthidae and Stauroteuthidae) and six families of Incirrata (Amphitretidae, Argonautidae, Bathypolypodidae, Eledonidae, Enteroctopodidae, and Megaleledonidae) which were assembled using genome skimming. Phylogenetic trees were built using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference with several alignment matrices. All mitochondrial genomes had the 'typical' genome composition and gene order previously reported for octopodiforms, except Bathypolypus ergasticus, which appears to lack ND5, two tRNA genes that flank ND5 and two other tRNA genes. Argonautoidea was revealed as sister to Octopodidae by the mitochondrial protein-coding gene dataset, however, it was recovered as sister to all other incirrate octopods with strong support in an analysis using nuclear rRNA genes. Within Cirrata, our study supports two existing classifications suggesting neither is likely in conflict with the true evolutionary history of the suborder. Genome skimming is useful in the analysis of phylogenetic relationships within Octopoda; inclusion of both mitochondrial and nuclear data may be key.

Histopathological determinants of tumor resistance: a special look to the immunohistochemical expression of carbonic anhydrase IX in human cancers.

Intrinsic and acquired drug resistance of tumor cells still causes the failure of treatment regimens in advanced human cancers. It may be driven by intrinsic tumor cells features, or may also arise from micro environmental influences. Hypoxia is a microenvironment feature associated with the aggressiveness and metastasizing ability of human solid cancers. Hypoxic cancer cells overexpress Carbonic Anhydrase IX (CA IX). CA IX ensures a favorable tumor intracellular pH, while contributing to stromal acidosis, which facilitates tumor invasion and metastasis. The overexpression of CA IX is considered an epiphenomenon of the presence of hypoxic, aggressive tumor cells. Recently, a relationship between CA IX overexpression and the cancer stem cells (CSCs) population has been hypothesized. CSCs are strictly regulated by tumor hypoxia and drive a major non-mutational mechanism of cancer drug-resistance. We reviewed the current data concerning the role of CA IX overexpression in human malignancies, extending such information to the expression of the stem cells markers CD44 and nestin in solid cancers, to explore their relationship with the biological behavior of tumors. CA IX is heavily expressed in advanced tumors. A positive trend of correlation between CA IX overexpression, tumor stage/grade and poor outcome emerged. Moreover, stromal CA IX expression was associated with adverse events occurrence, maybe signaling the direct action of CA IX in directing the mesenchymal changes that favor tumor invasion; in addition, membranous/cytoplasmic co-overexpression of CA IX and stem cells markers were found in several aggressive tumors. This suggests that CA IX targeting could indirectly deplete CSCs and counteract resistance of solid cancers in the clinical setting.

Mating behavior of a deep-sea squid revealed by in situ videography and the study of archived specimens.

The mating behavior of deep-sea squids is shrouded in mystery. The squids for which mating has been observed use a hectocotylus, a modified arm, for the transfer of sperm packets called spermatophores. However, many deep-sea squid species lack a hectocotylus. We present the first in situ observations of mating behavior in a deep-sea squid that has no hectocotylus but instead uses an elongated terminal organ for the transfer of spermatangia, which are released from the spermatophores and burrow deeply into the female tissue. With remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), we observed two mating pairs of the deep-sea squid Pholidoteuthis adami in the Gulf of Mexico. The male adopted a peculiar position during mating, with its ventral side up and its posterior mantle above the female's head. While the male held the female in what looked like a firm grip, we observed the long terminal organ extending through the funnel of the male, contacting the female dorsal mantle. Examinations of museum specimens show that spermatangia burrow from the outer dorsal mantle into the inner dorsal mantle. This combination of serendipitous in situ observations and archived specimens can be a powerful tool for understanding the behavior of deep-sea animals.

BAG3 controls angiogenesis through regulation of ERK phosphorylation.

BAG3 is a co-chaperone of the heat shock protein (Hsp) 70, is expressed in many cell types upon cell stress, however, its expression is constitutive in many tumours. We and others have previously shown that in neoplastic cells BAG3 exerts an anti-apoptotic function thus favoring tumour progression. As a consequence we have proposed BAG3 as a target of antineoplastic therapies. Here we identify a novel role for BAG3 in regulation of neo-angiogenesis and show that its downregulation results in reduced angiogenesis therefore expanding the role of BAG3 as a therapeutical target. In brief we show that BAG3 is expressed in endothelial cells and is essential for the interaction between ERK and its phosphatase DUSP6, as a consequence its removal results in reduced binding of DUSP6 to ERK and sustained ERK phosphorylation that in turn determines increased levels of p21 and p15 and cell-cycle arrest in the G1 phase.

A molecular phylogeny of the Octopoda (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) evaluated in light of morphological evidence.

In this paper we examine the phylogenetic relationships of the Octopoda utilizing molecular sequence data from the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and compare results from analyses of molecular data with classifications and phylogenies based on previous morphological studies. Partial COI sequences (657 bp, excluding primers) were obtained from 28 species representing most of the diversity in the Order Octopoda, along with a sequence from the established sister taxon to the Octopoda, Vampyroteuthis infernalis. Our results exhibit a number of basic differences from inferences based on standard morphological data. We attempt to resolve these differences based on our confidence in various morphological features. An important finding is the failure of the molecular data to support the monophyly of the Octopodidae. This family contains over 90% of the species in the Suborder Incirrata and has always been difficult to define. Statistical tests constraining Octopodidae monophyly by use of parsimony and maximum-likelihood techniques suggest that all incirrates may be derived from octopodids.

Acute monocular blindness associated with spontaneous common carotid artery dissection.

The evaluation of patients with loss of vision is common in the emergency department. Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a potentially reversible cause of acute monocular blindness. When evaluating a patient with CRAO, the potential underlying causes should be considered while simultaneously initiating treatment. We present a case of spontaneous common carotid artery dissection manifesting as CRAO and propose that spontaneous carotid artery dissection be included in the differential diagnosis of CRAO.

Habitat associations of mosquito and copepod species.

Copepods and mosquitoes were collected and identified over a 12-month period from three woodland ponds, discarded tires and a salt marsh. The species distribution of both mosquitoes and copepods varied among habitats and seasonally. Acanthocyclops vernalis was the predominant copepod in all of the habitats except the discarded tires, where Thermocyclops dybowskii was the predominant species. Amblyospora sp.-infected mosquitoes and copepods were found on several occasions in one of the woodland ponds and in the salt marsh. The results indicate that several copepod species have the potential to influence larval mosquito populations either directly as predators or indirectly as intermediate hosts of parasites.