Complete mitogenomes of Turkish tree squirrels, Sciurus anomalus and S. vulgaris, (Sciuridae: Rodentia: Mammalia) and their phylogenetic status within the tribe Sciurini.

The genus Sciurus, a member of the family Sciuridae, is widely distributed in the Holarctic region. To better understand mitogenomic characteristics and to reveal internal phylogenetic relationships of the genus, 20 complete mitogenomes of Turkish tree squirrels were successfully sequenced for the first time, including 19 for S. anomalus (from 16,505 bp to 16,510 bp) and one for S. vulgaris (16,511 bp). The mitogenomes of two species were AT-biased. All tRNAs for two species displayed a typical clover-leaf structure, except for tRNASer(AGY). The tRNA Serine1 (S1)-GCT structure lacked the dihydrouridine (DHU) loop and stem. Based on mitogenomic dataset for phylogeny of Sciurinae, phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood) did not support monophyly of Sciurus and proposed that S. anomalus, the most basal taxa in the Sciurini tribe, had at least five mitogenome lineages, which were also supported by network analysis. The dissimilarities among the five lineages of S. anomalus ranged from 0.0042 (0.42%) to 0.0062 (0.62%) using K2P sequence pairwise distances. In addition to this mitogenomic analysis result, phylogenetic analyses using the CYTB + D-loop dataset proposed the existence of at least nine lineages for S. anomalus, which was different than those of the previous studies. The current study proposed that the use of mitogenomic data for reconstructing the phylogeny of Turkey's Sciurus holds an important value for revealing evolutionary relationships.

Why Do Muse Stem Cells Present an Enduring Stress Capacity? Hints from a Comparative Proteome Analysis.

Muse cells are adult stem cells that are present in the stroma of several organs and possess an enduring capacity to cope with endogenous and exogenous genotoxic stress. In cell therapy, the peculiar biological properties of Muse cells render them a possible natural alternative to mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) or to in vitro-generated pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Indeed, some studies have proved that Muse cells can survive in adverse microenvironments, such as those present in damaged/injured tissues. We performed an evaluation of Muse cells' proteome under basic conditions and followed oxidative stress treatment in order to identify ontologies, pathways, and networks that can be related to their enduring stress capacity. We executed the same analysis on iPSCs and MSCs, as a comparison. The Muse cells are enriched in several ontologies and pathways, such as endosomal vacuolar trafficking related to stress response, ubiquitin and proteasome degradation, and reactive oxygen scavenging. In Muse cells, the protein-protein interacting network has two key nodes with a high connectivity degree and betweenness: NFKB and CRKL. The protein NFKB is an almost-ubiquitous transcription factor related to many biological processes and can also have a role in protecting cells from apoptosis during exposure to a variety of stressors. CRKL is an adaptor protein and constitutes an integral part of the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway. The identified pathways and networks are all involved in the quality control of cell components and may explain the stress resistance of Muse cells.

Whole mitochondrial genome of long-clawed mole vole (Prometheomys schaposchnikowi) from Turkey, with its phylogenetic relationships.

The mitogenome of Prometheomys schaposchnikowi was characterized for the first time as a circular DNA molecule (16.284 bp), containing 37 coding and 2 non-coding regions. In the mitogenome, ND6 and 8 tRNA genes were encoded on the light chain, while 12 PCGs, 14 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, D-loop and OL were encoded on the heavy chain. The most common initiation codon in PCGs was ATG. As in many mammals, incomplete stop codons in P. schaposchnikowi were in the COX3, ND1 and ND4. Phylogenetic relationships were revealed using Bayesian method and the 13 PCGs. Seven genera (Arvicola, Dicrostonyx, Lasiopodomys, Myodes, Ondatra, Proedromys and Prometheomys) formed a monophyletic group, while Eothenomys, Microtus and Neodon were paraphyletic. P. schaposchnikowi constituted the most basal group within Arvicolinae. Divergence time estimation suggested that P. schaposchnikowi diversified during the Miocene (16.28 Mya). Further molecular studies are needed to test the distinctiveness and diversity of the genus Prometheomys.

Genetic characterization of the Turkish gray hamster (Cricetulus migratorius) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA sequences.

Although genetic diversity and phylogenetic status of the gray hamster (Cricetulus migratorius) have been investigated from different regions in previous studies, genetic data on this species from Turkey are still lacking, since previous data have been based on a limited number of gray hamsters sampled across the Anatolian part of Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of the Anatolian population and to reveal the phylogenetic relationships among the Anatolian population and conspecific populations of the gray hamster. The complete and partial fragments of mitochondrial Cyt b and 12S rRNA from the 20 Turkish samples were amplified and sequenced. Ten 12S rRNA (901 bp) and 15 Cyt b (1140 bp) haplotypes found in this work were not previously reported. Based on Bayesian, Maximum Likelihood, Neighbour-Joining and Median-Joining network analyses by using mitochondrial data under the name Cricetulus, the results of phylogenetic and network analyses indicated that there was a deep separation among the distinct lineages within the genus Cricetulus. When considering the position of the Turkish haplotypes in median joining network, the Anatolian part of Turkey may have hosted a source population of the gray hamster for expansion to adjacent regions in the past period. Additionally, the Anatolian population of gray hamster had relatively high haplotype diversity and the present study propounded the importance of data obtained from the Anatolian population of gray hamster to reveal the phylogenetic relationships among conspecific populations of the gray hamster.

DNA barcoding of three species (Canis aureus, Canis lupus and Vulpes vulpes) of Canidae.

Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene have been used for DNA barcoding and determining the genetic diversity of mammal species. In the current study, our intention was to test the validity of COI barcodes for detecting genetic divergence and to reveal whether or not there is a genetic variation at this marker within canids. Three species (Canis aureus, Canis lupus and Vulpes vulpes) from the family Canidae were selected for DNA barcoding using samples collected from Iran and Turkey. All three species had unique barcoding sequences and none of the sequences were shared among these species. The mean sequence divergences within and among the species were 0.61% and 12.32%, respectively, which fell into the mean divergence ranges found in some mammal groups. The genetic diversity of these three canid species was relatively higher than that found in previously reported studies.

Multigenic and morphometric differentiation of ground squirrels (Spermophilus, Scuiridae, Rodentia) in Turkey, with a description of a new species.

This study reports on the molecular phylogenetics of ground squirrels, genus Spermophilus, in Turkey using cytochrome b (1140bp), part of the D-loop and flanking tRNAs (572bp), X chromosome (867-1051bp) and Y chromosome (983-989bp) DNA sequences. Individuals also were characterized by karyotype and with geometric morphometric analyses of mandibles and skulls. Two hundred fourteen individuals from 91 localities were studied. All the data support the recognition of a new species in SW Anatolia: the Taurus ground squirrel Spermophilus taurensis sp. nov. The new species has a small distribution in the Taurus Mountains in an area that is a hotspot for biodiversity. Molecular clock analysis suggests that the new species diverged from the European ground squirrel, Spermophilus citellus, about 2.5 million years ago and that the ancestor of these two species diverged from the widespread Anatolian ground squirrel, Spermophilus xanthoprymnus, about 5 million years ago. Morphometric differentiation in skull and mandible shape among the three species is incomplete, but statistically significant. S. xanthoprymnus is subdivided into five cytochrome b phylogroups and we use these data to infer the location of glacial refugia where the species lived during the last glacial maximum. This study illustrates the potential of combined molecular and morphometric studies to uncover new Anatolian species and to reconstruct their phylogeographic history. The new species is important for squirrel taxonomy and for understanding Eurasian mammal evolution.

The effects of pentoxifylline on diabetic renal changes in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of pentoxifylline on the renal growth, the epidermal growth factor receptor expression, and renal total nitric oxide content in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Adult male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control (the N group), diabetic nephropathy (the DN group), and diabetic nephropathy treated with pentoxifylline at the dosage of 20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), intraperitoneally (the group DNP). Diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin intraperitoneally. The kidney wet weight (KWW) and dry weight (KDW), fractional kidney weight (FKW), glomerular volume (VG), renal tissue protein (RTP) contents, and renal tissue total nitric oxide (NO) production were determined after the rats were sacrificed on 10th day. There was a significant increase in KWW and KWD in the DNP and DN groups when compared to the N group (p=0.000 for the DNP group, p = 0.000 and p < 0.01 for the DN group). In the DN group, FKW was increased for both wet and dry kidney weight (p<0.05 and p=0.001, respectively) while in the DNP group there was increase in FKW only for dry kidney weight. VG was increased in both two diabetic groups (p<0.05), but this increase was less prominent in the rats treated with pentoxifylline. RTP was significantly decreased in the DNP group when compared with the values in the DN group (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemically epidermal growth factor receptor expression was increased in diabetic rats, and it was not affected by pentoxifylline treatment. In diabetic rats renal content of total NO was decreased (p<0.05 for the DNP group, p<0.01 for the DN group). In conclusion, the results provide that pentoxifylline may have some beneficial effects on renal changes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.