Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) disease in Epinephelus marginatus from the Balearic Islands marine protected areas.

This is the first description of a betanodavirus infection in the dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus within the marine protected areas (MPAs) of the Balearic Islands. Histopathology techniques were employed to describe neurological lesions in infected fish. Abnormal swimming, mortality, and neurological lesions were detected in all analysed grouper individuals. Virus particles were observed by means of transmission electron microscopy. Reverse transcription of RNA1 and RNA2 followed by cDNA amplification and sequencing allowed viral classification. Phylogenetic analysis showed the isolates from wild E. marginatus of the Balearic Islands MPAs to be closely related to Dicentrarchus labrax and Mullus barbatus strains from Cyprus and Italy. Although vertical transmission from infected spawners has been described as the major route for nodavirus infection, we point out in this work that horizontal transmission among sub-clinical fishes after migration or commercial import for aquaculture production could play a major role in the spreading of the disease in MPAs.

DNA metabarcoding the diet of Podarcis lizards endemic to the Balearic Islands.

Dietary studies are essential to unravel the functioning of ecosystems and ultimately to understand biodiversity. This task, which at first may seem simple, becomes especially complex in those cases of omnivorous species with highly variable diets. In this regard, the emergence of next-generation DNA sequencing methodologies represents a powerful tool to address the problem. Here we implement a high-throughput metabarcoding strategy based on the analysis of four molecular markers aimed at sequencing both mitochondrial (animal prey) and chloroplast (diet plants) genome fragments from fecal samples of two lizard species endemic to the Balearic Archipelago (Podarcis lilfordi and P. pityusensis) obtained through non-invasive methods. The results allowed for the characterization of their diets with a high degree of taxonomic detail and have contributed a large number of new trophic records. The reported diets are based mainly on the consumption of arthropods, mollusks and plants from a diversity of taxonomic orders, as well as carrion and marine subsidies. Our analyses also reveal inter- and intra-specific differences both in terms of seasonality and geographical distribution of the sampled lizard populations. These molecular findings provide new insights into the trophic interactions of these threatened endemic lizards in their unique and isolated ecosystems.

Forensic usefulness of a 25 X-chromosome single-nucleotide polymorphism marker set.

BACKGROUND: The analysis of X-chromosome markers can be valuable in particular situations, for example, deficiency kinship cases, where the putative father cannot be typed. X-chromosome short-tandem repeats (X-STRs) are widely used in forensic genetics, while the use of X-chromosome single-nucleotide polymorphisms (X-SNPs) is still limited. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The forensic usefulness of a set of 25 SNPs located across the X-chromosome was analyzed in 13 populations. The applicability of the 25 X-SNPs in kinship testing was illustrated in two immigration cases where the conclusions based on the analysis of 15 autosomal STRs were ambiguous and, in one of the cases, misleading. The samples in the two cases were also typed for eight X-STRs, 52 autosomal SNPs, and seven autosomal variable number of tandem repeats. RESULTS: The combined power of discrimination of the 25 X-chromosome markers varied from one in 1.7×10(6) males to one in 7.8×10(9) females and the combined mean chance of exclusion varied between 99.78% in duos to 99.998% in trios. In the two immigration cases, the use of X-linked markers increased the number of genetic inconsistencies and the cases could be solved. The usefulness of X-chromosome markers was particularly illustrative in Case 1, where the typing of 25 X-SNPs would have been sufficient to exclude paternity. CONCLUSION: The high level of polymorphism, low degree of linkage disequilibrium, and very low probability of mutation of the 25 X-SNPs makes this set of markers suitable as a supplementary set of markers in relationship testing.