Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in natural and urban ecosystems: Quercus humboldtii as a study case in the tropical Andes.

Worldwide urban landscapes are expanding because of the growing human population. Urban ecosystems serve as habitats to highly diverse communities. However, studies focusing on the diversity and structure of ectomycorrhizal communities are uncommon in this habitat. In Colombia, Quercus humboldtii Bonpl. is an ectomycorrhizal tree thriving in tropical montane forests hosting a high diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Q. humboldtii is planted as an urban tree in Bogotá (Colombia). We studied how root-associated fungal communities of this tree change between natural and urban areas. Using Illumina sequencing, we amplified the ITS1 region and analyzed the resulting data using both OTUs and Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) bioinformatics pipelines. The results obtained using both pipelines showed no substantial differences between OTUs and ASVs for the community patterns of root-associated fungi, and only differences in species richness were observed. We found no significant differences in the species richness between urban and rural sites based on Fisher's alpha or species-accumulation curves. However, we found significant differences in the community composition of fungi present in the roots of rural and urban trees with rural communities being dominated by Russula and Lactarius and urban communities by Scleroderma, Hydnangium, and Trechispora, suggesting a high impact of urban disturbances on ectomycorrhizal fungal communities. Our results highlight the importance of urban trees as reservoirs of fungal diversity and the potential impact of urban conditions on favoring fungal species adapted to more disturbed ecosystems.

The genome assembly of Island Oak (Quercus tomentella), a relictual island tree species.

Island oak (Quercus tomentella) is a rare relictual island tree species that exists only on six islands off the coast of California and Mexico, but was once widespread throughout mainland California. Currently, this species is endangered by threats such as non-native plants, grazing animals, and human removal. Efforts for conservation and restoration of island oak currently underway could benefit from information about its range-wide genetic structure and evolutionary history. Here we present a high-quality genome assembly for Q. tomentella, assembled using PacBio HiFi and Omni-C sequencing, developed as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). The resulting assembly has a length of 781 Mb, with a contig N50 of 22.0 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 63.4 Mb. This genome assembly will provide a resource for genomics-informed conservation of this rare oak species. Additionally, this reference genome will be the first one available for a species in Quercus section Protobalanus, a unique oak clade present only in western North America.

Advances in the development of tailor-made color alcoholic beverages based on an accelerated maturation process.

The study of the evolution of color of alcoholic beverages subjected to accelerate maturation process using heat-treated French oak wood fragments is presented. The results show that it is possible to obtain tonalities like aged beverages in 4 weeks. In this sense, the fragments conditioned at 150 °C (light toasted) proportionated colors like white wine, pale straw, and pale gold. On the other hand, the fragments that received a heat treatment at 200 °C (medium toasted) present yellow tones such as old gold, amber, and deep gold. Finally, the fragments treated at 250 °C (heavily toasted) are those with the most intense yellow tones, classified as sweet chestnut, sherry, russet, muscat, and tawny. The studies of kinetic maturation concluded that the mathematical model of parabolic diffusion could correctly describe the process. Based on this, it is concluded that the heat treatment increases the cavities of the most exposed surface of the wood, increasing the maximum humidity of the materials by 20 %; in such a way that during the first two weeks, there is a diffusion of the solution to the active sites. Wood bioactive compounds on the outer surface achieve a rapid extraction, such as flavonoids, which oxidize rapidly within the solution, generating an increase in yellow color. The previous results were corroborated in a real case analysis using Tequila which can be concluded that the proposed process can give the beverage similar colors to an aged, extra-aged, and ultra-aged class in less than 4 weeks.

Antifungal In Vitro Activity of Phoradendron sp. Extracts on Fungal Isolates from Tomato Crop.

Synthetic chemicals are mainly used for the control of fungal diseases in tomato, causing the phytopathogens to generate resistance to the chemical active ingredient, with a consequent risk to human health and the environment. The use of plant extracts is an option for the control of these diseases, which is why the main objective of this research was to study an alternative biocontrol strategy for the management of plant diseases caused by fungi through obtaining polyphenol extracts from mistletoe plants growing on three different tree species-mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), cedar (Cedrus), and oak (Quercus), which contain flavones, anthocyanins, and luteolin. The overall chemical structure of the obtained plant extracts was investigated by RP-HPLC-ESI-MS liquid chromatography. The antifungal effect of these extracts was examined. The target phytopathogenic fungi were isolated from tomato plantations located in Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The microorganisms were characterized by classical and molecular methods and identified as Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium sp., and Rhizoctonia solani.

Tree and shrub recruitment under environmental disturbances in temperate forests in the south of Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Recruitment after disturbance events depends on many factors including the environmental conditions of the affected area and the vegetation that could potentially grow in such affected areas. To understand the regeneration characteristics that occurs in temperate forests, we evaluated differences in the number of seedlings from trees and shrubs along an altitudinal gradient in Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico in different biological, climatic, edaphic, light, topographic, and disturbance regimes. Here, we aimed to test the hypothesis that the environmental disturbances influence on recruitment (positive or adverse influence). We sampled the vegetation to obtain recruitment and adult data, and species composition. RESULTS: We identified three disturbance regimes: areas affected by forest harvesting, areas exposed to pest management, and undisturbed areas. We identified 29 species of trees and shrubs (9 species of the genus Pinus, 1 species of the genus Abies, 10 species of the genus Quercus, and 9 of other species of broadleaf). We found that both environmental conditions and disturbances influence the recruitment of vegetation in the study area. In particular, disturbances had a positive influence on the regeneration of oak and other broadleaf species by increasing the number of seedlings, and a negative influence on the regeneration of conifers by decreasing the recruitment. Because the recruitment of conifers is more likely in undisturbed areas (sites over 3050 m). CONCLUSIONS: Environmental factors and anthropogenic disturbances can alter the recruitment of forests. Consequently, knowing which factors are key for the recruitment of vegetation is fundamental for decision-making processes. This is particularly relevant in areas as the one in this study because it provides knowledge to local people on vegetation recovery for a proper management of their biological resources.

The Ant-like Tachydromia Complex in the Iberian Peninsula-Insights from Habitat Suitability Modelling for the Conservation of an Endemism (Diptera: Hybotidae).

Ant-like flies comprise nine Iberian endemic species of flightless Tachydromia. Severe knowledge gaps on distribution and ecological requirements hinder conservation assessments. Species distribution models were applied to unveil habitat suitability and to provide guidelines for future studies. An ensemble modeling approach combining ten different techniques was implemented with the biomod2 package. Occurrence data was partitioned into six sets, including two multi-species groups and four species. The most relevant drivers of habitat suitability are climate-related, followed by forest type and structure, according to well-defined biogeographic gradients. T. lusitanica and T. ebejeri are adapted to mild temperatures and high-humidity environments. Their distribution is connected to the Temperate-Eurosiberian life zone. T. semiaptera and T. iberica are adapted to progressively drier and hotter central and southern parts of the Iberian Peninsula, connected to transitional Temperate-submediterranean areas. Ant-like fly' ranges overlap with deciduous/marcescent oak species, acting as suitable indicators of their presence in Iberia. Southern marcescent forests emerge as "islands" with particular interest for future prospections. Ant-like flies are threatened by several factors such as climate change and habitat destruction, including urbanization and forest fires. This study provides vital tools to better assess the ant-like flies' conservation status and to manage their habitat.

Towards Autonomous Drone Racing without GPU Using an OAK-D Smart Camera.

Recent advances have shown for the first time that it is possible to beat a human with an autonomous drone in a drone race. However, this solution relies heavily on external sensors, specifically on the use of a motion capture system. Thus, a truly autonomous solution demands performing computationally intensive tasks such as gate detection, drone localisation, and state estimation. To this end, other solutions rely on specialised hardware such as graphics processing units (GPUs) whose onboard hardware versions are not as powerful as those available for desktop and server computers. An alternative is to combine specialised hardware with smart sensors capable of processing specific tasks on the chip, alleviating the need for the onboard processor to perform these computations. Motivated by this, we present the initial results of adapting a novel smart camera, known as the OpenCV AI Kit or OAK-D, as part of a solution for the ADR running entirely on board. This smart camera performs neural inference on the chip that does not use a GPU. It can also perform depth estimation with a stereo rig and run neural network models using images from a 4K colour camera as the input. Additionally, seeking to limit the payload to 200 g, we present a new 3D-printed design of the camera's back case, reducing the original weight 40%, thus enabling the drone to carry it in tandem with a host onboard computer, the Intel Stick compute, where we run a controller based on gate detection. The latter is performed with a neural model running on an OAK-D at an operation frequency of 40 Hz, enabling the drone to fly at a speed of 2 m/s. We deem these initial results promising toward the development of a truly autonomous solution that will run intensive computational tasks fully on board.

Impact of urbanization on functional diversity in macromycete communities along an urban ecosystem in Southwest Mexico.

Macromycetes are a group of fungi characterized by the production of fruit bodies and are highly relevant in most terrestrial ecosystems as pathogens, mutualists, and organic matter decomposers. Habitat transformation can drastically alter macromycete communities and diminish the contribution of these organisms to ecosystem functioning; however, knowledge on the effect of urbanization on macrofungal communities is scarce. Diversity metrics based on functional traits of macromycete species have shown to be valuable tools to predict how species contribute to ecosystem functionality since traits determine the performance of species in ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess patterns of species richness, functional diversity, and composition of macrofungi in an urban ecosystem in Southwest Mexico, and to identify microclimatic, environmental, and urban factors related to these patterns in order to infer the effect of urbanization on macromycete communities. We selected four oak forests along an urbanization gradient and established a permanent sampling area of 0.1 ha at each site. Macromycete sampling was carried out every week from June to October 2017. The indices used to measure functional diversity were functional richness (FRic), functional divergence (FDig), and functional evenness (FEve). The metric used to assess variation of macrofungal ecological function along the study area was the functional value. We recorded a total of 134 macromycete species and 223 individuals. Our results indicated a decline of species richness with increased urbanization level related mainly to microclimatic variables, and a high turnover of species composition among study sites, which appears to be related to microclimatic and urbanization variables. FRic decreased with urbanization level, indicating that some of the available resources in the niche space within the most urbanized sites are not being utilized. FDig increased with urbanization, which suggests a high degree of niche differentiation among macromycete species within communities in urbanized areas. FEve did not show notable differences along the urbanization gradient, indicating few variations in the distribution of abundances within the occupied sections of the niche space. Similarly, the functional value was markedly higher in the less urbanized site, suggesting greater performance of functional guilds in that area. Our findings suggest that urbanization has led to a loss of macromycete species and a decrease in functional diversity, causing some sections of the niche space to be hardly occupied and available resources to be under-utilized, which could, to a certain extent, affect ecosystem functioning and stability.

Potencial dendroclimático del encino rojo, Quercus sideroxyla (Fagaceae) en México / Dendroclimatic potential of red oak, Quercus sideroxyla (Fagaceae) in Mexico

Resumen Introducción: Los estudios dendrocronológicos en México se han basado principalmente en las coníferas, mientras que las especies de madera dura han sido poco estudiadas. Este ha sido el caso del género Quercus, con una alta diversidad taxonómica en el país pero que no ha sido estudiado con fines dendrocronológicos, a pesar de los valores ecológicos y económicos de sus especies. Objetivo: En la presente investigación se determinó el potencial dendroclimático de Quercus sideroxyla en el noroeste de México, y su relación con variables climáticas como precipitación y temperatura. Métodos: La investigación se desarrolló en el estado de Durango en el ejido Chavarría Viejo en las coordenadas (23º43' N & 105º33' W), se recolectaron muestras de 5 a 7 cm en dos sitios bajo aprovechamiento forestal y se procesaron mediante técnicas dendrocronológicas convencionales. Resultados: Se desarrolló una cronología de ancho de anillo total, la cual se compuso por 30 muestras de 16 árboles para el período de 1917 a 2018 (101 años). Se obtuvieron valores de intercorrelación entre series de 0.43, de sensibilidad media de 0.36, relación señal-ruido de 3.53 y autocorrelación de primer orden (0.58). En cuanto a la relación clima-crecimiento, los valores de índice de ancho de anillo se correlacionaron con datos de la estación climática más cercana al sitio de estudio; donde la precipitación invierno-primavera (enero-mayo) fue la variable de mayor influencia en el crecimiento de la especie. Conclusiones: Con base en los parámetros dendrocronológicos se demuestra el alto potencial de la especie para ser empleada en estudios dendroclimáticos en la región, la respuesta de la especie a la precipitación es similar al de las coníferas con las que cohabita.

Abstract Introduction: Dendrochronological studies in Mexico have been mainly based on conifers, while hardwood species have been little studied. This has been the case of the genus Quercus, which has a high taxonomic diversity in the country but has not been previously studied for dendrochronological issues, despite the ecological and economic values of oak species. Objective: In the present investigation, the dendroclimatic potential of Quercus sideroxyla in Northwestern Mexico was determined, as well as its relationship with climatic variables such as precipitation and temperature. Methods: The research was carried out in the state of Durango, Chavarría Viejo with coordinates (23º43' N & -105º33' W). Samples of 5 cm to 7cm were collected in two sites under forest exploitation and processed by conventional dendrochronological techniques. Results: A chronology of total ring width was developed, which was composed of 30 samples from 16 trees for the period from 1917 to 2018 (101 years). Inter-series intercorrelation values of 0.43, mean sensitivity of 0.36, signal-to-noise ratio of 3.53 and first-order autocorrelation (0.58) were obtained. Regarding the climate-growth relationship, the ring width index values were correlated with data from the climatic station nearest to the study site, where winter-spring precipitation (January-May) was the variable with the greatest influence on the growth of the species. Conclusions: Based on the dendrochronological parameters, the high potential of the species that were used in dendroclimatic studies in the region has demonstrated that the response of the species to precipitation is similar to that of the conifers with which the Quercus sideroxyla shares its habitat with.

Two new species and a new record of yellow Cantharellus from tropical Quercus forests in eastern Mexico with the proposal of a new name for the replacement of Craterellus confluens.

Two new species of yellow Cantharellus and a new record of Cantharellus tabernensis associated with tropical species of Quercus are presented, based on the taxonomic study of fresh specimens and in a phylogenetic analysis of transcription elongation factor 1-alpha (tef-1α) and the large subunit of the ribosome (nLSU) sequences. One of the new species proposed here, corresponds to a choice edible mushroom, which, in our molecular phylogeny, resulted in it being related to the group of species around C. lateritius and sister with Craterellus confluens type specimen. This latter is here formally transferred to Cantharellus and consequently a new name, Cantharellus furcatus, is proposed to replace the homonym Cantharellus confluens (Schwein.) Schwein. 1834 a later synonym of Byssomerulius corium. Detailed macroscopic and microscopic descriptions accompanied with illustrations and a taxonomic discussion are presented for each species.

Re-description and systematic re-appraisal of the genus Kokkocynips Pujade-Villar amp; Melika, (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), including new combinations of Nearctic species and the description of a new species from Panama.

The monophyly and taxonomic validity of some currently accepted genera of gall wasps in the Cynipini (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) are being challenged by recent systematic studies. Here we used morphological and molecular data to re-describe and revise the taxonomic limits of the monotypic genus Kokkocynips Pujade-Villar Melika, previously recorded only from Mexico.                We describe a new species from Panama, Kokkocynips panamensis Medianero Nieves-Aldrey, reared from galls on Quercus salicifolia Neé, and add new records from Mexico for the type species of the genus K. doctorrosae Pujade-Villar. Six Nearctic species, Dryocosmus rileyi (Ashmead, 1896), D. imbricariae (Ashmead, 1896), D. coxii (Basset, 1881), D. deciduus (Beutenmueller, 1913), Callirhytis difficilis (Ashmead, 1887) and C. attractans (Kinsey, 1922) are transferred to Kokkocynips. Species of Kokkocynips are associated only with red oaks (Quercus section Lobatae (Fagaceae)) and are distributed in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, from Canada through Mexico and Panama. Taxonomic limits of Kokkocynips are discussed in light of the molecular phylogenetic relationships of the studied species. Diagnostic characters, gall description, distribution, and biological data of Kokkocynips species are given, including a key for the identification of the asexual generations of seven species.

Bryophyte and lichen biomass and nitrogen fixation in a high elevation cloud forest in Cerro de La Muerte, Costa Rica.

Cloud forests have been found to lose more nitrogen in stream discharge than they gain from atmospheric deposition. They also support a large diversity and biomass of tree epiphytes, predominately composed of cryptogams. Since cryptogam epiphytes harbor nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, they may help make up for the nitrogen loss from ecosystems. We assessed cryptogam biomass on the ground, boles and branches in Quercus costaricensis dominated stands near the tree line in the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Nitrogen fixation was assayed using 15N2 uptake. Total cryptogam biomass was 2 977 kg ha-1, with 67% being found on the lower branches. Bryophytes and chlorolichens made up 53% and 44%, respectively, of the biomass. Half of the bryophyte mass was composed of the liverwort Plagiochila heterophylla, and 66% of the chlorolichen of Lobariella pallida. There were no significant differences in nitrogen fixation rates between the cryptogam species, with a mean rate of 5.04 µg N g-1 day-1 during the predominantly wet condition in the forest. The overall nitrogen input from fixation was 6.1 kg N ha-1 year-1, of which 78% came from bryophytes, 18% from chlorolichens, and 4% from cyanolichens. Only 2.0% of the fixation occurred in cryptogams on the ground, whereas 67%, 24%, and 7% occurred on the lower branches, boles, and upper branches, respectively. These results show that tree epiphytes constitute a significant source of nitrogen for these forests, due to the trees' large surface area, and can make up for the nitrogen lost from these ecosystems.

Madre Monte Natural Conservation Area in the Colombian Andes as Model for Preservation of Fungi in Quercus humboldtii Forests

Abstract Few conservation studies have been done with Agaricales fungi (mushrooms) of the Andes and conservation areas created in many countries have no priorities in protecting fungi. Small areas can be also very important to preserve rare and unknown fungi species, but evaluations are still needed. Applying the technique of the transects in the natural reserve of Madre Monte in Arcabuco, Boyacá Province, in the Colombian Andes (a characteristic oak forest - Quercus humboldtii - Fagaceae), the diversity and ecological data were collected and compared to the fungi already known in the country and their conservation status, to understand how fungi are protected indirectly with the creation of preservation areas. The samples were identified at the Laboratorio del Grupo de Investigación Biología para la Conservación de la Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnológica of Colombia. A total of 331 specimens and 46 species of Agaricales were collected and identified. The presence of rare species, like Lactifluus gerardii, Cortinarius violaceus and Cortinarius boyacensis, reinforces the importance of creating more small areas in the preservation of mushroom species. Only 43 species of Agaricales were reported to the province, being 19 new citations to the area, what is an indication that the diversity in the Colombian Andes is higher than suspected and that even small conservation areas have of profound impact in fungi conservation. Some of the mushrooms found are also first references to Colombia, like Panaeolus rickenii and Protostropharia dorsipora, but these were found growing in horse manure, being introduced. The impact of domestic animals and exotic trees in the mycobiota of preservation areas needs to be better evaluated.

Neither ant dominance nor abundance explain ant-plant network structure in Mexican temperate forests.

BACKGROUND: Ant-plant mutualistic networks tend to have a nested structure that contributes to their stability, but the ecological factors that give rise to this structure are not fully understood. Here, we evaluate whether ant abundance and dominance hierarchy determine the structure of the ant-plant networks in two types of vegetation: oak and grassland, in two temperate environments of Mexico: Flor del Bosque State Park (FBSP) and La Malinche National Park (MNP). We predicted that dominant and abundant ant species make up the core, and submissives, the periphery of the network. We also expected a higher specialization level in the ant trophic level than in plant trophic level due to competition among the ant species for the plant-derived resources. METHODS: The ant-plant interaction network was obtained from the frequency of ant-plant interactions. We calculated a dominance hierarchy index for the ants using sampling with baits and evaluated their abundance using pitfall traps. RESULTS: In MNP, the Formica spp. species complex formed the core of the network (in both the oak forest and the grassland), while in FBSP, the core species were Prenolepis imparis (oak forest) and Camponotus rubrithorax (grassland). Although these core species were dominant in their respective sites, they were not necessarily the most dominant ant species. Three of the four networks (oak forest and grassland in FBSP, and oak forest in MNP) were nested and had a higher number of plant species than ant species. Although greater specialization was observed in the ant trophic level in the two sites and vegetations, possibly due to competition with the more dominant ant species, this was not statistically significant. In three of these networks (grassland and oak forest of MNP and oak forest of FBSP), we found no correlation between the dominance hierarchy and abundance of the ant species and their position within the network. However, a positive correlation was found between the nestedness contribution value and ant dominance hierarchy in the grassland of the site FBSP, which could be due to the richer ant-plant network and higher dominance index of this community. CONCLUSIONS: Our evidence suggests that ant abundance and dominance hierarchy have little influence on network structure in temperate ecosystems, probably due to the species-poor ant-plant network and a dominance hierarchy formed only by the presence of dominant and submissive species with no intermediate dominant species between them (absence of gradient in hierarchy) in these ecosystems.

Lignin-derived phenolic compounds in cachaça aged in new barrels made from two oak species.

Aging cachaça in wooden barrels is essential to improve its quality. The level of maturation of distillates can be determined based on the contents of aging-marker phenolic compounds extracted from the lignin of the wooden barrel. This study aimed to characterize the aging process of cachaça by analyzing the mechanism of lignin degradation during its maturation in new barrels made from two oak species, European (Quercus petraea) and American (Quercus alba), for up to 60 months. Evaluation was based on the analyses of cinnamic aldehydes (sinapaldehyde and coniferaldehyde), benzoic aldehydes (syringaldehyde and vanillin), and benzoic acids (syringic and vanillic acids) using high-performance liquid chromatography. Oak species had a significant effect on all the studied phenolic compounds. Higher contents of all the identified phenolic compounds were found in cachaça aged in barrels made from American oak. The total contents of benzoic acids (vanillic and syringic acids) can be considered for predicting the level of maturation of cachaça aged in barrels made from both oak species. Based on the composition of maturation-related congeners, it is likely that for cachaça each year of aging in new oak barrels corresponds to approximately 5 years of aging for spirits in general commercialized worldwide.

Description of three new species of oak gallwasps of the genus Amphibolips Reinhard from Mexico (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae).

Three new species of oak gall wasps of the genus Amphibolips Reinhard, 1865 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) are described from Mexico: Amphibolips magnigalla Nieves-Aldrey & Castillejos-Lemus, Amphibolips kinseyi Nieves-Aldrey & Castillejos-Lemus and Amphibolips nigrialatus Nieves-Aldrey & Castillejos-Lemus. The specimens of the first two species were representative of sexual generations and come from the State of Oaxaca, while only a female, collected in the State of Veracruz, is described for A. nigrialatus. The new species induces galls on Quercus zempoaltepecana and Q. sapotifolia (Fagaceae, section Lobatae, red oaks). Descriptions of the diagnostic morphological characteristics of the three species and a key for their identification are provided. The taxonomic relationships of the new species with other species of Amphibolips are discussed; the three new species are closely allied amongst themselves and are related to A. dampfi Kinsey, 1937. With the three newly-described species, the number of Amphibolips in Mexico is increased to 23.

Nuclear phylogeography of the temperate tree species Chiranthodendron pentadactylon (Malvaceae): Quaternary relicts in Mesoamerican cloud forests.

BACKGROUND: The Mexican hand tree or Canac (Chiranthodendron pentadactylon) is a temperate tree species of cloud and pine-oak forests of southern Mexico and Guatemala. Its characteristic hand-shaped flower is used in folk medicine and has constituted the iconic symbol of the Sociedad Botánica de México since 1940. Here, the evolutionary history of this species was estimated through phylogeographic analyses of nuclear DNA sequences obtained through restriction site associated DNA sequencing and ecological niche modeling. Total genomic DNA was extracted from leaf samples obtained from a representative number (5 to 10 per sampling site) of individuals distributed along the species geographic range. In Mexico, population is comprised by spatially isolated individuals which may follow the trends of cloud forest fragmentation. By contrast, in Guatemala Chiranthodendron may constitute a canopy dominant species near the Acatenango volcano. The distributional range of this species encompasses geographic provinces separated by the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The objectives of the study were to: (i) estimate its genetic structure to define whether the observed range disjunction exerted by the Isthmus of Tehuantepec translates into separate populations, (ii) link population divergence timing and demographic trends to historical climate change, and (iii) test hypotheses related to Pleistocene refugia. RESULTS: Patterns of genetic diversity indicated high levels of genetic differentiation between populations separated by the Isthmus. The western and eastern population diverged approximately 0.873 Million years ago (Ma). Demographic analyses supported a simultaneous split from an ancestral population and rapid expansion from a small stock approximately 0.2 Ma corresponding to a glacial period. The populations have remained stable since the LIG (130 Kilo years ago (Ka)). Species distribution modelling (SDM) predicted a decrease in potential distribution in the Last Interglacial (LIG) and an increase during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (22 Ka), Mid-Holocene (6 Ka) and present times. CONCLUSIONS: Divergence time estimations support the hypothesis that populations represent Quaternary relict elements of a species with broader and northernmost distribution. Pleistocene climatic shifts exerted major influence on the distribution of populations allowing dispersion during episodes of suitable climatic conditions and structuring during the first interglacial with a time period length of 100 Kilo years (Kyr) and the vicariant influence of the Isthmus. Limited demographic expansion and population connectivity during the LGM supports the moist forest hypothesis model.

Proteomic identification of allergenic proteins in red oak (Quercus rubra) pollen.

BACKGROUND: Red oak pollen is an important cause of allergic respiratory disease and it is widely distributed in North America and central Europe. To date, however, red oak pollen allergens have not been identified. Here, we describe the allergenic protein profile from red oak pollen. METHODS: Total proteins were extracted from red oak pollen using a modified phenolic extraction method, and, subsequently, proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) for both total protein stain (Coomassie Blue) and immunoblotting. A pool of 8 sera from red oak sensitive patients was used to analyze blotted proteins. Protein spots were analyzed by Mass Spectrometry. RESULTS: Electrophoretic pattern of total soluble proteins showed higher intensity bands in the regions of 26-40 and 47-52 kDa. Two dimensional immunoblots using pool sera from patients revealed four allergenic proteins spots with molecular masses in the range from 50 to 55 kDa. Mass spectrometry analysis identified 8 proteins including Enolase 1 and Enolase 1 chloroplastic, Xylose isomerase (X1 isoform), mitochondrial Aldehyde dehydrogenase, UTP-Glusose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, Betaxylosidase/alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase and alpha- and beta subunits of ATP synthase. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified for first time 8 IgE binding proteins from red oak pollen. These findings will pave the way towards the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for red oak allergy.

Dataset of volatile compounds identified, quantified and GDA generated of the maturation process of silver tequila in new French oak barrels.

This article contains data obtained by following the evolution of minor volatile compounds throughout 32 weeks of 100% Agave Silver tequila maturation in new French oak barrels under real cellar conditions. Barrels were made with the same cooperage methods in four French regions. Tequila samples were obtained every 2 weeks; volatile compounds were extracted and analyzed by GC-MS. Volatile compounds were identified and relatively quantified in % of Area. Obtained data are presented in three datasets: Identified compounds, quantification according to barrel origin, and quantification according to maturation time. General Discriminant Analysis of the quantification data sets are also shown. Interpretation of the data and discussion can be found in "Evolution of volatile compounds during the maturation process of Silver tequila in new French oak barrels" Martín-del-Campo, López-Ramírez and Estarrón-Espinosa [1].

Andricus Barriosi: a new species of oak gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) from Panama.

A new species of Andricus Hartig 1840 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) is described from Panama: Andricus barriosi sp. nov. The new species induces galls on Quercus bumelioides Liebm. and Q. insignis M. Martens Galeotti (Fagaceae, sect. Quercus) and is the first species of the genus Andricus 'sensu lato' recorded from Panama. Andricus barriosi is part of a species complex that includes A. nievesaldreyi Pujade-Villar, A. georgei Pujade-Villar and A. maesi Pujade-Villar, which differ from the other species of the genus Andricus by having a characteristic striate-reticulate sculpture on the second metasomal tergum that is typically smooth in the other Andricus species. The diagnostic characters, gall description, distribution and biological data of the new species are given, and a key for the differentiation of the new species from related species is also provided.