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[Cestode larvae among the planktonic invertebrates of the Atlantic Ocean near the shores of Northwest Africa].

Larval cestodes were described from chaetognaths and some other planktonic animals of the north-west African coastal waters. They are species of the Trypanorhynchidea (Eutetrarhynchus sp.) and of the Tetraphyllidea (Scolex pleuronectis O. F. Müller of uni and trilocular type). Tetraphyllidea are represented also by blastocysts of the family Phyllobothriidae. Life cycles were discussed and specimens of the last group were compared to those of Rio de Janeiro.

Africa, Northern

Large Haplotypes Linked to Climate and Life History Variation in Divergent Lineages of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar).

Advances in sequencing are revealing that linked genomic architectures, enabling the evolution of co-adapted alleles at multiple loci, often shape complex phenotypes. Several recent studies have identified such architectures (e.g., chromosomal rearrangements and supergenes) contributing to adaptation or divergence across diverse species, from plants to mammals. Specifically, within Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar ), genomic studies are revealing large haplotypes and structural variants that may underpin local adaptation in the species. Using data from > 4000 individuals from 134 locations spanning the North Atlantic Ocean, we identify a large (~3 Mbp) genomic region on Ssa18 showing patterns of differentiation and linkage disequilibrium (LD) indicative of a large haplotype block containing three divergent haplotypes (herein A, B and C haplotypes). In Europe, haplotypes A and B were common, whereas A and C were more common within North America, suggesting a shared 'ancestral' A haplotype, with different continent-specific alternative haplotypes. Data support independent origins of divergent haplotypes in each continent, as well as signals of trans-oceanic introgression of haplotypes. Haplotype frequency is strongly associated with latitude, climate and life history (smolt age); however, the strength and direction of these relationships vary across continents. Overall, our analyses were consistent with other studies that identify chromosomal rearrangements; however, long-read sequence data did not find evidence of a structural variant, and instead an ancestral fusion may explain the formation and maintenance of the observed haplotypes. Our study contributes to ongoing efforts to understand the evolutionary role of linked genomic architecture in Atlantic salmon and its significance in salmonid diversification.

Climate Change

Characterization of a draft chromosome-scale genome assembly for the mutton snapper, Lutjanus analis.

BACKGROUND: The mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis) is a reef fish commonly found in tropical waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean. Genomic studies of this species are needed to support conservation efforts and breeding programs. OBJECTIVE: Here, we report the development of a chromosome-scale reference assembly for the mutton snapper and conduct an initial comparative genomic analysis with other lutjanids. METHODS: The genome of one mutton snapper specimen was sequenced using PAC-Bio HiFi long reads and Illumina short reads. Contigs and scaffolds were assembled in the Flye pipeline and anchored using Hi-C proximity guided assembly. Gene prediction and functional annotations were obtained in AUGUSTUS and eggNOG-mapper, respectively. The mutton snapper genome was compared to those of other lutjanids to infer gene family evolution and chromosome synteny conservation. RESULTS: Assembly and polishing yielded 946 contigs and 926 scaffolds (N50 of 3.16 Mb, complete BUSCO score 98.1%) that were anchored using Hi-C scaffolding in 24 draft chromosomes. The anchored assembly featured a N50 of 42.47 Mb and contained 97.6% of the unanchored assembly length. The 24 mutton snapper chromosomes showed a one-to-one syntenic relationship with their counterparts in medaka, and other Lutjanids. AUGUSTUS predicted 29,023 genes, 24,335 of which (83.85%) could be functionally annotated. Gene family evolution analysis revealed 1,014 significantly expanded or contracted hierarchical ortholog groups in mutton snapper. Expansions and contractions were linked to several biological functions including growth, oocyte maturation, and response to exogenous stressors. CONCLUSION: The draft genome will be a valuable tool for forthcoming applied genomic studies of mutton snapper.

Animals

Use of the adenylate energy charge ratio to measure growth state of natural microbial communities.

Measurement of the adenylate energy charge ratio is proposed as a means of determining the growth state of natural microbial communities and the effect of environmental changes on them. Observations on microbial cultures and on natural microbial populations from the Western North Atlantic Ocean water and from sediments of a costal salt marsh show that energy charge measurements do show the metabolic state of communities as well as species populations.

Adenine Nucleotides

Symbiotic interactions and climate change implications of the octocoral microbiome.

Octocorals are vital components of tropical, temperate, and cold-water benthic marine ecosystems. Their associated microbiomes, comprising microeukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses, are increasingly recognised as central to host health, nutrient cycling, and chemical defence. Metagenomics and amplicon sequencing have uncovered taxonomic and functional complexity within these microbial communities, revealing patterns of host specificity and health status, along with seasonality and geographic structuring. However, anthropogenic stressors, particularly those associated with global climate change, exert intense pressure on coral-dominated ecosystems, leading to complex and poorly understood local and regional patterns of octocoral expansion and mortality. Microbial interactions may be a main driver of these contrasting outcomes by mediating the ecological resilience of octocorals to environmental stress. We synthesise the current state of research on the diversity, organisation, and function of the octocoral microbiome, and identify critical knowledge gaps on octocoral holobionts relative to scleractinian corals. Our meta-analysis of 79 publicly available bacterial genomes from octocorals reveals group-specific specialisation in denitrification and nitrate assimilation, along with widespread capacities for essential amino acid, cofactor, and vitamin production, suggesting important contributions to nutrient cycling in the holobiont. While sampling efforts between cultured and uncultured lineages are even, our genomic survey reveals strong sampling bias toward the Atlantic Ocean, temperate gorgonians, and healthy host states, whereas bacterial genomes representing the pathobiome, tropical and/or deep-sea regions, and other octocoral taxa remain underrepresented. Accordingly, we propose future research directions to advance understanding of octocoral microbiome ecology and its role in the resilience of tropical, temperate and cold-water coral reefs.

Endozoicomonadaceae

Plasmids carried by antibiotic-resistant marine bacteria.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were isolated from seawater samples collected in the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern coast of the United States. Large numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains were found to be present in harbor and inshore waters; however, the percentage of resistant strains was higher for several seawater samples collected offshore than for those collected near shore. Bacteria resistant to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and streptomycin were found in nearly all samples collected, including samples from 200 miles (about 522 km) offshore and at depths to 8,200 m. Sediment samples, in general, were found to contain smaller populations of resistant strains as compared with the seawater samples examined. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria exhibiting phenetic characteristics common to autochthonous marine bacterial species were examined in detail, and several of the isolates exhibited unstable antibiotic resistance, which was transferable to recipient Escherichia coli cells. Deoxyribonucleic acid preparations from 10 strains examined by ethidium bromide-cesium chloride density sedimentation revealed that 6 of the strains contained covalently closed circular plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Some aspects of temperature regulation in newborn harp seal pups.

Harp seals are born on the drifting ice of the North Atlantic Ocean during arctic winter when temperatures of -20 degrees C, occasionally in combination with wind of 10 m/s, might prevail for days. At birth the pups lack subcutaneous blubber and the wet infantile fur has a conductance value of 30.0 W . m-2 . degrees C-1, as compared with only 2.0 W . m-2 . degrees C-1 when dry. While still wet immediately after birth the pups are nevertheless able to retain body core temperature by shivering. This activity leads to reduction of muscle fat and glycogen stores. Nonshivering thermogenesis commences in thermogenic adipose tissue by virtue of loosely coupled mitochondria. Thermogenic adipose tissue is found at birth both as a subcutaneous layer along the back and as internal deposits around venous plexuses in the neck, on the pericardium, on the kidneys, and the abdominal walls. After about 3 days of suckling the subcutaneous adipose tissue loses its thermogenic function being gradually transformed into blubber, whereas the internal deposits persist at least until the pups venture into water at the age of 3-4 wk.

Adipose Tissue

Antibacterial activity of seawater and microvibrion-predators (Microvibrio marinus Roscoffensis) in it.

In the seawater of the Atlantic Ocean and surface waters of different points of the World Ocean, including arctic basins and equatorial regions, microvibrion-predators of bacterial cells have been discovered. The number of microvibrions in the surface waters of the English Channel reaches a thousand cells per ml, but it varies, depending on the season. In this article a method of the separation and culture of microvibrions is described. The ultrastructure of two strains of microvibrions was investigated and a similarity found between their structure and Gram-negative bacteria. The distinctive features of microvibrions are their sea derivation and the ability to reproduce only in the presence of bacteria, without penetrating bacterial cells. To a certain extent, the antibacterial activity of seawater is connected with the presence in it of microvibrions.

Antibiosis

Parasitism in some east Atlantic bathypelagic fishes with a description of Lecithophyllum irelandeum sp. n. (Trematoda).

Eighty-four bathypelagic fishes collected at depths from 975 to 1,555 m in the eastern Atlantic Ocean were examined for animal parasites. Ninety-five percent (including all the Gonostomatidae) were free from parasites. A digenetic trematode, Lecithophyllum irelandeum sp. n. from the stomach of one specimen of the family. Melamphaidae, is described. One copepod was found in the kidney of Bathylagus euryops, and another copepod infected the liver of a melamphaid. This paucity of parasites is of a different pattern from that found in mesopelagic waters. Some environmental factors that may be involved in the causes of this differences are mentioned.

Animals

[Geographical distribution of the cercariae parasites of the molluscs belonging to the genus Hydrobia in France (author's transl)].

The author lists forty eight different species of larval digenean trematodes, observed in 20,000 molluscs belonging to the genus Hydrobia (H. ulvae, H. acuta and H. ventrosa). These hosts were examined from twelve different salt marshes and estuaries around the coasts of France (seven on the Channel, three on the Atlantic Ocean and two on the Mediterranean sea). The collections were made in fifteen sites from 1973 to 1977. The list of the species of larval trematodes found in each site is shown in fifteen tables. These one sum up the prevalence of parasitism in each population of molluscs collected and at times its incidence over a period of two years or more.

Animals

Henneguya sp. (Cnidospora:Myxosporida) parasitic in the heart of the bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix.

A myxosporidan parasite, Henneguya sp., was discovered in the bulbus and truncus arteriosus of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix. Infected fish were captured from the Atlantic Ocean near Montauk Point, Long Island, New York, Raritan Bay, New Jersey, and Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Comparative features of mature spores showed that they were similar to those of Henneguya sebasta Moser and Love 1975, from the bulbus arteriosus of seven species of California rockfish, Sebastes. Studies on growth stages of the parasite from both host species are necessary before a definite identification of the bluefish parasite can be made.

Age Factors

The Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) capensis group (Acarina: Ixodoidea: Argasidae) of the palearctic and oriental regions. O. (A.) maritimus: identity, marine bird hosts, virus infections, and distribution in western Europe and northwestern Africa.

In 1967, Vermeil and Marguet described Ornithodoros coniceps maritimus from larvae reared from larvae taken from marine birds on Dumet Island (Atlantic Ocean), Basse Bretagne, France. We collected O. (A.) coniceps Canestrini, 1890, from the type locality (Venice, Italy) and determined that the taxons coniceps and maritimus each require full species status. We selected a lectotype and paralectotypes for the taxon maritimus from the original Dumet Island material. The larva of maritimus is redescribed and the nymph, male, and female are described for the first time. Collection data are recorded from Dumet and other islands off France, Aegimures Islands off Tunisia, Puffin Island off northern Wales, and Great Saltee Island off Ireland. This tick infests nesting colonies of the common tern, roseate tern, sandwich tern, herring gull (northern and Mediterranean races), common cormorant, shag, razorbill, common murre, black-legged kittiwake, and probably other marine birds nesting nearby. Adults and nymphs (tentatively identified as maritimus but lacking associated larvae for full confirmation) were taken near nests of the little egret in Lake Tunis, Tunisia. Soldado virus was isolated from Puffin Island tick samples and a Soldado-like virus from Great Saltee Island tick samples. An experimental study of West Nile virus in the Tunisian tick population is reviewed. The birds species associated with maritimus in each collecting locality, and their nesting and resting habits and migration patterns in relation to tick and arbovirus survival and distribution, will be reported in the following paper in this series.

Animals

Mitogenomic and phylogenomic analyses identify a cohesive Western Atlantic lineage within the Narcine complex (Torpediniformes: Narcinidae).

BACKGROUND: Accurate species delimitation within electric rays of the genus Narcine has been hindered by overlapping morphological characters and limited molecular resolution in previous single-locus studies. This study aims to evaluate phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries within the Narcine species complex across the Western Atlantic using complete mitochondrial genomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seven complete mitogenomes were newly assembled from individuals representing distinct morphotypes sampled across geographically widespread Western Atlantic localities and analyzed together with publicly available reference sequences. Mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs) were examined using concatenated nucleotide and amino acid datasets under partitioned maximum-likelihood frameworks. Both approaches recovered highly congruent topologies, consistently supporting a single, well-defined western Atlantic mitochondrial lineage with low internal divergence (0.04-2.13%). Species delimitation analyses based on multiple methods yielded partially congruent results but consistently identified a dominant lineage encompassing all Atlantic samples. In contrast, two Colombian reference mitogenomes formed a separate and highly divergent lineage relative to the Atlantic group, despite showing moderate divergence between them. Comparative mitogenomic analyses revealed conserved genome organization, nucleotide composition bias, codon usage, and transfer RNA (tRNA) structures. All PCGs evolved under strong purifying selection, with Ka/Ks ratios well below unity. CONCLUSIONS: These results support mitochondrial genetic continuity across the Western Atlantic Narcine populations and do not provide mitochondrial evidence for multiple evolutionary lineages within the Western Atlantic. The marked mitochondrial divergence of Colombian reference mitogenomes highlights potential issues in sequence attribution and underscores the importance of data curation. Overall, complete mitochondrial genomes provide a robust framework for species delimitation and future integrative taxonomic assessments within Narcine.

Animals

Diversity and population connectivity of members of the family Eunicidae inhabiting deep-water corals in the North Atlantic.

Eunicid polychaetes are often found in association with Cold Water Corals (CWCs), even establishing symbiotic relationships, such as those described between Desmophyllum pertusum and Eunice norvegica. While genetic connectivity of CWCs across the North Atlantic has been widely studied, little is known about their associated fauna in this regard. Here, we present a study combining a focused analysis of the genetic and genomic connectivity of E. norvegica with a regional assessment of the distribution and evolutionary relationships of three CWC-associated eunicid species from the Cantabrian Sea and the North of the United Kingdom (190-1,230 m depth). An integrative approach using genetic (16S, COI and 18S), morphological and ecological data allowed the identification of the eunicids studied, with new records of Eunice cf. nicidioformis and Leodice cf. antarctica in the Cantabrian Sea, as well as previously undocumented associations with CWC species. In addition, RADseq data contributed to the delimitation of the closely related species E. norvegica and Eunice philocorallia. Moreover, the genetic connectivity of E. norvegica was studied trough a RADseq (1,067 neutral SNPs) approach. Our results indicate a single panmictic population across approximately 2,000 km, suggesting that oceanographic currents facilitate passive dispersal of E. norvegica lecithotrophic larvae, aided by coral host stepping-stones. The connectivity patterns observed for E. norvegica mirror those of D. pertusum, on which the worm is ecologically dependent. Our study highlights the importance of using integrated genetic, morphological and ecological data to characterise and delineate understudied CWC-associated species and improve our understanding of their dispersal capabilities and genetic connectivity to inform future conservation recommendations.

Animals

Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the porcupine fish (Diodon hystrix).

The porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix), a coral reef teleost, is widely distributed in tropical/subtropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Oceans, and Mediterranean Sea. It shares easily recognizable features with pufferfish, such as body inflation and spines. Additionally, its culinary value makes D. hystrix a highly desirable species in many tropical coastal regions, with considerable market potential. However, lack of a high-quality genome hindered further studies on its reproduction, molecular biology, and genomic improvement. Here, we assembled the chromosome-scale genome using PacBio HiFi, ultra-long reads, and Hi-C. Of the 713.62 Mb genome, 98.63% anchored to 23 chromosomes (scaffold N50: 31.52 Mb) with 39.82% repetitive sequences. The assembled genome achieved a BUSCO completeness score of 97.7%, with 23,171 protein-coding genes predicted, 22,221 of which were functionally annotated. Phylogenetic analysis identified D. hystrix's evolutionary relationships with other species in the Tetraodontiformes. In summary, the high-quality genome of D. hystrix sheds light on valuable insights into genome size evolution, and provides a valuable resource for exploiting genomic study and breeding applications in this species.

Animals

A distinct, high-affinity, alkaline phosphatase facilitates occupation of P-depleted environments by marine picocyanobacteria.

Marine picocyanobacteria of the genera Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, the two most abundant phototrophs on Earth, thrive in oligotrophic oceanic regions. While it is well known that specific lineages are exquisitely adapted to prevailing in situ light and temperature regimes, much less is known of the molecular machinery required to facilitate occupancy of these low-nutrient environments. Here, we describe a hitherto unknown alkaline phosphatase, Psip1, that has a substantially higher affinity for phosphomonoesters than other well-known phosphatases like PhoA, PhoX, or PhoD and is restricted to clade III Synechococcus and a subset of high light I-adapted Prochlorococcus strains, suggesting niche specificity. We demonstrate that Psip1 has undergone convergent evolution with PhoX, requiring both iron and calcium for activity and likely possessing identical key residues around the active site, despite generally very low sequence homology. Interrogation of metagenomes and transcriptomes from TARA oceans and an Atlantic Meridional transect shows that psip1 is abundant and highly expressed in picocyanobacterial populations from the Mediterranean Sea and north Atlantic gyre, regions well recognized to be phosphorus (P)-deplete. Together, this identifies psip1 as an important oligotrophy-specific gene for P recycling in these organisms. Furthermore, psip1 is not restricted to picocyanobacteria and is abundant and highly transcribed in some α-proteobacteria and eukaryotic algae, suggesting that such a high-affinity phosphatase is important across the microbial taxonomic world to occupy low-P environments.

Alkaline Phosphatase

Microbial membrane transporters reveal trace metal niche adaptation in distinct water masses of the Southern Ocean.

BACKGROUND: Trace metals are co-factors for enzymes that are essential for microbial metabolism and the cycling of major elements. Membrane transporters allow microbes to sense and react to trace elements in the environment and to balance their uptake and export for the regulation of intracellular metal homeostasis. The acquisition and efflux of trace metals could lead to reciprocal feedbacks between microbes and the surrounding environment. Whether these processes vary among trace metals and across habitats is presently not known. We used membrane transporters into and out of the cell as indicators for the uptake and efflux of trace metals and provide a detailed picture of the distribution of the respective genes in distinct provinces in surface waters and in subsurface water masses across a transect in the Southern Indian Ocean. RESULTS: We observed marked spatial and vertical patterns in normalized gene abundances of transporters of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu). Changes in gene abundances were specific to the type of transporter and trace metal, and pronounced differences between surface and specific water masses emerged. We found an enrichment in genes related to efflux and homeostasis of Fe, Ni and Cu in two water masses of the deep ocean that are North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW). This pattern was observed on the community level and for metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated with Alteromonadaceae and Burkholderiaceae that were abundant in these two water masses. CONCLUSIONS: The enrichment in trace metal efflux and resistance genes points to microbially mediated processes, exerted by homeostasis, with potential influence on the trace metal speciation and distribution in specific water masses in the deep ocean. The gene repertoire and distinct distribution pattern of the taxa identified as potential key players could reflect an adaptation to these old water masses with trace metals acting as selective driver. Video Abstract.

Membrane Transport Proteins