The composition of sterols, volatiles and some polar compounds from three Corallina samples (C. granifera and C. mediterranea from the Black Sea and C. mediterranea from the Mediterranean Sea) was established. The sterol composition of the Black Sea samples was similar but it differs from that of the Mediterranean sample. The composition of the volatiles was very complex. The main groups of con...

Sandro Rao [email protected] Department of Information Science, Mathematics, Electronics and Transportations (DIMET) “Mediterranea” University, Via Graziella Località Feo di Vito, Reggio Calabria, 89060, Italy Francesco G. Della Corte Department of Information Science, Mathematics, Electronics and Transportations (DIMET) “Mediterranea” University, Via Graziella Località Feo di Vito, Reggio Ca...

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY Correction for “The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea as a model for epigenetic germ cell specification: Analysis of ESTs from the hermaphroditic strain,” by Ricardo M. Zayas, Alvaro Hernández, Bianca Habermann, Yuying Wang, Joel M. Stary, and Phillip A. Newmark, which appeared in issue 51, December 20, 2005, of Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (102:18491–18496; first published Decem...

Recent studies on microRNA (miRNA) evolution focused mainly on the comparison of miRNA complements between animal clades. However, evolution of miRNAs within such groups is poorly explored despite the availability of comparable data that in some cases lack only a few key taxa. For flatworms (Platyhelminthes), miRNA complements are available for some free-living flatworms and all major parasitic...

A revision of the genus Leptoplana Ehrenberg, 1831 in the Mediterranean basin is undertaken. This revision deals with the distribution and validity of the species of Leptoplana known for the area. The Mediterranean sub-species polyclad, Leptoplana tremellaris forma mediterranea Bock, 1913 is elevated to the specific level. Leptoplana mediterranea comb. nov. is redescribed from the Lake of Tunis...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are major executors of extracellular matrix remodeling and, consequently, play key roles in the response of cells to their microenvironment. The experimentally accessible stem cell population and the robust regenerative capabilities of planarians offer an ideal model to study how modulation of the proteolytic system in the extracellular environment affects cell ...

Bioactive peptides (i.e., neuropeptides or peptide hormones) represent the largest class of cell-cell signaling molecules in metazoans and are potent regulators of neural and physiological function. In vertebrates, peptide hormones play an integral role in endocrine signaling between the brain and the gonads that controls reproductive development, yet few of these molecules have been shown to i...

This study was carried out to contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity of xylariaceous fungi from North of Iran. Plant materials with fruiting bodies of xylariaceous fungi were collected and examined. Eight species viz. Annulohypoxylon nitens, Biscogniauxia anceps, B. capnodes var. rumpens, B. mediterranea, B. plana, Hypoxylon flavoargillaceum, Jumillera cinerea, and Nemania illita were iden...

Sponges are key organisms in the marine benthos where they play essential roles in ecological processes such as creating new niches, competition for resources, and organic matter recycling. Despite the increasing number of taxonomical studies, many sponge species remain hidden, whether unnoticed or cryptic. The occurrence of cryptic species may confound ecological studies by underestimating bio...