The stabilized silene 1,1-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2-adamantylidenesilane (4) has been generated by photolysis of a novel trisilacyclobutane derivative in various solvents and studied directly by kinetic UV spectrophotometry. Silene 4 decays with second-order kinetics in degassed hexane solution at 23 °C (k/ ) 8.6 × 10-6 cm s-1) due to head-to-head dimerization. It reacts rapidly with oxygen [k(25 °...

Formation of correct disulfide bonds in the endoplasmic reticulum is a crucial step for folding proteins destined for secretion. Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) play a central role in this process. We report a previously unidentified, hypervariable family of PDIs that represents the most diverse gene family of oxidoreductases described in a single genus to date. These enzymes are highly exp...

The need to prevent and cure emerging diseases often precludes their continuing study in situ. We present studies on the process of disease emergence by host shifts using the model system of anther-smut disease (Microbotryum violaceum) on the plant genus Silene (Caryophyllaceae). This system has little direct social impact, and it is readily amenable to experimental manipulation. Our microevolu...

The genus Silene includes 98 species in Iran, with 35 endemic to the Iranian plateau (26 species for Iran). The Iranian species are placed in 21 sections. In this article, the most important characteristics for the separation of the sections, relationships between the sections, and an identification key for the sections in Iran are presented. For each section a distribution map is provided. The...

The conoidean gastropod genus Benthofascis Iredale, 1936 is examined. This genus of Conorbidae has extant species. Three previously described species from the Recent including the type species B. biconica (Hedley), B. sarcinula (Hedley), and B. lozoueti Sysoev & Bouchet are reviewed. Three new species from the Recent, B. conorbioides sp. nov., B. pseudobiconica sp. nov., and B. angularis sp. no...

Species richness of tropical marine molluscs is considerably underestimated (Bouchet et al. 2002). Indeed, the molluscan faunas of some regions, such as Palawan in the western Pacific, have received little attention and some hyper-diverse groups, such as the turrids (a parapyhletic group of Conoidea, formerly known as Turridae), are barely documented. For example, apart from original descriptio...