Interspecific hybridization, polyploidization and transitions from sexuality to asexuality considerably affect organismal genomes. Especially the last mentioned process has been assumed to play a significant role in the initiation of chromosomal rearrangements, causing increased rates of karyotype evolution. We used cytogenetic analysis and molecular dating of cladogenetic events to compare the...

Background: Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP-2) is an important component of innate immune system in teleosts. In order to understand isoform-specific involvement and regulation of LEAP-2 genes in mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis, Cypriniformes), a commercially important food fish, this study was aimed to characterize gene structure and expression characteristics of two paralog LEAP-...

Using a modified radiolabeled primer extension method (we named this modification misGvA-"misincorporation of G versus A") we have investigated the DNA synthesis and repair at early and late stages of development of loach Misgurnus fossilis. The misincorporation activity of DNA polymerase iota (Pol ι) in wild-type loach could not be detected by this method at any stage of loach development. In ...

cobitis avicennae is a new described species from iranian part of the tigris basin and little information is available on its different aspects of its biology and holomorphology. hence, this study was conducted to provide a detailed description of its osteological features. for this purpose, the specimens of c. avicennae were cleared and stained and a detailed description of its skeletal struct...

The infection prevalence of Ligula colymbi plerocercoids in the spined loach Cobitis taenia inhabiting brackish waters of the Baltic Sea, and the effects of the parasite on the reproduction and growth of the host were studied. There was no significant trend in the infection rate among the different sampling dates in May–July. In total, 24.6% of females and 15.4% of males were infected. In most ...

Synthesis of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins was studied biochemically and autoradiographically in early loach (Misgurnus fossilis) and sea-urchin (Strongylocentrotus nudus) embryos. After incubation with [C]amino acids for 5-120 min the ratio of the specific activities of nuclear, mitochondrial and 12000g supernatant proteins was shown to be equal approximately to 6:1:2 in loach embryos and t...

In order to disentangle the contribution of host and parasite biology to host specificity, we compared the structure and population dynamics of the Gyrodactylus (von Nordmann, 1832) flatworm community living on sympatric three-spined Gasterosteus aculeatus L. and nine-spined Pungitius pungitius (L.) stickleback. Between April 2002 and March 2003, a small lowland creek was sampled monthly. Speci...

This study provides new data on chromosomal characteristics and DNA barcoding of three endemic loaches of Iran: spiny southern loach Cobitis linea (Heckel, 1847), Persian stream loach Oxynoemacheilus persa (Heckel, 1848) and Tongiorgi stream loach Oxynoemacheilus tongiorgii (Nalbant & Bianco, 1998). The chromosomes of these fishes were investigated by examining metaphase chromosome spreads obta...