Ornithology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ornithology, including details on study of birds, classification, endangered species.

The complete sequence of the Great Island virus and comparison to the T2 and outer-capsid proteins of Kemerovo, Lipovnik and Tribec viruses (genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae).

Belhouchet M, Mohd Jaafar F, Tesh RB, Grimes J, Maan S, Mertens P, Attoui H

Institute for Animal Health;

The complete nucleotide sequence of the Great Island virus (GIV) genome was determined, along with genome segments (Seg-) 1, 2 and 6 of Kemerovo, Lipovnik and Tribec viruses. All four viruses, along with Broahdhaven virus, are currently classified within the species Great Island virus and have been isolated from ticks, birds or humans. Sequence comparisons show that Seg-4 of GIV encodes the outer-capsid protein responsible for cell-attachment, even though it is approximately half the length of its counterpart in the Culicoides or mosquito-transmitted orbiviruses. A second overlapping ORF (in the +2 reading frame) was identified in Seg-9 of GIV, encoding a putative dsRNA-binding protein. Phylogenetic analyses of the polymerase and T2-protein amino acid sequences indicate that the tick-borne orbiviruses represent an ancestral group from which the mosquito-borne orbiviruses evolved. This mirrors the evolutionary relationships between the arthropod vectors of these viruses, supporting a co-speciation hypothesis for these arboviruses and their arthropod-vectors. Phylogenetic analyses of the T2 proteins of Kemerovo, Lipovnik, Tribec and GI viruses (showing 82% amino acid identity), correlate with the early classification of Great Island viruses as two distinct sero-complexes (Great Island and Kemerovo serocomplexes). Amino acid identity levels in the VP1(Pol) and the T2 proteins between the two serocomplexes are 73% and 82%, respectively, while those between previously characterised Orbivirus species are 53% to 73%, and 26% to 83%, respectively. These data suggest that despite limited genome segment reassortment between these two groups, their current classification within the same Orbivirus species could be re-evaluated.

Published 27 August 2010 in J Gen Virol.
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Articles on Ornithology published 17 August 2010:

A comprehensive multilocus phylogeny for the wood-warblers and a revised classification of the Parulidae (Aves).   Mol Phylogenet Evol.

The birds in the family Parulidae-commonly termed the New World warblers or wood-warblers -are a classic model radiation for studies of ecological and behavioral differentiation. Although the monophyly of a 'core' wood-warbler clade is well-established, no phylogenetic hypothesis for this group has included a full sampling of wood-warbler species diversity. We used parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods to reconstruct relationships among all genera and nearly all wood-warbler ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Ornithology published 5 August 2010:

Unique structural characteristics and evolution of a cluster of venom phospholipase A2 isozyme genes of Protobothrops flavoviridis snake.   Gene, 461(1): 15-25.

Protobothrops flavoviridis (Crotalinae) venom gland phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) isozyme genes have evolved in an accelerated manner to acquire diverse physiological activities in their products. For elucidation of the multiplication mechanism of PLA(2) genes, a 25,026 bp genome segment harboring five PLA(2) isozyme genes was obtained from Amami-Oshima P. flavoviridis liver and sequenced. The gene PfPLA 2 encoded [Lys(49)]PLA(2) called BPII, the gene PfPLA 4 neurotoxic [Asp(49)]PLA(2) called ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Ornithology published 28 July 2010:

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Rhesus monkeys are known to recognize confidence about their immediate perceptual and cognitive decisions by using a betting procedure (Son and Kornell in The missing link in cognition: origins of self-reflective consciousness. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 296-320, 2005; Kornell et al. in Psychol Sci 18:64-71, 2007). In this report, we examined whether this ability is shared in two avian species (pigeons and bantams) in order to know how widespread this metacognitive ability is among ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Ornithology published 27 July 2010:

MHC evolution in three salmonid species: a comparison between class II alpha and beta genes.   Immunogenetics, 62(8): 531-42.

The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are amongst the most variable in vertebrates and represent some of the best candidates to study processes of adaptive evolution. However, despite the number of studies available, most of the information on the structure and function of these genes come from studies in mammals and birds in which the MHC class I and II genes are tightly linked and class II alpha exhibits low variability in many cases. Teleost fishes are among the most ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Ornithology published 19 July 2010:

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Escherichia coli strains causing avian colibacillosis and human neonatal meningitis, urinary tract infections, and septicemia are collectively known as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). Characterization of ExPEC strains using various typing techniques has shown that they harbor many similarities, despite their isolation from different host species, leading to the hypothesis that ExPEC may have zoonotic potential. The present study examined a subset of ExPEC strains: neonatal ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Ornithology published 16 July 2010:

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Articles on Ornithology published 15 July 2010:

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We characterized low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H5N2 and H9N2 viruses isolated in South Korea from 2008 to 2009. Genetic analysis of the H5N2 viruses isolated from wild birds and domestic ducks demonstrated that they were related to the recently isolated southern Chinese LPAI H5 viruses and various influenza viruses circulating in Eurasia. Three H9N2 viruses obtained at live bird markets and duck farms were reassortant viruses generated from the H5N2 viruses of domestic ducks and the ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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Highly pathogenic avian H5N1 viruses have circulated in South-east Asia for more than a decade and have now spread to more than 60 countries. The evolution of these viruses is characterized by frequent reassortment of the so-called 'internal' genes, creating novel genotypes. Additionally, over time, the surface glycoprotein, haemagglutinin (HA), which is the primary target of the adaptive immune response, has evolved by point mutation into 20 genetically and potentially antigenically distinct ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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