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An 18,493 base pair mitogenome of the Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia) is presented, containing 13 complete protein-coding genes, two rRNAs, 24 tRNAs, two control regions, and two partial duplicate copies of cytb and nd6. The mitogenome contains two complete copies of tRNA-Leu, tRNA-Ser, tRNA-Thr, and tRNA-Pro. Phylogenetic analysis places the Philippine Cockatoo within the subgenus Licmetis, with its closest relatives being the Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua goffiniana) and the Western Corella (Cacatua pastinator) and all three species being sisters to other white cockatoos in the subgenus Cacatua. The gene order and content of the mitogenome are most similar to C. pastinator, containing a partial duplication of cytb, and whole duplications of the control region and several tRNA genes. However, the total duplication of nd6 could not be verified. Analysis of the control regions indicates that these are paralogs of each other; both copies contain preserved features such as the Extended Termination Associated Sequences 1 and 2 (ETAS1, ETAS2) and Conserved Sequence Block 1 (CSB1) associated with d-loop or control region replication in mitogenomes. Gene order for the species cannot be verified since the region corresponding to duplicate copies of tRNA-Glu and nd6 in other cockatoos could not be properly sequenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) is a large freshwater bivalve species of the family Unionidae and a known invasive alien species. Proper verification of its identity as well as its source population is crucial for the control of its spread. However, its high plastic shell morphology that resembles other non-invasive species of unionids can be an obstacle. The distribution and ecological impact of this invasive unionid is not fully understood and should be further investigated to prevent further spread in the Philippines. In this study, we used the cytochrome oxidase I (cox1) gene to verify the identity of putative S. woodiana samples collected from Bato Creek in Oriental Mindoro and Lake Danao in Leyte, Philippines and elucidate their source populations. Eighteen cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) barcodes were generated from samples collected from Lake Danao, Leyte (n=13) and Bato Creek, Oriental Mindoro (n=5). These barcodes were subjected to Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis, which showed that the cox1 sequences from the Philippine samples matched with those of S. woodiana (>94%) found in GenBank. The sequences were then aligned with cox1 sequences of S. woodiana and other unionid representatives from GenBank. Phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses also showed three haplotypes (Hap 1, 2, and 4) of S. woodiana samples from Lake Danao and Bato Creek. Hap 1 and 2 are distinct haplotypes observed in Lake Danao samples while Hap 4 is shared between Lake Danao and Bato Creek samples and have clustered with conspecific specimens from Malaysia and Indonesia, suggesting their potential Island Southeast Asian origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Cope 1862), commonly called the Greenhouse Frog, is an insectivorous, direct-developing frog native to the Caribbean. It has been widely introduced outside of its native range and has been known to reach population densities of about 12,500 frogs per hectare, posing a potential ecological threat in areas of its introduction, especially to local insect populations. Recently, the species has been detected on several islands throughout the Philippines. Samples for this study were obtained from two locations in Quezon City (Luzon Island) and one location in Bacolod City (Negros Island). DNA barcoding using three genes (Cytochrome b, 16S rDNA, and Cytochrome Oxidase subunit 1) was performed with the objective of identifying the source population of Philippine E. planirostris. Our results indicate that E. planirostris samples in the Philippines are identical genetically to populations in Hawai'i and Florida, USA and are closely related to an individual from Matanzas, Cuba. A haplotype network built using the Fitch algorithm also supports the Cuban origin of the Philippine samples. Moreover, the Philippine specimens have nearly identical sequences for all three genes, which may have implications on its success as an introduced species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schistosomiasis japonica is a water-borne trematode infection transmitted by different subspecies of Oncomelania hupensis. As parasites may either co-evolve or locally adapt with their hosts, snail diversity, as revealed by morphometric and genetic studies, may reflect parasite diversity and elucidate snail susceptibility and transmission patterns. This study aimed to compare isolates of O. h. quadrasi based on a 342-bp fragment of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. O. h. quadrasi isolates were collected from nine provinces known to have S. japonicum in the Philippines, namely Cagayan Valley, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Davao, Davao del Sur, Mindoro Oriental, Northern Samar, and Sorsogon. O. h. hupensis and O. h. nosophora isolates were also collected from China and Japan, respectively. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene of each specimen was amplif ied and sequenced. Phylogenetic and network analyses based on the 221 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that O. h. quadrasi clustered as a distinct clade from the two other subspecies. Of the four identif ied haplotypes for O. h. quadrasi, two haplotypes were from Negros Oriental (Ohq2 and Ohq3), and one haplotype was from Bohol (Ohq4). The isolates from the remaining seven provinces shared a common haplotype (Ohq1). The current study was able to show the relationship among O. hupensis subspecies and demonstrate the limited ability of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal molecular marker in differentiating O. h. quadrasi geographic strains in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achatina fulica is a ubiquitous land snail commonly found throughout the Philippines. As a generalist feeder and being able to survive in a wide range of habitat types and conditions, the snail can easily establish itself in a new area after introduction. It also acts as host to a variety of parasites, including nematodes, which may accidentally infect humans. In this study, A. fulica individuals from 13 areas in the Philippines were sampled and analyzed for nematode infection rate and load. Of the 393 individuals sampled, 80 (20%) were found to be infected, with 5049 nematodes isolated. The infection rates and parasite load were highly variable. Overall, the parasite load ranges from 1 to 867 per snail. Representative nematodes from A. fulica from Plaridel (n=8) and Davao City (n=26) in Mindanao were subjected to DNA extraction, PCR amplif ication, and sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene, which is the universal barcode for nematodes. Sequences successfully matched with the dog lungworm Oslerus osleri for the Plaridel nematodes and the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis for the Davao City nematodes, respectively. The latter is known to infect humans and can cause eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. This study presents the f irst report of A. cantonensis in A. fulica from Mindanao and raises a public health concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basommatophora is an informal group within the molluscan subclass Pulmonata comprising of air-breathing freshwater snails that are typically characterized by eyespots located at the base of two noncontractile tentacles and two external genital orif ices. They also have varied shell structures and habitats, not only within the group but also within families. Families of the Basommatophora are highly ubiquitous and may play a role in the life cycles of various parasites of humans and animals. Basommatophora has a worldwide geographical distribution across freshwater, terrestrial and marine habitats. However, little is known on their distribution in the Philippines. This report focuses on describing the biogeographical distribution of the basommatophorans in the Philippines through data gathered from museum collections, foreign databases accessed online, and identif ication of species found in various literatures. A qualitative description of the distribution of each Basommatophora family in the Philippines is given by distribution maps, indicating locations where specimens were collected and/or identif ied. A total of 336 counts of basommatophorans from 22 genera were encountered from available literature, museums and public databases. The majority of the occurrences are from the genera Siphonaria. The data and maps generated describe most of the distribution to be in Luzon, with Visayas and Mindanao having close counts with each other. The Philippines has the third most occurrences and genera of basommatophorans of all tropical countries in the world. However, the true diversity of the group could be higher if a more systematic sampling of the archipelago is conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of pattern of mitotic activity has long been studied in different plants; in the onion Allium cepa, determination of its mitotic activity has led to its utilization in the Allium test for cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of test substances. In this study, the pattern of mitotic activity of A. cepa var. aggregatum and the effect of light exposure on mitotic activity were determined to test the utility of A. cepa L. var. aggregatum as an alternative to the common onion, A. cepa, for the Allium test. Bulblets of A. cepa var. aggregatum were allowed to root for three days in tap water under three different set-ups: constant light exposure set-up (Light), constant dark set-up (Dark) and 12 hours light-12 hours dark set-up (Light-Dark). The root tips from the bulblets were then excised and subjected to microscopic observation for the mitotic index (MI) every hour after the third day. The results showed no significant difference observed across the three set-ups. However, MI for the Dark and Light set-ups were periodic, showing peaks or maxima of MI falling between 11 AM and 12 PM, whereas that of Light-Dark set-up was rhythmic, having an hourly fluctuation, but also showed maximum between 11 AM and 12 PM. It is recommended that A. cepa var. aggregatum root tips be excised between 11 AM and 12 PM for the Allium test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]