4 results on '"Molfini, M."'
Search Results
2. Unraveling the role of male reproductive tract and haemolymph in cantharidin-exuding Lydus trimaculatus and Mylabris variabilis (Coleoptera: Meloidae): a comparative transcriptomics approach
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Veronica D’Ezio, Manuela Cervelli, Marco Molfini, Silvia Gisondi, Maurizio Muzzi, Fabrizio Lombardo, Elia Roma, Marco Alberto Bologna, Andrea Di Giulio, Emiliano Fratini, Tecla Gasperi, Marco Salvemini, Tiziana Persichini, Emiliano Mancini, Paolo Mariottini, Fratini, Emiliano, Salvemini, Marco, Lombardo, Fabrizio, Muzzi, Maurizio, Molfini, Marco, Gisondi, Silvia, Roma, Elia, D'Ezio, Veronica, Persichini, Tiziana, Gasperi, Tecla, Mariottini, Paolo, DI GIULIO, Andrea, Bologna, Marco Alberto, Cervelli, Manuela, Mancini, Emiliano, Fratini, E., Salvemini, M., Lombardo, F., Muzzi, M., Molfini, M., Gisondi, S., Roma, E., D'Ezio, V., Persichini, T., Gasperi, T., Mariottini, P., Di Giulio, A., Bologna, M. A., Cervelli, M., and Mancini, E.
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Male ,Toxic terpene ,Autohaemorrhaging ,Blister beetle ,Cantharidin ,clotting ,defensive behaviour ,detoxification ,drug-delivery ,reflex-bleeding ,toxic terpene ,animals ,genitalia, male ,hemolymph ,male ,transcriptome ,Coleoptera ,Zoology ,QH426-470 ,Genitalia, Male ,Transcriptome ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Hemolymph ,Gene expression ,Genetics ,Animals ,Reflex-bleeding ,Gene ,biology ,Defensive behaviour ,Animal ,Clotting ,genitalia ,biology.organism_classification ,Drug-delivery ,Cantharidin, Blister beetle, Toxic terpene, Reflex-bleeding, Autohaemorrhaging, Clotting, Detoxification, Defensive behaviour, Drug-delivery ,chemistry ,Integument ,Detoxification ,TP248.13-248.65 ,Biotechnology ,Research Article - Abstract
Background Meloidae (blister beetles) are known to synthetize cantharidin (CA), a toxic and defensive terpene mainly stored in male accessory glands (MAG) and emitted outward through reflex-bleeding. Recent progresses in understanding CA biosynthesis and production organ(s) in Meloidae have been made, but the way in which self-protection is achieved from the hazardous accumulation and release of CA in blister beetles has been experimentally neglected. To provide hints on this pending question, a comparative de novo assembly transcriptomic approach was performed by targeting two tissues where CA is largely accumulated and regularly circulates in Meloidae: the male reproductive tract (MRT) and the haemolymph. Differential gene expression profiles in these tissues were examined in two blister beetle species, Lydus trimaculatus (Fabricius, 1775) (tribe Lyttini) and Mylabris variabilis (Pallas, 1781) (tribe Mylabrini). Upregulated transcripts were compared between the two species to identify conserved genes possibly involved in CA detoxification and transport. Results Based on our results, we hypothesize that, to avoid auto-intoxication, ABC, MFS or other solute transporters might sequester purported glycosylated CA precursors into MAG, and lipocalins could bind CA and mitigate its reactivity when released into the haemolymph during the autohaemorrhaging response. We also found an over-representation in haemolymph of protein-domains related to coagulation and integument repairing mechanisms that likely reflects the need to limit fluid loss during reflex-bleeding. Conclusions The de novo assembled transcriptomes of L. trimaculatus and M. variabilis here provided represent valuable genetic resources to further explore the mechanisms employed to cope with toxicity of CA in blister beetle tissues. These, if revealed, might help conceiving safe and effective drug-delivery approaches to enhance the use of CA in medicine.
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- 2020
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3. Comparative morphology of myrmecophilous immature stages of European Microdon species (Diptera: Syrphidae): updated identification key and new diagnostic characters
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Giulia Scarparo, Marco Molfini, Robert Wolton, Luigi Cao Pinna, Andrea Di Giulio, Scarparo, G, Wolton, R, Molfini, M, Pinna, Lc, and Di Giulio, A
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0106 biological sciences ,Species complex ,Insecta ,Arthropoda ,010607 zoology ,Identification key ,Zoology ,Morphology (biology) ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Hoverflie ,Cryptic Specie ,Genus ,Phylogenetics ,Animals ,Animalia ,Syrphidae ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Myrmecophile ,Taxonomy ,Larva ,Ants ,Diptera ,fungi ,Biodiversity ,biology.organism_classification ,Adaptation, Physiological ,Myrmecophily ,Microdon ,Social Parasite ,Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Scrophulariaceae - Abstract
Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the genus Microdon Meigen have larvae that live in ant nests where they are predatory on ant larvae. Reflecting the exceptional challenges of this very specialized lifestyle, Microdon eggs, larvae and puparia are highly distinctive in their morphology. Detailed descriptions of these immature stages is, however, lacking for all but a very few species, and much of this has been limited through the sole use of light microscopes. Here, using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), we present detailed, comparative descriptions of the immature stages of three European Microdon species: M. analis, M. devius and M. myrmicae. Given that many adult Microdon species are very similar to each other in their outward appearance, we demonstrate that the morphology of their immature stages can improve our understanding of the phylogeny of the genus. We also discuss how particular adaptations of the immature morphology may allow their myrmecophilous life within ant nests. In this paper new diagnostic features are also presented to distinguish M. myrmicae from its sibling species M. mutabilis—the two are morphologically indistinguishable as adults.
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- 2020
4. A first assessment of genetic variability in the longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Italian Apennines
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Alessandro Cini, Paolo Audisio, G. Sabbatini Peverieri, Fabio Mosconi, Marco Molfini, Gloria Antonini, Marco Alberto Bologna, Emanuela Solano, S. Rossi de Gasperis, Emiliano Mancini, Alessandro Campanaro, Giuseppe M. Carpaneto, Pio Federico Roversi, L Redolfi De Zan, Franco Mason, Stefano Chiari, Molfini, M., Redolfi de Zan, L., Campanaro, A., Rossi de Gasperis, Sarah, Mosconi, F., Chiari, S., Cini, A., Antonini, G., Solano, E., Audisio, P. A., Roversi, P. F., Sabbatini Peverieri, G., Carpaneto, Giuseppe, Mason, F., Bologna, M. A., and Mancini, E.
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0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Biogeography ,Population genetics ,Saproxylic insect ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Rosalia alpina ,03 medical and health sciences ,Rosalia longicorn ,lcsh:Zoology ,lcsh:QL1-991 ,Genetic variability ,Beech ,biogeography ,population genetic ,biology ,Ecology ,conservation ,population genetics ,biology.organism_classification ,Saproxylic insects, Habitats Directive, population genetics, biogeography, conservation ,Saproxylic insects ,Habitats Directive ,030104 developmental biology ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Longhorn beetle - Abstract
The Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is a strictly protected saproxylic beetle, widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe and mainly associated with ancient beech forests. To improve knowledge about the conservation status of R. alpina in Italy, available molecular markers (microsatellites and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I(COI)) were tested for the first time on Italian populations. The study was performed in four sampling sites distributed in two areas placed in Northern (“Foreste Casentinesi” National Park) and Central Apennines (“Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise” National Park) where populational data about Rosalia longicorn were collected in the framework of the European LIFE MIPP Project. The genetic relationship among Apennine and Central/South-eastern European populations was explored by a comparison with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data from literature. Microsatellite markers were only partially informative when applied to R. alpina Italian individuals, although providing some preliminary indication on an extensive gene flow among populations from the Apennines and local ongoing processes of genetic erosion. Genetic data are consistent with previous ecological data suggesting that the maintenance of variability in this species could be related to both habitat continuity and preservation of large senescent or standing dead trees in forests. Finally, a peculiar origin of the Apennine populations of R. alpina from a putative “Glacial Refugium” in Italy was inferred through COI data. The high genetic distance scored among the analysed populations and those from Central and South-eastern Europe indicates that the R. alpina deme from Apennine Mountains might represent a relevant conservation unit in Europe. Further genetic analyses will allow assessing other possible conservation units of R. alpina and, thus, defining large-scale conservation strategies to protect this endangered longhorn beetle in Europe.
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- 2018
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