Notes on 113 fungal taxa are compiled in this paper, including 11 new genera, 89 new species, one new subspecies, three new combinations and xx reference specimens. A wide geographic and taxonomic range of fungal taxa are detailed. In the Ascomycota the new genera Angustospora (Testudinaceae), Camporesia (Xylariaceae), Clematidis, Crassiparies (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), Farasanispora, Longiostiolum (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), Multilocularia (Parabambusicolaceae), Neophaeocryptopus (Dothideaceae), Parameliola (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), and Towyspora (Lentitheciaceae) are introduced. Newly introduced species are Angustospora nilensis, Aniptodera

Notes on 113 fungal taxa are compiled in this paper, including 11 new genera, 89 new species, one new subspecies, three new combinations and xx reference specimens. A wide geographic and taxonomic range of fungal taxa are detailed. In the Ascomycota the new genera Angustospora (Testudinaceae), Camporesia (Xylariaceae), Clematidis, Crassiparies (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), Farasanispora, Longiostiolum (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), Multilocularia (Parabambusicolaceae), Neophaeocryptopus (Dothideaceae), Parameliola (Pleosporales genera incertae sedis), and Towyspora (Lentitheciaceae) are introduced. Newly introduced species are Angustospora nilensis, Aniptodera

Lophiostoma bipolare was taxonomically revised based on the morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses of molecular data from nuclear rDNA SSU-ITS-LSU, TUB, tef1, and rpb2 genes. Twenty-nine strains were morphologically similar to Lo. bipolare. A total of 174 sequences were generated from the Lo. bipolare complex. Phylogenetic analyses based on TUB sequence revealed 11 distinct species within the Lo. bipolare complex. Morphological features of the ascospores and the anatomical structure of the ascomata from both field collections as well as axenic culture, which have been reported previously as variable features at intraspecific levels, were compared to evaluate the taxonomic reliability of these features. To clarify the generic position of the 11 species, phylogenetic analyses were done on SSU-ITS-LSU-tef1-rpb2 gene sequences. The Lo. bipolare complex shared phylogenetic relationships with Pseudolophiostoma and Vaginatispora, and formed an additional five distinct clades from other members of Lophiostomataceae. According to its phylogenetic position, Lo. bipolare sensu stricto was distantly related to Lophiostoma s. str., and formed an independent clade within Lophiostomataceae. Lophiostoma bipolare s. str. could be distinguished from the other lophiostomataceous genera by the clypeus around the ostiolar neck and by the thin and uniformly thick peridium. A novel genus described as Lentistoma was established to accommodate this species, and the epitypification of Lentistoma bipolare (basionym: Massarina bipolaris) was proposed. Other lineages of the Lo. bipolare complex could not be separated on the basis of the ascospore size and sheath variations, but were distinguished based on ascomatal features, such as the existence of the clypeus, brown hyphae surrounding the peridium, and the contexture of the peridium, which were stable indicators of generic boundaries in Lophiostomataceae. Four additional new genera with five new species were recognised based on these morphological differences: Crassiclypeus (C. aquaticus), Flabellascoma (F. cycadicola and F. minimum), Leptoparies (Lep. palmarum), and Pseudopaucispora (Pseudop. brunneospora). Three new species were added to Pseudolophiostoma (Pseudol. cornisporum, Pseudol. obtusisporum, and Pseudol. tropicum) and two new species were added to Vaginatispora (V. amygdali and V. scabrispora). The re-evaluation of the validity of several previously recognised genera resulted in the introduction of two new genera with new combinations for Lophiostoma pseudoarmatisporum as Parapaucispora pseudoarmatispora and Vaginatispora fuckelii as Neovaginatispora fuckelii.

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Dirofilaria immitis infection is an important parastic disease in many mammals, especially canids, but has not been reported in bird hosts. Filarial worms were isolated from the lumen of the right atrium of the heart and the connective tissue of the lung of a captive female Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti, that died at a zoo in Japan. One of these worms was observed morphologically and identified as D. immitis by features such as 4 pairs of cephalic papillae, 1 pair of cervical papillae, esophagus divided into 2 regions, 4 pairs of pre-anal papillae, 5 pairs of post-anal papillae, and unequal spicules. In addition, the partial DNA sequence (234 bp) of mitochondrial CO / gene of the filarial worm was identical to that of D. immitis. This is the first report of D. immitis infection in a bird.

Monitoring of transgenic plants in the field is important, but risk assessment has entailed laborious use of invisible marker genes. Here, we assessed three easily visible marker transgenes Ð green fluorescent protein (GFP), R, and Nicotiana tabacum homeobox (NTH) 15 genes Ð for their potential use as marker genes for monitoring genetically modified plants. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants for each of these genes were visibly distinguished from wild-type plants. We determined the germination rate, 3-week fresh weight, time to first flowering, and seed weight of the transgenic plants to evaluate whether the expression of these marker genes affected the growth of the host. Introduction of GFP gene had no effect on the evaluated parameters, and we then used the GFP gene as a marker to assess the outcrossing frequency between transgenic and two Arabidopsis species. Our results showed that the hybridization frequency between transgenic plants and Arabidopsis thaliana was 0.24%, and between transformants and Arabidopsis lyrata it was 2.6% under experimental condition. Out-crossing frequency was decreased by extending the distance between two kinds of plants. Thus, the GFP gene is a useful marker for assessing the whereabouts of transgenes/transformants in the field. We also demonstrated that the GFP gene is possibly applicable as a selection marker in the process of generation of transgenic plants.

An autosomal recessive disorder, generalized atrophic benign epidermolysis bullosa, is a rare form of nonlethal type junctional epidermolysis bullosa. It is associated not only with skin fragility but also with other unique clinical features including widespread atrophic skin changes, alopecia, reduced axillary and pubic hair, dysplastic teeth, and dystrophic nails. The majority of generalized atrophic benign epidermolysis bullosa cases are caused by mutations in the COL17A1 gene coding for type XVII collagen (or the 180 kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen). Another candidate gene for mutations in some forms of generalized atrophic benign epidermolysis bullosa is LAMB3 encoding the beta3 chain of laminin 5. This report documents compound heterozygosity for novel mutations in LAMB3 of a Japanese patient showing typical clinical features of generalized atrophic benign epidermolysis bullosa. One is an A-to-G transversion at the splice acceptor site of intron 14, which is designated as a 1977-2A-->G mutation; the other is a deletion of 94 bp located at the junction of intron 18 and exon 19, which is a 2702-29del94 mutation. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis suggested skipping of exon 19 in LAMB3 mRNA produced from the allele with 2702-29del94 and impaired stability of the aberrant mRNA transcribed from the second allele with the 1977-2A-->G mutation.

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