Progress in Biological Sciences
Volume:1 Issue: 2, Summer and Autumn 2011

The association of secreted frizzled related protein type 4 (Sfrp4) as an antagonist of Wnt mole-cules in apoptotic events has been reported previously. Moreover, its increased expression has been reported in the ovary of women with polycystic ovary (PCO). We have demonstrated in-creased Sfrp4 in PCO-induced rat ovary related to an increased number of apoptotic follicles showing nuclear catenin subcellular localization. The aims of present study were twofold 1) to ascertain nuclear catenin presence with apoptosis by using immunolocalization of Bax and active cleaved casapase-3, and 2) to elucidate whether Sfrp4 could be an inducer of apoptosis by using isolated rat granulosa cell culture in the presence of recombinant human SFRP4. To this end, immuno-expression of two key molecules in Wnt signaling, GSK3 and -catenin and apoptotic markers were investigated in normal and PCO-induced rat ovary by daily administration of testos-terone propionate (TP) for four weeks. We showed that in PCO-induced as well as in normal ova-ries there was nuclear or cytoplasmic subcellular localization of GSK3 and a weak pGSK3ser9 immuno-staining in apoptotic granulosa cells. Interestingly, intracellular catenin localization was observed in Bax and active caspase-3 positive granulosa cells in normal as well as in PCO-induced rat ovary. Treatment of granulosa cells with rhSFRP4 showed co-localization of nuclear subcellu-lar -catenin and active caspase-3 as revealed by double immuno-fluorescence. Our results suggest that rhSFRP4 induces apoptosis and that there is an association between Wnt-independent -catenin nuclear subcellular localization and apoptotic events of rat ovary.

Two 60 day experiments on predation behavior of leeches were conducted concurrently. In the first, medicinal leeches, Hirudo orientalis (Utevsky and Trontelj, 2005) were fed to satiation on bovine blood and subsequently transferred into two large opaque plastic containers of equal size but with differing temperatures, 6-7ºC and 23-24˚C, containing starved Erpobdella octoculata (L.). At the higher temperature E. octoculata rapidly attacked and swallowed juvenile and adult medicinal leeches. This also occurred at the lower temperature but took place more slowly. In the second experiment, under similar physical conditions, starved medicinal leeches and satiated E. octoculata were studied. Starved H. orientalis attached to and sucked ingested blood from juvenile E. octoculata but did not consume them. H. orientalis did not feed on adult E. octoculata. These observations confirm interspecific predation between two families of leeches, Hirudinidae and Erpobdellidae. Numbers and wet mass of prey leeches decreased rapidly at the higher temperature, especially when E. octoculata was the predator.

An updated checklist of the scorpion fauna of Iran, as well as a brief history of taxonomic research on scorpions of Iran is presented. The checklist is based on records of scorpion species whose presence has been confirmed in Iran through field expeditions, examination of scorpion collections, literature review, and personal communications from researchers. The scorpion fauna consists of 51 species (30 endemic to Iran) belonging to 18 genera and four families.  2011 Progress in Biological Sciences. Vol. 1, No. 2, 16-28. An updated checklist of the scorpion fauna of Iran, as well as a brief history of taxonomic research on scorpions of Iran is presented. The checklist is based on records of scorpion species whose presence has been confirmed in Iran through field expeditions, examination of scorpion collections, literature review, and personal communications from researchers. The scorpion fauna consists of 51 species (30 endemic to Iran) belonging to 18 genera and four families.

Mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) polymorphisms were examinedin bone samples of individuals buried inan early Neolithic (c. 5800–4900 BCE) hunter-gatherer cemetery, Shamanka II, located atthe southwestern tip of Lake Baikal, Siberia. The mainobjective was to compare the mtDNA polymorphisms observed at Shamanka II to those previously reportedfrom the Lokomotiv (early Neolithic) and Ust'-Ida (Bronze Age) cemeteries in the same general region also known asthe Cis-Baikal. All three cemetery populations comprised remains containingmtDNAhaplogroupscharacterized as being of Asian origin (haplogroups A, C, D, F, G2a, and U5a). The results confirmed that haplogroup frequency distributions amongNeolithic populations in southern Siberiawere similar, and differed significantly fromhaplogroup frequency distributionsamongthe Bronze Agepopulations.

Nonea Medik. is a genus of the Boraginaceae tribe Boragineae, with approximately 35 species worldwide. Examination of their palynological characters supported the separation of taxa, which is usually based on morphological and micromorphological reproductive features. Pollen grains of 10 taxa representing three groups of taxa in Iran, the N. caspica group, the N. persica group and the N. lutea group were studied, but N. rosea and N. turcomanica were not included. The results differed from previous studies in Iran. The N. caspica group, including N. caspica, N. melanocar-pa, and N. diffusa has 5-6-zonocolporate pollen grains with a psilate-punctate tectum. The N. per-sica group, including, N. p. var. persica, var. suchtelenioides, and N. pulla have 4-zonocolporate pollen grains with a psilate-punctate tectum. Finally the N. lutea group, including N. lutea var. lu-tea and N. l. var. flavescens, have 5-zonocolporate pollen grains with a reticulate-micro reticulate tectum. N. rosea and N. turcomanica have 5-zonocolporate pollen grains with a scrobiculate tec-tum

IL-32 and TNFα are important cytokines in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. IL-32 has not been previously studied with respect to MS. Here, we report IL-32 and TNFα transcript levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MS patients and control individuals by real time PCR. A significant difference in IL-32 and TNFα mRNA levels of patients as compared to controls was not observed. However, patients with more recent attacks had highly significant increased levels of IL-32 mRNAs. As the sample size was small, this potentially relevant preliminary observation needs to be corroborated using a larger number of patients with well defined clinical features.

The algal flora of five stations from paddy-fields of Golestan Province was investigated between October 2006 and September 2007. Eight filamentous heterocystous Nostocacean are recorded here for the first time from paddy fields of iran: Cylindrospermum licheniforme, Cylindrospermum stangnale, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Calothrix ghosei, Gloeotrichia longiarticulata, Aulosira implexa var. crassa, Tolypothrix conglutionata var colorata, Scytonema multiramosum. Cylindrospermum stagnale, Aulosira implexa, Scytonema multiramosum, Tolypothrix conglutionata were dominant species in all stations and seasons, but Gloeotrichia longiarticulata and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii were observed mainly during the spring and summer. Morphological characteristics of these species are described in detail and information about their ecological distribution is given.