Skip to main content

Stefano Reale

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (4): 333-338

    Stefano Reale
    The Asteroidea De Blainville, 1830 of the Mediterranean Sea (Echinodermata)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.4.333.338

    ABSTRACT
    The populations of Pseudoapterogyna Escalera, 1914 (Coleoptera Melolonthidae Rhizotrogini) from Lampedusa Island (Sicily Channel, Italy) thus far attributed to P. vorax (Marseul, 1878) are revised. A morphological comparison with the North African population of this species (type locality: Algeria Batna) allowed us to attribute the populations of Lampedusa to a new species that is herein described. Observations on the biology and ecology of P. maraventanoi n. sp. are provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (4): 313-314
    Stefano Reale
    The Asteroidea De Blainville, 1830 of the Mediterranean Sea (Echinodermata)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.4.I.II
  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (2): 131-134

    Maria Rita Buscemi, Delia Gambino, Giulia Caracappa, Viviana Giangreco & Stefano Reale
    Research and identification of Staphylococcus Pasteur, 1880 (Bacillales Staphylococcaceae), potentially zoonotic, isolated from Sicilian dogs
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.2.131.134

    ABSTRACT
    The uncontrolled abuse of antibiotics used in veterinary medicine, has led to the development of some mechanisms of antibiotic-resistence in the bacteria. This event allows them to breed and increase in number inside a host organism. Staphylococcus spp. strains (Bacillales Staphylococcaceae) have been isolated from cutaneous swabs of dogs, have been identified through microbiological methodologies on a biochemical basis, and their sensitive profile to various antibiotics, commonly used in the veterinary domain and in human medicine, was valued. Other molecular and microbiological studies on these Staphylococcus spp. strains have also been carried.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (2): 115-120

    Viviana Giangreco, Ignazio Sammarco, Tiziana Lupo, Sergio Migliore & Stefano Reale
    Molecular techniques employed to trace the Sicilian ovines
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.2.115.120

    ABSTRACT
    Genotyping strategies are aimed at defining the genetic profile of individuals through the identification of STRs sequences. The applied methodologies are able to ensure the traceability of the meat along the production chains and the control of the correct animal sampling on the farms. However, the discriminative capacity of alleles is studied through the establishment of the allelic frequency in the ovine population of the territory. This may depend on factors such as race, degree of inbreeding, and local selections. In the research of genetic identity in particular, it is exploited that the probability that two different individuals possess the same genetic pattern is equal to the frequency of that genotype in the population under examination and that the frequency of a genotype characterized by more loci is equal to the product of the frequencies of each single genotype (locus) observed. Therefore, we set the task of fixing and tabulating the data of the genetic profiles of the autochthonous breeds that can then be exploited for the traceability investigations of the animals, according to the application of specific algorithms. In practice, we aim to establish and create the starting point for the interpretation of all the genetic data obtained from the analysis of the Sicilian ovine population, whatever the application to do with it. The ultimate goal of this work is the elaboration of allelic panels typical of the sheep populations that represent the starting point for all genetic tests of forensic investigations. In fact, the discovery of particular alleles identify the tabulated frequency representing the genetic variability distribuited in the region. This has the effect of minimizing the identification errors that are spread in the animal population. We can state that from the analysis of allele frequencies developed by Genalex we can obtain expected heterozygosity data according to Hardy-Weinberg law and the obtained heterozygosity data typical for native breeds. All the allele frequencies were employed to create a database containing all the genotypes. These data were useful in the forensic field for the attribution of the kinships in the sheep.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (2): 107-114

    Viviana Giangreco, Claudio Provito, Luca Sineo, Tiziana Lupo, Floriana Bonanno & Stefano Reale
    Identification of subspecies and parentage relationship by means of DNA fingerprinting in two exemplary of Pan troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1775) (Mammalia Hominidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.2.107.114

    ABSTRACT
    Four chimpanzee subspecies (Mammalia Hominidae) are commonly recognised: the Western Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes verus (Schwarz, 1934), the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes ellioti, the Central Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1799), and the Eastern Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes schweinfurthii (Giglioli, 1872). Recent studies on mitochondrial DNA show the incorporation of P. troglodytes schweinfurthii in P. troglodytes troglodytes, suggesting the existence of only two subspecies: P. troglodytes troglodytes in Central and Eastern Africa and P. troglodytes verus; P. troglodytes ellioti in West Africa. The aim of the present study is twofold: first, to identify the correct subspecies of two chimpanzee samples collected in a Biopark structure in Carini (Sicily, Italy), and second, to verify whether there was a kinship relationship between the two samples through techniques such as DNA barcoding and microsatellite analysis. DNA was extracted from apes’ buccal swabs, the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using universal primers, then purified and injected into capillary electrophoresis Genetic Analyzer ABI 3130 for sequencing. The sequence was searched on the NCBI Blast database. In addiction, the microsatellite analysis was performed on the same machine for parentage detection among samples, and data were analyzed with GenMapper software. Our results show that both samples were P. troglodytes troglodytes, while the analysis of the microsatellite results in an unclear relationship between two chimpanzee samples.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 451-456 - MONOGRAPH

    Eugenia Oliveri, Davide Vancheri, Andrea Tetamo, Alessia Galanti, Pierluigi Ferina, Mariella Piazza & Stefano Reale
    Creation of a pollen database for Mediterranean flowering plants
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.451.456

    ABSTRACT
    Palynology is the science that studies pollen grains (size, morphology, structure, function, ornamentation, physical and chemical properties), the carriers that transport the male gametes to the pistil (more precisely to the stigma) allowing the fertilization of the eggs. In seed plants pollens represent an extra generation (haploid generation), the widely reduced male gametophyte. During the pollen release phase, the pollen grains separate completely from the plant (diploid generation, or sporophyte) in an attempt to reach the female flower to allow the release of genetic material and, therefore, the fertilization of the egg. Pollens possess many varieties of shapes, sizes, designs, ornamentations, openings with variable shapes and numbers that can be observed by optical microscopy and that have a high systematic value. Each botanical species has pollens with unique characteristics that allow their identification. Palynology is widely used as an extremely important tool in various types of studies and investigations, such as paleobotany, forensic investigations, melissopalynology, studies on the biodiversity of precise geographical areas, identification of cases of introduction of non-native species and identification of hybridization between species. For these reasons the creation of a pollen database could be a particularly efficient and useful tool.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 445-450 - MONOGRAPH

    Viviana Giangreco, Tiziana Lupo, Ignazio Sammarco, Maurizio Bivona, Gabriele Ciaccio, Luca Sineo & Stefano Reale
    Genetic database development for the characterisation of Sicilian sheep population
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.445.450

    ABSTRACT
    The most representative sheep in Sicily are Belicina, Comisana, Pinzirita, Barbaresca and the crossbred derived sheep from all this species. In this study, the allelic frequencies of the Sicilian sheep population were investigated. It currently represents the best way to determine the genetic identity and/or family even with limited amounts of sample or when the DNA is degraded. The aim of the study was to provide a reference data bank and to evaluate a microsatellite panel for pedigree analysis as suggested by the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG). There are various studies on European sheep, but few datasets were developed on the population of Sicilian sheep. The reference database will include allele frequencies at each locus and will determine genetic parameters for Sicilian ovine species selection. Our results indicated that Hardy Weinberg equilibrium was not always maintained. These results could be explained by a non-random mating. The database is useful to investigate the relationship, the parentage the meat traceability and in disease control programs. The standardized panels of allele frequencies represent a molecular fingerprinting characterizing the subjects with very high definition level and can be useful to control all the livestock. The parentage identification could be important for the veterinary police to investigate the theft or the animal substitutions in the Sicilian farms.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 329-336

    Davide Vancheri, Andrea Tetamo, Stefano Reale, Eugenia Oliveri & Gabriele Ciaccio
    Melissopalinological study of Sicilian honey by morphological and molecoular approach
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.329.336

    ABSTRACT
    With the Legislative Decree n.179 of 21 May 2004 on the unifloral honey’s characteristics and with the CEE regulation 2081/92 of DOP denomination (from protect origin), scientific investigations in the agri-food sector started to occupy a prominent position with increasing importance. This area of investigation has been considerably deepened, becoming fundamental in order to consider this term valid, as it is also fundamental for investigation on production chain and denomination, made on various types of products. The morpho-genetic characterization analysis of pollen from honeys, made in the present work, lands itself well to this purpose; with the aim of ascertaining the validity of the wording of “unifloral” applied to some products from the beekeeping industry. Since the implications to which the investigations in the agri-food sector lead to cover not only the purely scientific-agronomic, but also the legal field, it follows the importance of an increasingly scientifically accurate methodology that also allows a faster processing of the sample. The protocol commonly used for pollen characterization of honeys is based on the visual recognition of the pollen present in the sample, their count and statistical analysis of the data obtained. Our method, using Real Time PCR technology, allows a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the pollen species inherent in the sample, thus allowing a fast and accurate analysis of the data that lends itself well to assist the classical research based on visual recognition of pollen.