Brood cell size of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">mellifera</Emphasis> modifies the reproductive behavior of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Varroa</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">destructor</Emphasis>

We undertook a field study to determine whether comb cell size affects the reproductive behavior of Varroa destructor under natural conditions. We examined the effect of brood cell width on the reproductive behavior of V. destructor in honey bee colonies, under natural conditions. Drone and worker brood combs were sampled from 11 colonies of Apis mellifera. A Pearson correlation test and a Tukey test were used to determine whether mite reproduction rate varied with brood cell width. Generalized additive model analysis showed that infestation rate increased positively and linearly with the width of worker and drone cells. The reproduction rate for viable mother mites was 0.96 viable female descendants per original invading female. No significant correlation was observed between brood cell width and number of offspring of V. destructor. Infertile mother mites were more frequent in narrower brood cells.     

Functional expression of the lipase gene Lip2 of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleurotus</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">sapidus</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">coli</Emphasis>

The lipase Lip2 of the edible basidiomycete, Pleurotus sapidus, is an extracellular enzyme capable of hydrolysing xanthophyll esters with high efficiency. The gene encoding Lip2 was expressed in Escherichia coli TOP10 using the gene III signal sequence to accumulate proteins in the periplasmatic space. The heterologous expression under control of the araBAD promoter led to the high level production of recombinant protein, mainly as inclusion bodies, but partially in a soluble and active form. A fusion with a C-terminal His tag was used for purification and immunochemical detection of the target protein. This is the first example of a heterologous expression and periplasmatic accumulation of a catalytically active lipase from a basidiomycete fungus.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Carex</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">involuta</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carex juncella</Emphasis> in the flora of Slovakia

The paper brings information on an isolated occurrence and morphological characters of Carex × involuta and C. juncella populations in the Vel’ká Fatra Mts. Their presence has been known neither from the territory of Slovakia nor from the whole Western Carpathians till now.     

Production of a Soluble Disulfide Bond-Linked TCR in the Cytoplasm of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">coli</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">trx</Emphasis>B <Emphasis Type="Italic">gor</Emphasis> Mutants

Previously, we have described the use of phage display to generate high affinity disulfide bond-linked T cell receptors (TCRs). The affinities of the mutant TCRs were analysed after refolding of separately expressed α and β chains from Escherichia coli inclusion bodies. This approach is only suitable for the analysis of small numbers of TCR variants. An attractive alternative would be soluble expression within the bacterial periplasm, but the generic production of TCRs within the E. coli periplasm has so far not proved successful. Here we show that functional, soluble TCR can be produced within the cytoplasm of trxB gor mutant E. coli strains, with maximum yields of 3.4 mg/l. We also investigated the effect of coexpressing the folding modulators Skp and DsbC finding that the TCR expression levels were largely unaffected by these chaperones. Importantly, we demonstrated that the amount of protein purified from 50 ml starter cultures was sufficient to show functionality of the TCR by specific antigen binding in both ELISA and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays. This TCR production method has the potential to allow rapid and medium throughput analysis of affinity-matured TCRs selected from TCR phage display libraries.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Codonopsis lanceolata</Emphasis> using the <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ-TMT</Emphasis> gene

Efficient transformation of leaf disc-derived callus of Codonopsis lanceolata was obtained using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring a binary vector, pYBI121, that carries the neomycin phosphotransferase (npt II) gene as a selectable marker. The green shoots recovered from agroinfected explants on selection medium (containing 0.1 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 1 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 100 mg/l kanamycin, and 250 mg/l cefotaxime) were rooted on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mg/l IBA and 10 mg/l kanamycin. To optimize the transformation conditions, several factors were assessed, including the co-cultivation period, the duration of pre- and post-culture in darkness and light, the kanamycin concentration, and the Agrobacterium densities. We produced transgenic Codonopsis lanceolata overexpressing γ-tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT) by this protocol. Moreover, the α-tocopherol content of the plants was enhanced by the overexpression of this gene. Bimal Kumar Ghimire and Eun Soo Seong contributed equally to this work.     

Whole Mitochondrial Genome of Blakiston’s Fish Owl <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bubo</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ketupa</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">blakistoni</Emphasis> Suggests Its Redescription in the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ketupa</Emphasis>

The paper reports the whole mitochondrial genome (approximately 13 kb) sequencing in three individual representatives of the continental population of Blakiston’s fish owl Bubo blakistoni (Seebohm 1884), the IUCN Red List species in the family Strigidae. The analysis revealed extremely low mtDNA genetic diversity, which may be indicative of the critical state of the studied population. The phylogenetic analysis performed on the basis of the whole mitochondrial genome sequencing data showed that Blakiston’s fish owl is more closely related to the Strix genus than to the Bubo genus with the genetic divergence between blakistoni and either of the two genera being statistically significant and close to intergeneric level (p-distance of 0.135 in the case of the Strix genus and p-distance of 0.151 in the case of the Bubo genus). The results obtained in this work do not match the published data on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and the nuclear RAG-1 gene, which laid the basis for the assignment of Blackiston’s fish owl to the Bubo genus in the recent taxonomic bulletins, but rather support the earlier taxonomic classification according to which all four Asian forms, blakistoni, flavipes, zeylonensis, and ketupu, constituted a separate Ketupa genus.     

Sequence Analysis of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactoferrin</Emphasis> Gene and Variation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>.<Emphasis Type="Italic">7605C</Emphasis>→<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> in 10 Chinese Indigenous Goat Breeds

Much attention has been focused on the study of lactoferrin at the protein or nucleotide level in mice, humans, and cattle, but little is known about it in goats. The goat LF gene from 5' UTR to exon 17 was amplified, and the variation of g.7605C→T in 10 Chinese indigenous goat breeds was analyzed. Among the three ruminant species (cattle, sheep, and goats), the intron-exon distribution pattern was similar, and all the exons had the same length, but the length of introns varied greatly due to insertions or deletions. The frequency of allele T at g.7605C→T (50.12%) was a little higher than that of allele C (49.88%), and the genotype distribution differed greatly between goat populations. The g.7605C→T site showed higher genetic diversity in goat populations. The genetic differentiation was 0.0783, and gene flow was 2.9433 among the 10 Chinese indigenous goat populations.     

A Review of the Fauna of the Planthopper Family Lophopidae (Homoptera,Fulgoroidea) from Vietnam with Descriptions of New Genera and Species and with Taxonomic Notes

Six new species are described from Vietnam, Apia simplexsp. n., Bisma angulatasp. n., Pitambara trypetoidessp. n., Sarmatoca cathemerinagen. et sp. n., Maracota soulieraegen. et sp. n., and Serida castaneasp. n., and Zeleja thoracalissp. n. from Malaysia. Two new genera, Maracotagen. n. (type species M. soulierae sp. n.) and Sarmatocagen. n. (type species S. cathemerina sp. n.), and a new subgenus Zelomachasubgen. n. (type species Zeleja thoracalis sp. n.) in the genus Zeleja are erected. The genus Binaluana Soulier-Perkins et Stroiński is downgraded to a subgenus of Zeleja Melichar. The genus Silvispina Wang et Soulier-Perkins with an uncertain systematic position is attributed to the subfamily Lophopinae and the tribe Lophopini. The placement of the genus Elasmoscelis Spinola (and, correspondingly, the tribe Elasmoscelini) in the subfamily Menoscinae, the genus Epiptyxis Gerstaecker in the tribe Menoscini, and the genus Jivatma Melichar in the tribe Lophopini is substantiated. New records of 11 species are given from Vietnam, some being first records for this country.     

New data on the fauna and systematics of Palaearctic species of the click-beetle subfamily Agrypninae Candèze, 1857 (Coleoptera,Elateridae)

New data on the distribution and taxonomy of some Palaearctic species of click-beetles of the subfamily Agrypninae are given. The external morphology and genitalia of the previously unknown females of Compsolacon korotjaevi Gur. and C. agrestis (Vats et Kash.) comb. n. are described. Several taxa are recorded from the following territories for the first time: the genus Eumoeus Cand. from the Palaearctic Region, the species Compsolacon agrestis comb. n. and C. himalayanus Jag. from Afghanistan, Compsolacon turkestanicus (Schw.) from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, Danosoma conspersum (Gyll.) from Kazakhstan, Lacon quadrinodatus Lew. from Russia, and L. unicolor (Cand.) from Iraq. Several Northern Indian species of Agrypnus Esch. are transferred to Compsolacon Rtt., and their systematic positions are briefly discussed: C. agrestis, C. inlustris (Vats et Kash.), C. jacksoni (Vats et Kash.), C. kuluensis (Vats et Kash.), C. maisus (Vats et Kash.), C. planocorpus (Vats et Kash.), C. rameshi (Vats et Kash.), C. repercussus (Vats et Kash.), C. solanensis (Vats et Kash.), C. souslapisus (Vats et Kash.), C. subargillus (Vats et Kash.), C. subfaenum (Vats et Kash.) and C. sublapideus (Vats et Kash.) (all comb. n.). The following new combinations are also established: Compsolacon aequalis (Cand.) comb. n. and Compsolacon brachychaetus (Kollar) comb. n. (both ex Lacon). The following new synonymies are established: Lacon funebris (Sols.) = Adelocera grisea Schw., syn. n.; = Adelocera incompta Kr., syn. n.; Eumoeus murrayi Cand. = Tetralobus quadrifoveatus Vats et Kash., syn. n.     

New data on the taxonomy of ground-beetles (Coleoptera,Carabidae) from Palaearctic Asia

Synonymy of two genus-group names is substantiated: Tricholicinus Poppius, 1912 (type species: Tricholicinus setosus J.R. Sahlberg, 1880) = Martyr Semenov et Znojko, 1929 (type species: Martyr praeteritorum Semenov et Znojko, 1929), syn. n. and Psammodromius Peyerimhoff, 1927 (type species: Psammodromius noctivagus Peyerimhoff, 1927) = Xanthomelina Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1964 (type species: Apristus zajtzewi Eichler, 1924), syn. n. Synonymy of the following names of the species-group taxa is established: Calosoma (Callisthenes) elegans (Kirsch, 1859) = C. (Callisthenes) declive (Dohrn, 1884), syn. n., lectotype of the latter is designated; Carabus (Semnocarabus) erosus erosus Motschulsky, 1866 = C. (Semnocarabus) erosus karascharensis (Eidam, 1931), syn. n., lectotype of the latter is designated; C. (Semnocarabus) cicatricosulus pseudoerosus Mandl, 1955 = C. (Semnocarabus) bogdanowi semnocosulus Deuve et Tian, 2013, syn. n.; Chlaenius (Dinodes) viridis (Ménétriés, 1832) = Ch. pallidicornis Ballion, 1871, syn. n.; Licinus (Tricholicinus) setosus (J.R. Sahlberg, 1880) = Licinus mongolicus Reitter, 1900, syn. n. = Martyr praeteritorum Semenov et Znojko, 1929, syn. n. = Martyr alter Semenov et Znojko, 1929, syn. n.; Psammodromius zajtzewi (Eichler, 1924), comb. n. (transferred from the genus Xanthomelina Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1964) = Psammodromius pallidicolor (Mandl, 1973), syn. n. = Psammodromius damanabii Morvan, 1977, syn. n.Calosoma (Callisthenes) rostislavi Semenov, 1906, stat. resurr. is resurrected from synonyms of C. (Callisthenes) declive (Dohrn, 1884).     

New Taxa and Host Associations of the Weevil Subfamily Ceutorhynchinae (Coleoptera,Curculionidae) from Thailand

A new subgenus of Mecysmoderes Sch., Enzoellus Korotyaev, subgen. n. (type species Mecysmoderes carinatus Faust), two new genera of the tribe Hypohypurini Colonnelli, Siamohypurus Korotyaev, gen. n. (type species S. samuelsoni Korotyaev, sp. n.), Glikmanellus Korotyaev, gen. n. (type species G. rosti Korotyaev, sp. n.) and eleven new species of the weevil subfamily Ceutorhynchinae are described: Mecysmoderes (Memecyderes) sarukhanovi Korotyaev, sp. n. from Thailand, M. (Enzoellus) gressitti Korotyaev, sp. n. from Thailand and Laos, M. (Enzoellus) muratovi Korotyaev, sp. n., Megahypurus oroszi Korotyaev, sp. n., Cyphohypurus suppantschitschi Korotyaev, sp. n., Siamohypurus samuelsoni Korotyaev, sp. n., S. attilai Korotyaev, sp. n., Glikmanellus rosti Korotyaev, sp. n., all from Thailand; G. baloghi Korotyaev, sp. n. from Sri Lanka; G. obrieni Korotyaev, sp. n. and G. louisae Korotyaev, sp. n., both from India. A key to three species of Megahypurus from Thailand is given. Host plants are determined for Megahypurus alexandri Kor. and Glikmanellus rosti sp. n. from Koh Kood Island in southern Thailand, which were repeatedly collected from a tree of the family Rubiaceae.     

New Data on the Taxonomy of the Weevil Subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caucasoplinthus</Emphasis>, Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plinthus</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Curculionidae)

The taxonomic composition of the subgenus Caucasoplinthus Davidian, 1995 is revised. The immunis and granulosus groups are downgraded to subgroups of the silphoides and fallax groups, respectively; the voriseki subgroup is transferred from the fallax to the fausti group. Plinthus attilai Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. and P. ljudae Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. are described from Turkey and Abkhazia, respectively. New data on the taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of some little-known species are presented. The following new synonymy is established: Molytes vittatus Motschulsky, 1839 (= Meleus irroratus Reitter, 1884, syn. n., = Meleus faldermanni Faust, 1884, syn. n., = Meleus difficilis Faust, 1884, syn. n.).     

New Data on the Taxonomy and Distribution of Flat Moths of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agonopterix</Emphasis> Hübner, [1825] (Lepidoptera,Depressariidae) of the Russian Fauna

New data on the distribution and taxonomy of Agonopterix species in Russia are given. The following new synonymy is established: Agonopterix anticella (Erschoff, 1877) = A. abjectella (Christoph, 1882), syn. n., = A. japonica Saito, 1980, syn. n.; A. pullella Hannemann, 1971 = A. dubatolovi Lvovsky, 1995, syn. n. A new species A. volgensissp. n. is described from the Middle Volga Region. Two species are recorded from Russia for the first time, both represented by new subspecies: A. ivinskisi daghestanicasubsp. n. from Daghestan and Armenia, and A. kisojiana dilutasubsp. n. from the southern part of the Russian Far East.     

Five new species of flat moths (Lepidoptera,Depressariidae) from Russia and neighboring countries

Five new species are described: Agonopterix vladimirisp. n. from the Russian Far East, A. kopetdagellasp. n. from Turkmenistan, Exaeretia terskeellasp. n. from Kyrgyzstan, Depressaria pastukhovisp. n. from Southern Kazakhstan, and D. khorogellasp. n. from Tajikistan. Types of the new species are deposited in the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.     

Review of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">granulosus</Emphasis> Subgroup of the Weevil Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plinthus</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Curculionidae)

The granulosus subgroup of Plinthus is revised. Plinthus frivaldszkyi Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. and P. mananauricus Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. from the Caucasus are described. New data on the morphology and geographic distribution of P. granulosus Reitter, 1884, P. abdurakhmanovi Davidian, 1995, and P. kataevi Davidian, 1992 and a key to five species of the granulosus subgroup are presented.     

Revision of the carabid genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meroctenus</Emphasis> Gemminger et Harold,with a new status of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xenodochus</Emphasis> Andrewes (Coleoptera,Carabidae: Harpalini)

Originally described as a monotypical genus with unclear taxonomic position from Sudan, Meroctenus Gemminger et Harold, 1868 is treated as a polytypical genus of the Selenophori genus group with two subgenera: Meroctenus s. str. and Xenodochus Andrewes, 1941, stat. n. (the latter was previously considered a distinct genus). Within Meroctenus, two species are recognized: M. (Meroctenus) crenulatus Chaudoir, 1843 (type species) and M. (M.) mediocris (Andrewes, 1936), comb, n., transferred to Meroctenus s. str. from Xenodochus. A new subspecies M. (M.) crenulatus orientalis subsp. n. is described from Pakistan. Diagnoses of the genus Meroctenus in new interpretation as well as of its two subgenera are discussed, and a taxonomic review of the subgenus Meroctenus s. str. with a key to the species and subspecies is provided. The following synonymy is proposed: Meroctenus Gemminger et Harold, 1868 = Paregaploa Müller, 1947, syn. n.; Meroctenus crenulatus (Chaudoir, 1843) = Egaploa (Paregaploa) conviva Müller, 1947, syn. n. Lectotypes are designated for Ctenomerus crenulatus Chaudoir, 1843 and Xenodus mediocris Andrewes, 1936.