Proteomic analysis of muscle between hybrid abalone and parental lines Haliotis gigantea Reeve and Haliotis discus hannai Ino

To understand the potential molecular mechanism of heterosis, protein expression patterns were compared from hybrids of Haliotis gigantea (G) and Haliotis discus hannai (D) using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight analyses. Expression differences were observed in muscle samples from the four groups with 673±21.0 stained spots for H. discus hannai ♀ × H. discus hannai ♂ (DD), 692±25.6 for H. gigantea ♀ × H. gigantea ♂ (GG), 679±16.2 for H. discus hannai ♀ × H. gigantea ♂ (DG) (F₁ hybrid) and 700±19 for H. gigantea ♀ × H. discus hannai ♂ (GD) (F₁ hybrid). Different 2-DE image muscle protein spots had a mirrored relationship between purebreds and the F₁ hybrid, suggesting that all stained spots in F₁ hybrid muscle were on 2-DEs from parents. DD and DG clustered together first, and then clustered with GD, whereas the distance of DD and GG was maximal according to hierarchical cluster analysis. We identified 136 differentially expressed protein spots involved in major biological processes, including energy metabolism and stress response. Most energy metabolism proteins were additive, and stress-induced proteins displayed additivity or over-dominance. In these 136 identified protein spots, hybrid offspring with additivity or over-dominance accounted for 68.38%. Data show that a proteomic approach can provide functional prediction of abalone interspecific hybridization.     

Effects of crowding and sex on fecal cortisol levels of captive forest musk deer

Background

Restricted space and close contact with conspecifics in captivity may be stressful for musk deer, as they are highly territorial and solitary in the wild. So we tested the effects of crowding on stress of forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) in heterosexual groups, using fecal cortisol analysis as a non-invasive method. 32 healthy adults during non-breeding seasons were chose as our experimental objects. Group 1 was defined as higher crowding condition, with 10-15 m²/deer (6 enclosures, 10♀ and 6♂); group 2 was defined as lower crowding condition, with 23-33 m²/deer (6 enclosures, 10♀ and 6♂). Every enclosure contained 1 male and 3 female. These patterns had been existed for years.

Results

The results showed that females in lower crowding condition (217.1 ± 9.5 ug/g) had significantly higher fecal cortisol levels than those in higher crowding condition (177.2 ± 12.1 ug/g). Interestingly, crowding seemed have no effect on male fecal cortisol levels (148.1 ± 9.1 ug/g and 140.5 ± 13.3 ug/g, respectively). At both groups, cortisol was significantly lower in males than in females.

Conclusions

These results showed that chronic crowding may affect stress status of captive forest musk deer. The captive environment should consider the space need for musk deer.     

Inheritance of Diapause in Crosses between the Northernmost and the Southernmost Strains of the Asian Corn Borer Ostrinia furnacalis

The northernmost Harbin strain (N strain) of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis enters facultative diapause as fully grown larvae in response to short daylengths; whereas the southernmost Ledong strain (S strain) exhibits almost no diapause under the same light conditions. In the present study, we examined the inheritance of diapause induction and termination by crossing the two strains under a range of environmental conditions. The N strain showed a typical long-day response with a critical daylength of approximately15.88 h at 22°C, 15.72 h at 25°C and 15.14 h at 28°C, whereas the S strain showed a weak photoperiodic response at 22°C. The F1 progeny also showed a long-day response at 22, 25 and 28°C. However, the critical daylengths in S ♀ × N ♂ crosses were significantly longer than those in N ♀ × S ♂ crosses, indicating a sex linkage in the inheritance of diapause induction, with the male parent having more influence on the following F1 progeny. The incidence of diapause in S ♀ × N ♂ crosses was the same as in the N strain under short daylengths of 11-13 h, indicating that diapause trait is completely dominant over the non-diapause trait. The critical daylength in backcross to N was significantly longer than it was in backcross to S, showing a grandfather gene effect. Whether the inheritance of diapause fits an additive hypothesis or not was dependent on the rearing photoperiod, and the capacity for diapause was transmitted genetically in the manner of incomplete dominance. The duration of diapause for the reciprocal crosses under different diapause-terminating conditions showed different patterns of inheritance. The results in this study reveal that genetic and genetic-environmental interactions are involved in diapause induction and termination in O. furnacalis.     

Four new spider species of the family Theridiosomatidae (Arachnida,Araneae) from caves in Laos

Four new species of the spider family Theridiosomatidae are described from caves in Laos: Alaria cavernicola sp. n. (♂♀), A. navicularis sp. n., (♂♀) A. bicornis sp. n. (♂♀), Chthonopes thakekensis sp. n. (♀). Diagnoses and illustrations for all new taxa are given. All holotypes are deposited in the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (SMF).     

Successful Wide Hybridization and Introgression Breeding in a Diverse Set of Common Peppers (Capsicum annuum) Using Different Cultivated Ají (C. baccatum) Accessions as Donor Parents

Capsicum baccatum, commonly known as ají, has been reported as a source of variation for many different traits to improve common pepper (C. annuum), one of the most important vegetables in the world. However, strong interspecific hybridization barriers exist between them. A comparative study of two wide hybridization approaches for introgressing C. baccatum genes into C. annuum was performed: i) genetic bridge (GB) using C. chinense and C. frutescens as bridge species; and, ii) direct cross between C. annuum and C. baccatum combined with in vitro embryo rescue (ER). A diverse and representative collection of 18 accessions from four cultivated species of Capsicum was used, including C. annuum (12), C. baccatum (3), C. chinense (2), and C. frutescens (1). More than 5000 crosses were made and over 1000 embryos were rescued in the present study. C. chinense performed as a good bridge species between C. annuum and C. baccatum, with the best results being obtained with the cross combination [C. baccatum (♀) × C. chinense (♂)] (♀) × C. annuum (♂), while C. frutescens gave poor results as bridge species due to strong prezygotic and postzygotic barriers. Virus-like-syndrome or dwarfism was observed in F₁ hybrids when both C. chinense and C. frutescens were used as female parents. Regarding the ER strategy, the best response was found in C. annuum (♀) × C. baccatum (♂) crosses. First backcrosses to C. annuum (BC₁s) were obtained according to the crossing scheme [C. annuum (♀) × C. baccatum (♂)] (♀) × C. annuum (♂) using ER. Advantages and disadvantages of each strategy are discussed in relation to their application to breeding programmes. These results provide breeders with useful practical information for the regular utilization of the C. baccatum gene pool in C. annuum breeding.     

Taxonomic notes on the genus Eupoa ?abka, 1985 (Arachnida,Araneae, Salticidae)

The south-east Asian genus Eupoa is redescribed and diagnosed. Seven new species are diagnosed, described and illustrated: E. daklak sp. n. (♀) from Viet-Nam; E. lehtineni sp. n. (♂♀) from India, Thailand and Viet-Nam; E. lobli sp. n. (♂) from Malaysia; E. pappi sp. n. (♂) from Thailand; E. pulchella sp. n.(♂) from Thailand; E. schwendingeri sp. n. (♂♀) from Thailand; and E. thailandica sp. n. (♂♀) from Thailand. Eupoa prima Żabka, 1985 and E. yunnanensis Peng & Kim, 1997 are redescribed and illustrated on the basis of type and/or newly collected materials. The female of E. yunnanensis Peng & Kim, 1997 is found and described for the first time.     

Fertilization and cytogenetic examination of interspecific reciprocal hybridization between the scallops, Chlamys farreri and Mimachlamys nobilis

Crossbreeding is a powerful tool for improving productivity and profitability in aquaculture. We conducted a pilot study of an artificial cross between two important cultivated scallops in China, Chlamys farreri and Mimachlamys nobilis, to test the feasibility of interspecific hybridization. Reciprocal hybridization experiments were performed using a single-pair mating strategy (M. nobilis ♀ × C. farreri ♂ and C. farreri ♀ × M. nobilis ♂). The fertilization of each pair was tracked using fluorescence staining of the gametes, and the chromosomes of the F1 hybrid larvae were examined via conventional karyotyping and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). We observed moderate fertilization success in both interspecific crosses, although the overall fertilization was generally less rapid than that of intraspecific crosses. Conventional karyotyping showed that 70.4% of the viable F1 larvae in M. nobilis ♀ × C. farreri ♂ and 55.4% in C. farreri ♀ × M. nobilis ♂ comprised hybrid karyotypes (2n = 35 = 6m+5sm+11st+13t), and the results were further confirmed by GISH. Interestingly, we detected a few F1 from the M. nobilis ♀ × C. farreri ♂ cross that appeared to have developed gynogenetically. In addition, chromosome fragmentations, aneuploids and allopolyploids were observed in some F1 individuals. Our study presents evidence that the artificial cross between M. nobilis and C. farreri is experimentally possible. Further investigations of the potential heterosis of the viable F1 offspring at various developmental stages should be conducted to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility of crossbreeding between these two scallop species.     

Six new species of the spider genus Spiricoelotes species (Araneae,Agelenidae) from caves in Jiangxi,China

Six new species of the spider genus Spiricoelotes Wang, 2002 are described, Spiricoelotes anshiensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes chufengensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes nansheensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes taipingensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes xianheensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀) and Spiricoelotes xiongxinensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♀). All new species were collected from caves in Jiangxi Province, China.     

A survey of linyphiid spiders from Xishuangbanna,Yunnan Province,China (Araneae,Linyphiidae)

Eight new genera and 30 new species are described: Cirrosus gen. n. (type species Cirrosus atrocaudatus sp. n. (♂♀)), Conglin gen. n. (type species Conglin personatus sp. n. (♀)), Curtimeticus gen. n. (type species Curtimeticus nebulosus sp. n. (♂)), Gladiata gen. n. (type species Gladiata fengli sp. n. (♂)), Glebala gen. n. (type species Glebala aspera sp. n. (♂)), Glomerosus gen. n. (type species Glomerosus lateralis sp. n. (♂)), Smerasia gen. n. (type species Smerasia obscurus sp. n. (♂♀)), Vittatus gen. n. (type species Vittatus fencha sp. n. (♂♀)); Batueta cuspidata sp. n. (♂♀), Capsulia laciniosa sp. n. (♂), Dactylopisthes separatus sp. n. (♀), Gongylidiellum bracteatum sp. n. (♀), Houshenzinus xiaolongha sp. n. (♂♀), Laogone bai sp. n. (♂), Laogone lunata sp. n. (♂♀), Maro bulbosus sp. n. (♀), Nasoonaria circinata sp. n. (♂♀), Neriene circifolia sp. n. (♂♀), Oedothorax biantu sp. n. (♀), Oilinyphia hengji sp. n. (♂♀), Paikiniana furcata sp. n. (♂♀), Parameioneta bishou sp. n. (♂♀), Parameioneta multifida sp. n. (♂♀), Parameioneta tricolorata sp. n. (♂♀), Tapinopa undata sp. n. (♂), Theoa bidentata sp. n. (♂♀), Theoa vesica sp. n. (♂♀), Vittatus bian sp. n. (♂♀), Vittatus latus sp. n. (♂♀), Vittatus pan sp. n. (♂♀). The male of Kaestneria bicultrata Chen & Yin, 2000 and the females of Asiagone perforata Tanasevitch, 2014 and Batueta similis Wunderlich & Song, 1995 are described for the first time; photos of Bathyphantes paracymbialis Tanasevitch, 2014 are provided.     

Two new species of the Clubiona corticalis-group from Yunnan Province,China (Araneae,Clubionidae)

The present paper describes two new Clubiona corticalis-group species collected from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province of China: Clubiona submoralis sp. n. (♀♂) and Clubiona pollicaris sp. n. (♀♂).     

How multiple mating by females affects sexual selection

Multiple mating by females is widely thought to encourage post-mating sexual selection and enhance female fitness. We show that whether polyandrous mating has these effects depends on two conditions. Condition 1 is the pattern of sperm utilization by females; specifically, whether, among females, male mating number, m (i.e. the number of times a male mates with one or more females) covaries with male offspring number, o. Polyandrous mating enhances sexual selection only when males who are successful at multiple mating also sire most or all of each of their mates'' offspring, i.e. only when Cov_♂(m,o), is positive. Condition 2 is the pattern of female reproductive life-history; specifically, whether female mating number, m, covaries with female offspring number, o. Only semelparity does not erode sexual selection, whereas iteroparity (i.e. when Cov_♀(m,o), is positive) always increases the variance in offspring numbers among females, which always decreases the intensity of sexual selection on males. To document the covariance between mating number and offspring number for each sex, it is necessary to assign progeny to all parents, as well as identify mating and non-mating individuals. To document significant fitness gains by females through iteroparity, it is necessary to determine the relative magnitudes of male as well as female contributions to the total variance in relative fitness. We show how such data can be collected, how often they are collected, and we explain the circumstances in which selection favouring multiple mating by females can be strong or weak.     

A ddRAD Based Linkage Map of the Cultivated Strawberry,Fragaria xananassa

The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) is an allo-octoploid considered difficult to disentangle genetically due to its four relatively similar sub-genomic chromosome sets. This has been alleviated by the recent release of the strawberry IStraw90 whole genome genotyping array. However, array resolution relies on the genotypes used in the array construction and may be of limited general use. SNP detection based on reduced genomic sequencing approaches has the potential of providing better coverage in cases where the studied genotypes are only distantly related from the SNP array’s construction foundation. Here we have used double digest restriction-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD) to identify SNPs in a 145 seedling F₁ hybrid population raised from the cross between the cultivars Sonata (♀) and Babette (♂). A linkage map containing 907 markers which spanned 1,581.5 cM across 31 linkage groups representing the 28 chromosomes of the species. Comparing the physical span of the SNP markers with the F. vesca genome sequence, the linkage groups resolved covered 79% of the estimated 830 Mb of the F. ×ananassa genome. Here, we have developed the first linkage map for F. ×ananassa using ddRAD and show that this technique and other related techniques are useful tools for linkage map development and downstream genetic studies in the octoploid strawberry.     

Three new species of mygalomorph and filistatid spiders from Iran (Araneae,Cyrtaucheniidae, Nemesiidae and Filistatidae)

Three new spider species are described from Iran: Anemesia koponeni sp. n. (♂, Cyrtaucheniidae); Raveniola mazandaranica sp. n. (♂, Nemesiidae) and Sahastata sinuspersica sp. n. (♀, Filistatidae). Cyrtaucheniidae and Sahastata Benoit, 1968 are reported from Iran for the fisrt time.     

Relationship between Age/Gender-Induced Survival Changes and the Magnitude of Inflammatory Activation and Organ Dysfunction in Post-Traumatic Sepsis

Age/gender may likely influence the course of septic complications after trauma. We aimed to characterize the influence of age/gender on the response of circulating cytokines, cells and organ function in post-traumatic sepsis. We additionally tested whether post-traumatic responses alone can accurately predict outcomes in subsequent post-traumatic sepsis. A mouse 2-hit model of trauma/hemorrhage (TH, 1^st hit) and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP, 2^nd hit) was employed. 3, 15 and 20 month (m) old female (♀) and male (♂) CD-1 mice underwent sublethal TH followed by CLP 2 days later. Blood was sampled daily until day 6 post-TH and survival was followed for 16 days. To compare general response patterns among groups, we calculated two scores: the inflammatory response (including KC, MIP-1α, TNFα, MCP-1, IFNγ, IL-1β,-5,-6,-10) and the organ dysfunction score (Urea, ALT, AST and LDH). Moreover, mice were retrospectively divided into survivors (SUR) and dying (DIE) based on post-CLP outcome. In general, females survived better than males and their survival did not correspond to any specific estrus cycle phase. Pre-CLP phase: the post-TH inflammatory score was weakest in 3 m♂ but there were no changes among remaining groups (similar lack of differences in the organ dysfunction score). TH induced a 40% increase of IFNγ, MIP-1α and IL-5 in 15 m♂ SUR (vs. DIE) but predictive accuracy for post-CLP outcomes was moderate. Post-CLP phase: while stable in males, inflammatory response score in 15 m and 20 m females decreased with age at day 1 and 2 post-CLP. SUR vs. DIE differences in inflammatory and organ dysfunction score were evident but their magnitude was comparable across age/gender. Nearly identical activation of the humoral inflammatory and organ function compartments, both across groups and according to sepsis severity, suggests that they are not directly responsible for the age/gender-dependent disparity in TH-CLP survival in the studied young-to-mature population.     

One new species of the genus Savarna Huber, 2005 (Araneae,Pholcidae) from southern Thailand

One new species Savarna kraburiensis sp. n. (♂♀) is reported from southern Thailand.     

Nematode-Degree Days,a Density-Time Model for Relating Epidemiology and Crop Losses in Perennials

The impact of Meloidogyne hapla on alfalfa (Medicago sativa) yield was described by a multiple point damage model as a function of current plant status, cumulative pest stress, and crop history. Nematode-degree days (NDD_♀), calculated on a physiologic time scale as total area under the adult female population density curve, were used to express M. hapla parasitism as cumulative nematode dosage. NDD_♀ increased exponentially over physiological time at rates relative to M. hapla initial population density of eggs and second-stage juveniles (Pi). Dosage accumulation rates, varying from 213 to 272 NDD_♀ per degree day, did not differ (P = 0.05) among six Pi levels. Cumulative yield reductions, increasing linearly with NDD_♀ over time to 50% of the M. hapla-free controls, were well correlated for the six initial Pi levels (r² = 0.93). Progressive reductions in alfalfa yields to 65% of the nematode-free controls, reflective of the prolonged exposure of the crop to M. hapla, were adequately described by NDD model estimates of either combined population densities of eggs and juveniles or adult females. Cumulative area under the combined eggs (e) and juvenile (J) population curve (NDD_e+J) and NDD_♀ were linearly related (r² = 0.97).     

Transgenerational effect alters the interspecific competition between two dominant species in a temperate steppe

One of the key aims of global change studies is to predict more accurately how plant community composition responds to future environmental changes. Although interspecific relationship is one of the most important forces structuring plant communities, it remains a challenge to integrate long‐term consequences at the plant community level. As an increasing number of studies have shown that maternal environment affects offspring phenotypic plasticity as a response to global environment change through transgenerational effects, we speculated that the transgenerational effect would influence offspring competitive relationships. We conducted a 10‐year field experiment and a greenhouse experiment in a temperate grassland in an Inner Mongolian grassland to examine the effects of maternal and immediate nitrogen addition (N) and increased precipitation (Pr) on offspring growth and the interspecific relationship between the two dominant species, Stipa krylovii and Artemisia frigida. According to our results, Stipa kryloii suppressed A. frigida growth and population development when they grew in mixture, although immediate N and Pr stimulated S. kryloii and A. frigida growth simultaneously. Maternal N and Pr declined S. krylovii dominance and decreased A. frigida competitive suppression to some extent. The transgenerational effect should further facilitate the coexistence of the two species under scenarios of increased nitrogen input and precipitation. If we predicted these species'' interspecific relationships based only on immediate environmental effects, we would overestimate S. krylovii''s competitive advantage and population development, and underestimate competitive outcome and population development of A. frigida. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the transgenerational effect of maternal environment on offspring interspecific competition must be considered when evaluating population dynamics and community composition under the global change scenario.