Dark butterflies camouflaged from predation in dark tropical forest understories

1. Morphological characteristics, especially coloration, are related to thermoregulation and camouflage, both of which are crucial for species survival and fitness. In cool environments such as the understorey of closed rainforests, darker organisms have thermal advantages and may be able to absorb heat more efficiently. However, such habitats are also suitable for darker organisms with respect to camouflage, making it difficult to elucidate whether the association of dark‐coloured organisms with shady environments is a consequence of thermal stress or predation pressure, or both. 2. In this study, butterfly communities were surveyed and artificial butterflies (mealworms attached to plastic sheeting to mimic adult butterflies) used to test whether differences in wing luminance are related to predation rates within open and closed habitats in monsoonal tropical forests of southwestern China. 3. Using artificial butterflies, significantly lower predation rates were found for dark‐coloured artificial butterflies within closed habitats, whereas such relationships were not found within open habitats. It was found that actual butterfly communities were also significantly darker in closed than in open habitats. 4. These results demonstrate that darker colours may have the effect of reducing predation rates in shady environments and that different habitat types can have contrasting effects on luminance and therefore predation risk.     

A system for imaging transverse distribution of scattered light and chlorophyll fluorescence in intact rice leaves

In order to examine the transverse distribution of scattered light and chlorophyll fluorescence in intact rice leaves, a micro-fluorescence imaging system was devised using a microscope, a CCD camera with an image intensifier, an Ar and a He-Ne laser light source, an image processor, and a microcomputer. A laser light was projected vertically on to the surface of a rice leaf segment at a cut-edge, and scattered light and induced fluorescence were observed at the cut-section from a 90° angle to the axis of the laser beam. The intensity of scattered light showed a maximum at several micrometres depth from the leaf surface and a steep gradient afterwards. Fluorescence reached a maximum crossing with the decline curve of the scattered light. The maximum of fluorescence measured at 741 nm was observed at a greater depth from the leaf surface than that at 687 nm, suggesting that part of the fluorescence of the longer wavelength was emitted due to absorption of fluorescence of the shorter wavelength. Profiles of the scattered light and the chlorophyll fluorescence depended on leaf anatomy.     

Involvement of p38α in Kainate-Induced Seizure and Neuronal Cell Damage

We investigated how p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) is related to kainate-induced epilepsy and neuronal damages, by using the mice with a single copy disruption of the p38 α gene (p38α^+/?). Mortality rate and seizure score of p38α^+/? mice administered with kainate were significantly reduced compared with the case of wild-type (WT) mice. This was clearly supported by the electroencephalography data in which kainate-induced seizure duration and frequency in the brain of p38α^+/? mice were significantly suppressed compared to those of WT mice. As a consequence of seizure, kainate induced delayed neuronal damages in parallel with astrocytic growth in the hippocampus and ectopic innervation of the mossy fibers into the stratum oriens in the CA3 region of hippocampus in WT mice, whose changes were moderate in p38α^+/? mice. Likewise, kainate-induced phosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II in the hippocampus of p38α ^+/? mice was significantly decreased compared to that of WT mice. These results suggest that p38α signaling pathway plays an important role in epileptic seizure and excitotoxicity.     

The advent of RNA interference in Entomology

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular process by which an mRNA is targeted for degradation by a small interfering RNA that contains a strand complementary to a fragment of the target mRNA, resulting in sequence specific inhibition of gene expression. The discovery of RNAi enabled the use of loss‐of‐function analyses in many non‐model insects other than Drosophila to elucidate the roles of specific genes. The RNAi approach has been widely used on insects in several fields, including embryogenesis, pattern formation, reproduction, biosynthesis and behavior. The increasing availability of insect genomes has made the RNAi technique an indispensable technique for characterizing gene functions in insects. Here we review the current status of RNAi‐based experiments in insects and the applications of RNAi for species‐specific insecticides, focusing on non‐drosophilid insects. We also identify future applications for RNAi‐based studies in Entomology.     

Changes in Activities of Glucose Metabolising Enzymes in Germ Cells during Spermatogenesis in Rats

The rate of ¹⁴CO₂, liberation from [¹⁴C-1]glucose was identical to that from [¹⁴C-6]glucose in spermatids, but more than the latter in spermatogonia. Rotenone (1 μM) completely inhibited ¹⁴CO₂ release from [¹⁴C-1]glucose in spermatids, but decreased it only 30% in spermatogonia. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, but not 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, was markedly lower in spermatocytes and spermatids than in spermatogonia. The activities of the glycolytic enzymes, glucosephosphate isomerase, fructose diphosphatase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and enolase, differed only slightly in spermatids and spermatogonia. It is concluded that the low glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity may contribute to the low activity of the pentose cycle in spermatocytes and spermatids.     

Light Gradients and the Transverse Distribution of Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Mangrove andCamelliaLeaves

The light gradient and transverse distribution of chlorophyllfluorescence in mangrove andCamellialeaves, which have differentmorphological characteristics, were examined using a micro-fluorescenceimaging system reported previously (Takahashiet al., Plant,Cell and Environment17: 105–110, 1994). Epidermal cellsscattered light strongly, resulting in an increase in the fluencerate in epidermal cells. For theCamellialeaf, a light gradientwas formed by absorption of light by photosynthetic pigmentsassociated with the induction of chlorophyll fluorescence. Forthe mangrove leaf, a light gradient was formed by backward scatteredlight within a thick layer of non-assimilatory cells. Lightwith a low absorption coefficient (515 nm) penetrated deeperthan that with a higher absorption coefficient (477 nm and 488nm) in theCamellialeaf, while light of both wavelengths showedsimilar profiles in the mangrove leaf. In the mangrove leaves,scattered light declined significantly in the non-assimilatorycell layer which is in front of the assimilatory cells. Light,the intensity of which was reduced to approx. 10% of the maximum,was well scattered and induced a considerable amount of chlorophyllfluorescence in the assimilatory cells, which appear to be wellorganized to capture weak light.Copyright 1998 Annals of BotanyCompany fluorescence, intact leaf, light gradient, mangrove (Rhizophora mucronataLamk.),Camellia japonicaL.     

PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE PROTHORACICOTROPIC HORMONE OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI

A simple and highly reproducible procedure for partial purification of prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) was established starting with 96,000 male adult Bombyx heads. Approximately 28,500-fold purification of PTTH was accomplished with a yield of about 50% and 6 ng of the most purified preparation ("highly purified PTTH") caused adult development in a brainless Samia pupa. The peptidal nature of PTTH was reconfirmed through the effects of various enzymatic and chemical treatments on the biological activity of "highly purified PTTH". Gel-filtration indicated the molecular weight of PTTH to be 4,400.