First Quantitative Study of Rove Beetles in Oklahoma Winter Wheat Fields

Adult rove beetles (Staphylinidae) were sampled every 7–14 days from one winter wheat field located in each of the four major wheat growing regions of Oklahoma during the 1999–2000 and 2000–2001 growing seasons. The number of cereal aphids per tiller, wheat plant growth stage, and wheat tiller density also were estimated. A total of 12 genera representing 13 species of beetles were collected from the field. The density of rove beetles was generally low, ranging from 0.003 beetles per m² in fall to 0.106 beetles per m² in spring. Rove beetle communities differed among seasons. After accounting for the effect of season, there was no statistically significant association between rove beetle community structure and field location, aphid density, wheat plant growth stage, or wheat plant density. Most rove beetle species showed no association with a particular season, however, Aleochara notula Erichson, Lathrobium sp., and Oxypoda sp. were present predominantly in fall, while Bisnius inquitus Erichson was associated with winter. Oxypoda sp. was the most abundant rove beetle in winter wheat fields in spring and was relatively abundant in winter, but was not collected from wheat fields in fall. Tachyporus jocosus Say was present in wheat fields during all seasons. T. jocosus was the most abundant rove beetle species in the winter wheat fields in fall and winter and was the second most abundant species during spring.     

Prevalence and distribution of MEFV mutations among Arabs from the Maghreb patients suffering from familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease caused by mutations in MEFV. This disease is characterized by recurrent episodes of fever accompanied with topical signs of inflammation. Some patients can develop renal amyloidosis. We prospectively investigated MEFV mutations in a cohort of 209 unrelated Arab patients from Maghreb (85 Algerians, 87 Moroccans, and 37 Tunisians) with a clinical suspicion of FMF. FMF is the main cause of periodic fever syndrome in Maghreb. The most frequent MEFV mutations in this cohort were M694V and M694I. These mutations account for different proportions of the MEFV mutations in Algeria (5%, 80%), Morocco (49%, 37%), and Tunisia (50%, 25%) patients. M694I mutation is specific to the Arab population from Maghreb. Other rare mutations were observed: M680L, M680I, A744S, V726A, and E148Q. We estimated the frequency of MEFV mutation carriers among the Arab Maghrebian population at around 1%, which is significantly lower than in non-Ashkenazi Jews, Armenians or Turks.     

Factors Influencing Bug Diversity (Insecta: Heteroptera) in Semi-Natural Habitats

We investigated the abundance and species richness of heteropteran bugs and explored environmental factors which influence bug diversity in three types of semi-natural habitats (wildflower areas, extensively used meadows, extensively grazed pastures). To cover this topic, it is essential to know how much the relatively young wildflower areas contribute to biodiversity compared with well-established extensive meadows and pastures. Total bug species richness and phytophagous bug species richness were significantly higher in wildflower areas and meadows than in pastures. In wildflower areas, we found the highest number of zoophagous bug species and species overwintering in the egg-stage. Species overwintering as adults were most abundant in meadows. Total number of bug species as well as species richness in either trophic groups and overwintering strategies were significantly positively correlated with vegetation structure. Except for overwintering strategies, the same was true to bug abundance. The bug community based on the number of individuals per species was significantly explained by flower abundance and vegetation structure, accounting for 18.4 and 16.8% of the variance, respectively. Our results indicate that vegetation structure and flower abundance are key factors for bug species richness, abundance and bug species composition. Since wildflower areas and meadows clearly increased bug species richness and contained several specialised bug species that did not occur in pastures, we recommend the promotion of wildflower areas and extensively used meadows in order to restore both high heteropteran diversity and overall insect biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.     

Active and passive dispersal of an invading land snail in Mediterranean France

1. Land snail dispersal abilities are considered poor; however, the current invasion of the French Mediterranean region by Xeropicta derbentina (Krynicki 1836), as well as the past invasions of this region by several other species, seems to contradict this view. 2. Using a multilevel approach, from individual experimentation to landscape analysis, the dispersal abilities and mechanisms allowing the passive dispersal of X. derbentina are studied. 3. The colonization of Provence occurred by stratified diffusion, where short-range active dispersal occurs side by side with long-range passive dispersal. 4. Active dispersal is not as limited as previously thought. In the field, the capture-mark-recapture method recorded a maximum distance covered of 42 m in 6 months within a radius of 38 m from the original release point. 5. Temperature and humidity, and therefore the time of year, influence the main type of dispersal. Dispersal is active during wet periods and essentially passive in dry and hot months. 6. Heat avoidance behaviour is one of the mechanisms allowing passive dispersal. 7. Passive dispersal via human activities is the main determinant of X. derbentina distribution within the landscape. In comparison to other species, X. derbentina is found more often in the vicinity of a communication route. 8. These results show that land snails can cover large distances in a lifetime. The potential for active and passive dispersal described in this paper enables X. derbentina to be a successful invasive species and explains the rapid spread and current distribution of this species.     

Complement-dependent control of teratoma formation by embryonic stem cells

The fetus has pluripotent stem cells that when transferred to mature individuals can generate tumors. However, for reasons yet unknown, tumors form rarely in the fetus and/or the mother during normal gestation. We questioned whether the complement system might protect against tumor formation by pluripotent stem cells. Murine embryonic stem cells were notably more susceptible than cardiomyocytes differentiated from those cells to lysis by complement in heterologous and homologous sera. Treatment of embryonic stem cells with heterologous serum averted tumor formation after residual cells were transplanted into mice. Confirming the importance of homologous complement in preventing formation of tumors, untreated embryonic stem cells formed tumors more quickly in C3-deficient than in wild-type mice. Susceptibility of embryonic stem cells to complement required an intact alternative pathway and was owed at least in part to a relative deficiency of sialic acid on cell surfaces compared with differentiated cells. Susceptibility to complement and resistance to tumors was inversely related to the number of cells transferred. These findings show that formation of tumors from embryonic stem cells is controlled in part by the alternative pathway of complement and suggest that susceptibility to complement might represent a general property of pluripotent stem cells that can be exploited to prevent tumor formation.     

Chronic TNFα and cAMP pre-treatment of human adipocytes alter HSL, ATGL and perilipin to regulate basal and stimulated lipolysis

We examined the effects of chronic TNFα and dibutyryl-cAMP (Db-cAMP) pre-treatment on the lipolytic machinery of human hMADS adipocytes. TNFα decreased adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) protein content and triglycerides (TG)-hydrolase activity but increased basal lipolysis due to a marked reduction in perilipin (PLIN) protein content. Conversely, Db-cAMP increased ATGL and HSL protein content but prevented PLIN phosphorylation, the net result being accentuated basal lipolysis. In forskolin-stimulated conditions, TNFα and Db-cAMP pre-treatment decreased stimulated TG-hydrolase activity and impaired PLIN phosphorylation. Together, this resulted in a severely attenuated response to forskolin-stimulated lipolysis.     

Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4 selectively modulates both glutamate and GABA transmission in the striatum: implications for Parkinson's disease treatment

Alterations of striatal synaptic transmission have been associated with several motor disorders involving the basal ganglia, such as Parkinson's disease. For this reason, we investigated the role of group-III metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors in regulating synaptic transmission in the striatum by electrophysiological recordings and by using our novel orthosteric agonist (3 S )-3-[(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl(hydroxy)phosphinyl)-hydroxymethyl]-5-nitrothiophene (LSP1-3081) and l -2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoate (L-AP4). Here, we show that both drugs dose-dependently reduced glutamate- and GABA-mediated post-synaptic potentials, and increased the paired-pulse ratio. Moreover, they decreased the frequency, but not the amplitude, of glutamate and GABA spontaneous and miniature post-synaptic currents. Their inhibitory effect was abolished by ( RS )-α-cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine and was lost in slices from mGlu4 knock-out mice. Furthermore, ( S )-3,4-dicarboxyphenylglycine did not affect glutamate and GABA transmission. Finally, intrastriatal LSP1-3081 or L-AP4 injection improved akinesia measured by the cylinder test. These results demonstrate that mGlu4 receptor selectively modulates striatal glutamate and GABA synaptic transmission, suggesting that it could represent an interesting target for selective pharmacological intervention in movement disorders involving basal ganglia circuitry.     

Mainzer-Saldino syndrome is a ciliopathy caused by IFT140 mutations

Mainzer-Saldino syndrome (MSS) is a rare disorder characterized by phalangeal cone-shaped epiphyses, chronic renal failure, and early-onset, severe retinal dystrophy. Through a combination of ciliome resequencing and Sanger sequencing, we identified IFT140 mutations in six MSS families and in a family with the clinically overlapping Jeune syndrome. IFT140 is one of the six currently known components of the intraflagellar transport complex A (IFT-A) that regulates retrograde protein transport in ciliated cells. Ciliary abundance and localization of anterograde IFTs were altered in fibroblasts of affected individuals, a result that supports the pivotal role of IFT140 in proper development and function of ciliated cells.