Interspecific Aggression and Resource Monopolization of the Invasive Ant Anoplolepis gracilipes in Malaysian Borneo

Invasions by introduced ant species can be ecologically destructive and affect a wide range of taxa, particularly native ants. Invasive ant species often numerically dominate ant communities and outperform native ant species in effective resource acquisition. Here, we describe interactions between the invasive ant Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith) and resident ant species in disturbed habitats in NE Borneo. We measured interference competition abilities of A. gracilipes by performing arena bioassays between two A. gracilipes colonies and seven local ant species, and measured its effective resource competition at baits within supercolonies and at supercolony boundaries. Furthermore, we compared ant species diversity and composition at baits among (A) core areas of A. gracilipes supercolonies, (B) supercolony boundaries and (C) outside supercolonies. Anoplolepis gracilipes was behaviorally dominant over most ant species except Oecophylla smaragdina. Within supercolonies, A. gracilipes discovered all food baits first, and monopolized the vast majority throughout the course of the experiment. At supercolony boundaries, A. gracilipes discovered baits later than resident ant species, but subsequently monopolized half of the baits. Furthermore, the activity and diversity of the ant community within A. gracilipes supercolonies was lower than at its boundaries and outside supercolonies, and the ant communities differed significantly between infested and noninfested areas. Our study supports the hypothesis that successful establishment of A. gracilipes in anthropogenically disturbed habitats may negatively affect resident ant communities through high levels of direct interspecific aggression and almost complete monopolization of resources within high‐density supercolonies.     

Deviance-Related Responses along the Auditory Hierarchy: Combined FFR,MLR and MMN Evidence

The mismatch negativity (MMN) provides a correlate of automatic auditory discrimination in human auditory cortex that is elicited in response to violation of any acoustic regularity. Recently, deviance-related responses were found at much earlier cortical processing stages as reflected by the middle latency response (MLR) of the auditory evoked potential, and even at the level of the auditory brainstem as reflected by the frequency following response (FFR). However, no study has reported deviance-related responses in the FFR, MLR and long latency response (LLR) concurrently in a single recording protocol. Amplitude-modulated (AM) sounds were presented to healthy human participants in a frequency oddball paradigm to investigate deviance-related responses along the auditory hierarchy in the ranges of FFR, MLR and LLR. AM frequency deviants modulated the FFR, the Na and Nb components of the MLR, and the LLR eliciting the MMN. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to elicit deviance-related responses at three different levels (FFR, MLR and LLR) in one single recording protocol, highlight the involvement of the whole auditory hierarchy in deviance detection and have implications for cognitive and clinical auditory neuroscience. Moreover, the present protocol provides a new research tool into clinical neuroscience so that the functional integrity of the auditory novelty system can now be tested as a whole in a range of clinical populations where the MMN was previously shown to be defective.     

A New Method for the Separation of Different Types of Nematocysts from Scyphozoa and Investigation of Proteinaceous Toxins Utilizing Laser Catapulting and Subsequent Mass Spectrometry

Jellyfish have an increasing impact on marine ecology. Cnidocysts bearing stinging cells afford, amongst others, prey capture and defence. Several different types of stinging capsules are found in one species and they are supposed to have specific functions, e.g. paralysing prey or adhering to it. Due to these assumed different roles of the capsules, it is suggested that toxins, which are contained in the capsules, differ in composition. Analysis of distinct types of nematocysts requires an appropriate method for the separation of the different types. Mixtures of types of nematocysts were obtained of two species of jellyfish, Aurelia aurita and Cyanea lamarckii, by maceration of the tissue. These mixtures were treated with a method called laser microdissection and pressure catapulting (LMPC). Optimized maceration methods, which were firstly introduced as a method for this purpose, in conjunction with optimized LMPC parameters lead to sufficient amounts of separated capsules of individual types for subsequent mass-spectrometric analyses. In case of A. aurita, the resulting mass spectra had some constituents in common, whereas in the overall pattern, the two distinct nematocyst types differed.     

TURAN and EVAN Mediate Pollen Tube Reception in Arabidopsis Synergids through Protein Glycosylation

Pollen tube (PT) reception in flowering plants describes the crosstalk between the male and female gametophytes upon PT arrival at the synergid cells of the ovule. It leads to PT growth arrest, rupture, and sperm cell release, and is thus essential to ensure double fertilization. Here, we describe TURAN (TUN) and EVAN (EVN), two novel members of the PT reception pathway that is mediated by the FERONIA (FER) receptor-like kinase (RLK). Like fer, mutations in these two genes lead to PT overgrowth inside the female gametophyte (FG) without PT rupture. Mapping by next-generation sequencing, cytological analysis of reporter genes, and biochemical assays of glycoproteins in RNAi knockdown mutants revealed both genes to be involved in protein N-glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). TUN encodes a uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferase superfamily protein and EVN a dolichol kinase. In addition to their common role during PT reception in the synergids, both genes have distinct functions in the pollen: whereas EVN is essential for pollen development, TUN is required for PT growth and integrity by affecting the stability of the pollen-specific FER homologs ANXUR1 (ANX1) and ANX2. ANX1- and ANX2-YFP reporters are not expressed in tun pollen grains, but ANX1-YFP is degraded via the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway, likely underlying the anx1/2-like premature PT rupture phenotype of tun mutants. Thus, as in animal sperm–egg interactions, protein glycosylation is essential for the interaction between the female and male gametophytes during PT reception to ensure fertilization and successful reproduction.     

BsrG/SR4 from Bacillus subtilis--the first temperature-dependent type I toxin-antitoxin system

Here, we describe bsrG/SR4, a novel type I toxin-antitoxin system from the SPβ prophage region of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome. The 294-nucleotide bsrG RNA encodes a 38-amino-acid toxin, whereas SR4 is a 180-nucleotide antisense RNA that acts as the antitoxin. Both genes overlap by 123 nucleotides. BsrG expression increases at the onset of stationary phase. The sr4 promoter is 6- to 10-fold stronger than the bsrG promoter. Deletion of sr4 stabilizes bsrG mRNA and causes cell lysis on agar plates, which is due to the BsrG peptide and not the bsrG mRNA. SR4 overexpression could compensate cell lysis caused by overexpression of bsrG. SR4 interacts with the 3' UTR of bsrG RNA, thereby promoting its degradation. RNase III cleaves the bsrG RNA/SR4 duplex at position 185 of bsrG RNA, but is not essential for the function of the toxin-antitoxin system. Endoribonuclease Y and 3'-5' exoribonuclease R participate in the degradation of both bsrG RNA and SR4, whereas PnpA processes three SR4 precursors to the mature RNA. A heat shock at 48°C results in faster degradation and, therefore, significantly decreased amounts of bsrG RNA.     

Feasibility of Pisum sativum as an expression system for pharmaceuticals

Based on its high protein content and excellent storage capacity, pea (Pisum sativum), as well as other plants, is considered to be a suitable production platform for protein-based pharmaceuticals. Its capacity to produce high proportions of active recombinant proteins (up to 2% total soluble protein corresponding to approximately 8?mg/g fresh weight) has been proven using pea-derived strong seed-specific promoters. The active antigens produced were also stable for more than 4?years. Pea can be used as a feed additive, up to a proportion of 30% to total feed, despite the presence of lectins. Thus, a low dosage of recombinant pea-based pharmaceuticals is non-hazardous. In addition, it is independent of N-fertilisation, has excellent biosafety characteristics and is accessible to gene transfer. Growth systems with a capacity for high yield are available for the greenhouse (5?t/ha) and, to a limited extent, also in the field (2.3?t/ha). The practicable establishment of pea seed banks allows a continuous production process. Although the use of a pea system is limited by complex transformation procedures, these advantages render pea a promising plant for the production of pharmaceuticals.     

An ER-targeted calcium-binding peptide confers salt and drought tolerance mediated by CIPK6 in Arabidopsis

Different plant organelles have high internal stores of Ca²⁺ compared to the cytoplasm and could play independent roles in stress responses or signal transduction. We used a GFP fusion with the C-domain of calreticulin, which shows low-affinity, high capacity Ca²⁺ binding in the ER, as a calcium-binding peptide (CBP) to specifically increase stores in the ER and nucleus. Despite the presence of a signal sequence and KDEL retention sequence, our work and previous studies (Brandizzi et al. Plant Journal 34:269–281, 2003) demonstrated both ER and nuclear localization of GFP-CBP. Under normal conditions, GFP-CBP-expressing lines had ~25% more total Ca²⁺ and higher levels of chlorophyll and seed yield than wild type and GFP controls. CBP-expressing plants also had better survival under intermittent drought or high salt treatments and increased root growth. One member of the CIPK (calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase) gene family, CIPK6, was up-regulated in CBP-expressing plants, even under non-stress conditions. A null mutation in cipk6 abolished the increased stress tolerance of CBP-transgenic plants, as well as the CBP-mediated induction of two stress-associated genes, DREB1A and RD29A, under non-stress conditions. Although this suggested that it was the induction of CIPK6, rather than localized changes in Ca²⁺, that resulted in increased survival under adverse conditions, CIPK6 induction still required Ca²⁺. This work demonstrates that ER (or nuclear) Ca²⁺ can directly participate in signal transduction to alter gene expression. The discovery of a method for increasing Ca²⁺ levels without deleterious effects on plant growth may have practical applications.