Parasitoid Mark-Release-Recapture Techniques-- II. Development and Application of a Protein Marking Technique for Eretmocerus spp., Parasitoids of Bemisia argentifolii

In this study, we validate and apply techniques for marking and capturing small parasitoids of the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring [ = B. tabaci (Gennadius), strain B] for mark-release-recapture (MRR) studies. The marker is the purified protein, rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG), which was applied externally by topical spray or internally by feeding. Marked parasitoids were then assayed using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of the protein marker using an antibody specific to rabbit IgG. Virtually all of the externally marked Eretmocerus sp. (Ethiopia, M96076) (98.0%) contained enough rabbit IgG to be easily distinguished from unmarked parasitoids, regardless of the amount of protein applied or the post-marking interval. A field MRR study was then conducted to examine the dispersal characteristics of E. emiratus Zolnerowich & Rose. Parasitoids marked externally and internally with protein were released on three separate trial dates into the center of a cotton field bordered by cantaloupe and okra. Overall, a total of 1388, 637, and 397 marked and unmarked wasps were captured in suction traps during each trial, respectively with the majority of parasitoids captured between 0600 and 0800 h. Furthermore, even though we released an equal proportion of males to females, our traps consistently contained more males. Our results suggest that there are gender-specific differences in the dispersal behavior of E. emiratus . Almost 40% of the captured parasitoids collected during the three release trials were positively identified for the presence of the protein marker. The distribution of the marked parasitoids revealed two distinct patterns. First, almost all of the marked parasitoids recaptured in the cotton plot were in suction traps at or adjacent to the     

A novel Netrin-1–sensitive mechanism promotes local SNARE-mediated exocytosis during axon branching

Developmental axon branching dramatically increases synaptic capacity and neuronal surface area. Netrin-1 promotes branching and synaptogenesis, but the mechanism by which Netrin-1 stimulates plasma membrane expansion is unknown. We demonstrate that SNARE-mediated exocytosis is a prerequisite for axon branching and identify the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM9 as a critical catalytic link between Netrin-1 and exocytic SNARE machinery in murine cortical neurons. TRIM9 ligase activity promotes SNARE-mediated vesicle fusion and axon branching in a Netrin-dependent manner. We identified a direct interaction between TRIM9 and the Netrin-1 receptor DCC as well as a Netrin-1–sensitive interaction between TRIM9 and the SNARE component SNAP25. The interaction with SNAP25 negatively regulates SNARE-mediated exocytosis and axon branching in the absence of Netrin-1. Deletion of TRIM9 elevated exocytosis in vitro and increased axon branching in vitro and in vivo. Our data provide a novel model for the spatial regulation of axon branching by Netrin-1, in which localized plasma membrane expansion occurs via TRIM9-dependent regulation of SNARE-mediated vesicle fusion.     

Resprouting of Quercus suber in NE Spain after fire

Abstract. Many Mediterranean species have evolved strategies that allow them to survive periodic wildfires. Quercus suber trees resprout after fire, some from stem buds and others from basal buds only. In the former case the canopy recovers quickly. In the latter case the stem dies but the tree survives and regrows from basal sprouts. The probability of stem death and the degree of height recovery were studied after a fire in a Q. suber forest in NE Spain using logistic regression analysis. The results suggest that most trees survive after fire; the probability of stem death is negatively related to tree diameter; and recovery is positively related to tree diameter and to bark thickness. Implication for management and conservation of cork-oak forests are discussed.     

Soil shapes community structure through fire

Recurrent wildfires constitute a major selecting force in shaping the structure of plant communities. At the regional scale, fire favours phenotypic and phylogenetic clustering in Mediterranean woody plant communities. Nevertheless, the incidence of fire within a fire-prone region may present strong variations at the local, landscape scale. This study tests the prediction that woody communities on acid, nutrient-poor soils should exhibit more pronounced phenotypic and phylogenetic clustering patterns than woody communities on fertile soils, as a consequence of their higher flammability and, hence, presumably higher propensity to recurrent fire. Results confirm the predictions and show that habitat filtering driven by fire may be detected even in local communities from an already fire-filtered regional flora. They also provide a new perspective from which to consider a preponderant role of fire as a key evolutionary force in acid, infertile Mediterranean heathlands.     

Can Mixed-Species Groups Reduce Individual Parasite Load? A Field Test with Two Closely Related Poeciliid Fishes (Poecilia reticulata and Poecilia picta)

Predation and parasitism are two of the most important sources of mortality in nature. By forming groups, individuals can gain protection against predators but may increase their risk of being infected with contagious parasites. Animals might resolve this conflict by forming mixed-species groups thereby reducing the costs associated with parasites through a relative decrease in available hosts. We tested this hypothesis in a system with two closely related poeciliid fishes (Poecilia reticulata and Poecilia picta) and their host-specific monogenean ectoparasites (Gyrodactylus spp.) in Trinidad. Fish from three different rivers were sampled from single and mixed-species groups, measured and scanned for Gyrodactylus. The presence and abundance of Gyrodactylus were lower when fish of both species were part of mixed-species groups relative to single-species groups. This is consistent with the hypothesis that mixed-species groups provide a level of protection against contagious parasites. We discuss the importance of potentially confounding factors such as salinity and individual fish size.     

Extrapolating Weak Selection in Evolutionary Games

In evolutionary games, reproductive success is determined by payoffs. Weak selection means that even large differences in game outcomes translate into small fitness differences. Many results have been derived using weak selection approximations, in which perturbation analysis facilitates the derivation of analytical results. Here, we ask whether results derived under weak selection are also qualitatively valid for intermediate and strong selection. By “qualitatively valid” we mean that the ranking of strategies induced by an evolutionary process does not change when the intensity of selection increases. For two-strategy games, we show that the ranking obtained under weak selection cannot be carried over to higher selection intensity if the number of players exceeds two. For games with three (or more) strategies, previous examples for multiplayer games have shown that the ranking of strategies can change with the intensity of selection. In particular, rank changes imply that the most abundant strategy at one intensity of selection can become the least abundant for another. We show that this applies already to pairwise interactions for a broad class of evolutionary processes. Even when both weak and strong selection limits lead to consistent predictions, rank changes can occur for intermediate intensities of selection. To analyze how common such games are, we show numerically that for randomly drawn two-player games with three or more strategies, rank changes frequently occur and their likelihood increases rapidly with the number of strategies . In particular, rank changes are almost certain for , which jeopardizes the predictive power of results derived for weak selection.     

The rose and the name: the unresolved debate on biotechnological terms

The largest survey on the perception of synthetic biology-related disciplines (Porcar et al., 2019,EMBO Rep 20) recently revealed that the Spanish society does not have a very positive perception of the term synthetic biology. On the other hand, the terms biotechnology and even genetic engineering received relatively higher scores. The issue of nomenclature and perception is a classical one in science perception studies. Synthetic biologists have been debating their neologism (Synthetic Biology, from now on SB) for years. Even in a 2006 blog, Rob Carlson discussed the various labels for the new field, such as intentional biology, constructive biology, natural engineering, synthetic genomics and biological engineering. This diversity of names, along with the above mentioned negative public perception of the term synthetic biology, raises the question on whether the term itself is suitable or whether it could, in an extreme scenario, be replaced by another combining scientific consensus with public acceptance.     

From mesophilic to thermophilic conditions: one-step temperature increase improves the methane production of a granular sludge treating agroindustrial effluents

Objectives

To assess the effect of one-step temperature increase, from 35 to 55 °C, on the methane production of a mesophilic granular sludge (MGS) treating wine vinasses and the effluent of a hydrogenogenic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor.

Results

One-step temperature increase from mesophilic to thermophilic conditions improved methane production regardless of the substrate tested. The biomethane potentials obtained under thermophilic conditions were 1.8–2.9 times higher than those obtained under mesophilic conditions. The MGS also performed better than an acclimated thermophilic digestate, producing 2.2–2.5 times more methane than the digestate under thermophilic conditions. Increasing the temperature from 35 to 55 °C also improved the methane production rate of the MGS (up to 9.4 times faster) and reduced the lag time (up to 1.9 times). Although the temperature increase mediated a decrease in the size of the sludge granules, no negative effects on the performance of the MGS was observed under thermophilic conditions.

Conclusions

More methane is obtained from real agroindustrial effluents at thermophilic conditions than under mesophilic conditions. One-step temperature increase (instead of progressive sequential increases) can be used to implement the thermophilic anaerobic digestion processes with MGS.