Spectral information as an orientation cue in dung beetles

During the day, a non-uniform distribution of long and short wavelength light generates a colour gradient across the sky. This gradient could be used as a compass cue, particularly by animals such as dung beetles that rely primarily on celestial cues for orientation. Here, we tested if dung beetles can use spectral cues for orientation by presenting them with monochromatic (green and UV) light spots in an indoor arena. Beetles kept their original bearing when presented with a single light cue, green or UV, or when presented with both light cues set 180° apart. When either the UV or the green light was turned off after the beetles had set their bearing in the presence of both cues, they were still able to maintain their original bearing to the remaining light. However, if the beetles were presented with two identical green light spots set 180° apart, their ability to maintain their original bearing was impaired. In summary, our data show that ball-rolling beetles could potentially use the celestial chromatic gradient as a reference for orientation.     

昆虫寄生与滇合欢种子大小和数量的关系

以云南地区含羞草科合欢属滇合欢Albizia simeonis为研究对象,在调查滇合欢正常种荚和被昆虫寄生种荚内种子数、种子败育数和种子大小的基础上,研究昆虫寄生对滇合欢种荚内种子数量、大小以及败育的影响,分析了种荚内种子大小和数量之间的关系。结果表明:完好种荚与受害种荚内种子总数差异并不显著,但完好种荚内正常种子数量显著高于受害种荚,而败育种子数则显著低于受害种荚。昆虫寄生并没有对滇合欢种荚内正常种子大小产生显著影响,但被寄生的种子体积显著大于正常种子。种荚内败育种子数与被寄生种子数呈显著正相关关系,表明昆虫寄生对滇合欢种荚内种子败育产生了影响。滇合欢种荚内种子数量与种子大小呈负相关关系,但完好种荚内种子数量与大小的相关性并不显著,而有昆虫寄生的种荚内种子数量与种子大小则表现出显著的负相关,即昆虫寄生加剧了滇合欢种荚内种子大小与数量的权衡。     

Functionality of insect‐cell‐derived colorectal cancer vaccine candidate protein EpCAM‐Fc in human dendritic cells

The baculovirus–insect cell expression system is widely used to produce recombinant proteins for various biomedical applications. Our previous study demonstrated that EpCAM, a colorectal cancer vaccine candidate protein, can be expressed in the baculovirus–insect cell expression system. However, its functionality (the ability to elicit an immune response), which is important for its possible use as a colorectal cancer vaccine for immunotherapy, still needed to be confirmed. In this study, we examined the ability of recombinant EpCAM to induce maturation of immature dendritic cells (DCs) derived from CD34⁺ cells isolated from human umbilical cord blood. We demonstrated that EpCAM induces the expression of four DC maturation markers: CD80, CD83, CD86 and MHC II. These results suggest that EpCAM produced in the baculovirus–insect cell expression system is functional in terms of its ability to trigger maturation of human DCs.     

Purification of anti‐colorectal cancer monoclonal antibody CO17‐1A from insect cell culture using a French press and sonication

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) CO17‐1A binds to GA733, which is a tumor‐associated glycoprotein antigen highly expressed on the colorectal cancer cell surface. Thus, mAb CO17‐1A is considered a useful biomolecule for diagnosis and treatment against colorectal cancer. Previously, we established a baculovirus–insect cell expression system for the production of mAb CO17‐1A. In order to use mAb CO17‐1A as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, however, the antibody must be properly purified from the insect cells. In this study, our aim was to investigate effective purification processes of mAb CO17‐1A expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells, using a French press and sonication for cell disruption. SDS‐PAGE confirmed that both mAb CO17‐1A and mAb CO17‐1A fused to the KDEL endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal (mAb CO17‐1AK) were expressed clearly in Sf9 insect cells. Western blot analysis showed that detection levels of mAb CO17‐1A and CO17‐1AK were higher when the insect cells were disrupted two times by the French press and then sonicated, compared to only one French press disruption plus sonication. Optical microscopy confirmed that insect cells treated with both the French press and sonication were properly disrupted. Analysis of gene sequence information on mAb CO17‐1A verified that a signal peptide is present but a transmembrane protein does not exist. These results suggest that cell disruption by the French press twice and sonication once is an effective method for improving purification efficiency.     

Insights into the dynamics of hind leg development in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queen and worker larvae - A morphology/differential gene expression analysis

Phenotypic plasticity is a hallmark of the caste systems of social insects, expressed in their life history and morphological traits. These are best studied in bees. In their co-evolution with angiosperm plants, the females of corbiculate bees have acquired a specialized structure on their hind legs for collecting pollen. In the highly eusocial bees (Apini and Meliponini), this structure is however only present in workers and absent in queens. By means of histological sections and cell proliferation analysis we followed the developmental dynamics of the hind legs of queens and workers in the fourth and fifth larval instars. In parallel, we generated subtractive cDNA libraries for hind leg discs of queen and worker larvae by means of a Representational Difference Analysis (RDA). From the total of 135 unique sequences we selected 19 for RT-qPCR analysis, where six of these were confirmed as differing significantly in their expression between the two castes in the larval spinning stage. The development of complex structures such as the bees’ hind legs, requires diverse patterning mechanisms and signaling modules, as indicated by the set of differentially expressed genes related with cell adhesion and signaling pathways.     

Climate warming increases biological control agent impact on a non‐target species

Climate change may shift interactions of invasive plants, herbivorous insects and native plants, potentially affecting biological control efficacy and non‐target effects on native species. Here, we show how climate warming affects impacts of a multivoltine introduced biocontrol beetle on the non‐target native plant Alternanthera sessilis in China. In field surveys across a latitudinal gradient covering their full distributions, we found beetle damage on A. sessilis increased with rising temperature and plant life history changed from perennial to annual. Experiments showed that elevated temperature changed plant life history and increased insect overwintering, damage and impacts on seedling recruitment. These results suggest that warming can shift phenologies, increase non‐target effect magnitude and increase non‐target effect occurrence by beetle range expansion to additional areas where A. sessilis occurs. This study highlights the importance of understanding how climate change affects species interactions for future biological control of invasive species and conservation of native species.     

Area‐wide monitoring of potato tuberworm (Phthorimaea operculella) by pheromone trapping in Northern Italy: phenology,spatial distribution and relationships between catches and tuber damage

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Anatomy of an outbreak: the biology and population dynamics of a Cardiaspina psyllid species in an endangered woodland ecosystem

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