Attentional bias in the radial and vertical dimensions of space

Under visual guidance, healthy subjects usually misbisect radial lines farther than, and vertical lines above the true center. It was suggested that radial and vertical misbisection depended on the presence of an attentional bias toward far/upper space. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether such attentional bias depends on a single mechanism or on separate mechanisms. Ninety participants were asked to bisect lines radially and vertically oriented. The results confirmed the presence of a consistent bisection bias farther than (radial lines), and above (vertical lines) the true center. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between radial and vertical bisection errors. These findings suggest that a single neural mechanism is involved in producing the attentional bias toward far/upper space.     

Sexual selection and its evolutionary consequences in female animals

For sexual selection to act on a given sex, there must exist variation in the reproductive success of that sex as a result of differential access to mates or fertilisations. The mechanisms and consequences of sexual selection acting on male animals are well documented, but research on sexual selection acting on females has only recently received attention. Controversy still exists over whether sexual selection acts on females in the traditional sense, and over whether to modify the existing definition of sexual selection (to include resource competition) or to invoke alternative mechanisms (usually social selection) to explain selection acting on females in connection with reproduction. However, substantial evidence exists of females bearing characters or exhibiting behaviours that result in differential reproductive success that are analogous to those attributed to sexual selection in males. Here we summarise the literature and provide substantial evidence of female intrasexual competition for access to mates, female intersexual signalling to potential mates, and postcopulatory mechanisms such as competition between eggs for access to sperm and cryptic male allocation. Our review makes clear that sexual selection acts on females and males in similar ways but sometimes to differing extents: the ceiling for the elaboration of costly traits may be lower in females than in males. We predict that current and future research on female sexual selection will provide increasing support for the parsimony and utility of the existing definition of sexual selection.     

High intraspecific diversity of Restorer‐of‐fertility‐like genes in barley

Nuclear restorer of fertility (Rf) genes suppress the effects of mitochondrial genes causing cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), a condition in which plants fail to produce viable pollen. Rf genes, many of which encode RNA‐binding pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, are applied in hybrid breeding to overcome CMS used to block self‐pollination of the seed parent. Here, we characterise the repertoire of restorer‐of‐fertility‐like (RFL) PPR genes in barley (Hordeum vulgare). We found 26 RFL genes in the reference genome (‘Morex’) and an additional 51 putative orthogroups (POGs) in a re‐sequencing data set from 262 barley genotypes and landraces. Whereas the sequences of some POGs are highly conserved across hundreds of barley accessions, the sequences of others are much more variable. High sequence variation strongly correlates with genomic location – the most variable genes are found in a cluster on chromosome 1H. A much higher likelihood of diversifying selection was found for genes within this cluster than for genes present as singlets. This work includes a comprehensive analysis of the patterns of intraspecific variation of RFL genes. The RFL sequences characterised in this study will be useful for the development of new markers for fertility restoration loci.     

Inducible reporter/driver lines for the Arabidopsis root with intrinsic reporting of activity state

Cell‐, tissue‐ or organ‐specific inducible expression systems are powerful tools for functional analysis of changes to the pattern, level or timing of gene expression. However, plant researchers lack standardised reagents that promote reproducibility across the community. Here, we report the development and functional testing of a Gateway‐based system for quantitatively, spatially and temporally controlling inducible gene expression in Arabidopsis that overcomes several drawbacks of the legacy systems. We used this modular driver/effector system with intrinsic reporting of spatio‐temporal promoter activity to generate 18 well‐characterised homozygous transformed lines showing the expected expression patterns specific for the major cell types of the Arabidopsis root; seed and plasmid vectors are available through the Arabidopsis stock centre. The system's tight regulation was validated by assessing the effects of diphtheria toxin A chain expression. We assessed the utility of Production of Anthocyanin Pigment 1 (PAP1) as an encoded effector mediating cell‐autonomous marks. With this shared resource of characterised reference driver lines, which can be expanded with additional promoters and the use of other fluorescent proteins, we aim to contribute towards enhancing reproducibility of qualitative and quantitative analyses.     

珍稀濒危植物大花万代兰的花粉团发育及其分类学意义

万代兰属的属间界限划定及其亲缘关系重建是兰科分类系统中的难解之谜。该研究采用常规石蜡切片技术观察了珍稀濒危植物大花万代兰的一对深裂花粉团的形成机制、花药壁发育模式、小孢子发生及雄配子体发育等的胚胎学特征。结果表明：(1)大花万代兰早期的花药原基分化出一对侧生药室,每个药室的小孢子囊中央分化出一条在花药成熟时会降解的不育隔膜组织,形成两个不等深裂的花粉团。(2)发育完整的花药壁有5~9层,包括2~6层药室内壁,符合多层型花药壁发育类型;绒毡层细胞为单核,腺质型,在花药成熟时,表皮、中层和绒毡层皆降解,仅留下2~6层纤维性加厚的药室内壁。(3)小孢子母细胞经过连续型胞质分裂形成正四面体和左右对称的小孢子四分体,小孢子四分体继续保持在同一个胼胝质内,完成有丝分裂形成了2 细胞型的四合花粉;四合花粉两两紧密排列,且由于隔膜组织的降解,最终发育为一对深裂的花粉团。根据现有兰花花药发育资料,分析了大花万代兰花粉团发育的胚胎学特征的分类学意义,为万代兰属错综复杂的系统分类提供了新资料。     

The role of functional constraints in nonrandom mating patterns for a dance fly with female ornaments

Most hypotheses to explain nonrandom mating patterns invoke mate choice, particularly in species that display elaborate ornaments. However, conflicting selection pressures on traits can result in functional constraints that can also cause nonrandom mating patterns. We tested for functional load‐lifting constraints during aerial copulation in Rhamphomyia longicauda, a species of dance fly that displays multiple extravagant female‐specific ornaments that are unusual among sexual traits because they are under stabilizing selection. R. longicauda males provide females with a nuptial gift before engaging in aerial mating, and the male bears the entire weight of the female and nuptial gift for the duration of copulation. In theory, a male's ability to carry females and nuptial gifts could constrain pairing opportunities for the heaviest females, as reported for nonornamented dance flies. In concert with directional preferences for large females with mature eggs, such a load‐lifting constraint could produce the stabilizing selection on female size previously observed in this species. We therefore tested whether wild‐caught male R. longicauda collected during copulation were experiencing load‐lift limitations by comparing the mass carried by males during copulation with the male's wing loading traits. We also performed permutation tests to determine whether the loads carried by males during copulation were lighter than expected. We found that heavier males are more often found mating with heavier females suggesting that whereas R. longicauda males do not experience a load‐lift constraint, there is a strong relationship of assortative mating by mass. We suggest that active male mate choice for intermediately adorned females is more likely to be causing the nonrandom mating patterns observed in R. longicauda.     

Crickets increase sexual signalling and sperm protection but live shorter in the presence of rivals

The sociosexual environment animals experience through their life can shape the evolution of key life history traits, including longevity. Male–male competition, for instance, may influence the resources allocated to traits involved in male reproductive success. Here, I test whether lifelong exposure to a competitor male influences male investment in pre‐ and post‐copulatory sexual traits (calling effort and sperm quality) and how this affected the oxidative status and longevity of male field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus). As expected, the visual exposure to a mating competitor promoted a higher calling effort in the male crickets but resulted in a decline in the haemolymph antioxidant content. The haemolymph antioxidant content negatively covaried with the antioxidant content of the sperm but interestingly, only when the males were exposed to a competitor. This suggests that when mating competition is high, males may prioritize sperm antioxidant protection against somatic maintenance. Finally, I provide evidence that male–male competition imposes additional costs to reproduction, as males exposed to a mating competitor lost a significant proportion of body antioxidant defences and body mass over time and in long term, had a reduced lifespan. Overall, this study strongly suggests that intrasexual competition may impose additional oxidative costs during reproduction for males, with negative consequences on lifespan. Moreover, the results highlight the role of oxidative stress as a physiological mechanism underlying the trade‐off between reproduction‐longevity and through which sexual selection may contribute to the evolution of senescence patterns.     

An update of the regulatory factors of sperm migration from the uterus into the oviduct by genetically manipulated mice

Mammalian reproductive processes involve spermatogenesis, which occurs in the testis, and fertilization, which takes place in the female genital tract. Fertilization is a successive, multistep, and extremely complicated event that usually includes sperm survival in the uterus, sperm migration through the uterotubal junction (UTJ) and the oviduct, sperm penetration through the cumulus cell layer and the zona pellucida, and sperm–egg fusion. There may be a complex molecular mechanism to ensure that the above processes run smoothly. Previous studies have discovered essential factors for these fertilization steps through in vitro fertilization experiments. However, recent gene disruption approaches in mice have revealed that many of the factors previously described as important for fertilization are largely dispensable in gene‐knockout animals, and some previously unknown factors are emerging. As a result, the molecular mechanisms of fertilization, especially sperm migration from the uterus into the oviduct, have recently been revised by the emergence of genetically modified animals. In this review, we only focus on and update the essential genes for sperm migration through the UTJ and describe recent advances in our knowledge of the basis of mammalian sperm migration.     

Zingerone induced caspase‐dependent apoptosis in MCF‐7 cells and prevents 7,12‐dimethylbenz(a)anthracene‐induced mammary carcinogenesis in experimental rats

Breast cancer is a prevalent of tumoregenesis in women and reports for the maximum mortality and morbidity in the global. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is the mainly widespread spice and herbal remedies used in the world. Since antique periods, ginger has been used in Greece, India and China for the curing of upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, colds, and headaches. The current work was planned to explore the anticancer properties of zingerone (ZO) toward 7,12‐dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)‐treated mammary carcinogenesis in Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats and MCF‐7 mammary cancer cells. The mammary carcinogenesis was produced through a single dosage of DMBA (20 mg/kg bwt) mixed in soya oil (1 mL) administrated intragastrically with a gavage. We found improved concentrations of lipid peroxidation (LOOH and TBARS), carcinoembryonic antigen, lowered levels of enzymatic (CAT, GPx, and SOD), and nonenzymatic (vitamin E, GSH, and vitamin C) antioxidant in mammary tissues and plasma of DMBA‐induced cancer bearing animals. Moreover, augmented concentrations of phase I (Cyt‐b₅ and CYP₄₅₀) and reduced levels of phase II (GR and GST) detoxification microsomal proteins in mammary tissues were noticed. ZO administrations significantly reverted back to all these parameters in this way, showing efficient of anticancer effect. Furthermore, our in vitro study also supported the anticancer effect of the treatment of ZO were noticed loss of cell viability, improved reactive oxygen species formation, and reduced MMP. Furthermore, the status of apoptosis proteins such as Bcl‐2, Bax, and Bid expressions was determined by using Western blot analysis techniques. Overall, these results proposed the anticancer effect of ZO toward DMBA‐induced mammary cancer in SD animals and Michigan cancer foundation‐7 mammary cancer cells.