Ladies last: diel rhythmicity of adult emergence in a parasitoid with complementary sex determination

Protandry, the earlier adult emergence of males, is explained as either an adaptive strategy maximizing male mating opportunities at the same time as minimizing female pre‐reproductive mortality, or as an incidental by‐product of sexual dimorphism fuelled by selection for other life‐history traits. Adult emergence sequences are monitored of broods of the gregarious larval endoparasitoid Cotesia glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) undergoing pupal development under different temperature regimes. As a haplodiploid species with single‐locus complementary sex determination, gender in C. glomerata is determined by the genotype at one sex locus. Haploids are always male, whereas diploids are female when heterozygous but male when homozygous at the sex locus. Sibling mating promotes homozygosity and thus the production of diploid males. Diploid males are produced at the expense of females, and impose a genetic burden on individuals and populations, despite their exceptional fertility in C. glomerata. Emergence of broods is typically completed within 2 days. Irrespective of temperature, males emerge earlier and within a shorter time interval than females, and a majority of the males in a cluster emerge before the first female. The implications of an incomplete temporal segregation of the sexes on the incidence of inbreeding in C. glomerata are discussed in the light of its sex determination mechanism and its patterns of mating, host exploitation and natal dispersal.     

Food plant and herbivore host species affect the outcome of intrinsic competition among parasitoid larvae

1. In nature, several parasitoid species often exploit the same stages of a common herbivore host species and are able to coexist despite competitive interactions amongst them. Less is known about the direct effects of resource quality on intrinsic interactions between immature parasitoid stages. The present study is based on the hypothesis that variation in the quality or type of plant resources on which the parasitoids indirectly develop may be complementary and thus facilitate niche segregation favouring different parasitoids in intrinsic competition under different dietary regimes. 2. The present study investigated whether two herbivore species, the cabbage butterflies Pieris brassicae and Pieris rapae (Pieridae), and the quality of two important food plants, Brassica oleracea and Brassica nigra (Brassicaceae), affect the outcome of intrinsic competition between their primary larval endoparasitoids, the gregarious Cotesia glomerata (Braconidae) and the solitary Hyposoter ebeninus (Ichneumonidae). 3. Hyposoter ebeninus is generally an intrinsically superior competitor over C. glomerata. However, C. glomerata survived more antagonistic encounters with H. ebeninus when both developed in P. brassicae rather than in P. rapae caterpillars, and while its host was feeding on B. nigra rather than B. oleracea. Moreover, H. ebeninus benefitted from competition by its higher survival in multiparasitised hosts. 4. These results show that both plant and herbivore species mediate the battleground on which competitive interactions between parasitoids are played out and may affect the outcomes of these interactions in ways that enable parasitoids to segregate their niches. This in turn may promote coexistence among parasitoid species that are associated with the same herbivore host.     

Chemical Investigation of Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus flavipes for Potential Anti-Inflammatory Agents

The marine fungus, Aspergillus flavipes (MTCC 5220), was isolated from the pneumatophore of a mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius found in Goa, India. The crude extract of A. flavipes was found to show anti-inflammatory activity. It blocked interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated THP-1 cells with IC₅₀ of 2.69±0.5 μM and 6.64±0.4 μM, respectively. The chemical investigation led to the isolation of optically inactive 4β-[(1E)-propen-1-yl]cyclopentane-1β,2β-diol ( 1 ) along with a new optically active diastereoisomeric compound, 4β-[(1E)-propen-1-yl]cyclopentane-1β,2α-diol ( 2 ). In addition, the fungus also produced known compounds (+)-terrein ( 3 ), butyrolactone I ( 4 ) and butyrolactone II ( 5 ) in high yields. Among these, (+)-terrein ( 3 ) exhibited IL-6 and TNF-α inhibition activity with IC₅₀ of 8.5±0.68 μM and 15.76±0.18 μM, respectively, while butyrolactone I ( 4 ) exhibited IC₅₀ of 12.03±0.85 μM (IL-6) and 43.29±0.76 μM (TNF-α) inhibition activity with low toxicity to host cells in LPS stimulated THP-1 cells. This is the first report of the isolation and characterization of 4β-[(1E)-propen-1-yl]cyclopentane-1β,2α-diol ( 2 ). The structures of all the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive detailed NMR spectroscopic data. Anti-inflammatory activity of the fungi A. flavipes is presented here for the first time, which was due to (+)-terrein and butyrolactone I, as the major constituents and they can be further explored in the therapeutic area.     

Analysis of polysaccharide hydrolases secreted by Aspergillus flavipes FP-500 on corn cobs and wheat bran as complex carbon sources

Abstract

Aspergillus flavipes FP-500 is a Mexican native strain that has been reported as a good producer of xylanases and pectinases; therefore, it promises a strong impact on biotechnology. To provide an overview of protein secretion by A. flavipes, we carried out a comparative proteome analysis of extracellular proteins in liquid cultures with two heterogeneous agro-industrial residues; corn cob (CC) and wheat bran (WB), as carbon sources. Extracellular proteins obtained from both cultures were identified using MS/MS spectrometry. We identified 134 proteins, which were classified into four groups: glycosyl hydrolases (GH), esterases/proteases, miscellaneous proteins, and unidentified proteins. Around 50% of the total proteins identified were GH such as xylanases, β-xylosidases, β-galactosidases, cellulolytic enzymes like β-glucosidase, endoglucanases, and cellobiohydrolases. From this family, a core of 22 (16%) of the proteins identified were found in both substrates, CC and WB, whereas 30% and 54% were unique for CC and WB, respectively. In the esterases/proteases group, proteases, lipases and esterases like feruloylesterases, and acetyl-xylanesterase were identified. Proteins with diverse functions such as monophosphate dehydrogenase or N-acetylglucosaminidase were present. Here, we present strong evidences indicating that the composition and heterogeneity of the used carbon source determine the specific set of protein secreted by the fungus.     

Rainfall in prior breeding seasons influences population size of a small marsupial

The imposition of the stresses of climate change (higher temperatures and in many regions lower rainfall) on existing stressors, such as habitat loss and degradation, will increase pressures on native fauna already experiencing declines. We focused on assessing how the ‘Big Dry’ (severe drought, 1997–2010) in south‐eastern Australia affected populations of a small marsupial carnivore, the yellow‐footed antechinus (Antechinus flavipes), in box‐ironbark forests, which suffer a range of anthropogenic disturbances. Trapping of the mammal was conducted on 136 (0.25 ha) sites in two box‐ironbark forests in 2004, 2005 and 2011 (46 or 64 sites per year). Capture rates of all distinct individuals, males and second‐year females with suckled teats, and the number of suckled teats were positively associated with rainfall in the previous September (time of lactation and deposition of young in nests). Despite differences between forests in capture rates of all individuals, the positive effect of rainfall was evident in both forests. Populations in one forest, Chiltern, were substantially larger than other locations surveyed in 2004 and 2005, yet crashed to small numbers in 2011. This crash was most likely due to low rainfall in the preceding years including the lowest recorded annual rainfall (2006), below‐average annual rainfall (2007, 2008 and 2009) and well‐below‐average rainfall in September (2006, 2007 and 2008). The predicted drying and warming climate in south‐eastern Australia and habitat loss and degradation pose a threat to the viability of the yellow‐footed antechinus in box‐ironbark forests. An integrated approach to small‐mammal management is necessary given that the region may be facing additional losses, especially during droughts, to those already experienced since the early 1800s. Our work emphasizes the need to identify specific effects of stressors on vital demographic characteristics of species.     

二化螟盘绒茧蜂触角感器的超微结构

采用扫描电子显微镜对二化螟盘绒茧蜂Cotesia chilonisMunakata触角感器进行了观察和研究。结果表明,二化螟盘绒茧蜂触角上共存在6种感器,分别为板形感器、毛形感器、刚毛型感器、柱形感器、钟形感器、锥形感器。对各种触角感器的形态、分布特点进行了描述,并对两性间的差异及其功能进行了探讨。     

寄主龄期、过寄生和寄主饥饿处理对菜蛾盘绒茧蜂幼蜂及畸形细胞发育的影响

过寄生、寄生时寄主龄期和寄生后寄主饥饿处理影响菜蛾盘绒茧蜂Cotesia plutellae（Kurdj.）幼蜂及畸形细胞的发育。显微解剖和观察表明,4龄小菜蛾Plutella xylostella L.幼虫被寄生后,其体内菜蛾盘绒茧蜂幼蜂发育不整齐、假寄生比例增高。过寄生后,每头被寄生的寄主血腔中畸形细胞数量明显增多,但直径变小;随着过寄生程度的加剧,幼蜂发育严重受阻。寄主营养显著影响体内幼蜂及畸形细胞的发育,被寄生的小菜蛾经饥饿处理62 h后,体内畸形细胞的数量、活性明显降低,与此同时,幼蜂的发育也受到明显抑制,寄主发育与寄生蜂和畸形细胞的发育呈正相关性。由此可见,寄主不同龄期、过寄生及寄主营养状况均对寄主体内幼蜂和畸形细胞发育产生影响。     

菜蛾盘绒茧蜂主要寄生因子导致的寄主小菜蛾幼虫脂肪体结构的变化

在不同的寄生状态下,菜蛾盘绒茧蜂Cotesia plutellae不同的寄生因子可引起寄主小菜蛾Plutella xylostella幼虫脂肪体结构发生相应的改变。显微和亚显微形态结构显示： 假寄生后多分DNA病毒和毒液对脂肪体结构的完整性没有显著影响,但细胞内脂质体变得小而密集,线粒体和内质网丰富,并有糖原积累; 正常寄生后,脂肪体结构被破坏,多数线粒体内嵴紊乱,脂质体也变得不规则,特别是当幼蜂完成在寄主体内发育时,寄主体内几乎无完整脂肪体存在。与此同时,同批未被寄生的小菜蛾幼虫发育到4龄末期时,体内脂肪体细胞发育正常,已开始向蛹期细胞形态转化,细胞内脂质体很大,细胞器数量较多、糖原积累丰富, 而且部分细胞已成为游离态细胞。由此证明,寄生蜂携带的寄生因子,如多分DNA病毒、毒液、畸形细胞和幼蜂等,均对寄主脂肪体结构的改变产生影响,但程度明显不同。