Multilevel studies on the two phenological forms of Large Blue (Maculinea arion) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

The main goal of our research was to study comprehensively the differences between the two phenological forms of the socially parasitic and globally threatened Large Blue (Maculinea arion) in the Carpathian Basin using four character sets (mitochondrial sequences, allozymes, male genitalia and wing morphometrics). Comparative analyses of distance matrices, phylogenetic trees and ordination patterns have been applied. The genetic and morphometric patterns revealed by our studies were discordant. While we experienced a significant differentiation between the ‘spring’ and ‘summer type’ of M. arion in both wing and genital traits, the two phenological forms did not show any genetic differentiation on two mitochondrial loci and in allozymes. At the same time, all individuals were infected by Wolbachia. Although certain wing traits may not represent reliable tracers of phylogeny because of the particular adaptive significance, the wing characteristics involved in our research are probably determined genetically. Additionally, the significant differentiation of male genitalia also indicates incipient prezygotic isolation arising from phenological differentiation between the ‘spring and summer arion’. It is possible that all extant differences between the two forms are attributable to (1) different host‐ant use, (2) incipient speciation, (3) cytoplasmatic incompatibility (CI) by Wolbachia or the combination of these factors. In addition, discordant results indicate that the combined use of different approaches and data sets is strictly necessary to clarify systematic and evolutionary relationships.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Artemisia lerchiana</Emphasis> as a producer of essential oil

Abstrac  The composition of essential oil of Artemisia lerchiana Web. plants growing in Volgograd oblast was studied. Sampling was performed from plots contrasting in climatic and soil characteristics. Essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation. The content of essential oil in shoot biomass increased gradually during shoot formation, flower bud formation, and flowering beginning and then decreased. The highest content of essential oil varied from 1.1 to 1.5% of plant dry weight at the stage of flower bud formation. More than thirty compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The following major components were found: camphor, borneol, bornylacetate, camphene, and 1,8-cineole. Some of compounds (sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids) were identified for the first time. The time-course of accumulation of essential oil components strongly depended on habitat edaphic factors and climatic conditions during the year of sampling. The results permit a conclusion that A. lerchiana is a valuable producer of essential oils. Original Russian Text ? E.B. Kirichenko, Yu.V. Orlova, D.V. Kurilov, 2008, published in Fiziologiya Rastenii, 2008, Vol. 55, No. 6, pp. 934–941.     

Genetic variability and association of ISSR markers with some biochemical traits in mulberry (Morus spp.) genetic resources available in India

Utilizing intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers, 18 mulberry (Morus spp.) germplasm collections were studied for genetic variability, phylogenetic relationship, and association with protein and sugar content. The genetic polymorphism exhibited by ISSR primers was 100%, and the genetic diversity recorded among the mulberry accessions had an average of 0.263 ± 0.094. Dendrogram (unweighted pair group method analysis) clustered the mulberry accessions into two major groups, one comprised the accessions collected from north or northeast regions of India, and the other comprised three subclusters and one isolate, i.e., Assamjati, a collection from Assam. Another subcluster contained accessions collected from Kerala, which belong to Morus indica. These accessions of M. indica from Kerala were found to be genetically diverse from north and northeast India. Multidimensional scaling of the ISSR data clearly separated the mulberry accessions according to their genetic diversity and protein content. Mulberry accessions were arbitrarily grouped into three classes viz. very low, moderate, and high in terms of protein and sugar content using standard statistical programs. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified four ISSR markers (835_1,600, 835_5,600, 822_2,500, and 807_2,500) associated with protein content with highly positive correlation (p < 0.001) with linear curves with high F values (18.055 to 48.674; p < 0.001). In case of sugar content, four ISSR markers viz. 812₉₀₀, 817_1,500, 826_1,500, and 810_8,000 showed negative correlation. Hence, DNA markers for proteins seem promising and may be used in marker-assisted breeding program.     

Circadian rhythm of airways caliber and its autonomic modulation

ABSTRACT

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is one of the effector pathways for circadian variation of many physiological parameters. Autonomic tone and airways caliber have been reported to exhibit circadian variation in separate studies. A simultaneous investigation of heart rate variability (HRV) and airway caliber might ascertain how airway caliber is modulated by autonomic tone. This study was planned to identify the variations in airway caliber and autonomic function tone during a 24-hour span. A total of 56 healthy male subjects with almost similar daily routines were studied. Time domain, frequency domain and nonlinear analysis of R-R interval from 5 min electrocardiogram (ECG) was done seven times during the daytime wake span at 3-hour intervals starting at 05:00 h in the morning until 23:00 h in the night. Simultaneously peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was determined using a mini Wright’s peak flow meter. Rhythmometric analysis was done for PEFR and HRV parameters. Significant circadian variation in low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) variance was identified in this group of healthy subjects. The circadian rhythm of LF variance was characterized by a gradual increase and corresponding reciprocal change in HF variance from morning until night. The LF/HF ratio and SD2/SD1 ratio reflecting sympatho-vagal balance showed low to high values from morning to evening. The acrophase of the PEFR temporal pattern is similar to that of LF power and almost opposite in phase to that of HF power. PEFR is positively correlated with LF power. The circadian rhythm of airway caliber co-varies with cardiac autonomic tone. It appears that the temporal pattern of cardiac autonomic tone precedes in time that of airways caliber, thereby suggesting the latter operates under the modulatory effect of the 24-hour pattern in sympatho-vagal balance.     

Growth response of Abies georgei to climate increases with elevation in the central Hengduan Mountains,southwestern China

Climatic harshness is expected to increase at higher elevations; however, elevational trends of tree radial growth response of high-elevation forests to climate change need to be investigated at different locations because of existing local variability in site-specific climatic conditions. We developed tree-ring width chronologies of Yunnan fir (Abies georgei) along elevation gradients at two sites in the central Hengduan Mountains (HM). High-elevation forests of A. georgei showed growth synchronicity and common growth signals along elevation gradients, indicating a common climatic forcing, although tree radial growth rates decreased with increasing elevation. Radial growth of Yunnan fir showed positive correlations with summer temperatures and February precipitation and moisture availability, but were negatively correlated with spring temperatures. The strongest positive relationship indicated summer (July) mean and minimum temperatures are the most important growth determining climatic factors for tree radial growth in the cold environment of HM, and this relationship revealed a clear elevational trend with stronger correlations at higher altitudes. In contrast, tree radial growth was negatively correlated with June precipitation and moisture availability. The whole study period 1954–2015 was split in two sub-periods of equal length. Comparing the early sub-period (1954–1984) to the later sub-period (1985–2015), tree growth response to the summer temperatures strongly increased, while it became weaker to June precipitation and moisture availability. High-elevation Yunnan fir forests in the HM currently benefit from elevated growing season temperatures under humid summer conditions. However, increasing temperatures may induce drought stress on tree radial growth if the observed decreasing trend in humidity and precipitation continues.     

Detection of haplotypic variation and natural hybridization in halepensis-complex pine species using chloroplast simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

In this investigation, nine chloroplast, paternally inherited simple-sequence repeat (cpSSR) markers were used to describe genetic variation of three closely related species belonging to the halepensis complex ( Pinus halepensis Ait., P. brutia Mill. and P. eldarica Medwed.). Both the infinite allele model (IAM) and stepwise-mutation model (SMM) have been applied to the analysis of the genetic structure of natural populations and the geographical distribution of haplotypic variation. SMM-based estimators performed better than IAM-based estimators for large values of within-population diversity and divergence between population pairs. Overall, large haplotypic variation and high genetic divergence were detected for both P. halepensis and P. brutia . The genetic structures of the three species are discussed with consideration to the evolutionary and ecological characteristics of these species. Three highly informative markers showing size variants distinguishing P. halepensis from the other two species were used to provide more information on the occurrence of natural hybridization in a Turkish sympatric population of P. halepensis and P. brutia . Strong evidence of introgression of ' halepensis ' chloroplast haplotypes into P. brutia seeds (but not vice versa) was detected. According to previous evidence from controlled crossings, matings between the above species seem to be successful only when P. halepensis is the pollen donor and P. brutia is the female parent (but not reciprocally). The existence of unidirectional gene flow in sympatric populations confirms previous evidence about partial reproductive barriers between P. halepensis and P. brutia . Implications of the above evidence for the evolutionary history of these species are discussed.     

A rapid altitudinal range expansion in the pine processionary moth produced by the 2003 climatic anomaly

Climatic anomalies may produce, or accelerate, geographic range expansions of species limited by temperature or other climatic variables. Most such expansions are only temporary, before the prevailing climatic conditions drive the founder populations extinct. In contrast, here, we report a recent rapid shift of the range limit during the record hot summer of 2003 in southern Europe that has the potential to be both permanent, and to have important implications on species range dynamics in general. The winter pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa), an important pine defoliator whose larvae feed in colonies during the winter, is limited in its distribution by winter temperatures. In the last three decades, warmer winters have led to a gradual but substantial expansion of its range both latitudinally and altitudinally. In the summer of 2003, T. pityocampa underwent an extraordinary expansion to high elevation pine stands in the Italian Alps; its altitudinal range limit increased by one third of the total altitudinal expansion over the previous three decades. In an experiment, we found flight activity of newly emerged females to increase with temperature. By determining a threshold temperature for flight take‐offs under controlled conditions, we calculated that the nights above the threshold temperature were over five times more frequent, and considerably warmer, at the range limit in 2003 than in an average year. We therefore attribute the colonization of extreme, high‐elevation sites to increased nocturnal dispersal of females during the unusually warm night temperatures in June – August 2003. Importantly, the colonies established at extreme sites survived the winter and produced offspring in 2004, although the range did not expand further because of low night temperatures that year. We discuss several life‐history characteristics of T. pityocampa that maximize the likelihood of population persistence at the new range limit. As global warming continues and climatic anomalies are predicted to become more frequent, our results draw attention to the importance of extreme climatic events in the range formation of phytophagous insects.