Application of the Red List Index as an indicator of habitat change

For the first time ever, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Index for habitat types was calculated for an entire country, Finland. The RLIs were based on species threat assessments from 2000 and 2010 and included habitat definitions for all 10,131 species of 12 organism groups. The RLIs were bootstrapped to track statistically significant changes. The RLI changes of species grouped by habitats were negative for all habitat types except for forests and rural biotopes which showed a stable trend. Trends of beetles and true bugs were positive in rural and forest habitats. Other 16 observed trends of species group and habitat combinations were negative. Several trends observed were in accordance with studies focusing on particular taxa and habitats, and drivers for their change. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the RLI as a tool for observing habitat change based on species threat assessment data.     

Sexual advertisement and immune function in an arachnid species (Lycosidae)

A simple version of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesizesthat through condition-dependence, the size of the sexual traitmay be positively related to immune function at the populationlevel. In the present study, we investigated the relationshipbetween sexual advertisement and immune function in a naturalpopulation of male wolf spiders, Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata (Araneae:Lycosidae). Males of H. rubrofasciata have a costly and condition-dependentacoustic signal, courtship drumming. In the mating season, malesdrum against dry leaves while wandering around the habitat searchingfor receptive females. Males increase their mating success byincreasing their drumming rate and mobility. We used drummingrate and mobility measured without female proximity as estimatesof sexual advertisement. As estimates of male immune function,we used encapsulation rate and lytic activity. Encapsulationrate is a common challenging technique, which measures immuneresponse against multicellular parasites. Lytic activity isa monitoring technique, which measures immune response againstpathogens. Our results show that males with higher drummingrate had higher encapsulation rate. This suggests that femalesmight use drumming rate as a signal for choosing males withgood immunocompetence. Moreover, our results show that maleswith higher mobility had higher lytic activity. As females aremore likely to encounter those males that have higher mobility,this might also select males with better immune function. Ourresults suggest that the immunocompetence handicap might workalso among spiders, although we could not assess the causalityof the relationship between sexual selection and immune functionin this correlational study.     

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN PHYLOGENY AND MORPHOLOGY OF SNOWELLA SPP. AND WORONICHINIA NAEGELIANA,CYANOBACTERIA COMMONLY OCCURRING IN LAKES1

In this study, the first reported isolates of the genera Snowella and Woronichinia were characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and morphological analysis. Phylogenetic studies and sequences for these genera were not available previously. By botanical criteria, the five isolated strains were identified as Snowella litoralis (Häyrén) Komárek et Hindák Snowella rosea (Snow) Elenkin and Woronichinia naegeliana (Unger) Elenkin. This study underlines the identification of freshly isolated cultures, since the Snowella strains lost the colony structure and were not identifiable after extended laboratory cultivation. In the 16S rRNA gene analysis, the Snowella strains formed a monophyletic cluster, which was most closely related to the Woronichinia strain. Thus, our results show that the morphology of the genera Snowella and Woronichinia was in congruence with their phylogeny, and their phylogeny seems to support the traditional botanical classification of these genera. Furthermore, the genera Snowella and Woronichinia occurred commonly and might occasionally be the most abundant cyanobacterial taxa in mainly oligotrophic and mesotrophic Finnish lakes. Woronichinia occurred frequently and also formed blooms in eutrophic Czech reservoirs.     

Effect of interferon γ on the sensitivity of bovine-papilloma-virus(BPV1)-transformed cell lines to cell-mediated cytotoxicity

Summary The effect of interferon (IFN) on the immunogenicity and immunosensitivity of mouse cell lines transformed by bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV1) DNA was examined in a syngeneic mouse model. The overnight incubation of BPV1-transformed cell lines with 100 IU/ml IFN did not affect their ability to induce the generation of cytotoxic effector cells but it clearly increased their sensitivity to lysis by interleukin-2-induced lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and by nonspecific LAK-type effector cells induced by BPV-1-transformed cell lines. The treatment of two allogeneic lymphoid tumour cell lines, P815X2 and YAC-1, with IFN either decreased or had no effect on their sensitivity to LAK-cell-mediated lysis.     

Conformational analysis of a toxic peptide from Trimeresurus wagleri which blocks the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

The 22-residue toxic peptide (WTX1) from the venom of the Southeast Asian snake Trimeresurus wagleri has multiple sites of action, but its lethal effect has been attributed to blocking the postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction. The 3-dimensional structure of WTX1 was studied using 2-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and computer simulations. In aqueous solution, WTX1 was shown to have extended and flexible "tails" defined by a short, rigid disulfide-bonded loop. The flexible regions can undergo structural rearrangement when moved from an aqueous to a less polar environment and may contribute to its effectiveness at different receptor sites. By substituting Gly or Phe for His at position 10, significant effects on the disulfide bond formation and, thereby, the activity of the peptide were observed. These results suggest that even subtle differences in single residues can have profound effects on the dynamics of folding, disulfide bond formation, and activity of this toxic peptide.     

Hyphomorpha als Phycobiont in Flechten

Hyphomorpha, a genus of theStigonematales, is confirmed to be a phycobiont in twoSpilonema species (Coccocarpiaceae). The morphology of the symbiotic algae inSpilonema dendroides andS. schmidtii is described. The phycobiont inS. dendroides is possiblyHyphomorpha antillarum, the alga inS. schmidtii might be a species related toH. perrieri. New localities for the rare lichens are reported: Alaska forS. dendroides and Ceylon forS. schmidtii.

     

New species of Roccellinastrum with an emendation of the genus

The genus Roccellinastrum Follm. emend. Henssen & Vobis is placed in the Lecideaceae. Two new species are described, R. epiphyllum Henssen & Vobis, from Chile and R. neglectum Henssen & Vobis, from New Zealand and Tasmania. The new combination R. candidum (Mull. Arg.) Henssen is proposed. Roccellinastrum is characterized by apothecia of diverse shape without a proper margin, and a developmental morphology corresponding to that of the Lecanorales, by small amyloid asci, branched paraphyses and excipular hyphae, a byssoid–spon–giose thallus composed of thick–walled hyphae, and members of the Chlorococcales as phycobionts. The principal chemical constituent is protocetraric acid. The species have different spore septation and chemistry. Summary in Spanish.     

Neutralizing Antibodies to Bovine Herpesvirus 1 in Reindeer

Serum samples from cattle and reindeer in Lapland were examined for neutralizing antibodies to the IBR/IPV virus. All the bovine sera tested were negative. The reindeer sera were tested using 2 different virus neutralization methods differing in the serum-virus incubation time prior to inoculation into tissue culture tubes. 12.6 % of the samples tested with a preincubation of 1 h at 37°C were positive, whereas 23 % of those tested with a preincubation time of 24 h at 37°C were positive. The fairly high prevalence of antibodies to IBR/IPV in the reindeer population in Finland indicates the occurrence of the IBR/IPV virus or a closely related cross-reacting herpesvirus.     

Fixation and embedding variables in the immuno-electron microscopic study of rat heymann nephritis

Summary Fixation and embedding variables were compared in immuno-electron microscopic localization of rat IgG in an autologous immune complextype nephritis. Specimens from kidney cortex were fixed for 3, 6 or 9 h in the following fixatives made in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.44% paraformaldehyde, 2.5% glutaraldehyde, periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde or modified Karnovsky's fixative. Localization of IgG was performed on tissue sections cut with a tissue chopper, cryostat or sliding microtome, using agarose, Ames O.C.T. Compound or polyethylene glycol respectively as cutting matrixes. The sections were incubated in peroxidase-labelled antirat IgG antiserum (diluted 120 with phosphate-buffered saline) for 60 h. Peroxidase activity was then revealed and the sections embedded in Epon. Exact localization of IgG throughout the sections and good ultrastructure were achieved when paraformaldehyde and agarose were used. Periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde proved almost as useful as paraformaldehyde in connection with agarose in respect of peroxidase reaction and ultrastructure. Fixatives containing glutaraldehyde gave a mostly weak and unevenly distributed peroxidase reaction product. In the cryostat sections breaking of the tissue structure could not be avoided. When polyethylene glycol was used as cutting matrix no peroxidase reaction was achieved.