Variation in pea aphid population development in three different habitats

Abstract.

• 1 Seasonal population growth rates for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, were determined in three different host plant habitats; alfalfa, Medicago sativa (L.), clover, Trifolium pratense (L.), and peas, Pisum sativum (L.); over four years and eight places. It was possible to estimate a common intrinsic rate of increase for each host plant habitat.
• 2 An analysis of the relative influence of temporal, spatial and host plant habitat variation showed that the host plant habitat was most important in determining the growth rates of the populations, both in rate of build-up and decline.
• 3 Patterns of alate production in the three different habitats differed substantially between the annual peas and the two perennial legumes. During the summer, alate production was large and rapid in peas and remained low and constant in clover and alfalfa
• 4 Parasitism was highest in peas. The species composition of parasitoids differed between crops.
• 5 Aphids in annual peas had a higher intrinsic rate of increase and a faster rate of decline than in the two perennial legumes. This explains the presence of both migratory and sedentary forms among pea aphids.

     

Cord blood–derived cytokine-induced killer cells combined with blinatumomab as a therapeutic strategy for CD19+ tumors

Background

Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIKs) are an advanced therapeutic medicinal product (ATMP) that has shown therapeutic activity in clinical trials but needs optimization. We developed a novel strategy using CIKs from banked cryopreserved cord blood units (CBUs) combined with bispecific antibody (BsAb) blinatumomab to treat CD19⁺ malignancies.

Geographical pattern of genetic variation in the Robertsonian system of Mus musculus domesticus in central Italy

The Robertsonian (Rb) system of Mus musculus domesticus in central Italy consists of three Rb races (CD, 2 n  = 22; CB, 2 n  = 22; ACR, 2 n  = 24), and additional Rb populations with new metacentrics have recently been reported. The aim of the present paper is to provide insight into the process of house mouse raciation in this area. Here we present new data concerning the geographical distribution of mtDNA haplotypes (control region sequence) in the three Rb races and in the surrounding standard populations. The presence of exclusive clades in all the three Rb races supports the idea of a past fragmentation event and a subsequent period of isolation. However, comparison of mtDNA polymorphism between Rb and standard races, and the shape of the mismatch distribution within the races, does not reveal any clear sign of a strong reduction in population size, at this geographical scale, related to race formation.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 84 , 395–405.     

Mutant tRNA<Superscript>His</Superscript> Ineffective in Repression and Lacking Two Pseudouridine Modifications

TRANSFER RNA has been implicated in the regulation of a number of amino-acid biosynthetic operons^1–4. Histidyl-tRNA^His has been shown to be involved in regulation of the histidine operon by analysis of six genes (hisO, hisR, hisS, hisT, hisU, hisW), mutation of which causes derepression of the enzymes of the histidine biosynthetic pathway in Salmonella typhimurium^5–7. A class of derepressed mutants (hisR) has only about 55% as much tRNA^His as the wild type⁴ and in the one example sequenced, contains tRNA^HIS with a structure identical to that of the wild type⁸. Studies of mutants of the gene for histidyl-tRNA synthetase (hisS) indicated that the derepressed phenotype was associated with defects in the charging of tRNA^HISin vitro². The amounts of charged and uncharged tRNA^His present in vivo during physiological derepression of the wild type and in the six classes of regulatory mutants, have been determined⁹. This work has shown that repression of the histidine operon is correlated directly with the concentration of charged histidyl-tRNA^Hisin vivo and not with the ratio of charged to uncharged or the absolute amount of uncharged tRNA^His. The derepression observed in mutants, of hisS (the gene for histidyl-tRNA synthetase), hisR (the presumed structural gene for the single species of tRNA^His) and hisU and hisW (genes presumably involved in tRNA modification) may be explained by the lower cellular concentration of charged tRNA^His which these mutants contain.     

Chromosomal evolution of the house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, in the Aeolian Archipelago (Sicily, Italy)

We describe the chromosomal evolution of the metacentric populations of the house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus , which constitute the Robertsonian System of Aeolian Islands (Sicily, Italy). Eighty-nine specimens from all the seven islands that form the Archipelago were cytogenetically examined. The analysis shows the presence of 4 Rb races with a large number of shared metacentric chromosomes: 2 n  = 36 on Panarea, 2 n  = 34 on Alicudi, 2 n  = 26 on Lipari and Stromboli, and a different 2 n  = 26 race on Vulcano. On Salina and Filicudi, the standard karyotype was found. Polymorphism was only found in a population on Panarea Island and this population shares no metacentrics with the other races. The distribution of metacentrics among the races and the comparison between the Aeolian metacentrics and those found in the 97 previously documented metacentric populations allows us to formulate a hypothesis of chromosomal evolution for the Aeolian Robertsonian system. Six of the twelve metacentric chromosomes found in the Aeolian Islands come from localities outside the archipelago. The evolutionary model highlights how the chromosomal races originated inside the Archipelago and involve several factors, such as formation in situ of metacentrics, zonal raciation and, whole arm reciprocal translocation. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 96 , 194–202.     

Functional morphology of vermetid feeding-tubes

Vermetidae are a small family of warm-water sessile gastropods capable of building upright tubes (feeding-tubes) to take advantage of the water flow. Laboratory and field experiments carried out on some Mediterranean species ( Vermetus triquetrus, Vermetus granulatus and Serpulorbis arenaria ) suggest that these structures function as exploratory tubes built not only to receive a better water flow, but mainly to avoid obstacles. In fact, vermetids experimentally exposed in situ to different hydrodynamic conditions do not produce them, but do so in the presence of an obstacle, such as thalli during the massive spring algal growth. This strategy allows them to compete for a virtual space, not directly occupied by the vermetid itself but necessary to spread its mucous net. This interpretation may improve the inference of paleo-environmental events from shell morphology. When building a feeding-tube, vermetids first cut off a portion of the shell on the side towards which they prepare to turn, using their radula, and then produce a new tube formed by short segments, at different angles, till they have reached the desired direction. This process is confirmed by the presence of scars on the shell, composed by a succession of lamellae. The regular distribution of these scars on fossil Petaloconchus intortus , which lived in soft substrates, may be interpreted as a response to periodical anoxic crises or an increase in the sedimentation rates. Their great morphological plasticity makes vermetids close to colonial or modular animals. Thanks to their capability of expressing more than one growth-form, and of re-moulding their shell, they successfully compete for substrate space and are key-stone species in fringe habitats.     

MINERAL COMPOSITION OF NUDIBRANCH SPICULES

Doridacean opisthobranchs have calcium carbonate spicules intheir mantle, foot, gills and rhinophores, which are generallyfusiform or spheroid in shape. There is surprising little knowledgeof their structure, and little information is available on theirmineral composition, generally considered to be calcite. Inorder to study their compositional variability and the possiblerole of environmental temperature in their calcification, thespicules of several doridaceans, collected at different latitudes,were analysed using a diffractometer (XRD) and a SEM microscopeequippedwith an EDS spectrometer. The study yielded the followingresults, concerning the minero-chemical composition of the spicules: 1) the fusiform spicules are mainly composed of calcite (CaCO₃)and brucite (Mg(OH)₂), with a small percentage of fluorite (CaF₂).The smaller spherules are almost pure calcite; 2) the mineral composition of fusiform spicules of species collectedat different latitudes showed inter-and intra-individual differences,but the Ca/Mg ratio does not seem to vary according to the environmentaltemperature. In fact, this ratio reflects the volume percentof calcite and brucite in a crystalline aggregate, and consequently,temperature has a poor influence on spicule composition. Onthe other hand, differences between foot and mantle, not onlywithin the same species but also in the same specimen, suggestthat the animal itself can influence the ratio ofcalcite andbrucite nucleation. In this case, the different pH in mantleand foot tissue could induce a different up-take and use ofcalcium and magnesium; 3) the presence of pure calcite spherules suggests that theycould be related to variations of the ion concentration in theskin caused by pH variations due to the dermal gland activityor, more simply, could be considered as a calcium reservoirand source for the production of the slender spicules. (Received 25 August 1994; accepted 28 December 1994)     

Soil respiration in a Mediterranean oak forest at different developmental stages after coppicing

To assess the variation of soil respiration at different forest stages we measured it in a coppiced oak (Quercus cerris L.) chronosequence in central Italy during two campaigns, spanning 2 successive years, in four stands at different stages of the rotation: 1 year (S1), 5 years (S5), 10 years (S10) and 17 years (S17) after coppicing. The contribution of the different components of soil respiration flux (aboveground litter, belowground decomposition soil organic matter and root respiration) was estimated by a paired comparison of manipulative experiments between the recently coppiced stand (S1) and mature stand (S17). Ninety percent of soil respiration values were between 1.7 and 7.8 μmol m^?2 s^?1, with an overall mean (±SD) of 4.0±2.7 μmol m^?2 s^?1. Spatial variation of soil respiration was high (CV=44.9%), with a mean range (i.e. patch size) of 4.8±2.7 m, as estimated from a semivariance analysis. In the absence of limitation by soil moisture, soil respiration was related to soil temperature with the exponential Q₁₀ model (average Q₁₀=2.25). During summer, soil moisture constrained soil respiration and masked its dependence on soil temperature. Soil respiration declined over the years after coppicing. Assuming a linear decline with stand age, we estimated a reduction of 24% over a 20‐year‐rotation cycle. The response of soil respiration to temperature also changed with age of the stands: the Q₁₀ was estimated to decrease from 2.90 in S1 to 2.42 in S17, suggesting that different components or processes may be involved at different developmental stages. The contribution of heterotrophic respiration to total soil respiration flux was relatively larger in the young S1 stand than in the mature S17 stand.