Male–Female Association Patterns Among Free-ranging Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii)

Although male–female relationships can offer a number of advantages such as protection or social support, they are poorly studied among primates compared to same-sex relationships. We used 12 yr of data from the Kanyawara chimpanzee community to compare three independent measures of association (party association, 5m association, and grooming) among all adult dyads. Party association exhibited by male–female dyads was of intermediate strength between strong male–male and weak female–female association. Male–female dyads were less likely to be within 5m of one another and to groom as male–male dyads, but equally likely to be within 5m and more likely to groom as female–female dyads. Variation in male–female association strength was not related to male rank but was affected by female ranging patterns and female reproductive states. Females with core areas in the center of the home range were more likely to be in parties with males but did not show higher spatial proximity or grooming indices compared to females ranging in the periphery. Party association and 5m indices were higher for dyads of males and estrous females compared to those with anestrous females. These results indicate that male–female dyads are likely to associate with one another more often than female–female dyads because of overlapping ranging patterns and short-term changes in female reproductive state. We conclude that male and female chimpanzees do not exhibit proximity and grooming patterns indicative of strong affiliative bonds. This study also highlights the importance of using multiple independent measures of bond strength in studies of primate social dynamics.     

Leaf Decomposition in a Dry Season Irrigation Experiment in Eastern Amazonian Forest Regrowth

Leaf-litter decomposition is a major component of carbon and nutrient dynamics in tropical forest ecosystems, and moisture availability is widely considered to be a major influence on decomposition rates. Here, we report the results of a study of leaf-litter decomposition of five tree species in response to dry-season irrigation in a tropical forest regrowth stand in the Brazilian Amazon; three experiments differing in the timing of installation and duration allowed for an improved resolution of irrigation effects on decomposition. We hypothesized that decomposition rates would be faster under higher moisture availability in the wet season and during dry-season irrigation periods in the treatment plots, and that decomposition rates would be faster for species with higher quality leaves, independent of treatment. The rates of decomposition ( k ) were up to 2.4 times higher in irrigated plots than in control plots. The highest k values were shown by Annona paludosa (0.97 to 1.26/yr) while Ocotea guianensis (0.73 to 0.85/yr) had the lowest values; intermediate rates were found for Lacistema pubescens (0.91 to 1.02/yr) and Vismia guianensis (0.91 to 1.08/yr). These four tree species differed significantly in leaf-litter quality parameters (nitrogen, phosphorus, lignin, and cellulose concentrations, as well as lignin:nitrogen and carbon:nitrogen ratios), but differences in decomposition rates among tree species were not strictly correlated with leaf-litter quality. Overall, our results show that dry-season moisture deficits limit decomposition in Amazonian forest regrowth.     

Vegetation composition,structure, and biomass of two unpolluted watersheds in the Cordillera de Piuchué, Chiloé Island,Chile

Research in pristine forests provides a necessary reference of energy and nutrient cycling in absence of anthropogenic influence. Therefore two unpolluted watersheds in the Cordillera de Piuchué of southern Chile (42 °30 S) were chosen for detailed ecosystem analysis. The goals of this study were to quantify the distribution of the living biomass in the research watershed and to document topographic gradients in the vegetation. Across a small spatial gradient from ravine bottom to ridgetop (approximately 60 m in elevation and < 300 m in length) in the Cordillera de Piuchué watersheds, there were significant shifts in vegetation composition, structure, and biomass. Based on sampling in 18, 100 m² plots, we identified three distinct community associations: a Fitzroya forest at the bottom of the watershed, a mid-slope Pilgerodendron-Tepualia transition zone, and a ridgetop moorland community. The Fitzroya forest was dominated by a cohort of approximately 400 year-old Fitzroya cupressoides trees. Both tree basal area (138 m²/ha) and total live biomass (656 Mg ha^–1) reached a maximum in this vegetation type. The Pilgerodendron-Tepualia forest consisted of smaller, shorter, and younger trees with dominance shared by Pilgerodendron uviferum, Tepualia stipularis, and to a lesser extent, F. cupressoides. Basal area and biomass were half that of the Fitzroya forest (69.5 m² ha^–1; 350 Mg ha^–1) but tree density was 65% greater. The moorland can best be described as an open community of mosses and cushion plants that included low stature individuals of P. uviferum, F. cupressoides, and T. stipularis. The size and age structure of F. cupressoides in the bottomland forest suggest that the current cohort of adult trees was established following a catastrophic disturbance and that F. cupressoides is unable to regenerate under its own canopy. In contrast, the size structure of the tree populations in the Pilgerodendron-Tepualia zone indicates that all the constituent tree species, except F. cupressoides, are able to reproduce at least at some microsites in the understory. The watershed-level means for live biomass were 306 Mg ha^–1 of aboveground tree biomass, 25 Mg ha^–1 of large root biomass (diameter ge 1 cm), and 46 Mg ha^–1 of small root biomass (diameter < 1 cm).     

Distribution and cycling of C, N, Ca, Mg, K and P in three pristine, old-growth forests in the Cordillera de Piuchué, Chile

We assessed a number of biomass and soil parameters in order to examinerelationships among nutrient availability, forest productivity and vegetationpatterns in two old-growth forested watersheds in a pristine montane landscapeon Isla de Chiloé, Chile. We selected watersheds in both gymnosperm- andangiosperm-dominated forests and determined tree species, d.b.h. and health forall trees < 2 cm d.b.h. in plots established at 50m intervals. Soils were sampled at two depths in each plot andanalyzed for total C and N, and for exchangeable Ca, K, Mg andresin-extractableP. Allometric relationships and vegetation nutrient concentrations were used todetermine above-ground pools from the vegetation survey data. Growth rates werederived from increment core measures. Soil pools of most elements measuredappear adequate to support forest growth indefinitely. Mineralized nitrogen,which is similar in quantity to the annual demand for nitrogen from the soil isthe exception, consistent with the possibility of N limitation in two of theforest types studied. A third type, an evergreen broadleaved forest, appears torequire substantially more nitrogen than would appear to be available from netmineralization measurements. Productivity per unit of nitrogen required fromthesoil is quite high, largely as a consequence of the evergreen habit of thespecies in these forests. Compared to other temperate montane forests in theNorthern Hemisphere, nutrient pools and cycling characteristics were found tobemostly similar across forest types, in spite of considerable variation invegetation and soils.     

7-Azaindole-3-acetic acid derivatives: Potent and selective CRTh2 receptor antagonists

High throughput screening identified a 7-azaindole-3-acetic acid scaffold as a novel CRTh2 receptor antagonist chemotype, which could be optimised to furnish a highly selective compound with good functional potency for inhibition of human eosinophil shape change in whole blood and oral bioavailability in the rat.     

A comparative study of transgenic canola (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.) harboring either chimeric or native <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chit</Emphasis>42 genes against phytopathogenic fungi

Canola (Brassica napus L.), an agro-economically important crop in the world, is sensitive to many fungal pathogens. One strategy to combat fungal diseases is genetic engineering through transferring genes encoding the pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins such as chitinase which cause the chitin degradation of fungal cell wall. Chitinase Chit42 from Trichoderma atroviride (PTCC5220) plays an important role in biocontrol and has high antifungal activity against a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi. This enzyme lacks a chitin binding domain (ChBD) which is involved in binding activity to insoluble chitin. In the present study, we investigated the effect of chitin binding domain fused to Chit42 when compared with native Chit42. These genes were over-expressed under the CaMV35S promoter in B. napus, R line Hyola 308. Transformation of cotyledonary petioles was achieved by pBISM2 and pBIKE1 constructs containing chimeric and native Chit42 genes respectively, via Agrobacterium method. The insertion of transgenes in T₀ generation was verified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analysis. Antifungal activity of expressed chitinase in transgenic plants was also investigated by bioassays. The transgenic canola expressing chimeric chitinase showed stronger inhibition against phytopathogenic fungi that indicates the role of chitin binding domain.     

A nitrogen budget for late-successional hillslope tabonuco forest, Puerto Rico

Nitrogen budgets of late successional forested stands and watersheds provide baseline data against which the effects of small- and large-scale disturbances may be measured. Using previously published data and supplemental new data on gaseous N loss, we construct a N budget for hillslope tabonuco forest (HTF) stands in Puerto Rico. HTF stands are subject to frequent hurricanes and landslides; here, we focus on N fluxes in the late phase of inter-disturbance forest development. N inputs from atmospheric deposition (4-6 kg N/ha/yr) are exceeded by N outputs from groundwater, gaseous N loss, and particulate N loss (6.3–15.7 kg N/ha/yr). Late-successional HTF stands also sequester N in their aggrading biomass (8 kg N/ha/yr), creating a total budget imbalance of 8.3–19.7 kg N/ha/yr. We surmise that this imbalance may be accounted for by unmeasured inputs from above- and belowground N-fixation and/or slow depletion of the large N pool in soil organic matter. Spatial and temporal variability, especially that associated with gaseous exchange and soil organic matter N-mineralization, constrain the reliability of this N budget.(Formerly Tamara J. Eklund)     

Co-expression of chimeric chitinase and a polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein in transgenic canola <Emphasis Type="Italic">(Brassica napus)</Emphasis> confers enhanced resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sclerotinia sclerotiorum</Emphasis>

Objectives

Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of the major fungal diseases of canola. To develop resistance against this fungal disease, the chit42 from Trichoderma atroviride with chitin-binding domain and polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein 2 (PG1P2) of Phaseolus vulgaris were co-expressed in canola via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

Results

Stable integration and expression of transgenes in T₀ and T₂ plants was confirmed by PCR, Southern blot and RT-PCR analyses. Chitinase activity and PGIP2 inhibition were detected by colorimetric and agarose diffusion assay in transgenic lines but not in untransformed plants. The crude proteins from single copy transformant leaves having high chitinase and PGIP2 activity (T16, T8 and T3), showed up to 44 % inhibition of S. sclerotiorum hyphal growth. The homozygous T₂ plants, showing inheritance in Mendelian fashion (3:1), were further evaluated under greenhouse conditions for resistance to S. sclerotiorum. Intact plants contaminated with mycelia showed resistance through delayed onset of the disease and restricted size and expansion of lesions as compared to wild type plants.

Conclusions

Combined expression of chimeric chit42 and pgip2 in Brassica napus L. provide subsequent protection against SSR disease and can be helpful in increasing the canola production in Iran.