Experimental assessment of the fecundity of Eucypris virens (Ostracoda, Crustacea) under natural sex ratios

1. The adaptive significance of the observed variations in sex ratios in non‐marine ostracods is unclear. This study quantified the fecundity of females taken from a presumed fully sexual Eucypris virens population that were experimentally combined with different proportions of males (male : female sex ratios: 1 : 1, 1 : 2, 1 : 4, 1 : 8 and 0 : 1). 2. The results yielded no indications that female fecundity is altered by short‐term variations in the proportion of males, at least not within the range of sex ratios that are common in natural ostracod populations. Complete removal of males, however, did strongly reduce hatching success of dried eggs. This suggests the need for multiple mating events during the reproductive lifetime of the female. It also emphasizes the need for a minimum number of males, although this minimum number evidently may be rather low, as we found a high number of spermatozoa in the seminal receptacles after a single mating event. 3. The sex ratio in the source population was strongly female biased (1 : 3.4; n = 514), whereas in the hatchling assemblages reared in the laboratory, males and females were found in equal proportions (1 : 1.0; n = 1516), irrespective of the prevailing sex ratio. This clear discrepancy is intriguing, and points to the importance of epigenetic factors for the determination of field sex ratios.     

Ultrastructure of the Trichomonad Flagellate Stephanonympha nelumbium

ABSTRACT Stephanonympha nelumbium is a large trichomonad measuring 45–60 μm in length and 20–40 μm in width. It is a member of the multinucleate and multiflagellate family Calonymphidae. While the numerous flagella arise in groups of four at the anterior cell pole, the posterior body portion is covered with attached spirochetes and rod-like bacteria. Generally, in the apical body portion of S. nelumbium , 50–100 nuclei are arranged in five to seven circular rows. Each nucleus is associated with a typical mastigont system, comprised of three anterior flagella, one recurrent flagellum being attached to the cell surface for a certain distance, and several typical root structures. Akaryomastigonts and costas do not occur. The fine structure of S. nelumbium corresponds with that of other calonymphids. The main difference to Calonympha is that the axostyle does not embrace the nucleus but passes it in form of a flattened rod.     

Genetic monogamy in single-male groups of acorn woodpeckers, Melanerpes formicivorus

Acorn woodpeckers have one of the most complex social systems of any bird species. Breeding units range in size from monogamous pairs to groups of 15 birds that include multiple breeding males and females as well as nonreproductive helpers-at-the-nest. Groups form when young remain at their natal nest to help their parents breed or when single-sex coalitions of siblings disperse to fill a reproductive vacancy on another territory. Plural breeding and helping behaviour are thought to be favoured through indirect fitness benefits for individuals that would otherwise be unable to breed due to a shortage of reproductive vacancies on territories with acorn stores. We report the results of multi-locus DNA fingerprinting of 51 offspring from 18 nests of 16 socially monogamous pairs of acorn woodpeckers. If socially monogamous females mate outside the pair-bond, indirect fitness benefits for cobreeders and helpers will be significantly reduced. Monogamous pairs accounted for all but one of the 51 offspring we tested; the single exception was apparently sired by the putative father, but the putative mother was excluded from maternity. Our results indicate that individuals remaining on their natal territories as helpers are generally the genetic offspring of the pair they help. They also suggest that single-sex coalitions offspring dispersing together from nests of socially monogamous pairs will be full-siblings.     

The Contribution of TRPV4-Mediated Calcium Signaling to Calcium Homeostasis in Endothelial Cells

A large variety of cation transport systems are involved in the regulation of calcium homeostasis in endothelial cells. The focus of the present study is to determine the contribution of nonselective cation channels from the TRP (transient receptor potential) family to cellular calcium homeostasis of porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC). One member of the TRPV (vanniloid) subfamily, TRPV4, has previously been shown to be involved in cation transport induced by a large variety of stimulations including osmolarity, temperature, mechanical stress, and phosphorylation. Here, we demonstrate the existence of several TRP proteins, including TRPV4, in PAEC using RT-PCR. To test whether this channel is functional, we performed FURA-2 calcium measurements and whole-cell patch-clamp experiments. We observed the induction of large calcium signals following mechanical stress, altered extracellular temperature, and the selective TRPV4 activator 4-α -PDD. These effects were diminished in the presence of the TRPV4 inhibitor miconazole, suggesting the involvement of this channel in mediating endothelial calcium signals. The large amounts of transported calcium and the short signaling ways suggest a potentially important role of this channel in many physiological processes.     

Leaf phenology mediates provenance differences in herbivore populations on valley oaks in a common garden

1. Plants from different populations often display a variation in herbivore resistance. However, it is rarely understood what plant traits mediate such differences. 2. It was tested how leaf phenology affects herbivore populations in a 15‐year‐old common garden of valley oaks (Quercus lobata Née) with different populations and maternal parents from throughout the Q. lobata range. 3. The abundance of leaf miners (Stigmella sp. Shrank) and leaf phenology of oaks in the common garden was measured. 4. Leaf miner abundance varied among provenance locations (population), but not among maternal parents within populations. Leaf phenology varied by provenance location and maternal parent, and trees that leafed out earlier accrued higher leaf‐miner abundance. Path analysis indicated that leaf phenology was the likely driver of provenance and parental differences in resistance to leaf miners. 5. Understanding population differences is particularly important when considering transport of genotypes for ornamental or restoration purposes. The present study suggests that similarity in leaf phenology may be one factor that could be used to find genotypes with a similar herbivore resistance to local genotypes.     

Host plant reactions, physical properties and serology of three isolates of Andean potato latent virus from Peru

Three isolates of Andean potato latent virus (APLV) (Caj, Hu, Ay) each infected twenty-seven species of plants in the families Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae but differed somewhat in the symptoms they induced. Nicotiana bigelovii and N. clevelandii proved the most useful diagnostic hosts. Symptoms were sometimes produced by all three isolates in cultivated and wild potatoes. In sap from systemically infected N. bigelovii and N. clevelandii leaves, all three isolates remained infective when diluted to 10^-6 and when stored at room temperature for at least 3 wk. The thermal inactivation points were 65–70 °C for Hu and Ay, but 75–80 °C for Caj. All three isolates differed serologically from Col, the original isolate of APLV, forming spurs in gel diffusion tests. No serological difference was found between Hu and Ay, but both formed spurs in reciprocal reactions with Caj. The data from light absorption, particle morphology and protein molecular weight for Caj, Hu and Ay are similar to those reported for other tymoviruses. APLV was found widespread in Andean countries.