Dispersal distance is influenced by parental and grand-parental density

Non-genetic transmission of information across generations, so-called parental effects, can have significant impacts on offspring morphology, physiology, behaviour and life-history traits. In previous experimental work using the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch, we demonstrated that dispersal distances increase with local density and levels of genetic relatedness. We here show that manipulation of parental and grand-parental density has a significant effect on offspring dispersal distance, of the same order of magnitude as manipulation of offspring density. We demonstrate that offspring exposed to the same density disperse further if they were born to parents exposed to higher density compared with parents exposed to low density. Offspring dispersal distance also increases when grand-parents were exposed to higher density, except for offspring exposed to low densities, which disperse at shorter distances whatever the grand-parental density. We also show that offspring from mothers exposed to higher densities were overall larger, which suggests that parents in high densities invest more in individual offspring, enabling them to disperse further. We propose that our findings should be included in models investigating the spread rate of invasive species or when predicting the success of conservation measures of species attempting to track changing climates.     

Prediction of progeny variation in oat from parental genetic relationships

Summary The ability to predict agronomic performance of progeny from a cross would be a great benefit to plant breeders in selecting parents. The predictive value of parental genetic relationships estimating F₁ progeny means and F₄ family variances of nine argronomic traits was tested in 76 oat crosses, using genetic distance measures based on coefficients-of-parentage, quantitatively inherited morphological characters, and discretely inherited biochemical and morphological characters. Coefficients-of-parentage were better predictors of F₁ performance than similarity measures derived from plant morphology or discretely inherited characters. Combined distance measures were better estimators of F₁ specific combining ability (SCA) effects than any single measure. Among cultivars of similar adaptation and quantitative morphology, crosses between parents with high coefficients-of-parentage gave higher SCA effect values than crosses of distantly related parents for grain yield and total biomass. The opposite was found for crosses among cultivars of different adaptation or quantitative morphology. The best predictor of trait variances among F₄ families was coefficients-of-parentage. Crosses between more distantly related parents produced larger variances among families than crosses between closely related parents for plant biomass. For grain yield, test weight, heading date, grain filling period, and maturity date, crosses between more closely related parents produced larger among-family variances than crosses of distantly related parents. Crosses between more distantly related parents involved at least one parent unadapted to central New York, and resulted in most of the progeny being generally unadapted. This, in part, may account for the low genetic variances for heading date, test weight, and grain yield in crosses of distantly related parents.     

Methylation of parental and progeny DNA strands in Physarum polycephalum

Although 5-methylcytosine comprises 4 to 8% of the cytosine residues in the major nuclear DNA of Physarum polycephalum (Evans &; Evans, 1970), only 1 % of the cytosine residues of progeny DNA become methylated during replication. Further methylation occurs during the same and subsequent mitotic cycles, so that 6 to 7 cycles after its synthesis, 5-methylcytosine comprises 5 to 7% of the DNA-cytosine residues of a single generation of DNA. The extent of methylation occurring during the S period has been measured by the determination of the specific activity of the precursor (S-adenosylmethionine) and the product (DNA-5-methylcytosine) and by comparison of the radioactivity in DNA-cytosine and DNA-5-methylcytosine after incorporation of [¹⁴C]deoxycytidine. Continuing methylation of parental DNA has been shown, by density shift experiments and by the conversion of prelabeled DNA-cytosine to DNA-5-methylcytosine. The DNA-5-methylcytosine once formed was found to be stable.     

Circulating androgens are influenced by parental nest defense in a wild teleost fish

While social interactions influence vertebrate endocrine regulation, the dynamics of regulation in relation to specific behaviors have not been clearly elucidated. In the current study, we investigated whether androgens (testosterone) or glucocorticoids (cortisol) play a functional role in aggressive offspring defense behavior in wild smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), a teleost fish with sole paternal care. We measured circulating testosterone and cortisol concentrations in plasma samples taken from parental males following a simulated nest intrusion by a common nest predator, the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). To understand whether endocrine regulation changes across the parental care period, we looked both at males guarding fresh eggs and at males guarding hatched embryos. Plasma testosterone levels increased in males subjected to a simulated nest intrusion when compared to sham controls. Testosterone concentrations in males guarding embryos were lower than in males guarding fresh eggs, but circulating testosterone was positively correlated with the level of aggression towards the nest predator at both offspring development stages. However, there was no increase in cortisol levels following a simulated nest intrusion, and no relationship between cortisol and any measured parameter. These results suggest that androgens play an important role in promoting aggressive nest defense behavior in teleost fish.     

Copepod reaction to odor stimuli influenced by cestode infection

The cestode Schistocephalus solidus uses copepods as first andsticklebacks as second intermediate hosts. For transmission,an infected copepod has to be preyed upon by a stickleback.We used copepods of the species Macrocy albidus to test whetherinfected and uninfected copepods differ in their reaction totwo kind of simultaneously presented odors: odors of sticklebacksand odors of sticklebacks and conspecificz. By giving this choice,we attempted to force the copepods to make a trade-off betweenthe benefit of risk dilution and possible predator confusionand the costs of food competition and other disadvantages inducedby conspecifics. Within 1–8 h after last feeding, uninfectedcopepods clearly preferred the odors of conspeciflcs under thechemically simulated threat of predation. This was in contrastto the infected copepods, who tended to avoid the odor of conspecifics.When the time between experiment and last feeding varied, infectedcopepods showed an increas preference for fish water only (oravoided conspecthcs) with increasing hunger level This suggeststhat S. solidus benefits from hunger-induced behavioral changesof its copepod host by influencing its microhabitat selection.The same effect could be found in both sexes; however, it wassignificantly more pronounced in male than in female copepods.We propose several hypotheses that could explain the differencebetween the sexes in their infection-dependent microhabitatselection.     

Consequences of parental exposure to epidermal growth factor for progeny cell division

The consequences of parental exposure to epidermal growth factor (EGF), for progeny cell cycle times was investigated. Slowly dividing mouse 3T3 fibroblasts were exposed to EGF for 8 hr, the EGF was withdrawn, and the cell cycle times of parental and progeny cells were measured by time-lapse video microscopy. It was observed that exposure to EGF induced a round of cell division following a lag phase of approximately 8 hr. The progeny of these cells exhibited accelerated cell cycle times compared to cells that had not been exposed to EGF. Parental cell division time was significantly correlated with progeny cell cycle time. Sibling progeny cell cycle times were also significantly correlated. EGF can therefore apparently exert an effect on the cell cycle times of more than one generation of cells.     

Imputation of ungenotyped parental genotypes in dairy and beef cattle from progeny genotypes

The objective of this study was to quantify the accuracy of imputing the genotype of parents using information on the genotype of their progeny and a family-based and population-based imputation algorithm. Two separate data sets were used, one containing both dairy and beef animals (n=3122) with high-density genotypes (735 151 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)) and the other containing just dairy animals (n=5489) with medium-density genotypes (51 602 SNPs). Imputation accuracy of three different genotype density panels were evaluated representing low (i.e. 6501 SNPs), medium and high density. The full genotypes of sires with genotyped half-sib progeny were masked and subsequently imputed. Genotyped half-sib progeny group sizes were altered from 4 up to 12 and the impact on imputation accuracy was quantified. Up to 157 and 258 sires were used to test the accuracy of imputation in the dairy plus beef data set and the dairy-only data set, respectively. The efficiency and accuracy of imputation was quantified as the proportion of genotypes that could not be imputed, and as both the genotype concordance rate and allele concordance rate. The median proportion of genotypes per animal that could not be imputed in the imputation process decreased as the number of genotyped half-sib progeny increased; values for the medium-density panel ranged from a median of 0.015 with a half-sib progeny group size of 4 to a median of 0.0014 to 0.0015 with a half-sib progeny group size of 8. The accuracy of imputation across different paternal half-sib progeny group sizes was similar in both data sets. Concordance rates increased considerably as the number of genotyped half-sib progeny increased from four (mean animal allele concordance rate of 0.94 in both data sets for the medium-density genotype panel) to five (mean animal allele concordance rate of 0.96 in both data sets for the medium-density genotype panel) after which it was relatively stable up to a half-sib progeny group size of eight. In the data set with dairy-only animals, sufficient sires with paternal half-sib progeny groups up to 12 were available and the within-animal mean genotype concordance rates continued to increase up to this group size. The accuracy of imputation was worst for the low-density genotypes, especially with smaller half-sib progeny group sizes but the difference in imputation accuracy between density panels diminished as progeny group size increased; the difference between high and medium-density genotype panels was relatively small across all half-sib progeny group sizes. Where biological material or genotypes are not available on individual animals, at least five progeny can be genotyped (on either a medium or high-density genotyping platform) and the parental alleles imputed with, on average, ⩾96% accuracy.     

Mechanism of replication of phichi174 single-stranded DNA. V. Dispersive and conservative transfer of parental DNA into progeny DNA

We have studied parent-to-progeny transfer of bacteriophage φX174 DNA during infection of Escherichia coli with isotopically-labeled, lysis-defective phage. After 60 minutes of infection at low multiplicities, 25 to 30% of the input viral DNA is transferred from the double-stranded replicative form into progeny phage; another 10 to 20% is transferred into the progeny single-stranded DNA pool. Thus, at times beyond the normal time of lysis, about 35 to 50% of the parental deoxyribonucleotides are found in progeny single-stranded DNA. Three quarters of the parental label found in the progeny phage is transferred by a dispersive process and one-quarter is transferred by a conservative, or non-dispersive, process such that the parental strand remains intact. At high multiplicities of infection the fraction of parental label transferred decreases.     

Nest survival is influenced by parental behaviour and heterospecifics in a mixed‐species colony

Studies of avian nest success often focus on examining influences of variation in environmental and seasonal factors. However, in‐depth evaluations can also incorporate variation in individual incubation behaviour to further advance our understanding of avian reproductive ecology. We examined these relationships in colonially nesting Black‐crowned Night‐Herons Nycticorax nycticorax using intensive video‐monitoring methods to quantify incubation behaviours. We modelled nest survival as a function of both extrinsic factors and incubation behaviours over a 3‐year period (2010–12) on Alcatraz Island, USA. Model‐averaged parameter estimates indicated that nest survival increased as a function of greater incubation constancy (% of time spent incubating eggs within a 24‐h period), and average daily precipitation throughout the nesting stage. Common Ravens Corvus corax are the only known nest predator of Night‐Herons on Alcatraz Island, as on many other coastal Pacific islands. We also investigated the effects of heterospecific nesting of California Gulls Larus californicus and Western Gulls Larus occidentalis in a mixed‐species colony with Night‐Herons, based on nesting proximity data collected over a 2‐year period (2011–12). This second analysis indicated that, in addition to incubation behaviours, nesting heterospecifics are an important factor for explaining variation in Night‐Heron nest survival. However, contrary to our original expectation, we found that Night‐Herons experienced increased nest survival with increasing distance from gull colony boundaries. These results may apply to other areas with multiple colonial nesting species and similar predator communities and climatic patterns.     

A note on the characteristics of parental T 4 DNA transmitted to progeny phages

Summary Several hypotheses concerning the fate of the parental DNA of phage T4 are discussed as possible interpretations of experimental data presently available. Particularly the experimental implications of the breakage-rejoining hypothesis, and the possibility that the joints between parental and progeny DNA may or may not be reversible during intracellular growth, are taken into consideration. Some of the crucial experiments, byLevinthal, byKahn, byStent, Sato andJerne, byKozinski andKozinski, and byTomizawa andAnraku, are briefly described. The results of these experiments make it possible to rule out most of the hypotheses considered. Only the following hypothesis is found to be consistent with present experimental data: A portion (roughly one half) of the parental DNA is transmitted to the progeny in the form of large segments (average size 40% or more of a single T4-DNA strand) which are reversibly joined to newly formed DNA and usually remain intact if transmitted again to later generations. Another protion of the parental DNA is transmitted in small segments which might be irreversibly joined to newly formed DNA. The joints between parental and progeny DNA are reversible during intracellular growth (Anraku andTom zawa, 1965).This work was supported by research grant GM-12581 from the Division of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, United States Public Health Service.     

Polymix breeding with parental analysis of progeny: an alternative to full-sib breeding and testing

Implementation of most traditional full-sib crossing and testing designs is logistically difficult, costly, and genetic gain is constrained by resource availability. An alternative to full-sib crossing and testing can ameliorate all these constraints. The alternative solution is to apply a pollen mix (PMX) of many male parents rather than a single pollen for each cross. PMX breeding is easy to implement, ensures good estimates of breeding values of the parent being pollinated, and provides for increased genetic gain opportunity because of the significantly increased number of effective parental combinations tested. However, PMX breeding has found limited use because inbreeding and pedigree control is lost. The development of relatively inexpensive molecular markers allows for the paternity analysis of progeny, thus allowing full pedigree control. We call this system PMX breeding with parental analysis (PMX/WPA). The feasibility of PMX/WPA was evaluated in a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) third-generation population of 45 select individuals, among which there was considerable relatedness. All parental trees were genotyped at seven chloroplast and three nuclear microsatellite loci. Unique fingerprints were obtained for all 45 individuals, but unambiguous paternal determinations for progeny from a complete pollen mix would not be possible due largely to relatedness in the breeding population. The inclusion of more markers and/or the creation of polmixes and breeding groups that avoid relatedness would resolve this problem. Three PMX/WPA scenarios are described and compared with conventional full-sib breeding and testing systems: (1) paternity analysis of only the forward (next generation) selection candidates in each generation, (2) paternal genotyping of all progeny test individuals in PMX crosses and using those data to construct the effective full-sib crosses for statistical analysis, and (3) like #2 except mixing seed of the several PMX crosses for ease of greenhouse rearing and progeny testing and then doing maternal and paternal analysis. Received: 27 October 2000 / Accepted: 5 March 2001     

Hematologic disease induced in BALB/c mice by a bcr-abl retrovirus is influenced by the infection conditions.

Irradiated mice reconstituted with bone marrow cells infected with a retrovirus carrying the bcr-abl oncogene of human chronic myeloid leukemia are subject to a range of neoplastic hematopoietic diseases, both myeloid and lymphoid. Comparison of DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice has revealed a marked strain difference in susceptibility to the various tumor types. The present study, performed with BALB/c mice, indicates that the kinetics and nature of the induced disease can be modulated by the infection procedure, as well as the genetic background, and that retroviral regulatory sequences may influence the outcome. A distinctive clonal myeloproliferative disorder, somewhat akin to chronic myeloid leukemia but with prominent erythroid and mast cell components, as well as granulocytic excess, was characterized.