Responses to repeated oral irritation by capsaicin, cinnamaldehyde and ethanol in PROP tasters and non-tasters

Both increases (sensitization) and decreases (desensitization) in oral irritation have been reported in response to repeated short-term stimulation by compounds such as capsaicin, zingerone and menthol. It is unclear why one irritant would show sensitization and another desensitization, and this is further complicated by substantial inter-individual variation in response patterns. These variations may be the result of individual differences such as that represented by sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), which has been associated with variation in the overall intensity of irritation. In addition, comparisons between irritants have almost always involved inter-study comparisons, entailing different subject groups and frequently different methods. In the studies reported here, responses to three irritants-capsaicin, cinnamaldehyde and ethanol-were examined as a function of PROP taster status. A common core of subjects also received all three irritants, allowing an assessment of the extent to which different response patterns between irritants seen previously were the result of different properties of the irritants themselves. Over a series of ten stimuli presented at 1 min intervals, PROP taster status differentiated subject responses on the basis of overall intensity, but not the pattern of responses over repeated stimulation. The group response to ethanol and cinnamaldehyde was desensitization, a pattern also shown by most of the individual subjects. In contrast, the group response to capsaicin was neither clear sensitization nor desensitization, reflecting much greater individual variability in response patterns. It is suggested that the time course to a single irritant stimulus largely determines between irritant response variations, while the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) used for a given irritant will have critical values for showing predominantly sensitization or desensitization.     

On the importance of intraspecific variability for the quantification of functional diversity

Functional diversity (FD) is a key facet of biodiversity used to address central questions in ecology. Despite recent methodological advances, FD remains a complex concept and no consensus has been reached either on how to quantify it, or on how it influences ecological processes. Here we define FD as the distribution of trait values within a community. When and how to account for intraspecific trait variability (ITV) when measuring FD remains one of the main current debates. It remains however unclear to what extent accounting for population‐level ITV would modify FD quantification and associated conclusions. In this paper, we address two critical questions: (1) How sensitive are different components of FD to the inclusion of population‐level ITV? (2) Does the omission of ITV obscure the understanding of ecological patterns? Using a mixture of empirical data and simulation experiments, we conducted a sensitivity analysis of four commonly used FD indices (community weighted mean traits, functional richness, Rao's quadratic entropy, Petchey and Gaston's FD index) and their relationships with environmental gradients and species richness, by varying both the extent (plasticity or not) and the structure (contingency to environmental gradient due to local adaptation) of population‐level ITV. Our results suggest that ITV may strongly alter the quantification of FD and the detection of ecological patterns. Our analysis highlights that 1) species trait values distributions within communities are crucial to the sensitivity to ITV, 2) ITV structure plays a major role in this sensitivity and 3) different indices are not evenly sensitive to ITV, the single‐trait FD from Petchey and Gaston being the most sensitive among the four metrics tested. We conclude that the effects of intraspecific variability in trait values should be more systematically tested before drawing central conclusions on FD, and suggest the use of simulation studies for such sensitivity analyses.     

Heterozygosity–behaviour correlations in nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) populations: contrasting effects at random and functional loci

The study of heterozygosity‐fitness correlations (HFCs) has a long history in the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology but remains controversial. Recently, it has been shown that the genetic distance of markers from functional loci can be an important factor to be considered in addition to marker numbers and variability. In this study, we investigated the correlation between individual heterozygosity and behaviour (aggression, boldness and feeding activity) in nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) individuals originating from four populations in two contrasting environments. Offspring of full‐sib families raised in a common garden setting were assessed for behaviour and genotyped using 84 microsatellite markers that were either located within or near behaviourally or physiologically important genes (termed ‘functional’) or were randomly selected. No associations were detected with any behavioural trait in any population or over all populations when genetic variability was measured using all 84 markers combined. However, when the markers were separated into three functional categories (behavioural, physiological and random), several significant associations were observed both with functional markers and random markers in one of the four populations assessed. Interestingly, contrasting correlations with behaviour were observed when using physiological gene (negative) and random (positive) markers. Upon dividing the physiological gene markers into further subcategories based on their specific physiological functions, a strong relationship between the heterozygosity of markers linked to osmoregulation‐related genes, and behaviour was revealed in the brackish water population. Our results indicate that both local (physiological) and general (neutral) effects are important in shaping behaviour and that heterozygosity–behaviour correlations are population dependent.     

Real-time monitoring of nasal mucosal pH during carbon dioxide stimulation: implications for stimulus dynamics

Carbon dioxide is a commonly employed irritant test compound in nasal chemesthetic studies because it is essentially free of olfactory stimulus properties. CO(2) is thought to act via hydration to H(2)CO(3) and dissociation to H(+) in nasal mucus, with resulting activation of acid sensors. However, transient changes in nasal mucosal pH have not been documented during CO(2) stimulation in humans. We placed a small pH probe on the floor of the right anterior nasal cavity during CO(2) stimulation in eight human subjects with historically high (>30%) and low (< or =20%) CO(2) detection thresholds. Three second pulses of CO(2) (15-45% v/v) paired with air in random order (12-15 s inter-stimulus interval; 60 s inter-trial interval) were administered by nasal cannula at 5 l/min. in an ascending series. For each subject, both a CO(2) detection threshold and suprathreshold psychophysical ratings [psi; labeled magnitude scale] were generated. All subjects showed phasic drops in pH associated with CO(2) stimulation (DeltapH). For all subjects combined, a positive correlation was apparent between applied [CO(2)] and both DeltapH and psi, as well as between DeltapH and psi themselves (P < 0.0001 for each comparison). Subjects with historically low CO(2) thresholds showed steeper dose-response curves for psi as a function of both applied [CO(2)] and DeltapH, but not for DeltapH as a function of applied [CO(2)]. For the six of eight subjects with measurable pH changes at threshold, DeltapH was positively related to log [CO(2) threshold] (P < 0.01). These data imply that variability in CO(2) detection thresholds and suprathreshold rating may derive from intrinsic differences in neural sensitivity, rather than differences in stimulus activation to hydrogen ion.     

The ontogeny of nasal floor shape variation in extant humans

Variation in nasal floor topography has generated both neontological and paleontological interest. Three categories of nasal floor shape (Franciscus: J Hum Evol 44 (2003) 699–727) have been used when analyzing this trait in extant humans and fossil Homo: flat, sloped, and depressed (or “bi‐level”). Variation in the frequency of these configurations within and among extant and fossil humans has been well‐documented (Franciscus: J Hum Evol 44 (2003) 699–727; Wu et al.: Anthropol Sci 120 (2012) 217–226). However, variation in this trait in Homo has been observed primarily in adults, with comparatively small subadult sample sizes and/or large age gradients that may not sufficiently track key ontogenetic changes. In this study, we investigate the ontogeny of nasal floor shape in a relatively large cross‐sectional age sample of extant humans (n = 382) ranging from 4.0 months fetal to 21 years post‐natal. Results indicate that no fetal or young infant individuals possess a depressed nasal floor, and that a depressed nasal floor, when present (ca. 21% of the sample), does not occur until 3.0 years postnatal. A canonical variates analysis of maxillary shape revealed that individuals with depressed nasal floors were also characterized by relatively taller anterior alveolar regions. This suggests that palate remodeling at about 3.0–3.5 years after birth, under the influence of tooth development, strongly influences nasal floor variation, and that various aspects of dental development, including larger crown/root size, may contribute to the development of a depressed nasal floor. These results in extant humans may help explain the high frequency of this trait found in Neandertal and other archaic Homo maxillae. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:369–378, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Resting Heart Rate Variability and Heart Rate Reactivity to a Mental Arithmetic Stressor

Resting heart rate variability can be an index of sympathetic or parasympathetic dominance, according to the frequency of the variability studied. Sympathetic dominance of this system has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Similarly, rapid and dramatic increases in heart rate reactivity to a stressor task have also been suggested as indicating increased risk of CVD via atherogenesis. Although both of these variables have been related to the development of cardiovascular disease, and both may be related to increased sympathetic activity or parasympathetic withdrawal, most research studies have tended to focus on either variable independently of the other. In order to investigate whether these two indices of stressor reactivity were related in relatively young and healthy subjects, resting heart rate variability data were collected from 80 volunteers for 20 minutes. In addition, heart rate reactivity data were collected during a 2-minute mental arithmetic stressor, which has been previously shown to induce significant increases in heart rate. After classifying subjects according to whether their heart rate variability data were above or below the mean for their gender, heart rate reactivity data were examined via MANOVA to detect significant differences between subject groups. Females showed significant effects, and males showed nonsignificant trends, but these two sets of data were in different directions, suggesting that gender may be a confounding factor in the relationship between heart rate reactivity and heart rate variability.     

Markers polymorphic among malting barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars of a narrow gene pool associated with key QTLs

Barley used for malting is a fine-tuned organism, and it requires breeding within narrow gene pools for realistic cultivar enhancement. Significant phenotypic advance within such narrow gene pools has been achieved and the necessary genetic variability for breeding progress has been documented, but it was not well understood. This study was conducted to further characterize detectable genetic variability present within a select set of four closely related malting barley cultivars using three types of molecular markers: RFLP, PCR-RAPD and AFLP. The markers that identified polymorphism among the select malting cultivars tended to link with each other and to map in chromosomal regions associated with quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for agronomic and malting quality traits that differed among the four cultivars. Although RFLPs identified the least amount of polymorphism, the differences detected by the RFLPs best fit the chronology of the cultivars. These results indicate that a large amount of the genetic variability necessary for cultivar improvement may have originally been present in the breeding gene pool, but does not rule out de novo variation. Study of the populations from crosses within this narrow germplasm is needed to further elucidate the basis of the phenotypic variability found among these select barley cultivars.     

Analysis of quantitative trait loci using hybrid pedigrees: quantitative traits of animals

A method is proposed for analysis of quantitative traits in animal hybrid pedigrees formed by crosses between outbred lines differing in allele frequencies of the genes controlling the trait studied. The method is based on the decomposition of trait variances into components and uses maximization of the likelihood function for estimating model parameters, which allows the estimation of additive and dominance effects of the gene involved in trait determination and its allele frequencies, as well as determination of the chromosomal position of this gene relative to genotyped markers. To test the linkage of this gene with markers, a statistic with the noncentral chi(2) distribution has been chosen. Analytical expressions for the power of this method have been derived. The method has been tested on small model hybrid pedigrees. Phenotypic values of the trait and information on marker genotypes for each individual in hybrid pedigrees are original data for the analysis of a quantitative trait.     

A critical review of the influence of oxytocin nasal spray on social cognition in humans: evidence and future directions

The past eight years of research has demonstrated that oxytocin nasal spray has a significant impact on human social cognition. The aim of this review is to provide critical comment on the literature using an information-processing framework. We provide a summary of fundamental assumptions of information-processing models and highlight an impressive range of consistent findings that demonstrate the impact of oxytocin nasal spray on social information processing. These findings include that oxytocin nasal spray improves the early conceptual detection of affect from social cues and improves the accurate appraisal of affect from social cues at elaborate and strategic levels of processing. There is some evidence that these effects may be particularly powerful for positive social cues. This review comments on inconsistent results that have been reported. We argue that such inconsistencies can, in part, be explained by variability across experiments in the degree to which potential extraneous confounds have been controlled, the different methods upon which studies assessed cognition, and the extent to which the focus of investigation has been on group-based outcomes. Finally, we argue that sound cognitive experimental methods can provide powerful tools to identify markers of response to oxytocin nasal spray that can be integrated into more complex circuitry models. The identification of robust markers has particular value in predicting behavioral and therapeutic response to intervention. This should now be a major focus for future research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.     

Does floral trait variability enhance reproductive success in deceptive orchids?

Unusually high intra-specific floral trait variability has often been described within deceptive orchid populations, as opposed to rewarding ones. Such variability is traditionally thought to have consequences on reproduction in this orchid group, i.e. phenotypically variable deceptive species may have a reproductive success advantage compared to those with a constant floral display. The proposed reason for this hypothetic pattern is that floral trait variability decreases pollinator avoidance learning in dealing with nectarless flowers, hence increasing their visitation rate. However, despite an intuitive and appealing hypothesis and a possible mechanism to explain it, the often-cited higher reproductive success induced by floral trait variability still remains unsupported.Here, we review the literature and consider eight studies that have experimentally or correlatively tested this hypothesis in deceptive orchids. In all these experiments, we have found no difference in average reproductive success between populations with high versus low flower trait variability, either in scent variable or colour polymorphic species. We discuss possible explanations for the lack of this pattern including the incapability of pollinators in perceiving the variability, the scarce relevance of polymorphic traits in the choice of species to forage on, or a different pollinator behaviour than the one proposed. We suggest that the high phenotypic variability is not likely to enhance deceptive orchids’ reproductive success, but is more likely to be a consequence of relaxed selection by pollinators. Nonetheless, information regarding orchid pollination strategy or pollinator cognitive abilities is often superficial, hence calling researchers for additional investigations that can contribute to a better understanding of this debated and yet unsupported hypothesis.     

VARIATION IN ACOUSTIC SIGNALLING TRAITS EXHIBITS FOOTPRINTS OF SEXUAL SELECTION

Phenotypic variation is ubiquitous in nature and a precondition for adaptive evolution. However, theory predicts that the extent of phenotypic variation should decrease with increasing strength of selection on a trait. Comparative analyses of trait variability have repeatedly used this expectation to infer the type or strength of selection. Yet, the suggested influence of selection on trait variability has rarely been tested empirically. In the present study, I compare estimates of sexual selection strength and trait variability from published data. I constricted the analysis to acoustic courtship traits in amphibians and insects with known variability and corresponding results of female binary choice experiments on these traits. Trait variability and strength of sexual selection were significantly correlated, and both were correlated with signal duration. Because traits under stronger selection had lower variation even after the effect of signal duration was eliminated, I conclude that traces of the strength of selection can be observed with respect to variation of acoustic signaling traits in insects and amphibians. The analysis also shows that traits under stabilizing selection have significantly lower phenotypic variability than traits under directional selection.     

Localization of nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in mast cells of human nasal mucosa

Nitric oxide (NO)-synthase immunoreactivity has been detected for the first time in mast cells of human normal nasal mucosa, with an antibody specific for neuronal NO-synthase. Intense immunoreactivity was revealed in secretion granules of mast cells but was found in mast cell granules free in the extracellular matrix only in some instances; no reactivity was found in the cytoplasm of this or other cell types. These findings suggest that human nasal mast cells contain a particulate isoform of NO-synthase, which shares epitopes with neuronal NO-synthase and is rapidly removed from granules upon exocytosis.     

Understanding quantitative genetic variation

Until recently, it was impracticable to identify the genes that are responsible for variation in continuous traits, or to directly observe the effects of their different alleles. Now, the abundance of genetic markers has made it possible to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL)--the regions of a chromosome or, ideally, individual sequence variants that are responsible for trait variation. What kind of QTL do we expect to find and what can our observations of QTL tell us about how organisms evolve? The key to understanding the evolutionary significance of QTL is to understand the nature of inherited variation, not in the immediate mechanistic sense of how genes influence phenotype, but, rather, to know what evolutionary forces maintain genetic variability.     

Marker-assisted selection using ridge regression

In cross between inbred lines, linear regression can be used to estimate the correlation of markers with a trait of interest; these marker effects then allow marker assisted selection (MAS) for quantitative traits. Usually a subset of markers to include in the model must be selected: no completely satisfactory method of doing this exists. We show that replacing this selection of markers by ridge regression can improve the mean response to selection and reduce the variability of selection response.     

The ABO blood group system as genetic markers of quantitative traits in man

A model of correlative variability of AB0 blood groups and a quantitative trait (mad-model) was analysed. Statistics for evaluation of additive and non-additive effects of alleles IA, IB and i on quantitative trait were developed. Restrictions of the model application are discussed. The obtained results may be used in genetic epidemiology for study of sensitivity or resistance to different diseases.     

Allele-specific CAPS markers based on point mutations in resistance alleles at the pvr1 locus encoding eIF4E in Capsicum

Marker-assisted selection has been widely implemented in crop breeding and can be especially useful in cases where the traits of interest show recessive or polygenic inheritance and/or are difficult or impossible to select directly. Most indirect selection is based on DNA polymorphism linked to the target trait, resulting in error when the polymorphism recombines away from the mutation responsible for the trait and/or when the linkage between the mutation and the polymorphism is not conserved in all relevant genetic backgrounds. In this paper, we report the generation and use of molecular markers that define loci for selection using cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS). These CAPS markers are based on nucleotide polymorphisms in the resistance gene that are perfectly correlated with disease resistance, the trait of interest. As a consequence, the possibility that the marker will not be linked to the trait in all backgrounds or that the marker will recombine away from the trait is eliminated. We have generated CAPS markers for three recessive viral resistance alleles used widely in pepper breeding, pvr1, pvr1 ¹, and pvr1 ². These markers are based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the coding region of the pvr1 locus encoding an eIF4E homolog on chromosome 3. These three markers define a system of indirect selection for potyvirus resistance in Capsicum based on genomic sequence. We demonstrate the utility of this marker system using commercially significant germplasm representing two Capsicum species. Application of these markers to Capsicum improvement is discussed.     

Genetic analysis for physical nut traits in almond

Almond breeding is increasingly taking into account kernel quality as a breeding objective. Although information on nut and kernel physical parameters involved in almond quality has already been compiled, the genetic control of these traits has not been studied. This genetic information would improve the efficacy of almond breeding programs. A linkage map with 56 simple-sequence repeat markers was constructed for the “Vivot” × “Blanquerna” almond population showing a wide range of variability for the physical parameters of nut and kernel. A total of 14 putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling these physical traits were detected in the current study, corresponding to six genomic regions of the eight almond linkage groups (LG). Some QTLs are colocated in the same region or shared the same molecular markers, in a manner that reflects the correlations between the physical traits, as well as with the chemical components of the almond kernel. The limit of detection values for any given trait ranged from 2.06 to 5.17, explaining between 13.0 and 44.0 % of the phenotypic variance of the trait. This new genetic information needs to be taken into account when breeding for physical traits in almond. Increases in the positive quality traits, both physical and chemical, need to be considered simultaneously whenever they are genetically independent, even if they are negatively correlated. This is the first complete genetic framework map for physical components of almond nut and kernel, with 14 putative QTLs associated with a large number of parameters controlling physical traits in almond.     

DNA分子标记技术及其在水产动物遗传上的应用研究

随着DNA分子标记技术的发展,其在动物遗传上发挥了重大作用,使用DNA分子标记可以观察到整个基因组的遗传多样性。目前,在水产养殖种类中使用的遗传标记主要包括线粒体DNA、RFLP、RAPD、AFLP、微卫星、SNP和EST标记。DNA分子标记的应用使得人们对水产养殖动物的遗传多样性、近亲繁殖、种类和品系鉴定以及遗传连锁图谱建立的研究都取得了很大进展,也加快了数量性状位点(QTL)基因的鉴定作为分子标记辅助选择(MAS)的研究。将这些标记技术在水产动物上的应用进行了论述,以及如何从人类基因组工程和斑马鱼这种模式鱼的研究中得到启发,更好的应用于水产动物基因组学和遗传学研究做一讨论。