Check-List of the Aphidiid-Wasp Subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera,Aphidiidae) from Russia and Adjacent Countries

A total of 104 species belonging to 15 genera of the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae) are reported from the former USSR: Aclitus Förster, 1862 (1), Adialytus Förster, 1862 (6), Aphidius Nees, 1802 (39), Chaetopauesia Mackauer, 1967 (1), Diaeretiella Starý, I960 (1), Diaeretellus Starý, I960 (4), Diaeretus Förster, 1862 (1), Lysiphlebia Starý et Schlinger, 1967 (1), Lysiphlebus Förster, 1862 (13), Metaphidius Starý et Sedlag, 1959 (1), Paralipsis Förster, 1862 (2), Pauesia Quilis, 1931 (29), Protaphidius Ashmead, 1862 (3), Pseudaclitus Starý, 1974 (1), and Xenostigmus Smith, 1944 (1). Thirteen species, Aphidius (Aphidius) erysimi Starý, I960, A. (A.) stigmaticus Rakhshani et Tomanovi?, 2011, A. (A.) viaticus Sedlag, 1969, A. (Euaphidius) plocamaphidis Starý, 1973, Diaeretellus palustris Starý, 1971, Lysiphlebus (Phlebus) alpinus Starý, 1971, L. (Ph.) orientalis Starý et Rakhshani, 2010, Pauesia (Pauesia) goidanichi Starý, 1966, P. (P.) jezoensis (Watanabe, 1941), P. (P.) montana Starý, 1966, P. (Paraphidius) konoi (Watanabe, 1941), and P. (Par.) similis Starý, 1966, are recorded from Russia for the first time. The distribution of 32 species already known from Russia is specified.     

Energy transfer in purple bacterial photosynthetic units from cells grown in various light intensities

Three photosynthetic membranes, called intra-cytoplasmic membranes (ICMs), from wild-type and the ?pucBA_abce mutant of the purple phototrophic bacterium Rps. palustris were investigated using optical spectroscopy. The ICMs contain identical light-harvesting complex 1–reaction centers (LH1–RC) but have various spectral forms of light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2). Spectroscopic studies involving steady-state absorption, fluorescence, and femtosecond time-resolved absorption at room temperature and at 77 K focused on inter-protein excitation energy transfer. The studies investigated how energy transfer is affected by altered spectral features of the LH2 complexes as those develop under growth at different light conditions. The study shows that LH1 → LH2 excitation energy transfer is strongly affected if the LH2 complex alters its spectroscopic signature. The LH1 → LH2 excitation energy transfer rate modeled with the Förster mechanism and kinetic simulations of transient absorption of the ICMs demonstrated that the transfer rate will be 2–3 times larger for ICMs accumulating LH2 complexes with the classical B800–850 spectral signature (grown in high light) compared to the ICMs from the same strain grown in low light. For the ICMs from the ?pucBA_abce mutant, in which the B850 band of the LH2 complex is blue-shifted and almost degenerate with the B800 band, the LH1 → LH2 excitation energy transfer was not observed nor predicted by calculations.     

Synthesis of Morin–Zinc(II) Complex and its Interaction with Serum Albumin

A morin–zinc(II) complex (MZ) was synthesized and its interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by molecular spectroscopy including fluorescence emission spectra, UV-visible spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, three-dimensional fluorescence spectra, and synchronous fluorescence spectra. The interaction mechanism of BSA and MZ was discussed by fluorescence quenching method and Förster non-radiation energy transfer theory. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH ^θ, ΔG ^θ, ΔS ^θ at different temperatures were calculated and the results indicate the interaction is an exothermic as well as entropy-driven process. Hydrogen bond forces played the most important role in the reaction. The fluorescence probe experiment showed that the binding site of MZ is in subdomain IIA of BSA and the distance between BSA and MZ is 3.17 nm at normal body temperature. The conformation changes of BSA in presence of MZ were investigated by CD spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra.     

Photochemical studies on the binding of an organic fluoride to bovine serum albumin

The interaction of fipronil (FPN), a pesticide containing fluorine, to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by spectroscopy including fluorescence spectra, UV–Visible absorption, scattering spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, synchronous and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra. The number of binding sites n and observed binding constant Kb was measured by fluorescence quenching method. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔG, ΔS at different temperatures were calculated and the results indicate that hydrophobic forces played major role in the reaction. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (FPN) was obtained according to the Förster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. The structural change of BSA molecules with addition of FPN was analyzed and the results may be helpful to biologists, chemists and therapeutists.     

Synthesis of an octupolar compound and its biological effects on serum albumin

A special rigid planar structural octupolar molecule titled 2,4,6-tris(p-methylstyryl)-s-triazine (TMT) was synthesized and its interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by molecular spectroscopy. The quenching mechanism of fluorescence of BSA by TMT was discussed. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH ^θ, ΔG ^θ, ΔS ^θ at different temperatures were calculated and the results indicate hydrogen bond forces played major role in the reaction and the reaction was mainly enthalpy-driven. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (TMT) was obtained according to Förster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra, synchronous and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra were used to investigate the structural change of BSA molecules with addition of TMT, the result indicates that the α-helical structures of BSA molecules reduced in the presence of TMT. Sketch map of the interaction process was analyzed at molecular level.     

Fluorometric probing on the binding of hematoxylin to serum albumin

The binding of a cell nucleus stain, hematoxylin (HTL), to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by spectroscopy including fluorescence spectra, UV–Visible absorption, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, synchronous and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra. The results indicated that the binding had led to static fluorescence quenching, with non-radiation energy transfer happening within single molecule. The observed binding constant was calculated to be 10^5.588 l mol^?1 at 311 K and one binding site had formed. The thermodynamic parameters of the interaction complied with ΔG ^θ < 0, ΔH ^θ < 0, ΔS ^θ < 0 and the results indicate that hydrogen bonds played major role in the reaction. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (HTL) was obtained according to the Förster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. The structural change of BSA molecules with addition of HTL was analyzed and the optimized geometry of HTL–BSA was investigated by fluorescence probe method.     

Winter survival of the granary weevil <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitophilus granarius</Emphasis> and the parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lariophagus distinguendus</Emphasis> in a simulated grain store

The parasitoid Lariophagus distinguendus Förster (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a promising candidate for biological control of the granary weevil Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in grain stores. For practical application in northern temperate regions it is important that the parasitoids can survive the cold temperatures in the grain during the winter and resume activity the following spring. In the present study the survival of Lariophagus distinguendus and Sitophilus granarius was followed during a simulated winter with stepwise reductions of temperature down to 6°C which was maintained for 15 weeks. Only 20% of the weevils were alive after eight weeks at 6°C, whereas the survival of L. distinguendus was unaffected by the temperature decrease. After being returned to room temperature an F ₁ generation of the parasitoid emerged and was able to reproduce.     

Independent hybrid populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Formica polyctena X</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">rufa</Emphasis> wood ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) abound under conditions of forest fragmentation

Combined genetic and morphological data indicate frequent hybridisation between the wood ants Formica polyctena Förster 1850 and F. rufa Linnaeus 1761 in Central Europe. The genetic and morphological traits give a concordant picture of hybridisation with a strong correlation between the genotypic admixture proportions at 19 microsatellite loci and the first vectors of a principal component analysis (P < 0.001) and of a 3-class discriminant analysis (P < 0.001) of 15 quantitative morphological characters. This integrative approach enabled a grouping into F. polyctena, the hybrid and rufa. Genetic differentiation between the hybrid and F. rufa is significantly larger than between the hybrid and polyctena, indicating gene flow mainly between the latter entities. A suggested gene flow bias towards F. polyctena agrees with differential queen acceptance and mating behaviour. Both genetic and phenotypic colony parameters indicate predominance of monogyny in F. rufa but of polygyny in polyctena and the hybrid. Hybrids are intermediate between the parental species in body size, diagnostic morphological characters, monogyny frequency, size of nest population, nest diameter and infestation rate with epizootic fungi. The three entities respond differently to woodland fragmentation. Hybrids are significantly more abundant in forests with a coherent area <300 ha than in woodland above this size. Regions with high hybrid frequency in Germany—the Eastern Oberlausitz (23%) and the Baltic Sea islands Darss, Hiddensee and Rügen (28%)—are characterised by a fragmented woodland structure whereas regions with low hybrid frequency—Brandenburg and the lower Erzgebirge (3.4%)—have clearly larger and more coherent forest systems. Data from other European countries indicate habitat fragmentation to be a facilitating factor but no essential precondition for interspecific hybridisation in these ants. Hybrids are hypothesised to have selective advantage in fragmented systems because of combining the main reproductive and dispersal strategies of the parental species.     

Chemicobiological effects of herbicide MCPA-Na on plasma proteins

Under physiological conditions, the potential hematological toxicity of herbicide 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid sodium (MCPA-Na) was discussed by fluorescence probe technology and spectroscopy methods including three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence, UV absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra. In vitro, MCPA-Na bound with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and formed new complex at ground state by electrostatic force and hydrogen bond. During the process, non-radiation energy transfer from BSA to MCPA-Na occurred and the distance r between donor and acceptor was obtained based on Förster theory. The binding site was investigated by fluorescence probe method and the results implied MCPA-Na was absorbed on domain II of BSA molecule. The enthalpy change (ΔH ^θ), Gibbs free energy change (ΔG ^θ) and entropy change (ΔS ^θ) were calculated at four different temperatures according to Van’t Hoff isobar equation and Gibbs–Helmholtz equation. Negative value of ΔG ^θ indicated the process of binding was a spontaneous and irreversible process, which gave a broad hint that MCPA-Na was likely to be poisonous. CD spectra exhibited significant changes of secondary structures in BSA molecule and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra indicated the tryptophan residue in BSA was placed in a less hydrophobic environment, which presented additional evidence to caution the danger of MCPA-Na residue in food. Meanwhile, the mechanism and geometry of the binding was analyzed at molecular level.     

Check-list of the Aphidiid-Wasp subfamily Trioxinae (Hymenoptera,Aphidiidae) from Russia and adjacent countries

A total of 64 species belonging to 10 genera of the subfamily Trioxinae (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae) are recorded from the former USSR: Betuloxys Mackauer, 1960 (6), Binodoxys Mackauer, 1960 (11), Calaphidius Mackauer, 1961 (1), Falciconus Mackauer, 1959 (2), Harkeria Cameron, 1900 (1), Lipolexis, Förster, 1862 (1), Monoctonia Starý, 1962 (2), Monoctonus Haliday,1833 (6), Sergeyoxys Davidian, 2016 (1), and Trioxys Haliday, 1833 (33). Four species, Harkeria angustivalva (Starý, 1959), Monoctonia japonica Rakhshani et Tomanovic, 2015, Monoctonus mali van Achterberg, 1989, and Trioxys iziphia Mackauer, 1967 are recorded from Russia for the first time. The distribution of 20 species already known from Russia is clarified.     

Resonance energy transfer and competing processes in donor–acceptor of sodium zinc (II)-2,9,16,23-phthalocyanine tetracarboxylate molecule

An important issue that should be taken into consideration when applying the molecules in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer is the occurrence of homo-resonance energy transfer process between them. We have determined the probability of energy transfer for sodium zinc (II)-2,9,16,23-phthalocyanine tetracarboxylate (ZnPc(COONa)₄) molecules in aqueous NaOH solution. The homo-quenching effect of the molecule was also measured by calculating the diffusion controlled bimolecular rate constant of k _q = 6.5?×?10⁹ M^?1s^?1, which did not show a significant competition with the rate constant of homo-resonance energy transfer process at the applied concentration of the molecules (6 μM). The Förster radius (R? ₀) for ZnPc(COONa)₄ molecules was calculated to be 42 Å. The availability of these calculations should facilitate the potential application of ZnPc(COONa)₄ molecule as an anticancer drug in PDT.     

Review of the Western Palaearctic Ichneumon-flies of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhorus</Emphasis> Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae). Part III. The species with the reddish metasoma and black face

In the third part of the revision of the genus Rhorus Förster, 1869, the Palaearctic species with the red metasoma and blackish face are considered and keyed. Ten new Western Palaearctic species are described: Rhorus akdara sp. n., Rh. antennalis sp. n., Rh. brunnifemur sp. n., Rh. dbari sp. n., Rh. hissaricus sp. n., Rh. goderdzi sp. n., Rh. petropolitanus sp. n., Rh. punctatissimus sp. n., Rh. suomi sp. n., Rh. trochanteratus sp. n., together with two new species from East Siberia, Rh. ribesii sp. n. and Rh. sakha sp. n. Rh. binotatus (Kriechbaumer, 1897) and {ptRh. fasciatus} (Gravenhorst, {dy1829}) are redescribed.     

Review of the Western Palaearctic ichneumon-flies of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhorus</Emphasis> Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae). Part IV. The species with the reddish metasoma and black face (Addendum)

Seven new species of the ichneumon-fly genus Rhorus Förster, 1869 are described for the Western Palaearctic Region based on the material from Zoologische Sammlung des Bayerischen Staates, München (Germany): Rhorus amauronemati sp. n., Rh. auberti sp. n., Rh. blennocampae sp. n., Rh. dineurae sp. n., Rh. hinzi sp. n., Rh. idari sp. n., and Rh. montanus sp. n. A key to the new and closely related species is given to supplement that published in the third part of the revision (Kasparyan, 2015). The other 25 species of the genus Rhorus from the collection of the München Museum is given; some of the species are recorded for the first time for France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Moldova, and Armenia.     

The Influence of the Number of Conjugated Double Bonds in Carotenoid Molecules on the Energy Transfer Efficiency to Bacteriochlorophyll in Light-Harvesting Complexes LH2 from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allochromatium vinosum</Emphasis> Strain MSU

Seven different carotenoids with the number of conjugated double bonds (N) from 5 to 11 were incorporated in vitro into carotenoidless complexes LH2 of the sulfur bacterium Allochromatium vinosum strain MSU. The efficiency of their incorporation varied from 4 to 99%. The influence of N in the carotenoid molecules on the energy transfer efficiency from these pigments to bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) in the modified LH2 complexes was studied for the first time. The highest level of energy transfer was recorded for rhodopin (N = 11) and neurosporene (N = 7) (37 and 51%, respectively). In the other carotenoids, this parameter ranged from 11 to 33%. In the LH2 complexes studied, we found no direct correlation between the decrease in N in carotenoids and increase in the energy transfer efficiency from these pigments to BChl.     

Contribution to Systematics of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astiphromma</Emphasis> Förster (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae: Mesochorinae) from Russia and Adjacent Countries

Material of the genus Astiphromma Förster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae: Mesochorinae) from Russia and adjacent countries in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg has been examined. 25 species were identified, 14 of which are new records to the Russian fauna, and 10 are new to the Eastern Palaearctic Region. Four species are new to science: Astiphromma (Astiphromma) flavofaciessp. n., A. (A.) minimumsp. n., A. (A.) paradorsalesp. n., and A. (A.) styleatorsp. n. A new synonymy is established: Astiphromma (Astiphromma) albitarse (Brischke, 1880) = A. punctatum Uchida, 1933, syn. n. For Astiphromma japonense Lee, 1992 a hitherto unknown female is described.     

Studies on the interaction between benzidine and bovine serum albumin by spectroscopic methods

The interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and benzidine (BD) in aqueous solution was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectra and UV–Vis spectroscopy, as well as resonance light scattering spectroscopy (RLS). It was proved from fluorescence spectra that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by BD was a result of the formation of BD–BSA complex, and the binding constants (K _a) were determined according to the modified Stern–Volmer equation. The enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) were calculated to be ?34.11 kJ mol^?1 and ?25.89 J mol^?1 K^?1, respectively, which implied that van der Waals force and hydrogen bond played predominant roles in the binding process. The addition of increasing BD to BSA solution caused the gradual enhancement in RLS intensity, exhibiting the forming of the aggregate. Moreover, the competitive experiments of site markers suggested that the binding site of BD to BSA was located in the region of subdomain IIA (sudlow site I). The distance (r) between the donor (BSA) and the acceptor (BD) was 4.44 nm based on the Förster theory of non–radioactive energy transfer. The results of synchronous fluorescence and CD spectra demonstrated the microenvironment and the secondary conformation of BSA were changed.     

Observation of protein folding/unfolding dynamics of ubiquitin trapped in agarose gel by single-molecule FRET

A ubiquitin mutant with two Cys mutations, m[C]q/S65C, was site-specifically labeled with two dye molecules, Alexa Fluor 488 (donor) and Alexa Fluor 594 (acceptor), due to the different reactivity of these two Cys residues. This doubly dye-labeled ubiquitin has lower structural stability than wild-type ubiquitin. Taking advantage of this decreased stability, conformational heterogeneity of this protein under nondenaturing condition was observed at the single-molecule level using single-paired Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) by trapping the protein in agarose gel. Three conformational populations corresponding to folded (E _ET ≈ 0.95), loosely packed (E _ET ≈ 0.72), and unfolded (E _ET ≈ 0.22) structures, and the structural transitions between them were observed. Our results suggest that agarose immobilization is good for observing structural dynamics of proteins under native condition.     

Hybridization success is largely limited to homoploid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus</Emphasis> hybrids: a multidisciplinary approach

Prunus fruticosa is a rare shrub occurring in Eurasian thermophilous forest-steppe alliances. The species frequently hybridizes with cultivated Prunus species in Europe (allochthonous tetraploid P. cerasus and partly indigenous diploid P. avium). Propidium iodide flow cytometry, distance-based morphometrics, elliptic Fourier analysis and embryology were employed to evaluate the extent of hybridization in six Slovak populations. Flow cytometric analyses revealed three ploidy levels: diploid (P. avium), triploid (P. × mohacsyana) and tetraploid (P. fruticosa, P. × eminens and P. cerasus). In addition, P. fruticosa and P. cerasus, at the tetraploid level, were found to differ in absolute genome size. An embryological evaluation suggested the existence of a triploid block in P. × mohacsyana and significant potential for hybridization among tetraploid taxa (indicated also by a continuous distribution of genome size data and further mirrored by morphometrics). Although hybrids significantly differ in ploidy level and embryological characteristics, they are almost indistinguishable using morphological characters. Hybridization with P. cerasus thus turns out to be a significant threat to wild populations of P. fruticosa compared to the relatively weak influence of P. avium.     

Characterisation of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">puc</Emphasis>BA deletion mutant from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodopseudomonas palustris</Emphasis> lacking all but the <Emphasis Type="Italic">puc</Emphasis>BA<Subscript>d</Subscript> genes

Rhodopseudomonas palustris is a species of purple photosynthetic bacteria that has a multigene family of puc genes that encode the alpha and beta apoproteins, which form the LH2 complexes. A genetic dissection strategy has been adopted in order to try and understand which spectroscopic form of LH2 these different genes produce. This paper presents a characterisation of one of the deletion mutants generated in this program, the pucBA_d only mutant. This mutant produces an unusual spectroscopic form of LH2 that only has a single large NIR absorption band at 800 nm. Spectroscopic and pigment analyses on this complex suggest that it has basically a similar overall structure as that of the wild-type HL LH2 complex. The mutant has the unique phenotype where the mutant LH2 complex is only produced when cells are grown at LL. At HL the mutant only produces the LH1-RC core complex.