Cancer susceptibility and reproductive trade-offs: a model of the evolution of cancer defences

The factors influencing cancer susceptibility and why it varies across species are major open questions in the field of cancer biology. One underexplored source of variation in cancer susceptibility may arise from trade-offs between reproductive competitiveness (e.g. sexually selected traits, earlier reproduction and higher fertility) and cancer defence. We build a model that contrasts the probabilistic onset of cancer with other, extrinsic causes of mortality and use it to predict that intense reproductive competition will lower cancer defences and increase cancer incidence. We explore the trade-off between cancer defences and intraspecific competition across different extrinsic mortality conditions and different levels of trade-off intensity, and find the largest effect of competition on cancer in species where low extrinsic mortality combines with strong trade-offs. In such species, selection to delay cancer and selection to outcompete conspecifics are both strong, and the latter conflicts with the former. We discuss evidence for the assumed trade-off between reproductive competitiveness and cancer susceptibility. Sexually selected traits such as ornaments or large body size require high levels of cell proliferation and appear to be associated with greater cancer susceptibility. Similar associations exist for female traits such as continuous egg-laying in domestic hens and earlier reproductive maturity. Trade-offs between reproduction and cancer defences may be instantiated by a variety of mechanisms, including higher levels of growth factors and hormones, less efficient cell-cycle control and less DNA repair, or simply a larger number of cell divisions (relevant when reproductive success requires large body size or rapid reproductive cycles). These mechanisms can affect intra- and interspecific variation in cancer susceptibility arising from rapid cell proliferation during reproductive maturation, intrasexual competition and reproduction.     

Parallel evolution of larval morphology and habitat in the snail-killing fly genus Tetanocera

In this study, we sequenced one nuclear and three mitochondrial DNA loci to construct a robust estimate of phylogeny for all available species of Tetanocera. Character optimizations suggested that aquatic habitat was the ancestral condition for Tetanocera larvae, and that there were at least three parallel transitions to terrestrial habitat, with one reversal. Maximum likelihood analyses of character state transformations showed significant correlations between habitat transitions and changes in four larval morphological characteristics (cuticular pigmentation and three characters associated with the posterior spiracular disc). We provide evidence that phylogenetic niche conservatism has been responsible for the maintenance of aquatic-associated larval morphological character states, and that concerted convergence and/or gene linkage was responsible for parallel morphological changes that were derived in conjunction with habitat transitions. These habitat-morphology associations were consistent with the action of natural selection in facilitating the morphological changes that occurred during parallel aquatic to terrestrial habitat transitions in Tetanocera.     

陕北黄土高原辽东栎(Quercus liaotungensis)群落类型划分及其生态位特征

根据陕北黄龙林区辽东栎群落30个样地资料,通过聚类对该群落进行了类型划分,共划分为6个群丛,分别为A．辽东栎（Quercus liaotungensis）-土庄绣线菊（Spiraea pubescens）、B．辽东栎-虎榛子（Ostryopsis davidiana）、c．辽东栎-胡枝子（Lespedeza bicolor）、D．辽东栎．水枸子（Cotoneasten multtflorus）、E．辽东栎-白刺花（Sophora viciifolia）、F．辽东栎-黄蔷薇（Rosa hugonis）。另外,对各类型辽东栎林和不同坡向辽东栎群落的生物多样性进行了计算,结果表明各群落Whittaker多样性指数存在明显的差异,并与其所处的生境条件密切相关,其中与坡向关系较大,即北坡〉西北坡〉东南坡〉西南坡〉南坡。最后,对辽东栎林乔木层和灌木层组成种类生态位和生态位重叠进行了计算分析,结果表明,乔木层,辽东栎、油松、白桦不仅生态位宽度较大（LB值1．2—1．5）,而且三者之间的生态位重叠值也较大（0ik值0．7—0．9）;在现演替阶段它们之间存在着较为激烈的资源利用性竞争;灌木层,土庄绣线菊、榛子、铁杆蒿、黄蔷薇生态位宽度较大（LB〉1）,而葱皮忍冬、南蛇藤、鼠李、鞘柄菝葜较小（LB为0．4—0．45）;生态位重叠值〉0．8的种对仅占灌木计算种对的2．8％,而〈0．6的种对占87．4％。     

The evolution of jumping performance in anurans: morphological correlates and ecological implications

We investigated the evolution of anuran locomotor performance and its morphological correlates as a function of habitat use and lifestyles. We reanalysed a subset of the data reported by Zug (Smithson. Contrib. Zool. 1978; 276: 1–31) employing phylogenetically explicit statistical methods (n = 56 species), and assembled morphological data on the ratio between hind-limb length and snout-vent length (SVL) from the literature and museum specimens for a large subgroup of the species from the original paper (n = 43 species). Analyses using independent contrasts revealed that classifying anurans into terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and arboreal categories cannot distinguish between the effects of phylogeny and ecological diversification in anuran locomotor performance. However, a more refined classification subdividing terrestrial species into 'fossorials' and 'non-fossorials', and arboreal species into 'open canopy', 'low canopy' and 'high canopy', suggests that part of the variation in locomotor performance and in hind-limb morphology can be attributed to ecological diversification. In particular, fossorial species had significantly lower jumping performances and shorter hind limbs than other species after controlling for SVL, illustrating how the trade-off between burrowing efficiency and jumping performance has resulted in morphological specialization in this group.     

麦套春棉主要害虫和天敌的生态位研究

调查了麦套着棉不同时期内,棉株上、中、下部棉蚜AphisgossypiiGover、棉叶螨TetranychustruncatusEhara、棉铃虫Helicoverpaarmigera（Hubner）和其主要天敌的数量。求得各期害虫与害虫、害虫与天敌、天敌与天敌之间的生态位宽度和重叠指数,并分析了它们彼此在空间上的竞争关系。     

Stress,drugs and the evolution of reproductive restraint in malaria parasites

Life-history theory predicts that sexually reproducing organisms have evolved to resolve resource-allocation trade-offs between growth/survival versus reproduction, and current versus future reproduction. Malaria parasites replicate asexually in their vertebrate hosts, but must reproduce sexually to infect vectors and be transmitted to new hosts. As different specialized stages are required for these functions, the division of resources between these life-history components is a fundamental evolutionary problem. Here, we test how drug-sensitive and drug-resistant isolates of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum resolve the trade-off between in-host replication and between-host transmission when exposed to treatment with anti-malarial drugs. Previous studies have shown that parasites increase their investment in sexual stages when exposed to stressful conditions, such as drugs. However, we demonstrate that sensitive parasites facultatively decrease their investment in sexual stages when exposed to drugs. In contrast to previous studies, we tested parasites from a region where treatment with anti-malarial drugs is common and transmission is seasonal. We hypothesize that when exposed to drugs, parasites invest in their survival and future transmission by diverting resources from reproduction to replication. Furthermore, as drug-resistant parasites did not adjust their investment when exposed to drugs, we suggest that parasites respond to changes in their proliferation (state) rather the presence of drugs.     

The compositional patterns of the avian genomes and their evolutionary implications

The compositional distributions of large (main-band) DNA fragments from eight birds belonging to eight different orders (including both paleognathous and neognathous species) are very broad and extremely close to each other. These findings, which are paralleled by the compositional similarity of homologous coding sequences and their codon positions, support the idea that birds are a monophyletic group.The compositional distribution of third-codon positions of genes from chicken, the only avian species for which a relatively large number of coding sequences is known, is very broad and bimodal, the minor GC-richer peak reaching 100% GC. The very high compositional heterogeneity of avian genomes is accompanied (as in the case of mammalian genomes) by a very high speciation rate compared to cold-blooded vertebrates which are characterized by genomes that are much less heterogeneous. The higher GC levels attained by avian compared to mammalian genomes might be correlated with the higher body temperature (41–43°C) of birds compared to mammals (37°C).A comparison of GC levels of coding sequences and codon positions from man and chicken revealed very close average GC levels and standard deviations. Homologous coding sequences and codon positions from man and chicken showed a surprisingly high degree of compositional similarity which was, however, higher for GC-poor than for GC-rich sequences. This indicates that GC-poor isochores of warm-blooded vertebrates reflect the composition of the isochores of the genome of the common reptilian ancestor of mammals and birds, which underwent only a small compositional change at the transition from cold- to warm-blooded vertebrates. In contrast, the GC-rich isochores of birds and mammals are the result of large compositional changes at the same evolutionary transition, where were in part different in the two classes of warm-blooded vertebrates.Correspondence to: G. Bernaadi     

桃园山楂叶螨、桃一点斑叶蝉及其主要天敌生态位

对山东桃园山楂叶螨、桃一点斑叶蝉及其主要天敌的时间、空间和时间一空间二维生态位宽度和生态位重叠进行了研究。结果表明,主要天敌异色瓢虫、七星瓢虫、龟纹瓢虫、大草蛉和蜘蛛与该2种害虫在时间上的同步性和空间上的同域性均较强,为保护利用天敌控制该2种害虫提供了依据。     

The Interaction Between Selenium Status, Sex Hormones, and Thyroid Metabolism in Adolescent Girls in the Luteal Phase of their Menstrual Cycle

The objective of the present work was to study all physiological relationships among selenium status (SeS), sex hormones secretion (SH), and thyroid metabolism (ThM) in healthy adolescent girls, at one time. Forty-four girls aged 13.4–16.6 years (mean age, 14.5 ± 0.5 years) entered the statistical model. Parameters reflecting SeS: plasma selenium concentration (Se) and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity (GPX3); SH: serum estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P₄); age of menarche (AoM); and ThM: thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), free triiodothyronine (fT3), antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO) in serum, and thyroid volume (ThV), were determined, and the interactions between them were evaluated by means of the partial least squares method (PLS). PLS method was, for the first time, successfully applied to the problem of selenium and hormone interactions and revealed that selenium status and female reproductive system are interrelated and affect thyroid physiology in adolescent girls in the luteal phase. The strongest associations were revealed for the pairs of parameters, Se and fT4/fT3, Se and P₄, the modest ones for the pairs, Se and ThV, P₄ and fT4/fT3, Se and AoM, and P₄ and AoM. There was no correlation between E₂, GPX3, and TSH, and any other considered parameter. Se and P₄ had the greatest influence on ThM parameters.