Comparison between wild-born mother-female infant interactions and laboratory-born mother-female infant interactions during the first 14 weeks after birth in individually caged cynomolgus macaques

In this study we compared mother-female infant interactions between primiparous and multiparous laboratory-born (F1) cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in individual cages at Tsukuba Primate Center (TPC), Japan, during the first 14 weeks of infant life. We also compared interactions between multiparousF1 mothers and their female infants with those between wild-born mothers and their female infants when mothers and their infants were housed in the same individual cages. PrimiparousF1 mothers showed significantly higher values for contact with and holding of their infants than multiparousF1 mothers. The primiparousF1 mothers also tended to behave aggressively toward their infants when the latter did not show any obviously irritating behaviors. Thus, the primiparousF1 mothers seemed to be inconsistent in terms of maternal behavior. Compared with multiparous wild-born mothers, multiparousF1 mothers moved more frequently, held their infants less frequently and acted aggressively toward their infants less frequently. However, infants ofF1 mothers, as well as infants of wild-born mothers, interacted with their mothers through approaching and playful contact with them. These findings indicate that the attitude of multiparousF1 mothers toward their infants was relatively passive. Possible reasons for the passive maternal style of multiparousF1 mothers are discussed.     

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY AND EVOLUTION OF RED ALGAL PARASITES: A CASE STUDY OF BENZAITENIA,JANCZEWSKIA, AND ULULANIA (CERAMIALES)1

A molecular phylogenetic study of red algal parasites commonly found in the Northwestern Pacific and the Hawaiian Islands was undertaken. Four species, Benzaitenia yenoshimensis Yendo, Janczewskia hawaiiana Apt, J. morimotoi Tokida, and Ululania stellata Apt et Schlech (Ceramiales), are parasitic on rhodomelacean species belonging to the tribes Chondrieae and Laurencieae. Although Janczewskia and Ululania are classified in the same tribes as their host species, the taxonomic placement of Benzaitenia has been controversial. To infer the phylogenetic positions of these parasites and to clarify the relationships between the parasites and their hosts, phylogenetic analyses of partial nuclear SSU and LSU rRNA genes and the cox1 gene were performed. The SSU rRNA gene analyses clearly show that both Janczewskia species are positioned within the Laurencia s. str. clade with their host species, while Benzaitenia and Ululania are placed in the Chondrieae clade. According to these analyses, J. hawaiiana and U. stellata are not sister to their current hosts; in contrast, B. yenoshimensis and J. morimotoi are closely related to their current hosts. These data suggest that J. hawaiiana and U. stellata have likely evolved from species other than their current hosts and have switched hosts at some point in their evolutionary history. Likelihood ratio tests do not support the monophyly of J. hawaiiana and J. morimotoi, suggesting multiple origins of parasitism within Laurencia s. str.     

Antibacterial and Antifugal Mono- and Di-substituted Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Triazine-derived Schiff-bases and their Transition Metal Complexes

A new series of antibacterial and antifungal triazine-derived mono- and di-substituted (symmetrical and unsymmetrical) Schiff-bases and their cobalt(II), copper(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) metal complexes have been synthesized and characterized by their elemental analyses, molar conductances, magnetic moments and IR and electronic spectral measurements. IR spectra indicated the ligands to act as tridentate towards divalent metal ions via a trazine-N, the azomethine-N and, indole-NH and deprotonated-O of salicylaldehyde. The magnetic moments and electronic spectral data suggest octahedral geometry for the Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II)complexes and square-pyramid for Cu(II) complexes. NMR spectral data of the ligands and their diamagnetic zinc(II) complexes well-define their proposed structures/geometries. Elemental analyses data of the ligands and metal complexes agree with their proposed structures/geometries. The synthesized ligands, along with their metal complexes were screened for their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtillis, Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi and for antifungal activity against Trichophyton longifusus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, Fusarium solani and Candida glaberata. The results of these studies show the metal complexes to be more antibacterial/antifungal against two or more species as compared to the uncomplexed Schiff-base ligands.     

Comparative studies of photosynthetic capacity in three pigmented red algal parasites: Chlorophyll a concentrations and PAM fluorometry measurements

Over 100 species of red algae have been described as parasites on other red algae, but the majority show some degree of pigmentation. This raises the question of their parasitic status, especially their abilities to photosynthesize and their dependence on their host for fixed carbon. Are they considered parasites only based on morphological characters, for example, reduced size and secondary pit connection to the host? Translocation of nutrients from host to parasite have been shown for very few red algal parasites, and these were mostly unpigmented. This study investigated three pigmented red algal parasites (Rhodophyllis parasitica, Vertebrata aterrimophila and Pterocladiophila hemisphaerica) from New Zealand. We quantified their chlorophyll a content and also measured their PSII capacity using PAM fluorometry. All three parasites contained chlorophyll a. The parasites Rhodophyllis parasitica and Vertebrata aterrimophila were not able to photosynthesize and must therefore be fully nutritional dependent on their host. The parasite Pterocladiophila hemisphaerica was able to photosynthesize independently, but based on molecular characteristics we suggest that it relies on the host plastid to do photosynthesis. Our results support the parasitic status of all three species and highlights the necessity of more studies investigating the differences in host dependency in red algal parasites.     

Niche partitioning in orbweaving spiders Meta menardi and Metellina merianae (Tetragnathidae)

Hypogean habitats are relatively simple exhibiting low diversity, low production and relative constancy of environmental factors, and are therefore appropriate for studying species coexistence in situ. We investigated the coexistence of two closely related, similarly sized orb-weaving spider species, Meta menardi and Metellina merianae, living syntopically in a Slovenian cave. We studied the annual dynamics of both species within a mixed population, and the impact of the ambient temperature, relative humidity, airflow and illumination, and compared their trophic niches to legacy data on prey of both species from 55 caves in Slovenia. We predicted a large overlap in their spatial niches and substantial differences in their temporal and trophic niches. We found that their spatial niches overlap greatly with few exceptions, mostly on the dates of notable meteorological changes in the cave but that their temporal niches differ significantly with r-strategy resembling epigean annual dynamic in M. merianae and a steady low abundance course in M. menardi within the cave. We also found that different predatory strategies significantly segregate their trophic niches: M. merianae uses a typical orb-weaving hunting strategy, while M. menardi combines web hunting with off-web hunting. Our findings suggest that both the diverse dynamics and trophic niches enable the coexistence of M. menardi and M. merianae despite their similar spatial niches, and that M. menardi, in particular, is optimally adapted to the epigean/hypogean ecotone.     

Relation between chemotaxis and consumption of amino acids in bacteria

Chemotaxis enables bacteria to navigate chemical gradients in their environment, accumulating toward high concentrations of attractants and avoiding high concentrations of repellents. Although finding nutrients is likely to be an important function of bacterial chemotaxis, not all characterized attractants are nutrients. Moreover, even for potential nutrients, the exact relation between the metabolic value of chemicals and their efficiency as chemoattractants has not been systematically explored. Here we compare the chemotactic response of amino acids with their use by bacteria for two well‐established models of chemotactic behavior, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. We demonstrate that in E. coli chemotaxis toward amino acids indeed strongly correlates with their utilization. However, no such correlation is observed for B. subtilis, suggesting that in this case, the amino acids are not followed because of their nutritional value but rather as environmental cues.     

The cephalic labial gland secretions of two socially parasitic bumblebees Bombus hyperboreus (Alpinobombus) and Bombus inexspectatus (Thoracobombus) question their inquiline strategy

Social parasitic Hymenopterans have evolved morphological, chemical, and behavioral adaptations to overcome the sophisticated recognition and defense systems of their social host to invade host nests and exploit their worker force. In bumblebees, social parasitism appeared in at least 3 subgenera independently: in the subgenus Psithyrus consisting entirely of parasitic species, in the subgenus Alpinobombus with Bombus hyperboreus, and in the subgenus Thoracobombus with B. inexspectatus. Cuckoo bumblebee males utilize species‐specific cephalic labial gland secretions for mating purposes that can impact their inquiline strategy. We performed cephalic labial gland secretions in B. hyperboreus, B. inexspectatus and their hosts. Males of both parasitic species exhibited high species specific levels of cephalic gland secretions, including different main compounds. Our results showed no chemical mimicry in the cephalic gland secretions between inquilines and their host and we did not identify the repellent compounds already known in other cuckoo bumblebees.     

Oily yeasts as oleaginous cell factories

Oily yeasts have been described to be able to accumulate lipids up to 20% of their cellular dry weight. These yeasts represent a minor proportion of the total yeast population, and only 5% of them have been reported as able to accumulate more than 25% of lipids. The oily yeast genera include Yarrowia, Candida, Rhodotorula, Rhodosporidium, Cryptococcus, Trichosporon, and Lipomyces. More specifically, examples of oleaginous yeasts include the species: Lipomyces starkeyi, Rhodosporidium toruloides, Rhodotorula glutinis, and Yarrowia lipolytica. Yeast do exhibit advantages for lipid production over other microbial sources, namely, their duplication times are usually lower than 1 h, are much less affected than plants by season or climate conditions, and their cultures are more easily scaled up than those of microalgae. Additionally, some oily yeasts have been reported to accumulate oil up to 80% of their dry weight and can indeed generate different lipids from different carbon sources or from lipids present in the culture media. Thus, they can vary their lipid composition by replacing the fatty acids present in their triglycerides. Due to the diversity of microorganisms and growth conditions, oily yeasts can be useful for the production of triglycerides, surfactants, or polyunsaturated fatty acids.     

Nest recognition in neighboring colonies: a comparison of two European species of Polistes wasps (P. dominulus and P. nimphus, Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The ability of two species of Polistes wasps to distinguish their own from nearby nests was tested, following the procedure used by Espelie et al. Our experiments demonstrated that, in the laboratory, females of Polistes dominulus and Polistes nimphus preferentially selected their own nests rather than nearby nests. We also evaluated the role of odor cues in nest recognition by washing nests in hexane to remove the apolar solvent-soluble components of nest odor. Although P. nimphus females continued to discriminate nests even after washing, P. dominulus individuals failed to discriminate between their own and a foreign neighboring nest. In both species, wasps were able to recognize their own nests when nest extracts were subsequently reapplied to the nest surface. These results indicate that P. dominulus wasps recognize their nests through perception of nest odor. The ability of P. nimphus wasps to distinguish their own nests even after presumed removal of the nest odor is discussed. Received: January 27, 2000 / Accepted: May 22, 2000     

Taxonomy of Mesostephanus Lutz, 1935 (Digenea: Cyathocotylidae) in some Australian water birds

Mesostephanus scottae n. sp. is described from Phalacrocorax sulcirostris (little black cormorant) and P. varius (pied cormorant), and M. pelecani n. sp. is described from Pelecanus conspicillatus (Australian pelican), both from Queensland, Australia. The new species are distinguishable through a combination of features: the possession and size of their ventral suckers; the size of their oral suckers; the relative development of their hindbodies; and the size of their eggs and cirrus-sacs. M. haliasturis is recorded experimentally from Phalacrocorax sulcirostris and P. varius. Sporocysts, cercariae and metacercariae of M. haliasturis are described. Sporocysts produce daughter-sporocysts, cercariae and miracidia.Mr Jacques Beuret sadly died before this paper was finalised.Mr Jacques Beuret sadly died before this paper was finalised.     

Structure and function of cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase genes of maize,rice,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Arabidopsis</Emphasis> and other species

Cytokinin oxidases/dehydrogenases (CKX) catalyze the irreversible degradation of the cytokinins isopentenyladenine, zeatin, and their ribosides in a single enzymatic step by oxidative side chain cleavage. To date the sequences of 17 fully annotated CKX genes are known, including two prokaryotic genes. The CKX gene families of Arabidopsis thaliana and rice comprise seven and at least ten members, respectively. The main features of CKX genes and proteins are summarized in this review. Individual proteins differ in their catalytic properties, their subcellular localization and their expression domains. The evolutionary development of cytokinin-catabolizing gene families and the individual properties of their members indicate an important role for the fine-tuned control of catabolism to assure proper regulation of cytokinin functions. The use of CKX genes as a tool in studies of cytokinin biology and biotechnological applications is discussed.     

Biochemical systematics of Japanese fireflies of the subfamily Luciolinae and their flash communication systems

Japanese fireflies of the subfamily Luciolinae are biochemically analyzed using 13 allozymes, and the phylogenetic relationships obtained from this analysis are compared with their flash communication systems. As a result, the Japanese Luciolinae can be divided into three groups.Hotaria parvula andH. tsushimana together withLuciola yayeyamana andL. kuroiwae from the first group, and they use the same communication system.L. lateralis, Curtos okinawana, andC. costipennis make up the second group, and their communication systems are also the same.L. cruciata makes up the last one, and its communication system is different from the other fireflies of Luciolinae. Therefore, their taxonomical arrangement and communication systems are not congruent. However, the genetic similarity deduced by allozymic analysis of the members of the Japanese Luciolinae is highly consistent with their flash communication systems.     

Antibacterial dimeric copper(II) complexes with chromone-derived compounds

A new series of six chromone-derived compounds and their Cu(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by their physical, spectral and analytical data. The ligands and their Cu(II) complexes were screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against four Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri) and two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strains by agar-well diffusion method. The ligands were found to exhibit either no or low-to-moderate activities against one or more bacterial species whereas, the Cu(II) complexes exhibited moderate-to-high activity. The ligands which were inactive before complexation became active upon complexation with the Cu(II) metal ion and less active became more active.     

Growth phase-dependent surface properties of Legionella pneumophila and their role in adhesion to stainless steel coated QCM-D sensors

Legionella pneumophila cell surface hydrophobicity and charge are important determinants of their mobility and persistence in engineered water systems (EWS). These surface properties may differ depending on the growth phase of L. pneumophila resulting in variable adhesion and persistence within EWS. We describe the growth-dependent variations in L. pneumophila cell surface hydrophobicity and surface charge using the microbial adhesion to hydrocarbon assay and microelectrophoresis, respectively, and their role in cell adhesion to stainless steel using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring instrument. We observed a steady increase in L. pneumophila hydrophobicity during their lifecycle in culture media. Cell surfaces of stationary phase L. pneumophila were significantly more hydrophobic than their lag and midexponential counterparts. No significant changes in L. pneumophila cell surface charge were noted. Morphology of L. pneumophila remained relatively constant throughout their lifecycle. In the QCM-D study, lag and exponential phase L. pneumophila weakly adhered to stainless steel surfaces resulting in viscoelastic layers. In contrast, stationary phase bacteria were tightly and irreversibly bound to the surfaces, forming rigid layers. Our results suggest that the stationary phase of L. pneumophila would highly favour their adhesion to plumbing surfaces and persistence in EWS.     

Ecological determinants of food plant choice in the checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas editha in Colorado

Summary The larvae of Euphydryas editha in Gunnison County, Colorado, feed on Castilleja linariifolia. Two related plants, C. chromosa and Penstemon strictus, occur in the same area and are equally nutritious, but are not eaten. Restriction to C. linariifolia appears to be a case of ecological monophagy — survival on the other two species is less likely not because of their biochemical make-up but because of their ecological characteristics, primarily their phenologies.     

Influence of different substrates on the evolution of morphology and life‐history traits of azooxanthellate solitary corals (Scleractinia: Flabellidae)

Sessile organisms are influenced considerably by their substrate conditions, and their adaptive strategies are key to understanding their morphologic evolution and traits of life history. The family Flabellidae (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) is composed of the representative azooxanthellate solitary corals that live on both soft and hard substrates using various adaptive strategies. We reconstructed the phylogenetic tree and ancestral character states of this family from the mitochondrial 16S and nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA sequences of ten flabellids aiming to infer the evolution of their adaptive strategies. The Javania lineage branched off first and adapted to hard substrates by using a tectura‐reinforced base. The extant free‐living flabellids, including Flabellum and Truncatoflabellum, invaded soft substrates and acquired the flabellate corallum morphology of their common ancestor, followed by a remarkable radiation with the exploitation of adaptive strategies, such as external soft tissue [e.g. Flabellum (Ulocyathus)], thecal edge spine, and transverse division (e.g. Placotrochus and Truncatoflabellum). Subsequently, the free‐living ancestors of two genera (Rhizotrochus and Monomyces) invaded hard substrates independently by exploiting distinct attachment apparatuses such as tube‐like and massive rootlets, respectively. In conclusion, flabellids developed various morphology and life‐history traits according to the differences in substrate conditions during the course of their evolution. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 101 , 184–192.     

Cophylogenetic relationships between Dactylogyrus (Monogenea) ectoparasites and endemic cyprinoids of the north-eastern European peri-Mediterranean region

The study of host–parasite coevolution is one of the cornerstones of evolutionary biology. The majority of fish ectoparasites belonging to the genus Dactylogyrus (Monogenea) exhibit a high degree of host specificity. Therefore, it is expected that their evolutionary history is primarily linked with the evolutionary history of their cyprinoid fish hosts and the historical formation of the landmasses. In the present study, we used a cophylogenetic approach to investigate coevolutionary relationships between endemic Cyprinoidea (Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae) from selected regions in southern Europe and their respective Dactylogyrus species. A total of 49 Dactylogyrus species including endemic and non-endemic species were collected from 62 endemic cyprinoid species in the Balkan and Apennine Peninsulas. However, 21 morphologically identified Dactylogyrus species exhibited different genetic variants (ranging from 2 to 28 variants per species) and some of them were recognized as cryptic species on the basis of phylogenetic reconstruction. Phylogenetic analyses revealed several lineages of endemic and non-endemic Dactylogyrus species reflecting some morphological similarities or host affinities. Using distance-based and event-based cophylogenetic methods, we found a significant coevolutionary signal between the phylogenies of parasites and their hosts. In particular, statistically significant links were revealed between Dactylogyrus species of Barbini (Cyprinidae) and their hosts belonging to the genera Aulopyge, Barbus and Luciobarbus. Additionally, a strong coevolutionary link was found between the generalist parasites D. alatus, D. sphyrna, D. vistulae, and their hosts, and between Dactylogyrus species of Pachychilon (Leuciscidae) and their hosts. Cophylogenetic analyses suggest that host switching played an important role in the evolutionary history of Dactylogyrus parasitizing endemic cyprinoids in southern Europe. We propose that the high diversification of phylogenetically related cyprinoid species in the Mediterranean area is a process facilitating the host switching of specific parasites among highly diverse congeneric cyprinoids.     

The attractiveness of flowering herbaceous plants to bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in agro‐ecosystems of Central Spain

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The degree of parasitism of the bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) by cuckoo bumblebees (Bombus (Psithyrus) vestalis)

Host–parasite systems are characterised by coevolutionary arms races between host and parasite. Parasites are often the driving force, as they replicate much faster than their hosts and have shorter generation times and larger population sizes, resulting in higher mutation rates per time interval. This scenario does not fit all host–parasite systems. Socially parasitic cuckoo bumblebees (Bombus (Psithyrus) vestalis) parasitise colonies of Bombus terrestris share most life history characteristics with their hosts. As they parasitise only a subset of all available colonies, their population size should be lower than that of their hosts. This might have strong negative effects on the genetic diversity of B. vestalis and their adaptability. Here, we study for the first time the population structure of a Bombus/Bombus (Psithyrus) system. Highly polymorphic DNA markers were used to reconstruct sibships from individuals collected in the wild. The analysis of the host and parasite populations revealed a rate of parasitism of about 42% (range 33–50%). The population size of B. vestalis was lower compared to their hosts, which was also reflected in low within-group genetic distance. An analysis of the reconstructed queen genotypes revealed more supersisters amongst the B. vestalis queens when compared to the B. terrestris host. The data suggest that B. vestalis females and males do not disperse over long distances. This shows a potential for local adaptation to their hosts.