Region of Difference 1 in Nontuberculous Mycobacterium Species Adds a Phylogenetic and Taxonomical Character

The esat-6 and cfp-10 genes are essential for virulence in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Among nontuberculous mycobacteria, we found these genes only in M. kansasii, M. szulgai, M. marinum, and M. riyadhense, with unique sequences. This adds a phylogenetic and taxonomical characteristic and may represent a virulence factor for nontuberculous mycobacteria.The 6-kDa early secretory antigenic target (ESAT-6) and 10-kDa culture filtrate protein (CFP-10) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are potent T-cell antigens (2, 12). The genes encoding ESAT-6 and CFP-10 are situated within “region of difference 1” (RD1) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis but are also present in some nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) (2, 12). Deletion of RD1 in M. tuberculosis significantly decreases its virulence in animal models (8), suggesting that genes residing in RD1 are involved in pathogenesis. In M. tuberculosis, the RD1 proteins effect translocation to the cytosol, a mechanism for survival within macrophages (15). Therefore, RD1 in NTM may also play a crucial role in virulence.To improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of NTM disease and the possible role of RD1 in virulence, we screened a wide diversity of NTM for the presence of RD1.From our laboratory database, we retrieved isolates of all five Mycobacterium kansasii subtypes based on 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer sequencing (n = 15), M. szulgai (n = 4), M. marinum (n = 4), M. avium (n = 2), M. conspicuum (n = 4), M. genavense (n = 1), M. bohemicum (n = 2), M. interjectum (n = 2), M. flavescens (n = 5), M. xenopi (n = 2), M. malmoense (n = 2), M. riyadhense (n = 1), and M. tuberculosis H37Rv.The selection of these strains was based on their phylogenetic relationship with the M. tuberculosis complex in the multigene taxonomical model published by Devulder et al. (3).To establish the presence of an RD1-like element and sequences of the esat-6 and cfp-10 genes, we used the Esa-12 (CATGACAGAGCAGCAGTG) and Esa-303 (5′-GCCCTATGCGAACATCCC-3′) primers for esat-6 and the opBR78 (5′-GTAGCCCGGGATGGCAGAGATGAAGACCGATGCC-3′) and opBR103 (5′-TCAGAAGCCCATTTGCGAGGACAGC-3′) primers for cfp-10 (1). The M. smegmatis esat-6 and cfp-10 gene sequences were extracted from the whole-genome sequence in the GenBank database (accession number {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"CP000480","term_id":"118168627","term_text":"CP000480"}}CP000480).Using these primers, we were able to demonstrate an RD1 for M. tuberculosis H37Rv and for all M. kansasii subtypes, M. szulgai, M. marinum, and M. riyadhense. The PCR was repeatedly negative for isolates of the remaining species, M. avium, M. conspicuum, M. genavense, M. bohemicum, M. interjectum, M. flavescens, M. xenopi, and M. malmoense. For these species, we performed Southern blotting and hybridized DNA membranes using the purified M. tuberculosis H37Rv and M. kansasii type I esat-6 amplicons as probes (1). None of the PCR-negative species hybridized with either probe (data not shown).The presence of RD1, characterized by an esat-6-like gene and an cfp-10-like gene, is a phylogenetic characteristic among the NTM. It is mainly found only among slowly growing NTM species that are phylogenetically related to the M. tuberculosis complex based on the multigene taxonomical model by Devulder et al. (3) and in the more distantly related rapid grower M. smegmatis. Possibly, the presence of RD1 reflects phylogenetic relationships to the M. tuberculosis complex.Previous authors have recorded the presence of RD1 in M. flavescens (1). We were unable to demonstrate it in four reference strains (ATCC 23008, ATCC 23033, ATCC 23035, and ATCC 23039) and a clinical isolate. Thus, with its presence of an RD1 region, M. smegmatis still stands out among the rapid growing NTM.Gey van Pittius et al. have demonstrated the presence of the ESX-5 locus, which they assume is a product of duplication of RD1 and its secretion system (ESX-1), in most slow-growing NTM species (5). Our results seem to suggest that in many slow growers, after this duplication, the original ESX-1 either was lost or has undergone extensive mutation, barring hybridization.All five subtypes of M. kansasii had distinct esat-6 and cfp-10 sequences; type three was subdivided into two separate lineages based on both esat-6 and cfp-10 sequences. Among M. marinum and M. szulgai strains, no difference was noted, and the sequences obtained for M. riyadhense were unique. We aligned the esat-6 and cfp-10 gene sequences separately and concatenated, using the Clustal X software program (14). The resulting topology and tree, inferred by neighbor joining and visualized using the MEGA 4.0 software package (13), were evaluated by bootstrap analyses based on 1,000 resamplings. The resulting trees are shown in Fig. ​Fig.1A1A (esat-6), B (cfp-10), and C (esat-6 and cfp-10 concatenated). From these trees, it is obvious that the slow-growing RD1-positive NTM have esat-6 and cfp-10 sequences much more closely related to those of M. tuberculosis than to those of M. smegmatis (Fig. 1A to C).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Phylogenetic trees based on multiple sequence alignment of esat-6 (A), cfp-10 (B), and concatenated esat-6 and cfp-10 (C) sequences. The neighbor-joining tree was created and bootstrapped 1,000× with CLUSTALX and visualized with MEGA 4.0 (13, 14). Bootstrap values are indicated at the nodes.Thus, the presence of RD1 in these slow growers marks a genetically closely related Mycobacterium grouping, and sequencing of RD1 is a tool for (sub)species identification. Therefore, we propose that future introduction of new species phylogenetically related to the RD1-positive grouping should include an investigation of RD1 presence and gene sequences.Deletion of RD1 lowers the virulence of M. tuberculosis complex bacteria (8, 9, 11). Although the presence of RD1 may thus be important for virulence, we were not able to detect this genomic region in well-known causative agents of disease in humans, including M. avium and M. malmoense (7, 12). In M. smegmatis, ESAT-6 and CFP-10 secretion has a role in conjugation, rather than translocation to the cytosol, by which M. tuberculosis survives within macrophages (4, 15). The remaining NTM species that harbor RD1 are phylogenetically more closely related to M. tuberculosis than to M. smegmatis (3), which is also expressed in their esat-6 and cfp-10 sequences (Fig. ​(Fig.1).1). Moreover, M. kansasii, M. szulgai, and M. marinum are considered the most pathogenic among the NTM (1, 6, 16). Therefore, RD1 may play a role in virulence of these NTM.The RD1 sequences differed between M. kansasii type 1, an important causative agent of NTM disease, and the other types, which are less involved or not involved in human disease (1). Clinically relevant and nonrelevant M. szulgai isolates, determined using the American Thoracic Society diagnostic criteria (6, 16), shared identical sequences. The RD1 presence and gene sequences and thus the protein structure do not provide a complete explanation of the virulences of the different NTM. Presumably, host factors and pathogen factors other than RD1 presence are also important. In vitro infection experiments are necessary to clarify the role of RD1-containing slow-growing NTM.Demonstration and characterization of RD1 in NTM have gained significance with the advent of the gamma interferon release assays (IGRAs) for the diagnosis of (latent) tuberculosis. These assays measure gamma interferon production and release by patients'' T lymphocytes after incubation with the ESAT-6 and CFP-10 antigens of M. tuberculosis (10). The presence of similar antigens in NTM and thus recognition of these antigens by patients infected by these NTM theoretically lowers the specificity of the IGRAs in diagnosing latent tuberculosis.In conclusion, an RD1 element, similar to that of M. tuberculosis, is present in M. kansasii, M. szulgai, M. marinum, and M. riyadhense. The presence of RD1 in general is a phylogenetic and taxonomical characteristic of NTM, which hints at a phylogenetic relationship with the M. tuberculosis complex. The RD1 sequence analysis enables distinction to the species or subspecies level. Future studies describing related new species should investigate RD1 presence and gene sequences. The role of RD1 as a virulence factor and the impact of RD1-containing NTM on functioning of the IGRAs should be the subjects of further studies.     

Growth, Nitrogen Fixation, and Spectral Attenuation in Cultivated Trichodesmium Species

Physiological studies of Trichodesmium species have been hindered by difficulties in maintaining actively growing, nitrogen-fixing cultures. Previous cultivation successes have not been widely duplicated. We present here a simple modified seawater medium and handling techniques which have been used to maintain actively growing Trichodesmium thiebautii in laboratory culture for over 1 year. The cultured population, isolated from coastal Atlantic waters, has a growth rate of 0.23 division day^-1 and exhibits light-dependent nitrogen fixation during exponential growth. Various morphologies, including solitary trichomes, and aggregates (spherical puffs and fusiform tufts) are present during growth. Spectral and scalar irradiance were measured within naturally occurring (coastal Atlantic) aggregates with small (diameter, 50 to 70 μm) spherical fiber-optic sensors. In contrast to naturally occurring puffs, cultivated Trichodesmium aggregates exhibited spectral properties consistent with low-light adaptation. Cultivated puff-type aggregates were also examined by using oxygen microelectrodes. The simple medium and approach used for cultivation should be easily reproducible and amenable to further manipulations and modifications useful for physiological studies of Trichodesmium spp. in culture.     

Discussion: Phylogenetic Species Concept: Pluralism, Monism, and History

Species serve as both the basic units of macroevolutionary studies and as the basic units of taxonomic classification. In this paper I argue that the taxa identified as species by the Phylogenetic Species Concept (Mishler and Brandon 1987) are the units of biological organization most causally relevant to the evolutionary process but that such units exist at multiple levels within the hierarchy of any phylogenetic lineage. The PSC gives us no way of identifying one of these levels as the privileged level on which taxonomic classifications can be based.     

On the Ancestral Compatibility of Two Phylogenetic Trees with Nested Taxa

Compatibility of phylogenetic trees is the most important concept underlying widely-used methods for assessing the agreement of different phylogenetic trees with overlapping taxa and combining them into common supertrees to reveal the tree of life. The notion of ancestral compatibility of phylogenetic trees with nested taxa was recently introduced. In this paper we analyze in detail the meaning of this compatibility from the points of view of the local structure of the trees, of the existence of embeddings into a common supertree, and of the joint properties of their cluster representations. Our analysis leads to a very simple polynomial-time algorithm for testing this compatibility, which we have implemented and is freely available for download from the BioPerl collection of Perl modules for computational biology.     

Phylogenetic Analysis of Heterothallic Neurospora Species

We examined the phylogenetic relationships among five heterothallic species of Neurospora using restriction fragment polymorphisms derived from cosmid probes and sequence data from the upstream regions of two genes, al-1 and frq. Distance, maximum likelihood, and parsimony trees derived from the data support the hypothesis that strains assigned to N. sitophila, N. discreta, and N. tetrasperma form respective monophyletic groups. Strains assigned to N. intermedia and N. crassa, however, did not form two respective monophyletic groups, consistent with a previous suggestion based on analysis of mitochondrial DNAs that N. crassa and N. intermedia may be incompletely resolved sister taxa. Trees derived from restriction fragments and the al-1 sequence position N. tetrasperma as the sister species of N. sitophila. None of the trees produced by our data supported a previous analysis of sequences in the region of the mating type idiomorph that grouped N. crassa and N. sitophila as sister taxa, as well as N. intermedia and N. tetrasperma as sister taxa. Moreover, sequences from al-1, frq, and the mating-type region produced different trees when analyzed separately. The lack of consensus obtained with different sequences could result from the sorting of ancestral polymorphism during speciation or gene flow across species boundaries, or both.     

8个平菇栽培菌株的亲缘关系及培养特性研究

研究了8个平菇栽培菌株的亲缘关系及培养特性。结果表明:8个栽培菌株分别属于3个品种,根据子实体性状可划分为深色和浅色2个品系。其中菌株P8、P5和P1菌丝生长速度快,生长势强,产量高。     

The Heart Ultrastructure in Two Species of Pycnogonids, and its Phylogenetic Implications

The heart of the pycnogonids Nymphon (Chaetonymphon) macronyx G. O. Sars and Boreonymphon cf. abyssorum Norman is pseudotubular and lacks an epicardium and an endocardium. The body wall forms the roof over the heart lumen. The myocardium is innvervated, and forms the lateral walls of the heart. Myofibres are absent in the midventral floor. This part is formed by cells of the horizontal septum attached to the gut complex. The myofibres are short. Interdigitating intercalated discs have not been observed, but lateral overlaps are common. Z-, I- and A-bands are seen in the sarcomere. The 2-bands are diffuse and irregular. The sarcolemma invaginates and forms a sparse system of clefts; a poorly developed T-system is indicated. Its presence supports the view that a T-system is inherent in the arthropod myocardium. Couplings are not related to any specific sarcomere band level. It is implied that the thin-walled pseudotubular heart in pycnogonids is a result of a reduction, and that it functions more like a channel than a heart.     

Phylogenetic Relationships of a Distinct Species of Globodera from Portugal and Two Punctodera Species

Evolutionary relationships based on ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence data for a previously unknown species of Globodera from Portugal, Punctodera chalcoensis from Mexico, and P. punctata from Estonia, plus previously published sequences, support the following relationships: (((Cactodera weissi, G. artemisiae, C. milleri), ((G. sp. Bouro, G. sp. Canha, G. sp. Ladoeiro), ((G. pallida, G. rostochiensis), (P. chalcoensis, P. punctata)))), Heterodera avenae). Globodera sp. from Portugal, which can be confused with potato cyst nematodes by phytosanitary services when the identification is based only on morphological characters, is clearly different based on our molecular data. In addition, the rDNA data show the Globodera sp. to be only distantly related to other European Globodera species that parasitize Asteraceae. Punctodera chalcoensis and P. punctata form a sister clade to the G. pallida + G. rostochiensis clade.     

12株酵母菌的亲缘关系分析

克隆了９株假线酵母和１株克鲁维酵母的２５ＳｒＤＮＡ片段,测定其５′端部分苷酸序列与报道的Ｃａｎｄｉｄａａｌｂｉｃａｎｓ及Ｓａｃｃｈａｒｏｍｙｃｅｓｃｅｒｅｖｉｓｉａｅ２５ＳｒＤＮＡ相应区域的核苷酸序列比较,采用ｎｅｉｇｈｂｏｒ－ｊｏｉｎｉｎｇ和ｂｏｏｔ－ｓｔｒａｐ法分析并绘制系统树,结果提示ＣａｎｄｉｄａｋｅｆｙｒＣＢＳ８３４与Ｋｌｕｙｖｅｒｏｍｙｃｅｓ ｃｉｃｅｒｉｓｐｏｒｕｓＣＢＳ４８５７亲缘     

Phylogenetic Species Identification in Rattus Highlights Rapid Radiation and Morphological Similarity of New Guinean Species

The genus Rattus is highly speciose, the taxonomy is complex, and individuals are often difficult to identify to the species level. Previous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of phylogenetic approaches to identification in Rattus but some species, especially among the endemics of the New Guinean region, showed poor resolution. Possible reasons for this are simple misidentification, incomplete gene lineage sorting, hybridization, and phylogenetically distinct lineages that are unrecognised taxonomically. To assess these explanations we analysed 217 samples, representing nominally 25 Rattus species, collected in New Guinea, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. To reduce misidentification problems we sequenced museum specimens from earlier morphological studies and recently collected tissues from samples with associated voucher specimens. We also reassessed vouchers from previously sequenced specimens. We inferred combined and separate phylogenies from two mitochondrial DNA regions comprising 550 base pair D-loop sequences and both long (655 base pair) and short (150 base pair) cytochrome oxidase I sequences. Our phylogenetic species identification for 17 species was consistent with morphological designations and current taxonomy thus reinforcing the usefulness of this approach. We reduced misidentifications and consequently the number of polyphyletic species in our phylogenies but the New Guinean Rattus clades still exhibited considerable complexity. Only three of our eight New Guinean species were monophyletic. We found good evidence for either incomplete mitochondrial lineage sorting or hybridization between species within two pairs, R. leucopus/R. cf. verecundus and R. steini/R. praetor. Additionally, our results showed that R. praetor, R. niobe and R. verecundus each likely encompass more than one species. Our study clearly points to the need for a revised taxonomy of the rats of New Guinea, based on broader sampling and informed by both morphology and phylogenetics. The remaining taxonomic complexity highlights the recent and rapid radiation of Rattus in the Australo-Papuan region.     

Morphological and Phylogenetic Characterizations of Freshwater Thioploca Species from Lake Biwa, Japan, and Lake Constance, Germany

Filamentous, gliding, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria of the genus Thioploca were found on sediments in profundal areas of Lake Biwa, a Japanese freshwater mesotrophic lake, and were characterized morphologically and phylogenetically. The Lake Biwa Thioploca resembled morphologically Thioploca ingrica, a brackish water species from a Danish fjord. The diameters of individual trichomes were 3 to 5.6 μm; the diameters of complete Thioploca filaments ranged from 18 to 75 μm. The cell lengths ranged from 1.2 to 3.8 μm. In transmission electron microscope specimens stained with uranyl acetate, dense intracellular particles were found, which did not show any positive signals for phosphorus and sulfur in an X-ray analysis. The 16S rRNA gene of the Thioploca from Lake Biwa was amplified by using newly designed Thioploca-specific primers (706-Thioploca, Biwa160F, and Biwa829R) in combination with general bacterial primers in order to avoid nonspecific amplification of contaminating bacterial DNA. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the three overlapping PCR products resulted in single DGGE bands, indicating that a single 16S rRNA gene had been amplified. With the same method, the Thioploca from Lake Constance was examined. The 16S rRNA sequence was verified by performing fluorescence in situ hybridization targeted at specific motifs of the Lake Biwa Thioploca. Positive signals were obtained with the bacterial probe EUB-338, the γ-proteobacterial probe GAM42a, and probe Biwa829 targeting the Lake Biwa Thioploca. Based on the nearly complete 16S rRNA sequence and on morphological similarities, the Thioploca from Lake Biwa and the Thioploca from Lake Constance are closely related to T. ingrica and to each other.     

Phylogenetic Relationships among DROSOPHILA LONGICORNIS, DROSOPHILA PROPACHUCA and DROSOPHILA PACHUCA, a Triad of Sibling Species

Drosophila longicornis, D. propachuca and D. pachuca comprise a triad of sibling species. They are morphologically indistinguishable, sympatric forms that, under laboratory conditions, are capable of exchanging genes through the production of fertile F₁ females. However, we have no evidence for introgressive hybridization in nature. The chromosomal constitution of our strains indicates that the ancestral species had the Primitive E gene sequence, and therefore differed from the standard repleta sequence by being Xabc; 2abcg; 3abc. This Primitive E sequence is found in both D. propachuca and D. longicornis. Each of these two species has its own unique rearrangements. D. pachuca is a derived species, which evolved from propachuca. It is cytologically more advanced and has, as its most primitive gene arrangement, one of the more advanced arrangements found in propachuca.     

Phylogenetic Analysis of Burkholderia Species by Multilocus Sequence Analysis

Burkholderia comprises more than 60 species of environmental, clinical, and agro-biotechnological relevance. Previous phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA, recA, gyrB, rpoB, and acdS gene sequences as well as genome sequence comparisons of different Burkholderia species have revealed two major species clusters. In this study, we undertook a multilocus sequence analysis of 77 type and reference strains of Burkholderia using atpD, gltB, lepA, and recA genes in combination with the 16S rRNA gene sequence and employed maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining criteria to test this further. The phylogenetic analysis revealed, with high supporting values, distinct lineages within the genus Burkholderia. The two large groups were named A and B, whereas the B. rhizoxinica/B. endofungorum, and B. andropogonis groups consisted of two and one species, respectively. The group A encompasses several plant-associated and saprophytic bacterial species. The group B comprises the B. cepacia complex (opportunistic human pathogens), the B. pseudomallei subgroup, which includes both human and animal pathogens, and an assemblage of plant pathogenic species. The distinct lineages present in Burkholderia suggest that each group might represent a different genus. However, it will be necessary to analyze the full set of Burkholderia species and explore whether enough phenotypic features exist among the different clusters to propose that these groups should be considered separate genera.     

淡水刚毛藻目一新组合种及其系统发育分析

作者于2012-2014年先后在湖北省采集到4株刚毛藻目的丝状绿藻。经鉴定,其形态特征和莫拉瓦刚毛藻Cladophora moravica Gardavsk(1986)非常相似;但相较于刚毛藻属各个种的形态,4株藻体更接近黑孢藻科的分类特征。基于SSU和LSU rDNA序列构建的系统发育树显示,4株刚毛藻目的丝状绿藻均属于黑孢藻科拟湖球藻属(Aegagropilopsis)。据此,作者建议将该种名称作为一个新组合处理,即莫拉瓦拟湖球藻Aegagropilopsis moravica(Dvoˇrák)Zhao et Liu com.nov。拟湖球藻属仅含有3个种:莫拉瓦拟湖球藻、硬枝拟湖球藻和棒状拟湖球藻,其形态特征与湖球藻相近且易混淆,故采用核基因组序列分析方法区分二者是非常有效的。     

Phylogenetic Analysis of Clinically Relevant Fusarium Species in Iran

Mycopathologia - Fungi of the genus Fusarium are well known as major plant pathogens but also cause a broad spectrum of human infections. Sixty-three clinical isolates, collected during...     

Morphometric Relationship,Phylogenetic Correlation,and Character Evolution in the Species-Rich Genus Aphis (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Background

The species-rich genus Aphis consists of more than 500 species, many of them host-specific on a wide range of plants, yet very similar in general appearance due to convergence toward particular morphological types. Most species have been historically clustered into four main phenotypic groups (gossypii, craccivora, fabae, and spiraecola groups). To confirm the morphological hypotheses between these groups and to examine the characteristics that determine them, multivariate morphometric analyses were performed using 28 characters measured/counted from 40 species. To infer whether the morphological relationships are correlated with the genetic relationships, we compared the morphometric dataset with a phylogeny reconstructed from the combined dataset of three mtDNA and one nuclear DNA regions.

Principal Findings

Based on a comparison of morphological and molecular datasets, we confirmed morphological reduction or regression in the gossypii group unlike in related groups. Most morphological characteristics of the gossypii group were less variable than for the other groups. Due to these, the gossypii group could be morphologically well separated from the craccivora, fabae, and spiraecola groups. In addition, the correlation of the rates of evolution between morphological and DNA datasets was highly significant in their diversification.

Conclusions

The morphological separation between the gossypii group and the other species-groups are congruent with their phylogenetic relationships. Analysis of trait evolution revealed that the morphological traits found to be significant based on the morphometric analyses were confidently correlated with the phylogeny. The dominant patterns of trait evolution resulting in increased rates of short branches and temporally later evolution are likely suitable for the modality of Aphis speciation because they have adapted species-specifically, rapidly, and more recently on many different host plants.     

Geographic Variation in Plant Community Structure of Salt Marshes: Species,Functional and Phylogenetic Perspectives

In general, community similarity is thought to decay with distance; however, this view may be complicated by the relative roles of different ecological processes at different geographical scales, and by the compositional perspective (e.g. species, functional group and phylogenetic lineage) used. Coastal salt marshes are widely distributed worldwide, but no studies have explicitly examined variation in salt marsh plant community composition across geographical scales, and from species, functional and phylogenetic perspectives. Based on studies in other ecosystems, we hypothesized that, in coastal salt marshes, community turnover would be more rapid at local versus larger geographical scales; and that community turnover patterns would diverge among compositional perspectives, with a greater distance decay at the species level than at the functional or phylogenetic levels. We tested these hypotheses in salt marshes of two regions: The southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. We examined the characteristics of plant community composition at each salt marsh site, how community similarity decayed with distance within individual salt marshes versus among sites in each region, and how community similarity differed among regions, using species, functional and phylogenetic perspectives. We found that results from the three compositional perspectives generally showed similar patterns: there was strong variation in community composition within individual salt marsh sites across elevation; in contrast, community similarity decayed with distance four to five orders of magnitude more slowly across sites within each region. Overall, community dissimilarity of salt marshes was lowest on the southern Atlantic Coast, intermediate on the Gulf Coast, and highest between the two regions. Our results indicated that local gradients are relatively more important than regional processes in structuring coastal salt marsh communities. Our results also suggested that in ecosystems with low species diversity, functional and phylogenetic approaches may not provide additional insight over a species-based approach.     

Nested species subsets, gaps, and discrepancy

Chemical cues from fish can alter the behaviour of stream invertebrates in experimental tanks but their effect in natural streams has received little attention. By adding brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) odour to a trout stream in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, we tested whether changes in the concentration of chemical cues from visually feeding predatory fish would alter the drift of mayfly nymphs (Ephemeroptera). Stream water was piped from stream-side tanks with (odour) and without (control) three brook trout to two locations in the stream 3.5 m upstream of drift nets at six replicate sites. Five-minute drift samples were collected downstream from odour and control pipes before, during and after the release of water from the tanks into the stream during both the day and night. Almost all drift occurred at night and consisted predominantly of Baetis bicaudatus nymphs. The odour manipulation had no measurable effect on Baetis drift during the day but statistical power was low. During the night, however, the drift of large (>0.65 mm head capsule width, HCW) Baetis nymphs decreased significantly during the odour addition compared to control drift. In contrast, the drift of small nymphs (≤0.65 mm HCW) increased both during and after the odour addition in comparison to control drift. Since the stream contains brook trout (0.04–0.18 m⁻²), and water from the stream (presumably containing fish odour) altered the behaviour of fishless-stream Baetis nymphs in another experiment, we conclude that the changes in Baetis drift density were a response to an increase in the concentration of fish odour in the stream. Furthermore, we were able to detect the effect within 5 min. of odour addition, indicating that mayfly behavioural response to trout odour was rapid. These results suggest that mayflies can distinguish different concentrations of trout odour in natural streams and that the response is size-specific, according to the relative risk of predation of large and small Baetis. Received: 12 May 1998 / Accepted: 23 October 1998