Responses of Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis to odorants that attract haematophagous insects

Carbon dioxide (CO₂), 1‐octen‐3‐ol, acetone, ammonium hydroxide, L‐lactic‐acid, dimethyl trisulphide and isobutyric acid were tested as attractants for two tick species, Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae), in dose–response bioassays using Y‐tube olfactometers. Only CO₂, acetone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and ammonium hydroxide elicited significant preferences from adult A. americanum, and only CO₂ was attractive to adult D. variabilis. Acetone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and ammonium hydroxide were separately evaluated at three doses against CO₂ (from dry ice) at a field site supporting a natural population of A. americanum nymphs and adults. Carbon dioxide consistently attracted the highest number of host‐seeking ticks. However, for the first time, acetone, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and ammonium hydroxide were shown to attract high numbers of A. americanum. Further research is needed to determine the utility of these semiochemicals as attractants in tick surveillance and area‐wide management programmes.     

Chemotactic effect of odorants and tastants on the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis

Naturally occurring aroma compounds are able to elicit physiological and migratory responses such as chemotaxis even at nano to femtomolar concentrations in organisms at different levels of phylogeny. Despite the amazing chemical variety of these substances the apparatus by which they can be detected i.e. the chemosensory receptors and the signaling pathways seem to be rather uniform and evolutionary well-conserved. The intracellular signaling process is supposed to be mediated by either cAMP or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. The present work aimed to investigate the chemotactic behavior of 11 odorants that occur naturally in foods and are also used by the industry as additives, on the eukaryotic ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis. Intracellular signaling pathways that might be activated by these compounds were also investigated. Activation of the phospholipase C (PLC) was measured by FACS and the stimulation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinases (IP3K) was measured using two specific inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002. The strongest chemoattractant character was observed for isoamyl acetate (10^?6 M), propyl isobutyrate (10^?8 M), isobutyl propionate (10^?6 M). The strongest repellent action was exerted by benzyl acetate (10^?8 M), furfuryl thioacetate (10^?12 M). Our results suggest that Tetrahymena responds in a very sensitive way to slight changes in the molecular structure. According to our study, tracer amounts of solvents do not contribute significantly to the chemotactic profile of the respective odorants. No significant activation of PLC or PI3K could be observed following stimulation with attractant odorants which implies that some other pathways may be involved, hence further investigation is needed.     

Chemotactic effect of odorants and tastants on the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis

Naturally occurring aroma compounds are able to elicit physiological and migratory responses such as chemotaxis even at nano to femtomolar concentrations in organisms at different levels of phylogeny. Despite the amazing chemical variety of these substances the apparatus by which they can be detected i.e. the chemosensory receptors and the signaling pathways seem to be rather uniform and evolutionary well-conserved. The intracellular signaling process is supposed to be mediated by either cAMP or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. The present work aimed to investigate the chemotactic behavior of 11 odorants that occur naturally in foods and are also used by the industry as additives, on the eukaryotic ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis. Intracellular signaling pathways that might be activated by these compounds were also investigated. Activation of the phospholipase C (PLC) was measured by FACS and the stimulation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinases (IP3K) was measured using two specific inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002. The strongest chemoattractant character was observed for isoamyl acetate (10(?6) M), propyl isobutyrate (10(?8) M), isobutyl propionate (10(?6) M). The strongest repellent action was exerted by benzyl acetate (10(?8) M), furfuryl thioacetate (10(?12) M). Our results suggest that Tetrahymena responds in a very sensitive way to slight changes in the molecular structure. According to our study, tracer amounts of solvents do not contribute significantly to the chemotactic profile of the respective odorants. No significant activation of PLC or PI3K could be observed following stimulation with attractant odorants which implies that some other pathways may be involved, hence further investigation is needed.     

Theorems on Binary Responses to Combinations of Stimuli

Binary responses, such as dead or alive, in response to two or more stimuli are considered in this paper. Their joint actions are defined to be either independent, conditionally independent, additive, synergistic or antagonistic. The Bernoulli parameter is replaced by a dose-response function. Theorems on the probability of a response resulting from the joint actions of the stimuli are stated, and proved. An example is also included.     

Effects of L-alanine and L-alanine peptides on the chemotaxis of tetrahymena: Evolutionary conclusions

L-alanine and its peptides (L-Ala-2–6) do not attract or repulse Tetrahymena in a 10^–8M concentration. In 10^–10M concentration there is a consistent repellent effect. Twenty four hours after L-alanine or L-alanine-peptides' pretreatment (imprinting) the progeny generation of the cells react differently to the same materials. L-Alanine, L-alanine penta- and hexapeptide in both concentrations are chemoattractant, while L-alanine tetrapeptide is repellent. L-Alanine dipeptide is inert in 10^–10M and repellent at 10^–8M concentrations, while L-alanine tripeptide is strongly repellent at 10^–10M and attractant at 10^–8M concentrations. This means, that the first encounter (imprinting) with an exogeneous amino acid or peptide is decisive to the later reaction of the protozoan cell. The chain length is important in the imprinting, however the reaction is not consistent. The experiments call the attention to the significance of imprinting in the receptor and hormone evolution.     

Induction of hormone receptor formation in the unicellular tetrahymena

Studies based on treatment with antibodies to thyrotropic hormone, luteotropic hormone, growth hormone or adrenocorticotropic hormone have shown that although the unicellular Tetrahymena does not possesssui generis receptors to all polypeptide hormones, such binding structures may arise, or become established in the membrane of the unicellular Tetrahymena in the presence of exogenous hormone. The Tetrahymena subjected to hormonal imprinting still contained an increased amount of hormone after six generation changes, which suggested that either hormone production had been induced by treatment, or the internalized hormone had not been degraded intracellularly. Thus the role of hormonal imprinting in receptor formation has also been substantiated by the immunocytochemical approach used in the present study.     

Responses of Xenopus laevis water nose to water-soluble and volatile odorants.

Using the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique, we recorded action potentials, voltage-activated cationic currents, and inward currents in response to water-soluble and volatile odorants from receptor neurons in the lateral diverticulum (water nose) of the olfactory sensory epithelium of Xenopus laevis. The resting membrane potential was -46.5 +/- 1.2 mV (mean +/- SEM, n = 68), and a current injection of 1-3 pA induced overshooting action potentials. Under voltage-clamp conditions, a voltage-dependent Na+ inward current, a sustained outward K+ current, and a Ca2+-activated K+ current were identified. Application of an amino acid cocktail induced inward currents in 32 of 238 olfactory neurons in the lateral diverticulum under voltage-clamp conditions. Application of volatile odorant cocktails also induced current responses in 23 of 238 olfactory neurons. These results suggest that the olfactory neurons respond to both water-soluble and volatile odorants. The application of alanine or arginine induced inward currents in a dose-dependent manner. More than 50% of the single olfactory neurons responded to multiple types of amino acids, including acidic, neutral, and basic amino acids applied at 100 microM or 1 mM. These results suggest that olfactory neurons in the lateral diverticulum have receptors for amino acids and volatile odorants.     

Behavioral responses of red hake,Urophycis chuss,to decreasing concentrations of dissolved oxygen

Synopsis Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine changes in behavior of red hake,Urophycis chuss, under decreasing concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO). Since the ecological requirements of this species change with age, responses were measured for three different groups: (1) age 0+, = 89 mm total length (TL); (2) age 1+, = 238 mm TL; and (3) age 2–3+, = 397 mm TL. As DO decreased from 8–10 mg l^-1 to < 0.5 mg l^-1, changes were evident in active time, water column activity, range of horizontal movement, food searching, and agonistic behavior. Age 0+ fish were most sensitive, moving up into the water column and swimming continuously as DO levels fell below 4.2 mg l^-1. Age 2–3+ fish were the least responsive, remaining on the substrate and increasing only their range of movement at concentrations below 3 mg l^-1. Responses of age 1 + fish were variable, possibly reflecting a transition stage between the younger and older fish. Common to all groups was the decrease and eventual cessation of food searching.     

A behavioral bioassay employing Daphnia for detection of sublethal effects: Response to polarized light

The swimming response of Daphnia pulicaria to polarized white light was examined. This response was employed as a behavioral bioassay to investigate the effects of sodium bromide (NaBr) on Daphnids physiology. The control response to linearly polarized white light involved an orientation at 90° to the e‐vector. With the addition of NaBr the response became more random. An EC₅₀ (concentration which eliminates the response in 50% of the test individuals) of 1.31 x 10^‐1 M NaBr was calculated using the statistic von Mises K. A possible mechanism to account for the toxicity of this mild sedative is the blocking by the bromide ion of chloride channels involved in transmitting nerve impulses.     

Amphipod (Gammarus minus) responses to predators and predator impact on amphipod density

Recent theoretical work suggests that predator impact on local prey density will be the result of interactions between prey emigration responses to predators and predator consumption of prey. Whether prey increase or decrease their movement rates in response to predators will greatly influence the impact that predators have on prey density. In stream systems the type of predator, benthic versus water-column, is expected to influence whether prey increase or decrease their movement rates. Experiments were conducted to examine the response of amphipods (Gammarus minus) to benthic and water-column predators and to examine the interplay between amphipod response to predators and predator consumption of prey in determining prey density. Amphipods did not respond to nor were they consumed by the benthic predator. Thus, this predator had no impact on amphipod density. In contrast, amphipods did respond to two species of water-column predators (the predatory fish bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus, and striped shiners, Luxilus chrysocephalus) by decreasing their activity rates. This response led to similar positive effects on amphipod density at night by both species of predatory fish. However, striped shiners did not consume many amphipods, suggesting their impact on the whole amphipod “population” was zero. In contrast, bluegills consumed a significant number of amphipods, and thus had a negative impact on the amphipod “population”. These results lend support to theoretical work which suggests that prey behavioral responses to predators can mask the true impact that predators have on prey populations when experiments are conducted at small scales. Received: 21 March 1997 / Accepted: 15 December 1997     

Signals Regulating Multiple Responses to Wounding and Herbivores

Damage inflicted by herbivore feeding necessitates multiple defense strategies in plants. The wound site must be sealed and defense responses mounted against the herbivore itself and against invading opportunistic pathogens. These defenses are controlled both in time and space by highly complex regulatory networks that themselves are modulated by interactions with other signaling pathways. In this review, we describe the signaling events that occur in individual wounded leaves, in systemic unwounded regions of the plant, and between the plant, and other organisms, and attempt to place these events in the context of a coordinated system. Key signals that are discussed include ion fluxes, active oxygen species, protein phosphorylation cascades, the plant hormones jasmonic acid, ethylene, abscisic acid and salicylic acid, peptide signals, glycans, volatile chemicals, and physical signals such as hydraulic and electrical signals. Themes that emerge after consideration of the published data are that glycans and peptide elicitors are likely primary triggers of wound-induced defense responses and that they function through the action of jasmonic acid, a central mediator of defense gene expression, whose effect is modulated by ethylene. In the field, wound signaling pathways are significantly impacted on by other stress response pathways, including pathogen responses that often operate through potentially antagonistic signals such as salicylic acid. However, gross generalisations are not possible because some wound and pathogen responses operate through common jasmonate- and ethylene-dependent pathways. Understanding the ways in which local and systemic wound signaling pathways are coordinated individually and in the context of the plants wider environment is a key challenge in the application of this science to crop-protection strategies.     

Responses to putative second messengers and odorants in water nose olfactory neurons of Xenopus laevis

Using the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique, we attempted to record inward currents in response to cAMP, inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) and odorants from sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium of the Xenopus laevis lateral diverticulum (water nose). Dialysis of 100 microM of IP(3) induced inward currents, while dialysis of 1 mM of cAMP into olfactory neurons did not induce any response under the voltage-clamp conditions. Changes in membrane conductance were examined by applying ramp pulses. The slope of the current-voltage (I-V) curve during the IP(3)-induced response was steeper than that after the response, indicating that IP(3) increased the membrane conductance. The water nose olfactory neurons have been shown to respond to both amino acids and volatile odorants. The slopes of I-V curves during responses to amino acids and a volatile odorant, lilial, were similar to those before the responses, suggesting that the total membrane conductance was not changed during responses to amino acids and the volatile odorant.     

Modeling of mammalian olfactory receptors and docking of odorants

Olfactory receptors (ORs) belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the second largest class of genes after those related to immunity, and account for about 3 % of mammalian genomes. ORs are present in all multicellular organisms and represent more than half the GPCRs in mammalian species (e.g., the mouse OR repertoire contains >1,000 functional genes). ORs are mainly expressed in the olfactory epithelium where they detect odorant molecules, but they are also expressed in a number of other cells, such as sperm cells, although their functions in these cells remain mostly unknown. It has recently been reported that ORs are present in tumoral tissues where they are expressed at different levels than in healthy tissues. A specific OR is over-expressed in prostate cancer cells, and activation of this OR has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of these cells. Odorant stimulation of some of these receptors results in inhibition of cell proliferation. Even though their biological role has not yet been elucidated, these receptors might constitute new targets for diagnosis and therapeutics. It is important to understand the activation mechanism of these receptors at the molecular level, in particular to be able to predict which ligands are likely to activate a particular receptor (‘deorphanization’) or to design antagonists for a given receptor. In this review, we describe the in silico methodologies used to model the three-dimensional (3D) structure of ORs (in the more general framework of GPCR modeling) and to dock ligands into these 3D structures.     

棉田棉铃虫寄生峰对常规棉及转Bt棉品种的趋性反应

连续4年采用人工定期释放棉铃虫卵、幼虫和定期回收法,研究了不同棉花品种与棉铃虫卵期、幼虫期寄生蜂种群数量变化的关系.通过对卵、幼虫寄生率反正弦转换后进行方差分析表明,无论是在棉铃虫卵期还是在其幼虫期,转基因棉田中棉铃虫卵和幼虫的被寄生率始终显著低于其亲本对照棉.运用“Y”型嗅觉仪测定转基因棉及其亲本对照棉对棉铃虫幼虫寄生蜂———中红侧沟茧蜂的选择性行为反应,用成对数据进行方差分析,并进行了“T”测验.结果表明,转基因棉对棉铃虫寄生蜂有较强的忌避反应,且取食转基因棉的棉铃虫幼虫与被害转基因棉两者的共同组合与单独被害棉之间对寄生蜂的忌避效应基本一致.     

草间钻头蛛(Hylyphantes graminicola)对果蝇(Drosophila melanogaster)捕食作用的研究

在实验室条件下,研究了草间钻头蛛Hylyphantes graminicola对果蝇Drosophila melanogaster的捕食功能反应.结果表明,在一定范围内,草间钻头蛛捕食效应随猎物密度增加而增加;随自身密度增加而减小;随着蜘蛛和果蝇密度的增加,相互干扰明显,捕食效率下降;雌蛛比雄蛛捕食量大.     

碳酸钙胁迫对枳壳愈伤组织生理特性的影响

石灰性土壤上富含碳酸钙是导致柑桔缺铁黄化的主要因素。碳酸钙胁迫对枳壳愈伤组织生理影响的研究结果表明除全Fe含量外,CaCO₃浓度与POD活性、SOD活性、CAT活性、活性Fe含量、可溶性蛋白质含量、愈伤组织增殖均呈显著或极显著负相关,与培养液pH值呈显著相关,随着培养天数的增加,POD活性、活性Fe含量、可溶性蛋白质含量、愈伤组织增殖呈降低趋势,SOD、CAT活性先升后降,全Fe含量在25日出现沉积,高浓度CaCO₃下培养液pH值仅在20日左右略有降低。     

Responses of billabong rotifer communities to inundation

Daily plankton collections were taken from a billabong of the River Murray for two weeks prior to inundation in March 1990, and continued for ten days after flooding. Quantitative responses of the plankton community and the component species were analysed against measured environmental variables and between species. Rotifers and copepod nauplii were the predominant net plankton (> 53 µm). Significant negative or positive responses to inundation were detected for most common taxa of 63 rotifer species recorded. A four-fold dilution from intrusion of river water masked rapid population increases. Opportunistic responses to inundation appear to be a survival strategy in the highly unpredictable billabong environment.