The role of competition in task switching during colony emigration in the ant Leptothorax albipennis

The decision-making process that determines when an animal should switch between tasks is a fundamental issue in the study of animal behaviour. We investigated, for the first time, such task switching in terms of the dynamics of worker populations in ant colonies. During colony emigration in the ant Leptothorax albipennis, the colony has to carry out the following three tasks: (1) transport of brood and nestmates to the new nest; (2) sorting of the brood into its characteristic pattern; and (3) building the nest wall. At the beginning of the emigration, the stimuli for all three tasks increase simultaneously but the tasks are performed sequentially by populations of workers in the colony. The issue here is how decision making at the colony level is based on the behaviour of individual workers. We used a mathematical model to explore the hypothesis that such colony level task switching is based on tasks competing for workers. The essential feature of this model is that the sequence of tasks performed by an individual worker need not match the sequence of tasks on which the colony concentrates. We base the parameterization of our model on our detailed experimental study of eight emigrations, one for each of eight L. albipennis colonies. We compared our results with earlier work that emphasizes the role of response thresholds in task-related decisions. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Severe abnormalities in the oral mucosa induced by suprabasal expression of epidermal keratin K10 in transgenic mice

Previous studies have demonstrated that keratin K10 plays an important role in mediating cell signaling processes, since the ectopic expression of this keratin induces cell cycle arrest in proliferating cells in vitro and in vivo. However, apart from its well known function of providing epithelial cells with resilience to mechanical trauma, little is known about its possible roles in nondividing cells. To investigate what these might be, transgenic mice were generated in which the expression of K10 was driven by bovine K6beta gene control elements (bK6(beta)hK10). The transgenic mice displayed severe abnormalities in the tongue and palate but not in other K6-expressing cells such as those of the esophagus, nails, and hair follicles. The lesions in the tongue and palate included the cytolysis of epithelial suprabasal cells associated with an acute inflammatory response and lymphocyte infiltration. The alterations in the oral mucosa caused the death of transgenic pups soon after birth, probably because suckling was impaired. These anomalies, together with others found in the teeth, are reminiscent of the lesions observed in some patients with pachyonychia congenita, an inherited epithelial fragility associated with mutations in keratins K6 and K16. Although no epithelial fragility was observed in the bK6(beta)hK10 oral epithelia of the experimental mice, necrotic processes were seen. Collectively, these data show that the carefully regulated tissue- and differentiation-specific patterns displayed by the keratin genes have dramatic consequences on the biological behavior of epithelial cells and that changes in the specific composition of the keratin intermediate filament cytoskeleton can affect their physiology, in particular those of the oral mucosa.     

Chromosomal defects in 34 male homosexuals,half of them with HIV antibodies

Most of the research about viral interactions with human chromosomes was done during the sixties and early seventies and very few was performed after the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) appearance as an epidemic in the eighties. The objective of this work was to estimate if particular chromosomal changes follow the infection of homosexual males by HIV and to determine if the lifestyle, habits, sexual practices, of our sample of male homosexuals predisposes them to chromosomal abnormalities at a higher rate than the background level of cytogenetic damage the general population has. This was a double blinded case-control study, 17 individuals positive for HIV antibodies (HIV+) detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmed by western blot (WB) were the cases, and 17 individuals negative for HIV antibodies (HIV-) the controls. These men were a very homogeneous population in terms of age, social status, lifestyles, drug abuse, sexual practices and education. Blood was collected between September 1988 and October 1989. Fresh whole blood was cultured in duplicate for 72 hr. Cell harvest followed conventional methods. Once all cell cultures were gathered, the tubes were picked up at random and air dried chromosome preparations were trypsin-giemsa banded (GTG) after overnight incubation at 60 C degrees. The percentage of gaps and breaks these men had was not different from the reported for the general population, nor were there significant difference among both groups (O.R. = 1.8) in items of amount of chromosomal fragility. The distinction among them was at the level of the specific chromosomal sites where the gaps and breaks located, being sites at 2p21 and at 3p21 four times more frequent among HIV+. These probably represent viral modification sites on chromosomes which are known to look like non-staining gaps which are caused by the virus or viral products. This presumption is supported by an earlier report of repeated breaks at 3p21.1, in fact this was the most common lesion site in this study of chromosomal aberrations of male homosexuals and the authors even considered the probability of "a new type of chromosome marker". Furthermore, years later the CKR5 structural gene was mapped to human chromosome 3p21. This gene codes for the chemokine receptor 5 (CKR5) protein which serves as a secondary receptor on CD4+ T lymphocytes for certain strains of HIV-1. It is possible that this gene was being transcribed in HIV+ men and the consequent "staggering" of DNA contributed to the production of gaps and breaks at 3p21.     

Role of 17beta-estradiol administration on insulin sensitivity in the rat: implications for the insulin receptor

The role of 17beta-estradiol in the early steps of insulin action is only partially known, although its effect on glucose homeostasis has been reported. In this paper, we attempt to prove the influence of 17beta-estradiol on the insulin receptor of ovariectomized rats treated with different hormonal doses. Our results show that high doses of estradiol impair insulin sensitivity while low doses improve it. We think that these results are the consequence of changes at a molecular level, because high doses of estradiol produced lower expression of the insulin receptor gene, lower content of this receptor in target tissues, and lower phosphorylation of insulin receptor in these tissues. However, low doses of estradiol seem to produce just the opposite. The possible existence of consensus response elements in the insulin receptor gene promoter to estradiol could be controlling the expression of this gene, this control being dose and timing dependent. Moreover, we cannot discard a possible effect of estradiol on the activity of protein tyrosine phosphatases, and therefore, on the activity of the insulin receptor. These new findings improve knowledge about the possible risk for insulin resistance in women taking oral contraceptives or receiving hormonal replacement therapy around the menopause, but could also open the door towards the possible utilization of 17beta-estradiol in some diabetes cases.     

Megagametophyte-derived linkage maps of white spruce ( Picea glauca) based on RAPD,SCAR and ESTP markers

We have constructed linkage maps for two parents of white spruce [ Picea glauca (Moench) Voss]. Haploid megagametophytes from 92 and 96 seeds of parents M2 and 80132, respectively, were analysed with RAPD, SCAR and ESTP markers. Fragments segregating in a 1:1 Mendelian ratio were classified and mapped using MAPMAKER, GMENDEL and JOINMAP. For M2, the analysis with JOINMAP resulted in 165 loci (152 RAPDs, 3 SCARs and 10 ESTPs) mapping to 23 linkage groups and covering 2,059.4 cM(Kosambi function, K). For 80132, the analysis resulted in 144 loci (137 RAPDs, 1 SCAR and 7 ESTPs) mapping to 19 linkage groups and covering 2,007.7 cM(K). The maps covered 87 and 73% of the entire genome of parents M2 and 80132, respectively. Similar results were obtained with MAPMAKER and GMENDEL. A comparison was made between the two individual maps and 16 loci were shared between the two maps.     

Characterization of serracin P,a phage-tail-like bacteriocin,and its activity against Erwinia amylovora,the fire blight pathogen

Serratia plymithicum J7 culture supernatant displayed activity against many pathogenic strains of Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the most serious bacterial disease of apple and pear trees, fire blight, and against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia liquefaciens, Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. This activity increased significantly upon induction with mitomycin C. A phage-tail-like bacteriocin, named serracin P, was purified from an induced culture supernatant of S. plymithicum J7. It was found to be the only compound involved in the antibacterial activity against sensitive strains. The N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the two major subunits (23 and 43 kDa) of serracin P revealed high homology with the Fels-2 prophage of Salmonella enterica, the coliphages P2 and 168, the phiCTX prophage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a prophage of Yersinia pestis. This strongly suggests a common ancestry for serracin P and these bacteriophages.     

Relation between hepatitis B carrier status and antibody against synthetic Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte surface (pf155 - RESA) antigen

A survey on Plasmodium infection was carried out in gold mine camps located in the Brazilian Amazon. Antibody against P. falciparum ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) was quantified by an enzyme-immunoassay in order to assess P. falciparum exposure. Hepatitis B, a common infection in this area, was also investigated by serologic markers. Among 520 sampled subjects, 517 (99.4%) admitted previous symptomatic malaria, 106 (20.4%) had positive thick smears for malaria, 82.9% had HBV markers, and 7.1% were HBsAg positive. Anti-RESA titers was significantly lower in HBV carriers than in people with resolved HBV infection suggesting that the anti-RESA immune response could be supressed by HBV carrier status. Moreover, immunedeficient responses to both infections may take place in some subjects causing concomitant lower anti-RESA response and incapacity to clear HBV.     

Aggregation mediated by faeces and footprints in Triatoma pseudomaculata (Heteroptera: Reduviidae), a Chagas disease vector

The behavioural response of Triatoma pseudomaculata to chemical substances present in their faeces or cuticle (footprints) was analyzed. Groups of larvae were simultaneously exposed to a clean filter paper and to another paper impregnated with a chemical stimulus in a circular arena. In these choice experiments, the insects aggregated significantly around papers impregnated with dry faeces. In addition, the bugs also showed a significant aggregation response to papers impregnated with compounds derived from their cuticle that were deposited by contact on the substrate. These results indicate that chemical compounds that affect the behaviour of T. pseudomaculata are present in the faeces and in the cuticle of this species. Results are discussed in relation to chemical communication in the Triatominae, as well as to the potential use of these substances in traps or sensors for the detection of this species.     

In vitro and in vivo anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of a novel nitro-derivative

Nitroarylidenemalononitriles and their cyanoacetamide derivatives with remarkable anti-epimastigote properties, were synthesized attempting to obtain new 3,5-diamino-4-(5'-nitroarylidene)-4H-thiadiazine 1,1-dioxide derivatives, which in previous reports had shown anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity. Tests to evaluate the cytotoxicity of compounds were performed on J774 macrophages. 5-nitro-2-thienyl-malononitrile (5NO2TM), was the only product which maintained a high anti-epimastigote activity at concentrations in which it was no longer cytotoxic, thus it was assayed against intracellular amastigotes. Its anti-amastigote activity was similar to that of nifurtimox. Afterwards in vivo toxicity and anti-chagasic activity were determined. A reduction in parasitemia was observed.