Phylogenetic prediction of the maximum per capita rate of population growth

The maximum per capita rate of population growth, r, is a central measure of population biology. However, researchers can only directly calculate r when adequate time series, life tables and similar datasets are available. We instead view r as an evolvable, synthetic life-history trait and use comparative phylogenetic approaches to predict r for poorly known species. Combining molecular phylogenies, life-history trait data and stochastic macroevolutionary models, we predicted r for mammals of the Caniformia and Cervidae. Cross-validation analyses demonstrated that, even with sparse life-history data, comparative methods estimated r well and outperformed models based on body mass. Values of r predicted via comparative methods were in strong rank agreement with observed values and reduced mean prediction errors by approximately 68 per cent compared with two null models. We demonstrate the utility of our method by estimating r for 102 extant species in these mammal groups with unknown life-history traits.     

How Phenological Variation Affects Species Spreading Speeds

In this paper, we develop a phenologically explicit reaction–diffusion model to analyze the spatial spread of a univoltine insect species. Our model assumes four explicit life stages: adult, two larval, and pupa, with a fourth, implicit, egg stage modeled as a time delay between oviposition and emergence as a larva. As such, our model is broadly applicable to holometabolous insects. To account for phenology (seasonal biological timing), we introduce four time-dependent phenological functions describing adult emergence, oviposition and larval conversion, respectively. Emergence is defined as the per-capita probability of an adult emerging from the pupal stage at a particular time. Oviposition is defined as the per-capita rate of adult egg deposition at a particular time. Two functions deal with the larva stage 1 to larva stage 2, and larva stage 2 to pupa conversion as per-capita rate of conversion at a particular time. This very general formulation allows us to accommodate a wide variety of alternative insect phenologies and lifestyles. We provide the moment-generating function for the general linearized system in terms of phenological functions and model parameters. We prove that the spreading speed of the linearized system is the same as that for nonlinear system. We then find explicit solutions for the spreading speed of the insect population for the limiting cases where (1) emergence and oviposition are impulsive (i.e., take place over an extremely narrow time window), larval conversion occurs at a constant rate, and larvae are immobile, (2) emergence and oviposition are impulsive (i.e., take place over an extremely narrow time window), larval conversion occurs at a constant rate starting at a delayed time from egg hatch, and larvae are immobile, and (3) emergence, oviposition, and larval conversion are impulsive. To consider other biological scenarios, including cases with emergence and oviposition windows of finite width as well as mobile larvae, we use numerical simulations. Our results provide a framework for understanding how phenology can interact with spatial spread to facilitate (or hinder) species expansion. This is an important area of research within the context of global change, which brings both new invasive species and range shifts for native species, all the while causing perturbations to species phenology that may impact the abilities of native and invasive populations to spread.     

Bacterial species and evolution: Theoretical and practical perspectives

A discussion of the species problem in modern evolutionary biology serves as the point of departure for an exploration of how the basic science aspects of this problem relate to efforts to map bacterial diversity for practical pursuits—for prospecting among the bacteria for useful genes and gene-products. Out of a confusing array of species concepts, the Cohesion Species Concept seems the most appropriate and useful for analyzing bacterial diversity. Techniques of allozyme analysis and DNA fingerprinting can be used to put this concept into practice to map bacterial genetic diversity, though the concept requires minor modification to encompass cases of complete asexuality. Examples from studies of phenetically definedBacillus species provide very partial maps of genetic population structure. A major conclusion is that such maps frequently reveal deep genetic subdivision within the phenetically defined specles; divisions that in some cases are clearly distinct genetic species. Knowledge of such subdivisions is bound to make prospecting within bacterial diversity more effective. Under the general concept of genetic cohesion a hypothetical framework for thinking about the full range of species conditions that might exist among bacteria is developed and the consequences of each such model for species delineation, and species identification are discussed. Modes of bacterial evolution, and a theory of bacterial speciation with and without genetic recombination, are examined. The essay concludes with thoughts about prospects for very extensive mapping of bacterial diversity in the service of future efforts to find useful products. In this context, evolutionary biology becomes the handmaiden of important industrial activities. A few examples of past success in commercializing bacterial gene-products from species ofBacillus and a few other bacteria are reviewed.     

Use of a nonpenetrating substrate analogue to study the molecular mechanism of the outer membrane dicarboxylate transport system in Escherichia coli K12

We have recently demonstrated that a cell-surface dicarboxylate-binding protein (DBP) is involved in the outer membrane dicarboxylate transport system in Escherichia coli K12. The present report deals with our findings relating to the mode of action of this protein, and the identity and properties of the outer membrane integral protein which is involved in the translocation of dicarboxylic acids across the hydrophobic regions of the outer membrane. By the use of a nonpenetrating succinate analogue, aspartate-dextran, and through reconstitution studies with purified DBP, the cell-surface DBP is found to play an important role in succinate influx but not efflux. Transport studies with major outer membrane protein mutants indicate that the matrix protein (also referred to as protein I or porin) is the only outer membrane integral protein actively involved in the outer membrane dicarboxylate transport system. In the absence of a functional DBP, porin translocates succinate in a relatively less efficient and nonspecific manner. A tentative working model is proposed for this transport system. In this model, the cell-surface DBP is depicted as the substrate recognition component of the otherwise nonspecific porin channel. Together, this "DBP-porin channel complex" forms an efficient, specific transport channel for dicarboxylic acids.     

The adsorption and release of tylosin by clays and soils

Summary The uptake and release of tylosin by Wyoming bentonite, Ca⁺⁺ montmorillonite, illite (Fithian Illinois) and kaolin (china clay) was studied. The adsorption capacities of bentonite and montmorillonite for tylosin were found to be 190 and 65 g mg^–1 respectively, while the adsorption capacities of illite and kaolinite were found to be 22 and 6.5 g mg^–1. 7.6 and 7.4% respectively of the tylosin adsorbed by bentonite and montmorillonite, and 30 and 25% respectively of the tylosin adsorbed by illite and kaolinite, was released in phosphate buffer.The presence of tylosin in two different soils amended with tylosin fermentation waste was also studied, and the effect of temperature on tylosin release was examined in one of the soils. The concentration of tylosin in the soil water was found to be related more to the concentration of tylosin fermentation waste than to the incubation temperature. The amounts of tylosin present in the initial leachates of the two soils, a modified John Innes compost and a limestone waste, were found to be in excess of the minimum inhibitory concentrations for susceptible bacteria. It is hypothesised that in these particular soils if the tylosin is not broken down by microbial action it could affect susceptible populations of bacteria.     

Genetic diversity of dodder (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cuscuta</Emphasis> spp.) collected from commercial cranberry production as revealed in the<Emphasis Type="Italic">trn</Emphasis>L (UAA) intron

Swamp dodder (Cuscuta gronovii) is a parasitic plant detrimental to cranberries. Observation of emergence of dodder seeds collected from a cultivated cranberry bog in Massachusetts revealed 2 or more peak emergence times during 4 consecutive growing seasons. Molecular methods were used to investigate genetic variation among the emerging dodder seedlings. On emergence, dodder seedlings were collected and analyzed for DNA sequence diversity in thetrnL (UAA) intron, a noncoding region of chloroplast DNA. DNA sequence analysis of 87 seedlings collected during the 1999 and 2000 growing seasons revealed the presence of 2 dodder ecotypes, designated A and B. Comparative DNA sequence analysis indicated that in thetrnL (UAA) intron, the sequence of ecotype A is identical to that ofCuscuta gronovii, whereas the sequence of ecotype B is closest to that ofCuscuta attenuata (99.3% sequence identity; 293 bases considered). ABg/II restriction enzyme cut site was identified that distinguished between thetrnL (UAA) introns of ecotypes A and B. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was used to analyze the sequences of 100 seedlings collected during the growing seasons of 2001 and 2002. Only 10 of the 187 samples were ecotype A, all of which emerged on or before May 7 in the growing seasons. Therefore, the predominant dodder haplotype found in this study may be a close relative ofC. attenuata and notC. gronovii, the common species found in cranberry bogs.     

Intracellular movements of fluorescently labeled synaptic vesicles in frog motor nerve terminals during nerve stimulation.

We stained synaptic vesicles in frog motor nerve terminals with FM1-43 and studied changes in the shape and position of vesicle clusters during nerve stimulation. Each stained vesicle cluster appeared as a fluorescent spot. During repetitive nerve stimulation the spots gradually dimmed, most without changing shape or position. Occasionally, however, a spot moved, appearing in some cases to stream toward and coalesce with a neighboring spot. This suggests the existence of translocation mechanisms that can actively move vesicles in a coordinated fashion between vesicle clusters. Within single clusters, we saw no signs of such directed vesicle movements. Fluorescent spots in terminals viewed from the side with a confocal microscope did not shrink toward the presynaptic membrane during nerve stimulation, but dimmed uniformly. This suggests that vesicles continuously mix within a cluster during destaining and provides no evidence of active vesicle translocators within single vesicle clusters for moving vesicles to the presynaptic membrane.     

Cimetidine: prophylaxis against upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage after renal transplantation.

The incidence of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage within four months of renal transplantation was studied in two groups of patients. Thirty patients who received prophylactic cimetidine suffered no episodes of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, while six of the 33 patients who did not receive cimetidine suffered haemorrhages and one of them died as a result. The difference between the groups was significant. The results suggest that the prophylactic use of cimetidine in patients receiving renal transplants is worth while.     

Short term suppression of hyperacute renal allograft rejection in presensitised dogs with prostacyclin

One of the main features of hyperacute renal allograft rejection in presensitised dogs is platelet aggregation within the kidney as detected by light microscopy and renal arterio-venous platelet counts. Graft failure, as determined by reduction and ultimate cessation of renal blood flow and urine production, can be abrogated in the short term by prostacyclin which is the most potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation yet discovered. After 4 h of extracorporeal perfusion, by which time all control kidneys had been rejected, all prostacyclin treated kidneys had normal or above normal blood flow rates, were producing urine and were similar histologically (light microscopy) to 4-hour autografts.