Maternal factors and the evolution of developmental mode: Evolution of oogenesis in Heliocidaris erythrogramma

 Evolutionary change in developmental mode in sea urchins is closely tied to an increase in maternal provisioning. We examined the oogenic modifications involved in production of a large egg by comparison of oogenesis in congeneric sea urchins with markedly different sized oocytes and divergent modes of development. Heliocidaris tuberculata has small eggs (95 μm diameter) and the ancestral mode of development through feeding larvae, whereas H. erythrogramma has large eggs (430 μm diameter) and highly modified non-feeding lecithotrophic larvae. Production of a large egg in H. erythrogramma involved both conserved and divergent mechanisms. The pattern and level of vitellogenin gene expression is similar in the two species. Vitellogenin processing is also similar with the gonads of both species incorporating yolk protein from coelomic and hemal stores into nutritive cells with subsequent transfer of this protein into yolk granules in the developing vitellogenic oocyte. Immunocytology of the eggs of both Heliocidaris species indicates they incorporate similar levels of yolk protein. However, H. erythrogramma has evolved a highly divergent second phase of oogenesis characterised by massive deposition of non-vitellogenic material including additional maternal protein and lipid. Maternal provisioning in H. erythrogramma exhibits recapitulation of the ancestral vitellogenic program followed by a novel oogenic phase with hypertrophy of the lipogenic program being a major contributor to the increase in egg size. Received: 12 August 1998 / Accepted: 25 November 1998     

Light meromyosin paracrystal formation

Studies of paracrystal formation by column purified light meromyosin (LMM) prepared in a variety of ways led to the following conclusions: (a) different portions of the myosin rod may be coded for different stagger relationships. This was concluded from observations that paracrystals with different axial repeat periodicities could be obtained either with LMM framents of different lengths prepared with the same enzyme, or with LMM fragments of identical lengths but prepared with different enzymes. (b) Paracrystals with a 14-nm axial repeat periodicity are most likely formed by the aggregation of sheets with a 44-nm axial repeat within the sheets which are staggered by 14 nm. All of the axial repeat patterns expected from one sheet or aggregates of more than one sheet, on this basis, were observed in the same electron micrograph. (c) C-protein binding probably occurs preferentially to LMM molecules related in some specific way. This was concluded from the observation that the same axial repeat pattern was obtained in paracrystals formed from different LMM preparations in the presence of C-protein, regardless of differences in the axial repeat obtained in the absence of C-protein. (d) Nucleic acid is responsible for the 43-nm axial repeat patterns observed in paracrystals formed by the ethanol-resistant fraction of LMM. In the absence of nuclei acid, paracrystals with a 14nm axial repeat are obtained. (e) The 43-nm axial repeat pattern observed with the ethanol-resistant fraction of LMM is different for LMM preparations obtained by trypsin and papain digestions.     

Evolution of larval form in the sea star genus Patiriella: conservation and change in the larval nervous system

The organization of the peptidergic system in the larvae of Patiriella species with divergent ontogenies was compared to determine which aspects of neurogenesis are conserved and which are altered in the evolution of development in these sea stars. P. regularis has ancestral-type feeding bipinnaria and brachiolaria larvae and the organization of the nervous system, in association with feeding structures, paralleled the bilateral larval body plan. P. calcar and P. exigua have non-feeding planktonic and benthic brachiolariae, respectively, and there was no trace of the neuronal architecture involved with feeding. The nervous system in the attachment stage brachiolaria was similar in all three species and neuronal organization reflected larval symmetry. Delayed expression of peptidergic lineages to the brachiolaria stage in the lecithotrophs indicates heterochronic change in the timing of neurogenesis or deletion of the ancestral early neurogenic program. The bipinnarial program is suggested to be a developmental module autonomous from the brachiolar one. With a divergence time of less than 10 Ma, the evolution of development in Patiriella has resulted in extensive reduction in the complexity of the larval nervous system in parallel with simplification in larval form. There is, however, strong conservation in the morphology and neuronal architecture of structures involved with settlement.     

Assessment of genetic and pheromonal diversity of the Cydia strobilella species complex (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Combining pheromone trapping and genetic analyses can be useful when trying to resolve complexes of closely related insect taxa that are difficult to distinguish based on morphological characters. Nearctic and Palearctic populations of the spruce seed moth, Cydia strobilella L., have been considered taxonomically synonymous since 1983, but more recent work revealing distinct sex pheromones for Canadian and Swedish moths suggest that populations in the two regions belong to different species. In order to test this hypothesis, we performed field trapping using different pheromone lures at ten sites in North America, Europe and Asia, and reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among trapped moths using mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) and nuclear (elongation factor 1 alpha) DNA sequence data. Trapping data and tree topologies for both genes revealed distinct pherotypes in North America and Eurasia. A genetically distinct population from China was investigated further with respect to its sex pheromone. Electrophysiological data indicated that Chinese females produce a deviant ratio of the sex pheromone components (dienic acetates) compared to Swedish females. However, trapping experiments in both areas revealed a similar broad response profile in males to a wide range of acetate ratios, and these populations should be considered taxonomically synonymous. A previous suggestion of an agonistic effect on the attraction of C. strobilella males in Sweden when adding the corresponding alcohols to the binary acetate blend was also tested in Sweden as well as in China, with no observed effect on attraction of males. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the great potential of using pheromone trapping as a tool for identification and delimitation of taxa within cryptic species complexes. Based on our data, Nearctic and Palearctic populations of C. strobilella should be considered different species, and C. youngana Kearfott stat. rev. is resurrected here as valid name for North American populations, which was the case before the revision in 1983.     

Antiangiogenic properties of Koetjapic acid, a natural triterpene isolated from Sandoricum koetjaoe Merr

Background

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, has become an important target in cancer therapy. Angiogenesis plays an important role in tumor growth and metastasis. Koetjapic acid (KA) is a seco-A-ring oleanene triterpene isolated from S. koetjape. The solvent extract of this plant species was shown previously to have strong antiangiogenic activity; however the active ingredient(s) that conferred the biological activity and the mode of action was not established. Given the high concentration of KA in S. koetjape, an attempt has been made in this study to investigate the antiangiogenic properties of KA.

Results

Treatment with 10-50 μg/ml KA resulted in dose dependent inhibition of new blood vessels growth in ex vivo rat aortic ring assay. KA was found to be non-cytotoxic against HUVECs with IC₅₀ 40.97 ± 0.37 μg/ml. KA inhibited major angiogenesis process steps, endothelial cell migration and differentiation as well as VEGF expression.

Conclusions

The non-cytotoxic compound, KA, may be a potent antiangiogenic agent; its activity may be attributed to inhibition of endothelial cells migration and differentiation as well VEGF suppression.     

梨头霉11α—羟基化制备16β—甲基—11α,17α21—三烃基孕甾—1, …

选育到一株对１６β－甲基－１７α,２１－二羟基孕甾－１,４＝－二烯－３,２０－二酮（Ⅱａ）１１α－羟基化活性强的梨头霉Ａ２８菌株,并发现底物２１－乙酰化（Ⅱｂ）可明显提高１１α－羟工 能力。在适宜的转化条件下,１１ｂ投料浓度０．５％,产物１６β－基１１α,１７α,２１－三羟基孕甾－１,４－二烯－３,２０－二酮（Ⅲ）收率为７３％,结构经波谱分析确认。     

濒危帽贝铁锈笠螺的活动节律和采食行为的初步观察

铁锈笠螺是地中海最濒危的海洋无脊椎动物,对其生物学知之甚少,缺少对其活动节律和采食行为的了解。使用环氧树脂Eporai1127(原位标记了20个不同外壳长度的个体,并在每个外壳上标有不同的数字,作者在白昼或黑夜的高潮和低潮期收集了有关数据。可能由于云斑厚纹蟹(Pachygrapsus marmoratus)的捕食影响,铁锈笠螺白天的活动和运动多于夜间,但铁锈笠螺采食行为似乎仅限于高潮期。此外,汹涌的海面条件诱导了铁锈笠螺的活动和运动。