Phylogenetic relationships between two rare acacias and their common, widespread relatives in south-western Australia

Knowledge of phylogenetic relationships betweentaxa is particularly valuable for conservationmanagement of threatened taxa in anevolutionarily diverse flora such as that foundin the south-west of Western Australia. Acacia sciophanes and A. lobulata aretwo threatened species that have restricteddistributions at the edge of the range of theirwidespread relatives, A. anfractuosa andA. verricula respectively. The phylogenyof these species pairs was investigated usingRFLP analysis of cpDNA. Both restricted specieswere shown to be phylogenetically distinct.Acacia sciophanes and A. anfractuosaare sister species and display the characteristics of a relatively recent evolutionary lineage. In comparison A. lobulata shows significant divergence from A. verricula and is not closely related to the species group in which A. verricula is placed. Acacia lobulataappears to represent an ancient lineage and ismost likely a relictual species. Acaciaverricula also has characteristics of a moreancient evolutionary lineage than A.sciophanes and A. anfractuosa. Ifpriority setting processes based onphylogenetic principles were to be applied tothese species A. lobulata would have thegreater biodiversity value for conservationmanagement.     

Kinetics of granulocyte deformability following exposure to chemotactic stimuli.

In order to quantitate the kinetics of granulocyte deformability changes consequent to chemotactic stimulation, transit times (TT) of neutrophils through 8-microns diameter pores were studied via a modified cell transit analyzer (CTA). Cells isolated from normal human blood were tested at 20-second intervals for 5 minutes following stimulation with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenyl-alanine (fMLP) or zymosan-activated plasma (ZAP). The effects of cytochalasin B (CB), N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), and ibuprofen were also evaluated. Salient results included: (1) greater TT with increasing fMLP concentration (0.01-100 nM) with a peak response at 40-60 seconds followed by a return to or toward control at 5 minutes; (2) longer TT at 60 seconds for at least 75% of the cells at all fMLP concentrations, yet for 1 nM at 5 minutes nearly one half had TT less than unstimulated cells; and (3) similar temporal responses during a 5-minute period to ZAP simulation, with a nonlinear relation between cell rigidity and F-actin content. CB (20 microM) and NEM (1 mM) caused an immediate 30% to 35% decrease of TT for unstimulated cells; ibuprofen (10-1000 micrograms/ml) did not affect unstimulated TT, yet significantly reduced the response to fMLP and ZAP. Cell volume, as judged by CTA pulse height, decreased following fMLP stimulation, thus indicating that cell swelling does not contribute to the longer pore transit times of activated granulocytes. Our results, combined with literature reports describing microvascular occlusion by neutrophils, strongly suggest the importance of kinetic rather than static studies of granulocyte deformability; further, they indicate the usefulness of the modified CTA for such measurements.     

Functional and structural insight into properdin control of complement alternative pathway amplification

Properdin (FP) is an essential positive regulator of the complement alternative pathway (AP) providing stabilization of the C3 and C5 convertases, but its oligomeric nature challenges structural analysis. We describe here a novel FP deficiency (E244K) caused by a single point mutation which results in a very low level of AP activity. Recombinant FP E244K is monomeric, fails to support bacteriolysis, and binds weakly to C3 products. We compare this to a monomeric unit excised from oligomeric FP, which is also dysfunctional in bacteriolysis but binds the AP proconvertase, C3 convertase, C3 products and partially stabilizes the convertase. The crystal structure of such a FP-convertase complex suggests that the major contact between FP and the AP convertase is mediated by a single FP thrombospondin repeat and a small region in C3b. Small angle X-ray scattering indicates that FP E244K is trapped in a compact conformation preventing its oligomerization. Our studies demonstrate an essential role of FP oligomerization in vivo while our monomers enable detailed structural insight paving the way for novel modulators of complement.     

Shell disease syndromes of decapod crustaceans

The term shell disease subsumes a number of debilitating conditions affecting the outer integument (the carapace) of decapod crustaceans, such as lobsters and crabs. Herein, we seek to find commonality in the aetiology and pathology of such conditions, and those cases that result in the progressive erosion of the cuticle through to the visceral tissues by a cocktail of microbial-derived enzymes including lipases, proteases and chitinases. Aquimarina spp. are involved in shell disease in many different crustaceans across a wide geographical area, but the overall view is that the condition is polymicrobial in nature leading to dysbiosis within the microbial consortium of the damaged cuticle. The role of environment, decapod behaviour and physiology in triggering this disease is also reviewed. Finally, we provide a conceptual model for disease aetiology and suggest several avenues for future research that could improve our understanding of how such factors trigger, or exacerbate, this condition.     

The transposable element mariner can excise in non-drosophilid insects

Plasmid-based excision assays performed in embryos of two non-drosophilid species using the mariner transposable element from Drosophila mauritiana resulted in empty excision sites identical to those observed after the excision of mariner from D. mauritiana chromosomes. In the presence of the autonomous mariner element Mos1, excision products were recovered from D. melanogaster, D. mauritiana and the blowfly Lucilia cuprina. When a hsp82 heat shock promoter-Mos1 construct was used to supply mariner transposase, excision products were also recovered from the Queensland fruitfly Bactrocera tryoni. Analysis of DNA sequences at empty excision sites led us to hypothesise that the mariner excision/repair process involves the formation of a heteroduplex at the excision breakpoint. The success of these assays suggests that they will provide a valuable tool for assessing the ability of mariner and mariner-like elements to function in non-drosophilid insects and for investigating the basic mechanisms of mariner excision and repair.