gA and gB glycoproteins of herpes simplex virus type 1: two forms of a single polypeptide.

Utilizing a combination of preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-hydroxylapatite column chromatography, we have separated and purified the gA and gB glycoproteins of the major virus-specific glycoprotein region from herpes simplex virus type 1-infected cells. By using purified antigen preparations, antisera specific to each of these glycoproteins were produced. Immunoprecipitation from detergent extracts of infected cells and radioimmune precipitation of the purified antigens have shown that the anti-gA and anti-gB sera each recognize both the gA and the gB glycoproteins. The anti-gA serum was also shown to neutralize virus despite the presence of only minute quantities of the gA glycoprotein in virions. Pulse-chase studies have indicated that the gA and gB glycoproteins are synthesized from a common precursor polypeptide. Together, these data demonstrate that the gA and gB glycoproteins of herpes simplex virus type 1 are antigenically similar but not identical and probably represent two different forms of the same polypeptide which differ in their degree of glycosylation.     

Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls in turbot(Scophthalmus maximus) from seawater sediments and food

Juvenile turbot,Scophthalmus maximus (L.), were exposed to 0.58 μg 1⁻¹ Aroclor 1254 in seawater, to sediments containing 100, 60 and 1 ppm or fed with cockle containing 20 ppm PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls). Concentration factors for liver and muscle were 10⁴ and 10³, respectively, for uptake of PCB from seawater. Contamination of muscle was similar to that of sediments containing 1 and 60 ppm PCB to which turbot were exposed, but less than the 20 ppm in their experimental diet. Contamination of flatfish in the North Sea area is compared with the levels of PCB in the flounder,Platichthys flesus (L.), in the River Thames and predictable values for uptake of PCB from different pathways discussed.     

DNA-negative temperature-sensitive mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1: patterns of viral DNA synthesis after temperature shift-up.

Temperature-sensitive mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1 belonging to four DNA- complementation groups exhibited two distinct patterns of viral DNA synthesis after shift-up to the nonpermissive temperature. In cultures infected with mutants belonging to complementation groups A, C, and D, little or no viral DNA was synthesized after shift-up. In cultures infected with a mutant in complementation group B, nearly normal amounts of viral DNA were synthesized after shift-up.     

Leaf wax constituents of some myrtaceous species

Eucalyptin and 8-desmethyleucalyptin have been isolated from the leaf wax coatings of several species of Eucalyptus, from Syncarpia glomulifera, Lophostemon confertus and an Angophora hybrid indicating that C-methylated flavones may be fairly distinctive of the family Myrtaceae. Ursolic acid has been isolated from the leaf waxes of E. youmanii, S. glomulifera, Leptospermum petersonii and Melaleuca quinquenervia, friedelin from Lophostemon confertus and 4,6-dimethoxy-2-hydroxyacetophenone from E. michaeliana.     

Diet of a rare herbivore based on DNA metabarcoding of feces: Selection,seasonality, and survival

In herbivores, survival and reproduction are influenced by quality and quantity of forage, and hence, diet and foraging behavior are the foundation of an herbivore's life history strategy. Given the importance of diet to most herbivores, it is imperative that we know the species of plants they prefer, especially for herbivorous species that are at risk for extinction. However, it is often difficult to identify the diet of small herbivores because: (a) They are difficult to observe, (b) collecting stomach contents requires sacrificing animals, and (c) microhistology requires accurately identifying taxa from partially digested plant fragments and likely overemphasizes less‐digestible taxa. The northern Idaho ground squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) is federally threatened in the United States under the Endangered Species Act. We used DNA metabarcoding techniques to identify the diet of 188 squirrels at 11 study sites from fecal samples. We identified 42 families, 126 genera, and 120 species of plants in the squirrel's diet. Our use of three gene regions was beneficial because reliance on only one gene region (e.g., only trnL) would have caused us to miss >30% of the taxa in their diet. Northern Idaho ground squirrel diet differed between spring and summer, frequency of many plants in the diet differed from their frequency within their foraging areas (evidence of selective foraging), and several plant genera in their diet were associated with survival. Our results suggest that while these squirrels are generalists (they consume a wide variety of plant species), they are also selective and do not eat plants relative to availability. Consumption of particular genera such as Perideridia may be associated with higher overwinter survival.     

Behavior of the Avian Parasite Philornis downsi (Diptera: Muscidae) in and Near Host Nests in the Galapagos Islands

The Avian Vampire Fly, Philornis downsi, has invaded the Galapagos Islands, where it causes high mortality of endemic and native landbird species, including most species of Darwin’s finches. Control methods are under development, but key information is missing about the reproductive biology of P. downsi and the behavior of flies in and near nests of their hosts. We used external and internal nest cameras to record the behavior of P. downsi adults within and outside nests of the Galapagos Flycatcher, Myiarchus magnirostris, throughout all stages of the nesting cycle. These recordings showed that P. downsi visited flycatcher nests throughout the day with higher fly activity during the nestling phase during vespertine hours. The observations also revealed that multiple P. downsi individuals can visit nests concurrently, and that there are some interactions among these flies within the nest. Fly visitation to nests occurred significantly more often while parent birds were away from the nest than in the nest, and this timing appears to be a strategy to avoid predation by parent birds. We report fly mating behavior outside the nest but not in the nest cavity. We discuss the relevance of these findings for the adaptive forces shaping P. downsi life history strategies as well as rearing and control measures.