Placental polar lipid composition is associated with placental gene expression and neonatal body composition

The polar-lipid composition of the placenta reflects its cellular heterogeneity and metabolism. This study explored relationships between placental polar-lipid composition, gene expression and neonatal body composition.Placental tissue and maternal and offspring data were collected in the Southampton Women's Survey. Lipid and RNA were extracted from placental tissue and polar lipids measured by mass spectrometry, while gene expression was assessed using the nCounter analysis platform. Principal component analysis was used to identify patterns within placental lipid composition and these were correlated with neonatal body composition and placental gene expression.In the analysis of placental lipids, the first three principal components explained 19.1%, 12.7% and 8.0% of variation in placental lipid composition, respectively. Principal component 2 was characterised by high principal component scores for acyl-alkyl-glycerophosphatidylcholines and lipid species containing DHA. Principal component 2 was associated with placental weight and neonatal lean mass; this component was associated with gene expression of APOE, PLIN2, FATP2, FABP4, LEP, G0S2, PNPLA2 and SRB1. Principal components 1 and 3 were not related to birth outcomes but they were associated with the gene expression of lipid related genes. Principal component 1 was associated with expression of LEP, APOE, FATP2 and ACAT2. Principal component 3 was associated with expression of PLIN2, PLIN3 and PNPLA2.This study demonstrates that placentas of different sizes have specific differences in polar-lipid composition and related gene expression. These differences in lipid composition were associated with birth weight and neonatal lean mass, suggesting that placental lipid composition may influence prenatal lean mass accretion.     

Mixed colonies and hybridisation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Messor</Emphasis> harvester ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The Mediterranean harvester ant species Messor minor, M. cf. wasmanni, and M. capitatus can co-occur in the same habitat. In Italian populations, we encountered colonies that contained workers from more than one species as identified via standard morphology, as well as colonies with workers that appeared to be morphologically intermediate between species. This unusual finding required further analysis. We analysed such colonies using microsatellites, mitochondrial DNA and refined morphometrics, and a simple inference key for the colony-level interpretation of data from the three sources combined. We infer that Messor minor and M. cf. wasmanni engage in bidirectional interspecific gene flow. Hybrids between these two species are inferred to produce fertile offspring, which would indicate that barriers to hybridisation do not exist or can be completely overcome. This is unexpected, given that they are non-sister species and broadly sympatric in nature. Our findings also indicate the possible occurrence of hybrid-hybrid crosses, a phenomenon rarely observed in ants. We cautiously interpret the data at hand as in support of the interspecific gene flow considerably shaping the genetic makeup of populations, raising the question about a potential adaptive value of this hybridisation. Messor capitatus mixes with hybrids of the other two species, but we found no indication of hybridisation involving this species. We discuss various hypotheses on the causations of colony mixing and hybridisation in the three Messor species at the proximate and ultimate level.     

Identification and characterisation of seed storage protein transcripts from Lupinus angustifolius

Background  

In legumes, seed storage proteins are important for the developing seedling and are an important source of protein for humans and animals. Lupinus angustifolius (L.), also known as narrow-leaf lupin (NLL) is a grain legume crop that is gaining recognition as a potential human health food as the grain is high in protein and dietary fibre, gluten-free and low in fat and starch.     

Deuteromycete aerobiology and skin-reactivity patterns - A two year concurrent study in Corpus Christi,Texas, USA

Baseline aerobiologic data of known and potentially allergenic deuteromycetes in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, are presented concurrent with analyses of patient skin-reactivity (November 1987-October 1988 & November 1988-October 1989). Species representations of deuteromycete spores and their relative abundance were similar for two years. Three distinct groupings were discerned: Cladosporium (representing 80% of total spores) showed weekly averages predominantly in 1000-5000/m³ range; Alternaria (7.8%), Aspergillus/Penicillium (5.3%) and Torula (0.8%) at primarily 500-1000/m³ level; and Epicoccum (1.3%), Fusarium (1.3%), Nigrospora (1.3%), Stemphylium (0.6%), Drechslera (0.5%), Curvularia (0.2%), Pithomyces (0.1%) and other minor genera, mostly in 100-500/m³ range. Spore-bursts were recorded for all deuteromycetes with extreme spore-burst capture most prevalent among sporadic spores (e.g., Curvularia and Torula). Two-thirds of the 602 atopic persons were skintest positive to 1 or more of the 10 deuteromycete extracts. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Curvularia and Epicoccum elicited highest skin-reactivities (31.2% to 32.1%), despite wide disparity in spore concentration. Twenty-seven percent of patients were positive to Nigrospora and Stemphylium     

Identification of abscisic acid from shoots of Salix pentandra

Abscisic acid isolated from vegetative shoots of Salix pentandra L. has been identified by high performance liquid chromatography and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.     

Social and genetic structure of a supercolonial weaver ant, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polyrhachis robsoni</Emphasis>, with dimorphic queens

We studied a population of the Australian weaver ant Polyrachis robsoni with regard to variation in the morphology of its winged queens using six newlydeveloped microsatellite markers. Morphometrically the queens fell clearly into two groups, macrogynes and microgynes, with the latter an isometric reduction of the former. Aggression tests showed that hostility between ants from different nests was minimal. Nests frequently contained numbers of both queen types, with microgynes about twice as numerous as macrogynes. Nestmate workers, microgynes, and macrogynes, were significantly related to others within their caste, with macrogynes more highly related than the other castes. Relatedness values between these groups of nestmates were also significant. Pairwise relatedness values were consistent with both queen morphs producing workers. At the population level, microgynes from different nests were also significantly related and there was a weak inverse relationship between pairwise relatedness value between individuals and distance between nests.We conclude that this species is supercolonial and that the two queen morphs are part of the same population. Received 19 July 2006; revised 16 October 2006; accepted 25 October 2006.     

How to address the ethics of reproductive travel to developing countries: a comparison of national self-sufficiency and regulated market approaches

One of the areas of concern raised by cross-border reproductive travel regards the treatment of women who are solicited to provide their ova or surrogacy services to foreign consumers. This is particularly troublesome in the context of developing countries where endemic poverty and low standards for both medical care and informed consent may place these women at risk of exploitation and harm. We explore two contrasting proposals for policy development regarding the industry, both of which seek to promote ethical outcomes and social justice: While one proposal advocates efforts to minimize cross-border demand for female reproductive resources through the pursuit of national self-sufficiency, the other defends cross-border trade as a means for meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Despite the conflicting objectives of the proposed strategies, the paper identifies common values and points of agreement between the two, including the importance of regulations to safeguard those providing ova or surrogacy services.