Lethal and sublethal effects of preimaginal treatments with two pyrethroids on the life history of the egg parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Telenomus busseolae</Emphasis>

The egg parasitoid Telenomus busseolae Gahan (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) is one of the most important natural enemies of the Mediterranean corn stem borer, Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The effects of lethal and sublethal concentrations of two commonly used pyrethroids, deltamethrin and cyfluthrin, on emergence, fecundity, longevity, and offspring sex ratio of T. busseolae exposed during different preimaginal stages were studied. The insecticide, the tested concentrations of the insecticide (field-recommended concentration and three dilutions with twofold concentration decreases), and the stage of parasitoid preimaginal development (first and second larval stages and pupae) all significantly influenced the percentage of emergence. Life history parameters of parasitoids exposed to the highest and lowest tested concentrations of the two insecticides (3.0 and 0.375 ml l⁻¹ for cyfluthrin and 0.5 and 0.0625 ml l⁻¹ for deltamethrin) at eight days post-oviposition (pupal stage) were calculated. The intrinsic rate of increase, the total progeny produced, and the net reproductive rate of the parasitoid were all adversely affected by the field-recommended concentrations of at least one insecticide. However, the longevity, the length of the oviposition period, and the offspring sex ratio were unaltered by the two insecticides. The effects of sublethal concentrations of the insecticides, applied at preimaginal stages, on the responses of T. busseolae females to host abdominal scales, were studied in open-arena bioassays. Cyfluthrin altered both the residence time and linear speed of the parasitoid in the host scale-containing areas, whereas deltamethrin had no effect. Our results indicate that, in addition to lethal effects, sublethal effects should also be considered when evaluating insecticide consequences on non-targets.     

Effect of Ottoman Viper (Montivipera xanthina (Gray, 1849)) Venom on Various Cancer Cells and on Microorganisms

Cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects of Montivipera xanthina venom against LNCaP, MCF-7, HT-29, Saos-2, Hep3B, Vero cells and antimicrobial activity against selected bacterial and fungal species: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, E. coli O157H7, Enterococcus faecalis 29212, Enterococcus faecium DSM 13590, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, S. typhimirium CCM 5445, Proteus vulgaris ATCC 6957 and Candida albicans ATCC 10239 were studied for evaluating the potential medical benefit of this snake venom. Cytotoxicity of venom was determined using MTT assay. Snake venom cytotoxicity was expressed as the venom dose that killed 50 % of the cells (IC₅₀). The antimicrobial activity of venom was studied by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disc diffusion assay. MIC was determined using broth dilution method. The estimated IC₅₀ values of venom varied from 3.8 to 12.7 or from 1.9 to 7.2 μg/ml after treatment with crude venom for 24 or 48 h for LNCaP, MCF-7, HT-29 and Saos-2 cells. There was no observable cytotoxic effect on Hep3B and Vero cells. Venom exhibited the most potent activity against C. albicans (MIC, 7.8 μg/ml and minimal fungicidal concentration, 62.5 μg/ml) and S. aureus (MIC, 31.25 μg/ml). This study is the first report showing the potential of M. xanthina venom as an alternative therapeutic approach due to its cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects.     

Genetic diversity in <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Astragalus argaeus</Emphasis>, a critically endangered species from Turkey

Astragalus argaeus is critically endangered endemic species growing only on Erciyes Mountain in Kayseri. Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were chosen to detect the genetic diversity in four populations of A. argaeus. Ten primers were used to assess the diversity among 96 genotypes collected from the four localities in Erciyes Mountain. A total of 78 bands were scored, of which 44 (55.8%) were polymorphic. The unweighted pair group method arithmetic average (UPGMA) and principle component analysis (PCoA) showed moderate genetic diversity at the species and population level. The percentages of polymorphic bands (PPB) ranged from 53.8 to 61.5 (58.01%?±?3.2) and average gene diversity (h) at the population and species level was estimated to be 0.17 and 0.23, respectively. The Shannon’s information index (SI) ranged from 0.24 to 0.29 at the population level and was 0.35 at the species level. The determined gene flow (Nm) was 1.83. The UPGMA tree indicated that the four populations were not genetically distinct obviously. In analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), the percentage of the variance was 38.72% among populations and 61.28% within populations. The data which small population size, habitat fragmentation and moderate levels of genetic diversity demonstrate that A. argaeus possess threat of extinction if its narrow habitat is destroyed.     

Monoallelic and Biallelic Variants in EMC1 Identified in Individuals with Global Developmental Delay,Hypotonia, Scoliosis,and Cerebellar Atrophy

The paradigm of a single gene associated with one specific phenotype and mode of inheritance has been repeatedly challenged. Genotype-phenotype correlations can often be traced to different mutation types, localization of the variants in distinct protein domains, or the trigger of or escape from nonsense-mediated decay. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified homozygous variants in EMC1 that segregated with a phenotype of developmental delay, hypotonia, scoliosis, and cerebellar atrophy in three families. In addition, a de novo heterozygous EMC1 variant was seen in an individual with a similar clinical and MRI imaging phenotype. EMC1 encodes a member of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-membrane protein complex (EMC), an evolutionarily conserved complex that has been proposed to have multiple roles in ER-associated degradation, ER-mitochondria tethering, and proper assembly of multi-pass transmembrane proteins. Perturbations of protein folding and organelle crosstalk have been implicated in neurodegenerative processes including cerebellar atrophy. We propose EMC1 as a gene in which either biallelic or monoallelic variants might lead to a syndrome including intellectual disability and preferential degeneration of the cerebellum.     

First report of Chilo partellus in Turkey,a new invasive maize pest for Europe

The spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe, 1885) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), an invasive pest of wild and cultivated grasses in Asia and Africa, was found for the first time during periodic surveys of maize fields in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey in September and October 2014. The pest was recorded in maize fields of three of four provinces surveyed (Adana, Hatay and Osmaniye; it was not detected in Icel province). The Mediterranean corn stalk borer, Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is the dominant maize pest in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey, followed by the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). The new invasive species comprised 4.9% of the total number of collected lepidopteran pests collected from maize stems and cobs in locations infested by C. partellus. No natural enemies of the new pest were recorded during our surveys. We discuss possible interactions among these three lepidopteran pests sharing the same habitat, prospects for control of C. partellus by the control methods currently used against S. nonagrioides and O. nubilalis, and also speculate on the path of invasion taken by C. partellus into Turkey.     

Reproduction in the Mediterranean endemic gorgonian Spinimuricea klavereni (Anthozoa,Octocorallia, Plexauridae)

Spinimuricea klavereni is a Mediterranean endemic gorgonian that is rarely encountered, probably because it typically occurs at depths below 50 m. It is exceptionally common in the northern Marmara Sea, with an unusually shallow upper depth limit of ~20 m. The reproductive biology of this species was studied during a one year period off Büyükada, in the northeastern Marmara Sea. Spinimuricea klavereni is a gonochoric broadcast spawner with an almost even sex ratio. Colonies were ~15 cm in height at first reproduction. Gametogenesis was continuous, characterized by high male and female fecundities year‐round. Oocytes and sperm sacs of all developmental stages were found throughout the year, with small‐sized oocytes and sperm sacs dominant throughout the year. The reproduction of S. klavereni did not seem to exhibit any marked seasonal pattern, unlike most other studied Mediterranean octocorals. Modest variation in gamete output was probably related to slight alterations in food availability and temperature. The non‐seasonal reproductive pattern we observed may be related to the low intra‐annual variation in temperature in the Marmara Sea, and the fact that the mesotrophic‐eutrophic level of productivity in the Marmara Sea can support the energetic requirements of continuous gametogenesis in this gorgonian. Whether these patterns are local adaptations or intrinsic characteristics for this Mediterranean endemic species remains to be studied.