Die postembryonalentwicklung sekretorischer kopfdrüsen von Formica pratensis Retz. und Apis mellifica L. (Ins., Hym.)

The postembryonic development of pro-pharyngeal glands, maxillary glands, mandibular glands, post-pharyngeal glands, and labial glands of the Formicine ant Formica pratensis and of (hypo)pharyngeal glands, mandibular glands, and labial (post-cerebral and thoracic) glands of the honey bee, Apis mellifica is described. A revision of the nomenclature of Formicide exocrine cephalic glands is proposed.

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Verzeichnis der Abkürzungen Aggl Zellagglomeration - AKex extrazelluläres Ausführkanälchen - AKin intrazelluläres Ausführkanälchen - Anl Anlage - AZ Apikalzellen (PAG-Vorderzellen) - Bb Bulbus - BiZ Bildungszelle - BZ Basalzelle(n) - Cer Cerebralganglion, Gehirn - Cr Cribellum - CSp Cuticularspange - dDrS dorsaler Drüsenschlauch - DrMg Drüsenmündung - DrS Drüsenschlauch, -schläuche - DZ Drüsenzelle(n) - E Epidermis - EZ Epithelzelle(n) - HKDr Hinterkopfdrüse - HR hintere Region - HZ Hinterzellen - HZo hintere Zone - IBT Infrabuccaltasche - IR Imaginalring - IZ Imaginalzelle(n) - KAu Komplexauge - Kgr großer Kern - Kkl kleiner Kern - KZ Kanalzelle(n) - LbDr Labialdrüse - M Muskel, Muskulatur - MD Mitteldarm - Md Mandibel - MdDr Mandibeldrüse - MH Mundhöhle - MHD Mundhöohlendach - Mit Mitose(n) - MxDr Maxillendrüse - MZ Mittelzellen - MZo mittlere Zone - Oc Ocellus - Ös Ösophagus - PAA paariger Abschnitt des Ausführsystems - PAG paariger Ausführgang - Ph Pharynx - Phc Phagocyte - Pts Plasmastrang - PoPhDr Postpharynxdrüse - PrPhDr Propharynxdrüse - PSr abgeplattetes Sammelrohr - Pyk degenerierende Zellen, pyknotische Kerne - Res Reservoir - RLF relative Luftfeuchtigkeit - RZ Reservoirzelle(n) - Sac Sacculus - SK Sammelkanal - Skz Sekretzellen - Stz Stammzelle - SZ Schaltzelle(n) - Tb Tubus - Tr Trachee(n) - Tro Trophocyte, Fettzelle - UAG unpaarer Ausführgang - vDrS ventraler Drüsenschlauch - Vk Vakuole(n) - VR vordere Region - VZ Vorderzellen - VZo vordere Zone - Z Zelle     

In silico identification of opossum cytokine genes suggests the complexity of the marsupial immune system rivals that of eutherian mammals

Background

Cytokines are small proteins that regulate immunity in vertebrate species. Marsupial and eutherian mammals last shared a common ancestor more than 180 million years ago, so it is not surprising that attempts to isolate many key marsupial cytokines using traditional laboratory techniques have been unsuccessful. This paucity of molecular data has led some authors to suggest that the marsupial immune system is 'primitive' and not on par with the sophisticated immune system of eutherian (placental) mammals.

Results

The sequencing of the first marsupial genome has allowed us to identify highly divergent immune genes. We used gene prediction methods that incorporate the identification of gene location using BLAST, SYNTENY + BLAST and HMMER to identify 23 key marsupial immune genes, including IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-12 and IL-13, in the genome of the grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Many of these genes were not predicted in the publicly available automated annotations.

Conclusion

The power of this approach was demonstrated by the identification of orthologous cytokines between marsupials and eutherians that share only 30% identity at the amino acid level. Furthermore, the presence of key immunological genes suggests that marsupials do indeed possess a sophisticated immune system, whose function may parallel that of eutherian mammals.     

Identification of physicochemical selective pressure on protein encoding nucleotide sequences

Background  

Statistical methods for identifying positively selected sites in protein coding regions are one of the most commonly used tools in evolutionary bioinformatics. However, they have been limited by not taking the physiochemical properties of amino acids into account.     

Process analysis of macrotetrolide biosynthesis during fermentation by means of direct infusion LC-MS

The optimization of the biosynthetic pathways is highly attractive for the large-scale preparation of macrotetrolides, because overall yields in the chemical synthesis of compounds like nonactin have been very low. A key success factor determining the outcome of such optimizations is the adequate process analysis for the envisioned product. The analytical methods for process control involved in the past spectrophotometric and chromatographic measurements. LC-MS offers a modern approach to obtain more detailed data than the spectrophotometric and chromatographic measurements used in the past. In this work, a fast and versatile analytical LC-MS method has been set up, which has proven of much value for the in-process analysis of macrotetrolides during fermentation and which has allowed rapid large-scale bioprocess development.