The phylogenetic systematics of blue‐tailed skinks (Plestiodon) and the family Scincidae

Blue‐tailed skinks (genus Plestiodon) are a common component of the terrestrial herpetofauna throughout their range in eastern Eurasia and North and Middle America. Plestiodon species are also frequent subjects of ecological and evolutionary research, yet a comprehensive, well‐supported phylogenetic framework does not yet exist for this genus. We construct a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Plestiodon using Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of a nine‐locus data set comprising 8308 base pairs of DNA, sampled from 38 of the 43 species in the genus. We evaluate potential gene tree/species tree discordance by conducting phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated and individual locus data sets, as well as employing coalescent‐based methods. Specifically, we address the placement of Plestiodon within the evolutionary tree of Scincidae, as well as the phylogenetic relationships between Plestiodon species, and their taxonomy. Given our sampling of major Scincidae lineages, we also re‐evaluate ‘deep’ relationships within the family, with the goal of resolving relationships that have been ambiguous in recent molecular phylogenetic analyses. We infer strong support for several scincid relationships, including a major clade of ‘scincines’ and the inter‐relationships of major Mediterranean and southern African genera. Although we could not estimate the precise phylogenetic affinities of Plestiodon with statistically significant support, we nonetheless infer significant support for its inclusion in a large ‘scincine’ clade exclusive of Acontinae, Lygosominae, Brachymeles, and Ophiomorus. Plestiodon comprises three major geographically cohesive clades. One of these clades is composed of mostly large‐bodied species inhabiting northern Indochina, south‐eastern China (including Taiwan), and the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The second clade comprises species inhabiting central China (including Taiwan) and the entire Japanese archipelago. The third clade exclusively inhabits North and Middle America and the island of Bermuda. A vast majority of interspecific relationships are strongly supported in the concatenated data analysis, but there is nonetheless significant conflict amongst the individual gene trees. Coalescent‐based gene tree/species tree analyses indicate that incongruence amongst the nuclear loci may severely obscure the phylogenetic inter‐relationships of the primarily small‐bodied Plestiodon species that inhabit the central Mexican highlands. These same analyses do support the sister relationship between Plestiodon marginatus Hallowell, 1861 and Plestiodon stimpsonii (Thompson, 1912), and differ with the mitochondrial DNA analysis that supports Plestiodon elegans (Boulenger, 1887) + P. stimpsonii. Finally, because the existing Plestiodon taxonomy is a poor representation of evolutionary relationships, we replace the existing supraspecific taxonomy with one congruent with our phylogenetic results. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 165 , 163–189.     

Localization and hormonal control of serine dehydratase during metabolic acidosis differ markedly from those of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in rat kidney

Serine dehydratase (SDH) is abundant in the rat liver but scarce in the kidney. When administrated with dexamethasone, the renal SDH activity was augmented 20-fold, whereas the hepatic SDH activity was affected little. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed that SDH was localized to the proximal straight tubule of the nephron. To address the role of this hormone, rats were made acidotic by gavage of NH(4)Cl. Twenty-two hours later, the SDH activity was increased three-fold along with a six-fold increment in the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activity, a rate-limiting enzyme of gluconeogenesis. PEPCK, which is localized to the proximal tubules under the normal condition, spreads throughout the entire cortex to the outer medullary rays by acidosis, whereas SDH does not change regardless of treatment with dexamethasone or NH(4)Cl. When NH(4)Cl was given to adrenalectomized rats, in contrast to the SDH activity no longer increasing, the PEPCK activity responded to acidosis to the same extent as in the intact rats. A simultaneous administration of dexamethasone and NH(4)Cl into the adrenalectomized rats fully restored the SDH activity, demonstrating that the rise in the SDH activity during acidosis is primarily controlled by glucocorticoids. The present findings clearly indicate that the localization of SDH and its hormonal regulation during acidosis are strikingly different from those of PEPCK.     

Strain-specific T-cell suppression and protective immunity in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) frequently persists with an apparently ineffective antiviral T-cell response. We hypothesized that some patients may be exposed to multiple HCV subtypes and that strain-specific T cells could contribute to the viral dynamics in this setting. To test this hypothesis, CD4 T-cell responses to three genotype 1a-derived HCV antigens and HCV antibody serotype were examined in chronically HCV infected (genotypes 1a, 1b, 2, 3, and 4) and spontaneously HCV recovered subjects. Consistent with multiple HCV exposure, 63% of patients infected with genotypes 2 to 4 (genotypes 2-4) and 36% of those infected with genotype 1b displayed CD4 T-cell responses to 1a-derived HCV antigens, while 29% of genotype 2-4-infected patients showed serotype responses to genotype 1. Detection of 1a-specific T cells in patients without active 1a infection suggested prior self-limited 1a infection with T-cell-mediated protection from 1a but not from non-1a viruses. Remarkably, CD4 T-cell responses to 1a-derived HCV antigens were weakest in patients with homologous 1a infection and greater in non-1a-infected patients: proportions of patients responding were 19% (1a), 36% (1b), and 63% (2-4) (P = 0.0006). Increased 1a-specific CD4 T-cell responsiveness in non-1a-infected patients was not due to increased immunogenicity or cross-reactivity of non-1a viruses but directly related to sequence divergence. We conclude that the T-cell response to the circulating virus is either suppressed or not induced in a strain-specific manner in chronically HCV infected patients and that, despite their ability to clear one HCV strain, patients may be reinfected with a heterologous strain that can then persist. These findings provide new insights into host-virus interactions in HCV infection that have implications for vaccine development.     

Wing polymorphism in Japanese and foreign strains of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

Great variations in nymphal density and wing-form relationships occur in field populations of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae). When tested under uniform laboratory conditions, half of the female populations collected from 20 locations in Japan exhibited higher ratios of macropters with increasing nymphal density, but one quarter were macropterous over broad ranges of density, both types being classified as group III. Three predominantly brachypterous populations (group I) were found, even under crowded conditions and one intermediate (group II).The populations from South Asian countries, i.e. Philippines (one), Indonesia (two) and Malaysia (one) belonged to group I, but the three populations from the coastal areas of China belonged to group II. Those from Taiwan differed in responses to density; one was of group II type, and two of group III type.From these comparisons, immigration routes of N. lugens to Japan were estimated, and survival strategy of this migratory species is discussed.

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Zusammenfassung In Feldpopulationen von Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae) gibt es grosse Variationen in der Larvendichte und in den Flügelform-Beziehungen. Unter einheitlichen Laboratoriumsbedingungen wurden diese Verhältnisse geprüft. Von 20 japanischen Herkünften zeigte die Hälfte der Weibchenpopulationen mit zunehmender Larvendichte einen höheren Macropterenanteil; ein Viertel was über einen grossen Dichtebereich macropter; beide Typen werden als Gruppe III bezeichnet. Drei Populationen wurden gefunden, die auch bei hoher Dichte vorwiegend brachypter waren (Gruppe I). Einer Zwischengruppe (II) gehörte eine einzige Population an.Die Populationen aus südasiatischen Ländern (1 aus den Philippinen, 2 aus Indonesien un 1 aus Malaysia) gehörten zu Gruppe I, die 3 Populationen aus den Küstenregionen von China jedoch zu Gruppe II. Die Populationen aus Taiwan unterschieden sich in der Reaktion auf die Dichte: 1 gehörte zu Gruppe II and 2 zu Gruppe III.Von diesen Daten werden Einwanderungswege von N. lugens nach Japan abgeleitet und die Überlebensstrategie dieser Wanderart diskutiert.

     

Growth rate suppression of cultured mammalian cells enhances protein productivity

Suppression of proliferation of cells which contain stable or stabilized mRNA coded for a protein to be produced, a partial mimic of cell differentiation, was examined for enhancing protein production by cultured mammalian cells. Hybridoma 2E3 cells which were adapted to be interleukin-6 sensitively growth-suppressed accumulated the mRNA of IgG₁ which is reported stable, and IgG₁ production rate increased as a result when their growth was suppressed with interleukin-6. A myeloma cell line was similarly adapted; the obtained myeloma cells can be used as host cells for enhancing production of exogenous proteins by suppressing growth with interleukin-6. Temperature-sensitively growth-suppressible mutants of mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A were transfected with cDNA of IgM ₁ chain and cultured at nonpermissive temperature to enhance production of ₁. Addition of various growth-suppressive reagents to culture medium was studied for finding methods suitable for suppressing growth while maintaining high cell viability. Caffeine yielded the best results among these reagents. Deprivation of various growth-supporting components in culture medium was also tested; simultaneous deprivation of insulin and transferrin viably suppressed growth of hybridoma 2E3 cells, resulting in enhanced antibody productivity.Abbreviations IL6 recombinant human interleukin-6 - TGF- recombinant human TGF-₁ - X63.653-P3X63 Ag8.653 myeloma     

The effects of wild cruciferous host plants on morphology,reproductive performance and flight activity in the diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae)

The wild crucifers,Rorippa indica andLepidium virginicum, are known to serve as host plants for the diamondback moth (DBM),Plutella xylostella, but they are less suitable than the preferred cultivated cruciferous plant, cabbage, in terms of adult body size and fecundity. The life history traits and flight activity of DBM adults grown on various host plants were investigated. The adults thus reared on each host plant were divided into three size groups (small, medium and large). In general, female adults grown on the wild crucifers were less fecund and lived longer than those reared on cabbage. Flight activity was higher in adults grown on wild crucifers than in those reared on cabbage. Male adults flew longer than females. Fecundity, longevity, flight activity and morphometrical characters of adults were positively correlated with pupal weight in individuals reared on the same host plant. A negative relationship was found between fecundity and flight activity in females of the same size group, but a positive one was observed in females reared on the same host plant.     

Nutritional contribution to females of14C-labeled male secretions transferred during mating inMenida scotti (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

Menida scotti (Puton) males have been shown to transfer secretions from their bulbus ejaculatorius and reservoir of ectodermal accessory gland to females by mating during hibernation. In the present study, the major components of the secretions were found to be proteins and lipids. To specify the female organ incorporating the male secretions, a radiotracer experiment in which the male secretions were labeled by [¹⁴C]valine was conducted in nine tissues of females collected in the fall and spring of the hibernation period. Relatively high radioactivities were detected in the haemolymph and the residual carcass (head, legs, air-sacs, exoskeleton, etc.) in the fall females, and in CO₂ gas evolved and carcasses in the spring females. The radioactivities in the fat body were significantly higher in the fall mating females than in the spring mating females, and vice versa in the ovary. The radioactivities in six fractions (lipids, proteins, glycogen, sugars, free amino acids and the residues) were also assayed in the five organs of females that had a relatively high radioactivity. The highest radioactivity was detected in the protein fraction of the haemolymph in fall and spring females. There were significant differences in the radioactivities incorporated into the lipid fractions of the carcass between fall and spring females.     

Flight activity and oviposition characteristics of the seasonal form of a migrant skipper,Parnara guttata guttata (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

The flight activity of adults of a migrant skipper (Parnara guttata guttata) was measured on the day of emergence, and at 4 and 7 days after emergence by a flight mill and the activity was compared among the three seasonal forms which emerged under 12, 14 and 16 hr photoperiods. The flight activity of adults reared under 12 and 14 hrs was higher than that under 16 hr especially on the day of emergence. The flight activity of males under 12 and 14 hrs was higher on the day of emergence and decreased at 4 and 7 days. The activity of males under 16 hr was maintained at a low and constant level. The activity of females under 12 and 14 hrs increased or was constant on the days after the emergence, on the other hand, the activity of females under 16 hr was highest at 4 days after the emergence. The wing size did not affect the flight activity. The oviposition characteristics of females reared under the three photoperiods was compared. The female under 14 hr has a longer preoviposition period and lesser fecundity than that under 16 hr. The female under 12 hr has intermediate values of the former two. The size of eggs laid by females under 12 hr was also intermediate.     

Population dynamics of the green leafhopper,Nephotettix virescens Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in synchronized and staggered transplanting areas of paddy fileds in Indonesia

The population dynamics of Nephotettix virescens, a vector of rice tungro virus disease was investigated in a synchronized transplanting area at Jatisari (1984–1986), West Java and in a staggered transplanting area at Sidan (1986–1988), Bali, Indonesia. The FARMCOP suction sampler was employed for population censuses of N. virescens and its natural enemies. The population growth pattern was affected by transplanting pattern: In the staggered transplanting area, the population density increased from the immigrant generation to the first generation, and sharply decrease thereafter, while in the synchronized transplanting area the population density often reached the highest peak in the second generation. The degree of contageousness in the spatial distribution of N. virescens was negatively correlated with population density of the immigrant generation.