Molecular characterization of the porcine testis-specificphosphoglycerate kinase 2 (<Emphasis Type="Italic">PGK2</Emphasis>) gene and its association with male fertility

We have isolated and characterized the porcine testis-specific phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2) gene, and 1665 bp of full-length PGK2 cDNA were also compiled using modified rapid amplification 5-RACE and 3-RACE information. The results of genomic and cDNA sequences of the porcine PGK2 gene demonstrated that it is a single-exon intronless gene with a complete open reading frame of 1251 bp encoding a PGK protein of 417 amino acids. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that PGK2 mRNA was solely expressed in the testis. There was a lower amount of PGK2 expression in the testis of a 10-month-old herniated boar and a very small amount of PGK2 expression in the testis of an 8–week-old cryptorchid piglet compared to an adult boar. Two SNPs in the PGK2 gene (SNP-A: T427C; SNP-B: C914A) resulting in amino acid substitutions (SNP-A: Ser¹⁰²–Pro¹⁰²; SNP-B: Thr²⁶⁴–Lys²⁶⁴) were detected and genotyped among six pig breeds. The nucleotide C at SNP-A responsible for the amino acid exchange to proline could lead to the loss of a casein kinase II (CK2) phosphorylation site in the PGK2 peptide. Association analyses between PGK2 genotypes and several traits of sperm quantity and quality were performed. The results showed that SNP-B has a positive significant effect on semen volume in the breed Pietrain (p=0.08), i.e., boars carrying genotype CC revealed an increased volume of 49 ml compared with boars having the genotype AA.The nucleotide sequence data reported in this article have been submitted to GenBank and have been assigned the accession numbers AY500132 and AY486962.     

Clonal analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Distal-less</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">engrailed</Emphasis> expression patterns during early morphogenesis of uniramous and biramous crustacean limbs

In order to investigate the correlation of cell lineage, gene expression, and morphogenesis of uniramous and biramous limbs we studied limb formation in the thorax and pleon of the amphipod Orchestia cavimana and the isopod Porcellio scaber. We took advantage of the fact that in amphipod and isopod crustaceans—both Malacostraca—uniramous limbs evolved independently in the thorax whereas ancestral biramous limbs are formed in the pleon (abdomen). The gene Distal-less is expressed in the early limb buds as in other arthropods. Accordingly, it is likely to be responsible for the development of the proximodistal axis of the appendages. Double staining of Distal-less and Engrailed proteins suggests that Distal-less in the pleon of the amphipod Orchestia might not be under the control of the Wingless protein. Additionally, we studied axis formation of the uniramous and biramous limbs. In both species investigated, biramous limbs originate exclusively by the subdivision of the original limb bud. Both distal elements continuously express Distal-less. There is flexibility in the suppression of the development of additional branches in the crustacean limb. In the amphipod O. cavimana, uniramous thoracopods are formed by downregulation of Distal-less in the area where, in biramous limbs, the exopodites would occur. In contrast, this region never expresses Distal-less in the uniramous thoracopods of the isopod P. scaber. Our results suggest that the gene expression pattern is independent of the cell division pattern. Gene expression domains and morphogenesis of limbs and segments, on the other hand, show a good correlation.Edited by D. Tautz     

Life stages and reproductive components of the Marmorkrebs (marbled crayfish), the first parthenogenetic decapod crustacean

Recently, we briefly reported on the first case of parthenogenesis in the decapod Crustacea which was found in the Marmorkrebs or marbled crayfish, a cambarid species of unknown geographic origin and species identity. Curiously, this animal is known only from aquarium populations, where it explosively propagates. By means of light and electron microscopic techniques we have now investigated the reproductive components of this crayfish, using more than 100 specimens ranging from hatchling to repeatedly spawned adult. Additionally, we documented its principal life stages. Our results revealed that the external sexual characters and also the gonads of the marbled crayfish are purely female, making this fast-reproducing species a good model for investigating female reproductive features in crayfish. Testicular tissues, ovotestes, or male gonoducts, gonopores, or gonopods were never found, either in small juveniles or large adult specimens, confirming the parthenogenetic nature of this crayfish. Parthenogenesis may have arisen spontaneously or by interspecific hybridization since Wolbachia-like feminizing microorganisms were not found in the ovaries. The external sexual characters of the marbled crayfish are first recognized in Stage 4 juveniles and are structurally complete approximately 2 months after hatching in specimens of approximately 2 cm total length. In the same life stage the ovary is fully differentiated as well, although the oocytes are in previtellogenic and primary vitellogenic stages only. The architecture of the mature ovary and also the synchronous maturation of cohorts of primary vitellogenic oocytes by secondary vitellogenesis are in general agreement with data published on ovaries of bisexual crayfish. New results were obtained with respect to the muscular nature of the ovarian envelope and its extensive proliferation after the first spawning, the distribution of hemal sinuses in the ovarian envelope and in the interstitium around the oogenetic pouches, the high transport activity of the follicle cells, and the colonization of oogenetic pouches by previtellogenic oocytes that originate in the germaria. Investigation of the nuclei of oocytes in the germaria and oogenetic pouches revealed no signs of meiosis, as usually found in females of bisexual decapods, suggesting that parthenogenesis in the marbled crayfish might be an apomictic thelytoky. The detection of new rickettsial and coccidian infections in the ovary and further organs raises fears that the marbled crayfish might endanger native European species by transmission of pathogens once escaped into the wild.     

Phloem import and storage metabolism are highly coordinated by the low oxygen concentrations within developing wheat seeds

We studied the influence of the internal oxygen concentration in seeds of wheat (Triticum aestivum) on storage metabolism and its relation to phloem import of nutrients. Wheat seeds that were developing at ambient oxygen (21%) were found to be hypoxic (2.1%). Altering the oxygen supply by decreasing or increasing the external oxygen concentration induced parallel changes in the internal oxygen tension. However, the decrease in internal concentration was proportionally less than the reduction in external oxygen. This indicates that decreasing the oxygen supply induces short-term adaptive responses to reduce oxygen consumption of the seeds. When external oxygen was decreased to 8%, internal oxygen decreased to approximately 0.5% leading to a decrease in energy production via respiration. Conversely, increasing the external oxygen concentration above ambient levels increased the oxygen content as well as the energy status of the seeds, indicating that under normal conditions the oxygen supply is strongly limiting for energy metabolism in developing wheat seeds. The intermediate metabolites of seed storage metabolism were not substantially affected when oxygen was either increased or decreased. However, at subambient external oxygen concentrations (8%) the metabolic flux of carbon into starch and protein, measured by injecting (14)C-Suc into the seeds, was reduced by 17% and 32%, respectively, whereas no significant effect was observed at superambient (40%) oxygen. The observed decrease in biosynthetic fluxes to storage compounds is suggested to be part of an adaptive response to reduce energy consumption preventing excessive oxygen consumption when oxygen supply is limited. Phloem transport toward ears exposed to low (8%) oxygen was significantly reduced within 1 h, whereas exposing ears to elevated oxygen (40%) had no significant effect. This contrasts with the situation where the distribution of assimilates has been modified by removing the lower source leaves from the plant, resulting in less assimilates transported to the ear in favor of transport to the lower parts of the plant. Under these conditions, with two strongly competing sinks, elevated oxygen (40%) did lead to a strong increase in phloem transport to the ear. The results show that sink metabolism is affected by the prevailing low oxygen concentrations in developing wheat seeds, determining the import rate of assimilates via the phloem.     

Combining catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization and microautoradiography to detect substrate utilization by bacteria and Archaea in the deep ocean

The recently developed CARD-FISH protocol was refined for the detection of marine Archaea by replacing the lysozyme permeabilization treatment with proteinase K. This modification resulted in about twofold-higher detection rates for Archaea in deep waters. Using this method in combination with microautoradiography, we found that Archaea are more abundant than Bacteria (42% versus 32% of 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole counts) in the deep waters of the North Atlantic and that a larger fraction of Archaea than of Bacteria takes up l-aspartic acid (19% versus 10%).     

Integral strategy for evaluation of fecal indicator performance in bird-influenced saline inland waters

Wild birds are an important nonpoint source of fecal contamination of surface waters, but their contribution to fecal pollution is mostly difficult to estimate. Thus, to evaluate the relation between feces production and input of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) into aquatic environments by wild waterfowl, we introduced a new holistic approach for evaluating the performance of FIB in six shallow saline habitats. For this, we monitored bird abundance, fecal pellet production, and the abundance of FIB concomitantly with a set of environmental variables over a 9-month period. For estimating fecal pellet production, a new protocol of fecal pellet counting was introduced, which was called fecal taxation (FTX). We could show that, over the whole range of investigated habitats, bird abundance, FTX values, and FIB abundance were highly significantly correlated and could demonstrate the good applicability of the FTX as a meaningful surrogate parameter for recent bird abundances and fecal contamination by birds in shallow aquatic ecosystems. Presumptive enterococci (ENT) were an excellent surrogate parameter of recent fecal contamination in these saline environments for samples collected at biweekly to monthly sampling intervals while presumptive Escherichia coli and fecal coliforms (FC) were often undetectable. Significant negative correlations with salinity indicated that E. coli and FC survival was hampered by osmotic stress. Statistical analyses further revealed that fecal pollution-associated parameters represented one system component independent from other environmental variables and that, besides feces production, rainfall, total suspended solids (direct), and trophy (indirect) had significant positive effects on ENT concentrations. Our holistic approach of linking bird abundance, feces production, and FIB detection with environmental variables may serve as a powerful model for application to other aquatic ecosystems.     

Molecular regulation of cardiac ryanodine receptor ion channel

The release of Ca(2+) ions from intracellular stores is a key step in a wide variety of cellular functions. In striated muscle, the release of Ca(2+) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) leads to muscle contraction. Ca(2+) release occurs through large, high-conductance Ca(2+) release channels, also known as ryanodine receptors (RyRs) because they bind the plant alkaloid ryanodine with high affinity and specificity. The RyRs are isolated as 30S protein complexes comprised of four 560 kDa RyR2 subunits and four 12 kDa FK506 binding protein (FKBP12) subunits. Multiple endogenous effector molecules and posttranslational modifications regulate the RyRs. This review focuses on current research toward understanding the control of the isolated cardiac Ca(2+) release channel/ryanodine receptor (RyR2) by Ca(2+), calmodulin, thiol oxidation/reduction and nitrosylation, and protein phosphorylation.