Corollin,coronillin and coronarian: Three new 3-nitropropanoyl-d-glucopyranoses from Coronilla varia

Three new 3-nitropropanoyl-d-glucopyranoses, 2,3,6-tri(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (corollin), 1,2,6-tri(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (coronillin) and 2,6-di(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (coronarian) were isolated from the aerial parts of Coronilla varia. Structural assignments were made on the basis of 220 MHz NMR spectra.     

Environmental and Physiological Influences to Isotopic Ratios of N and Protein Status in a Montane Ungulate in Winter

Winter severity can influence large herbivore populations through a reduction in maternal proteins available for reproduction. Nitrogen (N) isotopes in blood fractions can be used to track the use of body proteins in northern and montane ungulates. We studied 113 adult female caribou for 13 years throughout a series of severe winters that reduced population size and offspring mass. After these severe winters, offspring mass increased but the size of the population remained low. We devised a conceptual model for routing of isotopic N in blood in the context of the severe environmental conditions experienced by this population. We measured δ¹⁵N in three blood fractions and predicted the relative mobilization of dietary and body proteins. The δ ¹⁵N of the body protein pool varied by 4‰ and 46% of the variance was associated with year. Annual variation in δ¹⁵N of body protein likely reflected the fall/early winter diet and winter locations, yet 15% of the isotopic variation in amino acid N was due to body proteins. Consistent isotopic differences among blood N pools indicated that animals tolerated fluxes in diet and body stores. Conservation of body protein in caribou is the result of active exchange among diet and body N pools. Adult females were robust to historically severe winter conditions and prioritized body condition and survival over early investment in offspring. For a vagile ungulate residing at low densities in a predator-rich environment, protein restrictions in winter may not be the primary limiting factor for reproduction.     

An isotopic approach to measuring nitrogen balance in caribou

Nutritional restrictions in winter may reduce the availability of protein for reproduction and survival in northern ungulates. We refined a technique that uses recently voided excreta on snow to assess protein status in wild caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in late winter. Our study was the first application of this non-invasive, isotopic approach to assess protein status of wild caribou by determining dietary and endogenous contributions of nitrogen (N) to urinary urea. We used isotopic ratios of N (δ¹⁵N) in urine and fecal samples to estimate the proportion of urea N derived from body N (p-UN) in pregnant, adult females of the Chisana Herd, a small population that ranged across the Alaska-Yukon border. We took advantage of a predator-exclosure project to examine N status of penned caribou in April 2006. Lichens were the primary forage (>40%) consumed by caribou in the pen and δ¹⁵N of fiber tracked the major forages in their diets. The δ¹⁵N of urinary urea for females in the pen was depleted relative (−1.3 ± 1.0 parts per thousand [‰], ) to the δ¹⁵N of body N (2.7 ± 0.7‰). A similar proportion of animals in the exclosure lost core body mass (excluding estimates of fetal and uterine tissues; 55%) and body protein (estimated by isotope ratios; 54%). This non-invasive technique could be applied at various spatial and temporal scales to assess trends in protein status of free-ranging populations of northern ungulates. Intra- and inter-annual estimates of protein status could help managers monitor effects of foraging conditions on nutritional constraints in ungulates, increase the efficiency and efficacy of management actions, and help prepare stakeholders for potential changes in population trends. © 2010 The Wildlife Society.     

Preparation of soybean seed samples for FT-IR microspectroscopy

Typical preparation of seed samples for infrared (IR) microspectroscopy involves imbibition of the seed for varying time periods followed by cryosectioning. Imbibition, however, may initiate germination even at 4° C with associated changes in the chemistry of the sample. We have found that it is possible to section seeds that are sufficiently hard, such as soybeans, on a standard laboratory microtome without imbibition. The use of dry sectioning of unimbibed seeds is reported here, as well as a comparison of different mounting media and modes of analysis. Glycerol, Tissue-Tek, and ethanol were used as mounting media, and the quality of the resulting spectra was assessed. Ethanol was the preferred mountant, because it dried quickly with no residue and thus did not interfere with the spectrum of interest. Analysis in transmission mode using barium fluoride windows to hold the samples was compared with transmission-reflection analysis with sections mounted on special infrared-reflecting slides. The two modes of analysis performed well in different regions of the spectrum. The mode of analysis (transmission vs. transmission-reflection) should be based on the components of greatest interest in the sample.     

Calls,colours, shape,and genes: a multi‐trait approach to the study of geographic variation in the Amazonian frog Allobates femoralis

Evolutionary divergence in behavioural traits related to mating may represent the initial stage of speciation. Direct selective forces are usually invoked to explain divergence in mate‐recognition traits, often neglecting a role for neutral processes or concomitant differentiation in ecological traits. We adopted a multi‐trait approach to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind allopatric divergence in the Amazonian frog, Allobates femoralis. We tested the null hypothesis that geographic distance between populations correlates with genetic and phenotypic divergence, and compared divergence between mate‐recognition (acoustic) and ecological (coloration, body‐shape) traits. We quantified geographic variation in 39 phenotypic traits and a mitochondrial DNA marker among 125 individuals representing eight populations. Geographic variation in acoustic traits was pronounced and tracked the spatial genetic variation, which appeared to be neutral. Thus, the evolution of acoustic traits tracked the shared history of the populations, which is unexpected for pan‐Amazonian taxa or for mate‐recognition traits. Divergence in coloration appeared uncorrelated with genetic distance, and might be partly attributed to local selective pressures, and perhaps to Batesian mimicry. Divergence in body‐shape traits was low. The results obtained depict a complex evolutionary scenario and emphasize the importance of considering multiple traits when disentangling the forces behind allopatric divergence. ©2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98 , 826–838.