Quantifying rotifer species richness in temperate lakes

1. Biodiversity assessments of lakes depend on the ability to identify the complement of species present, although the degree of sampling required is often uncertain. We utilise long‐term data to predict rotifer species richness in three habitats in three Polish lakes using rarefaction sampling methods. 2. Richness in littoral and psammon habitats did not saturate, even with up to 130 samples. Highest richness was observed in psammon habitat (119 species) in Lake Mikolajskie, followed by littoral habitat in Lakes ?uknajno (114 species) and Kuc (110 species). Littoral habitats in Lakes ?uknajno (56%) and Kuc (51%) had the most species not shared with other habitats in the same lake. 3. Species richness (Chao2) estimates ranged between 44 for pelagic and 135 for psammon habitat in Lake Mikolajskie, to 100 for psammon and 137 for littoral habitat in Lake Kuc, and 65 for pelagic and 162 for littoral habitat in Lake ?uknajno. Whole lake estimates were 167, 205 and 171 species, respectively, for these lakes, higher than the 150 to 160 species predicted by Dumont and Segers (Hydrobiologia, 1996, 341 , 125). 4. Using standardised sampling, richness was significantly higher in littoral than either pelagic or psammon habitats. Contrasts of standardised rarefaction curves revealed that richness in Lakes Kuc and Mikolajskie was described as well by littoral‐only or psammon‐only samples, respectively, as by those randomly drawn from across all habitats in the lake. 5. Species richness estimates for Lake Mikolajskie were highest in summer, followed by autumn and spring. Interannual estimates differed by up to 427%, nearly an order of magnitude greater than maximal seasonal variation of 70%. 6. Results indicate that much higher sampling intensity is required to establish species richness than is presently carried out in most lakes. Because many species can be detected only with very intensive sampling, conservation programmes must consider sampling intensity when designing studies.     

Chemical communication in the sexually deceptive orchid genus Cryptostylis

Pollination by sexual deception is among the most intriguing of orchid pollination syndromes. Odours are well established as the primary stimuli for sexually attracting the male insect pollinators in these orchids. We applied gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) to investigate chemical communication between the sympatric, but morphologically distinct, orchids Cryptostylis erecta and C. subulata and their pollinators. Cryptostylis is unusual among sexually deceptive orchid genera in that all five Australian species share the same pollinator, the ichneumonid wasp Lissopimpla excelsa , but hybrids are unknown. We show that volatile odour compounds are not produced in detectable amounts in either species. Floral extracts containing many low-volatility compounds showed considerable differences in composition between C. erecta and C. subulata . By contrast, GC-EAD revealed the male wasp pollinators are electrophysiologically responsive to the same GC peak on two different kinds of GC column in both orchids. This leads us to predict that a single compound is the sexual attractant in all Australian Cryptostylis . The apparent conservation of chemical signals among distinct species contrasts with that of other sexually deceptive orchids that are often morphologically similar but reproductively isolated by their different chemical signals.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 199–205.     

A Soluble Fumarate Reductase in Trypanosoma brucei Procyclic Trypomastigotes

ABSTRACT. The enzyme NADH-fumarate reductase associated with the membrane fraction of Trypanosoma brucei procyclic trypomastigotes, can be solubilized by more than 50% when increasing the ionic strength to the equivalent of 150 mM KCI. The apparent K_Ms for NADH (125 μM) and fumarate (50 μM) remain close to those previously reported for the membrane-bound form of this enzyme. Other electron acceptors (i.e. oxygen or cytochrome c) appear to accept electrons in the absence of fumarate (K_M for cytochrome c = 50 μM). The drug L-092,201 (Merck, Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ), an inhibitor of the membrane-bound fumarate reductase, also blocked the solubilized enzyme. Given the relatively high ionic strength of the intracellular environment we propose that, in vivo, the enzyme fumarate reductase is in the mitochondrial matrix or in the soluble fraction of another intracellular compartment.     

Sex pheromone and visual trap interactions in mate location strategies and aggregation by host-alternating aphids in the field

Abstract. Field observations were made on the responses of males and gynoparae of three host-alternating aphid species, the blackberry-cereal aphid, Sitobion fragariae (Walker), the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) and the damson-hop aphid, Phorodon humuli (Schrank) to species-specific sex pheromones released from transparent and coloured water traps.Pheromone traps caught significantly more males than did control traps without pheromone, whereas transparent, light green, yellow and orange traps caught most insects.Measurements of the distance over which sex pheromones function indicated that male P.humuli detect the pheromone 2–6 m from the source and can fly upwind to a source in wind speeds of 0.7 m s^-1.In all three species significantly more gynoparae were caught in pheromone traps than in control traps, suggesting that pheromone released by adult sexual females may assist late-flying gynoparae to locate a suitable host plant on which to deposit their progeny.The response is relatively stronger for males than gynoparae, but the pheromones appear to act as both sex and aggregation pheromones.     

Cereal aphid responses to sex pheromones and host-plant odours in the laboratory

Abstract. The movement of Sitobion fragariae (Wlk.) (Homoptera: Aphididae) males towards odours from conspecific sexual females (oviparae) and the aphid sex pheromone component (4a S ,7 S ,7a R )-nepetalactone were demonstrated in a linear-track olfactometer. Males of the closely related Sitobion avenae (Fab.) were attracted to odours from conspecific oviparae and also oviparae of S. fragariae. These results were consistent with the recent identification of this nepetalactone isomer as the major component of the sex pheromone in these species. Males of S.fragariae were not significantly attracted to oviparae of S.avenae. indicating some qualitative or quantitative difference in the pheromones of the two species. Males did not respond to the related (1R,4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactol or to host-plant odours. Gynoparae of these species moved towards the nepetalactone and also to host-plant odours. A combination of both stimuli was more attractive than plant odour alone. Gynoparae of S.fragariae also responded significantly to the combined treatment when this was tested against the nepetalactone.     

Proharpoceras Chao: a new ammonoid lineage surviving the end-Permian mass extinction

Based on new, bed-rock controlled material from northwestern Guangxi and Oman, the Early Triassic genus Proharpoceras Chao is shown to be a representative of Otocerataceae. Character analysis excludes a direct link with the Griesbachian Otoceratidae and favours a derivation of Proharpoceras from the late Permian Anderssonoceratidae. The biostratigraphic range of Proharpoceras is restricted to the Smithian and its biogeographic distribution comprises Oman, South China, and Primorye, thus indicating an essentially low palaeolatitudinal distribution. Proharpoceras has no apparent relatives among other Early and Middle Triassic Ceratitida and is thus considered to be the last representative of Otocerataceae. This offshoot of the late Permian Anderssonoceratidae implies that an additional ammonoid lineage survived the end Permian extinction and that it dwindled away for some 2 Myr before going extinct.     

The visual responses of free-flying summer and autumn forms of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, in an automated flight chamber

ABSTRACT Summer (virginoparae) and autumn (gynoparae) winged forms of Aphis fabae were flown in an automated flight chamber for up to 100 min, while being exposed to a small green target at their own level for 5 s of each minute. Virginoparae climbed more slowly than gynoparae and responded to the target by turning towards it throughout experimental flights. Gynoparae, on the other hand, were almost completely unresponsive to the target, although some individuals began to respond after an hour or more of flight. The differences between the two migratory forms are discussed with reference to previous work on aphid flight behaviour in the field and the laboratory.     

Preliminary Studies on the Optimum Shape of Dental Bridges

Several pre-existing anterior and posterior dental bridge models using Finite elements and the new ceramic material In-Ceram have been developed. The mechanical behaviour of these models has been compared with optimised profiles obtained from a newly developed evolutionary algorithm known as Evolutionary Structural Optimisation (ESO).

The results show that the mechanical behaviour of the bridges was mainly restricted by the properties of the porcelain veneer and the design of the bridges themselves. For the case of the anterior bridge, it was found that there existed a specific thickness of veneer that minimised the maximum principal stress. This was related to peak stresses that occurred at the bridge surface. Peak stresses also occurred in the material interface between the In-Ceram and the veneer. These extreme stresses were attributed to the notch size and shape. For the case of the posterior bridge, it was concluded that the shape of the bottom of the Pontic tooth is crucial in reducing the magnitude of the maximum principal tensile stress. The ESO process produced bridge designs which have uniformly stressed bridge surfaces, and which also have significantly lower maximum principal tensile stresses compared to the pre-existing designs (up to 44%).     

Comparison of the Biochemical Properties of Bacteroides melaninogenicus from Human Dental Plaque and Other Sites

A total of 45 strains of black-pigmented bacteroides, including Bacteroides melaninogenicus subsp. melaninogenicus, Bacteroides melaninogenicus subsp. intermedius and Bacteroides melaninogenicus subsp. asaccharolyticus , have been examined for morphological and physiological characteristics. They were also tested for the range of acidic metabolites, the typical basic amino acid of the mucopeptide, the base composition of DNA, the electrophoretic mobility of malate dehydrogenase and the susceptibility to certain antibiotics. The subspecies most commonly isolated from supragingival human dental plaque are B. melaninogenicus subsp. intermedius and B. melaninogenicus subsp. melaninogenicus . A list of tests for the differentiation of the three subspecies is given, but the separation of B. melaninogenicus subsp. asaccharolyticus from the other two subspecies of B. melaninogenicus is nevertheless recommended.     

RAPID DETECTION OF GERMINATING BACILLUS CEREUS CELLS USING FLUORESCENT IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Methods for the specific detection of Bacillus spores are needed in many situations such as the recognition of food poisoning. This study presents an experimental design in order to find the best combination of germination conditions leading to a rapid and detectable fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) signal from Bacillus cereus spores present in pure cultures and milk samples.
B. cereus ATCC 14579 and HER 1414 were incubated in 20 different growth media by using a combination of various germinants such as sugars, amino acids and dipicolinic acid. Also, three different germination factors were tested: incubation temperature, inoculum concentration and a heat shock treatment. Permeabilization procedure and hybridization time were optimized on the best germination condition found. B. cereus -specific FISH probes were validated under the optimized condition and in detection of spiked B. cereus spores in 1% ultra heat-treated milk samples. FISH-labeled cells were detected by using flow cytometry, and the results were confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. The optimal condition allows the detection of B. cereus spores in less than 2 h. Overall, a ninefold reduction in total time for detection was achieved when comparing with previous works. Therefore, the permeabilization and hybridization optimizations mentioned in this study are major improvements for the detection time of B. cereus spores.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

By using the optimized conditions of germination/outgrowth, permeabilization and hybridization, the detection of 10³ cfu/mL of Bacillus cereus spores using fluorescent in situ hybridization is possible within 2 h in milk sample.