The biology, egg and larvae of Acaenitus dubitator (Panzer) (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae: Acaenitinae)

Acaenitus dubitator (Panzer) is found to be a koinobiont endoparasitoid of the larva of an endophytic beetle, Cleonis piger (Scopoli) (Curculionidae), in Britain, suggesting a similar mode of development for the ichneumonid subfamily Acaenitinae as a whole. The parasitoid can overwinter in its cocoon in one of two ways. Individuals overwintering as essentially unaltered mature larvae do not become adult the following summer, while those that overwinter as morphologically distinct prepupae are committed to pupate and become adult immediately afterwards. The change from mature larva to prepupa takes place in late summer, soon after the time of cocoon formation, but a proportion of mature larvae lie over in the first year, and perhaps subsequently. This appears to be an adaptation to life in a particularly harsh and uncertain environment. The egg, prepupa, and first, second and final instar larvae are described and figured. Previous interpretations of the cephalic sclerites of final instar acaenitines are revised.     

Ureteral stent-associated infection and sepsis: pathogenesis and prevention: a review

Ureteral stents are commonly used devices in hospital settings. However, their usage is often complicated by associated urinary tract infections as a result of bacterial adhesion onto the indwelling implant surfaces, followed by the formation of layers of biofilm. Once formed, the biofilm is exceedingly difficult to remove, potentially leading to further morbidity and even urosepsis. Urosepsis, where pathogens from the urinary tract enter the bloodstream, has a mortality rate of up to 50% of severely infected patients. Hence, it is important to understand its pathogenesis. In this review, ureteral stent-associated urinary tract infection and urosepsis will be addressed. In particular, the bacterial mechanisms involved, as well as the prevention and treatment of these infections will be discussed.     

Endocardial cell epithelial-mesenchymal transformation requires Type III TGFβ receptor interaction with GIPC

An early event in heart valve formation is the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of a subpopulation of endothelial cells in specific regions of the heart tube, the endocardial cushions. The Type III TGFβ receptor (TGFβR3) is required for TGFβ2- or BMP-2-stimulated EMT in atrioventricular endocardial cushion (AVC) explants in vitro but the mediators downstream of TGFβR3 are not well described. Using AVC and ventricular explants as an in vitro assay, we found an absolute requirement for specific TGFβR3 cytoplasmic residues, GAIP-interacting protein, C terminus (GIPC), and specific Activin Receptor-Like Kinases (ALK)s for TGFβR3-mediated EMT when stimulated by TGFβ2 or BMP-2. The introduction of TGFβR3 into nontransforming ventricular endocardial cells, followed by the addition of either TGFβ2 or BMP-2, results in EMT. TGFβR3 lacking the entire cytoplasmic domain, or only the 3C-terminal amino acids that are required to bind GIPC, fails to support EMT in response to TGFβ2 or BMP-2. Overexpression of GIPC in AVC endocardial cells enhanced EMT while siRNA-mediated silencing of GIPC in ventricular cells overexpressing TGFβR3 significantly inhibited EMT. Targeting of specific ALKs by siRNA revealed that TGFβR3-mediated EMT requires ALK2 and ALK3, in addition to ALK5, but not ALK4 or ALK6. Taken together, these data identify GIPC, ALK2, ALK3, and ALK5 as signaling components required for TGFβR3-mediated endothelial cell EMT.     

HIV induces maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells and Langerhans cells

In HIV infection, dendritic cells (DCs) may play multiple roles, probably including initial HIV uptake in the anogenital mucosa, transport to lymph nodes, and subsequent transfer to T cells. The effects of HIV-1 on DC maturation are controversial, with several recent conflicting reports in the literature. In this study, microarray studies, confirmed by real-time PCR, demonstrated that the genes encoding DC surface maturation markers were among the most differentially expressed in monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs), derived from human blood, treated with live or aldrithriol-2-inactivated HIV-1(BaL). These effects translated to enhanced cell surface expression of these proteins but differential expression of maturation markers was only partial compared with the effects of a conventional potent maturation stimulus. Such partially mature MDDCs can be converted to fully mature cells by this same potent stimulus. Furthermore, live HIV-1 stimulated greater changes in maturation marker surface expression than aldrithriol-2-inactivated HIV-1 and this enhanced stimulation by live HIV-1 was mediated via CCR5, thus suggesting both viral replication-dependent and -independent mechanisms. These partially mature MDDCs demonstrated enhanced CCR7-mediated migration and are also able to stimulate interacting T cells in a MLR, suggesting DCs harboring HIV-1 might prepare CD4 lymphocytes for transfer of HIV-1. Increased maturation marker surface expression was also demonstrated in native DCs, ex vivo Langerhans cells derived from human skin. Thus, HIV initiates maturation of DCs which could facilitate subsequent enhanced transfer to T cells.     

An alternative method for genotyping of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ACE</Emphasis> I/D polymorphism

The mistyping of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) has been well documented, and new methods have been suggested here to improve the genotyping efficiency. Buccal cell samples were collected from 157 young Caucasians, and genotyped using previously known and newly developed PCR amplification genotyping techniques, as well as PCR-RFLP tests for three single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs4327, rs4341 and rs4343). Inconsistent genotyping results were found when using only the PCR amplification genotyping techniques across repeated attempts (8% to 45%), however, individual SNP genotyping was highly consistent (100%). Two SNPs (rs4341 and rs4343) were in complete LD and SNP rs4327 was in high LD with the ACE I/D. The ACE I/D was in HW equilibrium in the portion of the population with consistent genotyping results, whereas the three SNPs were not in HW equilibrium. The mistyping of ACE I/D by only PCR amplification can be improved using alternative methods.     

分子系统发育对中国芸香科分类的贡献

The treatment of Rutaceae in the Chinese flora chose to follow Engler in recognizing Rutoideae and Toddalioideae as two separate subfamilies. Morphological and chemical comparisons, however, suggested grouping those two subfamilies in one subfamily, Rutoideae. This move has received support from molecular phylogenetic analyses, which also showed that the Chinese taxa in Euodia should be placed in Tetradium and Melicope following Hartley. Investigations into the chemistry and molecular phylogeny of Murraya also indicated that the species in the section Bergera without yuehchukene should be removed from Murraya. These findings clearly show the value of molecular cladistics to the taxonomy of Rutaceae in China and also directions for further investigations. Key words Bergera, Euodia, Melicope, Murraya, Rutaceae, Rutoideae, Tetradium, Toddalioideae.     

Pride,personality, and the evolutionary foundations of human social status

Based on evolutionary logic, Henrich and Gil-White [Evolution and Human Behavior, 22(3), 165–196] distinguished between two routes to attaining social status in human societies: dominance, based on intimidation, and prestige, based on the possession of skills or expertise. Independently, emotion researchers Tracy and Robins [Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(3), 506–525] demonstrated two distinct forms of pride: hubristic and authentic. Bridging these two lines of research, this paper examines whether hubristic and authentic pride, respectively, may be part of the affective-motivational suite of psychological adaptations underpinning the status-obtaining strategies of dominance and prestige. Support for this hypothesis emerged from two studies employing self-reports (Study 1), and self-and peer-reports of group members on collegiate athletic teams (Study 2). Results from both studies showed that hubristic pride is associated with dominance, whereas authentic pride is associated with prestige. Moreover, the two facets of pride are part of a larger suite of distinctive psychological traits uniquely associated with dominance or prestige. Specifically, dominance is positively associated with traits such as narcissism, aggression, and disagreeableness, whereas prestige is positively associated with traits such as genuine self-esteem, agreeableness, conscientiousness, achievement, advice-giving, and prosociality. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for our understanding of the evolutionary origins of pride and social status, and the interrelations among emotion, personality, and status attainment.     

Addressing the "hardest puzzle in American pomology:" Phylogeny of Prunus sect. Prunocerasus (Rosaceae) based on seven noncoding chloroplast DNA regions

Prunus subg. Prunus sect. Prunocerasus (Rosaceae) is a North American taxon with 17 commonly recognized taxa. To test the hypothesis of monophyly for the section we sequenced the trnG and rpL16 introns and the trnH-psbA and trnS-trnG intergenic spacers for at least two representatives of each of the five subgenera in Prunus. Additionally we sampled heavily among Prunus subg. Prunus sections Prunus and Armeniaca and Prunus subg. Amygdalus because these groups are putatively most closely related to Prunocerasus. Once monophyly of sect. Prunocerasus was shown we added the sequences of trnL and rpS16 introns and the trnL-trnF spacer in an attempt to increase resolution within the section. The species of sect. Prunocerasus showed an initial split with P. subcordata, the only species from western North America, sister to the rest of the group. The remaining species fell into three primary clades. Within each of the three primary clades there was little phylogenetic resolution. Lastly, we present evidence that P. texana, previously classified in subg. Amygdalus, may be a plum or at least contain a Prunocerasus chloroplast. This is the first phylogenetic hypothesis presented for sect. Prunocerasus, and the clades recovered contrast sharply with previously defined groups based on morphological characters.     

Secretion of virulence proteins from Campylobacter jejuni is dependent on a functional flagellar export apparatus

Campylobacter jejuni, a gram-negative motile bacterium, secretes a set of proteins termed the Campylobacter invasion antigens (Cia proteins). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the flagellar apparatus serves as the export apparatus for the Cia proteins. Mutations were generated in five genes encoding three structural components of the flagella, the flagellar basal body (flgB and flgC), hook (flgE2), and filament (flaA and flaB) genes, as well as in genes whose products are essential for flagellar protein export (flhB and fliI). While mutations that affected filament assembly were found to be nonmotile (Mot-) and did not secrete Cia proteins (S-), a flaA (flaB+) filament mutant was found to be nonmotile but Cia protein secretion competent (Mot-, S+). Complementation of a flaA flaB double mutant with a shuttle plasmid harboring either the flaA or flaB gene restored Cia protein secretion, suggesting that Cia export requires at least one of the two filament proteins. Infection of INT 407 human intestinal cells with the C. jejuni mutants revealed that maximal invasion of the epithelial cells required motile bacteria that are secretion competent. Collectively, these data suggest that the C. jejuni Cia proteins are secreted from the flagellar export apparatus.