Multiplex PCR assay for malaria vector Anopheles minimus and four related species in the Myzomyia Series from Southeast Asia

Abstract. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Anopheles (Cellia) Myzomyia Series are important malaria vectors in Africa, India and Southeast Asia. Among 10 named species of Myzomyia known from the Oriental Region, seven form the An. minimus group. Even for expert taxonomists, the adults of these species remain difficult to identify morphologically. For technical staff of malaria control programmes, confusion may extend to misidentification of species that are not formally within the minimus group. For identification of specimens from Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam), we describe a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, based on rDNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences, that employs a cocktail of primers to identify An. minimus Theobald sibling species A and C (sensu; Green et al., 1990) and three other species in the An. minimus group (An. aconitus Dönitz, An. pampanai Büttiker & Beales, An. varuna Iyengar), as well as An. jeyporiensis James, also belonging to the Myzomyia Series. As the test is DNA‐based, it can be applied to all life stages of these mosquitoes for ecological investigations and vector incrimination studies. This PCR assay is simpler, quicker, cheaper and more readily interpreted than previous assays.     

Bulls, Bears, and Birds: Preparing the Financial Industry for an Avian Influenza Pandemic

Bulls, Bears, and Birds: Preparing the Financial Industry for an Avian Influenza Pandemic was a half day symposium on avian influenza for senior leaders and decision makers from the financial sector with responsibility for business continuity, health, and security. The event brought together experts and leaders from the medical, public health, business continuity, and financial communities to appraise financial industry leaders on the threat of avian influenza and to offer suggestions regarding what the financial industry could do to prepare and respond.     

Conservation genomics of Atlantic salmon: SNPs associated with QTLs for adaptive traits in parr from four trans-Atlantic backcrosses

European Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) differ in skin pigmentation and shape from the North American lineage of Atlantic salmon but the genetic basis of these differences are poorly understood. We created four large (N=300) backcross families by crossing F1 hybrid male siblings to two females from the European and two from the North American aquacultural strains. We recorded 15 morphological landmarks and two skin pigmentation, three growth and three condition traits on parr. The backcross families were genotyped for at least 129 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) within expressed sequence tags (ESTs) spaced throughout the Atlantic salmon linkage map. The high polymorphism and low rates of crossover in our hybrid sires provided enough statistical power to detect 79 significant associations between SNP markers and quantitative traits after experiment-wide permutation analysis for all families within traits. Linkage group AS22 contained a quantitative trait loci (QTL) for parr mark number; its homolog AS24 contained a large QTL, which explained 26% of the phenotypic variance in parr mark contrast. We found 25 highly significant QTLs for body shape and fin position on seven different linkage groups, and 16 for growth and condition on six different linkage groups. QTL(s) for pectoral fin position, caudal peduncle position, late parr growth and condition index were associated with an SNP on linkage group AS1, which was linked to the sex-determining locus. Our work adds to the evidence that much of the variation in growth rate, shape and skin pigmentation observed among Atlantic salmon parr from different natal streams is genetic.     

Respiratory-cardiovascular physiology and chloroethane gill flux in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

A fish respirometer-metabolism chamber was used to obtain in vivo respiratory-cardiovascular and chloroethane gill flux data on transected channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Methods used for spinal transection, attachment of an oral membrane (respiratory mast), placement and attachment of blood cannulas and urine catheters are described. Respiratory physiology, cardiac output and chemical extraction efficiencies for 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TCE), pentachloroethane (PCE), and hexachloroethane (HCE) were determined on 419–990 g catfish. The overall mean values (± s.d.) for ventilation volume (Q_v), effective respiratory volume (Q_w), oxygen consumption (Vo₂ and percentage utilization of oxygen (U) were 17-3 ±4–71 h^?1 kg^?1, 9·8±l·71 h^?1 kg^?1, 71·6±12·5mg h^?1 kg^?1, and 49± 10%, respectively, while cardiac output calculated via the Fick Method was 2·4±0·61 h^?1 kg^?1. Additional measurements were made on ventilation rate (V_r), total plasma protein, haematocrit (Hct), and urine volume; while both arterial and venous blood were analysed for pH, oxygen partial pressure (P02), carbon dioxide partial pressure (Pco₂), total oxygen (To₂), total carbon dioxide (Tco₂) and total ammonia (TAMM). Physiological measurements taken at 24 h were not significantly different from those taken at 48 h and indicated no deterioration of the in vivo preparation. All of these values agreed well with literature values on UTitransected channel catfish, except for Hct which was lower for cannulated animals used in this study. Overall, these data provide strong support for the use of transected channel catfish for in vivo collection of physiological and chemical gill flux data. The mean initial chemical extraction efficiencies for TCE, PCE and HCE were 41, 61 and 73%, respectively. Chemical clearances (Cl_X) for these same three chemicals were 5·9, 9·3 and 10·8 1 h^?1 kg^?1, respectively. The approximate 1: 1 relationship between effective respiratory volume (Q_w) and chemical clearance (Cl_x) indicated that branchial uptake of PCE and HCE was water flow-limited. Chemical gill flux observed for channel catfish and chloroethanes was similar to that observed for rainbow trout in previous studies and provided further support for the flow-limited model of chemical flux across fish gills.     

Oligosaccharins and Pectimorf? stimulate root elongation and shorten the cell cycle in higher plants

The aim was to test promotive effects of oligosaccharins on root growth and development at the root apical meristem and the cell cycle using the model systems, Arabidopsis thaliana and the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cell line. Arabidopsis was grown on medium supplemented with 0.1?mg L^?1 oligoxyloglucan (OX), 10?mg L^?1 Pectimorf^? (P) or 0.5?mg L^?1 indole butyric acid (IBA). Primary root length, number of lateral root primordia, root apical meristem (RAM) length and epidermal cell length were recorded. Three genotypes were used: wild type (WT) and transgenic lines expressing either Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Sp) cdc25 or over-expressing^(oe) Arath;WEE1. All treatments promoted primary root elongation but repressed lateral root production. Only P had a clear positive effect on meristem length whereas all other genotype?×?treatment interactions showed shorter RAMs. Whilst IBA, OX and P induced an increase in cell length in Spcdc25, the same treatments caused a significant decrease in WEE1 ^oe . Mitotic indices were also significantly higher in roots treated with oligosaccharins suggesting a shortening of the cell cycle. This hypothesis was tested in the BY-2 cell line. Both OX and P shortened the cell cycle exclusively through a shortening of G1 whilst mitotic cell size remained constant between treatments. In conclusion, both OX and P do indeed stimulate growth and shorten the cell cycle in higher plants and at the cellular level are able to reverse large and small cell size phenotypes normally exhibited by WEE1 ^oe and Spcdc25 genotypes, respectively.     

Keys to the genera of social wasps of South-East Asia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Illustrated identification keys are provided for higher taxa and all genera of social wasps found in South‐East Asia.