Assessing the ecological risk posed by a recently established invasive alien predator: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Harmonia axyridis</Emphasis> as a case study

Invasive alien predators are a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide. However, there is no generic method for assessing which local species are most at risk following the invasion of a new predator. The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is an alien in Europe and many other parts of the world where it affects other species of ladybirds through competition for food and intra-guild predation (IGP). Here, we describe a method developed to assess which European ladybird species are most at risk following the invasion of H. axyridis. The three components of the risk assessment are: the likelihood that the assessed native species encounters H. axyridis in the field, the hazard of competition for food, and the IGP hazard. Thirty native European ladybird species were assessed through data obtained from field observations, laboratory experiments and literature reviews. The species that are considered most at risk are found on deciduous trees, have immature stages which are highly vulnerable to IGP by H. axyridis, and are primarily aphidophagous. These species should be the focus of specific studies and possibly conservation actions. The risk assessment method proposed here could be applied to other alien predators which are considered a threat to native species through competition and predation.     

Identification of N alpha-acetyl-alpha-endorphin and N alpha-acetyl-gamma-endorphin isolated from the neurointermediate lobe of the rat pituitary gland

The peptides that represent the major components with alpha-endorphin- and gamma-endorphin-like immunoreactivity in the rat neurointermediate lobe were purified to homogeneity and chemically characterized. Rat neurointermediate lobes were extracted by boiling and homogenization in acetic acid. Peptide purification was based on gel filtration, followed by two high-pressure liquid chromatography steps. Pools containing peptides with the size and immunochemical properties of alpha- and gamma-endorphins were resolved by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography into multiple immunoreactive components. The major forms were finally purified by paired-ion high-pressure liquid chromatography. The amino acid compositions of these peptides fitted the beta-endorphin sequences 1-16 and 1-17. Tryptic mapping, aminopeptidase M digestion, chromatographic characterization, and immunoreactivity to an antiserum recognizing the N alpha-acetylated terminus of endorphins showed that these peptides were indistinguishable from N alpha-acetyl-alpha-endorphin (N alpha-acetyl-beta-endorphin 1-16), and N alpha-acetyl-gamma-endorphin (N alpha-acetyl-beta-endorphin 1-17). The NH2-terminal residue of the peptides was identified by mass spectrometry as N alpha-acetyltyrosine, substantiating the identity of the peptides. The results demonstrate the existence of N alpha-acetylated alpha- and gamma-endorphin as endogenous peptides in the neurointermediate lobe of the rat pituitary gland. In view of their occurrence and biological properties they should be considered significant members of the pro-opiomelanocortin family.     

Prevention of Vessel-Source Marine Pollution: A Note on the Challenges and Prospects for Chinese Practice Under International Law

This article examines China's domestic legal regime for the prevention of vessel source pollution. It pays special attention to the recently adopted Regulation on Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Vessels. Potential challenges and emerging issues that China has to confront are addressed, including: application of the legislation to disputed sea areas between China and its neighbors, freedom of navigation in the exclusive economic zone, reduction of emission from ships, and prevention of invasive species from ballast water.     

Increased serum IgM antibodies directed against phosphatidyl inositol (Pi) in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and major depression: evidence that an IgM-mediated immune response against Pi is one factor underpinning the comorbidity between both CFS and depression

Major depression and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are accompanied by signs of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) and an inflammatory response. Phosphatidyl inositol (Pi) is thought to play a role in depression. The aim of the present study is to examine whether depression and CFS are characterized by an IgM-mediated immune response directed against Pi. Toward this end, this study examines the serum IgM antibodies directed against Pi in 14 patients with major depression, 14 patients with CFS, 14 subjects with partial CFS, and in 11 normal controls. We found that the prevalence and mean value for the serum IgM levels directed against Pi were significantly greater in patients with major depression and CFS than in normal controls and patients with partial CFS. There were significant and positive correlations between serum IgM levels directed against Pi and two symptoms of the FibroFatigue Scale, i.e. fatigue and depression. The results show that an IgM-related immune response directed against Pi may occur in both depression and CFS and may play a role in the pathophysiology of the key symptom of CFS and major depression. It is suggested that the above disorders in Pi result from increased O&NS in both depression and CFS. Autoanti-Pi antibodies may have biological effects, for example, by changing inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), diacylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3) production, thus interfering with intracellular signalling processes. Future research in major depression and CFS should focus on the functional consequences of the immune responses directed against Pi.     

Production of an S RNase with dual specificity suggests a novel hypothesis for the generation of new S alleles

Gametophytic self-incompatibility in plants involves rejection of pollen when pistil and pollen share the same allele at the S locus. This locus is highly multiallelic, but the mechanism by which new functional S alleles are generated in nature has not been determined and remains one of the most intriguing conceptual barriers to a full understanding of self-incompatibility. The S(11) and S(13) RNases of Solanum chacoense differ by only 10 amino acids, but they are phenotypically distinct (i.e., they reject either S(11) or S(13) pollen, respectively). These RNases are thus ideally suited for a dissection of the elements involved in recognition specificity. We have previously found that the modification of four amino acid residues in the S(11) RNase to match those in the S(13) RNase was sufficient to completely replace the S(11) phenotype with the S(13) phenotype. We now show that an S(11) RNase in which only three amino acid residues were modified to match those in the S(13) RNase displays the unprecedented property of dual specificity (i.e., the simultaneous rejection of both S(11) and S(13) pollen). Thus, S(12)S(14) plants expressing this hybrid S RNase rejected S(11), S(12), S(13), and S(14) pollen yet allowed S(15) pollen to pass freely. Surprisingly, only a single base pair differs between the dual-specific S allele and a monospecific S(13) allele. Dual-specific S RNases represent a previously unsuspected category of S alleles. We propose that dual-specific alleles play a critical role in establishing novel S alleles, because the plants harboring them could maintain their old recognition phenotype while acquiring a new one.     

Structural analysis of the oligosaccharide alditols released from the jelly coat of Rana dalmatina eggs by reductive beta-elimination

A combination of ion-exchange chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been used to separate the reduced oligosaccharides produced by alkaline borohydride degradation of oviducal mucins obtained from the jelly coat of Rana dalmatina. The primary structures of 26 O-glycans were determined by one-dimensional and two-dimensional 1H and 1H13C NMR spectroscopy. As observed for 20 other amphibian species, these carbohydrate chains are highly species-specific. The main typical feature of the species R. dalmatina consists in the presence of the backbone Gal(beta1-3)[Gal(beta1-4)]Gal(beta1-3)GalNAc-ol, previously observed among Ranidae, such as R. temporaria and R. ridibunda. Nevertheless, the nature of carbohydrates present at the periphery of the glycans perfectly differentiates the three species.     

Effects of noise on the performance of rats in an operant discrimination task

Two experiments examined the effect of the presentation of an irregular, moderate intensity auditory stimulus ('noise') on the performance of rats in an operant discrimination task. In Experiment 1, rats first learned to press a lever in the presence of a visual stimulus but not in its absence. Discrimination performance was impaired during subsequent exposure to noise. In Experiment 2, different groups of rats learned the discrimination task under a noise or a no-noise condition. Thereafter, all rats were tested under each noise condition. Discrimination performance was best when the noise condition at test was identical to the noise condition at training. These results were discussed in the framework of arousal, distraction, generalization decrement, and contextual occasion setting. They point to the necessity of using a 2x2 factorial design in human and animal research on noise effects, with noise condition at training (noise present or absent) and noise condition at test (noise present or absent) as factors.