Hawaiian biogeography and the islands' freshwater fish fauna

Aim This paper describes known patterns in the distributions and relationships of Hawaiian freshwater fishes, and compares these patterns with those exhibited by Hawaii's terrestrial biota. Location The study is based in Hawaii, and seeks patterns across the tropical and subtropical Indo‐west Pacific. Methods The study is based primarily on literature analysis. Results The Hawaiian freshwater fish fauna comprises five species of goby in five different genera (Gobiidae). Four species are Hawaiian endemics, the fifth shared with islands in the western tropical Pacific Ocean. All genera are represented widely across the Indo‐west Pacific. All five species are present on all of the major Hawaiian islands. All five species are amphidromous – their larval and early juvenile life being spent in the sea. Although there has been some local phyletic evolution to produce Hawaiian endemics, there has been no local radiation to produce single‐island endemics across the archipelago. Nor is there evidence for genetic structuring among populations in the various islands. Main conclusions In this regard, the freshwater fish fauna of Hawaii differs from the well‐known patterns of local evolution and radiation in Hawaiian Island terrestrial taxa. Amphidromy probably explains the biogeographical idiosyncrasies of the fish fauna – dispersal through the sea initially brought the fish species to Hawaii, and gene flow among populations, across the archipelago, has hitherto inhibited the evolution of local island endemics, apparently even retarding genetic structuring on individual islands.     

Variation in Vertebral Number in Galaxiid Fishes (Teleostei: Galaxiidae): A Legacy of Life History, Latitude and Length

Mean vertebral counts among species of Galaxiidae vary curvilinearly with fish size – large species have more vertebrae (pleomerism). The relationship with size breaks down among adults of diadromous species. There is mostly no relationship between vertebral count and body shape, although an inverse relationship between count and body depth in a series of divergent small galaxiids may reflect a shift in swimming mode. Diadromous populations have more vertebrae than non-diadromous (landlocked) conspecifics (around the same number as related non-diadromous species). Diadromous species have more vertebrae than related non-diadromous species and exhibit rising vertebral number with increasing latitude (Jordan's rule applies). Regressions of vertebral number against latitude differ among conspecific populations from different regions, perhaps reflecting different relationships between latitude and local climate. Differences in counts between diadromous and non-diadromous species are not simply a direct influence of environment on ontogeny, as embryonic development of species/populations undertaking the two distinct life history strategies occurs in similar, freshwater habitats; differences seem likely to be evolved, and to reflect an advantage of higher vertebral counts in marine environments, where diadromous species live as juveniles. This conclusion is supported by correlation between vertebral counts and size of juveniles of diadromous species at return from the sea, suggesting selection for vertebral number during marine life. Overall, vertebral count is thus influenced by a complex amalgam of fish size, life history, and environment. The explanation for pleomerism may well be related to the scaling relationship between length and cross-sectional area (area rises by the square of length increase) leading to increasing stiffness with growth – compensated for in larger species by having more vertebrae. This could also be driven by scaling in the surface area of the articular facets of the vertebrae themselves.     

Historical biogeography of the New Zealand freshwater crayfishes (Parastacidae,Paranephrops spp.): Restoration of a refugial survivor?

Abstract

New Zealand's two species of freshwater parastacid crayfishes have allopatric distributions, with one species in the North Island and northwestern South Island and the other in the eastern and southern South Island and Stewart Island. This gives the appearance of a vicariance event driven by uplift of the Southern Alps beginning in the Pliocene, and of former land connections across both Cook Strait and Foveaux Strait. However, separation of the two species may date from before the Southern Alps were formed. A diverse series of historical geological events is invoked to explain details of the distributions of these two species. Absence of Paranephrops from intermontane valleys of eastern flanks of the Southern Alps is notably different from patterns seen in freshwater fish species.     

Localization of outer surface proteins A and B in both the outer membrane and intracellular compartments of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Borrelia burgdorferi B31 with and without outer membranes contained nearly identical amounts of outer surface proteins A and B. The majority of each immunogen also was localized intracellularly by immunocryoultramicrotomy. These results are inconsistent with the widely held belief that outer surface proteins A and B are exclusively outer membrane proteins.     

LFA-1–mediated Adhesion Is Regulated by Cytoskeletal Restraint and by a Ca2+-dependent Protease, Calpain

The activity of integrins on leukocytes is kept under tight control to avoid inappropriate adhesion while these cells are circulating in blood or migrating through tissues. Using lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) on T cells as a model, we have investigated adhesion to ligand intercellular adhesion molecule-1 induced by the Ca²⁺ mobilizers, ionomycin, 2,5-di-t-butylhydroquinone, and thapsigargin, and the well studied stimulators such as phorbol ester and cross-linking of the antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR)– CD3 complex. We report here that after exposure of T cells to these agonists, integrin is released from cytoskeletal control by the Ca²⁺-induced activation of a calpain-like enzyme, and adhesive contact between cells is strengthened by means of the clustering of mobilized LFA-1 on the membrane. We propose that methods of leukocyte stimulation that cause Ca²⁺ fluxes induce LFA-1 adhesion by regulation of calpain activity. These findings suggest a mechanism whereby engagement of the TCR could promote adhesion strengthening at an early stage of interaction with an antigen-presenting cell.     

The effect of vanadate upon the expression of phenylalanine hydroxylase in streptozotocin-diabetic rat liver.

Induction of diabetes in rats is associated with a significant elevation in the phenylalanine hydroxylating capacity of the liver. This phenomenon reflects an increase in the abundance of both phenylalanine hydroxylase protein and phenylalanine hydroxylase-specific mRNA. These changes can be abolished by insulin-dependent control of diabetes. We show here that the control of diabetes by oral administration of sodium orthovanadate will also nullify the diabetes-related alterations in phenylalanine hydroxylase expression. In addition, diabetes-induced changes in the extent of phosphorylation of phenylalanine hydroxylase are reversed by either insulin or vanadate treatment in vivo. These treatments also abolished the diabetes-related, approx. 30-fold, decrease in glucagon sensitivity of phenylalanine hydroxylation in isolated liver cells.     

The effect of exercise on circulating immunoreactive calcitonin in men

Moderate-duration exercise increases serum catecholamine and serum calcium levels and might as a result be also expected to increase the levels of circulating serum immunoreactive human calcitonin (HCT). To explore this possibility, HCT was studied during and after moderate duration symptom-limited dynamic exercise in 13 healthy males, mean age 28 +/- 6.9 (SD) years. The mean duration of exercise using the Bruce treadmill protocol was 14.1 +/- 2.2 (SD) minutes. The mean heart rate (HR) peaked at 185 +/- 6 (SD) bpm which was 96.1% of the predicted maximal HR for age. Values for HCT, uncorrected for changes in plasma volume, showed a minimal decrease in the recovery phase, whilst HCT corrected for changes in plasma volume did not alter during exercise or recovery. The serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) also did not change. At peak exercise, uncorrected but not corrected values for plasma noradrenaline, adrenaline and dopamine had increased significantly. Corrected plasma total calcium increased during recovery. In summary, dynamic weight-bearing moderate-duration exercise did not elevate HCT in healthy males.     

Specialization in the dentition of the southern graylings—genus Prototroctes (Galaxioidei: Prototroctidae)

The southern hemisphere graylings, Prototroctes oxyrhynchus Günther (1870) (New Zealand) and P. maraena Günther (1864) (Australia) have highly specialized dentition. The alimentary canal is longer than in other salmoniform fishes. These characters, and observations on feeding, suggest that Prototroctes is omnivorous.     

Intercellular junctions in nerve-free hydra

Summary Epithelial cells of nerve-free hydra contain septate and gap junctions. In thin sections the gap junctions are characterized by a gap of 3–4 nm. Freeze-fracture demonstrates the presence of septate junctions and two further types of structures: (i) the E-type or inverted gap junctions with particles in an en plaque conformation appearing as a raised plateau on the E-face or as a depression on the P-face; (ii) structures morphologically similar to gap junctions in rat liver, containing particles on the P-face and corresponding pits on the E-face, both having hexagonal packing with a lattice constant of 8 nm. We propose that these structures are also gap junctions.