Trail‐sharing among tropical ants: interspecific use of trail pheromones?

1. Trail‐sharing between different ant species is rare and restricted to a small number of species pairs. Its underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. For trail‐sharing to occur, two factors are required: (i) one or both species must recognise the other species or its pheromone trails and (ii) both species must tolerate each other to a certain extent to allow joint use of the trail. A species that follows another's trails can efficiently exploit the other's information on food sources contained in the pheromone trails. Hence, food competition and thus aggressive interactions between a species following another's trail and the species being followed, seem likely. 2. In the present study, we investigated interspecific trail following and interspecific aggression in trail sharing associations (i) among Polyrhachis ypsilon, Camponotus saundersi, and Dolichoderus cuspidatus, and (ii) among Camponotus rufifemur and Crematogaster modiglianii. We tested whether trail‐sharing species follow each other's pheromone trails, and whether the ants tolerated or attacked their trail‐sharing partners. In both associations, we confronted workers with pheromone trails of their associated species, and, for the former association, measured interspecific aggression among the trail‐sharing species. 3. In our assays, D. cuspidatus and C. rufifemur regularly followed heterospecific pheromone trails of P. ypsilon and C. modiglianii, respectively. However, only few workers of the remaining species followed heterospecific pheromone trails. Thus, shared trails of P. ypsilon and C. saundersi cannot be explained by interspecific trail‐following. 4. Interspecific aggression among P. ypsilon, C. saundersi, and D. cuspidatus was strongly asymmetric, C. saundersi being submissive to the other two. All three species differentiated between heterospecific workers from the same or another site, suggesting habituation to the respective trail‐sharing partners. We therefore hypothesise that differential tolerance by dominant ant species may be mediated by selective habituation towards submissive species and this way determines the assembly of trail‐sharing associations.     

Cryobanking of viable biomaterials: implementation of new strategies for conservation purposes

Cryobanking, the freezing of biological specimens to maintain their integrity for a variety of anticipated and unanticipated uses, offers unique opportunities to advance the basic knowledge of biological systems and their evolution. Notably, cryobanking provides a crucial opportunity to support conservation efforts for endangered species. Historically, cryobanking has been developed mostly in response to human economic and medical needs — these needs must now be extended to biodiversity conservation. Reproduction technologies utilizing cryobanked gametes, embryos and somatic cells are already vital components of endangered species recovery efforts. Advances in modern biological research (e.g. stem cell research, genomics and proteomics) are already drawing heavily on cryobanked specimens, and future needs are anticipated to be immense. The challenges of developing and applying cryobanking for a broader diversity of species were addressed at an international conference held at Trier University (Germany) in June 2008. However, the magnitude of the potential benefits of cryobanking stood in stark contrast to the lack of substantial resources available for this area of strategic interest for biological science — and society at large. The meeting at Trier established a foundation for a strong global incentive to cryobank threatened species. The establishment of an Amphibian Ark cryobanking programme offers the first opportunity for global cooperation to achieve the cryobanking of the threatened species from an entire vertebrate class.     

Mutations in NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase of Escherichia coli affect growth on mixed amino acids.

We isolated and characterized mutants defective in nuo, encoding NADH dehydrogenase I, the multisubunit complex homologous to eucaryotic mitochondrial complex I. By Southern hybridization and/or sequence analysis, we characterized three distinct mutations: a polar insertion designated nuoG::Tn10-1, a nonpolar insertion designated nuoF::Km-1, and a large deletion designated delta(nuoFGHIJKL)-1. Cells carrying any of these three mutations exhibited identical phenotypes. Each mutant exhibited reduced NADH oxidase activity, grew poorly on minimal salts medium containing acetate as the sole carbon source, and failed to produce the inner, L-aspartate chemotactic band on tryptone swarm plates. During exponential growth in tryptone broth, nuo mutants grew as rapidly as wild-type cells and excreted similar amounts of acetate into the medium. As they began the transition to stationary phase, in contrast to wild-type cells, the mutant cells abruptly slowed their growth and continued to excrete acetate. The growth defect was entirely suppressed by L-serine or D-pyruvate, partially suppressed by alpha-ketoglutarate or acetate, and not suppressed by L-aspartate or L-glutamate. We extended these studies, analyzing the sequential consumption of amino acids by both wild-type and nuo mutant cells growing in tryptone broth. During the lag and exponential phases, both wild-type and mutant cells consumed, in order, L-serine and L-aspartate. As they began the transition to stationary phase, both cell types consumed L-tryptophan. Whereas wild-type cells then consumed L-glutamate, glycine, L-threonine, and L-alanine, mutant cells utilized these amino acids poorly. We propose that cells defective for NADH dehydrogenase I exhibit all these phenotypes, because large NADH/NAD+ ratios inhibit certain tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, e.g., citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase.     

拐芹根化学成分研究Ⅱ

从伞型科当归属植物拐芹(Angelica polymorpha Maxim)的根及根茎中又分得4个结晶性化合物。经物理常数测定、光谱分析,分别鉴定为欧前胡素Ⅰ,异氧化前胡内酯Ⅱ,Pabulenol Ⅲ,Phellopterin Ⅳ。     

Assessment of DNA damage and its modulation by dietary and genetic factors in smokers using the Comet assay: a biomarker model

Methods are needed to assess exposure to genotoxins in humans and to improve understanding of dietary cancer prevention. The Comet assay was used to detect smoking-related exposures and dietary modulations in target tissues. Buccal scrapings, blood and faeces were collected from 38 healthy male volunteers (smokers and non-smokers) during a dietary intervention study with bread supplemented with prebiotics±antioxidants. GSTM1-genotype was determined with PCR. Buccal and peripheral lymphocytes were analysed for DNA damage using the Comet assay. Genotoxicity of faecal water (FW) was assayed in human colon HT29 clone 19A cells. 'Tail intensity' (TI) was used as a quantitative indicator of DNA damage in the Comet assay. Intervention with bread reduced DNA damage in lymphocytes of smokers (8.3±1.7% TI versus 10.2±4.1% TI, n=19), but not of non-smokers (8.6±2.8% TI versus 8.3±2.7% TI, n=15). Faecal water genotoxicity was reduced only in non-smokers (9.4±2.9% TI versus 18.9±13.1% TI, n=15) but not in smokers (15.5±10.7% TI versus 20.4±14.1% TI, n=13). The Comet assay was efficient in the detection of both smoking-related exposure (buccal cells) and efficacy of dietary intervention (faecal samples). Smokers and non-smokers profited differently from the intervention with prebiotic bread±antioxidants. Stratification of data by genotype enhanced specificity/sensitivity of the intervention effects and contributed important information on the role of susceptibility.     

Cerapeplus gen.n. and the classification of micropeplids (Coleoptera: Micropeplidae)

Cerapeplus siamensis gen.n., sp.n. from Thailand is described and illustrated. The new genus is characterized by filament-based lamellar secretions arising from the lateral body margin, a feature observed for the first time in Coleoptera. Possible autapomorphies for the micropeplid genera are discussed. It is concluded that Cerapeplus and Kalissus are monophyletic; Micropeplus and/Or Peplomicrus are probably polyphyletic but both genera together form a monophyletic group. A number of characters support the family status of the micropeplids recently proposed by some authors. A revised family diagnosis is provided.