Personality‐Dependent Survival in the Marine Isopod Idotea balthica

We studied the fitness effects of animal personality by measuring activity and its relation to survival in the marine isopod Idotea balthica. We asked (1) whether activity could be considered to be a personality trait, (2) whether this trait is connected to survival, and (3) whether personality and survival exhibit sex differences. We found that activity fulfilled the criteria of personality as individuals had consistent between‐individual differences over time and across situations. Consistent individual differences in activity were associated with fitness as the survival probability of active individuals was lower, but this did not depend on sex. Our results demonstrate that personality exists in I. balthica and support recent suggestions that the association between personality and life‐history traits is a central component in mediating animal personality.     

Investigating the effects of topography and clonality on genetic structuring within a large Norwegian population of Arabidopsis lyrata

Background and Aims

The gene flow through pollen or seeds governs the extent of spatial genetic structure in plant populations. Another factor that can contribute to this pattern is clonal growth. The perennial species Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea (Brassicaceae) is a self-incompatible, clonal species found in disjunctive populations in central and northern Europe.

Methods

Fourteen microsatellite markers were employed to study the level of kinship and clonality in a high-altitude mountain valley at Spiterstulen, Norway. The population has a continuous distribution along the banks of the River Visa for about 1·5 km. A total of 17 (10 m × 10 m) squares were laid out in a north–south transect following the river on both sides.

Key Results

It is shown that clonal growth is far more common than previously shown in this species, although the overall size of the genets is small (mean diameter = 6·4 cm). Across the whole population there is no indication of isolation by distance, and spatial genetic structure is only visible on fine spatial scales. In addition, no effect of the river on the spatial distribution of genotypes was found.

Conclusions

Unexpectedly, the data show that populations of small perennials like A. lyrata can behave like panmictic units across relatively large areas at local sites, as opposed to earlier findings in central Europe.     

Degraded myelin-associated glycoprotein (dMAG) formation from pure human brain myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) is not mediated by calpain or cathepsin L-like activities

The myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) is a transmembrane cell adhesion molecule participating in myelin formation and maintenance. Calcium-activated/-dependent proteolysis of myelin-associated glycoprotein by calpain and cathepsin L-like activities has already been detected in purified myelin fractions, producing a soluble fragment, called degraded (d)MAG, characterized by the loss of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. Here, we demonstrate and analyze dMAG formation from pure human brain myelin-associated glycoprotein. The activity never exhibited the high rate previously reported in human myelin fractions. Degradation is time-, temperature-, buffer- and structure-dependent, is inhibited at 4 degrees C and by denaturation of the sample, and is mediated by a trans-acting factor. There is no strict pH dependency of the proteolysis. Degradation was inhibited by excess aprotinin, but not by 1-10 micro g/mL aprotinin and was not eliminated by the use of an aprotinin-sepharose matrix during the purification. dMAG formation was not enhanced by calcium, nor inhibited by a wide variety of protease inhibitors, including specific calpain and cathepsin L inhibitors. Therefore, while cysteine proteases may be present in human myelin membrane fractions, they are not involved in dMAG formation from highly purified human brain myelin-associated glycoprotein preparations.     

Antipsychotic drug treatment induces differential gene expression in the rat cortex

Antipsychotic drug treatment is known to modulate gene expression in experimental animals. In this study, candidate target genes for antipsychotic drug action were searched using microarrays after acute clozapine treatment (1, 6 and 24 h) in the rat prefrontal cortex. Microarray data clustering with a self-organizing map algorithm revealed differential expression of genes involved in presynaptic function following acute clozapine treatment. The differential expression of 35 genes most profoundly regulated in expression arrays was further examined using in situ hybridization following acute clozapine, and chronic clozapine and haloperidol treatments. Acute administration of clozapine regulated the expression of chromogranin A, synaptotagmin V and calcineurin A mRNAs in the cortex. Chronic clozapine treatment induced differential cortical expression of chromogranin A, son of sevenless (SoS) and Sec-1. Chronic treatment with haloperidol regulated the mRNA expression of inhibitor of DNA-binding 2 (ID-2) and Rab-12. Furthermore, the expression of visinin-like proteins-1, -2 and -3 was regulated by chronic drug treatments in various brain regions. Our data suggest that acute and chronic treatments with haloperidol and clozapine modulate the expression of genes involved in synaptic function and in regulation of intracellular Ca2+ in cortex.     

Responses of algae, bacteria, Daphnia and natural parasite fauna of Daphnia to nutrient enrichment in mesocosms

Understanding responses of parasites to changes in nutrient regimes is necessary for prediction of their role in aquatic ecosystems under global change in nutrient loading. We studied the response of the natural parasite fauna of Daphnia longispina to nutrient enrichment in mesocosms in a small humic lake. We measured the concentrations of inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen in the water, total nutrients in the seston, algal and bacterial biomass, Daphnia population dynamics, Daphnia stoichiometry, Daphnia stable isotope values and the presence and abundance of parasites in treated mesocosms as compared to three control ones. Incorporation of the nutrient enrichment in the food web was seen as increased nutrient concentrations in the epilimnion and as a decrease in carbon:nutrient ratios and δ¹⁵N values in Daphnia. Nutrient enrichment did not significantly influence algal, bacterial or Daphnia biomass. One of the four parasite species observed, unidentified small gut parasite, had a higher prevalence (percentage of Daphnia infected) in treated mesocosms, but its intensity (number of parasites per infected host) remained the same among treatments. Our results suggest that the effect of nutrient enrichment on host–parasite dynamics is dependent on complex interactions within food webs and on the epidemiological traits of parasites.     

A validated method for the detection and quantitation of 50 drugs of abuse and medicinal drugs in oral fluid by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Oral fluid is of increasing interest as an alternative sample matrix in drugs of abuse analysis. Compared to the conventional sample matrix blood, sample volumes of oral fluid are smaller and the concentrations of some drugs can be much lower. This imposes some restrictions on the analysis method, which has to be able to detect and quantify multiple analytes from a small sample volume at low concentrations. A sensitive multi-component method for quantitative determination of 50 drug compounds from oral fluid samples collected with the StatSure SalivaSampler? device was developed. The compounds analysed include cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, benzodiazepines and other psychoactive medicines. Both liquid–liquid-extraction (LLE) and solid-phase-extraction (SPE) are employed in the sample pre-treatment and the samples are analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with the mass selective detector (MSD) operating in either electron ionization (EI) or negative-ion chemical ionization (NICI) mode. The method was fully validated, and the validated parameters included linearity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, and extraction efficiency. Stability of the collected samples during storage at ?18 °C was also studied, and even after over a year's storage all analyte concentrations were more than 60% of the original concentrations. The described method is suitable for routine analysis of oral fluid samples and it has been applied to analysis of more than 4000 oral fluid samples collected anonymously from volunteer road users in Finland during 2007–2009 as a part of the EU project DRUID (Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines). At the moment the developed method is the most comprehensive validated analysis method for oral fluid samples.     

How does biodiversity conservation argumentation generate effects in policy cycles?

Arguments in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of biodiversity policy frame conservation in a range of ways and express interests that can be conflicting. Policy processes are cyclic and iterative by nature and as policies are constantly reformulated, argumentation has an important role at each policy stage. In this paper, we utilise the policy cycle model to shed light on biodiversity-related policy processes and the ways in which argumentation generates effects at different stages of these processes. The paper first draws on literature and the theory-driven assumptions are then illustrated with insights from four European case studies on different policy processes in which biodiversity conservation plays a role. The analysis shows that argumentation tends to evolve over the course of the policy cycle, and framing has a key role across the different policy stages. It is concluded that the ways in which arguments persist, accumulate, diffuse, and replace old arguments, should be the target of increased attention in policy analysis.     

Specific recognition of malondialdehyde and malondialdehyde acetaldehyde adducts on oxidized LDL and apoptotic cells by complement anaphylatoxin C3a

Oxidatively modified low-density lipoproteins (Ox-LDL) and complement anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a are colocalized in atherosclerotic lesions. Anaphylatoxin C3a also binds and breaks bacterial lipid membranes and phosphatidylcholine liposomes. The role of oxidized lipid adducts in C3a binding to Ox-LDL and apoptotic cells was investigated. Recombinant human C3a bound specifically to low-density lipoprotein and bovine serum albumin modified with malondialdehyde (MDA) and malondialdehyde acetaldehyde (MAA) in chemiluminescence immunoassays. No binding was observed to native proteins, LDL oxidized with copper ions (CuOx-LDL), or phosphocholine. C3a binding to MAA-LDL was inhibited by two monoclonal antibodies specific for MAA-LDL. On agarose gel electrophoresis, C3a comigrated with MDA-LDL and MAA-LDL, but not with native LDL or CuOx-LDL. C3a bound to apoptotic cells in flow cytometry. C3a opsonized MAA-LDL and was taken up by J774A.1 macrophages in immunofluorescence analysis. Complement-activated human serum samples (n=30) showed increased C3a binding to MAA-LDL (P<0.001) and MDA-LDL (P<0.001) compared to nonactivated samples. The amount of C3a bound to MAA-LDL was associated with total complement activity, C3a desArg concentration, and IgG antibody levels to MAA-LDL. Proteins containing MDA adducts or MAA adducts may bind C3a in vivo and contribute to inflammatory processes involving activation of the complement system in atherosclerosis.