Upregulation of hemolymph and tissue ferritin by dietary HgCl2 in the wax moth Galleria mellonella

The effect of Hg treatment on hemolymph and tissue ferritin in the wax moth Galleria mellonella was examined by western blotting. At 48 h after feeding HgCl₂, the level of hemolymph ferritin increased approximately 1.8‐fold over that of control insects that were not fed HgCl₂, while there was a small increase in tissue ferritin. Time series experiments showed that tissue ferritin had a typically saturated pattern, with a maximum level from 24 to 72 h, although it decreased 12 h following HgCl₂ feeding, while hemolymph ferritin first decreased but subsequently increased. Tissue ferritin in the fat body, gut and Malpighian tubules, the main tissues of ferritin expression, was upregulated over time following treatment with Hg, and in particular, tissue ferritin in the gut increased by a large amount at 12–48 h. The results suggest that in G. mellonella, the ferritin‐inducible mechanisms following treatment with HgCl₂ are different for hemolymph and tissue ferritin, as are their biochemical properties.     

Production of Recombinant Hinnavin II/MSH Hybrid in Insect Cells

The increasing problem of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria requires development of new antimicrobial agents. For the purpose of this study, a cDNA encoding hinnavin II‐α‐melanocyte stimulating hormone (hin/MSH) hybrid was chemically synthesized, annealed, and then cloned into transfer vector pBacPAK 9 for expression in Sf21 insect cells. Recombinant hin/MSH (rhin/MSH) hybrid was efficiently produced in baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) as a hybrid peptide. The antibacterial activity of the rhin/MSH hybrid was compared to that of the recombinant hinnavin II (rhin), using inhibition zone and overlay assay. This new recombinant hybrid peptide may serve as an attractive candidate for powerful novel class of antimicrobial pharmaceuticals.     

First Record of the Family Passandridae in Korea (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea)

A taxonomic study of the Korean Passandridae is presented. The family, genus and species (Ancistria apicalis Reitter) are reported for the first time in Korea. Comparison with a lectotype was made. An illustration of the habitus and line drawings of diagnostic characters are provided.     

Four New Species of Symphypleona (Collembola) from Korea

ABSTRACT Four new species of Symphypleona, Ptenothrix plumiseta, Deuterosminthurus serratus, Sminthurus annulatus, Smithurinus distinctus , are described from Korea. Especially two genera, Deuterosminthurus and Sminthurinus are new record to Korea. Korean Collembola Symphypleona add up to 18 species, 11 genera in 6 family.     

Increased CO2 fixation by Pisum sativum chloroplasts in vitro reflecting a change in coupling caused by illuminating the plants

Illumination of pea plants caused a doubling in the rate ofCO₂ fixation by the subsequently isolated chloroplasts comparedwith the rate obtained for chloroplasts from plants in the dark.This enhancement in the CO₂ fixation rate was half-maximal for800 lux incident on the plants and was 90% light saturated at2000 lux. The half-time for the enhancement of the CO₂ fixationrate following illumination of the plants was about 4 min andthe half-time for its reversal when the plants were placed backin the dark was 5 min. Illuminating the plants had relativelylittle effect on the O₂ evolution rate of the subsequently isolatedchloroplasts. Moreover, the ferricyanide reduction rate by theisolated chloroplasts was also essentially unaffected by theillumination condition of the plants from which the chloroplastswere isolated. Consequently, light on the plant apparently causesa doubling in the CO₂ fixed per electron moving in the photosyntheticelectron transport pathway. This enhanced coupling is discussedin terms of a concomitant increase in endogenous photophosphorylationand flattening of the chloroplasts in vivo, other changes causedby light incident on the plant. (Received January 16, 1970; )     

Eleven new highly polymorphic microsatellite loci in the yellow croaker,Pseudosciaena crocea

We developed 11 new microsatellite markers in Pseudosciaena crocea by screening an enriched genomic library using nonradioactive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. All loci were found to be polymorphic with an average of 14.9 alleles per locus (range four to 30). The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.86 (range 0.57–1.00) and 0.90 (range 0.62–0.98), respectively. Four loci showed significant Hardy–Weinberg disequilibrium. The high variabilities revealed in this study suggest that these microsatellite loci should provide useful markers for population genetic studies of P. crocea.     

Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of Trimyema koreanum n. sp., a Ciliate from the Hypersaline Water of a Solar Saltern

ABSTRACT. A new ciliate, Trimyema koreanum n. sp., isolated from hypersaline water (salinity of 293‰) from a solar saltern in Korea, was investigated using live observation, protargol impregnation, and gene sequencing. Trimyema koreanum is about 30 × 13 μm in vivo, has usually 23 longitudinal ciliary rows forming two distinct ciliary girdles visible both in vivo and in protargol impregnation. A third indistinct ciliary girdle as well as a girdle of mucocysts is distinguishable only in impregnated cells. We suggest T. koreanum as a new species, differing from the most similar species, T. marinum, by the presence of two distinct ciliary girdles (T. marinum usually has six ciliary girdles clearly visible in living cells and three anterior spirals that encircle the cell completely). Although the number of known 18S rRNA sequences in the genus Trimyema was limited, the Trimyema group including T. koreanum forms a strong clade. The phylogenetic position confirms that the isolate belongs to the genus Trimyema and is different from previously sequenced species. Trimyema koreanum is able to consume both prokaryotes and small eukaryotes (specifically, the alga Dunaliella sp.).     

Molecular biological study on speciation and phylogeny of the order Entomobryomorpha (Collembola: Hexapoda)

In order to elucidate the phylogenetic relationship among groups of the order Entomobryomorpha (Collembola), the sequences on the ITS 1 to ITS 2 fragments of the rRNA gene were analyzed in 11 species of three families. In order to avoid the potential risks and inconsistencies of a single method or data set, the phylogenetic reconstructions were based on three different approaches: methods of maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and neighbor joining. The inferred phylogenies supported monophyly of the order Entomobryomorpha. The relationships between families were different, but the orders of branching within each family were the same. Entomobryidae and Isotomidae were paraphyletic, whereas Tomoceridae was monophyletic. Tomoceridae was subdivided into two branches; the molecular analysis provided results distinctive enough to separate the two genera by the high bootstrap value. On the other hand, two different populations of putative Homidia koreana appeared to be different species, although their chaetotaxy is identical. A wide coverage of characters, including not only morphological characters but also genetic data such as allozymes and DNA sequences, will give a more accurate picture of the classification and phylogeny of the studied group.