Biodiversity Loss following the Introduction of Exotic Competitors: Does Intraguild Predation Explain the Decline of Native Lady Beetles?

Exotic species are widely accepted as a leading cause of biodiversity decline. Lady beetles (Coccinellidae) provide an important model to study how competitor introductions impact native communities since several native coccinellids have experienced declines that coincide with the establishment and spread of exotic coccinellids. This study tested the central hypothesis that intraguild predation by exotic species has caused these declines. Using sentinel egg experiments, we quantified the extent of predation on previously-common (Hippodamia convergens) and common (Coleomegilla maculata) native coccinellid eggs versus exotic coccinellid (Harmonia axyridis) eggs in three habitats: semi-natural grassland, alfalfa, and soybean. Following the experiments quantifying egg predation, we used video surveillance to determine the composition of the predator community attacking the eggs. The extent of predation varied across habitats, and egg species. Native coccinellids often sustained greater egg predation than H. axyridis. We found no evidence that exotic coccinellids consumed coccinellid eggs in the field. Harvestmen and slugs were responsible for the greatest proportion of attacks. This research challenges the widely-accepted hypothesis that intraguild predation by exotic competitors explains the loss of native coccinellids. Although exotic coccinellids may not be a direct competitor, reduced egg predation could indirectly confer a competitive advantage to these species. A lower proportion of H. axyridis eggs removed by predators may have aided its expansion and population increase and could indirectly affect native species via exploitative or apparent competition. These results do not support the intraguild predation hypothesis for native coccinellid decline, but do bring to light the existence of complex interactions between coccinellids and the guild of generalist predators in coccinellid foraging habitats.     

Comparative analysis of the DRADA A-to-I RNA editing gene from mammals, pufferfish and zebrafish

The DRADA gene in mammals encodes an A-to-I RNA editase, an adenosine deaminase that acts on pre-mRNAs to produce site specific inosines. DRADA has been shown to deaminate specific adenosine residues in a subset of glutamate and serotonin receptors, and this editing results in proteins of altered sequences and functional properties. DRADA thus plays a role in creating protein diversity. To study the evolutionary significance of this gene, we have characterized the genomic structure of DRADA from Fugu rubripes, and compared the protein sequences of DRADA from mammals, pufferfish and zebrafish. The DRADA gene from Fugu is three-fold compacted with respect to the human gene, and contains a novel intron within the large second coding exon. DRADA cDNAs were isolated from zebrafish and a second pufferfish, Tetraodon fluviatilis. Comparisons among fish, and between fish and mammals, of the protein sequences show that the catalytic domains are highly conserved for each gene, while the RNA binding domains vary within a single protein in their levels of conservation. Conservation within the Z DNA binding domain has also been assessed. Different levels of conservation among domains of different functional roles may reflect differences in editase substrate specificity and/or substrate sequence conservation.     

Microbial transformations of selenite by methane-oxidizing bacteria

Methane-oxidizing bacteria are well known for their role in the global methane cycle and their potential for microbial transformation of wide range of hydrocarbon and chlorinated hydrocarbon pollution. Recently, it has also emerged that methane-oxidizing bacteria interact with inorganic pollutants in the environment. Here, we report what we believe to be the first study of the interaction of pure strains of methane-oxidizing bacteria with selenite. Results indicate that the commonly used laboratory model strains of methane-oxidizing bacteria, Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, are both able to reduce the toxic selenite (SeO₃ ^2?) but not selenate (SeO₄ ^2?) to red spherical nanoparticulate elemental selenium (Se⁰), which was characterized via energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). The cultures also produced volatile selenium-containing species, which suggests that both strains may have an additional activity that can transform either Se⁰ or selenite into volatile methylated forms of selenium. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements and experiments with the cell fractions cytoplasm, cell wall and cell membrane show that the nanoparticles are formed mainly on the cell wall. Collectively, these results are promising for the use of methane-oxidizing bacteria for bioremediation or suggest possible uses in the production of selenium nanoparticles for biotechnology.

     

A leucine-rich repeat motif of Leishmania parasite surface antigen 2 binds to macrophages through the complement receptor 3

Membrane glycoconjugates on the Leishmania parasites, notably leishmanolysin and lipophosphoglycan, have been implicated in attachment and invasion of host macrophages. However, the function of parasite surface Ag 2 (PSA-2) and membrane proteophosphoglycan (PPG) has not been elucidated. In this study we demonstrate that native and recombinant Leishmania infantum PSA-2, which consists predominantly of 15 leucine-rich repeats (LRR) and a recombinant LRR domain derived from L. major PPG, bind to macrophages. The interaction is restricted to macrophages and appears to be calcium independent. We have investigated the PSA-2-macrophage interaction to identify the host receptor involved in binding and we show that binding of PSA-2 to macrophages can be blocked by Abs to the complement receptor 3 (CR3, Mac-1). Data derived from mouse macrophage studies were further confirmed using cell lines expressing human CR3, and showed that PSA-2 also binds to the human receptor. This is the first demonstration of a functional role for PSA-2. Our data indicate that in addition to leishmanolysin and lipophosphoglycan, parasite attachment and invasion of macrophages involve a third ligand comprising the LRRs shared by PSA-2 and PPG and that these interactions occur via the CR3.     

Molecular and Genetic Analysis of Rec103, an Early Meiotic Recombination Gene in Yeast

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at least 10 genes are required to begin meiotic recombination. A new early recombination gene REC103 is described in this paper. It was initially defined by the rec103-1 mutation found in a selection for mutations overcoming the spore inviability of a rad52 spo13 haploid strain. Mutations in REC103 also rescue rad52 in spo13 diploids. rec103 spo13 strains produce viable spores; these spores show no evidence of meiotic recombination. rec103 SPO13 diploids produce no viable spores, consistent with the loss of recombination. Mutations in REC103 do not affect mitotic recombination, growth, or repair. These phenotypes are identical to those conferred by mutations in several other early meiotic recombination genes (e.g., REC102, REC104, REC114, MEI4, MER2, and SPO11). REC103 maps to chromosome VII between ADE5 and RAD54. Cloning and sequencing of REC103 reveals that REC103 is identical to SKI8, a gene that depresses the expression of yeast double-stranded (``killer') (ds)RNA viruses. REC103/SKI8 is transcribed in mitotic cells and is induced ~15-fold in meiosis. REC103 has 26% amino acid identity to the Schizosaccharomyces pombe rec14(+) gene; mutations in both genes confer similar meiotic phenotypes, suggesting that they may play similar roles in meiotic recombination.     

Organization of ETRAMPs and EXP-1 at the parasite-host cell interface of malaria parasites

The parasite-host cell interface is a key compartment of vacuolated intracellular pathogens but little is known about its molecular composition and architecture. We used in vivo cross-linking to analyse the parasite-host cell interface of asexual stages of the most virulent human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We show that the integral membrane protein members of the early transcribed membrane protein (ETRAMP) family and exported protein 1 (EXP-1), which are components of the parasite-host cell interface, form complexes of oligomeric arrays in this compartment. The most notable feature is that each ETRAMP member and EXP-1 define separate arrays, demonstrating that the protein distribution in this membrane is non-random. Each of three recombinant ETRAMPs readily oligomerized in bacterial membranes, confirming that these arrays can form independently of other Plasmodium proteins. We propose that the malaria parasite-host cell interface contains patches of integral membrane proteins forming a mosaic of different microdomains in this membrane.