The use of volatile cues in recognition of kin eggs by predatory mites

1. Several animal species are known to distinguish between their own eggs and eggs of unrelated conspecifics. However, the cues involved in this discrimination are often unknown. These cues were studied using the predatory mite Gynaeseius liturivorus Ehara.
2. Adult females of these predatory mites oviposit in clusters and avoid oviposition close to eggs laid by other females, resulting in reduced cannibalism between offspring. Because predatory mites are blind, it was tested whether volatiles of eggs were used as a cue for egg recognition.
3. Adult female predatory mites were offered volatile cues of their own eggs and of unrelated conspecific eggs, and females were prevented from contacting the eggs. Predatory mites oviposited closer to their own eggs than to unrelated eggs. This preference was observed even when one own and one unrelated egg were offered as a volatile source.
4. These results suggest that adult female predatory mites can determine kinship using volatiles released from the eggs.

     

NESTMATE RECOGNITION AND KIN RECOGNITION IN ANTS

Abstract  All ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) are highly eusocial insects that are characterized by reproductive division of labor with sterile castes (worker and soldier) helping fertile castes (queen and male) to reproduce.
Ant societies, like other complex animal societies, have developed a sophisticated communication system, in which recognition behaviors are frequently involved Recognition abilities allow individuals to orient and modulate their behaviors effectively and appropriately in response to the characteristics andlor signals expressed by other organisms. Among recognition behaviors, nestmate recognition and kin recognition mechanisms have attracted great attention of sociobiologists, ecologists, insect physiologists and biochemists since 1970's. This is parallel with the popularization of Hamilton's kin selection theory. The present paper aims at reviewing the current understanding on nestmate/kin recognition in ants. This review consists of three parts. The first part concerns the diversity of recognition behaviors and their ecological implications with emphasis on nestmatelkin recognition; in the second part, the current understandings on the mechanism of nestmatelkin recognition are outlined; and in the third part, we discuss the ontogenetic development of nestmate recognition behavior and naturally mixed colonies. The study of the integration mechanism of social parasite may provide heuristic clues to the understanding of kin/nestmate recognition system.     

1-X-3 motif in inter-protein recognition: structures, widespreading and possible practical application.

Similarities in the discrete mode and size of contact areas of a wide range of protein complexes allows us to suggest the existence of a limited number of types of inter-protein interactions. Comparison of structures of bound determinants indicates that the double-module, 1-X-3 type of motif is widespread in recognition processes. Thus, in many cases, the sites of ligand recognition are formed by two significant amino acids and separated by insignificant ones. Typical examples of such motifs are the RGD sequence of some adhesive and haemostatic proteins, the primary sites for plasminogen sorption on the fibrin network, the reactive sites of protein inhibitors of serine proteinases, and the sites for activation of the hydrolysis of protein pro-forms and receptors. It is assumed that there is widespread double-module determinants in many inter-protein interactions.     

Cloning and comparison of Aα mating-type alleles of the basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune

Summary An A mating-type allele (A4) was isolated by walking the chromosome from the closely linked PAB1 gene. A cosmid clone containing the A1 allele isolated from the walk was used as a probe to recover the A1 allele from another cosmid library. Cosmids encoding mating-type activity were identified by transforming Schizophyllum cells and screening for activation of A-regulated development. Putative mating-type transformants were confirmed in mating tests and genetic analyses of progeny. The identity of the specific alleles isolated was demonstrated by showing that their effectiveness in transforming for mating type is limited to recipient strains possessing an A allele different from the one encoded by the cloned sequences. Transforming DNA is active in trans, suggesting that A encodes a diffusible product. Restriction mapping shows that A1 and A4 are coded in the same physical region of the genome, but within a subregion that contains extensive sequence divergence. In addition, Southern analyses show that there is only one copy of A1 or A4 per haploid genome, and that they do not cross-hybridize to one another or to any of the other A alleles. A1 and A4 were subcloned as 2.8 and 1.2 kb fragments, respectively, retaining in transformation all the mating-type activity demonstrated of the original cosmids.     

Digitalis receptor sugar binding site characteristics: A model based upon studies of Na+, K+-ATPase preparations with differing digitalis sensitivities

The structure-activity relationships of the genin moieties of digitalis glycosides are commonly elucidated by determining the inhibitory potency of a variety of genins toward the plasma membrane Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase; qualitatively these relationships appear to be fairly independent of the specific Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase preparation utilized for the analysis. To determine whether this is the case with regard to the sugar moieties of glycosides, the inhibitory effects of 12 monoglycosides of digitoxigenin toward four Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase preparations of different origin were measured. It was found that while recognition of the major structural determinants of sugar activity appeared to be independent of enzyme source, recognition of the minor structural determinants of activity showed some source dependence. It was also observed that the intrinsic sensitivity to sugar potentiation may be source dependent and unrelated to intrinsic sensitivity to inhibition by digitoxigenin. These observations are compatible with a model of the Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase sugar binding site(s) in which intrinsic sensitivity to sugar attachment as well as recognition characteristics (for sugar structural features) both determine the extent to which a sugar moiety may contribute to the activity of monoglycosides. Further, in these studies one of the Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase preparations employed was obtained from rat brain, a tissue known to contain a mixture of ouabain sensitive and insensitive isoforms. We have observed that the rigorous purification techniques employed appear to have selectively removed from or denatured the less ouabain sensitive al isoform found in this enzyme preparation.     

Interactions of chiral molecules with an (r)-n-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) phenylglycine HPLC stationary phase

Forty different chiral molecules were studied by liquid chromatography with a Pirkle-type, (R)-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) phenylglycine (DNBPG), chiral stationary phase column. The dramatic effect of a small molecular change on chiral recognition was demonstrated using DL-amino acid derivatives. The inductive effect on chiral recognition was also studied using trifluoro-, trichloro-, dichloro-, monochloroacetyl, and acetyl derivatives of four different chiral amines. The study of the enantiomer separation of 11 different crown ethers of 2,2′-binaphthyldiyl showed that the rigidity of the chiral center can be an additional parameter in chiral recognition for the DNBPG phase but not for a β-cyclodextrin bonded chiral phase. It is apparent from this study that steric effects, inductive effects, and molecular rigidity play important roles in chiral recognition with DNBPG chiral stationary phases.     

The Why and How of Species

The biological species concept deals both with the meaning of the sexual species as a harmonious gene pool and with its protection against deleterious outbreeding (effected by isolating mechanisms). According to the Darwin-Muller-Mayr theory isolating mechanisms are acquired by incipient species during alloparty. Isolating mechanisms are not the result of ad hoc selection, but of a change of function of properties acquired during the preceding isolation of the incipient species. The role of behavioral properties (recognition) among the isolating mechanisms has long been recognized and described by naturalists but was rejected as basis of a species definition for a number of valid reasons.     

Immunogold localization of acyl carrier protein in plants and Escherichia coli: Evidence for membrane association in plants

Immunogold labelling was used to study the distribution of acyl carrier protein (ACP) in Escherichia coli and a variety of plant tissues. In E. coli, ACP is distributed throughout the cytoplasm, confirming the observation of S. Jackowski et al. (1985, J. Bacteriol., 162, 5–8_. In the mesocarp of Avocado (Persea americana) and maturing seeds of oil-seed rape (Brassica napus cv. Jet Neuf), over 95% of the ACP is localised to plastids. The protein is almost exclusively located in the chloroplasts of leaf material from oil-seed rape. Approximately 80% of the gold particles associated with the ACP were further localized to the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast. Since acetyl-CoA carboxylase has been reported to be localized to the thylakoid membrane (C.G. Kannangara and C.J. Jensen, 1975, Eur. J. Biochem., 54, 25–30), these results are consistent with the view that the two sequential enzymes in fatty-acid synthesis are in close spacial proximity.Abbreviations ACC acetyl CoA carboxylase - ACP acyl carrier protein - FAS fatty-acid synthetase     

Occurrence and spacing of ribosome recognition sites in mRNAs of chloroplasts from higher plants

A computer-aided search for potential ribosome recognition sequences of mRNAs from tobacco chloroplasts shows that more than 90% of mRNA species contain sequences upstream of the respective initiator codons, which allow base pairing with 3′-terminal sequences of small subunit rRNA. This complementarity in several cases involves 16 S rRNA sequences between the canonical CCUCC sequence and the 3′-terminal stem/loop structure. The distances between potential ribosome recognition sequences and initiator codons can be up to 25 nucleotides which is much greater when compared to the spacing of 7±2 nucleotides observed for the classical Shine-Dalgarno sequences in bacterial mRNAs.     

Diversity in the immune system: “Preconceived ideas” or ideas preconceived?

Two concepts of the evolution and regulation of expression of the combining site repertoire of the immune system, are compared. One view is based on the Associative Recognition Theory as formulated by the author and the other is based on the Idiotype Network Idea as conceived by Jerne. The two concepts are analyzed from the point of view of their logic, internal consistency and factual support.