Cholesterol and phosphatidylethanolamine lipids exert opposite effects on membrane modulations caused by the M2 amphipathic helix

Membrane curvature remodeling induced by amphipathic helices (AHs) is essential in many biological processes. Here we studied a model amphipathic peptide, M2AH, derived from influenza A M2. We are interested in how M2AH may promote membrane curvature by altering membrane physical properties. We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine changes in membrane topographic and mechanical properties. We used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to explore changes in lipid chain mobility and chain orientational order. We found that M2AH perturbed lipid bilayers by generating nanoscale pits. The structural data are consistent with lateral expansion of lipid chain packing, resulting in a mechanically weaker bilayer. Our EPR spectroscopy showed that M2AH reduced lipid chain mobility and had a minimal effect on lipid chain orientational order. The EPR data are consistent with the surface-bound state of M2AH that acts as a chain mobility inhibitor. By comparing results from different lipid bilayers, we found that cholesterol enhanced the activity of M2AH in inducing bilayer pits and altering lipid chain mobility. The results were explained by considering specific M2AH-cholesterol recognition and/or cholesterol-induced expansion of interlipid distance. Both AFM and EPR experiments revealed a modest effect of anionic lipids. This highlights that membrane interaction of M2AH is mainly driven by hydrophobic forces. Lastly, we found that phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids inhibited the activity of M2AH. We explained our data by considering interlipid hydrogen-bonding that can stabilize bilayer organization. Our results of lipid-dependent membrane modulations are likely relevant to M2AH-induced membrane restructuring.     

Revision of the Ceratocapsine Renodaeus group: Marinonicoris,Pilophoropsis, Renodaeus,and Zanchisme,with descriptions of four new genera (Heteroptera,Miridae, Orthotylinae)

The Renodaeus group, a monophyletic assemblage of genera within the New World orthotyline tribe Ceratocapsini, comprising eight genera, including four new ones, is defined; and 48 species are treated, including 26 described as new and 12 transferred from Ceratocapsus Reuter as new combinations. Ceratocapsidea gen. n. is described to accommodate the new species Ceratocapsidea bahamaensis sp. n., from the Bahamas; Ceratocapsidea baranowskii sp. n., from Jamaica; Ceratocapsidea dominicanensis sp. n., from the Dominican Republic; Ceratocapsidea rileyi sp. n., from Texas; Ceratocapsidea taeniola sp. n., from Jamaica; Ceratocapsidea texensis sp. n., from Texas; Ceratocapsidea transversa sp. n., from Mexico (Neuvo León); and Ceratocapsidea variabilis sp. n., from Jamaica; and Ceratocapsus balli Knight, comb. n., Ceratocapsus complicatus Knight, comb. n., Ceratocapsidea consimilis Reuter, comb. n., Ceratocapsus fusiformis Van Duzee, comb. n. (as the type species of the genus), Ceratocapsus nigropiceus Reuter, comb. n., and Ceratocapsus rufistigmus Blatchley, comb. n. [and a neotype designated], Ceratocapsus clavicornis Knight, syn. n. and Ceratocapsus divaricatus Knight, syn. n. are treated as junior synonyms of Ceratocapsus fusiformis Van Duzee. The genus Marininocoris Carvalho and the only included species Marinonicoris myrmecoides Carvalho are redescribed. The genus Pilophoropsis Poppius is redescribed and revised, Renodaeus texanus Knight, comb. n. is transferred into it and the three new species Pilophoropsis bejeanae sp. n., from Sonora, Mexico; Pilophoropsis cunealis sp. n., from Oaxaca, Mexico; Pilophoropsis quercicola sp. n., from Arizona, USA, are described. Pilophoropsidea gen. n. is described to accommodate the 12 new species Pilophoropsidea brailovskyi sp. n., from Federal District, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea cuneata sp. n., from Chiapas, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea dimidiata sp. n., from Durango, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea fuscata sp. n., from Durango, Mexico and Arizona and New Mexico, USA; Pilophoropsidea keltoni sp. n., from Durango, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea maxima sp. n., from Durango, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea pueblaensis sp. n., from Puebla, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea schaffneri sp. n., from Neuvo León and San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea serrata sp. n., from Michoacan, Mexico; Pilophoropsidea touchetae sp. n., from Mexico (Puebla); Pilophoropsidea truncata sp. n., from Mexico (Guerrero); Pilophoropsidea tuberculata sp. n., from Mexico (Guerrero); and Ceratocapsus barberi Knight, comb. n., Ceratocapsus camelus Knight, comb. n. (as the type species of the genus), and Ceratocapsus fascipennis Knight, comb. n. Pilophoropsita gen. n. is described to accommodate Pilophoropsidea schaffneri sp. n. from Costa Rica and Mexico (Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca). The genus Renodaeus Distant is redescribed and the new species Renodaeus mimeticus sp. n. from Ecuador is described. The genus Zanchisme Kirkaldy is reviewed and the four known species are redescribed. Zanchismeopsidea gen. n. is described to accommodate Zanchismeopsidea diegoi sp. n. from Argentina (Santiago del Estero). Provided are habitus illustrations for certain adults (Pilophoropsidea camelus, Pilophoropsis brachyptera Poppius, Renodaeus mimeticus, and Zanchisme mexicanus Carvalho & Schaffner), male and female (when available) color digital images and figures of male genitalia of all species, electron photomicrographs of diagnostic characters for selected species, and keys to the genera and their included species. The taxa treated in this paper are arranged alphabetically by genus and species.     

Tumidusternus,a new genus of Aspidimerini from China (Coleoptera,Coccinellidae)

Tumidusternus gen. n., along with Tumidusternus fujianensis sp. n. (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae, Aspidimerini) from China is described and illustrated. A key to the tribe Aspidimerini is given.     

Revision of the Afrotropical genus Notomela Jacoby, 1899 with description of N. joliveti sp. n. from Principe Island (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae,Alticini)

The Afrotropical flea beetle genus Notomela Jacoby, 1899 is reviewed. Notomela joliveti sp.n. from Principe Island is described. The following new synonymies are established: Notomela cyanipennis Jacoby, 1899 = Notomela viridipennis Bryant, 1941, syn. n. = Notomela cyanipennis macrosoma Bechyné, 1959, syn. n. In addition, the new combination is established: Notomela fulvofasciata Jacoby, 1903 is transfered to Amphimela [Amphimela fulvofasciata (Jacoby, 1903), comb. n.]. Micrographs of male and female genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of some diagnostic morphological characters, a key to identification, and distributional data for all species of Notomela, are provided.     

Description of Telamoptilia grewiae sp. n. and the consequences for the definition of the genera Telamoptilia and Spulerina (Lepidoptera,Gracillariidae, Gracillariinae)

The new species Telamoptilia grewiae, reared from leafmines on Grewia biloba (Malvaceae) is described with details on adult and immature stages. The larval head and the pupa are described for the first time in Telamoptilia Kumata & Kuroko, 1988, and are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and line drawings. Photographs of adult habitus, wing venation, male and female genitalia, as well as host plant and mines are provided. The apomorphic adult and larval characters of the new species in Telamoptilia are discussed in relation to the recognition of the genera Telamoptilia and Spulerina Vári, 1961.     

A review of the genus Toxorhina Loew from China,with descriptions of three new species (Diptera,Limoniidae, Limoniinae)

The genus Toxorhina Loew from China is reviewed. Seven species belonging to the subgenus Ceratocheilus Wesche are recognized, of which three species, Toxorhina (Ceratocheilus) huanglica sp. n., Toxorhina (Ceratocheilus) omnifusca sp. n. and Toxorhina (Ceratocheilus) univirgata sp. n., are described as new to science, Toxorhina (Ceratocheilus) fuscolimbata Alexander is recorded from China for the first time, and three known species are redescribed and illustrated.     

A second species of Cheleion from Johor,Malaysia (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae,Stereomerini)

A new species of the genus Cheleion Vårdal & Forshage, 2010, Cheleion jendeki sp. n., from Johor, Malaysia is described, illustrated and compared with the type species of the genus, Cheleion malayanum Vårdal & Forshage, 2010. Photographs of the two species are presented. The adaptation to inquilinous lifestyle of Cheleion is compared with those in other beetle groups and briefly discussed.     

Can whole-drawer images measure up? A reply to Johnson et al. (2013)?

Johnson et al. (2013) found that morphometric measurements of dragonfly wings taken from actual specimens and measurements taken from whole-drawer images of those specimens were equally accurate. We do not believe that their conclusions are justified by their data and analysis. Our reasons are, first, that their study was constrained in ways that restrict the generalisability of their results, but second, and of far greater significance, their statistical approach was entirely unsuited to their data and their results misled them to erroneous conclusions. We offer an alternative analysis of their data as published. Our reanalysis demonstrates, contra Johnson et al., that measurements from scanned images are not a reliable substitute for direct measurement.