Testing the ecological relevance of Daphnia species designations

1. Molecular approaches have increasingly revealed hidden genetic structure within ecologically important species, leading to the creation of sibling species whose ecological relevance is often unclear. A prime example is Daphnia galeata mendotae, which was split into D. dentifera and D. mendotae based on differences at two allozyme loci. 2. In a set of lake populations in Michigan USA, we test the geographical and temporal consistency of the genetic structure underlying this species split. We also test the morphological relevance of this molecular variation and its ecological significance in lakes. In essence, we ask: does recognition of these new species provide valuable information for plankton ecologists? 3. We found that D. dentifera and D. mendotae represent morphologically and ecologically distinct forms that are distributed among lakes in non‐random fashion, which were remarkably stable over 6 years. Key differences between the species concern their body and head shape, vertical habitat use within lakes and distribution among lakes of different size. We hypothesise that these differences represent specialisation to habitats that differ in risk of invertebrate predation. 4. Reproductive barriers alone are insufficient to explain the pattern of genetic structure; in some lakes complete introgression is apparent. However, parent species and hybrids exhibit a stable co‐existence in many lakes, which suggests that ecological specialisation reinforces divergence within this taxon.     

Diallel analysis for mineral element absorption in tropical adapted soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]

The Brazilian tropical adapted soybeans contains, in addition to superior morphological characters, genetic factors for tolerance to cultivation in acidic, mineral-stressed soils. However, the selection process for these hindrances has been empirical, and information on the genetics of mineral element uptake by the plant is necessary. The objective of this investigation was to identify the mode of inheritance for the absorption of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, aluminium, manganese, zinc and copper in a 9 × 9 diallel cross. General combining ability (GCA) was higher than specific combining ability (SCA), with the exception of copper, manganese and zinc, indicating predominantly additive effects. The ratios of GCA/SCA varied between 3.4 (calcium) and 8.5 (magnesium). The regression of covariance (W_r) on variance (V_r) showed that the additive-dominance model explained the genetic differences in this germ plasm. However, the detection of overdominance could be related to possible heterozygosity in the parental varieties for mineral absorption. Broad-sense heritability values were higher than narrow sense heritability values for aluminium, iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium, being in the range of 67.9–86.9% and 42.0–56.6%, respectively. This is an indication that soybeans can be further improved to efficient utilisation of nutrients and to tolerate toxic factors in the soil.     

Genetics and cytology of a new genic male-sterile soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

 Genetic and cytological studies were conducted with a new male-sterile, female-fertile soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] mutant. This mutant was completely male sterile and was inherited as a single-recessive gene. No differences in female or male gamete transmission of the recessive allele were observed between reciprocal cross-pollinations in the F₁ or F₂ generations. This mutant was not allelic to any previously identified soybean genic male-sterile mutants: ms1, ms2, ms3, ms4, ms5, or ms6. No linkage was detected between sterility and flower color (W1 locus), or between sterility and pubescence color (T1 locus). Light microscopic and cytological observations of microsporogenesis in fertile and sterile anthers were conducted. The structure of microspore mother cells (MMC) in male-sterile plants was identical to the MMCs in male-fertile plants. Enzyme extraction analyses showed that there was no callase activity in male-sterile anthers, and this suggests that sterility was caused by retention of the callose walls, which normally are degraded around tetrads at the late tetrad stage. The tapetum from male-sterile anthers also showed abnormalities at the tetrad stage and later stages, which were expressed by an unusual formation of vacuoles, and by accumulation of densely staining material. At maturity, anthers from sterile plants were devoid of pollen grains. Received: 13 May 1996 / Revision accepted: 19 August 1996     

Nitrogen,phosphorus and Daphnia grazing in controlling phytoplankton biomass and composition – an experimental study

The role of nitrogen as a factor controllingphytoplankton biomass was studied in nutrientenrichment incubations in the laboratory using waterfrom pelagic region of two mesotrophic lakes ineastern Finland, Lake Kallavesi (in year 1994) andLake Juurusvesi (in year 1995). We used differentcombinations of phosphorus and nitrogen additions ina total of eight experiments. Furthermore, we includedDaphnia grazing treatment to the experimentaldesign in Lake Juurusvesi experiments. The nitrogentreatments did not increase chlorophyll aconcentration in any of the experiments compared withthe controls. Chlorophyll a content was highestin those nutrient treatments where phosphorus wasadded with or without nitrogen. Daphnia grazingdecreased chlorophyll a concentration comparedwith non-grazed treatments. In some cases grazing alsocaused higher ammonium concentrations. Theseexperiments, as well as the nutrient ratio of the lakewater used, suggest that phosphorus is likely tocontrol the amount of phytoplankton biomass. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cues from injured Daphnia and from cyclopoids feeding on Daphnia can modify life histories of conspecifics

Size, age and number of offspring at the first and subsequent tworeproductions were compared in Daphnia treated with cues frominvertebrate predators (adult Cyclopoida fed Daphnia)and from crushed conspecifics. Daphnia in the presence ofinvertebrate predators had earlier maturation, greater size atfirst and subsequent reproductions and a larger number of offspringthan control animals, while the opposite (later maturation andsmaller size at subsequent reproductions) happened when Daphnia were treated with homogenate from crushedconspecifics.     

Light-induced swimming of Daphnia: can laboratory experiments predict diel vertical migration?

Vertical displacement velocity of a Daphniagaleata × hyalina clone was quantified inrelation to changes in the relative rate of lightchange. An increase in the latter variable triggers anenhanced swimming response, and this response is againelicited when a second increase in the rate ofrelative light increase is applied. Decreases in therate of light increase affect phototactic swimming ina similar way. The acceleration/deceleration assistedstimulus-response system is an extension of the ideaof phototaxis as the underlying behavioural mechanismfor vertical migration, and suggests that continuousaccelerations in light change also affect verticaldisplacements observed in the field. A simple dielvertical migration simulation model was used tocalculate the vertical displacement of Daphniain relation to the natural light change at sunrise.The calculated vertical displacement fits nicely inthe temporal range of the observed averaged downwardmigration of adult Daphnia in Lake Maarsseveen.The calculated migration amplitude, however, islarger than the change in mean population depthobserved in nature.     

Binding of simple carbohydrates and some N-acetyllactosamine-containing oligosaccharides to Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin as followed with a fluorescent indicator ligand

Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin, a dimeric lectin [J. L. Iglesias, et al. (1982) Eur. J. Biochem.123, 247–252] was shown by equilibrium dialysis to be bivalent for 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-galactoside. Upon binding to the lectin, this ligand showed a difference absorption spectrum with two maxima (at 322 and 336 nm) of equal intensity (Δ? = 1.2 × 10³m^?1 cm^?1). A similar spectrum with a comparable value of Δ? was obtained with 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-d-galactosaminide. Binding of methyl-α-d-galactoside, lactose, and N-acetyllactosamine all produced small but equally intense protein difference spectra with a maximum (Δ? = 2.8 × 10² M^?1 cm^?1) at 291.6 nm. Upon binding of N-dansyl-d-galactosamine to the lectin, there was a fivefold increase in fluorescence intensity of this ligand. The association constant for N-dansyl-d-galactosamine was caused by a very favorable ΔS° of the dansyl group without affecting the strictly carbohydrate-specific character of binding. N-Dansyl-d-galactosamine was employed as a fluorescent indicator ligand in substitution titrations. This involved the use of simple carbohydrates, N-acetyllactosamine, and oligosaccharides which occur in the carbohydrate units of N-glycoproteins; the latter were Gal(β → 4)GlcNAc(β1 → 2)Man, Gal(β1 → 4)GlcNAc(β1 → 6)Man, and Gal(β1 → 4)GlcNAc(β1 → 6)[Gal(β1 → 4)GlcNAc(β1 → 2)]Man. The titrations were performed at two temperatures to determine the thermodynamic parameters. In the series N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, methyl-α-d-galactoside, and lactose, ?ΔH° increased from 24 to 41 kJ mol^?1; it increased further for N-acetyllactosamine and then remained unchanged for the N-acetyllactosamine-containing oligosaccharides (55 ± 1 kJ mol^?1). This indicated that the site specifically accommodated the disaccharide structure with an important contribution of the 2-acetamido group in the penultimate sugar. Beyond this, no additional contacts seemed to be formed. This conclusion also followed from considerations of ΔS° values which became more unfavorable in the above series (?23 to ?101 ± 4 J mol^?1 K^?1); the most negative value of ΔS° was observed with N-acetyllactosamine and the three N-acetyllactosamine-containing oligosaccharides.     

Patterns of cell polarity in the developing mouse limb

Most cells have a morphological polarity with the centrioles and Golgi apparatus occupying one pole of the cell and the nucleus the other. This structural polarity often correlates with functional polarity as in secretory epithelia where the Golgi apparatus moves to the pole of the cell from which secretory materials are exreted. In limb development an interaction of unknown mechanism occurs between the epithelium and mesenchyme. We have evaluated the pattern of cell polarity using silver impregnation of the Golgi apparatus in limb epithelium and mesenchyme of mouse embryos from day 9.5, when limbs are first visible, to day 15, when cartilage formation is complete. Cells in the epithelium almost always have the Golgi apparatus in the apex of the cell, i.e., oriented away from the basement membrane. The layer of mesenchyme cells just beneath the basement membrane initially has only 16 to 25% of the cells oriented toward the basement membrane. A marked shift in orientation occurs between days 12 and 13 so that from days 13 to 15 up to 53% of the mesenchyme cells are oriented toward the basement membrane. This shift in orientation occurs more slowly in the mesenchyme at a depth of four cells below the basement membrane. This changing pattern of mesenchymal cell polarity occurs at a time when there is an apparent increase in the amount of extracellular matrix, especially in the region just below the basement membrane.     

An experimental test of the efficiency of family selection in chickens

Summary Responses to single trait selection on individual phenotype and sire-family mean phenotype for survivor's egg weight and rate of lay were measured for a single generation in 13 replicates. Each replicate-selection criterion-trait subclass consisted of eight sire families or 72 females measured and was reproduced from the best 25% of the families or individuals. The realized heritability of egg weight was 0.39 and that of rate of lay was 0.31, both of which were significantly greater than zero but not significantly different from the predicted values based on halfsib correlations in the base population.The standardized response to sire-family selection was less than the response to individual selection for both traits and the difference was significant for rate of lay (0.10; 0.31) but not for egg weight (0.22; 0.39). The predicted responses to sire-family selection were less than those for individual selection for both traits, and the observed responses to sire-family selection were not significantly different from the predicted values for either trait.These experimental results do not disagree with the theoretical expectations of the relative efficiencies of individual and sire-family selection.Journal paper no. 7479, Purdue University, Agricultural Experiment Station. This investigation was conducted as a part of the cooperative research of the NC-89 Regional Poultry Breeding Project entitled Nature and Utilization of Genetic Variation in Poultry Improvement     

Frequency changes with time in vivo of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations in skin fibroblasts

5 Syrian hamster litter mates were each irradiated with X-rays on one flank to 300 rad. Skin biopsies were taken from both the irradiated and unirradiated (control) flanks of each animal at one day and at about 6 months after irradiation. The cells cultured from these biopsies were used to determine the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations. During the 6-month period there were significant reductions in the frequencies of both reciprocal translocations and terminal deletions.

Translocations involving the short arm of the Y-chromosome, however, showed a significant increase during this period.

It is possible that while the latter phenomenon was due to cell selection in vivo the general fall off in translocations and deletions was the result of a long term in vivo repair mechanism or perhaps the results of certain aberrations proving to be lethal with prolonged expression times.