Immigrant inviability produces a strong barrier to gene flow between parapatric ecotypes of Senecio lautus

Speciation proceeds when gene exchange is prevented between populations. Determining the different barriers preventing gene flow can therefore give insights into the factors driving and maintaining species boundaries. These reproductive barriers may result from intrinsic genetic incompatibilities between populations, from extrinsic environmental differences between populations, or a combination of both mechanisms. We investigated the potential barriers to gene exchange between three adjacent ecotypes of an Australian wildflower to determine the strength of individual barriers and the degree of overall isolation between populations. We found almost complete isolation between the three populations mainly due to premating extrinsic barriers. Intrinsic genetic barriers were weak and variable among populations. There were asymmetries in some intrinsic barriers due to the origin of cytoplasm in hybrids. Overall, these results suggest that reproductive isolation between these three populations is almost complete despite the absence of geographic barriers, and that the main drivers of this isolation are ecologically based, consistent with the mechanisms underlying ecological speciation.     

Reproductive patterns in seventeen species of warmwater fishes in a Missouri River reservoir

Synopsis The timing of ovarian maturation and spawning of 17 warmwater fish species in Lake Oahe (South and North Dakota) was estimated from changes in the mean ovary indices (ratios of ovary weight to fish length). The onset of vitellogenesis varied within species (up to 2 months). Maturation of the ova took from 7.5 to 10 months, depending on species. Annual variations in the mean date of peak spawning of individual species during 1964–1971 were usually less than a week. There was little overlap of the annual mean peak spawning dates of the 17 species, and an established sequence of spawning among species was shown. A relatively high incidence of atresia in the shovelnose sturgeon, northern pike, and carp indicated that these species had apparently not yet adapted to the altered and variable spawning conditions in this reservoir. Regularity of spawning would seem to provide the best chance for spawning success in variable environments such as Lake Oahe.     

Tebufenozide disrupts ovarian development and function in silkmoths

Adult development and production of up to 400 eggs within the pupal case of female silkmoths are both dependent on 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), the steroid hormone of insects. When adult development was initiated with tebufenozide, the non-steroidal ecdysteroid agonist, instead of 20E, full development of all epidermal tissues like the wing was witnessed, but ovarian growth and egg formation was minimal. Administration of tebufenozide to female pharate adults caused disruption of the follicular epithelium, produced nurse cell damage, and inhibited oogenesis. Reduced ability to synthesize RNA and protein accompanied these tebufenozide induced morphological disturbances of the follicles. In vivo accumulation of vitellogenin (Vg) from the hemolymph was reduced in tebufenozide treated female ovaries as well as their ability to accumulate Vg in vitro. Determination of protein staining intensity and antibody reactivity of Vg pointed out that hemolymph Vg level remained fairly constant all through adult development whether induced by 20E or tebufenozide. Measurement of hemolymph volumes and hemolymph Vg levels of control and experimental animals allowed us to conclude that egg development involves the uptake of all the hemolymph proteins and not Vg alone. The loss of hemolymph that accompanies egg maturation was considerably reduced in tebufenozide initiated female pharate adults. 20E could not overcome ovarian growth inhibitory effects of tebufenozide. Dual mechanisms, one involving ecdysteroid antagonist action at the beginning of development, and the other unrelated to that function during heightened egg formation, are needed explain the biphasic inhibitory actions of tebufenozide on silkmoth ovaries.     

繁殖期雌性蓝狐性激素检测与 性器官组织学观察

为了研究繁殖期雌性蓝狐(Alopexlagopus)类固醇激素含量、发情表现与性器官组织学结构之间的关系,于2019年选取繁殖期不同发情状况的雌性蓝狐,共18只,分为典型发情、非典型发情和不发情3组。通过无损伤取样法采集粪便与尿液并通过放射免疫法(RIA)测定孕酮(P)和雌二醇(E2)的含量;每组选取1只在发情并输精的当天取卵巢和子宫,进行组织学观察。结果显示,所测定典型发情、非典型发情、不发情蓝狐类固醇激素水平,雌二醇在尿液中的含量显著高于粪便,且在不同组间差异明显,尤其在典型发情组更高,达到(11 065.17±546.76)ng/L;孕酮含量尿液与粪样差异不大,孕酮含量在典型发情雌性蓝狐粪便与尿液含量差异不显著,但在不发情雌性蓝狐中差异显著,为(16.61±0.63)μg/L。粪尿测定孕酮和雌二醇激素含量与三组不同情况的发情表现相比相关性显著。粪、尿作为类固醇激素检测样本,虽然含量有差异,但变化趋势一致,都可使用。卵巢与子宫在典型发情雌性蓝狐中体积较大,卵巢可见各级卵泡和多个黄体,子宫黏膜上皮为柱状上皮,排列紧密,固有层内可见大量腺体;非典型发情雌性蓝狐卵巢、子宫发育状况与典型发情雌性蓝狐相类似;不发情雌性蓝狐卵巢、子宫呈静息状态,卵巢中卵泡多处于闭锁状态,无卵母细胞,也无黄体,固有层间质细胞及肌层肌细胞排列更为紧密。说明检测孕酮和雌二醇激素的含量,可以准确判定蓝狐发情的状态。     

卵巢囊性颗粒细胞瘤的临床病理学特征、诊断及鉴别诊断

目的:探讨卵巢囊性颗粒细胞瘤的临床病理学特征、诊断和鉴别诊断要点。方法:复习1例卵巢囊性颗粒细胞瘤患者的临床资料、肿物的大体以及镜下病理组织学特征、免疫组化染色特征。结果:患者左侧单房囊性颗粒细胞瘤,大小为14.6 cm×18.9 cm×9.8 cm,囊壁厚薄不均一;镜下可见内壁由颗粒细胞组成,细胞层数不一,可见典型的Call-Exner小体;免疫组化染色可见α-inhibin,Vimentin,CD99均阳性。结论:卵巢囊性颗粒细胞瘤可依据镜下发现不典型增生的颗粒细胞、典型的Call-Exner小体和核沟等特征性的组织形态学作出诊断。     

Manganese superoxide dismutase in disease

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is essential for life as dramatically illustrated by the neonatal lethality of mice that are deficient in MnSOD. In addition, mice expressing only 50% of the normal compliment of MnSOD demonstrate increased susceptibility to oxidative stress and severe mitochondrial dysfunction resulting from elevation of reactive oxygen species. Thus, it is important to know the status of both MnSOD protein levels and activity in order to assess its role as an important regulator of cell biology.

Numerous studies have shown that MnSOD can be induced to protect against pro-oxidant insults resulting from cytokine treatment, ultraviolet light, irradiation, certain tumors, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and ischemia/reperfusion. In addition, overexpression of MnSOD has been shown to protect against pro-apoptotic stimuli as well as ischemic damage. Conversely, several studies have reported declines in MnSOD activity during diseases including cancer, aging, progeria, asthma, and transplant rejection. The precise biochemical/molecular mechanisms involved with this loss in activity are not well understood. Certainly, MnSOD gene expression or other defects could play a role in such inactivation. However, based on recent findings regarding the susceptibility of MnSOD to oxidative inactivation, it is equally likely that post-translational modification of MnSOD may account for the loss of activity. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that MnSOD is tyrosine nitrated and inactivated during human kidney allograft rejection and human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We have determined that peroxynitrite (ONOO^-) is the only known biological oxidant competent to inactivate enzymatic activity, to nitrate critical tyrosine residues, and to induce dityrosine formation in MnSOD. Tyrosine nitration and inactivation of MnSOD would lead to increased levels of superoxide and concomitant increases in ONOO^- within the mitochondria which, could lead to tyrosine nitration/oxidation of key mitochondrial proteins and ultimately mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. This article assesses the important role of MnSOD activity in various pathological states in light of this potentially lethal positive feedback cycle involving oxidative inactivation.     

Populations of follicles in F344/N rats during aging

Follicular populations were investigated in female F344/N rats to better understand the aging process of the rat ovary. Ovaries dissected at various ages (spanning 1–36 months old) were submitted for histological examination. The total number of primordial, growing (primary and secondary), tertiary, and atretic follicles as well as corpora lutea (CL) were counted in hematoxylin–eosin- and azocarmine–aniline-blue-stained ovarian sections. The number of healthy follicles including primordial, growing and tertiary follicles decreased rapidly between the first and third months and gradually thereafter. CL were found in 3-month-old rats, and their number remained unchanged until 18 months of age, at which point it decreased. The number of atretic follicles started to increase in rats older than 18 months, which corresponded to the cessation of estrous cyclicity. Several healthy follicles and CL were observed even in 36-month-old rats.