Alarm in a wasp-wasp nesting association: Do members signal cross-specifically?

Summary We studied interspecific alarm communication between two species of social wasps in a nesting association in northwestern Costa Rica by testing the alarm responses ofPolybia occidentalis andMischocyttarus immarginatus to venom of both species. This is the first investigation of alarm pheromone in the genusMischocyttarus. M. immarginatus did not respond with alarm behavior to the venom of either species.P. occidentalis, which responds to its own venom with alarm behavior (Jeanne, 1981), also responded with alarm behavior to the venom ofM. immarginatus, but with much less intensity. Since heterospecific venoms did not release species-typical levels of alarm behavior, we conclude that interspecific alarm signalling plays no role in the nesting association.     

部分酶解酵母高效电击转化研究

以酵母质粒YCp50为外源DNA,电击转化部分酶解酵母宿主菌AB1380,转化效率稳定在10~6转化子/μg质粒DNA左右,比不酶解酵母或酵母原生质球作受体的电击转化效率高一个数量级以上,也比PEG介导的酵母原生质球转化高3～5倍,而且适合于大片段DNA如水稻YAC分子的转化。达最佳转化时的有关技术参数为:新接菌种通气培养至细胞密度1×10~8～1.5×10~8个/ml;转化时细胞密度控制在1×10~9～1.5×10~9个/ml;每毫升酶解缓冲液加15u溶菌酶(lyticase),30℃下处理酵母5min进行部分酶解;电击时,电场设置在6.25kV/cm、电容25μF,电击后直接铺板。     

Dimerization of beta B2-crystallin: the role of the linker peptide and the N- and C-terminal extensions.

beta B2- and gamma B-crystallins of vertebrate eye lens are 2-domain proteins in which each domain consists of 2 Greek key motifs connected by a linker peptide. Although the folding topologies of beta B2- and gamma B-domains are very similar, gamma B-crystallin is always monomeric, whereas beta B2-crystallin associates to homodimers. It has been suggested that the linker or the protruding N- and C-terminal arms of beta B2-crystallin (not present in gamma B) are a necessary requirement for this association. In order to investigate the role of these segments for dimerization, we constructed two beta B2 mutants. In the first mutant, the linker peptide was replaced with the one from gamma B (beta B2 gamma L). In the second mutant, the N- and C-terminal arms of 15- and 12-residues length were deleted (beta B2 delta NC). The beta B2 gamma L mutant is monomeric, whereas the beta B2 delta NC mutant forms dimers and tetramers that cannot be interconverted without denaturation. The spectral properties of the beta B2 mutants, as well as their stabilities against denaturants, resemble those of wild-type beta B2-crystallin, thus indicating that the overall peptide fold of the subunits is not changed significantly. We conclude that the peptide linker in beta B2-crystallin is necessary for dimerization, whereas the N- and C-terminal arms appear to be involved in preventing the formation of higher homo-oligomers.     

Herbivorous insect species in the tree canopy of a relict South African forest

Abstract.

• 1 The herbivorous insects on twelve species of evergreen broadleafed trees were repeatedly sampled over a period of 11 months in a small relict forest on the east coast of South Africa. This extraordinarily speciose forest patch has an unusually high proportion of endemic tree species, some of which are extremely rare.
• 2 The insect herbivore fauna (number of species) seems to be markedly depauperate compared to that reported on native, broadleafed trees from other parts of the world. Some possible reasons for this are discussed.
• 3 The total number of herbivorous insect species on each tree species was strongly correlated with the local relative abundance of the host plant species.
• 4 There was no relationship between the total number of insect herbivore species on each tree species and the relative taxonomic isolation of the trees. The proportion of seemingly unique (= specialist) herbivorous insect species (i.e. those that occurred on one tree species only) was greatest on taxonomically isolated trees.
• 5 A fundamental deficiency in the interpretation of the data in this study, and of many other similar studies that report on the number of insect species on plants, is discussed, namely the lack of clarity on the closeness of the association between individual insect herbivore species and their respective host plants.

     

Colour association influences honey bee choice between sucrose concentrations

Certain colours associated with floral food resources are more quickly learned by honey bees (Apis mellifera) than are other colours. But the impact of colour, and other floral cues, on bee choice behaviour has not yet been determined. In these experiments, colour association and sugar concentration of reward were varied to assess how they interact to affect bee choice behaviour. Thirty-five bees were individually given binary choices between blue and yellow artificial flowers that contained either the same rewards or rewards of different sucrose concentrations. Honey bee choice between sucrose concentrations was affected by colour association and this effect was greatest when absolute difference between rewards was the lowest. The honey bee's ability to maximize energetic profitability during foraging is constrained by floral cue effectiveness.     

Some floristic and ecological characteristics of association Bromo-Plantaginetum mediae Ht. (31)49 on permanent plot No. 82 (National Park Plitvice Lakes — Croatia)

Plot 82 is one of a hundred permanent plots that have been set up in Croatia for the purpose of long-term and continual investigations of ecosystems and their successions. It is located in the area of Karleuine Plase within the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Vegetation on the plot belongs to association Bromo-Plantaginetum mediae. The association develops in mountainous regions of continental Croatia within a wide altitude range, from 180–1300 m a.s.l. on shallow soil over pervious carbonate rocks. The floristic composition and phytocoenological characteristics of the association have been analyzed using the common methods of the phytocoenological school Zürich-Montpellier, on the basis of 17 phytocoenological records. In addition to floristic composition, some site characteristics have been analysed: soil moisture, calcium carbonate, phosphates, pH value, humus, cation exchange capacity and nitrogen mineralization on the site and in the laboratory. The results obtained are comparable with the data presented in the available phytocoenological and ecological literature.     

小麦与彭梯卡偃麦草杂种及其衍生后代的细胞遗传学研究──Ⅱ．来自小麦和彭梯卡（长穗）偃麦草及中间偃麦草杂种后代11个八倍体小偃麦的比较研究

利用染色体配对分析和酯酶及种子醇溶蛋白电泳分析研究了我国育成的１１个八倍体小偃麦,结果表明：（ａ）来源于小麦和中间偃麦草杂交后代的６个部分双二倍体中,中１和中２的偃麦草染色体组不同于中３、中４、中５和小偃７８８２９的偃麦草染色体组;（ｂ）来源于小麦和长穗偃麦草杂交后代的５个部分双二倍体中,小偃７８４的偃麦草染色体组不同于小偃６９３和小偃７６３１中的偃麦草染色体组,表明在长穗偃麦草中有两个互不相同又不同于小麦的染色体组Ｅ和Ｆ,而小偃７４３０和小偃６８中的偃麦草染色体组很可能是Ｅ和Ｆ染色体组的重组体;（ｃ）小偃７８４中的长穗偃麦草染色体组和中５及小偃７８８２９中的中间偃麦草染色体组基本相同,而中２的中间偃麦草染色体组不同于小偃６９３和小偃７６３１中的长穗偃麦草染色体组Ｆ,这意味着在长穗偃麦草和中间偃麦草中可能只有一个共同的染色体组Ｅ。部分双二倍体中酯酶及醇溶蛋白偃麦草染色体特征带的存在和发现,为这些染色体或其片段导入小麦后的鉴定提供了方便。     

Production of asymmetric hybrids between Solanum tuberosum and irradiated S. brevidens

Summary Asymmetric somatic hybrids were obtained by fusion of Solanum tuberosum (PDH40) protoplasts with 300- or 500-Gy irradiated protoplasts of S. brevidens. These radiation doses were sufficient to prevent the growth of the S. brevidens protoplasts. Putative hybrids were selected on the basis of phenotype from regenerated shoots and identified with a S. brevidens-specific probe. From these, 31 asymmetric hybrids were confirmed by morphological characteristics, isoenzyme patterns and RFLP analysis. The morphology of the asymmetric hybrids was intermediate between that of S. tuberosum and symmetric hybrids of both species (obtained without irradiation treatment). Chromosome counts from 17 asymmetric hybrids showed that the chromosome number of the hybrids ranged from 31 to 64. The asymmetric hybrids probably had one or two genome complements (i.e. either 24 or 48 chromosomes) from S. tuberosum and 7–22 chromosomes from S. brevidens. There was no clear correlation between the radiation dose and the degree of elimination of the S. brevidens genome.