Female and male Texas cichlids (Herichthys cyanoguttatum) do not fight by the same rules

Selection usually acts differently on males and females duringintrasexual competition for resources and/or mates. Nevertheless,agonistic behavior has been examined both theoretically andempirically mostly in males. Our research questions whethermales and females follow the same rules of engagement in intrasexualcontests as predicted by the sequential assessment model (SAM).The SAM predicts negative correlations between contest intensityand duration and the magnitude of asymmetry in resource holdingpower (RHP) between the contestants, such that the most escalatedcontests are those between similarly endowed individuals. Westaged male and female intrasexual contests with varying degreesof body size asymmetry under a round robin design using themonogamous Texas cichlid fish (Herichthys cyanoguttatum) asa study case. We used Mantel's matrix analysis to compare howthe behavioral content, duration, structure, and outcome ofmale and female contests were affected by the relative bodysize of the contestants. In the case of males, relative sizein each contest predicted outcome, duration, and frequency ofconventional and escalated behaviors according to prevailingtheory. Female contest structure and outcome, however, werenot predicted by the relative size of contestants. We discussour results in terms of other asymmetries that might be importantin structuring female contests, and we propose potential approachesto study female–female aggression.     

Survival of Escherichia coli in the environment: fundamental and public health aspects

In this review, our current understanding of the species Escherichia coli and its persistence in the open environment is examined. E. coli consists of six different subgroups, which are separable by genomic analyses. Strains within each subgroup occupy various ecological niches, and can be broadly characterized by either commensalistic or different pathogenic behaviour. In relevant cases, genomic islands can be pinpointed that underpin the behaviour. Thus, genomic islands of, on the one hand, broad environmental significance, and, on the other hand, virulence, are highlighted in the context of E. coli survival in its niches. A focus is further placed on experimental studies on the survival of the different types of E. coli in soil, manure and water. Overall, the data suggest that E. coli can persist, for varying periods of time, in such terrestrial and aquatic habitats. In particular, the considerable persistence of the pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 is of importance, as its acid tolerance may be expected to confer a fitness asset in the more acidic environments. In this context, the extent to which E. coli interacts with its human/animal host and the organism''s survivability in natural environments are compared. In addition, the effect of the diversity and community structure of the indigenous microbiota on the fate of invading E. coli populations in the open environment is discussed. Such a relationship is of importance to our knowledge of both public and environmental health.     

Nothacrobeles,n. gen., with Descriptions of Four New Species (Nematoda: Cephalobidae)

A new nematode genus, Nothacrobeles, is proposed in the subfamily Acrobelinae. Four new species are described and one new combination made. The five species exhibit a progression from short-to-long, bifurcate, elaborately fringed labial probolae, the longest probolae resembling those of species of Acrobeles.     

Structural chromosome differentiation between Triticum timopheevii and T. turgidum and T. aestivum

 Chromosome pairing at metaphase-I was analyzed in F₁ hybrids among T. turgidum (AABB), T. aestivum (AABBDD), and T. timopheevii (A^tA^tGG) to study the chromosome structure of T. timopheevii relative to durum (T. turgidum) and bread (T. aestivum) wheats. Individual chromosomes and their arms were identified by means of C-banding. Homologous pairing between the A-genome chromosomes was similar in the three hybrid types AA^tBG, AA^tBGD, and AABBD. However, associations of B-G were less frequent than B-B. Homoeologous associations were also observed, especially in the AA^tBGD hybrids. T. timopheevii chromosomes 1A^t, 2A^t, 5A^t, 7A^t, 2G, 3G, 5G, and 6G do not differ structurally from their counterpart in the A and B genomes. Thus, these three polyploid species inherited translocation 5AL/4AL from the diploid A-genome donor. Chromosome rearrangements that occurred at the tetraploid level were different in T. turgidum and T. timopheevii. Translocation 4AL/7BS and a pericentric inversion of chromosome 4A originated only in the T. turgidum lineage. The two lines of T. timophevii studied carry four different translocations, 6A^tS/1GS, 1GS/4GS, 4GS/4A^tL, and 4A^tL/3A^tL, which most likely arose in that sequence. These structural differences support a diphyletic origin of polyploid wheats. Received: 15 June 1998 / Accepted: 19 August 1998     

Multiple origins of Southern Hemisphere Anemone (Ranunculaceae) based on plastid and nuclear sequence data

 Using two molecular data sets, the plastid atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer region and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), the taxonomic affinities of two newly available Anemone species from the Southern Hemisphere were tested. From previous work based on morphology and geographic distribution, it was assumed that A. tenuicaulis from New Zealand was most closely related to the Tasmanian A. crassifolia, whereas the affinity of A. antucensis from Chile and Argentina was regarded as uncertain. Analyses of molecular sequence data from these and 18 other species of Anemone s.lat. (with Clematis as outgroup) result in trees largely congruent with past analyses based on morphology and plastid restriction site data. They strongly support A. richardsonii and A. canadensis (with boreal distributions in the Northern Hemisphere) as paraphyletic to a well supported Southern Hemisphere clade consisting of A. antucensis and A. tenuicaulis. This group of four species is part of an otherwise predominantly Northern Hemisphere assemblage (subgenus Anemonidium s.lat., chromosome base number x=7), including A. narcissiflora, A. obtusiloba, A. keiskeana and A. (=Hepatica) americana. All other austral species included in the present sampling, A. crassifolia (Tasmania), A. knowltonia (=Knowltonia capensis), and A. caffra (both South African), form a separate clade, sister to A. (=Pulsatilla) occidentalis and other Northern Hemisphere anemones (subgenus Anemone s.lat., x=8). Possible phytogeographical links of the Southern Hemisphere species are discussed. Received April 23, 2001 Accepted October 4, 2001     

Effect of thiostrepton and 3′-terminal fragments of aminoacyl-tRNA on EF-Tu and ribosome-dependent GTP hydrolysis

The effect of the antibiotics thiostrepton and micrococcin on EF-T_u-catalyzed (ribosome-dependent) GTP hydrolysis in the presence of A-Phe, C-A-Phe, or C-C-A-Phe (related to the sequence of the 3′-terminus of aminoacyl-tRNA)(System I) or by methanol (‘uncoupled GTPase’, System II) was investigated. In System I, thiostrepton increases the binding affinities of the effectors to the EF-T_u·GTP·70 S ribosome complex, as well as the extent of the GTP hydrolysis, while the K^GTP_m is virtually unchanged. Similarly, in the uncoupled system (System II) and in the absence of effectors, thiostrepton significantly increases V^GTP_max, whereas K^GTP_m remains unaffected. Micrococcin is without any effect in both systems. The ‘uncoupled GTPase’ (in System II) is also strongly inhibited by C-A-Phe. The results indicate the crucial role of the EF-T_u site which binds the aminoacylated C-C-A terminus of aminoacyl-tRNA in promoting GTP hydrolysis. It follows that the binding of the model effectors (such as C-C-A-Phe) to that site is favorably influenced by the interaction of thiostrepton with the 50 S ribosomal subunit, whereas thiostrepton, per se, does not influence the affinity of EF-T_u for GTP.     

Positive anemotaxis by Varroa mites: responses to bee odour plumes and single clean‐air puffs

Abstract.The stimuli and mechanisms mediating host location and host choice by the bee mite, Varroa jacobsoni (Oudemans), are currently unknown. It is shown that Varroa can use single clean‐air puffs and bee‐odour plumes in a wind tunnel as directional cues. Varroa turned nearly straight upwind in response to single 0.1‐s puffs of clean air directed at 90° to the their anterior‐posterior axis. They turned significantly further to their left side (104°) than to their right (76°), but showed no difference in latency to initiation of the turns (means of 63.3 ms vs. 62.6 ms, respectively). They also followed bee‐odour plumes in a wind tunnel. When released in odour and control plumes mid‐way between the plume's origin and the downwind end of the tunnel, mites responding to bee‐odour walked upwind in, or along the edge of, the odour plume with 38% making contact with the odour delivery tube; mites in clean air did not walk upwind along the air stream, and none made contact with the air delivery tube. Walking speeds were not different between the bee‐odour and control groups (0.28 vs. 0.29 cm s^–1); there were also no differences in the turning rates (96.85 vs. 97.16 deg s^–1 and 388.08 vs. 379.18 deg cm^–1, respectively). Under all conditions, mites walked in a zigzag fashion.     

An Ecteola-cellulose chromatography assay for 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate: Phenol sulfotransferase

A new assay procedure for phenol sulfotransferase which employs [35S]-3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate as a sulfate donor and a variety of phenols as sulfate acceptors was developed. The appearance of the 35S-sulfated products or the disappearance of the [35S]-3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate are determined simultaneously by chromatography of the assay incubation mixtures on Ecteola-cellulose columns, eluting with an NH4HCO3 step gradient. Various acidic, neutral, and basic phenols can be employed as substrates for phenol sulfotransferase using this procedure.