Breeding patterns in the pre-desert oniscid isopod Porcellio buddelundi of Matmata (Gabès,Tunisia)

Porcellio buddelundi inhabits arid areas in Tunisia. The reproductive pattern of a population at Oued El Jir, Matmata (Tunisia) was studied from July 2005 to June 2006. Monthly samples were taken during the study period. The overall sex ratio was biased toward females. Males, females, and newborns all had greater body-mass in autumn than in spring and their lowest mean body-mass was in June and July. Ovigerous females greater than 41.1 mg in body-mass, were collected from March through May and from September through October, suggesting seasonal reproduction with two breeding seasons: the longer one in spring (3 months) and another in the fall (2 months). Fecundity, which was positively correlated with the body-mass of females, varied between breeding seasons with a large number in spring and a small number in autumn. Seasonal variation of fecundity could be explained by the growth rate of ovigerous females affecting the fecundity more in spring than in autumn. The onset of breeding, in P. buddelundi, takes place when the day-length exceeds 12 h and the soil moisture decreases.     

Independent cytoplasmic incompatibility induced by Cardinium and Wolbachia maintains endosymbiont coinfections in haplodiploid thrips populations

Cardinium and Wolbachia are common maternally inherited reproductive parasites that can coinfect arthropods, yet interactions between both bacterial endosymbionts are rarely studied. For the first time, we report their independent expression of complete cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in a coinfected host, and CI in a species of the haplodiploid insect order Thysanoptera. In Pezothrips kellyanus, Cardinium‐induced CI resulted in a combination of male development (MD) and embryonic female mortality (FM) of fertilized eggs. In contrast, Wolbachia‐induced CI resulted in FM together with postembryonic mortality not previously reported as a CI outcome. Both endosymbionts appeared to not influence fecundity but virgins produced more offspring than mated females. In coinfected individuals, Wolbachia density was higher than Cardinium. Wolbachia removal did not impact Cardinium density, suggesting a lack of competition within hosts. Maternal transmission was complete for Wolbachia and high for Cardinium. Our data support theoretical predictions and empirical detection of high endosymbiont prevalence in field populations of the native range of this pest thrips. However, previous findings of more frequent loss of Wolbachia than Cardinium, particularly in field populations of the host's invasive range, suggest that genetic diversity or varying environmental factors between field populations also play a role in shaping host‐endosymbiont dynamics.     

Infection of the fittest: devil facial tumour disease has greatest effect on individuals with highest reproductive output

Emerging infectious diseases rarely affect all members of a population equally and determining how individuals’ susceptibility to infection is related to other components of their fitness is critical to understanding disease impacts at a population level and for predicting evolutionary trajectories. We introduce a novel state‐space model framework to investigate survival and fecundity of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) affected by a transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease. We show that those devils that become host to tumours have otherwise greater fitness, with higher survival and fecundity rates prior to disease‐induced death than non‐host individuals that do not become infected, although high tumour loads lead to high mortality. Our finding that individuals with the greatest reproductive value are those most affected by the cancer demonstrates the need to quantify both survival and fecundity in context of disease progression for understanding the impact of disease on wildlife populations.     

Breeding ecology of an amphidromous goby of the genusRhinogobius

Field observations of markedRhinogobius sp. DA (Dark type) individuals and monthly sampling in the Kashiwa River, Shikoku Island, Japan, indicated the breeding season of the species to be from mid-April to early July, peaking in May. Mark-and-recapture data showed that at least half of the females spawned more than once in one breeding season. Although eggs in male-guarded nests were all at the same developmental stage, their mean number exceeded that of pre-spawning yolk stage oocytes per female, suggesting that at least some guarding males received eggs from more than one female. The physical condition of both sexes deteriorated considerably during the breeding season, the hepatosomatic index of guarding males decreasing concurrently with the development of eggs. The decline in physical condition of guarding males was attributed mainly to their restricted feeding opportunities.     

Partial cross-resistance between Strongyloides venezuelensis and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in rats.

Rats were immunized through an initial infection with 1,000 filariform larvae (L3) of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and after complete expulsion of worms they were challenged with 1,000 L3 of Strongyloides venezuelensis to investigate whether cross-resistance developed against a heterologous parasite. Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-immunized rats developed a partial cross-resistance against S. venezuelensis migrating larvae (MSL3) in the lungs and adult worms in the small intestine. The population of MSL3 in the lungs were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in immunized rats (22.0 +/- 7.4) compared with controls (105.0 +/- 27.6). The populations of adult worms, egg output and fecundity were initially decreased but from day 14 post-challenge they did not show any significant difference between immunized and control rats. However, the length of worm in immunized rat was revealed as retardation. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) on day 7 post-challenge and then gradually increased, which peaked on day 42 post-challenge when most of the worms were expelled. These results suggest that peripheral blood eosinophilia is strongly involved in the worm establishment and expulsion mechanisms.     

The Influence of Potato Cultivar on Lipid Content and Fecundity of Bolivian and British Populations of Globodera rostochiensis

The influence of host cultivar on the lipid levels provided by a female to her progeny was investigated with Oil Red O stain and a quantitative image analyzer. A population of Globodera rostochiensis was multiplied at Toralapa Field Station in Bolivia on 25 different potato cultivars grown in that country. The mean neutral lipid content of newly formed second-stage juveniles varied significantly with cultivar over a 200% range. The corresponding range was only 18% and 28% for the same Bolivian and a UK population of G. rostochiensis, respectively, when both completed reproduction concurrently on 10 pot-grown European cultivars in the United Kingdom. Egg numbers per female varied with host for Bolivian cultivars that lack known partial resistance to Globodera spp. There was a 15-fold range between the most and least fecund nematode-host combinations (Kosi and Gendarme). The Bolivian G. rostochiensis population showed only a 2-fold range in mean eggs per cyst when grown on European cultivars in the UK. The fatty acid profiles of lipids from Bolivian G. rostochiensis cysts reared on Bolivian potato cultivars were dominated by C₂₀ (37-64%) and C₁₈ (28-46%) fatty acids and ranged from C₁₄ to C₂₂. The three major fatty acids detected were C_20:4:, C_20:1, and C_18:1. Few differences between cultivars were observed. For a UK population of G. rostochiensis reared on ssp. tuberosum, higher relative percentages of C₁₈ and monounsaturated fatty acids and lower relative percentages of C₂₀ and polyunsaturated fatty acids were found.     

转Bt基因玉米Bt11花粉对玉米螟赤眼蜂繁殖和存活的影响

在室内评价了表达Cry1Ab杀虫蛋白的转基因抗虫玉米Bt11花粉作为食物对玉米螟赤眼蜂Trichogramma ostriniae雌蜂寿命、繁殖力、子代羽化数和性比的影响。结果显示,Bt11玉米花粉中含有115.13±7.29 ng/g FW Cry1Ab杀虫蛋白。饲喂水+Bt玉米花粉和水+对照玉米花粉的雌蜂寿命、繁殖力和子代羽化数明显高于只提供水的处理,但性比没有显著差异。饲喂10%蜂蜜水的雌蜂寿命、繁殖力和子代羽化数与饲喂10%蜂蜜水+Bt玉米或10%蜂蜜水+对照玉米花粉的处理雌蜂相似,没有显著差异。饲喂水+玉米花粉和只提供水的各处理的寿命、繁殖力和子代羽化数均显著低于蜂蜜水+玉米花粉和只提供蜂蜜水的各个处理,但性比显著高。饲喂水+Bt玉米花粉与水+对照玉米花粉之间以及蜂蜜水+Bt玉米花粉与蜂蜜水+对照玉米花粉之间的寿命、繁殖力和子代羽化数没有显著差异。由此得出结论,同只提供水相比,玉米花粉可以提高玉米螟赤眼蜂的寿命和繁殖力。表达Cry1Ab杀虫蛋白的Bt11玉米花粉对玉米螟赤眼蜂的寿命、繁殖力、子代羽化数和性比无不利影响。     

麻疯树不同种源的结实性差异与初期选择

采用随机完全区组设计对5年生麻疯树Jatropha curcas种源林进行结实性调查。结果表明,不同种源麻疯树单株产种量有不同程度的差异,云南元阳种源最高,达218.96 g,四川盐边种源最低,仅为48.42 g。不同种源麻疯树种子平均含油率也有所不同,广西隆林种源最高,达42.80%,贵州望谟种源最低,为37.23%。单株产种量与种源地纬度、年均气温显著相关,而与种源地无霜期极显著相关,其中与纬度为负相关,与年均气温、无霜期为正相关,说明纬度较低、气温较高和无霜期较长的种源在福建平和县的单株产种量高。而种子平均含油率与各地理气象因子之间没有显著相关性。根据单株产种量和种子平均含油率聚类分析,分别将9个种源分成优、良、中、差4个不同的类别,综合来看,云南东南部和广西西北部可能是麻疯树的优良种源区,该区域内的5个种源,单株产种量达147.43 g,种子平均含油率达41.07%。     

南昌地区灰飞虱的生活史、繁殖和越冬生物学特性

为了探明灰飞虱Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén)在南昌地区的生物学特性, 本研究在实验室和自然条件下系统调查了该虫的年生活史, 温度对其生长发育、 繁殖、 性比及翅型分化的影响, 及其越冬生物学。结果表明, 灰飞虱在南昌一年发生4~7代。在18~32℃, 卵的发育历期随温度升高逐渐缩短。若虫的发育历期在18~28℃随温度升高逐渐缩短, 但若虫的发育历期在30和32℃时显著长于28℃的发育历期（P=0.000﹤0.05）。越冬个体的若虫期为143~187 d。卵和若虫的发育起点温度分别为10.17℃和7.51℃。在室外, 7月中旬高温下孵化的第4代若虫的发育历期也明显延长, 显示了高温诱导的夏季休眠现象。在18~28℃, 产卵前期随温度升高而逐渐缩短, 当温度上升到30℃时, 其产卵前期比26和28℃下有所延长。产卵期在22℃最长, 30℃下最短。成虫在20~24℃下的寿命最长。在28℃下, 平均每雌产若虫量最大。不论在室内还是在室外, 雌雄比均接近1∶1。在18~32℃, 羽化的成虫均以长翅型占绝对优势。在自然条件下, 越冬代和第6代羽化的成虫以短翅型占优势, 其他各代仍以长翅型占优势。在自然条件下, 9月中旬孵化的若虫就有少量个体滞育越冬, 10月中旬后孵化的若虫全部进入越冬。越冬若虫的龄期为1-5龄。本研究为该虫发生的预测及有效防控提供基础资料。     

精子功能相关的蛋白质调控受精过程的研究进展

哺乳动物的受精过程涉及到精子一系列的功能活动,如精子在雌性生殖道的运行、精子的超活化与获能、顶体反应以及精卵融合等。在精子经历的这一系列过程中,精子功能相关的蛋白质发挥着不可或缺的作用,这些蛋白分子的正常与否与雄性个体的繁殖力高低密切相关,因此精子功能相关的蛋白质能够作为评定哺乳动物精液受精能力的生物标记。文章主要对哺乳动物精子功能相关的蛋白质进行了综述,以阐述相关蛋白分子对精子运动活力、精子获能、顶体反应、透明带穿入和精卵融合等方面的重要作用以及这些蛋白分子在家畜遗传改良上的潜在应用。