Evidence for plasticity in the frequency of skipped breeding opportunities in common toads

Breeding is limited by energetic or environmental constraints and long-lived species sometimes skip breeding opportunities. Environmental conditions may vary considerably across the geographic and elevational range of a species and species that can respond through variation in life history strategies are likely to maintain populations at the extremes of their ranges. The decision to skip breeding enables animals to adjust life history to circumstances, and plasticity in behavior allows implementation of adjustments. Elevational patterns suggest that breeding may be limited physiologically at high elevations (e.g., greater probability of skipped breeding; resources and environmental conditions more variable) in contrast to low elevations (probability of skipping breeding lower; resources and environmental conditions more predictable). We estimated the probabilities of survival and skipped breeding in a high-elevation population of common toads and compared estimates to existing data for common toads at low elevations, and to another toad species inhabiting a similar high elevation environment. Female common toads at high elevations tend to have high probabilities of skipping breeding and survival relative to data for common toads at low elevations, and appear to use a similar strategy of skipping breeding in response to similar environmental constraints as other toads at high elevations. We provide evidence of variability in this aspect of life history for common toads. Understanding variation in life history within widely distributed species is critical. Knowing that certain life history strategies are employed on a continuum informs conservation efforts, especially as impacts of climate change are likely to be different depending on elevation.     

Fish biodiversity of Saint Peter and Saint Paulʼs Archipelago,Mid-Atlantic Ridge,Brazil: new records and a species database

Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Archipelago (SPSPA), one of the smallest and most isolated island groups in the world, is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, between Brazil and the African continent. SPSPA has low species richness and high endemism; nonetheless, the diversity of fishes from deep habitats (>30 m depth) had not been previously studied in detail. Several expeditions conducted between 2009 and 2018 explored the shallow and deep reefs of SPSPA using scuba, closed-circuit rebreathers, manned submersibles, baited remote underwater stereo-videos (stereo-BRUV) and fishing between 0 and 1050 m depth. These expeditions yielded 41 new records of fishes for SPSPA: 9 in open waters, 9 in shallow waters (0–30 m), 8 in mesophotic ecosystems (30–150 m) and 15 in deeper reefs (>150 m). Combined with literature records of adult pelagic, shallow and deep-reef species, as well as larvae, the database of the fish biodiversity for SPSPA currently comprises 225 species (169 recorded as adult fishes and 79 as larvae, with 23 species found in both stages). Most of them (112) are pelagic, 86 are reef-associated species and 27 are deep-water specialists. Species accumulation curves show that the number of fish species has not yet reached an asymptote. Whereas the number of species recorded in SPSPA is similar to that in other oceanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the proportion of shorefishes is relatively lower, and the endemism level is the third highest in the Atlantic. Twenty-nine species are listed as threatened with extinction. Observations confirm the paucity of top predators on shallow rocky reefs of the island, despite the presence of several pelagic shark species around SPSPA. Because all of the endemic species are reef associated, it is argued that the new marine-protected areas created by the Brazilian government do not ensure the protection and recovery of SPSPA's biodiversity because they allow exploitation of the most vulnerable species around the archipelago itself. This study suggests a ban on reef fish exploitation inside an area delimited by the 1000 m isobath around the islands (where all known endemics are concentrated) as the main conservation strategy to be included in the SPSPA management plan being prepared by the Brazilian government.     

亲土苔蛾成虫复眼超微结构

【目的】重叠型眼在昆虫复眼演化中起着重要作用。本研究旨在阐明夜出型亲土苔蛾Manulea affineola复眼类型及结构特征,以期填补灯蛾亚科昆虫复眼研究的空白,扩充夜出型昆虫复眼的特征数据,为探讨重叠型眼的变异趋势及复眼演化提供依据。【方法】运用光学和透射电子显微技术观察亲土苔蛾成虫复眼的超微结构。【结果】亲土苔蛾成虫复眼具有一个透明区,由6个次级色素细胞的透明胞质构成。小眼具8个视网膜细胞,其中1个视网膜细胞较短,仅位于小眼基部。在透明区内,7个视网膜细胞聚集成一束,其远端与晶体束末端相接,但并不形成视杆。在透明区下方,这7个视网膜细胞形成一个中心融合的视杆。在复眼背缘区的小眼的视杆具有近似矩形的横截面,而其余小眼的视杆具多分支状截面。【结论】亲土苔蛾成虫复眼属于重叠型眼;复眼背缘区的矩形视杆很可能与昆虫的偏振敏感性有关。     

Akhirin regulates the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells/progenitor cells at neurogenic niches in mouse brain

Specialized microenvironment, or neurogenic niche, in embryonic and postnatal mouse brain plays critical roles during neurogenesis throughout adulthood. The subventricular zone (SVZ) and the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampus in the mouse brain are two major neurogenic niches where neurogenesis is directed by numerous regulatory factors. Now, we report Akhirin (AKH), a stem cell maintenance factor in mouse spinal cord, plays a pivotal regulatory role in the SVZ and in the DG. AKH showed specific distribution during development in embryonic and postnatal neurogenic niches. Loss of AKH led to abnormal development of the ventricular zone and the DG along with reduction of cellular proliferation in both regions. In AKH knockout mice (AKH^−/−), quiescent neural stem cells (NSCs) increased, while proliferative NSCs or neural progenitor cells decreased at both neurogenic niches. In vitro NSC culture assay showed increased number of neurospheres and reduced neurogenesis in AKH^−/−. These results indicate that AKH, at the neurogenic niche, exerts dynamic regulatory role on NSC self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation during SVZ and hippocampal neurogenesis.     

Death receptors and mitochondria: Two prime triggers of neural apoptosis and differentiation

Background

Stem cell therapy is a strategy far from being satisfactory and applied in the clinic. Poor survival and differentiation levels of stem cells after transplantation or neural injury have been major problems. Recently, it has been recognized that cell death-relevant proteins, notably those that operate in the core of the executioner apoptosis machinery are functionally involved in differentiation of a wide range of cell types, including neural cells.

Scope of review

This article will review recent studies on the mechanisms underlying the non-apoptotic function of mitochondrial and death receptor signaling pathways during neural differentiation. In addition, we will discuss how these major apoptosis-regulatory pathways control the decision between differentiation, self-renewal and cell death in neural stem cells and how levels of activity are restrained to prevent cell loss as final outcome.

Major conclusions

Emerging evidence suggests that, much like p53, caspases and Bcl-2 family members, the two prime triggers of cell death pathways, death receptors and mitochondria, may influence proliferation and differentiation potential of stem cells, neuronal plasticity, and astrocytic versus neuronal stem cell fate decision.

General significance

A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying key checkpoints responsible for neural differentiation as an alternative to cell death will surely contribute to improve neuro-replacement strategies.     

DISC1-related signaling pathways in adult neurogenesis of the hippocampus

Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a multifunctional scaffold protein which plays an important role in neurogenesis and neural development in the adult brain, especially in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. Accumulated research has unveiled the role of DISC1 in several aspects of neural development and neurogenesis, such as neuronal maturation, proliferation, migration, positioning, differentiation, dendritic growth, axonal outgrowth, and synaptic plasticity. Studies on the function of this protein have explored multiple facets, including variants and missense mutants in genetics, proteins interactivity and signaling pathways in molecular biology, and pathogenesis and treatment targets of major mental illness, and more. In this review, we present several signaling pathways discussed in recent research, such as the AKT signaling pathway, GABA signaling pathway, GSK3β signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, and NMDA-R signaling pathway. DISC1 interacts, directly or indirectly, with these signaling pathways and they co-regulate the process of adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus.     

Conservation status of the two cryptic species of Hamatocaulis vernicosus (Bryophyta) in Sweden

Cryptic species are rarer than their combined, morphologically recognisable species. Each cryptic species may have its own habitat requirements and distribution, and each should be considered separately in biodiversity conservation. This investigation explores how well the two cryptic species of the wetland moss Hamatocaulis vernicosus (Mitt.) Hedenäs s.l., included in Annex II of the EU Habitat Directive, are safeguarded in existing protected sites in Sweden. Further, the northern distribution limit of the southern of the two cryptic species is explored. The distributions of the two cryptic species and their intraspecific variation are judged by the nuclear ITS1?+?2 and the two chloroplast markers rpl16 and trnL-trnF for a set of 89 specimens. The genetic differences between the two cryptic species are significant, but there are no differences between the protected and non-protected subsets within the respective species. The protected areas therefore represent these two species’ genetic variation well. The populations of both cryptic species appear stable, according to their genetic signals. One of the two cryptic species occurs almost throughout Sweden, whereas the other occurs only to the south of the southern limit of the southern boreal zone, except for two finds slightly further north in climatically mild areas.     

Integrating multiple data sources to assess the distribution and abundance of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in Scottish waters

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