Role of Soils in Determining Sites for Lowland Heathland Reconstruction in England

No guidelines are currently available that advise which soil properties of arable land can be used to suggest suitable locations for heathland reconstruction. This paper reviews studies comparing soil properties of heathland or semi-natural grassland with those of adjacent arable fields, investigations in the autecology of the dominant heathland plant, Calluna vulgaris (common heather), and long-term experiments of fertilizer inputs on arable soils. Three properties must be assessed before the suitability of a field can be determined: extractable phosphorus, exchangeable calcium, and pH. A number of other nutrients may also be important, but evidence is currently insufficient to substantiate this. Natural changes in levels of extractable phosphorus, exchangeable calcium, and pH appear to be very slow, so nutrient stripping and acidification will be necessary where recommended levels are exceeded to successfully restore heathland vegetation.     

The role of the cysteine-rich region of the β2 integrin subunit in the leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1, αLβ2, CD11a/CD18) heterodimer formation and ligand binding

The cysteine-rich region (CRR) of the β2 integrin subunit was replaced by that of β1 to give the chimera β2NV1. β2NV1 can combine with αL to form a variant leukocyte-function-associated antigen (LFA)-1 on COS cell surface, suggesting that the specificity of the β2 interaction with αL does not lie in the CRR. Unlike those expressing wild-type LFA-1, COS cells expressing αLβ2NV1 are constitutively active in intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 adhesion. These results suggest that activation of LFA-1 involves the release of an intramolecular constraint, which is maintained, in part, by the authentic β2 CRR.     

High Altitude Frogs (Rana kukonoris) Adopt a Diversified Bethedging Strategy in the Face of Environmental Unpredictability

Environmental unpredictability can influence strategies of maternal investment among eggs within a clutch. Models predict that breeding females should adopt a diversified bet-hedging strategy in unpredictable environments, but empirical field evidence from Asia is scarce. Here we tested this hypothesis by exploring spatial patterns in egg size along an altitudinal gradient in a frog species(Rana kukunoris) inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau. Within-clutch variability in egg size increased as the environment became variable(e.g., lower mean monthly temperature and mean monthly rainfall at higher altitudes), and populations in environments with more unpredictable rainfall produced eggs that were smaller and more variable in size. We provide support for a diversified bet-hedging strategy in high-altitude environments, which experience dynamic weather patterns and therefore are of unpredictable environmental quality. This strategy may be an adaptive response to lower environmental quality and higher unpredictable environmental variance. Such a strategy should increase the likelihood of breeding success and maximize maternal lifetime fitness by producing offspring that are adapted to current environmental conditions. We speculate that in high-altitude environments prone to physical disturbance, breeding females are unable to consistently produce the optimal egg size due to physiological constraints imposed by environmental conditions(e.g., duration of the active season, food availability). Species and populations whose breeding strategies are adapted to cope with uncertain environmental conditions by adjusting offspring size and therefore quality show a remarkable degree of ability to cope with future climatic changes.     

Changes in the Gut Microbiome of the Sea Lamprey during Metamorphosis

Vertebrate metamorphosis is often marked by dramatic morphological and physiological changes of the alimentary tract, along with major shifts in diet following development from larva to adult. Little is known about how these developmental changes impact the gut microbiome of the host organism. The metamorphosis of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) from a sedentary filter-feeding larva to a free-swimming sanguivorous parasite is characterized by major physiological and morphological changes to all organ systems. The transformation of the alimentary canal includes closure of the larval esophagus and the physical isolation of the pharynx from the remainder of the gut, which results in a nonfeeding period that can last up to 8 months. To determine how the gut microbiome is affected by metamorphosis, the microbial communities of feeding and nonfeeding larval and parasitic sea lamprey were surveyed using both culture-dependent and -independent methods. Our results show that the gut of the filter-feeding larva contains a greater diversity of bacteria than that of the blood-feeding parasite, with the parasite gut being dominated by Aeromonas and, to a lesser extent, Citrobacter and Shewanella. Phylogenetic analysis of the culturable Aeromonas from both the larval and parasitic gut revealed that at least five distinct species were represented. Phenotypic characterization of these isolates revealed that over half were capable of sheep red blood cell hemolysis, but all were capable of trout red blood cell hemolysis. This suggests that the enrichment of Aeromonas that accompanies metamorphosis is likely related to the sanguivorous lifestyle of the parasitic sea lamprey.