Description of Tischeria gouaniae sp. n. from the tropical forest of Belize - an exotic new addition to the American fauna of Tischeria (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae)

We describe Tischeria gouaniae sp. n. from the tropical forests of Belize. The new species is a leaf-miner of Gouania polygama (Rhamnaceae). Together with the related T. bifurcata Braun, it is among the most striking representatives of Tischeria. Both species possess a pseudognathos and very broad aedeagus fused with extremely long lateral processes of the juxta. The new species differs from T. bifurcata in the broadly rounded vinculum, spiny juxta, and slender apical processes of the aedeagus, and in its host plant. The external features and male genitalia of Tischeria gouaniae sp. n. are figured and described. A checklist and distribution map for all nine currently known Tischeria species from North and South America are given. Most American species are known from USA, but others are now known from tropical forest habitats of Central America, the Caribbean, and Guyana. Host-plants are known for five of the nine species reviewed here, belonging to four genera and two plant families (Fagaceae and Rhamnaceae).     

Checklist of African Tischeriidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera) with a redescription of the formerly neglected Tischeria urticicolella from Equatorial Africa

Tischeria urticicolella (Ghesquière, 1940)--a poorly studied species from the Democratic Republic of Congo and formerly known as a member of the Gracillariidae--is redescribed and reported as belonging to the Tischeriidae for the first time. The external features and male genitalia are figured and described. A checklist and distribution map for all 18 Tischeriidae species currently recorded from Africa (including the Canary Islands) are given.     

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of serum- and inflammatory mediator-induced migration of carp (Cyprinus carpio) head kidney neutrophils in vitro

A quantitative transmigration system, permitting the harvest of transmigrated cells for further analysis, was used to study carp head kidney (HK) granulocyte migration in vitro. Pooled carp serum and leukotriene B4 (LTB-4), but not recombinant human C-X-C chemokine ligand 8 (rhCXCL8), recombinant human complement component 5a (rhC5a) or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) induced strong migration (up to 70%) of carp HK granulocytes. The transmigrated cells were viable (>or=96%) and uniform (purity >or=97%). After serum- as well as LTB-4-induced transmigration granulocytes produced the same amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as non-migrated cells in HK cell suspension. Their morphology, staining characteristics and flow cytometric scatter characteristics, plus their ability to produce ROS characterised the transmigrated granulocytes as neutrophils. The quantitative transmigration system described here could also serve as an excellent tool for the selective attraction and isolation of highly purified carp neutrophils from HK cell suspensions.     

Morphological separation of aphid species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomyzus leonuri</Emphasis> Bozhko, 1961 and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomyzus alboapicalis</Emphasis> (Theobald, 1916) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae)

Aphids of the species Cryptomyzus alboapicalis (Theobald, 1916) and Cryptomyzus leonuri Bozhko, 1961 are very similar morphologically, although exploit different host plants (Lamium album and Leonurus cardiaca, respectively). Morphological characters proposed for the separation of this species couple in the identification key to European Cryptomyzus species appeared to be of little discriminatory power when applied to apterous viviparous females from clonal lineages, whilst alate viviparous females of C. leonuri were not included in the key at all. The aim of this study was to find reliable morphological characters and their combinations for the separation of apterous and alate viviparous females of C. alboapicalis and C. leonuri. Forward stepwise discriminant analysis based on characters without statistically significant (P < 0.05) correlation (|r| ≥ 0.50) with body length resulted in canonical functions enabling correct classification of 95–100% of specimens from clonal lineages involved in the analysis with a priori specified group membership. The post hoc classification gave 95–100% correct identification of individuals from clonal and 85–100% from field-collected samples. The discriminative values of single morphological characters and canonical functions are discussed and modified key for the morphological identification of C. alboapicalis and C. leonuri apterous and alate viviparous females is suggested.     

Cloning, expression and characterization of two new IgE-binding proteins from the yeast Malassezia sympodialis with sequence similarities to heat shock proteins and manganese superoxide dismutase.

Malassezia sympodialis is an opportunistic yeast that colonizes human skin and may induce IgE and T cell reactivity in patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS). Previously, we have cloned and expressed six recombinant allergens (rMala s 1 and rMala s 5 to rMala s 9) from this yeast. By combining high throughput screening and phage surface display techniques, 27 complete and partial IgE-binding clones of M. sympodialis have been identified. Here we enlarged the panel of recombinant M. sympodialis allergens by RACE-PCR, cloning and nucleotide sequencing to obtain the coding sequences of two new IgE-binding clones. The coding sequences of one of the clones showed similarity to the heat shock protein (HSP) family and the other to manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and both had a high degree of homology to human counterparts. The coding sequences were expressed in Escherichia coli as six-histidine tagged recombinant proteins and generated products with molecular masses of 86.1 kDa for HSP and 22.4 kDa for MnSOD. Their IgE-binding frequencies were shown to be 69% and 75%, respectively, to 28 sera from AEDS patients with serum IgE to M. sympodialis extract, indicating that HSP and MnSOD are major M. sympodialis allergens. In inhibition immunoblotting, M. sympodialis extract could inhibit the binding of serum IgE from AEDS patients to rHSP and rMnSOD in a concentration-dependent manner. The high frequency of sera from AEDS patients, showing IgE binding to both HSP and MnSOD, indicates that these allergens, designated Mala s 10 and Mala s 11, could play a role in AEDS.     

DRG Axon Elongation and Growth Cone Collapse Rate Induced by Sema3A are Differently Dependent on NGF Concentration

Regeneration of embryonic and adult dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory axons is highly impeded when they encounter neuronal growth cone-collapsing factor semaphorin3A (Sema3A). On the other hand, increasing evidence shows that DRG axon’s regeneration can be stimulated by nerve growth factor (NGF). In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether increased NGF concentrations can counterweight Sema3A-induced inhibitory responses in 15-day-old mouse embryo (E15) DRG axons. The DRG explants were grown in Neurobasal-based medium with different NGF concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 ng/mL and then treated with Sema3A at constant 10 ng/mL concentration. To evaluate interplay between NGF and Sema3A number of DRG axons, axon outgrowth distance and collapse rate were measured. We found that the increased NGF concentrations abolish Sema3A-induced inhibitory effect on axon outgrowth, while they have no effect on Sema3A-induced collapse rate.