Use of autonomous audio recordings for the rapid inventory of birds in the white‐sand forests of the Peruvian Amazon

White‐sand forests are patchily distributed ecosystems covering just 5% of Amazonia that host many specialist species of birds not found elsewhere, and these forests are threatened due to their small size and human exploitation of sand for construction projects. As a result, many species of birds that are white‐sand specialists are at risk of extinction, and immediate conservation action is paramount for their survival. Our objective was to evaluate current survey methods and determine the relative effect of the size of patches of these forests on the presence or absence of white‐sand specialists. Using point counts and autonomous recorders, we surveyed avian assemblages occupying patches of white‐sand forest in the Peruvian Amazon in April 2018. Overall, we detected 126 species, including 21 white‐sand forest specialists. We detected significantly more species of birds per survey point with autonomous recorders than point counts. We also found a negative relationship between avian species richness and distance from the edge of patches of white‐sand forest, but a significant, positive relationship when only counting white‐sand specialists. Although we detected more species with autonomous recorders, point counts were more effective for detecting canopy‐dwelling passerines. Therefore, we recommend that investigators conducting surveys for rare and patchily distributed species in the tropics use a mixed‐method approach that incorporates both autonomous recorders and visual observation. Finally, our results suggest that conserving large, continuous patches of white‐sand forest may increase the likelihood of survival of species of birds that are white‐sand specialists.     

T Cell Factor-1 Controls the Lifetime of CD4+ CD8+ Thymocytes In Vivo and Distal T Cell Receptor α-Chain Rearrangement Required for NKT Cell Development

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a component of innate and adaptive immune systems implicated in immune, autoimmune responses and in the control of obesity and cancer. NKT cells develop from common CD4+ CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocyte precursors after the rearrangement and expression of T cell receptor (TCR) Vα14-Jα18 gene. Temporal regulation and late appearance of Vα14-Jα18 rearrangement in immature DP thymocytes has been demonstrated. However, the precise control of lifetime of DP thymocytes in vivo that enables distal rearrangements remains incompletely defined. Here we demonstrate that T cell factor (TCF)-1, encoded by the Tcf7 gene, is critical for the extended lifetime of DP thymocytes. TCF-1-deficient DP thymocytes fail to undergo TCR Vα14-Jα18 rearrangement and produce significantly fewer NKT cells. Ectopic expression of Bcl-x_L permits Vα14-Jα18 rearrangement and rescues NKT cell development. We report that TCF-1 regulates expression of RORγt, which regulates DP thymocyte survival by controlling expression of Bcl-x_L. We posit that TCF-1 along with its cofactors controls the lifetime of DP thymocytes in vivo.     

Habitat preference in the critically endangered yellow‐tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) at La Esperanza,Peru

Habitat loss is one of the main threats to wildlife. Therefore, knowledge of habitat use and preference is essential for the design of conservation strategies and identification of priority sites for the protection of endangered species. The yellow‐tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda Humboldt, 1812), categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, is endemic to montane forests in northern Peru where its habitat is greatly threatened. We assessed how habitat use and preference in L. flavicauda are linked to forest structure and composition. The study took place near La Esperanza, in the Amazonas region, Peru. Our objective was to identify characteristics of habitat most utilized by L. flavicauda to provide information that will be useful for the selection of priority sites for conservation measures. Using presence records collected from May 2013 to February 2014 for one group of L. flavicauda, we classified the study site into three different use zones: low‐use, medium‐use, and high‐use. We assessed forest structure and composition for all use zones using 0.1 ha Gentry vegetation transects. Results show high levels of variation in plant species composition across the three use zones. Plants used as food resources had considerably greater density, dominance, and ecological importance in high‐use zones. High‐use zones presented similar structure to medium‐ and low‐use zones; thus it remains difficult to assess the influence of forest structure on habitat preference. We recommend focusing conservation efforts on areas with a similar floristic composition to the high‐use zones recorded in this study and suggest utilizing key alimentation species for reforestation efforts.     

Liver fatty acid-binding protein in two cases of human lipid storage

Summary FABPs in the various tissues play an important role in the intracellular fatty acid transport and metabolism. Reye's syndrome (RS) and multisystemic lipid storage (MLS) are human disorders characterized by a disturbance of lipid metabolism of unknown etiology. We investigated for the first time L-FABP in these two conditions. Affinity purified antibodies against chicken L-FABP were raised in rabbits, and found to cross-react specifically with partially purified human L-FABP. L-FABP content in liver samples of two patients with RS and MLS was investigated by immuno-histochemistry, SDS-PAGE and ELISA. L-FABP immuno-histochemistry showed increased reactivity in the liver of RS patient and normal reactivity in MLS liver. L-FABP increase in RS liver was confirmed by densitometry of SDS-PAGE and ELISA method. By these two methods the increase amounted to 180% and 199% (p < 0.02), respectively, as compared to controls. A possible role of L-FABP in the pathogenesis of RS is discussed.     

Chromosome evolution and phylogeny in Ronderosia (Orthoptera,Acrididae, Melanoplinae): clues of survivors to the challenge of sympatry?

In an attempt to unveil the origin of neo‐sex chromosomes in Ronderosia Cigliano grasshoppers, we performed a combined phylogenetic analysis based on morphological (external morphology and male genitalia) and molecular data (COI, COII, 16S and ITS2) to explore the chromosome evolution within the genus. We also analysed the distributional patterns of the various Ronderosia species and considered the possible role of chromosome rearrangements (CRs) in speciation processes within the genus in the light of ‘suppressed‐recombination’ models. We mapped the states of three chromosomal characters on the combined tree topology. The combined evidence supported Ronderosia as a monophyletic group. The cytogenetic analyses of the genus demonstrated the importance of rearranged karyotypes with single, complex and multiples neo‐sex chromosome determination systems in all species. The chromosome character optimisation suggests X‐autosome centric fusion as the mechanism responsible for neo‐sex chromosome formation in most Ronderosia species, except in R. dubia and R. bergii. Similar autosomes were involved in fusions with the ancestral X chromosome in Ronderosia, supporting previous hypotheses on the unique origin of X‐autosome fusion for the sex chromosome in the genus. As a source of chromosome variation, autosome‐autosome centric fusion played a secondary role in Ronderosia compared with other Dichroplini. Given the homogeneity in the morphological features, the sympatric distribution of closely related species and the intrinsic property of centric fusion as suppressors of the crossing over, we suggest that CRs may have played a key role during the speciation process within Ronderosia.     

Affinity chromatography of Ankistrodesmus braunii nitrate reductase using blue dextran-sepharose (author's transl)

Blue Dextran has been coupled covalently to Sepharose-4B to purify the enzymatic complex NAD(P)H-nitrate reductase (EC 1.6.6.2) from the green alga Ankistrodesmus braunii by affinity chromatography. The optimum conditions for the accomplishment of the chromatographic process have been determined. The adsorption of nitrate reductase on Blue Dextran Sepharose is optimum when a phosphate buffer of low ionic strength and pH 6.5-7.0 is used. Once the enzyme has been bound to Blue Dextran Sepharose, it can be specifically eluted by addition of NADH and FAD to the washing buffer. However, none of the nucleotides added separately is able to promote the elution of the enzyme from the column. The elution can be also achieved, but not specifically, by increasing the ionic strength of the buffer with KCl. These results have made possible a procedure for the purification of A. braunii nitrate reductase which led to electrophoretic homogeneity, with an overall yield of 70% and a specific activity of 49 units/mg of protein.