Dominating species of entomophilous ascomycetes anamorphs in West Siberia,Primorsky krai,and Kyrgyzstan

The paper studies mycobiota of the dead insects in West Siberia, Primorsky krai, and Kyrgyzstan. Ascomycetes anamorphs of 13 genera are revealed. In all regions Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. dominated comprising on average 68% of the total number of isolates. The fungus hosts list the insects of 7 orders and 32 families with Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera dominating. The rarely found entomopathogens include Tolypocladium inflatum Gams (primarily on Lepidoptera), Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin (on Coleoptera). The mortality rate of the insects due to micromycetes is observed mainly on enzootic level. The study of the pathogenic properties of the dominating species (B. bassiana) show the absence of specificity of its environmental isolates for a number of representatives of Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera.     

Insecticidal and immunosuppressive effect of ascomycete Cordyceps militaris on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata

The immunosuppressive and insecticidal activity of culture of the entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps militaris on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata has been established for the first time. It was found that the peroral effect of the fungal culture resulted in dose-dependent decrease in survival, delayed in development time and molting, decreases in the total hemocyt counts, increased activity of phenoloxidases in the hemolymph, and reduced activity of the enzyme in the cuticle, as well as increased sensitivity of larvae to the fungus Beauveria bassiana at the level of the synergistic effect.     

The effect of copper ions on behavior of larvae of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius at different temperatures of sea water

We investigated the behavior of larvae of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius at the blastula and early pluteus stages in the water column at a temperature of 20, 22, and 23.5°C and in the presence of copper in concentrations of 0.01 and 0.02 mg/l. In clean sea water, at all tested temperatures, sea urchin larvae preferred the subsurface layer to where they rose from the bottom of the vessel to form dense aggregations. In water supplemented with copper, the behavior of larvae at 20 and 22°C was not different from that in clean water. An increase in temperature to 23.5°C and the addition of copper altered the behavior of the larvae; they did not leave near-bottom water, did not rise to the surface, although they continued moving.     

Erratum: “Comparative analysis of immune responses in Colorado potato beetle larvae during development of mycoses caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metarhizium robertsii</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">M. brunneum</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">M. pemphigi</Emphasis>”

On page 258, right column, the final line of the ACKNOWLEDGMENTS should read: The study was financially supported by the Russian Scientific Foundation (project no. 15-14-10014).     

Change in the temperature preferences of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Beauveria bassiana sensu lato</Emphasis> isolates in the latitude gradient of Siberia and Kazakhstan

The radial growth of twenty isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana sensu lato from different natural zones of Western Siberia and Kazakhstan (from 65 to 43°N) was tested under different temperatures (5–35°C). It was shown that the thermotolerance of the fungal isolates increased significantly from the north to south. The cold activity of the cultures did not significantly correlate with the latitude of origin and the sum positive temperatures of the regions. A distinct group of the steppe thermotolerance isolates was shown by the analysis of genomic polymorphism using seven intermicrosatellite DNA markers (ISSR). The steppe isolates had high levels of virulence to the wax moth Galleria mellonella and the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata at high temperatures (>30°C) compared to that of the forest-steppe isolates. The obtained data indicate that the use of isolates from the steppe zone will be most promising for the insect pest control under the conditions of continental and arid climate.     

Adaptation capacity of the larvae of marine invertebrates under variation of environmental parameters as a sensitive test of sea water pollution

The possibility of using the adaptive capacity of the larvae of marine invertebrates under the variation of environmental parameters was studied as a sensitive test of sea water pollution. The object of the research was the larvae of Cryptonatica janthostoma (Naticidae), the environmental factor was the freshening of sea water, and the toxic factor used was copper ions. Adding copper to sea water at a concentration of 0.005 mg/l did not reveal any pronounced effect on the development, behavior and growth of larvae in conditions of normal salinity (32‰), however their adaptive potential decreased with a decrease of salinity to 24‰. The results of the present work and experiments carried out previously enabled us to conclude that before assessing any concentration of pollutant as one not affecting marine organisms, it is necessary to investigate not only their development, growth and survival, but also their adaptive capacity relative to the variation of natural environmental parameters, such as even temperature and salinity.     

Direct Comparison of the Subtilisin-Like Intracellular Protease of Bacillus licheniformis with the Homologous Enzymes of Bacillus subtilis

Intracellular serine proteases of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis are closely related.     

The Effectiveness of the Protection of Embryos and Larvae within Egg Masses of the Gastropod Epheria turritaagainst Changes in Salinity and Desiccation

The effectiveness of the protection of embryos and larvae in egg masses from reduced salinity and desiccation was investigated in the gastropod Epheria turrita, which inhabits the intertidal and upper subtidal zones. Embryos and larvae developing inside egg masses were shown not to be protected against changes in environmental salinity. Viable larvae hatched from egg masses at a salinity of 24–26. However, if free-swimming veliger larvae, rather than egg masses, were transferred to water of reduced salinity, the range of salinity tolerated by the larvae was wider, and its lower limit was 18–20. Egg masses did not protect against desiccation either. A 3-h exposure of egg masses to drying resulted in larval mortality. Larvae hatched from egg masses did not rise to the surface and displayed an early tendency towards gregarious behavior, which apparently enhances their ability to settle on a proper substrate near parental populations.     

Can Insects Develop Resistance to Insect Pathogenic Fungi?

Microevolutionary adaptations and mechanisms of fungal pathogen resistance were explored in a melanic population of the Greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. Under constant selective pressure from the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, 25^th generation larvae exhibited significantly enhanced resistance, which was specific to this pathogen and not to another insect pathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae. Defense and stress management strategies of selected (resistant) and non-selected (susceptible) insect lines were compared to uncover mechanisms underpinning resistance, and the possible cost of those survival strategies. We hypothesize that the insects developed a transgenerationally primed resistance to the fungus B. bassiana, a costly trait that was achieved not by compromising life-history traits but rather by prioritizing and re-allocating pathogen-species-specific augmentations to integumental front-line defenses that are most likely to be encountered by invading fungi. Specifically during B. bassiana infection, systemic immune defenses are suppressed in favour of a more limited but targeted repertoire of enhanced responses in the cuticle and epidermis of the integument (e.g. expression of the fungal enzyme inhibitor IMPI, and cuticular phenoloxidase activity). A range of putative stress-management factors (e.g. antioxidants) is also activated during the specific response of selected insects to B. bassiana but not M. anisopliae. This too occurs primarily in the integument, and probably contributes to antifungal defense and/or helps ameliorate the damage inflicted by the fungus or the host’s own immune responses.