The morphology,innervation and neural control of the anterior arterial system of Aplysia californica

Summary The morphology, innervation, and neural control of the anterior arterial system of Aplysia californica were investigated. Immunocytochemical and histochemical techniques generated positive reactions in the anterior arterial system for several neuroactive substances, including SCP_B, FMRFamide, R151 peptide, dopamine and serotonin. Three neurons were found to innervate the rostral portions of the anterior arterial tree. One is the identified peptidergic neuron R15 in the abdominal ganglion, and the other two are a pair of previously unidentified neurons, one in each pedal ganglion, named pedal arterial shorteners (P_AS)- The endogeneously bursting neuron R15 was found to innervate the proximal anterior aorta. It also innervates a branch of the distal anterior aorta, the left pedal-parapodial artery. Activity in R15 causes constriction of the left pedal-parapodial artery. This effect is presumed to direct hemolymph towards the genital groove and penis on the right side in vivo. This vasoconstrictor action of R15 is mimicked by the R151 peptide. The P_AS neuron pair causes longitudinal contraction of the rostral anterior aorta and the pedal-parapodial arteries. In vivo, the pair is active during behaviors involving head withdrawal and turning. By adjusting the length of the arteries during postural changes, the P_AS neurons may prevent disturbances in blood flow due to bending or kinking of the arterial walls.     

Ultrastructural localization of egg-laying prohormone-related peptides in the atrial gland of Aplysia californica

The atrial gland is an exocrine organ that secretes into the oviduct of Aplysia californica and expresses three homologous genes belonging to the egglaying hormone gene family. Although post-translational processing of the egg-laying hormone precursor in the neuroendocrine bag cells has been examined in detail, relatively little is known about the post-translational processing of egg-laying hormone-related gene products in the atrial gland. A combination of morphologic techniques that included light-microscopic histology and immunocytochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, and immuno-electron microscopy were used to localize egg-laying hormone-related peptides in the atrial gland and to evaluate the characteristic morphology of their secretory cells. Results of these studies showed that there were at least three major types of secretory cells in the atrial gland (types 1–3). Significantly, of these three cell types, only type 1 was immunoreactive to antisera against egg-laying hormone-related precursor peptides. The immunoreactivity studies established that all three egg-laying hormone-related precursor genes are expressed in type-1 cells and indicated that the processing of these precursors also occurs within the secretory granules of this cell type. Evidence was also obtained that proteolytic processing of the egg-laying hormone-related precursors differed significantly from that observed in the bag cells. In contrast to the bag cells, the NH₂-terminal and COOH-terminal products of the egg-laying hormone-related precursors of the atrial gland were not sorted into different types of vesicles.     

Rhythmic egg-laying behaviour in virgin females of fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster

Fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster females display rhythmic egg-laying under 12:12?h light/dark (LD) cycles which persists with near 24?h periodicity under constant darkness (DD). We have shown previously that persistence of this rhythm does not require the neurons expressing pigment dispersing factor (PDF), thought to be the canonical circadian pacemakers, and proposed that it could be controlled by peripheral clocks or regulated/triggered by the act of mating. We assayed egg-laying behaviour of wild-type Canton S (CS) females under LD, DD and constant light (LL) conditions in three different physiological states; as virgins, as females allowed to mate with males for 1?day and as females allowed to mate for the entire duration of the assay. Here, we report the presence of a circadian rhythm in egg-laying in virgin D. melanogaster females. We also found that egg-laying behaviour of 70 and 90% females from all the three male presence/absence protocols follows circadian rhythmicity under DD and LL, with periods ranging between 18 and 30?h. The egg-laying rhythm of all virgin females synchronized to LD cycles with a peak occurring soon after lights-off. The rhythm in virgins was remarkably robust with maximum number of eggs deposited immediately after lights-off in contrast to mated females which show higher egg-laying during the day. These results suggest that the egg-laying rhythm of D. melanogaster is endogenously driven and is neither regulated nor triggered by the act of mating; instead, the presence of males results in reduction in entrainment to LD cycles.     

Octopamine receptor OAMB is required for ovulation in Drosophila melanogaster

Octopamine is a major monoamine in invertebrates and affects many physiological processes ranging from energy metabolism to complex behaviors. Octopamine binds to receptors located on various cell types and activates distinct signal transduction pathways to produce these diverse effects. We previously identified one of the Drosophila octopamine receptors named OAMB that produces increases in cAMP and intracellular Ca2+ upon ligand binding. It is expressed at high levels in the brain. To explore OAMB's physiological roles, we generated deletions in the OAMB locus. The resultant oamb mutants were viable without gross anatomical defects. The oamb females displayed normal courtship and copulation; however, they were impaired in ovulation with many mature eggs retained in their ovaries. RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, and expression of a reporter gene revealed that OAMB was also expressed in the thoracicoabdominal ganglion, the female reproductive system, and mature eggs in the ovary. Moreover, analysis of various alleles pinpointed the requirement for OAMB in the body, but not in the brain, for female fecundity. The novel expression pattern of OAMB and its genetic resource described in this study will help advance our understanding on how the neuromodulatory or endocrine system controls reproductive physiology and behavior.     

ACE inhibitors reduce fecundity in the mosquito,Anopheles stephensi

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase, which cleaves dipeptides and, in some instances, dipeptide or tripeptide amides from the C-terminus of regulatory peptides (e.g. angiotensin I, bradykinin and substance P). The expression of ACE is highly regulated in insects, where it is thought to have a role in the metabolism of peptide hormones involved in regulating reproduction. After a blood meal, ACE activity in the female mosquito Anopheles stephensi, increases four-fold with much of the enzyme finally accumulating in the ovary. In the present study, we have studied the effect on reproduction of adding two selective inhibitors of ACE, captopril and lisinopril, to the blood meal. Both ACE inhibitors reduced the size of the batch of eggs laid by females in a dose-dependent manner, with no observable effects on the behaviour of the adult insect. The almost total failure to lay eggs after feeding on either 1 mM captopril or 1 mM lisinopril, did not result from interference with the development of the primary follicle, but was due to the inhibition of egg-laying. Since very similar effects on the size of the egg-batch were observed with two selective ACE inhibitors, belonging to different chemical classes, we suggest that these effects are mediated by the selective inhibition of the induced mosquito ACE, a peptidase probably involved in the activation/inactivation of a peptide regulating egg-laying activity in A. stephensi.     

Interference at several temporal and spatial scales between two chestnut insects

Detection of interspecific competition between insects is often sensitive to scaling. We give an example of scale-dependent interference between the weevil Curculio elephas and the moth Cydia splendana, which both have larvae that develop in the fruits of chestnut Castanea sativa. Measures at three scales were considered: chestnut, husk (with one to three fertile fruits) and tree. Data come from observations in the field over 14 years, complemented by experiments done directly in trees. Data on individual chestnut fruits revealed a marked statistical interference between the two insects. Experiments demonstrated that presence of a moth larva in a fruit usually inhibits weevil egg-laying. Conversely, weevil presence does not strongly modify moth larval behavior. Cases of double infestation often correspond to fruits first attacked by the weevil. With measures on husks, interference between the two insects was observed only in some trees; its intensity was always weaker than in the chestnuts themselves. At the scale of entire trees, rates of infestation by each insect are not correlated. Interference in chestnut fruits is interpreted by assuming that the weevil female either is sensitive to a repellent molecule originating from a moth larva or its frass, or can detect moth larval sounds. Mechanisms governing infestation rates from data per tree are discussed in relation to those found at fruit scale and to plant-insect interactions. The need to estimate available resources both from quantitative and qualitative points of view is emphasized.     

Spatial distribution, resource utilisation and intraspecific competition in the dung beetle Aphodius ater

Competitive interactions in northern temperate dung beetles are poorly understood. This investigation therefore comprises a series of field and experimental work on a dung beetle species common in northern Europe, Aphodius ater, with special focus on intraspecific competitive interactions. The between-pat distribution of adult A. ater in relation to the age of sheep dung pats was studied in the field. The distribution of both sexes was contagious in the fresh pats but became more regular with increasing pat age. The successional occurrence of males and females did not differ, but immature females tended to occur in fresh pats while mature females were mainly found in older pats. With increasing age of pats, the egg load of females also increased. Egg-laying behaviour of the beetles was studied in laboratory experiments. The mean number of eggs laid per female per dung pat decreased with increasing beetle density. Thus, density-dependent processes seem to regulate resource utilisation with regard to breeding behaviour, resulting in equal exploitation of the available pats. Survival and weight of recently hatched beetles decreased with increasing initial density of eggs. Hence, in A. ater, competition between larvae for food within pats does occur. Received: 4 February 1998 / Accepted: 20 April 1998     

Consummatory feeding movements in Aplysia fasciata are facilitated by conspecifics with access to mates, by reproductive tract homogenates and by bag cell peptides

In Aplysia fasciata, pheromones released by conspecifics with access to mates increase the quantity of food eaten. This effect is blocked when the chemosensory rhinophores are ablated, indicating that the rhinophores sense pheromones. The modulation of feeding by pheromones can be monitored by an increase in the amplitude of swallowing movements in the presence of conspecifics with access to mates. Atrial gland homogenates and four bag cell peptides (egg-laying hormone, and α, β, and γ bag cell peptides) amplify the swallow amplitude in a manner similar to that caused by conspecifics with access to mates, suggesting that peptides from the bag cell/atrial gland family that are released from the atrial gland into the surrounding water may be pheromones regulating feeding and reproductive behaviors. Accepted: 14 June 1997     

血雉的产卵时间和产卵间隔

鸟类的产卵时间和产卵间隔因种而异 ,并会影响其繁殖成功。采用在巢内放置含有温度数据自动记录装置的假卵 ,通过记录其温度的变化来监测雌鸟产卵行为的方法 ,对分布于我国青藏高原森林鸟类血雉(Ithaginiscruentus)的产卵时间和产卵间隔进行了研究。结果表明 ,雌鸟每次入巢产卵的时间是在 15 :16± 2 2min (13 :30～ 18:5 1) ,产卵高峰集中在 14:0 0～ 16 :0 0 ,每次在巢中停留 (2 2± 0 2 6 )h。产卵间隔为 (46 4± 3 0 8)h ,大多数 (75 % )产卵间隔 45 8～ 48 9h。由此推测 ,血雉产卵时间较为集中很可能与避开夜行性捕食者的活动高峰有关 ;而隔天产卵则是对高原恶劣环境条件的适应。