Downwind migration of the African army worm moth, Spodoptera exempta, studied by mark-and-capture and by radar

Abstract. 1. About 166,000 African armyworm moths, Spodoptera exempta (Walk.), were marked at an emergence site near Nairobi when they fed at night on trees baited with dyed molasses.
2. Six marked moths were captured in pheromone traps, including one at 90 km after flying for only one night, and another at 147 km.
3. Moth flight trajectories deduced from radar and from marking showed that migration was downwind.
4. During migration, moths become dispersed; hence the high densities that lead to outbreaks must be produced by concentration.
5. Some moths were ready to mate on the same night they completed their long-distance flight.     

Blue Moon Approach to Rare Events

The "Blue Moon" ensemble is a computationally efficient molecular dynamics method to estimate the rate constants of rare activated events when the process can be described by a reaction coordinate ξ(r), a well-defined function in configuration space. By means of holonomic constraints a number of values of ξ(r) can be prescribed along the relevant path to identify the "bottleneck" region first and to sample an ensemble of starting conditions to generate activated trajectories. These MD trajectories sample phase space according to a biased configurational distribution. With a suitable re-weighting of averages from such ensemble of trajectories one can characterize completely rare events.     

Potential roles and targeted therapy of the CXCLs/CXCR2 axis in cancer and inflammatory diseases

The chemokine receptor CXCR2 and its ligands are implicated in the progression of tumours and various inflammatory diseases. Activation of the CXCLs/CXCR2 axis activates multiple signalling pathways, including the PI3K, p38/ERK, and JAK pathways, and regulates cell survival and migration. The CXCLs/CXCR2 axis plays a vital role in the tumour microenvironment and in recruiting neutrophils to inflammatory sites. Extensive infiltration of neutrophils during chronic inflammation is one of the most important pathogenic factors in various inflammatory diseases. Chronic inflammation is considered to be closely correlated with initiation of cancer. In addition, immunosuppressive effects of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) against T cells attenuate the anti-tumour effects of T cells and promote tumour invasion and metastasis. Over the last several decades, many therapeutic strategies targeting CXCR2 have shown promising results and entered clinical trials. In this review, we focus on the features and functions of the CXCLs/CXCR2 axis and highlight its role in cancer and inflammatory diseases. We also discuss its potential use in targeted therapies.     

A Small Volume Procedure for Viral Concentration from Water

Small-scale concentration of viruses (sample volumes 1-10 L, here simulated with spiked 100 ml water samples) is an efficient, cost-effective way to identify optimal parameters for virus concentration. Viruses can be concentrated from water using filtration (electropositive, electronegative, glass wool or size exclusion), followed by secondary concentration with beef extract to release viruses from filter surfaces, and finally tertiary concentration resulting in a 5-30 ml volume virus concentrate. In order to identify optimal concentration procedures, two different electropositive filters were evaluated (a glass/cellulose filter [1MDS] and a nano-alumina/glass filter [NanoCeram]), as well as different secondary concentration techniques; the celite technique where three different celite particle sizes were evaluated (fine, medium and large) followed by comparing this technique with that of the established organic flocculation method. Various elution additives were also evaluated for their ability to enhance the release of adenovirus (AdV) particles from filter surfaces. Fine particle celite recovered similar levels of AdV40 and 41 to that of the established organic flocculation method when viral spikes were added during secondary concentration. The glass/cellulose filter recovered higher levels of both, AdV40 and 41, compared to that of a nano-alumina/glass fiber filter. Although not statistically significant, the addition of 0.1% sodium polyphosphate amended beef extract eluant recovered 10% more AdV particles compared to unamended beef extract.     

A type IV modification dependent restriction nuclease that targets glucosylated hydroxymethyl cytosine modified DNAs

The Escherichia coli CT596 prophage exclusion genes gmrS and gmrD were found to encode a novel type IV modification-dependent restriction nuclease that targets and digests glucosylated (glc)-hydroxymethylcytosine (HMC) DNAs. The protein products GmrS (36 kDa) and GmrD (27 kDa) were purified and found to be inactive separately, but together degraded several different glc-HMC modified DNAs (T4, T2 and T6). The GMR enzyme is able to degrade both alpha-glucosy-HMC T4 DNA and beta-glucosyl-HMC T4 DNA, whereas no activity was observed against non-modified DNAs including unmodified T4 cytosine (C) DNA or non-glucosylated T4 HMC DNA. Enzyme activity requires NTP, favors UTP, is stimulated by calcium, and initially produces 4 kb DNA fragments that are further degraded to low molecular mass products. The enzyme is inhibited by the T4 phage internal protein I* (IPI*) to which it was found to bind. Overall activities of the purified GmrSD enzyme are in good agreement with the properties of the cloned gmr genes in vivo and suggest a restriction enzyme specific for sugar modified HMC DNAs. IPI* thus represents a third generation bacteriophage defense against restriction nucleases of the Gmr type.     

Disturbance persistence in managed grasslands: shifts in aboveground community structure and the weed seed bank

The length of time and form in which disturbances persist in systems depends on the intensity and frequency of disturbance and on the abilities of resident species to recover from such events. In grazed grasslands, trampling by large mammalian herbivores can periodically facilitate weed establishment by exposing patches of bare ground but whether an intense soil disturbance event results in a temporary increase in weed abundance or a persistent weed problem remains unclear. In May 2002, cattle trampling following heavy rain caused severe damage to nine-month old, rotationally grazed, cool-season pastures (Midwest USA). In September 2002, we compared the aboveground composition of paddocks (i.e., fenced pasture sections) that were heavily disturbed to those that received no damage. Relative to undisturbed paddocks, forage species relative cover was 17% lower in disturbed paddocks, and weed species and bare ground relative cover was 61% and 100% higher, respectively. By September 2004, paddock types did not differ in all aboveground community components. However, the abundance and species richness of weed seeds in the soil seed bank averaged respectively 82% and 30% higher in disturbed paddocks between 2003 and 2004. These findings indicate that a spatially extensive, intense soil disturbance event may soon become undetectable in components of aboveground pasture structure but can persist as an augmented weed seed bank. Because of high weed seed bank longevity, disturbances to formerly disturbed pastures would likely result in higher weed recruitment, with more species represented, than in those which lack previous disturbance. Disturbance history may thus be a useful predictor of weed community composition following subsequent disturbance. Based on empirical data supporting this proposition, we recommend that grassland managers explicitly incorporate disturbance history into dynamic management planning and do not rely exclusively on aboveground characters to evaluate the invasion status or colonization potential of an area by undesirable plants. We emphasize that the ecological legacies of past soil disturbance events cannot only influence the contemporary patterns and processes of grasslands, but importantly, affect their compositional trajectories following subsequent perturbation.     

Plant defence as a complex and changing phenotype throughout ontogeny

Background and Aims Ontogenetic changes in anti-herbivore defences are common and result from variation in resource availability and herbivore damage throughout plant development. However, little is known about the simultaneous changes of multiple defences across the entire development of plants, and how such changes affect plant damage in the field. The aim of this study was to assess if changes in the major types of plant resistance and tolerance can explain natural herbivore damage throughout plant ontogeny.Methods An assessment was made of how six defensive traits, including physical, chemical and biotic resistance, simultaneously change across the major transitions of plant development, from seedlings to reproductive stages of Turnera velutina growing in the greenhouse. In addition, an experiment was performed to assess how plant tolerance to artificial damage to leaves changed throughout ontogeny. Finally, leaf damage by herbivores was evaluated in a natural population.Key Results The observed ontogenetic trajectories of all defences were significantly different, sometimes showing opposite directions of change. Whereas trichome density, leaf toughness, extrafloral nectary abundance and nectar production increased, hydrogen cyanide and compensatory responses decreased throughout plant development, from seedlings to reproductive plants. Only water content was higher at the intermediate juvenile ontogenetic stages. Surveys in a natural population over 3 years showed that herbivores consumed more tissue from juvenile plants than from younger seedlings or older reproductive plants. This is consistent with the fact that juvenile plants were the least defended stage.Conclusions The results suggest that defensive trajectories are a mixed result of predictions by the Optimal Defence Theory and the Growth–Differentiation Balance Hypothesis. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating multiple defences and plant ontogeny into further studies for a more comprehensive understanding of plant defence evolution.     

Post-natal ontogeny of the mandible and ventral cranium in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Marmota</Emphasis> species (Rodentia,Sciuridae): allometry and phylogeny

Post-natal ontogenetic variation of the marmot mandible and ventral cranium is investigated in two species of the subgenus Petromarmota (M. caligata, M. flaviventris) and four species of the subgenus Marmota (M. caudata, M. himalayana, M. marmota, M. monax). Relationships between size and shape are analysed using geometric morphometric techniques. Sexual dimorphism is negligible, allometry explains the main changes in shape during growth, and males and females manifest similar allometric trajectories. Anatomical regions affected by size-related shape variation are similar in different species, but allometric trajectories are divergent. The largest modifications of the mandible and ventral cranium occur in regions directly involved in the mechanics of mastication. Relative to other anatomical regions, the size of areas of muscle insertion increases, while the size of sense organs, nerves and teeth generally decreases. Epigenetic factors, developmental constraints and size variation were found to be the major contributors in producing the observed allometric patterns. A phylogenetic signal was not evident in the comparison of allometric trajectories, but traits that allow discrimination of the Palaearctic marmots from the Nearctic species of Petromarmota are present early in development and are conserved during post-natal ontogeny.     

Activation of the Ghrelin Receptor is Described by a Privileged Collective Motion: A Model for Constitutive and Agonist-induced Activation of a Sub-class A G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR)

Three homology models of the human ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) have been generated from the available X-ray structures of rhodopsin (RHO model), opsin (OPS model) and beta-2 adrenergic receptor (B2 model). The latter was used as a starting point for combined molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) and full atom normal modes analysis (NMA). A low-frequency normal mode (mode 16) perfectly reproduced the intracellular motions observed between B2 and RHO models; in the opposite direction along the same mode, the generated structures are closer to the OPS model, suggesting a direct link with GHS-R1a activation. This was in agreement with motions of the seven transmembranous segments, increase of the solvent accessibility of the 140-ERY-142 sequence, and flip of the Trp276 (C WLP) residue, some features related to GPCRs activation. According to our model, His280 was proposed to stabilize Trp276 in the active state; this was verified by site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical characterization of the resulting H280A and H280S mutants, which were fully functional but sharing an important decrease of their basal activities. Docking performed with short ghrelin derivatives Gly-Ser-Ser _[octa]-Phe-NH ₂ and Gly-Ser-Ser _[octa]-Phe-Leu-NH ₂ allowed the identification of a robust position of these peptides in the active site of the receptor. This model was refined by MDS and validated by docking experiments performed on a set of 55 ghrelin receptor ligands based on the 1,2,4- triazole scaffold. Finally, NMA performed on the obtained peptide-receptor complex suggested stabilization of the Trp276 residue and of the whole receptor in the active state, preventing the motion observed along mode 16 computed for the unbound receptor. Our results show that NMA offers a powerful approach to study the conformational diversity and the activation mechanism of GPCRs.