Comparative effects of insecticides with different mechanisms of action on Chrysoperla externa （Neuroptera＂ Chrysopidae）＂ Lethal,sublethal and dose-response effects

The comprehensive knowledge that the delayed systemic and reproduction side effects can be even more deleterious than acute toxicity, has caused a shift in focus toward sublethal effects assessment on physiology and behavior of beneficial insects. In this study, we assessed the risks posed by some insecticides with different mode of action through lethal and delayed systemic sublethal effects on the pupation, adult emergence, and repro- duction of the chrysopid Chrysoperla externa （Hagen, 1861; Neuroptera： Chrysopidae）, an important predator in pest biological control. The maximum field recommended dose （MFRD） and twice （2xMFRD） for chlorantraniliprole, tebufenozide, and pyriproxyfen were harmless to C. externa. In contrast, all the tested chitin synthesis inhibitors （CSIs） were highly detrimental to the predator, despite of their lack of acute lethal toxicity. There- fore, the safety assumed by using IGRs toward beneficial insects is not valid for chrysopids. Dose-response data showed that although all CSIs have a similar mechanism of action, the relative extent of toxicity may differ （novaluron 〉 lufenuron 〉 teflubenzuron）. For CSIs, the delayed systemic effects became obvious at adult emergence, where the predicted no observable effect dose （NOED） was 1/2 048 of the MFRD for novaluron （0.085 ng/insect）, and 1/256 of the MFRD for both lufenuron （0.25 ng/insect） and teflubenzuron （0.6 ng/insect）. Finally, this work emphasized the significance of performing toxicity risk assessments with an adequate posttreatment period to avoid underestimating the toxicities of insecticides, as the acute lethal toxicity assays may not provide accurate information regarding the long-range effects of hazardous compounds.     

Comparative effects of insecticides with different mechanisms of action on Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae): Lethal,sublethal and dose–response effects

The comprehensive knowledge that the delayed systemic and reproduction side effects can be even more deleterious than acute toxicity, has caused a shift in focus toward sublethal effects assessment on physiology and behavior of beneficial insects. In this study, we assessed the risks posed by some insecticides with different mode of action through lethal and delayed systemic sublethal effects on the pupation, adult emergence, and reproduction of the chrysopid Chrysoperla externa (Hagen, 1861; Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), an important predator in pest biological control. The maximum field recommended dose (MFRD) and twice (2×MFRD) for chlorantraniliprole, tebufenozide, and pyriproxyfen were harmless to C. externa. In contrast, all the tested chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSIs) were highly detrimental to the predator, despite of their lack of acute lethal toxicity. Therefore, the safety assumed by using IGRs toward beneficial insects is not valid for chrysopids. Dose–response data showed that although all CSIs have a similar mechanism of action, the relative extent of toxicity may differ (novaluron > lufenuron > teflubenzuron). For CSIs, the delayed systemic effects became obvious at adult emergence, where the predicted no observable effect dose (NOED) was 1/2 048 of the MFRD for novaluron (0.085 ng/insect), and 1/256 of the MFRD for both lufenuron (0.25 ng/insect) and teflubenzuron (0.6 ng/insect). Finally, this work emphasized the significance of performing toxicity risk assessments with an adequate posttreatment period to avoid underestimating the toxicities of insecticides, as the acute lethal toxicity assays may not provide accurate information regarding the long‐range effects of hazardous compounds.     

消炎痛对大鼠成熟滤泡破裂的影响——形态学观察

本工作的目的是,观察前列腺素合成的抑制物——消炎痛对大鼠排卵的抑制作用,并从形态学的角度对已排卵的以及排卵受阻的滤泡壁成份进行比较,藉此,探讨卵巢自身的前列腺素在滤泡破裂机制中的作用。25—27天龄Wistar大鼠用PMSG与HCG诱导成熟,其中部分动物作为对照,排卵率为100%;另一部分动物皮下注射消炎痛3.0mg/只,94%的动物被抑制排卵。处于动情前期的自然成熟鼠,注射消炎痛5mg/只或7.5 mg/只,排卵抑制率达100%,而对照鼠均排卵。从诱导成熟及自然成熟的大鼠卵巢组织切片所见,对照鼠已排卵滤泡的裂口处的白膜与膜层的结缔组织纤维断裂;被消炎痛抑制排卵的动物,卵母细胞因不能突破膜层或白膜而受阻。于电镜下见到,对照动物滤泡裂口附近泡壁的白膜细胞及外膜细胞出现退化、解体;与此同时,存在于这两种组织巾的胶元蛋白纤维也呈溶解现象。实验组排卵被阻的滤泡,白膜下与外膜细胞中间仍存在大量胶元蛋白纤维,因而使白膜与外膜层成为阻挡卵母细胞排出的屏障。另外,内膜与颗粒细胞的高尔基体发达,粗糙的内质网趋向光滑,说明这两类细胞分泌功能旺盛。关于前列腺素对胶元蛋白纤维降解的可能作用以及动物经消炎痛处理后仍产生类固醇激素的可能性均进行了讨论。     

Immunohistochemical localization of a gap junction protein (connexin43) in the muscularis externa of murine,canine, and human intestine

Electron-microscopic studies have revealed a heterogeneous distribution of gap junctions in the muscularis externa of mammalian intestines. This heterogeneity is observed at four different levels: among species; between small and large intestines; between longitudinal and circular muscle layers; and between subdivisions of the circular muscle layer. We correlated results obtained with two immunomethods, using an antibody to the known gap-junctional protein (connexin43) with ultrastructural findings, and further evaluated the respective sensitivity of these two approaches. For comparative reasons we also included the vascular smooth muscle of coronary arteries into our study. Two versions of the immunotechnique (peroxidase-antiperoxidase and fluorescence methods) were applied to frozen sections of murine, canine, and human small and large intestines, as well as to pig coronary artery. In the small intestine of all three species a very strong reactivity marked the outer main division of the circular muscle layer, while the longitudinal muscle layer as well as the inner thin division of the circular muscle layer were negative. In murine and human colon both muscle layers were negative, while in canine colon the border layer between the circular muscle and the submucosa reacted strongly, and scattered activity was found in the portion of the circular muscle layer (one tenth of its thickness) closest to the submucosa. The remainder of the circular muscle layer and the entire longitudinal muscle layer were negative in the canine colon. In the coronary artery we could not confirm the positive, specific labeling reported by other investigators (l.c.). In conclusion, we found close correlations at all four above-mentioned levels in the distribution of gap junctions in the gut musculature, as determined by binding of anticonnexin43 in comparison to conventional ultrastructural studies. Since no significant immunostaining was found in (i) the outer border of the circular muscle layer of the canine colon and (ii) the border layer between the submucosa and the circular muscle layer of human colon, where rare gap junctions have been identified at the ultrastructural level, we conclude that the electron-microscopic analysis is the more sensitive of the two methods.     

Infestation Level of the Crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus by a Parasitic Crustacean Polyascus polygenea (Crustacea: Cirripedia) in Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan

We studied the infestation level of the coastal crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus by a cirripede barnacle Polyascus polygenea in Peter the Great Bay (Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan) in 1998–1999. It is shown that the externae of the parasite usually appear on the surface of the host’s body at the time when the crab attains sexual maturity (at a carapace width of 14–15 mm). More often we encountered infested crabs of a medium size, with a carapace width of 25–29 mm. The level of crab invasion did not depend on the sex of the host. In the summer period the proportion of infested crabs in different habitats ranged from 7 to 84%. The greatest number of crabs bearing the externae of the parasite was registered in an area with a boulder-pebble surface and small surf waves.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Biologiya Morya, Korn, Akhmadieva, Rybakov, Shukalyuk.     

Staphylococcus petrasii sp. nov. including S. petrasii subsp. petrasii subsp. nov. and S. petrasii subsp. croceilyticus subsp. nov., isolated from human clinical specimens and human ear infections

Thirteen coagulase-negative, oxidase-negative, and novobiocin-susceptible staphylococci were isolated from human clinical specimens. The isolates were differentiated from known staphylococcal species on the basis of 16S rRNA, hsp60, rpoB, dnaJ, tuf, and gap gene sequencing, automated ribotyping, (GTG)₅-PCR fingerprinting, and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated phylogenetic relatedness of the analyzed strains to Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus devriesei, and Staphylococcus lugdunensis. DNA–DNA hybridization experiments between representative strains CCM 8418^T, CCM 8421^T, and the closest phylogenetic neighbors confirmed that the isolates represent novel Staphylococcus species, for which the name Staphylococcus petrasii sp. nov. is proposed. Genotypic and phenotypic analyses unambiguously split the strains into two closely related subclusters. Based on the results, two novel subspecies S. petrasii subsp. petrasii subsp. nov. and S. petrasii subsp. croceilyticus subsp. nov. are proposed, with type strains CCM 8418^T (=CCUG 62727^T) and CCM 8421^T (=CCUG 62728^T), respectively.     

Anatomy of virgin and mature externae of Loxothylacus texanus,parasitic on the dark blue crab Callinectes rathbunae (Crustacea: Cirripedia: Rhizocephala: Sacculinidae)

Rhizocephalan parasites are dioecious organisms, in that one or several dwarf males are implanted into the external part of the female parasite soon after it emerges from the interior of the host animal. The structure of the female externa and its resident males is crucial for understanding both the reproductive biology and the taxonomy of these specialized parasites. We use scanning electron microscopy and histological methods to study the anatomy of juvenile and the mature externae of the rhizocephalan barnacle Loxothylacus texanus parasitizing the blue crab Callinectes rathbunae. We put emphasis on the implantation of males and the histology of the female reproductive organs. In the virgin externae, male cyprids attach around a cuticular hood covering the mantle aperture, which is partially blocked by a plug of cuticle so only trichogon larvae, not cyprids, can access the mantle cavity. This resembles the situation known from Sacculina carcini. The mature externa is characterized by a visceral mass that contains the ovary, paired colleteric glands, a single male receptacle, but paired receptacle ducts. The proximal attachment of the visceral mass is located at some distance from the basal stalk, as is characteristic for the genus Loxothylacus. The internal anatomy of the mature externa of L. texanus is in most features similar to that seen in other species of the Sacculinidae, which comprises the majority of rhizocephalan species. However, the single receptacle creates a situation where the two implanted males cannot be kept separate as in most other rhizocephalans, but pass through spermatogenesis in a common chamber. This may have unknown effects on the reproductive biology such as male–male competition. J. Morphol., 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Evolution of increased cold tolerance during range expansion of the elongate hemlock scale Fiorinia externa Ferris (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

Abstract 1. Alien species often face novel challenges to their spread and population growth. One critical hurdle often involves an organism’s ability to tolerate environmental extremes characteristic of their invaded range. Although abiotic factors often determine range limits, there is less evidence for local adaptation in invasive organisms whose initial arrival and rapid population growth is separated by a lengthy lag period. 2. The invasive elongate hemlock scale Fiorinia externa feeds on Eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, on the east coast of North America. Following its 1908 arrival, it remained localised until entering a period of rapid northward range expansion in the 1970s. 3. The present study tested the survival of overwintering F. externa populations from four sites in the north and south of the invaded range (n = 8 sites total) when exposed to ?15 °C for 0–36 h. 4. This experiment was repeated on F. externa offspring that had been reared in a common‐garden environment in order to control for parental effects. 5. Northern populations were more tolerant of exposure to cold temperatures than were southern populations. This held true in both the source‐population experiment and common‐garden experiment. The common‐garden experiment demonstrates that this difference has a genetic basis and may be the consequence of local adaptation to lower winter temperatures. 6. The results provide evidence for local adaptation to extreme temperatures in F. externa. This provides one possible explanation for the lag period between the arrival of this species and its eventual northward range expansion.     

Reproductive Stage of the Life Cycle in the Rhizocephalan Barnacle Polyascus polygenea (Crustacea: Cirripedia)

The specific features of the reproductive stage of the life cycle have been studied in the rhizocephalan barnacle Polyascus polygenea, a parasite of the coastal crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus. It is shown that a single crab can bear 1 to 8 externae of P. polygenea. The fecundity of the parasite depends on the size of the externae and their number on the host and may reach as much as 50000 eggs for one externa. In Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan, this species repeatedly reproduces during the entire spring–autumn period; externae with developing embryos in the mantle cavity occur from May to September, and planktonic larvae occur from June to October. One externa produces during the season of reproduction no less than three generations of larvae. Thus, the reproductive strategy in P. polygenea comprises a three-stage cascade of reproduction: asexual reproduction via budding of the interna; the development of several generations of one or several externae; and several reproduction cycles of each externa. This allows the parasite to produce a very great number of larvae and ensures the parasitization of a significant proportion of the host crab population. The structure of the ovaries and oogenesis in rhizocephalans and free-living cirripede barnacles have many common features, which provides evidence for integration of these two groups within one monophyletic taxon.