Search results for "301"

Drastic Genome Reduction in an Herbivore's Pectinolytic Symbiont.

2017

Pectin, an integral component of the plant cell wall, is a recalcitrant substrate against enzymatic challenges by most animals. In characterizing the source of a leaf beetle’s (Cassida rubiginosa) pectin-degrading phenotype, we demonstrate its dependency on an extracellular bacterium housed in specialized organs connected to the foregut. Despite possessing the smallest genome (0.27 Mb) of any organism not subsisting within a host cell, the symbiont nonetheless retained a functional pectinolytic metabolism targeting the polysaccharide’s two most abundant classes: homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I. Comparative transcriptomics revealed pectinase expression to be enriched in the symbiot…

Resemblance of a model species and its mimic: Response to Bury and Cichoń

2018

An experimental assessment of reproductive isolation and its consequences for seasonal hybridization dynamics

2018

Suppression of Phyllospheric Microbiota Alters Content of Pharmacologically Relevant Compounds of <i>S. nigra</i> Flowers

2018

Accumulating scientific evidence suggests that medicinal plant-associated microbiota has a significant role in biosynthesis of pharmacologically relevant compounds. Suppression of S. nigra microbiota by an antibiotic treatment leads to a decreased emission of volatile terpenoids from S. nigra flowers and an altered metabolome of a host plant. However, it is not known if suppression of microbiota also affects an abundance of health promoting compounds and pharmacologically relevant properties of S. nigra. The present study reveals, that suppression of phyllospheric microbiota by an antibiotic treatment affects total phenolic content (TPC), anti-radical activity (ARA) and total flavonol conte…

A century after introduction: variability in Cepaea hortensis (Müller, 1774) in Sibiu, central Romania

2019

AbstractThe polymorphic land snail Cepaea hortensis was introduced to the city of Sibiu, central Romania, in the first decade of the 20th century and has spread widely across the city. A total of 97 locations were examined in 2017 across the city to determine the habitat preferences and variation in shell size, shape, colour and banding polymorphism of C. hortensis, and to relate these to the same features in the likely source population from Mannheim, Germany, and the first established population in Sibiu. We found that C. hortensis was largely restricted to sites with some woody vegetation cover and showed a marked preference for abandoned and overgrown private gardens. Mean adult shell s…

I smell where you walked - how chemical cues influence movement decisions in ants

2016

Toxicity and Binding Studies of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac, Cry1F, Cry1C, and Cry2A Proteins in the Soybean Pests Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chryso…

2017

ABSTRACT Anticarsia gemmatalis (velvetbean caterpillar) and Chrysodeixis includens (soybean looper, formerly named Pseudoplusia includens ) are two important defoliating insects of soybeans. Both lepidopteran pests are controlled mainly with synthetic insecticides. Alternative control strategies, such as biopesticides based on the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins or transgenic plants expressing Bt toxins, can be used and are increasingly being adopted. Studies on the insect susceptibilities and modes of action of the different Bt toxins are crucial to determine management strategies to control the pests and to delay outbreaks of insect resistance. In the present study, the susceptibilitie…

Lowering histamine formation in a red Ribera del Duero wine (Spain) by using an indigenous O. oeni strain as a malolactic starter

2016

This study demonstrates for the first time that a non-commercial selected autochthonous O. oeni strain has been used to conduct malolactic fermentation (MLF) while lowering histamine formation in the same winery. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from 13 vats before and after spontaneous MLF at the Pago de Carraovejas winery from the Ribera del Duero region (Spain). Only O. oeni were present, typed and characterized, and both histamine producer and non-producers existed. From the non-producers, one strain was selected to become a starter according to its genetic profile, prevalence in the different wines in the winery, resistance to alcoholic degree, resistance to high polyphenolic c…

Linking species habitat and past palaeoclimatic events to evolution of the teleost innate immune system

2017

Host-intrinsic factors as well as environmental changes are known to be strong evolutionary drivers defining the genetic foundation of immunity. Using a novel set of teleost genomes and a time-calibrated phylogeny, we here investigate the family of Toll-like receptor ( TLR ) genes and address the underlying evolutionary processes shaping the diversity of the first-line defence. Our findings reveal remarkable flexibility within the evolutionary design of teleost innate immunity characterized by prominent TLR gene losses and expansions. In the order of Gadiformes, expansions correlate with the loss of major histocompatibility complex class II ( MHCII ) and diversifying selection analyses sup…

Characterization of recruitment through tandem running in an Indian queenless ant Diacamma indicum

2017

Tandem running is a primitive recruitment method employed by many ant genera. This study characterizes this behaviour during the recruitment of colony mates to a new nest in an Indian antDiacamma indicum. Tandem leaders who have knowledge of the new nest lead a single follower at a time, to the destination by maintaining physical contact. In order to characterize tandem running, we captured and analysed 621 invitations, 217 paths and 226 termination events. Remarkably, not a single colony member was lost. While invitations were stereotypic in behaviour, termination was not. Analysis of speed revealed that the average transport speed was 4.2 cm s−1. Coupled adult-brood transport was slower t…