Search results for "invertebrate"
showing 10 items of 482 documents
Reproductive strategy as a piece of the biogeographic puzzle: a case study using Antarctic sea stars (Echinodermata, Asteroidea)
2017
13 pages; International audience; AimTo describe and analyse asteroid biogeographic patterns in the Southern Ocean (SO) and test whether reproductive strategy (brooder versus broadcaster) can explain distribution patterns at the scale of the entire class. We hypothesize that brooding and broadcasting species display different biogeographic patterns.LocationSouthern Ocean, south of 45 °S.MethodsOver 14,000 asteroid occurrences are analysed using bootstrapped spanning network (BSN), non-metrical multidimensional scaling (nMDS) and clustering to uncover the spatial structure of faunal similarities among 25 bioregions.ResultsMain biogeographic patterns are congruent with previous works based on…
Fasciola spp: Mapping of the MF6 epitope and antigenic analysis of the MF6p/HDM family of heme-binding proteins
2017
MF6p/FhHDM-1 is a small cationic heme-binding protein which is recognized by the monoclonal antibody (mAb) MF6, and abundantly present in parenchymal cells and secreted antigens of Fasciola hepatica. Orthologs of this protein (MF6p/HDMs) also exist in other causal agents of important foodborne trematodiasis, such as Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini and Paragonimus westermani. Considering that MF6p/FhHDM-1 is relevant for heme homeostasis in Fasciola and was reported to have immunomodulatory properties, this protein is expected to be a useful target for vaccination. Thus, in this study we mapped the epitope recognized by mAb MF6 and evaluated its antigenicity in sheep. The sequenc…
Temperature differences associated with colour do not determine where the acorn ant Temnothorax crassispinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) chooses to nest
2021
Temperature is an important factor for invertebrates. Social insects build nests, which along with their ability to thermoregulate, provide shelter from extreme temperatures. However, for many species of ants the most common method of controlling the temperature inside a nest is to choose a suitable nest site. During a fi eld experiment, the choice of nest site by the acorn ant Temnothorax crassispinus, a species which lives in coniferous and mixed forests, was studied. It typically occupies ephemeral nest sites and can move to a new nest site several times in one season. It was predicted that in early spring, dark coloured nest sites would be warmer and thus more frequently occupied by ant…
New records of phytoseiid mites from Italy, with description of a new species and a redescription of other two (Parasitiformes, Phytoseiidae)
2020
The Italian phytoseiid fauna consists of 91 valid species. Eighteen of them were described as new species from materials collected in various Italian localities. In the present paper we report nine new records from the Italian fauna and describe the new species, Neoseiulus mediterraneus belonging to the subfamily Amblyseiinae. Complementary descriptions of two rare species, namely: Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) singularis and Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) knisleyi, were also added.
The Origin, Location, and Projections of the Embryonic Abdominal Motorneurons ofDrosophila
1997
We have used a retrograde labeling technique to identify motorneurons for each of the 30 body wall muscles of an abdominal hemisegment in the late stage 16Drosophilaembryo. Each motorneuron has a characteristic cell body position, dendritic arborization, and axonal projection. In addition, we have determined the neuroblasts of origin for most of the motorneurons we describe. Some organizational principles for the neuromuscular system have become apparent: (1) There is no obvious topographic relationship between the cell body positions of motorneurons and the position or orientation of the muscles they innervate; (2) motorneurons that innervate muscles of similar position and orientation are…
The
2016
ABSTRACT Members of the Junctophilin (JPH) protein family have emerged as key actors in all excitable cells, with crucial implications for human pathophysiology. In mammals, this family consists of four members (JPH1-JPH4) that are differentially expressed throughout excitable cells. The analysis of knockout mice lacking JPH subtypes has demonstrated their essential contribution to physiological functions in skeletal and cardiac muscles and in neurons. Moreover, mutations in the human JPH2 gene are associated with hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies; mutations in JPH3 are responsible for the neurodegenerative Huntington's disease-like-2 (HDL2), whereas JPH1 acts as a genetic modifier …
Pleistocene allopatric differentiation followed by recent range expansion explains the distribution and molecular diversity of two congeneric crustac…
2021
AbstractPleistocene glaciations had a tremendous impact on the biota across the Palaearctic, resulting in strong phylogeographic signals of range contraction and rapid postglacial recolonization of the deglaciated areas. Here, we explore the diversity patterns and history of two sibling species of passively dispersing taxa typical of temporary ponds, fairy shrimps (Anostraca). We combine mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (ITS2 and 18S) markers to conduct a range-wide phylogeographic study including 56 populations of Branchinecta ferox and Branchinecta orientalis in the Palaearctic. Specifically, we investigate whether their largely overlapping ranges in Europe resulted from allopatric differe…
Fish introductions and light modulate food web fluxes in tropical streams : a whole-ecosystem experimental approach
2016
Decades of ecological study have demonstrated the importance of top-down and bottom-up controls on food webs, yet few studies within this context have quantified the magnitude of energy and material fluxes at the whole-ecosystem scale. We examined top-down and bottom-up effects on food web fluxes using a field experiment that manipulated the presence of a consumer, the Trinidadian guppy Poecilia reticulata, and the production of basal resources by thinning the riparian forest canopy to increase incident light. To gauge the effects of these reach-scale manipulations on food web fluxes, we used a nitrogen (15N) stable isotope tracer to compare basal resource treatments (thinned canopy vs. con…
Genetic variation in the primary sex ratio in populations of the intertidal copepod, Tigriopus californicus, is widespread on Vancouver Island.
2011
Hypothesis: Genetic variation for the primary sex ratio is widespread in a copepodwith polygenic sex determination. Cytoplasmic sex ratio distorters (e.g. Wolbachia andmicrosporidians) influence the primary sex ratio in this copepod. Organism: The intertidal copepod, Tigriopus californicus; six populations from VancouverIsland, British Columbia. Study site: Quantitative genetics experiment in the laboratory. PCR and antibioticsexperiment to test for the presence of cytoplasmic sex ratio distorters. Results: Genetic variation for the primary sex ratio was found in five of the six populationssurveyed. The primary sex ratio was paternally transmitted. There was no evidence thatWolbachia or mic…
Parent–offspring conflict and the genetic trade-offs shaping parental investment
2015
The genetic conflict between parents and their offspring is a cornerstone of kin selection theory and the gene-centred view of evolution, but whether it actually occurs in natural systems remains an open question. Conflict operates only if parenting is driven by genetic trade-offs between offspring performance and the parent's ability to raise additional offspring, and its expression critically depends on the shape of these trade-offs. Here we investigate the occurrence and nature of genetic conflict in an insect with maternal care, the earwig Forficula auricularia. Specifically, we test for a direct response to experimental selection on female future reproduction and correlated responses i…