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PubMed1998

Phylogenetics of social behavior in Australian gall-forming thrips: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequence, adult morphology and behavior, and gall morphology.

Six species of Australian gall-forming thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) on Acacia exhibit soldier castes, individuals with reduced wings and enlarged forelegs that defend their gall against interspecific invaders. We used data from two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase I and 16S rDNA), adult morphology and behavior, and gall morphology to infer a phylogeny for Acacia gall-forming thrips with and without soldiers, and we used this phylogeny to evaluate hypotheses concerning soldier evolution. Phylogenies inferred from each data set analyzed separately yielded large numbers of most-parsimonious trees and weak support for most nodes. However, when analyzed together the data sets complemented and reinforced one another in such a way as to yield a well-resolved phylogeny. Our phylogeny implies that soldiers originated once or twice early in the history of this clade, that soldiers were lost once or twice, and that soldiers evolved from winged dispersers rather than from nonsoldier within-gall reproductive offspring of foundresses. The phylogeny also provides evidence for long-term morphological stasis, an ancient split between eastern and western gall thrips species, and a high degree of conservatism in host-plant affiliations.

Acacia↗

PubMed2001

Utility and evolution of cytochrome b in insects.

Cytochrome b (cyt-b) is widely used in molecular phylogenetic studies of vertebrate, but not invertebrate, taxa. To determine whether this situation is an historical accident or reflects the utility of cyt-b, we compared the abilities of cyt-b, COI, and one nuclear ribosomal gene region (D1 of 28S) to recover intergeneric relationships within the tiger moth tribes Ctenuchini and Euchromiini. Additionally, we compared the rate of sequence and amino acid evolution of cyt-b across insects. Cytochrome b had the same level of sequence variation and A/T bias as COI, but was less useful for recovering intergeneric relationships. The total evidence tree casts doubt on the traditional taxonomy of the group. For the class Insecta, we found that functional conservation of amino acids occurs for the same regions as those found in vertebrates with the exception of Mallophaga (lice). Lice have an accelerated rate of nonsynonymous substitutions. Accelerated rate of cyt-b nucleotide and amino acid evolution in Apidae (bees) may be correlated with increased metabolic rates associated with facultative endothermy (= heterothermy).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1980

Evolution of aldehyde reductase: an immunological approach to the relatedness of aldehyde reductase from different species.

Antisera to aldehyde reductase from fruit-fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and chicken were cross-reacted with aldehyde reductase from several species of insects and birds using the technique of microcomplement fixation. Large differences in immunological distances are evident between species of the Class Insecta and of the Class Aves indicating considerable differences in the amino acid sequences of the aldehyde reductase of these species. Immunological distances for aldehyde reductase between pairs of insect species or bird species when plotted against the immunological distances for transferrin, albumin, lysozyme and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase for the same pairs of species gave a linear relationship in each case. From these relationships the rate of evolution of aldehyde reductase in terms of a unit evolutionary period (UEP) was calculated to be 12 which agreed favorably with the value previously obtained from compositional comparisons. A UEP of 12 is approximately half that of lactate dehydrogenase and shows that aldehyde reductase is evolving at twice the rate of glycolytic enzymes. This may indicate a relatively non-essential metabolism role for the enzyme.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

PubMed1992

The relative sensitivity of competing hydropsychid species to fluoride toxicity in the Cache la Poudre River (Colorado).

The influence of increased fluoride concentrations generated by a wastewater treatment plant on the spatial distribution and abundance of benthic larvae of Hydropsychidae (Insecta, Trichoptera) species in the Cache la Poudre River (Colorado) was examined. Acute lethal concentrations of fluoride ion (F-) to these species were determined in soft water (average value of hardness 40.2 mg CaCO3/L) by static toxicity bioassays. The wastewater treatment plant caused a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in the fluoride concentration at three downstream sampling sites (mean values 1.17, 0.84, and 0.56 mg F-/L at 0.1, 1.6, and 9.2 km downstream sites, respectively) compared with the upstream reference station (0.31 mg F-/L). The 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144-h LC50s (mg F-/L) were 52.6, 25.8, 17.0, 13.4, and 11.5 for Hydropsyche bronta Ross, 102.0, 53.5, 34.7, 27.0, and 21.4 for Hydropsyche occidentalis Banks, and 128.0, 73.2, 42.5, 31.9, and 24.2 for Cheumatopsyche pettiti (Banks). LC50 values for H. bronta were significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than LC50 values for the other two test species. Abundance and biomass of all hydropsychid species were significantly (P less than 0.05) lower at the 0.1 km downstream site than at the upstream reference site. H. occidentalis was usually the most abundant species at the reference and 9.2 km downstream stations, with highest abundances at the 9.2 km downstream site. C. pettiti was dominant at 0.1 and 1.6 km downstream sites, showing higher abundances at the 1.6 km downstream site than at the upstream reference site. H. bronta was never collected at 0.1 and 1.6 km downstream sites, but was abundant at the upstream reference site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Differential sensitivity of Dugesia dorotocephala and Cheumatopsyche pettiti to water acidification: ecological implication for predator-prey interactions.

The initial hypothesis that predation pressure should decrease with decreasing pH in aquatic macrobenthic communities if predatory invertebrates are more sensitive to water acidification than prey invertebrates is tested. Short-term toxicity bioassays were conducted in soft water (average value of total hardness 38.0 mg CaCO3/L) to determine the differential sensitivity of the predator, Dugesia dorotocephala (Turbellaria, Tricladida), and the prey, larvae of Cheumatopsyche pettiti (Insecta, Trichoptera), to low pH. Test pH solutions were prepared with sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Test species were also exposed to high concentrations of sulfate ion (95 mg SO4 =/L for D. dorotocephala and 340 mg SO4 =/L for C. pettiti) as sulfate toxicity controls, using potassium sulfate (K2SO4). No mortality was observed during these toxicity controls, indicating that toxic effects generated by low pH were fundamentally due to H+ ions. The 72 and 96-h LC50s (as pH values) and their 95% confidence limits were 4.88 (4.72-5.05) and 5.04 (4.89-5.21) for D. dorotocephala, and 3.25 (3.00-3.51) and 3.48 (3.24-3.73) for C. pettiti. Net-spinning caddis-fly larvae migrated from their retreat nets and protruded their anal papillae before dying. After short-term bioassays, predation-pressure laboratory experiments were performed for 6 days. The cumulative mortality of C. pettiti by predation of D. dorotocephala decreased with decreasing sublethal pH values. The average predation rates at mean pH values of 7.7, 7.7, 6.6, 6.5, 6.2 and 6.0 were 2.5, 2.0, 1.33, 1.17, 0.67 and 0.33 larvae/day, respectively. The major biotic factor affecting predation pressure appears to be the reduction in the physiological activity of triclads at low pH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acids↗

PubMed2006

Parasites of two abundant sympatric rodent species in relation to host phylogeny and ecology.

In the present study, two abundant sympatric rodent species (27 Apodemus flavicollis and 33 A. sylvaticus) were studied for their endo- and ectoparasite fauna. The rodents were trapped in Dormagen, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A total of 20 different parasites species were identified, 13 endoparasite (2 Digenea, 5 Cestoda and 7 Nematoda) and 7 ectoparasite (5 Insecta and 2 Arachnida) species. Thirteen parasite species were found inhabiting both rodent species. The predominant endoparasite species in both rodents was the nematode Pelodera strongyloides, followed by the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus and a Syphacia species. The flea Ctenophthalmus agyrtes was the dominant ectoparasite in both rodent species. A. flavicollis usually carried 1-7 ecto-/endoparasite species (mean 4.0), whereas A. sylvaticus were mostly infested with 1-9 (mean 4.4). The parasite diversity of A. flavicollis (H' = 0.268, J = 0.097) was marginal lower in comparison to A. sylvaticus (H' = 0.319, J = 0.110). The two rodent species examined show remarkable similarities in the composition of their endo- and ectoparasite fauna being directly related to their similar pattern of living in the investigated area.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Cloning, sequencing and expression of cDNA encoding an insect V-ATPase subunit E.

This work presents the first invertebrate cDNA sequence encoding subunit E of a V-ATPase. It was cloned by immuno-shot-gun screening of a Manduca sexta (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) posterior larval midgut cDNA library. The amino acid sequence was 64% identical to that of the mammalian E-subunit and 34% to that of yeast. Southern and Northern blots suggested the existence of only one gene encoding the insect subunit E.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1992

Insect glycolipids.

Systematic elucidations of the chemical structures of glycosphingolipids from members of the phyla Arthropoda (class:insecta) of the Protostomia have shown several characteristic differences to those of the Deuterostomia, e.g., the Vertebrata. The ceramide constituents of the arthropod sphingolipids are C14:1- and C16:1-sphingoid and a majority of saturated C18-, C20-, C22- and C24-fatty acids. The GSL of the dipteran insects, L. caesar and C. vicina, consist of a series of homologous compounds of increasing sugar chain length. The carbohydrate moieties of these arthropod GSL are all derived from one unique neutral sugar core sequence, the arthro-series. The longest member known, an arthrononaosylceramide has the structure Gal beta,3GalNAc beta,3GlcNAc beta,3Gal beta,3GalNAc alpha,4GalNAc beta,4GlcNAc beta,3Man beta,4Glc beta Cer. Three pentahexosylceramides have been characterized that differ in their nonreducing terminus, i.e., IV4GalNAc alpha-Ap4Cer, IV3Gal alpha-Ap4Cer and IV3Gal beta-Ap4Cer. A large repertoire of structural variations of the arthro-series GSL is created by two types of derivatisations of the neutral carbohydrate core: addition of a zwitterionic 2-aminoethylphosphate group in phosphodiester linkage to the 6-position of the III-N-acetylglucosamine of the arthrotriaosylceramide core and/or substitution of a terminal galactose in 3-position by a glucuronic acid residue. The latter acidic arthro-series GSL were given the name arthrosides. Preliminary results have indicated that the blowfly GSL component distribution is strongly organ specific. GSL of various larval organs are distinguished by the length of their neutral core carbohydrate chain, as well as, the degree of PEtn- and GlcA-substitutions. Normal human sera contain antibodies that recognize epitopes on arthro-series GSL. Thereby, sites of the neutral carbohydrate chain, as well as, the zwitterionic and acidic epitopes are involved in the immune recognition. In a pathological condition, a M-protein of patients with autoallergic demyelinating peripheral neuropathy was found to react strongly with a glucuronic acid-containing molecular structure on arthrosides. Some indication was obtained for a possible functional role of glucuronic acid in dipteran-cell adhesion by using a mouse monoclonal antibody, mAb CAF-I. This antibody, directed against an arthroside epitope involving glucuronic acid, could induce an in vitro detachment of insect cells from one another or from their substratum. Obviously, present research on the GSL of insects is only at an early stage. Nevertheless, from the results available so far it was become increasingly apparent that a new chapter in our knowledge of GSL structures has been opened.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Sequences of the 18S rDNAs from two Collembolan insects: shorter sequences in the V4 and V7 regions.

The complete 18S rDNA sequences were determined for Hypogastrura sp. and Crossodonthina koreana (Insecta: Collembola) using PCR cloning and Taq dideoxy sequencing. These two wingless insects show high sequence similarity to each other, without large insertions and/or deletions, and are clearly distinguished from the two dipteran insects Drosophila melanogaster and Aedes albopictus by shorter sequences in the V4 (61-76 bp) and in the V7 (89-104 bp). regions.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

The non-venom insect phospholipases A2.

Phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s) are responsible for releasing the fatty acid moiety from the sn-2 position of phospholipids. These enzymes are virtually ubiquitous proteins known from all major biological taxa. Various PLA(2)s act in a wide array of biological processes, including digestion of dietary lipids, cellular homeostasis, intra- and intercellular signaling, host defense and at least a few ecological interactions. PLA(2) activities have been recorded in a small number of insect species, which can be taken to represent the broad group, Insecta. Within insects, PLA(2)s act in functions expected from the background on these enzymes. So far, we know PLA(2)s act in lipid digestion, cellular host defense signaling, reproduction and in organismal-level metabolism. Additional PLA(2) actions are certain to emerge. This is the first article devoted to assembling the known information on insect PLA(2)s. I review the scant information available on the biological actions of PLA(2)s in insects, relate new findings on insect pathogens that disrupt insect immune functions by inhibiting PLA(2)s and mention the few reports of sequence information on insect PLA(2)s. Finally, I offer a brief prospectus on future research into insect PLA(2)s. There are two overarching points in this paper. One, there remains a great deal to learn about insect PLA(2)s and two, some of the findings on insect PLA(2)s will have meaningful practical significance.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Decrease of fluctuating asymmetry among larval instars in an aquatic, holometabolous insect.

The use of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) to reveal environmental stress in natural populations has been investigated extensively over the past decade. In aquatic ecosystems, many investigations involve amphibiotic insects with larval development stages in freshwater. To explain the important variability in study results, we investigated the FA level of a natural Hydropsyche exocellata (Insecta: Trichoptera) population at four different stages, from first larval instar to adult. The level of FA decreased between larval stages, but remained constant between the last larval instar and the adult. The presence of a compensational growth mechanism and the elimination of asymmetric individuals by natural selection are two hypotheses that could explain this observation.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

Phylogenetic shadowing of a histamine-gated chloride channel involved in insect vision.

A recently identified gene, hclA (synonym: ort), codes for an ionotrophic histamine receptor subunit in Drosophila melanogaster, and known hclA mutations lead to defects in the visual system, neurologic disorders and changed responsiveness to neurotoxins. To investigate whether this novel class of receptors is common across the Insecta, we analysed the genomes of 15 other insect species (Diptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera) and revealed orthologs of hclA in all of them. The predicted receptor domain of HCLA is extensively conserved (86-100% of identity) among the 16 proteins. Minor changes in the amino acid sequence that includes the putative transmembrane domains (TMs) 1-3 were found in non-drosophilid species only. Substantial amino acid variability was observed in the signal polypeptides, the intracellular loop domains and in TM4, in good accordance with known data on sequence variations in ligand-gated ion channels. Pairwise comparisons revealed three consensus sequences for N-glycosylation, conserved in HCLAs of all species studied, as well as a drosophilid-specific putative phosphorylation site. Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that hclA-mRNA is abundant in heads of adult Drosophila. However, species- and sex-specific variations of the hclA expression levels were also observed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Corazonin in insects.

Corazonin is a peptidergic neurohormone of insects that is expressed in neurosecretory neurons of the pars lateralis of the protocerebrum and transported via nervi corporis cardiaci to the storage lobes of the corpora cardiaca. This peptide occurs with a single isoform in all insects studied so far, with the exception of the Coleoptera in which no corazonin form could be detected. Very few modifications of [Arg(7)]-corazonin, originally isolated from cockroaches, are known, namely [His(7)]-corazonin which is expressed in certain locusts and the stick insect Carausius morosus, and [Thr(4), His(7)]-corazonin recently described from the honey bee Apis mellifera. In this study, we performed a comprehensive screening for corazonin in the different insect groups after detecting of a fourth isoform in a crane fly, Tipula sp. ([Gln(10)]-corazonin). [Arg(7)]-corazonin is distributed in most major lineages of insects, and is thus the ancient form which was present at the time the phylum Insecta evolved. The replacement of Arg with His at position 7 from the N-terminus occurred several times in the evolution of insects. The third isoform, [Thr(4), His(7)]-corazonin, seems to be restricted to bees (Apidae); whereas wasps (Vespidae) and a bumble bee (Apidae) express other corazonins, specifically [His(7)]-corazonin and [Tyr(3), Gln(7), Gln(10)]-corazonin, respectively. A novel corazonin form, [His(4), Gln(7)]-corazonin, was also detected in all South African members of the newly described insect order Mantophasmatodea. The [His(4), Gln(7)]-corazonin separates these species from the Namibian Mantophasmatodea which express [Arg(7)]-corazonin and can be used as a distinct character to distinguish these morphologically similar insects.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Cyanogenic glucosides and plant-insect interactions.

Cyanogenic glucosides are phytoanticipins known to be present in more than 2500 plant species. They are considered to have an important role in plant defense against herbivores due to bitter taste and release of toxic hydrogen cyanide upon tissue disruption. Some specialized herbivores, especially insects, preferentially feed on cyanogenic plants. Such herbivores have acquired the ability to metabolize cyanogenic glucosides or to sequester them for use in their predator defense. A few species of Arthropoda (within Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Insecta) are able to de novo synthesize cyanogenic glucosides and, in addition, some of these species are able to sequester cyanogenic glucosides from their host plant (Zygaenidae). Evolutionary aspects of these unique plant-insect interactions with focus on the enzyme systems involved in synthesis and degradation of cyanogenic glucosides are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Studies on the poisonous skin secretion of individual red bellied toads, Melanophryniscus montevidensis (Anura, Bufonidae), from Uruguay.

Toads belonging to the genus Melanophryniscus contain toxic alkaloids in their skin. From six locations in south-eastern Uruguay 81 specimens of Melanophryniscusmontevidensis were collected. In whole animal methanolic extracts of individual specimens, alkaloids of the pumiliotoxin (PTX) group and indolizidines were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; the predominant component PTX 251D was assayed quantitatively. The PTX-content of the various toad populations was found to be highly variable among individual specimens as well as among the populations. Very high levels of PTX 251D were detected in toads of the western part of the collection area, whereas very low levels of this alkaloid were assayed in toads near the Brazilian border. Remarkably high concentrations of the non-alkaloid hydroquinone were found to be present in all toads. The analysis of extracts from 125 arthropod samples (Arachnida and Insecta, including termites, ants and beetles), which may represent a potential food source, revealed no alkaloids of the PTX group.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed2003

A solvent-free method for spiking terrestrial algae (Desmococcus spp.) with pyrene for use in bioassays.

Two methods for spiking terrestrial algae (Desmococcus spp., used as a foodstuff in bioassays with Collembola) with pyrene were tested; a "traditional" method that used a carrier solution of pyrene in acetone, and a solvent-free method developed using the principles of partition driven administration (PDA). The PDA method used a pre-spiked, highly-contaminated C18 disk as the source for pyrene, suspended and rotated in an aqueous algal suspension. The pyrene partitioned from the C18 disk into the aqueous phase, and a concentration of 18.4 +/- 0.7 microg pyrene g(-1)dwt. algae (mean +/- sd) was achieved after 18 h exposure by this method, with good reproducibility also observed for lower concentrations achieved over shorter exposure periods. The acetone-spiked algae lost much of its cell integrity and a significant amount of pigment, while cell integrity was maintained after 120 h spiking using the PDA method. Results from a short bioassay with Orchesella cincta (Collembola, Insecta) showed that animals fed acetone-spiked algae had slower growth rates and higher concentrations of pyrene metabolites than animals fed PDA-spiked algae. It is speculated that this was the result of the poor quality of the acetone-spiked food, and that the difference in food quality between treatments stimulated changes in body composition that may have affected the production of pyrene metabolites. The PDA spiking method is expected to be suitable for introducing a range of persistent organic pollutants into other types of sample matrix.

Acetone↗

PubMed2003

Structural elucidation and conformational properties of the toxin paralysin beta-Ala-Tyr.

Larval extracts of the homotetabolous insects (i.e., Neobelleria Bullata-Insecta Diptera), cause paralysis followed by death when injected into adult flesh flies. The reason for causing these lethal effects is because the extracts contain endogenous toxins widely spread over the class of insects. Since their major effect is the paralysis they are called paralysins and are present through all the development stages. Their concentration gradually increases from larvae stage over pupation to late pharate adults indicating that paralysins have an active role in the metamorphosis. The prototype pharmacologically important dipeptide beta-alanine-tyrosine was synthesized and submitted to conformational analysis studies in hydrophilic and amphoteric environments in order to reveal the stereoelectronic properties responsible for its activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Insect cytochromes P450: diversity, insecticide resistance and tolerance to plant toxins.

In the last decade, studies of individual insect P450s have blossomed. This new information has furthered our understanding of P450 diversity, insecticide resistance and tolerance to plant toxins. Insect P450s can be adult specific, larval specific or life stage independent. Similarly, insect P450s vary as to the tissues where they are expressed and in their response to inducers. Insect P450s can now be rapidly sequenced using degenerate PCR primers. Given the huge diversity represented by the Class Insecta, this technique will provide vast amounts of new information about insect P450s and the evolution of the P450 gene superfamily. CYP6D1 is responsible for monooxygenase-mediated resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in the house fly. CYP6D1 is ubiquitously expressed in adults with 10-fold higher levels found in the resistant strain compared to susceptible strains. CYP6D1 is on autosome 1 in house fly. The high level of expression found in the resistant strain is due to genes on autosomes 1 and 2. Whether or not the different CYP6D1 alleles found in resistant and susceptible strains have any role in resistance remains to be elucidated. The CYP6B gene subfamily is involved in the metabolism of host plant toxins (i.e. furanocoumarins). CYP6B gene transcripts in two Papilio (swallowtail) species have been shown to be induced by host plant toxins and in turn to metabolize these toxins. CYP6B P450s play a critical role in allowing Papilio to adapt to furanocoumarin-containing host plants. Similarities in structural and promoter regions of the CYP6B genes suggest that they are derived from a common ancestral gene. Although the P450 monooxygenases of insects are important for the metabolism of hormones and phermones, no individual P450 has yet been shown to metabolize an endogenous compound. Advances in this area are critical because they will provide important new information about insect physiology, biochemistry and development.

Animals↗