Life Sciences Commons^™

Tal Effector-Nucleotide Targeter (Tale-Nt) 2.0: Tools For Tal Effector Design And Target Prediction, Erin L. Doyle, Nicholas J. Booher, Daniel S. Standage, Daniel F. Voytas, Volker P. Brendel, John K. Vandyk, Adam J. Bogdanove

Nicholas J. Booher

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors are repeat-containing proteins used by plant pathogenic bacteria to manipulate host gene expression. Repeats are polymorphic and individually specify single nucleotides in the DNA target, with some degeneracy. A TAL effector-nucleotide binding code that links repeat type to specified nucleotide enables prediction of genomic binding sites for TAL effectors and customization of TAL effectors for use in DNA targeting, in particular as custom transcription factors for engineered gene regulation and as site-specific nucleases for genome editing. We have developed a suite of web-based tools called TAL Effector-Nucleotide Targeter 2.0 (TALE-NT 2.0;https://boglab.plp.iastate.edu/) that enables design …

A Function Of The Subelytral Chamber Of Tenebrionid Beetles, Con Slobodchikoff, Kim Wisman

Con Slobodchikoff, PhD

1. The subelytral chamber is an air space between the elytra and the dorsum of the abdomen of some Tenebrionid beetles. Postulated functions for the subelytral chamber have been a reduction of transpiratory water loss and a thermal buffer for heat flow from the elytra to the abdomen.

2. We show that there is a significant correlation between water loss and the depth of the subelytral chamber.

3. This implies that the chamber may be a structure that permits the rapid expansion of the abdomen, providing the beetles with a mechanism by which they can quickly drink large quantities of …

Systematic And Evolutionary Implications Of Parthenogenesis In The Hymenoptera, C. N. Slobodchikoff, Howell V. Daly

Con Slobodchikoff, PhD

Two types of parthenogenesis, arrhenotoky and thelytoky, exist in the Hymenoptera. Arrhenotoky, the development of males from unfertilized eggs, is present in all wasps and bees. Thelytoky, the development of diploid females from unfertilized eggs, is present in a few species. Two types of thelytoky, apomixis and automixis, are known. Most thelytokous Hymenoptera are automictic. No meiosis, only mitosis, occurs in apomixis. Meiosis does occur in automixis, allowing crossing-over and segregation of genes. Advantages of thelytoky are that heterotic combinations become fixed, gene loss is reduced, and reproduction requires only a single individual. One advantage of arrhenotoky is that genetic …

An Analysis Of Arthropod Interceptions By Aphis-Ppq And Customs And Border Protection In Puerto Rico, David A. Jenkins, Russell F. Mizell, Skip Van Bloem, Stefanie Whitmire, Leyinska Wiscovitch, Crystal Zaleski, Ricardo Goenaga

Skip Van Bloem

USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspect traffic entering the United States for arthropods posing a threat to national agriculture or ecosystems. We analyzed interceptions made by these agencies in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands between October 2006 and December 2009 for patterns with regard to the frequency of interceptions, origins of interceptions, and the taxa intercepted. 6,952 arthropods were intercepted in freight or luggage entering Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from foreign countries and 9,840 arthropods were intercepted from freight or luggage leaving Puerto …

Forest Fragments As Barriers To Fruit Fly Dispersal: Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) Populations In Orchards And Adjacent Forest Fragments In Puerto Rico, David A. Jenkins, Paul E. Kendra, Skip Van Bloem, Stefanie Whitmire, Russ Mizell Iii, Ricardo Goenaga

Skip Van Bloem

McPhail-type traps baited with ammonium acetate and putrescine were used to monitor populations of Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) and Anastrepha suspensa(Loew) in two orchards with hosts of these flies (mango, Mangifera indica L., and carambola, Averrhoa carambola L.), as well as in forest fragments bordering these orchards. Contour maps were constructed to measure population distributions in and around orchards. Our results indicate that Anastrephapopulations are focused around host fruit in both space and time, that traps do not draw fruit flies away from hosts, even when placed within 15 m of the host, and that lures continue to function …

Symptoms, Distribution And Abundance Of The Stem-Boring Caterpillar, Blastobasis Repartella (Dietz), In Switchgrass, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Jeffrey D. Bradshaw, Arvid A. Boe, Dokyoung Lee, David Adamski, Michael E. Gray

Arvid Boe

A potential pest of switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., was first detected in South Dakota in 2004, where death of partially emerged leaves was noted in a small proportion of tillers. Similar “dead heart” symptoms were observed in switchgrass in Illinois during 2008 and adults of a stem-boring caterpillar were collected and identified as Blastobasis repartella (Dietz). In 2009, a survey of the central United States was used to estimate the distribution and abundance of this insect. In eight northern states, B. repartella was consistently found in both cultivated plots and natural stands of switchgrass. In four southern states, B. repartella …

Native Grass And Legume Biology And Establishment, Arvid A. Boe, P. J. Johnson

Arvid Boe

No abstract provided.

Inferring Processes Of Coevolutionary Diversification In A Community Of Panamanian Strangler Figs And Associated Pollinating Wasps, Jordan D. Satler, Edward Allen Herre, K. Charlotte Jandér, Deren A. R. Eaton, Carlos A. Machado, Tracy A. Heath, John D. Nason

Tracy Heath

The fig and pollinator wasp obligate mutualism is diverse (~750 described species), ecologically important, and ancient (~80-90 Ma), providing model systems for generating and testing many questions in evolution and ecology. Once thought to be a prime example of strict one-to-one cospeciation, current thinking suggests that genera of pollinator wasps coevolve with corresponding subsections of figs, but the degree to which cospeciation or other processes contributes to the association at finer scales is unclear. Here we use genome-wide sequence data from a community of Panamanian strangler figs (Ficus subgenus Urostigma, section Americana) and associated fig wasp pollinators …

Factors Affecting Parental Investment Strategies In Male Waterbugs, Scott Kight

Scott Kight

Male giant waterbugs (Belostoma flumineum Say) brood eggs oviposited on their dorsi by conspecific females. Preliminary observations indicate that viable egg pads are sometimes discarded before hatching. Theory predicts that such behavior should occur only if costs incurred by brooding exceed benefits of hatching the egg pad. The amount of paternal investment per pad should be similar for both large and small pad sizes, but as egg pads become smaller, investment per egg increases. Thus, smaller pads should be more likely to be discarded unhatched than larger ones. Similarly, egg pads containing inviable eggs should also be more frequently …

Ipm Information Technology, John K. Vandyk

John K. VanDyk

The use of information technology to obtain and manage IPM information will continue to grow. By applying the basic principles of information taxonomies such as tagging information with terms from vocabularies, filtering and aggregation, knowledge workers will have the necessary tools to become increasingly informed about the realm ofiPM.

Georgia's Collaborative Approach To Expanding Mosquito Surveillance In Response To Zika Virus: A Case Study, R. Christopher Rustin, Deonte Martin, Varadan Sevilimedu, Sarbesh Pandeya, Haresh Rochani, Rosmarie Kelly

R. Christopher Rustin

Precipitation And Temperature Effects On Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Population Dynamics, David B. Taylor, Kristina Friesen, Jerry J. Zhu

David B. Taylor

Standardized Research Protocols Enable Transdisciplinary Research Of Climate Variation Impacts In Corn Production Systems, E. J. Kladivko, M. J. Helmers, L. J. Abendroth, D. Herzmann, R. Lal, M. J. Castellano, D. S. Mueller, J. E. Sawyer, R. P. Anex, R. W. Arritt, B. Basso, J. V. Bonta, L. C. Bowling, R. M. Cruse, N. R. Fausey, J. R. Frankenberger, P. W. Gassman, A. J. Gassmann, C. L. Kling, A. Kravchenko, J. G. Lauer, F. E. Miguez, E. D. Nafziger, N. Nkongolo, M. O'Neal, L. B. Owens, P. R. Owens, P. Scharf, M. J. Shipitalo, J. S. Strock, M. B. Villamil

John E. Sawyer

The important questions about agriculture, climate, and sustainability have become increasingly complex and require a coordinated, multifaceted approach for developing new knowledge and understanding. A multistate, transdisciplinary project was begun in 2011 to study the potential for both mitigation and adaptation of corn-based cropping systems to climate variations. The team is measuring the baseline as well as change of the system's carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and water footprints, crop productivity, and pest pressure in response to existing and novel production practices. Nine states and 11 institutions are participating in the project, necessitating a well thought out approach to coordinating field …

Taxonomic Revision Of Perdita Subgenus Heteroperdita Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), With Descriptions Of Two Ant-Like Males, Zachary M. Portman, John L. Neff, Terry L. Griswold

Zachary Portman

Permian Scorpions From The Petrified Forest Of Chemnitz, Germany, Jason A. Dunlop, David A. Legg, Paul L. Selden, Victor Fet, Joerg W. Schneider, Ronny Rößler

Victor Fet

Background: Paleozoic scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) have been widely documented from the Carboniferous Period; which hosts a remarkable assemblage of more than sixty species including both putative stem- and crown-group fossils. By contrast the succeeding Permian Period is almost completely devoid of records, which are currently restricted to a trace fossil from the early Permian of New Mexico, USA and some limb fragments from the late Permian of the Vologda Region, Russia. Results: ?Opsieobuthus tungeri sp. nov. from the Petrified Forest of Chemnitz, Germany represents the first complete body fossils of scorpions from the Permian. Explosive volcanism preserved these remarkable specimens …

Corn Following Corn In 2008, Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Roger W. Elmore, Antonio P. Mallarino, Palle Pedersen, Alison E. Robertson, John E. Sawyer, Jon J. Tollefson

John E. Sawyer

Corn following corn is in rough shape in areas across Iowa. Many wonder what is happening. The crop’s condition in general is not normal for this time of year. For example, last Sunday the USDA rated this year’s Iowa corn crop as 54 percent in ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’ condition and 15 percent is ‘Poor’ or ‘Very Poor.’ Last year 72 percent was rated ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’ and 5 percent was in ‘Poor’ or ‘Very Poor’ condition during the same week. Average plant height as of Sunday was 24 inches compared to 40 inches at end of the same week last …

Environmental Parameters Associated With Stable Fly Development At Hay Feeding Sites, Kristina A. Friesen, Dennis R. Berkebile, Brian J. Wienhold, Lisa Durso, Junwei J. Zhu, David B. Taylor

David B. Taylor

Responses Of Four Arthropod Prey Species To Mechanosensory, Chemosensory And Visual Cues From An Arachnid Predator: A Comparative Approach, Scott Kight

Scott Kight

Disease Will Limit Future Food Supply From The Global Crustacean Fishery And Aquaculture Sectors, G. Stentiford, D. Neil, E. Peeler, J. Shields, H. Small, T. Flegel, J. Vlak, B. Jones, F. Morado, S. Moss, J. Lotz, Lyric Bartholomay, D. Behringer, C. Hauton, D. Lightner

Lyric Bartholomay

Seafood is a highly traded food commodity. Farmed and captured crustaceans contribute a significant proportion with annual production exceeding 10 M metric tonnes with first sale value of $40bn. The sector is dominated by farmed tropical marine shrimp, the fastest growing sector of the global aquaculture industry. It is significant in supporting rural livelihoods and alleviating poverty in producing nations within Asia and Latin America while forming an increasing contribution to aquatic food supply in more developed countries. Nations with marine borders often also support important marine fisheries for crustaceans that are regionally traded as live animals and commodity products. …

Revision Of The Genus Chalcasthenes Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctoderini) From The Solomon Islands, Mary Liz Jameson, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Brett C. Ratcliffe

Abstract The genus Chalcasthenes Arrow (Dynastinae: Oryctoderini), a scarab beetle genus endemic to the Solomon Islands, is reviewed. Based on examination of type specimens, the genus Strehlia Frey (Rutelinae: Rutelini: Parastasiina) is a new junior synonym of Chalcasthenes. The historical classification of these genera (either in the subfamily Dynastinae or Rutelinae) and character-based criteria for assigning the taxa to the Dynastinae are provided. We discuss character states that support the monophyly of members of the genus Chalcasthenes, comment on the distribution and biogeography of species in the genus and provide a key to species. The genus includes four species: Chalcasthenes …

Revision Of The Genus Chalcasthenes Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctoderini) From The Solomon Islands, Mary Liz Jameson, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Brett C. Ratcliffe

Abstract The genus Chalcasthenes Arrow (Dynastinae: Oryctoderini), a scarab beetle genus endemic to the Solomon Islands, is reviewed. Based on examination of type specimens, the genus Strehlia Frey (Rutelinae: Rutelini: Parastasiina) is a new junior synonym of Chalcasthenes. The historical classification of these genera (either in the subfamily Dynastinae or Rutelinae) and character-based criteria for assigning the taxa to the Dynastinae are provided. We discuss character states that support the monophyly of members of the genus Chalcasthenes, comment on the distribution and biogeography of species in the genus and provide a key to species. The genus includes four species: Chalcasthenes …

Susceptibility Of House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Larvae To Entomopathogenic Nematodes (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae, Steinernematidae, David B. Taylor, Allen L. Szalanski, Byron J. Adams, Richard D. Peterson Ii

Byron Adams

The potential for entomopathogenic nematodes to control flies in cattle feedlots was determined by screening 40 strains representing 8 species of Heterorhabditis Poinar and 5 species of Steinernema Travassos for virulence toward 3rd-instar house flies (maggots), Musca domestica L. None of the 22 strains of Heterorhabditis infecting maggots caused significant levels of mortality in a filter paper assay. Ten strains of Steinernema infected maggots, of which 7 strains--4 S. carpocapsa (Weiser), 2 S. feltiae (Filipjev), and 1 S. scapterisci (Nguyen & Smart) caused significant mortality. Ten Heterorhabditis strains and 10 Steinernema strains successllly reproduced for 22 generations in maggots. No …

Susceptibility Of House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Larvae To Entomopathogenic Nematodes (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae, Steinernematidae), David B. Taylor, Allen L. Szalanski, Byron J. Adams, Richard D. Peterson Ii

Byron Adams

The potential for entomopathogenic nematodes to control flies in cattle feedlots was determined by screening 40 strains representing 8 species of Heterorhabditis Poinar and 5 species of Steinemema Travassos for virulence toward 3rd-instar house flies (maggots), Musca domestica L. None of the 22 strains of Heterorhabditis infecting maggots caused significant levels of mortality in a filter paper assay. Ten strains of Steinemema infected maggots, of which 7 strains (4 S. carpocapsae (Weiser), 2 S.feltiae (Filipjev), and 1 S. scapterisci Nguyen & Smart) caused significant mortality. Ten Heterorhabditis strains and 10 Steinemema strains successfully reproduced for ≥ 2 generations in maggots. …

Mating For Male-Derived Prostaglandin: A Functional Explanation For The Increased Fecundity Of Mated Female Crickets?, Amy M. Worthington, Russell A. Jurenka, Clint D. Kelly

Russell A. Jurenka

Direct benefits are considered to be the driving force of high female mating rates, yet species in which females do not receive material resources from males still experience increased fitness from mating frequently. One hypothesis suggests that substances within the ejaculate may boost survival or offspring production. If these materials are limiting to females, they will require continual renewal via mating and could provide a functional understanding of how high mating rates lead to increased female fitness. Using the Texas field cricket, Gryllus texensis, we investigated the sexual transfer of prostaglandin E2, an important mediator of invertebrate reproduction. We determined …

The Wings Of Bombyx Mori Develop From Larval Discs Exhibiting An Early Differentiated State: A Preliminary Report, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh, K. P. Gopinathan

Madhuri Kango-Singh

Lepidopteran insects present a complex organization of appendages which develop by various mechanisms. In the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori, a pair of meso- and meta-thoracic discs located on either side in the larvae gives rise to the corresponding fore- and hind-wings of the adult. These discs do not experience massive cell rearrangements during metamorphosis and display the adult wing vein pattern. We have analysed wing development in B. mori by two approaches, viz., expression of patterning genes in larval wing discs, and regulatory capacities of larval discs following explantation or perturbation. Expression of Nubbin is seen all over the presumptive …

The Wings Of Bombyx Mori Develop From Larval Discs Exhibiting An Early Differentiated State: A Preliminary Report, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh, K. P. Gopinathan

Amit Singh

Lepidopteran insects present a complex organization of appendages which develop by various mechanisms. In the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori, a pair of meso- and meta-thoracic discs located on either side in the larvae gives rise to the corresponding fore- and hind-wings of the adult. These discs do not experience massive cell rearrangements during metamorphosis and display the adult wing vein pattern. We have analysed wing development in B. mori by two approaches, viz., expression of patterning genes in larval wing discs, and regulatory capacities of larval discs following explantation or perturbation. Expression of Nubbin is seen all over the presumptive …

Analysis Of Gene Expression During Embryonic Development In Mulberry Silkworm Bombyx Mori, Amit Singh, K. P. Gopinathan

Amit Singh

We have developed a method for dechorionation and devitellinization of the silkworm eggs without damage, to facilitate the analysis of gene expression during embryonic development of Bombyx mori. Making use of antibodies available from heterologous systems, the spatio-temporal expression patterns of peroxidase and proliferating cell nuclear antigen have been directly visualized in whole mount embryos at various stages of development without the need for generating transformed ·lines carrying specific reporter constructs. The B. mori system, previously unamenable for such studies, could thus serve as an attractive model for molecular analysis of insect development. The attention lavished on Drosophila melanogaster as …

Hemocyte Differentiation Mediates The Mosquito Late-Phase Immune Response Against Plasmodium In Anopheles Gambiae, Ryan C. Smith, Carolina Barillas-Mury, Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena

Ryan C. Smith

Plasmodium parasites must complete development in the mosquito vector for transmission to occur. The mosquito innate immune response is remarkably efficient in limiting parasite numbers. Previous work has identified a LPS-induced TNFα transcription factor (LITAF)-like transcription factor, LITAF-like 3 (LL3), which significantly influences parasite numbers. Here, we demonstrate that LL3 does not influence invasion of the mosquito midgut epithelium or ookinete-to-oocyst differentiation but mediates a late-phase immune response that decreases oocyst survival. LL3 expression in the midgut and hemocytes is activated by ookinete midgut invasion and is independent of the mosquito microbiota, suggesting that LL3 may be a component of …

Behavioural Responses Of Stable Flies To Cattle Manure Slurry Associated Odourants, K. Tangtrakulwanich, T. Albuquerque, Gary Brewer, Fred Baxendale, Ludek Zurek, Daniel Miller, David Taylor, Kristina Friesen, Junwei Zhu

David B. Taylor

Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans [Diptera: Muscidae] L.) are blood-feeding synanthropic pests, which cause significant economic losses in livestock. Stable fly antennae contain olfactory sensilla responsive to host and host environment-associated odours. Field observation indicated that the abundance of stable flies increased significantly in grasslands or crop fields when cattle manure slurry was applied. Major volatile compounds emanating from manure slurry were collected and identified. Behavioural responses of stable flies to those compounds were investigated in laboratory bioassays and field-trapping studies. Results from olfactometer assays revealed that phenol, p-cresol and m-cresol were attractive to adult stable flies. When tested individually, attraction …

Factors Affecting The Spatial Distribution Of Oviposition Sites For Tandem Black Saddlebags Dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae), Jessica L. Thornton, Paul V. Switzer

Paul V. Switzer

Oviposition site location may be affected by (1) factors influencing the costs and benefits to the offspring (e.g., resource availability, competition, predation risk) and (2) factors influencing the costs and benefits to the female (e.g., predation risk or mate ha- rassment). In cases in which both the male and female are involved in locating a site, costs and benefits may differ for each parent and the resulting oviposition site location may represent the outcome of selection pressures on one or both of them. We studied oviposi- tion behavior in the black saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea lacerata Hagen), a species in which …