Biology Commons^™

A Revision Of The Genus Mecistostethus Marseul (Histeridae, Histerinae, Exosternini), Michael S. Caterino, Alexey K. Tishechkin, Nicolas Degallier

Michael S Caterino

We revise the genus Mecistostethus Marseul, sinking the monotypic genus Tarsilister Bruch as a junior synonym. Mecistostethus contains six valid species: M. pilifer Marseul, M. loretoensis (Bruch), comb. n., M. seagorum sp. n., M. carltoni sp. n., M. marseuli sp. n., and M. flechtmanni sp. n. The few existing records show the genus to be widespread in tropical and subtropical South America, from northern Argentina to western Amazonian Ecuador and French Guiana. Only a single host record associates one species with the antPachycondyla striata Smith (Formicidae: Ponerinae), but it is possible that related ants host all the species.

A Review Of Hippeutister Reichensperger With New Species From California And Costa Rica (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Hetaeriinae), Michael S. Caterino, Alexey K. Tishechkin

Michael S Caterino

The myrmecophilous genus Hippeutister Reichensperger, 1935, contains six species, known from scattered localities in North, Central and South America. Two of these, H. californicus n. sp. and H. solisi n. sp. are newly described herein. The other four are H. manicatus (Lewis) (=H. solenopsidis Reichensperger, syn. nov.), H. plaumanni Reichensperger, H. castaneus (Lewis), and H. amabilis (Wenzel). The genus is likely monophyletic, and is easily recognized by the presence of a very broad prosternal keel, which is deeply triangularly incised at the base. Species of Hippeutister are unusual among hetaeriine Histeridae in their occurrence in the nests of fire ants …

A New North American Genus Of Hetaeraiinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae), With Descriptions Of Six New Species From The U.S.A. And Mexico, Michael S. Caterino, Alexey K. Tishechkin

Michael S Caterino

Renclasea n. gen., a genus of the Hetaeriinae (Histeridae), with six species, R. skelleyi n. sp. (United States: Florida and Georgia), R. falli n. sp. (United States: California), R. helavai n. sp. (United States: Arizona), R. mexicana n. sp. (Mexico: Hidalgo), R. occidentalis n. sp. (United States: Arizona and New Mexico) and R. cazieri n. sp. (United States: Arizona), are described, illustrated and diagnosed. The status of two female specimens of Renclasea from western Texas, apparently closely related to R. occidentalis, remains uncertain. The only host record available for the genus is an association of R. mexicana with undetermined species …

A Partitioned Likelihood Analysis Of Swallowtail Butterfly Phylogeny (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), Michael S. Caterino, Robert D. Reed, May M. Kuo, Felix A H Sperling

Michael S Caterino

Although it is widely agreed that data from multiple sources are necessary to confidently resolve phylogenetic relationships, procedures for accommodating and incorporating heterogeneity in such data remained underdeveloped. We explored the use of partitioned, model-based analyses of heterogeneous molecular data in the context of a phylogenetic study of swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae).

Descriptions Of The First Chlamydopsinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae) From Wallacea, Michael Caterino

Michael S Caterino

Collecting in Dumoga-Bone National Park in northeastern Sulawesi during The Royal Geographical Society’s 1985 ‘Project Wallace’ expedition resulted in the discovery of the first known Indonesian Chlamydopsinae. Ten new species are described in the genus Orectoscelis Lewis, previously known only from the Australian continent. The new taxa are O. demotus Caterino sp. n., O. punctatus Caterino sp. n., O. aurolepidus Caterino sp. n., O. circularis Caterino sp. n., O. dumogae Caterino sp. n., O. obliquus Caterino sp. n., O. elongatus Caterino
sp. n., O. hammondi Caterino sp. n., O. carinatus Caterino sp. n., and O. brendelli Caterino sp. n. The …

Traversing Swanton Road, 16th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Metabolic Suppression In Mammalian Hibernation: The Role Of Mitochondria., James F Staples

Biology Publications

Hibernation evolved in some small mammals that live in cold environments, presumably to conserve energy when food supplies are low. Throughout the winter, hibernators cycle spontaneously between torpor, with low metabolism and near-freezing body temperatures, and euthermia, with high metabolism and body temperatures near 37°C. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this natural model of extreme metabolic plasticity is important for fundamental and applied science. During entrance into torpor, reductions in metabolic rate begin before body temperatures fall, even when thermogenesis is not active, suggesting active mechanisms of metabolic suppression, rather than passive thermal effects. Mitochondrial respiration is suppressed during torpor, especially …

Cytoplasmic Carboxypeptidase 5 Regulates Tubulin Glutamylation And Zebrafish Cilia Formation And Function, Narendra Pathak, Christina A. Austin-Tse, Yan Liu, Aleksandr Vasilyev, Iain A. Drummond

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Glutamylation is a functionally important tubulin posttranslational modification enriched on stable microtubules of neuronal axons, mitotic spindles, centrioles, and cilia. In vertebrates, balanced activities of tubulin glutamyl ligase and cytoplasmic carboxypeptidase deglutamylase enzymes maintain organelle- and cell type-specific tubulin glutamylation pat terns. Tubulin glutamylation in cilia is regulated via restricted subcellular localization or ex pression of tubulin glutamyl ligases (ttlls) and nonenzymatic proteins, including the zebrafish TPR repeat protein Fleer/Ift70. Here we analyze the expression patterns of ccp deglutamy lase genes during zebrafish development and the effects of ccp gene knockdown on cilia formation, morphology, and tubulin glutamylation. The deglutamylases …

The Trpc2 Channel Forms Protein-Protein Interactions With Homer And Rtp In The Rat Vomeronasal Organ, Thomas Mast, Jessica Brann, Debra Fadool

Jessica Brann

BACKGROUND: The signal transduction cascade operational in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) of the olfactory system detects odorants important for prey localization, mating, and social recognition. While the protein machinery transducing these external cues has been individually well characterized, little attention has been paid to the role of protein-protein interactions among these molecules. Development of an in vitro expression system for the transient receptor potential 2 channel (TRPC2), which establishes the first electrical signal in the pheromone transduction pathway, led to the discovery of two protein partners that couple with the channel in the native VNO. RESULTS: Homer family proteins were …

Selective Gene Expression By Postnatal Electroporation During Olfactory Interneuron Nurogenesis, Alexander T. Chesler, Claire E. Le Pichon, Jessica H. Brann, Ricardo C. Araneda

Jessica Brann

Neurogenesis persists in the olfactory system throughout life. The mechanisms of how new neurons are generated, how they integrate into circuits, and their role in coding remain mysteries. Here we report a technique that will greatly facilitate research into these questions. We found that electroporation can be used to robustly and selectively label progenitors in the Subventicular Zone. The approach was performed postnatally, without surgery, and with near 100% success rates. Labeling was found in all classes of interneurons in the olfactory bulb, persisted to adulthood and had no adverse effects. The broad utility of electroporation was demonstrated by encoding …

Developmental Expression Of Neurotrophin Receptor Genes In Rat Geniculate Ganglion Neurons, Albert Farbman, Jessica Brann, Alexander Rozenblat, M. Rochlin

Jessica Brann

Individual neurons dissected from immunohistochemically stained paraffin sections of the developing rat geniculate (VIIth cranial) ganglion were assayed for their content of mRNA of the neurotrophin receptor genes, p75 , trkA , trkB and trkC. Fetal and postnatal rats, from the 13th embryonic day (E13) until the 20th postnatal day (P20), were used. Single cells were subjected to RNA amplification, followed by treatment with reverse transcriptase and DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The identity of the PCR products was verified by subcloning and sequencing. A total of 227 neurons were examined, of which 212 (93%) gave a …

Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons From Sternotherus Odoratus (Stinkpot/Musk Turtle) Respond To Chemosignals Via The Phospholipase C System, Jessica H. Brann, Debra A. Fadool

Jessica Brann

The mammalian signal transduction apparatus utilized by vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) has been richly explored, while that of reptiles, and in particular, the stinkpot or musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus, is less understood. Given that the turtle's well-known reproductive and mating behaviors are governed by chemical communication, 247 patch-clamp recordings were made from male and female S. odoratus VSNs to study the chemosignal-activated properties as well as the second-messenger system underlying the receptor potential. Of the total neurons tested, 88 (35%) were responsive to at least one of five complex natural chemicals, some of which demonstrated …

Regeneration Of New Neurons Is Preserved In Aged Vomeronasal Epithelia, Jessica H. Brann, Stuart Firestein

Jessica Brann

During normal and diseased aging, it is thought the capacity for tissue regeneration and repair in neuronal tissues diminishes. In the peripheral olfactory system, stem cell reservoirs permit regeneration of olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons, a unique capacity among neurons. Following injury, a large number of new neurons can be regenerated in a young animal. However, it is unknown whether this capacity for renewal exists in aged proliferative populations. Here, we report that neuronal replacement-associated proliferation continues in the vomeronasal organ of aged (18-24 months) mice. In addition, the potential for the aged stem cell to yield a mature neuron …

Strategies For Odor Coding In The Piriform Cortex, Jessica H. Brann, Shari R. Saideman, Matthew T. Valley, Denise Wiedl

Jessica Brann

No abstract provided.

Heterogeneity Of Voltage- And Chemosignal-Activated Response Profiles In Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons, Antonieta Labra, Jessica Brann, Debra Fadool

Jessica Brann

Liolaemus lizards were explored to ascertain whether they would make an amenable model to study single-cell electrophysiology of neurons in the vomeronasal organ (VNO). Despite a rich array of chemosensory-related behaviors chronicled for this genus, no anatomical or functional data exist for the VNO, the organ mediating these types of behaviors. Two Liolaemus species (L. bellii and L. nigroviridis) were collected in Central Chile in the Farellones Mountains and transported to the United States. Lizards were subjected to hypothermia and then a lethal injection of sodium pentabarbitol prior to all experiments described in the following text. Retrograde dye perfusion combined …

Sexual Experience Increases Nitric Oxide Synthase In The Medial Preoptic Area Of Male Rats, Juan Dominguez, Jessica Brann, Mario Gil, Elaine Hull

Jessica Brann

Nitric oxide in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) is important for the expression and sensitization of male sexual behavior. In this article, the authors report that repeated sexual experience (mating for 2 hr on each of 3 days) increased levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the MPOA of male rats, regardless of whether they mated on the day they were given an overdose of sodium phenobarbital. This effect resulted from the previous experience and not acute mating, as NOS was not increased 2 hr after the first mating in previously naive males. Experience-induced increases in NOS in the MPOA …

Age-Dependent Regional Changes In The Rostral Migratory Stream, Arie Mobley, Alex Bryant, Marion Richard, Jessica Brann

Jessica Brann

Throughout life the subventricular zone (SVZ) is a source of new olfactory bulb (OB) interneurons. From the SVZ, neuroblasts migrate tangentially through the rostral migratory stream (RMS), a restricted route approximately 5 mm long in mice, reaching the OB within 10-14 days. Within the OB, neuroblasts migrate radially to the granule and glomerular layers where they differentiate into granule and periglomerular (PG) cells and integrate into existing synaptic circuits. SVZ neurogenesis decreases with age, and might be a factor in age-related olfactory deficits. However, the effect of aging on the RMS and on the differentiation of interneuron subpopulations remains poorly …

Type-Specific Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Localization In The Vomeronasal Organ And Its Interaction With A Transient Receptor Potential Channel, Trpc2, Jessica H. Brann, John C. Dennis, Edward E. Morrison, Debra A. Fadool

Jessica Brann

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is the receptor portion of the accessory olfactory system and transduces chemical cues that identify social hierarchy, reproductive status, conspecifics and prey. Signal transduction in VNO neurons is apparently accomplished via an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-activated calcium conductance that includes a different set of G proteins than those identified in vertebrate olfactory sensory neurons. We used immunohistochemical (IHC) and SDS-PAGE/western analysis to localize three IP3 receptors (IP3R) in the rat VNO epithelium. Type-I IP3R expression was weak or absent. Antisera for type-II and -III IP3R recognized appropriate molecular weight proteins by SDS-PAGE, and labeled protein could be …

Identification And Characterization Of An Operon, Msaabcr, That Controls Virulence And Biofilm Development In Staphlococcus Aureus, Gyan S. Sahukhal, Mohamed O. Elasri

Faculty Publications

Background

Community-acquired, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains often cause localized infections in immunocompromised hosts, but some strains show enhanced virulence leading to severe infections even among healthy individuals with no predisposing risk factors. The genetic basis for this enhanced virulence has yet to be determined. S. aureus possesses a wide variety of virulence factors, the expression of which is carefully coordinated by a variety of regulators. Several virulence regulators have been well characterized, but others have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Previously, we identified the msa gene as a regulator of several virulence genes, biofilm development, and antibiotic resistance. We also …

The Cannibalistic Snail Agaronia Propatula Is Reluctant To Feed On Autotomized ‘Tails’ Of Conspecifics, Ariel Z. Cyrus, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters