Comparison of Groupings among Members of the Genus Aspergillus Based on Phylogeny and Production of Bioactive Compounds

Three hundred sixty-six Aspergillus strains preserved at the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) were compared as to phylogenetic relationships (11 species-clusters) based on the DNA sequences of the D1/D2 domains of LSU rRNA and ITS regions, including the 5.8S rRNA and biological activities of their secondary metabolites. The results showed relatively well correlation between the phylogenetic distribution and the production of bioactive compounds, especially, antimicrobial activities.     

Use of two formulations and two application techniques to deliver Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis for the control of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae and adults in poultry houses

A field study was carried out for 6 wks to assess, from both an efficiency and economic perspective, the effect of individual and integrated success of feeding and topical applications of two formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) in controlling house fly (Musca domestica L.) larvae and adults in poultry houses. There was no significant difference between the 1 g and 2 g L^?1 spray applications of Bti. In the absence of spray applications, no significant differences in larval mortalities were observed between the 250 mg and 500 mg kg^?1 feed applications. The percentage mortality of larvae accomplished as a result of using a combination of 250 mg kg^?1Bti feed and 2 g L^?1 spray applications was equivalent to that obtained as a result of combining 500 mg kg^?1Bti and 1g L^?1 spray applications. Treatment with Bti caused significant reductions in the emergence (up to 74%) of house fly adults compared to the control. The fact that the emergence of adult house flies was affected by Bti treatments implies that Bti has sublethal effects on house fly larvae. The cost–benefit analysis (expressed in terms of mortality of larvae growing) indicated that the most effective combination for house fly larvae and adult house fly emergence control was the 500 mg kg^?1 of feed and 2 g L^?1 spray application combination that resulted in 67% larval mortality and a 74% decrease in adult house fly emergence. This study presents commercial users with various alternatives for possible combinations of the two Bti formulations.     

Performance of Two Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Pupal Parasitoids (Coptera haywardi [Hymenoptera: Diapriidae] and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae [Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae]) under Different Environmental Soil Conditions

We evaluated the performance of Coptera haywardi (Ogloblin) (Diapriidae) and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) (Pteromalidae), both hymenopteran pupal parasitoids of Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae). Performance was studied by manipulating the following environmental conditions in the laboratory: (1) soil type, (2) soil moisture content, (3) soil compaction, and (4) depth at which pupae were buried in the soil. There were two experiments: in the first, exposure time of pupae was held constant and in the second, it varied. In the first experiment, C. haywardi was significantly more effective than P. vindemiae in parasitizing fly pupae. With exposure time held constant (36 h), only soil type and pupal burial depth were significantly related to parasitism rates. While P. vindemiae only parasitized pupae located on the soil surface, C. haywardi attacked pupae that were buried up to 5 cm deep, performing better in clayey than in loamy soil. In the second experiment, exposure time (24, 36, 48, and 72 h) had no significant effect on parasitism rates, but soil type did. P. vindemiae again only attacked pupae on the soil surface while C. haywardi was also able to parasitize pupae that were buried up to 5 cm deep. We conclude that C. haywardi represents a viable candidate to replace the environmentally unfriendly P. vindemiae in augmentative biological control programs against fruit flies.     

Parasitoid behaviour: predicting field from laboratory

Abstract.  1. Most of what is known about parasitoid behaviour comes from laboratory observations: field quantitative observations on searching parasitoids are extremely difficult to do and are rare. The basic components of Aphytis melinus 's response to California red scale ( Aonidiella aurantii ) were studied in the laboratory: encounter, rejection, drumming, probing, oviposition, and host-feeding. It was then asked whether these observations provided a reliable guide to behaviour in the field in a situation that was very different from the laboratory.
2. Field observations were carried out on bark on the trunk and interior branches of trees where live scale density is extremely high in patches, dead scale make up 90% of all scale, and could be expected to interfere with Aphytis search.
3. The laboratory observations predicted well the time taken in the field for each basic event (drumming or probing) and average times spent on a scale. Also well predicted were the distributions of times spent on drumming, probing, and total time on a scale. Rejection rates were much higher in the field. Thus, the laboratory studies predicted foraging behaviour in the field with variable success; potential explanations for observed mismatch between laboratory and field and its possible larger implications are discussed.     

Isolation and partial amino acid sequencing of the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase from three species of orchid

Small subunits of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) have been purified from 3 species of orchid in the genus Cymbidium by gel filtration followed by preparative sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and electroelution. The samples were subjected to amino acid composition analysis and partial N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The sequencing data clearly confirm that one of the species examined is the hybrid offspring of a cross between the other two.     

The physical map ofMus musculus chromosome 11 reveals evolutionary relationship with different syntenic groups of genes inHomo sapiens

Summary The physical localization of sequences homologous to three cloned genes was determined by in situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes. Previous work had assigned the skeletal myosin heavy chain gene cluster (Myh), the functional locus for the cellular tumor antigen p53 (Trp53-1), and the cellular homologue of the viral erb-B oncogene (Erbb) toMus musculus chromosome 11 (MMU11). Our results provide regional assignments ofMyh andTrp53-1 to chromosome bands B2C, and ofErbb to bands A1A4. Taken together with in situ mapping of three other loci on MMU 11 (Hox-2 homeobox-containing gene cluster, theSparc protein, and theColla-1 collagen gene), which have been reported elsewhere, these data allowed us to construct a physical map of MMU11 and to compare it with the linkage map of this chromosome. The map positions of the homologous genes on human chromosomes suggest evolutionary relationships of distinct regions of MMU11 with six different human chromosome arms: 1p, 5q, 7p, 16p, 17p, and 17q. The delineation of conserved chromosome regions has important implications for the understanding of karyotype evolution in mammalian species and for the development of animal models of human genetic diseases.