Dietary Effects on the Development of Calliphora dubia and Chrysomya rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Implications for Postmortem Interval

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella K B Rogers ◽  
Daniel Franklin ◽  
Sasha C Voss
Keyword(s):  
Postmortem Interval ◽  
Blow Fly ◽  
Chrysomya Rufifacies ◽  
Beef Liver ◽  
Dietary Effects ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Development Data ◽  
Influence Of Temperature On ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Forensic entomology relies on insect development data generated within a laboratory setting in the estimation of minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). The methodologies used to produce these data vary considerably within the field and there is no accepted standard approach to laboratory rearing of forensically relevant species. A wide range of rearing media are used across published studies, including different species of animal and types of tissue (e.g., muscle and liver). Differing methodologies, particularly rearing diet, can introduce considerable variation into the baseline data upon which forensic estimates of the mPMI are calculated. Consequently, research establishing a widely available, standard and/or optimal, rearing medium for blow fly development for forensic application is desirable. This study examined dietary effects on the development of two forensically relevant blow fly species: Calliphora dubia Macquart, 1855, and Chrysomya rufifacies Macquart 1842 (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Larvae of both species were reared on pork liver, pork mince, pork loin, beef liver, beef mince, and guinea pig carcass under two constant temperature regimes (24 ± 1°C and 30 ± 1°C; 70 ± 10% humidity; 12-h/12-h photoperiod) to assess the influence of temperature on developmental response to diet. Fundamental developmental data pertaining to both species are reported. Developmental response to diet was species-specific and influenced by temperature with indication that the optimal temperature for C. dubia development is below 30°C. Pork mince was the most appropriate dietary standard of the rearing media investigated for the formulation of forensic development data for both species investigated.

Species-specific duplex PCR for the detection of Pratylenchus penetrans

Nematology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lieven Waeyenberge ◽  
Nicole Viaene ◽  
Maurice Moens
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Duplex Pcr ◽  
Specific Primers ◽  
5.8S Rrna Gene ◽  
5.8S Rrna ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pcr Products ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract ITS1, the 5.8S rRNA gene and ITS2 of the rDNA region were sequenced from 20 different Pratylenchus species. Additionally, the same region was sequenced from seven populations of P. penetrans. After purifying, cloning and sequencing the PCR products, all sequences were aligned in order to find unique sites suitable for the design of species-specific primers for P. penetrans. Since ITS regions showed variability between and even within populations of P. penetrans, only three small DNA sequences were suitable for the construction of three potentially useful species-specific primers. New species-specific primers were paired with existing universal ITS primers and tested in all possible primer combinations. The best performing primer set, supplemented with a universal 28S rDNA primer set that served as an internal control, was tested in duplex PCR. The ideal annealing temperature, Mg2+ concentration and primer ratios were then determined for the most promising primer set. The optimised duplex PCR was subsequently tested on a wide range of different Pratylenchus spp. and 25 P. penetrans populations originating from all over the world. To test the sensitivity, the duplex PCR was conducted on DNA extracted from a single P. penetrans nematode mixed with varying amounts of nematodes belonging to another Pratylenchus species. Results showed that a reliable and sensitive P. penetrans species-specific duplex PCR was constructed.

scholarly journals Mycorrhizal Communities and Isotope Signatures in Two Partially Mycoheterotrophic Orchids

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Jacquemyn ◽  
Rein Brys ◽  
Michael Waud ◽  
Alexandra Evans ◽  
Tomáš Figura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Terrestrial Orchids ◽  
Significant Enrichment ◽  
Mycoheterotrophic Plants ◽  
C And N ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Epipactis Helleborine ◽  
Isotope Analyses

Partial mycoheterotrophy, the ability of plants to obtain carbon from fungi throughout their life cycle in combination with photosynthesis, appears to be more common within the Plant Kingdom than previously anticipated. Recent studies using stable isotope analyses have indicated that isotope signatures in partially mycoheterotrophic plants vary widely among species, but the relative contributions of family- or species-specific characteristics and the identity of the fungal symbionts to the observed differences remain unclear. Here, we investigated in detail mycorrhizal communities and isotopic signatures in four co-occurring terrestrial orchids (Platanthera chlorantha, Epipactis helleborine, E. neglecta and the mycoheterotrophic Neottia nidus-avis). All investigated species were mycorrhizal generalists (i.e., associated with a large number of fungi simultaneously), but mycorrhizal communities differed significantly between species. Mycorrhizal communities associating with the two Epipactis species consisted of a wide range of fungi belonging to different families, whereas P. chlorantha and N. nidus-avis associated mainly with Ceratobasidiaceae and Sebacinaceae species, respectively. Isotopic signatures differed significantly between both Epipactis species, with E. helleborine showing near autotrophic behavior and E. neglecta showing significant enrichment in both carbon and nitrogen. No significant differences in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were observed between the two partially mycoheterotrophic orchids, despite significant differences in isotopic signatures. Our results demonstrate that partially mycoheterotrophic orchids of the genus Epipactis formed mycorrhizas with a wide diversity of fungi from different fungal families, but variation in mycorrhizal community composition was not related to isotope signatures and thus transfer of C and N to the plant. We conclude that the observed differences in isotope signatures between E. helleborine and E. neglecta cannot solely be explained by differences in mycorrhizal communities, but most likely reflect a combination of inherent physiological differences and differences in mycorrhizal communities.

scholarly journals A species-specific nucleosomal signature defines a periodic distribution of amino acids in proteins

Open Biology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 140218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Quintales ◽  
Ignacio Soriano ◽  
Enrique Vázquez ◽  
Mónica Segurado ◽  
Francisco Antequera
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Protein Composition ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Yeast Genome ◽  
Relative Distribution ◽  
Periodic Distribution ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Average Distribution ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
High Degree

Nucleosomes are the basic structural units of chromatin. Most of the yeast genome is organized in a pattern of positioned nucleosomes that is stably maintained under a wide range of physiological conditions. In this work, we have searched for sequence determinants associated with positioned nucleosomes in four species of fission and budding yeasts. We show that mononucleosomal DNA follows a highly structured base composition pattern, which differs among species despite the high degree of histone conservation. These nucleosomal signatures are present in transcribed and non-transcribed regions across the genome. In the case of open reading frames, they correctly predict the relative distribution of codons on mononucleosomal DNA, and they also determine a periodicity in the average distribution of amino acids along the proteins. These results establish a direct and species-specific connection between the position of each codon around the histone octamer and protein composition.

Determination of Cardinal Temperatures of Flax-leaf Alyssum (Alyssum linifolium) in Response to Salinity, pH, and Drought Stress

Weed Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 470-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmadreza Mobli ◽  
Ali Ghanbari ◽  
Mehdi Rastgoo
Keyword(s):  
Germination Rate ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Quadratic Polynomial ◽  
Polynomial Model ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Cardinal Temperatures ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractFlax-leaf alyssum (Alyssum linifoliumSteph. ex. Willd.) is a winter weed species in irrigated and dryland farming systems of Iran. Experiments were conducted to compare the cardinal temperatures ofA. linifoliumat different levels of drought, salt concentration, and pH. In all experiments, the dent-like model showed a better fit than the quadratic polynomial model.Alyssum linifoliumproduced the highest germination rates at pH 7 and a temperature of 20C in nonstress treatment. Minimum, optimum, and ceiling temperatures in the dent-like model were 4.1 (upper=26.8, lower=10.0) and 35C, and in the quadratic polynomial model were 3.3, 19.1, and 35.0C, respectively. At increased salinity and drought potential levels, the minimum temperature increased, while optimum and ceiling temperatures decreased. Seeds could germinate at up to 20 dS m−1and −1 MPa, respectively, but germination rate and percentage significantly decreased. The seeds of this weed germinated across a wide range of pH values (4≤pH≥8), but the temperature range at which seeds could germinate was reduced. These data serve as guidelines for species-specific propagation protocols and agricultural decision support systems.

Characterization of the Volatiles’ Profiles of the Eggs of Forensically Relevant Lucilia sericata and Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Blow Flies by SPME-Facilitated GC-MS

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 994-1005
Author(s):  
Justine E Giffen-Lemieux ◽  
Koji Okuda ◽  
Jennifer Y Rosati ◽  
Rabi A Musah
Keyword(s):  
Solid Phase ◽  
Lucilia Sericata ◽  
Phormia Regina ◽  
Organosulfur Compounds ◽  
Blow Fly ◽  
Headspace Volatiles ◽  
Blow Flies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Published Research

Abstract The attraction of necrophagous insects, particularly blow flies, to corpses and carrion is of ecological, economic, and agricultural importance, although the mechanisms by which it occurs are not well understood. Much of the published research on blow fly attractants has focused on volatiles emitted from carrion surrogates, but little attention has been given to the possibility that blow fly eggs themselves may emit chemical cues that are responsible for conspecific and heterospecific insect attraction. In this study, the headspace volatiles emitted from eggs representing two aggregated oviposition events that were collected 1 mo apart from two species of the Calliphoridae family (Order: Diptera), Lucilia sericata (Meigen), and Phormia regina (Meigen) were analyzed via solid-phase microextraction-facilitated GC-MS. The volatiles’ profiles were found to be consistent between samples representing the same species, but unique between the two species. Over 100 molecules covering a wide range of compound classes that included alcohols, aldehydes, esters, amines, ketones, and organosulfur compounds were identified. The profile of volatiles emitted from the L. sericata eggs contained several alkanes and aldehydes, whereas salient features of the P. regina headspace included numerous esters and ketones. Between the two species, 42 compounds were shared, several of which were carboxylic acids. Little overlap between the range of compounds detected and those reported to be emitted from decomposing remains was observed.

scholarly journals Microbial control of host gene regulation and the evolution of host–microbiome interactions in primates

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1808) ◽  
pp. 20190598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Grieneisen ◽  
Amanda L. Muehlbauer ◽  
Ran Blekhman
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Microbial Control ◽  
Host Gene ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Species Specific

Recent comparative studies have found evidence consistent with the action of natural selection on gene regulation across primate species. Other recent work has shown that the microbiome can regulate host gene expression in a wide range of relevant tissues, leading to downstream effects on immunity, metabolism and other biological systems in the host. In primates, even closely related host species can have large differences in microbiome composition. One potential consequence of these differences is that host species-specific microbial traits could lead to differences in gene expression that influence primate physiology and adaptation to local environments. Here, we will discuss and integrate recent findings from primate comparative genomics and microbiome research, and explore the notion that the microbiome can influence host evolutionary dynamics by affecting gene regulation across primate host species. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of the microbiome in host evolution’.

Quenching rates and critical densities of c-C3H2

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S350) ◽  
pp. 148-151
Author(s):  
Malek Ben Khalifa ◽  
Emna Sahnoun ◽  
Silvia Spezzano ◽  
Laurent Wiesenfeld ◽  
Kamel Hammami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy Surfaces ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Thermodynamical Equilibrium ◽  
Medium Temperature ◽  
Permanent Electric Dipole Moment ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
History Of ◽  
Energy Surfaces ◽  
Local Thermodynamical Equilibrium

AbstractCyclopropenylidene,, is a simple hydrocarbon, ubiquitous in astrophysical gases, and possessing a permanent electric dipole moment. Its readily observed multifrequency rotational transitions make it an excellent probe for the physics and history of interstellar matter. The collisional properties of with He are presented here. We computed the full Potential Energy Surfaces, and we perform quantum scattering in order to provide rates of quenching and excitation for low to medium temperature regimes. We discuss issues with the validity of the usual Local Thermodynamical Equilibrium assumption, and also the intricacies of the spectroscopy of an asymmetric top. We present the wide range of actual critical densities, as recently observed.

Differential Induction of Glutathione Transferases and Glucosyltransferases in Wheat, Maize and Arabidopsis thaliana by Herbicide Safeners

2005 ◽  
Vol 60 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 307-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Edwards ◽  
Daniele Del Buono ◽  
Michael Fordham ◽  
Mark Skipsey ◽  
Melissa Brazier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Detoxification Enzymes ◽  
Glutathione Transferases ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
Model Plant Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Herbicide Safeners ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Right

Abstract By learning lessons from weed science we have adopted three approaches to make plants more effective in phytoremediation: 1. The application of functional genomics to identify key components involved in the detoxification of, or tolerance to, xenobiotics for use in subsequent genetic engineering/breeding programmes. 2. The rational metabolic engineering of plants through the use of forced evolution of protective enzymes, or alternatively transgenesis of detoxification pathways. 3. The use of chemical treatments which protect plants from herbicide injury. In this paper we examine the regulation of the xenome by herbicide safeners, which are chemicals widely used in crop protection due to their ability to enhance herbicide selectivity in cereals. We demonstrate that these chemicals act to enhance two major groups of phase 2 detoxification enzymes, notably the glutathione transferases and glucosyltransferases, in both cereals and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, with the safeners acting in a chemical- and species-specific manner. Our results demonstrate that by choosing the right combination of safener and plant it should be possible to enhance the tolerance of diverse plants to a wide range of xenobiotics including pollutants.

Contrasting Responses of Morphologically Similar Wheat Cultivars to Temperatures Appropriate to Warm Temperature Climates With Hot Summers: a Study in Controlled Environment

1977 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 877 ◽  
Author(s):  
AK Bagga ◽  
HM Rawson
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Stability ◽  
Kernel Weight ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Warm Temperature ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Phase Temperature ◽  
Warm Temperate ◽  
Plant Basis

This study attempted to determine if and why there are differences among three cultivars of wheat in their responses to temperature. The three semidwarf cultivars examined, Kalyansona, Condor and Janak, are currently used commercially. Temperature regimes chosen matched the range to which plants in warm temperate climates with hot summers would be exposed at different stages of development. Plants were grown in a phytotron in sunlit cabinets. Responses to temperature were different among the cultivars. Kalyansona was relatively un- responsive to temperatures during the floret phase, being little affected in the sizes of upper leaves, in floret production and grain set, in overall plant growth or in grain yield. The sole character to respond to temperature in this cultivar was kernel weight, which declined with increasing grain phase temperature. In contrast, Condor demonstrated marked plasticity during the floret phase in all plant characters measured. Its plasticity was such that, at the lower temperatures, it outyielded Kalyansona by a substantial margin while at the higher temperatures its yield was relatively poor. On a plant basis, Janak performed similarly to Condor. Rates of photosynthesis were relatively unaffected by temperature in any cultivar. This wide range of response among three superficially similar cultivars has promising implications for the tailoring of cultivars for different temperature zones. The importance of different plant characters to temperature stability is considered in the discussion.

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