Characterization of New Allergens from the Venom of the European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula

Discriminating Polistes dominula and Vespula spp. venom allergy is of growing importance worldwide, as systemic reactions to either species’ sting can lead to severe outcomes. Administering the correct allergen-specific immunotherapy is therefore a prerequisite to ensure the safety and health of venom-allergic patients. Component-resolved diagnostics of Hymenoptera venom allergy might be improved by adding additional allergens to the diagnostic allergen panel. Therefore, three potential new allergens from P. dominula venom—immune responsive protein 30 (IRP30), vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF C) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2)—were cloned, recombinantly produced and biochemically characterized. Sera sIgE titers of Hymenoptera venom-allergic patients were measured in vitro to assess the allergenicity and potential cross-reactivity of the venom proteins. IRP30 and VEGF C were classified as minor allergens, as sensitization rates lay around 20–40%. About 50% of P. dominula venom-allergic patients had measurable sIgE titers directed against PLA2 from P. dominula venom. Interestingly, PLA2 was unable to activate basophils of allergic patients, questioning its role in the context of clinically relevant sensitization. Although the obtained results hint to a questionable benefit of the characterized P. dominula venom proteins for improved diagnosis of venom-allergic patients, they can contribute to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of Hymenoptera venoms and to the identification of factors that determine the allergenic potential of proteins.

Desarrollo comparativo de dos especies Inga en base a su potencial agroforestal

Las especies de guabo Inga edulis e I. vera son ampliamente utilizadas en sistemas agroforestales. Este estudio compara sus indicadores de desarrollo fenológico, aporte de minerales y presencia de organismos benéficos en su entorno de influencia, mediante un diseño de bloques completamente al azar (DBCA) con tres tratamientos y seis repeticiones. I. edulis tiene crecimiento polinomial más promisorio, con 5.79 m de altura, diámetro altura de pecho (DAP) de 0.075 m y 31.66 ramas con un diámetro de sombra de 5.94 m, superando a I. vera que alcanza 4.74 m de altura, DAP de 0.061 m y 14.33 ramas con sombra diametral de 4.79 m. Ambas especies difieren en su aporte de macronutrientes al suelo, superando I. vera en NH4, K y Mg, mientras que I. edulis realiza un mayor aporte de P y Ca. El contenido mineral foliar también difiere, superando I. edulis en NH4, P y Mg foliares, no obstante, I. vera contiene mayor K y Ca foliares. En la hojarasca, I. edulis posee 3.13% N, mientras que I. vera 2,53% N. La fauna asociada a estas especies se relaciona con la presencia de lombrices de tierra (Lumbricus terrestres) en el área del subsuelo con influencia de la raíz, existiendo mayor promedio de individuos por árbol en I. edulis (22.6) que en I. vera (14.9). Sin embargo, en I. vera existe mayor población de avispas Polistes dominula (4.6) y Vespula vulgaris (10.3), con relación a I. edulis, que alcanza 2.7 y 5.2 individuos por árbol, respectivamente.

Multiple Use of an Old Nest by the European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Central Poland

Refurbishing the old nest in order to prepare it for a new breeding season cycle has already been observed in few species of paper wasps. When future foundresses emerge from hibernacula they have choose between building a new nest or reusing an old one. In present paper I described a case of multiple use and further expansion an old nest by Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Mazovia Region, Central Poland.

Causas de mortalidad de colonias de Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) en zonas urbanas del suroeste de la Península Ibérica

De 2017 a 2018 se estudiaron diversas poblaciones de la avispa eusocial Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) en tres municipios del suroeste de la península ibérica, con la finalidad de identificar las causas de mortalidad de sus colonias. Los resultados mostraron que la causa principal de mortalidad en las zonas de estudio fue la actividad antrópica (43,55 %). La segunda causa más relevante fue el abandono del nido (20,19 %). Únicamente 82 de 411 nidos (19,95 %) demostraron un declive natural de la colonia, tras la aparición de reproductores.

Queen succession conflict in the paper wasp Polistes dominula is mitigated by age-based convention

Reproduction in cooperative animal groups is often dominated by one or a few individuals, with the remaining group members relegated to nonreproductive helping roles. This reproductive skew can evolve if helpers receive fitness benefits such as potential future inheritance of the breeding position, but the mechanisms by which inheritance is determined are not well resolved. Polistes paper wasps form highly reproductively skewed groups and inheritance of the breeding position is likely to play a key role in the maintenance of this social structure, making them excellent models for the processes by which simple societies are maintained. Reproductive succession is thought to be determined via an age-based convention in some Polistes species, but there is also evidence for contest-based succession systems in which the replacement queen uses physical aggression to overpower and thereby subordinate her nestmates. Here, we provide evidence that queen succession in colonies of the European paper wasp Polistes dominula is determined via convention rather than contest, with little disruption to the colony’s social functioning. We use queen removal experiments and fine-scale behavioral analyses to confirm that age is a strong predictor of succession, and that behavioral responses to queen removal are restricted to the oldest individuals rather than being experienced equally across the group. We provide the most comprehensive and detailed experimental analysis on the dynamics of breeder succession in a cooperatively breeding invertebrate to date, thereby shedding light on the mechanisms by which animal societies are able to maintain cohesion in the face of within-group conflict.