Attractiveness of Gel, Granular, Paste, and Solid Formulations of Ant Bait Insecticides to the Little Fire Ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), was first detected in plant nurseries in the Puna district of Hawaii island in 1999. W. auropunctata has since spread throughout Hawaii island, and is reported in homes, landscapes, plant nurseries and orchards, and forested areas. This study evaluated: 1) the attractiveness of several granular, liquid, gel, and paste insecticidal ant baits for homeowner and commercial use as compared with the standard granular baits containing hydramethylnon known to be attractive to and effective against W. auropunctata, and 2) the effects of weathering on granular bait attractiveness. Field attractiveness choice tests were conducted in an infested 37.2-m2 plot, and worker ant foraging and recruitment were recorded at 15-min intervals for 2 h. Granular and paste products that were as attractive as standard granular baits (Amdro Fire Ant Bait, Probait) included others formulated with hydramethylnon, abamectin, hydramethylnon and S-methoprene, indoxacarb, fipronil, and metaflumizone. None of the gel or liquid ant bait products evaluated (active ingredients hydramethylnon, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, thiameth- oxam, fipronil or indoxacarb) were attractive to foraging workers. Attraction of these baits could possibly be improved with inclusion of preferred food sources, such as peanut butter or animal-based protein. Attractiveness of granular ant baits exposed to 7 and 14 days of weathering fell by 40 to 96% as compared to fresh deposits. Corn grit baits should be formulated to preserve attractiveness in tropical environments with high rainfall

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

RSPO2 inhibition of RNF43 and ZNRF3 governs limb development independently of LGR4/5/6

The four R-spondin secreted ligands (RSPO1-RSPO4) act via their cognate LGR4, LGR5 and LGR6 receptors to amplify WNT signalling(1-3). Here we report an allelic series of recessive RSPO2 mutations in humans that cause tetra-amelia syndrome, which is characterized by lung aplasia and a total absence of the four limbs. Functional studies revealed impaired binding to the LGR4/5/6 receptors and the RNF43 and ZNRF3 transmembrane ligases, and reduced WNT potentiation, which correlated with allele severity. Unexpectedly, however, the triple and ubiquitous knockout of Lgr4, Lgr5 and Lgr6 in mice did not recapitulate the known Rspo2 or Rspo3 loss-of-function phenotypes. Moreover, endogenous depletion or addition of exogenous RSPO2 or RSPO3 in triple-knockout Lgr4/5/6 cells could still affect WNT responsiveness. Instead, we found that the concurrent deletion of rnf43 and znrf3 in Xenopus embryos was sufficient to trigger the outgrowth of supernumerary limbs. Our results establish that RSPO2, without the LGR4/5/6 receptors, serves as a direct antagonistic ligand to RNF43 and ZNRF3, which together constitute a master switch that governs limb specification. These findings have direct implications for regenerative medicine and WNT-associated cancers