The Making of a Queen: TOR Pathway Is a Key Player in Diphenic Caste Development

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide a principal example of diphenic development. Excess feeding of female larvae results in queens (large reproductives). Moderate diet yields workers (small helpers). The signaling pathway that links provisioning to female developmental fate is not understood, yet we reasoned that it could include TOR (target of rapamycin), a nutrient- and energy-sensing kinase that controls organismal growth.Here, the role of Apis mellifera TOR (amTOR) in caste determination is examined by rapamycin/FK506 pharmacology and RNA interference (RNAi) gene knockdown. We show that in queen-destined larvae, the TOR inhibitor rapamycin induces the development of worker characters that are blocked by the antagonist FK506. Further, queen fate is associated with elevated activity of the Apis mellifera TOR encoding gene, amTOR, and amTOR gene knockdown blocks queen fate and results in individuals with worker morphology.A much-studied insect dimorphism, thereby, can be governed by the TOR pathway. Our results present the first evidence for a role of TOR in diphenic development, and suggest that adoption of this ancestral nutrient-sensing cascade is one evolutionary pathway for morphological caste differentiation in social insects

Morphometric and alloenzymatic characterisation in the Albanian honeybee population Apis mellifera L

With the aim of determining their taxonomic status, honeybee populations from Albania were compared with Apis mellifera carnica, A m macedonica and A m ligustica populations from Croatia, Greece and Italy, respectively. Using an electrophoretic analysis of four enzyme systems and discriminant analysis of 15 morphometric characters of the right forewing, we found that Albania represents an area of hybridisation between the subspecies A m carnica and A m macedonica. Albanian territory should be considered the southern border of the distribution of A m carnica

Alterations in homeostasis after open surgery. A prospective randomized study

Introduction. Alterations in homeostasis, and a subsequent increased risk for postoperative thromboembolic complications, are observed as a result of open surgery. Additionally, the stress response to surgical trauma precipitates a transient hypercoagulable state as well as inflammation. This study was conducted to evaluate the patterns in postoperative alterations of blood coagulation, and to detect their correlations with inflammatory markers. Patients and methods. The study included 50 patients with comparable demographic data, who were randomly assigned to undergo abdominal surgery. No previous coagulation disorders were noted. Blood samples were collected preoperatively and 72 h postoperatively. The following parameters were measured: prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT); fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer (D-D), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; and platelet (PLT) count. Prophylactic doses of low molecular weight heparin were administered to all patients. Results. The PT mean value significantly changed from 90.38% before surgery to 81.25% after surgery. No statistical difference was observed between APTT values before and after surgery. FIB levels significantly increased from 381.50 mg/dL preoperatively to 462.57 mg/dL postoperatively. Mean D-D levels also significantly increased from 235.54 μg/L preoperatively to 803.59 μg/L postoperatively. PLT count significantly declined after surgery. Mean CRP levels significantly increased from 12.33 mg/L preoperatively to 44.28 mg/L postoperatively. A strong correlation was observed between D-D and C-RP levels after surgery.Conclusion. These results indicate that, despite administering antithromboembolic prophylaxis, a hypercoagulable state was observed following surgery. This state was enhanced by inflammation

The Balkans: a Lab of Excellence

Il volume raccoglie gli atti della Conferenza tenutasi a Trieste il 18 settembre 2006 a illustrazione dei risultati del Progetto SISA (Survey and Information System of Adriatic roads), Interreg IIIA del Cross-border Program. I contributi sono sia sotto forma di articoli sia come raccolta delle slides presentate durante il Convegno