Complex of primary and secondary parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae and Signiphoridae) of Hypogeococcus spp. Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in the New World

Se informan los resultados de los relevamientos de los parasitoides primarios y secundarios (hiperparasitoides) de Hypogeococcus spp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) realizados en el Nuevo Mundo durante el período 2009 para 2017 para obtener enemigos naturales de la cochinilla harinosa de los cactus (Harrisia cactus mealybug) Hypogeococcus sp., que está devastando cactus nativos en Puerto Rico y amenaza a los cactus presentes en Islas del Caribe adyacentes. Se registraron cinco especies de Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) como parasitoides primarios de Hypogeococcus spp., incluyendo el recientemente descrito Leptomastidea hypogeococci Triapitsyn sp. n., que es la única especie del género Leptomastidea García Mercet en el Nuevo Mundo cuya clava de la antena de la hembra es contrastantemente blanca. El análisis genético de los individuos de L. hypogeococci de Argentina, Brasil y Puerto Rico (EE. UU.) corrobora los datos morfológicos de que la misma especie se encuentra en América del Sur, las islas del Caribe y Florida (EE. UU.). Se proporciona una clave para las especies del Nuevo Mundo de Leptomastidea. Leptomastidea antillicola Dozier, syn. n. de Puerto Rico es sinonimizado bajo L. abnormis (Girault). Basado en los datos moleculares presentados, Anagyrus ciomperliki Triapitsyn syn. n. (Encyrtidae), originalmente descrito de Puerto Rico, es sinonimizado bajo A. quilmes Triapitsyn, Logarzo & Aguirre, cuyo rango de distribución conocido también se amplía para incluir a Brasil. Anagyrus cachamai Triapitsyn, Logarzo y Aguirre, A. lapachosus Triapitsyn, Aguirre y Logarzo y A. quilmes se registraron recientemente en Paraguay. Se describe el macho previamente desconocido de Prochiloneurus argentinensis (De Santis) (Encyrtidae) de la provincia de Misiones de Argentina, y el de P. narendrani Noyes & Triapitsyn de la Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico. Hasta aquí, Anagyrus cachamai y A. lapachosus se consideran como las principales especies para la introducción desde Argentina y Paraguay a Puerto Rico para el control biológico de la cochinilla harinosa de los cactus. El holotipo de Anagyrus tanystis De Santis de Buenos Aires, Argentina, cuyos hospederos asociados son desconocidos, se ilustra para facilitar su reconocimiento de otras especies congenéricas.Parasitoids, both primary and secondary (hyperparasitoids), of Hypogeococcus spp. mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are reviewed to report results of the surveys in the New World conducted during 2009 to 2017 for prospective natural enemies of the Harrisia cactus mealybug, Hypogeococcus sp., which is devastating native cacti in Puerto Rico and threatening cacti in the adjacent Caribbean islands. Five species of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) are recorded as primary parasitoids of Hypogeococcus spp., including the newly described Leptomastidea hypogeococci Triapitsyn sp. n., which is the only species of the genus Leptomastidea García Mercet in the New World where the clava of the female antenna is contrastingly white. Genetic analysis of the individuals of L. hypogeococci from Argentina, Brazil, and Puerto Rico (USA) corroborates the morphological data that the same species occurs in South America, the Caribbean islands, and Florida (USA). A key to the New World species of Leptomastidea is given and taxonomic notes are provided on its other known species in the Neotropical region. Leptomastidea antillicola Dozier, syn. n. from Puerto Rico is synonymized under L. abnormis (Girault). Based on the presented molecular data, Anagyrus ciomperliki Triapitsyn syn. n. (Encyrtidae), originally described from Puerto Rico, is synonymized under A. quilmes Triapitsyn, Logarzo & Aguirre, where the known distributional range is expanded to also include Brazil. Anagyrus cachamai Triapitsyn, Logarzo & Aguirre, A. lapachosus Triapitsyn, Aguirre & Logarzo, and A. quilmes are newly recorded from Paraguay. The previously unknown male of Prochiloneurus argentinensis (De Santis) (Encyrtidae) is described from Misiones Province of Argentina, and that of P. narendrani Noyes & Triapitsyn is described from Mona Island, Puerto Rico. So far, Anagyrus cachamai and A. lapachosus are considered to be the primary target species for introduction from Argentina and Paraguay into Puerto Rico for the biological control of Harrisia cactus mealybug. The holotype of Anagyrus tanystis De Santis from Buenos Aires, Argentina, host associations are unknown, and is illustrated to facilitate its recognition from other congeneric species.Fil: Triapitsyn, Serguei V.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Aguirre, María Belén. Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Logarzo, Guillermo Alejandro. Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas; ArgentinaFil: Hight, Stephen D.. United States Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Research Service; Estados UnidosFil: Ciomperlik, Matthew A.. United States Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Research Service; Estados UnidosFil: Rugman Jones, Paul F.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Rodrigues, Jose C. Verle. Universidad de Puerto Rico; Puerto Ric

The Transit Light Curve Project. VI. Three Transits of the Exoplanet TrES-2

Of the nearby transiting exoplanets that are amenable to detailed study, TrES-2 is both the most massive and has the largest impact parameter. We present z-band photometry of three transits of TrES-2. We improve upon the estimates of the planetary, stellar, and orbital parameters, in conjunction with the spectroscopic analysis of the host star by Sozzetti and co-workers. We find the planetary radius to be 1.222 +/- 0.038 R_Jup and the stellar radius to be 1.003 +/- 0.027 R_Sun. The quoted uncertainties include the systematic error due to the uncertainty in the stellar mass (0.980 +/- 0.062 M_Sun). The timings of the transits have an accuracy of 25s and are consistent with a uniform period, thus providing a baseline for future observations with the NASA Kepler satellite, whose field of view will include TrES-2.Comment: 15 pages, including 2 figures, accepted Ap

Sorting Nexin 1 Down-Regulation Promotes Colon Tumorigenesis

PURPOSE: Colon cancer is one of the most common human malignancies, yet studies have only begun to identify the multiple mechanisms that underlie the development of this tumor. In this study, we have identified a novel mechanism, dysregulation of endocytic sorting, which promotes colon cancer development. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Immunohistochemical and microarray analyses were done on human colon cancer tissue specimens to determine the levels of one endocytic protein, sorting nexin 1 (SNX1). SW480 cells, a human colon cancer cell line that retains a relatively high level of SNX1 expression, were used to assess the effects of down-regulating this protein by small hairpin RNA. Activation of signal transduction cascades was evaluated in these cells using Western blotting, and multiple functional assays were done. RESULTS: We determined by immunohistochemistry that the level of SNX1 was significantly down-regulated in 75% of human colon cancers. In corroborative studies using microarray analysis, SNX1 message was significantly decreased (log(2) ratio less than -1) for 8 of 19 colon carcinomas. Cell lines with reduced SNX1 levels showed increased proliferation, decreased apoptosis, and decreased susceptibility to anoikis. They also showed increased activation of epidermal growth factor receptor and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in response to epidermal growth factor. This increased activation was abolished by inhibition of endocytosis. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that loss of SNX1 may play a significant role in the development and aggressiveness of human colon cancer, at least partially through the mechanism of increased signaling from endosomes. Further, these findings suggest that dysregulation of endocytic proteins may represent a new paradigm in the process of carcinogenesis.Fil: Nguyen, Lananh N.. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Holdren, Matthew S.. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Nguyen, Anthony P.. Baylor College of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Furuya, Momoko H.. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Bianchini, Michele. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Levy, Estrella Mariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; ArgentinaFil: Mordoh, Jose. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Liu, Annie. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Guncay, Gabriela D.. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Campbell, Jean S.. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Parks, W. Tony. University of Washington; Estados Unido

Scalable Focused Ion Beam Creation of Nearly Lifetime-Limited Single Quantum Emitters in Diamond Nanostructures

The controlled creation of defect center---nanocavity systems is one of the outstanding challenges for efficiently interfacing spin quantum memories with photons for photon-based entanglement operations in a quantum network. Here, we demonstrate direct, maskless creation of atom-like single silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond nanostructures via focused ion beam implantation with $\sim 32$ nm lateral precision and $< 50$ nm positioning accuracy relative to a nanocavity. Moreover, we determine the Si+ ion to SiV center conversion yield to $\sim 2.5\%$ and observe a 10-fold conversion yield increase by additional electron irradiation. We extract inhomogeneously broadened ensemble emission linewidths of $\sim 51$ GHz, and close to lifetime-limited single-emitter transition linewidths down to $126 \pm13$ MHz corresponding to $\sim 1.4$-times the natural linewidth. This demonstration of deterministic creation of optically coherent solid-state single quantum systems is an important step towards development of scalable quantum optical devices

Phylogenetic conservatism and antiquity of a tropical specialization: Army-ant-following in the typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae)

One of the most novel foraging strategies in Neotropical birds is army-ant-following, in which birds prey upon arthropods and small vertebrates flushed from the forest floor by swarm raids of the army-ant Eciton burchellii. This specialization is most developed in the typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae) which are divisible into three specialization categories: (1) those that forage at swarms opportunistically as army-ants move through their territories (occasional followers), (2) those that follow swarms beyond their territories but also forage independently of swarms (regular followers), and (3) those that appear incapable of foraging independently of swarms (obligate followers). Although army-ant-following is one of the great spectacles of tropical forests, basic questions about its evolution remain unaddressed. Using a strongly resolved molecular phylogeny of the typical antbirds, we found that army-ant-following is phylogenetically conserved, with regular following having evolved only three times, and that the most likely evolutionary progression was from least (occasional) to more (regular) to most (obligate) specialized, with no reversals from the obligate state. Despite the dependence of the specialists on a single ant species, molecular dating indicates that army-ant-following has persisted in antbirds since the late Miocene. These results provide the first characterization of army-ant-following as an ancient and phylogenetically conserved specialization. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Formation and electronic structure of an atypical Cu A site

PmoD, a recently discovered protein from methane-oxidizing bacteria, forms a homodimer with a dicopper CuA center at the dimer interface. Although the optical and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic signatures of the PmoD CuA bear similarities to those of canonical CuA sites, there are also some puzzling differences. Here we have characterized the rapid formation (seconds) and slow decay (hours) of this homodimeric CuA site to two mononuclear Cu2+ sites, as well as its electronic and geometric structure, using stopped-flow optical and advanced paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies. PmoD CuA formation occurs rapidly and involves a short-lived intermediate with a max of 360 nm. Unlike other CuA sites, the PmoD CuA is unstable, decaying to two type 2 Cu2+ centers. Surprisingly, NMR data indicate that the PmoD CuA has a pure σu∗ ground state rather than the typical equilibrium between σu∗ and πu of all other CuA proteins. EPR, ENDOR, ESEEM, and HYSCORE data indicate the presence of two histidine and two cysteine ligands coordinating the CuA core in a highly symmetrical fashion. This report significantly expands the diversity and understanding of known CuA sites.Fil: Ross, Matthew O.. Northwestern University; Estados UnidosFil: Fisher, Oriana S.. Northwestern University; Estados UnidosFil: Morgada, Marcos Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Krzyaniak, Matthew D.. Northwestern University; Estados UnidosFil: Wasielewski, Michael R.. Northwestern University; Estados UnidosFil: Vila, Alejandro Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Hoffman, Brian M.. Northwestern University; Estados UnidosFil: Rosenzweig, Amy C.. Northwestern University; Estados Unido

Isothiourea-catalysed enantioselective radical conjugate addition under batch and flow conditions

Financial support was provided by the Spanish Government (RTI2018-095038-B-I00), “Comunidad de Madrid” for European Structural Funds (S2018/NMT-4367) and proyectos sinergicos I+D (Y2020/NMT-6469). J. A. F.-S. thanks the Spanish Government for a Ramón y Cajal contract. The research leading to these results has received funding from the EaSI-CAT centre for Doctoral Training (M.T.W) and Carlsberg Foundation (M.J.).The photocatalytic generation of α-amino radicals is combined with chiral isothiourea derived α,β-unsaturated acyl ammonium intermediates. The reaction proceeds via a [3+2] radical-polar crossover mechanism to generate γ-lactams in good yields and enantioselectivities. The enantioselective radical conjugate addition was carried out under batch and flow conditions.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The loss and gain of functional amino acid residues is a common mechanism causing human inherited disease

Elucidating the precise molecular events altered by disease-causing genetic variants represents a major challenge in translational bioinformatics. To this end, many studies have investigated the structural and functional impact of amino acid substitutions. Most of these studies were however limited in scope to either individual molecular functions or were concerned with functional effects (e.g. deleterious vs. neutral) without specifically considering possible molecular alterations. The recent growth of structural, molecular and genetic data presents an opportunity for more comprehensive studies to consider the structural environment of a residue of interest, to hypothesize specific molecular effects of sequence variants and to statistically associate these effects with genetic disease. In this study, we analyzed data sets of disease-causing and putatively neutral human variants mapped to protein 3D structures as part of a systematic study of the loss and gain of various types of functional attribute potentially underlying pathogenic molecular alterations. We first propose a formal model to assess probabilistically function-impacting variants. We then develop an array of structure-based functional residue predictors, evaluate their performance, and use them to quantify the impact of disease-causing amino acid substitutions on catalytic activity, metal binding, macromolecular binding, ligand binding, allosteric regulation and post-translational modifications. We show that our methodology generates actionable biological hypotheses for up to 41% of disease-causing genetic variants mapped to protein structures suggesting that it can be reliably used to guide experimental validation. Our results suggest that a significant fraction of disease-causing human variants mapping to protein structures are function-altering both in the presence and absence of stability disruption