Genome-wide deficiency screen for the genomic regions responsible for heat resistance in Drosophila melanogaster

Background: Temperature adaptation is one of the most important determinants of distribution and population size of organisms in nature. Recently, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and gene expression profiling approaches have been used for detecting candidate genes for heat resistance. However, the resolution of QTL mapping is not high enough to examine the individual effects of various genes in each QTL. Heat stress-responsive genes, characterized by gene expression profiling studies, are not necessarily responsible for heat resistance. Some of these genes may be regulated in association with the heat stress response of other genes. Results: To evaluate which heat-responsive genes are potential candidates for heat resistance with higher resolution than previous QTL mapping studies, we performed genome-wide deficiency screen for QTL for heat resistance. We screened 439 isogenic deficiency strains from the DrosDel project, covering 65.6% of the Drosophila melanogaster genome in order to map QTL for thermal resistance. As a result, we found 19 QTL for heat resistance, including 3 novel QTL outside the QTL found in previous studies. Conclusion: The QTL found in this study encompassed 19 heat-responsive genes found in the previous gene expression profiling studies, suggesting that they were strong candidates for heat resistance. This result provides new insights into the genetic architecture of heat resistance. It also emphasizes the advantages of genome-wide deficiency screen using isogenic deficiency libraries

Male Courtship Behavior and Weapon Trait as Indicators of Indirect Benefit in the Bean Bug, Riptortus pedestris

Females prefer male traits that are associated with direct and/or indirect benefits to themselves. Male–male competition also drives evolution of male traits that represent competitive ability. Because female choice and male–male competition rarely act independently, exploring how these two mechanisms interact is necessary for integrative understanding of the evolution of sexually selected traits. Here, we focused on direct and indirect benefits to females from male attractiveness, courtship, and weapon characters in the armed bug Riptortus pedestris. The males use their hind legs to fight other males over territory and perform courtship displays for successful copulation. Females of R. pedestris receive no direct benefit from mating with attractive males. On the other hand, we found that male attractiveness, courtship rate, and weapon size were significantly heritable and that male attractiveness had positive genetic covariances with both courtship rate and weapon traits. Thus, females obtain indirect benefits from mating with attractive males by producing sons with high courtship success rates and high competitive ability. Moreover, it is evident that courtship rate and hind leg length act as evaluative cues of female choice. Therefore, female mate choice and male–male competition may facilitate each other in R. pedestris. This is consistent with current basic concepts of sexual selection

Gene expression changes during caste-specific neuronal development in the damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>One of the key characters of social insects is the division of labor, in which different tasks are allocated to various castes. In termites, one of the representative groups of social insects, morphological differences as well as behavioral differences can be recognized among castes. However, very little is known about the neuronal and molecular bases of caste differentiation and caste-specific behavior. In almost all termite species, soldiers play defensive roles in their colonies, and their morphology and behavior are largely different from workers (or pseudergates). Therefore, we predicted that some genes linked to defensive behavior and/or those required for neuronal changes are differentially expressed between workers and soldiers, or during the soldier differentiation, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using the brain and suboesophageal ganglion (SOG) of the damp-wood termite <it>Hodotermopsis sjostedti</it>, we first screened genes specifically expressed in soldiers or during soldier differentiation by the differential display method, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. No distinctive differences in expression patterns were detected between pseudergates and soldiers. In the course of soldier differentiation, however, five genes were found to be up-regulated in brain and/or SOG: 14-3-3epsilon, fibrillin2, beta-tubulin, ciboulot, and a hypothetical protein containing a SAP motif. Some of these genes are thought to be associated with cytoskeletal structure or motor-associated proteins in neuronal tissues.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The identified five genes could be involved in soldier-specific neuronal modifications, resulting in defensive behaviors in termite soldiers. The temporal expression patterns of these genes were consistent with the neuronal changes during soldier differentiation, suggesting that molecular machineries, in which the identified factors would participate, play important roles in behavioral differentiation of termite soldiers.</p

Gamergate controls dopamine levels of workers in <i>Diacamma</i> sp.

Introdução: O climatério representa uma fase de mudança e de transição no ciclo de vida feminino, durante o qual as mulheres experimentam alterações físicas e psicológicas decorrentes do hipoestrogenismo e envelhecimento. O Médico de Família é habitualmente o primeiro profissional de saúde a quem a mulher recorre para esclarecer as suas dúvidas e solicitar o alívio da sintomatologia climatérica, ocupando uma posição privilegiada para promover a capacitação e empowerment das utentes. Métodos: Promoveu-se um estudo observacional transversal, aplicando um questionário de auto-preenchimento a 92 mulheres, com idades compreendidas entre os 40 e os 60 anos, que frequentam os Centros de Saúde Norton de Matos e S. Martinho do Bispo (USF Mondego), de forma a avaliar a abordagem da menopausa nos Cuidados de Saúde Primários. A recolha dos dados decorreu de abril a julho de 2014. O tratamento estatístico foi efetuado através da plataforma estatística IBM SPSS v21.0. Resultados: Mais de metade das mulheres (55,4%) referiu ter conversado com o Médico de Família sobre a menopausa e todos os assuntos relacionados, todavia 19,6% ainda manifestavam dúvidas. O médico foi considerado a principal fonte de informação para 50% das inquiridas. A maioria das mulheres (77,2%) descreveu a presença de sintomas climatéricos, sendo os mais frequentes as dores ósseas (73,2%) e a ansiedade (67,6%). 39,1% das inquiridas indicaram a interferência do climatério na sua vida diária, sendo a vida familiar (69,4%) e a sexual (58,3%) as mais afetadas. Verificou-se uma associação significativa entre a presença de sintomas e a interferência do climatério na vida diária e na qualidade de vida da mulher. As mulheres sintomáticas (OR=12,983 com IC95% [2,808;60,033]) e as que referiram a interferência do climatério no dia a dia (OR=5,965 com IC95% [2,364;15,048]) apresentaram uma probabilidade aumentada de recorrer a consultas de Medicina Geral e Familiar. As infeções urinárias de repetição (91,7%) foram as queixas que mais motivaram a ida ao Médico de Família. Das mulheres sintomáticas, 45,1% referiram ter cuidados adicionais ou fazer algum tratamento. A terapêutica hormonal revelou-se a mais eficaz no alívio das queixas, tendo como prescritor mais frequente o Ginecologista (58,3%). Conclusão: O Médico de Família assume um papel crucial na capacitação e acompanhamento da mulher climatérica. Constatou-se que ainda permanecem dúvidas que necessitam de ser esclarecidas e que são necessárias normas que uniformizem a abordagem da menopausa na prática clínica.Introduction: The climacteric represents a time of change and transition in the female life cycle, during which women experience physical and psychological changes resulting from hypoestrogenism and aging. The general practitioner is usually the first health professional to whom a woman appeals to clarify her doubts and request relief from climacteric symptoms, occupying a privileged position to promote capacity building and empowerment of patients. Methods: It was promoted a cross-sectional observational study, applying a self-completion questionnaire to 92 women, aged between 40 and 60 years, who attend the health centers of Norton de Matos and S. Martinho do Bispo (USF Mondego), in order to evaluate the approach of menopause in Primary Health Care. Data collection took place from April to July 2014. The statistical analysis was performed by the statistical platform IBM SPSS v21.0. Results: More than half of women (55.4%) said they had talked to the general practitioner about menopause and all the related subjects, however 19.6% still had doubts. The doctor was considered the main source of information for 50% of the surveyed women. Most women (77.2%) described the presence of menopausal symptoms, the most common being bone pain (73.2%) and anxiety (67.6%). 39.1% of the surveyed indicated the interference of the climacteric in their everyday life, being the family life (69.4%) and the sexual life (58.3%) the most affected. There was a significant association between the presence of symptoms of menopause and the interference of the climacteric in daily life and quality of life. Symptomatic women (OR = 12.983 with 95% CI [2.808, 60.033]) and those who mentioned the interference of the climacteric in daily life (OR = 5.965 95% CI [2.364, 15.048]) had an increased likelihood of appealing to a general practitioner. Recurrent urinary tract infections (91.7%) were complaints that most commonly lead going to the general practitioner. Of symptomatic women, 45.1% said having additional care or getting some treatment. Hormone therapy proved more effective in relieving complaints, having the gynecologist as the most frequent prescriber (58.3%). Conclusion: The general practitioner plays a key role in the capacity building and monitoring of the climacteric woman. It was found that there are still questions that need to be clarified and that standards are necessary to standardize the approach of menopause in clinical practice

Gene up-regulation in response to predator kairomones in the water flea, Daphnia pulex

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Numerous cases of predator-induced polyphenisms, in which alternate phenotypes are produced in response to extrinsic stimuli, have been reported in aquatic taxa to date. The genus <it>Daphnia </it>(Branchiopoda, Cladocera) provides a model experimental system for the study of the developmental mechanisms and evolutionary processes associated with predator-induced polyphenisms. In <it>D. pulex</it>, juveniles form neckteeth in response to predatory kairomones released by <it>Chaoborus </it>larvae (Insecta, Diptera).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Previous studies suggest that the timing of the sensitivity to kairomones in <it>D. pulex </it>can generally be divided into the embryonic and postembryonic developmental periods. We therefore examined which of the genes in the embryonic and first-instar juvenile stages exhibit different expression levels in the presence or absence of predator kairomones. Employing a candidate gene approach and identifying differentially-expressed genes revealed that the morphogenetic factors, <it>Hox3</it>, <it>extradenticle </it>and <it>escargot</it>, were up-regulated by kairomones in the postembryonic stage and may potentially be responsible for defense morph formation. In addition, the juvenile hormone pathway genes, <it>JHAMT </it>and <it>Met</it>, and the insulin signaling pathway genes, <it>InR </it>and <it>IRS-1</it>, were up-regulated in the first-instar stage. It is well known that these hormonal pathways are involved in physiological regulation following morphogenesis in many insect species. During the embryonic stage when morphotypes were determined, one of the novel genes identified by differential display was up-regulated, suggesting that this gene may be related to morphotype determination. Biological functions of the up-regulated genes are discussed in the context of defense morph formation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It is suggested that, following the reception of kairomone signals, the identified genes are involved in a series of defensive phenotypic alterations and the production of a defensive phenotype.</p

Genome-wide deficiency mapping of the regions responsible for temporal canalization of the developmental processes of Drosophila melanogaster

Developmental processes of organisms are programed to proceed in a finely regulated manner and finish within a certain period of time depending on the ambient environmental conditions. Therefore, variation in the developmental period under controlled genetic and environmental conditions indicates innate instability of the developmental process. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a molecular machinery exists that regulates the canalization of the developmental period and, if so, to test whether the same mechanism also stabilizes a morphological trait. To search for regions that influence the instability of the developmental period, we conducted genome-wide deficiency mapping with 441 isogenic deficiency strains covering 65.5% of the Drosophila melanogaster genome. We found that 11 independent deficiencies significantly increased the instability of the developmental period and 5 of these also significantly increased the fluctuating asymmetry of wing shape although there was no significant correlation between the instabilities of developmental period and wing shape in general. These results suggest that canalization processes of the developmental period and morphological traits are at least partially independent. Our findings emphasize the potential importance of temporal variation in development as an indicator of developmental stability and canalization and provide a novel perspective for understanding the regulation of phenotypic variability

Morphological Differences Between Sexes in the Ponerine Ant Diacamma sp. (Formicidae: Ponerinae)

We report herein detailed morphological differences between sexes in the ponerine ant Diacamma sp. The female individuals of this species show monomorphism, making them particularly suitable among the social hymenopterans for comparing adult sexual traits and developmental processes. Our observations revealed some intriguing sex-specific characteristics. For example, antennal sensilla are gender-specialized in these ants; males possess sensilla coeloconica, thought to respond to air conditions, while females possess a particular type of sensilla basiconica that is a putative contact chemoreceptor. The antennal cleaners in the foretibiae of the legs are also sex-specific, in addition to the trichome patterns on the spurs in the mid- and hind tibiae. Furthermore, only male tarsal claws have a denticle inside the claw, and the male posterior abdomen has a hook-like curved spine at the edge of the eighth tergite. This spine is thought to facilitate the tight connection of a mating pair. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that most of the sexually dimorphic traits are morphologically specialized for and thus function in the different gender life strategies, such as flight ability, lifespan, and male suicidal copulation

De Novo assebmled draft genome of Diacamma cf. indicum from Japan

Data S1. Draft genome sequence of the Diacamma cf. indicum.Data S2. GTF annotation of the Diacamma cf. indicum.Data S3. Transcript sequences of the Diacamma cf. indicum genome.Data S4. Annotation of Diacamma cf. indicum transcripts (longest isoform).</p