How frequently are insects wounded in the wild? A case study using Drosophila melanogaster

Wounding occurs across multicellular organisms. Wounds can affect host mobility and reproduction, with ecological consequences for competitive interactions and predator–prey dynamics. Wounds are also entry points for pathogens. An immune response is activated upon injury, resulting in the deposition of the brown-black pigment melanin in insects. Despite the abundance of immunity studies in the laboratory and the potential ecological and evolutionary implications of wounding, the prevalence of wounding in wild-collected insects is rarely systematically explored. We investigated the prevalence and potential causes of wounds in wild-collected Drosophilidae flies. We found that 31% of Drosophila melanogaster were wounded or damaged. The abdomen was the most frequently wounded body part, and females were more likely to have melanized patches on the ventral abdomen, compared with males. Encapsulated parasitoid egg frequency was approximately 10%, and just under 1% of Drosophilidae species had attached mites, which also caused wounds. Wounding is prevalent in D. melanogaster, likely exerting selection pressure on host immunity for two reasons: on a rapid and efficient wound repair and on responding efficiently to opportunistic infections. Wounding is thus expected to be an important driver of immune system evolution and to affect individual fitness and population dynamics

Rapid and selective absorption of plant defense compounds from the gut of a sequestering insect

Many herbivorous insects exploit defense compounds produced by their host plants for protection against predators. Ingested plant defense compounds are absorbed via the gut epithelium and stored in the body, a physiological process that is currently not well understood. Here, we investigated the absorption of plant defense compounds from the gut in the horseradish flea beetle, Phyllotreta armoraciae, a specialist herbivore known to selectively sequester glucosinolates from its brassicaceous host plants. Feeding experiments using a mixture of glucosinolates and other glucosides not found in the host plants showed a rapid and selective uptake of glucosinolates in adult beetles. In addition, we provide evidence that this uptake mainly takes place in the foregut, whereas the endodermal midgut is the normal region of absorption. Absorption via the foregut epithelium is surprising as the apical membrane is covered by a chitinous intima. However, we could show that this cuticular layer differs in its structure and overall thickness between P. armoraciae and a non-sequestering leaf beetle. In P. armoraciae, we observed a thinner cuticle with a less dense chitinous matrix, which might facilitate glucosinolate absorption. Our results show that a selective and rapid uptake of glucosinolates from the anterior region of the gut contributes to the selective sequestration of glucosinolates in P. armoraciae

Conformational transitions of the sodium-dependent sugar transporter, vSGLT.

Sodium-dependent transporters couple the flow of Na+ ions down their electrochemical potential gradient to the uphill transport of various ligands. Many of these transporters share a common core structure composed of a five-helix inverted repeat and deliver their cargo utilizing an alternating-access mechanism. A detailed characterization of inward-facing conformations of the Na+-dependent sugar transporter from Vibrio parahaemolyticus (vSGLT) has previously been reported, but structural details on additional conformations and on how Na+ and ligand influence the equilibrium between other states remains unknown. Here, double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy, structural modeling, and molecular dynamics are utilized to deduce ligand-dependent equilibria shifts of vSGLT in micelles. In the absence and presence of saturating amounts of Na+, vSGLT favors an inward-facing conformation. Upon binding both Na+ and sugar, the equilibrium shifts toward either an outward-facing or occluded conformation. While Na+ alone does not stabilize the outward-facing state, gating charge calculations together with a kinetic model of transport suggest that the resting negative membrane potential of the cell, absent in detergent-solubilized samples, may stabilize vSGLT in an outward-open conformation where it is poised for binding external sugars. In total, these findings provide insights into ligand-induced conformational selection and delineate the transport cycle of vSGLT

A new glance at the chemosphere of macroalgal–bacterial interactions: In situ profiling of metabolites in symbiosis by mass spectrometry

Symbiosis is a dominant form of life that has been observed numerous times in marine ecosystems. For example, macroalgae coexist with bacteria that produce factors that promote algal growth and morphogenesis. The green macroalga Ulva mutabilis (Chlorophyta) develops into a callus-like phenotype in the absence of its essential bacterial symbionts Roseovarius sp. MS2 and Maribacter sp. MS6. Spatially resolved studies are required to understand symbiont interactions at the microscale level. Therefore, we used mass spectrometry profiling and imaging techniques with high spatial resolution and sensitivity to gain a new perspective on the mutualistic interactions between bacteria and macroalgae. Using atmospheric pressure scanning microprobe matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation high-resolution mass spectrometry (AP-SMALDI-HRMS), low-molecular-weight polar compounds were identified by comparative metabolomics in the chemosphere of Ulva. Choline (2-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethylethan-1-aminium) was only determined in the alga grown under axenic conditions, whereas ectoine (1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid) was found in bacterial presence. Ectoine was used as a metabolic marker for localisation studies of Roseovarius sp. within the tripartite community because it was produced exclusively by these bacteria. By combining confocal laser scanning microscopy (cLSM) and AP-SMALDI-HRMS, we proved that Roseovarius sp. MS2 settled mainly in the rhizoidal zone (holdfast) of U. mutabilis. Our findings provide the fundament to decipher bacterial symbioses with multicellular hosts in aquatic ecosystems in an ecologically relevant context. As a versatile tool for microbiome research, the combined AP-SMALDI and cLSM imaging analysis with a resolution to level of a single bacterial cell can be easily applied to other microbial consortia and their hosts. The novelty of this contribution is the use of an in situ setup designed to avoid all types of external contamination and interferences while resolving spatial distributions of metabolites and identifying specific symbiotic bacteria

Chinese L2 learners’ depth of vocabulary knowledge and its role in reading comprehension

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Using a Chinese Word Associates Test (WAT-C), this study examined the vocabulary depth of second language learners of Chinese and its contribution to the learners’ reading comprehension. Results showed no significant effects of word frequency, word class (i.e., adjectives vs. verbs), and type of association relationships (i.e., paradigmatic vs. syntagmatic) on learners’ WAT-C performance. More important, vocabulary depth was found to be a significant and unique predictor of reading comprehension over and above vocabulary size. On the other hand, the relative contributions of vocabulary depth and size depended on what types of texts were read and what comprehension skills were assessed. Specifically, for the long passage comprehension task with questions testing literal comprehension, vocabulary size was a more important predictor, whereas for the short passage comprehension task with questions testing inferencing, vocabulary depth was a more important predictor. These findings were discussed in light of the different levels of lexical complexity between the short and long passages and the different cognitive processing demands the questions of the two comprehension tasks placed on learners

Characterisation of the key determinants of Phd antitoxin mediated Doc toxin inactivation in Salmonella

In the search for novel antimicrobial therapeutics, toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules are promising yet underexplored targets for overcoming antibiotic failure. The bacterial toxin Doc has been associated with the persistence of Salmonella in macrophages, enabling its survival upon antibiotic exposure. After developing a novel method to produce the recombinant toxin, we have used antitoxin-mimicking peptides to thoroughly investigate the mechanism by which its cognate antitoxin Phd neutralizes the activity of Doc. We reveal insights into the molecular detail of the Phd–Doc relationship and discriminate antitoxin residues that stabilize the TA complex from those essential for inhibiting the activity of the toxin. Coexpression of Doc and antitoxin peptides in Salmonella was able to counteract the activity of the toxin, confirming our in vitro results with equivalent sequences. Our findings provide key principles for the development of chemical tools to study and therapeutically interrogate this important class of protein–protein interactions

Biophysics at the coffee shop: lessons learned working with George Oster

Over the past 50 years, the use of mathematical models, derived from physical reasoning, to describe molecular and cellular systems has evolved from an art of the few to a cornerstone of biological inquiry. George Oster stood out as a pioneer of this paradigm shift from descriptive to quantitative biology not only through his numerous research accomplishments, but also through the many students and postdocs he mentored over his long career. Those of us fortunate enough to have worked with George agree that his sharp intellect, physical intuition, and passion for scientific inquiry not only inspired us as scientists but also greatly influenced the way we conduct research. We would like to share a few important lessons we learned from George in honor of his memory and with the hope that they may inspire future generations of scientists.National Science Foundation [MCB-1616755, DMS-1462049]; Johns Hopkins UniversityThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Speech rhythm: a metaphor?

Is speech rhythmic? In the absence of evidence for a traditional view that languages strive to coordinate either syllables or stress-feet with regular time intervals, we consider the alternative that languages exhibit contrastive rhythm subsisting merely in the alternation of stronger and weaker elements. This is initially plausible, particularly for languages with a steep ‘prominence gradient’, i.e. a large disparity between stronger and weaker elements; but we point out that alternation is poorly achieved even by a ‘stress-timed’ language such as English, and, historically, languages have conspicuously failed to adopt simple phonological remedies that would ensure alternation. Languages seem more concerned to allow ‘syntagmatic contrast’ between successive units and to use durational effects to support linguistic functions than to facilitate rhythm. Furthermore, some languages (e.g. Tamil, Korean) lack the lexical prominence which would most straightforwardly underpin prominence alternation. We conclude that speech is not incontestibly rhythmic, and may even be antirhythmic. However, its linguistic structure and patterning allow the metaphorical extension of rhythm in varying degrees and in different ways depending on the language, and that it is this analogical process which allows speech to be matched to external rhythms

Using keystroke logging to understand writers’ processes on a reading-into-writing test

Background Integrated reading-into-writing tasks are increasingly used in large-scale language proficiency tests. Such tasks are said to possess higher authenticity as they reflect real-life writing conditions better than independent, writing-only tasks. However, to effectively define the reading-into-writing construct, more empirical evidence regarding how writers compose from sources both in real-life and under test conditions is urgently needed. Most previous process studies used think aloud or questionnaire to collect evidence. These methods rely on participants’ perceptions of their processes, as well as their ability to report them. Findings This paper reports on a small-scale experimental study to explore writers’ processes on a reading-into-writing test by employing keystroke logging. Two L2 postgraduates completed an argumentative essay on computer. Their text production processes were captured by a keystroke logging programme. Students were also interviewed to provide additional information. Keystroke logging like most computing tools provides a range of measures. The study examined the students’ reading-into-writing processes by analysing a selection of the keystroke logging measures in conjunction with students’ final texts and interview protocols. Conclusions The results suggest that the nature of the writers’ reading-into-writing processes might have a major influence on the writer’s final performance. Recommendations for future process studies are provided