Elevated CO2 levels impact fitness traits of vine mealybug planococcus ficus signoret, but not its parasitoid leptomastix dactylopii howard

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the primary factors driving climate change impacts on plants, pests, and natural enemies. The present study reports the effects of different atmospheric CO2 concentrations on the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) and its parasitoid wasp Leptomastix dactylopii (Howard). We investigated the life-history parameters of both species on grapevine Vitis vinifera (L.) plants grown under elevated (eCO2) and ambient (aCO2) CO2 levels in a greenhouse and in a vineyard free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) facility. The greenhouse experiments with an eCO2 level of around 800 ppm showed a significant increase in survival rates, a strong trend towards declining body size, and an increasing fecundity of female mealybugs, while fertility and development time did not change. However, none of these parameters were altered by different CO2 concentrations in the VineyardFACE facility (eCO2 level around 450 ppm). On the other hand, the parasitism success, development time and sex ratio of L. dactylopii, reared on P. ficus under eCO2 or aCO2, varied neither in the greenhouse nor in the FACE facility. These results suggest that future CO2 levels might cause small-scale changes in vine mealybug fitness; however, this is not necessarily reflected by parasitoid performance.Fil: Schulze-Sylvester, Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto para el Estudio de la Biodiversidad de Invertebrados; ArgentinaFil: Reineke, Annette. Hochschule Geisenheim University; Alemani

Maternidad e investigación

Supongo que soy un ejemplo de que la investigación y la maternidad son perfectamente combinables. Tengo 3 hijos de entre 1 y 6 años, recién me doctoré y ahora soy investigadora postdoctoral. Supongo que nosotras, las madres que manejamos simultáneamente las exigencias de la familia y de la carrera, inspiramos a niñas y mujeres a imitar nuestro camino. Frecuentemente inspiro también la pregunta: “¿Cómo hacés?”. Y para generar sonrisas podría decir: “Soy malabarista” o “Hago maravillas”. Pero la verdad es menos divertida: tengo ayuda. O… siendo más radical: soy privilegiada.Fil: Schulze-sylvester, Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina. Hochschule Geisenheim University; Alemani

Vine mealybugs disrupt biomass allocation in grapevine

Vine mealybug Planococcus ficus Signoret (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an important phloem-feeding pest species in many grapevine producing areas worldwide. The economic damage of P. ficus is thought to be mainly caused by sooty mould on infested grape clusters and transmission of plant viruses. Direct damage caused by mealybug feeding to grapevine plants (Vitis vinifera, L.) has only been vaguely described or otherwise completely discarded. The present study is the first to give an insight into the direct impacts of P. ficus on vegetative growth and biomass dynamics of grapevine plants. In a screenhouse, three-year-old, potted grapevine plants were infested with mealybugs at two different densities, imitating high and low field infestation levels. Mealybug numbers, plant biomass, leaf area, leaf size and leaf number were monitored over six months and compared to a control treatment without mealybugs. High infestation levels reduced leaf and stem biomass by one third, while low levels of P. ficus impacted only stem biomass, indicating a higher sensibility of the perennial parts of the plant or a reallocation of biomass. Leaf area, size and number were not affected by mealybug feeding. In conclusion, grapevine response to P. ficus is gradual and involves different plant parts depending on the severity of the attack. Contrary to previous assumptions, this study demonstrates considerable direct impacts of mealybug feeding on temporal and perennial parts of grapevine plants.Fil: Schulze sylvester, Maria. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto para el Estudio de la Biodiversidad de Invertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Corronca, Jose Antonio. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto para el Estudio de la Biodiversidad de Invertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Paris, Carolina Ivon. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentin

Bericht vom Fachgespräch zur Rolle von Schild- und Schmierläusen als Virusvektoren im Weinbau am Oberrhein – Management und Beratungsempfehlung

Am 07.04.2022 fand am Institut für Pflanzenschutz in Obst- und Weinbau in Siebeldingen ein Fachgespräch zur Rolle von Schild- und Schmierläusen als Virusvektoren im Weinbau am Oberrhein statt, in deme in Situationsbericht der Weinbaugebiete am Oberrhein sowie Management- und Beratungsempfehlungen erarbeitet warden sollten. Hierzu wir hier berichtet.On April 7, 2022, an expert meeting on the role of scale and mealybugs as virus vectors in viticulture in Siebeldingen in the Upper Rhine region was held at the Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture. The aim of the meeting was to develop a situation report for the viticulture areas in the Upper Rhine region as well as management and advisory recommendations. We report on this here

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Maternidad e investigación

Supongo que soy un ejemplo de que la investigación y la maternidad son perfectamente combinables. Tengo 3 hijos de entre 1 y 6 años, recién me doctoré y ahora soy investigadora postdoctoral. Supongo que nosotras, las madres que manejamos simultáneamente las exigencias de la familia y de la carrera, inspiramos a niñas y mujeres a imitar nuestro camino. Frecuentemente inspiro también la pregunta: “¿Cómo hacés?”. Y para generar sonrisas podría decir: “Soy malabarista” o “Hago maravillas”. Pero la verdad es menos divertida: tengo ayuda. O… siendo más radical: soy privilegiada.Fil: Schulze-sylvester, Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina. Hochschule Geisenheim University; Alemani

Growing Industries, Growing Invasions? The Case of the Argentine Ant in Vineyards of Northern Argentina

The invasive Argentine ant causes ecological and economic damage worldwide. In 2011, this species was reported in vineyards of Cafayate, a wine-producing town in the Andes, Argentina. While the local xeric climate is unsuitable for Argentine ants, populations could establish in association with vineyards where human activity and irrigation facilitate propagule introduction and survival. In 2013–2014, we combined extensive sampling of the area using ant-baits with monitoring of the change in land use and vineyard cultivated area over the past 15 years. Our results revealed that the species has thus far remained confined to a relatively isolated small area, owing to an effective barrier of dry shrublands surrounding the infested vineyards; yet the recent expansion of vineyard acreage in this region will soon connect this encapsulated area with the rest of the valley. When this happens, vulnerable ecosystems and the main local industry will be put at risk. This case provides a rare opportunity to study early invasion dynamics and reports, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the Argentine ant in high altitude agroecosystems

Alien vs. herbivore: Ant-mediated plant defense as an option for biological control of leafcutter ants

Leafcutter ants are a major pest in vineyards in Argentina, but their damage to vine plants has not been sufficiently quantified. Biological control against leafcutter ants has not been successful so far. Sugary rewards can trigger ants to act as plant bodyguards against a wide range of herbivores. The Argentine ant Linepithema humile (Mayr) is a common invader of vineyards worldwide and has a strong preference for carbohydrates. In a first 10-week field experiment, we attracted L. humile ants to a group of plants using sugar feeders, while no feeders were used for a second group. Ant-excluded control plants were also deployed. We quantified the damage inflicted by the leafcutter ant Amoimyrmex bruchi (Forel) on potted vines with and without L. humile ants. In a second short field experiment, we evaluated the impact of L. humile on A. bruchi foraging through the quantification of foraging activity and the amount of transported material as a function of L. humile presence. We found that A. bruchi caused >90% leaf area reductions in plants without L. humile, while plants where the species was present were rarely attacked and leaves developed similar to those of ant-excluded controls. Active interaction with L. humile decreased A. bruchi’s foraging activity and the amount of material transported by it. This is the first report of A. bruchi as a vineyard pest and the first quantification of the damage inflicted by a leafcutter ant on organic grapevines. We demonstrate that L. humile defends vine plants against herbivore pests and artificial sugar sources boost can this defense service. The development of biological control strategies that include the ecological services of ants as natural enemies of herbivorous pests could become a useful tool in sustainable viticulture and horticulture.Fil: Schulze-sylvester, Maria. Hochschule Geisenheim University; Alemania. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Sylvester, Francisco. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Víctor Manuel. Universidad Nacional de Salta; ArgentinaFil: Paris, Carolina Ivon. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Corronca, Jose Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentin

Are sediments a risk? An ecotoxicological assessment of sediments from a quarry pond of the Upper Rhine River

Purpose: Contaminated sediments are an important exposure pathway for the aquatic fauna in the Rhine River. We applied bioassays with the aim to characterize the ecotoxicological hazard potential of sediments of an oxbow lake of the Rhine River, especially to fish. Potential effects on fish and water flea were evaluated indirectly by applying in vitro and in vivo bioassays in the laboratory. Results were compared with those of the official German risk assessment of dredged sediments. Materials and methods: Sediments taken from 13 sites along a 600-m transect line were tested for acute toxicity to water flea (Daphnia magna immobilization test), teratogenicity, and embryotoxicity (sediment contact test with Danio rerio), as well as for cytotoxicity (neutral red retention assay with RTL-W1 cells) and estrogenic effects (lyticase-assisted yeast estrogen screen (L-YES) assay). The tests were conducted using pore water, organic extracts, or native sediments. Spatial patterns of the measured effects were also assessed. Results and discussion: Virtually all samples induced estrogenic, teratogenic, embryotoxic, and cytotoxic effects, but no acute toxicity on D. magna was observed. Cytotoxicity was in accordance with previous studies on the Rhine, Neckar, and Danube Rivers. Estrogenic effects were in the range of estradiol equivalent (EEQ) values detected in UK estuaries. Although sediment contact tests with D. rerio embryos showed virtually no mortality, sublethal effects were common. Some of the effects increased with increasing distance to the main channel. Conclusions: The test with D. magna is, along with bacteria and algae toxicity assays, an important part of the German standard risk assessment for sediments. However, it failed to identify the ecological hazard of our sediment samples to fish. Our results indicate that adverse effects on fish are possible and suggest the need for revising risk assessment procedures in order to address the risk for this important organism group in aquatic ecosystems.Fil: Schulze Sylvester, Maria. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto Para El Estudio de la Biodiversidad de Invertebrados; Argentina. Universitat Koblenz. Landau Institut Fur Biologie; Alemania. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Salta; ArgentinaFil: Heimann, Wilko. Universitat Koblenz. Landau Institut Fur Biologie; AlemaniaFil: Maletz, Sibylle. Rwth Aachen University, Institute For Biology V; AlemaniaFil: Seiler, Thomas Benjamin. Rwth Aachen University, Institute For Biology V; AlemaniaFil: Brinkmann, Markus. Rwth Aachen University, Institute For Biology V; AlemaniaFil: Zielke, Hanno. Rwth Aachen University, Institute For Biology V; AlemaniaFil: Schulz, Ralf. Universitat Koblenz. Landau Institut Fur Biologie; AlemaniaFil: Hollert, Henner. Rwth Aachen University, Institute For Biology V; Alemania. Chongqing University, College of Resources and Environmental Science; China. Tongji University, College of Environmental Science and Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse; China. Nanjing University, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment; Chin

In-water and dry-dock hull fouling assessments reveal high risk for regional translocation of nonindigenous species in the southwestern Atlantic

To assess the potential of domestic traffic for the regional spread of nonindigenous species (NIS), we surveyed the hull of an oceanographic vessel serving routes in the southwestern Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Sampling was performed while the vessel was in the water and in dry-dock in the Port of Mar del Plata, Argentina. We found 120 taxa belonging to 14 different invertebrate groups, including 53 species, 47 morphospecies, and 20 taxa identified at higher taxonomic levels. Ten of these species have not been reported for the Port of Mar del Plata and adjacent areas prior to the present study, and eight are new records for the entire Argentine coast. While both in-water and dry-dock sampling allowed for the detection of native, non-native, and cryptogenic fauna, more samples and species were obtained in dry-dock. Dry-dock richness estimates amounted to up to ~ 110 hull fouling species. Despite specific logistic challenges, dry-dock sampling should be considered by managers assessing vector strength due to its greater species detection power. The present results highlight the potential for domestic vessel spread of hull fouling marine NIS, and pinpoint likely future additions to the non-native fauna inventory in the southwestern Atlantic.Fil: Meloni, Marco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Correa, Nancy. Ministerio de Defensa. Armada Argentina. Instituto Universitario Naval de la Ara. Escuela de Ciencias del Mar; Argentina. Universidad de la Defensa Nacional. Facultad de la Armada. Escuela de Ciencias del Mar.; ArgentinaFil: Pitombo, Fabio Bettini. Universidade Federal Fluminense; BrasilFil: Chiesa, Ignacio Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Doti, Brenda Lía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Elias, Rodolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Genzano, Gabriel Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Giachetti, Clara Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Giménez, Diego Andrés. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: López Gappa, Juan José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Pastor, Catalina Teresa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Wandeness, Adriane Pereira. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Ramírez, Fernando César. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; ArgentinaFil: Roccatagliata, Daniel Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Schulze-Sylvester, Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto para el Estudio de la Biodiversidad de Invertebrados; ArgentinaFil: Tatian, Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Zelaya, Diego Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Sylvester, Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto para el Estudio de la Biodiversidad de Invertebrados; Argentin