Carbohydrate metabolism genes and pathways in insects: insights from the honey bee genome

Carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes may have particularly interesting roles in the honey bee, Apis mellifera, because this social insect has an extremely carbohydrate-rich diet, and nutrition plays important roles in caste determination and socially mediated behavioural plasticity. We annotated a total of 174 genes encoding carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes and 28 genes encoding lipid-metabolizing enzymes, based on orthology to their counterparts in the fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. We found that the number of genes for carbohydrate metabolism appears to be more evolutionarily labile than for lipid metabolism. In particular, we identified striking changes in gene number or genomic organization for genes encoding glycolytic enzymes, cellulase, glucose oxidase and glucose dehydrogenases, glucose-methanol-choline (GMC) oxidoreductases, fucosyltransferases, and lysozymes

Nest and colony characteristics of three stingless bee species in Vietnam with the first description of the nest of Lisotrigona carpenteri (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

In tropical primary forest and its buffer zones in North Vietnam, nests of three stingless bee species were studied: Lisotrigona carpenteri Engel, Trigona (Tetragonula) laeviceps Smith and Trigona (Lepidotrigona) ventralis Smith. We record nest architecture, adult population, the number of brood cells, the presence of adult reproductives, the proportion of males in the brood, the number of queen cells and storage pots, and other features, on the basis of 35 field collected nests. Lisotrigona carpenteri and T. laeviceps arrange brood cells in clusters, T. ventralis, in horizontal combs surrounded by an involucrum of multiple lamellae. Lisotrigona carpenteri constructs its small nests (up to 400 adult bees) mainly in crevices in man-made structures while colonies of T. laeviceps (up to 1200 adults) and T. ventralis (up to 10,000 adults) are generally in cavities in living trees. The flexibility for using nest substrates other than living trees appears in these species related to colony siz

Phylogenetics of the allodapine bee genus Braunsapis: historical biogeography and long-range dispersal over water

Aim. A previous study of the allodapine bee genus Braunsapis suggested an African origin, with dispersal events into Madagascar and Asia, and from Asia into Australia. We re-examine the phylogeny of this genus, using an expanded set of taxa from Madagascar and Malawi and additional sequence data, in order to determine the number of dispersals and the timeframe over which they occurred. Location. Africa, Madagascar, Malawi, Asia and Australia. Methods. One nuclear (EF-1a F2) and two mitochondrial (CO1 and Cyt b) gene regions were sequenced for 36 allodapine bee species (including members of the genera Braunsapis, Nasutapis, Allodape, Allodapula, and Macrogalea) and one ceratinine species (Ceratina japonica). We used Bayesian analyses to examine phylogenetic structure and a penalized likelihood approach to estimate approximate ages for key divergences in our phylogeny. Results. Our analyses indicate a tropical African origin for Braunsapis in the early Miocene followed by very early dispersal into Asia and then a subsequent dispersal, following Asian diversification, into Australia during the late Miocene. There have also been two dispersals of Braunsapis from Africa to Madagascar and this result, when combined with phylogenetic and biogeographical data for other allodapines, suggests that these bees have the ability to cross moderately large ocean expanses. These dispersals may have been aided by the West Wind Drift, but rafting across the Mozambique Channel is also possible, and could be aided by the existence of developmental stages that require minimal or no feeding and by tolerance to sea water and spume. Accumulating evidence suggests that many biogeographical patterns in the southern hemisphere may be better explained by dispersal than by Gondwanan vicariance hypotheses. Our results add to this growing body of data and raise the possibility that some puzzling trans-Indian Ocean distributions may also be explained by historical dispersal events across oceanic barriers that now seem insuperable

Effects of Chlorpromazine in Rats Trained to Discriminate Between 2 and 22 Hr Food Deprivation

Color poster with text, graphs, and tables.Chlorpromazine, a typical antipsychotic, has been shown to have varying effects on food intake. Chlorpromazine is a dopamine antagonist that blocks several dopamine receptors (including D1 and D2). Previous research indicated chlorpromazine (5.0mg/kg) may affect food intake in two time phases. This study looked at the effects of chlorpromazine in a food-deprivation discrimination paradigm that may serve as an animal model of 'hunger'.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Morfologia externa do adulto de Almeidaia aidae Mielke & Casagrande (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae, Arsenurinae, Almeidaiini). I. Cabeça, apêndices e região cervical External morphology of Almeidaia aidae Mielke & Casagrande (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae, Arsenurinae, Almeidaiini). I. Head, appendages and cervical region

A morfologia externa do adulto de Almeidaia aidae Mielke & Casagrande, 1981 é descrita e ilustrada pela pela primeira vez. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com outras espécies de Saturniidae. É uma espécie rara e endêmica da região do Cerrado. Estudos sobre sua biologia foram publicados recentemente pelo quarto autor.<br>The external morphology of adult head of Almeidaia aidae Mielke & Casagrande, 1981 is described and illustrated for the first time. The results obtained were compared with other species of Saturniidae. This species is rare and endemic of the Cerrado region. Biological studies were published recenthly by the fourth author