- by Lushchak, O.Genetic manipulations, dietary composition and supplementations with varied drugs and natural compounds were shown to extend both the life- and health-span in different model organisms. An understanding of the mechanisms behind the beneficial properties of intervention includes the evaluation of physiological and molecular traits at certain time points that reflect the values at distinguished chronological age. Thus, if one cohort has a long-lived phenotype than measurements at certain time points represent the difference between organisms of different biological ages. We […]
- by Gharpure, G., Vedamurthy, J., Priya, S., Thimmegowda, G. G., Olsson, S. B.Insect populations are experiencing a global decline due to a variety of human-linked environmental changes. Among these changes, how insects physiology might be affected by predicted upslope migration due to climate change is unknown. Being ectotherms, insect physiology is impacted by abiotic factors like ambient temperature that change with elevation. Here, we performed in situ experiments to assess the sensory and cardiac physiology of an important generalist pollinating hoverfly Eristalis tenax (Diptera: Syrphidae), across different elevations in the eco-sensitive and […]
- by Gill, M. C., Chuttong, B., Davies, P., Earl, A., Tonge, G., Etheridge, D.The introduction of the western honey bee Apis mellifera to Asia has seen the parasitic mites Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps spp. transfer from their native Asian honey bee hosts (Apis cerana and Apis dorsata respectively) to infest the brood of A. mellifera causing significant damage to colonies and colony losses. T. mercedesae was recently detected in Europe for the first time in A. mellifera colonies and is considered a more damaging parasite of A. mellifera than Varroa. Beekeepers rely heavily […]
- by Tehrani, S. J., Rezazadeh, E., Kakhki, N. A., Nourani, L., Ebadi, V., Karimi, S., Karami, M., Ashouri, F., Sarshar, A., Gossmann, T. I., Aliabadian, M.Exploring genetic diversity is essential for precise species delimitation, especially within taxonomically complex groups like passerine birds. Traditional morphological methods often fail to resolve species boundaries; however, DNA barcoding, particularly through the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, provides a powerful alternative method for accurate species identification. This study establishes a comprehensive DNA barcode library for Iranian passerine birds, analyzing 537 COI sequences from 94 species across 23 families and 53 genera. We observed a pronounced barcode gap, […]
- by Brandler, O. V., Tambovtseva, V. G., Tukhbatullin, A. R., Rumyantsev, V. Y., Grachov, A. A., Kapustina, S. Y.The steppe marmot Marmota bobak is a key species in the steppe ecosystems of Eurasia and an important object of economic and conservation practice. Its wide distribution is separated by many ecological and geographical barriers. The studied morphological variability is characterized by clinal variation of characters and indistinct differences. The subspecies system, including three subspecies, has no clear spatial boundaries and is controversial. The genetic variability of M. bobak has not been extensively studied. We first investigated the genetic variability […]
- by nimbalkar, d. n., nalavade, v. m., chavan, j. j.Isolation of extracellular enzyme degrading aerobic bacteria in the digestive tracts of fresh water prawn was carried out. Gut bacteria were isolated on carboxymethyl cellulose agar plates, starch agar media plates, gelatine peptone agar media plates. The isolated strain was qualitatively screen based on their extracellular enzyme on selective media. The strain was characterised based on morphological, physiological and biochemical characterization identified Bacillus species. Bacillus species was isolated by colony characterization carried out by using Gelatin agar Media, carboxymethyl cellulose […]
- by Davidson, M. J., Berger, L., Aquilina, A., Poveda, M. H., Guinto, D., McFadden, M., Gilbert, D., Goodall, D., Zenger, K. R., Skerratt, L. F., Kosch, T. A.Chytridiomycosis poses a significant extinction threat to many amphibians, including the critically endangered southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree). Captive breeding programs have become essential to maintain populations while effective long-term conservation strategies are developed. Understanding the variation in susceptibility to chytridiomycosis within this species is essential in exploring the potential for selective breeding to enhance disease resistance. In this study, we conducted a large-scale Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) exposure experiment involving 972 juvenile P. corroboree selected to ensure a broad genetic […]
- by Gill, M. C., Chuttong, B., Davies, P., Earl, A., Tonge, G., Etheridge, D.Tropilaelaps spp. are a parasitic mite that feed and reproduce within honey bee brood (Apis spp.) and cause significant damage and mortality to Apis mellifera colonies. T. mercedesae is found outside the range of its natural host A. dorsata and was recently detected in Europe for the first time in 2024. It is widely believed that Tropilaelaps spp. are unable to survive without brood. However, studies have demonstrated that T. mercedesae can survive during broodless periods while parasitising A. dorsata […]
- by Culbert, B. M., McCormick, S. D., Bernier, N. J.The caudal neurosecretory system (CNSS) is a fish-specific neuroendocrine complex whose function(s) remain uncertain despite 60+ years of research. Osmoregulatory roles for the CNSS have been hypothesized, but molecular regulation of the CNSS following changes in environmental salinity remains poorly characterized. Therefore, we performed transcriptomics on the CNSS of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to establish: 1) how the CNSS responds following seawater (SW) transfer, and 2) which endocrine systems contribute to osmoregulatory responses in the CNSS. Responses following SW transfer […]
- by Kaur, T., Kushwah, R. S., Pradhan, S., Das, M. K., Kona, M. P., Anushrita,, Weetman, D., Dixit, R., Singh, O. P.BackgroundKnockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene are a key mechanism of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. In Asian Aedes aegypti populations two main VGSC haplogroups with kdr mutations have been identified: one carrying the F1534C mutation and another with V1016G and/or S989P mutations. Functional studies have demonstrated that these three mutations on a single haplotype confer up to a 1100-fold increase in pyrethroid resistance, underscoring the need to monitor these triple mutations within distinct populations. This […]
- by Caron, F., Pietras, Z., Eddine-Lomas, A., von Hellfeld, R., Morimoto, J.Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins that perform essential physiological functions. Theory suggests that the proteome composition, the amino acid frequencies across all proteins in a genome, is associated with an organisms optimal growth temperature, offering insights into species temperature limits. However, this hypothesis, based on prokaryotes, has not been tested in complex multicellular eukaryotes where many amino acids are strictly acquired through diet. Here, we analysed amino acid frequencies in the proteomes of orthologous and non-orthologous genes […]
- by Derstine, N., Murray, C., Purnell, F. S., Amsalem, E.Pesticides provide vital protection against insect pests and the diseases they vector but are simultaneously implicated in the drastic worldwide decline of beneficial insect populations. Convincing evidence suggests that even sublethal pesticide exposure has detrimental effects on both individual- and colony-level traits, but the mechanisms mediating these effects remained poorly understood. Here, we use bumble bees to examine how sublethal exposure to pesticides affects mating, a key life history event shared by nearly all insects, and whether these impacts are […]
- by Weisbecker, V., Fusco, D., Ingleby, S., Lambrides, A. B. J., Manne, T., Maguire, K., O'Connor, S., Peachey, T. J., Samper Carro, S. C., Stemmer, D., Ristevski, J., van Zoelen, J. D., Viacava, P., Yates, A. M., Mein, E.Billions of specimens are in biodiversity collections worldwide, and this infrastructure is crucial for research on Earths natural history. Three-dimensional (3D) imagery of specimens is an increasingly important part of the Digital Extended Specimen network of metadata. Open access, high fidelity 3D imagery of biodiversity specimens improves researcher efficiency, equity and increases public engagement with collections. We introduce Ozboneviz, an open access collection of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) 3D imagery aiming to enhance research capacity in Australasian vertebrate skeletal […]
- by Fedorova, A., Pustovalova, E., Drohvalenko, M., Biriuk, O., Dolezalkova-Kastankova, M., Kravchenko, M., Korshunov, O., Mikulicek, P., Choleva, L., Holovnia, D., Dedukh, D., Shabanov, D.European water frogs from the Pelophylax esculentus complex include two sexual species, P. ridibundus and P. lessonae, and their hybrids, which usually clonally transmit one of the parental species genomes. This unique reproductive strategy allows hybrids to reproduce with one or both parental species, creating diverse population systems. Unlike most well-studied population systems in Europe, the Siverskyi Donets River basin in Eastern Ukraine features diploid and polyploid hybrids coexisting with P. ridibundus, while P. lessonae is absent (R-E systems). To […]
- by van den Brom, R., Santman-Berends, I., van der Heijden, M. G., Harders, F., Engelsma, M. Y., van Gennip, R., Maris-Veldhuis, M., Feddema, A.-J., Petterson, K., Golender, N., Spierenburg, M., van Rijn, P. A., Holwerda, M.Bluetongue (BT) is a viral midge borne disease primarily affecting ruminants such as sheep, cattle, and goats. In 2023, the Netherlands reported the first case of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3), after being BTV free for eleven years. Since May 2024, vaccination with inactivated BT vaccines for serotype 3 was applied in the Netherlands. Nonetheless, in late June/July 2024, BTV-3 re-emerged and spread over large parts of Europe. In October 2024, BTV-12 was identified by follow-up diagnostics after a BTV-3 […]
- by Serbina, L., Malenovsky, I., Queiroz, D., Burckhardt, D.AbstractThe predominantly tropical tribe Paurocephalini of jumping plant-lice currently consists of seven genera and 94 described species worldwide, of which the genera Klyveria Burckhardt et al. and Melanastera Serbina et al. have been recorded from Brazil with two and one species, respectively. Here we review the taxonomy of the Brazilian species based on material collected from extensive fieldwork carried out in 15 states over the last decade. One species of Klyveria and 59 species of Melanastera are newly described, bringing […]
- by Yalla, n. O., Kosgei, J., Mechan, F., McDermott, D. P., Polo, B., Omondi, S., Ochomo, E.IntroductionAttractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) are effective against Anopheles mosquitoes in semiarid climates with low humidity. High humidity, however, promotes growth of moulds on the surface of ATSBs. The impact of mould on ATSB efficacy against malaria vectors remains unknown. This study explored how mould growth affects the performance of ATSB version 1.2 by comparing mouldy stations from exposed environments to non-mouldy stations from protected settings through laboratory bioassays with the local malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis. MethodsOne hundred ATSB stations […]
- by Lin, T., Meegaskumbura, M.Under the backdrop of global warming, heat tolerance emerges as an important physiological trait governing the distribution and survival of fish species worldwide. While knowledge on fish heat tolerance and stress has progressed from behavioral studies to transcriptomic analyses, our understanding at the transcriptomic level remains limited. Recently, the highly conserved nature of microRNAs (miRNAs) has introduced new ways of explaining molecular mechanisms of heat stress in fish. Here, we systematically review current research across three main reference databases to […]
- by Wood-Bailey, A. P., Sharp, A. C.The crania of leporid lagomorphs are uniquely fenestrated, including the posterior cranial bones and the lateral portion of the maxilla. The functional significance of the highly fenestrated rostrum has received considerably little attention, despite being absent in other mammalian herbivores with a long rostrum. This unique feature is of particular interest when considering functional relationships between the loading regime and cranial structure. Two primary hypotheses have been suggested: maxillary fenestrations may be associated with the transmission and redirection of incisal […]
- by Hughes, A. E., Mari, L., Troscianko, J., Jelinek, V., Albrecht, T., Sulc, M.Avian brood parasitism provides an exceptional system for studying coevolution. While conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) is more common than interspecific parasitism, it is less studied due to the challenge of detecting parasitic eggs, which closely resemble those of the host. Although molecular genotyping can accurately detect CBP, its high cost has led researchers to explore egg appearance as a more accessible alternative. Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are considered conspecific brood parasites, but identifying parasitic eggs has traditionally relied on human […]
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