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Biotransfer of selenium: effects on an insect predator, Podisus maculiventris.

The effects of selenium (Se) accumulation in phytophagous insects on predators in the next trophic level were investigated. The generalist predator Podisus maculiventris Say (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) was fed an herbivore Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae from control diet and diets at two Se levels (0, 109, and 135 microg/g sodium selenate dry weight added). Predators reared on larvae grown on diets with sodium selenate took longer to complete each developmental stage and had significantly higher mortality rates. Predators achieving the adult stage on Se-containing hosts weighed 20% less than those feeding on control larvae. Reduced adult weight of insects has been associated with reduced fitness (longevity, egg production, etc.), which would have long-term negative impacts on population dynamics. These developmental and mortality effects resulted from biotransfer of Se, not biomagnification since the trophic transfer factor was less than 1.0 (approximately 0.85). Host larvae in Se-treatments contained significantly more total Se (9.76 and 13.0 microg/g Se dry weight host larvae) than their predators (8.34 and 11 microg/g Se dry weight predatory bugs, respectively). Host larvae and predators in the control groups did not differ in their Se content. These data demonstrate that Se in the food chain may have detrimental population level effects on insects even in the absence of biomagnification, given the host contains significantly elevated concentrations of selenium.

Animals↗

The laminins in the murine inner ear: developmental transitions and expression in cochlear basement membranes.

The laminins are a family of heterotrimeric extracellular matrix molecules that form suprastructural networks in basement membranes and elsewhere. They interact with integrin receptors, playing key roles in modulating programs of cytodifferentiation and maintaining tissue homeostasis in animals. Earlier studies have demonstrated an extensive laminin network in both the developing and adult cochlea, primarily associated with the basement membranes. These studies, however, did not address the laminin chain composition of these networks. In this study, we used antibodies specific for the known laminin chains to examine the composition of laminins in both the developing and adult murine cochlea. The results illustrate a complex and dynamic postnatal developmental regulation pattern for most of these chains, and suggest that an unusually large number of laminin heterotrimers are present in both the developing and adult cochlea. The laminin composition at postnatal day 2 is relatively simple. By postnatal day 7, however, activation of several laminin chains results in a very complex laminin composition. In the basement membrane underlying the region of the basilar membrane under the developing organ of Corti, eight of the 11 known basement membrane laminins are possible by co-localization inference. Dynamic changes in expression continue through day 14, but simplify by adulthood. Thus, the most dynamic period for laminin expression in the mouse cochlea coincides with terminal cytodifferentiation of the cochlear epithelial structures. Considering the well established role of laminins in regulating both embryonic and organ development in other systems, these data suggest a closer look at the role of the laminins in cochlear development and function may be warranted.

Aging↗

Commentary: development of perception-action systems and general principles of pattern formation.

Our commentary on this special issue devoted to Developmental Biodynamics: Brain, Body, and Behavior Connections is divided into 3 main sections. The first section is an overview of the individual contributions. 5 major themes are identified: (1) inappropriateness of computational treatments of development and the need for more biologically and physically relevant treatments; (2) significance of tailoring muscular to nonmuscular forces in developing movement coordination; (3) importance of spontaneous movements as exploratory and formative mechanisms; (4) influences of action capabilities on the development of perception capabilities, and vice versa; (5) applications of methods and techniques of nonlinear dynamics to developmental processes. In the second section, we provide a synopsis of current ways of thinking about prototypical developmental processes, namely, pattern formation and pattern differentiation, in various classes of physical and biological systems. It is suggested that efforts to understand the progressive formation and differentiation of patterns in terms of very general principles provide a valuable resource of concepts and methods for students of child development. In the third section, hypotheses about the development of perception-action systems are generated from juxtaposing the themes and conjectures of this special issue with general principles of pattern formation. The hypotheses suggest the possibility of a pattern formation or dynamics approach to child development as an alternative to the conventional approaches emphasizing maturation (nativist), specific learning experiences (empiricist), cognitive stages (Piagetian), and strategies of encoding and retrieval (information processing).

Child Development↗

A gene network model accounting for development and evolution of mammalian teeth.

Generation of morphological diversity remains a challenge for evolutionary biologists because it is unclear how an ultimately finite number of genes involved in initial pattern formation integrates with morphogenesis. Ideally, models used to search for the simplest developmental principles on how genes produce form should account for both developmental process and evolutionary change. Here we present a model reproducing the morphology of mammalian teeth by integrating experimental data on gene interactions and growth into a morphodynamic mechanism in which developing morphology has a causal role in patterning. The model predicts the course of tooth-shape development in different mammalian species and also reproduces key transitions in evolution. Furthermore, we reproduce the known expression patterns of several genes involved in tooth development and their dynamics over developmental time. Large morphological effects frequently can be achieved by small changes, according to this model, and similar morphologies can be produced by different changes. This finding may be consistent with why predicting the morphological outcomes of molecular experiments is challenging. Nevertheless, models incorporating morphology and gene activity show promise for linking genotypes to phenotypes.

Animals↗

Developmental instability and the neural dynamics of the speed-intelligence relationship.

Two of the most securely established findings in the biology of intelligence are the relationship between reaction time (RT) and intelligence, and the heritability of intelligence. To investigate why RT may related to intelligence, researchers have used a variety of techniques to subdivide RT into cognitive and motor components. In the current study, magnetoencephalographic (MEG) dipole latencies were used to examine the speed and timing of specific brain processing stages engaged during visually cued simple and choice reaction time tasks. Simple and choice reaction time and timing of MEG sources were considered in relation to fluid intelligence (as measured by the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, RAPM). To address heritability of intelligence, developmental instability (DI) was assessed, measured here as fluctuating asymmetry. DI represents the degree to which an organism is susceptible to developmental stress arising from both environmental and genomic sources. Analyses showed that choice, but not simple reaction time was negatively correlated with RAPM score. MEG revealed a set of complex relationships between the timing of regional brain activations and psychometric intelligence. The neural component associated with integration of sensory and motor information was most associated with RAPM compared to other components. Higher values of fluctuating asymmetry predicted reduced psychometric intelligence, a result suggesting that some part of the variance of the heritability of intelligence reflects DI. Fluctuating asymmetry was significantly and negatively correlated with timing during all components of task completion. These observations suggest that fluid intelligence is primarily related to speed during processing associated with decision time, while fluctuating asymmetry predicted slower processing across all stages of information processing.

Adolescent↗

Tetracycline-regulated gene expression switch in Xenopus laevis.

Xenopus is a well-characterized model system for the investigation of biological processes at the molecular, cellular, and developmental level. The successful application of a rapid and reliable method for transgenic approaches in Xenopus has led to renewed interest in this system. We have explored the applicability of tetracycline-regulated gene expression, first described by Gossen and Bujard in 1992, to the Xenopus system. By optimizing conditions, tetracycline repressor induced expression of a luciferase reporter gene was readily and reproducibly achieved in both the Xenopus oocyte and developing embryo. This high level of expression was effectively abrogated by addition of low levels of tetracycline. The significance of this newly defined system for studies of chromatin dynamics and developmental processes is discussed.

Animals↗

Analysis of penetrance and expressivity during ontogenesis supports a stochastic choice of zebrafish odorant receptors from predetermined groups of receptor genes.

Olfactory receptor neurons select a single odourant receptor gene for expression out of a large gene family. The mechanisms of this extreme selectivity are largely unknown. We have determined in detail the developmental expression dynamics of a representative subset of the zebrafish odourant receptor repertoire, using in situ hybridization analysis. We have thus generated a dataset, which allows us to test hypotheses of odourant receptor gene regulation. The receptors chosen belong to four different groups with respect to ontogenetic onset of expression (onset groups). Statistical analysis of the data supports a model in which the final choice of an individual odourant receptor gene occurs stochastically from within a group of genes sharing a deterministically defined onset of expression. Genomic mapping revealed a pronounced correlation of onset of expression with genomic neighbourhood. During a protracted juvenile developmental period individual regulatory influences seem to modify the expression of odourant receptor genes, a notable example being a transient decrease in expressivity of two odourant receptor genes.

Animals↗

Modeling the population dynamics of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae), along an elevational gradient in Hawaii.

We present a population model to understand the effects of temperature and rainfall on the population dynamics of the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, along an elevational gradient in Hawaii. We use a novel approach to model the effects of temperature on population growth by dynamically incorporating developmental rate into the transition matrix, by using physiological ages of immatures instead of chronological age or stages. We also model the effects of rainfall on survival of immatures as the cumulative number of days below a certain rain threshold. Finally, we incorporate density dependence into the model as competition between immatures within breeding sites. Our model predicts the upper altitudinal distributions of Cx. quinquefasciatus on the Big Island of Hawaii for self-sustaining mosquito and migrating summer sink populations at 1,475 and 1,715 m above sea level, respectively. Our model predicts that mosquitoes at lower elevations can grow under a broader range of rainfall parameters than middle and high elevation populations. Density dependence in conjunction with the seasonal forcing imposed by temperature and rain creates cycles in the dynamics of the population that peak in the summer and early fall. The model provides a reasonable fit to the available data on mosquito abundance for the east side of Mauna Loa, Hawaii. The predictions of our model indicate the importance of abiotic conditions on mosquito dynamics and have important implications for the management of diseases transmitted by Cx. quinquefasciatus in Hawaii and elsewhere.

Altitude↗

Accurately Deciphering Tissue Heterogeneity From Spatial Multi-Modal and Multi-Omics With STransformer.

Advances in spatially resolved technologies enable the simultaneous acquisition of diverse data modalities within a tissue slice while preserving critical spatial context, which presents unprecedented opportunities to decipher intricate tissue heterogeneity. However, existing computational approaches lack the intrinsic flexibility to universally process both spatial multi-modal and multi-omics data. Here, we introduce STransformer, a unified deep learning framework designed to seamlessly accommodate a comprehensive landscape of spatial data. By simultaneously capturing short-range cellular interactions and tissue-wide semantic patterns, it extracts robust representations to accurately dissect complex tissue heterogeneity. Systematic evaluations across diverse species, tissue types, and data modalities highlight its profound versatility. For spatial multi-modal data, STransformer delineates intricate anatomical structures in the human cortex, uncovers pathological mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease, and characterizes dynamic spatiotemporal developmental trajectories during chicken cardiogenesis. Scaling to spatial multi-omics data, STransformer synergizes spatial transcriptomic and proteomic profiles to decipher intricate immune microenvironments within the human tonsil, and jointly analyzes spatial epigenomic and transcriptomic data to infer regulatory mechanisms in the mouse embryonic brain. Consequently, STransformer serves as a highly versatile and robust analytical framework for advancing our understanding of tissue heterogeneity and disease pathogenesis.

Multiomics↗

Psychological aspects of genetic counseling. III. Management of guilt and shame.

Reactions of guilt and shame are conspicuous in the context of genetic counseling, and the relief of their distressing aspects is a widely held goal of genetic counselors. They are in a unique position to accomplish this; however, guidelines as to how one might proceed are not readily available. We have considered guilt and shame responses and have attempted to differentiate them, dynamically and developmentally, and have pointed out how each might be manifested in the course of genetic counseling. The major counseling tactics by means of which the alleviation or reduction of feelings of guilt and shame might be achieved are outlined and case illustrations are provided in which actual and potential counseling situations are explored and discussed.

Adult↗

Light regulation of photosynthetic membrane structure, organization, and function.

The light environment during plant growth determines the structural and functional properties of higher plant chloroplasts, thus revealing a dynamically regulated developmental system. Pisum sativum plants growing under intermittent illumination showed chloroplasts with fully functional photosystem (PS) II and PSI reaction centers that lacked the peripheral chlorophyll (Ch1) a/b and Ch1 a light-harvesting complexes (LHC), respectively. The results suggest a light flux differential threshold regulation in the biosynthesis of the photosystem core and peripheral antenna complexes. Sun-adapted species and plants growing under far-red-depleted illumination showed grana stacks composed of few (3-5) thylakoids connected with long intergrana (stroma) thylakoids. They had a PSII /PSI reaction center ratio in the range 1.3-1.9. Shade-adapted species and plants growing under far-red-enriched illumination showed large grana stacks composed of several thylakoids, often extending across the entire chloroplast body, and short intergrana stroma thylakoids. They had a higher PSII /PSI reaction center ratio, in the range of 2.2-4.0. Thus, the relative extent of grana and stroma thylakoid formation corresponds with the relative amounts of PSII and PSI in the chloroplast, respectively. The structural and functional adaptation of the photosynthetic membrane system in response to the quality of illumination involves mainly a control on the rate of PSII and PSI complex biosynthesis.

Chlorophyll↗

Germ cells in Hydra oligactis males. II. Evidence for a subpopulation of interstitial stem cells whose differentiation is limited to sperm production.

Animals containing germline-restricted interstitial cells were obtained by treating males from a clone of Hydra oligactis with hydroxyurea (HU) to lower the interstitial population to 1 or 2 cells per animal. A 3-day HU treatment produced animals whose interstitial cells did not form somatic cells, but did produce sperm. The isolation of these cells in HU-treated animals has lead us to propose that the interstitial cell population may contain subpopulations which possess different growth dynamics and developmental potentials. Through asexual propagation, we have cloned several animals containing only sperm precursor interstitial cells and have examined the growth and differentiation behavior of these cells in offspring propagated over a 2-year period. Evidence has been obtained which demonstrates (1) the extensive self-renewal capacity of the sperm precursor interstitial cells, and (2) the restricted differentiation capacity of these interstitial stem cells. Factors which affect cells entering and traversing the spermatogenic pathway are also presented.

Animals↗

Defining active and repressive chromatin states in neural crest cells using low-input CUT&RUN.

The transition of neural crest cells (NCCs) from a multipotent state to lineage-restricted derivatives, including melanocytes, is governed by tightly regulated epigenetic mechanisms that orchestrate cell type specific gene expression programs. Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), in particular, play an important role in modulating chromatin accessibility, enhancer activation, and transcription factor occupancy, thereby facilitating dynamic chromatin and transcriptional reprogramming required during development. However, profiling such chromatin states in rare and transient Neural Crest Cell (NCC) populations in vivo remains technically challenging. To address this, we present an optimized low-input Cleavage Under Targets and Release Using Nuclease (CUT&RUN) workflow tailored for fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) isolated NCCs from zebrafish embryos. This approach enables high-resolution and low-background mapping of key histone modifications, including H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K27me3, from limited cell numbers. Collectively, these methodologies provide a robust framework for dissecting chromatin state dynamics in developmental systems and can also offer insights into epigenetic dysregulation associated with disease.

Animals↗

Trophic effects of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in the inner ear.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have a pivotal role during nervous system development and in its functional maintenance. IGF-I and its high affinity receptor (IGF1R) are expressed in the developing inner ear and in the postnatal cochlear and vestibular ganglia. We recently showed that trophic support by IGF-I is essential for the early neurogenesis of the chick cochleovestibular ganglion (CVG). In the chicken embryo otic vesicle, IGF-I regulates developmental death dynamics by regulating the activity and/or levels of key intracellular molecules, including lipid and protein kinases such as ceramide kinase, Akt and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Mice lacking IGF-I lose many auditory neurons and present increased auditory thresholds at early postnatal ages. Neuronal loss associated to IGF-I deficiency is caused by apoptosis of the auditory neurons, which presented abnormally increased levels of activated caspase-3. It is worth noting that in man, homozygous deletion of the IGF-1 gene causes sensory-neural deafness. IGF-I is thus necessary for normal development and maintenance of the inner ear. The trophic actions of IGF-I in the inner ear suggest that this factor may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of hearing loss.

Animals↗

Exploring the role of insect host factors in the dynamics of Trypanosoma cruzi-Rhodnius prolixus interactions.

Members of the subfamily Triatominae, family Reduviidae, comprise a large number of insect species of which some are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease. This article outlines research on the process of transformation and the dynamics of developmental stages of Trypanosoma cruzi in the triatomine insect hosts. Special attention is given to the interactions of parasites with gut molecules, and the gut environment, and with host developmental physiology and intestinal organization. The vector insect's permissiveness to Trypanosoma cruzi, which develops in the vector gut, largely depends on the host nutritional state, the parasite strain, trypanolytic compounds, digestive enzymes, lectins, resident bacteria in the gut and the endocrine system of the insect vector. Finally, the mechanisms of these interactions and their significance for Trypanosoma cruzi transmission are discussed.

Animals↗