To date, thousands of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their precursors (pre-miRNAs) have been identified in insects and their nucleotide sequences deposited in the miRBase database. In the present work, we have systematically analyzed, utilizing bioinformatics tools, the featural differences between human and insect pre-miRNAs, as well as differences across 24 insect species. Results showed that the nucleotide composition, sequence length, nucleotides preference and secondary structure features between human and insects were different. Subsequently, with the aid of three available SVM-based prediction programs, pre-miRNA sequences were evaluated and given corresponding scores. Thus it was found that of 2633 sequences from the 24 chosen insect species, 2229 (84.7%) were successfully recognized by the Mirident classifier, higher than Triplet-SVM (72.5%) and PMirP (72.6%). In contrast, four species, including the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori L., the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, the honeybee, Apis mellifera L. and the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), were found to be largely responsible for the poor performance of some sequence matching. Compared with other species, B. mori especially showed the worst performance with the lowest average MFE index (0.73). Collectively these results pave the way for understanding specificity and diversity of miRNA precursors in insects, and lay the foundation for the further development of more suitable algorisms for insects., Li, Jisheng ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
All the information on the genus Eledonoprius was gathered to provide an up to-date overview of the geographical distribution and ecology of its species, and to assess their association with old-growth forests. Based on recent samples collected in deciduous forests and woodlands of Italy, the authors outline the habitats of these rare species and give an account of their trophic relations with bracket fungi. E. armatus is recorded in Central Italy and Sardinia for the first time; E. serrifrons is new to Basilicata (Southern Italy) and Syria., Giuseppe M. Carpaneto ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
A global decline in pollinator abundance and diversity has demanded increased research attention to the ecology and genetics of bumblebees. However, as progressively more restrictions are placed on sampling for insects, researchers are increasingly obliged to use archival specimens collected for purposes other than genetic analyses. In this study we assessed the suitability, for population genetic studies, of popular, low-cost methods for preservation and storage of bumblebee specimens. Specimens of Bombus terrestris L. were held under six storage regimes for up to two years. DNA was extracted from the samples using three extraction protocols and the quality of the DNA was examined using PCR amplification of a mitochondrial and a nuclear gene. All extraction and storage methods provided sufficient DNA for successful PCR amplification. However, samples preserved in acetone or at freezing temperatures yielded the highest DNA concentrations. DNA yields from pinned specimens at room temperature declined over time, particularly when using standard extraction techniques. DNA concentrations were significantly lower from specimens preserved in 70% ethanol compared to all other extraction techniques and declined linearly over the two years of storage. These results indicate that two of the most popular insect storage methods (pinning and storage in ethanol) should be avoided for the long-term preservation of genetic material for future studies. We suggest that optimal insect preservation methods should be incorporated into research protocols in order to best capitalise on limited collection opportunities., António S. Moreira ... []., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
vydává a řídí Josef V. Rozmara, Obsahuje rejstřík, Oddíl I. Botanika / Naps. Josef Černý -- Oddíl II. Zoologie / Naps. Josef V. Rozmara -- Oddíl III. Nauka o půdě / Naps. Josef Černý, and Converted from MODS 3.5 to DC version 1.8 (EE patch 2015/06/25)
Because nutrients accrued during larval stages represent the major limiting factor for egg production, the use of adult feeding to enhance the reproductive output in moths is considered to be largely weight-dependent. It is hypothesized, however, that feeding by adults could be adaptive and an effective means of increasing their reproductive success. In order to test this, the calling behaviour of Spodoptera littoralis females that differed in body weight and whether they had fed or not were recorded. Two experiments were carried out. In the first, the calling behaviour of food-deprived females of different body weights was recorded. A strong positive correlation was found between body weight at emergence and the total duration of calling of females on the second to the fifth night after emergence. In the second experiment, groups of female moths that varied in body weight were given access to water or sucrose. Feeding on sucrose significantly reduced the pre-calling period and increased the total time spent calling on the six nights after emergence. The increase in time spent calling associated with ingesting sucrose were proportionately similar for both small and large females, implying that feeding by adults can result in an increase in the time spent calling by moths irrespective of larval nutritional status. Female longevity was also correlated with moth weight at emergence and/or sucrose availability. It is concluded that it is advantageous for female S. littoralis to be large and/or have access to sucrose-rich food in the adult stage as they can spend more time attracting a mate, which increases their chances of mating in early adult life, and their longer adult life may indirectly result in an increase in fecundity., Medhat M. Sadek., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is a key economic insect pest reducing fruit yield and generating constraints in the international market. The application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) continues to reveal areas where new technologies can improve the effectiveness of fruit fly control. One such advancement concerns insect strains. In the present study, a mass-reared strain of the fly with a translocation-based genetic sexing character (Salaya1) based on a brown-white pupal colour dimorphism was genetically characterized using 11 microsatellite DNA markers. Subsequently, these markers were used to evaluate the maintenance of genetic variability in the strain under mass-rearing conditions. Mating competitiveness of this strain was also tested in field cages. Two of the newly characterized Y-pseudo-linked microsatellite markers were used for strain identification in field monitoring traps. The strain was also validated in a pilot integrated pest management (IPM) programme using male-only SIT in a fruit orchard. The programme resulted in the suppression of the fruit fly population., Siriwan Isasawin, Nidchaya Aketarawong, Sujinda Thanaphum., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The Niobe Fritillary, Argynnis niobe, is a habitat specialist and as a consequence is highly endangered in contemporary Europe. To investigate its genetic diversity and population structure, 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized, using a recently developed pyrosequencing method. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 21, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.17 to 0.53 and from 0.24 to 0.92, respectively. These loci were also successfully used to study the genetic diversity of a closely related species, the High Brown Fritillary, Argynnis adippe, and will be used in future population structure studies of both these species., Jan Zima JR, Dan Leština, Martin Konvička., and Obsahuje seznam literatury