Duponchelia fovealis Zeller is a polyphagous insect that has been recently reported attacking strawberry plants (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne). Despite its economic importance there are few studies on this pest because it is difficult to rear it in the laboratory. With a constant supply of insects, studies on alternative methods of pest control can be conducted. This study aimed at developing an artificial diet for rearing D. fovealis with biological characteristics similar to those reared on their natural diet. This study was carried out in a climate-controlled room (25°C ± 2°C, RH 70% ± 10%, and 14L : 10D). The natural diet consisted of 'San Andreas' strawberry leaves (D1), while the artificial diet (D2) was developed in which beans, casein, soy protein, yeast and wheat germ are used as sources of protein. Five instars were identified. D. fovealis completed its life cycle in 38 and 40 days when fed D1 and D2, respectively. Survival was highest for the larvae fed the artificial diet. Females fed D1 lay a mean of 300.2 ± 62.3 eggs, while those fed D2, 220.3 ± 41.8 eggs. The artificial diet is suitable for the continuous rearing of D. fovealis in the laboratory., Maria A. C. Zawadneak, Rodrimar B. Gonçalves, Alex S. Poltronieri, Bráulio Santos, Adélia M. Bischoff, Aline M. Borba, Ida C. Pimentel., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Severoameričtí raci (např. rak pruhovaný a rak signální vyskytující se i v ČR) jsou příkladem invazních živočichů, jejichž invazní potenciál je zesílen přenosem onemocnění nebezpečného pro příbuzné druhy z jiných geografických oblastí. Původcem nemoci, tzv. račího moru, je Aphanomyces astaci ze skupiny Oomycetes způsobující úhyny celých populací evropských raků. Račí mor se v Evropě vyskytuje už od 19. století a i v současnosti zůstává přes intenzívní výzkum jedním z nejvýznamnějších faktorů ohrožujících původní raky (u nás jde o raka říčního a raka kamenáče, u nichž bylo jen od roku 2004 zaznamenáno deset případů zdecimování populací touto nemocí)., North American crayfish species such as the Spiny-cheek Crayfish and the Signal Crayfish are examples of invasive animals with an ability to carry and transmit a disease lethal to their relatives from other parts of the world. The disease called the crayfish plague and caused by Aphanomyces astaci (Oomycetes) may eradicate whole populations of the indigenous European crayfish. The disease is known in Europe from the 19th century and despite intensive research it is still one of the main factors endangering indigenous crayfish., and Eva Kozubíková-Balcarová.
Ačkoli bylo světélkování u hub doloženo již ve starověku, intenzivnějšího vědeckého studia se tomuto jevu dostává teprve v posledních letech. Článek shrnuje naše dosavadní poznání bioluminiscence u hub z hlediska evolučního, ekologického i fyziologického. Jeho součástí jsou i fotografie dvou tropických druhů se světélkujícími plodnicemi - Mycena chlorophos a Filoboletus manipularis., Bioluminescence in fungi was first observed in the Archaic period or earlier, but it has only recently been studied scientifically. This paper sums up our knowledge on this phenomenon from evolutionary, ecological, and physiological points of view. Included are photos of two tropical species with luminescent fruiting bodies - Mycena chlorophos and Filoboletus manipularis., and Michal Sochor, Zuzana Egertová.
V tomto článku je nastíněn základní úvod do problematiky biotransformace a jejich možných negativních důsledků. V textu jsou popsány tři fáze biotransformace a u každé z nich případ, se kterým se čtenář ve svém životě může setkat. Dále je zde jednoduchým způsobem vysvětlena nomenklatura biotransformačních enzymů a transportérů a článek tak celkově poskytuje základní povědomí o komplexnosti biotransformace., This article outlines a basic introduction to the topic of biotransformation and its possible negative consequences. The text describes three phases of biotransformation and each is presented in an example which the reader may encounter in everyday life. Furthermore, in a simple way, the nomenclature of biotransformation enzymes and transporters is explained and thus the paper provides a basic understanding of the complexity of biotransformation., and Ondřej Ženata.
Capsazepine is a competitive antagonist of capsaicin, a TRPV1 agonist responsible for the spicy taste of pepper. TRPV1 agonists and antagonists are known to affect mammalian body temperature, but their action on thermoregulation in insects is poorly known. In this study we evaluated the effect of capsazepine on the thermal preference of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana using a thermal gradient. Our results revealed that capsazepine in submicromolar concentrations induces a preference for higher ambient temperatures when compared to the control insects. To assess whether capsazepine may act also as an antagonist of capsaicin in insects, we determined this insects' thermal behaviour when capsazepine was applied before capsaicin. The hypothermic response to capsaicin was clearly blocked by pre-treatment with capsazepine only in female American cockroaches. Our results indicate the involvement of structures functionally similar to TRPV1 in insect thermosensation., Justyna Maliszewska, Eugenia Tęgowska., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The term cellular immune response refers to haemocyte-mediated responses, including phagocytosis, nodulation, and encapsulation. In the present study, we identified five types of circulating haemocytes in larvae of the haemolymph of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), including granulocytes, oenocytoids, plasmatocytes, prohaemocytes, and spherulocytes. The relative number of total free haemocytes per larva decreased significantly 0.5, 24, and 36 h after the injection of Beauveria bassiana conidia. Upon conidia challenge, both phagocytosis and nodulation were observed in the collected haemolymph from O. furnacalis larvae. In addition, plasma was found to be necessary for both phagocytosis and nodulation. Therefore, we here confirm that phagocytosis and nodulation are involved in O. funacalis larvae during their fight against infection by B. bassiana, and further, that the cellular immune response of O. furnacalis helps eliminate the invading organisms despite the fact that not all the fungal conidia are killed., Dongxu Shen, Miao Li, Yuan Chu, Minglin Lang, Chunju An., and Obsahuje bibliografii
V článku je zdůrazněn rozhodující význam školy moderní fyziologie rostlin založené Juliem Sachsem, který byl uveden do experimentálních metod fyziologie Janem Evangelistou Purkyněm jako jeho asistent v Praze. Dále jsou krátce charakterizováni nejdůležitější Sachsovi žáci z jeho rozhodujícího období působení na univerzitě ve Würzburgu a je zdůrazněno trvající působení Sachsových myšlenek až do současného období studia biologie rostlin., The decisive importance of the school of modern plant physiology established by Julius Sachs, who was introduced to the experimental methods of physiology by Jan Evangelista Purkyně as his assistant in Prague, is underscored in this article. The most important disciples of Julius Sachs as a professor in Würzburg are portrayed and the lasting influence of Sachs´s ideas on plant biology is described., Dieter Volkmann., and 5 il.