The sex determination cascades in insects are diversified at the top of the cascade, where different primary molecular signals are employed, while at the bottom of the cascades, particularly the doublesex genes, are highly conserved. Here, we identified the doublesex ortholog (Btau-dsx) of Bactrocera tau, a pumpkin fruit fly, and found that Btau-dsx is composed of six exons and five introns with an additional short "m" exon located in the second intron. Btau-dsx is different from its orthologs in most dipteran insects: Its pre-mRNA is sex-specifically spliced to yield three (two male and one female) instead of two transcript variants. The two deduced proteins produced by the male-specific transcripts are a functional (Btau-DSXM1) and a truncated (Btau-DSXM2) protein, while the female-specific transcript produces the functional Btau-DSXF protein. These three proteins contain all conserved domains except Btau-DSXM2 which has no OD2 domain. The female-specific transcript is detected in both fertilized and unfertilized eggs and in both somatic and germ cells of the adult females, while the male-specific transcript is detected only in fertilized eggs and in the abdominal tissues and testes of adult males. The presence of the Btau-dsxM1 transcript in fertilized eggs at the early syncytium stage suggests that in XY embryos, the Y-linked M factor gene may function quite soon after fertilization to alter the splicing pattern of Btau-dsx pre-mRNA from the female-specific to the male-specific mode. Injection of Btau-dsxF dsRNA into recently emerging females can reduce the expression of vitellogenin (Btau-Vg) and causes some defects in the ovaries, indicating that Btau-dsxF works upstream of Btau-Vg., Thanaset Thongsaiklaing, Hataichanok Passara, Mingkwan Nipitwathanaphon, Lertluk Ngersiri., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Macrocentrus cingulum is an important polyembryonic endoparasitic wasp that attacks larvae of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) and the European corn borer, O. nubilalis (Hübner). Parasitoids use antennae as the main sensory organ to recognize herbivore-induced plant volatiles as host searching cues. The antennal olfaction proteins, odorant receptors (ORs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) are involved in olfactory signal transduction pathway as a sensory neuron response. In the present study, we constructed a cDNA library from the male and female antennae for identifying the olfaction-related genes in M. cingulum. For that, we sequenced 3160 unique gene sequences and annotated them with gene ontology (GO), cluster of orthologous groups of proteins (COG), and KEGG ontology (KO). Through the homology search, we identified 9 odorant receptors (ORs), 3 ionotropic receptors (IRs) and 1 odorant binding protein (OBP) genes from the cDNA library sequences. Additionally, the expression patterns of these ORs and IRs in different tissues (antennae, heads, thoraxes, abdomens, and legs) were demonstrated by RT-PCR. The qualitative gene expression analyses showed that most of the OR genes were more highly expressed in female than male antennae; whereas IRs, unlike ORs, were more expressed in various male than females tissues. We are the first to report ORs and IRs in M. cingulum, which should help in deciphering the molecular basis of olfaction system in this wasp., Tofael Ahmed, Tian-Tao Zhang, Zhen-Ying Wang, Kang-Lai He, Shu-Xiong Bai., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Tapinoma melanocephalum is a worldwide distributed, highly invasive ant species. It lives in close association with human societies and its distribution is human-mediated in large measure. The geographical origin of this ant species is unknown, but its introduction in areas previously devoided of its presence can represent a threat to the native biota, act as an agricultural pest or as a pathogen vector. To investigate the genetic structure and phylogeography of this species we identified 12 new polymorphic microsatellite markers, and in addition, we tested and selected 12 ant-universal microsatellites polymorphic in T. melanocephalum. We genotyped 30 individuals from several islands of Micronesia and Papua-New Guinea. All 24 loci exhibited strong homozygosity excess (45-100%, mean = 86%), while the number of alleles per locus reached usual values (2-18, mean = 6.5), resulting in levels of expected heterozygosity much higher than observed. Based on several robust tests, we were able to exclude artefacts such as null alleles and allelic dropout as a possible cause of the observed pattern. Homozygosity excess might be a consequence of founder effect, bottleneck and/or inbreeding. As our sample population was composed of individuals from several distinct localities, the Wahlund effect might have contributed to the increased homozygosity as well. Despite the provisionally observed deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the newly developed microsatellites will provide an effective tool for future genetic investigations of population structure as well as for the phylogeographic study of T. melanocephalum., Jan Zima Jr., Ophélie Lebrasseur, Michaela Borovanská, Milan Janda., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Dendrobium is one of the three largest genera in the Orchidaceae and is distributed throughout various habitats. We investigated photosynthesis in seven Dendrobium species and cultivars by comparing their leaf δ13C values, titratable acidity, and CO2 exchange in well-watered and drought-stressed conditions. In addition, the leaf thickness and mesophyll succulence index (Sm) were measured in well-watered conditions. Our results indicate that Dendrobium loddigesii is a typical obligate (or constitutive) CAM plant because the leaf δ13C values were -14.47 and -14.66‰ in both conditions, respectively. Others showed the leaf thickness of 0.31-0.89 mm and their δ13C values ranged from -25.68 to -28.37‰. These are not the CAM plants but they could not be classified as obligate C3 or C3/CAM intermediate plants. Dendrobium crepidatum and Dendrobium fimbriatum were further identified as the obligate C3 plants because the net CO2 uptake was positive during daytime and negative during nighttime in both conditions. In contrast, Dendrobium chrysotoxum, Dendrobium nobile, and D. nobile ‘V1’ and ‘V4’, showed no positive net CO2 uptake and low ΔH+ values during nighttime under well-watered conditions, indicating C3 photosynthesis. However, they showed the positive net CO2 uptake and large ΔH+ values during nighttime after drought-stress (21 or 28 days without H2O), indicating CAM photosynthesis. Therefore, these four species and cultivars were identified as C3/CAM intermediate (inducible or facultative) plants. In brief, obligate CAM, C3/CAM intermediate, and obligate C3 plant types all exist in the section of Dendrobium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the obligate C3 plants in Dendrobium, and these diverse photosynthetic pathways may explain their varied environmental adaptations., S. Qiu, S. Sultana, Z. D. Liu, L. Y. Yin, C. Y. Wang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Four precise leveling campaigns has been carried out in Poland, and for several years there is a functioning system of permanent GNSS stations determining the height of network points. On the basis of these data, several variants of vertical crustal movements models have been developed (Wyrzykowski, 1987; Kowalczyk, 2005; Kontny and Bogusz, 2012). In order to develop a kinematic model of vertical crustal movements, one of the possibilities is an adjustment of the network formed simultaneously with the leveling data and GNSS stations data. The main problem is a need to identify fiducial points between the datasets. This problem can be solved by creation of coherent database containing attributes of both types of data and automatization of the joint point identification process. The article shows the results of such identification process, depending on the amount of data, on the example of the area of Poland. and Bednarczyk Michal, Kowalczyk Kamil, Kowalczyk Anna.
he surface proteins of trophic (vacuolar and ameboid forms) and cyst forms of two axcnic Blastocystis hominis Brumpt, 1912 isolates were studied. The surface proteins of both forms were biotin-labeled and the soluble proteins from unlabeied and biolin-labcled cells were clcctrophoresed in 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gels under reducing conditions. The clcctrophoresed proteins from biolinylated cells were transferred to nitrocellulose membranes and the avidin-peroxidase-labeled complex was used to identify the surface proteins. In trophic forms, 26 of the 38 soluble proteins, with MW ranging between 30 and >200 kDa, were identified as surface proteins. In cyst forms, 15 of Ihe 29 soluble proteins, with MW ranging between 30 and 193 kDa, were considered as located on the surface of cysts. The comparative analysis of surface protein profiles of both forms showed the presence of a common pattern, composed of 13 bands, and the characteristic proteins of trophic (36, 44, 46, 51, 70, 74, 76, 92, 98, 101, 166, 176 and >200 kDa) and cyst forms (42 and 193 kDa).
V roce 2015 se na internetu v České republice zvedla vlna nenávistných projevů proti migrantům, zejména muslimského původu. Tento článek prezentuje výsledky výzkumu nenávistných projevů vůči migrantům a uprchlíkům na Facebooku v České republice v létě 2015. Za pomoci kombinované metody analýzy využívající automatický sběr dat a následnou manuální triangulaci výsledků bylo možné odpovědět na některé základní otázky o procesu vytváření a šíření nenávistných projevů na Facebooku. Je zřejmé, že vlna nenávistných projevů proti migrantům v roce 2015 byla cíleně i nezamýšleně podpořena společnými aktivitami různých uživatelů Facebooku (především mužů ve středním věku příslušejících ke střední střídě), propagandistickými aktivitami extremistických skupin, zpravodajstvím masmédií a také designem samotné komunikační platformy., The increased influx of refugees and migrants to the EU in 2015 has been followed by a noticeable presence of online hate speech against migrants in many countries across Europe. The article presents the results of a study of hate speech proliferation on Facebook in the Czech Republic during the summer of 2015. Its goal is to identify the producers of hate speech and determine their social background, explore the main channels of hate speech proliferation, determine the specific groups of migrants targeted by hate speech, put the hate speech in the context of online political communication, and discuss the role of media and politicians in the process of hate speech proliferation. With regard to the works of Castells, Skocpol or Bennett and Segerberg, online hate speech can be perceived as an extreme variety of new, rapidly evolving modes of political communication as such. Social and political activism has been shifting from membership-based organizations and parties towards flexible movements and initiatives with strong emphasis on the logic of identity politics. People may or may not engage in hate speech production as lone independent actors, but they still perceive their actions as part of larger collective efforts. When we focus on hate speech as a form of civic activism or networking, new interesting patterns can emerge. The study is based on a mixed-method analysis; computer-assisted data collection via the Social Insider software tool was further triangulated by random sampling and subsequent manual coding and analysis of selected Facebook posts, comments and other content. The question of reception and influence of hate speech was largely omitted from the analysis, due both to the research methods chosen and to the inherently cyclical nature of social network communication. Hate speech itself was identified according to a custom-made definition based on various existing legal definitions and scholarly perspectives of legal and media science. The results of the analysis indicate that the wave of hate speech against migrants was aggravated both intentionally and coincidentally by the combined forces of disparate Facebook users, extremist groups´ propaganda, news media and the design of the social network itself. As for the social background of frequent producers of hate speech, there was a strong prevalence of middle-aged and middle-class males, and a significant under-representation of both elderly and young Facebook users. The majority of the hate speech content was produced and spread in small-scale communication exchanges, i.e. under articles posted on individual user profiles etc. The communication activities of larger, well-organized populist groups, political parties or communities were visibly present, but they did not play a significant part in the hate speech production itself - although their possible involvement in agenda setting cannot be underestimated. All the datasets indicated that a vast majority of the hate speech in the given time period was aimed either against migrants in general or Muslims, while these two groups often overlapped. The role of mass media and of the design of the Facebook platform in the entire process should be discussed further. It became apparent that the producers of hate speech themselves seldom created any substantial shared content such as articles or videos. To the contrary, many hateful comments occurred through sharing and subsequent discussion of articles produced by online news outlets. As the Czech mass media are defined by transformation, uncertainty, layoffs and disintegration of professional routines, this creates a dangerous mix that could lead to further proliferation of hate speech., Matouš Hrdina., and Obsahuje bibliografii