Progress in understanding hormonal regulation during the postembryonic development of Helicoverpa armigera

Lepidoptera, with 0.16 million species, is the second largest order of insecta. This order includes silk worms, butterflies, and many agricultural pests. The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner) is one of the pests in Lepidoptera that seriously harms cotton plant and other crops in China and other countries. This pest develops resistance to chemical insecticides rapidly. Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) transgenic cotton plants are developed to control H. armigera population in the field. However, during the past years, the rapid evolution of Bt toxin resistance is observed in H. armigera in transgenic cotton fields. New approaches for the development of new environmentally friendly insecticides to control H. armigera have become necessary, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and physiological processes of this species need to be further understood. Considerable progress in the study of H. armigera development and physiology has been achieved in the last decade. This mini-review summarizes the main findings on the molecular mechanisms of hormonal regulation of the development of H. armigera to present new target genes for developing new approaches to control the pest.     

匙吻鲟胚胎与胚后发育的观察

在福建地区,利用池养匙吻鲟亲鱼进行人工催产和干法人工授精后,对其胚胎和胚后发育进行了观察.结果表明:成熟卵为椭圆形、多黄卵,平均卵径(2.41±0.04)mm×(2.30±0.03)mm.卵裂为特殊的辐射卵裂.水温17.0～19.8 ℃时,胚胎发育历时115.75～147.00 h,孵化时间为134.75 h.胚后发育分为卵黄囊期仔鱼、晚期仔鱼和稚鱼期.水温(20±0.5)℃条件下,8日龄卵黄囊完全耗尽,仔鱼才开始摄食进入晚期仔鱼;水温(22±0.5)℃时,10日龄进入稚鱼期;水温21～23 ℃时,35日龄的平均全长(74.91±6.12)mm,平均体重(2.32±0.55)g,吻长接近全长的30%,外部形态与成鱼相似.     

鲻胚后发育过程中体表色素与鳍的变化特征

[目的]确定鲻胚后早期发育过程中体表色素的形成时间及各鳍的变化特点,为优化其种苗生产技术工艺流程奠定基础.[方法]采用常规的光学显微镜技术对鲻胚后早期发育过程中体表色素的分布与鳍条的形成过程进行连续观察和记录.[结果]鲻的体表色素发育需要依次经过6个阶段,初孵仔鱼就已经具有色素细胞,鱼体表面色素随着仔鱼发育进一步变化,至30日龄色素发育完全.在鲻的早期发育过程中,各鳍发育顺序依次为:胸鳍→尾鳍→臀鳍→第二背鳍→腹鳍→第一背鳍.鲻鳍的发育需要经过10个阶段,3日龄仔鱼便可观察到胸鳍芽,19日龄时尾鳍开始发育,21日龄时第二背鳍和臀鳍逐步发育,且臀鳍发育速度稍快于第二背鳍,腹鳍芽出现,26日龄时第一背鳍开始隆起,至38日龄鳍条发育完全.[结论]鲻胚后早期发育过程中的体表色素分布和鳍条发育与其形态发育及行为相适应,可作为早期发育的指示性标志.     

池塘养殖金钱鱼的胚胎发育及胚后发育观察

为建立金钱鱼(Scatophagus argus)人工繁殖技术,采用人工养殖的金钱鱼经人工催产获得受精卵,对胚胎及初孵仔鱼发育在双目显微镜下进行了连续观察和研究。结果表明:水温(24±0.2)℃,盐度28条件下,金钱鱼正常发育特征为受精卵经28.5 h孵化出膜。受精卵呈规则圆形、具光泽、卵膜薄且无色透明,直径(681.5±11.2)μm;受精后4 h进入囊胚期;6.5 h进入原肠期;12.5 h进入胚体形成期;13.5 h进入器官形成期,器官形成依次为视囊期、尾泡出现期、肌节期、脑泡期、耳囊期、尾芽期、晶体期、尾鳍期和肌肉效应期;28.5 h开始出膜;31.5h达出膜高峰。初孵仔鱼头朝下侧卧,运动不活跃,全长1615.46~1650.35μm,初孵仔鱼6.5 h直肠出现,肛门未通;32 h肛门通,51 h开口。金钱鱼早期发育研究为金钱鱼生产性育苗工艺和管理技术的建立提供科学依据。     

Synaptic pruning by microglia is necessary for normal brain development

Microglia are highly motile phagocytic cells that infiltrate and take up residence in the developing brain, where they are thought to provide a surveillance and scavenging function. However, although microglia have been shown to engulf and clear damaged cellular debris after brain insult, it remains less clear what role microglia play in the uninjured brain. Here, we show that microglia actively engulf synaptic material and play a major role in synaptic pruning during postnatal development in mice. These findings link microglia surveillance to synaptic maturation and suggest that deficits in microglia function may contribute to synaptic abnormalities seen in some neurodevelopmental disorders.     

稀土尾矿库渗漏水污染对花背蟾蜍胚后发育的毒性作用

[目的]明确稀土尾矿库渗漏水污染对花背蟾蜍(Strauchbufo raddei)胚后发育的毒性作用,为稀土尾矿区两栖类动物的保护提供科学依据.[方法]以内蒙古某尾矿库南侧由渗漏水形成的受污染水域湿地(简称尾矿库湿地)为研究样地、相对未受污染的黄河自然保护区小白河湿地(简称小白河湿地)为对照样地,通过观测分析花背蟾蜍的野外生态学指标、生理生化指标和遗传毒性指标,探究稀土尾矿库渗漏水对花背蟾蜍胚后发育的毒性效应.[结果]尾矿库湿地花背蟾蜍的总数、种群密度、性别比例和抱对率均明显少于小白河湿地花背蟾蜍,但产卵量极显著高于小白河湿地(P<0.01,下同);尾矿库湿地的蝌蚪发育相对滞后于小白河湿地蝌蚪,但其体格整体上大于小白河湿地蝌蚪.尾矿库湿地蝌蚪肝胰脏中的总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)呈先下降再上升的变化趋势,于III期达最小值;而丙二醛(MDA)含量的变化趋势恰好相反,于III期达最大值.尾矿库湿地各发育期蝌蚪血细胞DNA损伤程度均极显著高于小白河湿地蝌蚪,且血红细胞核异常率明显高于小白河湿地蝌蚪.[结论]尾矿库渗漏水污染通过影响花背蟾蜍的抱对率来降低蝌蚪种群密度,而对其胚后发育的主要影响机理是导致蝌蚪的组织氧化损伤和血细胞DNA损伤.     

橘色双冠丽鱼胚后色素细胞发育与体色变化

采用生物显微镜和体式显微镜等对橘色双冠丽鱼(Amphilophus citrinellus Günther 1864)早期发育过程中体色和色素细胞的分布及形态变化进行连续观察。结果显示,在水温为(27±1)℃,pH 8.3条件下,仔鱼期:初孵仔鱼体表已具有黑色素,2 dph(day post hatching,dph)黑色素增加,眼窝变黑,未有视觉功能;3dph卵黄囊尚未吸收完毕,黑色素细胞分支,形态多样;4 dph仔鱼有视觉功能,能自行游动;5 dph仔鱼开口,卵黄囊明显变小;7 dph仔鱼出现虹彩细胞;10 dph仔鱼体表出现黄色素细胞;12 dph各鳍被成鱼鳍膜所取代,黑色素细胞、黄色素细胞继续增多,视觉看到鱼体变黑。稚鱼期:19 dph有鳞片产生,各鳍条发育完全,30 dph发现红色素细胞;幼鱼期:35 dph幼鱼体表为黑色,初步形成7条色素带,全身布满鳞片;65 dph鱼体部分黑色素开始褪去;85 dph黑色素细胞全部褪去,鱼体变为亮黄色。研究结果为培育褪黑完全而且遗传稳定的橘色双冠丽鱼奠定了理论基础。     

宁夏中北部土地开发整理重大工程效益评价

土地开发整理可加强农业基础设施建设,补充有效耕地面积,提高耕地质量和综合生产能力,改善生态环境,在确保粮食战略性安全和耕地资源保障的前提下,追求的是最大综合效益.对宁夏中北部土地开发整理的范围、目标和主要建设内容进行了阐述,分析评价了重大工程的社会效益、生态效益和经济效益.     

Extraoptic celestial orientation in the southern cricket frog Acris gryllus

Celestial orientation and setting of the biological clock in the southern cricket frog Acris gryllus can be cued by light stimuli received by extraoptic receptors in the brain. These extraoptic photoreceptors may also be used in learning new orientational directions. A mechanism for a light-activated biological clock is discussed.     

Acoustic synchrony: two mechanisms in the snowy tree cricket

Snowy tree crickets synchronize their chirps by responding to the preceding chirp of their neighbors. If a neighbor's chirp precedes his own, a cricket shortens his chirp and the following interval. If it follows his own, he lengthens his chirp interval and sometimes the following chirp. A single response of the first type may advance his phase of chirping 160 degrees and one of the second type may retard it 200 degrees .     

Encoding of geographic dialects in the auditory system of the cricket frog

The frequency sensitivity of the auditory nervous system of cricket frogs (Acris) varies geographically. This variation is closely matched to the spectral energy in their mating calls, thus enabling them to respond preferentially to the calls of their local dialect.     

Synaptic connections of the centrifugal fibers in the pigeon retina

The centrifugal fibers in the pigeon retina end in the inner nuclear layer and form two kinds of terminals, convergent and divergent. In the inner nuclear layer the fibers synapse with amnacrine and displaced ganglion cells. Because of their great number and their even distribution these fibers appear to constitute a system for the localized centrifugal control of the retinal functions.     

Synaptic transmission at single glomeruli in the turtle cerebellum

We have recorded from the granular layer of the turtle cerebellum extracellular unitary potentials that appear to reflect pre- and postsynaptic events at the synapse between a single swelling of a mossy fiber and the dendritic tips of several granule cells. The presynaptic component is an all-or-none potential. It can be directly activated by spinal stimulation and is unaltered by repetitive activity or by high concentrations of magnesium. The postsynaptic component is a graded potential. It follows the presynaptic component by approximately 1 millisecond and is depressed by repetitive activity and by high concentrations of magnesium. The recording of large potentials produced by the flow of postsynaptic current within a single glomerulus suggests powerful transmission. Electron micrographs demonstrate large cerebellar glomeruli in the turtle and a substantial accumulation of mitochondria in the dendritic tips of granule cells.     

Synaptic morphology and differences in sensitivity

A relation between synaptic morphology and physiology was observed in an in vitro preparation of a sense organ (the ampulla of Lorenzini), in which activity was monitored from the primary afferent neurons before electron microscopic examination of the afferent synapses. The depth of the postsynaptic trough decreased as prefixation sensitivity of the sense organ decreased. This relation and other ultrastructural differences suggest that physiological properties of synapses are influenced by morphological features. Thus, synapses might be morphologically dynamic to modulate synaptic efficacy in relatively long-term phenomena.     

Synaptic current at the squid giant synapse

Transmission in the giant synapse of squid was studied by measuring synaptic currents in the voltage-clamped postsynaptic giant axon. These currents varied linearly with the axon's membrane potential, and showed an intercept on the voltage axis at, or near, the sodium equilibrium potential. The intercept shifted in seawater containing less sodium by even more than the shift in the sodium equilibrium potential. It is concluded that the transmitter at this synapse causes a significant change in the sodium conductance only.     

Electroretinogram of the frog during embryonic development

Eyes removed from frog embryos at various stages of development gave a definite pattern of change in the electroretinogram. From the 7th to 9th days the electroretinogram consisted of slow, purely cornea-negative potentials. From the 9th to 10th days the responses were negative but included a prominent fast, negative component superimposed on the slow potentials. During the 11th to 17th days positive potentials appeared and developed. From the 20th day on, the typical electroretinogram of the adult obtained.     

Synaptic assembly of the brain in the absence of neurotransmitter secretion

Brain function requires precisely orchestrated connectivity between neurons. Establishment of these connections is believed to require signals secreted from outgrowing axons, followed by synapse formation between selected neurons. Deletion of a single protein, Munc18-1, in mice leads to a complete loss of neurotransmitter secretion from synaptic vesicles throughout development. However, this does not prevent normal brain assembly, including formation of layered structures, fiber pathways, and morphologically defined synapses. After assembly is completed, neurons undergo apoptosis, leading to widespread neurodegeneration. Thus, synaptic connectivity does not depend on neurotransmitter secretion, but its maintenance does. Neurotransmitter secretion probably functions to validate already established synaptic connections.     

Synaptic reorganization in the hippocampus induced by abnormal functional activity

Abnormal functional activity induces long-lasting physiological alterations in neural pathways that may play a role in the development of epilepsy. The cellular mechanisms of these alterations are not well understood. One hypothesis is that abnormal activity causes structural reorganization of neural pathways and promotes epileptogenesis. This report provides morphological evidence that synchronous perforant path activation and kindling of limbic pathways induce axonal growth and synaptic reorganization in the hippocampus, in the absence of overt morphological damage. The results show a previously unrecognized anatomic plasticity associated with synchronous activity and development of epileptic seizures in neural pathways.