Revisiting the role of the mother centriole in centriole biogenesis

Centrioles duplicate once in each cell division cycle through so-called templated or canonical duplication. SAK, also called PLK4 (SAK/PLK4), a kinase implicated in tumor development, is an upstream regulator of canonical biogenesis necessary for centriole formation. We found that overexpression of SAK/PLK4 could induce amplification of centrioles in Drosophila embryos and their de novo formation in unfertilized eggs. Both processes required the activity of DSAS-6 and DSAS-4, two molecules required for canonical duplication. Thus, centriole biogenesis is a template-free self-assembly process triggered and regulated by molecules that ordinarily associate with the existing centriole. The mother centriole is not a bona fide template but a platform for a set of regulatory molecules that catalyzes and regulates daughter centriole assembly.     

Rainfall interception and stem flow by eucalypt street trees – The impacts of canopy density and bark type

Understanding how trees influence water movement in an urban landscape is important because in an ‘engineered xeriscape’ small changes in rainfall frequency or magnitude have significant implications to plant water availability and mortality at one extreme, and stormwater runoff and flooding at the other. This study relates direct measures of tree canopy interception and discusses their implication for catchment hydrology in different urban landscape contexts. We measured canopy throughfall and stemflow under two eucalypt tree species in an urban street setting over a continuous five month period. Eucalyptus nicholii has a dense canopy and rough bark, whereas Eucalyptus saligna has a less-dense canopy and smooth bark. E. nicholii, with the greater plant area index, intercepted more of the smaller rainfall events, such that 44% of annual rainfall was intercepted as compared to 29% for the less dense E. saligna canopy (2010). Stemflow was less in amount and frequency for the rough barked E. nicholii as compared to the smooth barked E. saligna. However, annual estimates of stemflow to the ground surface for even the smooth barked E. saligna would only offset approximately 10 mm of the 200 mm intercepted by its canopy (2010).Tree canopy and bark characteristics should be considered when planting in pervious green space, or impervious streetscapes, because of their profound impact upon tree and surrounding water availability, soil water recharge or runoff. This study provides an evidence base for tree canopy impacts upon urban catchment hydrology, and suggests that rainfall and runoff reductions of up to 20% are quite possible in impervious streetscapes. Street tree canopies can function as a cost-effective compliment to water sensitive urban design for stormwater reduction benefits.     

Genetic analysis of Atlantic salmon captured in a netting station reveals multiple escapement events from commercial fish farms

Microsatellite DNA analysis and statistical assignment methods were implemented to identify the origin of 190 farmed escaped Atlantic salmon recaptured over a period of 2 months at a netting station located in Trondheim fjord, Norway. Samples were also collected from farms within the region. The escapees originated from a minimum of two sources, separated in time of capture at the netting station. The majority of the escapees captured in the early period probably originated from a single farm within the region, while escapees captured in later period probably originated from multiple farms, including from outside of the region. Biological data from the escapees supported these conclusions. This study serves to exemplify the use of genetic methods to assist fisheries management.     

Exploiting generic platform technologies for the detection and identification of plant pathogens

The detection and identification of plant pathogens currently relies upon a very diverse range of techniques and skills, from traditional culturing and taxonomic skills to modern molecular-based methods. The wide range of methods employed reflects the great diversity of plant pathogens and the hosts they infect. The well-documented decline in taxonomic expertise, along with the need to develop ever more rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods has provided an impetus to develop technologies that are both generic and able to complement traditional skills and techniques. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is emerging as one such generic platform technology and one that is well suited to high-throughput detection of a limited number of known target pathogens. Real-time PCR is now exploited as a front line diagnostic screening tool in human health, animal health, homeland security, biosecurity as well as plant health. Progress with developing generic techniques for plant pathogen identification, particularly of unknown samples, has been less rapid. Diagnostic microarrays and direct nucleic acid sequencing (de novo sequencing) both have potential as generic methods for the identification of unknown plant pathogens but are unlikely to be suitable as high-throughput detection techniques. This paper will review the application of generic technologies in the routine laboratory as well as highlighting some new techniques and the trend towards multi-disciplinary studies.     

The Norwegian minke whale DNA register: a data base monitoring commercial harvest and trade of whale products

The application of genetics for the management of natural resources is expanding, and within this field, DNA registers will play an increasing role. The Norwegian minke whale DNA register, established in 1996, was designed primarily as a control system to detect any attempts at illegal trade of products derived from other stocks of minke whale, or other whale species, under cover of the legal Norwegian harvest originating from the Northeast Atlantic. The register contains genetic data for 7644 of 7751 whales landed in the period 1997–2010. Profiles are established from sequencing part of the mtDNA control region, analysis of 10 STRs and a sex‐determining marker. Probabilities of genotypes matching between two randomly selected whales are 6.0^?04 and 3.0^?08 for five and eight of the STR loci, respectively. This permits verification of traded whale products via match to the register. The register has also been used in a number of ad hoc scientific studies resulting through the accumulation of genetic, demographic and biological data. Here, we review the register’s logistics, specifications and evaluate the potential to apply similar registers to control the exploitation of other marine species.     

Isolation of a Mycobacterium microti-like organism from a rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) in a Canadian zoo

A Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex organism was isolated from a zoo resident rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) imported into Canada from South Africa. The strain was identified biochemically as Mycobacterium microti. The spoligotype pattern obtained for this isolate was found to be rare. This represents the first report of isolation and spoligotyping of M. microti in North America.     

Disembedding grain: Golden Rice,the Green Revolution,and heirloom seeds in the Philippines

“Golden Rice” has played a key role in arguments over genetically modified (GM) crops for many years. It is routinely depicted as a generic GM vitamin tablet in a generic plant bound for the global South. But the release of Golden Rice is on the horizon only in the Philippines, a country with a storied history and complicated present, and contested future for rice production and consumption. The present paper corrects this blinkered view of Golden Rice through an analysis of three distinctive “rice worlds” of the Philippines: Green Revolution rice developed at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the 1960s, Golden Rice currently being bred at IRRI, and a scheme to promote and export traditional “heirloom” landrace rice. More than mere seed types, these rices are at the centers of separate “rice worlds” with distinctive concepts of what the crop should be and how it should be produced. In contrast to the common productivist framework for comparing types of rice, this paper compares the rice worlds on the basis of geographical embeddedness, or the extent to which local agroecological context is valorized or nullified in the crop’s construction. The Green Revolution spread generic, disembedded high-input seeds to replace locally adapted landraces as well as peasant attitudes and practices associated with them. The disembeddedness of Golden Rice that boosts its value as a public relations vehicle has also been the main impediment in it reaching farmers’ fields, as it has proved difficult to breed into varieties that grow well specifically in the Philippines. Finally, and somewhat ironically, IRRI has recently undertaken research and promotion of heirloom seeds in collaboration with the export scheme.     

Potential disease interaction reinforced: double-virus-infected escaped farmed Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L., recaptured in a nearby river

The role of escaped farmed salmon in spreading infectious agents from aquaculture to wild salmonid populations is largely unknown. This is a case study of potential disease interaction between escaped farmed and wild fish populations. In summer 2012, significant numbers of farmed Atlantic salmon were captured in the Hardangerfjord and in a local river. Genetic analyses of 59 of the escaped salmon and samples collected from six local salmon farms pointed out the most likely source farm, but two other farms had an overlapping genetic profile. The escapees were also analysed for three viruses that are prevalent in fish farming in Norway. Almost all the escaped salmon were infected with salmon alphavirus (SAV) and piscine reovirus (PRV). To use the infection profile to assist genetic methods in identifying the likely farm of origin, samples from the farms were also tested for these viruses. However, in the current case, all the three farms had an infection profile that was similar to that of the escapees. We have shown that double-virus-infected escaped salmon ascend a river close to the likely source farms, reinforcing the potential for spread of viruses to wild salmonids.     

The prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Sydney

Four hundred and four dogs from 9 pounds in Sydney were examined for circulating microfilariae and antigens of Dirofilaria immitis. One hundred of these were also examined post mortem for adult heartworms. The prevalence of infection in the 404 dogs as shown by serology was 11.4%, and 5.9% had circulating microfilariae of D immitis. Adult heartworms were present in 15 of 100 dogs. Dipetalonema reconditum microfilariae were present in 3.7% of dogs. Dirofilariosis is still a common and important parasite of dogs in the Sydney region and chemoprophylaxis is recommended.     

Flanking SSR markers for alleles involved in the necrosis of hybrids between hexaploid bread wheat and synthetic hexaploid wheat

Hybrid necrosis in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the premature death of leaves or plants caused by the interaction of two dominant complementary genes, Ne1 and Ne2, located on chromosomes 5B and 2B, respectively. We examined allelic interaction effects of necrosis alleles using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in F₂ populations derived from crossing the cultivar “Alsen” with a synthetic hexaploid “TA4152-37”. The SSR marker Xbarc7 was linked at a distance of 3 cM to the quantitative trait loci (QTL) located on chromosome 2B, and Xgwm639 was 11 cM from the 5B QTL. A significant additive by additive epistatic interaction was detected between Ne1 and Ne2 QTL, and the results suggest that Alsen possesses a moderate necrosis allele, Ne2^m; whereas, TA4152-37 possesses a moderate necrosis allele, Ne1^m. The Ne2^m allele had a stronger effect than the Ne1^m allele, and a total of 94.6% of phenotypic variance was explained by these genes and their interactions. This demonstrates the strong phenotypic effect due to even moderate necrosis alleles, and emphasizes the need for breeders to accurately predict and identify hybrids that will result in necrosis.