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Transsynaptic connections enabling cell–cell adhesion and cellular communication are a vital part of synapse formation, maintenance and function. A recently discovered interaction between the Adhesion GPCRs Latrophilins and the type II single transmembrane proteins Teneurins at mammalian synapses is vital for synapse formation and dendrite branching. While the understanding of the effects and the molecular interplay of this Latrophilin-Teneurin partnership is not entirely understood, its significance is highlighted by behavioral and neurological phenotypes in various animal models. As both groups of molecules, Latrophilins and Teneurins, are generally highly conserved, have overlapping expression and often similar functions across phyla, it can be speculated that this interaction, which has been proven essential in mammalian systems, also occurs in invertebrates to control shaping of synapses. Knowledge of the generality of this interaction is especially of interest due to its possible involvement in neuropathologies. Further, several invertebrates serve as model organisms for addressing various neurobiological research questions. So far, an interaction of Latrophilins and Teneurins has not been observed in invertebrates, but our knowledge on both groups of molecules is by far not complete. In this review, we give an overview on existing experimental evidence arguing for as well as against a potential Latrophilin-Teneurin interaction beyond mammals. By combining these insights with evolutionary aspects on each of the interaction partners we provide and discuss a comprehensive picture on the functions of both molecules in invertebrates and the likeliness of an evolutionary conservation of their interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiders of the infraorder Mygalomorphae are fast becoming model organisms for the study of biogeography and speciation. However, these spiders can be difficult to study in the absence of fundamental life history information. In particular, their cryptic nature hinders comprehensive sampling, and linking males with conspecific females can be challenging. Recently discovered differences in burrow entrance architecture and male morphology indicated that these challenges may have impeded our understanding of the trapdoor spider genus Euoplos in Australia’s eastern mesic zone. We investigated the evolutionary significance of these discoveries using a multi-locus phylogenetic approach. Our results revealed the existence of a second, previously undocumented, lineage of Euoplos in the eastern mesic zone. This new lineage occurs in sympatry with a lineage previously known from the region, and the two are consistently divergent in their burrow entrance architecture and male morphology, revealing the suitability of these characters for use in phylogenetic studies. Divergent burrow entrance architecture and observed differences in microhabitat preferences are suggested to facilitate sympatry and syntopy between the lineages. Finally, by investigating male morphology and plotting it onto the phylogeny, we revealed that the majority of Euoplos species remain undescribed, and that males of an unnamed species from the newly discovered lineage had historically been linked, erroneously, to a described species from the opposite lineage. This paper clarifies the evolutionary relationships underlying life history diversity in the Euoplos of eastern Australia, and provides a foundation for urgently needed taxonomic revision of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiome science is revealing that the phenotype and health of animals, including humans, depend on the sustained function of their resident microorganisms. In this essay, I argue for thoughtful choice of model systems for human microbiome science. A greater variety of experimental systems, including wider use of invertebrate models, would benefit biomedical research, while systems ill-suited to experimental and genetic manipulation can be used to address very limited sets of scientific questions. Microbiome science benefits from the coordinated use of multiple systems, which is facilitated by networks of researchers with expertise in different experimental systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The six Naupliar, three Protozoea, three Mysis and first post-larval forms of the western school prawnMetapenaeus dalliRacek, 1957 were cultured in the laboratory. These stages were described in detail and compared to those of other metapenaeids. The ontogenetic development occurred in 12 days at 26°C, with both the growth rate and morphological patterns of development inM. dallibroadly following those recorded for other metapenaeids. Differences were found betweenM. dalliand other metapenaeids at corresponding stages of larval development, with these being the number, location and composition of individual setae and other minor spinal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct measurement of biotic indices used in monitoring stream health is time consuming, costly, and usually limited to few sites and locations. This severely limits the spatial extent and the temporal interval of assessment; hence, continuous long-term monitoring of all reaches becomes impossible. Therefore, modeling approaches are commonly used as an alternative. However, modeling complex natural systems are not without challenges and the error in modeling these systems is usually high. This study focuses on modeling four biotic indices, including one fish and three macroinvertebrate indices, using 171 water quantity and 78 water quality variables. This study introduces a new two-phase approach in modeling biotic indices. In the first phase, an initial estimate of the biotic index along with an estimate of the error associated with those initial predictions is obtained. In the second phase, these initial estimates are combined to develop a new predictive model. Although different modeling methods can be used in each phase, to demonstrate the concept, in this study we tested Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). The proposed approach was evaluated based on monitoring data form the Flint River watershed, located in Michigan, USA. The results demonstrate that the two-phase approach that uses PLSR (first phase) and ANFIS (second phase) is superior to common-single-phase approach ( R 2 for the stream health predictive models increased on average from 0.5 in the first phase to over 0.9 in the second phase). Additionally, the two-phase approach eliminates the need for variable selection, a common pre-processing step, and provides satisfactory results despite the limited number of samples, which makes the approach more reliable, robust, and applicable. Although in this study the proposed two-phase approach is applied to biotic indices, the process can be extended to other natural and physical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Scyphozon Cyanea nozakii is a common jellyfish species that blooms in Chinese seas. However, little is known of the field ecology of this species for the lack of polyps. Here, we studied a breeding technology of C. nozakii that included artificial acclimation of wild jellyfish, stimulation of spawning, as well as polyp and medusa rearing. Female and male medusae were observed to have dark brown ovaries and milky white testes, respectively. Massive spawning was stimulated by continuous light (1,000-1,500 lux) about 4 h a day. Planulae of C. nozakii were used as initial feed for rearing four-tentacle polyps. This food was replaced by Artemia nauplii when polyps developed to intermediate and fully developed stages. Ephyrae and 50 mm medusae were also obtained under laboratory conditions, though the survival rates of both stages were only about 20%. In this paper, we described a process of large-scale breeding of C. nozakii polyps, and finally making about 600 pieces of 30 × 40 cm corrugated plates adhered with four polyps per cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: A large number of experimental studies on ageing focus on the effects of genetic perturbations of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling pathway (IIS) on lifespan. Short-lived invertebrate laboratory model organisms are extensively used to quickly identify ageing-related genes and pathways. It is important to extrapolate this knowledge to longer lived mammalian organisms, such as mouse and eventually human, where such analyses are difficult or impossible to perform. Computational tools are needed to integrate and manipulate pathway knowledge in different species.Results: We performed a literature review and curation of the IIS and target of rapamycin signalling pathways in Mus Musculus. We compare this pathway model to the equivalent models in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabtitis elegans. Although generally well-conserved, they exhibit important differences. In general, the worm and mouse pathways include a larger number of feedback loops and interactions than the fly. We identify ‘functional orthologues’ that share similar molecular interactions, but have moderate sequence similarity. Finally, we incorporate the mouse model into the web-service NetEffects and perform in silico gene perturbations of IIS components and analyses of experimental results. We identify sub-paths that, given a mutation in an IIS component, could potentially antagonize the primary effects on ageing via FOXO in mouse and via SKN-1 in worm. Finally, we explore the effects of FOXO knockouts in three different mouse tissues.Availability and implementation: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/software/NetEffectsContact: ip8@sanger.ac.uk or thornton@ebi.ac.ukSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Invertebrate model systems are powerful tools for studying human disease owing to their genetic tractability and ease of screening. We conducted a mosaic genetic screen of lethal mutations on the Drosophila X chromosome to identify genes required for the development, function, and maintenance of the nervous system. We identified 165 genes, most of whose function has not been studied in vivo. In parallel, we investigated rare variant alleles in 1,929 human exomes from families with unsolved Mendelian disease. Genes that are essential in flies and have multiple human homologs were found to be likely to be associated with human diseases. Merging the human data sets with the fly genes allowed us to identify disease-associated mutations in six families and to provide insights into microcephaly associated with brain dysgenesis. This bidirectional synergism between fly genetics and human genomics facilitates the functional annotation of evolutionarily conserved genes involved in human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction, many models ranging from vertebrates to invertebrates have been developed. In D rosophila melanogaster, behavioral paradigms from assaying acute responses to alcohol and to behaviors more closely modeling addiction have emerged in recent years. However, both the CAFÉ assay, similar to a two-bottle choice consumption assay, as well as conditioned odor preference, where ethanol is used as the reinforcer, are labor intensive and have low throughput. To address this limitation, we have established a novel ethanol consumption preference assay, called FRAPPÉ, which allows for fast, high throughput measurement of consumption in individual flies, using a fluorescence plate reader. We show that naïve flies do not prefer to consume ethanol, but various pre-exposures, such as ethanol vapor or voluntary ethanol consumption, induce ethanol preference. This ethanol-primed preference is long lasting and is not driven by calories contained in ethanol during the consumption choice. Our novel experience-dependent model of ethanol preference in D rosophila-a highly genetically tractable organism-therefore recapitulates salient features of human alcohol abuse and will facilitate the molecular understanding of the development of alcohol preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-type (Cav3) channels are categorized as calcium channels, but invertebrate ones can be highly sodium-selective channels. We illustrate that the snail LCav3 T-type channel becomes highly sodium-permeable through exon splicing of an extracellular turret and descending helix in domain II of the four-domain Cav3 channel. Highly sodium-permeable T-type channels are generated without altering the invariant ring of charged residues in the selectivity filter that governs calcium selectivity in calcium channels. The highly sodium-permeant T-type channel expresses in the brain and is the only splice isoform expressed in the snail heart. This unique splicing of turret residues offers T-type channels a capacity to serve as a pacemaking sodium current in the primitive heart and brain in lieu of Nav1-type sodium channels and to substitute for voltage-gated sodium channels lacking in many invertebrates. T-type channels would also contribute substantially to sodium leak conductances at rest in invertebrates because of their large window currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The role of ROS in aging is currently under heavy debate. [•] Methodological difficulties hamper the understanding of the role of ROS in aging. [•] C. elegans is a powerful invertebrate model organism for studying aging. [•] We report recently developed methods for measuring ROS and ROS damage in C. elegans. [•] We propose a combinatorial approach to quantify ROS and ROS damage in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Penaeus merguiensis densovirus (PmergDNV) is a serious pathogen of the banana prawn, Penaeus merguiensis leading to at least 28% production loss due to reduced growth rates and mortality of juveniles. In the present study, we reduced PmergDNV titres and subsequent mortality by feeding Acheta domesticus (previously determined as an appropriate animal model for P. merguiensis) with dsRNA specific to the capsid protein by mixing it into their food. Feeding A. domesticus with PmergDNV-specific dsRNA in advance of viral challenge increased their longevity, decreased mortality by 84.4% and reduced viral loads 24-fold below the threshold level required for mortality. Mortalities and viral loads were significantly (both P <0.001) lower in treatments challenged with PmergDNV following exposure to bacterially expressed PmergDNV–dsRNA. This is the first study to demonstrate gene silencing via RNAi against PmergDNV in vivo through oral administration of live bacteria expressing dsRNA in a model system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The behaviour and effects of atorvastatin (ATO), carbamazepine (CBZ), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) were investigated in spiked lake sediments, at concentrations up to 56.5mgkg−1 dry weight (dw), with the benthic invertebrates Chironomus dilutus and Hyalella azteca. Desorption constants were calculated in the presence and absence of animals, using linear isotherms, yielding K d values of 28.2, 189.0 and 125.1Lkg−1 (ATO), 73.7, 201.7 and 263.2Lkg−1 (CBZ), and 114.9, 114.2 and 519.2Lkg−1 (EE2) for C. dilutus, H. azteca, and without animals, respectively. For ATO and CBZ, K d values were smaller in the presence of C. dilutus, indicating greater desorption to the overlying water from bioturbation, which is consistent with the predominantly benthic occurrence of C. dilutus compared to H. azteca. In contrast, due to its greater hydrophobicity, bioturbation did not significantly affect desorption of EE2. No significant toxicity was observed, indicating decreased bioavailability of the chemicals sorbed to sediments compared with water-only toxicity assays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Invertebrates are an expansive and diverse group of animals that have had little attention regarding anesthesia and analgesia. Economic use, environmental awareness, laboratory research, and increasing demand for invertebrates as pets has lead to a greater desire for knowledge for these animals in the veterinary medical community. With the increasing number of animal welfare regulations, various scientific studies have improved the overall knowledge of invertebrate medicine, but much more research is required to fully understand anesthesia techniques in the different species treated by veterinarians. Analgesia is a controversial and often neglected topic with invertebrates because of the common belief that invertebrates do not feel pain. Recently, the idea that invertebrates do not feel pain has been challenged with the discovery of nociceptive pathways similar to those in vertebrates. This article presents a general overview of anesthetics and analgesics used in selective invertebrate taxa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Major contributions to research in hematopoiesis in invertebrate animals have come from studies in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and the freshwater crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus. These animals lack oxygen-carrying erythrocytes and blood cells of the lymphoid lineage, which participate in adaptive immune defense, thus making them suitable model animals to study the regulation of blood cells of the innate immune system. This review presents an overview of crustacean blood cell formation, the role of these cells in innate immunity, and how their synthesis is regulated by the astakine cytokines. Astakines are among the first invertebrate cytokines shown to be involved in hematopoiesis, and they can stimulate the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of hematopoietic tissue cells. The astakines and their vertebrate homologues, prokineticins, share similar functions in hematopoiesis; thus, studies of astakine-induced hematopoiesis in crustaceans may not only advance our understanding of the regulation of invertebrate hematopoiesis but may also provide new evolutionary perspectives about this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing is accompanied by a progressive decline in stem cell function, resulting in less effective tissue homeostasis and repair. Here we discuss emerging invertebrate models that provide insights into molecular pathways of age-related stem cell dysfunction in mammals, and we present various paradigms of how stem cell functionality changes with age, including impaired self-renewal and aberrant differentiation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are now a reasonable number of invertebrate central pattern generator (CPG) circuits described in sufficient detail that a mechanistic explanation of how they work is possible. These small circuits represent the best-understood neural circuits with which to investigate how cell-to-cell synaptic connections and individual channel conductances combine to generate rhythmic and patterned output. In this review, some of the main lessons that have appeared from this analysis are discussed and concrete examples of circuits ranging from single phase to multiple phase patterns are described. While it is clear that the cellular components of any CPG are basically the same, the topology of the circuits have evolved independently to meet the particular motor requirements of each individual organism and only a few general principles of circuit operation have emerged. The principal usefulness of small systems in relation to the brain is to demonstrate in detail how cellular infrastructure can be used to generate rhythmicity and form specialized patterns in a way that may suggest how similar processes might occur in more complex systems. But some of the problems and challenges associated with applying data from invertebrate preparations to the brain are also discussed. Finally, I discuss why it is useful to have well-defined circuits with which to examine various computational models that can be validated experimentally and possibly applied to brain circuits when the details of such circuits become available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been considerable progress in elucidating the molecular mechanisms that contribute to memory formation and the generation of circadian rhythms. However, it is not well understood how these two processes interact to generate long-term memory. Recent studies in both vertebrate and invertebrate models have shown time-of-day effects on neurophysiology and memory formation, and have revealed a possible role for cycling molecules in memory persistence. Together, these studies suggest that common mechanisms underlie circadian rhythmicity and long-term memory formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neurogenic heart of decapod crustaceans is a very simple, self-contained, model central pattern generator (CPG)-effector system. The CPG, the nine-neuron cardiac ganglion (CG), is embedded in the myocardium itself; it generates bursts of spikes that are transmitted by the CG's five motor neurons to the periphery of the system, the myocardium, to produce its contractions. Considerable evidence suggests that a CPG-peripheral loop is completed by a return feedback pathway through which the contractions modify, in turn, the CG motor pattern. One likely pathway is provided by dendrites, presumably mechanosensitive, that the CG neurons project into the adjacent myocardial muscle. Here we have tested the role of this pathway in the heart of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. We performed "de-efferentation" experiments in which we cut the motor neuron axons to the myocardium and "de-afferentation" experiments in which we cut or ligated the dendrites. In the isolated CG, these manipulations had no effect on the CG motor pattern. When the CG remained embedded in the myocardium, however, these manipulations, interrupting either the efferent or afferent limb of the CPG-peripheral loop, decreased contraction amplitude, increased the frequency of the CG motor neuron spike bursts, and decreased the number of spikes per burst and burst duration. Finally, passive stretches of the myocardium likewise modulated the spike bursts, an effect that disappeared when the dendrites were cut. We conclude that feedback through the dendrites indeed operates in this system and suggest that it completes a loop through which the system self-regulates its activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Malaria remains one of the major human parasitic diseases, particularly in subtropical regions. Most of the fatal cases are caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The rodent parasite Plasmodium chabaudi has been the model of choice in research due to its similarities to human malaria, including developmental cycle, preferential invasion of mature erythrocytes, synchrony of asexual development, antigenic variation, gene sinteny as well as similar resistance mechanisms. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an essential catalyst of the endoplasmic reticulum in different biological systems with folding and chaperone activities. Most of the proteins exported by parasites have to pass through the endoplasmic reticulum before reaching their final destination and their correct folding is critical for parasite survival. PDI constitutes a potential target for the development of alternative therapy strategies based on the inhibition of folding and chaperoning of exported proteins. We here describe the sequencing of the gene coding for the PDI from P. chabaudi and analyse the relationship to its counterpart enzymes, particularly with the PDI from other Plasmodium species. The model constructed, based on the recent model deduced from the crystallographic structure 2B5E, was compared with the previous theoretical model for the whole PDI molecule constructed by threading. A recombinant PDI from P. chabaudi was also produced and used as an antigen for monoclonal antibody production for application in PDI immunolocalization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The primary defense mechanism of the North American millipede, Orthoporus texicolens, is coiling. We studied habituation, a form of non-associative learning, by observing coiling in response to a vibrational stimulus. Coiling declined in successive trials, indicating that habituation occurred. Dishabituation was then studied by not presenting the vibrational stimulus for intervals ranging from 4-14 minutes. The response of coiling did begin to reappear, showing evidence of dishabituation. Of the experimental millipedes, 75% habituated to vibrational stimuli, and of these millipedes, 100% dishabituated due to the lengthening time span between each vibrational period. Our data indicate that millipedes are able to habituate to a stimulus and then dishabituate to the stimulus if the time intervals between stimulus presentation are lengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fanconi anemia (FA) is a severe recessive disorder with a wide range of clinical manifestations [M. Levitus, H. Joenje, J.P. de Winter, The Fanconi anemia pathway of genomic maintenance, Cell Oncol. 28 (2006) 3–29]. In humans, 13 complementation groups have been identified to underlie FA: A, B, C, D1, D2, E, F, G, I, J, L, M, and N [W. Wang, Emergence of a DNA-damage response network consisting of Fanconi anaemia and BRCA proteins, Nat. Rev. Genet. 8 (2007) 735–748]. Cells defective for any of these genes display chromosomal aberrations and sensitivity to DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs). It has therefore been suggested that the 13 FA proteins constitute a pathway for the repair of ICLs, and that a deficiency in this repair process causes genomic instability leading to the different clinical phenotypes. However, the exact nature of this repair pathway, or even whether all 13 FA proteins are involved at some stage of a linear repair process, remains to be defined. Undoubtedly, the recent identification and characterisation of FA homologues in model organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, will help facilitate an understanding of the function of the FA proteins by providing new analytical tools. To date, sequence homologues of five FA genes have been identified in C. elegans. Three of these homologues have been confirmed: brc-2 (FANCD1/BRCA2), fcd-2 (FANCD2), and dog-1 (FANCJ/BRIP1); and two remain to be characterised: W02D3.10 (FANCI) and drh-3 (FANCM). Here we review how the nematode can be used to study FA-associated DNA repair, focusing on what is known about the ICL repair genes in C. elegans and which important questions remain for the field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To study the several elements and causes of ageing, diverse model organisms and methodologies are required. The most frequently used models are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster and rodents. All have their advantages and disadvantages and allow studying particular aspects of the ageing process. During the last few years, several ageing studies focussed on stem cells and their role in tissue homeostasis. Here we present a new model organism which can study this relation where other model systems fail. The flatworm Macrostomum lignano possesses a dynamic population of likely totipotent somatic stem cells known as neoblasts. Several characteristics qualify M. lignano as a suitable model system for ageing studies in general and more specifically for gaining more insight in the causal relation between stem cells, ageing and rejuvenation. In this review, we will briefly describe the species and its life history, and discuss the role of its stem cells in ageing and rejuvenation. We also give an overview of the available experimental tools that allow a multidisciplinary approach for studying ageing in M. lignano. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spider mechanosensory VS-3 neurons receive peripheral efferent synaptic modulation, with regional variations in the types of efferent synapses and transmitter receptors. VS-3 somata possess a voltage-activated calcium current, but the levels and time courses of calcium changes in other regions are unknown. The roles of calcium in these neurons are not completely understood, but could include modulation of both mechanosensitivity and response dynamics. Here, we measured calcium concentration rises caused by single, mechanically induced action potentials in VS-3 sensory dendrites, somata and axons, using Oregon Green BAPTA-1 fluorescence. Calcium concentration rose by ∼1nM following each action potential. Time courses of calcium rise and fall were similar in the three regions but the rise in amplitude was about 50% higher in the sensory dendrite than in the soma. Antibody to the CaV3.1(α1g) isotype of T-type calcium channel labeled all three neuronal regions. Some CaV3.1 labeling colocalized with synapsin labeling, suggesting that calcium channels play some part in efferent modulation. We conclude that mechanically stimulated action potentials start near sensory dendrite tips and pass rapidly through the neurons to the axons, activating low voltage activated calcium channels in all three regions and causing calcium concentration to rise rapidly in each region. These results suggest important roles for calcium in several stages of mechanosensation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Atrazine has been shown previously to potentiate chlorpyrifos toxicity in selected invertebrates. This study examined interactions of atrazine and chlorpyrifos in four aquatic vertebrates. Organisms were exposed to binary mixtures of atrazine and chlorpyrifos during toxicity bioassays. Inhibition of cholinesterase (ChE) enzyme activity and chlorpyrifos uptake kinetics were also examined with and without atrazine exposure. Atrazine alone did not affect organisms at concentrations up to 5000 μg/L; however, the presence of atrazine at 1000 μg/L did result in a significant increase in the acute toxicity of chlorpyrifos in Xenopus laevis. Mixed results were encountered with Pimephales promelas; some bioassays showed greater than additive toxicity, while others showed an additive response. No effect of atrazine on chlorpyrifos toxicity was observed for Lepomis macrochirus and Rana clamitans. Atrazine did not affect ChE activity or chlorpyrifos uptake rates, indicating that these toxicodynamic and toxicokinetic parameters may not be related to the mechanism of atrazine potentiation of chlorpyrifos toxicity. Based on the results of this study, it does not appear that a mixture toxicity of atrazine and chlorpyrifos at environmentally relevant concentrations presents a risk to the vertebrate organisms examined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted with the pellets of Long-eared Owls from 2 sites in the area of Dicle University Campus, located in the north-eastern part of Diyarbakır Province, Turkey (lat 37°55′N, long 40°12′E). Pellets were collected at monthly intervals from July 2000 to June 2001 and the remains of 310 prey items were recovered from 211 pellets. The assemblages were composed mostly of small mammals. Eight species of mammals belonging to 2 orders (Insectivora: Crocidura suaveolens, and Rodentia: Microtus guentheri, Microtussp., Mus musculus, Meriones tristrami, Cricetus cricetus, Rattus rattus, and Nannospalax ehrenbergi) were identified from the Long-eared Owl pellets. Rodentia were found to be dominant, which accounted for 95.48% of the identified remains. The most important part of the Owl's food consisted of mammals, especially Microtines. Microtus guentheri was of particular importance, representing 71.29% of the remains found in the pellets. Living samples of the Crocidura species could not been trapped or observed in this area, but this study shows that the analysis of regurgitated pellets of Long-eared Owls is a valuable tool for inventorying small mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species sensitivity distributions (SSD) and 5% hazardous concentrations (HC5) are distribution-based approaches for assessing environmental risks of pollutants. These methods have potential for application in pesticide risk assessments, but their applicability for assessing pesticide risks to soil invertebrate communities has not been evaluated. Using data obtained in a systematic review, the present study investigates the relevance of SSD and HC5 for predicting pesticide risks to soil invertebrates. Altogether, 1,950 laboratory toxicity data were obtained, representing 250 pesticides and 67 invertebrate taxa. The majority (96%) of pesticides have toxicity data for fewer than five species. Based on a minimum of five species, the best available endpoint data (acute mortality median lethal concentration) enabled SSD and HC5 to be calculated for 11 pesticides (atrazine, carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, copper compounds, diazinon, dimethoate, γ-hexachlorocyclohexane, lambda-cyhalothrin, parathion, pentachlorophenol, and propoxur). Arthropods and oligochaetes exhibit pronounced differences in their sensitivity to most of these pesticides. The standard test earthworm species, Eisenia fetida sensu lato, is the species that is least sensitive to insecticides based on acute mortality, whereas the standard Collembola test species, Folsomia candida, is among the most sensitive species for a broad range of toxic modes of action (biocide, fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide). These findings suggest that soil arthropods should be tested routinely in regulatory risk assessments. In addition, the data indicate that the uncertainty factor for earthworm acute mortality tests (i.e., 10) does not fully cover the range of earthworm species sensitivities and that acute mortality tests would not provide the most sensitive risk estimate for earthworms in the majority (95%) of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Signaling through the insulin/IGF-1 pro-survival pathway is widely recognized to be neuroprotective as well as important for neuronal growth and physiology. In mammals, age-associated decline in circulating IGF-1 levels has been associated with neuronal aging and symptoms of neurodegeneration. Defects in IGF-1 receptor associated signaling has, however, been shown to significantly extend lifespan in models ranging from invertebrates to mouse. At least in C. elegans, restoring such defects in neurons alone reduces lifespan to wild-type levels. As we seek to delay brain aging and age-associated neuronal degeneration via nutritional and endocrinal supplements, an understanding of the mechanistic basis of this apparent paradox is important. Recent elucidation of the role of the protein deacetylase SIRT1 in cell survival and data associating IGF-1 with the regulation of SIRT1 expression may provide a direction towards resolving this issue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Describes two exercises in classical conditioning that use earthworms and flies. Advantages of using invertebrates for classroom demonstrations of conditioning; Conditioned response in worms and flies; Evaluation of the earthworm demonstrations.

The article presents a study which describes the accumulation strategy of the marine demosponge Halichondria panicea Pallas exposed to dissolved cadmium (Cd), as well as the effect of Cd upon sponge filtration rate. The study used marine sponge collected by scuba diving off the coast of Bøgebjerg Strand, Fyn, Denmark in March 1992. Moreover, the study revealed that the marine sponge was able to accumulate Cd in direct proportion to the ambient Cd concentration.

The article presents a study which aims to determine the short-term effects of carbosulfan on drifting invertebrates in the Black Volta River, Ghana. The study used drifting invertebrates collected in the Black Volta through standard drift nets from the onchocerciasis control program (OCP) invertebrate monitoring program. Results show that Chironomini, Tanypodiinae, Elmidae, Copepoda, and Coelenterata were the predominant groups band carbosulfan treatment increased invertebrate drift indices.

The article presents a study which examines the acute toxic effects of the water discharged from petrochemical complex of benthic macroinvertebrates' natural assemblage. Study used Rose-Bengal solution in the staining of the sampled water sediments and artificial substrate containers to hold macroinvertebrates during acute toxicity test. Four-dimensional (4-d) exposure bioassays reveals that water discharge in the outfall channel causes acute toxicity in several macroinvertebrates.

In this article the authors discuss whether there is a role for new invertebrate models for aging research. They are critical of the findings of a study which revealed that more than 10 percent of the genes identified in Cnidaria have clear human homologs which are not found in worm or fly genomes, the major invertebrate models for aging research. They cite some animals which can be considered as new invertebrate models for aging research.

Two newly recorded Hydrophilid species (Water Beetles) of the Turkish fauna, Hydrobius arcticus Kuwert, 1890 and Coelostoma (Lachnocoelostoma) transcaspicum Reitter, 1906 were compared with the specimens in our department's laboratory, and their distribution in Turkey and worldwide is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phagocytosis is used not only for immune defense but may also be used to obtain nutrients, as observed when tumor cells feed upon neighboring cells during “tumor cell cannibalism”. The TM9 protein TM9SF4, important in canonical phagocytosis, is involved in this cannibalism by metastatic cells and may represent a novel therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the process of ageing in organisms. It says that scientists have identified pathways that modulate the longevity of organisms through the study of the lifespan of the Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms, in which one of these pathways involves the complex proteins associated with Set 1 (COMPASS) complex that organizes DNA by chemical modification of histone H3. Furthermore, the study on the roundworms revealed that the COMPASS effect was transgenerational.

The article reports on the role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the regulation of sleep. A study using Drosophila as a model, which was conducted to investigate the significance of EGFR, stated that the activation of EGFR ligands depends largely on the transmembrane protein Star and on Rhomboid family proteases. The increase in phosphorylation of extracellular signal which paralleled the temporal pattern of increased sleep was due to the overexpression of Rho and Star. Meanwhile, it is claimed that the production of EGFR ligand and PI neurons which activated ERK in tritocerebrum neurons is responsible in enhancing sleep.

The article reports on the new method of dissecting fruit flies as models in research in Great Britain. It stated that Drosophila brains, which are useful for studying genes implicated in neurological disorders, requires messy dissections that may harm tissue. Researchers from the Medical Research Council's Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh took flies bred with genetic markers and bleach their exoskeletons which make the bodies translucent. The optical projection tomography which shows the 3D structure of the organs allow the researchers to slice the flies' brain on any axis.

The article presents a research work in which it is found that the innate immune system of Drosophila melanogaster can adapt to infection by modulating its response to subsequent challenges. The article mentions that flies are experimented with Streptococcus pneumoniae to examine the adaptive nature of invertebrates to infection. The role of phagocytes in responding and killing the bacteria efficiently during a subsequent challenge is discussed.