Sex-dependent action of prenatal fractionated X-irradiation in the mouse. Biochemical findings.

X-irradiation of pregnant NMRI-mice on gestational days 11-13 with 3 x 10.5 Gy increased postnatal mortality of the female offspring only. Weights, protein content and acetylcholinesterase, as well as Na,K-ATPase activities in the brains of all treated offspring, were changed. There were, however, no differences between females and males with respect to these parameters.     

Biological studies onPseudohypocera kerteszi (Phoridae,Diptera)

Summary 15 couples ofPseudohypocera kerteszi were introduced into individual tubes containing culture medium, maintained at 22–28°C and 45–55% relative humidity. The courtship and the behaviour of males and females before and after the copula are described for the first time; the number of eggs laid by each female during the oviposition period and the sexual rate in offspring were registered in each tube. The relative viability from egg to imago was determined in 8 of the 15 tubes.This study was made possible by a grant of the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).     

Androstenedione or corticosterone treatment during pregnancy alters estrous cycle of adult female offspring in mice

Summary Female offspring from mice injected with androstenedione during late pregnancy showed lengthened vaginal cycles, persistent estrus and decreased incidence of pro-estrus and dïestrus, whilst offspring from mice injected with corticosterone showed increased incidence of dïestrus. These observations give qualified support to the hypothesis that stress during pregnancy alters the female offspring reproductive system through the action of adrenal steroids.     

Use of oven-dried blood for in vitro feeding of tsetse flies

Summary Comparison of the survival, fecundity and offspring size ofGlossina palpalis palpalis females fed reconstituted over-dried blood, fresh, frozen/thawed, or reconstituted freeze-dried blood showed that oven-drying at 45°C does not diminish the nutritional quality of blood. The significance of this finding is discussed with a view to optimizing costs and conditions of blood-diet storage and transportation in the context of mass-rearing of tsetse flies.     

Immunological memory ≠ protective immunity

So-called ‘immunological memory’ is, in my view, a typical example where a field of enquiry, i.e. to understand long-term protection to survive reexposure to infection, has been overtaken by ‘l’art pour l’art’ of ‘basic immunology’. The aim of this critical review is to point out some key differences between academic text book-defined immunological memory and protective immunity as viewed from a co-evolutionary point of view, both from the host and the infectious agents. A key conclusion is that ‘immunological memory’ of course exists, but only in particular experimental laboratory models measuring ‘quicker and better’ responses after an earlier immunization. These often do correlate with, but are not the key mechanisms of, protection. Protection depends on pre-existing neutralizing antibodies or pre-activated T cells at the time of infection—as documented by the importance of maternal antibodies around birth for survival of the offspring. Importantly, both high levels of antibodies and of activated T cells are antigen driven. This conclusion has serious implications for our thinking about vaccines and maintaining a level of protection in the population to deal with old and new infectious diseases.     

Queen success is correlated with worker-brood genetic relatedness in a primitively eusocial wasp (Ropalidia marginata)

Ropalidia marginata is a primitively eusocial polistine wasp in which, although there is only one queen at any given time, frequent queen replacements lead to a system of serial polygyny. One of the most striking features of this system, is the enormous variation in the success of different queens. Measuring queen success as queen tenure, total number of offspring produced, number of offspring produced per day of tenure, and proportion of eggs laid that develop into adults, we show here that each measure of queen success is correlated with worker-brood genetic relatedness and not correlated with worker: brood ratio or the age of the queen at takeover. We interpret these results as meaning that queens are better able to obtain the cooperation of workers when worker-brood genetic relatedness is high.     

Developmental nicotine exposure induced alterations in behavior and glutamate receptor function in hippocampus

In the developing brain, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are involved in cell survival, targeting, formation of neural and sensory circuits, and development and maturation of other neurotransmitter systems. This regulatory role is disrupted when the developing brain is exposed to nicotine, which occurs with tobacco use during pregnancy. Prenatal nicotine exposure has been shown to be a strong risk factor for memory deficits and other behavioral aberrations in the offspring. The molecular mechanisms underlying these neurobehavioral outcomes are not clearly elucidated. We used a rodent model to assess behavioral, neurophysiological, and neurochemical consequences of prenatal nicotine exposure in rat offspring with specific emphasis on the hippocampal glutamatergic system. Pregnant dams were infused with nicotine (6 mg/kg/day) subcutaneously from the third day of pregnancy until birth. Results indicate that prenatal nicotine exposure leads to increased anxiety and depressive-like effects and impaired spatial memory. Synaptic plasticity in the form of long-term potentiation (LTP), basal synaptic transmission, and AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic currents were reduced. The deficit in synaptic plasticity was paralleled by declines in protein levels of vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1), synaptophysin, AMPA receptor subunit GluR1, phospho(Ser845) GluR1, and postsynaptic density 95 (PSD-95). These results suggest that prenatal nicotine exposure by maternal smoking could result in alterations in the glutamatergic system in the hippocampus contributing to the abnormal neurobehavioral outcomes.     

You are what you eat, and so are your children: the impact of micronutrients on the epigenetic programming of offspring

The research field of fetal programming has developed tremendously over the years and increasing knowledge suggests that both maternal and paternal unbalanced diet can have long-lasting effects on the health of offspring. Studies implicate that macronutrients play an important role in fetal programming, although the importance of micronutrients is also becoming increasingly apparent. Folic acid and vitamins B2, B6 and B12 are essential for one-carbon metabolism and are involved in DNA methylation. They can therefore influence the programming of the offspring’s epigenome. Also, other micronutrients such as vitamins A and C, iron, chromium, zinc and flavonoids play a role in fetal programming. Since it is estimated that approximately 78 % of pregnant women in the US take vitamin supplements during pregnancy, more attention should be given to the long-term effects of these supplements on offspring. In this review we address several different studies which illustrate that an unbalanced diet prior and during pregnancy, regarding the intake of micronutrients of both mother and father, can have long-lasting effects on the health of adult offspring.     

早期营养不良对SD大鼠海马AchE和ChAT表达的影响

目的探讨生命早期营养不良对21天雄性sD大鼠中枢AchE和ChAT的影响。方法从妊娠晚期到哺乳期末给予母鼠半量饲料,造成子鼠营养不良,取哺乳期末雄性子鼠脑海马组织进行测量。结果免疫组化结果示：实验组海马CA3区ChAT光密度低于对照组（P〈0．05）,在CA!区无差异（P〉0．05）;而两纽间CAl和CA3区AchE光密度均无差异（P〉0．05）;RT—PCR示：实验组海马ChAT、AchEmRNA少于对照组（P〈0．05）。结论早期营养不良能导致子鼠海马及中枢胆碱能系统发育障碍,可能会影响成年后大鼠学习记忆能力。     

Androstenedione or corticosterone treatment during pregnancy alters estrous cycle of adult female offspring in mice

Female offspring from mice injected with androstenedione during late pregnancy showed lengthened vaginal cycles, persistent estrus and decreased incidence of pro-estrus and diestrus, whilst offspring from mice injected with corticosterone showed increased incidence of diestrus. These observations give qualified support to the hypothesis that stress during pregnancy alters the female offspring reproductive system through the action of adrenal steroids.     

Maternal regulation of wing polymorphism inPyrrhocoris apterus: Effect of cold activation

Summary In a macropterous strain ofPyrrhocoris apterus the offspring of females kept under long-day conditions are invariably mostly macropterous, whereas the offspring of females from short-day conditions become macropters under long-day and brachypters under short-day conditions. The brachypterizing effect of short days was removed by the chilling of mothers for 70 days.     

Hybrid sterility in cattle ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

Summary Male offspring resulting from interspecific crosses between the cattle ticks,Boophilus annulatus andB. microplus, are sterile. Hybrid females were found to produce sterile sons through 3 backcross generations.     

Étude cytologique d'une translocation chromosomeY-autosome chez la souris

Summary A male mouse with one translocation involving theY-chromosome has been observed in the F1 offspring of a male mouse given 300 R of X-irradiation. 6 types of spermatocytes were recorded. Our observations appear to confirm that the acrocentricX of the mouse associates end-to-end with theY at its centromeric end.     

Cytogenetics of South American akodont rodents (Cricetidae). V. Segregation of chromosome No. 1 polymorphism inAkodon molinae

Summary Akodon molinae is polymorphic with 2n=42, 43, 44, where the metacentric autosome No. 1 is homologous to 2 acrocentrics 1a and 1b. Matings between 2n=43 heterozygotes 1/1a, 1b gave a surplus of 1/1 offspring, a moderate reduction of heterozygous and a strong reduction of homozygous 1a, 1b/1a, 1b offspring. The latter type also has a highly reduced fertility.This work was supported by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, the Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires and the Organización de Estados Americanos.     

Chromosomal investigation ofCtenopharyngodon idella x Aristichthys nobilis hybrids

Summary Diploid, triploid, and gynogenetic offspring resulted from hybridizing femaleCtenopharyngodon idella with maleAristichthys nobilis.This research was supported in part by a contract with the Coachella Valley Water District, Coachella, California.     

Critical period for induction of congenital hydrocephalus and dysplasia of subcommissural organ by prenatal X-irradiation in rats

A single whole-body X-irradiation of pregnant Wistar rats at a dose of 1.05 Gy at 10.30, 12.30 and 14.30 h respectively, of gestational day 10 resulted in significantly high incidences of hydrocephalic offspring. No hydrocephalic offspring resulted from X-irradiation of pregnant rats with 1.05 Gy at 16.30 h, whereas a dose of 1.22 Gy at 16.30 h resulted in a low but statistically significant incidence of hydrocephalus. Neither 1.05 Gy nor 1.22 Gy X-irradiation of pregnant rats at 18.30 h resulted in any hydrocephalic offspring. Dysplasia of the subcommissural organ was noticed in all the hydrocephalic brains histologically examined.     

Critical period for induction of congenital hydrocephalus and dysplasia of subcommissural organ by prenatal X-irradiation in rats

Summary A single whole-body X-irradiation of pregnant Wistar rats at a dose of 1.05 Gy at 10.30, 12.30 and 14.30 h respectively, of gestational day 10 resulted in significantly high incidences of hydrocephalic offspring. No hydrocephalic offspring resulted from X-irradiation of pregnant rats with 1.05 Gy at 16.30 h whereas a dose of 1.22 Gy at 16.30 h resulted in a low but statistically significant incidence of hydrocephalus. Neither 1.05 Gy nor 1.22 Gy X-irradiation of pregnant rats at 18.30 h resulted in any hydrocephalic offspring. Dysplasia of the subcommissural organ was noticed in all the hydrocephalic brains histologically examined.     

Persistance of maternally derived3H-estradiol in fetal and neonatal rats

Summary Injection of³H-estradiol into pregnant rats resulted in fetal blood radioactivity 5 times higher than in maternal blood. Significant amounts of³H-estradiol were found in fetal blood 24 h later and in the offspring 5 days after birth.Supported by NIH Grant HD 08844.     

Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Botanist

It is argued that Hugo de Vries's conversion to Mendelism did not agree with his previous theoretical framework. De Vries regarded the number of offspring expressing a certain character as a hereditary quality, intrinsic to the state of the pangene involved. His was a shortlived conversion since after the ‘rediscovery’ he failed to unify his older views with Mendelism. De Vries was never very much of a Mendelian. The usual stories of the Dutch ‘rediscovery’ need, therefore, a considerable reshaping.     

Symbionts in the female tsetse flyGlossina morsitans morsitans

Summary A rickettsia-like symbiont, located in the ovaries ofG. m. morsitans is maternally transmitted to the offspring via the egg. It is suggested that they may be essential for normal ovarian development.

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Résumé Un symbionte de type rickettsien localisé dans les ovaires deG. m. morsitans est transmis maternellement par l'uf à la progéniture. Le symbionte est probablement indispensable au développement normal des ovaires.