GREGARINA LUTESCENS N. SP. INFECTING THE HARLEQUIN LADYBIRD HARMONIA AXYRIDIS (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE).

Gregarina lutescens n. sp. is described from the alimentary canal of the harlequin ladybird or multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) collected from prairie fleabane, Erigeron strigosus, at Peru State College, Peru, Nemaha Co.

REVISION OF CORONOEPIMERITUS WITH DESCRIPTION OF CORONOEPIMERITUS OTOENSIS N. SP. INFECTING THE ADMIRABLE GRASSHOPPER SYRBULA ADMIRABILIS (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE).

Herein, we reaffirm the validity of Coronoepimeritus and its junior synonym, Quadruspinospora, provide new combinations for existing species of Quadruspinospora, recognize Monospinospora n. gen. to receive Coronoepimeritus monospinus, and describe Coronoepimeritus otoensis n.

Environmental Persistence and Infectivity of Oocysts of Two Species of Gregarines, Blabericola migrator and Blabericola cubensis (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Blabericolidae), Parasitizing Blaberid Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae).

For apicomplexan parasites using an oral-fecal transmission route with significant environmental exposure, the environmental persistence and infectivity of the oocyst has a direct impact on local infection dynamics, including the ability to withstand extended periods without readily available hosts. Herein we quantify the environmental persistence and infectivity of the oocysts of 2 septate gregarine species at controlled temperature and humidity and demonstrate that they can persist over multiple generational time spans. Species of Blabericola generally complete their endogenous life cycles from oocyst to oocyst within 10 days.

VEGFA splicing: divergent isoforms regulate spermatogonial stem cell maintenance.

Despite being well-known for regulating angiogenesis in both normal and tumorigenic environments, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) has been recently implicated in male fertility, namely in the maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells (SSC). The VEGFA gene can be spliced into multiple distinct isoforms that are either angiogenic or antiangiogenic in nature. Although studies have demonstrated the alternative splicing of VEGFA, including the divergent roles of the two isoform family types, many investigations do not differentiate between them.

Effects of Developmental Temperature on Gametocysts and Oocysts of Two Species of Gregarines Blabericola migrator and Blabericola cubensis (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Blabericolidae) Parasitizing Blaberid Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae).

Abiotic environmental conditions, especially temperature and humidity, have profound effects on the growth and development of gregarines, but these effects remain largely undocumented. Quantifying the effects of environmental conditions on the growth and development of exogenous gregarine ontogenetic stages is an important first step in understanding the transmission, population dynamics, and environmental persistence of gregarine infection. In this study, we examined the effect of 6 environmental temperatures (10, 18, 22, 27, 35, and 40 C) at constant humidity (0 mmHg vapor pressure deficit) on gametocyst development and oocyst viability in 2 gregarine species: Blabericola migrator and Blabericola cubensis parasitizing the Tiger-striped Hissing Cockroach, Princisia vanwaerebecki, and the Discoid Cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis, respectively.

Loss of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) isoforms in granulosa cells using pDmrt-1-Cre or Amhr2-Cre reduces fertility by arresting follicular development and by reducing litter size in female mice.

Because VEGFA has been implicated in follicle development, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of granulosa- and germ cell-specific VEGFA loss on ovarian morphogenesis, function, and female fertility. pDmrt1-Cre mice were mated to floxed VEGFA mice to develop granulosa-/germ cell-specific knockouts (pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa-/-). The time from mating to first parturition was increased when pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa-/- females were mated to control males (P = 0.

Loss of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) isoforms in the testes of male mice causes subfertility, reduces sperm numbers, and alters expression of genes that regulate undifferentiated spermatogonia.

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) isoform treatment has been demonstrated to alter spermatogonial stem cell homeostasis. Therefore, we generated pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa(-/-) (knockout, KO) mice by crossing pDmrt1-Cre mice to floxed Vegfa mice to test whether loss of all VEGFA isoforms in Sertoli and germ cells would impair spermatogenesis. When first mated, KO males took 14 days longer to get control females pregnant (P < .

Protomagalhaensia richardsoni n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Blabericolidae): a new gregarine parasitizing the giant lobster cockroach, Henschoutedenia flexivitta (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae).

Protomagalhaensia richardsoni n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Blabericolidae) is described from the giant lobster cockroach, Henschoutedenia flexivitta (Dictyoptera: Blattaria: Blaberidae: Oxyhaloinae: Nauphoetini).

Excystation signals do not isolate gregarine gene pools: experimental excystation of Blabericola migrator among 11 species of cockroaches.

An experimental excystation assay was used to test the potential species isolating effects of excystation signaling among gregarines. Oocysts of a single gregarine species, Blabericola migrator , were tested for activation, excystation, and sporozoite motility by using intestinal extracts from 11 species of cockroaches representing a cohesive phylogeny of 7 genera, 3 subfamilies, and 2 families of Blattodea. Sporozoite activation, excystation, and motility were observed for all excystation assay replications using intestinal fluid from blaberid hosts, but delayed activation or excystation was observed for all assay replications using intestinal fluid from hosts in the family Blattidae.

KDR-LacZ-expressing cells are involved in ovarian and testis-specific vascular development, suggesting a role for VEGFA in the regulation of this vasculature.

Our objectives were to evaluate kinase insert domain protein receptor (KDR)-β-galactosidase (LacZ) expression as a marker for vascular development during gonadal morphogenesis and to determine whether any novel non-angiogenic KDR-LacZ expression was present in mouse testes or ovaries. Gonads were collected from mice expressing LacZ driven by the Kdr promoter (KDR-LacZ) from embryonic day 11 (E11) through postnatal day 60 (P60). At E11.

Neutralization of vascular endothelial growth factor antiangiogenic isoforms or administration of proangiogenic isoforms stimulates vascular development in the rat testis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) plays a role in both angiogenesis and seminiferous cord formation, and alternative splicing of the Vegfa gene produces both proangiogenic isoforms and antiangiogenic isoforms (B-isoforms). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the expression of pro- and antiangiogenic isoforms during testis development and to determine the role of VEGFA isoforms in testis morphogenesis. Quantitative RT-PCR determined that Vegfa_165b mRNA was most abundant between embryonic days 13.

Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signal transduction blocks follicle progression but does not necessarily disrupt vascular development in perinatal rat ovaries.

We hypothesized that vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) angiogenic isoforms and their receptors, FLT1 and KDR, regulate follicular progression in the perinatal rat ovary. Each VEGFA angiogenic isoform has unique functions (based on its exons) that affect diffusibility, cell migration, branching, and development of large vessels. The Vegfa angiogenic isoforms (Vegfa_120, Vegfa_164, and Vegfa_188) were detected in developing rat ovaries, and quantitative RT-PCR determined that Vegfa_120 and Vegfa_164 mRNA was more abundant after birth, while Vegfa_188 mRNA was highest at Embryonic Day 16.

Neutralization of vascular endothelial growth factor antiangiogenic isoforms is more effective than treatment with proangiogenic isoforms in stimulating vascular development and follicle progression in the perinatal rat ovary.

Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) signal transduction arrests vascular and follicle development. Because antiangiogenic VEGFA isoforms are proposed to block proangiogenic VEGFA isoforms from binding to their receptors, we hypothesized that proangiogenic isoforms promote and antiangiogenic isoforms inhibit these processes. The antiangiogenic isoforms Vegfa_165b and Vegfa_189b were amplified and sequenced from rat ovaries.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and kinase domain region receptor are involved in both seminiferous cord formation and vascular development during testis morphogenesis in the rat.

Morphological male sex determination is dependent on migration of endothelial and preperitubular cells from the adjacent mesonephros into the developing testis. Our hypothesis is that VEGFA and its receptor KDR are necessary for both testicular cord formation and neovascularization. The Vegfa gene has 8 exons with many splice variants.