Egg-Laying Behavior of Ants Is Influenced More Strongly by Temperature Than Daylength.

Temperature and photoperiod are the two most important factors that affect all aspects of animal life. We conducted two experiments to examine the effect of temperature and photoperiod on egg laying and development in the desert ant . In the first experiment, we examined the effect of decreasing temperatures and shortening daylength on egg-laying behavior.

Recombinant yeast as a functional tool for understanding bitterness and cucurbitacin biosynthesis in watermelon (Citrullus spp.).

Cucurbitacins are a group of bitter-tasting oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenes that are produced in the family Cucurbitaceae and other plant families. The natural roles of cucurbitacins in plants are probably related to defence against pathogens and pests. Cucurbitadienol, a triterpene synthesized from oxidosqualene, is the first committed precursor to cucurbitacins produced by a specialized oxidosqualene cyclase termed cucurbitadienol synthase.