Transcriptome Response to Different Strains.

is a maternally inherited, intercellular bacterial symbiont of insects and some other invertebrates. Here, we investigated the effect of two different strains, differing in a large chromosomal inversion, on the differential expression of genes in females. We revealed significant changes in the transcriptome of the infected flies compared to the uninfected ones, as well as in the transcriptome of flies infected with the strain, wMelPlus, compared to flies infected with the wMelCS strain.

New Genotype Increasing Heat Stress Resistance of Host Is Characterized by a Large Chromosomal Inversion.

The maternally transmitted endocellular bacteria Wolbachia is a well-known symbiont of insects, demonstrating both negative and positive effects on host fitness. The previously found Wolbachia strain wMelPlus is characterized by a positive effect on the stress-resistance of its host Drosophila melanogaster, under heat stress conditions. This investigation is dedicated to studying the genomic underpinnings of such an effect.

Easy and Effective Method for Extracting and Purifying Genomic DNA.

A number of methods for extracting the DNA of maternally inherited obligate intracellular bacteria from an insect host and its subsequent purification have been described in previous scholarship. As is present in the hosts' organisms in rather low quantities, these techniques used to be quite labor-intensive. For this paper, we analyzed them in detail, searched for a possibility to simplify and accelerate the protocol, and proposed an easy and effective method for isolating DNA from with a purity sufficient for genomic sequencing.

Fitness Analysis and Transcriptome Profiling Following Repeated Mild Heat Stress of Varying Frequency in Females.

Understanding how repeated stress affects metabolic and physiological functions in the long run is of crucial importance for evaluating anthropogenic pressure on the environment. We investigated fertility, longevity and metabolism in females exposed to short-term heat stress (38 °C, 1 h) repeated daily or weekly. Daily stress was shown to cause a significant decrease in both fertility and longevity, as well as in body mass and triglyceride (fat) content, but a significant increase in trehalose and glucose content.

female fertility and juvenile hormone metabolism depends on the type of infection.

Maternally inherited intracellular bacteria cause both parasitic and mutualistic effects on their numerous insect hosts, including manipulating the host reproductive system in order to increase the bacteria spreading in a host population, and increasing the host fitness. Here, we demonstrate that the type of infection determines the effect on egg production as a proxy for fecundity, and metabolism of juvenile hormone (JH), which acts as gonadotropin in adult insects. For this study, we used six lineages carrying the nuclear background of interbred Bi90 lineage and cytoplasmic backgrounds with or without of different genotype variants.

The impact of FOXO on dopamine and octopamine metabolism in Drosophila under normal and heat stress conditions.

The forkhead boxO transcription factor (FOXO) is a component of the insulin signalling pathway and plays a role in responding to adverse conditions, such as oxidative stress and starvation. In stressful conditions, FOXO moves from the cytosol to the nucleus where it activates gene expression programmes. Here, we show that FOXO in Drosophila melanogaster responds to heat stress as it does to other stressors.

Disruption of insulin signalling affects the neuroendocrine stress reaction in Drosophila females.

Juvenile hormone (JH) and dopamine are involved in the stress response in insects. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling pathway has also recently been found to be involved in the regulation of various processes, including stress tolerance. However, the relationships between the JH, dopamine and insulin signalling pathways remain unclear.

B chromosomes of the Podisma sapporensis Shir. (Orthoptera, Acrididae) analysed by chromosome microdissection and FISH.

The analysis of the distribution of repetitive DNA of the B chromosomes of Podisma sapporensis in the A and B chromosomes of the natural populations and in A chromosomes of three other species of the Podismini grasshoppers were made. DNA-libraries of the B chromosome and the euchromatic segment of the A chromosome of P. sapporensis were generated by meiotic chromosome microdissection followed by degenerated oligonucleotide primed polymerase chain reaction (DOP-PCR).