Life-history traits are used as proxies of fitness in insects including Drosophila. Egg size is an adaptive and ecologically important trait potentially with genetic variation across different populations. However, the low throughput of manual measurement of egg size has hampered the widespread use of this trait in evolutionary biology and population genetics. We established a method for accurate and high throughput measurement of Drosophila egg size using large particle flow cytometry (LPFC). The size estimates using LPFC are accurate and highly correlated with the manual measurements. The measurement of egg size is high throughput (average of 214 eggs measured per minute) and viable eggs of a specific size can be sorted rapidly (average of 70 eggs per minute). Sorting by LPFC does not reduce the survival of eggs making it a suitable approach for sorting eggs for downstream analyses. This protocol can be applied to any organism within the detectable size range (10-1500 µm) of the large particle flow cytometers. We discuss the potential applications of this method and provide recommendations for optimizing the protocol for other organisms.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30472-8 | DOI Listing |
J Hazard Mater
January 2025
Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs), widely distributed in the environment, can be ingested and accumulated by various organisms. Recently, the transgenerational transport of MNPs from parental organisms to their offspring has attracted increasing attention. In this review, we summarize the patterns, specific pathways, and related mechanisms of intergenerational transfer of MNPs in plants, non-mammals (zooplankton and fish) and mammals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Biol Sci
January 2025
Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
To forecast how fast populations can adapt to climate change, it is essential to determine the evolutionary potential of different life-cycle stages under selection. In birds, timing of gonadal development and moult are primarily regulated by photoperiod, while laying date is highly phenotypically plastic to temperature. We tested whether geographic variation in phenology of these life-cycle events between populations of great tits () has a genetic basis, indicating that contemporary genetic adaptation is possible.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExp Appl Acarol
January 2025
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Road, Auckland, 1072, New Zealand.
The balance between mating benefits and costs shapes reproductive strategies and life history traits across animal species. For biological control programs, understanding how mating rates influence life history traits is essential for optimising population management and enhancing predator efficacy. This study investigates the impact of mating opportunity availability, delayed mating, and male mating history (copulation frequency) on the lifespan (both sexes), female reproductive traits (duration of oviposition and of pre- and post-oviposition periods, and lifetime oviposition), and offspring quality (egg size and offspring survival) of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae), an important biological control agent against spider mites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Forestry Biosecurity, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China; Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China. Electronic address:
The β-tubulin gene is essential for reproductive development, especially for male fertility, in different insects including Bombyx mori and Drosophila melanogaster. Targeting reproductive genes such as β-tubulin offers a promising approach to pest control that is more sustainable than chemical pesticides. However, there is limited research on the functional role of β-tubulin in Plutella xylostella, a highly damaging pest of vegetable crops.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
Artificial fish nests are common tools in fisheries management, providing spawning grounds to enhance the size and diversity of fish populations. This study aimed to explore the effects of deployment locations on the reproductive efficiency and preferences of fish with adhesive and demersal eggs using artificial nests. Floating artificial nests were deployed in three regions (upstream, midstream, and downstream) of a reservoir in Zhejiang, China, at locations with three topographical types: steep slope (reservoir shore, slopes > 60°), gentle slope (reservoir shore, slopes < 30°), and confluence (middle thread of channel).
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