The problem of invasive species is a well-studied one, but knowledge of free-living unicellular eukaryotic invasive species is lacking. A potentially invasive foraminifer (Rhizaria), Nonionella sp. T1, was recently discovered in the Skagerrak and its fjords. Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) was applied to track the spread of this non-indigenous species using a new dPCR assay (T1-1). The use of dPCR appears highly complementary to traditional hand picking of foraminiferal shells from the sediment, and is far less time-consuming. This study indicates that Nonionella sp. T1 has bypassed the outer Skagerrak strait, instead becoming established in Swedish west coast fjords, constituting up to half of the living foraminiferal community in fjord mouth areas. The ecology of Nonionella sp. T1 and its potential invasive impacts are still largely unknown, but it appears to be an opportunist using several energy sources such as nitrate respiration and kleptoplasty along with a possibly more efficient reproductive strategy to gain an advantage over the native foraminiferal species. Future ecological studies of Nonionella sp. T1 could be aided by dPCR and the novel Nonionella sp. T1-specific T1-1 assay.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16458 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
The harlequin ladybird, , is a predatory beetle used globally to control pests such as aphids and scale insects. Originating from East Asia, this species has become highly invasive since its introduction in the late 19th century to Europe and North America, posing a threat to local biodiversity. Intraguild predation is hypothesized to drive the success of this invasive species, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hist Biol
January 2025
Department of the History and Sociology of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
This paper explores the control of visiting "foreign scientists" at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) after it was established in the Galápagos Islands in 1959. Scholarly accounts of the creation of the Galápagos National Park and of the field station have emphasized their place in an international "land grab," as leading scientists and conservationists sought to control nature in places around the world that seemed less "civilized" to European thinkers. The actual administrative labor in the early years at this scientific field station, however, in practice struggled to control people widely taken to represent "civilization" in its highest form-European and American scientists.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Environ Microbiol
January 2025
Legume Rhizobium Sciences, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
Unlabelled: Rhizobia are soil bacteria capable of establishing symbiosis within legume root nodules, where they reduce atmospheric N into ammonia and supply it to the plant for growth. Australian soils often lack rhizobia compatible with introduced agricultural legumes, so inoculation with exotic strains has become a common practice for over 50 years. While extensive research has assessed the N-fixing capabilities of these inoculants, their genomics, taxonomy, and core and accessory gene phylogeny are poorly characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Environ Microbiol
January 2025
Tohoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Forest Research and Management Organization, Morioka, Japan.
Unlabelled: , a white-colored truffle that is endemic to Japan, is promising for culinary purposes due to its unique aroma. We were able to cultivate in plantations of inoculated seedlings for the first time. Ascocarps were found after 43 months at one site and after 61 months at another.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimacteric
January 2025
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China.
Objective: For patients with contraindications to hormone therapy, the absence of effective treatments for ovarian dysfunction post chemotherapy represents a critical issue requiring resolution. Local administration of mitochondria may enhance ovarian function in premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) by ameliorating diminished mitochondrial activity. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of literature on the efficacy of mitochondrial transplantation through intravenous injection, a less invasive and more convenient method than local injection, for the improvement of ovarian function in POI following chemotherapy.
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