Neurotoxic pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, negatively affect the cognitive capacity and fitness of non-target species, and could also modify interspecific interactions. We tested whether sublethal contamination with neonicotinoid could affect foraging, colony fitness and the outcome of behavioural interactions between a native (Monomorium antarcticum) and an invasive ant species (Linepithem...

Recently, crystallization of the prion protein in a dimeric form was reported. Here we show that native soluble homogeneous FLAG-tagged prion proteins from hamster, man and cattle expressed in the baculovirus system are predominantly dimeric. The PrP/PrP interaction was confirmed in Semliki Forest virus-RNA transfected BHK cells co-expressing FLAG- and oligohistidine-tagged human PrP. The yeast...

The purine and polyamine metabolic enzyme methylthioadenosine (MeSAdo) phosphorylase is abundant in normal cells and tissues but is lacking from many human and murine malignant cell lines and from cells of some human leukemias in vivo. To explore the genetic control of MeSAdo phosphorylase expression, we measured levels of the enzyme in somatic cell hybrids prepared by fusing MeSAdo phosphoryla...

The natural occurrence of live hybrid offsprings between sheep and goats has been documented in literature, however all the studies have reported the mating of goats with rams, whereas the reciprocal cross was never documented. This study reports on a very rare case of interspecies hybridization occurred between a ewe (2n = 54, XX) and a buck (2n = 60, XY). The hybrid, born in a German flock un...

In most crosses between closely related species of Drosophila, the male hybrids are sterile and show postmeiotic abnormalities. A series of gene expression studies using genomic approaches have found significant down regulation of postmeiotic spermatogenesis genes in sterile male hybrids. These results have led some to suggest a direct relationship between down regulation in gene expression and...

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a destructive pest of many species of both C3 and C4 (cooland warm-season) turfgrass. No-choice experiments were conducted to evaluate 13 turfgrass genotypes of various Poa spp. for susceptibility or resistance to the fall armyworm. All 13 genotypes, including 8 Texas bluegrass ( Poa arachnifera Torr.), 2 Kentuck...