A new insight to characterize immunomodulation based on hepatopancreatic transcriptome and humoral immune factor analysis of the Cherax quadricarinatus infected with Aeromonas veronii.

Cherax quadricarinatus is a type of large freshwater crayfish that is characterized by rapid growth and formidable adaptability. It has also been widely cultured and studied as a model organism. Aeromonas veronii is the dominant pathogen in aquatic environments and the primary threat to aquaculture's economic stability. To better understand the interactions between C. quadricarinatus and A. veronii, high-throughput RNA sequencing of the C. quadricarinatus hepatopancreas was carried out on a control group, susceptible group (6 h after infection), and resistant group (48 h after infection). A total of 65,850,929 genes were obtained. Compared with the control group, 2616 genes were up-regulated and 1551 genes were down-regulated in the susceptible group; while 1488 genes were up-regulated and 1712 genes were down-regulated in the resistant group. GO and KEGG analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with multiple immune pathways, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), antigen processing and presentation, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, phagosome, lysosome, JAK-STAT signaling pathway. qRT-PCR showed that infection by A. veronii changed the expression pattern of the serine proteinase inhibitor (SPI), crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH), anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALF), and extracellular copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), all of which were significantly higher than in the control group up to 48 h after infection. In addition, detection of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), lysozyme (LZM), and phenoloxidase (PO) activity, as well as ceruloplasmin (CP) concentration at different times after infection showed diverse trends. Furthermore, pathological sections obtained 24 h after infection show lesions on the hepatopancreas and intestinal tissues caused by A. veronii. The results of this study provide a foundation for analyzing the immune mechanism of C. quadricarinatus infected with A. veronii at the transcriptional level and a theoretical basis for screening disease-resistant individuals to ensure healthy economic development of the aquatic industry.

Perceived socio-economic impacts of the marbled crayfish invasion in Madagascar.

The negative environmental and economic impacts of many invasive species are well known. However, given the increased homogenization of global biota, and the difficulty of eradicating species once established, a balanced approach to considering the impacts of invasive species is needed. The marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) is a parthenogenetic freshwater crayfish that was first observed in Madagascar around 2005 and has spread rapidly. We present the results of a socio-economic survey (n = 385) in three regions of Madagascar that vary in terms of when the marbled crayfish first arrived. Respondents generally considered marbled crayfish to have a negative impact on rice agriculture and fishing, however the animals were seen as making a positive contribution to household economy and food security. Regression modeling showed that respondents in regions with longer experience of marbled crayfish have more positive perceptions. Unsurprisingly, considering the perception that crayfish negatively impact rice agriculture, those not involved in crayfish harvesting and trading had more negative views towards the crayfish than those involved in crayfish-related activities. Food preference ranking and market surveys revealed the acceptance of marbled crayfish as a cheap source of animal protein; a clear positive in a country with widespread malnutrition. While data on biodiversity impacts of the marbled crayfish invasion in Madagascar are still completely lacking, this study provides insight into the socio-economic impacts of the dramatic spread of this unique invasive species. "Biby kely tsy fantam-piaviana, mahavelona fianakaviana" (a small animal coming from who knows where which supports the needs of the family). Government worker Analamanga, Madagascar.

Integrated assessment of biological invasions.

As the main witnesses of the ecological and economic impacts of invasions on ecosystems around the world, ecologists seek to provide the relevant science that informs managers about the potential for invasion of specific organisms in their region(s) of interest. Yet, the assorted literature that could inform such forecasts is rarely integrated to do so, and further, the diverse nature of the data available complicates synthesis and quantitative prediction. Here we present a set of analytical tools for synthesizing different levels of distributional and/or demographic data to produce meaningful assessments of invasion potential that can guide management at multiple phases of ongoing invasions, from dispersal to colonization to proliferation. We illustrate the utility of data-synthesis and data-model assimilation approaches with case studies of three well-known invasive species--a vine, a marine mussel, and a freshwater crayfish--under current and projected future climatic conditions. Results from the integrated assessments reflect the complexity of the invasion process and show that the most relevant climatic variables can have contrasting effects or operate at different intensities across habitat types. As a consequence, for two of the study species climate trends will increase the likelihood of invasion in some habitats and decrease it in others. Our results identified and quantified both bottlenecks and windows of opportunity for invasion, mainly related to the role of human uses of the landscape or to disruption of the flow of resources. The approach we describe has a high potential to enhance model realism, explanatory insight, and predictive capability, generating information that can inform management decisions and optimize phase-specific prevention and control efforts for a wide range of biological invasions.

Social control of unreliable signals of strength in male but not female crayfish, Cherax destructor.

The maintenance of unreliable signals within animal populations remains a highly controversial subject in studies of animal communication. Crustaceans are an ideal group for studying unreliable signals of strength because their chela muscles are cryptically concealed beneath an exoskeleton, making it difficult for competitors to visually assess an opponent's strength. In this study, we examined the importance of social avenues for mediating the possible advantages gained by unreliable signals of strength in crustaceans. To do this, we investigated the factors that determine social dominance and the relative importance of signalling and fighting during aggressive encounters in male and female freshwater crayfish, Cherax destructor. Like other species of crayfish, we expected substantial variation in weapon force for a given weapon size, making the assessment of actual fighting ability of an opponent difficult from signalling alone. In addition, we expected fighting would be used to ensure that individuals that are weak for their signal (i.e. chela) size would not achieve higher than expected dominance. For both male and female C. destructor, we found large variation in the actual force of their chela for any given weapon size, indicating that it is difficult for competitors to accurately assess an opponent's force on signal size alone. For males, these unreliable signals of strength were controlled socially through increased levels of fighting and a decreased reliance on signalling, thus directly limiting the benefits accrued to individuals employing high-quality signals (large chelae) with only low resource holding potential. However, in contrast to our predictions, we found that females primarily relied on signalling to settle disputes, resulting in unreliable signals of strength being routinely used to establish dominance. The reliance by females on unreliable signals to determine dominance highlights our poor current understanding of the prevalence and distribution of dishonesty in animal communication.

Costs and benefits of increased weapon size differ between sexes of the slender crayfish, Cherax dispar.

Unreliable signals of weapon strength are considered to be problematic for signalling theory and reliable signals are predicted to be the dominant form of signalling among conspecifics in nature. Previous studies have shown that males of the Australian freshwater crayfish (Cherax dispar) routinely use unreliable signals of strength whereas females use reliable signals of weapon strength. In this study, we examined the performance benefits of increased weapon (chela) size for both males and females of C. dispar. In addition, we investigated the possibility of functional trade-offs in weapon size by assessing the relationship between chela size and maximum escape swimming performance. We found males possessed larger and stronger chelae than females and the variance in chela force was greater for males than females. By contrast, females possessed greater absolute and body length-specific escape swimming speeds than males. Swimming speed was also negatively correlated with chela size for males but not females, suggesting that a functional trade-off exists for males only. Decreases in swimming speed with increases in weapon size suggest there could be important fitness costs associated with larger chelae. Larger weaponry of males may then act as a handicap ensuring large chelae are reliable signals of quality.

Preparation and biological assessment of hydroxycinnamic acid amides of polyamines.

Many plants contain hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates of polyamines that are remarkably similar in general structure to the acylated polyamines found in spider and wasp toxins. In an effort to determine whether these compounds might play a role in the chemical defense of plants against arthropod pests we synthesized a variety of analogues of the coumaric (4-hydroxycinnamic) acid conjugates of di-, tri-, and tetraamines using common protection and acylation strategies. N(1)- and N(8)-coumaroyl spermidine were tested in feeding trials with insect larvae including the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), the tobacco budworm (Heliothis verescens) and the oblique banded leaf roller (Choristoneura rosaceana). Antifeedant assays with the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae were also performed. Neither the naturally occurring coumaric acid conjugates of polyamines nor their analogues showed notable toxicity towards insects, despite precautions to maintain these easily oxidized materials in the wet diet. However, more direct bioassays of these compounds on glutamate dependent neuroreceptors including the deep abdominal extensor muscles of crayfish, or mammalian NMDA, delta2, and AMPA receptors, clearly showed that these compounds were inhibitory. N(1)-Coumaoryl spermine, a dodecyl and a cyclohexyl analogue were especially active at NMDA NR1/NR2B receptors. The latter had an IC(50) of 300 microM in the crayfish. N(1)-Coumaroyl spermine had an IC(50) in the crayfish preparation of 70-300 microM and against the mammalian NR1/NR2B receptor of 38 nM. Structure-activity variations show similar trends of length and hydrophobicity as has been seen previously with analogues of spider toxins. We conclude from this work that while the coumaric acid polyamine conjugates are active when directly applied to neuroreceptors, they show no overt toxicity when ingested by insect larvae.

Genetic parentage assessment in the crayfish Orconectes placidus, a high-fecundity invertebrate with extended maternal brood care.

Microsatellite data have recently been introduced in the context of genetic maternity and paternity assignments in high-fecundity fish species with single-parent-tended broods. Here we extend such analyses to an aquatic invertebrate, the crayfish Orconectes placidus, in which gravid females carry large numbers of offspring. Genetic parentage analyses of more than 900 progeny from 15 wild crayfish broods revealed that gravid females were invariably the exclusive dams of the offspring they tended (i.e. there was no allomaternal care), and that most of the females had mated with multiple (usually two) males who contributed sometimes highly skewed numbers of offspring to a brood. Within any multiply sired brood, the unhatched eggs (or the hatched juveniles) from different fathers were randomly distributed across the mother's brood space. All of these genetic findings are discussed in the light of observations on the mating behaviours and reproductive biology of crayfish.

Assessment of natural and artificial propagation of the white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes species complex) in the Alpine region with nuclear and mitochondrial markers.

In a joint analysis of nuclear (allozyme) and mitochondrial markers (sequence and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the 12S and 16S genes), five genetically distinct groups of the Austropotamobius pallipes Lereboullet species complex were detected in the Alpine region. The geographical distribution of these evolutionary lineages coincided largely with several taxa (A.p. pallipes, A. berndhauseri, A.(p.) italicus) formerly defined on the basis of morphological characters. A low level of genetic variability was found within these lineages. For some populations, the combination of the two markers gave additional information about the likelihood of their natural or artificial origin. A hybrid zone was detected between A.p. pallipes and A. berndhauseri in the Lake Geneva area. The mosaic distribution of the five evolutionary lineages indicated that conservation efforts should be aimed at the level of local populations.

Two classes of vesicles are present and change in relative proportion during post-embryonic development of rectifying electrical synapses in the crayfish.

The size and shape of vesicles at junctional appositions of the rectifying electrical synapses between the medial giant fibre and motor giant neurone of the crayfish were measured during the first 2 months after hatching. Summed data over this period reveal a bimodal distribution in vesicle diameter. From the day of hatching until about 7 days of age, small vesicles (circa 25 nm diameter) predominate. From day 7 onwards, larger vesicles (circa 55 nm diameter) occur in increasing numbers, until at day 56 they constitute about 85% of the population at any one junctional apposition. At intermediate ages (day 7-28) individual junctional appositions may show the same bimodal distribution in size as does the age group as a whole, indicating that large and small vesicles occur together at the same junction. The larger vesicles are mainly circular, while the small vesicles are pleomorphic, with shapes ranging from almost circular down to a shape factor of about 0.6.