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Drosophila Innubila
''Drosophila innubila'' is a species of vinegar fly restricted to high-elevation woodlands in the mountains of the southern USA and Mexico, which it likely colonized during the last glacial period. ''Drosophila innubila'' is a kind of mushroom-breeding Drosophila, and member of the Drosophila quinaria species group. ''Drosophila innubila'' is best known for its association with a strain of male-killing ''Wolbachia'' bacteria. These bacteria are parasitic, as they drain resources from the host and cause half the infected female's eggs to abort. However ''Wolbachia'' may offer benefits to the fly's fitness in certain circumstances. The ''D. innubila'' genome was sequenced in 2019. Symbiosis ''Drosophila innubila'' is stably infected by a strain of male-killing ''Wolbachia'' bacteria. The association between ''Drosophila innubila'' and ''Wolbachia'' can vary greatly within local populations. However, their relationship is very consistent across the overall ''Drosophila innubila'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mushroom-breeding Drosophila
Mushroom-feeding ''Drosophila'' (mycophagous ''Drosophila'') are a subset of ''Drosophila'' flies that have highly specific mushroom-breeding ecologies. Often these flies can tolerate toxic compounds from ''Amanita'' mushrooms. Species groups * ''Drosophila testacea'' species group * ''Drosophila quinaria'' species group * ''Drosophila bizonata'' species group * Some members of the ''Drosophila obscura'' species group Sequenced genomes or transcriptomes * ''Drosophila guttifera'' * ''Drosophila neotestacea'' * ''Drosophila innubila'' * ''Drosophila falleni'' * ''Drosophila phalerata'' Gallery File: Dneo f3.tif , '' D. neotestacea'' ( Testacea species group) File: Dtestacea male 2-4.tif , '' D. testacea'' ( Testacea species group) File: Dinnubila4.tif , '' D. innubila'' (Quinaria species group) File:Dguttifera.tif, ''Drosophila guttifera'' (Quinaria species group) Dphalerata male.tif, ''Drosophila phalerata'' (Quinaria species group) File:Drosophila falleni infected wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Natural Selection
Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. Charles Darwin popularised the term "natural selection", contrasting it with selective breeding, artificial selection, which in his view is intentional, whereas natural selection is not. Genetic diversity, Variation exists within all populations of organisms. This occurs partly because random mutations arise in the genome of an individual organism, and their offspring can inherit such mutations. Throughout the lives of the individuals, their genomes interact with their environments to cause variations in traits. The environment of a genome includes the molecular biology in the Cell (biology), cell, other cells, other individuals, populations, species, as well as the abiotic environment. Because individuals with certain variants of the trait tend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Testacea Species Group
The ''Drosophila testacea'' species group belongs to the Immigrans-tripunctata radiation of the subgenus Drosophila, and contains 4 species: '' Drosophila putrida'', ''Drosophila neotestacea'', ''Drosophila testacea'', and '' Drosophila orientacea''.Grimaldi, James, and Jaenike. 1992. Systematics and Modes of Reproductive Isolation in the Holarctic Drosophila testacea Species Group (Diptera: Drosophilidae). https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/85/6/671/2759036 Testacea species are specialist mushroom-feeding flies, and can metabolize toxic compounds in ''Amanita'' mushrooms. The Testacea species group is studied for its specialist ecology, population genetics, and bacterial endosymbionts. The North American species ''Drosophila neotestacea'' is perhaps the best-studied of the group for its interactions with parasitic wasps and nematodes, bacterial endosymbionts, and trypanosomatid parasites. Of note, selfish X chromosomes (a form of meiotic drive) have been discovered in three o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudogene
Pseudogenes are nonfunctional segments of DNA that resemble functional genes. Most arise as superfluous copies of functional genes, either directly by DNA duplication or indirectly by Reverse transcriptase, reverse transcription of an mRNA transcript. Pseudogenes are usually identified when genome sequence analysis finds gene-like sequences that lack regulatory sequences needed for Transcription (biology), transcription or Translation (biology), translation, or whose coding sequences are obviously defective due to Frameshift mutation, frameshifts or premature stop codons. Most non-bacterial genomes contain many pseudogenes, often as many as functional genes. This is not surprising, since various biological processes are expected to accidentally create pseudogenes, and there are no specialized mechanisms to remove them from genomes. Eventually pseudogenes may be deleted from their genomes by chance DNA replication or DNA repair errors, or they may accumulate so many mutational cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diptericin
Diptericin is a 9 kDa antimicrobial peptide (AMP) of flies first isolated from the blowfly ''Phormia terranova''. It is primarily active against Gram-negative bacteria, disrupting bacterial membrane integrity. The structure of this protein includes a proline-rich domain with similarities to the AMPs drosocin, pyrrhocoricin, and abaecin, and a glycine-rich domain with similarity to attacin. Diptericin is an iconic readout of immune system activity in flies, used ubiquitously in studies of ''Drosophila'' immunity. Diptericin is named after the insect order Diptera. Structure and function Diptericins are found throughout Diptera, but are most extensively characterized in ''Drosophila'' fruit flies. The mature structures of diptericins are unknown, though previous efforts to synthesize Diptericin have suggested Diptericin in ''Protophormia terraenovae'' is one linear peptide. Yet ''Drosophila melanogaster's'' Diptericin B peptide is likely cleaved into two separate peptides. Synt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Neotestacea
''Drosophila neotestacea'' is a member of the ''testacea'' species group of ''Drosophila''. Testacea species are specialist fruit flies that breed on the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. These flies will choose to breed on psychoactive mushrooms such as the Fly Agaric '' Amanita muscaria''. ''Drosophila neotestacea'' can be found in temperate regions of North America, ranging from the north eastern United States to western Canada. Immunity ''Drosophila neotestacea'' and other mushroom-breeding Drosophila have been studied extensively for their interactions with '' Howardula'' nematode parasites, particularly ''Howardula aoronymphium''. Unlike related species, ''D. neotestacea'' is sterilized by ''H. aoronymphium'' infection. The genetic basis of this susceptibility is unknown, and is nematode-dependent. For instance, a related ''Howardula'' species from Japan does not sterilize ''D. neotestacea'', even though the European and North American ''Howardula'' species do. Moreover, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Guttifera
''Drosophila guttifera'' is a species of vinegar fly in the Drosophila quinaria species group. Like many quinaria group species, ''D. guttifera'' feeds on rotting mushrooms. In 2015, the genome of ''Drosophila guttifera'' was sequenced by the laboratory of Sean B. Carroll providing an answer on how different wing patterns emerge in this species, relying on genetic switches called enhancers that drive the polka-dot pattern on the wings of ''D. guttifera''. These enhancers are cis-regulatory elements ''Cis''-regulatory elements (CREs) or ''Cis''-regulatory modules (CRMs) are regions of non-coding DNA which regulate the transcription of neighboring genes. CREs are vital components of genetic regulatory networks, which in turn control morphogen ..., which can promote new wing patterns by modifying gene expression, rather than the actual protein being expressed. Further reading * Description of background on ''D. guttifera'' use in genetic studies in the Drosophila quinaria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kallithea Virus
Kallithea (Greek: Καλλιθέα, meaning "beautiful view") is a district of Athens and a municipality in south Athens regional unit. It is the eighth largest municipality in Greece (96,118 inhabitants, 2021 census) and the fourth biggest in the Athens urban area (following municipalities of Athens, Piraeus and Peristeri). Additionally, it is the 2nd most densely populated municipality in Greece and one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with . The municipality has an area of . Location The center of Kallithea (Davaki Square) lies at a distance of to the south of the Athens city center (Syntagma Square) and to the north-east of the Piraeus (photo 1). Kallithea extends from the Filopappou and Sikelia hills in the north to Phaleron Bay in the south; its two other sides consist of Syngrou Avenue to the east (border to the towns of Nea Smyrni and Palaio Faliro), and the Ilisos River to the west (border to the towns of Tavros and Moschato) (photo 2). The site ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Melanogaster
''Drosophila melanogaster'' is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is often referred to as the fruit fly or lesser fruit fly, or less commonly the "vinegar fly" or "pomace fly". Starting with Charles W. Woodworth's 1901 proposal of the use of this species as a model organism, ''D. melanogaster'' continues to be widely used for biological research in genetics, physiology, microbial pathogenesis, and life history evolution. As of 2017, five Nobel Prizes have been awarded to drosophilists for their work using the insect. ''D. melanogaster'' is typically used in research owing to its rapid life cycle, relatively simple genetics with only four pairs of chromosomes, and large number of offspring per generation. It was originally an African species, with all non-African lineages having a common origin. Its geographic range includes all continents, including islands. ''D. melanogaster'' is a common pest in homes, restaurants, and othe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Quinaria Species Group
The ''Drosophila quinaria'' species group is a speciose lineage of mushroom-feeding flies studied for their specialist ecology, their parasites, population genetics, and the evolution of immune systems. Quinaria species are part of the Drosophila subgenus. Mushroom-feeding ecology Quinaria group species are commonly found on wild mushrooms, and can metabolize toxic compounds in ''Amanita'' mushrooms, such as ibotenic acid and alpha-amanitin. Mushroom sites also host a number of natural enemies. For instance, as a consequence of their mushroom-feeding ecology, Quinaria species are frequently infected by nematodes of the genus '' Howardula''. Some Quinaria species are more or less susceptible to nematode parasitization, though the immunological reasons remain unclear. One possibility to explain this variance is differences in defensive bacterial symbionts. However another could be natural resource use, as most eukaryotes are unable to withstand the toxins in ''Amanita'' mushroo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MicroRNA
MicroRNA (miRNA) are small, single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules containing 21 to 23 nucleotides. Found in plants, animals and some viruses, miRNAs are involved in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miRNAs base-pair to complementary sequences in mRNA molecules, then gene silence said mRNA molecules by one or more of the following processes: (1) cleavage of mRNA strand into two pieces, (2) destabilization of mRNA by shortening its poly(A) tail, or (3) translation of mRNA into proteins. This last method of gene silencing is the least efficient of the three, and requires the aid of ribosomes. miRNAs resemble the small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, except miRNAs derive from regions of RNA transcripts that fold back on themselves to form short hairpins, whereas siRNAs derive from longer regions of double-stranded RNA. The human genome may encode over 1900 miRNAs, although more recent analysis suggests that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nudivirus
Nudiviruses are a family of animal viruses that constitute the family ''Nudiviridae''. Insects and marine crustaceans serve as natural hosts. There are 11 species in this family, assigned to 4 genera. Diseases associated with this family include: death in larvae, chronic disease in adults. Structure and life cycle Nudiviruses are characterized by rod-shaped and enveloped nucleocapsids and they replicate in the nucleus of infected host cells. In some parasitoid wasp species, a nudivirus genome, in proviral form, is integrated into the wasp genome and produces virus like particles called polydnaviruses that are injected into lepidopteran larvae and are thought to facilitate parasitization of the larvae. Nudiviruses infect only insects and marine crustaceans. Transmission of nudiviruses occurs generally by feeding or mating. Infections can be lethal for the larvae and can possibly reduce the fitness of the host by reducing offspring production and survival among adults.Unckless RL ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
