Octopamine receptor gene influences social grouping in the masked birch caterpillar

Objective

Group-living plays a key role in the success of many insects, but the mechanisms underlying group formation and maintenance are poorly understood. Here we use the masked birch caterpillar, Drepana arcuata, to explore genetic influences on social grouping. These larvae predictably transition from living in social groups to living solitarily during the 3rd instar of development. Our previous study showed a notable shift in the D. arcuata transcriptome that correlates with the transition from grouping to solitary behavior. We noted that one differentially regulated gene, octopamine receptor gene (DaOAR), is a prominent ‘social’ gene in other insect species, prompting us to test the hypothesis that DaOAR influences grouping behavior in D. arcuata. This was done using RNA interference (RNAi) methods by feeding second instar larvae synthetic dsRNAs.

Results

RT–qPCR analysis confirmed a significant reduction in DaOAR transcript abundance in dsRNA-fed larvae compared to controls. Behavioral trials showed that caterpillars with reduced transcript abundance of DaOAR remained solitary throughout the observation period compared to controls. These results provide evidence that regulation of the octopamine receptor gene influences social grouping in D. arcuata, and that specifically, a decrease in octopamine receptor expression triggers the larval transition from social to solitary.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13104-022-06102-3.

Seroprevalence of anti-streptolysin O antibodies and its clinical correlates in patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital of southern Haryana: A five year retrospective study

Background: Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus, in addition to sore throat is responsible for certain non-suppurative diseases, such as acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, which occur weeks after the acute infectious process. Anti-streptolysin-O (ASO) titer determination is one of important test sought by clinician. ASO has been shown to vary with age, geographical location, season, and site of infection. Aims and Objectives: To determine the seroprevalence of ASO antibodies and its clinical correlates in a tertiary healthcare facility of Southern Haryana. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was done on 453 samples received in the Department of Microbiology, Shaheed Hassan Khan Mewati Government Medical College, Nuh, Haryana, on the blood samples received for the detection of ASO, over a period of 5 years (November 2015–October 2020). The data was analyzed for seroprevalence pattern of ASO and association of the same with clinical symptoms. Results: The seroprevalence of ASO antibodies in the present study was found to be 11.3%. Females were more positive than males being 60.8% and 39.2%, respectively. The most common age group involved was 11–20 years. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of ASO antibodies in the present study was found to be 11.3%. Females showed more positivity compared to males. ASO positivity was seen more in the 11–20 years of the age group which could be due to the development of more competent immune system by this age. Arthralgia, fever, carditis, and sore throat were the common clinical presentations. The ASO test is an important investigation being easy to perform even in rural settings providing crucial clue for the diagnosis of post-streptococcal sequelae.

Draft genome assembly and annotation of the masked birch caterpillar, Drepana arcuata (Lepidoptera: Drepanoidea)

The masked birch caterpillar, Drepana arcuata Walker (Lepidoptera: Drepanidae), and other Drepanoidea (Lepidoptera) species are excellent organisms for investigating the function and evolution of vibratory communication and sociality in caterpillars. We present a de novo assembled draft genome and functional annotation for D. arcuata, using a combination of short and long sequencing reads generated by Illumina HiSeq X and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION sequencing platforms, respectively. A total of 460,694,612 150bp paired-end Illumina and 395,890 ONT raw reads were assembled into 11,493 scaffolds spanning a genome size of 270.5Mb. The resulting D. arcuata genome has a GC content of 38.79%, repeat content of 8.26%, is 86.5% complete based on Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) assessment, and comprises 10,398 predicted protein-coding genes. These data represent the first genomic resources for the lepidopteran superfamily Drepanoidea. Although the order Lepidoptera comprises numerous ecologically and economically important species, assembled genomes and annotations are available for < 1% of the total species. These data can be further utilized for research on Lepidoptera genomics as well as on the function and evolution of vibratory communication and sociality in larval insects.

Transcriptome analysis of a social caterpillar, Drepana arcuata: De novo assembly, functional annotation and developmental analysis

The masked birch caterpillar, Drepana arcuata, provides an excellent opportunity to study mechanisms mediating developmental changes in social behaviour. Larvae transition from being social to solitary during the 3^rd instar, concomitant with shifts in their use of acoustic communication. In this study we characterize the transcriptome of D. arcuata to initiate sociogenomic research of this lepidopteran insect. We assembled and annotated the combined larval transcriptome of “social” early and “solitary” late instars using next generation Illumina sequencing, and used this transcriptome to conduct differential gene expression analysis of the two behavioural phenotypes. A total of 211,012,294 reads generated by RNA sequencing were assembled into 231,348 transcripts and 116,079 unigenes for the functional annotation of the transcriptome. Expression analysis revealed 3300 transcripts that were differentially expressed between early and late instars, with a large proportion associated with development and metabolic processes. We independently validated differential expression patterns of selected transcripts using RT-qPCR. The expression profiles of social and solitary larvae revealed differentially expressed transcripts coding for gene products that have been previously reported to influence social behaviour in other insects (e.g. cGMP- and cAMP- dependent kinases, and bioamine receptors). This study provides the first transcriptomic resources for a lepidopteran species belonging to the superfamily Drepanoidea, and gives insight into genetic factors mediating grouping behaviour in insects.

Value of kidney-ureter-bladder radiography in the erect position in addition to standard intravenous urography examination

OBJECTIVES

To determine if additional kidney-ureter-bladder radiography in the erect position can improve the diagnostic yield of standard intravenous urography (IVU) examination.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This prospective study was conducted from March to July 2007 on 108 consecutive patients (65 males and 43 females, age ranging from 20 to 50 years) who were referred to the Department of Radiology, Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, for IVU examinations. After 15 min, a film was done in the erect position in addition to the routine IVU protocol.

RESULTS

Additional information was demonstrated in the erect radiograph as follows: detecting nephroptosis in 18 (17%) patients, improved visualization of the ureters in 58 (54%) patients, and differentiation between phleboliths and ureteric stone was possible in 12 (11%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated significant additional findings in the erect position (at 15 min) compared to the supine position.