AmAMP1 from Acropora millepora and damicornin define a family of coral-specific antimicrobial peptides related to the Shk toxins of sea anemones

A candidate antimicrobial peptide (AmAMP1) was identified by searching the whole genome sequence of Acropora millepora for short (<125AA) cysteine-rich predicted proteins with an N-terminal signal peptide but lacking clear homologs in the SwissProt database. It resembled but was not closely related to damicornin, the only other known AMP from a coral, and was shown to be active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These proteins define a family of AMPs present in corals and their close relatives, the Corallimorpharia, and are synthesised as preproproteins in which the C-terminal mature peptide contains a conserved arrangement of six cysteine residues. Consistent with the idea of a common origin for AMPs and toxins, this Cys motif is shared between the coral AMPs and the Shk neurotoxins of sea anemones. AmAMP1 is expressed at late stages of coral development, in ectodermal cells that resemble the "ganglion neurons" of Hydra, in which it has recently been demonstrated that a distinct AMP known as NDA-1 is expressed.

Computers in Health Care for the 21st Century

As the world enters the last decade of the 20th Century, there is a great deal of speculation about the effect of computers on the future delivery of health care. In this article, the authors attempt to identify some of the evolving computer technologies and anticipate what effect they will have by the year 2000. Rather than listing potential accomplishments, each of the affected areas: hardware, software, health care systems and communications, are presented in an evolutionary manner so the reader can better appreciate where we have been and where we are going.

Carbon Black in Appliance Foam Insulation

Efforts are continually being made to improve the insulation efficiency of appliance foam to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and to meet federally mandated product energy use requirements. These efforts have become even more important due to impending elimination of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the blowing agent for polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams. Conversion to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) or hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) generally leads to decreased insulation value of foams and therefore, decreased overall energy efficiency for the appliances.

The effects of incorporating carbon black to reduce thermal conductivity of HCFC-141b blown appliance foams are discussed. The work was jointly carried out by Miles Inc. and the Center for Applied Engineering. Studies previously conducted at the Center had demonstrated that carbon black is well suited for use in rigid insulating foams, particularly in urethane-modified isocyanurates. The Celotex Corporation has now commercialized this technology in the building insulation market.

Improvements of 6-9% in initial k-factors were observed when carbon black dispersed in polyols or isocyanates was used either in TDI- or PMDI-based appliance systems. The use of carbon black in HCFC-141b blown systems has the potential to produce foams with insulation values equivalent to CFC-11 blown production foams.

The very fine particle size and inert character of commercially available carbon blacks allow loadings up to 12% by weight in foam polymer. Since the dispersions can result in excessively high viscosities, efforts were also directed towards modifying formulations to improve flow characteristics. Various approaches were taken to optimize carbon black loading in reactants as well as to facilitate processing in the foam process equipment.

HFC-356, a Zero ODP Blowing Agent Candidate for North American Appliance Foam Formulations

The household refrigeration industry in the U.S. is being challenged on two issues. These issues are depletion of the ozone layer by CFCs and federally mandated energy consumption standards for the products sold in the U.S. The global issue of ozone depletion affects all domestic appliance producers in North America. The energy consumption issue, however, only affects those producers who desire to sell their products in the U.S.

In addressing the ozone depletion issue, the North American manufacturers of household refrigerators and freezers have accepted HCFCs as the most promising available blowing agent substitutes for CFCs in their polyurethane foam insulations. Over the past few years a great deal of effort has gone into the development of polyurethane foam insulations blown with HCFCs which have the properties required by the North American household refrigeration industry. Between now and 1995 we expect a conversion of the industry from CFC to HCFC blown polyurethane foam insulations.

HCFCs, however, are only transition materials. Since their ozone depletion potentials are not zero, they too are scheduled for production caps and phaseout under the provisions of the amendments to the Montreal Protocol. Thus, it is necessary to begin the development now on the next generation of North American appliance foam formulations which do not use ozone depleting substances as blowing agents.

Our previous work has shown the ability to develop appliance foams blown with HFC-356 which satisfactorily meet the technical requirements of the European appliance industry in many important areas. The design and construction differences between European and North American refrigerated appliances, however, does not allow direct translation of appliance foam technology. The foam flowability, k-factor, density and demold requirements are not the same. Consequently, our development effort has now expanded to address the needs of the North American domestic appliance producer. Results of work done with HFC-356-based foam systems engineered for the North American appliance insulation market are presented with comparisons to known CFC and HCFC blown appliance foams.

Transcriptomic differences between day and night in Acropora millepora provide new insights into metabolite exchange and light-enhanced calcification in corals

The evolutionary success of reef-building corals is often attributed to their symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium, but metabolic interactions between the partners and the molecular bases of light-enhanced calcification (LEC) are not well understood. Here, the metabolic bases of the interaction between the coral Acropora millepora and its dinoflagellate symbiont were investigated by comparing gene expression levels under light and dark conditions at the whole transcriptome level. Among the 497 differentially expressed genes identified, a suite of genes involved in cholesterol transport was found to be upregulated under light conditions, confirming the significance of this compound in the coral symbiosis. Although ion transporters likely to have roles in calcification were not differentially expressed in this study, expression levels of many genes associated with skeletal organic matrix composition and organization were higher in light conditions. This implies that the rate of organic matrix synthesis is one factor limiting calcification at night. Thus, LEC during the day is likely to be a consequence of increases in both matrix synthesis and the supply of precursor molecules as a result of photosynthetic activity.

The structure of the USP/RXR of Xenos pecki indicates that Strepsiptera are not closely related to Diptera

The receptor for the insect molting hormone, ecdysone, is a heterodimer consisting of the Ecdysone Receptor and Ultraspiracle (USP) proteins. The ligand binding domain sequences of arthropod USPs divide into two distinct groups. One group consists of sequences from members of the holometabolous Lepidoptera and Diptera, while the other arthropod sequences group with vertebrate retinoid-X-receptors (RXRs). We therefore wondered whether USP/RXR structure could be used to clarify the contentious phylogenetic position of the order Strepsiptera, which has proposed affinities with either Diptera or Coleoptera. We have cloned and sequenced the USP/RXR from the strepsipteran Xenos pecki. Phylogenetic analyses are not consistent with a close affinity between Strepsiptera and Diptera.

The evolution of nuclear receptors: evidence from the coral Acropora

We have amplified and sequenced PCR products derived from 10 nuclear receptor (NR) genes from the anthozoan cnidarian Acropora millepora, including five products corresponding to genes not previously reported from the phylum Cnidaria. cDNAs corresponding to seven of these products were sequenced and at least three encode full-length proteins, increasing the number of complete cnidarian NR coding sequences from one to four. All clear orthologs of Acropora NRs either lack an activation domain or lack a known ligand, consistent with the idea that the ancestral nuclear receptor was without a ligand. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that most, and possibly all, presently identified cnidarian NRs are members of NR subfamily 2, suggesting that the common ancestor of all known nuclear receptors most resembled members of this subfamily.

Grasshopper hunchback expression reveals conserved and novel aspects of axis formation and segmentation

While the expression patterns of segment polarity genes such as engrailed have been shown to be similar in Drosophila melanogaster and Schistocerca americana (grasshopper), the expression patterns of pair-rule genes such as even-skipped are not conserved between these species. This might suggest that the factors upstream of pair-rule gene expression are not conserved across insect species. We find that, despite this, many aspects of the expression of the Drosophila gap gene hunchback are shared with its orthologs in the grasshoppers S. americana and L. migratoria.

We have analyzed both mRNA and protein expression during development, and find that the grasshopper hunchback orthologs appear to have a conserved role in early axial patterning of the germ anlagen and in the specification of gnathal and thoracic primordia. In addition, distinct stepped expression levels of hunchback in the gnathal/thoracic domains suggest that grasshopper hunchback may act in a concentration-dependent fashion (as in Drosophila), although morphogenetic activity is not set up by diffusion to form a smooth gradient.

Axial patterning functions appear to be performed entirely by zygotic hunchback, a fundamental difference from Drosophila in which maternal and zygotic hunchback play redundant roles. In grasshoppers, maternal hunchback activity is provided uniformly to the embryo as protein and, we suggest, serves a distinct role in distinguishing embryonic from extra-embryonic cells along the anteroposterior axis from the outset of development – a distinction made in Drosophila along the dorsoventral axis later in development.

Later hunchback expression in the abdominal segments is conserved, as are patterns in the nervous system, and in both Drosophila and grasshopper, hunchback is expressed in a subset of extra-embryonic cells. Thus, while the expected domains of hunchback expression are conserved in Schistocerca, we have found surprising and fundamental differences in axial patterning, and have identified a previously unreported domain of expression in Drosophila that suggests conservation of a function in extra-embryonic patterning.

Gene structure and larval expression of cnox-2Am from the coral Acropora millepora

We have cloned a Hox-like gene, cnox-2Am, from a staghorn coral, Acropora millepora, an anthozoan cnidarian, and characterised its embryonic and larval expression. cnox-2Am and its orthologs in other cnidarians and Trichoplax most closely resemble the Gsx and, to a lesser extent, Hox 3/4 proteins. Developmental northern blots and in situ hybridisation are consistent in showing that cnox-2Am message appears in the planula larva shortly after the oral/aboral axis is formed following gastrulation. Expression is localised in scattered ectodermal cells with a restricted distribution along the oral/aboral body axis. They are most abundant along the sides of the cylindrical larva, rare in the oral region and absent from the aboral region. These cells, which on morphological grounds we believe to be neurons, are of two types; one tri-or multipolar near the basement membrane and a second extending projections in both directions from a mid-ectodermal nucleus. Anti-RFamide staining reveals neurons with a similar morphology to the cnox-2Am-expressing cells. However, RFamide-expressing neurons are more abundant, especially at the aboral end of the planula, where there is no cnox-2Am expression. The pattern of expression of cnox-2Am resembles that of Gsx orthologs in Drosophila and vertebrates in being expressed in a spatially restricted portion of the nervous system.

Conservation of the sequence and temporal expression of let-7 heterochronic regulatory RNA

Two small RNAs regulate the timing of Caenorhabditis elegans development. Transition from the first to the second larval stage fates requires the 22-nucleotide lin-4 RNA, and transition from late larval to adult cell fates requires the 21-nucleotide let-7 RNA. The lin-4 and let-7 RNA genes are not homologous to each other, but are each complementary to sequences in the 3' untranslated regions of a set of protein-coding target genes that are normally negatively regulated by the RNAs. Here we have detected let-7 RNAs of approximately 21 nucleotides in samples from a wide range of animal species, including vertebrate, ascidian, hemichordate, mollusc, annelid and arthropod, but not in RNAs from several cnidarian and poriferan species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli or Arabidopsis. We did not detect lin-4 RNA in these species. We found that let-7 temporal regulation is also conserved: let-7 RNA expression is first detected at late larval stages in C. elegans and Drosophila, at 48 hours after fertilization in zebrafish, and in adult stages of annelids and molluscs. The let-7 regulatory RNA may control late temporal transitions during development across animal phylogeny.

The flightless I protein localizes to actin-based structures during embryonic development

The product of the flightless I gene is predicted to provide a link between molecules of an as yet unidentified signal transduction pathway and the actin cytoskeleton. Previous work has shown that weak and severe mutations of the flightless I locus in Drosophila melanogaster cause disruption in the indirect flight muscles and in embryonic cellularization events, respectively, indicative of a regulatory role for the flightless I protein in cytoskeletal rearrangements. A C-terminal domain within flightless I with significant homology to the gelsolin-like family of actin-binding proteins has been identified, but evidence of a direct interaction between endogenous flightless I and actin remains to be shown. In the present study, chick, mouse and Drosophila melanogaster embryos have been examined and the localization of flightless I investigated in relation to the actin cytoskeleton. It is shown that flightless I localization is coincident with actin-rich regions in parasympathetic neurons harvested from chicks, in mouse blastocysts and in structures associated with cellularization in Drosophila melanogaster.

Pax gene diversity in the basal cnidarian Acropora millepora (Cnidaria, Anthozoa): implications for the evolution of the Pax gene family

Pax genes encode a family of transcription factors, many of which play key roles in animal embryonic development but whose evolutionary relationships and ancestral functions are unclear. To address these issues, we are characterizing the Pax gene complement of the coral Acropora millepora, an anthozoan cnidarian. As the simplest animals at the tissue level of organization, cnidarians occupy a key position in animal evolution, and the Anthozoa are the basal class within this diverse phylum. We have identified four Pax genes in Acropora: two (Pax-Aam and Pax-Bam) are orthologs of genes identified in other cnidarians; the others (Pax-Cam and Pax-Dam) are unique to Acropora. Pax-Aam may be orthologous with Drosophila Pox neuro, and Pax-Bam clearly belongs to the Pax-2/5/8 class. The Pax-Bam Paired domain binds specifically and preferentially to Pax-2/5/8 binding sites. The recently identified Acropora gene Pax-Dam belongs to the Pax-3/7 class. Clearly, substantial diversification of the Pax family occurred before the Cnidaria/higher Metazoa split. The fourth Acropora Pax gene, Pax-Cam, may correspond to the ancestral vertebrate Pax gene and most closely resembles Pax-6. The expression pattern of Pax-Cam, in putative neurons, is consistent with an ancestral role of the Pax family in neural differentiation and patterning. We have determined the genomic structure of each Acropora Pax gene and show that some splice sites are shared both between the coral genes and between these and Pax genes in triploblastic metazoans. Together, these data support the monophyly of the Pax family and indicate ancient origins of several introns.

The coral Acropora: what it can contribute to our knowledge of metazoan evolution and the evolution of developmental processes

The diploblastic Cnidaria form one of the most ancient metazoan phyla and thus provide a useful outgroup for comparative studies of the molecular control of development in the more complex, and more often studied, triploblasts. Among cnidarians, the reef building coral Acropora is a particularly appropriate choice for study. Acropora belongs to the Anthozoa, which several lines of evidence now indicate is the basal class within the phylum Cnidaria, and has the practical advantages that its reproduction is predictable, external and accessible and that the base content of its genome is not strongly biased. The Acropora system has already provided insights into ancestral linkages of homeobox genes and the evolution of the Pax genes, and has the potential to provide further new perspectives on the age, role in development, and evolution of these and other gene families.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a cDNA encoding a glutamate transporter in the honeybee brain

We have cloned and characterized a cDNA encoding a putative glutamate transporter, Am-EAAT, from the brain of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. The 543-amino-acid AmEAAT gene product shares the highest sequence identity (54%) with the human EAAT2 subtype. Am-EAAT is expressed predominantly in the brain, and its transcripts are abundant in the optic lobes and inner compact Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies (MBs), with most other regions of the brain showing lower levels of Am-EAAT expression. High levels of Am-EAAT message are found in pupal stages, possibly indicating a role for glutamate in the developing brain.

The sequence of Locusta RXR, homologous to Drosophila Ultraspiracle, and its evolutionary implications

The cellular response to steroid hormones is mediated by nuclear receptors which act by regulating transcription. In Drosophila melanogaster, the receptor for the insect molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, is a heterodimer composed of the Ecdysone Receptor and Ultraspiracle (USP) proteins. The DNA binding domains of arthropod USPs and their vertebrate homologs, the retinoid X receptor (RXR) family, are highly conserved. The ligand binding domain sequences, however, divide into two distinct groups. One group consists of sequences from members of the holometabolous higher insect orders Diptera and Lepidoptera, the other of sequences from vertebrates, a crab and a tick. We here report the sequence of an RXR/USP from the hemimetabolous orthopteran, Locusta migratoria. The locust RXR/USP ligand binding domain clearly falls in the vertebrate-crab-tick rather than the dipteran-lepidopteran group. The reason for the evolutionarily abrupt divergence of the dipteran and lepidopteran sequences is unknown, but it could be a change in the type of ligand bound or the loss of ligand altogether.

Patterns of embryonic neurogenesis in a primitive wingless insect, the silverfish, Ctenolepisma longicaudata: comparison with those seen in flying insects

Neurogenesis was examined in the central nervous system of embryos of the primitively wingless insect, the silverfish, Ctenolepisma longicaudata, using staining with toluidine blue (TB) and the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR). The silverfish has the same number and positioning of neuroblasts as seen in more advanced insects and the relative order in which the different neuroblasts segregate from the neuroectoderm is highly conserved between Ctenolepisma and the grasshopper, Schistocerca. Of the 31 different neuroblasts found in a thoracic segment, one (NB 6-3) has a much longer proliferative period in silverfish. Of the remainder, 14 have similar proliferative phases, while16 neuroblasts have extended their proliferative period by 10% of embryogenesis or greater in the grasshopper as compared with the silverfish. Both insects had similar periods of abdominal neurogenesis except that in the silverfish terminal ganglion a prominent set of neuroblasts continued dividing until close to hatching, possibly reflecting the importance of cercal sensory input in this insect. This comparison between silverfish and grasshopper shows that the shift from wingless to flying insects was not accompanied by the addition of any new neuronal lineages in the thorax. Instead, selected lineages underwent a proliferative expansion to supply the additional neurons presumably needed for flight. The expansion of specific thoracic lineages was accompanied by the reduction of the terminal abdominal lineages as flying insects began to de-emphasize their cercal sensory system.

Pax-6 origins--implications from the structure of two coral pax genes

Vertebrate Pax-6 and its Drosophila homolog eyeless play central roles in eye specification, although it is not clear if this represents the ancestral role of this gene class. As the most "primitive" animals with true nervous systems, the Cnidaria may be informative in terms of the evolution of the Pax gene family. For this reason we surveyed the Pax gene complement of a representative of the basal cnidarian class (the Anthozoa), the coral Acropora millepora. cDNAs encoding two coral Pax proteins were isolated. Pax-Aam encoded a protein containing only a paired domain, whereas Pax-Cam also contained a homeodomain clearly related to those in the Pax-6 family. The paired domains in both proteins most resembled the vertebrate Pax-2/5/8 class, but shared several distinctive substitutions. As in most Pax-6 homologs and orthologs, an intron was present in the Pax-Cam locus at a position corresponding to residues 46/47 in the homeodomain. We propose a model for evolution of the Pax family, in which the ancestor of all of the vertebrate Pax genes most resembled Pax-6, and arose via fusion of a Pax-Aam-like gene (encoding only a paired domain) with an anteriorly-expressed homeobox gene resembling the paired-like class.

Developing grasshopper neurons show variable levels of guanylyl cyclase activity on arrival at their targets

The ability of certain grasshopper neurons to respond to exogenously applied donors of nitric oxide (NO) by producing cyclic GMP (cGMP) depends on their developmental state. ODQ, a selective blocker of NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase, blocks cGMP production at 10(-5) M, thus confirming the nature of the response. Experiments in which the distal axon is separated from its proximal stump before application of an NO donor show that guanylyl cyclase is distributed uniformly throughout the neuron. In the locust abdomen, where segments are formed sequentially, the pattern of guanylyl cyclase up-regulation is predictable and sequential from anterior to posterior. There are two patterns of innervation by cGMP-expressing motor neurons. In the first, typified by muscle 187, an innervating neuron begins to be NO responsive on arrival at its muscle and continues to be so over most of the remainder of embryonic development, including the formation of motor end plates. In the second, typified by a neuron innervating muscle 191, the neuron extends well along the muscle, apparently laying down a number of sites of contact with it, before it becomes NO responsive. In both patterns, however, NO responsiveness marks the neuron's transition from growth cone elongation to the production of lateral branches. Individual muscles receive innervation from multiple motor neurons, some of which express transient NO sensitivity during development and others which do not. With the exception of the leg motor neuron SETi, the first motor neuron to reach any muscle is usually not NO responsive. We suggest that cGMP plays a role in, or reflects, the early stages of communication between a target and specific innervating neurons.

Molecular evolution of integrins: genes encoding integrin beta subunits from a coral and a sponge

The integrin family of cell surface receptors is strongly conserved in higher animals, but the evolutionary history of integrins is obscure. We have identified and sequenced cDNAs encoding integrin beta subunits from a coral (phylum Cnidaria) and a sponge (Porifera), indicating that these proteins existed in the earliest stages of metazoan evolution. The coral betaCn1 and, especially, the sponge betaPo1 sequences are the most divergent of the "beta1-class" integrins and share a number of features not found in any other vertebrate or invertebrate integrins. Perhaps the greatest difference from other beta subunits is found in the third and fourth repeats of the cysteine-rich stalk, where the generally conserved spacings between cysteines are highly variable, but not similar, in betaCn1 and betaPo1. Alternatively spliced cDNAs, containing a stop codon about midway through the full-length translated sequence, were isolated from the sponge library. These cDNAs appear to define a boundary between functional domains, as they would encode a protein that includes the globular ligand-binding head but would be missing the stalk, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains. These and other sequence comparisons with vertebrate integrins are discussed with respect to models of integrin structure and function.

Nitric oxide-sensitive guanylate cyclase activity is associated with the maturational phase of neuronal development in insects

Many developing insect neurones pass through a phase when they respond to nitric oxide (NO) by producing cyclic GMP. Studies on identified grasshopper motoneurones show that this NO sensitivity appears after the growth cone has arrived at its target but before it has started to send out branches. NO sensitivity typically ends as synaptogenesis is nearing completion. Data from interneurones and sensory neurones are also consistent with the hypothesis that NO sensitivity appears as a developing neurone changes from axonal outgrowth to maturation and synaptogenesis. Cyclic GMP likely constitutes part of a retrograde signalling pathway between a neurone and its synaptic partner. NO sensitivity also appears in some mature neurones at times when they may be undergoing synaptic rearrangement. Comparative studies on other insects indicate that the association between an NO-sensitive guanylate cyclase and synaptogenesis is an ancient one, as evidenced by its presence in both ancient and more recently evolved insect groups.

Sequence and expression of grasshopper antennapedia: comparison to Drosophila

We have cloned and characterized the Antennapedia (Antp) gene from the grasshopper Schistocerca americana. The Antennapedia protein contains seven blocks of sequence, including the homeodomain, that are conserved in the homologous proteins of other insects, interspersed with (usually repetitive) sequences unique to each species. There is no similarity between 1.8 kb of 3' untranslated sequence in grasshopper and Drosophila. We examined Antennapedia protein expression in grasshopper using an antibody raised against a grasshopper fusion protein and reexamined its expression in Drosophila using several different antibodies. Early patterns of expression in the two insects are quite different, reflecting differing modes of early development. However, by the germband stage, expression patterns are quite similar, with relatively uniform epithelial expression throughout the thoracic and abdominal segments which later retracts to the thorax. Expression is observed in muscle pioneers, the peripheral nervous system, and the central nervous system (CNS). In the CNS expression is initially limited to a few neurons, but eventually becomes widespread. Both insects show strong expression in certain homologous identified neurons and similar temporal modulation of expression.

Position-specific expression of the annulin protein during grasshopper embryogenesis

Annulin, named for its annular expression in developing limb buds, is a approximately 100 kDa membrane-associated protein that is expressed in a complex and changing pattern during grasshopper embryogenesis. Its expression is dynamic along the developing midline and in the mesoderm, transient in neuroepithelial sheath cells around mitotic neuroblasts, and position-specific in circumferential stripes in each limb bud segment. Annulin expression begins along the midline of the embryo at the onset of gastrulation. Mesoderm cells express the protein as they migrate away from the midline as do new cells that come to lie at the midline. During neurogenesis, annulin expression disappears from many midline cells until only a specific subset of midline glial cells expresses high levels of the protein. Starting at the beginning of neurogenesis, sheath cells express annulin in correlation with the mitotic activity of the neuroblasts they surround.

Changing role of even-skipped during the evolution of insect pattern formation

The development of Drosophila is typical of the so-called long germband mode of insect development, in which the pattern of segments is established by the end of the blastoderm stage. Short germband insects, such as the grasshopper Schistocerca americana, by contrast, generate all or most of their metameric pattern after the blastoderm stage by the sequential addition of segments during caudal elongation. This difference is discernible at the molecular level in the pattern of initiation of the segment polarity gene engrailed, and the homeotic gene abdominal-A (ref. 5). For example, in both types of insects, engrailed is expressed by the highly conserved germband stage in a pattern of regularly spaced stripes, one stripe per segment. In Drosophila, the complete pattern is visible by the end of the blastoderm stage, although engrailed appears initially in alternate segments in a pair-rule pattern that reflects its known control by pair-rule genes such as even-skipped. In contrast, in the grasshopper, the engrailed stripes appear one at a time after the blastoderm stage as the embryo elongates. To address the molecular basis for this difference, we have cloned the grasshopper homologue of the Drosophila pair-rule gene even-skipped and show that it does not serve a pair-rule function in early development, although it does have a similar function in both insects during neurogenesis later in development.

Computers in health care for the 21st century

As the world enters the last decade of the 20th Century, there is a great deal of speculation about the effect of computers on the future delivery of health care. In this article, the authors attempt to identify some of the evolving computer technologies and anticipate what effect they will have by the year 2000. Rather than listing potential accomplishments, each of the affected areas: hardware, software, health care systems and communications, are presented in an evolutionary manner so the reader can better appreciate where we have been and where we are going.

Embryonic development of the innervation of the locust extensor tibiae muscle by identified neurons: formation and elimination of inappropriate axon branches

Intracellular dye fills have been used to reveal the pattern of embryonic growth of each of the four neurons which innervate the extensor tibiae muscle (ETi) of the hind leg of the locust. The growth cone of the slow extensor tibiae motoneuron (SETi), the first of the four neurons to leave the central nervous system, pioneers nerve 3 (N3). The fast extensor motoneuron (FETi), the next neuron to grow out, follows earlier outgrowing motoneurons into the periphery in nerve 5 (N5) and then rejoins SETi in N3. As it transfers from N5 to N3, it is transiently dye-coupled to the Tr1 pioneer neuron which spans the gap between the two nerves. It then follows SETi onto the ETi muscle in the femur. The common inhibitory neuron and the dorsal unpaired median neuron (DUMETi) follow SETi and FETi in nerves 3B2 and 5B1, respectively. SETi's growth cone requires almost twice as long to reach ETi as those of the three later motoneurons, all of which follow preexisting neural pathways. At least three of the four developing motoneurons form one or more axon branches not found in the adult. These branches may occur (1) at segmental boundaries; (2) where the nerve, which the growth cone is following, itself branches or the growth cone encounters another nerve; or (3) when the axon continues to grow beyond its target muscle. These findings contrast with the apparent absence of inappropriate axon branches in another developing locust neuromuscular system and during the innervation of zebrafish myotomes, but resemble in some ways the transient production of inappropriate axonal branches reported for embryonic leech motoneurons.

Haemocytes secrete basement membrane components in embryonic locusts

Several monoclonal antibodies raised against a glycoprotein-enriched fraction of adult muscle membranes of Locusta migratoria selectively stain particles within haemocytes and basement membrane in developing locust embryos. Haemocytes containing immunoreactive particles are found associated with areas where basement membrane is being laid down. The underlying ectoderm does not show immunoreactivity. We conclude that haemocytes contribute to basement membrane formation in embryonic locusts.

Muscle development in the grasshopper embryo. I. Muscles, nerves, and apodemes in the metathoracic leg

Much is known about the development of nerve pathways in the metathoracic limb bud of the grasshopper embryo. In this series of three papers, we report on the development of muscles in the same embryonic appendage. In a fourth paper (E. E. Ball, R. K. Ho, and C. S. Goodman, 1985, J. Neurosci, in press) we examine the development of specific neuromuscular connections for one of these muscles (coxal muscle 133a). In this first paper, we present an overview of the development of muscles, nerves, and apodemes (tendons). We previously reported on a class of large mesodermal cells, called muscle pioneers (MPs), that arises early in development and appears to act as a scaffold for developing muscles and guidance cue for motoneuron growth cones (R. K. Ho, E. E. Ball, and C. S. Goodman, 1983, Nature (London) 301, 66-69). We have used the I-5 monoclonal antibody (which specifically labels the MPs as well as the nerve pathways), HRP immunocytochemistry, and Normarski optics to visualize muscle, nerve, and apodeme development in the embryonic metathoracic limb bud from 27.5% (before the appearance of the MPs) to 55% (after the muscles have attained their basic adult pattern). Cell fusions, cell migration, and cell death all appear to play important roles in the development of MPs. The patterns of muscle development vary greatly, ranging from (i) single MPs for simple muscles (which in the adult have only one bundle of muscle fibers, e.g., coxal muscle 133a), to (ii) arrays of MPs for complex muscles [which in the adult have many bundles of muscle fibers each with separate sites of insertion, e.g., the extensor tibiae (ETi) and flexor tibiae (FlTi) muscles in the femur].

Muscle development in the grasshopper embryo. III. Sequential origin of the flexor tibiae muscle pioneers

The flexor (FlTi) and extensor (ETi) tibiae are antagonist muscles located in the femur of the metathoracic leg of the grasshopper. Both are complex, consisting of an array of bundles of muscle fibers connecting the ectoderm of the wall of the femur with their respective apodemes. In the previous paper (E. E. Ball and C. S. Goodman, 1985, Dev. Biol. 111, 399-416) we described the embryonic development of the ETi muscle, focusing in particular on its syncytial origin from a giant supramuscle pioneer which later divides into an array of individual muscle pioneers. Here we describe the embryonic development of the FlTi muscle. In contrast to the development of the ETi muscle, the array of individual muscle pioneers for the FlTi does not have a syncytial origin but rather arises by sequential recruitment from the mass of smaller, undifferentiated mesoderm cells. The FlTi MPs first appear as two cells symmetrically placed on the corners of the FlTi apodeme at around 37%. A third MP is then added between these two; this third MP later dies. Subsequent growth occurs by symmetrical addition of MPs distally along the sides of the developing apodeme and by enlargement of the individual MPs. Initially each MP contains only a single nucleus; by about 50% there are at least two to three nuclei per MP and each is surrounded by a cluster of smaller, undifferentiated mesoderm cells. Each MP develops into a bundle of muscle fibers by a cycle of fusion and division. The individual mesoderm cells surrounding each MP fuse with it starting at about 60%. At the same time, the large MP begins to divide into smaller muscle fibers.

Muscle development in the grasshopper embryo. II. Syncytial origin of the extensor tibiae muscle pioneers

The extensor tibiae muscle (ETi) in the metathoracic leg of the grasshopper, which powers the jump, is among the most studied insect muscles. In contrast to many insect muscles which are simple (consisting of only a single bundle of muscle fibers), the ETi is a complex muscle which consists of an array of bundles of muscle fibers, each with a separate site of insertion on the body wall ectoderm and on the ETi apodeme ectoderm. Here we describe the embryonic development of this complex muscle. The ETi muscle develops from a single muscle pioneer (MP) which connects the initial invagination of the ETi apodeme to the wall of the femur. This MP then dramatically expands around the developing apodeme to form a large horseshoe-shaped, multinucleate cell, called the supramuscle pioneer (supra-MP); the number of nuclei in the supra-MP increases by cell fusion rather than by nuclear division. The arms of the supra-MP grow steadily longer and their outer edges begin to appear scalloped, certain areas remaining tightly apposed to the ectoderm of the wall of the leg while adjacent areas lose their adhesion and are pulled away. By about 50% of embryonic development the ETi supra-MP consists of a periodic series of bridges (cytoplasmic extensions) connecting the leg wall ectoderm with the apodeme, and linked into a giant syncytium near their inner, apodeme surface by a thin layer of cytoplasm containing hundreds of nuclei. Each bridge is surrounded by a cluster of many smaller mesoderm cells. Next the syncytium begins to divide such that by 60% the periodic bridges of the supra-MP have lost syncytial contact with each other and now themselves form an array of smaller, individual, multinucleate MPs connecting the body wall to the apodeme, each surrounded by a mass of undifferentiated mesoderm cells. This initial cycle of fusion and division is followed by a second similar cycle in which the individual mesoderm cells surrounding each MP fuse with the MP. At the same time, the MP divides into the initial bundle of smaller muscle fibers. Coincident with this division into muscle fibers is the further development of thick and thin filaments and the T-tubule system.

Development of neuromuscular specificity in the grasshopper embryo: guidance of motoneuron growth cones by muscle pioneers

In the grasshopper embryo, neuromuscular specificity develops between individual identified motoneurons whose cell bodies are located in the central nervous system, and specific skeletal muscles in the periphery. We previously reported on a class of large mesodermal cells, called muscle pioneers (MPs), that arise early in development (Ho, R. K., E. E. Ball, and C. S. Goodman (1983) Nature 301: 66-69). We suggested that the MPs might be involved in orchestrating the coordinated development of nerve and muscle. In this paper, we describe the development of the MP for coxal muscle 133a in the metathoracic limb bud, and its innervation by two excitatory motoneurons (fast, Df, and slow, Ds). Although many motoneuron growth cones extend out of nerve 5 and quite likely come in contact with the 133a MP between 35% and 45% of development, only Df and Ds display a high affinity for its surface; the other motoneurons innervate more distal leg muscles. When the 133a MP is ablated before arrival of motoneurons in the limb bud, the Df growth cone extends past the location where it normally gets off nerve 5 and continues to extend distally along the same pathway taken by its sibling motoneuron. Although there is a mass of small mesodermal cells in the area where the differentiated coxal muscle 133a normally forms, evidently it does not provide the necessary guidance cue for the Df growth cone. These results indicate the important role played by MPs in the specific guidance of motoneuron growth cones in the grasshopper embryo.

Muscle pioneers: large mesodermal cells that erect a scaffold for developing muscles and motoneurones in grasshopper embryos

During embryonic development, muscles differentiate in the appropriate places and motoneurone growth cones find the appropriate muscles; both events occur concurrently and with remarkable specificity. What are the cellular interactions that orchestrate this coordinated development of nerve and muscle? In the development of vertebrate skeletal muscles, motoneurone growth cones arrive in the periphery along stereotyped routes and enter the appropriately located masses of mesodermal cells usually before differentiated muscle fibres appear and before the masses cleave into separate muscles. We find that a similar sequence of events occurs in the grasshopper embryo. We are interested in how mesodermal cells become organized into the appropriate muscles and what guides motoneurone growth cones to their appropriate targets. Fortunately, in the grasshopper embryo the mesodermal cells in the periphery and motoneurones in the central nervous system (CNS) are large, accessible and in many cases individually identifiable from early in their development. We report here the discovery of a class of large mesodermal cells, which we call muscle pioneers, that arise early in development when the embryonic environment is relatively simple and distances short. By their growth and association with particular sites along the ectoderm, the muscle pioneers appear to erect a scaffold for later developing muscles and motoneurone growth cones.

The cercal receptor system of the praying mantid, Archimantis brunneriana Sauss. I. Cercal morphology and receptor types

The cerci of the praying mantid, Archimantis brunneriana Sauss., are paired segmented sensory organs located at the tip of the abdomen. Basally the cercal segments are slightly flattened dorso-ventrally and are fused to such a degree that it is difficult to distinguish them. Distally the segments become progressively more flattened laterally and their boundaries become more obvious. Two types of sensilla are present on the cerci, trichoid sensilla and filiform sensilla. Trichoid hairs are longest on the medial side of the cerci and toward the middle of each segment while they are more uniformly distributed on the distal segments. Filiform sensilla are found at the distal end of each segment except the last and are highly variable in appearance from short and stout to long and thin. They arise from a raised base, have a fluted shaft, and some have a pore at the tip. They are innervated by from one to five dendrites, one of which is always considerably larger than the others. Some of the dendrites continue out into the shaft of the hair. Filiform hairs have fluted shafts and are mounted in a flexible membrane within a cuticular ring in a depression. They are innervated by a single large sensory neuron, the dendrite of which passes across a flattened area on the inner wall of the lumen of the hair. The dendritic sheath forms the lining of the ecdysial canal and is therefore firmly attached to the hair. The dendrite is attached to the sheath by desmosomes distally and is penetrated by projections of the sheath more proximally. A fibrous cap surrounds the dendrite and may hold it in place relative to the hair. The cercal receptor system of Archimantis is compared to those of cockroaches and crickets.

The cercal receptor system of the praying mantid, Archimantis brunneriana Sauss. II. Cercal nerve structure and projection and electrophysiological responses of the individual receptors

The bilaterally paired cercal nerves of Archimantis brunneriana Sauss. leave the terminal ganglion posteriorly and then turn dorsally through muscles at the rear of the abdomen to enter the cerci, where each splits into two branches; successive branchings occur further distally in each cercus. In the distal nerve branches large axons tend to be grouped together. The cercal nerves are heavily wrapped in glial sheaths. Cobalt backfills of the cercal nerve reveal a projection which enters the ganglion at approximately 30 degrees to the midline and then turns parallel to it. Most of the projection remains ipsilateral but bundles of axons approach or cross the midline in 6-8 places. At the anterior end of the ganglion there are strong projections both laterally and medially. In the posterior half of the ganglion fibers run ventrally to surround two glomeruli and there is a dorsal projection in the anterior half of the ganglion. There is a strong projection anteriorly into the ventral nerve cord. The electrophysiological responses of single cercal receptors to pulses of wind were recorded in the cercal nerve or terminal ganglion. These receptors, presumed to innervate filiform hairs, were then filled with Lucifer Yellow. All had ipsilateral projections. Most receptors showed little adaptation to stimuli as long as 5 seconds.

Structure of the auditory system of the weta Hemideina crassidens (Blanchard, 1851). (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Gryllacridoidea, Stenopelmatidae). 2. Ultrastructure of the auditory sensilla

This study of the ultrastructure of the auditory sensilla of the New Zealand weta, Hemideina crassidens, is the first such study on a member of the orthopteran Superfamily Gryllacridoidea. Ultrastructure of the auditory sensilla is similar in all of the tibial mechanosensory organs, here called subgenual organ, intermediate organ and crista acoustica by analogy with comparable structures in Tettigoniidae. Distal to each sensory soma is a dendrite containing multiple ciliary rootlets that fuse into a single ciliary root. This splits into nine root processes that pass around the outside of the proximal basal body and then rejoin at the level of the distal basal body, distal to which the dendrite has a modified ciliary structure with a circlet of nine peripheral paired tubes and rods as it passes through the proximal extracellular space. It is then enclosed by a zone of scolopale cell cytoplasm before expanding into a dilatation within the distal extracellular space. In some sensilla this space is partially occluded by electron dense material which is part of the scolopale cell. Distal to the dilatation the cilium shrinks and ends surrounded by the scolopale cap. Accessory cells consist of glia enwrapping the sensory neuron in the region of its soma, the scolopale cell surrouinding the ciliary portion of the dendrite, and the attachment cell surrounding the scolopale cell and scolopale cap and connected to them by desmosomes. The attachment cells are filled with microtubules in differing densities and orientations. Lamellae are present in the acellular matrix surrounding the attachment cells. Banded fibres, presumably of collagen, are also present in the matrix.

Structure of the auditory system of the weta Hemideina crassidens (blanchard, 1851) (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Gryllacridoidea, Stenopelmatidae). 1. Morphology and histology

The morphology and histology of the tibial auditory system of the New Zealand weta, Hemideina crassidens, are described. The groups of acoustic sensilla conform closely to the subgenual organ, intermediate organ and crista acoustica of the Tettigoniidae. Each prothoracic tibia bears two thick (40-100 micrometers) tympana of approximately equal size divided into two distinct zones. The tracheae of the prothoracic legs are connected across the midline by a transverse commissure and by a chiasma between the ventral longitudinal trunks. No expanded vesicle ("vesicula acoustica") is associated with the spiracle. The anterior and posterior tracheae are divided into three distinct regions within the tibia: (1) a bulbous proximal posterior inflated chamber, (2) the tympanal vesicles to which the tympana attach, and (3) an elongate distal posterior inflated chamber. The pattern of innervation in the tympanal region is similar to that of gryllids as is the central projection of the tympanal nerve. The subgenual organ, which contains ca. 50 sensilla, forms an acute angle with the wall of the leg. The intermediate organ contains ca. 19 sensilla forming an arc against the anterior wall of the leg. The crista acoustica contains ca. 50 sensilla aligned in a gelatinous matrix along the dorsal surface of the anterior tympanal vesicle. Each dendrite projects distally, then is reflected proximally and dorsally to end in a scolopale embedded in an attachment cell. The attachment cells are stellate in the proximal portion of the crista, but distally they occur as parallel lamellae. The weta ear is compared with those of other Orthoptera.

Ultrastructural study of the development of the auditory tympana in the cricket Teleogryllus commodus (Walker)

The cuticle in the tympanal area of immature crickets, Teleogryllus commodus (Walker), is ultrastructurally indistinguishable from that elsewhere on the prothoracic leg. It is only in the pharate adult that changes associated with development of the tympana first appear. In pharate adults and adults the external layer of the tympana consists of a layer of electron-dense material overlying a layer where the electron-dense material is interspersed with cuticle in which the bundles of microfibrils are coarser and more loosely arranged than elsewhere in the leg. The innermost portion of the tympana consists of this same type of cuticle without the electron-dense material. Associated with the appearance of the electron-dense material in the tympana of the pharate adult is a change in the toluidine blue staining properties from blue to deep purple. The reaction of the tympana in acid and base is consistent with their being composed of chitin. There are no major deposits of resilin in the tympana. In the first few days following the imaginal ecdysis the posterior tympanum and underlying trachea come into tight apposition due to the withdrawal of the epidermal cells. The epidermal cells do not withdraw from beneath the anterior tympanum. The surrounding non-tympanal cuticle continues to thicken for several weeks with the result that in the mature adult the posterior tympanum serves as an acoustic window in the thick cuticle of the leg. The functional significance of the anterior tympanum has not been established.

Ultrastructural study of the development of the auditory tympana in the cricket Teleogryllus commodus (Walker)

The cuticle in the tympanal area of immature crickets, Teleogryllus commodus (Walker), is ultrastructurally indistinguishable from that elsewhere on the prothoracic leg. It is only in the pharate adult that changes associated with development of the tympana first appear. In pharate adults and adults the external layer of the tympana consists of a layer of electrondense material overlying a layer where the electron-dense material is interspersed with cuticle in which the bundles of microfibrils are coarser and more loosely arranged than elsewhere in the leg. The innermost portion of the tympana consists of this same type of cuticle without the electron-dense material. Associated with the appearance of the electron-dense material in the tympana of the pharate adult is a change in the toluidine blue staining properties from blue to deep purple. The reaction of the tympana in acid and base is consistent with their being composed of chitin. There are no major deposits of resilin in the tympana. In the first few days following the imaginal ecdysis the posterior tympanum and underlying trachea come into tight apposition due to the withdrawal of the epidermal cells. The epidermal cells do not withdraw from beneath the anterior tympanum. The surrounding non-tympanal cuticle continues to thicken for several weeks with the result that in the mature adult the posterior tympanum serves as an acoustic window in the thick cuticle of the leg. The functional significance of the anterior tympanum has not been established.