The insect spermatheca: an overview.

The mating biology of termites: A comparative review

While hybridization of an invasive species with a native species is a common occurrence, hybridization between two invasive species is rare. Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus) and Asian subterranean termites (C. gestroi) are both ecologically successful and are the two most economically important termite pests in the world. Both species have spread throughout many areas of the world due to human activity; however, their distributions overlap in only three narrow areas because of distinct ecological requirements. In south Florida, where C. formosanus and C. gestroi are both invasive, the dispersal flight seasons of both species overlapped for the first time on record in 2013 and 2014. Pairings of heterospecific individuals were readily observed in the field and C. gestroi males preferentially engaged in mating behavior with C. formosanus females rather than females from their own species. In the laboratory, heterospecific and conspecific pairings had an equal colony establishment rate, but heterospecific incipient colonies had twice the growth rate of conspecific incipient colonies, suggesting a potential case of hybrid vigor. As all pre-zygotic barriers were lifted between the two species in the field, the apparent absence of post-zygotic barriers in the laboratory raises the possibility for introgressive hybridization in south Florida. While laboratory observations remain to be confirmed in the field, and the alate hybrid fertility is currently unknown, our results raise a tangible concern about the hybridization of two major destructive pest species. Such hybridization would likely be associated with a new economic impact.

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Hybridization of two major termite invaders as a consequence of human activity.

Despite the ubiquitous nature of sperm storage in invertebrates, relatively little is known about its costs, or the impact that immune activation can have on a female's ability to maintain viable sperm stores. We explored the effects of an immune challenge on sperm storage under food-limited and ad libitum conditions in the field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, by injecting mated adult females with either a LD5 dose of live bacteria or a nonpathogenic immune elicitor [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] and then scoring the viability of their stored sperm. Females that were infected with bacteria showed a reduction in the viability of stored sperm 48 h after infection; interestingly, this pattern was not evident when females were injected with LPS. Reduction in sperm viability post-infection may reflect a reproductive trade-off between immune function and sperm store maintenance, as only females injected with bacteria showed an elevated antibacterial immune (lytic) response. Alternatively, bacteria may act directly on sperm quality. Dietary manipulations showed that lytic activity in females is condition dependent, irrespective of their immune challenge treatment. Diet affected the ability of females to maintain the viability of stored sperm, suggesting that sperm storage is condition dependent. That bacterial infection associated with a reduction in stored sperm quality has potentially important implications for the outcomes of sperm competition in T. oceanicus and in other species in which females store sperm between matings.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jeb.12278

Females suffer a reduction in the viability of stored sperm following an immune challenge

Transcriptome profiling of female alates and egg-laying queens of the Formosan subterranean termite.

Primary reproductives of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), complete their first reproductive cycle in ≈60 d after nest formation. During this period, the pairs mate several times. The spherical, aflagellate sperm, after transfer by the male, are stored in the female’s spermatheca. Sperm numbers in the spermatheca increase significantly between day 20 and 40, and thereafter they show a steep decline, indicating that the pairs may not be mating after day 40. The spermatheca is bean shaped with an extremely narrow duct. The thick wall of the spermatheca consists mainly of type 3 cells made up of secretory and duct cells. Cuticle-lined ducts are interspersed throughout these cells. Finger-like extensions of the cuticle-lined interior wall project into the spermathecal lumen. The secretory cells presumably provide nutrition for the sperm during their long storage. Eleven anaerobic and six aerobic species of bacteria were cultured and identif...

https://bioone.org/journals/annals-of-the-entomological-society-of-america/volume-100/issue-3/0013-8746(2007)100[418:SOSSDA]2.0.CO;2/Structure-of-Spermatheca-Sperm-Dynamics-and-Associated-Bacteria-in-Formosan/10.1603/0013-8746(2007)100[418:SOSSDA]2.0.CO;2.pdf

Structure of Spermatheca, Sperm Dynamics, and Associated Bacteria in Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Assessing joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is of high importance because associated with structural damage. In addition to clinical examination and ultrasound (US), joint inflammation can also be quantified by [18F] positron emission computed tomography ([18F] FDG PET/CT). Nowadays, PET/CT is widely used for cancer evaluation and systemic inflammation work-up and it can be used for opportunistic joint evaluation in RA patients. In addition, PET/CT allows a whole-body articular evaluation in one examination. We, and others, have previously demonstrated that PET/CT is significantly correlated with US parameters, but with a weak correlation coefficient.We investigated the ability of PET/CT to predict US-defined remission at the joint level and at the patient level.61 RA patients were included and underwent [18F] FDG PET/CT and US evaluations. For PET/CT, standardized uptake value (SUV) was determined on 22 joints (wrists, PIP and MCP of both hands). At the patient level, the maximum SUV (SUVmax), the number of PET positive joints (SUV>0) and the sum of all SUVs (cumulative SUV) were evaluated. US evaluation included gray-scale and Power Doppler imaging, according to OMERACT.At the joint level, PET/CT activity (SUV) was significantly different when the joint was under US remission or not (OR 0.411, p<0.0001 with remission defined as “no synovitis grade ≥ 2 with no PDI ”). ROC-curves identified SUV thresholds to define joint remission with a high predictive positive value (95.2; confidence interval (CI): 93.8-96.4), but with low negative predictive value (28.9; CI: 21.7-36.8). When wrists, MCP and PIP were evaluated separately, AUC was higher for wrists. Predictive positive value was high for each sub-type (93.4, 94.2, 96.3% respectively). Negative predictive value was low for MCP and PIP (34.0 and 22.2%) but better for wrist (71.4%).At the patient level, SUVmax was significantly different when the patient was under US remission or not (p=0.0023 with remission defined as “no synovitis grade ≥ 2, no PDI, no tenosynovitis”). Cumulative SUV was also different (p=0.045) while there was no difference for the number of PET-positive joints. SUVmax threshold was determined with ROC-curves and demonstrated a high negative predictive value for determining US remission (92.9, CI: 66.1-99.2), while the positive predictive value was lower (67.4, CI: 52.0-80.5). For cumulative SUV threshold, negative and predictive value for determining US-defined remission were 73.1 and 73.5 respectively.PET/CT is able to predict US-defined remission in RA patients. In addition to its well-known role in cancer evaluation and systemic inflammation work-up, PET/CT is also a promising tool in RA metrology.When considering US remission at the joint level, the predictive positive value is high, while the predictive negative value is better when predicting US remission at the patient level. Among PET/CT parameters, the maximum SUV (SUVmax) and the cumulative SUV exhibit the highest performances to predict US remission.NIL.NIL.None Declared.

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Chistopher Florane

Papers

Structure of Spermatheca, Sperm Dynamics, and Associated Bacteria in Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Pos0919 [18f] positron emission computed tomography ([18f] fdg pet/ct) is able to predict ultrasound-defined remission in rheumatoid arthritis