Esterase activity is monitored in mosquitoes and other arthropod species because high levels of these enzymes can be associated with pesticide resistance. In the 1950s, G. Gomori devised a colorimetric method to detect esterase activity based on their capacity to hydrolyze aryl-esters. We modified this method for use in microtiter plates. Mosquito homogenates (Culex quinquefasciatus Say and C. pipiens L.) from strains susceptible and resistant to insecticides were allowed to hydrolyze alpha-naphthyl acetate in the presence of Triton X-100 and a specific acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. The alpha-naphthol product was detected colorimetrically by a diazo-coupling reaction with Fast Garnet GBC salt. Triton X-100 improved the extraction of esterases and maintained the azo compound in solution. The linear range of the method was 2-20 nmoles of alpha-naphthol; this high sensitivity permitted accurate determinations in 1/30 portions of single adult mosquitoes from the strain with the lowest esterase activity. To avoid variations due to changes in temperature and duration of assay, results were normalized to equivalent enzyme activity units obtained in a spectrophotometer at 25 degrees C. Depending on the number of homogenate dilutions required, performance of the assay in microplates allowed the simultaneous analysis of 20-80 samples. Female mosquitoes showed higher enzyme activity than males when expressed in nmoles/min per mosquito, but differences were reduced when results were expressed as specific activity (nmoles/min per mg protein). A mosquito strain resistant to organophosphates due to the presence of high levels of esterases showed about 200 times more esterase activity than a susceptible strain or a strain resistant due to insensitive acetylcholinesterase.
This study’s objective was to determine seasonal and diurnal vs. nocturnal home range size, as well as predation for free-ranging farm cats at a livestock unit in Northwest Georgia. Seven adult cats were tracked with attached GPS units for up to two weeks for one spring and two summer seasons from May 2010 through August 2011. Three and five cats were tracked for up to two weeks during the fall and winter seasons, respectively. Feline scat was collected during this entire period. Cats were fed a commercial cat food daily. There was no seasonal effect (P > 0.05) on overall (95% KDE and 90% KDE) or core home range size (50% KDE). Male cats tended (P = 0.08) to have larger diurnal and nocturnal core home ranges (1.09 ha) compared to female cats (0.64 ha). Reproductively intact cats (n = 2) had larger (P < 0.0001) diurnal and nocturnal home ranges as compared to altered cats. Feline scat processing separated scat into prey parts, and of the 210 feline scats collected during the study, 75.24% contained hair. Of these 158 scat samples, 86 contained non-cat hair and 72 contained only cat hair. Other prey components included fragments of bone in 21.43% of scat and teeth in 12.86% of scat. Teeth were used to identify mammalian prey hunted by these cats, of which the Hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) was the primary rodent. Other targeted mammals were Peromyscus sp., Sylvilagus sp. and Microtus sp. Invertebrates and birds were less important as prey, but all mammalian prey identified in this study consisted of native animals. While the free-ranging farm cats in this study did not adjust their home range seasonally, sex and reproductive status did increase diurnal and nocturnal home range size. Ultimately, larger home ranges of free-ranging cats could negatively impact native wildlife.
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