Hymenopteran parasitoids are well known for their ubiquitous diversity, important ecological roles and biocontrol potential. We report the first detailed documentation of mite predation by a parasitoid wasp, Bracon predatorius Ranjith & Quicke sp. nov., (Insecta: Hymenoptera), first case of obligate predatory behaviour in the family Braconidae and first case of mite feeding within the superfamily Ichneumonoidea. Larvae of a new wasp species are shown to develop entirely as predators of eriophyid mites that induce leaf galls in a commercially important plant. They display highly modified head capsule morphology that we interpret as being associated with this atypical life style. We propose that the new feeding strategy evolved separately from recently described entomophytophagy in another species of the same genus. The divergent larval morphological adaptations of both species indicate a high degree of evolutionary developmental plasticity in the developmental stage.
Vibrio sp. V26 isolated from mangrove sediment showed 98 % similarity to 16S rRNA gene of Vibrio cholerae, V. mimicus, V. albensis and uncultured clones of Vibrio. Phenotypically also it resembled both V. cholerae and V. mimicus. Serogrouping, virulence associated gene profiling, hydrophobicity, and adherence pattern clearly pointed towards the non-toxigenic nature of Vibrio sp. V26. Purification and characterization of the enzyme revealed that it was moderately thermoactive, nonhemagglutinating alkaline metalloprotease with a molecular mass of 32 kDa. The application of alkaline protease from Vibrio sp. V26 (APV26) in sub culturing cell lines (HEp-2, HeLa and RTG-2) and dissociation of animal tissue (chick embryo) for primary cell culture were investigated. The time required for dissociation of cells as well as the viable cell yield obtained by while administering APV26 and trypsin were compared. Investigations revealed that the alkaline protease of Vibrio sp. V26 has the potential to be used in animal cell culture for subculturing cell lines and dissociation of animal tissue for the development of primary cell cultures, which has not been reported earlier among metalloproteases of Vibrios.
Manglicolous yeasts are those that inhabit mangroves. Being adapted to survive extreme environmental variations, these yeasts possess traits that are desirable in terms of bioprospecting potential. Yeasts have been successfully isolated from different microhabitats within the mangrove ecosystem, including vegetation, water, sediments, and invertebrates. They have been found to be most abundant in sediments and water. Manglicolous yeasts are highly diverse unlike previously assumed. Yeasts belonging to the phyla Ascomycetes are more common in mangrove ecosystems than Basidiomycetes. Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, Geotrichum, Kluyveromyces, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, and Pichia were some of the dominant yeast genera which are cosmopolitan in distribution. New species yeasts such as Vishniacozyma changhuana and V.taiwanica are also known from mangroves. A compilation of isolation and identification methods employed for manglicolous yeast culture is provided in this review. Culture-independent approaches to understanding yeast diversities have also been introduced. The bioprospecting potentials of manglicolous yeasts have been highlighted these include enzymes, xylitol, biofuel, single-cell oil, anti-cancer agents, antimicrobials, and biosurfactants. Manglicolous yeast also finds application as biocontrol agents, bio-remediators, single-cell proteins, food and feed, and immunostimulants. Our knowledge of the diversity and economical prospects of manglicolous yeasts is limited and likely to remain so as mangroves are disappearing fast. Therefore, this review is an attempt to give insight into these aspects.
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