Weekend Blog Blogging

Some recent interesting invasive species posts in the blogosphere:

• Myrmecos Blog nicely covers the latest research on imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) from the journal PNAS. The researchers found that the ties between anthropogenic disturbance and the fire ants were strong, with intact forest patches remaining fire ant-free (thanks budak!).
• Huckleberry Days does introduced doves in British Colombia. Insightful words and some good photos, too.
• Living the Scientific Life has a great post about new research delving into the origins of the monk parrot (Myiopsitta monachus) invasion, with molecular evidence tying that invasion to the international pet trade.

The Mark Of The Bees

According to this report from ARS Newslink, scientists may finally have found out what is behind the massive honeybee kills in the US...or maybe they've just found another bee virus. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been linked, mostly unsuccessfully, to everything from cell phone towers to pesticide. Now genetic testing has revealed a correlation between CCD and honeybees infected with Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), which can be spread by yet another honeybee pathogen, the Varroa mite. BBC News is reporting that there is evidence that the virus entered the US via honeybees imported from Australia.

The authors of the study are quick and right to point out that this is just a correlation, and does not implicate IAPV as the cause of CCD - further testing is going to be necessary to solve this complex mystery. If you want to read the full article, "A Metagenomic Survey of Microbes in Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder," published in v. 317 of the journal Science...well...you're unfortunately going to need a subscription to the journal. For free, you can read this supplemental material (pdf).

DNA = Detect Nefarious Algae

ScienceAlert is reporting that a group of researchers at the University of Waikato in New Zealand have developed a "rock snot detection kit" that tests for the presence of the invasive alga didymo (Didymosphenia geminata, also known as "rock snot"). Using molecular tools, the scientists can detect didymo in concentrations of one cell/ml or less. I believe, if the protocol is the same as this presentation by the same scientists, that they have developed genetic markers for didymo and can run samples through PCR amplification to check for a match.

A tool like this would be quite useful for early detection monitoring, since didymo is most likely to spread into a new area long before it can be detected by the human eye. In fact, US researchers will probably want to get a copy of these markers to see if they match the recent didymo discoveries in the Northeast! Now if I could just find a paper published on the subject, so that I know this is not a recycled story from talks given on the subject in 2006.

Fun With Entrez

Let the sequencing battle begin!!!!

• Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria): 50 nucleotide sequences, 26 protein sequences
• Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha): 386 nucleotide sequences, 63 protein sequences
• Nutria (Myocastor coypus): 81 nucleotide sequences, 39 protein sequences
• Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis): 25 nucleotide sequences, 11 protein sequences
• Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis): 32 nucleotide sequences, 5 protein sequences
• Northern snakehead (Channa argus): 52 nucleotide sequences, 46 protein sequences
• Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis): 238 nucleotide sequences, 89 protein sequences
• Frog Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis): 439 nucleotide sequences, 3 protein sequences

Decision goes to: Zebra mussel, with a combined 449 sequences. Go Team Zebra Mussel!!!

It's Nice To Share...The Knotweed!

Are you a U.S. resident struggling with a burgeoning Japanese knotweed invasion, or are you hip to where all the cool knotweed plants hang out in your neighborhood? If so, a grad student from my former lab, Jonna Grimsby, wants you to send her some leaves! She is working on a genetic analysis of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica, Polygonum cuspidatum, Reynoutria japonica, etc.) and is seeking samples from across the US. It won't cost you anything but a few minutes of time. Read her request below for more information:

Don’t know how to get rid of your Japanese knotweed? Give it to me!

Actually, all I want is a leaf or two (sorry!). As a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, I am currently studying the genetic diversity of Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed). Very little is known about the genetic diversity of this species in the United States. We have previously studied three populations in the Boston area and, using DNA markers, have found a relatively high level of genetic diversity.

We are interested in retrieving samples from other regions in the United States to test the level of genetic diversity. If you are an environmentalist, conservationist, land manager, scientist, student, teacher, homeowner, or simply a person interested in invasive species, we would greatly appreciate your help.

If you are interested in donating a leaf sample to contribute to our genetic study, email me at jonnagrimsby AT gmail DOT com. Please give me your name and address so that I can send you a sampling kit with directions.

Once we receive your address, WE WILL SEND YOU AN ENVELOPE (POSTAGE PRE-PAID) to return the samples. PLEASE DO NOT SEND THE LEAF SAMPLE IN YOUR OWN ENVELOPE, WE WILL PROVIDE THIS FOR YOU! PLEASE DO NOT SEND RHIZOMES OR SEEDS.

There will be straightforward directions in the package provided to you.

We greatly appreciate your help! Remember, the more we can learn about populations of Japanese knotweed, the greater chance we have of controlling this destructive invasive plant!

The Grass Ring

The University of Vermont recently put out a press release called "Mellow in Europe, Crazy in America," about a paper by Sébastien Lavergne and Jane Molofsky. Their research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is an excellent comparison of the genetic diversity of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in its native vs. introduced range. We just discussed this paper in my class last week and I have to say it is a very nice study. The authors demonstrate that repeated introductions of the grass from different parts of Europe gave it multiple opportunities for genetic recombination in the USA - in fact alleles that are found only in France or only in the Czech Republic are found together in the USA. The result has been an increase of genetic diversity in these introduced populations, and new genotypes that are not known in Europe. Introduced populations also displayed increased phenotypic variation, expressed in the development of a significantly greater number of tillers (vegetative reproduction via new shoots that grow from the base of a clump of grass), more leaf production and more overall above-ground biomass. The authors attribute these new phenotypes to the rapid spread of reed canarygrass in the USA.

The situation is complicated by the presence of what the authors term "pre-settlement populations" of reed canarygrass in the USA - the "Is it native?" conundrum. However, this study indicates that at least 85% of the genetic diversity of reed canarygrass in the USA is of European origin and it appears that the invasive phenotypes are likely European, similar to what was found with Phragmites.

If you're interested in learning more, there's a link to the full article in the press release.

Got The Guts?

According to this press release, the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) has been targeted for a new genetic study, but not for the reasons that you might think. The project, spearheaded by Penn State University, aims to sequence the gut flora of the beetle to determine why they are so good at destroying trees. While other wood-boring beetle species eat only decaying wood, the Asian longhorned beetle also consumes wood from the healthy, living parts of trees. Scientists are speculating that the beetles may have microbes in their gut that produce enzymes to help break down the components of wood. The U.S. Department of Energy is hoping the study may lead to new developments in the processing of biofuels. I wonder whether they'll be sequencing samples from introduced populations as well as populations from the native range?

Native or Not: You Make the Call

Close on the heels of the eagle owl's return to England, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) has been officially named a Vermont Native. As reported by the Burlington Free Press, researchers have used molecular tools to conclude that the fish have called Lake Champlain home for at least 11,000 years, after migrating up the St. Lawrence River from the Atlantic Ocean. I wonder what the New York side of the lake thinks about this :-).