Large Ovaries Research Articles

Surgically increased ovarian mass in the honey bee confirms link between reproductive physiology and worker behavior

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers are essentially sterile females that are used to study how complex social behavior develops. Workers perform nest tasks, like nursing larvae, prior to field tasks, like foraging. Despite worker sterility, this behavioral progression correlates with ovary size: workers with larger ovaries (many ovary filaments) start foraging at younger ages on average. It is untested, however, whether the correlation confers a causal relationship between ovary size and behavioral development. Here, we successfully grafted supernumerary ovaries into worker bees to produce an artificial increase in the amount of ovary tissue. We next measured fat body mRNA levels for the yolk precursor gene vitellogenin, which influences honey bee behavioral development and can correlate with ovary size. Vitellogenin was equally expressed in surgical controls and bees with supernumerary ovaries, leading us to predict that these groups would be characterized by equal behavior. Contrary to our prediction, bees with supernumerary ovaries showed accelerated behavioral development compared to surgical controls, which behaved like reference bees that were not treated surgically. To explore this result we monitored fat body expression levels of a putative ecdysteroid-response gene, HR46, which is genetically linked to ovary size in workers. Our data establish that social insect worker behavior can be directly influenced by ovaries, and that HR46 expression changes with ovary size independent of vitellogenin.

Fruit set is inversely related to flower and fruit weight in olive ( Olea europaea L.)

Fruit weight is strongly correlated to ovary weight in olive as big-fruited cultivars have larger ovaries and flowers at bloom. We tested the hypothesis that larger ovaries imply stronger sinks and therefore reduce fruit set, expressed as number of fruits. Flower/fruit load per centimeter of shoot was assessed every month from flowering to harvest, on sample shoots of many different olive cultivars differing in fruit size. Data were taken for two years: 2007 and 2008. Additionally, in 2008, a fruit thinning experiment was carried out by leaving a single fruit per shoot, to assess the maximum potential fruit weight achievable by each cultivar. Results indicated that fruit size was mostly genetically determined as thinned fruits of small-fruited cultivars, although bigger than control fruits, never got as big as fruits from large-fruited cultivars, confirming that large ovaries are a prerequisite for large fruits. Among all cultivars, the number of flowers per inflorescence, the number of inflorescences, and the number of flowers per centimeter of shoot were not correlated to average flower weight while total flower mass per centimeter of shoot was positively correlated to average flower weight (i.e. large flowered/fruited cultivars had greater total flower mass). However, one month after bloom and thereafter, all parameters were negatively and exponentially correlated with fruit average weight across cultivars, except fruit mass per centimeter of shoot which was generally not correlated to fruit average weight, except in one year, at harvest, when fruit mass per centimeter of shoot was positively correlated to fruit average weight. These results suggest that fruit set is a consequence of, and inversely proportional to flower/fruit size in olive.

Taxonomy of Atlantic Central African Orchids 1. A New Species of Angraecum sect. Pectinaria (Orchidaceae) from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea

During a recent survey of Atlantic central African orchids, we collected four orchid specimens in Rio Muni (Equatorial Guinea) that share the general morphology of Angraecum gabonense, the most frequent member of Angraecum section Pectinaria in Central Africa, but differ in leaf shape and flower size. Further inspection of specimens deposited at the Wageningen herbarium and cultivated in their greenhouse led to the discovery of additional specimens from the Monts Doudou area in Gabon. Comparison with other Angraecum specimens indicate that these collections represent a new species, which we describe here as Angraecum atlanticum, the fifth species of Angraecum section Pectinaria recorded in central Africa. The new species is restricted to submontane forests covering the mountain chain situated along the coasts of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The distinguishing features of the species include its leaves, which are more widely spaced than A. gabonese, and are 2.2 mm wide; its petals and sepals, which are slightly longer than the lip; its spur, which is somewhat inflated in the middle; and its larger ovary. Information on the ecology, phenology and distribution of Angraecum atlanticum is presented, along with a preliminary conservation assessment using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

Standing Laparoscopic Ovariectomy Technique with Intraabdominal Dissection for Removal of Large Pathologic Ovaries in Mares

To describe a standing laparoscopic ovariectomy technique with intraabdominal ovarian dissection inside a specimen retrieval bag for removal of large pathologic ovaries through small incisions. Case series. Mares (n=43) aged 2-21 years and weighing 380-680 kg. Unilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy was performed on 43 standing sedated mares. Ovaries were approached via 3 portal sites, 2 in the paralumbar fossa and a 3rd between the 17th and 18th ribs on the ipsilateral side. Ovaries were dissected free using either a LiNA Tripol-bipolar laparoscopic forceps or a Ligasure Vessel Sealing Device and removed by enlarging the proximal portal site ventrally using a grid technique. Use of a plastic specimen retrieval bag and cannula suction device facilitated intraabdominal dissection of very large ovaries into 2 or more pieces, before removal through small incisions. Regardless of size, all ovaries were removed successfully through small incisions (range, 5-10 cm), with no major complications and an excellent cosmetic result. All sport horses returned to previous levels of work or higher, with 93% of breeding mares successfully bred in the 1st season after surgery. Large pathologic ovaries can be easily and safely removed by standing laparoscopic ovariectomy on the mare. Standing laparoscopic ovariectomy combined with a small flank incision is a safe and highly effective technique for removal of large pathologic ovaries in the mare, negating the requirement for general anesthesia or large incisions.

Three New Species of Pseudobombax (Malvaceae, Bombacoideae) from Brazil

Three new species of Pseudobombax Dugand (Malvaceae, Bombacoideae) are described and illustrated based on material from Brazil. Pseudobombax minimum Carv.-Sobr. & L. P. Queiroz is not clearly related to any species of Pseudobombax from central-eastern Brazil. However, P. minimum may be promptly recognized by its extremely reduced flowers (to 6 cm long) and fruits (to 5.5 cm long), the smallest recorded for Pseudobombax to date, in combination with the glabrous androecium and the presence of phalanges. The other two new species, P. calcicola Carv.-Sobr. & L. P. Queiroz and P. parvifolium Carv.-Sobr. & L. P. Queiroz, seem to be related to P. grandiflorum (Cav.) A. Robyns based on the number of leaflets and the absence of phalanges in the androecium, but differ due to the absence of intersecondary veins, the larger ovary, and the fruits angled, but not winged.

Genetic Variation in Potential Kernel Size Affects Kernel Growth and Yield of Sorghum

Large‐seededness can increase grain yield in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] if larger kernel size more than compensates for the associated reduction in kernel number. The aim of this research was to investigate kernel filling characteristics associated with the high kernel weight of KS115 germplasm and consider implications for grain yield improvement. Germplasm with a twofold range in potential kernel size was grown in two field experiments. In both experiments, a large‐seeded hybrid based on KS115 yielded significantly more grain than a normal‐seeded hybrid with the same female parent. Genotypic differences in final kernel weight were associated with both an increased rate and extended duration of kernel filling. A high kernel filling rate was associated with a high rate of increase in kernel water content and kernel volume, which resulted in large maximum water content and volume per kernel. The long kernel filling duration of KS115‐based germplasm was associated with an extended duration of the period of rapid water uptake into the kernel following the onset of rapid dry mass accumulation in the grains. For this particular germplasm, this was likely due to the presence of large ovaries before fertilization. Because of a trade‐off between potential kernel weight and number, prolonged duration, rather than an increased rate of kernel filling, appeared to be the main mechanism through which large‐seededness of KS115 could increase grain yield.

Rearing honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in vitro: effects of feeding intervals on survival and development

SummaryA new and simple technique was developed to rear honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in vitro. One day old larvae were grafted into Petri dishes and fed a basic diet at six different time intervals. There were no differences in the larval weights, survival rates or ovariole numbers of the bees among the groups that were fed at different intervals, but they were heavier and had larger ovaries than hive reared bees. It was shown that honey bees can be reared in vitro without replenishing their food daily. This simple mass provisioning technique reduces the labour involved, and enables the researcher to raise large number of bees in vitro.

Re-evaluation of the species composition of Bashkirovitrema Skrjabin, 1944 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae), with the description of two new species of this genus and the proposal of Kostadinovatrema novaeguiniense n. g., n. sp.

A comparison of specimens previously identified as Bashkirovitrema incrassatum (Diesing, 1850) from the African or cape clawless otter Aonyx capensis, and the speckle-throated or spotted-throated otter Hydrictis maculicollis from the Old World with specimens and descriptions of B. incrassatum from the New World showed that those from Africa (Bashkirovitrema africanum n. sp.) had a more extensive distribution of the vitelline fields than either B. canadense n. sp. from the northern river otter Lontra canadensis and the American mink Neovison vison (North America) and B. incrassatum from the Neotropical river otter Lontra longicaudis (South America). B. africanum n. sp. further differs from B. canadense n. sp. by having a smaller body, shorter forebody, smaller oral sucker, longer cirrus, shorter intertesticular space, shorter post-testicular space and longer eggs. B. canadense n. sp. can be distinguished from B. incrassatum by having a longer body, longer forebody, smaller sucker ratio, smaller testes, greater distance between the ventral sucker and the ovary, shorter cirrus-sac, longer post-testicular space and narrower eggs. B. africanum n. sp. differs from B. incrassatum by having a smaller ventral sucker, larger ovary, shorter cirrus-sac, smaller intertesticular space, larger post-testicular space and longer eggs that are not as wide. Kostadinovatrema n. g., as represented by K. novaeguiniense n. sp., can be separated from species of Bashkirovitrema Skrjabin, 1944 by having a wider body width to length profile, a head collar that is narrower than the forebody and armed with 33 rather than 27 collar spines, an ovary that is further removed anteriorly from the testes, and a dorso-ventrally flattened hindbody that is nearly as broad as the forebody. The new genus differs from Hypoderaeum Dietz, 1909 and Moliniella Hübner, 1939 by having 33 head collar spines.

Sex allocation predicts mating rate in a simultaneous hermaphrodite

Sexual selection theory for separate-sexed animals predicts that the sexes differ in the benefit they can obtain from multiple mating. Conventional sex roles assume that the relationship between the number of mates and the fitness of an individual is steeper in males compared with females. Under these conditions, males are expected to be more eager to mate, whereas females are expected to be choosier. Here we hypothesize that the sex allocation, i.e. the reproductive investment devoted to the male versus female function, can be an important predictor of the mating strategy in simultaneous hermaphrodites. We argue that within-species variation in sex allocation can cause differences in the proportional fitness gain derived through each sex function. Individuals should therefore adjust their mating strategy in a way that is more beneficial to the sex function that is relatively more pronounced. To test this, we experimentally manipulated the sex allocation in a simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm and investigated whether this affects the mating behaviour. The results demonstrate that individuals with a more male-biased sex allocation (i.e. relatively large testes and small ovaries) are more eager to mate compared with individuals with a more female-biased sex allocation (i.e. relatively small testes and large ovaries). We argue that this pattern is comparable to conventional gender roles in separate-sexed organisms.

Melanin-based coloration covaries with ovary size in an age-specific manner in the barn owl

While the adaptive function of black eumelanin-based coloration is relatively well known, the function of reddish-brown pheomelanin-based coloration is still unclear. Only a few studies have shown or suggested that the degree of reddish-brownness is associated with predator-prey relationships, reproductive parameters, growth rate and immunity. To gain insight into the physiological correlates of melanin-based coloration, I collected barn owl (Tyto alba) cadavers and examined the covariation between this colour trait and ovary size, an organ that increases in size before reproduction. A relationship is expected because melanin-based coloration often co-varies with sexual activity. The results showed that reddish-brown juveniles had larger ovaries than whiter juveniles particularly in individuals in poor condition and outside the breeding season, while in birds older than 2 years lightly coloured females had larger ovaries than reddish-brown conspecifics. As barn owls become less reddish-brown between the first and second year of age, the present study suggests that reddish-brown pheomelanic and whitish colorations are associated with juvenile- and adult-specific adaptations, respectively.

Unilateral Congenital Ovarian Absence with Twisted Tube

A 29-year-old woman with primary infertility was referred to our hospital for inability to conceive after having been married for 10 years. Her menstrual cycle was oligomenorrheic with a 45to 50-day interval. There was no dysmenorrhea or dyspareunia and no acute/chronic pelvic pain or abdominopelvic surgery in the medical history. Transvaginal ultrasound revealed a polycystic large right ovary and absence of the left ovary. In the hysterosalpingogram, uterine cavity and the right tube were normal; there was no left tubal passage. During laparoscopy, the distal point of the left tube was attached to the omentum, and twisted, and the left ovary was absent. We observed white separated tissue resembling a hypoplastic ovary 1-cm in diameter within omentum (Fig. 1). We excised the left tube with the white separated

Lipid stores, ovary development, and brain gene expression in Polistes metricus females

In order to gain insights into the mechanistic basis of caste and behavioral differences in Polistes paper wasps, we examined abdominal lipid stores and ovary development in Polistes metricus females in four groups: foundresses, queens, workers, and gynes. Queens had the largest ovaries, followed by foundresses, workers, and gynes. Gynes had 6x higher lipid stores than the other groups, and lipid stores were lower in foragers (foundresses, workers) than non-foragers (queens, gynes). Lipid levels and ovary development were negatively correlated across the four groups, but removing gynes from the analysis revealed a significant positive correlation for foundresses, workers, and queens, suggesting different energy allocation strategies for gynes vs. other groups. Expression levels of 9 genes (including three in the insulin pathway), examined in a previous study, correlated with either lipid stores or ovary development. These correlative results suggest important relationships between nutrition, reproduction, and division of labor in primitively social insects. We also show that it is possible to assign P. metricus females to one of the four female groups on the basis of wing wear (an indicator of foraging experience), lipid stores, and ovary development, which can facilitate caste-specific collections for future studies.

Sensory Response System of Social Behavior Tied to Female Reproductive Traits

BackgroundHoney bees display a complex set of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits that correlate with the colony storage of surplus pollen (pollen hoarding). We hypothesize that the association of these traits is a result of pleiotropy in a gene signaling network that was co-opted by natural selection to function in worker division of labor and foraging specialization. By acting on the gene network, selection can change a suite of traits, including stimulus/response relationships that affect individual foraging behavior and alter the colony level trait of pollen hoarding. The ‘pollen-hoarding syndrome’ of honey bees is the best documented syndrome of insect social organization. It can be exemplified as a link between reproductive anatomy (ovary size), physiology (yolk protein level), and foraging behavior in honey bee strains selected for pollen hoarding, a colony level trait. The syndrome gave rise to the forager-Reproductive Ground Plan Hypothesis (RGPH), which proposes that the regulatory control of foraging onset and foraging preference toward nectar or pollen was derived from a reproductive signaling network. This view was recently challenged. To resolve the controversy, we tested the associations between reproductive anatomy, physiology, and stimulus/response relationships of behavior in wild-type honey bees.Methodology/Principal FindingsCentral to the stimulus/response relationships of honey bee foraging behavior and pollen hoarding is the behavioral trait of sensory sensitivity to sucrose (an important sugar in nectar). To test the linkage of reproductive traits and sensory response systems of social behavior, we measured sucrose responsiveness with the proboscis extension response (PER) assay and quantified ovary size and vitellogenin (yolk precursor) gene expression in 6–7-day-old bees by counting ovarioles (ovary filaments) and by using semiquantitative real time RT-PCR. We show that bees with larger ovaries (more ovarioles) are characterized by higher levels of vitellogenin mRNA expression and are more responsive to sucrose solutions, a trait that is central to division of labor and foraging specialization.Conclusions/SignificanceOur results establish that in wild-type honey bees, ovary size and vitellogenin mRNA level covary with the sucrose sensory response system, an important component of foraging behavior. This finding validates links between reproductive physiology and behavioral-trait associations of the pollen-hoarding syndrome of honey bees, and supports the forager-RGPH. Our data address a current evolutionary debate, and represent the first direct demonstration of the links between reproductive anatomy, physiology, and behavioral response systems that are central to the control of complex social behavior in insects.

Urnaloricus gadi nov. gen. et nov. sp. (Loricifera, Urnaloricidae nov. fam.), an aberrant Loricifera with a viviparous pedogenetic life cycle

A new species of Loricifera, Urnaloricus gadi nov. gen. et nov. sp., is described from the Faroe Bank, located Southwest of the Faroe Islands, North Atlantic. The new species does not fit into any known families of Loricifera and therefore it is grouped into a new family Urnaloricidae nov. fam. The new species is characterized by having a very complicated life cycle that involves a large cyst-like mega-larva, two reduced larval instars and the Higgins-larvae eating their maternal stage from within. An adult stage is missing. This form of reproduction is called viviparous pedogenesis and normally is found only in nematodes and insects. In the life cycle of Urnaloricidae nov. fam., there are two types of free-living larval stages: a Higgins-larva and a mega-larva. The latter is found in two different forms, a pre- and a cyst-forming mega-larva. Additionally, there are two reduced life history stages, the reduced larval stage (probably a postlarva) and the ghost-larval stage inside the cyst-forming mega-larva. The external morphology of the two forms of mega-larvae is much reduced, e.g., the introvert has only a few rows of scalids when compared with the Higgins-larva. The pre mega-larva is free-living and can sometimes be covered with coccoliths. Internally, a large ovary with a few oocytes, a digestive system, and an internal armature with retracted scalids are present. The pre mega-larva presumably molts into a cyst-forming mega-larva and thereby the ovary is now seen inside the cyst-forming mega-larva. The cyst-forming mega-larva has the same structures as in the pre mega-larva though here the scalids are protruded and there is a gonopore. Inside the cyst-forming mega-larva the ovary produces more oocytes and begins to fill out the entire lumen. At this stage the cyst-forming mega-larva molts first to the presumed postlarval stage, and then this stage molts to a ghost-larva. Hence, the ovary now matures inside the ghost-larva, which is surrounded by both the cuticle of the reduced postlarval stage and the cuticle of the cyst-forming mega-larva. The oocytes mature into eggs, and then into embryos and finally into Higgins-larvae while reabsorbing all the tissue of their maternal stage, the ghost-larva. During this maturation the cuticle of the cyst-forming mega-larva starts to harden and become cyst-like. The fully developed Higgins-larvae emerge through the gonopore of the cyst-forming mega-larva by penetrating the thin cuticles of the ghost-larva and the postlarva. The embryos have holoblastic radial cleavage and later a fluid-filled blastocoel is formed. The eggshells are extremely elastic; hence, they can become very elongated as the embryos mature into Higgins-larvae.

Female reproductive biology of Platygaster diplosisae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) and Aprostocetus procerae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), two parasitoids associated with the African Rice Gall Midge, Orseolia oryzivora (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

AbstractWe investigated the female reproductive system of Platygaster diplosisae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) and Aprostocetus procerae (= Tetrastichus pachydiplosisae) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), two parasitoids associated with the African rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzivora (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Both optical and electron microscopy were used. The female reproductive system of P. diplosisae includes two large ovaries of the meristic polytrophic‐type, each composed of several tens of ovarioles. The system includes also a venomous gland that extends to a common oviduct. This gland had a filiform secretory portion, in which the epithelium was thin and surrounded a common evacuation canal. The secretory cells secrete into a large reservoir. Parasitism due to P. diplosisae is gregarious. The female reproductive system of A. procerae includes two ovaries of the meristic polytrophic‐type, and each ovary has a few ovarioles. Each ovariole includes one or two oocytes, which can be seen in the vitellarium. Two accessory glands, which extend to the oviduct, are also visible. The secretory epithelium of the accessory gland is made up of a dense network of secretory cells surrounded by muscle fibers. Females of A. procerae pierce the tissues of the gall and probably deposit one egg on or close to the pupa of the midge. Aprostocetus procerae is a solitary parasitoid of the midge. The two parasitoids exploit the same host at different developmental stages. These findings improve our knowledge of the reproductive biology of these two parasitoids associated with the African rice gall midge, an important pest in Africa.

Association between Larger Ovaries and Pollen Foraging in Queenless Apis cerana Workers Supports the Reproductive Ground-plan Hypothesis of Social Evolution

Based on the ovarian ground-plan hypothesis (West-Eberhard 1987; West-Eberhard 1996) the reproductive ground-plan hypothesis of social evolution has recently been proposed as a theoretical framework to understand social evolution in honeybees (Amdam et al. 2004, 2006). The reproductive ground-plan hypothesis seeks to explain the evolution of honeybee social complexity from solitary ancestors by co-option of control elements of the female, gonadotropic reproductive cycle (Amdam et al. 2004). One of its central predictions, therefore, is that reproductive physiology and social behavior, in particular division of labor, be linked in particular ways (Amdam et al. 2006). Ovary size influences the level of reproductive hormones (Goodman and Granger 2005) and is therefore predicted to be correlated with differences in social behavior. Honey bee workers exhibit age-dependent division of labor between in-hive tasks and foraging (Beshers and Fewell 2001) but intrinsic worker differences affect the timing of behavioral transitions and further aspects of the division of labor, such as the specialization during foraging on nectar or pollen collection (Page and Erber 2002).

A New Species of Leandra (Melastomataceae) from Brazil

Abstract Leandra hermogenesii (section Oxymeris), a new endemic species of Melastomataceae from Sao Paulo, Brazil, is described and illustrated. The distinguishing characteristics of the species include its leaves, which are subcartaceous, ovate to broadly ovate, 5(–7)-plinerved, 5.6–9.6 cm wide, and have a rounded base, its smaller bracts, bracteoles, and glabrous petals , and its larger ovary. A discussion and an identification key to morphologically related species are also presented.

Ovarian volumes among women with endometrial carcinoma: Associations with risk factors and serum hormones

Objectives. Data suggest that post-menopausal women with larger ovaries are at increased risk for endometrial carcinoma; however, analyses comparing ovarian volume to serum hormone levels are limited. Accordingly, we assessed ovarian volumes in relation to serum sex hormone levels among post-menopausal women with endometrial carcinoma who participated in a multi-center case–control study. Methods. Data for established risk and protective factors for endometrial carcinoma were collected via in-person interviews. Ovarian volumes were estimated from pathology reports. Associations between exposures and age-adjusted ovarian volumes were analyzed for 175 cases with available data. For a subset of 135 cases, we analyzed relationships between ovarian volume, adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI), and serum hormone levels by analysis of variance. Results. Ovarian volume declined progressively from 1.83 cm 3 among women ages 55–59 years to 1.23 cm 3 among women age 70 years or older ( p-trend = 0.02). Larger ovarian volume was associated with early menarche ( p-trend = 0.03), having given birth ( p = 0.01), and weakly with elevated BMI ( p-trend = 0.06). After adjustment, increased ovarian volume was associated with higher estradiol ( p-trend = 0.007); albumin-bound estradiol ( p-trend = 0.01); and free estradiol ( p-trend = 0.006) levels; androstenedione, estrone and estrone sulfate showed similar, though non-significant associations. Conclusions. Among women with endometrial carcinoma, larger ovaries were associated with higher serum levels of estrogens. Further studies examining the role of the ovaries in post-menopausal hormonal carcinogenesis are warranted.

Control of postpartum anestrous with an intra-vaginal progesterone device plus eCG or calf removal for 120 h in suckled crossbred cows managed in a pasture-based system

To control postpartum anestrus and reduce calving to conception interval, 167 crossbred non-pregnant cows that were 90–130 days postpartum were allotted randomly to one of the following treatments: PH ( n = 59), intra-vaginal sponge with 250 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) for 7 days plus 50 mg of MAP and 5 mg 17-β estradiol (17β-E) in the first day of treatment (day −8), 500 UI eCG (day −3) and 1.5 mg 17β-E in 24 h after sponge removal (day 0); CR ( n = 57), temporary calf removal for 120 h; CG ( n = 51), control group without treatment. Estrus rate differed among treatments ( P < 0.01) being greater in PH (78.2%), followed by CR (52.0%) and CG (22.9%). A greater proportion of cows in the PH (80.0%) and CR (54%) groups had ovulations when compared to CG (35.4%). Intervals to first estrus were 13.5 ± 6.3 days, 26.1 ± 6.4 days and 52.5 ± 7.5 days for the PH, CR and CG groups, respectively. First insemination conception was similar in the three groups. Postpartum intervals to first breeding (PFS) and to conception (PCI) were longer in CG than PH and CR groups ( P < 0.05; P < 0.01). The PH and CR groups had a similar PFS but PCI was different ( P < 0.02). Accumulated pregnancy rate at 30 and 60 but not at 90 days were different (30 days: P < 0.09; P < 0.01; P < 0.09; 60 days: P < 0.06; P < 0.01; P < 0.03) among treatments. After 90 days post-treatment, 9%, 18% and 33% of cows from the PH, CR and CG groups had not conceived. Similarly, 5.4%, 6.0% and 12.5% of cows from the PH, CR and CG groups, respectively, were culled from the herd because of lack of pregnancy after 180 days post treatment. In the group of cows evaluated by ultrasonography, only those cows having larger ovaries and dominant follicles had ovulations. It was concluded that the hormonal treatment was more efficient in inducing a fertile estrus and reducing calving to conception interval followed by the calf removal for 120 h. Each method can be considered as an important tool to reduce the postpartum anestrous period in dual purpose herds when AI is conduct in the tropics.

Characterization of white sapote (Casimiroa edulis Llave &amp; Lex.) germplasm using floral morphology, RAPD and AFLP markers

Abstract Floral morphology, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to characterize and verify genetic diversity within a white sapote cultivar collection and to develop molecular markers for germplasm identification. On the basis of floral morphology, the cultivars were classified into three types: type I included 23 cultivars with large ovaries and small anthers; type II included 13 cultivars with small ovaries and large anthers; and type III included one cultivar, named ‘Maltby’, with a large ovary and large anthers. DNA was isolated from 39 cultivars of white sapote and subjected to RAPD and AFLP analysis using 24 and 7 primers, respectively. One hundred and sixty-eight RAPD and 286 AFLP bands were used to assess genetic characterization among white sapote. Sixty percent of the RAPD and 77% of the AFLP amplification products were polymorphic among accessions. RAPD or AFLP markers differentiated all white sapote cultivars effectively. Moreover, each flower type was characterized as specially associated with two RAPD bands. UPGMA dendrograms based on RAPD and AFLP data, showed the majority of the cultivars from flower type I and flower type II clustering together. Finally 101 RAPD markers and 220 AFLP markers were used to construct a neighbor-joining dendrogram. This showed that the 37 cultivars could be classified into six distinct clusters, between which the similarity coefficient was as low as 0.00–0.55, even though the cultivars were morphologically very similar. The remaining two cultivars namely ‘Smathers’ and ‘Maltby’ were found genetically very distant from the other cultivars in RAPD, AFLP or combined RAPD and AFLP based dendrograms. The results suggested that the level of genetic variation among white sapote cultivars is diverse and the morphological and molecular data may lead to representation of the cultivar relationships as well as flower type discrimination.