Aulacaspis yasumatsui Delivers a Blow to International Cycad Horticulture

Does cycad aulacaspis scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui, Hemiptera: Diaspididae) play a direct role in causing soil phytotoxicity?

Cycad aulacaspis scale (CAS, Aulacaspis yasumatsui, Hemiptera: Diaspididae) was accidentally introduced to Guam in 2003, and has caused acute mortality of the dominant, endemic forest tree Cycas micronesica. A phytotoxic legacy in the soils beneath cycad trees killed by CAS over a period of about three years has been demonstrated. The origin of the toxicity may be large quantities of CAS-encrus...

Fortuitous Establishment of Rhyzobius lophanthae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Aphytis lingnanesis (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in South Texas on the Cycad Aulacaspis Scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

5-Aza-CdR delivers a gene body blow.

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Yang et al. describe a causal relationship between gene body methylation and gene expression and a role for genic methylation in response to clinical DNA methylation inhibitors, which suggests that the mechanism of action of these inhibitors includes gene body hypomethylation-induced downregulation of cancer-associated genes.

Canopy and knowledge gaps when invasive alien insects remove foundation species

The armored scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui invaded the northern range of the cycad Cycas micronesica in 2003, and epidemic tree mortality ensued due to a lack of natural enemies of the insect. We quantified cycad demographic responses to the invasion, but the ecological responses to the selective removal of this foundation species have not been addressed. We use this case to highlight information ...

Polo Delivers a PICH to the Kinetochore

In this issue, Baumann et al. (2007) identify a helicase PICH that localizes to "threads" that remain connected between sister kinetochores after they have separated in anaphase. These threads are thought to be catenated centromeric DNA. PICH contributes to the mitotic checkpoint by recruiting Mad2 to kinetochores and is proposed to regulate checkpoint signaling by monitoring tension at centrom...