Lerp

Abstract: Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore, the red gum lerp psyllid (Hemiptera Psyllidae) is reported for the first time from Italy, from several urban and rural sites of the Campania region, infesting Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh.. The host plant is very common in Italy as ornamental and forestry plants. This note adds a new record to the eucalypt psyllid list in Italy. Preliminary observations on general biological aspects and distribution have been carried out. Generalist predators, such as ants, spiders and pirate bugs, were observed on infested trees attacked by G. brimblecombei, but no psyllid parasitoids were detected.

Abstract: The red gum lerp psyllid is an insect native to Australia, where it feeds upon eucalyptus species. Since 1998 this psyllid has spread throughout California, resulting in millions of dollars in damage and control costs. To help suppress the red gum lerp psyllid, a biological control program was initiated and a psyllid-specific parasitic wasp was imported from Australia in 1999 and released in 2000. In most coastal regions this biological control agent has provided substantial control, but in some interior regions the psyllid still remains a problem. Researchers are continuing their investigations to determine if full statewide suppression will be realized eventually, or if further importation of new parasitoid species is needed.

Abstract: Targeting of proteins to their final destination is a prerequisite for living cells to maintain their homeostasis. Clathrin functions as a coat that forms transport carriers called clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) at the plasma membrane and post-Golgi compartments. In this study, we established an experimental system using Schneider S2 cells derived from the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system to study the physiological roles of clathrin adaptors, and to dissect the processes of CCV formation. We found that a clathrin adaptor Drosophila GGA (dGGA), a homolog of mammalian GGA proteins, localizes to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and is capable of recruiting clathrin from the cytosol onto TGN membranes. dGGA itself is recruited from the cytosol to the TGN in an ARF1 small GTPase (dARF79F)-dependent manner. dGGA recognizes the cytoplasmic acidic-cluster-dileucine (ACLL) sorting signal of Lerp (lysosomal enzyme receptor protein), a homolog of mammalian mannose 6-phosphate receptors. Moreover, both dGGA and another type of TGN-localized clathrin adaptor, AP-1 (adaptor protein-1 complex), are shown to be involved in the trafficking of Lerp from the TGN to endosomes and/or lysosomes. Taken together, our findings indicate that the protein-sorting machinery in fly cells is well conserved relative to that in mammals, enabling the use of fly cells to dissect CCV biogenesis and clathrin-dependent protein trafficking at the TGN of higher eukaryotes.