Packer et al . reported that fenced lion populations attain densities closer to carrying capacity than unfenced populations. However, fenced populations are often maintained above carrying capacity, and most are small. Many more lions are conserved per dollar invested in unfenced ecosystems, which avoid the ecological and economic costs of fencing.

Mutations located in a new gene, hexY , in Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora ( Ecc ) and ssp. atroseptica ( Eca ) cause strong upregulation of production of exoenzyme virulence factors and motility. The hexY gene encodes a novel 14.4 kDa protein with no known homologues. The hexY mRNA transcript has an unusually long (525 bp) 5′ untranslated region, which may be important for post‐transcriptional regulation. An elevated level...