Metabolic response to feeding in the Chinese striped-necked turtle, Ocadia sinensis

We measured oxygen consumption in juvenile Chinese striped-necked turtles (Ocadia sinensis) after they ingested food, either as a single meal or as double meals, to examine the influence of meal type and feeding frequency on specific dynamic action (SDA). Temporal variation in oxygen consumption after feeding was evident in the ingesting turtles but not in the unfed control turtles. In the single-meal experiment, the peak metabolic rate and the integrated SDA response (the whole energetic cost for the processes of digestion) both did not differ between turtles ingesting mealworms and shrimps when the influence of variation in ingested energy was removed, and the time to reach peak metabolic rate was not affected by meal type and the amount of food ingested. Turtles in the double-meal experiment ingested more energy and hence had a prolonged duration of SDA response than did those in the single-meal experiment, but the integrated SDA response did not differ between both experimental treatments when the influence of variation in ingested energy was removed. Our results show that meal type and feeding frequency have important consequences on the SDA response of juvenile O. sinensis. As the integrated SDA response remained remarkably constant either between turtles ingesting different food or between turtles ingesting the same food but at different frequencies when the influence of variation in ingested energy was removed, we therefore conclude that the energetic cost associated with ingestion is primarily determined by energy content of food ingested in juvenile O. sinensis.     

Effects of body lipid content on the resting metabolic rate and postprandial metabolic response in the southern catfish Silurus meridionalis

We assessed the effects of body lipid content on the resting metabolic rate and specific dynamic action (SDA) of the southern catfish Silurus meridionalis. Obese and lean fish were obtained by feeding the fish with two different feeds at 27.5 °C for 4 weeks prior to the experiment. The fish were fed with experimental diets with a meal size of 4% by body mass. A continuous-flow respirometer was used to determine the oxygen consumption rate at 2-h intervals until the postprandial oxygen consumption rate had returned to the preprandial level. The body lipid content of the obese fish was significantly greater than that of the lean fish. The metabolic parameters evaluated (resting metabolic rate, peak metabolic rate (R_peak), factorial ratio, time to peak, duration, energy expended on SDA (SDA_E), or SDA coefficient) were not significantly affected by body fat content in terms of the whole-body or mass-specific values. Increased body fat content did not decrease the resting metabolic rate in the southern catfish, which might be due to the higher levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids in these fish. The results also suggest that the body composition does not appear to affect the SDA response.     

茶树CsCIGR基因克隆及表达特性分析

该研究以茶树基因组数据库为基础,采用RT-PCR技术,从茶树‘龙井43’中克隆得到基因CsCIGR。序列分析显示,CsCIGR基因开放阅读框长度为1 677 bp,编码588个氨基酸。进化分析表明,CsCIGR属于GRAS家族的PAT1亚家族。多序列比对显示,茶树CsCIGR蛋白与其他植物的GRAS蛋白氨基酸序列具有很高的相似性。氨基酸理化性质分析显示,CsCIGR转录因子属于亲水性蛋白。亚细胞定位预测显示,CsCIGR可能位于细胞核中。启动子预测分析发现,CsCIGR启动子区域包含胁迫响应元件(STRE)、干旱应答元件(MYC)、厌氧诱导元件(ARE)等多种与逆境响应相关的顺式作用元件。荧光定量PCR分析结果显示,CsCIGR基因在低温(4℃)、高温(38℃)、干旱(200 g·L~(-1) PEG)、高盐(200 mmol·L~(-1) NaCl)胁迫下均能诱导表达,且对高盐,低温和高温胁迫响应更为明显,推测CsCIGR基因在茶树响应逆境胁迫中发挥重要作用。该研究为茶树抗性育种筛选基因提供了重要理论依据。     

中华水韭孢子囊发育研究

采用半薄切片法,连续观察了极度濒危级(CR)植物中华水韭大小孢子囊的发育过程,以期从无性生殖的角度,为探讨其濒危原因提供直观可靠的理论根据。结果显示:(1)中华水韭的大小孢子叶相间排列,无混生孢子囊。(2)隔丝为孢子供给营养,其体积直接影响孢子的大小、产量和育性。(3)大小孢子囊都近半数败育,小孢子囊为整齐发育,大孢子囊为不整齐发育。(4)大小孢子囊均无柄,且都不存在开裂结构,只有孢子囊壁腐烂后才能散播孢子。研究认为,中华水韭的濒危与孢子囊的发育特征密切相关,孢子囊的高频率败育、没有开裂结构以及对环境的依赖,是造成中华水韭濒危的重要因素之一;通过与近缘类群孢子囊的比较,发现仅水韭孢子的散播借助外力,对生境要求较高,即验证了水韭古老的系统学地位,同时说明水韭更具有监测生境地区环境指标的能力。     

一株产虫草素的冬虫夏草内生真菌 Bionectria ochroleuca OS17

虫草素是一种核苷类似物,具有多种药理作用。利用虫草素产生菌发酵的方式获得虫草素,可能是产生虫草素的一种新方法。为筛选能产虫草素的内生真菌,从中国传统的中药冬虫夏草子实体中共分离得到42株真菌,经PDB液体培养后,采用高效液相色谱（HPLC）鉴定其代谢产物。结果表明：菌株OS17的代谢产物中含有虫草素,且虫草素产量为40.16 mg/L。基于形态学特征和ITS序列分析,菌株OS17被鉴定为淡色生赤壳菌(Bionectria ochroleuca)。这是首次从冬虫夏草中分离得到能产虫草素的生赤壳属,表明了内生真菌具有产生多种生物活性物质的潜力。     

二倍体芒小孢子发生及雄配子体发育研究

该实验通过采集天然二倍体芒不同发育时期的幼穗,进行卡宝品红染色压片和石蜡切片制作,观察芒的花药发育过程,为芒的生殖生物学及其系统发育研究奠定理论基础。结果表明:(1)天然二倍体芒雄蕊3枚,雄蕊花药四室,花药壁由4层细胞组成,从外向内依次是表皮、药室内壁、中层、绒毡层,花药壁发育属于基本型;花药成熟时,中层和绒毡层降解消失,或者仅存痕迹,只剩表皮和纤维层细胞,但此时可观察到部分绒毡层降解延迟现象。(2)花粉母细胞减数分裂为连续型,成熟花粉粒为3-细胞型;花粉母细胞减数分裂后期Ⅱ出现染色体分裂不同步现象。(3)雄配子体发育过程中,同一花粉囊的花粉粒发育不同步;雌、雄配子体发育也不同步,且雄蕊先成熟。     

Phthalide mono- and dimers from the radix of Angelica sinensis

Phytochemical investigation of the radix of Angelica sinensis has led to the isolation and identification of a new phthalide dimer, (3Z)-(3aR,6S,3′R,8′S)-3a.8′,6.3′-diligustilide (1), along with three known phthalide dimers, including riligustilide (2), levistolide A (3), senkyunolide O (4), and three known phthalide monomers, including 3,9-dihydroxyl-ligustilide (5), (Z)-butylidene phthalide (6), (Z)-ligustilide (7). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods including IR, NMR (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY) and MS. Meanwhile, the possible biosynthesis pathways of compounds 1 and 5 were hypothesized.     

茶树CsCBF1基因克隆和转录活性分析

采用RACE技术克隆了一个受冷诱导的茶树CBF基因全长cDNA,命名为CsCBF1(GenBank登录号为EU563238)。CsCBF1cDNA全长序列为1 211bp,开放阅读框编码259个氨基酸。氨基酸序列分析表明,CsCBF1具有CBF家族典型的保守结构域,与其他植物的CBF具有较高的相似性;与拟南芥、辣椒和橡胶树编码的CBF相似性分别为56%、63%和56%。亚细胞定位结果表明,CsCBF1位于细胞核内。分别将10个CsCBF1缺失突变体与GAL4DNA结合域融合的结果显示,CsCBF1的羧基末端酸性结构域(第137位氨基酸至259位氨基酸)在酵母中具有转录激活活性。实时定量RT-PCR分析表明,CsCBF1基因受低温的快速诱导表达。     

贵州省野生皂荚种实表型性状多样性分析

为深入了解贵州省野生皂荚(Gleditsia sinensis)荚果表型性状的遗传多样性及其变异类型,为皂荚的遗传改良、种质鉴定、亲本选择以及品种培育奠定理论基础。该研究以贵州省7个野生皂荚群体70个个体为研究对象,采用方差分析、主成分分析、相关性分析及多性状综合评价等方法对皂荚群体的10个种实表型性状进行系统分析和综合评价。结果显示：(1)所测皂荚的表型性状差异在群体内均达到极显著水平(P＜0.01);在群体间,除每荚粒数、种子宽、种子长宽积以及种子长宽比之外,其余表型性状的差异均达极显著水平(P＜0.01)。(2)7个居群野生皂荚各性状平均变异系数为21.16%,其中凯里市(P4)居群的变异系数最高(24.44%);居群间荚果的变异(29.22%)高于种子的变异(11.04%),且变异主要来自于群体内。(3)相关分析显示,皂荚种实各性状之间存在不同程度的关联性;主成分分析显示,前4个主成分(皂荚种子大小、单个荚果出籽数量、种子形态指数因子、与荚果长和种子厚相关的因子)的累积贡献率达69.783%,可基本反映皂荚表型性状的大部分信息;以10个种实性状对皂荚野生群体进行综合评价发现,来自于惠水县(P7)群体的皂荚种实性状综合评价最高。研究表明,贵州省野生皂荚在群体间及群体内具有丰富的表型变异,且群体内的变异大于群体间的变异,变异主要来自于群体内。     

Effects of temperature acclimation on body mass and energy budget in the Chinese bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis

Chinese bulbuls(Pycnonotus sinensis) are small passerine birds that inhabit areas of central, southern and eastern China. Previous observations suggest that free–living individuals of this species may change their food intake in response to seasonal changes in ambient temperature. In the present study, we randomly assigned Chinese bulbuls to either a 30 °C or 10 °C group, and measured their body mass(BM), body temperature, gross energy intake(GEI), digestible energy intake(DEI), and the length and mass of their digestive tracts over 28 days of acclimation at these temperatures. As predicted, birds in the 30 °C group had lower body mass, GEI and DEI relative to those in the 10 °C group. The length and mass of the digestive tract was also lower in the 30 °C group and trends in these parameters were positively correlated with BM, GEI and DEI. These results suggest that Chinese bulbuls reduced their absolute energy demands at relatively high temperatures by decreasing their body mass, GEI and DEI, and digestive tract size.