扬子鳄的起源

介绍了现存鳄彼此间的亲缘关系、扬子鳄起源的时间和地点。主要结论可归纳如下：①现存鳄类在科、属、种分类上都存在不同意见;②扬子鳄与密河鳄被分在同一属内,但两者之间的亲缘关系存在争议,两者在形态、生化、细胞、分子生物学上差异很大;③Stell认为扬子鳄在中新世开始出现,作者认为它可能起源于渐新世或中新世早期;④Stell认为分布于北美的汤氏鳄（A.thomsoni)可能是扬子鳄的祖先类型,而另一些学者认为扬子鳄起源于亚洲的可能性更大些。     

从1 2S rRNA基因序列探讨8种鳄类的系统学关系

测得扬子鳄（Alligator sinensis）和暹罗鳄（Crocodylus siamensis）,的mtDNA12SrRNA基因片段的部分序列,与GenBank中的2种鳄及文献中4种鳄的12SrRNA基因相应片段,经比对后构建系统树。其结果显示,现存鳄类为单系起源,可划分为3个科,即：鳄科、食鱼鳄科和假食鱼鳄科。食鱼鳄与假食鱼鳄亲缘关系较近,支持将假食鱼鳄作为食鱼鳄科的一个属,与以形态学为基础的研究结果不同。在钝吻鳄科中,扬子鳄与凯门鳄亲缘关系较远,而与密西西比鳄的亲缘关系虽较近,但它们的确存在很多差异。两者12SrRNA基因序列差异达12．12％,碱基的颠换数为9。在基于碱基转换和颠换的NJ系统树及仅基于碱基颠换的NJ系统树中,前者支持扬子鳄与密河鳄间的亲缘关系较近,而后者支持扬子鳄与凯门鳄间的亲缘关系较近,说明扬子鳄与密河鳄间亲缘关系是值得研究的问题。因本文仅根据12SrRNA基因部分序列来进行分析的,尚需进一步研究。     

温度对斑马鱼胚胎发育的影响

目的探讨温度对斑马鱼胚胎发育速度及器官分化的影响。方法将带绿色荧光的转基因斑马鱼胚胎分配至3个培养皿中,各放160个胚胎,分别放置于28.5℃(标准发育温度)、31℃(高温)和25℃(低温)3个不同温度中进行孵育,孵育至3 h、6 h、10 h、24 h和48 h时进行观察拍照,并在36 h、48 h和72 h时用荧光显微镜观察胚胎的心脏和血管,比较不同温度对胚胎发育进程及各器官发育的影响。结果 3种温度下,胚胎存活率分别为92.5%、89.4%和91.25%,没有显著性差异。相同发育时间内,与标准温度中发育的胚胎相比,31℃中的胚胎发育较快,而25℃的胚胎发育所处的时期较早。发育到相同分期,31℃所需时间比标准温度短,而25℃所需时间长。3个不同温度下,胚胎心脏和血管的发育均不受影响。结论高温促进胚胎发育,低温延迟发育,但高温或低温均不影响胚胎器官正常发育。结合实际科研需要,可通过调控温度来调节斑马鱼胚胎的发育进程。     

试论晚白垩世以来气候、地理等因素的变化对鼍类的进化及地理分布等影响

现存的鼍属只有两个种:即东亚的扬子鳄及北美的密河鳄。虽然这两个种的性质、纬度分布以及生态环境等都十分相似;但两者的水平分布的距离却几有地球的半圈。本文根据有关鼍类的进化、迁徙等的历史资料,对此进行了初步的探讨。     

尼罗鳄MHCⅡ类B基因第二外元的序列变异分析

利用一对简并引物扩增了尼罗鳄MHCⅡ类分子B基因第二外元的部分片段,并对PCR产物进行了克隆和测序,结果得到8种不同的序列,序列长度为166 bp;经分析,序列中有56个变异位点,核苷酸的非同义替换多于同义替换,造成30个位点氨基酸的改变,氨基酸的替换趋于集中在假定的抗原结合位点附近.核苷酸和氨基酸序列与已报道的扬子鳄和密河鳄的MHCⅡ类B基因第二外元序列有较高的同源性,利用PAUP4.0软件构建的NJ树显示,鳄类的MHCⅡ类B基因存在跨种多态性现象.     

扬子鳄胃的组织化学及超微结构研究

爬行动物胃的一般组织学和组织化学的研究资料较多,Luppa1对此作了较为详细的总结.超微结构方面,龟鳖类和蜥蜴类亦有报道2,3,鳄类的资料尚缺.扬子鳄(Alligator sinensisFuval)是我国现存惟一的特有鳄类,陈壁辉4等曾对其食性进行了细致的考察,也对胃的一般组织结构作了描述.作者拟从组织化学和超微结构方面对扬子鳄的胃作进一步的研究,以丰富比较组织和细胞学资料,同时也增进对扬子鳄进化位置及其食性适应性结构的认识.       

南陵县扬子鳄的种群数量及栖息地质量

1986-1998年,在安徽省南陵县对扬子鳄种群资源及分布区栖息地状况进行了4次调查。1999年对该县扬子鳄部分栖息地的质量做了研究。结果显示,南陵县扬子鳄野生种群目前只30头左右,每4年平均递减率约38%,分布于6个镇,7个行政村中,75%的栖息地已经消失,其中东河、三里、石铺三镇生活有全县80%的扬子鳄,而石铺镇扬子鳄密度最大,引起扬子鳄种群数量下降的主要原因是栖息地破坏,同时对鳄的捕杀,污染、天灾也是重要因素,其野外栖息地主要为两种类型,农耕区普通池塘和丘陵山地的山塘、水库,耕作区食物,栖息条件较好,人鳄矛盾较小的局部水域依然是扬子鳄最佳选择,但这类水域农药化肥污染已构成对扬子鳄的潜在威胁。     

外源生长素对烟草(Nicotiana tabacum L.)小孢子早期胚胎发生的影响

烟草（Nicotlana tabacum L．）小孢子胚胎发生系统,不仅可以提供大量可供处理的小孢子胚,还由于小孢子胚胎发生的不同步性,可同时提供从2-3细胞原胚到分化胚一系列胚胎以供研究。利用这一便利系统,探讨了外源生长素处理对小孢子胚胎发育的影响。使用3种浓度的IAA：1、3、10μmol／L,分别对不同发育时期烟草小孢子胚进行了处理,结果发现,对不同发育时期的小孢子胚,生长素处理的效果明显不同。外源生长素对胚胎发生有促进作用,表现为2-3细胞比例与非处理组相比升高,而当小孢子发育到小球形胚后,加入外源生长素对小孢子胚的进一步发育却表现出明显抑制作用。这说明在小孢子胚胎发育过程中早期和晚期发育对生长素的需求是不同的,且对生长素的敏感程度亦不同。反映了生长素调控机制在两个不同发育时期的差异。     

扬子鳄的越冬管理

扬子鳄(Ａｌｌｉｇａｔｏｒｓｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ)是我国特有的珍稀爬行动物。安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心经过20年的发展,现有扬子鳄8000余条,是国内外驯养、繁殖扬子鳄的最大种群基地。冬眠是扬子鳄适应寒冷气候的一种生理现象,其越冬管理的好坏直接影响到幼鳄的成活率和成鳄的繁殖率,故其越冬技术一直很受重视,并不断得以完善,现将其总结,供引种扬子鳄饲养者参考。由于不同年龄扬子鳄的生理特点和管理要求不同,所以将扬子鳄的越冬管理分成当年孵出鳄、2-6龄鳄和成鳄3个年龄段来叙述。1　当年孵出鳄的越冬管理当年孵出的幼鳄,身体各器官的功能尚…     

尖唇散白蚁胚胎发育激光共聚焦扫描显微镜观察

【目的】本研究旨在探究尖唇散白蚁Reticulitermes aculabialis胚胎在不同发育阶段的变化特征。【方法】每日收集尖唇散白蚁的卵,并固定其胚胎发育状态,采用DAPI染剂对白蚁胚胎进行染色,通过激光共聚焦扫描显微镜观察记录尖唇散白蚁胚胎在不同发育阶段的形态特征。【结果】在25℃下尖唇散白蚁胚胎发育过程历经25~30 d,按照发育特征将其划分为12个阶段。胚胎发育早期,卵黄细胞均匀分布在卵内部,卵内细胞核向卵的中间浓缩,在细胞到达卵的后表面时形成浓缩的囊胚细胞作为胚盘;胚胎发育中期,胚胎开始进行“反转型”的囊胚运动,头部和前后轴从后极到前极反转,胚带出现明显的“双弯”结构。胚胎发育中后期,胚胎变宽,内部器官逐渐开始发育,出现明显的伸长与分节;胚胎发育后期,附肢发育明显,内部器官发育成熟。【结论】尖唇散白蚁胚胎发育过程历经12个阶段,属于短胚带型,胚带出现“双弯”结构,发育中期经历两次囊胚反转。本研究为真社会性昆虫白蚁的胚胎发育过程提供了形态学和生物学依据。     

Variation in development of rat embryos at the presomite period.

Rat embryos at a single gestational time in the presomite period were studied for their variation in development and their fate after culture. They were explanted at 8 A.M. on day 9 of gestation from timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats which were obtained by mating between 8 and 10 A.M. (plug day = day 0). In the first experiment, a total of 203 embryos from 20 litters were examined for their variation in development. Several dimensions of embryo/egg cylinder were measured and development of various embryonic/extraembryonic structures were assessed using a scoring system that we developed for the present study. Embryos were then divided into different stages of development based on their scores using the staging system that we developed previously. A large variation in developmental stage was demonstrated; the youngest embryo was at the early primitive streak stage with no signs of amniotic folds and the oldest one was at the late neural plate stage with a foregut pocket but without visible somites. No strong correlation was demonstrated between developmental stage and size of embryo/egg cylinder, nor between developmental stage and development of the proamniotic tube, ectoplacental cavity, or allantois. In the second experiment, embryos were explanted at the same time and those at different stages were cultured separately in rotating bottles and their outcomes were compared after 49 hours. The difference in mean somites number of embryos cultured from the mid primitive streak and late neural plate stages was 6.1. This difference corresponds to approximately 10 hours based on the known linear increase of somites number on day 11 of approximately 0.6 somites per hour. These results indicate a large variation in development of presomite period embryos supposedly of the same gestational age and suggest the importance of careful staging at the time of explantation if precision is needed for whole embryo culture experiments.     

Sonographic staging of the developmental status of mouse embryos in utero

In mouse developmental studies it is frequently desirable to isolate embryos of a specific age. However, the traditional staging of embryonic development based on postcoital dates often erroneously predicts the embryonic age, resulting in unwarranted sacrifice of the pregnant mother. Here we report a noninvasive way of staging embryonic development in utero. A clinical 14 MHz ultrasound system was employed to assess the morphology and size of developing embryos from embryonic day 7.5 to 18.5. We demonstrate that the developmental age of the mouse embryos can be accurately determined based on the sonographic morphology and size of the embryos. This noninvasive ultrasound application requires no anesthesia of the mice and the entire process of staging can be completed within 5-10 min. Empirically, this approach is applicable to mice of various genetic backgrounds and significantly enhances the efficiency of studying murine embryogenesis.     

Ultrastructure of the digestive system and the fate of midgut during embryonic development in Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda)

Microscopic anatomy of the digestive system in embryos and larvae of the terrestrial isopod crustacean Porcellio scaber was investigated by light bright field, fluorescence and electron microscopy. During marsupial ontogenetic development the event-dependent staging was used to discriminate the various embryonic stages. At the late embryo stage the differentiation of the ectodermal part of the gut into the complex filtering foregut and the hindgut with absorptive and transporting functions is accomplished. The gut of the marsupial manca larva is fully developed and similar to that of the adult. In early embryos the endodermal midgut gland primordia are filled with yolk and lipid globules. In late embryos the epithelium of paired midgut gland tubes is composed of two cell types; one of them exhibits orange autofluorescence. The endodermal cells located between the foregut and the midgut glands of late embryos form the prospective midgut. The cells have electron dense cytoplasm, abundant glycogen fields, endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosomes and numerous vesicles. In the adults the endodermal cells of the midgut remain only in the midgut gland ducts which connect the midgut glands and the foregut. Details of the cellular ultrastructure and morphogenesis of the ectodermal and endodermal parts of the digestive system during embryonic development of Porcellio scaber provide data for further phylogenetic and comparative studies in peracaridan crustaceans and other arthropods.     

Development of the embryo, larva and early juvenile of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Pisces: Cichlidae). Developmental staging system

We described the developmental stages for the embryonic, larval and early juvenile periods of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus to elucidate sequential events of craniofacial development. Craniofacial development of cichlids, especially differentiation and morphogenesis of the pharyngeal skeleton, progresses until about 30 days postfertilization (dpf). Because there is no comprehensive report describing the sequential processes of craniofacial development up to 30 dpf, we newly defined 32 stages using a numbered staging system. For embryonic development, we defined 18 stages (stages 1-18), which were grouped into seven periods named the zygote, cleavage, blastula, gastrula, segmentation, pharyngula and hatching periods. For larval development, we defined seven stages (stages 19-25), which were grouped into two periods, early larval and late larval. For juvenile development until 30 dpf, we defined seven stages (stages 26-32) in the early juvenile period. This developmental staging system for Nile tilapia O. niloticus will benefit researchers investigating skeletogenesis throughout tilapia ontogeny and will also facilitate comparative evolutionary developmental biology studies of haplochromine cichlids, which comprise the species flocks of Lakes Malawi and Victoria.     

Early events in xenograft development from the human embryonic stem cell line HS181--resemblance with an initial multiple epiblast formation

Xenografting is widely used for assessing in vivo pluripotency of human stem cell populations. Here, we report on early to late events in the development of mature experimental teratoma from a well-characterized human embryonic stem cell (HESC) line, HS181. The results show an embryonic process, increasingly chaotic. Active proliferation of the stem cell derived cellular progeny was detected already at day 5, and characterized by the appearance of multiple sites of engraftment, with structures of single or pseudostratified columnar epithelium surrounding small cavities. The striking histological resemblance to developing embryonic ectoderm, and the formation of epiblast-like structures was supported by the expression of the markers OCT4, NANOG, SSEA-4 and KLF4, but a lack of REX1. The early neural marker NESTIN was uniformly expressed, while markers linked to gastrulation, such as BMP-4, NODAL or BRACHYURY were not detected. Thus, observations on day 5 indicated differentiation comparable to the most early transient cell populations in human post implantation development. Confirming and expanding on previous findings from HS181 xenografts, these early events were followed by an increasingly chaotic development, incorporated in the formation of a benign teratoma with complex embryonic components. In the mature HS181 teratomas not all types of organs/tissues were detected, indicating a restricted differentiation, and a lack of adequate spatial developmental cues during the further teratoma formation. Uniquely, a kinetic alignment of rare complex structures was made to human embryos at diagnosed gestation stages, showing minor kinetic deviations between HS181 teratoma and the human counterpart.     

Histomorphological study on embryogenesis of the honeybee Apis cerana

As important pollination species, honeybees play substantial impacts on the balance of global ecosystem, including two best-known honeybees Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. Embryogenesis is a fundamental stage of honeybee development and plays important roles in supporting the whole-life developmental process. However, few studies were reported on honeybee embryonic morphology using egg section, possibly due to the fragility of honeybee eggs and the difficulty of making embryonic sections. In this study, we reported a simply equipped method of frozen sectioning and PI (propidium iodide) staining to show the inner structure and cell distribution of A. cerena embryos at the different embryonic developmental stages. We found that the stages of A. cerena embryogenesis could also be typically classified into ten developmental stages, which are similar with the sister honeybee species, A. mellifera. To be noted, besides the cell distribution in the whole egg, we clearly observed the migration route of embryonic cells during the early embryonic development in A. cerena. This study provides a new insight into the whole process of honeybee embryogenesis from the perspective of egg sectioning, a histological basis for genetic manipulation using A. cerena eggs, and a reference method for egg sectioning for other insect species.     

Histology and symplasmic tracer distribution during development of barley androgenic embryos

The present study concerns three aspects of barley androgenesis: (1) the morphology and histology of the embryos during their development, (2) the time course of fluorescent symplasmic tracers’ distribution, and (3) the correlation between symplasmic communication and cell differentiation. The results indicate that barley embryos, which are developing via an androgenic pathway, resemble their zygotic counterparts with respect to their developmental stages, morphology and histology. Analysis of the distribution of the symplasmic tracers, HPTS, and uncaged fluorescein indicates the symplasmic isolation of (1) the protodermis from the underlying cells of the late globular stage onwards, and (2) the embryonic organs at the mature stage of development.     

Establishment of pluripotent cell lines from porcine preimplantation embryos

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells isolated from in vitro culture of preimplantation embryos. Experiments were undertaken to identify preimplantation embryonic stages and culture conditions under which pluripotent, porcine embryo-derived cell lines could be isolated. Cell lines were established from in vitro culture of intact, porcine early hatched blastocysts and isolated inner cell masses (ICM) from intermediate and late hatched blastocysts on feeder layers prepared from permanent mouse embryonic fibroblasts (STO). The cells of these porcine embryo-derived cell lines had a morphology similar to that of murine ES cells, but colony morphology was more epithelial-like. The cell lines retained a normal diploid karyotype, consistently expressed alkaline phosphatase activity, and survived cryopreservation. When subjected to in vitro differentiation, either spontaneous or induced, the embryo-derived cell lines differentiated extensively into a wide range of cell types representing the 3 embryonic germ layers. In vivo pluripotency of the cells was demonstrated by birth of a chimeric piglet, documented by pigmentation and DNA markers, and the ability to direct the development of nuclear-transfer embryos to the blastocyst stage. Such pluripotent embryo-derived cells provide a potential route for porcine genetic manipulation.     

Vitrification of in vitro produced bovine embryos: Effect of embryonic block and developmental kinetics

In order to investigate whether the kinetics and stage of embryo development affect cryosurvival of in vitro produced bovine embryos, cleaved embryos were categorized in six groups based on their developmental kinetics regarding the stage of embryonic block in bovine (8–16 cell stage): I and II – early (day 2) and late (day 3) 5–8 cell, III and IV – early (day 3) and late (day 4) 8–16 cell, and V and VI – early (day 4) and late (day 5) morula. The cryosurvival and developmental competence of these embryos were compared with each other and also with the corresponding control groups. The potential of 5–8 cell stage embryos to survive vitrification and further develop towards blastocyst stage was significantly lower than vitrified and un-vitrified 8–16 cell and morula stage embryos. These results suggest that, the survival rate and potential of embryos to develop towards blastocyst stage might be affected by the kinetic of the embryo development. Moreover, the results of this study indicated that the optimal stages of early embryo vitrification are post-embryonic block.     

Estrogen receptor-mediated effects of a xenoestrogen, bisphenol A, on preimplantation mouse embryos

The effects of bisphenol A, a xenoestrogen widely used in industry and dentistry, were studied in early preimplantation mouse embryos. Two-cell mouse embryos were cultured with 100 pM to 100 microM bisphenol A with or without 100 nM tamoxifen and evaluated at 24-h intervals for their development to eight-cell and blastocyst stages. At 72 h, blastocysts were cultured for another 48 h without bisphenol A, and surface areas of trophoblast spread were measured. At 24 h, more embryos exposed to 3 nM bisphenol A than to controls had reached the eight-cell stage. At 48 h, more embryos exposed to 1 nM and 3 nM bisphenol A than to controls had become blastocysts. At 100 microM, bisphenol A decreased frequency of development to blastocysts. Tamoxifen counteracted both stimulatory and inhibitory effects of bisphenol A on blastocyst formation. Although bisphenol A did not alter blastocyst morphology or cell number, early exposure to 100 microM bisphenol A increased subsequent trophoblast areas. These findings suggest that bisphenol A may not only effect early embryonic development via estrogen receptors even at low, environmentally relevant doses, but also exert some late effects on subsequent development of these embryos.