西藏夯错水鸟多样性及斑头雁繁殖活动区的变化

于2009年4 11月,对西藏夯错的水鸟资源状况进行了调查,旨在了解该地区水鸟资源状况的了解,并为禽流感的防控提供了科学依据。在夯错全年共记录到水鸟26种,隶属于6目10科。夯错也是斑头雁和棕头鸥重要的繁殖地。水鸟春秋季迁徙高峰期在4月份和10月份,这也是水鸟多样性较高的2个月,其主要原因是由于迁徙鸭类数量和种类的增加。卫星跟踪研究表明,在繁殖前期,斑头雁活动区面积较大,主要在夯错及其周围的湿地取食;进入繁殖中期,斑头雁的活动范围减少了许多;繁殖后期,随着幼鸟陆续出壳,父母随即带领幼鸟离开夯错,到其它湿地取食和育雏,因此此期的活动区面积较大。由于夯错面积较小,不能满足斑头雁对食物的需求,因此部分斑头雁选择其它湿地作为主要的取食地,但部分扩散到其它湿地的斑头雁在迁徙前期重新返回夯错,使得该时期斑头雁的数量有呈上升趋势。通过与青海湖水鸟资源状况的比较发现,夯错水鸟种类较少,这可能主要是由于两个湖泊所处地理区划的不同,并由此带来的气候环境的差异,以及植被条件的不同所造成的。这种差异主要是由于夯错海拔较高,紫外线很强,气候干燥,植被单一,栖息地类型多样性较低,因此水鸟的种数也相对较少一些。     

基于卫星跟踪的灰雁秋季活动特征与生境利用研究

营养和能量有效的积累对候鸟能否顺利完成迁徙具有重要意义。2015年8月至10月在内蒙古图牧吉湿地,利用卫星跟踪技术对灰雁的活动特征、生境利用等方面进行了研究,以期阐明灰雁在秋季如何有效积累能量以满足迁徙前的生理需求。我们采用增强型植被指数(EVI)分析了灰雁的生境特征,运用核密度分析法(KDE)计算了日间和夜间活动区面积,以及对不同月份的平均活动距离进行了分析。结果表明,8至10月间,灰雁活动位点的EVI值逐月递减,并且逐渐向南移动,趋向于水域集中,增加了对湖泊的利用,同时减少了对草地的利用;灰雁的活动区面积逐月递增,日间活动区面积大于夜间;灰雁在日间、夜间及平均活动距离均呈递增的趋势,每天凌晨及黄昏都出现较长时间的活动。由于8至10月间气温逐渐降低,从草地中可以获取的潜在食物资源减少,灰雁通过逐渐向水域较为丰富的区域移动,活动区面积逐渐增大,增加活动距离提高食物的获取量等确保获取足够的食物和能量满足迁徙的需求。     

西藏夯错水鸟多样性及斑头雁繁殖活动区的变化

于2009年4-11月,对西藏夯错的水鸟资源状况进行了调查,旨在了解该地区水鸟资源状况的了解,并为禽流感的防控提供了科学依据.在夯错全年共记录到水鸟26种,隶属于6目10科.夯错也是斑头雁和棕头鸥重要的繁殖地.水鸟春秋季迁徙高峰期在4月份和10月份,这也是水鸟多样性较高的2个月,其主要原因是由于迁徙鸭类数量和种类的增加.卫星跟踪研究表明,在繁殖前期,斑头雁活动区面积较大,主要在夯错及其周围的湿地取食;进入繁殖中期,斑头雁的活动范围减少了许多;繁殖后期,随着幼鸟陆续出壳.父母随即带领幼鸟离开夯错,到其它湿地取食和育雏,因此此期的活动区面积较大.由于夯错面积较小,不能满足斑头雁对食物的需求,因此部分斑头雁选择其它湿地作为主要的取食地,但部分扩散到其它湿地的斑头雁在迁徙前期重新返回夯错,使得该时期斑头雁的数量有呈上升趋势.通过与青海湖水鸟资源状况的比较发现,夯错水鸟种类较少.这可能主要是由于两个湖泊所处地理区划的不同,并由此带来的气候环境的差异,以及植被条件的不同所造成的.这种差异主要是由于夯错海拔较高.紫外线很强,气候干燥,植被单一,栖息地类型多样性较低,因此水鸟的种数也相对较少一些.     

西藏雅鲁藏布江中游斑头雁的越冬种群数量、分布和活动区

斑头雁(Anser indicus)是高致病性禽流感病毒的易感鸟类和潜在的传播源,在禽流感防控中占有重要地位。有关斑头雁的越冬种群现状缺乏研究。2009年1月,在雅鲁藏布江中游共统计到越冬斑头雁44657只,主要分布于一江两河地带的林周县、日喀则市、白朗县、拉孜县、江孜县和贡嘎县境内。这一统计数据远高于1990年代的统计数量,由此可将其全球种群数量估计值由5.2-6万只修正为至少7万只。越冬斑头雁的平均集群大小为(208±262)只(n=215),主要栖息环境包括冬小麦田、冬歇期农田、河流湖泊和沼泽湿地,其中在冬歇期农田中统计到的数量占72.1%。2006-2008年,对青海湖繁殖斑头雁的卫星跟踪表明,其越冬地点主要位于西藏雅鲁藏布江流域、拉萨河流域和印度,越冬期为11月至翌年的3月份,在越冬地平均停留(108±30)d,越冬活动区大小为(122.22±124.94)km2(n=3)。受西藏独特的宗教传统和农耕畜牧结合的生产方式的影响,越冬斑头雁经常与大量家畜和水鸟混杂在农田觅食,在禽流感疫情防控时应引起重视。     

青海湖斑头雁（Anser indicus）繁殖期的活动性、栖息地利用及其与人的关系

2005年高致病性禽流感爆发,导致青海湖数千只斑头雁和中国其他地区大量家禽死亡。首次应用无线电遥测和颈环标记法对青海湖疫区斑头雁在繁殖期的活动性、栖息地利用及其与人的关系进行了研究。斑头雁主要在蛋岛繁殖,在泉湾、尕日拉、黑马河口、铁卜加河口等地觅食。斑头雁在青海湖的活动区为（309.63±172.72）km^2,活动核心区大小为（49.30±19.61）km^2。个体在不同阶段的活动区大小无显著差异。不同繁殖阶段间活动区较稳定,平均有超过一半（56.6%±24.9%）的活动点落入上一阶段的活动区中。由于成鸟在繁殖后期带领幼鸟离开繁殖场所,因而繁殖中、后期的活动区稳定性相对较差。斑头雁对河口、沼泽、草地和湖泊的利用率依次减少。随着繁殖季节的推移,斑头雁对河口的利用率逐渐减小,对沼泽的利用率则逐渐增加。对斑头雁与人的关系研究表明,在地点方面,斑头雁在蛋岛、黑马河口和泉湾与人的接触强度最大;在时间方面,5月份斑头雁与人的接触强度最大。在这些时间和地点,加强旅游管理和对牧民的宣传对禽流感防控非常必要。     

云南纳帕海湿地越冬斑头雁活动区

活动区范围反映了动物在个体水平上的空间需求,开展相关研究对物种保护以及理解动物与环境之间的关系具有重要意义。于2017、2018和2019年共3个越冬季,在云南纳帕海湿地对7只斑头雁（Anser indicus）进行了卫星遥测,运用动态布朗桥模型构建了斑头雁越冬期活动区,并结合遥感技术分析了水域面积变化对斑头雁活动区的影响。结果表明：所跟踪斑头雁的总活动区域中有54.7%位于保护区范围内,其余活动区域则分布于保护区外围的草地或沼泽中;斑头雁越冬期的平均活动区面积和核心活动区面积分别为（5.98 ± 0.63）km2和（0.55 ± 0.12）km2（n = 8,2017年越冬季1只个体数据、2018年越冬季6只个体数据和2019年越冬季1只个体数据）,核心活动区面积仅占活动区面积的9.2%;最大活动区面积为8.22 km2,最小仅为3.38 km2,最大核心活动区面积为1.21 km2,最小为0.12 km2;斑头雁活动区面积受纳帕海湿地水域面积变化影响较大,随着水域由南向北退缩,沼泽及草甸增多,斑头雁的活动范围变大,且会向着水域退减的方向移动;2639号斑头雁在2018年和2019年两年越冬季相同时间段的活动区面积和分布均存在显著差异,2018年越冬季活动区的面积（5.98 km2）小于2019年（8.22 km2）,核心活动区的面积（0.61 km2）同样也小于2019年（1.21 km2）,并且其两年越冬季活动区面积的重叠度指数IO仅为0.31。鉴于斑头雁是H5N1高致病性禽流感的重要携带者和传播者,建议保护区增加保护区管理范围,对与斑头雁活动区重合较大的村庄,包括云南省迪庆州香格里拉市建塘镇的开松、纳公和打日觉等重点管理,避免家猪与斑头雁混群觅食,倡导在冬季时对家猪进行圈养,防止可能引起的禽流感交叉传播。     

西藏南部羊卓雍错水鸟群落及斑头雁活动区域特征

2009年4月至2010年1月,对西藏南部羊卓雍错的水鸟资源状况进行了调查。采用定点观察的方法,沿湖选择了24个观察点,分别在繁殖前期、中期和后期,以及秋季和冬季进行了6次调查。采用核密度分析(Kernel analysis)的方法,对两只卫星跟踪斑头雁(Anser indicus)的活动区进行了分析。调查期间,记录到水鸟32种31044只,隶属于6目10科。雁鸭类和鸥类分别占水鸟总数73.9%和19.1%,主要是斑头雁、赤嘴潜鸭(Rhodonessa rufina)、赤麻鸭(Tadorna ferruginea)、棕头鸥(Larus brunnicephalus)等。水鸟多样性较高的季节是春秋迁徙季节。羊卓雍错夏季主要的繁殖种群是斑头雁和棕头鸥,也有少量黑颈鹤(Grus nigricollis)的繁殖个体;冬季主要物种是赤嘴潜鸭,经常聚集在融化的冰面上。春季斑头雁的数量增加趋势较为明显;进入繁殖期后,斑头雁处于孵卵阶段,繁殖种群的数量达到2000余只;繁殖后期,斑头雁换羽结束,成鸟带领幼鸟在鸟岛附近的湖边取食,此时观察到斑头雁的数量又有明显的增加;秋季斑头雁的南迁致使种群数量呈下降趋势;冬季许多斑头雁从北方如青海湖等地迁来越冬使得种群数量有所增加,多分布于湖西浪卡子县城附近的沼泽湿地和湖南部的绒波臧布河流的入口处。卫星跟踪结果表明,羊卓雍错是青海湖繁殖的斑头雁重要的越冬地之一,湖西部沼泽湿地和湖南部的河流入口处是其主要活动区域,而且该湖与雅鲁藏布江河谷之间通过斑头雁的往来移动存在着联系,因而是西藏南部禽流感监测的重要地点。     

甘肃盐池湾斑头雁巢址选择

2019年4至6月,采用定点观察法和样方法研究甘肃盐池湾国家级自然保护区斑头雁(Anser indicus)巢址选择。研究期间共发现斑头雁巢332个,斑头雁在繁殖期有3种营巢生境,即浅水沼泽、湖心小岛以及山崖,其巢址类型有草垛巢、地面巢和山崖裸岩巢3种。浅水沼泽、湖心小岛以及山崖3种营巢生境中窝卵数分别为(4.7±2.7)枚(n=204)、(4.2±1.9)枚(n=108)及(3.1±0.6)枚(n=20),孵化成功率分别为48.65%(n=199)、45.27%(n=148)及24.00%(n=25),繁殖成功率分别为66.67%(n=42)、74.28%(n=35)及36.36%(n=11)。主成分分析显示,影响浅水沼泽生境中斑头雁巢址选择的主要环境因素依次为水源因素、隐蔽因素、干扰因素和食物因素;影响湖心小岛生境中斑头雁巢址选择的主要环境因素依次为隐蔽因素、食物因素、干扰因素;影响山崖生境中斑头雁巢址选择的主要环境因素依次为地形因素、食物及水源因素、干扰因素。本研究表明,斑头雁在不同营巢生境中,巢址选择的最主要环境因素并不相同,主要依赖生境特征及周围环境因素特征。     

鄱阳湖越冬水鸟种群变化动态

鄱阳湖是东亚-澳大利西亚候鸟迁徙路线上重要的越冬地,开展鄱阳湖越冬水鸟种群变化动态研究,对指导鄱阳湖湿地生境管理,尤其是水位管控具有重要意义。2005～2007年的越冬季节,我们对鄱阳湖国家级自然保护区内3个重要湖泊(大湖池、沙湖和梅西湖)的越冬水鸟种群变化动态进行了调查,调查时间为每年10月至次年4月。3年共记录到水鸟53种,隶属于7目13科。3个越冬季节中单个调查日种类的最低值为9种,最高为31种。鄱阳湖越冬水鸟从10月上旬开始出现,在11月份鸟类数量急剧增加,在12月上旬和中旬达到数量峰值,然后开始缓慢减少,至4月初仅有少于1%的鸟类还停留在监测区域。在鄱阳湖要继续深入开展越冬候鸟空间分布动态变化的研究,分析水文节律变化对越冬鸟类生境的潜在影响,并深入研究气候因子与鄱阳湖越冬水鸟迁徙的关系。     

基于卫星追踪探讨黄河流域自然保护区对3种水鸟栖息地的保护现状

自然保护区是生物多样性保护的重要形式, 对于迁徙水鸟而言, 它的规划尤为重要。本研究于2016-2018年间在中国、蒙古国和俄罗斯捕捉6只斑头雁(Anser indicus)、5只白琵鹭(Platalea leucorodia)和10只东方白鹳(Ciconia boyciana)进行卫星追踪, 探讨了黄河流域自然保护区对它们栖息地的保护现状。基于4年累积获取的844,592条高频数据, 分析了这21只水鸟在黄河流域活动的时间和利用的土地类型, 并使用核密度法拟合了3种鸟类的家域。结果表明: 3种鸟类均利用黄河流域湿地作为迁徙途中的停歇地, 其中一部分白琵鹭幼鸟利用黄河流域湿地作为度夏地, 一部分东方白鹳利用黄河三角洲湿地作为越冬地; 3种水鸟在黄河流域内的土地利用情况存在差异, 斑头雁对草地(49.0%)、裸地(26.2%)与水体(22.5%)的利用率较高, 白琵鹭对农田(42.1%)、草地(19.8%)和湿地(19.6%)的利用率较高, 东方白鹳对湿地(49.8%)、农田(34.5%)和水体(4.6%)的利用率较高; 斑头雁核心的50%家域被现有保护区完全覆盖, 而白琵鹭和东方白鹳核心的50%家域被现有保护区的覆盖度分别为1.6%和0, 表明后2种水鸟的栖息地极大可能存在保护空缺; 同时对覆盖范围内土地类型自身占比进行分析, 发现3种鸟类对于裸地、草地和农田的利用偏向于被动选择, 而对于湿地和水体的利用表现为主动选择。基于卫星追踪获得的高频数据可以准确反映3种水鸟在黄河流域的停歇情况、土地利用情况及潜在栖息位点。在黄河流域自然保护区的进一步规划中, 应关注白琵鹭和东方白鹳适宜生境的保护状况, 并建立覆盖全面的保护区。     

Primary productivity and anthropogenic disturbance as determinants of Upland Goose Chloephaga picta distribution in southern Patagonia

A species distribution may be determined by its responses to patterns of human disturbance as well as by its habitat preferences. Here we investigate the distribution of the Upland Goose Chloephaga picta, which has been historically persecuted by farmers and ranchers in Patagonia because it feeds on crops and pastures and is assumed to compete with sheep for forage. We assess whether its current breeding distribution is shaped by persecution by ranchers or whether it can be better explained by differences in habitat primary productivity and preference for wetlands, or by other anthropogenic disturbances not associated with ranching. We built species distribution models to examine the relative effect of environmental and anthropogenic predictors on the regional distribution of Upland Goose. We performed vehicle surveys in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, in two years, surveying 8000 km of roads and recording 6492 Geese. Generalized additive models were used to model the presence/absence of Geese in 1‐km cells. The models suggested that Upland Goose distribution is not currently affected by rancher control, as the species is more abundant in areas with high sheep stocking levels, but it is positively influenced by primary productivity and negatively influenced by urban areas. Anthropogenic disturbance caused by urban areas and oil extraction camps had a greater impact in limiting the species distribution than sheep ranching.     

HCV core-induced nonobese hepatic steatosis is associated with hypoadiponectinemia and is ameliorated by adiponectin administration

Obesity-related hepatic steatosis is commonly associated with central fat accumulation and alterations in adipocytokine secretion; however, the connection between nonobese hepatic steatosis and adipocytokines remains unclear. We aim to investigate this connection using an animal model of conditional hepatitis C virus (HCV) core-transgenic mice. Double transgenic mice (DTM) with doxycycline (dox)-regulated hepatic overexpression of the HCV core protein were fed standard rodent chow ad libitum following 1 month of a dox-rich diet. The mice exhibited nonobese hepatic steatosis at 2 months of age. The levels of leptin and adiponectin were assessed in 2-month-old DTM (i.e., HCV core-tetracycline transactivator (tTA)) and single transgenic mice (STM; i.e., tTA). The total fat mass and the body fat distribution of the mice were evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Microarray analyses and quantitative real-time PCR were conducted using RNA obtained from the visceral fat of paired DTM and STM. Adiponectin was administered intraperitoneally to the 2-month-old DTM. No significant differences of the various fat components were noted between the DTM and STM. Leptin mRNA was downregulated in the visceral fat of DTM (P = 0.011), and serum adiponectin protein levels were reduced in the DTM compared with those in the STM (P = 0.035). Adiponectin treatment also significantly ameliorated hepatic steatosis in the DTM compared to the controls (P = 0.024). In conclusion, HCV core-induced nonobese hepatic steatosis is associated with downregulation of the leptin gene in visceral fat and concurrent hypoadiponectinemia; however, these effects may be ameliorated by adiponectin treatment.     

Mapping Cold-Water Coral Habitats at Different Scales within the Northern Ionian Sea (Central Mediterranean): An Assessment of Coral Coverage and Associated Vulnerability

In this study, we mapped the distribution of Cold-Water Coral (CWC) habitats on the northern Ionian Margin (Mediterranean Sea), with an emphasis on assessing coral coverage at various spatial scales over an area of 2,000 km² between 120 and 1,400 m of water depth. Our work made use of a set of data obtained from ship-based research surveys. Multi-scale seafloor mapping data, video inspections, and previous results from sediment samples were integrated and analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based tools. Results obtained from the application of spatial and textural analytical techniques to acoustic meso-scale maps (i.e. a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the seafloor at a 40 m grid cell size and associated terrain parameters) and large-scale maps (i.e. Side-Scan Sonar (SSS) mosaics of 1 m in resolution ground-truthed using underwater video observations) were integrated and revealed that, at the meso-scale level, the main morphological pattern (i.e. the aggregation of mound-like features) associated with CWC habitat occurrences was widespread over a total area of 600 km². Single coral mounds were isolated from the DTM and represented the geomorphic proxies used to model coral distributions within the investigated area. Coral mounds spanned a total area of 68 km² where different coral facies (characterized using video analyses and mapped on SSS mosaics) represent the dominant macro-habitat. We also mapped and classified anthropogenic threats that were identifiable within the examined videos, and, here, discuss their relationship to the mapped distribution of coral habitats and mounds. The combined results (from multi-scale habitat mapping and observations of the distribution of anthropogenic threats) provide the first quantitative assessment of CWC coverage for a Mediterranean province and document the relevant role of seafloor geomorphology in influencing habitat vulnerability to different types of human pressures.     

Dipentamethylene thiuram monosulfide is a novel inhibitor of Pin1

Pin1 is involved in eukaryotic cell proliferation by changing the structure and function of phosphorylated proteins. PiB, the Pin1 specific inhibitor, blocks cancer cell proliferation. However, low solubility of PiB in DMSO has limited studies of its effectiveness. We screened for additional Pin1 inhibitors and identified the DMSO-soluble compound dipentamethylene thiuram monosulfide (DTM) that inhibits Pin1 activity with an EC50 value of 4.1 μM. Molecular modeling and enzyme kinetic analysis indicated that DTM competitively inhibits Pin1 activity, with a K_i value of 0.05 μM. The K_D value of DTM with Pin1 was determined to be 0.06 μM by SPR technology. Moreover, DTM specifically inhibited peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase activity in HeLa cells. FACS analysis showed that DTM induced G0 arrest of the HCT116 cells. Our results suggest that DTM has the potential to guide the development of novel antifungal and/or anticancer drugs.     

Dam effects on the wintering strategy and habitat use of Greylag Goose (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anser anser</Emphasis>) in Ichkeul National Park,North Tunisia

The mosaic of habitats in the Ichkeul National Park is frequently changing due to the variations in water conditions that had influenced the wintering strategy of waterbird populations. To this point of view, field work on the wintering strategy of Greylag Geese in the Ichkeul National Park was realized during two consecutive winters (September 2001–March 2002 and September 2002–March 2003). Results showed that in this area, the Greylag Goose was a regular winter visitor, typically from the beginning of October to the end of March, when food resources were totally exhausted in all marshes. Records of diurnal time budget revealed that feeding (43%) and sleeping (20%) dominated all other activities: walking, flying alertness, and preening. The food resource depletion might be the principal responsible for the total population size decreases, the behavioral changes, and the switch of habitats used by the considered species. This situation is a kind of alarm bell to indicate a perturbation of the habitats in the Ichkeul National Park. Therefore, it is essential to use appropriate management strategies to enhance the value of this area for the bio-indicator species, in particular Greylag Goose which is very sensitive to habitat changes.     

Growth period QTL-allele constitution of global soybeans and its differential evolution changes in geographic adaptation versus maturity group extension

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) has been disseminated globally as a photoperiod/temperature-sensitive crop with extremely diverse days to flowering (DTF) and days to maturity (DTM) values. A population with 371 global varieties covering 13 geographic regions and 13 maturity groups (MGs) was analyzed for its DTF and DTM QTL-allele constitution using restricted two-stage multi-locus genome-wide association study (RTM-GWAS). Genotypes with 20 701 genome-wide SNPLDBs (single-nucleotide polymorphism linkage disequilibrium blocks) containing 55 404 haplotypes were observed, and 52 DTF QTLs and 59 DTM QTLs (including 29 and 21 new ones) with 241 and 246 alleles (two to 13 per locus) were detected, explaining 84.8% and 74.4% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. The QTL-allele matrix characterized with all QTL-allele information of each variety in the global population was established and subsequently separated into geographic and MG set submatrices. Direct comparisons among them revealed that the genetic adaptation from the origin to geographic subpopulations was characterized by new allele/new locus emergence (mutation) but little allele exclusion (selection), while that from the primary MG set to emerged early and late MG sets was characterized by allele exclusion without allele emergence. The evolutionary changes involved mainly 72 DTF and 71 DTM alleles on 28 respective loci, 10–12 loci each with three to six alleles being most active. Further recombination potential for faster maturation (12–21 days) or slower maturation (14–56 days) supported allele convergence (recombination) as a constant genetic factor in addition to migration (inheritance). From the QTLs, 44 DTF and 36 DTM candidate genes were annotated and grouped respectively into nine biological processes, indicating multi-functional DTF/DTM genes are involved in a complex gene network. In summary, we identified QTL-alleles relatively thoroughly using RTM-GWAS for direct matrix comparisons and subsequent analysis.     

RNA‐guided Cas9 as an in vivo desired‐target mutator in maize

The RNA‐guided Cas9 system is a versatile tool for genome editing. Here, we established a RNA‐guided endonuclease (RGEN) system as an in vivo desired‐target mutator (DTM) in maize to reduce the linkage drag during breeding procedure, using the LIGULELESS1 (LG1) locus as a proof‐of‐concept. Our system showed 51.5%–91.2% mutation frequency in T0 transgenic plants. We then crossed the T1 plants stably expressing DTM with six diverse recipient maize lines and found that 11.79%–28.71% of the plants tested were mutants induced by the DTM effect. Analysis of successive F2 plants indicated that the mutations induced by the DTM effect were largely heritable. Moreover, DTM‐generated hybrids had significantly smaller leaf angles that were reduced more than 50% when compared with that of the wild type. Planting experiments showed that DTM‐generated maize plants can be grown with significantly higher density and hence greater yield potential. Our work demonstrate that stably expressed RGEN could be implemented as an in vivoDTM to rapidly generate and spread desired mutations in maize through hybridization and subsequent backcrossing, and hence bypassing the linkage drag effect in convention introgression methodology. This proof‐of‐concept experiment can be a potentially much more efficient breeding strategy in crops employing the RNA‐guided Cas9 genome editing.     

利用微卫星标记分析不同鹅种的遗传变异

应用微卫星标记技术以6个品种鹅(东北白鹅、籽鹅、皖西白鹅、豁眼鹅、莱茵鹅、朗德鹅)为实验材料分析不同品种鹅的遗传多样性。利用等位基因频率计算出各群体的平均遗传杂合度(H)多态信息含量(PIC)和群体间的遗传距离D_S, 结果表明: 7个微卫星位在6种鹅群体中均表现为高度多态性, 可作为有效的遗传标记来分析各鹅群体的遗传多样性和系统发生关系。实验各群体的杂合度均较高, 平均杂合度在0.6617(莱茵鹅)~0.8814(籽鹅)之间。各品种的PIC值变动大小在0.6145(莱茵鹅)~0.7846(籽鹅)这与杂合度的高低一致。依据D_S遗传聚类进行UPGMA聚类分析结果6个品种被分为2类: 国内地方品种东北白鹅、籽鹅、豁眼鹅及皖西白鹅为一类; 外来鹅种莱茵鹅与朗德鹅为一类。表明微卫星标记可准确地反映6个品种的亲缘关系及其所在地域分布上的差异, 适宜于群体遗传结构及遗传关系的研究, 是畜禽遗传多样性研究与保护的有效分析手段。     

Primary structure of alpha and beta chains from the major hemoglobin component of the magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata, Anatidae)

The amino acid sequence of the alpha and beta chains from the major hemoglobin component (HbA) of Australian Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is given. The minor component with the alpha D chains was detected, but only found in low concentrations. By homologous comparison, Greylag Goose hemoglobin (Anser anser) and Australian Magpie Goose alpha chains differ by 13 amino acids or 17 nucleotide (4 two point mutations) exchanges, beta chains by 6 exchanges. Seven alpha 1 beta 1 contacts are modified by substitutions in positions alpha 30-(B11)Glu leads to Gln, alpha 34(B15)Thr leads to Gln, alpha 35(B16)-Ala leads to Thr, alpha 36(B17)Tyr leads to Phe, beta 55(D6)Leu leads to Ile, beta 119(GH2)Ala leads to Ser and beta 125(H3)Glu leads to Asp. Further, one alpha 1 beta 2 contact point was changed in beta 39(C5)Gln leads to Glu. Mutation in this position, except in two abnormal human hemoglobins, was not found in any species. Amino acid exchanges between hemoglobin of Australian Magpie Goose and other birds are discussed.     

The development of a genome wide SNP set for the Barnacle goose Branta leucopsis

Migratory birds are of particular interest for population genetics because of the high connectivity between habitats and populations. A high degree of connectivity requires using many genetic markers to achieve the required statistical power, and a genome wide SNP set can fit this purpose. Here we present the development of a genome wide SNP set for the Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis, a model species for the study of bird migration. We used the genome of a different waterfowl species, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, as a reference to align Barnacle Goose second generation sequence reads from an RRL library and detected 2188 SNPs genome wide. Furthermore, we used chimeric flanking sequences, merged from both Mallard and Barnacle Goose DNA sequence information, to create primers for validation by genotyping. Validation with a 384 SNP genotyping set resulted in 374 (97%) successfully typed SNPs in the assay, of which 358 (96%) were polymorphic. Additionally, we validated our SNPs on relatively old (30 years) museum samples, which resulted in a success rate of at least 80%. This shows that museum samples could be used in standard SNP genotyping assays. Our study also shows that the genome of a related species can be used as reference to detect genome wide SNPs in birds, because genomes of birds are highly conserved. This is illustrated by the use of chimeric flanking sequences, which showed that the incorporation of flanking nucleotides from Mallard into Barnacle Goose sequences lead to equal genotyping performance when compared to flanking sequences solely composed of Barnacle Goose sequence.