厦门海域岩相海岸带疣荔枝螺（Thais clavigera）与甲虫螺（Cantharus cecillei）性畸变

海产腹足类性畸变以其对有机锡的敏感性、特异性和不可逆性而成为海洋有机锡污染的理想指示种.调查研究了厦门海域岩相海岸带疣荔枝螺(Thais clavigera)和甲虫螺(Cantharus cecillei)的性畸变情况,通过生物学指标IOI(性畸变率)、RPSI(相对阴茎发展指数)、VDSI(输精管发展指数)及SRI(性比指数)综合评价其性畸变发展程度,间接指示厦门周边海域的有机锡污染程度.研究结果发现,在采集疣荔枝螺的17个站点中有5个站点种群性畸变率为100%,其中宝珠屿种群性畸变程度最为严重,VDSI达4,采集甲虫螺的4个站点的种群性畸变率均为100%.性畸变程度较严重的种群普遍集中于厦门西港,并且表现出由港内到港外逐渐减轻的趋势,而白城、会展中心和大嶝岛等位于开阔的厦门东海域的种群性畸变程度最轻,与往年厦门西海域有机锡污染监测数据相比一致,体现出性畸变程度与有机锡污染程度及海港码头远近之间的相互关系.     

有机锡污染与海产腹足类性畸变

综述了海产腹足类性畸变发生的原因和形态变化,并对利用海产腹足类性畸变进行有机锡污染的生物监测,海产腹足类性畸变的生态毒理学等方面的研究进展及我国的研究现状作了详细的介绍。     

桶形芋螺和菖蒲芋螺的性畸变

2 0 0 1年 9月和 2 0 0 3年 8月在广东湛江的硇洲岛和 2 0 0 3年 6月在广东阳江的闸坡渔港采集桶形芋螺 (Conus betulinus)和菖蒲芋螺 (Conus vexillum) ,发现两个海区的芋螺雌性个体均发生性畸变 ,性畸变率均为 10 0 % ,但雌 /雄性比仍大于 1.0。两种芋螺的畸变阶段和类型多 ,桶形芋螺有 S3b、S3c、 S4 、S*4 、S5b、S5c,而菖蒲芋螺有 S1 c、S3b、S4 、S*4 、S6 b。 2 0 0 3年 6月在阳江采集的桶形芋螺畸变程度最高 ,种群 RPSI为 5 3.8% ,VDSI高达 4 .9,雌性不育率达 4 4 .0 %。 2 0 0 1年 9月在硇洲岛外海深水区采集的菖蒲芋螺的种群 RPSI虽然只有 14 .7% ,但性畸率为 10 0 % ,VDSI也达 4 .1%。由此可见 ,两种芋螺对有机锡污染均比较敏感 ,而且有个体大、易采集、性畸变率高、畸变阶段跨度大、畸变类型多、畸变特征易于鉴别等特点 ,是中国东南沿海低潮线和潮下带有机锡污染生物监测的理想指示种。如与潮间带有机锡污染指示种疣荔枝螺 (Thaisclavigera)结合起来 ,便可相互补充 ,能更加全面和准确地反映近岸海域有机锡污染的现状     

螺序草属三新种

本文发表了螺序草属三新种, 即粘毛螺序草Spiradiclis tomentosa, 糙边螺序草S.scabrida, 锈茎螺序草S.ferruginea.     

陆栖肺螺类壳质超微结构的研究及其与半咸水螺壳的对比

有关海相腹足类壳质超微结构的研究已有不少报道,而对非海相腹足类,尤其是陆栖肺螺类的壳质超微结构研究仍然非常少见。因此,本文拟通过一些陆栖肺螺壳和半咸水螺壳的壳质超微结构的研究,建立其壳质超微结构的类型,并对比这两大类群的螺壳在壳质超微结构上的区别。     

性畸变对腹足类生殖和种群的影响

具有内分泌干扰效应的三丁基锡能引起腹足类产生性畸变现象。在性畸变过程中 ,雌性个体会由于生殖孔口被前列腺取代或被输精管阻塞、贮精囊或卵囊腺开裂、卵囊腺内部被阻塞以及卵巢转化为精巢等多种原因而丧失生殖能力 ,甚至死亡。并由此引起雌、雄性比和幼、成年个体比的降低 ,导致种群衰退。有浮游幼体的种类可以通过外来种群的成功迁入使种群得以维持 ,而无浮游幼体的种类 ,由于幼体迁移能力差而最终导致种群的区域性灭绝。性畸变这种典型的功能效应对其他内分泌干扰物质的生态效应研究有启示作用。     

有害植物孪花蟛蜞菊扩张对西沙岛屿陆生软体动物的影响

有害植物孪花蟛蜞菊(Wedelia biflora)的扩张对我国西沙群岛原生植物群落结构和功能产生了深刻影响, 但陆生软体动物如何响应该扩张却未见报道。本文调查了西沙群岛永兴岛孪花蟛蜞菊不同扩张程度下褐云玛瑙螺(Achatina fulica)、钻头螺科、坚齿螺科和拟阿勇蛞蝓科等主要陆生软体动物的残体分布情况, 测定了残体的分布密度和壳高、壳宽、壳重等可量化性状指标, 研究了孪花蟛蜞菊扩张对陆生软体动物种群的影响。结果表明: (1)随孪花蟛蜞菊扩张程度增加, 钻头螺科和褐云玛瑙螺的种群密度增加, 坚齿螺科种群密度减小, 拟阿勇蛞蝓科种群密度出现先增加后减少的趋势; (2)陆生软体动物类群的体型分布频率随孪花蟛蜞菊扩张呈现不同的变化趋势, 褐云玛瑙螺较小个体数量增加, 其他陆生软体动物体型分布变化不明显或较大体型残体分布增加; (3)孪花蟛蜞菊扩张对褐云玛瑙螺体型特征产生抑制作用, 褐云玛瑙螺主要采用r策略来响应有害植物扩张的影响。综上, 有害植物孪花蟛蜞菊在热带珊瑚岛屿植被中的扩张改变了陆生软体动物的形态、密度与种群结构, 不同的软体生物类群表现出不同响应策略, 在海岛有害生物的综合防治过程中应该引起足够重视。     

四种翁戎螺的齿舌形态及功能

翁戎螺（Pleurotomariidae）起源于寒武纪时期,是介于软体动物祖先和现代腹足类之间的过渡类型。目前我国翁戎螺的分类、生态等方面研究不足,为探究翁戎螺的形态分类及食性,以寺町翁戎螺（Bayerotrochus teramachii）、红翁戎螺（Mikadotrochus hirasei）、高腰翁戎螺（M. salmianus）和龙宫翁戎螺（Entemnotrochus rumphii）为研究对象,应用扫描电镜观察其齿舌结构。结果表明,（1）翁戎螺齿舌结构与大多数腹足类具有3种类型的齿舌不同,其齿舌带上具有中央齿、内侧齿、外侧齿、镰状齿、丝状齿和桨状齿6种不同类型的小齿。（2）4种翁戎螺的中央齿均为1枚,内侧齿2或3枚,外侧齿20 ~ 25枚,镰状齿16 ~ 32枚,丝状齿35 ~ 62枚,桨状齿10 ~ 26枚。（3）翁戎螺属（Mikadotrochus）内种类之间齿舌形态的差异较小,进行种间区分需结合其小齿数量,但属间差异较大,中央齿、内侧齿、镰状齿的齿尖和齿基形态都可以进行属间区分。（4）龙宫翁戎螺齿舌带每个横排具有26枚桨状齿,与之前研究具有10枚不同。本研究对翁戎螺镰状齿和丝状齿之间、丝状齿和桨状齿之间的过渡形态进行深入地描述和划分。本研究结果可为我国翁戎螺的形态分类研究提供资料。     

耳河螺生殖器官和精子的形态学研究

耳河螺「Ｒｉｖｕｌａｒｉａ ａｕｒｉｃｕｌａｔａ （Ｍａｒｔｅｎｓ）」为雌雄异体。雄性生殖器官由精巢,输精小管,贮精囊,输精管,前列腺和阴茎组成。精巢内有精子,精子有典型精子和非典型精子两种。扫描电镜下,典型精子头部呈螺旋状,尾端只有一根较粗壮;非典型精子头部和中部为棒状,尾部呈扫帚状,由８－１５根鞭毛组成。     

淡色库蚊红眼(r)突变的遗传

在淡色库蚊(Culex pipiens pallens Coq.)中,分离出红眼(r)突变型。其眼睛的颜色,从幼虫,蛹到成虫表现了完全地外显和一致。正常黑眼(+)和红眼(r)杂交,不论正交或反交,F₁(子一代)个体全部为黑眼(+)(表1③④)。F₁的个体互交,F₂(子二代)则按黑眼(+):红眼(r)=3∶1分离(表1⑤⑥及表2的正交和反交项)。正交与反交的F₁个体,分别与红眼(r)本的雌、雄个体回交,其黑眼(+)与红眼(r)都按1∶1进行分离(表1⑦⑧⑨及表2回交栏三项)。实验证明,黑眼(+)对红眼(r)为显性,而红眼(r)则为隐性。它们完全符合一对孟德尔显、隐性关系基因的遗传规律。从F₂分离出来的红眼(r)个体,不管是来自F₁的互交,还是正交与反交的F₁雄蚊个体与红眼(r)亲本雌蚊个体的回交,它们的表现是:凡正交,红眼(r)个体都是雄的(表1⑤⑧);凡反交,红眼(r)个体都是雌的(表1⑥⑦)。唯有正交与反交的F₁雌蚊个体,当与亲本红眼(r)雄蚊个体回交时,其F₂的红眼(r)个体雌、雄都有,且红眼(r)雌:红眼(r)雄呈1∶1的比例(表1⑨),这主要是由红眼(r)雄蚊具有两类配子所遗成。上述现象说明,红限?是一种性连锁的突变。但由于出现一定比例的交换(表1⑤⑥⑦⑧),因此是属于不完全的性连锁。     

Beyond imposex: other sexual alterations in a nassariid snail from Patagonia

The occurrence of a penis in female gastropods has commonly been accepted as an indicator of tributyltin (TBT) pollution. During the surveys performed in Patagonian waters between 2002 and 2010, individuals of Buccinanops deformis with a short penis and an external vas deferens were initially considered as showing imposex. Doubt arose when different manifestations of the phenomenon were identified at the two sites with the densest populations of the species (San Antonio Bay, SAB, and Villarino). This led us to search at both locations for: (a) histological confirmation of sex, (b) butyltin measurements in sediments and snail tissues, and (c) incidence of trematode infestation. We found that both populations have individuals with a short penis. While all the inspected individuals from SAB were histologically identified as females (imposex), those from Villarino were identified as males. Trematodes were absent in individuals from SAB and showed very low prevalence in those from Villarino, with metacercariae found in the digestive gland. In snail tissues, butyltins were found mainly in the form of dibutyltin (DBT) in SAB and at negligible levels in Villarino. In sediments, butyltins were found only in the form of TBT, at higher levels in SAB than in Villarino. Thus, it became clear that our finding of a short penis is a manifestation of imposex on females from SAB related to the high TBT levels, whereas in Villarino it is a male trait, which is not related to TBT or a trematode infestation but may be a Dumpton syndrome-like abnormality.     

New implications in the use of imposex as a suitable tool for tributyltin contamination: experimental induction in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hexaplex trunculus</Emphasis> (Gastropoda,Muricidae) with different stressors

Imposex, i.e. the development of additional male sex organs (penis and/or vas deferens), in females of gonochorist marine and freshwater gastropods, is known to be caused by tributyltin (TBT), and it has been widely used as a biomonitoring tool in environmental surveys for TBT pollution assessment. In this study, we experimentally tested the potential to induce imposex by another endocrine disruptor (polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs] mixture—Aroclor 1260). Adults of Hexaplex trunculus with low imposex level, coming from an Italian Marine Protected Area, were injected separately with different doses of tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) and Aroclor 1260. The compounds were dissolved in ethanol and the organisms were narcotised by immersion in MgCl₂ solution before injection. Before and after the experiment, butyltin compounds (BuTs) and PCB tissue concentrations were determined. A significant increase in imposex with respect to non-treated organisms was observed in all treatments, including artefact controls. No clear correlation was observed between BuTs and PCB tissue concentrations and indices of imposex incidence. Based on these results, no assumption can be formulated about PCB effect on imposex development. Nevertheless, they suggest that the imposex level increase, at least in H. trunculus, in laboratory conditions might not be caused by TBT only, but it would rather be a non-specific response to different stress stimuli.     

Survey of imposex in prosobranchs mollusks along the northern Mediterranean coast of Morocco

Imposex, i.e., the superimposition of male sex organs on female gonochoristic neogastropods has been observed in more than 140 species worldwide and suggested as a suitable biomarker of tributyltin pollution in the marine environment. In this study, an imposex survey for three neogastropod species: Murex trunculus, Murex brandaris and Thaïs haemastoma was conducted for the first time at five sites along the northern Mediterranean coasts of Morocco. The imposex phenomenon was observed in the all surveyed sites. Nevertheless, rates of occurrence and degree of imposex were more important in both harbours sites (Tangier and Mdiq) characterized with heaving shipping activity than in the three seaside stations (Martil, Azla and Amsa) where only sporadic and small boats are used in traditional fishing activities.     

Testosterone-Fatty Acid esterification: a unique target for the endocrine toxicity of tributyltin to gastropods

Over the past thirty years, a global occurrence of sexual aberrationhas occurred whereby females among populations of prosobranchsnails exhibit male sex characteristics. This condition, calledimposex, has been causally associated with exposure to the biocidetributyltin. Tributyltin-exposed, imposex snails typically haveelevated levels of testosterone which have led to the postulatethat this endocrine dysfunction is responsible for imposex.This overview describes recent evidence that supports this postulate.Gastropods maintain circulating testosterone levels and administrationof testosterone to females or castrates stimulates male sexdifferentiation in several snail species. Studies in the mudsnail (Ilyanassa obsoleta) have shown that gastropods utilizea unique strategy for regulating free testosterone levels. Excesstestosterone is converted to fatty acid esters by the actionof a testosterone-inducible, high capacity/low affinity enzyme,acyl-CoA:testosterone acyl transferase, and stored within theorganisms. Free testosterone levels are regulated during thereproductive cycle apparently due to changes in esterification/desterificationsuggesting that testosterone functions in the reproductive cycleof the organisms. Testosterone esterification provides a uniquetarget in the testosterone regulatory machinery of snails thatis altered by tributyltin. Indeed, imposex and free testosteronelevels were elevated in field collected snails containing hightin levels, while testosterone-fatty acid ester pools were reducedin these organisms. These observations indicate that tributyltinelevates free testosterone by reducing the retention of testosteroneas fatty acid-esters. This endocrine effect of tributyltin maybe responsible for imposex.     

The neuropeptide APGWamide induces imposex in the mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta

We investigated whether neuropeptides which control sexual differentiation in mollusks can induce imposex-a condition where female snails grow male accessory sex organs after exposure to tributyltin (TBT). Mud snails, Ilyanassa obsoleta, were dosed with one of four neuropeptides: APGWamide, conopressin, LSSFVRIamide, or FMRFamide for seven or fourteen days. TBT and testosterone (T) were used as positive controls and induced imposex as expected. APGWamide significantly induced imposex, with a threshold dose near 10(-)(16) moles. The other neuropeptides had no effect on imposex induction. We propose that TBT could act as a neurotoxin to induce imposex via abnormal release of APGWamide.     

Inhibition of human cytochrome P450 aromatase activity by butyltins

Organotin compounds are widely used as antifouling agents and bioaccumulate in the food chain. Tributyltin chloride (TBT) has been shown to induce imposex in female gastropods. On the basis of this observation it has been suggested that TBT acts as an endocrine disrupter inhibiting the conversion of androgens to estrogens mediated by the aromatase cytochrome P450 enzyme. However, to date, the molecular basis of TBT-induced imposex and in particular its putative inhibitory effects on human aromatase cytochrome P450 activity have not been investigated. Therefore, we examined the effects of the organotin compounds tetrabutyltin (TTBT), TBT, dibutyltin dichloride (DBT) and monobutyltin trichloride (MBT) on human placental aromatase activity. TBT was found to be a partial competitive inhibitor of aromatase activity with an IC(50) value of 6.2 microM with 0.1 microM androstenedione as substrate. TBT impaired the affinity of the aromatase to androstenedione but did not affect electron transfer from NADPH to aromatase via inhibiting the NADPH reductase. DBT acted as a partial but less potent inhibitor of human aromatase activity (65% residual activity), whereas TTBT and MBT had no effect. The residual activity of TBT-saturated aromatase was 37%. In contrast, human 3beta-HSD type I activity was only moderately inhibited by TBT (80% residual activity). Moreover, neither TTBT or DBT nor MBT inhibited the 3beta-HSD type I activity. Together, these results suggest that the environmental pollutants TBT and DBT, both present in marine organisms, textile and plastic products, may have specific impacts on the metabolism of sex hormones in humans.     

Application of anaesthetics for sex identification and bioactive compound recovery from wild Dicathais orbita

Anaesthetics are used extensively on marine molluscs for non-destructive sampling and to manipulate specimens in ecological studies and aquaculture. Dicathais orbita is an edible southern Australian muricid (Neogastropoda) with potential for use as an indicator species for ecological monitoring and new species development in aquaculture. This species produces bioactive compounds that are currently under investigation for the development of a novel anticancer therapy. No previous studies have investigated the use of anaesthetics to collect bioactive compounds. Thus, a suite of anaesthetics was trialled for their efficacy in relaxing D. orbita out of the shell to identify sex and for stimulating bioactive compound production. The recovery time significantly varied between the different anaesthetic applications (P < 0.001). Magnesium chloride proved most effective in relaxing specimens enough to identify sex and recovery time did not differ from the seawater control (P > 0.05). This method was successfully applied to field populations of D. orbita in order to establish a 1:1 sex ratio at 6 sites in South Australia. No evidence of imposex was observed at any location. Benzocaine and the carrier solvent ethanol were less effective for identifying sex, but stimulated expulsion of the bioactive precursors. This indicates that ethanol may be inducing a stress response in these gastropods rather than a standard anaesthetisation. Consequently, the most suitable anaesthetic for use on gastropods will depend on the specific use and requires testing for species specific responses.     

Size matters: importance of penis length variation on reproduction studies and imposex monitoring in Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae)

The present study aimed at analysing the monthly variation in penis length (PL) during the reproductive cycle of the purple dye murex (Bolinus brandaris). Two hypotheses were tested: PL variation reflects male maturation and reproductive activity; PL variation bias the calculation of imposex indices based on penis measurement (RPLI and RPSI). Sampling was performed during 1 year in a population from Ria Formosa lagoon (Algarve coast, southern Portugal) with high incidence of imposex. Penis-bearing individuals were measured for shell length (SL) and PL, and two bio-physiological indices were calculated for both sexes, the general condition index (K) and the gonadosomatic index (GSI). PL presented monthly variation in both sexes, but while female PL showed small and random oscillation, male PL exhibited significant variation throughout the reproductive cycle (as evidenced by the similar and synchronous trends between male PL and GSI). These findings have implications both for reproduction studies and imposex monitoring: calculation of standardised PL (PL/SL) allows for gender identification without killing the organism and constitutes a useful penial index for assessing male maturation and reproductive activity; RPLI and RPSI should be applied cautiously in spatial and temporal comparisons of imposex severity in B. brandaris.