密点麻蜥的两性异形和雌性繁殖

蜥蜴繁殖成功率与其形态特征有密切的关系。作者在内蒙古乌拉特后旗采集密点麻蜥(Eremias multio-cellata) ,定量研究该种形态特征的两性异形和雌体繁殖特征,检验与成体形态特征相关的两性繁殖成功率差异是否能促进两性异形的进化。密点麻蜥成体个体大小无显著的两性差异,但头部大小两性差异显著;雄性个体的头长和头宽均大于体长相同的雌性成体。繁殖雌体于五、六月份排卵;在实验室条件下,雌体在六月下旬至七月下旬之间产仔。该种雌体年产单窝仔,每窝2 -4仔。窝仔重与雌体体长呈正相关,但雌体体长仅能解释很少一部分(约19 %)窝仔重的变异。窝仔数和幼仔重均与雌体体长无关。幼仔重与相对生育力(相对于雌体体长的窝仔数)呈显著的负相关,表明该种蜥蜴存在后代数量-大小之间的权衡。密点麻蜥雄体和雌体向较大体型方向进化的选择压力均相对较弱,与成体头部大小相关的两性繁殖成功率的差异是导致该种蜥蜴头部大小两性异形进化的主要原因[动物学报52 (2) : 250 -255 , 2006]。     

断尾对胎生蜥蜴运动能力和选择体温的影响

尾自切是蜥蜴为了降低被捕食危险而采取的一种反捕食适应策略,但断尾可导致体重减轻、热量收支平衡改变,并影响蜥蜴的运动能力和体温调节.为检验断尾对蜥蜴运动能力和选择体温的影响,于2006年5月选取黑龙江省小兴安岭地区的一个胎生蜥蜴种群进行实验.结果表明:在30 ℃和24℃两个实验温度下,断尾后胎生蜥蜴的运动能力均明显下降,表现在停顿次数增多、最大可持续距离和最大疾跑速度减少等方面;断尾、温度和性别对胎生蜥蝎运动能力的影响在一定程度上是相互独立的,断尾是影响胎生蜥蜴运动能力的主要因素;断尾对胎生蜥蝎的选择体温没有显著影响.     

南滑蜥繁殖行为和繁殖策略的研究

南滑蜥Scincella reevesii 系温暖气候区卵胎生蜥蜴,每年繁殖1次,繁殖季节为5月下旬到6月上旬.平均每只繁殖雌蜥产仔6(3～9)条.雌蜥分娩持续时间为30～ 60 min,仔蜥在产出时包被卵膜.南滑蜥雌体采取高投入的繁殖策略,平均繁殖投入为0.359,平均窝仔投人为0.247.相关性回归分析表明,窝仔数、窝仔重与雌蜥体长呈正相关关系,幼仔重与雌蜥体长不相关;窝仔数与雌蜥的繁殖投入及窝仔投入均成正相关,与分娩时的能耗投入不相关,与幼仔投入成显著负相关.     

胎生蜥蜴断尾及再生的研究

对胎生蜥蜴的断尾及再生进行了统计和观察,结果表明：胎生蜥蜴幼体断尾率为28．26％,成体断尾率为45．45％。说明承受着很大的生存压力;断尾活动时间与断尾的长度及断尾部位有关;再生尾中有一节鳞片明显较其它鳞片长;再生尾明显较原尾生长速度快。     

秦岭滑蜥视网膜年龄相关的显微结构特征和胶质纤维酸性蛋白免疫组织化学定位

光学显微镜下观察了秦岭滑蜥Scincella tsinlingensis视网膜年龄相关的显微结构特征,并对胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)免疫组织化学定位及表达强度进行了统计分析。结果显示:秦岭滑蜥视网膜由内至外共分为10层,与昼行性蜥蜴类视网膜结构特征一致。亚成体和成体视网膜总厚度较幼体明显增加,但三者神经节细胞层、外界膜以及视杆视锥层厚度之间无明显差异。不同年龄组视网膜细胞核层数无差异:外核层1~2层,神经节细胞层3~4层,内核层6~8层。视网膜GFAP免疫阳性主要定位于内界膜和神经纤维层,且神经纤维层阳性最强。GFAP阳性表达呈现成体最强、幼体较强、亚成体最弱的年龄相关性,这可能与视网膜胚后发育中的生理功能调节相关。     

胎生蜥泄殖系统的解剖

对胎生蜥Lacerta vivipara的排泄和生殖系统进行了解剖观察.胎生蜥的排泄系统由肾脏、输尿管和泄殖腔组成,左肾较右肾稍大,但在位置上没有明显差别;雄性生殖系统由精巢、输精管、附睾和半阴茎组成,左侧精巢位置较右侧稍接近身体前部且稍大;雌性生殖系统南卵巢和输卯管组成,左右卵巢在大小上无明显差别,但左侧卵巢比右侧卵巢略接近身体前部.对繁殖期和繁殖期后的生殖系统比较显示,生殖腺在繁殖期明显增大.胎生蜥的生殖系统与其他卵生和卵胎生类蜥蜴无明显差别.     

环境温度对黑龙江草蜥体温及生理体温调节能力的影响

本文以长白山地区的黑龙江草蜥(Takydromus amurensis)为研究对象,于2014年4—6月在实验室进行饲养和繁殖,10月初,将成体和孵出的幼体置于恒温培养箱内进行体温测量,探讨不同恒温条件和急速升温条件对黑龙江草蜥体温和生理体温调节能力的影响。结果表明:在11~39℃的恒温条件下,黑龙江草蜥的体温受测量时间的影响显著,07:00时体温最低;在11~19℃的恒温条件下,黑龙江草蜥幼体体温显著高于成体体温,在21℃的恒温条件下,成体和幼体体温间无显著差异,在23~39℃的恒温条件下,幼体体温显著低于成体体温;黑龙江草蜥的体温与环境温度呈线性正相关,成体的回归方程为y=0.72366x+7.1778,幼体的回归方程为y=0.6508x+8.8039,与等温线y=x的交点温度分别为25.97和25.21℃;当环境温度从10℃急速升高到30℃时,黑龙江草蜥体温在短时间内快速升高,但升温速率逐渐降低。由此可知,黑龙江草蜥体温受环境温度的影响显著,且具有一定的生理体温调节能力,幼体的生理体温调节能力较强,使其具有较强的恒温性。     

黑胸散白蚁末龄若虫蜕皮羽化行为观察

【目的】了解黑胸散白蚁Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder末龄若虫的蜕皮羽化行为。【方法】室内恒温(26±0.5)℃恒湿(75%±5%)饲养黑胸散白蚁末龄若虫,间隔一定时间进行观察记录。【结果】黑胸散白蚁末龄若虫蜕皮羽化时间持续2~8 h。蜕皮一般从末龄若虫胸腹部交界处背部开始破裂,从腹末、翅末、足端、口器末端或触角端脱落,50%以上的正常羽化蜕皮是从腹末端脱落。初始羽化成虫为白色,随后身体和翅的颜色逐渐加深和变黑,羽化8~12 h后,虫体整体颜色变为黑色。室内观察结果还表明,34.7%的末龄若虫无法正常羽化。【结论】黑胸散白蚁末龄若虫蜕皮羽化持续时间较短,蜕皮一般是从胸腹部交界处背部开始破裂,但可从不同部位脱落,且蜕皮羽化行为容易受到外界环境的影响。     

饥饿胁迫对中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)仔蟹的影响

在26.2 ～28.4℃水温条件下,研究了饥饿对中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)仔蟹的形态、行为、存活及体重损失的影响,同时确定了仔Ⅱ的营养饱和储存点(PRS)和不可恢复点(PNR).结果表明:饥饿胁迫下中华绒螯蟹仔Ⅰ、仔Ⅱ、仔Ⅲ的初次死亡时间(T1)分别为8.0、14.0和20.3 d,50％死亡时间(Ts0)分别为11.4、16.0和25.5 d,100％死亡时间(T100)分别为15.0、22.0和32.3 d,耐饥饿能力为仔Ⅲ＞仔Ⅱ＞仔Ⅰ;饥饿期间中华绒螯蟹体内水分含量持续升高,干重量降低显著,干重损失速率也随时间延长逐渐减小;先饱食后饥饿的给饵模式中仔Ⅱ蜕皮率随初始饱食时间延长而升高,50％个体完成蜕皮所需饱食时间(PRS50)为2.10d,各处理组仔Ⅱ的蜕皮周期与持续饱食组均无显著差异(P＞0.05),但只有饱食3d以上才能达到持续饱食饲养蟹的增重率;先饥饿后饱食的给饵模式中,仔Ⅱ的蜕皮率随着初始饥饿时间的延长而下降,其中仔Ⅱ50％不能蜕皮的初始饥饿时间(PNR50)和100％不能蜕皮的初始饥饿时间(PNR100)分别为10 d和14 d,并且蜕皮周期相对延长,延长时间约等于初始饥饿时间,不存在额外的摄食时间来弥补饥饿期间损失的能量,各处理组蜕皮后仔蟹与对照组体重无显著差异(P＞0.05).     

不同基质对北草蜥和中国石龙子运动表现的影响

动物在野外生境中的活动能力通常会受到许多方面(例如,运动基质表面粗糙程度、遭遇障碍物的大小与形状)的影响。在特定体温(30 ℃)条件下,测量主要分布区重叠的两蜥蜴种类(北草蜥和中国石龙子)在四种不同基质表面(塑料草坪;表面粗糙不透底的塑料地毯;光滑具透底网格的塑料地毯和表面光滑的塑料地毯)的运动表现,以及两者的攀附能力和最大游泳耐力。基质类型显著影响两种蜥蜴的运动表现。两种蜥蜴在粗糙表面运动时的疾跑速明显大于光滑表面(例如,塑料草坪上北草蜥为15.7 SVL/s,中国石龙子为8.1 SVL/s;光滑塑料地毯上则分别为11.4 SVL/s和3.5 SVL/s)。中国石龙子在光滑塑料地毯上具有最大的持续运动距离(10.6 SVL)和最少的停顿次数(1.9次)。北草蜥在光滑塑料地毯上具有最多的停顿次数(4.6次)。两种蜥蜴运动能力的种间差异显著。北草蜥具有较大的相对疾跑速度(北草蜥和中国石龙子:13.5 SVL/s vs 5.8 SVL/s)和攀附能力(143.8 ° vs 101.2 °),但较小的游泳耐力(83.5 s vs 238.5 s)。运动速度与耐力之间存在种间权衡关系而与攀爬能力无进化冲突的结论。     

Asian citrus psyllid stylet morphology and applicability to the model for inter-instar stylet replacement in the potato psyllid

In Hemiptera, presumptive stylets for each consecutive postembryonic instar are manufactured prior to ecdysis to replace the ecdysial stylets discarded with the exuviae. With the discovery that the bacterium “Candidatus” Liberibacter solanacearum accesses the tissues involved in the stylet replacement process of the potato psyllid, a hypothesis was formed that the bacterium could adhere to the stylets of freshly emerged instars and hence gain access to the host plant when feeding is resumed. Although unproven, it was imperative that a model for stylet replacement be built. Stylet morphology and the stylet replacement process of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), vector of “C.” L. asiaticus, causal pathogen of citrus greening disease, are comparable to the potato psyllid model system. Morphology consists of a basal terminus with its tab-shaped auricle, a base, shaft, and an apical terminus. Each of the four auricles act as a platform for the replacement apparatus, which is compacted into a tight aggregate of cells, the ‘end-cap’. As modeled, on apolysis of larval instar hypodermis, the aggregate ‘deconstructs’ and expands into a snail shell-shaped tube, the ‘atrium’, that houses the presumptive stylet as it is synthesized. Completed stylets then despool from the atrium and are fitted into their functional positions as the next instar emerges from its exuviae.     

An unusual cuticular tumor-like growth on the abdomen of a lobster, Homarus americanus

Tumors are rare in crustaceans, and whereas a few have been reported from the lobster Homarus americanus none have been adequately described. A lobster with an unusual, large, blue-colored tumor-like growth projecting laterally outward from the first abdominal somite was caught off Stonington, Maine, USA. The growth was rugose and covered by a relatively normal appearing cuticle with dispersed focal melanization. The underlying stroma consisted of an internal area of rescaffolded fibrous connective tissue, restructured muscle fibers, few arterioles, and an epidermal area comprised of columnar, highly vacuolated epithelial cells. No infectious pathogens or unusual inclusions were observed with microscopy and no eukaryotic pathogens were detected via molecular sequencing. Given the nature of the histology and the appearance of the growth, we identify the mass as a benign papilliform hamartoma that likely originated as a result of abnormal wound repair possibly initiated around ecdysis. This represents the first tumor-like hamartoma reported from a lobster, and the second hamartoma reported from a crustacean.     

Embryology and Life Cycle of Tylenchorhynchus claytoni Steiner, 1937 (Nematoda: Tylenchoidea)

Development of Tylenchorhynchus claytoni from unsegmented egg to hatching takes 135 hr at 22-25 C. The fourth molt lasts 5 to 6 days. During exsheathment the cast cuticle of the larva separated into two unequal parts, breaking near either the anterior or posterior end. The life cycle from egg to egg required from 31 to 38 days at 28 C on alfalfa seedlings and included four molts and four larval stages. Sexual differentiation was apparent in third-stage larvae.     

Elektronenmikroskopische und experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Kragendrüse von Polyxenus lagurus (L.) (Diplopoda,Penicillata)

Zusammenfassung 1. Die unpaare Glandula perioesophagealis von Polyxenus lagurus ist eine endokrine Drüse. Sie liegt zwischen Pharynxdach und Gehirn. Im Bereich des Hinterkopfs umgibt sie den Vorderdarm manschettenförmig.2. Die Drüse ist am Nervus glandulae perioesophagealis, der sich in ihr aufzweigt, befestigt. Viele Axone dieses Nervs führen Neurosekret.3. Die Drüsenzellen sind typische Podocyten. Zwischen ihren Pedicellen erstrecken sich viele weitlumige Interzellularräume. In den Pedicellen findet man zahlreiche Vesikulationen. Benachbarte Pedicellen sind durch Diaphragmata verbunden. DarÜber hinaus sind die Drüsenzellen durch viele Lysosomen und unregelmäßig gewundene, elektronendichte tubuläre Strukturen gekennzeichnet. Das endoplasmatische Retikulum ist spärlich entwickelt.4. Tiere, bei denen experimentell die Häutung ausgelöst wurde, zeichnen sich durch aktivierte Drüsenzellen aus. Die Anzahl der Mitochondrien, Golgi-Komplexe, Lysosomen und freien Ribosomen steigt jetzt an. Das endoplasmatische Retikulum tritt stark in Erscheinung. Es ist tubulär, häufig angeschwollen und mit flockigem Material gefüllt. Seine Membranen sind überwiegend mit Ribosomen besetzt, stellenweise aber auch agranulär. Jetzt treten auch zusammengesetzte Körper auf.

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Electron microscopic and experimental studies on the collar gland of Polyxenus lagurus (L.) (diplopoda, penicillata)

Summary 1. The unpaired glandula perioesophagealis of Polyxenus lagurus is an endocrine gland. It is located in the head between the roof of the pharynx and the brain. In the region of the back of the head it surrounds the foregut like a cuff.2. The gland is attached to an unpaired nervus glandulae perioesophagealis which branches in it. Many axons of this nerve contain neurosecretory granules.3. The gland cells are typical podocytes. Between their pedicles there are many wide intercellular spaces. A large number of cytoplasmic vesicles are found in the pedicles. Neighbouring pedicles are connected by diaphragmata. Moreover, the cells are characterized by many lysosome-like structures and tubular irregularly-bent electron-dense structures. The endoplasmic reticulum is sparsely developed.4. In animals in experimentally-induced molting, the gland cells are activated: the numbers of mitochondria, Golgi complexes, lysosome-like structures and free ribosomes are increased. The endoplasmic reticulum is conspicuous; it is tubular, often swollen, and filled with floccular material. It is predominantly granular but smooth in places. Complex cytoplasmic bodies are detectable.

     

Spook and Spookier code for stage-specific components of the ecdysone biosynthetic pathway in Diptera

Ecdysteroids regulate many key developmental events in arthropods including molting and metamorphosis. Recently, members of the Drosophila Halloween group of genes, that are required for embryonic viability and cuticle deposition, have been shown to code for several cytochrome P450 enzymes that catalyze the terminal hydroxylation steps in the conversion of cholesterol to the molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. These P450s are conserved in other insects and each is thought to function throughout development as the sole mediator of a particular biosynthetic step since, where analyzed, each is expressed at all stages of development and shows no closely related homolog in their respective genomes. In contrast, we show here that several dipteran genomes encode two novel, highly related, microsomal P450 enzymes, Cyp307A1 and Cyp307A2, that likely participate as stage-specific components of the ecdysone biosynthetic machinery. This hypothesis comes from the observation that Cyp307A1 is encoded by the Halloween gene spook (spo), but unlike other Halloween class genes, Dmspo is not expressed during the larval stages. In contrast, Cyp307a2, dubbed spookier (spok), is expressed primarily during larval stages within the prothoracic gland cells of the ring gland. RNAi mediated reduction in the expression of this heterochromatin localized gene leads to arrest at the first instar stage which can be rescued by feeding the larva 20E, E or ketodiol but not 7dC. In addition, spok expression is eliminated in larvae carrying mutations in molting defective (mld), a gene encoding a nuclear zinc finger protein that is required for production of ecdysone during Drosophila larval development. Intriguingly, mld is not present in the Bombyx mori genome, and we have identified only one spook homolog in both Bombyx and Manduca that is expressed in both embryos and larva. These studies suggest an evolutionary split between Diptera and Lepidoptera in how the ecdysone biosynthetic pathway is regulated during development.     

室温条件下虎斑颈槽蛇卵的孵化与幼蛇饲养

目的探讨室温条件下虎斑颈槽蛇的孵化及幼蛇饲养情况。方法选用同一条虎斑颈槽蛇产的同窝蛇卵31枚,随机为A组（实验组）、B组（对照组）,A组16枚,B组15枚。两组蛇卵分别置于2个完全相同的打孔整理箱中进行孵化,孵出幼蛇用小泽蛙饲养。结果在室温条件下,孵化期58天,孵化率为96．77％。出壳后7～9天,幼蛇第1次蜕皮,蜕皮周期在11～16天不等。结论对虎斑颈槽蛇进行工厂化人工养殖是切实可行的。     

Regulation of cuticular hydrocarbon profile maturation by Drosophila tanning hormone,bursicon, and its interaction with desaturase activity

Shortly after emergence the exoskeleton (cuticle) of adult insects is rapidly expanded, hardened (sclerotized), and pigmented (melanized). In parallel with this process, the oenocytes, which are large polyploid cells located below the abdominal epidermis, secrete onto the cuticle a cocktail of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) and waxes. These improve the waterproofing of the cuticle, and also provide important chemosensory and pheromonal cues linked with gender, age, and species differentiation. The hardening and pigmentation of the new cuticle are controlled by the neurohormone, bursicon, and its receptor, encoded by the DLGR2 receptor, rickets (rk); by contrast, little is known about the timecourse of changes in CH profile and about the role of bursicon in this process. Here we show in Drosophila that rk function is also required for the normal maturation of the fly's CH profile, with flies mutant for rk function showing dramatically elevated levels of CHs. Interestingly, this effect is mostly abrogated by mutations in the Δ9 desaturase encoded by the desaturase1 gene, which introduces a first double bond into elongated fatty-acid chains, suggesting that desaturase1 acts downstream of rk. In addition, flies mutant for rk showed changes in the absolute and relative levels of specific 7-monoenes (in males) and 7,11-dienes (in females). The fact that these differences in CH amounts were obtained using extractions of very different durations suggests that the particular CH profile of flies mutant for rk is not simply due to their unsclerotized cuticle but that bursicon may be involved in the process of CH biosynthesis itself.     

Essential roles for the Dhr78 orphan nuclear receptor during molting of the Drosophila tracheal system

The Drosophila Dhr78 orphan nuclear receptor has been proposed to play a role in molting of the tracheal cuticle and regulate gene expression during the third larval instar, possibly in response to a novel systemic hormonal signal. Here, we show that there are no essential maternal functions for Dhr78 during development, and that mutants missing both maternal and zygotic Dhr78 function die primarily during second and third instar larval development. We show that defects in the tracheal system can be observed as early as the first instar, manifested as regions of fluid in the dorsal tracheal trunks. In addition, Dhr78 mutant tracheae show a highly penetrant defect in gas filling at the first-to-second instar larval molt. Dhr78 expression in only the tracheal system is sufficient to rescue the lethality of Dhr78 mutants, and selective inactivation of Dhr78 function in the tracheae by targeted RNAi is sufficient to result in tracheal defects. Finally, we see no evidence for widespread activation of the Dhr78 ligand binding domain in third instar larvae using the GAL4-LBD system, arguing against a systemic hormone for the receptor at this stage in development. Taken together, our results indicate that Dhr78 exerts its essential functions during molting of the tracheal cuticle in Drosophila.