Seasonal prevalence of mosquitoes collected from light traps in the Republic of Korea, 2007

Adult mosquito surveillance was conducted using New Jersey light traps from 1 May to 15 October during 2007 at 14 US Army and three Air Force installations and two US Army training sites located in six provinces in the Republic of Korea to determine threshold levels to initiate pesticide applications based on trap indices. A total of 24 013 adult mosquitoes (19 763 [82.3%] females and 4250 [17.1%] males) comprising 16 species (including five members of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group) and belonging to seven genera were collected. Females of the most commonly collected species were members of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group (52.1%), followed by, Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (20.6%), Culex pipiens Coquillett (13.8%), and Aedes vexans nipponii (Theobald) (11.6%). Trap indices varied widely for species over their range, due in part, to geographical distribution and degree of association with urban or rural communities.     

Contrasting levels of genetic diversity between the historically rare orchid Cypripedium japonicum and the historically common orchid Cypripedium macranthos in South Korea

Many terrestrial orchids are historically rare and occur in small, spatially isolated populations. Theory predicts that such species will harbour low levels of genetic variation within populations and will exhibit a high degree of population genetic divergence, primarily as a result of genetic drift. If the origin of the present‐day populations is relatively recent from the same genetically depauperate source population, a complete lack of genetic differentiation between conspecific populations is expected. If a terrestrial orchid was historically common with moderate or high levels of genetic diversity, but has experienced more recent anthropogenic disturbance as a result of over‐collection, it would still exhibit initial levels of genetic variation within populations and a low degree of genetic divergence between populations. To test these predictions, we examined the genetic diversity in six populations (N = 131) of the historically and currently rare Cypripedium japonicum and in four populations (N = 94) of the historically common but now rare C. macranthos from South Korea. Fourteen putative allozyme loci resolved from eight enzyme systems revealed no variation either within or among populations of C. japonicum, which supports the first prediction. In contrast, populations of C. macranthos harboured high levels of genetic variation (mean percentage of polymorphic loci %P = 46.7; mean expected heterozygosity H_e = 0.185) and exhibited a low degree of population genetic divergence (G_ST = 0.059), supporting the second prediction. The lack of genetic variation both within and among conspecific populations of C. japonicum may suggest that populations originated from the same genetically depauperate ancestral population. The high levels of genetic diversity maintained in populations of C. macranthos suggest that the collection‐mediated decrease in the number of individuals is still too recent for long‐term effects on genetic variation. Based on current demographic and genetic data, in situ and ex situ conservation strategies should be provided to preserve genetic variation and to ensure the long‐term survival of the two species in the Korean Peninsula. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 160 , 119–129.     

Selection and design of high affinity DNA ligands for mutant single-chain derivatives of the bacteriophage 434 repressor

Single-chain repressor RRTRES is a derivative of bacteriophage 434 repressor, which contains covalently dimerized DNA-binding domains (amino acids 1-69) of the phage 434 repressor. In this single-chain molecule, the wild type domain R is connected to the mutant domain RTRES by a recombinant linker in a head-to-tail arrangement. The DNA-contacting amino acids of RTRES at the -1, 1, 2, and 5 positions of the a3 helix are T, R, E, S respectively. By using a randomized DNA pool containing the central sequence -CATACAAGAAAGNNNNNNTTT-, a cyclic, in vitro DNA-binding site selection was performed. The selected population was cloned and the individual members were characterized by determining their binding affinities to RRTRES. The results showed that the optimal operators contained the TTAC or TTCC sequences in the underlined positions as above, and that the Kd values were in the 1×10-12 mol/L-1×10-11mol/L concentration range. Since the affinity of the natural 434 repressor to its natural operator sites is in the 1×10-9 mol/L range, the observed binding affinity increase is remarkable. It was also found that binding affinity was strongly affected by the flanking bases of the optimal tetramer binding sites, especially by the base at the 5′ position. We constructed a new homodimeric single-chain repressor RTRESRTRES and its DNA-binding specificity was tested by using a series of new operators designed according to the recog-nition properties previously determined for the RTRES domain. These operators containing the con-sensus sequence GTAAGAAARNTTACN or GGAAGAAARNTTCCN (R is A or G) were recognized by RTRESRTRES specifically, and with high binding affinity. Thus, by using a combination of random selection and rational design principles, we have discovered novel, high affinity protein-DNA inter-actions with new specificity. This method can potentially be used to obtain new binding specificity for other DNA-binding proteins.     

Seasonal prevalence of mosquitoes collected from light traps in the Republic of Korea in 2003

Surveillance of adult mosquitoes was conducted at 29 US military installations and training sites in six provinces in the Republic of Korea during 2003. Adult mosquitoes were collected in New Jersey light traps and dry ice‐baited New Jersey light traps from 1 May to 15 October. Mosquito surveillance was conducted to determine threshold levels to initiate pesticide applications and identify malaria infection rates at selected army installations and training sites. A total of 42 024 adult mosquitoes (32 594 females [77.6%] and 9430 males [22. 4%]) comprising 14 species and Anopheles sinensis s.l. (a complex of five species), representing seven genera, were collected. The most common species were members of the Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann complex (54.9%), followed by Aedes vexans nipponii (Theobald) (19.0%), Culex pipiens Coquillett (14.3%) and Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (10.6%). Trap indices varied widely for species over their range, due in part to geographical distribution and degree of association with urban communities.     

一种改进的构建杂交扣留cDNA文库的方法

介绍了一种改进的利用减法杂交构建λ噬菌体cDNA文库的方法,该方法利用处理的sscDNA减去两种对照的mRNA富集目的sscDNA并用磁珠法分离杂交单体,结果表明其增加了杂交单体的产量、简化了实验步骤,而且更有利于富集所需基因,是构建cDNA文库的一个有效改进.     

外源5-氨基乙酰丙酸对NaCl胁迫下黑果枸杞幼苗生理及生长的影响

5-氨基乙酰丙酸(ALA)是植物血红素、叶绿素等四吡咯化合物的关键生物合成前体,对植物适应非生物胁迫至关重要。为验证外源ALA对黑果枸杞幼苗生理生长的影响,该研究用300 mmol·L^-1 NaCl和不同浓度(0、5、10、15、20、25 mg·L^-1)的ALA共同处理黑果枸杞幼苗,并测定其相关的生理指标和生长指标,综合评价各处理幼苗的耐盐性。结果表明：(1)NaCl胁迫使黑果枸杞幼苗总生物量和叶片总叶绿素、类胡萝卜素、可溶性糖含量以及过氧化物酶(POD)活性较CK分别显著降低了33.39%、19.06%、24.38%、39.57%和47.91%(P<0.05),使黑果枸杞幼苗脯氨酸和丙二醛的含量较CK分别显著增加了165.74%和49.16%。(2)当外源ALA和NaCl同时处理时,黑果枸杞幼苗叶片类胡萝卜素和丙二醛含量、POD和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性以及株高、总生物量均恢复至对照水平,叶片总叶绿素和脯氨酸含量以及SOD活性较CK显著增加。(3)黑果枸杞幼苗叶片叶绿素和脯氨酸含量以及抗氧化酶活性、生物量等指标随ALA浓度增加均呈先...     

Vernalization,a Switch in Initiation of Flowering,Promotes Differentiation and Development of Spikelet in Winter Wheat

Vernalization is a decisive physiological process for heading, flowering and graining of biennial plants. Variable duration of low-temperature treatment has effects on lateral morphogenesis, such as spike initiation, floral development and graining rate in winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). The investigation data showed that the duration of vernalization treatment was a decisive factor for the initiation of spike relevant to the time of initiation; the longer the duration at low temperature, the earlier the spike initiation in winter wheat. In the process of the spike differentiation, relatively lower temperature and longer differential time benefited for spike differentiation. Under laboratory condition, a low-temperature treatment for 45 d was optial for flower differentiation and graining in winter wheat. It is novelly recognized that vernalization treatment is essential for development of both spikes and spikelets, besides for promoting initiation of differentiation in winter wheat.     

Local‐scale spatial dynamics of ants in a temperate agroecosystem

At the local scale, spatial aggregations in ant distribution are often thought to be driven by competitive interactions among dominant ant species, although niche preferences and habitat heterogeneity might also lead to patchiness. Nevertheless, competitive interactions might be particularly important in agroecosystems that are structurally more homogeneous than natural habitats. The spatial patterns of ants in two Australian vineyards were investigated by intensive pitfall trapping to examine if non‐random patterns occur and whether these might be the result of competitive species interactions as well as the influence of woody vegetation adjacent to the vineyards. Null model analyses suggested competitive species interactions within ant assemblages that might have been driven by numerically dominant species, even though both positive and negative associations between these were found. Consistent spatial aggregations indicated significant spatial overlap in distributions of some species. Such overlap suggests that potential coexistence might be attributed to temporal partitioning or differences in foraging strategies. The presence of woody vegetation had a marked influence on ant assemblage structure and competitive interactions, and might facilitate coexistence by increasing resource heterogeneity. The implications of these findings for sampling strategies and ecological processes within vineyards are discussed.     

4种金色叶树木对SO2胁迫的生理响应

近年来SO2污染比较严重,它对植物有着多方面的影响。因此,越来越多的学者开始关注这方面的问题。彩叶植物在丰富园林景观及降低环境污染方面占用重要的地位,它们也被认为是净化城市空气最有效的途径之一。旨在阐明4种彩叶树种耐SO2污染机制,对丰富植物耐SO2研究的理论、科学评价植物抗SO2污染能力以及指导园林绿化科学选择树种等具有重要理论和现实意义。研究采用人工模拟熏气的方法对金叶女贞、金叶莸、金叶风箱果和金叶红瑞木4种金色叶树种的2年生苗木进行不同浓度的SO2胁迫,研究了参试树种的外观受害症状及膜脂过氧化、渗透调节物质、保护酶活性等生理指标对SO2的反应,并采用模糊数学隶属函数法和灰色关联度法对其抗SO2能力进行了综合评价。结果表明:4种金色叶植物对SO2均具有一定的净化能力,表现为随着SO2浓度的增加膜透性增大,丙二醛、脯氨酸、可溶性糖和硫含量增加,超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化物酶以及过氧化氢酶活性上升,叶绿素含量先增后降,叶液pH值下降。但4种金色叶树木对SO2的净化能力有差别,其中金叶红瑞木的净化能力强最大,金叶女贞和金叶风箱果的净化能力为中等,而金叶莸的净化能力最差。这与其含硫量的顺序一致,却与其对SO2的抗性大小即金叶女贞>金叶莸>金叶红瑞木>金叶风箱果完全不同,说明这四种植物对SO2的吸收能力与其对该气体的抗性不完全一致。但这不能表明抗性差的树种在兰州地区不能应用,因为,兰州市空气中的SO2实际污染程度与研究所设置的最低浓度相比仍属安全浓度。在所选的10个指标中,丙二醛含量、细胞膜透性、超氧化物歧化酶活性、过氧化氢酶活性、脯氨酸、过氧化物酶活性、叶绿素和可溶性糖等指标均可作为金色叶植物对SO2抗性的重要鉴定指标,而S含量和叶液pH值在评价植物对SO2抗性能力时并不具有重要性。4种植物的受害程度与其SO2抗性相反,说明受害症状可以作为判断其对SO2抗性大小依据。