Mitochondrial DNA variation and genetic structure in populations of Drosophila melanogaster

The understanding of the genetic structure of a species can be improved by considering together data from different types of genetic markers. In the past, a number of worldwide populations of Drosophila melanogaster have been extensively studied for several such markers, including allozymes, chromosomal inversions, and quantitative characters. Here we present results from a study of restriction- fragment-length polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in 92 isofemale lines from many of the same geographic populations of D. melanogaster. Eleven restriction enzymes were used, of which four revealed restriction-site polymorphism. A total of 24 different haplotypes were observed, of which 18 were unique to single populations. In many populations, the unique haplotypes have reached high frequency without being observed in neighboring populations. A Wagner parsimony tree reveals that mutationally close variants show geographical clumping, suggesting local differentiation of mtDNA in populations. The Old-World and the New-World populations are differentiated, with the predominant Old-World haplotype being virtually absent from the New World. These results contrast with those for the nuclear genes, in which many loci show parallel clines in different continents, and suggest a common origin of D. melanogaster populations in North America.      

中国高山ping亚属（Subgerus Alticola）的系统类与分布

高山ｐｉｎｇ亚属广布于中亚山地，即从喜马拉雅山、兴都库库会经帕米尔、天山、西茂而至图瓦、抗爱山和贝加尔湖一带。中国过去仅记录２种：银色高山ｐｉｎｇ（Ａｌｔｉｃｏｌａ ａｒｇｅｎｔａｔｃｓ Ｓｅｖｅｒｔｓｏｖ；有时定作劳氏高山ｐｉｎｇＡ．ｒｏｙｌｅｉ的一亚种）和斯氏高山ｐｉｎｇ。本文依据形态学资料和采用判别函数分析的方法，对该亚属进行了研究。我们认为中国高山ｐｉｎｇ至少有３个以上的物种存在，现概述于     

Some Physiological,Microbial, and Toxicological Aspects of the Removal of Phenanthrene by Hydroponic Cultures of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and other plants bearing an important root system have been shown to be effective in the removal of organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Phenanthrene is one of the main contaminants arising from the petrochemical industry and is included in the USEPA's list of priority toxic pollutants. Hydroponic cultures of alfalfa were employed as a model system to evaluate their capability of removing phenanthrene and to study the plant-pollutant interaction without the interference of a soil matrix. The removal of phenanthrene was followed over a period of 30 days. The half-life of phenanthrene in hydroponics (initial concentration 50 mg L^-1) was reduced 2.7 times when plants were present. Growth index, chlorophyll content of leaves, and peroxidase activity of the roots of plants exposed to phenanthrene were lower than the corresponding values of nonexposed plants. Phenanthrene produced an acute negative effect on the total bacterial counts but also caused an increase in degraders/total bacteria ratio. The Ames Salmonella plate incorporation assay was employed to screen for potential genotoxic metabolites, which could be generated by metabolic activation of the parent compound. None of the samples exhibited a positive response. While lack of a positive response to this test is not a definitive evidence of the absence of genotoxic substances, these results suggest that the plant-assisted removal of phenanthrene merits further investigation.     

Bacterial flora of newly caught Antarctic fish Notothenia neglecta

Summary The heterotrophic bacterial flora of Antarctic fish Notothenia neglecta was studied in Potter Cove (King George Island, South Shetland Islands). Quantitative and qualitative analysis of aerobic bacteria from sea water, skin, stomach and intestine were carried out. In addition, anaerobic flora of stomach and intestine was studied and compared. Pseudomonas was dominant in sea water samples but, neither skin nor digestive tract samples showed to be rich in this genus. Stomach flora showed variable results between samples. The gut flora was composed almost exclusively of Vibrio. Despite extreme environmental conditions this Antarctic fish show an intestinal indigenous microflora very similar to warmer waters fish. Several factors, that we discussed, could be determining the Vibrio dominance in the gut of marine teleosts.