Common trade‐offs between xylem resistance to cavitation and other physiological traits do not hold among unrelated Populus deltoides ×Populus nigra hybrids

We examined the relationships between xylem resistance to cavitation and 16 structural and functional traits across eight unrelated Populus deltoides×Populus nigra genotypes grown under two contrasting water regimes. The xylem water potential inducing 50% loss of hydraulic conductance (Ψ₅₀) varied from ?1.60 to ?2.40 MPa. Drought‐acclimated trees displayed a safer xylem, although the extent of the response was largely genotype dependant, with Ψ₅₀ being decreased by as far as 0.60 MPa. At the tissue level, there was no clear relationship between xylem safety and either xylem water transport efficiency or xylem biomechanics; the only structural trait to be strongly associated with Ψ₅₀ was the double vessel wall thickness, genotypes exhibiting a thicker double wall being more resistant. At the leaf level, increased cavitation resistance was associated with decreased stomatal conductance, while no relationship could be identified with traits associated with carbon uptake or bulk leaf carbon isotope discrimination, a surrogate of intrinsic water‐use efficiency. At the whole‐plant level, increased safety was associated with higher shoot growth potential under well‐irrigated regime only. We conclude that common trade‐offs between xylem resistance to cavitation and other physiological traits that are observed across species may not necessarily hold true at narrower scales.     

Hypomania: a transcultural perspective

This study examined the transcultural robustness of a screening instrument for hypomania, the Hypomania Checklist-32, first revised version (HCL-32 R1). It was carried out in 2606 patients from twelve countries in five geographic regions (Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe, South America and East Asia). In addition, GAMIAN Europe contributed data from its members. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the transregional stability of the measurement properties of the HCL-32 R1, including the influence of sex and age as covariates. Across cultures, a two-factor structure was confirmed: the first factor (F1) reflected the more positive aspects of hypomania (being more active, elated, self-confident, and cogni-tively enhanced); the second factor (F2) reflected the more negative aspects (being irritable, impulsive, careless, more substance use). The measurement properties of the HCL-32 R1 were largely invariant across cultures. Only few items showed transcultural differences in their relation to hypomania as measured by the test. F2 was higher among men and in more severe manic syndromes; F1 was highest in North and East Europe and lowest in South America. The scores decreased slightly with age. The frequency of the 32 items showed remarkable similarities across geographic areas, with two excep-tions: South Europeans had lower symptom frequencies in general and East Europeans higher rates of substance use. These findings support the interna-tional applicability of the HCL-32 R1 as a screening instrument for hypomania.     

Cladogenesis and endemism in Tanzanian mole‐rats,genus Fukomys: (Rodentia Bathyergidae): a role for tectonics?

African mole‐rats of the family Bathyergidae are subterranean hystricomorph rodents found throughout sub‐Saharan Africa, where the distributional ranges of the most speciose taxa are divided by the African Rift Valley. In particular, mole‐rats of the genera Heliophobius and Fukomys are distributed widely, and their adaptive radiation appears to have been strongly influenced by the geological process of rifting. As a result, virtually all members of the genus Fukomys occur in locations west of the Rift Valley. However, a small number of isolated populations occur east of the Rift Valley in Tanzania, where Heliophobius is widespread and is the predominant bathyergid rodent. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences of previously unstudied Tanzanian mole‐rats (genus Fukomys) and geographically adjacent populations strongly suggests that vicariance in the Western Rift Valley has subdivided populations of mole‐rats and, together with climatic changes, played a role in the isolation of extralimital populations of Fukomys in Tanzania. Together with molecular clock‐based estimates of divergence times, these results offer strong support for the hypothesis that the observed patterns of cladogenesis are consistent with tectonic activity in the ‘Mbeya triple junction’ and Rungwe volcanic province between Lakes Rukwa and Nyasa. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100 , 337–352.     

Morphological alterations and NO-synthase expression in the heart after continuous light exposure of rats

Although exposure to continuous light is associated with hypertension and modulates the outcome of ischemia-reperfusion injury, less attention has been paid to its effects on cardiac morphology. We investigated whether 4-week exposure of experimental rats to continuous 24 h/day light can modify cardiac morphology, with focus on heart weight, fibrosis and collagen I/III ratio in correlation with NO-synthase expression. Two groups of male adult Wistar rats were studied: controls exposed to normal light/dark cycle (12 h/day light, 12 h/day dark) and rats exposed to continuous light. After 4 weeks of treatment the absolute and the relative heart weights were determined and myocardial fibrosis and collagen type I/III ratio were evaluated using picrosirius red staining. Endothelial and inducible NO-synthase expression was detected immunohistochemically. The exposure of rats to continuous light resulted in an increase of body weight with proportionally increased heart weight. Myocardial fibrosis remained unaffected but collagen I/III ratio increased. Neither endothelial nor inducible NO-synthase expression was altered in light-exposed rats. We conclude that the loss of structural homogeneity of the myocardium in favor of collagen type I might increase myocardial stiffness and contribute to functional alterations after continuous light exposure.     

Adaptive divergence for a fitness-related trait among invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia populations in France

The impact of natural selection on the adaptive divergence of invasive populations can be assessed by testing the null hypothesis that the extent of quantitative genetic differentiation (Q(ST) ) would be similar to that of neutral molecular differentiation (F(ST) ). Using eight microsatellite loci and a common garden approach, we compared Q(ST) and F(ST) among ten populations of an invasive species Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) in France. In a common garden study with varying water and nutrient levels, we measured Q(ST) for five traits (height, total biomass, reproductive allocation, above- to belowground biomass ratio, and days to flowering). Although low F(ST) indicated weak genetic structure and strong gene flow among populations, we found significant diversifying selection (Q(ST) > F(ST) ) for reproductive allocation that may be closely related to fitness. It suggests that abiotic conditions may have exerted selection pressure on A. artemisiifolia populations to differentiate adaptively, such that populations at higher altitude or latitude evolved greater reproductive allocation. As previous studies indicate multiple introductions from various source populations of A. artemisiifolia in North America, our results suggest that the admixture of introduced populations may have increased genetic diversity and additive genetic variance, and in turn, promoted the rapid evolution and adaptation of this invasive species.     

葡寡糖对LPS诱导小鼠氧化应激与炎症反应调节作用的研究

本文研究了低、中、高三种不同聚合度葡寡糖(LGOS、MGOS、HGOS)对小鼠氧化应激与炎症反应的调节,并探讨其可能的作用机制。在采食正常日粮基础上,各组小鼠每日分别灌胃生理盐水、低聚果糖(FOS)、LGOS、MGOS、HGOS。21 d后,腹腔注射脂多糖(LPS)诱导小鼠建立氧化应激与炎症反应模型,分别测定LPS刺激后4 h和18 h时血清和肝脏中活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)水平、总抗氧化能力(total antioxidant ca-pacity,T-AOC)、过氧化氢酶(catalase,CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(glutathione peroxidase,GSH-Px)活性、丙二醛(Malondialdehyde,MDA)含量、肝脏中一氧化氮(NO)含量、一氧化氮合酶(nitric oxide synthase,NOS)活性、血清中白细胞介素1(Interleukin-1,IL-1)和肿瘤坏死因子(tumor necrosis factor,TNF-a)含量。结果表明:三种聚合度葡寡糖均能显著降低LPS刺激小鼠血清、肝脏中ROS水平(P<0.05),降低肝脏中NO含量、T-NOS、iNOS活性、血清中炎性细胞因子(IL-1、TNF-a)含量(P<0.05),显著提高总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)和抗氧化酶(CAT、GSH-Px)活性(P<0.05)。葡寡糖具有保护机体免受氧化损伤,减缓炎症反应的作用,并随着平均聚合度(degree ofpolymerization,DP)的增加,其调节功能逐渐增强。     

微生物絮凝剂在养殖废水处理中的应用

微生物絮凝剂作为一种新型的絮凝剂,因其安全、高效等特性,正逐渐成为目前水产养殖废水处理研究的热点。主要从微生物絮凝剂的概念、絮凝机理、特点、研究现状、应用实例等方面,分析了微生物絮凝剂作为水质改良剂在水产养殖中的应用前景,并就今后的研究趋势作了展望。     

The Botrytis cinerea phytotoxin botcinic acid requires two polyketide synthases for production and has a redundant role in virulence with botrydial

The grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea produces two major phytotoxins, the sesquiterpene botrydial, for which the biosynthesis gene cluster has been characterized previously, and the polyketide botcinic acid. We have identified two polyketide synthase (PKS) encoding genes, BcPKS6 and BcPKS9, that are up-regulated during tomato leaf infection. Gene inactivation and analysis of the secondary metabolite spectra of several independent mutants demonstrated that both BcPKS6 and BcPKS9 are key enzymes for botcinic acid biosynthesis. We showed that BcPKS6 and BcPKS9 genes, renamed BcBOA6 and BcBO9 (for B. cinerea botcinic acid biosynthesis), are located at different genomic loci, each being adjacent to other putative botcinic acid biosynthetic genes, named BcBOA1 to BcBOA17. Putative orthologues of BcBOA genes are present in the closely related fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, but the cluster organization is not conserved between the two species. As for the botrydial biosynthesis genes, the expression of BcBOA genes is co-regulated by the Gα subunit BCG1 during both in vitro and in planta growth. The loss of botcinic acid production does not affect virulence on bean and tomato leaves. However, double mutants that do not produce botcinic acid or botrydial (bcpks6Δbcbot2Δ) exhibit markedly reduced virulence. Hence, a redundant role of botrydial and botcinic acid in the virulence of B. cinerea has been demonstrated.     

Comparing and combining distance-based and character-based approaches for barcoding turtles

Molecular barcoding can serve as a powerful tool in wildlife forensics and may prove to be a vital aid in conserving organisms that are threatened by illegal wildlife trade, such as turtles (Order Testudines). We produced cytochrome oxidase subunit one (COI) sequences (650 bp) for 174 turtle species and combined these with publicly available sequences for 50 species to produce a data set representative of the breadth of the order. Variability within the barcode region was assessed, and the utility of both distance-based and character-based methods for species identification was evaluated. For species in which genetic material from more than one individual was available (n = 69), intraspecific divergences were 1.3% on average, although divergences greater than the customary 2% barcode threshold occurred within 15 species. High intraspecific divergences could indicate species with a high degree of internal genetic structure or possibly even cryptic species, although introgression is also probable in some of these taxa. Divergences between species of the same genus were 6.4% on average; however, 49 species were <2% divergent from congeners. Low levels of interspecific divergence could be caused by recent evolutionary radiations coupled with the low rates of mtDNA evolution previously observed in turtles. Complementing distance-based barcoding with character-based methods for identifying diagnostic sets of nucleotides provided better resolution in several cases where distance-based methods failed to distinguish species. An online identification engine was created to provide character-based identifications. This study constitutes the first comprehensive barcoding effort for this seriously threatened order.