Seed germination time course and seedling development of Clintonia udensis Trautv. et Mey. (Uvulariaceae): a typical cool temperate woodland perennial in Japan

Seed germination time course and seedling development mechanisms of Clintonia udensis Trautv. et Mey. (Uvulariaceae) were investigated under experimental condition. Seed germination tests were carried out under four thermal regimes, i. e. 10, 15, 20, and 25°C, after seeds were harvested, and stored at 5°C in wet conditions for 6 months under light‐exposed or shaded conditions. Approximately 63% of all seeds produced had the potential to germinate beyond 4 years and 6 months. The developmental process after germination continued for over 2 years. Phase I: the radicle first breaks through the seed coat 2 years after fructification. Phase II: the radicle becomes much larger with a hypocotyle. Phase III: part of the cotyledon elongates over 20 mm. Phase IV: the plumule further develops in two steps, i. e. the plumule is first formed, while cotyledon is disappearing, and then the plumule appears with second and third radicles, growing with cotyledon.     

L78部分氨基酸残基对SERCA1a钙转运功能的影响

跨肌浆网膜的钙离子ATP酶SERCA1a可在水解ATP的同时逆浓度梯度从胞浆转运钙离子入肌浆网,引发收缩的骨骼肌细胞舒张.目前对SERCA1a结构与功能的研究,要领先于对其他P型离子转运ATP酶的研究.为了解SERCA1a跨膜螺旋M7与M8膜内侧连接部Linker78(L78)的功能,我们评估了L78部分氨基酸残基突变对SERCA1a反应循环的影响,发现:除G864A之外的所有突变体均可不同程度地降低钙离子转运速率;G862或P863氨基酸残基的突变导致SERCA1a的ATP酶活性显著降低或丧失,并引起由ATP或无机磷酸Pi生成的磷酸化酶中间体EP量显著减少;A893被P取代对SERCA1a的影响与G862、P863突变相似;与野生型SERCA1a相比,G864A与FMQ873-875单突变体ATP酶活性及EP生成量无明显差别.上述结果表明,M7、M8膜内侧连接部L78不仅与跨膜区钙离子转运过程密切相关,而且L78在GPG862-864处及A893附近的正确转折对胞浆结构域P的磷酸化也具有关键的远距离调控作用,提示L78的结构及柔度对SERCA1a构象正常的周期性变化至关重要.     

A seed parasitoid wasp prevents berries from changing their colour,reducing their attractiveness to frugivorous birds

1. Frugivorous and seed‐feeding insects may alter the traits of fruits, such as shape and size, which may influence fruit attractiveness to frugivorous birds. Consequently, trait‐mediated interactions may occur in systems where plants, seed‐dispersing frugivorous vertebrates, and frugivorous or seed‐feeding insects interact. We investigated colour manipulation in Ilex integra Thunb. berries caused by the seed parasitoid wasp Macrodasyceras hirsutum Kamijo and how that manipulation relates to fruit attractiveness for frugivorous birds. 2. In winter, the colour of I. integra berries varied from green to red, but most berries were greenish, indicating that the berries were immature. Berry dissection indicated that the number of live parasitoid larvae present within each berry was closely related to berry colour – the greater the number of live larvae, more intense is the green colour of the berry. However, the wasp larvae did not modify the shape or size of the berries. More than 98% of berries that were protected from the insects by gauze bags ripened and turned red. In the present study, berries with unfertilised seeds alone turned red. Field‐feeding preference tests showed that the brown‐eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis Temminck preferred red berries to green berries. 3. We demonstrated that the seed parasitoid wasp manipulates the berry colour, but not its shape or size, in a density‐dependent manner. Because green berries suffered less from bird foraging, we believe that this colour manipulation helps the wasps to avoid being killed by the birds. The present study indicates that manipulation by wasps may reduce the level of mutualism between the tree and seed‐dispersing birds.     

Brood size reduction in Nicrophorus vespilloides after usurpation of carrion from Nicrophorus quadripunctatus (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

Burying beetles bury small vertebrate carcasses, which become food for their larvae. They sometimes usurp carcasses occupied and buried by other beetles. Brood sizes of intraspecific and interspecific intruders were examined using Nicrophorus quadripunctatus as the resident. The brood sizes of usurpers were not reduced relative to control brood sizes when the usurper was conspecific, but were reduced when the usurper was heterospecific (N. vespilloides).     

皮质醇的周年变化与雌性虹鳟性腺成熟的关系

利用放射免疫分析法对饲养于恒定水温和自然光照下的雌性虹鳟血浆中皮质醇和性激素含量的周年变化进行了测定．结果表明：１）根据性腺结构指数和性激素分泌量判断,三龄时,雌性虹鳟达到性成熟;２）在血浆中不仅性激素而且皮质醇的变化水平与性腺结构指数的变化高度相关．排卵前性激素的水平都较高,伴随着排卵的进行性激素水平下降．而且在产卵季节虹鳟血浆中皮质醇水平也较高,三龄时皮质醇水平与性腺结构指数的相关系数为０．８６．这些结果提示,皮质醇在虹鳟的繁殖过程中可能发挥某种作用．