湖北省直翅目三新种(直翅目)

记述采自湖北省九宫山及武当山地区直翅目昆虫3新种,即橙股卵翅蝗Caryanda byrrhofemura,sp．nov．,九宫山澳汉蚱Austrohancokia jiugongshanensis,sp.nov.及幕阜山台蚱Formosatettix mufushanensis,sp.nov．。此外记述贺兰台蚱Formosatettix helanshanensis Zheng的雄性。     

I-BIND: International Blue intensity network development working group

Blue Intensity (BI) is coming of age in dendrochronology, although some methodological challenges still need resolution. In the last 20 years, 59 papers have been published focussing mainly on climatological based studies, although BI has also been shown to be useful both for historical dating and dendroecological studies. This short paper briefly reviews the BI method development of the last two decades and introduces a new collaborative initiative called I-BIND (International Blue Intensity Network Development Working Group), which is supported by the Association of Tree-Ring Research. The main aims of I-BIND are to promote continued methodological development, communicate best practice via workshops, encourage the development of BI data networks to enhance both dendroclimatology and dendro-historical dating, and to create a rich environment in which innovative and novel initiatives can be explored and discussed.     

利用优化的反向PCR策略高效构建多位点突变体

蛋白质的突变体是研究其结构和功能的基础,文中旨在建立一种高效、快捷的多位点突变体构建方法。当要突变4个及以上相邻的氨基酸残基时,设计两长两短(长引物Ⅰ/Ⅰ、短引物Ⅱ/Ⅱ) 4条引物:长引物包含突变位点,且突变碱基数≤20 bp,短引物不包含突变位点;两条引物的GC含量≤80%、退火温度之差≤40℃,分别以Ⅰ/Ⅱ和Ⅰ/Ⅱ两对引物和模板进行两组反向PCR扩增。扩增后各体系均可得到含有突变位点的非甲基化线性质粒,且以Ⅰ/Ⅱ和Ⅰ/Ⅱ为引物扩增得到的两组线性质粒的断开位点分布在突变位点两侧。用DpnⅠ酶切回收后等摩尔比混合的PCR产物除去甲基化模板,再进行一轮变性和退火处理,两组线性质粒在95℃变性后互相以来自对方的单链DNA为模板退火形成开环质粒,转化大肠杆菌感受态细胞即可得到包含突变位点的转化子。结果表明,该方法可同时突变4–11个连续氨基酸残基(8–20 bp,将大幅简化多位点突变体的构建,从而进一步提高蛋白质结构和功能研究的效率。     

Characterizing genotype specific differences in survival,growth, and reproduction for field grown,rapid cycling Brassica rapa

Rapid cycling Brassica rapa (RCBr) develops rapidly, and has both small adult size and a brief life cycle. Yet, in spite of many investigations using RCBr, extremely few plant ecologists have used this plant in the field. This study is the first to describe the genotype specific variation in traits describing survival, growth, and reproduction for field grown, RCBr. I also identify traits associated with fitness. Five genotypes of RCBr were used: standard, anthocyaninless, yellow-green, anthocyaninless and hairless, and anthocyaninless and yellow-green. Plants were grown outside in a “common garden”. Eight plant traits were measured: life span, height, growth rate, leaf size, number of flowers and fruits, fruit set, and fitness. All traits, except life span, differed significantly among the five plant genotypes. Correlation analysis revealed that fitness increased as each of these of seven plant traits increased. This study demonstrates that RCBr can serve as a model organism in ecological field studies.     

Effect of climate on tree growth in the Pampa biome of Southeastern South America: First tree-ring chronologies from Uruguay

Tree-ring research in the highland tropics and subtropics represents a major frontier for understanding climate-growth relationships. Nonetheless, there are many lowland regions – including the South American Pampa biome – with scarce tree ring data. We present the first two tree-ring chronologies for Scutia buxifolia in subtropical Southeastern South America (SESA), using 54 series from 29 trees in two sites in northern and southern Uruguay. We cross-dated annual rings and compared tree growth from 1950 to 2012 with regional climate variability, including rainfall, temperature and the Palmer Drought Severity Index – PDSI, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Overall, ring width variability was highly responsive to climate signals linked to water availability. For example, tree growth was positively correlated with accumulated rainfall in the summer-fall prior to ring formation for both chronologies. Summer climate conditions were key for tree growth, as shown by a negative effect of hot summer temperatures and a positive correlation with PDSI in late austral summer. The El Niño phase in late spring/early summer favored an increase in rainfall and annual tree growth, while the La Niña phase was associated with less rainfall and reduced tree growth. Extratropical climate factors such as SAM had an equally relevant effect on tree growth, whereby the positive phase of SAM had a negative effect over radial growth. These findings demonstrate the potential for dendroclimatic research and climate reconstruction in a region with scarce tree-ring data. They also improve the understanding of how climate variability may affect woody growth in native forests – an extremely limited ecosystem in the Pampa biome.     

Expression patterns of a cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase gene involved in lignin biosynthesis and environmental stress in Ginkgo biloba

The cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) is a key enzyme in lignin biosynthesis as it catalyzes the final step in the synthesis of monolignols. A cDNA sequence encoding the CAD gene was isolated from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba L, designated as GbCAD1. The full-length cDNA of GbCAD1 was 1,494?bp containing a 1,074?bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 357 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 38.7?kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.74. Comparative and bioinformatic analyses revealed that GbCAD1 showed extensive homology with CADs from other gymnosperm species. Southern blot analysis indicated that GbCAD1 belonged to a multi-gene family. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that GbCAD1 shared the same ancestor in evolution with other CADs and had a further relationship with other gymnosperm species. GbCAD1 was an enzyme being pH-dependent and temperature-sensitive, and showing a selected catalyzing. Tissue expression pattern analysis showed that GbCAD1 was constitutively expressed in stems and roots, especially in the parts of the pest and disease infection, with the lower expression being found in two- to four-year-old stem. Further analysis showed the change in lignin content had some linear correlation with the expression level of GbCAD1 mRNA in different tissues. The increased expression of GbCAD1 was detected when the seedling were treated with exogenous abscisic acid, salicylic acid, ethephon, ultraviolet and wounding. These results indicate that the GbCAD1 gene may play a role in the resistance mechanism to biotic and abiotic stresses as well as in tissue-specific developmental lignification.     

Properties of plate meristem of growing epigeal cotyledons in an experimental system

Plate meristem activity in epigeal cotyledons of plants, which are largely used in research, was comparatively studied. Formation of growing clusters of daughter cells is a common feature of cotyledon meristems. Species-specific differences connected with the number of cells entering division, the homogeneity of the palisade cell population, tissue specification of proliferation, the end number of daughter cells in clusters and the possibility to use clusters for simultaneous determination of the cell growth and division activity are shown. Exogenous cytokinin enlarges the number of cells entering proliferative divisions in the division competent tissues of the respective cotyledon and stimulates the growth of isolated cotyledons cultured in darkness. The analysis of morphological peculiarities substantiates the properties of the meristems of studied species in an experimental system and the possible light microscopy approach for using them in obtaining data on the number of divisions and accompanying cell growth. The first palisade layer of zucchini cotyledon was chosen as the most suitable experimental system reflecting the cellular behaviour during the growth of a plant organ and permitting easy and exact quantification of the cell divisions and growth simultaneously.     

应用CTAB法对砂梨品种DNA提取效果的研究

为了获得质量较好的DNA,我们采用CTAB法对11个砂梨品种的叶片DNA提取情况进行了研究,发现参试样品中一些样品的蛋白质含量较多,而另外一些样品的多糖、酚类物质含量较高。对于蛋。白质含量较多的这类材料,适当增加24：1的处理次数能够使蛋白质沉淀下来;对于多糖、酚类物质含量较高的材料,用5mol／L的NaCl和3mol／L的NaAc等处理能够有效的降低多糖含量。另外,对研磨样品的加入量和PVP的加入时间进行了对比,最后用双酶切、电脉检测等不同的分析方法对所得到的DNA提取物的浓度和纯度进行检测,发现加入样品量在0．3g左右、在研磨后的粗提液中加入PVP,所得到的DNA质量较好.