Assessing DNA for fish identifications from reference collections: the good,bad and ugly shed light on formalin fixation and sequencing approaches

Natural history collections are repositories of biodiversity and are potentially used by molecular ecologists for comparative taxonomic, phylogenetic, biogeographic and forensic purposes. Specimens in fish collections are preserved using a combination of methods with many fixed in formalin and then preserved in ethanol for long-term storage. Formalin fixation damages DNA, thereby limiting genetic analyses. In this study, the authors compared the DNA barcoding and identification success for frozen and formalin-fixed tissues obtained from specimens in the CSIRO Australian National Fish Collection. They studied 230 samples from fishes (consisting of >160 fish species). An optimized formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded DNA extraction method resulted in usable DNA from degraded tissues. Four mini barcoding assays of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were characterized with Sanger and Illumina amplicon sequencing. In the good quality DNA (without exposure to formalin), up to 88% of the specimens were correctly matched at the species level using the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) mini barcodes, whereas up to 58% of the specimens exposed to formalin for less than 8 weeks were correctly identified to species. In contrast, 16S primers provided higher amplification success with formalin-exposed tissues, although the COI gene was more successful for identification. Importantly, the authors found that DNA of a certain size and quality can be amplified and sequenced despite exposure to formalin, and Illumina sequencing provided them with greater power of resolution for taxa identification even when there was little DNA present. Overall, within parameter constraints, this study highlights the possibilities of recovering DNA barcodes for identification from formalin-fixed fish specimens, and the authors provide guidelines for when successful identification could be expected.     

Discrimination of red porgy Pagrus pagrus (Sparidae) potential stocks in the south-western Atlantic by otolith shape analysis

Otolith shape analysis is a powerful method for fish stock identification. We compared the otolith shape of Pagrus pagrus (Linnaeus 1758) along with its distribution in four south-western Atlantic regions where it is commercially fished: Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil, the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone (UA) and the Argentinian Exclusive Fishing Zone (AR). Otolith shapes were compared by Elliptical Fourier and Wavelet coefficients among specimens in a size range with similar otoliths, morphometric parameters and ages. Four potential stocks were identified: one in the AR, a second along the UA which included specimens from southern Brazil with well-marked opaque bands in its otoliths (MRS), the third in southern Brazil with faint or absent opaque bands in its otoliths (FRS) and the fourth along Rio de Janeiro. The difference in the otolith shape among regions followed differences reported using other stock identification techniques. The similarity between otoliths from UA and MRS (ANOVA-like, P > 0.01) can be explained by seasonal short-range migrations. Otoliths shape differences between MRS and FRS (ANOVA-like, P < 0.01) suggest that P. pagrus does not form a homogeneous group in southern Brazil.     

丽江乌头根中的二萜生物碱成分研究

为了寻找丽江乌头中结构新颖的化合物,丰富丽江乌头的化学成分多样性,本文对丽江乌头(Aconitum forrestii Stapf)根部的化学成分进行研究,采用硅胶柱层析从其乙醇提取物中分离得到14个化合物。通过HR-ESI-MS、1D和2D NMR等波谱技术鉴定了它们的结构,其中化合物1是一个新的乌头碱型二萜生物碱,命名为8-O-methyl-14-O-anisoylchasmanine(1)。其余13个化合物均为已知化合物:14-acetoxy-8-O-methylsachaconitine(2)、14-acetyltalatizamine(3)、talatisamine(4)、chasmanine(5)、ezochasmanine(6)、crassicautine(7)、geniculatine C(8)、cammaconine(9)、vilmoraconitine(10)、aconitramine A(11)、vilmorrianine G(12)、hemsleyaconitine G(13)和heterophylloidine(14)。测试了所有化合物对阿霉素诱导的H9c2心肌细胞损伤的保护活性,结果显示化合物3、10、11和12表现出一定的保护作用。     

DNA宏条形码技术在食草动物食性研究中的应用

随着测序技术的快速发展,整合DNA条形码和高通量测序的DNA宏条形码技术已经成为当前研究热点之一,在食草动物的食性鉴定中有很大潜力。放牧动物食性研究是动物营养学和草地生态学领域的重要研究内容。而与传统食性研究方法相比,宏条形码技术可通过对植物DNA条形码的高通量测序,获得样本中的物种组成进而分析动物食性。介绍了传统食性分析手段的局限,重点综述了DNA宏条形码技术的产生、操作原理以及在食草类动物食性鉴定领域中的应用,同时还简述了可能存在的挑战,并对该技术今后的发展方向进行了展望。     

浙江省甘薯种质资源的品质鉴定与聚类分析

开展甘薯种质资源的品质鉴定评价,可以系统地了解种质的营养价值、食用品质和加工性能,为甘薯生产的品种选择和种质资源的育种利用提供依据。对2017-2019年浙江省第三次全国农作物种质资源普查与收集行动中征集的62份甘薯种质进行了干物率、胡萝卜素含量、生薯和熟薯可溶性糖含量以及食味的测定,并进行了品质性状的主成分和系统聚类分析。结果表明,在参试种质中,有高干物率品种24份,胡萝卜素含量≥5 mg/100 g·FW的品种5份,生薯可溶性糖含量超过水果甘薯六十日的品种7份,熟薯麦芽糖含量超过迷你甘薯心香的品种6份。生薯和熟薯均含有果糖、葡萄糖、蔗糖和麦芽糖。在生薯中蔗糖含量最高,平均含量为27.00 mg/g·FW,占可溶性糖的47.49%。在熟薯中麦芽糖含量最高,麦芽糖与可溶性糖含量高度相关(r=0.925)。食味与熟薯可溶性糖和还原糖含量、胡萝卜素含量呈极显著正相关,与生薯可溶性糖含量呈显著正相关。主成分F1、F2、F3、F4分别与食用品质、淀粉和油炸薯片加工性能、蔗糖含量有关,可以代表94.15%的甘薯品质变量信息。系统聚类分析表明,参试种质的品质类型可以分为Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ3个类群和Ⅰ-1、Ⅰ-2、Ⅱ-1、Ⅱ-2、Ⅲ-1、Ⅲ-2 6个亚群,依用途可以简要归类为:淀粉型23份,粮饲兼用型19份,优质食用型16份,油炸薯片型4份。总之,浙江省甘薯种质资源以淀粉型和粮饲兼用型为主,品质类型丰富,在鲜食及淀粉、全粉、薯脯、油炸薯片加工等用途上有较好的利用价值。     

一种六妹羊肚菌的新型柄腐病害

近年来,四川等地种植的六妹羊肚菌先后爆发柄腐病害,造成严重经济损失。本研究对该病害发生情况进行了调查,从四川、河南、甘肃、贵州4个省收集的12份六妹羊肚菌柄腐病子实体,分离纯化得到37株真菌和3株细菌。根据柯赫氏法则,对所有分离纯化得到的疑似病原菌进行了回接试验,最终确定GJB-3菌株为柄腐病的病原菌。经ITS、RPB2和EF1α序列分析,结合菌落形态和显微特征鉴定柄腐病的病原菌为Fusarium nematophilum。本研究为后期羊肚菌生产病害防控提供了有效的基础数据。     

春尺蠖蛹雌雄外部形态特征快速鉴别分析

为依据春尺蠖Apocheima cinerarius Erschoff蛹的形态特征快速、无损、准确鉴别雌雄个体,对其头部、胸部、腹部和体色外部鉴别特征进行了分析,并通过解剖生殖系统验证准确性.结果表明:以春尺蠖蛹的胸部和腹部特征识别雌雄准确率明显高于头部和体色特征,识别率可达100％.首先,雌蛹第8腹节腹板前缘中部具有"Y"型沟,与第7腹节腹板后缘形成倒三角状,而雄蛹无此特征.其次,雌蛹生殖孔与产卵孔连接形成裂缝,两侧平坦无突起,而雄蛹第9腹节腹板中央有一纵裂缝的生殖孔,两侧各有半圆状瘤状突起.最后,雌蛹的胸部背板各节间相对长度均小于雄蛹,而雄蛹中胸背板最宽,其后缘明显向外凸起.因此,春尺蠖蛹胸部或腹部特征可用于快速、准确地鉴别雌雄性别.     

Family ties and child obesity in Italy

This paper examines the impact of overweight family members on weight outcomes of Italian children aged 6–14 years. We use an original dataset matching the 2012 cross sections of the Italian Multipurpose Household Survey and the Household Budget Survey. Since the identification of within-family peer effects is known to be challenging, we implement our analysis on a partially identified model using inferential procedures recently introduced in the literature and based on standard Bayesian computation methods. We find evidence of a strong, positive effect of both overweight peer children in the family and of overweight adults on children weight outcomes. The impact of overweight peer children in the household is larger than the impact of adults. In particular, the estimated confidence sets associated to the peer children variable is positive with upper bound around one or larger, while the confidence sets for the parameter associated to obese adults often include zero and have upper bound that rarely is larger than one.     

兰州兴隆山土壤微生物的分布及其相关特性分析

目的以兰州兴隆山不同区域的土壤微生物为研究对象,分析比较土壤微生物数量与土壤酶活性之间的相关性。方法利用不同方法测定土壤理化性质、微生物数量以及土壤相关酶活特性;采用三区划线法进行土壤微生物的分离与纯化,通过16S rDNA和ITS方法进行优势菌株鉴定。结果兰州兴隆山土壤中微生物菌群数量由多到少依次为细菌、放线菌、真菌。通过分离纯化后,对其中的2株优势菌进行了鉴定,初步推断X2为萎缩芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus atrophaeus)细菌,Z2为栎生青霉属(Penicillium glandicola)真菌。从酶活特性可知,阳面的土壤过氧化氢酶活性比阴面高;随着海拔高度的增加,过氧化氢酶活性呈现增加趋势;阳面的土壤脱氢酶活性总体比阴面高,并且随着海拔梯度的升高,土壤脱氢酶活性也在不断升高。从相关性分析可知,不同海拔土样间微生物数量与酶活性之间表现出明显的相关性。结论兰州兴隆山土壤微生物数量丰富,且细菌数量居多;不同阴、阳面土壤微生物的层次分布以及活性也各有不同。以上研究可为兰州兴隆山土壤生态系统演替等提供参考依据,并为土壤生态环境的治理做铺垫。     

成都地区19个木芙蓉品种的孢粉学研究及其分类学意义

为了解成都地区木芙蓉(Hibiscus mutabilis)品种间的亲缘关系,采用扫描电镜观察了19个木芙蓉品种的花粉显微结构,并探讨其分类学意义。结果表明,19个木芙蓉品种的花粉均为大粒,主要为圆球形,具散孔,外壁纹饰均为刺状纹饰,表面具有颗粒状突起。木芙蓉品种间在花粉粒大小、外壁纹饰上具有一定差异,可以作为品种分类的重要依据。聚类分析可以将19个木芙蓉品种划分为3大类,类型I和II的花粉较大,刺细尖;类型III的花粉较小,刺短粗,刺间距离较小。这为木芙蓉品种间亲缘关系研究和品种分类提供了孢粉学依据,也为新品种的选育提供了理论参考。