Development of an ELISA system for tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in rodents

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus causes severe encephalitis with serious sequelae in humans. An epizootiological survey of wild rodents is effective to detect TBE virus-endemic areas; however, limited serological diagnostic methods are available to detect anti-TBE virus antibodies in wild rodents. In this study, ELISAs for the detection of rodent antibodies against the TBE virus were developed using two recombinant proteins, domain III of the E protein (EdIII) and subviral particles (SPs), as the antigens. As compared with the neutralization test, the ELISA using EdIII had 77.1% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity, and the ELISA using SPs had 91.4% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Furthermore, when the ELISAs were applied to the epizootiological survey in the TBE virus-endemic area, both of the ELISAs was able to detect wild rodents with TBE virus-specific antibodies. This is the first study to show that ELISAs using recombinant antigens can be safe and useful in the detection of TBE virus-infected wild rodents in epizootiological research.     

Revision of Chaetodipus arenarius (Rodentia: Heteromyidae)

Chaetodipus arenarius is an endemic species of the Baja California Peninsula. It has undergone taxonomic changes in the last few years. Today, two species, C. arenarius and Chaetodipus dalquesti, are formally recognized with an unknown range for each. However, genetic analysis showed the possible presence of a third species. The objectives of this study were to use molecular data (cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase subunit III genes) to determine how many genetic groups are present in C. arenarius in the Baja California Peninsula; if these groups have morphological characteristics that could be used to distinguish them; if the genetic groups have limited distributions; identify taxonomic implications; and establish if there are any associations amongst genetic groups and different habitats. Bayesian inference, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, distance optimality criteria, and minimum spanning network indicated three monophyletic groups with high genetic differences (5.54–13.59%). These groups are morphologically diagnosable based on pelage and morphometric characters and geographical range. The three genetic groups correspond to three taxa previously described as subspecies or species. Based on our results, these should be considered to be different species: C. arenarius occupies the most extreme habitats with hot summers; C. dalquesti occupies the moistest coastal areas in the southern part of the peninsula, and Chaetodipus siccus is restricted by mountain ranges to the isolated Los Planes Basin and Cerralvo Island. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010.     

啮齿动物分子系统地理学研究进展

系统地理学是研究种间及种内不同种群的形成、现有分布格局的历史原因和演化过程的一门学科。基于分子水平,能够更准确地界定物种分布格局,促进分子系统地理学的形成和发展。近年来,分子系统地理研究的开展,促进了对啮齿动物物种分布格局形成机制的理解。对啮齿动物的种内及种上分类阶元的系统演化关系、起源中心与演化历程、影响系统地理格局的因素、鼠害防控和保护生物学等分子系统地理学方面的研究进行了综述。并提出了啮齿动物分子系统地理学未来发展的四点展望:1)综合性系统地理学研究;2)区域系统地理学研究;3)物种演化的全面系统研究;4)新型分子标记和分析方法的发展。     

啮齿动物捕食和搬运蒙古栎种子对种群更新的影响

2010-2011年,在东北林业大学城市林业示范基地研究了啮齿动物对蒙古栎种子的捕食和搬运。结果表明,蒙古栎种子捕食率在年际间无显著差异,但2010年的蒙古栎种子搬运率显著高于2011年,存留率显著低于2011年。啮齿动物在胡桃楸林、樟子松林、水曲柳林和白桦林内对蒙古栎种子的总捕食率和总搬运率分别达到(5.7±13.5)%和(27.1±37.1)%。蒙古栎种子在樟子松林内的捕食率和搬运率均最高,胡桃楸林内蒙古栎种子存留率最高;2010年蒙古栎种子在与蒙古栎林边缘距离0,10,20,30,40,50m组间的捕食率无显著差异,搬运率和存留率有显著差异,但2011年蒙古栎种子在不同距离组间的捕食率呈显著差异,搬运率和存留率无显著差异。与蒙古栎林边缘距离20m处蒙古栎种子的捕食率最高。2010年和2011年,分别有(37.8±49.7)%和(27.7±49.8)%的蒙古栎种子被啮齿动物利用,这表明啮齿动物是林业示范基地内蒙古栎地表种子的主要捕食者。冬季食物匮乏秋季贮藏种子是造成啮齿动物对蒙古栎种子有较大捕食、扩散压力的主要原因。因此,啮齿动物对蒙古栎种子的捕食和搬运影响了蒙古栎林的种群更新。     

The effect of ecological and temporal factors on the composition of Bartonella infection in rodents and their fleas

The composition of Bartonella infection was explored in wild Gerbillus andersoni rodents and their Synosternus cleopatrae fleas. Rodent blood samples and fleas were collected in two periods (two different seasons; 4 months apart) from juveniles and adult hosts, and their bartonellae lineages were identified by a 454-pyrosequencing analysis targeting a specific Bartonella citrate synthase gene (gltA) fragment. The rate of Bartonella spp. co-infection was estimated and the assemblage and distribution of bartonellae lineages across the samples with respect to ecological and phylogenetic distance similarities were analyzed. Moreover, environmental factors that could explain potential differences between samples were investigated. Out of the 91 bartonellae-positive samples, 89% were found to be co-infected with more than two phylogenetically distant Bartonella genotypes and additional closely related (but distinguishable) variants. These bartonellae lineages were distributed in a non-random manner, and a negative interaction between lineages was discovered. Interestingly, the overall composition of those infections greatly varied among samples. This variability was partially explained by factors, such as type of sample (blood versus fleas), flea sex and period of collection. This investigation sheds light on the patterns of Bartonella infection and the organization of Bartonella lineages in fleas and rodents in nature.     

华北平原冬小麦农田蒸散量

以华北平原冬小麦农田为研究对象,采用涡度相关技术和热红外遥感技术,研究了不同环境条件下土壤含水量与农田蒸散量及作物冠层温度的关系.结果表明,冬小麦在农田郁闭(LAI≥3)、晴天和土壤相对含水量低于田间持水量65%的情况下,蒸发比值日变化正午前后出现相对较低且平稳的变化趋势.在晴天情况下,农田潜热通量与作物冠层温度日变化和季节变化均呈极显著的非线性相关关系,而冠气温差、农田相对蒸散量则与0～100 cm土层的土壤相对含水量密切相关.以13:30～14:00的平均冠层温度值T_c、日最高气温T_{a max}和日净辐射总量Rn_d为统计数据,确立了冬小麦农田日蒸散量ET_d （mm）估算简化模式参数.     

啮齿动物鉴别虫蛀种子的能力及其对坚果植物更新的潜在影响

作为种子捕食者和种子扩散者, 啮齿动物对产坚果植物的自然更新有很大作用。然而, 对啮齿动物鉴别虫蛀种子的能力颇有争议。2001 年秋季在中国四川都江堰市实验林场, 以3 种比例(I₁∶S = 1∶1 , I₁∶S = 4∶1 和I₁∶I₂∶S = 1∶1∶1)供给啮齿动物4 种壳斗科种子: 栓皮栎( Quercus variabilis) 、枹树( Q. serrata) 、青冈( Cyclobalanopsis glauca) 和栲树( Castanopsis fargesii) 的3 种坚果型(即饱满种子(S) , 不含象虫的虫蛀种子(I₁) 和含象虫的虫蛀种子( I₂ ) 验证了啮齿动物能够准确地鉴别虫蛀种子这一假说。结果表明, 在3 种比例下4 种坚果的虫蛀种子的消失速率均慢于饱满种子。即使虫蛀种子的比例增加, 啮齿动物显著地搬走了更多的饱满种子(67%～92%) 。当虫蛀种子的比例增加时, 虫蛀种子就地消耗和拒绝的比例降低, 搬走比例增加。啮齿动物并不拒绝虫蛀种子, 这可能与它们的可利用性(如象虫可以作为蛋白质的补充) 和数量以及它们的觅食行为有关。结果证实啮齿动物能准确地鉴别虫蛀种子, 从而有区别地搬走并贮藏更多的饱满种子, 消耗一部分可以利用的虫蛀种子(包括其内的象虫) 。这样, 啮齿动物通过对饱满种子和虫蛀种子的鉴别和选择会影响不同种子的命运, 从而对这些坚果植物的自然更新产生影响。     

Acute exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields has no effect on the acquisition of a spatial learning task by adult male mice

A series of four experiments was performed to determine whether acute exposure to a range of 50 Hz magnetic fields had any effect on a learning task in adult male CD1 mice. A radial-arm maze placed within the bore of an electromagnet was used to assess spatial discrimination learning for food reward. Subjects were reduced to 85% of their free-feeding weight and were placed in the maze for up to 15 minutes each day for 10 days. Performance of the task was measured by using maximum likelihood techniques to calculate the probability that an animal would not reenter any given arm of the maze. Experimental subjects were exposed to a vertical, 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field at 5 μT, 50 μT, 0.5 mT, or 5.0 mT (rms). Control subjects were exposed only to a background time-varying field of less than 50 nT and the ambient static field of about 40 μT. The variation in the applied magnetic field was less than 5% except at the ends of the arms, where it approached 10%. It was found that all eight groups of subjects (n = 10 in all cases) showed similar increases in performance with testing, and the acquisition curve for each group of experimental subjects was not significantly different from that of their control group (P > 0.05 in all cases). It was concluded that exposure had no effect on learning at any flux density. This result is contrary to the findings of a number of preliminary studies, although other studies have reported that magnetic fields do not affect spatial learning in adult male rodents. It is possible that differences between experimental conditions might explain some of this apparent discrepancy. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.