新疆植物区系新资料

报道了采自新疆阿尔泰山地区的1个中国新记录属假糖芥属Rhammatophyllum O. E. Schulz, 6个中国新记录种--渐尖岩蕨Woodsia acuminata (Fomin) Sipl.、短命繁缕Stellaria alsinoides Boiss. &; Buhse、假糖芥Rh. erysimoides (Kar. &; Kir.) Al-Shehbaz &; O. Appel、克氏鹤虱Lappula krylovii Ovczinnikova, A. I. Pjak &; A. L. Ebel、肝色柳穿鱼Linaria hepatica Bunge和佐氏新缬草Valerianella szovitsiana Fisch. &; Mey.。     

Characterization of 10 microsatellite markers for the understorey Amazonian herb Heliconia acuminata

We characterized 10 microsatellite loci for the plant Heliconia acuminata from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (Manaus, Brazil). Markers were screened in 61 individuals from one population and were found to be polymorphic with an average of eight alleles per locus. We found moderate to high levels of polymorphic information content, and observed and expected heterozygosities. All 10 markers are suitable for spatial genetic structure and parentage analyses and will be used for understanding H. acuminata dynamics across a fragmented landscape.     

喜树开花特性及繁育系统的研究

定位观测了喜树(Camptotheca acuminata Decne)花部构造、开花特性,用杂交指数(OCI)、花粉/胚珠比(P/O)、去雄、套袋、人工授粉等方法测定了喜树的繁育系统.结果表明:喜树花序为由4～6个头状花序组成的聚伞花序,聚伞花序上部的头状花序由两性花组成,下部的花序由雄花组成,两性花雌雄蕊发育正常,雄蕊10枚,雌蕊1枚,下位子房,一室,倒生胚珠;雄花雄蕊发育正常,雌蕊不发育.自然条件下,同一头状花序散粉后2 d,花粉活力最高;两性花在柱头外翻后3～4 d,柱头可受性最强,第6天失去可受性.喜树两性花为半同步雌雄蕊异熟类型,每个头状花序的所有小花同步开放,雄蕊先成熟,表现为雄性时期,雄蕊脱落后,雌蕊成熟,表现为雌性时期,上一级头状花序雌蕊成熟期与下一级头状花序雄蕊成熟期重合.繁育系统检测结果为部分自交和异交,需要传粉者活动才能完成授粉过程.     

Fire mediated edge effects in bayhead tree islands

Question: The role edges play in mediating the effects of disturbance is unclear. Bayhead tree islands, which experience above‐ and belowground fire, contain trees that recover from disturbance by seed (Pinus elliottii var. densa) and by sprouting (Gordonia lasianthus). How does distance‐to‐edge affect survival and post‐fire response of trees with these contrasting life‐history strategies? Location: Two bayhead tree islands at Archbold Biological Station, central Florida, North America. Methods: Stem diameter, depth of peat smoldering, char height, resprouting status, and location were recorded for all Pinus and Gordonia stems ≥8 cm. Distance to the edge of the tree island was quantified using GIS. Results: The focal species showed contrasting patterns of survival across the edge‐to‐interior gradient that reflected gradients of fire severity. Survival of Gordonia was lowest in the bayhead interior where peat smolder was deepest. Conversely, survival of Pinus was lowest near the edges where char heights were greatest. The distinct types of Gordonia resprouting (crown versus basal) also showed spatially contrasting patterns. Basal resprouting dominated near the edges and was positively influenced by char height, while crown resprouting was nearly constant across the edge‐to‐interior gradient and was negatively influenced by char height. Conclusions: The spatial patterns of tree survival and resprouting observed are likely due to gradients in intensity of peat smoldering and aboveground burning, coupled with differential susceptibility to these two types of fire. Despite the rarity of fire in wetland tree islands (compared to uplands) it may play an important role in structuring the spatial distribution of trees.     

Intersexual mimicry and imperfect deceit of a threatened aquatic herb Ottelia acuminata

Mimicry of non-rewarding flowers to rewarding flowers has been accepted as a strategy to improve pollination success in angiosperms. It has been proposed that this mechanism depends on whether potential pollinators can discriminate between the flowers. In this study, the intersexual mimicry and deceit pollination were studied in a threatened dioecious aquatic herb, Ottelia acuminata. Its female flowers resemble male flowers in morphology and odor compounds, to avoid discrimination by pollinators and outcompete male flowers in attracting the pollinators using stronger scents and bigger flowers. However, an obvious visit bias of its pollinator (Apis cerana) to male flowers was detected, suggesting that bees can distinguish the rewarding males from non-rewarding females. Although the deceit was not successful, pollination was not seriously undermined because pollen limitation was found to be low in the sampled natural population. We speculate that, due to “accidental” visits on female flowers and “mistake” pollinations, pollen limitation could be mitigated by a high frequency of pollen donors, and is correlated with the size and sex ratio of a population. Ottelia acuminata is a threatened dioecious aquatic herb. We suggest that developing multi-stakeholder coalitions should be encouraged to save the threatened edible and ornamental plant species in China. We hope this study could provide new insights into understanding of the role of intersexual mimicry in other flowering plants.     

Enhancement of phase separation by the addition of de-emulsifiers to three-phase (diesel oil/biocatalyst/aqueous phase) emulsion in diesel biodesulfurization

Ethanol, added as a de-emulsifier to separate oil and biocatalyst (or bacterial cells) from a three-phase (oil/biocatalyst/aqueous phase) emulsion, formed in diesel biodesulfurization employing Gordonia nitida, improved oil recovery by centrifugation from about 50% in its absence to almost 100% at 3% (v/v). The biocatalyst recovered with ethanol addition showed similar specific growth rates (0.03 h^–1) and dibenzothiophene desulfurization rates (6–7.2 mol l^–1 h^–1) to those (0.03 h^–1 and 7.1 mol l^–1, respectively) of the biocatalyst recovered with no ethanol addition. The desulfurization activity significantly increased as the number of the repeated recovery and reuse of the biocatalyst.     

Desulphurisation of benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene by actinomycete organisms belonging to the genus Rhodococcus, and related taxa

Desulphurising enzymes remove the sulphur moiety from an organosulphur molecule leaving the carbon skeleton intact. Two kinds of desulphurisation reaction are recognised. The dibenzothiophene (DBT)-specific pathway desulphurises DBT to inorganic sulphite and 2- hydroxybiphenyl (HBP), and the benzothiophene (BTH)-specific pathway desulphurises BTH to 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethan 1-al (HPEal) and probably inorganic sulphite. The DBT-desulphurisation pathway was originally identified in Rhodococcus erythropolis strain IGTS8 (ATCC 53968), and the BTH-desulphurisation pathway in Gordonia sp. strain 213E (NCIMB 40816). These organisms do not further metabolise the organic product of desulphurisation.In this article current knowledge of the biochemistry and genetics of the desulphurisation enzymes is reviewed. The need for separate, DBT- and BTH-specific desulphurisation routes is rationalised in terms of the chemical differences between the two compounds. The desulphurisation pathway is compared with other microbial DBT- degrading enzyme systems. Finally some comments are made concerning the application of desulphurisation enzymes for fuel desulphurisation and on the relevance of these enzymes to the ecology of the mycolata (sensu Chun et al, 1996).     

Susceptibility of urea and uric acid levels to neurohormone influence in the freshwater pulmonate,lymnaea acuminata

Effects of pooled ganglionic extract on the urea and uric acid levels from blood, hepatopancreas, mantle and kidney of the pulmonate L. acuminata have been analysed. Blood urea and mantle uric acid were significantly (P<0.005 and P<0.05 respectively) increased following injection with pleuroparietalpedal-visceral (PPPV Complex) ganglia homogenate within 2 hrs. On the contrary hepatopancreas urea and kidney uric acid levels were significantly (P<0.00) lowered. Cerebral ganglia homogenate and boiled extract of PPPV complex did not provoke any significant change in urea and uric acid levels. It is advocated that (a) neurohormone(s) which is (are) heat-labile and originate from the PPPV complex, influence(s) the nitrogen end-products in these snails.     

Effect of pretreatment of rubber material on its biodegradability by various rubber degrading bacteria

The effect of pretreatment of several cis-1,4-polyisoprene containing rubbers on their biodegradability was examined. Tests were carried out with six recently isolated and characterized rubber degrading bacteria belonging to the genera Gordonia (strains Kb2, Kd2 and VH2), Mycobacterium, Micromonospora and Pseudomonas. All strains were able to use natural rubber (NR) as well as NR latex gloves as sole carbon source. Extraction of NR latex gloves by organic solvents resulted in an enhancement of growth for three of the selected strains. On the other hand, growth of Gordonia sp. (strain Kb2 and Kd2), Mycobacterium fortuitum NF4 and Micromonospora aurantiaca W2b on synthetic cis-1,4-polyisoprene did only occur after removal of the antioxidants, that are usually added during manufacture to prevent aging of the materials. Detailed degradation studies performed with Gordonia sp. Kb2 revealed an enhanced mineralization of pretreated NR latex gloves and mineralization of purified natural rubber (NR), indicating the actual mineralization of cis-1,4-polyisoprene rubber constituent even after removal of non-rubber constituent that may act as co-metabolic substrate and support microbial growth. Further analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) clearly demonstrated the enhanced colonization efficiency of these bacteria towards pretreated NR latex gloves. Colonization was additionally visualized by staining of overgrown NR latex gloves with Schiff's reagent, and the purple color produced in the area of degradation was an evidence for the accumulation of aldehydes containing oligomers. Further enhancement of latex gloves degradation could be achieved after successive replacement of mineral salts medium during cultivation. Thereby, a rapid disintegration of untreated NR latex gloves material was accomplished by Gordonia sp. strain VH2.