Apomixis in the interspecific triploid hybrid fern <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cornopteris christenseniana</Emphasis> (Woodsiaceae)

Cornopteris christenseniana is a "sterile" interspecific triploid hybrid of diploid C. crenulatoserrulata and tetraploid C. decurrenti-alata. Morphological and cytological studies show that, of 41 young plants of Cornopteris that have been propagated naturally in the Fern Garden of the Botanical Gardens, University of Tokyo, 30 plants are the sterile C. christenseniana, 10 are fertile C. decurrenti-alata and 1, fertile C. crenulatoserrulata. This proportion supports the view that the young plants of C. christenseniana are derived from spores of reproductively mature plants of the species cultivated. Cytogenetic observations and culture experiments show that C. christenseniana produces normal spores in various proportions in some sporogenetic pathways that are aberrant from the ordinary process in sexual and apomictic ferns. Under culture conditions, normal spores germinate in rough proportion to the frequency of normal spores, and sporophytes are apogamously produced in rough proportion to the frequency of spore germination. As a whole, the rates of spore germination and apogamous sporophyte development vary according to the specific plant. Taken together, these observations suggest that C. christenseniana is an incipient apomict. Electronic Publication     

3种杂交杨在不同盐碱地上的生长和生理适应性研究

杂交杨树是松嫩平原盐碱地重要的园林和造林树种,野外长期监测是评价和优选优良品种的关键。本研究在自然条件下（5~12月）,以大庆不同盐碱地上生长的青山杨(Populus pseudo-cathayana×P. deltodides cv. Shan Hai Guan)、小黑14（Populus×xiao hei T. S. Hwang et Liang ‘14’）及中黑防(Populus deltoids×P. cathayana)的4年生扦插苗为研究对象,通过对3种杂交杨生长量、根系活力、根呼吸量和叶绿素含量的对比和分析,探讨其在盐碱地生长的适应性及耐盐能力的差异。结果表明,随盐碱胁迫加强（土壤电导率609.33~910.48 μs·cm^-1,pH值（8.92~8.98）,各杂交杨的生长量受到明显抑制,其中中黑防和小黑14株高均下降达到40%,而青山杨的株高只下降了20%,是前者的一半。随盐碱胁迫加强,根系活力和呼吸作用增强,青山杨、中黑防和小黑14的根系活力分别提高了10.75%、15.90%和33.17%,而根系呼吸青山杨仅上升3.59%,中黑防和小黑14则上升了24%以上。但是盐碱胁迫对于叶绿素含量影响较小,年平均值稍有降低,叶绿素a/b的比值则增大,不同品种间差异较小。综合对3种杂交杨的各项指标的研究,青山杨的耐盐碱能力更强,生长量显著高于目前在盐碱地区较为普遍应用的小黑14和中黑防,比较而言,青山杨是盐碱地区造林与绿化树种的优良杂交杨品种。     

板栗和锥栗天然同域居群的叶表型变异研究

对分布于湖北省秭归县境内的一个由169株板栗（Castanea mollissima）和281株锥栗（C.henryi）组成的天然同域居群的20个叶表型性状的变异进行了研究。根据叶片背面和叶柄的被毛情况及叶缘形状3个定性性状,在总共450个个体中,共得到18个（4%）中间过渡类型个体。利用17个数量性状进行逐步判别分析（SDA）表明：根据定性性状得到的中间型个体中分别有7个和11个被归入板栗和锥栗;板栗和锥栗在叶形上的差异较大,有8个数量性状被选入判别方程,判别方程对板栗和锥栗的判别准确率都达93%以上,判别结果较为理想;综合20个表型性状进行主成分分析（PCA）,构建了3个主成分,主成分1和2的贡献率分别为53.5%和18.7%,累计贡献率达72.2%。前2个主成分的散布图中,有6个（1/3）中间型个体位于板栗和锥栗的重叠分布区域,可能是二者之间存在杂交的表型证据。     

Pharmacological profiles of recombinant and native insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are targets for insect-selective neonicotinoid insecticides exemplified by imidacloprid (IMI) and mammalian-selective nicotinoids including nicotine and epibatidine (EPI). Despite their importance, insect nAChRs are poorly understood compared with their vertebrate counterparts. This study characterizes the [(3)H]IMI, [(3)H]EPI, and [(3)H]alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BGT) binding sites in hybrid nAChRs consisting of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) or Myzus persicae (peach-potato aphid) alpha2 coassembled with rat beta2 subunits (Dalpha2/Rbeta2 and Mpalpha2/Rbeta2) and compares them with native insect and vertebrate alpha4beta2nAChRs. [(3)H]IMI and [(3)H]EPI bind to Dalpha2/Rbeta2 and Mpalpha2/Rbeta2 hybrids but [(3)H]alpha-BGT does not. In native Drosophila receptors, [(3)H]EPI has a single high-affinity binding site that is independent from that for [(3)H]IMI and, interestingly, overlaps the [(3)H]alpha-BGT site. In the Mpalpha2/Rbeta2 hybrid, [(3)H]IMI and [(3)H]EPI bind to the same site and have similar pharmacological profiles. On considering both neonicotinoids and nicotinoids, the Dalpha2/Rbeta2 and Mpalpha2/Rbeta2 receptors display intermediate pharmacological profiles between those of native insect and vertebrate alpha4beta2 receptors, limiting the use of these hybrid receptors for predictive toxicology. These findings are consistent with the agonist binding site being located at the nAChR subunit interface and indicate that both alpha and beta subunits influence the pharmacological properties of insect nAChRs.     

Flexible modeling via a hybrid estimation scheme in generalized mixed models for longitudinal data

To circumvent the computational complexity of likelihood inference in generalized mixed models that assume linear or more general additive regression models of covariate effects, Laplace's approximations to multiple integrals in the likelihood have been commonly used without addressing the issue of adequacy of the approximations for individuals with sparse observations. In this article, we propose a hybrid estimation scheme to address this issue. The likelihoods for subjects with sparse observations use Monte Carlo approximations involving importance sampling, while Laplace's approximation is used for the likelihoods of other subjects that satisfy a certain diagnostic check on the adequacy of Laplace's approximation. Because of its computational tractability, the proposed approach allows flexible modeling of covariate effects by using regression splines and model selection procedures for knot and variable selection. Its computational and statistical advantages are illustrated by simulation and by application to longitudinal data from a fecundity study of fruit flies, for which overdispersion is modeled via a double exponential family.     

杂交水稻苗瘟抗性的配合力和遗传力分析

采用7×7不完全双列杂交设计,对反映杂交水稻苗瘟抗性的5个指标进行了配合力和遗传力分析.结果表明,杂交水稻苗瘟抗性遗传力高,受加性和非加性基因效应共同控制,但以加性效应为主;恢复系的苗瘟抗性一般配合力效应明显相对重要于不育系,不育系苗瘟抗性一般配合力效应对F1代的抗性有显著的影响;14个供试亲本中,多恢1号、成恢149、K42A、K40A具有较好的苗瘟抗性一般配合力效应.因此,在杂交水稻抗苗瘟育种中,对恢复系的抗性GCA选择和对亲本的抗性GCA评鉴至关重要,但不应忽视不育系对组合的抗性贡献和对组合的抗性评鉴;多恢1号、成恢149、K42A和K40A可作为优良抗苗瘟亲本加以利用.     

Enhancement of the antimicrobial activity and selectivity of GNU7 against Gram-negative bacteria by fusion with LPS-targeting peptide

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) provide a potential source of new antimicrobial therapeutics for the treatment of multidrug-resistant pathogens. To develop Gram-negative selective AMPs that can inhibit the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis, we added various rationally designed LPS-targeting peptides [amino acids 28–34 of lactoferrin (Lf28–34), amino acids 84–99 of bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI84–99), and de novo peptide (Syn)] to the potent AMP, GNU7 (RLLRPLLQLLKQKLR). Compared to our original starting peptide GNU7, hybrid peptides had an 8- to 32-fold improvement in antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Among them, Syn-GNU7 showed the strongest LPS-binding and -neutralizing activities, thus allowing it to selectively eliminate Gram-negative bacteria from within mixed cultures. Our results suggest that LPS-targeting peptides would be useful to increase the antimicrobial activity and selectivity of other AMPs against Gram-negative bacteria.     

Induction of male sterile cabbage using a tapetum-specific promoter from<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Brassica campestris</Emphasis> L. ssp.<Emphasis Type="Italic"> pekinensis</Emphasis>

The anther (tapetum)-specific gene BcA9 was isolated from Chinese cabbage, Brassica campestris L. ssp. pekinensis cv. Jangwon, using the Arabidopsis tapetum-specific A9 gene as a probe. The DNA and amino acid sequences of the coding region of the BcA9 gene showed high homology with A9 genes from Arabidopsis and B. napus. However, the DNA sequences of the 5 noncoding (promoter) region were different, except for the sequence from –281 to –89. To test the specific activity of this promoter, a plant expression vector, pGR011, was constructed by fusing the BcA9 promoter and the cytotoxic diphtheria toxin A-chain (DTx-A) gene. Several transgenic plants from cabbage, B. oleracea ssp. capitata, were obtained by way of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Southern blot analysis indicated that the tapetum-specific BcA9 promoter and DTx-A gene were successfully integrated into the genome of the transgenic cabbage. Under the control of the BcA9 promoter, expression of the cytotoxic DTx-A gene in the tapetal cells of the transgenic plants resulted in male sterile cabbages. Microscopic examination revealed that pollen grains in anthers of the male sterile cabbages had not developed normally, but the vegetative growth and phenotype showed no difference compared to wild-type plants.Abbreviations At Arabidopsis thaliana - Bc Brassica camepstris - Bn Brassica napus - DTx-A Diphtheria toxin A-chain gene - hpt Hygromycin phosphotransferase - PCR Polymerase chain reaction - SDS Sodium dodecyl sulfate - SSC Sodium chloride-sodium citrate bufferThis revised version was published online September 2003 with corrections to Figure 6.Communicated by I.S. Chung     

Cryptic postzygotic isolation in an eruptive species of bark beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae)

Studies of postzygotic isolation often involve well-differentiated taxa that show a consistent level of incompatibility, thereby limiting our understanding of the initial stages and development of reproductive barriers. Dendroctonus ponderosae provides an informative system because recent evidence suggests that distant populations produce hybrids with reproductive incompatibilities. Dendroctonus ponderosae shows an isolation-by-distance gene flow pattern allowing us to characterize the evolution of postzygotic isolation (e.g., hybrid inviability, hybrid sterility) by crossing populations along a continuum of geographic/genetic divergence. We found little evidence of hybrid inviability among these crosses. However, crosses between geographically distant populations produced sterile males (consistent with Haldane's rule). This effect was not consistent with the fixation of mutations in an isolation-by-distance pattern, but instead is spatially localized. These reproductive barriers are uncorrelated with a reduction in gene flow suggesting their recent development. Crosses between geographically proximal populations bounding the transition from compatibility to hybrid male sterility showed evidence of unidirectional reduction in hybrid male fecundity. Our study describes significant postzygotic isolation occurring across a narrow and molecularly cryptic geographic zone between the states of Oregon and Idaho. This study provides a view of the early stages of postzygotic isolation in a geographically widespread species.     

A three-stage experimental constructed wetland for treatment of domestic sewage: First 2 years of operation

Hybrid constructed wetland systems have recently been used to treat wastewaters where high demand for removal of ammonia is required. However, these systems have not been used too often for small on-site treatment systems. This is because in many countries ammonia is not limited in the discharge from small systems. Hybrid systems have a great potential to reduce both ammonia and nitrate concentrations at the same time. In our study we employed a three-stage constructed wetland system consisting of saturated vertical-flow (VF) bed (2.5 m², planted with Phragmites australis), free-drained VF bed (1.5 m², planted with P. australis) and horizontal-flow (HF) bed (6 m², planted with Phalaris arundinacea) in series. All wetlands were originally filled with crushed rock (4-8 mm). However, nitrification was achieved only after the crushed rock was replaced with sand (0-4 mm) in the free-drain wetland. Also, original size of crushed rock proved to be too vulnerable to clogging and therefore, in the first wetlands the upper 40 cm was replaced by coarser fraction of crushed rock (16-32 mm) before the second year of operation started. The system was fed with mechanically pretreated municipal wastewater and the total daily flow was divided into two batches 12 h apart. The evaluation of the results from the period 2007 to 2008 indicated that such a system has a great potential for oxidation of ammonia and reduction of nitrate. The ammonia was substantially reduced in the free-drained VF bed and nitrate was effectively reduced in the final HF bed. The inflow mean NH₄-N concentration of 29.9 mg/l was reduced to 6.5 mg/l with the average removal efficiency of 78.3%. At the same time the average nitrate-N concentration rose from 0.5 to only 2.7 mg/l at the outflow. Removal of BOD₅ and COD amounted to 94.5% and 84.4%, respectively, with respective average outflow concentrations of 10 and 50 mg/l. Phosphorus was removed efficiently despite the fact that the system was not aimed at P removal and therefore no special media were used. Phosphorus removal amounted in 2008 to 65.4%, but the average outflow concentration of 1.8 mg/l is still high. The results of the present study indicate very efficient performance of the hybrid constructed wetlands, but optimal loading parameters still need to be adjusted. The capital cost of the experimental system is comparable to the conventional on-site treatment plant but the operations and maintenance costs are about one third of the conventional plant.