Immune challenge mediates vocal communication in a passerine bird: an experiment

Secondary sexual characters may have evolved in part to signalresistance to parasites. Avian song has been hypothesized tobe involved in this process, but the role of parasites in modulatingacoustic communication systems in birds remains largely unknown,owing to lack of experiments. We studied the relationship betweenparasitism, testosterone, song performance, and mating successin male collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) by experimentallychallenging their immune system with a novel antigen. We predictedthat a challenge of the immune system would reduce song performance,and that this reduction would be conditional on the size ofa visual sexual signal, the forehead patch that was previouslyfound to reflect resistance. An antagonistic linkage betweentestosterone and immune function would predict that a challengeof the immune system should suppress testosterone level. Animmunological treatment by sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) triggereda decrease in body mass, testosterone level, and song rate,but other song traits were not significantly affected by theantigen challenge. Initial testosterone level was associatedwith forehead patch size and all song traits except song rate.SRBC injection caused stronger reduction in song rate amongmales with smaller forehead patches, and the change in songrate was also predictable by song features such as strophe complexityand length. We show that song rate and other song characteristicsmay be important cues in male-male competition and female choice.These results suggest that parasite-mediated sexual selectionhas contributed in shaping a complex acoustic communicationsystem in the collared flycatcher, and that testosterone mayplay an important role in this process. Parasitism may drivea multiple signaling mechanism involving acoustic and visualtraits with different signal function.     

Assembly of alpha-synuclein fibrils in nanoscale studied by peptide truncation and AFM

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) fibrils are the major component of Lewy bodies that are closely associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, but the mechanism for the fibril assembly remains poorly understood. Here we report using a combination of peptide truncation and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to elucidate the self-assembly and morphology of the α-Syn fibrils. The results show that protease K significantly slims the fibrils from the mean height of ∼6.6 to ∼4.7 nm, whereas chaotropic denaturant urea completely breaks down the fibrils into small particles. The in situ enzymatic digestion also results in thinning of the fibrils, giving rise to some nicks on the fibrils. Moreover, N- or C-terminally truncated α-Syn fragments assemble into thinner filaments with the heights depending on the peptide lengths. A nine-residue peptide corresponding to the homologous GAV-motif sequence can form very thin (∼2.2 nm) but long (>1 μm) filaments. Thus, the central sequence of α-Syn forms a fibrillar core by cross-β-structure that is flanked by two flexible termini, and the orientation of the fibril growth is perpendicular to the β-sheet structures.     

Vertical stratification of figs and fig-eaters in a Bornean lowland rain forest: how is the canopy different?

Fig trees (Ficus spp; Moraceae) are a common constituent of many tropical forests, where they produce figs that are eaten by a wide range of bird and mammal species. In our Bornean field site six Ficus seed dispersal guilds can be recognised, differentially attracting subsets of the frugivore community. Guild membership appears to be determined by figs' size, colour, crop size and height above ground, and frugivores' size, sensory and locomotory physiology and foraging height. Vertical stratification therefore appears to be an important determinant of fig and frugivore partitioning. The guild structure observed is discussed with respect to implications for seed dispersal and the differences between the canopy and understorey. Regarding figs eaten primarily by birds, larger fruit and crops can be found in the canopy where they are exposed to larger assemblages of potential frugivores than those presented in the understorey.     

人SR-AI转基因小鼠模型的主要形态学特性、血液学指标和血脂水平的研究

目的明确人SR-AI转基因小鼠的一些形态、脏器、血液学和血浆脂质参数,为人SR-AI转基因小鼠模型的应用提供相关依据.方法用游标卡尺和电子称量天平测量人SR-AI转基因小鼠的吻长、眶间距、体长、尾长及12个脏器系数并与C57BL/6J小鼠进行比较分析;用SysmexK-4500型全血自动多参数血液分析仪检测其血液学指标;并用酶法分别测定血浆总胆固醇、甘油三酯和高密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量.结果人SR-AI转基因小鼠外部形态指标和脏器系数与C57BL/6J小鼠比较差异没有显著意义(P>0.05);转基因小鼠的各项血液学指标无明显改变,血脂蛋白成分的改变亦未显示统计学意义(P>0.05),甘油三酯的浓度略有增高(P<0.05).结论人SR-AI转基因小鼠的外部形态指标、脏器系数及各项血液学指标均无明显改变,适合用作动脉粥样硬化模型的研究.     

普氏蹄蝠(Hipposideros pratti)回声定位声波、形态及捕食策略

研究了普氏蹄蝠(Hipposideros pratti)不同状态(飞行、悬挂)下的回声定位声波特征、形态特征和生态特征(捕食策略、捕食地和食物类型).结果表明,普氏蹄蝠的回声定位声波为CFFM型,在不同状态下,主频率有一定的差异,飞行状态的主频率略低于悬挂状态,表明普氏蹄蝠是利用多谱勒补偿效应来适应飞行速度引起的主频率变化,以进行准确的定位和有效的捕食;同时飞行状态下声脉冲时间、声脉冲间隔时间及FM带宽略低于悬挂状态,而声脉冲重复率和能率环略高于悬挂状态,表明普氏蹄蝠在不同状态下利用不同特征的声波进行捕食.由回声定位声波推断和野外观察可知,普氏蹄蝠可能在树冠周围以盘旋方式(在昆虫高峰期)或以捕蝇器式(在昆虫高峰期之后)捕食中等偏大的振翅昆虫(如甲虫).     

爆裂玉米胚乳数量性状的遗传研究

采用三倍体胚乳种子遗传模型及其分析方法,研究了4个爆裂玉米膨爆特性的胚乳直接效应、母体效应和细胞质效应。结果表明,百粒重、膨化体积的遗传同时由3套遗传体系所控制,百粒重的细胞质、膨化体积的母体和细胞质遗传率较高。爆花率和膨化倍数受胚乳和母体2套遗传体系的影响,且遗传率相近。爆花率和膨化倍数的直接和母体杂种优势均为负值。要组配出优良爆裂玉米杂交种,必须首先选育出膨爆特性突出的自交系,同时还要注意不同自交系的恰当组配。在6个供试自交系中,必须首先选育出膨爆特性突出的自交系,同时还要注意不同自交系的恰当组配。在6个供试自交系中,P3,P4适宜用作母本,P5则适宜作父本。     

圈卷产色链霉菌7100分化相关基因——sawE的结构与功能

以天蓝色链霉菌的whiB基因为探针,从圈卷产色链霉菌7100的总DNA部分文库中克隆了含有whiB同源序列的28kb DNA片段,并对其中的14kb片段进行了序列测定。序列分析表明,该片段含有一个完整的开放阅读框—sawE。预测的蛋白质结构及同源性分析显示,sawE与天蓝色链霉菌孢子形成早期的关键基因whiB高度同源,编码产物为一个调控蛋白。sawE的破坏使圈卷产色链霉菌7100的分化终止在气生菌丝阶段,在延长培养时间的情况下仍保持白色的表型,菌丝不能分隔,不能形成成熟的灰色孢子,结果表明sawE基因是一个与圈卷产色链霉菌分化有关的重要基因。     

白洋淀鱼类组成现状

目前白洋淀共有鱼类33种,隶属于7目12科30属,自然鱼类种群呈现低龄、小型化,经济鱼类人工养殖业发展较快,但应有计划地给予节制。本文对优势种之一白鲦鱼的生物学特性做了重点研究,总体情况不如1991年。结合近年来调查所得的资料,总结得出白洋淀鱼类种群组成的变化及影响其变化的环境因素,从而对白洋淀环境的保护与利用、白洋淀的鱼类资源的可持续发展提出建议。     

中国近海牡蛎系统分类研究的现状和对策

探讨了中国近海沿岸牡蛎分类的诸多疑难和热点问题,回顾了国内外包括贝类等动物的分子系统发生学研究的主要进展,分析了中国近海牡蛎系统分类目前存在的问题,重点阐述了利用分子标记等手段解决形态相似种的鉴定和种系发生关系等问题的巨大潜力,报道了利用分子标记进行牡蛎分类研究所取得的最新进展。预期经典分类学和分子系统发生学研究的交叉综合,将大力推动中国近海牡蛎的系统分类和系统发生研究的发展。