Phylogeny ofRubiaceae-Rubieae inferred from the sequence of a cpDNA intergene region

A phylogenetic analysis of 25 species, representing eight genera of theRubieae tribe (Rubiaceae), has been made using the DNA sequence of the chloroplastatp B-rbc L intergene region. Six tropical genera from other tribes ofRubiaceae have been used as outgroups. Whatever the method of analysis (distance, parsimony or maximum likelihood), five groups are clearly separated and described as informal clades. Their relative relationships are not clearly resolved by the parsimony analysis, resulting in eight equally parsimonious trees, 327 steps long, with a consistency index (CI) of 0.749 (excluding uninformative sites). TheRubieae tribe appears monophyletic from the data available. Some new and partly unexpected phylogenetic relationships are suggested. The genusRubia forms a separate clade and appears to be the relatively advanced sister group of the remaining taxa. TheSherardia clade also includes the generaCrucianella andPhuopsis. Galium sect.Aparinoides appears closely attached to theAsperula sect.Glabella clade. The remaining taxa ofGalium are paraphyletic:Galium sect.Platygalium (in theCruciata clade) is linked to the advanced generaCruciata andValantia; the more apomorphic groups ofGalium form theGalium sect.Galium clade, including the perennial sectionsGalium, Leiogalium, andLeptogalium as well as the annual (and possibly polyphyletic) sect.Kolgyda.     

cpDNA intergene sequences corroborate restriction site data for reconstructingRubiaceae phylogeny

Representatives of seven genera from five tribes ofRubiaceae have been compared in respect to a non-coding intergene cpDNA region of about 1000 bp, situated between the atpB and the rbcL genes. The resulting most parsimonious PAUP cladogram corresponds very well with one based on total cpDNA restriction site data obtained byBremer & Jansen (1991). The two different molecular analyses thus corroborate each other and contribute to an improved systematic arrangement of the large family, e.g., in respect to placing the tribeHedyotideae clearly into the subfamilyRubioideae, closer toRubieae than toPsychotrieae.     

祁连山地区植被特征及其分布规律

分析和讨论了祁连山地区主要植被类型及其分布特征。祁连山地区随着青藏高原的强烈隆升表现为整体抬升,植被具有明显的生态地理边缘效应特征和高原地带性规律。该区植被虽然受到四周的较大影响,但各类高寒植被占有绝对优势,表现出与青藏高原植被整体明显的相似性和广泛的一致性。另一方面,本区植被也有其特殊性及与高原面存在一些差异。因此,建议把祁连山地区做为青藏高原植被区的次一级独立单元     

分泌载体pUS186的构建及地衣杆菌α－淀粉酶基因在枯草杆菌中的表达和分泌

利用枯草杆菌的分泌系统构建分泌型表达载体表达和分泌外源基因产物具有重要的商业价值。我们用鸟枪法克隆了枯草杆菌染色体的启动子和信号肽序列,将克隆的序列连接到能在枯草杆菌中复制的质粒ｐＵＢ１８上,获得分泌型表达载体ｐＵＳ１８６。为了测试构建的载体ｐＵＳ１８６的功能,将地衣杆菌α－淀粉酶基因的缺失了启动子和信号肽序列的片段重组进该质粒,经过Ｂａｌ３１酶切,Ｔ４ＤＮＡ聚合酶补齐等处理,获得ｐＵＳＡ１８６Ⅱ及ｐＵＳＡ１８６Ⅰ系列质粒,将这些重组质粒转化枯草杆菌ＱＢ１１３０（ａｍｙ－）后都能向胞外分泌淀粉酶,酶活测定结果表明,基因表达水平比用原有的启动子高１－２倍,蛋白质分泌率在８４－９６％之间。     

Confocal laser scanning microscopy reveals voltage-gated calcium signals within hippocampal dendritic spines

The induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) is generally assumed to be triggered by Ca²⁺ entry into dendritic spines via NMDA receptor-gated channels. A previous computational model proposed that spines serve several functions in this process. First, they compartmentalize and amplify increases in [Ca²⁺]_i. Second, they augment the nonlinear relationship between synaptic strength and the probability or magnitude of LTP induction. Third, they isolate the metabolic machinery responsible for LTP induction from increases in [Ca²⁺]_i produced by voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels in the dendritic shaft. Here we examine this last prediction of the model using methods that combine confocal microscopy with simultaneous neurophysiological recordings in hippocampal brain slices. Either of two Ca²⁺-sensitive dyes were injected into CA1 pyramidal neurons. Direct depolarization of the neurons via the somatic electrode produced clear increases in Ca²⁺ signals within the dendritic spines, a result that was not predicted by the previous spine model. Our new spine model suggests that some of this signal could theoretically result from Ca²⁺-bound dye diffusing from the dendritic shaft into the spine. Dye diffusion alone cannot, however, explain the numerous cases in which the Ca²⁺ signal in the spine was considerably larger than that in the adjacent dendritic shaft. The latter observations raise the possiblity of voltage-gated Ca²⁺ entry directly into the spine or else perhaps via Ca²⁺-dependent Ca²⁺release. The new spine model accommodates these observations as well as several other recent experimental results. 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

天花粉蛋白与FMP复合物的晶体结构

用浸泡法得到了天花粉蛋白（ＴＣＳ）与ＦＭＰ复合物的晶体,在ＳＩＭＥＮＮＳＸ－２００Ｂ面探测器系统上收集了一套２．０分辨率的Ｘ射线衍射数据。用同晶差值傅立叶法解析了复合物的结构,经Ｘ—ＰＬＯＲ程序修正得到了ＴＣＳ—ＦＭＰ复合物的分子结构并找出了１９７个水分子,最后的Ｒ因子为０．１７２,键长和键角的ＲＭＳ偏差分别为０．０１５和２．９２２度。ＴＣＳ—ＦＭＰ复合物中,ＦＭＰ与天花粉蛋白分子有较好的结合,其结合位置正处于根据三维结构和突变体信息推测的Ｎ一糖苷酶活性口袋之中。它的类嘌呤环夹在Ｙ７０和Ｙ１１１两个侧链环之间,与Ｙ７０环近乎平行,其Ｎ７和Ｎ６分别与ＴＣＳ分子的Ｇ１０９４羰基氧和Ｉ７１的Ｎ成氢键,Ｎ３靠近Ｒ１６３的侧链,其磷酸根则伸向活性口袋的底部,与Ｅ１８９、Ｅ１６０和Ｒ１６３等残基作用。     

几种沙漠地区野生药用植物资源及其引种栽培

几种沙漠地区野生药用植物资源及其引种栽培尹林克（中国科学院吐鲁番沙漠植物园,新疆吐鲁番８３８００８）Ｒｅｓｏｕｒｃｅｓｏｆｓｅｖｅｒａｌｓｐｅｃｉｅｓｏｆｗｉｌｄｍｅｄｉｃｉｎａｌｐｌａｎｔｓｉｎｄｅｓｅｒｔｒｅｇｉｏｎａｎｄｔｈｅｉｒｉｎｔｒｏｄｕ...     

Benthic invertebrates of some saline lakes of the Sud Lipez region,Bolivia

The benthic invertebrates fauna of most of the saline lakes of the Sud Lipez region (Bolivia, Altiplano) has been until now quite unstudied. Samples collected during an extensive survey of 12 lakes and two small inflow rivers allow a first list of the main macroinvertebrates living in these biotopes.The heterogeneous nature of these saline lakes with their freshwater springs and phreatic inflows offers a variety of habitats to macroinvertebrates. The benthic fauna in lakes with salinities > 10 g l^–1 is not so low in density but includes few species and is dominated by Orthocladiinae and Podonominae larvae. In contrast, the freshwater springs and inflows are colonized by a diverse fauna, with a mixture of both freshwater and saline taxa, but dominated by Elmidae and Amphipoda. The lakes are quite isolated and, apart from some cosmopolitan organisms, their fauna can be quite distinctive.     

Characterization of the length polymorphism in the A+T-rich region of the Drosophila obscura group species

Summary In the twelve Drosophila obscura group species studied, belonging to the affinis, obscura, and pseudoobscura subgroups, the mitochondrial DNA length ranges from 15.8 to 17.2 kb. This length polymorphism is mainly due to insertions/deletions in the variable region of the A+T-rich region. In addition, one species (D. tristis) possess a tandem duplication of a 470-bp fragment that contains the replication origin.The same duplication has occurred at least twice in the Drosophila evolutionary history due to the fact that the repetition is analogous to repetitions found in the four species of the D. melanogaster complex.By comparing the nucleotide sequence of the conserved region in D. ambigua, D. obscura, D. yakuba, D. teissieri, and D. virilis, we show the presence of a secondary structure, likely implied in the replication origin, which could favor the generation of this kind of duplications.Finally, we propose that the high A and T content in the variable region of the A + T-rich region favors the formation of less-stable secondary structures, which could explain the generation of minor insertion/deletions found in this region.Offprint requests to: A. Latorre