Unmanaged sexual reproduction and the dynamics of genetic diversity of a vegetatively propagated crop plant, cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), in a traditional farming system

Occurrence of intervarietal or interspecific natural crosses has been reported for many crop plants in traditional farming systems, underlining the potential importance of this source of genetic exchange for the dynamics of genetic diversity of crop plants. In this study, we use microsatellite loci to investigate the role of volunteer seedlings (plants originating from unmanaged sexual reproduction) in the dynamics of genetic diversity of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), a vegetatively propagated crop, in a traditional farming system in Guyana. A previous field study showed that farmers incorporate such plants into the germplasm for vegetative propagation, and that many of them are likely to be assigned by farmers to recognized varieties. Under strict vegetative propagation clonality of varieties is expected. The high proportion of polyclonal varieties observed suggests that incorporation of seedlings into the germplasm for propagation is a frequent event. The molecular variability assessed with microsatellite markers shows that there is high differentiation among heterozygous varieties, whereas populations of seedlings do not depart from the proportions expected under Hardy-Weinberg assumptions. Assignment of seedlings to a recognized variety on the basis of morphological similarity greatly increases genetic diversity within the variety. We argue that recombination and gene flow play a major role in the dynamics of genetic diversity of cassava in traditional farming systems. Documenting unmanaged sexual reproduction and its genetic consequences is a prerequisite for defining strategies of in situ conservation of crop plant genetic resources.     

蛙心包淋巴孔的发现

首次报道蛙心包淋巴孔 ,揭示心包腔淋巴转归途径。本实验应用扫描电镜和透射电镜观察心包淋巴孔的超微结构 ,并使用计算机图象处理技术对淋巴孔作定量分析。结果发现 ,正常蛙心包腔面有一些散在分布的心包淋巴孔和少量淋巴窦。构成淋巴孔的间皮细胞常出现粗大的胞质突起 ,伸入淋巴孔 ,形成瓣膜状结构。淋巴孔的平均直径为 0 72±0 33μm ,平均分布密度是 3 57± 2 0 7个 /0 0 1mm2 ;心包间皮淋巴窦的面积是 995 0 8±2 2 1 74μm2 /0 0 1mm2 。蛙心肌无血管 ,其血供仅由心腔内血液直接进入心肌的小梁间隙。心包脏层未发现有淋巴孔。结果表明 :间皮淋巴窦是心包膜正常“漏出”的形态依据。心包淋巴孔的发现 ,证明心包腔淋巴引流途径的存在。淋巴引流对于心肌组织间液的平衡 ,清除组织间液蛋白质 ,防止心肌间质水肿 ,有重要意义     

Variation of plastic responses to oxygen availability within the hybridogenetic Rana esculenta complex

The hypothesis of superiority of hybrid phenotype to explain the maintenance of hybridogenesis (exclusion of one parental genome in the germline before meiosis) was investigated in the Rana esculenta complex. Survival and growth of progenies from each parental and hybrid lineages were compared across contrasted conditions of oxygen availability (this factor is suspected to influence habitat utilization of each form of the complex). Whereas growth and development were strongly affected by constant hypoxic conditions in the R. ridibunda lineage, they were not altered in the R. lessonae lineage. Because the performance of the hybrid (R. esculenta) lineage proved to be intermediate between the parental species, no heterosis effect was detected. These results supported the intermediate niche hypothesis as an alternative to the heterotic hybrid superiority hypothesis. The ecological and evolutionary implications are then discussed.     

可口革囊星虫对Cd2+和Hg2+的富集及其影响

采用原子吸收、原子荧光等分析检测技术,探讨了Cd2+、Hg2+在可口革囊星虫中的富集规律及其对生长与主要营养成分的影响.结果表明:在试验设定的胁迫浓度内,可口革囊星虫体壁肌肉对Cd2+、Hg2+的富集均随胁迫时间的延长而增加,最终达到饱和浓度;环境中Cd2+、Hg2+浓度越高,富集速度越快,达到饱和的时间越短,饱和浓度也越高.可口革囊星虫体质量增长随着重金属胁迫浓度的升高而减慢,且联合胁迫的影响程度大于单一胁迫.体壁肌肉蛋白质含量随重金属胁迫浓度的增加而升高,Cd2+、Hg2+分别在0.05和0.02 mg·L-1胁迫浓度下达到最高,然后开始降低.联合胁迫也呈同样的规律,且影响程度更大.体壁肌肉脂肪含量随重金属胁迫浓度的增加而降低,联合胁迫下降低程度更大.     

木薯分子育种中若干基本科学问题的思考与研究进展

木薯作为全球重要的薯类作物,既是热带地区粮食安全的保障,也是重要的淀粉工业原材料,保障其稳产、高产、优质一直是育种家不变的研究主题．当前,木薯品种选育正处在从杂交育种转向分子育种的发展阶段,深入解析木薯特有的经济性状和生物学特点是利用生物技术进行遗传改良的基础．不同于谷物类作物,木薯光合同化物的转运和库源分配的调控机制必有其独特之处;同时,储藏根的“库容”直接影响其产量．作为热带作物,了解木薯对低温和干旱的响应可为改良其抗逆境能力提供理论依据．不同于其他薯类作物,木薯储藏根特有的“采后生理性变质”问题亟待解决,其发生和调控机制的解析对延长木薯货架期意义重大．随着分子生物学的发展,针对上述各方面的研究日益深入,不仅激发了感兴趣的公众对这些问题的认知和思考,也激励了科研人员不断努力寻找解析相关机制的方法,为最终通过分子育种手段改良木薯提供思路和技术方案,揭开木薯的层层“面纱”,推动木薯分子育种的发展．     

Respirometry and swimming dynamics of the giant australian cuttlefish,sepia apama (mollusca,cephalopoda)

Swimming dynamics of the giant Australian cuttlefish, Sepia apama, were investigated using swimtunnel respirometry. Relationships between jet pressure, fin frequency, swimming speed and oxygen consumption were defined. Laboratory calibration of swimming parameters is necessary to allow estimates of swimming costs in the field.

Jet pressure was the best predictor of oxygen consumption with an averaged equation of MO₂?=?722 (jet pressure)?+?107?r ²?=?0.51. Individually, fin frequency and jet pressure correlated highly to swimming speed, but due to the complicated usage of finning and jetting, the correlation between swimming speed and oxygen consumption was weaker. Cuttlefish were not optimal swimtunnel subjects and could not swim at high speeds for extended periods. At 15°C and a swimming speed of 0.06?m?s^?1, the gross cost of transport was calculated to be 10.1?kg^?1?m?^?1, with a net cost of 4.1?kg^?1?m^?1.     

木薯Mlo基因家族成员的鉴定及其序列特征分析

M／o基因家族是植物重要的抗病基因。本文通过系统分析木薯基因组数据库,从中共鉴定出21个M／o成员,其中20个具有完整序列,1个只有部分序列。对其中20个具有完整序列的基因与其他物种的Mlo基因进行聚类关系分析,结果显示,可将木薯Mlo基因家族分为6类（I～VI）,其中4类都包括有来自拟南芥的Mlo基因,第vI类只包括2个木薯Mlo基因,可能是木薯中特有的一类Mlo;6个木薯Mlo与已知的抗病Mlo基因分别聚在第1V和第V类,这6个基因可能是木薯基因组中具有抗病功能的Mlo。对所有的木薯Mlo蛋白进行结构分析发现,除了MeMl020外,其他蛋白均具有6～8个跨膜结构,其中3个蛋白具有N端信号肽。     

A scanning electron microscope study of ectodermal differentiations in the caudal mantle epithelium of embryos and juveniles of Loligo vulgaris,Loligo forbesi and Sepia officinalis

Summary

The mantle epithelium of embryos and early juveniles of the squids Loligo vulgaris and Loligo forbesi and the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis was studied using scanning electron microscopy. In embryos of L. vulgaris and L. forbesi, previously undescribed epidermal structures were found. They are missing in S. officinalis embryos. These so-called “extruding structures” are located near Hoyle's organ and first appear at stage XIII of Naef. At the same embryonic stage, Hoyle's organ starts to differentiate and “uniform-type” ciliated cells become visible in the epidermis of both L. vulgaris and L. forbesi. Directly after hatching the epidermis of the species examined starts to slough off and finally the extruding structures, Hoyle's organ and both types of ciliated cells of the mantle epithelium disappear. The function of the extruding structures remains obscure.     

牛蒡抗虫活性及抗虫成分的初步研究

在水温(23±0.5)℃、pH 7.0～8.0、溶解氧＞5 mg· L-1的条件下,研究孵化过程中不同盐度对拟目乌贼胚胎发育和孵化率的影响.结果表明,拟目乌贼卵透明略带奶油色,近椭圆形,短径为0.596～1.758 cm,长径为1.452～3.136 cm,刚产出的卵重约2g;孵化完成时,卵膜内的重量达到4.5g.在盐度为28‰时,经过28～30 d孵化,卵的短径和长径平均分别增加了0.601、0.615 cm,孵化率为57.0％;盐度为23‰时,卵的长径和短径也相应增加,增幅分别为0.567、1.263 cm,孵化率为13.5％;盐度为33‰时,经过28～30 d孵化,卵短径平均增长0.150 cm,而长径却缩短了0.141 cm,孵化率为9.5％;在盐度为13‰、18‰、38‰和43‰条件下,胚胎停止发育,孵化率为0.结果表明,拟目乌贼属于狭盐性种类,盐度变化对拟目乌贼胚胎发育和孵化有直接影响.     

Sperm nucleomorphogenesis in the cephalopod Sepia officinalis

Sperm nucleomorphogenesis in the cephalopod Sepia officinalis is the product of the interaction between perinuclear microtubules and condensing chromatin. This interaction occurs during spermiogenesis and is established through the nuclear membrane. As in other cephalopod species, the perinuclear microtubules are transient structures. In the case of S. officinalis, they begin to appear in the basal area of the early spermatid and progress from there, establishing contact with the external nuclear membrane and follow a defined, but not symmetric, geometry. Thus, the microtubules accumulate preferentially in one area of the nuclear membrane which we refer to here as the "dorsal zone". Later, the microtubules will be eliminated before the mature spermatid migrates to the epidydimis. The chromatin is condensed within the nucleus following a complex pattern, beginning as fibro-granular structures until forming fibres of approximately 45 nm diameter (patterning phases). From this stage on, an increase in the chemical basicity of DNA-interacting proteins is produced, and chromatin fibres coalesce together, being recruited to the dorsal zone of the membrane, where there is a higher density of microtubules. This last step (condensation phases) allows the chromatin fibres to be arranged parallel to the axis of the elongating nucleus, and more importantly, is deduced to cause a lateral compression of the nucleus. This lateral compression is in fact a recruitment of the ventral zone toward the dorsal zone, which brings about an important reduction in nuclear volume. The detailed observations which comprise this work complement previous studies of spermiogenesis of Sepia and other cephalopods, and will help to better understand the process of cellular morphology implicated in the evolution of sperm nuclear shape in this taxonomic group.