Geographical distribution pattern and interisland movements of Orii’s flying fox in Okinawa Islands, the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan

The study of mobile animals such as flying foxes in insular habitats involves clarifying the population status on each island and determining the factors affecting movement patterns among the islands in their distributional range. We visited 25 of the Okinawa Islands and documented the number of Orii’s flying foxes Pteropus dasymallus inopinatus from August 2005 to May 2006. We also conducted a monthly road census on the main island (Okinawa-jima Island) and six adjacent islands from June 2006 to January 2007 and counted the number of fruit-bearing trees of the bats’ four main food plants. The results of classification and regression tree analysis suggested that distance from the main island was a primary factor in determining the distribution pattern and population size of this flying fox, whereas island area, number of plant species, and food availability did not directly affect population size. The number of flying foxes on each island tended to decrease with an increase in distance from the main island; no flying foxes existed on islands >30 km away from the main island. On the other hand, the results of the monthly census showed that the population size on each island fluctuated seasonally. Individuals may move between islands in response to seasonal changes in food availability. In conclusion, the distribution and abundance of Orii’s flying foxes in the Okinawa Islands may be determined by the rate of immigration/emigration, depending on each island’s distance from the main island. Seasonal changes in food availability may act as a trigger for interisland movement, but that movement may be restricted by island connectivity.     

季节性雪被对青藏高原东缘高寒草甸2种优势植物碳、氮积累和分配的影响

依据2006~2008冬季的自然雪被分布状况,在青藏高原东缘的高寒草甸中设置3条样带（即深雪、中雪和浅雪）。在2009年的生长季,在3个雪梯度样带中,分别测定了2种优势植物圆穗蓼（Polygonum macrophyllum）和黑褐穗苔草（Carex atrofusca subsp. Minor）生物量和碳氮营养积累及分配的动态特征。结果表明,深雪能够促进圆穗蓼和黑褐穗苔草生物量和碳氮养分的积累,可能使它们产生的凋落物数量更多且质量更好。深雪更有利于圆穗蓼（非禾本科草本植物）根系生物量、碳氮养分的积累;深雪不仅同时促进黑褐穗苔草（禾本科植物）地上部分和根系生物量、碳氮积累,而且还使其种子产量增加和质量提高,潜在地增强了黑褐穗苔草种子的繁殖能力,可能使得黑褐穗苔草的种间竞争能力增强。可以预见,未来季节性雪被的变化,必定会引起青藏高原东缘高寒草甸的初级生物量及其结构、植物群落物种组成等均发生相应变化。     

The origin of the Tibetan Mastiff and species identification of Canis based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and COI barcoding

DNA barcoding is an effective technique to identify species and analyze phylogenesis and evolution. However, research on and application of DNA barcoding in Canis have not been carried out. In this study, we analyzed two species of Canis, Canis lupus (n = 115) and Canis latrans (n = 4), using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene (1545 bp) and COI barcoding (648 bp DNA sequence of the COI gene). The results showed that the COI gene, as the moderate variant sequence, applied to the analysis of the phylogenesis of Canis members, and COI barcoding applied to species identification of Canis members. Phylogenetic trees and networks showed that domestic dogs had four maternal origins (A to D) and that the Tibetan Mastiff originated from Clade A; this result supports the theory of an East Asian origin of domestic dogs. Clustering analysis and networking revealed the presence of a closer relative between the Tibetan Mastiff and the Old English sheepdog, Newfoundland, Rottweiler and Saint Bernard, which confirms that many well-known large breed dogs in the world, such as the Old English sheepdog, may have the same blood lineage as that of the Tibetan Mastiff.     

Hypoxia-induced expression of HIF-1alpha and its target genes in umbilical venous endothelial cells of Tibetans and immigrant Han

The better adaptation of native Tibetans to hypoxia is thought to be partly due to improved umbilical circulation, which results in reduced pre- and postnatal fatalities. We hypothesized that the difference in umbilical circulation between native Tibetans and other high-altitude inhabitants was due to differences in the expression of hypoxia-induced factor (HIF-1) and its target genes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). We tested this hypothesis by examining the effect of hypoxia on the expression of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, and iNOS in cultured umbilical venous endothelial cells (UVECs) from native Tibetans and immigrant Hans. UVECs were collected and cultured under hypoxic (0.5% oxygen) or normoxic conditions for 2, 4, 12 and 24 h. The mRNA levels of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and iNOS and the protein level of HIF-1alpha were determined with RT-PCR and Western blot analyses, respectively. In both immigrant Han and Tibetans, HIF-1alpha mRNA was constitutively expressed under normoxic condition, and remained constant after hypoxic exposure. In contrast, HIF-1alpha protein was undetectable under normoxic condition, but underwent dynamic changes in response to hypoxia. It was induced at 4 h, peaked at 12 h, and remained elevated at 24 h. Concurrent with the induction of HIF-1alpha protein, the mRNA levels of VEGF and iNOS were also up-regulated whereas that of eNOS was down-regulated. The lack of a hypoxia-related difference in the expression of HIF-1alpha and its target genes suggests that HIF-1alpha does not play a critical role in high altitude adaptation. Alternative mechanisms may be responsible for the better adaptation of native Tibetans.     

Sarcoptic mange in wild carnivores and its co-occurrence with parasitic helminths in the Western Italian Alps

Between 2001 and 2004, 229 foxes, 36 stone martens and 48 badgers from the western Italian Alps were examined for sarcoptic mange and for gastrointestinal helminths to investigate their prevalence and geographical distribution and to point out the existence of potential interactions among them. Sarcoptic mange was observed in 25.3±2.8% SE of foxes and in 5.6±3.8% SE of stone martens, while no badger was found infected. Helminths belonged to Cestoidea Cyclophillidea (3.0±1.1% SE), Nematoda Trichurida (Capillaria aerophila and Trichuris vulpis: 6.5±1.6% SE; Trichinella britovi: 3.0±1.1% SE), Ascaridida (12.2±2.2% SE) and Strongylida (6.9±1.7% SE). Sarcoptic mange infection and the presence of helminths proved to be associated, with mangy foxes showing significantly higher prevalence of both cestode and nematode (particularly Ascaridida) worms. Moreover, considering three clusters of parasites (S. scabiei, nematodes and cestodes), more foxes than expected hosted simultaneously 2 and 3 taxa. These evidences suggest the existence of some kind of interaction, whose modalities and implications are discussed in this paper.     

Characteristics of net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) from August to October of Alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, China

The Alpine meadow is one of the vegetation types widely distributed on the Tibetan Plateau in China with an area of about 1.2 million square kilometers. The Damxung rangeland station, located in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau, is covered with an typical vegetation. The continuous carbon flux data (from August to middle October, 2003) measured with the open-path eddy covariance system was used to analyze the diurnal variation pattern of net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and its relationship with the environmental factors, such as photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), precipitation, and temperature. Results showed that NEE presented obvious diurnal variation pattern with single-peak of diurnal maximum carbon assimilation at 11: 00–12: 00 (local time) with an average of −0.268 mg CO₂·m⁻²·s⁻¹, i.e., −6.08 μmol CO₂·m⁻²·s⁻¹. During the daytime, NEE fitted fairly well with PAR in a rectangular hyperbola function with the apparent quantum yield (0.020 3 μmol CO₂ μmol⁻¹ PAR) and maximum ecosystem assimilation (9.741 1 μmol CO₂·m⁻²·s⁻¹). During the night-time, NEE showed a good exponential relation with the soil temperature at 5 cm depth. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica 2005, 25(8): 1948–1952 [译自: 生态学报, 2005, 25(8): 1948–1952]     

漠河地区养殖的北极狐冬季被毛性状与保温性能的关系

被毛是哺乳动物最主要的特征之一,其保温功能对动物适应寒冷环境意义重大。为了探讨北极狐(Alopex lagopus)在被毛性状上如何适应寒冷的气候条件,对大兴安岭漠河地区人工养殖北极狐的背中部直针毛、上层绒毛、下层绒毛的长度、毛根细度、毛干细度以及毛密度、单个毛束内的毛数量、毛束密度、复合毛囊最大横切面积、1mm2内复合毛囊最大横切面总面积等14个性状因子进行测量分析。结果表明,北极狐绒毛分为上下两层,下层绒毛的长度、毛根细度和毛干细度均小于上层绒毛,上层绒毛长度与直针毛接近,直针毛长度与上层绒毛、下层绒毛长度均不存在显著相关性;毛密度与毛束密度极度正相关(P0.01),但与毛根细度、毛干细度、单个毛束内的毛数量和1mm2内复合毛囊最大横切面总面积不存在显著相关性,且与复合毛囊最大横切面积的相关性较小;复合毛囊最大横切面积受毛根细度、单个毛束内的毛数量和毛束密度的影响较小。北极狐不是通过降低毛细度的方式来增加毛密度以加强保温功能,而是通过改变被毛在皮肤内的分布格局来增加毛密度,以及将有髓质的绒毛分为上下两层来改变被毛空间结构这两种策略提高被毛内静止空气的量以加强保温功能,进而适应高纬度地区的寒冷环境。     

北极狐GHR基因cDNA的克隆及序列分析

本文根据狗(AF133835)的GHR基因cDNA编码全序列设计了三对引物,利用RT-PCR方法克隆出北极狐GHR基因编码区全长cDNA序列(GenBank accession No.EU304325)。结果表明,北极狐GHR的ORF为1917bp,编码638个氨基酸的前体蛋白,由18个氨基酸的信号肽和620个氨基酸的成熟肽组成。通过同源性比较发现北极狐与狗的同源性最高,达到98%。另外,利用邻接法(NJ法)构建的分子系统进化树聚类结果表明,北极狐与狗先聚为一类,该聚类结果与传统的物种进化关系基本一致。另外,通过氨基酸对位序列比较发现,北极狐GHR在氨基酸序列上存在明显的特异性,如45和451位分别为A和E,而其它物种均分别为T(大鼠为K)和A(牛羊为V,鼠为T)。     

不同生长季节下藏药麻花秦艽活性成分含量研究

采用高效液相色谱法测定了野生与栽培藏药麻花秦艽（Gentiana straminea）根中龙胆苦苷、落干酸、獐牙菜苦苷和獐牙菜苷四种环烯醚萜苷类化学成分的含量及其在不同生长季节的变化趋势。结果表明,4种环烯醚萜苷类成分的含量随植物的生长季节而波动,其活性成分含量在野生种与栽培种之间发生了一定的差异。但是,栽培根中的龙胆苦甙已达到药典的标准,可供药用。     

藏羚羊mtDNA D-Loop区遗传多样性研究

该研究采用非损伤性DNA基因分型技术,对可可西里地区10个藏羚羊（Pantholops hodgsonii）个体的mtDNA非编码区部分片段（444~446bp）进行了序列分析,结果显示A、T%含量（61.8%）明显高于G、C%含量（38.2%）,共发现10种单倍型,包括48个多态位点,其中转换位点44个、颠换位点1个、插入位点1个、缺失位点2个。单倍型间平均遗传距离为0.031,单倍型多态性（h）为1.000,核苷酸多态性（π）为2.96%。说明藏羚羊线粒体控制区存在着丰富变异,最后从藏羚羊的生态习性及地理分布两方面对这一结果进行了分析探讨。