Choline transporter‐like1 (CHER1) is crucial for plasmodesmata maturation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plasmodesmata (PD) are microscopic pores connecting plant cells and enable cell‐to‐cell transport. Currently, little information is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating PD formation and development. To uncover components of PD development we made use of the 17 kDa movement protein (MP17) encoded by the Potato leafroll virus (PLRV). The protein is required for cell‐to‐cell movement of the virus and localises to complex PD. Forward genetic screening for Arabidopsis mutants with altered PD binding of MP17 revealed several mutant lines, while molecular genetics, biochemical and microscopic studies allowed further characterisation. Map‐based cloning of one mutant revealed a point mutation in the choline transporter‐like 1 (CHER1) protein, changing glycine²⁴⁷ into glutamate. Mutation in CHER1 resulted in a starch excess phenotype and stunted growth. Ultrastructure analysis of shoot apical meristems, developing and fully developed leaves showed reduced PD numbers and the absence of complex PD in fully developed leaves. This indicates that cher1 mutants are impaired in PD formation and development. Global lipid profiling revealed only slight modifications in the overall lipid composition, however, altered composition of PD‐associated lipids cannot be ruled out. Thus, cher1 is devoid of complex PD in developed leaves and provides insights into the formation of complex PD at the molecular level.     

Does peripheral dislodgement contribute to heterozygote deficiencies in blue mussels?

Differential loss of heterozygous individuals that move to the periphery of mussel aggregations, where they are at greater risk for dislodgement, has been proposed as an explanation for observed heterozygote deficiencies in blue mussels. To test the dislodgement hypothesis, correlations between heterozygosity and mussel motility, as well as characteristics of byssogenesis and byssal thread attachment strengths, were determined in a wild and a farmed population of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from New Hampshire, USA. Although both populations exhibited a heterozygote deficit as measured by three microsatellite loci, no relationship was found between heterozygosity and increased motility in either population. Similarly, no relationship was found between heterozygosity and byssogenesis or attachment strength. Hence, differential dislodgement is highly unlikely as a possible contributor to the loss of heterozygous individuals.     

湖北郧西黄龙洞更新世晚期人类牙齿磨耗与使用痕迹

对2004—2006年在黄龙洞发现的7枚人类牙齿磨耗与使用痕迹的观察显示: 除具有正常牙齿相互接触造成的磨耗外, 黄龙洞人类牙齿还呈现出一些特殊的使用痕迹, 包括明显的前部牙齿釉质破损与崩裂、上颌侧门齿齿冠唇面釉质破损、上颌前部牙齿齿间邻接面沟等。根据这些牙齿使用痕迹集中在前部牙齿, 釉质破损与崩裂主要分布在靠近切缘的上颌门齿唇面及下颌门齿舌面的情况, 推测生活在黄龙洞的更新世晚期人类经常使用前部牙齿从事啃咬、叼衔、或剥离等动作, 并可能将前部牙齿作为工具使用。分布在前部牙齿的齿间邻接面沟提示当时人类经常从事剔牙活动。黄龙洞人类前部牙齿的使用痕迹与当时人类获取、处理及食用附着在骨骼上的筋或肉的动作密切相关, 当时人类的食物构成中可能包含有较多的肉类及粗纤维植物。     

红条毛肤石鳖齿舌主侧齿中铁还原酶分布及与生物矿化的关系

以红条毛肤石鳖Acanthochiton rubrolineatus(Lischke)齿舌为材料,通过切片和酶组织化学技术,在光镜和电镜下对齿舌主侧齿的微结构及高铁还原酶的存在进行观察,从微观角度了解齿舌主侧齿齿尖的矿化机理。结果显示,成熟主侧齿由齿尖和齿基组成。齿尖结构由外至内分为三层,最外层为磁铁矿层,前后齿面磁铁矿层的厚度不等,后齿面约50μm,前齿面约5-10μm。向内依次为棕红色的纤铁矿层,厚约10μm,及略显黄色的有机基质层,有机基质层占据着齿尖内部的大部分结构。高分辨透射电镜下显示磁铁矿由条状四氧化三铁颗粒组成,长约2-3μm,宽约100-150nm。齿舌的矿化是一个连续过程,不同部段处于不同的矿化阶段,齿舌囊上皮细胞沿囊腔分布,并形成齿片。未矿化的新生主侧齿齿尖中存在由有机基质构成的网状结构。随矿化的进行,有机基质内出现矿物颗粒。初始矿化的齿尖外表面有一个细胞微突层,微突的另一端为囊上皮细胞,矿物质经由微突层达齿尖并沉积于有机基质中,齿尖随之矿化并成熟。初始矿化齿尖的外围有大量的三价铁化物颗粒,稍成熟的齿尖外围同时还出现二价铁化物。新生或初始矿化主侧齿齿尖外围的囊上皮细胞中有大量球形类似于铁蛋白聚集体的内容物,直径0.6-0.8μm,球体由膜包围。齿舌囊上皮组织中存在三价高铁还原酶,此酶分布于上皮细胞的膜表面,可能与齿尖表面磁铁矿的生成有一定的关系。       

Environmental and seasonal correlates of capercaillie movement traits in a Swedish wind farm

Animals continuously interact with their environment through behavioral decisions, rendering the appropriate choice of movement speed and directionality an important phenotypic trait. Anthropogenic activities may alter animal behavior, including movement. A detailed understanding of movement decisions is therefore of great relevance for science and conservation alike. The study of movement decisions in relation to environmental and seasonal cues requires continuous observation of movement behavior, recently made possible by high‐resolution telemetry. We studied movement traits of 13 capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), a mainly ground‐moving forest bird species of conservation interest, over two summer seasons in a Swedish windfarm using high‐resolution GPS tracking data (5‐min sampling interval). We filtered and removed unreliable movement steps using accelerometer data and step characteristics. We explored variation in movement speed and directionality in relation to environmental and seasonal covariates using generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs). We found evidence for clear daily and seasonal variation in speed and directionality of movement that reflected behavioral adjustments to biological and environmental seasonality. Capercaillie moved slower when more turbines were visible and faster close to turbine access roads. Movement speed and directionality were highest on open bogs, lowest on recent clear‐cuts (<5 y.o.), and intermediate in all types of forest. Our results provide novel insights into the seasonal and environmental correlates of capercaillie movement patterns and supplement previous behavioral observations on lekking behavior and wind turbine avoidance with a more mechanistic understanding.     

Cucumber mosaic virus movement protein affects sugar metabolism and transport in tobacco and melon plants

In addition to its influence on plasmodesmal function, tobacco mosaic virus movement protein (TMV‐MP) causes an alteration in carbon metabolism in source leaves and in resource partitioning among the various plant organs. The present study was aimed at characterizing the influence of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)‐MP on carbohydrate metabolism and transport in both tobacco and melon plants. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing the CMV‐MP had reduced levels of soluble sugars and starch in their source leaves and a significantly reduced root‐to‐shoot ratio in comparison with control plants. A novel virus‐vector system was employed to express the CMV‐coat protein (CP), the CMV‐MP or the TMV‐MP in melon plants. This set of experiments indicated that the viral MPs cause a significant elevation in the proportion of sucrose in the phloem sap collected from petioles of source leaves, whereas this sugar was at very low levels or even absent from the sap of control melon plants. The mode by which the CMV‐MP exerts its effect on phloem‐sap sugar composition is discussed in terms of possible alterations in the mechanism of phloem loading.     

外源基因在植物病毒表达载体中表达策略的研究进展

利用植物病毒表达载体表达外源蛋白是近年来发展起来的具有表达量大,速度快和廉价等优势的生产系统,其有4种构建策略;基因取代,基因插入,融合抗原和基因互补,此外还从病毒表达载体的基础性研究和商业应用方面进行了详细讨论。     

Survival advantage of sluggish individuals in aggregations of aposematic prey, during encounters with ambush predators

Movement is an important element of prey defense ensembles. The adaptive advantages of either remaining motionless or rapid escape are clear. In contrast, putative benefits are unclear for sluggish movement of aposematic prey that are neither fleeing nor avoiding detection of predators. Nonetheless, sluggish movement is common in aposematic insects. Our central hypothesis is that sluggish movement evolved in part by motion-oriented predators culling the fastest-moving insects from an aggregation. This would be particularly likely in chemically defended prey, which would deter continued predation. We test predictions of our hypothesis with feeding experiments using the sluggish, gregarious Eastern lubber grasshopper and a motion-oriented predator, the Northern leopard frog. Sluggish-moving (i.e., control) grasshoppers were significantly less likely to be eaten than fast-moving (i.e., motion-induced) grasshoppers (p = 0.0098). Next, non-moving grasshoppers were used as extreme sluggish-moving prey. Non-moving prey were significantly less likely to be eaten than sluggish-moving grasshoppers (p = 0.05). In addition, and most importantly, sluggish-moving grasshoppers in an aggregation were significantly less likely to be attacked than fast-moving grasshoppers in the aggregation (p = 0.0156). Finally, the survivorship of sluggish-moving grasshoppers in pairings vs. aggregations was not significantly different (p = 0.33). Our results demonstrate that the fastest-moving individual in an aggregation of aposematic insects is more likely than sluggish cohorts to be attacked by motion-oriented predators. This survival disadvantage for fast-moving, gregarious prey could create a selection pressure for the evolution of sluggish movement as a defense mechanism in aposematic, gregarious prey.