Genetic differentiation and inferred dynamics of a hybrid zone between Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) and California Spotted Owls (S. o. occidentalis) in northern California

Genetic differentiation among Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) subspecies has been established in prior studies. These investigations also provided evidence for introgression and hybridization among taxa but were limited by a lack of samples from geographic regions where subspecies came into close contact. We analyzed new sets of samples from Northern Spotted Owls (NSO: S. o. caurina) and California Spotted Owls (CSO: S. o. occidentalis) in northern California using mitochondrial DNA sequences (mtDNA) and 10 nuclear microsatellite loci to obtain a clearer depiction of genetic differentiation and hybridization in the region. Our analyses revealed that a NSO population close to the northern edge of the CSO range in northern California (the NSO Contact Zone population) is highly differentiated relative to other NSO populations throughout the remainder of their range. Phylogenetic analyses identified a unique lineage of mtDNA in the NSO Contact Zone, and Bayesian clustering analyses of the microsatellite data identified the Contact Zone as a third distinct population that is differentiated from CSO and NSO found in the remainder of the subspecies' range. Hybridization between NSO and CSO was readily detected in the NSO Contact Zone, with over 50% of individuals showing evidence of hybrid ancestry. Hybridization was also identified among 14% of CSO samples, which were dispersed across the subspecies' range in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The asymmetry of hybridization suggested that the hybrid zone may be dynamic and moving. Although evidence of hybridization existed, we identified no F1 generation hybrid individuals. We instead found evidence for F2 or backcrossed individuals among our samples. The absence of F1 hybrids may indicate that (1) our 10 microsatellites were unable to distinguish hybrid types, (2) primary interactions between subspecies are occurring elsewhere on the landscape, or (3) dispersal between the subspecies' ranges is reduced relative to historical levels, potentially as a consequence of recent regional fires.     

成纤维细胞生长因子17研究进展

成纤维细胞生长因子17(FGF17)是成纤维细胞生长因子(FGF)家族的成员之一,并与FGF8、FGF18组成FGF8亚家族。在胚胎时期FGF17扮演重要角色,对多种组织器官起着重要作用。研究发现,FGF17不仅参与了脑部发育和神经形成,而且参与骨骼、动脉的发育和肿瘤等生物过程。现针对FGF17的特点,及其在胚胎发育、神经系统、癌症等方面的作用进行综述。     

R环的形成及对基因组稳定性的影响

R-环是由一个RNA:DNA杂交体和一条单链状态的DNA分子共同组成的三链核酸结构。其中, RNA:DNA杂交体的形成起因于基因转录所合成的RNA分子不能与模板分开, 或RNA分子重新与一段双链DNA分子中的一条链杂交。在基因转录过程中, 当转录泡遇到富含G碱基的非模板链区或位于某些与人类疾病有关的三核苷酸卫星DNA时, 转录泡后方累积的负超螺旋可促进R环形成。同时, 新生RNA分子未被及时加工、成熟或未被快速转运到细胞质等因素也会催生R环。研究表明, 细胞拥有多种管理R环的方法, 可以有效地管理R环的形成和处理已经形成的R环, 以尽量避免R环对DNA复制、基因突变和同源重组产生不利影响。文章重点分析了R-环的形成机制及R环对DNA复制、基因突变和同源重组的影响, 并针对R-环诱导的DNA复制在某些三核苷酸重复扩增有关的神经肌肉退行性疾病发生过程中的作用进行了分析和讨论。     

Microsatellites for eastern Australian Banksia species

We developed eight primer pairs for Banksia microsatellite markers (five using DNA from Banksia oblongifolia and three from Banksia robur) in order to study the processes of speciation within hybridizing B. oblongifolia, B. robur and Banksia paludosa complex. We genotyped four populations of B. oblongifolia and B. robur, and three of B. paludosa. Numbers of alleles ranged from 1 to 13 across the three species and observed average heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 0.833. At least four loci completely discriminated B. robur from B. oblongifolia and three discriminated B. paludosa from B. oblongifolia. Seven of these primers amplified DNA from at least two of three other local species.     

四个栽培棉种间的杂种F1细胞遗传学与亲缘关系研究

以棉属四个栽培棉种进行种间杂交,产生(亚洲棉×草棉)和(陆地棉×海岛棉)2个二元杂种F1及其[(亚洲棉×草棉)×(陆地棉×海岛棉)]四元杂种F1,观察和测定4个栽培棉种及其2个二元杂种F1和四元杂种F1的花粉母细胞(PMC)减数分裂的染色体行为及其花粉生活力,以研究4个栽培棉种间的亲缘关系和进化关系。结果表明,二元杂种(亚洲棉×草棉)F1的PMC减数分裂中期Ⅰ出现一个四体环,其余为二价体,染色体构型为2n=26=11Ⅱ 1Ⅳ;花粉生活力的测定表明,(亚洲棉×草棉)F1可育型花粉为50.71%,表现为典型的配子半不育特性,说明两个二倍体棉种间发生一次染色体易位。(陆地棉×海岛棉)F1以26个二价体细胞为主,但有少量的单价体、三价体以及四价体,染色体构型为2n=52=0.78Ⅰ 22.24Ⅱ 0.94Ⅲ 0.98Ⅳ。花粉生活力的测定表明,(陆地棉×海岛棉)F1可育型花粉为54.84%,可见2个四倍体棉种间亲缘关系较近,二者之间仅发生了染色体的易位或倒位。而由4个栽培种合成的四元杂种F1,其减数分裂异常,染色体丢失现象普遍,部分染色体不能联会配对,以单价体的形式存在,并出现三价体、四价体、五价体等多价体,染色体构型为2n=52=5.45Ⅰ 14.41Ⅱ 2.44Ⅲ 1.59Ⅳ 0.63Ⅴ 0.15Ⅵ,其可育花粉为6.87%。研究结果表明了4种栽培棉种之间的亲缘关系相对较近,可以通过遗传重组产生综合有4个栽培棉种性状的新种质。     

水稻籼粳亚种间杂种低温花粉不育的QTL分析

为探明籼粳杂种低温花粉不育的遗传基础,以籼稻品种3037和粳型广亲和品种02428的F2分离群体进行了低温花粉不育的遗传分析。推迟播种后,F2群体各单株孕穗期的日平均温度为21～23℃,调查了F2群体各单株的花粉育性。利用108对SSR引物构建了包含157个F2单株,覆盖12条染色体的分子标记连锁图谱。该连锁图的总长度为1857．8cM,标记间平均距离为16．26cM,标记较均匀地分布在12条染色体上。采用区间作图法对F2群体花粉不育进行QTL分析,共检测到2个低温花粉不育QTLS,即qLTSPS2和qLTSPS5,分别位于第2、5染色体,其加性效应分别为0．021、0．045,显性效应分别为-0．246、-0．251,显性度分别为11．7和4．8,具有超显性效应．超显性是QTL作用的主要方式,这2个位点杂合基因型在低温环境下具有降低花粉育性的作用,分别解释表型变异的15．6％、11．9％。另外,两因素的方差分析表明这两个QTL之间不存在互作。     

中华绒螯蟹正常附着胚胎与流产胚胎的结构特点

用扫描电镜技术观察了中华绒螯蟹正常附着胚胎及流产胚胎的结构特点。结果表明,受精卵从生殖孔排出15min后,孵化室中的孵化液体积增大,使胚胎浸没在孵化液中,胚胎表面具有粘性;产卵后30min．卵柄初步形成;80～140min后卵柄完全形成,胚胎牢固地粘附在携卵绒毛上。正常胚胎的卵柄高度扭曲,上有很多毛状物,同时携卵刚毛上有很多粘液;流产胚胎的卵柄上无毛状物,但卵柄及胚胎表面有许多寄生物附着。携卵刚毛上的粘液及卵柄上的毛状物可能和胚胎附着有关;而胚胎表面寄生物的活动,可能使胚胎外被、卵柄以及卵索的结构发生变化,增加了胚胎之间的摩擦,进而胚胎呼吸困难,以致死亡和流产。     

氮肥对杂交小麦组织氮转运及其杂种优势的影响

研究了施氮和不施氮条件下6个杂交小麦及其7个亲本不同器官的氮转运,结果表明:施氮时叶中的氮转运受到极显著的促进,其氮转运量为不施氮的4倍,总麦草90%以上的氮转运来自叶片;无论施氮与否,叶中氮的转运率和贡献率最大,穗壳次之,施氮与否的同一器官并无显著差异;不施氮的各器官氮的转运量、转运率和贡献率多表现正的杂种优势,施氮的多呈负向优势.     

Rare recent natural hybridization in Hieracium s. str. – evidence from morphology, allozymes and chloroplast DNA

The first proven data on natural hybridization in the genus Hieracium s. str. are presented. Plants with intermediate morphological characters between the diploids H. alpinum and H. transsilvanicum were found in the Muntii Rodnei (Romanian Eastern Carpathians) in 2001 and in the Chornohora Mts (Ukrainian Eastern Carpathians) in 2003. While plants of intermediate morphology between usually so called basic species are usually tri- or tetraploid in Hieracium s. str., these plants were diploid (2n=18) like both parental species in this region. The Romanian plant did not produce fertile achenes in free pollination and in control backcrosses with H. transsilvanicum, two hybrids from Ukraine were completly seed sterile in free pollination and reciprocal crosses. Pollen stainability as an indirect measure of male fertility was quite high in the studied Ukrainian hybrid plants and similar to the parental taxa. Evidence from allozyme analysis also confirmed the hybrid origin of the studied plants. Sequencing and PCR-RFLP analyses of the trnT-trnL intergenic spacer revealed that all hybrid plants had the H. transsilvanicum chloroplast DNA haplotype. Maternal inheritance of chloroplast DNA in this particular cross was proved with artificial hybrids from reciprocal experimental crosses between H. alpinum and H. transsilvanicum. In both localities, the natural hybrid plants were found in disturbed habitats, exceptionally allowing contact of the otherwise ecologically vicariate parental species. Morphologically, the hybrid plants belong to H. × krasani Woł.