The transposable element mariner can excise in non-drosophilid insects

Plasmid-based excision assays performed in embryos of two non-drosophilid species using the mariner transposable element from Drosophila mauritiana resulted in empty excision sites identical to those observed after the excision of mariner from D. mauritiana chromosomes. In the presence of the autonomous mariner element Mos1, excision products were recovered from D. melanogaster, D. mauritiana and the blowfly Lucilia cuprina. When a hsp82 heat shock promoter-Mos1 construct was used to supply mariner transposase, excision products were also recovered from the Queensland fruitfly Bactrocera tryoni. Analysis of DNA sequences at empty excision sites led us to hypothesise that the mariner excision/repair process involves the formation of a heteroduplex at the excision breakpoint. The success of these assays suggests that they will provide a valuable tool for assessing the ability of mariner and mariner-like elements to function in non-drosophilid insects and for investigating the basic mechanisms of mariner excision and repair.     

Emerging mechanisms of the behavioral effects of steroids

Within two models of steroid-modulated behavior, sodium appetite and sexual receptivity, novel mechanisms of steroid action have emerged. These include interactions between different types of steroid receptors, plasticity of synapses, activation of unliganded steroid receptors, and rapid effects of steroids. These mechanisms highlight the diversity of steroid action in the central nervous system.     

橡胶-砂仁复合系统生物产量、营养元素空间格局的研究

通过对橡胶与砂仁间作林和同龄纯胶林各层次各器官生物量及１０种营养元素含量的测定,对比研究了两种分乔木层生物量按径级分配,林分平均净生产量,营养元素的积累分布规律,林龄为３０ａ,间作龄为８ａ的胶砂间作林的总生物量为１３９．８５ｔ／ｈｍ＾２。其中乔木层占７２．７％,间作层占２２．６％,枯落物层占５．２％,与同龄纯胶林相比,乔木层提高了７．６％,枯落物层提高了３８．９％,两种林分乔木层地上部分生物量约占     

Distribution of transposable elements in neotropical species of Drosophila

The phylogenetic distribution of transposable families, P, gypsy, hobo, I, and mariner has been analyzed in 33 species of 11 groups of neotropical Drosophila and a Drosophilidae species Zygotrica vittimaculosa, using squash blot and dot blot. Genomic DNA of almost all neotropical species tested hybridized with gypsy probe and some species showed a particularly strong hybridization signal, as D. gaucha, D. virilis, and species of flavopilosa group. The hobo element was restricted to melanogaster group and some strains of D. willistoni. Only D. simulans DNA showed hybridization to mariner probe in all species tested and D. simulans and D. melanogaster showed hybridization with I element probe. P element homologous sequence was present in D. melanogaster and all species and strains of the willistoni and saltans groups tested. The presence of at least one P-homologous sequence was detected in Drosophila mediopunctata. This one was the only P-bearing species of all six tested from the tripunctata group. Four different pairs of primers homologous to segments of the canonical sequence of D. melanogaster's P were used to amplify specific sequences from D. mediopunctata DNA, showing the occurrence of seemingly well-conserved P-homologous sequences. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Analysis of Orthologous Retrovirus-Like Elements in the White-Footed Mouse,Peromyscus leucopus

Three loci in the genome of the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, were examined for the presence or absence of orthologous copies of the retrovirus-like element mys using polymerase chain reaction. We examined these loci in 28 mice collected throughout the P. leucopus species range. Mys insertions were present in only one of the individuals examined at the mys-1 and mys-7 loci. Conversely, the mys-6 element was found in several individuals, but the presence of this element was limited to northern latitudes. Because the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of a given element are expected to be identical at the time of retrotransposition into the genome, and to accumulate changes over evolutionary time, within-element LTR sequence comparisons can be used to estimate the relative age of insertions. Within-element LTR differences are greater in mys-6 than in mys-1 or mys-7. The LTRs from orthologous mys-6 elements of six mice were sequenced. The alignment revealed 13 of the 22 differences between the right and left LTRs that were shared by all orthologous mys-6 sites, suggesting that relative to its time of insertion into the genome, mys-6 has only recently spread across the northern part of the species range. Received: 23 January 1996 / Accepted: 24 April 1996     

嗜热脂肪芽孢杆菌中转座因子IS5376的转座行为研究

ＩＳ５３７６和ＩＳ５３７７是在嗜热脂肪芽孢杆菌（Ｂａｃｉｌｕｓｓｔｅａｒｏｔｈｅｒｍｏｐｈｉｌｕｓ）中发现的两个转座因子。随机取样分析的结果说明,ＩＳ５３７６由ＣＵ２１染色体向质粒ｐＦＤＣ５和ｐＦＤＣ１２的转座受温度的影响,而ＩＳ５３７７则不。温度影响的原因还不清楚,从现有证据看来,这由ＩＳ５３７６本身的性质所决定。另外,测得ＩＳ５３７６的转座作用有一定程度的专一性,还测得转座后所造成的目标序列的顺向重复为４或５ｂｐ。     

Elemental signatures of human diets from the Georgia Bight

Multielement analysis was performed on bone samples extracted from the femora of 39 adults from three mortuary sites (Johns Mound, Santa Catalina de Guale, and Santa Catalina de Guale de Santa Meria) and time periods (late preagricultural, early contact, and late contact) in the Georgia Bight. This study was used to investigate whether elemental analysis would support or contradict other lines of data regarding diets and dietary change previously generated for the region. The data are in agreement with an earlier interpretation, based on stable isotopes, that dietary maize increases through time but fails to support the idea that marine resources decreased in importance. Rather, it appears that the wild plant food component of the diets decreases as maize increases in importance; throughout the sequence, marine resources comprise a significant portion of the diets. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

毛茛科金莲花亚科植物的地理分布

本文对毛茛科金莲花亚科各属的地理分布作了分析,该亚科植物除了少数属的一些种分布到南半球的温带地区,一些种分布或延伸到亚热带山地、非洲东部和北部的干旱、半干旱的地区外,绝大部分的属、种均分布于泛北极区域。根据其17个属的地理分布式样,把它们划分为8个分布区类型:(1)北温带分布类型4属;(2)北温带和非洲分布类型1属;(3)北半球温带和南半球间断分布类型1属;(4)欧洲和东亚间断分布类型1属;(5)西亚分布类型1属;(6)地中海分布类型3属;(7)欧亚和温带亚洲分布类型1属;(8)东亚分布类型5属。本文以形态特征为主,结合花粉和染色体的性状分析,认为东亚特有的鸡爪草属、Megaleranthis和铁破锣属可能分别是联系驴蹄草属和金莲花属,鸡爪草属和金莲花属以及金莲花族和升麻族的中间类型。另外,文中详细地统计了该亚科的不同等级分类群及特有种在各个植物区的分布,并从系统发育的观点讨论了各个植物区所具有的原始类群和进化类群,提出了如下论点,即东亚植物区(特别是中国西南部)不但是金莲花亚科植物分布的多度和多样性中心以及特有类群的分布中心,而且还是原始类群的保存中心,伊朗-土兰区及地中海周围是第二分布中心。     

中国粗叶本属（茜草科）的植物地理研究

本文研究了中国产粗叶本属植物３０种４亚种和７变种的地理分布,划分出三个分布区类型,十二个变型和四个亚变型。根据种多度和分布特征,中国粗叶本属植物在分布上表现出与中国的热带雨林、季雨林区,南亚热带常绿阔叶林带和中亚热带常绿阔叶林带相匹配的分布规律,并受几条植物地理界线的作用。通过对地理替代类群和一些特殊分布式样的分析,显示了所谓的“田中线”和一条北起四川峨眉向南经贵州西南部至广西西部的界线对粗叶木种的分布,特别是对中国－喜马拉雅和中国－日本替代分布具有明显的作用。这导致笔者认为“田中线”作为中国－日本分布的西界而另一第线作为中国－喜马拉雅分布的东界。进一步的分析还揭示由云南南部沿缅甸、泰国向南延伸的横断山余脉既充做一条植物南－北迁移的通道又是一条中南半岛西部（印－缅）与东部（印度支那－华南）的植物地理界线。