Hemagglutinin of Influenza Virus Partitions into the Nonraft Domain of Model Membranes

The HA of influenza virus is a paradigm for a transmembrane protein thought to be associated with membrane-rafts, liquid-ordered like nanodomains of the plasma membrane enriched in cholesterol, glycosphingolipids, and saturated phospholipids. Due to their submicron size in cells, rafts can not be visualized directly and raft-association of HA was hitherto analyzed by indirect methods. In this study, we have used GUVs and GPMVs, showing liquid disordered and liquid ordered domains, to directly visualize partition of HA by fluorescence microscopy. We show that HA is exclusively (GUVs) or predominantly (GPMVs) present in the liquid disordered domain, regardless of whether authentic HA or domains containing its raft targeting signals were reconstituted into model membranes. The preferential partition of HA into ld domains and the difference between lo partition in GUV and GPMV are discussed with respect to differences in packaging of lipids in membranes of model systems and living cells suggesting that physical properties of lipid domains in biological membranes are tightly regulated by protein-lipid interactions.     

恒频-调频蝙蝠下丘神经元的恢复周期决定声脉冲跟随率

为探究恒频-调频蝙蝠下丘神经元恢复周期特点及其对声脉冲跟随率的影响,实验采用模拟的大蹄蝠(Hipposideros armiger)自然状态下的恒频-调频发声信号为声刺激,在5只听力正常的大蹄蝠上记录了下丘神经元的声反应和恢复周期(n = 93)．结果发现,根据神经元恢复率达50%时的双声刺激间隔(inter pulse interval,IPI),可将其分为长时恢复型(long recovery,LR;47.4%)、中等时间恢复型(moderate recovery,MR;35.1%)和短时恢复型(short recovery,SR;17.5%)．每种类型依据其恢复率随IPI增加而呈现的不同变化又可进一步分为单IPI反应区神经元,多IPI反应区神经元,以及单调IPI反应神经元．LR,MR和SR型神经元恢复率达50%时的平均IPI分别为(64.0 ± 24.8),(19.6 ± 5.8)和(7.1 ± 2.4) ms (P < 0.001),相对应的平均理论每秒声脉冲数分别为(18.2 ± 7.0),(55.4 ± 15.7)和(171.3 ± 102.9) Hz (P < 0.001)．结果提示,单IPI和多IPI反应区神经元具有特殊IPI反应特性,能对蝙蝠捕食和巡航期间所处的时相做出准确判断,而单调IPI反应神经元对IPI变化的敏感性较强,但时相判断性较差．另外LR,MR和SR型神经元恢复周期和理论脉冲跟随率的平均结果均能与这种蝙蝠回声定位期间3个时相的发声行为相匹配,且神经元恢复周期参与决定声脉冲跟随率,满足了蝙蝠巡航、捕食的行为学需要．     

Urban Maternity-Roost Selection by Big Brown Bats in Colorado

Abstract: Despite prevalent use of anthropogenic structures by bats and the associated implications for public health, management, and bat conservation, very little quantitative information exists about urban roost characteristics and their selection by bats. During the summers of 2001 to 2004 we conducted fieldwork in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, situated on the northern end of Colorado's Front Range, to address questions of roost selection by the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). The city has experienced its greatest growth in the past half century, with its population increasing by 30% in the last decade. Similar growth in new buildings has occurred, with the number of new housing permits issued annually doubling in the past decade. We located 142 roosts using radiotelemetry or by citizen calls in response to a newspaper article and flyers. To determine characteristics of roost selectivity by bats, we compared variables for known maternity roosts and randomly selected buildings at microhabitat and landscape scales using logistic regression; we used an information theoretic approach to determine which variables were most important. We considered 44 and 100 buildings in the microhabitat and landscape scale analyses, respectively. At the microhabitat scale maternity roosts had exit points with larger areas that were higher from the ground and had warmer average temperatures than randomly selected buildings. At the landscape scale distances to similarly categorized roosts were smaller, and urbanization variables such as lower building density, higher street density, and lower traffic count density were most important. Results for variables important to urban-roosting big brown bats were often analogous to studies that characterized maternity roosts found in tree snags and rock crevices. In addition, changes in the landscape, not only in the form of anthropogenic structures but also in water availability and vegetation structure such as riparian forests, may have led to population increases and range expansions of the big brown bat. Because big brown bats appear to selectively choose specific combinations of characteristics found at maternity roosts, not all available structures can be considered suitable and exclusion from established maternity roosts may negatively impact bat populations.     

安徽发现腹侧颈部白化的几内亚长翼蝠

2006年10月24日,在安徽省六安市金寨县响洪甸水库附近的矿洞中捕捉到1只腹侧颈部白化的雌性几内亚长翼蝠(Miniopterus magnater:Chiroptera,Vespertilionidae),该只白化个体的体重、头体长、前臂长、胫骨长、后足长、尾长、耳长和耳宽分别为14.4g、50.1mm、48.2mm、20.7mm、9.3mm、51.2mm、10.7mm和8.8mm,均在正常个体数据范围之内。     

Physiological changes of premotor nonspiking interneurons in the central compensation of eyestalk posture following unilateral sensory ablation in crayfish

We investigated how the physiological characteristics and synaptic activities of nonspiking giant interneurons (NGIs), which integrate sensory inputs in the brain and send synaptic outputs to oculomotor neurons innervating eyestalk muscles, changed after unilateral ablation of the statocyst in order to clarify neuronal mechanisms underlying the central compensation process in crayfish. The input resistance and membrane time constant in recovered animals that restored the original symmetrical eyestalk posture 2 weeks after operation were significantly greater than those immediately after operation on the operated side whereas in non-recovered animals only the membrane time constant showed a significant increase. On the intact side, both recovered and non-recovered animals showed no difference. The frequency of synaptic activity showed a complex pattern of change on both sides depending on the polarity of the synaptic potential. The synaptic activity returned to the bilaterally symmetrical level in recovered animals while bilateral asymmetry remained in non-recovered ones. These results suggest that the central compensation of eyestalk posture following unilateral impairment of the statocyst is subserved by not only changes in the physiological characteristics of the NGI membrane but also the activity of neuronal circuits presynaptic to NGIs.     

小相岭山系大熊猫大中型伴生兽类

本文总结了小相岭山系与大熊猫同域分布的大中型兽类的种类、主要遗留痕迹的鉴别特征以及对大熊猫的影响;统计了大熊猫伴生动物的样线遇见率,反映了不同伴生动物的相对数量。本文对进一步研究小相岭山系大熊猫的伴生动物,更好地保护大熊猫具有一定的参考价值。     

Rangewide phylogeography in the greater horseshoe bat inferred from microsatellites: implications for population history, taxonomy and conservation

The distribution of genetic variability across a species' range can provide valuable insights into colonization history. To assess the relative importance of European and Asian refugia in shaping current levels of genetic variation in the greater horseshoe bats, we applied a microsatellite-based approach to data collected from 56 localities ranging from the UK to Japan. A decline in allelic richness from west Asia to the UK and analyses of F(ST) both imply a northwestward colonization across Europe. However, sharp discontinuities in gene frequencies within Europe and between the Balkans and west Asia (Syria/Russia) are consistent with suture zones following expansion from multiple refugia, and a lack of recent gene flow from Asia Minor. Together, these results suggest European populations originated from west Asia in the ancient past, and experienced a more recent range expansion since the Last Glacial Maximum. Current populations in central Europe appear to originate from the Balkans and those from west Europe from either Iberia and/or Italy. Comparisons of R(ST )and F(ST) suggest that stepwise mutation has contributed to differentiation between island and continental populations (France/UK and China/Japan) and also among distant samples. However, pairwise R(ST) values between distant populations appear to be unreliable, probably due to size homoplasy. Our findings also highlight two priorities for conservation. First, stronger genetic subdivision within the UK than across 4000 km of continental Eurasia is most likely the result of population fragmentation and highlights the need to maintain gene flow in this species. Second, deep splits within China and between Europe and China are indicative of cryptic taxonomic divisions which need further investigation.     

两种果蝠对光叶桑(Morus macroura)果实的取食及种子传播

从2005年3月到2006年5月,在中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园沟谷雨林保护区内研究了两种果蝠——棕果蝠(Rousettus leschenaulti)和犬蝠(Cynopterus sphinx)取食光叶桑(Morus macroura) 果实的行为、夜栖息地分布、散布种子方式及范围等。借助月光对果蝠的行为进行直接观察,发现它们的取食活动一般在天黑20~40 min开始,取食高峰发生在22: 00~22: 30 和23:00~23:30之间,这两个取食高峰期平均取食次数(平均值±标准误)为(13.5±2.5)和(15.0±2.3)次,最低的取食频率发生在19: 00~19: 30和20: 30~21: 00之间,分别取食(0.2±0.2)和(0.7±0.5)次。果蝠很少在母树上取食成熟的果实,相反它们用嘴叼下果实并携带到夜栖息地去进食,通常这些夜栖息地是具有密闭树冠、密集枝条的树种。夜栖息地在母树周围的分布根据环境中适合它们栖息的树种和分布而决定,不同母树周围其夜栖息地分布具有非常大的变异与空间异质性。钝叶榕(Ficus curtipes)、铁力木(Mesua ferrea) 和糖胶树(Alstonia scholaris) 是果蝠最喜爱的夜栖息地。在同样的情况下,尽管需要飞行更远的距离,两种果蝠都比较喜欢寻找具有许多枝条和小枝并且有复杂树冠的树木作为夜栖息地。两种果蝠取食光叶桑果实时,一部分种子通过消化道消化后被排泄出来,另外的一部分伴随着咀嚼后的果渣被吐出来,通过这两种方式,散布了大量的种子,再加上在飞行中也有排泄的习性,它们传播的种子在空间上更广泛。