Environmentally induced phenotypic plasticity and DNA methylation changes in a wild potato growing in two contrasting Andean experimental gardens

DNA methylation can be environmentally modulated and plays a role in phenotypic plasticity. To understand the role of environmentally induced epigenetic variation and its dynamics in natural populations and ecosystems, it is relevant to place studies in a real-world context. Our experimental model is the wild potato Solanum kurtzianum, a close relative of the cultivated potato S. tuberosum. It was evaluated in its natural habitat, an arid Andean region in Argentina characterised by spatial and temporal environmental fluctuations. The dynamics of phenotypic and epigenetic variability (with Methyl Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism markers, MSAP) were assayed in three genotypes across three growing seasons. These genotypes were cultivated permanently and also reciprocally transplanted between experimental gardens (EG) differing in ca. 1000 m of altitude. In two seasons, the genotypes presented differential methylation patterns associated to the EG. In the reciprocal transplants, a rapid epigenomic remodelling occurred according to the growing season. Phenotypic plasticity, both spatial (between EGs within season) and temporal (between seasons), was detected. The epigenetic and phenotypic variability was positively correlated. The lack of an evident mitotic epigenetic memory would be a common response to short-term environmental fluctuations. Thus, the environmentally induced phenotypic and epigenetic variation could contribute to populations persistence through time. These results have implications for understanding the great ecological diversity of wild potatoes.     

镉胁迫对吊兰及银边吊兰生长及镉富集特性的影响

选择吊兰和银边吊兰为试验材料,采用水培法研究其在不同Cd²⁺处理浓度(0、20、80、200 μmol·L^-1)下生长及生理特性的变化。结果表明: 20 μmol·L^-1镉对两种吊兰的影响较小,单叶面积、总叶面积、叶绿素(Chl)a含量、总叶绿素[Chl (a+b)]含量、类胡萝卜素含量、Chl a/Chl b值、胞间二氧化碳浓度(C_i)和蒸腾速率(T_r)与对照(CK)基本无显著差异;80 μmol·L^-1镉胁迫下两种吊兰叶片初始荧光(F_o)和非光化学淬灭系数(NPQ)升至最高水平;200 μmol·L^-1镉胁迫下,两种吊兰生物量、叶绿素含量、最大净光合速率(P_n)、气孔导度(g_s)、最大光化学量子产量(F_v/F_m)、实际光化学量子产量Y_(II)、转移系数(TF)以及各部分生物量均降至最低水平,而两种吊兰的过氧化物酶(POD)、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)及过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性和银边吊兰的丙二醛(MDA)含量均有不同程度的增加。随着镉处理浓度的增加,两种吊兰各器官Cd含量持续升高,且主要富集在根部;吊兰各器官Cd含量及富集系数(BCF)在胁迫处理下均高于银边吊兰。研究表明,两种吊兰对镉具有一定的耐性,其中吊兰对Cd的耐受能力强于银边吊兰,可考虑作为绿化植物用于修复镉污染水体或土壤。     

鸡腿蘑胞外多糖的形貌结构及分子量动态变化与抗氧化的相关性研究

对鸡腿蘑多糖的结构进行检测,并在此基础上探讨结构与活性的关系,对深度发掘鸡腿蘑多糖的功效具有重要意义。制备发酵时间为72 h、96 h和120 h的鸡腿蘑胞外粗多糖,采用PMP柱前衍生化-HPLC法分析其单糖组成,结果表明发酵72 h、96 h和120 h胞外多糖均由D-甘露糖、L-鼠李糖、D-葡萄糖、D-半乳糖、D-阿拉伯糖组成,但各单糖的相对摩尔比不同。采用扫描电子显微镜和原子力显微镜对不同发酵时间的多糖形貌结构进行分析,结果显示发酵120 h多糖的板状结构更加规则,多糖分子的聚集作用更强。采用高效凝胶过滤色谱法对不同发酵时间的鸡腿蘑胞外多糖的分子量分布情况进行分析,结果显示发酵120 h的多糖分子量更大,分布范围更广。体外抗氧化试验结果显示,在相同浓度下,发酵120 h多糖的抗氧化活性较发酵72 h和96 h的多糖强。研究结果表明鸡腿蘑胞外多糖的抗氧化活性可能与其形貌结构和分子量分布有关。     

Macroevolutionary insights into sedges (Carex: Cyperaceae): The effects of rapid chromosome number evolution on lineage diversification

Changes in holocentric chromosome number due to fission and fusion have direct and immediate effects on genome structure and recombination rates. These, in turn, may influence ecology and evolutionary trajectories profoundly. Sedges of the genus Carex (Cyperaceae) comprise ca. 2000 species with holocentric chromosomes. The genus exhibits a phenomenal range in the chromosome number (2n = 10 − 132) with almost not polyploidy. In this study, we integrated the most comprehensive cytogenetic and phylogenetic data for sedges with associated climatic and morphological data to investigate the hypothesis that high recombination rates are selected when evolutionary innovation is required, using chromosome number evolution as a proxy for recombination rate. We evaluated Ornstein–Uhlenbeck models to infer shifts in chromosome number equilibrium and selective regime. We also tested the relationship between chromosome number and diversification rates. Our analyses demonstrate significant correlations between morphology and climatic niche and chromosome number in Carex. Nevertheless, the amount of chromosomal variation that we are able to explain is very small. We recognized a large number of shifts in mean chromosome number, but a significantly lower number in climatic niche and morphology. We also detected a peak in diversification rates near intermediate recombination rates. In combination, these analyses point toward the importance of chromosome evolution to the evolutionary history of Carex. Our work suggests that the effect of chromosome evolution on recombination rates, not just on reproductive isolation, may be central to the evolutionary history of sedges.     

氨基酸影响尖孢镰孢菌古巴专化型厚垣孢子的形成

香蕉枯萎病是由尖孢镰孢菌古巴专化型Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense（Foc）侵染引起的一种土传真菌病害,已严重威胁香蕉产业的健康发展。该病菌产生的厚垣孢子可在土壤中存活多年,是香蕉枯萎病的初侵染源。本研究通过氨基酸添加试验,证明添加甘氨酸可抑制厚垣孢子的形成;通过对该病菌厚垣孢子形成前期、初期、中期和后期的转录组分析,发现氨基酸合成通路中有93个基因的表达水平在厚垣孢子形成过程中发生了显著变化;In silico 分析表明其中10个基因参与调控真菌的氨基酸合成,11个基因参与调控真菌种的生长发育和产孢,19个基因参与调控真菌种的致病性和毒素产生。由此推测,氨基酸合成通路不仅与尖孢镰孢菌古巴专化型厚垣孢子的形成相关,其有可能参与调控该病菌的致病性。     

沙生植物沙鞭不同居群形态变异研究

以沙鞭(Psammochloa villosa Bor.)20个自然居群为研究对象,对其株高、花序长度、旗叶长度、旗叶宽度和小穗长度等12个表型性状进行形态变异研究。结果显示,12个性状群体间F值为1.832~8.958,达到显著或极显著水平,表明沙鞭不同居群表型性状存在广泛变异,且变异程度各不相同;主成分分析结果显示,前4个主成分代表了沙鞭形态多样性的82.277%,其中旗叶长度、旗叶宽度、颖片长度、小穗长度等是造成不同居群表型性状差异的主要因素;依据欧式距离对参试居群进行的UPGMA聚类分析结果表明,当遗传距离为20.5时,可以将20个沙鞭野生居群划分为两类,且各表型性状并没有依居群地理分布而聚类。     

春尺蠖蛹雌雄外部形态特征快速鉴别分析

为依据春尺蠖Apocheima cinerarius Erschoff蛹的形态特征快速、无损、准确鉴别雌雄个体,对其头部、胸部、腹部和体色外部鉴别特征进行了分析,并通过解剖生殖系统验证准确性.结果表明:以春尺蠖蛹的胸部和腹部特征识别雌雄准确率明显高于头部和体色特征,识别率可达100％.首先,雌蛹第8腹节腹板前缘中部具有"Y"型沟,与第7腹节腹板后缘形成倒三角状,而雄蛹无此特征.其次,雌蛹生殖孔与产卵孔连接形成裂缝,两侧平坦无突起,而雄蛹第9腹节腹板中央有一纵裂缝的生殖孔,两侧各有半圆状瘤状突起.最后,雌蛹的胸部背板各节间相对长度均小于雄蛹,而雄蛹中胸背板最宽,其后缘明显向外凸起.因此,春尺蠖蛹胸部或腹部特征可用于快速、准确地鉴别雌雄性别.     

喜旱莲子草对模拟全天增温的可塑性: 引入地和原产地种群的比较

植物可以通过关键功能性状的表型可塑性来适应气候变暖背景下环境温度的增加。表型可塑性增强进化假说(evolution of increased phenotypic plasticity hypothesis)认为外来植物在引入地进化出了更强的表型可塑性。以往对该假说的验证多集中于外来植物对光照、水分、养分、邻体以及天敌等的可塑性进化, 而对增温条件下植物生长和功能性状可塑性进化的研究相对较少。仅有的几项研究多集中在温带地区, 且多集中于研究植物生长相关的性状, 而对植物的抗性和草食作用对增温的响应的关注相对较少。本研究采用同质园实验比较了喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)引入地(中国)和原产地(阿根廷)各8个种群的生物量、功能性状和草食作用在热带地区(广州市增城区)对模拟全天增温2℃的响应差异。结果表明: (1)模拟全天增温显著降低了喜旱莲子草总生物量(-7.8%)、贮藏根生物量(-12.8%)、分枝强度(-11.6%)和茎端取食率(-34.4%)。(2)模拟全天增温造成的引入地种群总生物量降低幅度大于原产地种群; 模拟全天增温使引入地种群的比茎长和茎端取食率降低, 而原产地种群则相反。(3)无论是否模拟全天增温, 引入地种群的贮藏根生物量(+31.5%)、分枝强度(+38.5%)、比茎长(+30.2%)、根冠比(+24.5%)和比叶面积(+20.0%)均高于原产地种群, 茎端取食率则低于原产地种群(-35.8%)。这些结果表明, 热带地区全天增温2℃对喜旱莲子草是一种胁迫; 引入地种群的生物量对模拟全天增温2℃的响应更强, 而其株形相关性状(比茎长)和草食作用(茎端取食率)对模拟全天增温的可塑性方向与原产地种群相反。由于引入地种群在热带地区模拟全天增温条件下生物量的下降和草食作用的增加明显高于原产地种群, 因此在未来全球气候变暖的背景下, 热带地区温度升高可能不利于喜旱莲子草种群多度的增加。