光暗条件下大蒜DNA甲基化差异的初步研究

用甲基敏感扩增多态性(MSAP)技术分析光暗条件下生长的大蒜DNA甲基化水平差异。结果表明,用8对引物组合扩增出343条带,完全一致的带型240条,不一致的103条。在不一致的条带中,光照条件下相同的47条带与黑暗条件下相同的带型有差异,与黑暗相比光照下出现的去甲基化带28条,有56条差异带在2个处理内个体间也有差异。总的趋势是光照引起大蒜DNA去甲基化。     

The composition and function of all‐male herds of Thornicroft's giraffe,Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti,in Zambia

Temporary all‐male social groups are formed in a number of animal species. We examined 34 years of data collected from 36 male Thornicroft's giraffe in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia, to test a set of predictions related to five possible functions of all‐male herds (predator protection, practicing aggressive skills, prolonging life, nutritional demands and resource learning). We found that all‐male herds were significantly smaller than mixed‐sex herds, usually contained a mature bull, and were not dependent upon season or habitat. Dyadic associations between males in single sex herds were quite weak, with <25% of potential male dyads sighted together in an all‐male herd. Our data are best explained as a resource learning strategy adopted by males to obtain more extensive knowledge about the habitat, including both food and female distribution. However, other benefits in the form of predator protection, dietary intake and sharpening competitive skills for future contests over estrous females also seem to mediate formation of giraffe all‐male groups. We conclude that the primary advantage of roaming in all‐male herds changes during the life history of males.     

基于Gash模型的青海云杉林降水截留模拟

选择Gash(1995)改进后的模型对祁连山东部青海云杉林冠层截留进行模拟。首先在2009年的5月底至9月期间对降水事件、降水截留和林冠结构进行观测,其次对林冠附加截留量进行计算,在不同的时间步长上利用Gash模型模拟截留量,最后对模型参数进行敏感性分析。结果表明:Gash模型对整个观测期间林冠截留模拟值比实测林冠总截留量偏低8.70%,15 d尺度和次降雨事件尺度上模拟值比观测值分别偏低18.92%和14.23%;附加截留占总截留的74.94%,吸附截留占总截留的25.06%;饱和林冠的平均蒸发强度和降雨强度的比值是模型的敏感性参数,精确获得平均蒸发强度是保证模型精度的前提条件,并且独立降水事件的界定是提高Gash模型的关键点。     

基于光谱参数对小白菜叶片镉含量的高光谱估算

为实现利用高光谱技术快速、准确、无损地检测叶类蔬菜叶片重金属镉污染情况,通过采用室内盆栽试验,检测了小白菜在6个不同的镉浓度梯度0 mg/kg(CK)、0.5 mg/kg(T1)、1 mg/kg(T2)、5 mg/kg(T3)、10 mg/kg(T4)和20 mg/kg(T5)下的叶片高光谱反射率及其镉含量。利用相关分析和逐步回归的统计方法对叶片原光谱、一阶导数光谱和光谱参数与镉含量进行统计分析,确定了反演叶片镉含量的敏感光谱参数,并建立了估算叶片镉含量的参数模型。结果表明:(1)在540 nm附近和红外区域,叶片光谱反射率随着处理浓度的增加呈下降趋势。T1组叶片光谱与对照组的光谱没有明显的变化差异;(2)原光谱与镉含量的敏感波段主要在690—1300 nm,相关系数最高的波段是782 nm。一阶微分光谱与镉含量的敏感波段在黄边、红外、近红外和远红外范围均有分布;(3)反映植物色素、水含量和细胞结构的参数MCARI(叶绿素吸收反射修正指数Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Reflectance Index),SDy(黄边面积Yellow Edge Area),WI(水质指数Water Index),DCWI(病态水分胁迫指数Disease Water Stress Index),SDr(红边面积Red Edge Area)和Dr(红边幅值The Amplitude of the Red Edge)可分别作为反演镉含量的敏感光谱参数,其倒数回归模型能够较好地反演镉污染下小白菜叶片的镉含量;(4)镉胁迫处理15 d时,建立的SDr的倒数模型估算处理30 d时小白菜叶片镉含量的效果最优。研究表明红边面积参数可以用于估算小白菜叶片的镉含量,可为评价小白菜的食用安全提供科学方法。     

Antimicrobial activities of Saudi honey against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Five types of imported and local honey were screened for both their bacteriocidal/bacteriostatic activities against both Imipenem resistant and sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa in both Brain Heart infusion broth and Mueller–Hinton agar. The results indicated that the effect was concentration and type of honey dependant. All types of honey tested exerted a full inhibition of bacterial growth at the highest concentration tested of 50% at 24 h of contact. The inhibitory effect of honey on bacterial growth was clear with concentrations of 20% and 10% and this effect was most evident in the case of Manuka honey as compared to Nigella sativa honey and Seder honey. Manuka honey UMF +20 showed a bacteriocidal activity on both Imipenem resistant and sensitive P. aeruginosa, while Seder honey and N. sativa honey exerted only a bacteriostatic effect. Manuka honey UMF +10 showed most effect on antimicrobial resistance. Manuka honey UMF +10 had an effect on modulation of Imipenem resistant P. aeruginosa. Conclusion: The results indicated that various types of honey affected the test organisms differently. Modulation of antimicrobial resistance was seen in the case Manuka honey UMF +10.     

Untangling individual variation in natural populations: ecological, genetic and epigenetic correlates of long-term inequality in herbivory

Individual variation in ecologically important features of organisms is a crucial element in ecology and evolution, yet disentangling its underlying causes is difficult in natural populations. We applied a genomic scan approach using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to quantify the genetic basis of long‐term individual differences in herbivory by mammals at a wild population of the violet Viola cazorlensis monitored for two decades. In addition, methylation‐sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) analyses were used to investigate the association between browsing damage and epigenetic characteristics of individuals, an aspect that has been not previously explored for any wild plant. Structural equation modelling was used to identify likely causal structures linking genotypes, epigenotypes and herbivory. Individuals of V. cazorlensis differed widely in the incidence of browsing mammals over the 20‐year study period. Six AFLP markers (1.6% of total) were significantly related to herbivory, accounting altogether for 44% of population‐wide variance in herbivory levels. MSAP analyses revealed considerable epigenetic variation among individuals, and differential browsing damage was significantly related to variation in multilocus epigenotypes. In addition, variation across plants in epigenetic characteristics was related to variation in several herbivory‐related AFLP markers. Statistical comparison of alternative causal models suggested that individual differences in herbivory are the outcome of a complex causal structure where genotypes and epigenotypes are interconnected and have direct and indirect effects on herbivory. Insofar as methylation states of MSAP markers influential on herbivory are transgenerationally heritable, herbivore‐driven evolutionary changes at the study population will involve correlated changes in genotypic and epigenotypic distributions.     

病毒侵染对西伯利亚百合DNA甲基化的影响

采用基于AFLP的甲基化敏感扩增多态性(MSAP)技术,用10对引物对侵染百合花叶病毒和丛簇病毒的西伯利亚百合植株和无毒植株进行DNA甲基化水平和模式分析.结果发现,西伯利亚百合无毒植株和病毒侵染植株的平均甲基化水平分别为40.1%和31.5%;平均全甲基化率分别为13.0%和9.7%;半甲基化率分别为27.1%和21.8%.研究表明,百合DNA甲基化多以半甲基化的形式存在;病毒侵染导致百合植株DNA甲基化水平降低,且对整体甲基化水平、全甲基化水平和半甲基化水平均产生了影响;说明病毒侵染百合后植株出现的症状在一定程度上与DNA甲基化存在关联.     

Signaling pathways implicated in alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Melanocortins, besides their central roles, have also recently been reported to regulate adipocyte metabolism. In this study, we attempted to characterize the mechanism underlying alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)-induced lipolysis, and compared it with that of the adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Similar to ACTH, MSH treatment resulted in the release of glycerol into the cell supernatant. The activity of hormone-sensitive lipase, a rate-limiting enzyme, which is involved in lipolysis, was significantly increased by MSH treatment. In addition, a variety of kinases, including protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were also phosphorylated as the result of MSH treatment, and their specific inhibitors caused a reduction in MSH-induced glycerol release and HSL activity, indicating that MSH-induced lipolysis was mediated by these kinases. These results suggest that PKA and ERK constitute the principal signaling pathways implicated in the MSH-induced lipolytic process via the regulation of HSL in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.