Generation model of positional values as cell operation during the development of multicellular organisms

Many conventional models have used the positional information hypothesis to explain each elementary process of morphogenesis during the development of multicellular organisms. Their models assume that the steady concentration patterns of morphogens formed in an extracellular environment have an important property of positional information, so-called “robustness”. However, recent experiments reported that a steady morphogen pattern, the concentration gradient of the Bicoid protein, during early Drosophila embryonic development is not robust for embryo-to-embryo variability. These reports encourage a reconsideration of a long-standing problem in systematic cell differentiation: what is the entity of positional information for cells? And, what is the origin of the robust boundary of gene expression? To address these problems at a cellular level, in this article we pay attention to the re-generative phenomena that show another important property of positional information, “size invariance”. In view of regenerative phenomena, we propose a new mathematical model to describe the generation mechanism of a spatial pattern of positional values. In this model, the positional values are defined as the values into which differentiable cells transform a spatial pattern providing positional information. The model is mathematically described as an associative algebra composed of various terms, each of which is the multiplication of some fundamental operators under the assumption that the operators are derived from the remarkable properties of cell differentiation on an amputation surface in regenerative phenomena. We apply this model to the concentration pattern of the Bicoid protein during the anterior-posterior axis formation in Drosophila, and consider the conditions needed to establish the robust boundary of the expression of the hunchback gene.     

Photochemical processes, carbon assimilation and RNA accumulation of sucrose transporter genes in tomato arbuscular mycorrhiza

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance CO₂ assimilation of their hosts which ensure the demand for carbohydrates of these obligate biotrophic microorganisms. Photosynthetic parameters were measured in tomato colonised or not by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae. In addition, carbohydrate contents and mRNA accumulation of three sucrose transporter genes were analysed. Mycorrhizal plants showed increased opening of stomata and assimilated significant more CO₂. A higher proportion of the absorbed light was used for photochemical processes, while non-photochemical quenching and the content of photoprotective pigments were lower. Analysis of sugar contents showed no significant differences in leaves but enhanced levels of sucrose and fructose in roots, while glucose amounts stayed constant. The three sucrose transporter encoding genes of tomato SlSUT1, SlSUT2 and SlSUT4 were up-regulated providing transport capacities to transfer sucrose into the roots. It is proposed that a significant proportion of sugars is used by the mycorrhizal fungus, because only amounts of fructose were increased, while levels of glucose, which is mainly transferred towards the fungus, were nearly constant.     

Exaggerated root respiration accounts for growth retardation in a starchless mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana

The knock‐out mutation of plastidial phosphoglucomutase (pgm) causes a starchless phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana, and results in a severe growth reduction of plants cultivated under diurnal conditions. It has been speculated that high soluble sugar levels accumulating during the light phase in leaf mesophyll might cause a reduction of photosynthetic activity or that shortage of reduced carbon during the night is the reason for the slow biomass gain of pgm. Separate simultaneous measurements of leaf net photosynthesis and root respiration demonstrate that photosynthetic activity per unit fresh weight is not reduced in pgm, whereas root respiration is strongly elevated. Comparison with a mutant defective in the dominating vacuolar invertase (AtβFruct4) revealed that high sucrose concentration in the cytosol, but not in the vacuole, of leaf cells is responsible for elevated assimilate transport to the root. Increased sugar supply to the root, as observed in pgm mutants, forces substantial respiratory losses. Because root respiration accounts for 80% of total plant respiration under long‐day conditions, this gives rise to retarded biomass formation. In contrast, reduced vacuolar invertase activity leads to reduced net photosynthesis in the shoot and lowered root respiration, and affords an increased root/shoot ratio. The results demonstrate that roots have very limited capacity for carbon storage but exert rigid control of supply for their maintenance metabolism.     

Hill-type muscle model with serial damping and eccentric force–velocity relation

Hill-type muscle models are commonly used in biomechanical simulations to predict passive and active muscle forces. Here, a model is presented which consists of four elements: a contractile element with force–length and force–velocity relations for concentric and eccentric contractions, a parallel elastic element, a series elastic element, and a serial damping element. With this, it combines previously published effects relevant for muscular contraction, i.e. serial damping and eccentric force–velocity relation. The model is exemplarily applied to arm movements. The more realistic representation of the eccentric force–velocity relation results in human-like elbow-joint flexion. The model is provided as ready to use Matlab ®$\circledR$ and Simulink ®$\circledR$ code.     

两种五倍子蚜虫冬寄主藓类植物的光合特性及其与光照、温度和植物体水分含量变化的关系

使用CI-301PS(CID Inc.USA)对生长于冬季和春季的大羽藓(Thuidium cymbifolium)与垂藓(Chrysocladium retrorsum)的净光合速率(Pn)及其与光照、温度和植物体水分含量的关系进行了研究.结果表明,大羽藓和垂藓的光合能力分别达到141和117μmolCO₂kg^-1·dw·s^-1,光合能力从冬季到春季呈上升趋势.这两种藓类植物的光响应曲线比较相似,光饱和点高达800～900μmol·m^-2s^-1,光补偿点为40～50μmol·m^-2s^-1,光合作用最适温度在春季为25～36℃,而冬季为20～30℃.同时对于低温又具有很强的抗性,在冰点以下的温度条件下(-15～0℃)能够保持一定的净光合.净光合速率的水分响应曲线表明,这两种藓类的最适水分含量为200～300(400)%dw,水分含量降低到150%dw时光合作用开始受到抑制,在40%～50%dw时净光合降低到零或略变为负数.结果表明,大羽藓和垂藓都属于耐干旱、强阳性的藓类,但垂藓在这几个方面略逊于大羽藓.     

曼地亚红豆杉蒸腾速率日变化及因子分析

应用LI-1600 稳态气孔计对曼地亚红豆杉(Taxus media cv.Hicksii)叶片的蒸腾速率、气孔阻力和几个生态因子的日变化同步进行了测定。并采用多元回归分析和灰色关联度分析的方法探讨了曼地亚红豆杉叶片蒸腾速率与影响因子的关系, 结果表明:影响曼地亚红豆杉蒸腾速率的主要因子是叶温、气温;其次是光量子通量密度、空气相对湿度、气孔阻力。灰色关联度分析与多元回归分析结论基本一致。对曼地亚红豆杉叶片蒸腾速率与气孔阻力的相关关系分析表明:蒸腾速率和气孔阻力间属非线性关系, 其方程为:Tr=12.789-13.419 lg Rs(R²=0.971 7)     

禺毛茛及其复合体种间亲缘关系形成研究

在Tamura M.,Okada及廖亮研究的基础上,通过禺毛茛复合体(禺毛茛R.cantoniensis 4x,卷喙毛茛R.sileri folius var.silerifolius 2x,长花毛茛R.sileri folius var.dolicathus 2x,茴茴蒜R.chinensis 2x,扬子毛茛R.sieboldii 6x及8x)的核型分析,结合地球环境的演变历史,进一步研究了禺毛茛的形成方式和时间,并对禺毛茛复合体种间亲缘关系的形成进行了探讨,为毛茛属系统进化研究提供资料。     

Effects of salinity on the establishment and early growth of Prosopis argentina and Prosopis alpataco seedlings in two contrasting soils: Implications for their ecological success

Abstract In arid zones, water availability is the most important factor limiting seedling establishment and plant distribution. However, within a region with a defined water regime, the physical and chemical properties of the soil could be the cause of the spatial pattern of plant communities. Prosopis argentina Burk. and Prosopis alpataco Phil. are sympatric at a regional scale but at the local scale they occupy clearly differentiated edaphic niches. Prosopis argentina reaches its ecological optimum in the sandy soils of active dunes, whereas P. alpataco achieves it in heavy, clayish, saline and periodically flooded soils. We studied the effect of salinity, and its interaction with soil type, on the establishment and early growth of these species in order to evaluate their adaptive mechanisms, and to analyse how this was related to the ecological success of these species. Salinity affected emergence and early growth of P. argentina and P. alpataco seedlings differently. Higher salinity led to decreased height, total biomass and shoot and root biomass of plants in both species but the effect was stronger in P. argentina than in P. alpataco, and greater in clayish than in sandy soils. These results would indicate that exclusion of P. argentina from clayish and saline soils would occur during emergence and the first stages of seedling establishment as a consequence of salinity. In P. alpataco other edaphic limitations, like texture or fertility in sandy soils, appear to be always more important. The osmotic effect evidenced by decreasing water and osmotic potentials of plants under saline conditions may be associated with growth reduction in both P. argentina and P. alpataco. However, this factor cannot explain differences in growth between species under salinity. The higher contents of Ca⁺⁺ and K⁺, and the lower contents of Na⁺ in P. alpataco suggest that the greater tolerance of this species depends on its ability to regulate and control absorption and transport of ions.     

Evidence of sibling species between two host-associated populations of brown planthopper, N. lugens (stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidea) complex based on morphology and host–plant relationship studies

Morphological and host–plant relationship studies were conducted to differentiate two sympatric populations of brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, one from rice (Oryza sativa) and the other from Leersia hexandra, a weed grass. In morphometric studies based on esterase activities, an UPGMA dendrogram using 17 quantitative morphological characters, including stridulatory organs (courtship signal-producing organs) between two sympatric populations of N. lugens, one from rice and the other from L. hexandra, a weed grass revealed that both populations were separated from each other. An out-group, N. bakeri, was found to be completely different from the two sympatric populations of N. lugens. Rice plants were best suited for the establishment of the rice-infesting population, and L. hexandra was a favourable host for the Leersia-infesting population. The individuals derived from one host did not thrive on the other host, as shown by a significant reduction in survival and nymphal development, ovipositional preferences, ovipositional response, and egg hatchability. Therefore, morphological and host–plant relationship studies indicate that rice-associated population with high esterase activities and L. heaxandra-associated population with low esterase activities are two closely related sibling species.     

京津冀城市群人-地、人-水与人-碳交互胁迫关系及其叠加效应

随着社会、经济效益的不断增加及国际影响力的不断增大，京津冀正在向世界级城市群迈进。而快速的城市增长与资源环境的交互胁迫效应严重制约了京津冀地区的可持续发展，因此，明确城市增长与不同资源环境要素的相互作用机制并采用有效的措施，是实现京津冀地区发展和保护共生的关键。目前针对城镇化与单一种资源环境要素交互作用的研究较多，但对城镇化与不同资源环境要素相互作用的叠加效应的关注很少。针对土地、水资源与能源这三种明显限制京津冀地区发展的资源要素，综合考虑了供给侧与需求侧特征，分析了人-地、人-水与人-碳的相互作用关系，解析了京津冀地区城镇发展与不同资源环境要素交互胁迫作用及其叠加效应。结果表明：2002-2017年，1、城市群整体水平上，人-地、人-水和人-碳关系总体上均呈"强协调"或"弱协调"交替变化的状态；2、城市尺度上，不同城市的人-地、人-水和人-碳交互关系存在明显时空分异。多数城市都曾面临土地、水资源或能源的胁迫影响，尤其是河北的一些城市（石家庄、邯郸、承德、衡水、邢台、唐山及保定等）在有些年份面临土地、水资源或能源的"强胁迫"影响；3、从京津冀地区整体水平上看，不存在多种资源要素的叠加胁迫影响，但是，城市群内部多数城市在有的年份同时面临土地、水资源或能源两种以上资源要素的叠加胁迫影响。因此，要协同改善京津冀地区资源环境的胁迫，需要全面考虑不同空间尺度之间，不同城市之间，以及不同资源要素之间的叠加影响机制，有针对性的提出政策与措施。