我国水青冈属植物的地理分布格局及其与地形的关系

利用我国水青冈属（ＦａｇｕｓＬ．）植物的地理分布资料和１∶１００万地形图资料,利用Ｋｒｉｇｅ空间统计方法对我国分布较广的４种水青冈,即长柄水青冈（Ｆ．ｌｏｎｇｉｐｅｔｉｏｌａｔａＳｅｅｍ．ｅｔＤｉｅｌｓ）、亮叶水青冈（Ｆ．ｌｕｃｉｄａＲｅｈｄ．ｅｔＷｉｌｓ．）、米心水青冈（Ｆ．ｅｎｇｌｅｒｉａｎａＳｅｅｍ．）和巴山水青冈（Ｆ．ｂａｓｈａｎｉｃａＹａｎｇ）的空间分布格局及其与地形的关系进行了研究。结果表明,我国水青冈属植物显示出南北变化较小、东西变化显著,一些区域出现较周围地区较高或较低分布的“岛屿化”现象的空间分布格局。这与我国的地形特征以及水青冈的生态特性等有关。沿不同经向剖面,分析水青冈的分布高度与地形平均高度之间的关系显示,随地形高度的增加,水青冈分布上限的高度也逐渐增加,其趋势可用对数或直线拟合,但不同种对地形高度变化的反应存在差异。这些结果不仅从较大尺度上定量说明了我国水青冈分布高度的山体效应现象,也揭示了物种间山体效应的差异。这种差异可能与物种的生态适应性和生态幅度有关。     

Landscape-scale regeneration dynamics of disturbed Mediterranean maquis

Abstract. Long-term regeneration dynamics of Mediterranean maquis was investigated by analysing historical aerial photographs of Mt. Carmel, one of the largest protected areas in the Mediterranean region of Israel. Two sets of aerial photographs were processed, one from 1960 (before the area was protected), and the second from 1992 (21 yr after the area was declared a nature reserve). The photographs of each year were classified into three vegetation states based on the percentage cover of trees: open maquis with tree cover < 33.3 %, moderately developed maquis (tree cover 33.3–66.6 %), and closed maquis (tree cover > 66.6 %). Grid maps constructed from the classified images were used to determine probabilities of transition between vegetation states. Closed maquis showed zero probability of transition to either open or moderately developed maquis. Probabilities of ‘forward’ transitions (transitions from low-cover to high-cover classes) were higher on north-facing than on south-facing slopes. On north-facing slopes, the area of open maquis decreased from 87 % to 46 % during the period studied, while that of closed maquis increased from 3 % to 29 %. On south-facing slopes open maquis decreased from 87 % to 69 % while closed maquis increased from 1 % to 8 %. Within a particular aspect, tree cover in 1960 was a reliable predictor of tree cover in 1992. This indicates that micro-scale patterns of tree distribution in 1960 were important in determining the structure of the maquis 32 yr later. Simulations based on the empirically derived transition probabilities suggest that, under current climatic conditions, the process of maquis regeneration on Mt. Carmel may take 500–1000 yr.     

The cardiac nanoenvironment: form and function at the nanoscale

Mechanical forces in the cardiovascular system occur over a wide range of length scales. At the whole organ level, large scale forces drive the beating heart as a synergistic unit. On the microscale, individual cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) exhibit dynamic reciprocity, with mechanical feedback moving bidirectionally. Finally, in the nanometer regime, molecular features of cells and the ECM show remarkable sensitivity to mechanical cues. While small, these nanoscale properties are in many cases directly responsible for the mechanosensitive signaling processes that elicit cellular outcomes. Given the inherent challenges in observing, quantifying, and reconstituting this nanoscale environment, it is not surprising that this landscape has been understudied compared to larger length scales. Here, we aim to shine light upon the cardiac nanoenvironment, which plays a crucial role in maintaining physiological homeostasis while also underlying pathological processes. Thus, we will highlight strategies aimed at (1) elucidating the nanoscale components of the cardiac matrix, and (2) designing new materials and biosystems capable of mimicking these features in vitro.     

Studies on the Topography of the Catalytic Site of Acetylcholinesterase Using Polyclonal and Monoclonal Antibodies

Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were generated against a synthetic peptide (25 amino acid residues) corresponding to the amino acid sequence surrounding the active site serine of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Prior to immunization, the peptide was either coupled to bovine serum albumin or encapsulated into liposomes containing lipid A as an adjuvant. To determine whether this region of AChE is located on the surface of the enzyme and thus accessible for binding to antibodies, or located in a pocket and thus not accessible to antibodies, the immunoreactivity of the antibodies was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoprecipitation, Western blots, and competition ELISA. The polyclonal antibody and several of the monoclonal antibodies failed to react with either Torpedo or fetal bovine serum AChE in their native conformations, but showed significant cross-reactivity with the denatured enzymes. Human serum butyrylcholinesterase, which has a high degree of amino acid sequence homology with these AChEs, failed to react with the same antibodies in either native form or denatured form. Chymotrypsin also failed to react with the monoclonal antibodies in either form. Eighteen octapeptides spanning the entire sequence of this region were synthesized on polyethylene pins, and epitopes of representative monoclonal antibodies were determined by ELISA. The reactivity of peptides suggest that a portion of the 25 mer peptide in AChE containing the active site serine is the primary epitope. It is not exposed on the surface of the enzyme and is most likely sequestered in a pocket-like conformation in the native enzyme.     

The influence of topography and soil phosphorus on the vegetation of Korup Forest Reserve,Cameroun

All living trees (30 cm gbh) were enumerated in 135 80×80 m plots, each subdivided into four 40×40 m subplots, and arranged along four 5 km transect lines in the Korup Forest Reserve, Cameroun. For each plot altitude, slope and the extent of permanent and seasonal swamps were recorded.Four hundred and eleven taxa were recognized of which 66% were identified to species. Mean tree density was 471 ha^–1, basal area 27.6 m² ha^–1 and number of species per plot 75. The subfamily Caesalpinioideae (Leguminosae) was the most abundant family/subfamily in terms of basal area, but the Scytopetalaceae the most frequently represented, mainly on account ofOubanguia alata. Ten plots had at least three quarters of their area permanently swamped, and three, to a similar extent, were seasonally swamped. The ranges in sand, silt and clay content were 60–91, 0–24 and 4–20% respectively. The pH value, organic carbon content and nitrate-nitrogen concentration ranged between 4.0–5.8, 1.3–5.7% and 0–35 ppm respectively. The largest soil variations were in available phosphorus, range 2–29 ppm, and potassium, 38–375 ppm.Correspondence analysis ordination of all plots showed a major indirect floristic gradient correlated with increasing altitude, slope and soil phosphorus and potassium. Removal of the topographic effect by separate re-ordinations of four groups of plots at low, middle (2) and high altitude/slopes highlighted a strong correlation of the main floristic gradients of the middle altitude/slope groups with the concentration of available soil phosphorus.Direct gradient analysis using all plots with respect to available soil phosphorus concentration confirmed the indirect analyses. Individual species response to phosphorus were also shown by direct comparisons in the vegetation on plots of high and low available soil phosphorus concentration. Low available phosphorus soils (5 ppm) are strongly associated with species of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, especially of the tribes Amherstieae and Detarieae. It is suggested that this result is probably due to the ability of these particular legume tribes to form associations with ectotrophic mycorrhizae.The field work was supported by grant numbers RROO167-17, RROO167-18 and RROO167-19 from the National Institutes of Health for the operation of the Wisconsin Regional Primate Center, N.A.T.O. Scientific Affairs Division Grant number 1748 (to PGW and JSG), N.E.R.C. grant number GR3/3455 (to PGW), and was greatly facilitated by the skill and dedication of Ferdinand Namata. Meteorological data were kindly provide by E. P. Cundall (Plantations du Cameroun, Lobé). JSG acknowledges the support and encouragement of Sue Gartlan. In the field phase, JSG was a researcher attached to the National Office of Scientific and Technical Research (ONAREST), Yaoundé. We are grateful to I. Alexander and M. D. Swaine for comments on earlier drafts, R. Letouzey for checking the species nomenclature, the Computer Unit of the University of Stirling for facilities, M. Burnett for the typing at Stirling and the Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, for undertaking the soil analyses.Nomenclature follows Aubréville (1963–1983).Publication No. 23-024 of the Wisconsin Regional Primate Center.Reprint requests to D.McC.N. at Stirling.     

Topographical Distribution of Base Exchange Activities in Rat Brain Subcellular Fractions

Abstract: Enrichment in the base-exchange activities was found in the micro-somal fraction of rat brain, with less activity being associated with nuclei, mitochondria and synaptosomes. The distribution of the choline base exchange in microsomal subfractions differed from that for serine and ethanolamine and these three activities seemed asymmetrically distributed in the microsomes. Choline exchange activity was trypsin-sensitive and presumably was located on the cytoplasmic side of the microsomes, while serine and ethanolamine exchange activities were trypsin-insensitive and were assumed to be located on the luminal side of the microsomes. Treatment of rat brain microsomes with phospholipases A, C and D produced significant losses of membrane-bound base exchange activities. Some activity was restored in phospholipase C-treated microsomes by exogenous phospholipid, but significant restoration was not observed in phospholipase A-treated microsomes by such additions. Exogenous phospholipid stimulated choline and ethanolamine exchange activities, but not serine exchange activity of phospholipase D-treated microsomes. The exchange activities of rat brain microsomes differed in their responses to treatment with phospholipases, choline exchange activity in general being more sensitive than either serine or ethanolamine activities.     

Arrangement of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complex in the thylakoid membrane

The transverse orientation of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complex of Photosystem II (LHC II) in the thylakoid membrane of pea was investigated using surface radioiodination with Iodo-Gen^TM. The labelling effects on LHC II of four different membrane preparations were compared. One preparation was oriented right-side-out (intact thylakoids); two of them had an inside-out orientation exposing the lumenal surface (inside-out vesicles; PS II particles) and one had both sides of the membrane exposed (mechanically damaged thylakoids). It was found that LHC II could be iodinated only in membrane preparations with an exposed lumenal surface. Isolated apoproteins were chemically cleaved. Fragments analysis revealed a tyrosine residue located eight amino acids from the C-terminus as the single iodination site. It is concluded that the C-terminus of LHC II points towards the lumental side of the thylakoid. Differences in the labelling behaviour of the LHC apoproteins could be assigned to a heterogeneity in the C-terminal region in which the tyrosine residue is replaced by phenylalanine.     

Autumn orientation behaviour of paddyfield warblers, Acrocephalus agricola, from a recently expanded breeding range on the western Black Sea coast

The paddyfield warbler, Acrocephalus agricola, has extended its breeding range from Central Asia to the western Black Sea coast. The Balkan population offers a unique chance to test the effect of breeding range expansion on the genetically programmed migratory direction. We studied 21 paddyfield warblers at Durankulak Lake, NE Bulgaria, by recording their autumn migratory orientation in circular orientation cages. Our data show that the preferred migratory orientation is directed along a NE-SW axis. Paddyfield warblers seem to avoid direct crossing of the Black Sea by following the western coast. The mean bearing was parallel to the nearest coastline and corresponds to the direction of the historical breeding range expansion of the species. In our experiment many individuals showed south-western orientation in autumn, a course which would potentially lead the birds to exploratory movements outside the current breeding range. An axial orientation response has been often shown in circular cage tests, and can be due to factors such as coastal orientation or reverse orientation triggered by the physiological condition of some individuals. However, it might also be one of the driving mechanisms for range expansion. Hence, we can expect the future expansion of Balkan paddyfield warblers to continue towards south-west.