Molecular taxonomic identification in the absence of a ‘barcoding gap’: a test with the endemic flora of the Canarian oceanic hotspot

We use a comprehensive subset of Canarian angiosperms corresponding to 23 families, 35 genera and 60 Canarian endemic taxa to test whether this flora is suitable to taxonomic identification with the two proposed plant DNA barcode sequences and whether these sequences may reveal the existence of cryptic species overlooked by morphology. The rate of discrimination success between the insular congeneric samples using the rbcL+matK combination and a ‘character‐based’ approach (where we use only the combination of nucleotide positions in an alignment that allows unambiguous species identification) is higher (82.29%) than that obtained with the ‘distance‐based’ approach (80.20%) used by the CBOL Plant Working Group in 2009 and also when compared with tests conducted in other floras. This suggests that the molecular identification of the Canarian endemic flora can be achieved as successfully as in other floras where the incidence of radiation is not as relevant. The facts that (i) a distance‐based criterion was unable to discriminate between congeneric and conspecific comparisons and (ii) only the character‐based discrimination criterion resolved cases that the distance‐based criterion did not, further support the use of a character discrimination approach for a more efficient DNA barcoding of floras from oceanic islands like the Canaries. Thus, a barcoding gap seems not to be necessary for the correct molecular characterization of the Canarian flora. DNA barcodes also suggest the possible existence of cryptic taxa to be further investigated by morphology and that the current taxonomic status of some of the taxa analysed may need revision.     

黄粉虫抗菌肽的提取及其生化特性的研究

【目的】测定黄粉虫Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus幼虫抗菌肽提取液的浓度、抑菌活性及其部分生化特性和凝血效应。【方法】本实验用浓度为1×108 CFU/m L大肠杆菌Escherichia coli诱导5龄黄粉虫幼虫,分别在诱导12、24、36、48、60和72 h后提取其中的抗菌肽,并用考马斯亮兰法测定抗菌肽粗提液蛋白的浓度,并用滤纸片法测定其抑菌活性,同时对其热稳定性、反复冻融稳定性、蛋白酶稳定性及不同p H对其活性的影响等生化特性及凝血效应进行了探究。【结果】经大肠杆菌诱导的黄粉虫抗菌肽粗提液的蛋白浓度均显著高于未诱导的黄粉虫组(P<0.01),且在诱导48 h时产生的抗菌肽提取液蛋白的浓度最高,产生的抑菌圈直径也显著高于未诱导的黄粉虫组(P<0.05),生化特性的测定结果显示,黄粉虫抗菌肽有较好的热稳定性、酶稳定性及酸碱稳定性,反复冻溶后对其抑菌活性影响不大,并且无凝血效应。【结论】大肠杆菌可以刺激黄粉虫的免疫系统,增加抗菌肽的表达量,使其产生浓度高、活性强的抗菌肽,且生化特性较稳定。本研究对黄粉虫抗菌肽作为绿色抗生素用于畜牧养殖业的进一步开发与利用提供了科学的理论依据。     

Problematic character coding methods in morphology and their effects

The effects of different coding practices in morphological phylogenetic analysis are well documented. In many cases, we can determine that certain practices can be regarded as undesirable and should be avoided. Certain coding practices do not correctly translate the expected information to the cladistic algorithm. It may go unnoticed that expressions of character information in character lists, which may be entirely logical to any reader, do not necessarily reflect the mathematics employed by a phylogenetic algorithm. Despite a wealth of literature on coding procedures and documentation of these issues, problematic character coding practices are still common. A review is provided of different coding and character formulation practices, particularly relating to multistate character information that may either: (1) lead to a failure to capture grouping information implied in the character list; (2) cause problematic weighting or spuriously high certainty in particular optimizations; and (3) impose congruence artificially, by linking more than one variable character to a particular state. Each of these is reviewed and presented with a hypothetical example. Recommendations for avoiding these pitfalls are described in light of how parsimony algorithms work with character data. Character lists must be drawn up not only to present character variation logically, but also with consideration for how computer algorithms implement cladistic logic. The widespread use of problematic character coding procedures may account for some of the perceived problems with morphological data. Therefore, an exploration of the effects of these methods and standardization of methods should be a goal for the very near future. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 104 , 489–498.     

农田土壤动物和微生物与生物化学动态关系的研究

研究了农田土壤动物和微生物的季节动态与土壤生物化学特征之间的关系 ,并利用灰色理论与方法进行分析。结果表明 ,土壤生物和土壤生物化学特征均有明显的季节性变化。而土壤动物和微生物的季节动态与土壤生物化学特征之间也具有明显的相关性。其中关系最大的生物化学特征是过氧化氢酶、脱氢酶、无机磷转化作用和枯枝落叶分解速率。并建立了 5个灰色数学模型 [GM(1,5 ) ]。     

Immune challenge mediates vocal communication in a passerine bird: an experiment

Secondary sexual characters may have evolved in part to signalresistance to parasites. Avian song has been hypothesized tobe involved in this process, but the role of parasites in modulatingacoustic communication systems in birds remains largely unknown,owing to lack of experiments. We studied the relationship betweenparasitism, testosterone, song performance, and mating successin male collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) by experimentallychallenging their immune system with a novel antigen. We predictedthat a challenge of the immune system would reduce song performance,and that this reduction would be conditional on the size ofa visual sexual signal, the forehead patch that was previouslyfound to reflect resistance. An antagonistic linkage betweentestosterone and immune function would predict that a challengeof the immune system should suppress testosterone level. Animmunological treatment by sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) triggereda decrease in body mass, testosterone level, and song rate,but other song traits were not significantly affected by theantigen challenge. Initial testosterone level was associatedwith forehead patch size and all song traits except song rate.SRBC injection caused stronger reduction in song rate amongmales with smaller forehead patches, and the change in songrate was also predictable by song features such as strophe complexityand length. We show that song rate and other song characteristicsmay be important cues in male-male competition and female choice.These results suggest that parasite-mediated sexual selectionhas contributed in shaping a complex acoustic communicationsystem in the collared flycatcher, and that testosterone mayplay an important role in this process. Parasitism may drivea multiple signaling mechanism involving acoustic and visualtraits with different signal function.     

60Coγ射线辐照对花魔芋农艺性状的影响

本试验开展了^60Coγ射线辐照对花魔芋(Amorphophallus konjac)农艺性状影响的研究。结果表明：辐射诱发了大量有利的或损伤的数量性状变异。这些可观察或可检测的变异有形态异常,主要表现为植株矮小及叶片畸形(包括叶片黄化、缺刻、叶卷曲及主叶脉粘连不分离等);还有其它的性状变化,如生长期、根系、鞭状茎分化、耐寒性,球茎增重和产量等。观察发现,辐射效应的主要特征是抑制和损伤,并有一定程度的生理修复。通过分析,这些数量性状的变化符合统计规律,如植株叶片面积的变化与辐射剂量关系可拟合成三次曲线,其它的性状变化与剂量成二次曲线。在花魔芋生长期间发现了大叶片植株、耐寒植株、少鞭状茎分化植株和高球茎增重系数植株等有益突变。大叶片可增加光合作用面积,提高产量;少鞭状茎分化可减少球茎物质分流,使积累更加有效;耐寒抗寒既可延长生长期,也可扩大种植范围和向适宜地区推广。通过实验,得出花魔芋的辐射敏感性强,诱变效应显著,性状变异有可选择性,辐射诱变育种和种质改良可行。此外,魔芋种植多采用无性繁殖方式,有些有利的变异性状可直接作为育种和引种驯化的基础材料利用。     

副沙鳅属的多变量形态分析

采用多变量分析方法对副沙鳅属Parabotia的外部形态进行了主成分分析,在27个测量性状的第1、第2主成分散布图上显示,副沙鳅属的外部形态存在着3个具有明显差异的种组:即点面副沙鳅,双斑副沙鳅、武昌副沙鳅和花斑副沙鳅,漓江副沙鳅和小副沙鳅3个种组.主成分负荷值还进一步表明,6种副沙鳅属外部度量性状的差异有多元化的倾向.结合定性特征的观察确定了副沙鳅属6个种的有效性.     

Redescription of Pseudoaugeneriella nigra (Langerhans, 1880), new combination (Polychaeta, Sabellidae), with remarks on some characters of Fabriciinae

The fabriciin sabellid species, Fabricia nigra Langerhans, 1880 from the Macaronesian region, is assigned to the genus Pseudoaugeneriella Fitzhugh, 1998, based on information provided by newly collected specimens. The species is redescribed, including the variability of key characters. Moreover, structures of the anterior end — dorsal lips, ventral filamentous appendages, peristomial rings — of Pseudoaugeneriella nigra and other species of Fabriciinae are studied histologically and by means of SEM. The systematic significance of these characters in Fabriciinae is discussed.     

西藏色季拉山种子植物垂直带谱的划分与分布特点研究

将色季拉山种子植物分布划分为山地暖温带针阔混交林带、山地温带针叶林带、亚高山寒温带针叶林带、高山寒带疏林、灌丛、草甸带和高山荒漠带。在上述基础上 ,分析了各带谱的区系组成、性质和特有种分布特点。     

Foliar characteristics,cambial activity and wood formation in Azadirachta indica A. Juss. as affected by coal–smoke pollution

This study, aimed at elucidating changes in the foliar and cambial behavior in Azadirachta indica (Neem tree) due to coal-smoke pollution, has revealed inhibitory effects of pollution stress on leaf pigments concentrations, nitrate reductase activity and the contents of reducing sugars and total N content, whereas stimulatory effects were given on stomatal index and nitrate and sulphur contents. Under smoke effects, stomatal conductance was low, leading to a drop in the net photosynthetic rate and a rise in the internal CO₂ concentration of leaf. Cambial reactivation in the stem was delayed at the polluted site. Although the total span of the cambial activity was reduced, greater amount of wood was observed to accumulate in the stem axis under heavy pollution stress. Vessel proportion in the wood increased, whereas size of vessel elements and xylem fibers decreased. “Vulnerability factor” (ratio between mean vessel diameter and mean vessel abundance) and “mesomorphic ratio” (multiplication product of vulnerability factor and mean length of vessel element) of the stem–wood, both declined with increase in the pollution stress, thus indicating a tendency of the species for shifting towards xeromorphy when grown under stress. Given the opposite trends of photosynthetic rate and wood increment, the carbon-partitioning pattern rather than the photosynthetic rate seems to have influenced the accumulation of new wood. The Neem tree proves to be suitable for growing in the polluted areas.