Identification of gonadotropic and antigonadotropic factors from the nervous part of the corpora cardiaca in the African locust

Summary

The nervous part of the locust corpora cardiaca (NCC) was extracted using 70% methanol and subjected to fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). Twenty fractions were collected and injected into females from the end of the IIIrd larval instar to day-12 of the adult life to screen the effects on metamorphosis, body pigmentation, and oocyte growth. The rate of juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis by the corpora allata of injected animals was evaluated in vitro. One fraction was found to stimulate ovarian maturation, and 3 to delay oocyte growth. None of them disturbed (i) either metamorphosis and body color (which are JH dependent), or (ii) rate of JH biosynthesis. Of the 3 fractions which inhibited ovarian maturation, 2 of them were identified as the neuroparsins A and B. The results clearly illustrate that antagonist factors from the brain are involved in the regulation of ovarian maturation in the locust.     

外来物种刺槐对土壤微生物功能多样性的影响

以延河流域不同植被区内人工刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)群落和乡土植物群落的土壤微生物为研究对象,利用Biolog微平板技术对土壤微生物功能多样性进行测定,分析人工引种刺槐在不同环境梯度(3个植被区)下对土壤微生物功能多样性的影响。结果表明:刺槐对不同环境梯度下的土壤微生物的影响明显不同。从草原区到森林区,刺槐林之间土壤微生物群落的平均颜色变化率(AWCD)和土壤微生物功能多样性指数均没有显著变化;但与乡土植物群落比较,草原区、森林草原区和森林区土壤AWCD分别表现为刺槐乡土植物、刺槐乡土植物、刺槐乡土植物;在草原区和森林草原区刺槐林土壤微生物群落的群落丰富度指数(S)、Shannon-Wiener指数(H)、Simpson指数(D)、Mc Intosh指数(U)均大于乡土植物,森林区刺槐林群落丰富度指数(S)、Shannon指数(H)、Simpson指数(D)均小于乡土植物;刺槐林和乡土植物群落下土壤微生物碳源利用存在差异,主要体现在对糖类、氨基酸类的利用上。PCA分析显示主成分1贡献较大的碳源有24种,在主成分分离中起主要贡献作用的是糖类、氨基酸类和羧酸类。土壤碳氮含量能影响土壤微生物功能多样性指数,土壤含水量和温湿度能够影响碳源的利用类型。刺槐对土壤微生物功能多样性的影响存在区域差异,在评价刺槐对土壤生态过程与功能的影响时必须要考虑这种空间差异性。     

我国新发现一种外来蚜虫——刺槐附毛斑蚜Appendiseta robiniae

记述了采自北京刺槐上的1种中国的记录外来蚜虫——刺槐附毛斑蚜,它原产于北美,寄主为刺槐,在当地一些地区较为常见,并已扩散到欧洲等地。描述了有翅孤雌蚜、无翅雌性蚜和有翅雄性蚜的鉴别特征,并提供了生态图片。最后讨论了它的潜在危害性及蚜虫寄主植物、蚜群生活状及生态照片在蚜虫识别上的重要性。     

Effect of denervation on enzyme levels in flight muscles of the adult migratory locust

The metathoracic dorso-longitudinal muscles of adult males of Locusta migratoria were denervated. Twenty days after denervation wet weight, protein content and the specific activities of enzymes, representative of aerobic glycolytic and β-oxidative pathways, and citric acid and glycerophosphate cycles are reduced in a statistically significant way. In contrast, the specific activity of lactate dehydrogenase is increased. It is demonstrated that locusts, in which the metathoracic dorso-longitudinal muscles are denervated on one side only, constitute an experimental system with proper experimental and control muscles.     

Exploring the relationship between tychoparthenogenesis and inbreeding depression in the Desert Locust,Schistocerca gregaria

Tychoparthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction in which a small proportion of unfertilized eggs can hatch spontaneously, could be an intermediate evolutionary link in the transition from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction. The lower fitness of tychoparthenogenetic offspring could be due to either developmental constraints or to inbreeding depression in more homozygous individuals. We tested the hypothesis that in populations where inbreeding depression has been purged, tychoparthenogenesis may be less costly. To assess this hypothesis, we compared the impact of inbreeding and parthenogenetic treatments on eight life‐history traits (five measuring inbreeding depression and three measuring inbreeding avoidance) in four laboratory populations of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, with contrasted demographic histories. Overall, we found no clear relationship between the population history (illustrated by the levels of genetic diversity or inbreeding) and inbreeding depression, or between inbreeding depression and parthenogenetic capacity. First, there was a general lack of inbreeding depression in every population, except in two populations for two traits. This pattern could not be explained by the purging of inbreeding load in the studied populations. Second, we observed large differences between populations in their capacity to reproduce through tychoparthenogenesis. Only the oldest laboratory population successfully produced parthenogenetic offspring. However, the level of inbreeding depression did not explain the differences in parthenogenetic success between all studied populations. Differences in development constraints may arise driven by random and selective processes between populations.     

Do outbreaks affect genetic population structure? A worldwide survey in Locusta migratoria,a pest plagued by microsatellite null alleles

An understanding of the role of factors intrinsic to a species' life history in structuring contemporary genetic variation is a fundamental, but understudied, aspect of evolutionary biology. Here, we assessed the influence of the propensity to outbreak in shaping worldwide genetic variation in Locusta migratoria , a cosmopolitan pest well known for its expression of density-dependent phase polyphenism. We scored 14 microsatellites in nine subspecies from 25 populations distributed over most of the species' range in regions that vary in the historical frequency and extent of their outbreaks. We rejected the hypothesis that L. migratoria consists of two genetically distinct clusters adapted to habitats either rarely (nonoutbreaking) or cyclically (outbreaking) favourable to increases in population density. We also invalidated the current subspecific taxonomic classification based on morphometrics. Bayesian inferences indicated evidence of a homogenizing effect of outbreaks on L. migratoria population structure. Geographical and ecological barriers to gene flow in conjunction with historical events can also explain the observed patterns. By systematically assessing the effects of null alleles using computer simulations, we also provide a template for the analysis of microsatellite data sets characterized by a high prevalence of null alleles.     

蝗虫生境监测方法研究进展

蝗虫是一种能对农业生产带来毁灭性打击的害虫。预测、监测蝗虫的发生、发展对于防治蝗虫、减轻蝗灾具有重要意义。在分析蝗虫的发生和消长与其生存环境的关系基础上,概述了以往蝗虫发生、发展预测、监测的主要方法。然后,从监测蝗虫生境采用的指标、卫星数据、算法等方面进一步阐述了运用现代遥感、地理信息系统技术监测蝗虫生境、预测蝗虫发生、发展的理论基础和最新进展;最后,结合现代对地观测技术、网络、快速计算和模拟等技术的发展探讨了蝗虫生境监测的发展方向。     

黄土高原刺槐林生长与土壤水分关系研究进展

从林地土壤水分、刺槐生长、土壤水分与刺槐生长关系、土壤水分与根系分布的研究四个方面介绍了近十几年来黄土高原刺槐林生长与土壤水分关系研究的最新进展。     

山西省8种蝗虫8个种群的遗传学研究

采用水平淀粉凝胶电泳技术,对采自山西省蝗虫区系的优势种类;斑腿蝗科（Catantopidae）,斑翅蝗科（Oe-dipodidae）和网翅蝗科（Arcypteridae）3科7属8种蝗虫的11种酶进行了检测,共辨析出17个酶基因座位,并计算出等位基因频率和遗传距离,等位基因频率分析表明：Ao-I、Est-3,G3pd-1、Idh-2和Mdh-2基因座位的等位基因少,等位基因数目在种间变化较小,故推断其进化速率较慢,利用这些基因座位的保守特征,可作为分子标记研究较高级阶元的系统发育关系,而Gpi-1,Ldh-1和Me-1基因座位的等位基因多,等位基因数目在种内和种间差异较大,可以用作种,属间及种群间遗传结构的比较研究。对每个基因座位的各基因型进行χ^2检验,除Acp-1,Adk-1,Ao-1和Ao-2在部分蝗虫中符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡外,其余绝大多数基因座位的基因型频率显著偏离H-W平衡。在所研究的8种蝗虫中,多态位点百分率普遍较高（P=64.7%～94.1%）,但由于杂合子数目较少而使每个基因座位的平均杂合度降低（Ho=0.024～0.087）,对多态位点百分率分析发现：迁飞能力是影响蝗虫种间遗传变异的因素之一,具有迁飞能力的蝗虫（P=88.2%～94.1%）较非迁飞性蝗虫（P=64.7%～94.1%）表现出较高的遗传多态性,但也有例外,如中华稻蝗（Oxya chinensis）的P值高达94.1%,上述结果表明：由于迁飞行为可使个体暴露于各种不同环境,故而种群保持较高的遗传多态性能增强该物种在不同栖息地的生存和繁殖能力,因此,迁飞有利于维持迁飞性蝗虫遗传多态性的动态平衡。根据Nei的遗传一致度（I）和Roger的遗传距离（D）进行分析,结果与基于形态特征确定的分类阶元系统关系基本相符;即同属的小翅雏蝗（Chorthippus fallax）和白纹雏蝗（Chorthippus albonemus）具有最高的遗传一致度（I=0.813）和最小的遗传距离（D=0.336）,同位不同属间遗传一致度（I=0.798～0.559）和遗传距离（D=0.398～0.474）居中,科之间I值最小（I=0.523～0.479）,D值最大（D=0.505～0.523）,利用UPGMA对I值和D值进行聚类,所得两种聚类图在同属种间和同科属间的关系一致,但在科间关系有所差别,Roger的遗传距离（D）聚类树图表明：斑腿蝗科物种和斑翅蝗科物种间表现出较小的遗传距离（D=0.505）,而网翅蝗科与以上两科的遗传距离也极为接近（D=0.523）,综上所述,等位酶分析能较好地反映蝗虫同属种间和同科属间的亲缘关系,若能断更高阶元的系统发生,则需结合其他性状进行综合分析。