Change of Genetic Architecture in Response to Sex

A traditional view is that sexual reproduction increases the potential for phenotypic evolution by expanding the range of genetic variation upon which natural selection can act. However, when nonadditive genetic effects and genetic disequilibria underlie a genetic system, genetic slippage (a change in the mean genotypic value contrary to that promoted by selection) in response to sex may occur. Additionally, depending on whether natural selection is predominantly stabilizing or disruptive, recombination may either enhance or reduce the level of expressed genetic variance. Thus, the role of sexual reproduction in the dynamics of phenotypic evolution depends heavily upon the nature of natural selection and the genetic system of the study population. In the present study, on a permanent lake Daphnia pulicaria population, sexual reproduction resulted in significant genetic slippage and a significant increase in expressed genetic variance for several traits. These observations provide evidence for substantial genetic disequilibria and nonadditive genetic effects underlying the genetic system of the study population. From these results, the fitness function of the previous clonal selection phase is inferred to be directional and/or stabilizing. The data are also used to infer the effects of natural selection on the mean and the genetic variance of the population.     

Effect of larval fish and nutrient enrichment on plankton dynamics in experimental ponds

The hypotheses that larval fish density may potentially affect phytoplankton abundance through regulating zooplankton community structure, and that fish effect may also depend on nutrient levels were tested experimentally in ponds with three densities of larval walleye, Stizostedion vitreum (0, 25, and 50 fish m^–3), and two fertilizer types (inorganic vs organic fertilizer). A significant negative relationship between larval fish density and large zooplankton abundance was observed despite fertilizer types. Larval walleye significantly reduced the abundances of Daphnia, Bosmina, and Diaptomus but enhanced the abundance of various rotifer species (Brachionus, Polyarthra, and Keratella). When fish predation was excluded, Daphnia became dominant, but Daphnia grazing did not significantly suppress blue-green algae. Clearly, larval fish can be an important regulator for zooplankton community. Algal composition and abundance were affected more by fertilizer type than by fish density. Inorganic fertilizer with a high N:P ratio (20:1) enhanced blue-green algal blooms, while organic fertilizer with a lower N:P ratio (10:1) suppressed the abundance of blue-green algae. This result may be attributed to the high density of blue-green algae at the beginning of the experiment and the fertilizer type. Our data suggest that continuous release of nutrients from suspended organic fertilizer at a low rate may discourage the development of blue-green algae. Nutrient inputs at a low N:P ratio do not necessarily result in the dominance of blue-green algae.     

以异源四倍体体细胞杂种为父本杂交培育三倍体柑桔植株的研究

以 3个柑桔原生质体融合而来的四倍体体细胞杂种为父本 ,与二倍体单胚性种柚子 (Citrusgrandis)以及单多胚混合型品种“华农本地早”桔 (C.reticulata)有性杂交 ,授粉后 90 d,发现种子干瘪 ,大部分种子的胚败育。将干瘪种子在 MT附加 1mg/L GA3 或 50 0 mg/L麦芽浸出物的培养基中 ,经培养抢救 ,有 2 5.6%的种子萌发成苗或继续进行胚的生长 ,后者进一步诱导能形成丛芽 ,经试管嫁接或诱导生根形成完整植株。共获得 6个组合 73棵完整植株 ,染色体数检查表明 ,2 0株为三倍体 (2 n=3x=2 7) ,32株为二倍体 (2 n=2 x=18) ,8株为非整倍体 ,其它 13株还有待于进一步检查。     

菠菜BADH单抗细胞株及其应用初探

用菠菜甜菜碱醛脱氢酶 ( BADH)免疫巴比西 ( BALB/c)小鼠 ,将其脾细胞与骨髓瘤细胞 SP2 /O-Ag1 4融合 ,在 1 92孔中 ,有约 1 4 %孔生长的杂交瘤细胞 ,用间接酶联免疫方法 ( ELISA)检测表现为阳性。选择其中 2 G3和 2 D10 细胞系 ,用有限稀释法进行克隆化培养 ,约 2 0 %克隆化细胞为强阳性。选择其中 2 G3- H3细胞株注射到 BALB/c小鼠腹腔中诱导腹水 ,腹水的单抗效价为 1∶ 1 0 3。应用 BADH单抗检查了大麦、水稻、高粱、小麦幼苗的叶片和根的粗提物 ,均呈阳性反应 ,表明 BADH除在光合组织中存在外 ,在非光合组织中也可能存在。讨论了非光合组织 BADH的意义     

Ring- opening polymerization of ɛ - Caprolactone by bacterial protease

Summary The ring- opening polymerization of - caprolactone catalyzed by a neutral protease from Bacillus subtilis has been studied in acetone, heptane solvents or in the absence of the solvent at 50°C. The lower oligomeric product containing mainly cyclic pentamer and tetramer was identified after 10 days in heptane.     

Combinatorial interplay of promoter elements constitutes the minimal determinants for light and developmental control of gene expression in Arabidopsis.

Higher plants are able to integrate environmental and endogenous signals to regulate gene expression for optimal development. To define the minimal sequence requirement sufficient to integrate light and developmental signals in controlling promoter activity, we carried out a systematic analysis of the roles of four well-conserved 'light-responsive elements (LREs)' common to many nuclear-encoded photosynthetic genes. A gain-of-function assay using basal promoter-reporter fusions in stable transgenic Arabidopsis was employed to demonstrate that pairwise combinations of the LREs, but not the individual elements alone, can confer light-inducible expression to the reporter gene independently of the basal promoter context and the light-triggered morphological changes. The activity of the synthetic promoters with the paired LREs can be modulated at least by the phytochrome system. Further, those synthetic light-regulated promoters confer a photosynthetic cell-specific expression pattern and respond to the chloroplast development state. Our data suggest that distinct combinatorial interactions of LREs can serve as minimal autonomous promoter determinants which integrate light and developmental signals and modulate promoter activity.     

Estimating single-channel kinetic parameters from idealized patch-clamp data containing missed events.

We present here a maximal likelihood algorithm for estimating single-channel kinetic parameters from idealized patch-clamp data. The algorithm takes into account missed events caused by limited time resolution of the recording system. Assuming a fixed dead time, we derive an explicit expression for the corrected transition rate matrix by generalizing the theory of Roux and Sauve (1985, Biophys. J. 48:149-158) to the case of multiple conductance levels. We use a variable metric optimizer with analytical derivatives for rapidly maximizing the likelihood. The algorithm is applicable to data containing substates and multiple identical or nonidentical channels. It allows multiple data sets obtained under different experimental conditions, e.g., concentration, voltage, and force, to be fit simultaneously. It also permits a variety of constraints on rate constants and provides standard errors for all estimates of model parameters. The algorithm has been tested extensively on a variety of kinetic models with both simulated and experimental data. It is very efficient and robust; rate constants for a multistate model can often be extracted in a processing time of approximately 1 min, largely independent of the starting values.     

腥黑粉菌属一新种

本文报道了从意大利进口兔尾草(Lagurus ovatus L.)上截获的腥黑粉菌属一新种——兔尾草腥黑粉菌(Tilletia laguri G.M.Zhang,G.X.Lin & J.R.Deng),同时讨论了该种与近似种的区别,文中对其形态特征有拉丁文和汉文描述,并附有图片。主模式标本保存在深圳动植物检疫局真菌标本室,等模式标本分别保存在德国蒂宾根大学范基黑粉菌标本馆(HUV)、中国科学院微生物研究所真菌标本室和华南农业大学植保系真菌标本室。     

中药凌霄花的药理学考察

实验结果表明,凌霄花对离体猪冠状动脉条具有抑制收缩的作用;对大鼠血栓形成有抑制作用;能加快红细胞电泳,增加红细胞电泳率,使血液红细胞处于分散状态;对离体孕子宫能显著增强收缩活性,增加收缩频率及增强收缩强度。以上结果可初步说明,凌霄花行血去瘀的作用及其“孕妇慎用”的合理性。凌霄花的３种混淆品（白泡桐花,毛泡桐花,兰考泡桐花）的药理作用与凌霄花不同,故不能作凌霄花使用。     

中药凌霄花的研究进展

本文对中药凌霄花的研究进展进行了综述,包括生药学研究、化学成分研究、药理学研究及临床应用。