越南苦苣苔科石蝴蝶属植物随记暨国家级分布新记录

石蝴蝶属(Petrocosmea Oliv.)植物的现代分布与分化中心位于中国的西南山地以及周边国家和地区,如印度(阿萨姆邦)、缅甸、泰国、越南等也有分布。近年来,中国和中南半岛上各个国家和地区的新分类群和国家级新记录层出不穷,进一步加深了研究人员对中国和中南半岛植物区系以及该属植物在上述区域的多样性的理解。例如,滇黔石蝴蝶[Petrocosmea martinii (H. Léveillé)H. Léveillé]和丝毛石蝴蝶(P. sericea C.Y. Wu ex H. W. Li)曾被认为是中国的特有种,前者分布于贵州、广西北部和云南东南部,而后者仅见于云南东南部。该文报道了这两种石蝴蝶属植物的越南国家级分布新记录。这两个新记录种的发现,使得越南分布的石蝴蝶属植物种的数量上升到了5 种,这些新记录种的报道或暗示未来在与中国西南山地邻近的地区还将会有更多该属的新分类群或新记录有待发现。该文还同时提供了这两个国家级分布新记录物种的描述、图示、濒危等级现状评价以及目前所有越南已知分布的石蝴蝶属植物的检索表以备检索和核对。     

横县野生种子植物区系及与附近地区的比较研究

为了解广西横县野生种子植物区系特征,对横县野生种子植物进行了调查分析。结果表明,广西横县有野生种子植物1 269种,隶属于163科658属,以被子植物占优势,而裸子植物则贫乏。在科属种组成上,以大科、区域单型属和少型属为主;生活型组成反映亚热带常绿阔叶林群落特征,藤本植物种类丰富。种子植物地理成分均以热带成分为主,兼备亚热带和温带成分。与邻近地区相比较,横县种子植物区系与广东紫金县相似性较高,区系成分组成则与广东新会区、紫金县相近。因此,横县地区野生种子植物种类丰富,热带性质明显,呈热带至亚热带过渡性质,起源古老,具有一定特有现象,与广东地区联系密切。     

Cave-adapted evolution in the North American amblyopsid fishes inferred using phylogenomics and geometric morphometrics

Cave adaptation has evolved repeatedly across the Tree of Life, famously leading to pigmentation and eye degeneration and loss, yet its macroevolutionary implications remain poorly understood. We use the North American amblyopsid fishes, a family spanning a wide degree of cave adaptation, to examine the impact of cave specialization on the modes and tempo of evolution. We reconstruct evolutionary relationships using ultraconserved element loci, estimate the ancestral histories of eye-state, and examine the impact of cave adaptation on body shape evolution. Our phylogenomic analyses provide a well-supported hypothesis for amblyopsid evolutionary relationships. The obligate blind cavefishes form a clade and the cave-facultative eyed spring cavefishes are nested within the obligate cavefishes. Using ancestral state reconstruction, we find support for at least two independent subterranean colonization events within the Amblyopsidae. Eyed and blind fishes have different body shapes, but not different rates of body shape evolution. North American amblyopsids highlight the complex nature of cave-adaptive evolution and the necessity to include multiple lines of evidence to uncover the underlying processes involved in the loss of complex traits.     

Element content and expression of genes of interest in guard cells are connected to spatiotemporal variations in stomatal conductance

Element content and expression of genes of interest on single cell types, such as stomata, provide valuable insights into their specific physiology, improving our understanding of leaf gas exchange regulation. We investigated how far differences in stomatal conductance (g_s) can be ascribed to changes in guard cells functioning in amphistomateous leaves. g_s was measured during the day on both leaf sides, on well-watered and drought-stressed trees (two Populus euramericana Moench and two Populus nigra L. genotypes). In parallel, guard cells were dissected for element content and gene expressions analyses. Both were strongly arranged according to genotype, and drought had the lowest impact overall. Normalizing the data by genotype highlighted a structure on the basis of leaf sides and time of day both for element content and gene expression. Guard cells magnesium, phosphorus, and chlorine were the most abundant on the abaxial side in the morning, where g_s was at the highest. In contrast, genes encoding H⁺-ATPase and aquaporins were usually more abundant in the afternoon, whereas genes encoding Ca²⁺-vacuolar antiporters, K⁺ channels, and ABA-related genes were in general more abundant on the adaxial side. Our work highlights the unique physiology of each leaf side and their analogous rhythmicity through the day.     

Exploring the role of copper and selenium in the maintenance of normal thyroid function among healthy Koreans

BackgroundSelenium and iodine are trace elements well known to have important roles in the synthesis and metabolism of thyroid hormones. However, the effects of other trace elements on thyroid hormones are still inconclusive. We investigated the association between several trace elements and thyroid hormones.MethodsThe data of 448 subjects who were measured for both, trace elements and TSH/free T4, at the Heath Checkup Center were retrospectively reviewed. The presence of thyroiditis (from thyroid echogenicity) and thyroid nodules were reviewed in the subjects who underwent thyroid ultrasonography.ResultsBlood concentrations of manganese, copper, selenium, and molybdenum were associated with TSH or free T4. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, smoking, and alcohol consumption, blood copper levels were positively associated with free T4 in both sexes and selenium levels were positively associated with free T4 in women. There was no association between trace elements and thyroiditis. Blood copper concentration had a weak non-linear association with the presence of thyroid nodules.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that blood concentrations of copper and selenium were significantly associated with free T4 in healthy Korean subjects with sufficient iodine intake suggesting their role in maintaining normal thyroid function.     

湖南涟源县龙山森林公园种子植物区系初步研究

涟源县龙山森林公园是湖南省中部的一座孤山,位于华中植物区和华东植物区的分界线上,生境多样,植被类型丰富,有野生种子植物158科、687属、1486种（含种下等级）。植物区系总体性质以温带性质为主,兼有大量热带成分的混杂,具有较强的过渡性质。但是,在科、属级水平上均表现出较强的热带地理亲缘性。优势大科、大属在区系组成统计上占有突出位置。与邻近地区植物区系比较,科、属、种相似性最大的是湖南古丈县高望界,与距离其最近的南岳衡山相似性最小,说明该区虽为孤山地貌,但孤山区系特征不显著,缺乏地方特有属、种,受武陵山脉的影响较大,应归属于华中植物区,并且兼有向华东过渡的性质。     

黄河三角洲贝壳堤岛自然保护区维管植物区系研究

为了给黄河三角洲贝壳堤岛自然保护区维管植物资源的开发和利用提供理论依据,对黄河三角洲贝壳堤岛自然保护区植物资源进行了调查和研究,初步统计本地区维管植物共有58科、149属、228种。其中,蕨类植物3科、5属、9种;裸子植物1科、1属、1种;被子植物54科、143属、218种。从科、属、种三个层次对其植物区系进行了统计分析后得出结论：该区植物多样性贫乏;区系属的分化程度高;地理成分复杂,分布类型多样;无特有现象。     

广东东部不同生活型植物热带植物区系属性的比较研究

通过对粤东种子植物生活型的调查和统计分析,将粤东2226种种子植物划分为6类生活型。各种木本生活型共有1198种,占53.8%;各种草本类型共有1028种植物,占46.2%。从各生活型的种的区系成分分析来看,该地各生活型热带性成分比例强弱的顺序是：乔木种〉木质藤本种〉灌木种〉陆生草本〉草质藤本〉水生草本。     

香港东平洲岛的植物区系研究

于1997和2008年间赴香港东平洲岛进行实地调查,记录该岛共有维管植物207种,隶属于65科173属。植物区系以热带亚热带植物地理成分为优势,表现出较强的热带性。植被类型主要有次生林常绿阔叶林、灌丛群落和海边沙滩植物群落以及人工林等。该岛的植物区系与临近岛屿具有较大的相似性。     

一株可同时降解多种高环PAHs的丝状真菌——宛氏拟青霉(Paecilomyces variotii)

采用液体培养的方法,分离纯化了丝状真菌宛氏拟青霉(Paecilomyces variotii)并研究了其对苯并[a]蒽、苯并[a]芘、苯并[b]荧蒽、苯并[k]荧蒽、茚并[1,2,3-cd]芘的降解效果.结果表明:接种处理30 d,该菌株对混合体系中5种PAHs的降解率为16.1%～24.6%,而对单一体系中的降解率为10.4%～33.3%;同时,对单一与混合体系中PAHs的降解作用存在一定差异,苯并[k]荧蒽和苯并[b]荧蒽在单一体系中降解率增大,而其他种类的则减小.本研究结果为高环多环芳烃共代谢机理研究和多环芳烃复合污染水土环境的生物修复提供了一种新的种质资源.