硅藻中国新记录种——帕瓦拉桥弯藻

在对湖南省硅藻多样性研究过程中,发现其中一采自湘江的桥弯藻种类具有以下鉴定特征:(1)细胞小,长度小于29 μm;(2)壳面略微呈背腹之分;(3)远缝端末梢向壳面背侧弯曲;(4)顶孔区很小,由1～3横列形态不同的两种类型孔纹组成,一种孔纹与壳面上的孔纹相似,呈狭缝隙状,另一种为圆形小孔,其内部开口上方有袋盖状硅质突出物覆盖;(5)壳面背侧中部处线纹密度每10 μm为10～12条、腹侧中部处每10 μm为11～13条,孔纹密度每10 μm为30～40个;(6)在靠近壳面腹侧中央区具有1～2个孤点。经与帕瓦拉桥弯藻(Cymbella pavanaensis A. Vigneshwaran et al.)模式种群相比较,该文确定上述桥弯藻即为帕瓦拉桥弯藻。该文提供了对帕瓦拉桥弯藻超微结构的更多清晰认识,扩大了其地理分布区域,且是该种在中国的首次报道。     

应用基因芯片分析甘蓝型油菜柱头特异表达基因

以甘蓝型油菜(Brassica napus)野生型(宁油10号)及其柱头授粉功能缺失突变体FS-M1为材料,使用油菜基因表达谱芯片筛选甘蓝型油菜柱头特异表达基因。在含有16 540个基因的油菜基因表达谱芯片中(43 803探针),获得了4 410条差异表达探针,选择部分差异表达基因进行实时定量PCR,所得结果与芯片检测结果相吻合。其中,野生型较FS-M1显著上调且获得209个功能注释的探针,对应198个基因,这些特异表达的基因主要富集在水解酶、转移酶、氧化还原酶和转录因子中;涉及较大的基因家族包括:细胞色素P450基因、GDSL脂肪酶/水解酶基因、ABC转运蛋白基因、myb转录因子基因、bHLH转录因子基因、过氧化物酶家族和受体激酶基因等。推测这些基因与甘蓝型油菜柱头发育及授粉功能有关。     

The timing of molecular and morphological changes underlying reproductive transitions in wild tomatoes (Solanum sect. Lycopersicon)

Molecular mechanisms underlying the transition from genetic self‐incompatibility to self‐compatibility are well documented, but the evolution of other reproductive trait changes that accompany shifts in reproductive strategy (mating system) remains comparatively under‐investigated. A notable exception is the transition from exserted styles to styles with recessed positions relative to the anthers in wild tomatoes (Solanum Section Lycopersicon). This phenotypic change has been previously attributed to a specific mutation in the promoter of a gene that influences style length (style2.1); however, whether this specific regulatory mutation arose concurrently with the transition from long to short styles, and whether it is causally responsible for this phenotypic transition, has been poorly investigated across this group. To address this gap, we assessed 74 accessions (populations) from 13 species for quantitative genetic variation in floral and reproductive traits as well as the presence/absence of deletions at two different locations (StyleD1 and StyleD2) within the regulatory region upstream of style2.1. We confirmed that the putatively causal deletion variant (a 450‐bp deletion at StyleD1) arose within self‐compatible lineages. However, the variation and history of both StyleD1 and StyleD2 was more complex than previously inferred. In particular, although StyleD1 was statistically associated with differences in style length and stigma exsertion across all species, we found no evidence for this association within two species polymorphic for the StyleD1 mutation. We conclude that the previous association detected between phenotypic and molecular differences is most likely due to a phylogenetic association rather than a causal mechanistic relationship. Phenotypic variation in style length must therefore be due to other unexamined linked variants in the style2.1 regulatory region.     

Neither protogynous nor obligatory out-crossed: pollination biology and breeding system of the European Red List Fritillaria meleagris L. (Liliaceae)

For 4 years we studied pollination biology and breeding system of the critically endangered, Red List plant Fritillaria meleagris L. (Liliaceae), in the larger of the two remaining populations of the plant in SE Poland. Our observations indicated that, contrary to literature data, the species is not dichogamous nor is it obligatorily out-crossing. Selfing, although rare in natural populations, results in fully developed seeds. Flowers are visited by several insect species, mostly social and solitary bees. In spite of extremely low visitation rates to this early spring-flowering plant, the species is not pollen limited. Although the largest pollen loads are transferred by solitary bees, the key pollinators are bumblebees (mostly the most common species, Bombus terrestris and B. lapidarius) due to their seasonal and floral constancy, and tolerance of bad weather conditions. The current decline of the studied population seems not to be related to the species' pollination or breeding systems but to plant habitat loss. It is suggested, however, that in smaller populations, the species' dependence on generally rare pollinators and largely out-crossed breeding system may accelerate local extinction.     

三种耧斗菜属植物柱头的特征

为了深入了解植物捕获花粉的机制和生殖策略,我们对3种耧斗菜属Aquilegia L.植物华北耧斗菜A. yabeana Kitagawa、无距耧斗菜A. ecalcarata Maxim.和秦岭耧斗菜A. incurvata P. K. Hsiao的雌蕊进行了扫描电镜和荧光显微镜观察,发现其柱头发育的特殊式样。其柱头位于花柱的腹缝面,由花柱腹缝两侧细胞发育成柱头乳突,在花期中从顶端朝花柱基部渐次成熟。伴随花柱向外弯曲,成熟的柱头表面相继呈现,逐渐增加了花粉落置的空间。这种柱头发育的式样通过延长柱头的可授期,增加了植物在不可预测的传粉环境下的繁殖机会。     

桂林唇柱苣苔和百寿唇柱苣苔的开花动态及花粉活力和柱头可授性的比较

对桂林唇柱苣苔的两个居群(YZ居群和DB居群)和百寿唇柱苣苔的开花动态、花粉活力和柱头可授性进行了比较研究。结果表明,桂林唇柱苣苔的两个居群花期、单花持续期存在明显差异,DB居群的花期较YZ居群晚,但花期长于后者。YZ居群的花期、单花持续期与百寿唇柱苣苔的花期、单花持续期相近。三者开花过程相似。花粉活性和柱头可授性达最大的时间、持续时间在桂林唇柱苣苔的两个居群以及百寿唇柱苣苔之间具有明显差异。     

滇重楼和毛重楼花粉活力和柱头可授性的研究

用TTC法测定了滇重楼和毛重楼花粉的活力,用联苯胺—过氧化氢法测定了其柱头的可授性。结果表明滇重楼的花粉活力在散粉后第1天活力较高以后则逐渐下降,在第2天和第19天花粉活力则急剧下降,但能维持20～23d,在整个花期中基本都具有活力。毛重楼的花粉寿命约为4d,第2天花粉活力达到最大值,第3天后花粉活力急剧下降,总体活力较低。滇重楼和毛重楼的柱头在整个花期中几乎都具可授性,但滇重楼在11～13d时柱头可授性最强,毛重楼在第5天可授性最强。两种重楼植物花粉活力较高的时期与柱头可授性较强的时期不一致,但柱头可授性较强的时间与分泌黏液较多的时间基本一致。     

Potential initiators of HIV-related stigmatization: ethical and programmatic challenges for PMTCT programs

HIV/AIDS continues to constitute a serious threat to the social and physical wellbeing of African mothers and their babies. In the hardest hit countries of sub-Saharan Africa, more than 60% of all new HIV infections are occurring in women, infants and young children.Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) constitutes 90% of new HIV infections among infants and young children. Most of these infection scan be prevented. However, the social stigma of HIV/AIDS insidiously continues to undermine the success of prevention programs.Ironically, some attributes or characteristics of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs may in fact serve as catalysts to the stigmatization process. This paper identifies and discusses six potential initiators: (1) Routine HIV testing, (2) Six months exclusive breastfeeding, (3) Incentives, (4) Home visits, (5) Location of PMTCT program, and (6) PMTCT terminology. In all these areas, there are practical strategies that may be applied to reduce the chances of being stigmatized. These strategies are introduced and discussed.     

Drought-induced changes in anthesis-silking interval are related to silk expansion: a spatio-temporal growth analysis in maize plants subjected to soil water deficit

The growth and emergence of maize silks has a considerable importance in yield determination under drought conditions. Spatial and temporal patterns of the rates of tissue expansion and of cell division were characterized in silks of plants subjected to different soil water potentials. In all cases, silk development consisted of four phases: (1) cell division and tissue expansion occurred together uniformly all along the silk; (2) cell division progressively ceased from tip to base, while expansion remained spatially uniform including during the phase (3) after the cessation of cell division; and (4) as the silk emerged from the husks, expansion ceased in the emerged portion, probably because of direct evaporative demand, while the relative growth rate progressively decreased in the enclosed part. The rates of tissue expansion and cell division were reduced with water deficit, resulting in delayed silk emergence. The duration of cell division was not affected, and in all cases, the end of cell division in the silk coincided with anther dehiscence. The duration of phase 3, between the end of cell division and the arrest of cell growth in silk apex, considerably increased with water deficit. It corresponded to the anthesis-silking interval used by breeders to characterize the response of cultivars to stress.