Host-Parasite Interactions and Purifying Selection in a Microsporidian Parasite of Honey Bees

To clarify the mechanisms of Nosema ceranae parasitism, we deep-sequenced both honey bee host and parasite mRNAs throughout a complete 6-day infection cycle. By time-series analysis, 1122 parasite genes were significantly differently expressed during the reproduction cycle, clustering into 4 expression patterns. We found reactive mitochondrial oxygen species modulator 1 of the host to be significantly down regulated during the entire infection period. Our data support the hypothesis that apoptosis of honey bee cells was suppressed during infection. We further analyzed genome-wide genetic diversity of this parasite by comparing samples collected from the same site in 2007 and 2013. The number of SNP positions per gene and the proportion of non-synonymous substitutions per gene were significantly reduced over this time period, suggesting purifying selection on the parasite genome and supporting the hypothesis that a subset of N. ceranae strains might be dominating infection.     

Culture of newborn monkey liver epithelial progenitor cells in chemical defined serum-free medium

Studies with hepatic progenitor cells from non-human primates would allow better understanding of their human counterparts. In this study, rhesus monkey liver epithelial progenitor cells (mLEPCs) were derived from a small piece of newborn livers in chemical defined serum-free medium. Digested hepatic cells were treated in Ca²⁺-containing medium to form cell aggregates. Two types of cell aggregates were generated: elongated spindle cells and polygonal epithelial cells. Elongated spindle cells were expressed as vimentin and brachyury, and they were disappeared within 5 d in our cultures. The remaining type consisted of small polygonal epithelial cells that expressed cytokeratin 7 (CK7), CK8, CK18, nestin, CD49f, and E-cad, the markers of hepatic stem cells, but were negative for α-fetoprotein, albumin, and CK19. They can proliferate and be passaged, if on laminin or rat tail collagen gel, to initiate colonies. When cultured with dexamethasone and oncostatin M, the expression of mature hepatocyte markers, such as α-1-antitrypsin, intracytoplasmic glycogen storage, indocyanine green uptake, and lipid droplet generation, were induced in differentiated cells. If transferred onto mouse embryonic fibroblasts feeders, they gave rise to CK19-positive cholangiocytes with formation of doughnut-like structure. Thus, mLEPCs with bipotency were derived from newborn monkey liver and may serve as a preclinical model for assessment of cell therapy in humans.     

Large-scale,millennial-length temperature reconstructions from tree-rings

Over the past two decades, the dendroclimate community has produced various annually resolved, warm season temperature reconstructions for the extratropical Northern Hemisphere. Here we compare these tree-ring based reconstructions back to 831 CE and present a set of basic metrics to provide guidance for non-specialists on their interpretation and use. We specifically draw attention to (i) the imbalance between (numerous) short and (few) long site chronologies incorporated into the hemispheric means, (ii) the beneficial effects of including maximum latewood density chronologies in the recently published reconstructions, (iii) a decrease in reconstruction covariance prior to 1400 CE, and (iv) the varying amplitudes and trends of reconstructed temperatures over the past 1100 years. Whereas the reconstructions agree on several important features, such as warmth during medieval times and cooler temperatures in the 17th and 19th centuries, they still exhibit substantial differences during 13th and 14th centuries. We caution users who might consider combining the reconstructions through simple averaging that all reconstructions share some of the same underlying tree-ring data, and provide four recommendations to guide future efforts to better understand past millennium temperature variability.     

The impact of special issues

With support from many authors from many different scientific fields,Zoological Research(ZR)successfully released eight special issues from 2011 to 2014 on various topics,including Animal Ecology and Resources,Animal Genetic Diversity,Development and Evolution,Fish Diversity and Primates and Animal Models of Human Diseases.These special issues strongly align with our aims and scope,which have been     

藏酋猴的分类与分布

本文基于外部形态,毛色,头骨特征和地理分布对藏酋猴进行了分类整理,认为藏酋猴在不同地理区域之间的差异已达到了亚种水平,可分为４个亚种（包括两新亚种）：Ｍ．ｔｈｉｂｅｔａｎａｔｈｉｂｅｔｎａ,Ｍ．ｔｈｉｂｅｔａｎａｐｕｌｌｕｓ．Ｍ．ｔｈｉｂｅｔａｎａｈｕａｎｇｓｈａｎｅｎｓｉｓｓｕｂｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．和Ｍ．ｔｈｉｂｅｔａｎａｇｕｉｚｈｏｕｅｎｓｉｓｓｕｂｓｐ．ｎｏｖ。     

Multiple genotypes of mitochondrial DNA within a horse population from a small region in Yunnan province of China

mtDNA genotypes of six domestic horses (three adult short horses whose heights are under 1 m and three common domestic horses) from a small region of 15 km² in Malipo county of Yunnan province of China were investigated by the technique of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with 16 restriction endonucleases which recognize 6-bp sequences. An average of 56 fragments for an individual was obtained. Unlike other domestic animals, this population of horses exhibits high mtDNA genetic diversity. Each of the six horses has a specific mtDNA genotype showing a pattern of multiple maternal origins, as suggested by fossil and literature records. We think the population of horses is an amazing seed-resource pool of horses and hence deserves to be paid more attention from the view of conservation genetics. However, it is also remarkable that we did not find any typical mtDNA genetic markers which would discriminate between short horses and common domestic horses.     

滇金丝猴（Rhinopithecusbieti）现状及其保护对策研究

滇金丝猴（Ｒｈｉｎｏｐｉｔｈｅｃｕｓｂｉｅｔｉ）是我国特有的珍稀濒危动物,生活在海拔３８００～４３００ｍ的原始冷杉林中,但有时也会在４３００～４７００ｍ的低矮灌丛、草甸和流石滩上活动达数小时之久,甚至能跨越近千米的无林高海拔地带,因而它们是海拔分布最高的非人灵长类。松萝是它们的主要食物,取食松萝的时间占总取食时间的９１％。猴群活动范围可达近百平方公里。笔者在历时８年的野外考察中,已查明这一物种的全部现存自然种群只有１３个,分布在云南的德钦、兰坪、潍西、丽江和西藏的芒康这五县境内,其现存种群数量为１０００～１５００只;所有现存自然种群几乎均处在相互隔离的状态,群间已不可能进行基因交流,充分表明它们已到达灭绝边缘。然而其栖息地内的商业伐木规模仍在继续扩大,周围的人口压力正在不断增加,各猴群均面临不同程度的偷猎压力。这一现状委实令人担忧。如何拯救这一“国宝”应引起我国保护学家和各级政府有关职能部门的重视     

银额果蝇自然群体分化过程中的细胞遗传学

对我国大陆银额果蝇的分布及其细胞遗传学进行了广泛的调查,发现了一种值得注意的新核型。该核型结构兼有早已认可的长、短两大类基本核型的特征,即核型中的两条同源４号染色体为１长１短型。含新核型的群体分布于我国大陆东南沿海一带的上海、福州、厦门和深圳。而且,这些自然群体内还出现“１长１短型”、“长型”和“短型”重叠并存的多态现象。跟踪研究表明,新核型具有不稳定的遗传性,能世代传递,它的频率随世代增长而降低,并不是突然消失。但是,在上海、福州群体内出现的“长型”至第十五代之后却全部消失。这种新核型大概是银额果蝇自然演化过程中的中间过渡核型,是该果蝇种群分化中的细胞遗传学变异的过渡表征     

冬虫夏草(Cordyceps sinensis)的随机扩增多态DNA及其遗传分化

本文对来自青藏高原3个区域5个具有代表性地方的13个冬虫夏草(Cordyceps sinensis[Berk.] Sacc.)样本进行随机扩增多态DNA(RAPD)分析。19个随机引物获得的RAPD谱带清晰并呈现多态,单个引物获得的RAPD片段数在3～10个之间。该19个引物在每个样本中扩增的RAPD片段总数平均约为65个。基于遗传距离分析,受试的13个冬虫夏草样本中,来自同一地方的样本间遗传差异甚微,同一区域不同地方的样本间遗传差异较大,不同区域的样本间遗传差异最大。这说明冬虫夏草地理群体间存在着遗传分化。应用UPGMA和NJ方法构建的分子系统树显示,来自5个地方的冬虫夏草实际上可以归并为显著不同的3个组,对应于样本来源的3个区域,提示RAPD标记在冬虫夏草群体中有显著的地区特异性。我们的结果还表明,冬虫夏草地理群体间的遗传差异度与地理距离呈正相关。因此,RAPD作为有效的遗传标记,可用于研究冬虫夏草的遗传多样性、起源以及系统演化等。     

Sequence variation and genetic diversity in the giant panda

About 336–444 bp mitochondrial D-loop region and tRNA gene were sequenced for 40 individuals of the giant panda which were collected from Mabian, Meigu, Yuexi, Baoxing, Pingwu, Qingchuan, Nanping and Baishuijiang, respectively. 9 haplotypes were found in 21 founders. The results showed that the giant panda has low genetic variations, and that there is no notable genetic isolation among geographical populations. The ancestor of the living giant panda population perhaps appeared in the late Pleistocene, and unfortunately, might have suffered bottleneck attacks. Afterwards, its genetic diversity seemed to recover to some extent. Project supported by the “8.5” Key Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chairman Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, K. C. Wang Education Foundation, the Applied Basic Research Foundation of Yunnan, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Special Foundation for Returned Chinese Scientists, and Zoological Society of San Diego.