Use of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis to differentiate isolates of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from cockles (Anadara granosa)

A total of 35 Kanagawa-negative strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from cockles (Anadara granosa) were investigated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting with three primers and their plasmid profiles. Eighteen strains carried small plasmid(s) of 2.4 to 7.3kb that enabled the V. parahaemolyticus to be grouped into eight plasmid patterns. The three primers generated polymorphisms in all 35 strains of V. parahaemolyticus tested, producing bands ranging from 0.25 to 3.9kb. The RAPD profiles revealed a high level of DNA sequence diversity within the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains tested, and that cockles in the study area are populated by genetically polymorphic strains of V. parahaemolyticus.     

Purification and Characterization of Cu,Zn Superoxide Dismutase from Ark Shell Scapharca broughtonii

A superoxide dismutase has been purified to apparent homogeneity from the muscular tissue of the ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii, by ammonium sulfate fractionation, and consecutive column chromatographies using DEAE-Sephadex and Sephadex G-100. This enzyme has a molecular weight of 71,700 and is composed of two identical subunits of M _r 35,800, which are joined by noncovalent interactions. The purified enzyme was stable over the range of pH 5.0-10.0 at 4°C for 24 h and at temperatures below 45°C. Cyanide at 0.1 and 1 mM inhibited the activity of the superoxide dismutase 56 and 100%, but 5 mM azide caused 8% inhibition. The optical spectrum of this enzyme had a maximum at 265 nm, and the amino acid composition of the enzyme was similar to that of the other Cu, Zn superoxide dismutases except for the contents of threonine, serine, proline, and leucine. Atomic absorption spectroscopy showed that this enzyme has approximately 2 atoms of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ per mole of enzyme. These results indicate that the purified enzyme from ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii, is a Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase.     

Tissue specificity of metabolism in the bivalve mollusc <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anadara inaequivalvis</Emphasis> Br. under conditions of experimental anoxia

Peculiarities of the course of metabolic processes in tissues of the bivalve mollusc Anadara inaequivalvis Br. were studied under conditions of experimental anoxia. In the absence of oxygen, in gill and foot the protein catabolism processes were found to be enhanced; this led to a decrease of the protein content and to an increase of the free amino acid and urea levels. Predominantly hydrolyzed were low molecular peptides, which was indicated by a decrease of the cathepsin D activity on the background of a rise of the γ-glutamyltranspeptidase activity. Anoxia was accompanied by enhancement of the succinate thiokinase and fumarate reductase reactions controlled by alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. This prevented accumulation of toxic lactate in tissues and allowed obtaining an additional macroerg resource. Metabolic processes in the mollusc hepatopancreas were oriented to production of amino acids.     

Reduced performance of native infauna following recruitment to a habitat-forming invasive marine alga

Despite well-documented negative impacts of invasive species on native biota, evidence for the facilitation of native organisms, particularly by habitat-forming invasive species, is increasing. However, most of these studies are conducted at the population or community level, and we know little about the individual fitness consequences of recruitment to habitat-forming invasive species and, consequently, whether recruitment to these habitats is adaptive. We determined the consequences of recruitment to the invasive green alga Caulerpa taxifolia on the native soft-sediment bivalve Anadara trapezia and nearby unvegetated sediment. Initially, we documented the growth and survivorship of A. trapezia following a natural recruitment event, to which recruitment to C. taxifolia was very high. After 12 months, few clams remained in either habitat, and those that remained showed little growth. Experimental manipulations of recruits demonstrated that all performance measures (survivorship, growth and condition) were significantly reduced in C. taxifolia sediments compared to unvegetated sediments. Exploration of potential mechanisms responsible for the reduced performance in C. taxifolia sediments showed that water flow and water column dissolved oxygen (DO) were significantly reduced under the canopy of C. taxifolia and that sediment anoxia was significantly higher and sediment sulphides greater in C. taxifolia sediments. However, phytoplankton abundance (an indicator of food supply) was significantly higher in C. taxifolia sediments than in unvegetated ones. Our results demonstrate that recruitment of native species to habitat-forming invasive species can reduce growth, condition and survivorship and that studies conducted at the community level may lead to erroneous conclusions about the impacts of invaders and should include studies on life-history traits, particularly juveniles.     

山东近海魁蚶资源增殖的研究

报道了一种海洋贝类─—魁蚶资源增殖研究的全过程,包括人工育苗、中间培育、底播放流以及增殖生物学等．结果表明,对亲贝采用阴干、流水、升温、精液或漂白液刺激等诱导方法,苗种生产可实现全工厂化;风浪小、饵料丰富的内湾、虾池等是稚贝适宜的中间培育水域．当年稚贝主要生长期为７—１１月,略高于成体适温上限的环境更利于生长,但越冬（１２—２月）后的稚贝难以渡过２６℃以上的高温;选择敌害生物少、海底表面稳定性好的海区是增殖成败的关键．放流苗种的理想规格为２．０—２．５ｃｍ,１年后回捕率在５０％以上,１．５年后可达壳长５ｃｍ以上的商品规格,增殖效果显著．     

魁蚶幼贝对筒柱藻滤食效应的初步研究

采用实验生态学方法和"捕食者-猎物"的捕食模型,研究了黑暗条件下魁蚶(Anadara broughtonii)幼贝对筒柱藻(Cylindrotheca fusiformis)的滤食效应,测定了5种藻液浓度(30×107~150×107cells/L)及4个温度梯度(10℃、15℃、20℃和25℃)下魁蚶对饵料生物的滤食能力、功能反应类型和滤藻效应特征,并分别建立Holling圆盘方程。同时研究了水温20℃时魁蚶个体间的滤食干扰反应,建立了藻液浓度和魁蚶自身密度的联合反应方程。实验发现,水温20℃条件下,魁蚶幼贝对筒柱藻的平均滤食速率随着藻液浓度的增加而显著增大(P0.05),且0~4 h时段内的滤食速率显著高于其他时段。魁蚶滤食筒柱藻的功能反应属Holling-Ⅱ型,拟合圆盘方程为Na=1.0195N_0/1+0.002039N_0滤食功能系数为1.019 5,极限法推出壳长30~35 mm的魁蚶对筒柱藻的日均最大滤食量约为500×107 cells/L;10~25℃条件下,魁蚶的平均滤食速率和滤食功能反应系数随温度升高呈现先升高后下降的变化趋势,并于20℃时达到最大值,推测20℃是其最佳摄食温度。魁蚶的滤食效应存在较强的个体间干扰反应,平均滤食量和滤食作用率均随幼贝密度的增加而下降,且魁蚶滤食筒柱藻的功能反应与幼贝密度的关系可用幂函数方程E=0.730 8P﹣1.068表示,由此建立了魁蚶幼贝密度与筒柱藻藻液浓度之间的联合反应方程N_a=0.7451P~(-0.0684)N_0/1+0.0020N0。结果表明,水温20℃时,魁蚶幼贝具有较强的潜在滤食能力,其平均滤食量和滤食作用率与幼贝密度间存在明显的"负密度效应"特征。     

Ten new highly polymorphic microsatellite loci in the blood clam Scapharca broughtonii

Ten novel microsatellite loci were isolated from blood clam Scapharca broughtonii, and the polymorphisms were examined to estimate genetic variability. The genetic variabilities varied depending on the locus. The number of alleles ranged from 11 to 23, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.63 to 0.93 and 0.66 to 0.95, respectively. Four loci showed significant Hardy–Weinberg disequilibrium at P < 0.05 level. The high variabilities revealed in this study suggest that microsatellites should prove useful for various genetic investigations.     

The diet of the edible cockle Anadara antiquata L. (Bivalvia,Arcidae) in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania, during the northeast monsoons

The diet of the cockle Anadara antiquata L. was studied along Dar es Salaam coast during the N-E Monsoon season. No zooplankton were found in the 80 cockle guts examined. 27 phytoplankton genera were identified, an indication of wide phytophagy. Members of classes Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Pyrophyceae and Prasnophyceae were very prevalent in the diet. Scenedesmus, Chlamydomonas, Palmeria, Exuviella, and Coscinodiscus showed the highest recurrence frequencies per gut.     

Ultrastructure of the spermatogenesis of the cockle Anadara granosa L. (Bivalvia: Arcidae)

In this paper spermatogenesis and sperm ultrastructure of the cockle Anadara granosa are studied using transmission electron microscopy. The spermatocyte presents electron-dense vesicles and the arising axoneme that begins to form the flagellum. During spermatid differentiation, proacrosomal vesicles appear to migrate towards the presumptive anterior pole of the nucleus; eventually these vesicles become acrosome. The spermatozoon of Anadara granosa is of the primitive type. The acrosome, situated at the apex of the nucleus, is cap-shaped and deeply invaginated at the inner side. The spherical nucleus of the spermatozoon contains dense granular chromatin and shows invagination at the posterior poles. The centriole shows the classic nine triplets of microtubules. The middle piece consists of the centriolar complex surrounded by five giant mitochondria. It is shown that the ultrastructure of spermatozoa and spermiogenesis of Anadara granosa reveals a number of features that are common among bivalves. Received: 29 September 1998 / Received in revised form: 20 May 1999 / Accepted: 14 June 1999     

毛蚶中肠道病毒检测方法的建立

本文建立了检测毛蚶中肠道病毒的方法。病毒在pH4.5时吸附于毛蚶组织,离心后用pH9.5甘氨酸盐水将病毒从毛蚶组织中洗脱出来,并用0.0005mol/L三氯化铝代替Johnson法中的Cat—Floc,达到去除细胞毒性物质的目的。经过再一次离心,利用牛肉浸膏在pH3.5—4.0时凝聚并吸附病毒的特性使洗脱液中的病毒得到浓缩。离心后沉淀溶解于0.1mol/L磷酸氢二钠溶液。用本法提取毛蚶中脊髓灰质炎病毒,当病毒含量为每克组织3.5×10~5至35PFU时,平均回收率为71.2％。