A New Acylated Anthocyanin from the Red Flowers of Camellia hongkongensis and Characterization of Anthocyanins in the Section Camellia Species

Twelve anthocyanins (1-12) were isolated from the red flowers of Camellia hongkongensis Seem. by chromatography using open columns. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, that is, proton-nuclear magnetic resonance, carbon 13-nuclear magnetic resonance, heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation, high resolution electrospray ionization mass and ultraviolet visible spectroscopies. Out of these anthocyanins, a novel acylated anthocyanin, cyanidin 3-O-(6-O-(Z)-p-coumaroyl)-β-galactopyranoside (6), two known acylated anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-O-(6-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl)-β-galactopyranoside (7) and cyanidin 3-O-(6-O-(E)-caffeoyl)-β-galactopyranoside (8), and three known delphinidin glycosides (10-12) were for the first time isolated from the genus Camellia. Furthermore, pigment components in C. japonica L., C. chekiangoleosa Hu and C. semiserrata Chi were studied.The results indicated that the distribution of anthocyanins was differed among these species. Delphinidin glycoside was only detected in the flowers of C. hongkongensis, which is a special and important species in the section Camellia. Based on the characterization of anthocyanins in the section Camellia species, there is a close relationship among these species,and C. hongkongensis might be an important parent for creating new cultivars with bluish flower color.     

亚热带森林啮齿类动物对林区两种植物果实的捕食和扩散研究——以宽阔水自然保护区为例

2007年9月至10月,以贵州省遵义市绥阳县宽阔水国家级自然保护区亚热带森林系统内食果(或食种子)啮齿类动物与肉果植物香港四照花Dendrobenthamia hongkongensis和干果植物西南山茶Camellia pitardii为研究对象,初步研究鼠类捕食对两种植物种子扩散的影响.结果表明啮齿动物对两种植物果实及种子的搬运存在较大差异:鼠类对于肉果植物主要表现为种子的散布者,香港四照花90%的种子被成功散布,但距离较靠近母树;鼠类对于干果植物则主要表现为种子的掠食者,超过90%的西南山茶种子被鼠类采食,仅极少数能够偶然幸存下来进入土壤种子库,鼠类对干果的平均搬运距离大于肉果.     

野生植物狮子尾营养成分的研究及应用

对野生植物狮子尾的营养成分进行了分析,结果表明,狮子尾中含有多种营养成分,丰富的矿质元素和维生素及β-胡萝卜素。狮子尾中至少含有17种氨基酸。旨在为开发利用植物资源提供科学依据。     

野生秀丽四照花种子生物学特性及萌发研究

对野生秀丽四照花(Cornus hongkongensis subsp. elegans)种子的生物学特性进行观察测定,比较变温、低温层积、化学处理对种子萌发的影响。结果表明,秀丽四照花种子千粒重76.91 g,长5.81 mm、宽5.10 mm、厚3.99 mm。种子在整个试验过程中吸水率低于8%,说明有吸水性障碍的坚硬种皮抑制了种子萌发。变温条件下,温差较大的30 ℃/15 ℃处理对秀丽四照花种子萌发有较好的促进作用,萌发时滞短,萌发率和发芽势较高。秀丽四照花种子经30% NaOH浸泡10 min,可明显缩短萌发时间,但4 ℃低温层积处理对种子萌发没有显著效果。     

Isolation of Laribacter hongkongensis, a novel bacterium associated with gastroenteritis, from drinking water reservoirs in Hong Kong

AIMS: Freshwater fish has been found to be the reservoir of Laribacter hongkongensis, a recently discovered bacterium associated with community-acquired gastroenteritis. However, little is known about the ecology of this bacterium in the aquatic environment. We carried out a surveillance study to investigate the presence of L. hongkongensis in water and freshwater fish from 10 drinking water reservoirs in Hong Kong. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using membrane filtration, L. hongkongensis was isolated from the waters of six reservoirs, with numbers ranging from 1 to 12 CFU l(-1). Higher recovery rates were observed in summer and during days of higher water and ambient temperatures. Of 27 freshwater fish collected from the reservoirs, L. hongkongensis was recovered from the intestines of two fish, a Goldfish and a Nile tilapia. Overall, 35 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns are found among the 59 isolates recovered from water and the two isolates from freshwater fish. CONCLUSIONS: The present report represents the first to demonstrate the presence of L. hongkongensis in natural water environments. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Although it is unlikely that treated, drinking water is an important source of L. hongkongensis-associated gastroenteritis, one should be aware of the possibility of other contaminated water as a source of human infection.     

Detection of Laribacter hongkongensis using species-specific duplex PCR assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ISR)

Aims: For the rapid detection of Laribacter hongkongensis, which is associated with human community‐acquired gastroenteritis and traveller’s diarrhoea, we developed a duplex species‐specific PCR assay. Methods and Results: Full‐length of the 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ISR) sequences of 52 L. hongkongensis isolates were obtained by PCR‐based sequencing. Two species‐specific primer pairs targeting 16S rRNA gene and ISR were designed for duplex PCR detection of L. hongkongensis. The L. hongkongensis species‐specific duplex PCR assay showed 100% specificity, and the minimum detectable level was 2·1 × 10^?2 ng μl^?1 genomic DNA which corresponds to 5000 CFU ml^?1. Conclusions: The high specificity and sensitivity of the assay make it suitable for rapid detection of L. hongkongensis. Significance and Impact of the Study: This species‐specific duplex PCR method provides a rapid, simple, and reliable alternative to conventional methods to identify L. hongkongensis and may have applications in both clinical and environmental microbiology.     

Anaerospora hongkongensis gen. nov. sp. nov., a novel genus and species with ribosomal DNA operon heterogeneity isolated from an intravenous drug abuser with pseudobacteremia

A bacterium was isolated from the blood culture of an intravenous drug abuser with pseudobacteremia. The cells were strictly anaerobic, straight or slightly curved, sporulating, Gram-negative rods. It grew on sheep blood agar as non-hemolytic, pinpoint colonies after 48 hr of incubation at 37 C in an anaerobic environment. It was motile but did not produce catalase or cytochrome oxidase. 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing revealed three different copies of 16S rDNA sequences. More than 90% of the differences among them were due to differences in the lengths of the sequences. Phylogenetically, the bacterium is clustered with Dendrosporobacter, Sporomusa, and Propionispora, the other three genera of anaerobic, sporulating, Gram-negative rods. There were 8.6-11.1% differences between the 16S rDNA sequences of the bacterium and that of D. quercicolus, 4.7-15.1% differences between the 16S rDNA sequences of it and those of S. acidovorans, S. aerivorans, S. malonica, S. ovata, S. paucivorans, S. silvacetica, S. spaeroides, and S. termitida, and 7.6-13.1% differences between the 16S rDNA sequences of it and those of P. hippei and P. vibrioides. The G+C content of the bacterium (mean +/- SD) was 46.8 +/- 3.2%. For these reasons, a new genus and species, Anaerospora hongkongensis gen. nov. sp. nov., is proposed, for which HKU15T is the type strain.     

Genetic diversity in three colonizing orchids with contrasting mating systems

Comparative studies on the genetic attributes of colonizing orchids with diverse mating systems are lacking in the literature. Eulophia sinensis, Spiranthes hongkongensis, and Zeuxine strateumatica are colonizing orchids that frequently occupy newly created habitats in Hong Kong. Mating system studies showed that E. sinensis is a self-compatible but pollinator-dependent outcrossing species, S. hongkongensis is a self-pollinating taxon, and Z srateumatica is apomictic. Population genetic attributes of these orchid species were investigated. Despite their contrasting mating systems, electrophoretic surveys revealed a striking lack of allozyme variation, both within and among populations, in all three species. However, gene duplications were evident in these species, due to their likely polyploid origins, The percentage of duplicate loci exhibiting "fixed heterozygosity" was 10, 21.4, and 20% in E. sinensis, S. hongkongensis, and Z. strateumatica, respectively. The genetic attributes of these orchids are compared to those found in other colonizing plant species.     

香港四照花花芽分化的形态学观察

采用石蜡切片技术和形态观察对香港四照花(Dendrobenthamia hongkongensis(Hemsl.)Hutch.)花芽分化过程中花芽的形态变化进行观测,研究花芽外部形态与花芽分化之间的关系。结果显示,香港四照花的花芽分化开始于7月上旬,到9月底完成,形态分化过程可分为8个时期:未分化期、花序原基分化期、小花原基分化期、花萼原基分化期、花瓣原基分化期、雄蕊原基分化期、雌蕊原基分化期、雌蕊雄蕊形成期。与之对应的外部形态变化为:混合芽闭合,混合芽基部膨大,新叶展开露出圆形花序,花柄初现,花序膨大,花序表面小花突起,花柄伸长至4~6 mm,花序表面小花轮廓明显。香港四照花花芽外部形态能直观地反映出内部结构变化,可根据花芽外部形态特征推测花芽分化状况。研究结果可为香港四照花花期调控和栽培管理提供科学依据。     

Description of Perkinsus beihaiensis n. sp., a new Perkinsus sp. parasite in oysters of Southern China

Oysters were collected from coastal locations in China from 1999-2006 for parasite analyses by molecular, culture, and histological techniques. Polymerase chain reaction-based assays targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal RNA gene complex were performed to detect the presence of Perkinsus species. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of amplified Perkinsus sp. DNAs indicated that a novel Perkinsus sp. infects Crassostrea hongkongensis, Crassostrea ariakensis, and other bivalve hosts from Fujian to Guangxi provinces in southern China. Prevalence of this Perkinsus sp. reaches as high as 60% in affected oyster populations. Analyses of nucleotide sequences of the rRNA ITS region and of large subunit rRNA and actin genes, consistently confirmed the genus affiliation of this Perkinsus sp., but distinguished it from currently accepted Perkinsus species. Parasite cell types, such as signet ring trophozoites of 2-8 microm diameter, were observed by histology, and application of both genus Perkinsus and Perkinsus species-specific in situ hybridization probes consistently labelled the same Perkinsus sp. cells in histological sections from infected oyster tissues. Combined phylogenetic and histological results support the identity of a new parasite species, Perkinsus beihaiensis n. sp.