Establishment of a 4650-year-long eigenvalue chronology based on tree-ring cores from Qilian junipers (Juniperus przewalskii Kom.) in Western China

This paper describes a tree-ring width chronology that spans the past 4650 years, established using the recently developed eigenanalysis technique. The aim is to show whether this eigenanalysis method enables the extraction of long-term tree-growth variations that are due to climatic changes, from a large dataset comprising 1263 tree-ring width records sampled from the highlands of Western China. In order to exclude the so-called growth rate/life span association effect, tree-ring width records were sorted into six subsets, based on the life spans of the trees sampled: 200–400, 400–600, 600–800, 800–1000, 1000–1500 years old, and trees older than 1500 years. Some partial chronologies were created, by pairing the set of all tree samples (living, dead, archaeological remains) with the living trees belonging to each subset. We computed the contours of tree-growth variations (on both 100-year and longer time scales) for each subset, ending with six pairs of these partial subset chronologies. Two sums of all these partial chronologies thus yielded a record of precipitation variations over a period ranging from 2627 BCE up to 2012 CE. It was found that this record shows a high degree of similarity to the existing chronology produced using the regional curve standardization (RCS) method applied to the same dataset, indicating that the eigenvalue chronology is capable of faithfully extracting long-term climatic variations. This also confirms that the first eigenvector represents the growth pattern that is characteristic of each biologically unique tree as well as the micro-environment of each tree stand. The variations observed over the last millennium seem to be connected to a cycle of solar activity with a period of ∼200 years. However, a clear lack of correspondence between solar activity and tree growth prior to 1000 CE indicates that the recent consistency may be coincidental. We believe that the eigenanalysis technique is readily applicable to other kinds of tree-ring datasets from different parts of the world.     

Harmonizing Labeling and Analytical Strategies to Obtain Protein Turnover Rates in Intact Adult Animals

Changes in the abundance of individual proteins in the proteome can be elicited by modulation of protein synthesis (the rate of input of newly synthesized proteins into the protein pool) or degradation (the rate of removal of protein molecules from the pool). A full understanding of proteome changes therefore requires a definition of the roles of these two processes in proteostasis, collectively known as protein turnover. Because protein turnover occurs even in the absence of overt changes in pool abundance, turnover measurements necessitate monitoring the flux of stable isotope–labeled precursors through the protein pool such as labeled amino acids or metabolic precursors such as ammonium chloride or heavy water. In cells in culture, the ability to manipulate precursor pools by rapid medium changes is simple, but for more complex systems such as intact animals, the approach becomes more convoluted. Individual methods bring specific complications, and the suitability of different methods has not been comprehensively explored. In this study, we compare the turnover rates of proteins across four mouse tissues, obtained from the same inbred mouse strain maintained under identical husbandry conditions, measured using either [¹³C₆]lysine or [²H₂]O as the labeling precursor. We show that for long-lived proteins, the two approaches yield essentially identical measures of the first-order rate constant for degradation. For short-lived proteins, there is a need to compensate for the slower equilibration of lysine through the precursor pools. We evaluate different approaches to provide that compensation. We conclude that both labels are suitable, but careful determination of precursor enrichment kinetics in amino acid labeling is critical and has a considerable influence on the numerical values of the derived protein turnover rates.     

Divergent adaptation to Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau implicated from transciptome study of Gymnocypris dobula and Schizothorax nukiangensis

The Schizothoracine fishes are widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) area and its peripheral regions, which provide a prime example of adaptation in highland aquatic environments. Recent progresses have revealed various genetic adaptations of these fishes by comparing to distantly related lowerland species, however, comparative studies on closely-related species of different altitudes are still lacking. In this study, we sequenced and annotated a primitive Schizothoracine fish Schizothorax nukiangensis Tsao and a highly specialized one Gymnocypris dobula. We performed evolutionary analyses to investigate the candidate genes and signaling pathways involved QTP highland adaptation in both Schizothoracine fishes. Analysis of the 11,007 one-copy orthologs to the primitive cyprinid species, Danio rerio, revealed that both G. dobula and S. nukiangensis showed elevated evolutionary rates. A large number of genes related to hypoxia, including genes involved metabolic processes and cardiovascular system development, exhibited signatures of positive selection in both Schizothoracine fishes, but very few positively selected genes were found overlapping among these Schizothoracines. Our results indicated divergent genetic adaptation to highland environment for aquatic species living in QTP.     

青藏高原不同海拔高度下全缘叶绿绒蒿叶表皮特征研究

采用胶带粘取叶表皮法,利用光学显微镜观测不同海拔高度下全缘叶绿绒蒿叶片的表皮毛、气孔及表皮细胞结构特征,探讨全缘叶绿绒蒿叶表皮特征与海拔高度的关系。结果表明,随着海拔高度增加,全缘叶绿绒蒿叶片上、下表皮毛密度、气孔密度和表皮细胞密度逐渐增加;气孔器及表皮细胞的长度、宽度和面积逐渐减小;表皮细胞的形态随着海拔升高由无规则形向多边形变化,垂周壁由波状向弓形或平直变化。全缘叶绿绒蒿叶表皮结构在不同海拔高度下表现出的差异,可能是植物长期在高原生态环境下的综合反应,以结构上的变化来适应对高海拔地区的环境特点,为进一步研究高海拔地区植物的适应性提供一定依据。     

基于RAD测序技术的黄绿卷毛菇(Floccularia luteovirens)微卫星引物的开发

黄绿卷毛菇(Floccularia luteovirens)是广泛分布于青藏高原高寒草甸的一种重要的可食用的菌根真菌。先前的研究利用EST-SSR引物已经对该物种的遗传多样性及群落结构进行了研究,但研究表明EST-SSR位点多态性较低,因此想要进一步探讨形成现有遗传分布格局的机制(该物种小尺度空间范围内基株的密度及大小)需要重新开发具有更高多态性的基于核基因的微卫星位点。本研究利用RAD测序技术使用直接测序分析的方法重新开发了12对具有多态性的引物。测序结果去接头拼装后共获得46 036条重叠群。在这些序列当中共扫描到342条含有重复单元的序列,在这当中70.47%为三碱基重复(241),8.19%为二碱基重复(28)。随机选取48对检测,12对具有多态性且测序结果良好,基于3个居群63个个体的遗传多样性研究显示,所有样品中共获得60个单倍型,每个位点的单倍型数量介于2 (GSSR26L)至9 (GSSR7L,GSSR11L)之间。Gst值介于-0.03(GSSR46L)至0.28(GSSR6L)之间、Fst值介于-0.03(GSSR33L)至0.42(GSSR6L)之间。在引物GSSR47L扩增测序中发现,其扩增出的片段不仅具有重复单元数量的变化,重复单元本身也存在突变的现象,这是之前使用聚丙烯凝胶电泳所检测不到的。本研究获得的微卫星引物将为接下来小尺度空间下研究黄绿卷毛菇基株的密度、大小及动态变化提供有力的支持。     

青藏高原两种植被类型净初级生产力与气候因素的关系及周转值分析

基于2008—2016年青海海北站9年净初级生产力及气候因子监测数据,分析了青藏高原高寒小嵩草草甸和高寒金露梅灌丛两种植被净初级生产力年际动态,并探讨了气候因子对其影响及其不同土层深度根系周转值特征。结果表明:(1)年际尺度上,小嵩草草甸地上净初级生产力表现为显著增加趋势,增幅为7.02 g m~(-2) a~(-1),而金露梅灌丛地上净初级生产力相对较为稳定;对于其地下净初级生产力和总生产力,小嵩草草甸和金露梅灌丛均表现为增加趋势(P0.05),9年间小嵩草草甸地上、地下和总净初级生产力平均值分别为(217.55±9.95)、(1882.75±161.33) g m~(-2) a~(-1)和(2100.30±163.38) g m~(-2) a~(-1),金露梅灌丛地上、地下和总净初级生产力9年间平均值分别为(256.27±11.4)、(1614.31±173.03) g m~(-2) a~(-1)和(1870.58±177.93) g m~(-2) a~(-1)。(2)不同植被类型地上净初级生产力对气候因素响应不同,金露梅灌丛地上净初级生产力主要受温度影响,而温度对小嵩草草甸地上净初级生产力无显著影响。此外,降水不是限制高寒生态系统草地地上净初级生产力主要因子,相比于降水影响,高寒生态系统地上净初级生产力更受温度调控。(3)年均温和年降水对金露梅灌丛和小嵩草草甸地下净初级生产力均无显著影响(P0.05),表明高寒生态系统,其地下生产力受外界气候条件变化影响微弱,是一个稳定的碳库。(4)两种植被类型其根系周转值均随着土壤深度的增加呈逐渐增加趋势,且高寒灌丛根系周转值明显高于高寒草甸根系周转值。研究表明,在全球气候变暖背景下将会增加金露梅灌丛地上净初级生产力,而对小嵩草草甸地上净初级生产力无显著影响。     

高原鼢鼠扰动及恢复年限对高寒草甸土壤养分和微生物功能多样性的影响

为了研究高原鼢鼠扰动后退化高寒草甸恢复演替的动态过程,利用常规实验室分析方法和Biolog-ECO生态板法对青藏高原东缘高寒草甸土壤养分和微生物功能多样性进行分析.结果表明: 高原鼢鼠扰动显著降低了土壤有机质、全氮、速效氮和速效磷含量,对土壤全磷和全钾含量无显著影响;在一定植被恢复年限内,土壤微生物的碳源利用率、Shannon、Pielou和McIntosh指数随着植被恢复年限的增加而升高;主成分分析表明,碳水化合物和氨基酸是土壤微生物利用的主要碳源类型;冗余分析表明,土壤pH、有机质、全氮、速效氮和全钾是影响土壤微生物代谢活性和功能多样性的主要因子.不同植被恢复年限土壤微生物功能多样性的变化可能是对地上植被、土壤微生物群落组成和土壤养分变化的响应.     

放牧干扰下高原鼢鼠栖息地选择因素

以祁连山东段高寒草甸栖息的高原鼢鼠(Myospalax baileyi)为研究对象,探讨放牧干扰下高原鼢鼠适合栖息地选择的影响因素,为合理控制草原鼠害和保护生物多样性提供科学依据。在5个不同放牧强度小区中,连续3年监测高原鼢鼠相对种群密度变化,同时获取植被和土壤的变化数据。分析高原鼢鼠相对种群密度、植被(盖度、高度、频度、植被生物量、植被均匀度、丰富度、多样性和地下根系生物量)和土壤(紧实度、容重、水分)之间的关系。中度放牧干扰下,高原鼢鼠相对种群密度最低,不利于对栖息地的选择,轻度、次轻度放牧区的高原鼢鼠相对种群密度高于重度、次重度放牧区的;轻度放牧干扰的草地有利于高原鼢鼠种群数量的增加。高原鼢鼠相对种群密度与土壤紧实度、容重呈显著负相关(R=﹣0.921、﹣0.883,P0.05);与土壤水分呈显著正相关(R=0.879,P0.05);高原鼢鼠相对种群密度与地下根系生物量呈极显著正相关(R=0.982,P0.01),与植被丰富度呈显著正相关(R=0.921,P0.05),与地上植被总盖度呈显著正相关(R=0.909,P0.05),与地上生物量、均匀度、多样性呈不显著正相关(P0.05)。在草地放牧干扰系统中,非生物因素土壤紧实度、水分可能是高原鼢鼠栖息地选择的首要选择因素,食物资源也许是次要选择因素。