Response of Picea rubens seedlings to intermittent mist varying in acidity, and in concentrations of sulfur-, and nitrogen-containing pollutants

Two-year-old red spruce seedlings ( Picea rubens Sarg .) growing in. field chambers were repeatedly exposed to acidic mist with a factorial combination of 3 fluctuating levels of acidity: median pH values of 3.0 (range of 2.5 to 3.5), 3.5 (range of 3.0 to 4.0), and 4.0 (range of 3.5 to 4.5). and 3 ion compositions: sulfate. nitrate and ammonium, and a combination of all 3 ions. The experiment was performed during the growing season over a period of 3.5 months. Mist exposures were intermittent with 5 wet-dry cycles for each 16-h overnight exposure period, Foliar necrosis occurred on seedlings treated with the most acidic mist and was most severe when the mist contained sulfate. At a median pH of 3.5, a value close to that of cloud water occurring in the eastern United States, injury developed with sulfuric acid mist, but not. when the mist contained nitric acid. The combination of high acidity and sulfate significantly decreased volume of aboveground tissues, while high acidity and nitrate increased volume. Root and needle dry weights were not affected. However, high acidity of mist was associated with increased leader shoot length. These results indicate, that there is a risk of foliar injury and changes in growth of red spruce with cloud water at a median acidity of pH 3.5 or below, especially when there are high concentrations of sulfate and low concentrations of nitrate.     

高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响

对两个耐热性不同的水稻品系进行高温处理(8:00～17:00,37℃,17:00～8:00,30℃),测定了高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响.结果表明,高温胁迫导致花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数的显著下降,花粉粒直径增大.高温下耐热品系996的花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数明显高于热敏感品系4628,这表明耐热品系996在高温胁迫条件下能保持较好地花粉散落特性和花粉萌发特性,是其耐热性的生理基础;高温下耐热品系996的花药壁的表皮细胞排列较整齐,细胞间隙小;药隔维管束较大,维管束鞘细胞排列整齐,簿壁细胞多且排列整齐,木质部和韧皮部清楚可见;而热敏感品系4628花药壁的表皮细胞形状不规则,排列疏松,细胞间隙大,药隔维管组织受到很大程度破坏,维管束鞘细胞形状异常,排列紊乱,木质部和韧皮部界限不清.     

红壤退化地森林恢复后土壤有机碳对土壤水库库容的影响

亚热带红壤侵蚀退化地实施生态恢复后生物生产力恢复迅速,但土壤尤其是土壤水库的功能并未获得同步恢复,导致土壤水库对于降水和地表径流的调节能力低下,区域性洪涝灾害和季节性干旱依然突出。采用野外调查和室内分析相结合的方式,研究了南方红壤侵蚀退化地典型植被恢复类型(马尾松与阔叶树复层林、木荷与马尾松混交林、阔叶混交林)0—60cm土层土壤水库各种库容差异,以及土壤总有机碳和活性有机碳密度分布特征,采用典型相关分析方法对土壤水库库容与土壤有机碳密度两组指标进行相关分析。结果表明:随着土层深度的增加,各森林恢复类型死库容呈上升趋势,兴利库容和最大有效库容呈下降趋势,防洪库容变化趋势不明显,木荷与马尾松混交林兴利库容略高。不同森林恢复类型同一土层土壤总有机碳密度均表现为马尾松与阔叶树复层林木荷与马尾松混交林阔叶混交林,而活性有机碳密度则以阔叶混交林最大。典型相关分析表明,土壤有机碳水平对土壤水库库容的增加具有显著的因果影响关系(P=0.01),其中对有机碳水平起到主导性贡献作用的是水溶性有机碳。因此,对于退化红壤地森林恢复初期,可通过适当密植和立体种植,提高林地生物量和土壤碳密度,并在马尾松等先锋树种针叶林分中补植阔叶乔灌木,以增加土壤活性有机碳含量,增大土壤水库容量,从而有利于土壤水库结构和功能以及退化生态系统的快速恢复。     

No signs of Na+/K+‐ATPase adaptations to an invasive exotic toxic prey in native squamate predators

Invasions by exotic toxic prey, like the release of the South American cane toad (Bufo (Rhinella) marinus) to the toad‐free Australian continent in 1935, have been shown to result in massive declines in native predator numbers. Due to minor nucleotide mutations of the Na⁺/K⁺‐ATPase gene most Australian squamate predators are highly susceptible to cane toad toxin. However, in spite of this, predators like yellow‐spotted goannas (Varanus panoptes) and red‐bellied black snakes (Pseudechis porhyriacus) still persist in parts of Queensland where they, in some areas, have co‐existed with cane toads for more than 70 years. Here, we show that the amino acids of the Na⁺/K⁺‐ATPase enzyme in the two species do not provide toad toxin resistance, and hence the two Queensland predators are still highly susceptible to cane toad toxin. Both yellow‐spotted goannas and lace monitors (Varanus varius) have, however, been recorded avoiding feeding on cane toads in areas where they co‐exist with this toxic amphibian. Moreover, both varanids have also been shown to learn to avoid feeding on toads when first subjected to conditioned taste aversion. Such behavioural shifts may therefore explain why yellow‐spotted goannas and red‐bellied black snakes still exist in cane toad infested areas of Queensland. The process appears, however, to be unable to rapidly restore varanid populations to pre‐toad population numbers as even after 10 years of co‐existence with cane toads in the Northern Territory, we see no signs of an increase in yellow‐spotted goanna numbers.     

Fairy wrasses perceive and respond to their deep red fluorescent coloration

Fluorescence enables the display of wavelengths that are absent in the natural environment, offering the potential to generate conspicuous colour contrasts. The marine fairy wrasse Cirrhilabrus solorensis displays prominent fluorescence in the deep red range (650–700 nm). This is remarkable because marine fishes are generally assumed to have poor sensitivity in this part of the visual spectrum. Here, we investigated whether C. solorensis males can perceive the fluorescence featured in this species by testing whether the presence or absence of red fluorescence affects male–male interactions under exclusive blue illumination. Given that males respond aggressively towards mirror-image stimuli, we quantified agonistic behaviour against mirrors covered with filters that did or did not absorb long (i.e. red) wavelengths. Males showed significantly fewer agonistic responses when their fluorescent signal was masked, independent of brightness differences. Our results unequivocally show that C. solorensis can see its deep red fluorescent coloration and that this pattern affects male–male interactions. This is the first study to demonstrate that deep red fluorescent body coloration can be perceived and has behavioural significance in a reef fish.     

Properties of Oligomeric Forms of Phosphofructokinase from Chlorella kessleri Grown under Different Light Conditions

Fast protein liquid chromatography on Superose 6 of crude extracts from Chlorella kessleri, Fott et Novákóva, grown autotrophically in blue or in red light yields three different oligomeric forms of phosphofructokinase (PFK, EC 2.7.1.11). Their substrate affinities and responses to homotropic and heterotropic effectors are different. In vitro, the degree of oligomerization of the enzyme can be influenced by specific intermediates or cofactors. Its substrate, MgATP (10 mM/5 mM), and the negative effector, phosphoenolpyruvate (5 mM), both lead to some dissociation, while the second substrate, fructose-6-phosphate (5 mM), and the positive effector, inorganic phosphate (50 mM), have no effect. It is discussed whether formation or dissociation of oligomeric PFK forms in vivo result from alterations in the levels or in the intracellular distribution of effector molecules and whether such processes are involved in the different regulation of cell metabolism in blue or in red light.     

大流行流感疫苗血清学检测中马血球和鸡血球血凝抑制试验方法的比较

血凝抑制试验(HI)是评价季节性流感疫苗免疫效果的经典方法。由于对人、禽流感病毒的受体不同,不同来源的红血球检测敏感性可能有差异。实验中比较了经典的鸡血球HI方法和国外报道的马血球HI方法,发现两种方法在检测大流行流感疫苗接种者血清时,于不同毒株抗原检测时表现各不相同,检测结果差异在2倍之内,说明经典的鸡血球HI方法仍适用于评价大流行流感疫苗的免疫效果。     

Microsatellite markers for population studies of the rice blast fungus,Magnaporthe grisea

We developed nine new microsatellite markers for rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea) population studies. These markers were used in addition to nine microsatellite markers previously developed by our group for mapping purpose. Altogether, the 18 markers were used in multiplex PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to characterize six populations from different geographical origins. The average number of alleles per locus across populations ranged from 1.2 to 7 and the total number of alleles detected from 2 to 19. Based on this large range of polymorphism, this set of markers is expected to be useful for different kind of population studies at different geographical scales.