Fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi along different aspect in degraded grassland

Aims Fractal root system is phenotypic plasticity result of plant root architecture to respond to environmental heterogeneity, may reflect the growth strategy of plants to adapt to environmental conditions. Our objective was to explore the relationship between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance of fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi population in response to aspect variation in the northwest of China. Methods The study site was located in a degraded alpine grassland on the northern slope in Qilian Mountains, Gansu Province, China. Survey and sampling were carried out at 40 plots which were set up along four slope aspects transects with 20 m distance between adjacent plots. Handheld GPS was used to determine the elevation, longitude and latitude of each plot. ArcGIS was used to set up digital elevation model (DEM). Community traits were investigated and six individuals roots of M. przewalskyi were collected randomly at each plot. The samples were cleaned and divided into different organs, then scanning the root with the Win-RHIZO for measurements of fractal dimension and fractal abundance in laboratory, and their biomass were then measured after being dried at 80 °C in an oven. Important findings With the slope aspect turned from north to east, west, and south, the density, height and soil moisture content of the plant community displayed a pattern of initial decline, the height, density, root fractal abundance of M. przewalskyi increased and the root fractal dimension decreased. The root fractal dimension was negatively associated with the fractal abundance in all aspects, but the relationship varied along the slope aspects gradient; there was a highly significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance at north slope and south slope aspect, whereas the correlation only reached a significant level (p < 0.05) at the east slope aspect and west slope aspect; indicating that there is a trade-off between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance. In addition, when the slope aspect changed from north to east, west and south, the standardized major axis (SMA) slope of the regression equation in the scaling relationships between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance increased (p < 0.05), indicating that the roots of M. przewalskyi at the droughty southern slope have less branch and more sparse in the same soil volume of root exploitation and utilization. Consequently, the resource allocation pattern on reasonable trade-off between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance in different slope aspect of M. przewalskyi, reflects the relationship between the income and the cost of construction of plant root architecture.     

建立以TK基因为标记将外源基因导入臭曲霉（Asper—gillus...

A new system for selection of transformed Aspergillus foetidus was reported. In this system, TK- A. foetidus which were constructed by homologous recombination of mutated TK gene of vaccinia virus with TK gene of A. foetidus were screened by adding BUdR in agar plates. Conditions for screen of TK+ A. foetidus strain, transformation of A. foetidus and selection of transformed TK- A. foetidus have been studied. By using this system, several transformed A. foetidus which contained HBsAg gene derived bf a promoter H8 cloned from genomic DNA of A. foetidus were isolated. It was demonstrated that HBsAg gene was integrated into the chromosome DNA of A. foetidus by Southern blot after many passages of spores. ELISA showed that HBsAg was positive in the growth medium (p/n = 20). The 22 nm particles which were very similar to the HBsAg particles in human serum were found in the growth medium by immunoelectromicroscope. Western blot also gave the specific bands. All these data showed that HBsAg gene was expressed in A. foetidus and the products were secreted into the growth medium. The selection system using TK gene as marker could generally be used to study the expression of foreign gene in A. foetidus.     

《科学》：研究揭示人耳形成机制

伦敦大学国王学院的研究人员揭示了人耳的形成机制，他们的发现挑战了生物教科书上中耳发育的经典内容。文章发表在最新一期的《科学》（Science）杂志上。这一机制有助于解释为何儿童容易受到胶耳（glueear）等感染的影响。     

湖南省翼手目新记录———金黄鼠耳蝠

2016年8月27日,于湖南省衡东县四方山国有林场仙妃洞(113°3’23″E,26°58’25″N,海拔463 m)利用雾网采集到1号鼠耳蝠标本,经鉴定为金黄鼠耳蝠Myotis formosus,为湖南省翼手目Chiroptera新记录,标本保存于湖南师范大学脊椎动物标本馆(雄性,标本号:HUNNU16SF36)。本次发现补充和丰富了该物种在中国的分布范围(Jiang et al.,2010;郑锡奇等,2010;Csorba et al.,2014;Ruedi et al.,2015;党飞红等,2017)。     

蛙病毒同源蛋白RGV-27R和ADRV-85L的表达及其免疫原性分析

沼泽绿牛蛙病毒(Rana grylio virus,RGV)和大鲵蛙病毒(Andrias davidianus ranavirus,ADRV)同属虹彩病毒科(Iridoviridae)蛙病毒属(Ranavirus)成员,是引起水产动物高死亡率的病原。其同源早期蛋白RGV-27R和ADRV-85L与蛙病毒代表株蛙病毒3型(Frog virus 3,FV3)25R基因所编码的大小为31kD的早期蛋白P31K(FV3-P31K)同一性超过99%。我们在观察和比较RGV与ADRV感染大鲵胸腺细胞(Giant salamander thymus cell,GSTC)显微病变的基础上,将ADRV-85L和RGV-27R基因分别克隆到原核表达载体pET-32a与pMAL-p5X中,转化宿主菌E·coli BL21(DE3)并诱导表达,经十二烷基硫酸钠聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,SDS-PAGE)检测,对这两种蛋白的原核表达及其产物免疫原性进行分析。结果显示这两种基因在载体pET-32a中的表达效率要显著高于pMAL-p5X。随后,取高效诱导表达的pET-32a-RGV-27R产物,经Ni-NTA His-Bind亲和层析分离提纯,获得浓度为1.2 mg/mL的融合蛋白His-RGV-27R,用其免疫动物,制备了抗体27R-Ab,酶联免疫吸附法(Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA)检测抗体的效价为1∶6.25×10~6。用经正常大肠杆菌菌液和正常GSTC细胞悬液吸附处理后的抗体作为一抗,对被RGV或ADRV感染的GSTC细胞悬液进行Western Blot检测,并以重组原核质粒表达的融合蛋白His-RGV-27R和HisADRV-85L作为阳性对照,以正常GSTC细胞悬液为阴性对照,分别从RGV或ADRV感染的GSTC细胞悬液中,检出大小同为31kD的特异性蛋白条带。本研究证实两种蛙病毒同源早期蛋白RGV-27R和ADRV-85L不仅都能在两栖动物细胞中表达,且具有相同的抗原特性,这为深入研究这类病毒蛋白对蛙病毒复制的影响及其与宿主相互作用的分子机制提供了实验材料。     

中国无尾两栖类新记录种——朝鲜侧褶蛙北大核心CSCD

2021年9月在沈阳市蒲河湿地公园(41°41′54″N,122°52′19″E,海拔35 m)采集到3号无尾两栖类动物,经形态特征比较确认为侧褶蛙属(Pelophylax)金线侧褶蛙种组(P.plancyi species complex)的物种。基于线粒体12S rRNA和16S rRNA基因联合构建的侧褶蛙属部分物种最大似然系统发育树显示,采集到的侧褶蛙标本与朝鲜侧褶蛙(P.chosenicus)聚为一支,且具有较高的支持率(0.95)。综合形态和系统发育比较,确定采集到的标本为无尾目(Anura)蛙科(Ranidae)侧褶蛙属的朝鲜侧褶蛙,系中国两栖动物分布新记录种。     

湖南长沙发现霍氏鼠耳蝠

2021年8月分别在湖南省长沙市天心区大托站立交桥底和昭华湘江大桥底捕获2只鼠耳蝠（2♂,标本号211521和211540）,经鉴定为霍氏鼠耳蝠（Myotis horsfieldii）,为湖南省蝙蝠分布新记录物种。本次捕获标本体型中等偏小,前臂长分别为36.1 mm（211521）和33.1 mm（211540）,头体长为44.0 mm和41.2 mm,后足长（10.5 mm和10.4 mm）超过胫骨长（16.4 mm和16.2 mm）的一半,耳屏长（5.1 mm和3.8 mm）不及耳长（12.5 mm和10.0 mm）的一半;头骨狭长,颅全长15.5 mm和15.0 mm,脑颅宽7.8 mm和7.5 mm,颅骨纤弱,额骨处有明显倾斜,脑颅高于上颌骨,颧弓较细。与来自泰国和印度尼西亚的霍氏鼠耳蝠标本相比,前臂长、头体长和尾长测量数据偏小,但头骨测量数据接近。基于Cyt b基因序列的系统发育分析表明,此次捕获的鼠耳蝠标本与霍氏鼠耳蝠聚类在一起,与来自香港的霍氏鼠耳蝠样本遗传距离仅为0.9%,故确定该物种为霍氏鼠耳蝠。标本保存于广东省科学院动物研究所。     

野生棘胸蛙消化器官蛋白酶的分布及酶活力

本研究在不同p H和温度条件下以离体方式对野生棘胸蛙(Quasipaa spinosa)不同消化器官的蛋白酶活力进行了分析。结果表明,食道、胃、胰的蛋白酶活力受到酶体系p H的显著影响(P0.05),且随p H升高呈现典型的单峰型活力曲线。食道和胃的蛋白酶活力在p H为1.5时达到峰值,胰的酶活力在p H为9.6时达到峰值,而肠道酶活力在p H为7.4时达到峰值。各消化器官蛋白酶活力具有明显的温度依赖性(P0.05),酶活力随温度升高也均呈典型的单峰型活力曲线,不同消化器官的最大酶活力温度分别为,食道50℃、胃50℃、胰45℃、前肠45℃、后肠45℃、直肠45℃。在最大酶活力的p H和30℃条件下,各消化器官蛋白酶活力由高到低依次为胰、食道、胃、直肠、前肠、后肠。由此可见,蛋白酶在棘胸蛙消化系统的分布具有明确的规律性,且不同来源的蛋白酶需要在特定p H和温度下才能表现出最大的反应活性。     

大鳄龟感染蛙病毒的PCR检测及组织病理分析

2013年3月成都市某海洋馆送检2只发病大鳄龟(Macrochelys temminckii),临床特征表现为:精神状态萎靡,爬行无力,对外界刺激反应迟钝;颈部和四肢局部红肿,腹甲溃烂,严重部位甚至穿孔,最后死亡。为明确患病大鳄龟的病因,进行了细菌学、组织病理学和PCR检查。细菌学检查阴性;病理组织学观察发现,大鳄龟多组织、器官均发生严重病变,尤其是肾、肝、肺和心的损伤最为严重,表现为明显的变性、坏死和炎症细胞浸润,并在一些病变组织细胞浆内见嗜酸性或嗜碱性包涵体。针对蛙病毒(Ranavirus)病毒的特异性PCR检测扩增出蛙病毒主要衣壳蛋白(MCP)基因500 bp目的片段,测序后的DNA序列与Gen Bank中已知核酸序列进行Blast比对,发现其与Gen Bank中的蛙病毒主要衣壳蛋白基因同源性达95%~99%。根据组织病理特点及PCR检测结果推测大鳄龟的死亡是感染蛙病毒所致。     

噪音环境下花臭蛙求偶鸣声特征分析

2012年7月份,在黄山浮溪地区利用超声录音设备录制并分析了繁殖季节雄性花臭蛙(Odorrana schmackeri)个体的求偶鸣声。观察发现花臭蛙繁殖活动主要集中在7月中旬,繁殖高峰期活动无昼夜规律,全天均可见求偶鸣叫及抱对产卵等行为,并且多在浅水滩处活动。花臭蛙鸣声根据音节数和声谱特征可分为4种类型:即单音节音、婴儿音、双音节音和多音节断奏音,其中,单音节音、双音节音和婴儿音较为常见。利用Selena软件给出4种声音的语图以及各自对应的能谱图,利用Sound Analysis pro v1.2对单音节音、双音节音和婴儿音的鸣声特征参数进行定量分析,分析的声音参数包括鸣叫持续时间、音节数、音节持续时间、音节间隔、主频、脉冲率等。结果表明,花臭蛙鸣声的主频范围为1.8~4.5 k Hz(n=65)。鸣声不包括超声组分,主频峰值(3.1±0.7)k Hz,与前人电生理实验所得花臭蛙听觉敏感峰值一致,说明花臭蛙主要在这一频段进行通讯。对3种常见鸣叫音声音参数的单因素方差分析结果表明,双音节音与单音节音和婴儿音在声音持续时间上存在显著性差异(P0.01),双音节音和单音节音在第二谐波声强上也具有显著性差异(P=0.01)。花臭蛙的双音节音在3种常见鸣叫音中具有最长的持续时间,为(99.5±8.4)ms,故推测,双音节音为花臭蛙繁殖期主要求偶鸣声,并通过其鸣声时长的变化来体现自身品质的好坏。