Discovery of four natural clones in a crayfish species Procambarus clarkii

Self-cloning is quite rare in shrimp, lobsters, crayfish and crabs. Here we report the discovery of four natural clones of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), each containing 2-6 genetically identical individuals, during the genotyping of 120 individuals with five microsatellites. The four clones were heterozygote at most of the five microsatellite loci. Phylogenetic analysis using microsatellite genotypes suggests recent origin of the four clones. Sequencing a part of the mitochondrial gene Cox I confirmed that the four clones were from the species Procambarus clarkii.     

Number of Malpighian Tubules in Larvae and Adults of Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Amazonia

The number of Malpighian tubules in larvae and adults of bees is variable. Larvae of Apis mellifera L. have four Malpighian tubules, while adults have 100 tubules. In stingless bees, this number varies from four to eight. The objectives of this study were to provide characteristics of the Malpighian tubules as well as to quantify their number in larvae and adults of six species of Meliponinae, Melipona seminigra merrillae Cockerell, Melipona compressipes manaosensis Schwarz, Melipona rufiventris Lepeletier, Scaptotrigona Moure, Frieseomelitta Ihering, and Trigona williana Friese. Malpighian tubules were dissected from larvae and adults, measured, quantified, and maintained in microtubes with Dietrich??s solution. The numbers of Malpighian tubules were constant only for larvae of M. rufiventris (four and eight) and Scaptotrigona sp. (four). The most frequent number of tubules in the Melipona group was seven and eight in larvae, and 70 and 90 in adults. In the Trigona group were four and 20 to 40, for larvae and adults, respectively. The results showed differences in the number of Malpighian tubules among the species analyzed and also between the larvae and adults of the same species. Despite the variation observed, species of the group Melipona always have a larger number and longer Malpighian tubules in both larvae and adults as compared to the Trigona group, which may indicate an evolutionary trend of differentiation between these groups.     

Eremophilane-, bisabolane- and shikimic acid-derivatives from Portugese Senecio species

The aerial parts ofSenecio lividus afforded four triesters of shikimic acid, four eremophilanes and two bisabolene epoxides. The roots ofS.pyrenaicus ssp.caespitosus gave a known furoeremophilane while the aerial parts afforded a new one with a rare substitution pattern.S.doronicum contained known furoeremophilanes. The structures were elucidated by various high field NMR techniques.     

Immunological comparison of acetylcholine receptors and their subunits from species of electric ray.

Rabbit antibodies were produced against purified acetylcholine receptor and each of the four acetylcholine receptor subunits from Torpedo californica. Using the technique of double diffusion in agar, cross reactivities were observed between these antibodies and purified acetylcholine receptor and receptor subunits from Torpedo marmorata, Torpedo nobiliana, and Narcine brasiliensis, as well as from Torpedo californica. The specificity of each of the four anti-subunit antibodies and the conservation of subunit antigenic determinants in the four electric rays studied are demonstrated.     

Some structural and functional aspects of the epiphytic component of four seagrass species (Cymodoceoideae) from Papua New Guinea

The epiphytic component of four monospecific seagrass beds from Papua New Guinea was studied structurally and functionally. The floristic composition and abundance of the epiphytes on leaves of four seagrass species (Cymodoceoideae) showed considerable variation, but on all four seagrass species, the same algae were among the five quantitatively most important epiphytes: encrusting coralline algae, Cyanophyta, Ceramium gracillimum (Harv.) Mazoyer, Polysiphonia savatierii Hariot and Audouinella spp. The temporal pattern of the epiphytic algae showed more or less the same features on the four seagrass species.Annual mean biomass of epiphytes and seagrass leaves ranged from 54 g ADW m^?2 in a community of Cymodocea rotundata Ehrenb. and Hempr. ex Aschers. to 169 g ADW m^?2 in a community of Syringodium isoetifolium (Aschers.) Dandy. The contribution of the epiphytic component to the total above-ground biomass ranged from 22 to 24%. Productivity of epiphytes was highest on leaves of Halodule uninervis (Forssk.) Aschers. (2.12 g ADW m^?2 sediment surface day^?1) and the epiphytic community contributed 35–44% of the total above-ground production of these four seagrass communities.     

Sperm ultrastructure in representatives of six bivalve families from Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan

The ultrastructure of sperm in seven species of bivalves, the representatives of six families, Arcidae (Anadara broughtonii, Arca boucardi), Anomiidae (Pododesmus macrochisma), Tellinidae (Macoma tokyoensis), Ostreidae (Crassostrea gigas), Myidae (Mya japonica) and Trapezidae (Trapezium liratum) is described. All the studied sperm were typical tail sperm, adapted to external insemination, which, however, had a specific structure. Differences were revealed in the form of head, acrosome structure and number of mitochondria. The studied species of the above families had their specific morphology, the Arcidae species had a bullet- or barrel-shaped head with four or five mitochondria in the middle part; the Anomiidae had conic head, the acrosome with periacrosome material and four mitochondria (a basic feature of sperm is the axial core entering periacrosome material and consisting of bundle of actin filaments); the Myidae had a curved conic head and four mitochondria; in the Tellinidae the head was bullet-shaped, the periacrosome material contained a fibril component and four mitochondria; the Trapezidae had sperm of a conic form with spherical acrosome. The spherical sperm of C. gigas were similar to sperm of Saccostrea commercialis and Crassostrea virginica, but with some distinctions in the acrosome substructure. The morphology of sperm testified to the correct attribution of the Crassostreidae family as a synonym to the Ostreidae family.     

The species of Chusquea (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) with verticillate buds

A natural alliance of four species ofChusquea is characterized by having verticillate branches and a spikelet in which the transitional glumes one and two are very small or scalelike, and transitional glumes three and four are about equal to each other and about one-half or three-quarters as long as the lemma. Two of the four species,C. circinata andC. coronalis, are described as new and are provided with illustrations. The other two species,C. liebmannii Fourn. andC. pittieri Hack., are included in a key. The types and other collections are cited for the four species and their relationships are discussed.     

Novel putative Mesorhizobium and Ensifer genomospecies together with a novel symbiovar psoraleae nodulate legumes of agronomic interest grown in Tunisia

Forty rhizobial strains were isolated from Lotus creticus, L. pusillus and Bituminaria bituminosa endemic to Tunisia, and they belonged to the Mesorhizobium and Ensifer genera based on 16S rDNA sequence phylogeny. According to the concatenated recA and glnII sequence-based phylogeny, four Bituminaria isolates Pb5, Pb12, Pb8 and Pb17 formed a monophyletic group with Mesorhizobium chacoense ICMP14587^T, whereas four other strains Pb1, Pb6, Pb13 and Pb15 formed two separate lineages within the Ensifer genus. Among the L. pusillus strains, Lpus9 and Lpus10 showed a 96% identical nucleotide with Ensifer meliloti CCBAU83493^T; whereas six other strains could belong to previously undescribed Mesorhizobium and Ensifer species. For L. creticus strains, Lcus37, Lcus39 and Lcus44 showed 98% sequence identity with Ensifer aridi JNVU TP6, and Lcus42 shared a 96% identical nucleotide with Ensifer meliloti CCBAU83493^T; whereas another four strains were divergent from all the described Ensifer and Mesorhizobium species. The analysis of the nodC gene-based phylogeny identified four symbiovar groups; Mesorhizobium sp. sv. anthyllidis (Lpus3 and Lpus11 from L. pusillus, Lcus43 from L. creticus), Ensifer medicae sv. meliloti (four strains from L. creticus and two strains from L. pusillus), E. meliloti sv. meliloti (four from L. creticus, four from L. pusillus and four from B. bituminosa). In addition, four B. bituminosa strains (Pb5, Pb8, Pb12, and Pb17) displayed a distinctive nodC sequence distant from those of other symbiovars described to date. According to their symbiotic gene sequences and host range, the B. bituminosa symbionts (Pb5, Pb8, Pb12 and Pb17) would represent a new symbiovar of M. chacoense for which sv. psoraleae is proposed.     

Sympatric genome size variation and hybridization of four oak species as determined by flow cytometry genome size variation and hybridization

The Quercus species serve as a powerful model for studying introgression in relation to species boundaries and adaptive processes. Coexistence of distant relatives, or lack of coexistence of closely relative oak species, introgression may play a role. In the current study, four closely related oak species were found in Zijinshan, China. We generated a comprehensive genome size (GS) database for 120 individuals of four species using flow cytometry‐based approaches. We examined GS variability within and among the species and hybridization events among the four species. The mean GSs of Q. acutissima, Q. variabilis, Q. fabri, and Q. serrata var. brevipetiolata were estimated to be 1.87, 1.92, 1.97, and 1.97 pg, respectively. The intraspecific and interspecific variations of GS observed among the four oak species indicated adaptation to the environment. Hybridization occurred both within and between the sections. A hybrid offspring was produced from Q. fabri and Q. variabilis, which belonged to different sections. The GS evolutionary pattern for hybrid species was expansion. Hybridization between the sections may be affected by habitat disturbance. This study increases our understanding of the evolution of GS in Quercus and will help establish guidelines for the ecological protection of oak trees.     

Sequence variation in the hpd gene of nonencapsulated Haemophilus influenzae isolated from patients with chronic bronchitis

The molecular diversity of protein D of nonencapsulated Haemophilus influenzae strains isolated from persistently infected patients with chronic bronchitis was studied by sequencing the hpd gene of four independently obtained isolates. The nucleotide (nt) sequences of the hpd genes of two strains were identical. The other two hpd sequences showed nt substitutions which were mostly synonymous. As a consequence the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences differed from the consensus sequence only by a few aa. No changes in the hpd genes were observed among the four variants of the four strains persisting in chronic bronchitis patients for 9, 11, 8 and 3 months, respectively, although variation in their major outer membrane proteins P2 and P5 occurred. We conclude that the hpd gene is conserved during chronic infections of nonencapsulated H. influenzae.     

Génétique des populations,spéciation et taxonomie chez les Babouins: II — Similitudes génétique comparées entre différentes espèces : Papio papio,P. anubis,P. cynocephalus et P. hamadryas basées sur les données du polymorphisme des enzymes erythrocytaires

The taxonomical status of the five Papio species is controversial. Certain authors consider them as geographical races of a single polytypic species. Natural populations of four species, Papio papio, P. anubis, P. cynocephalus and P. hamadryas, have been investigated for electrophoretical polymorphism of 10 intra-erythrocyte enzymes. It was found that 4 genes out of 14 studied loci exhibit genetic variability in the four Papio species, and that the same isozymes are concerned. The enzymatic variants have low allelic frequencies, and the levels of heterozygoty are consequently low. Although various formulae are utilised by various authors to measure the genetic distances between groups, the values obtained for the four studied species show the same order of magnitude as those obtained among species of the genus Macaca. Among the four Papio forms, Papio papio is very similar to P. anubis, and P. hamadryas appears as the most different from the others. The divergence is similar to that of subspecies of a polytypic species: in fact, no allele appears differentially fixed in any of these groups. The comparison with mean genetic distances evaluated among various mammalian species confirms that view. However, the genetic distances were obtained from mutant alleles showing low genic frequencies and our conclusion is inferred from a group of enzymes chosen empirically.     

Synthèse et propriétés physicochimiques de 5,6-didésoxy-6-halogéno-hept-5-éno-1,4-furanurononitriles

The four 5,6-dideoxy-6-halogeno-1,2-O-isopropylidene-3-O-methyl-α-d-xylo-hept-5-eno-1,4-furanurononitriles (bromo, chloro, fluoro, and iodo) were prepared by treatment of 1,2-O-isopropylidene-3-O-methyl-α-d-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose with the corresponding (cyanohalogenomethylene)triphenylphosphorane. The geometrical isomers were separated by liquid chromatography. Spectral data of the four nitriles and of corresponding enurononitriles were used for identification of configuration and conformation.     

Interspecific variation of plant traits associated with resistance to herbivory among four species of Ficus (moraceae)

• Background and aims To understand the defensive characteristics of interspecies varieties and their responses to herbivory damage, four species of Ficus plants (Ficus altissima, F. auriculata, F. racemosa and F. hispida) were studied. They were similar in life form, but differed in successional stages. Of these, Ficus altissima is a late successional species, F. hispida is a typical pioneer and F. auriculata and F. racemosa are intermediate successional species. We addressed the following questions: (1) What is the difference in plant traits among the four species and are these traits associated with differences in herbivory damage levels? (2) What is the difference in the damage-induced changes among the four species?• Methods Herbivory damage was measured in the field on randomly planted seedlings of the four species of the same age. Defences to herbivory were also tested by feeding leaves of the four species to larvae of Asota caricae in the laboratory. A total of 14 characters such as water content, thickness, toughness, pubescence density on both sides, leaf expansion time, lifetime and the contents of total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) were measured. Leaf calcium oxalate crystal (COC) density, total Ca and N content, leaf toughness and height were measured to investigate induced responses to artificial herbivory among the four species.• Key results and conclusions Herbivory damage in the four studied species varied greatly. The pioneer species, F. hispida, suffered the most severe herbivory damage, while the late successional species, F. altissima, showed the least damage. A combination of several characteristics such as high in content of N, Ca and P and low in leaf toughness, lifetime and C : N ratio were associated with increased herbivore damage. The late successional species, F. altissima, might also incorporate induced defence strategies by means of an increase in leaf COC and toughness.Key words: Calcium oxalate crystals, defensive characteristics, Ficus; herbivory, induced defence     

Comparative phytochemistry of eleven species of Vigna (Fabaceae)

A survey of the biochemical constituents of 11 species of Vigna indicates the absence of the non-protein amino acid canavanine in their seeds, and absence of proanthocyanidin (polyphenol) in their leaves. Proanthocyanidin was found in the seeds of all, except Vigna subterranea. The constitutive leaf flavonoids of four genotypes of the pantropic V. subterranea were also studied and compared with those from three other cultivated species. The flavonoid kaempferol seems to be most prevalent as it was found in all of the four cultivated species and genotypes. The glycoside kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside was found present in the four genotypes of V. subterranea and other cultivated Vigna species. However, the flavonoid kaempferol-3-O-glucoside-7-rhamnoside is restricted to V. subterranea. This study questions the inclusion of V. subterranea in the genus Vigna on account of absence of seed proanthocyanidin and restricted accumulation of kaempferol-3-O-glucoside-7-rhamnoside in the leaves.     

An attempt to measure selection coefficients affecting the alcohol dehydrogenase polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster populations maintained on ethanol media

Eleven populations polymorphic for Adh F and S alleles were established from wild-caught D. melanogaster. Seven of the populations were founded from mass collections each of several hundred flies and the other four were isofemale lines. Subcultures from all eleven were maintained on one of four different types of medium—standard laboratory medium, standard media supplemented to 3% or 9% (v/v) ethanol, and simulated wine seepages. These subcultures were rescored for F and S gene frequencies after 10, 20 and 30 generations. Maximum-likelihood methods were then used to estimate selection coefficients among the Adh genotypes and analyses of deviance were carried out to test the coefficients against hypotheses of neutrality and various modes of selection. No significant selective changes in Adh frequencies were observed in the seven mass cultures on any of the four different media types. However, highly significant selective effects were detected in the four isofemale lines; these effects were homogeneous across the four lines and the four media types and the underlying fitness set was estimated as 1.00:1.04:1.09 for S/S:F/S:F/F.     

4种木本植物在潜流人工湿地环境下的适应性与去污效果

为解决冬季植物问题,将4种木本植物引入潜流人工湿地环境,进行植物适应性和去污效果研究,结果表明:(1)4种木本植物在潜流人工湿地环境下的净光合速率日变化规律为夹竹桃、栀子、女贞变化规律是"双峰"型,木槿则是"单峰"型;叶片气孔导度日变化规律为木槿是"单峰"型,其他3个品种没有明显规律;植物胞间CO2浓度的日变化规律与净光合速率日变化规律相反对应关系;蒸腾速率日变化规律为4种植物都呈现"单峰"型规律,且高峰出现在11:00—13:00之间。(2)除女贞外较低外,其余3种植物叶绿素含量较高但差异不大;丙二醛含量较高的是木槿与栀子,女真最低;氮磷积累量最高是夹竹桃,最低的是木槿;基质脲酶活性夹竹桃、木槿高于栀子、女贞,基质磷酸酶活性在4种植物中比较接近。(3)4种木本植物引入湿地后长出了白色的水生根系,且数量多于陆地土壤栽培条件的土培根系;在内部结构上也有较大差异,土培根系的组织非常致密,水生根系则有发达的通气组织。(4)试验期间系统TN平均去除率为40.2%,TP平均去除率为80.8%。COD Cr的平均去除率较低为15.4%,NH+4-N的平均去除率为61.8%,各月份间的差异随着季节温度的变化基本一致。     

荒漠植物白刺属4个物种的生殖分配比较

选定乌兰布和沙漠地区白刺属4种植物为研究对象,通过对其样株在花期的各生殖构件的数量特征及生物量调查,系统研究了唐古特白刺(Nitraria tangutorum Bobr.)、西伯利亚白刺(Nitraria sibirica Pall.)、大白刺(Nitraria roborowskii Kom.)和泡泡刺(Nitraria sphaerocarpa Maxim.)4种白刺属植物在生殖枝水平上的生殖分配。结果表明:不同白刺属植物在分株高度、生殖枝长、生殖枝基径、单枝花数、花序干重、枝叶干重等生殖构件的数量性状方面均有显著差异,其中泡泡刺的各生殖构件的数量均最小;除了西伯利亚白刺的生殖分配值达到44.51%外,其余3种白刺的生殖分配值均没有超过20%。经统计分析,4种白刺种群的生殖枝长分别与分株高度呈显著(P<0.05)的直线性正相关关系;生殖枝花序干重与分株高显著正相关;4种白刺的生殖分配随着分株生殖枝生物量的增加而减少,即白刺的个体大小与生殖分配之间呈现负相关关系。这种生殖分配特点反映了不同白刺植物对生长环境的资源利用、与克隆繁殖的权衡及对生态适应的策略。     

Allozyme characterisation of four Mediterranean evergreen oak species

Polymorphism at 11 enzyme loci was used to compare the four evergreen oak species of the Mediterranean Basin and to establish their taxonomical relationships. As a comparison, two evergreen oak species from Tibet, located in the primary distribution area of evergreen oaks, were analysed at the same loci. Cladistic analyses led to the separation of a cluster of four species, namely the three Mediterranean Q. ilex, Q. coccifera and Q. alnifolia and the Tibetan Q. aquifolioides. The other Tibetan species, Q. semicarpifolia, and Q. suber, from the Western Mediterranean Basin, were very distinct genetically from the four other species. These results were not consistent with previous taxonomical treatment, based on morphology alone, which classified Q. ilex and Q. coccifera in “ilex group” (=subgenus Sclerophyllodrys O. Schwartz), and the other four species in “cerris group” (subgenus Cerris, according to Schwartz). Allozyme variation has thus provided useful information to clarify the taxonomy of evergreen oaks.     

The photosynthetic niche breadth of several desert shrubs and their potential ecological significance

The combination of niche theories and plant ecophysiology may show a link between macroscopic ecology and microscopic physiology. The experiment simulated three rainfall treatments representing the minimum, average and maximum annual precipitation found in the Shapotou area. The net photosynthesis rate (P_n) of four dominant desert shrubs (Reaumuria soongorica maximum, Salsola passerina Bge., Artemisia ordosica Krasch. and Caragana korshinskii Komar.) that grow in the arid zone in Northwest China was measured, together with the available environmental resources, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), air temperature (CT) and volumetric soil moisture (SW). Based on these data and means derived from the Levins niche breadth index, this study calculated the photosynthesis – PAR niche breadth (PB_i), the photosynthesis – CT niche breadth (TB_i) and the photosynthesis – SW niche breadth (WBi) of the four shrubs. The results showed that PAR was not a directly limiting factor on growth and survival of the four shrubs and the values for PB_i were consistent either with the PAR response ranges (R. soongorica and S. passerina) or with the values for P_n (A. ordosica and C. korshinskii), although the values for PB_i between the four desert shrubs varied. In accordance with the calculated TB_i values, the CT tolerance ranges for photosynthesis also varied among the four desert shrubs. The lowest SWs that stopped photosynthesis varied amongst the four shrubs, and the lower the SW was: the wider the response range and the higher the WBi value. The photosynthetic niche breadth and the photosynthetic response ranges of the four shrubs were in agreement with their ecological breadth and geographic distributions. Thus, some micro-mechanisms can be explained using these relationships such as floral evolution, succession and the varietal development processes of the plant communities of R. soongorica – S. passerine and A. ordosica Krasch. – C. korshinskii Komar. It is also possible to account for the physiological changes that occur in each plant by calculating the photosynthetic niche breadth. These results show that this research methodology can be extended to niche theory and promote the practicality of plant physiological ecology as well as provide new ideas for the study of plant ecology.