Insights into cryptic speciation of quillworts in ChinaOA

Cryptic species are commonly misidentified because of high morphological similarities to other species.One group of plants that may harbor large numbers of cryptic species is the quillworts(Iso?tes spp.),an ancient aquatic plant lineage.Although over 350 species of Iso?tes have been reported globally,only ten species have been recorded in China.The aim of this study is to better understand Iso?tes species diversity in China.For this purpose,we systematically explored the phylogeny and evolution ...     

《Palaeoanthropology and Paleolithic archaeology in the people's republic of China》

This excellent volume fills a much needed gap in making available to western scholarsmany of the important developments in paleoanthropology in the People's Republic of China.Discoveries in other parts of the world such as Europe and particularly Africa have often over-shadowed the valuable contributions stemming from work in China since the end of the CulturalRevolution.The editors of this volume must be congratulated for their efforts and particularlyfor providing in Chapter 1,a review chapter,an extensive and very useful bibliography.     

Conifer Woods of the Pliocene Age from Yunnan, China

The Tertiary floras play an integral role in understanding the biodiversity and interactions between climate and vegetation in Yunnan, China. The fossil spores, pollen grains, and leaves in this region have been investiaged intensively. In comparison, the woods have been studied relatively little. A large number of Pliocene wood specimens was collected from the opencast lignite coal mine of Hongxing situated in Changning County of Yunnan Province. Among the collection, Tsuga cf. dumosa (D. Don) Eichler and Pinus cf. armandii Franchet were identified based on wood structures. The subtle feature oftori extensions is reported in the wood of T. cf. dumosa. Considering the climatic requirements of modern T. dumosa and P.armandii, the two species of conifer described from Pliocene sediments probably grew in mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 2 300 m, in a cool and humid environment.     

Secretory Cavity Development and Its Relationship with the Accumulation of Essential Oil in Fruits of Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis （Noot.） Swingle

The developmental types of secretory cavities in Citrus remain controversial. The relationship between secretory cavity development and the accumulation of essential oil in fruits of Citrus species is also unknown. In order to develop better insights into these problems, histological, histochemical, and cytochemical methods were used to investigate secretory cavity development and the accumulation of essential oll at different developmental stages of fruits of Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis （Noot.） Swingle. The results indicate that the secretory cavity of the variety seemed to originate from an epidermal cell and a subepldermal cell. These two cells underwent successive divisions, resulting In the formation of two parts： （Ⅰ） a conical cap; and （Ⅱ） a globular gland. The formation of the lumen was schlzolysigenous. Regular changes in the size of vacuoles and the accumulation of essential oil were revealed during the process of secretory cavity development. In addition, when fruits were a light yellow or golden color, the structure of secretory cavities was well developed and the content of essential oil in a single fruit reached a maximum. It would be most appropriate to collect the fruit as a medicinal material at this time.     

Geographic patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity of aquatic angiosperms in ChinaOA

China covers a vast territory harbouring a large number of aquatic plants.Although there are many studies on the β-diversity of total,herbaceous or woody plants in China and elsewhere,few studies have focused on aquatic plants.Here,we analyse a comprehensive data set of 889 aquatic angiosperm species in China,and explore the geographic patterns and climatic correlates of total taxonomic and phylogeneticβ-diversity as well as their turnover and nestedness components.Our results show that geograph...     

Mechanisms of the Anticancer Action of Ganoderma lucidum （Leyss. ex Fr.） Karst.： A New Understanding

Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst., a medicinal fungus called “Lingzhi” in China, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine in China for the prevention and treatment of various types of diseases, such as cancer, hepatopathy, arthritis, hypertension, neurasthenia, and chronic hepatitis. It is clear that the anticancer activity of G. lucidum is mainly due to polysaccharides and/or triterpenoids of the fungus. However, until now, the mechanism of the anticancer action of G. lucidum has not been well understood and, previously, the activation of the immune response of the host was widely considered to be the only mechanism by which G. lucidum prevented and/or treated cancer. However, recent studies reviewed in the present paper have shown that the potential mechanisms of anticancer action include not only the activation of the immune response of the host, but also the induction of cell differentiation, the induction of Phase Ⅱ-metabolizing enzymes, the inhibition of angiogenesis, and the inhibition of the expression of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and the uPA receptor in cancer cells. To further elucidate the mechanisms of action of G. lucidum, more in vivo tests and randomized controlled clinical trials should be carried out, and the molecular mechanisms should be studied intensively. Additionally, whether the anticancer compounds in G. lucidum act synergistically or independently should be further studied.     

Taxonomic synopsis of Berberis(Berberidaceae)from the northern Hengduan mountains region in China,with descriptions of seven new speciesOA

Though Berberis(Berberidaceae) is widely distributed across the Eurasian landmass it is most diverse in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountain(HHM) region.There are more than 200 species in China where it is one of the most common mountain shrubs.The study on the taxonomy and evolution of Berberis in this region can thus provide an important insight into the origin and diversification of its flora.A prerequisite to this is mapping and describing the various species of Berberis in the region-a task that ...     

Wind-dispersed seeds blur phylogeographic breaks:The complex evolutionary history of Populus lasiocarpa around the Sichuan BasinOA

The strength of phylogeographic breaks can vary among species in the same area despite being subject to the same geological and climate history due to differences in biological traits.Several important phylogeographic breaks exist around the Sichuan Basin in Southwest China but few studies have focused on wind-dispersed plants.Here,we investigated the phylogeographic patterns and the evolutionary history of Populus lasiocarpa,a wind-pollinated and wind-dispersed tree species with a circum-Sichua...     

Distribution and conservation of near threatened plants in ChinaOA

Plants classified as Near Threatened(NT) are at high risk of becoming threatened because of anthropogenic interference and climate change.Especially in conservation efforts,such species have however long been overlooked.Here,we obtained 98,419 precise occurrence points for 2442 NT plants in China,and used species richness,species complementarity,and weighted endemism that consider all,endemic and narrow-ranged species in order to identify the diversity hotspots of NT plants.Then we evaluated the...     

Karyotype and cytogeography of the genus Heracleum （Apiaceae） in the Hengduan Mountains

In the present study, the karyotypes of 34 populations belonging to 11 species and one variety of Heracleum from the Hengduan Mountains in China were examined. Chromosome numbers and the karyotypes of three species （H. souliei, H. la＇ngdoni, and H. wenchuanense） are reported for the first time, as are the karyotypes of H. moellendorffii and H. henryi （tetraploid）. Populations of H. candicans, H. franchetii, and H. kingdoni in the Hengduan Mountains were found to consist of a mixture of diploid and tetraploid plants. Except for four species of Heracleum, namely H. candicans, H. franchetii, H. henryi, and H.kingdoni, which have both diploid and tetraploid karyotypes, all other species of Heracleum are were found to be diploid. All karyotypes were found to belong to the 2A type of Stebbins, with the exception ofH. candicans var. obtusifolium, which belongs to 2B, and H. hemsleyanum and H. franchetii （Mt. Dujuan, Daocheng, Sichuan, China）, which belong to 1A. There was only a slight difference in the karyotype asymmetry index, which suggests a close kinship for species of Heracleum and that the entire phylogenetic development of Heracleum is relatively primitive. Species that exhibited advanced morphological features were also more advanced in karyotype structure, with the order ofkaryotype evolution being 1A→2A→2B. This phenomenon indicates that the species distributed in the Hengduan Mountains have not diverged completely and that the Hengduan Mountains are a relatively young and active area for the evolution of Heracleum. Polyploidization in Heracleum may be an important evolutionary mechanisms for some species, generating diversity. The biological attributes, distribution range, and the geological history of the genus have all played a part in accelerating the evolution through polyploidization or aneuploidization. It is known that as the distribution latitude of Heracleum decreases from north to south, the chromosome number, ploidy level, and asymmetry structure appear to increase. In the Hengd     

Sustainable Utilization and Economic Development of Some Plant Resources in Northern Pakistan

Overshadowed by the vast impact that habitat loss has on targeted plant species survival, it is easy to overlook the fact that utilization and harvesting of species can often result in their genetic depletion and in an often rapid downward trend of their population status. In this regard an ethnobotanical study on the medicinal plants of Shawar valley, District Swat was conducted with the aims to document medicinal plants and to examine the current status of the medicinal plants trade as well as the market chain starting from collectors to consumers. The survey reported 50 species of plants belonging to 33 families as ethnomedicinally important. These species were used as crud drugs by the local people and folk-lore for treating diseases in traditional system of medicine. The detailed local uses, recipe preparation along with their local names and diseases treated were recorded for each species.Market survey revealed that the structure of medicinal plant trade is complex and heterogeneous, involving many players. The collectors are often not aware of the high market prices and medicinal values, and most of the collected material is sold to local middlemen at a very low price. There was an increase of 3 to 5 folds in prices from collectors to the national market.Recommendations were given in the spheres of training sustainable harvesting and post harvesting of wild medicinal plant resources, trade monitoring, equitable sharing of benefits of wild resources, improved control on harvesting and trade for the conservation of resources, enhancement of cultivation efforts, future research into trade in wild harvested plants, community participation in natural resource management and value addition in the herbal products to maximize the benefits.     

Diversity and evolution of samara in angiosperm北大核心CSCD

Samara (winged fruit) can be dispersed easily by wind and may be a crucial factor for angiosperm spread and diversification. In a narrow sense, a samara is an indehiscent dry fruit with wing(s) developed from fruit pericarp, while in a broad sense samaras also include all winged fruits with wings developed from both pericarp and peri-anth or bracts. According to the wing shape and growth patterns of samaras, we divided samaras into six types, i.e. single-winged, lanceolate-winged, rib-winged, sepal-winged, bract-winged, and perigynous samaras. Perigynous samaras can be further classified into two forms, i.e. round-winged and butterfly-winged samaras. Accordingly, the aerodynamic behavior of samaras can be classified into five types, autogyro, rolling autogyro, undulator, helicopter, and tumbler. The rib-winged and round-winged samaras can be found in Laurales, a basal angiosperm, and may represent the primitive type of early samaras. In the derived clades, samaras evolved enlarged but unequal wings and decreased wing loading (the ratio of fruit weight to wing size), which is likely an adaptation to gentle wind and secondary dispersal through water or ground wind. The wings of some samaras (such as sepal-winged and bract-winged samaras) may have multiple functions including wind dispersal, physical defense for the seeds, and adjust seed germination strategy. The pantropical family Malpighiaceae is extraordinarily rich in samara types, which is likely related to its multiple inter-continent dispersal in history, which is known as “Malpighiaceae Route”. Therefore, Malpighiaceae can be used as a model system for the studies on samara adaptation and evolution. We identified the following issues that deserve further examination in future studies using both ecological and evo-devo methods: 1) the adaption of different types of samaras in dispersal processes, 2) the molecular and developmental mechanism of sepal- and bract-wings, and 3) the evolution of samara types and their effects on angiosperm diversification. © 2018 Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology. All rights reserved.     

Obesity and weight loss could alter the properties of adipose stem cells?

The discovery that adipose tissue represents an interesting source of multipotent stem cells has led to many studies exploring the clinical potential of these cells in cell-based therapies. Recent advances in understanding the secretory capacity of adipose tissue and the role of adipokines in the development of obesity and associated disorders have added a new dimension to the study of adipose tissue biology in normal and diseased states. Subcutaneous adipose tissue forms the interface between the clinical application of regenerative medicine and the establishment of the pathological condition of obesity. These two facets of adipose tissue should be understood as potentially related phenomena. Because of the functional characteristics of adipose stem cells, these cells represent a fundamental tool for understanding how these two facets are interconnected and could be important for therapeutic applications. In fact, adipose tissue stem cells have multiple functions in obesity related to adipogenic, angiogenic and secretory capacities. In addition, we have also previously described a predominance of larger blood vessels and an adipogenic memory in the subcutaneous adipose tissue after massive weight loss subsequent to bariatric surgery(ex-obese patients). Understanding the reversibility of the behavior of adipose stem cells in obeses and in weight loss is relevant to both physiological studies and the potential use of these cells in regenerative medicine.     

The identity of Dinochloa species and enumeration of Melocalamus(Poaceae:Bambusoideae) in ChinaOA

Three woody bamboo species collected in Hainan,China in 1940 have been described as Dinochloa based on vegetative specimens.However,the identity of these species has long been in doubt,largely because the vegetative phase in species of Dinochloa is morphologically similar to that in species of Melocalamus,a climbing or scrambling bamboo genus of the paleotropical woody bamboos(Poaceae:Bambusoideae)that consists of about 15 species and one variety.To determine the phylogenetic affinity of the thr...     

An Integrative Analysis of the Effects of Auxin on Jasmonic Acid Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Auxin and jasmonic acid （JA） are two plant phytohormones that both participate in the regulation of many developmental processes. Jasmonic acid also plays important roles in plant stress response reactions. Although extensive investigations have been undertaken to study the biological functions of auxin and JA, little attention has been paid to the cross-talk between their regulated pathways. In the few available reports examining the effects of auxin on the expression of JA or JA-responsive genes, both synergetic and antagonistic results have been found. To further investigate the relationship between auxin and JA, we adopted an integrative method that combines microarray expression data with pathway information to study the behavior of the JA biosynthesis pathway under auxin treatment. Our results showed an overall downregulation of genes involved in JA biosynthesis, providing the first report of a relationship between auxin and the JA synthesis pathway in Arabidopsis seedlings.     

A new look at herbal extracts

<正>Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) has been used to treat a wide variety of diseases in China for thousands of years. The clinical efficacy and safety of TCM targeting different diseases have been recorded and observed(Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission, 2020).In the past centuries, hundreds of effective medicinal components of TCM have been extracted and isolated,     

Evidence for two types of Aquilegia ecalcarata and its implications for adaptation to new environmentsOA

Spurs have played an important role in the radiation of the genus Aquilegia,but little is known about how the spurless state arose in A.ecalcarata.Here we aim to characterize the genetic divergence within A.ecalcarata and gain insights into the origin of this species.A total of 19 populations from A.ecalcarata and 23 populations from three of its closest relatives(Aquilegia kansuensis,Aquilegia rockii and Aquilegia yabeana) were sampled in this study.We sequenced fifteen nuclear gene fragments a...     

RAD-sequencing improves the genetic characterization of a threatened tree peony(Paeonia ludlowii) endemic to China:Implications for conservationOA

Compared with traditional genetic markers,genomic approaches have proved valuable to the conservation of endangered species.Paeonia ludlowii having rarely and pure yellow flowers,is one of the world’s most famous tree peonies.However,only several wild populations remain in the Yarlung Zangbo Valley(Nyingchi and Shannan regions,Xizang) in China due to increasing anthropogenic impact on the natural habitats.We used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms to elucidate the spatial pattern of gen...     

Functional genomics of Brassica napus: Progresses,challenges, and perspectives

Brassica napus, commonly known as rapeseed or canola, is a major oil crop contributing over 13% to the stable supply of edible vegetable oil worldwide.Identification and understanding the gene functions in the B. napus genome is crucial for genomic breeding. A group of genes controlling agronomic traits have been successfully cloned through functional genomics studies in B. napus. In this review,we present an overview of the progress made in the functional genomics of B. napus, including the ava...