神经内分泌因子调控鱼类生殖和生长的相互作用

脊椎动物的生长与生殖活动有着密切的联系并相互作用。许多调节生长和代谢活动的内分泌因子对青春期或者性腺的发育产生影响。同样,调节生殖活动的许多激素亦同时对生长和代谢产生影响。近年来,我们和其他学者对鱼类生长和生殖的神经内分泌调节的相互作用进行了研究,主要的进展是：①在促进性腺的激素影响生长方面,发现促性腺激素释放激素（ＧｎＲＨ）和多巴胺都能和脑垂体生长激素细胞的特异性受体结合而刺激生长激素释放,并能     

Evolution of pleiotropic alleles for maturation and size as a consequence of predation

Understanding life-history evolution requires knowledge about genetic interactions, physiological mechanisms and the nature of selection. For platyfish, Xiphophorus maculatus, extensive information is available about genetic and physiological mechanisms influencing life-history traits. In particular, alleles at the pituitary locus have large and antagonistic effects on age and size at sexual maturation. To examine how predation affects the evolution of these antagonistic traits, I examined pituitary allele evolution in experimental populations differing in predation risk. A smaller size, earlier maturation allele increased in frequency when predators were absent, while a larger size, later maturation allele increased in frequency when predators were present. Thus, predation favours alleles for larger size, at the cost of later maturation and reproduction. These findings are interesting for several reasons. First, predation is often predicted to favour early reproduction at smaller sizes. Second, few studies have shown how selection acts on alleles that affect age and size at sexual maturation. Finally, many studies assume that trade-offs between these life-history traits result from antagonistic pleiotropy, with alleles that positively affect one trait negatively affecting another, yet this is rarely known. This study unequivocally demonstrates that genetically based trade-offs affect life-history evolution in platyfish.     

Effects of phenological constraints on sex allocation in cosexual monocarpic plants

The effects of two phenological constraints in resource investment to reproduction – resource limitation at the flowering stage and unpredictability of resources gained after flowering – on the resource allocation between male and female functions in monocarpic plants are considered using the ESS (evolutionarily stable strategy) approach. The model predicts that the sex allocation including the seed maturation stage has a female bias, when the quantity of reproductive resources available at flowering is small compared with that which is obtained after flowering, or when the cost of seed maturation relative to ovule production is low. The fluctuation of the quantity of resources available for seed maturation favors overproduction of ovules. As a result, more resources are allocated to female function and less to male function at flowering. The ESS allocation depends on the variability of resources and the cost of seed maturation relative to ovule production. The probability that total resource allocation has a female bias becomes higher than 0.5, and it depends on the cost of seed maturation relative to ovule production rather than resource variability. On the other hand, the probability that resource allocation has a female bias decreases with resource variability if we assume that the floral sex ratio is fixed. Future studies of plant sex allocation would profit by taking account of the phenological process of reproduction such as ovule production or seed maturation.     

Signs of fitness and allozyme heterozygosity in an artificial population of sable Martez zibellinna L

Associations between some characteristics of fitness (the age of the first reproduction, life span, fertility, and number of missed pregnancies) and heterozygosity for some allozyme loci have been studied in a population of the sable Martez zibellinna L. kept in cages at a farm. Of all fitness characteristic studied, a weak correlation has only been found between heterozygosity and the age of the first reproduction (maturation rate). The age of the first reproduction is positively associated with the life span and fertility. The results obtained are discussed in terms of the relationship between the genetic variation of longevity and developmental rate and prospects of their application to breeding practice.     

Fitness Characteristics and Allozyme Heterozygosity in an Artificial Population of the Sable Martes zibellina L.

Associations between some characteristics of fitness (the age of the first reproduction, life span, fertility, and the number of missed pregnancies) and heterozygosity for some allozyme loci have been studied in a population of the sable Martes zibellina L. kept in cages at a farm. Of all fitness characteristic studied, a weak correlation has only been found between heterozygosity and the age of the first reproduction (maturation rate). The age of the first reproduction is positively associated with the life span and fertility. The results obtained are discussed in terms of the relationship between the genetic variation of longevity and developmental rate and prospects of their application to breeding practice.     

Sex‐specific reproductive investment of summer spawners of Illex argentinus in the southwest Atlantic

Energy investment in reproduction and somatic growth was investigated for summer spawners of the Argentinean shortfin squid Illex argentinus in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Sampled squids were examined for morphometry and intensity of feeding behavior associated with reproductive maturation. Residuals generated from length‐weight relationships were analyzed to determine patterns of energy allocation between somatic and reproductive growth. Both females and males showed similar rates of increase for eviscerated body mass and digestive gland mass relative to mantle length, but the rate of increase for total reproductive organ weight relative to mantle length in females was three times that of males. For females, condition of somatic tissues deteriorated until the mature stage, but somatic condition improved after the onset of maturity. In males, there was no correlation between somatic condition and phases of reproductive maturity. Reproductive investment decreased as sexual maturation progressed for both females and males, with the lowest investment occurring at the functionally mature stage. Residual analysis indicated that female reproductive development was at the expense of body muscle growth during the immature and maturing stages, but energy invested in reproduction after onset of maturity was probably met by food intake. However, in males both reproductive maturation and somatic growth proceeded concurrently so that energy allocated to reproduction was related to food intake throughout the process of maturation. For both males and females, there was little evidence of trade‐offs between the digestive gland and reproductive growth, as no significant correlation was found between dorsal mantle length‐digestive gland weight residuals. The role of the digestive gland as an energy reserve for gonadal growth should be reconsidered. Additionally, feeding intensity by both males and females decreased after the onset of sexual maturity, but feeding never stopped completely, even during spawning.     

密度制约效应对啮齿动物繁殖的影响

啮齿动物种群动态调节是生态学中关键的问题之一,它与制定鼠害防治策略密切相关。目前,国内外学者已在相关领域取得大量的研究成果。整理了密度制约效应对啮齿动物繁殖影响的文献,包括在性器官、性成熟、性周期、繁殖指数、激素和行为的调节作用,同时分析该领域的研究途径及研究前景,旨在为今后的研究提供更多的思路。     

On the formulation and analysis of general deterministic structured population models I. Linear Theory

—We define a linear physiologically structured population model by two rules, one for reproduction and one for “movement” and survival. We use these ingredients to give a constructive definition of next-population-state operators. For the autonomous case we define the basic reproduction ratio R ₀ and the Malthusian parameter r and we compute the resolvent in terms of the Laplace transform of the ingredients. A key feature of our approach is that unbounded operators are avoided throughout. This will facilitate the treatment of nonlinear models as a next step. Received 26 July 1996; received in revised form 3 September 1997     

Maturation costs affect maturation timing: sexual reproduction in a heterogonic hydra

If maturation is more costly for females, they may need more distinct environmental cues to induce sexual reproduction than males. We verified this hypothesis by comparing the indirect costs of maturation to males and females of the heterogonic Hydra oligactis, reproducing both asexually and sexually. The laboratory experiments revealed that males mature 2 weeks earlier than the first females at falling temperatures simulating the natural conditions that precede sexual reproduction. The difference between the energy costs of maturation for males versus females has been considered a likely factor responsible for the observed difference in maturation time. Available food supply positively affected the percentage of sexually mature females, indicating that females are more sensitive to food limitation than males. The number of gonads was correlated positively with the size of mature hydra for both males and females. However, males produced twice as many testes as ovaries produced by females. We postulate that females are induced later than males in order to prevent gonadal development after an unseasonable drop in temperature. As sexual reproduction in H. oligactis interferes with asexual budding, under favorable conditions for asexual proliferation unnecessary gonadal development decreases an individual’s fitness through reduction of the number of produced offspring.     

Predicting the timing of maturational spurts in skeletal age

Measures of maturity provide windows into the timing and tempo of childhood growth and maturation. Delayed maturation in a single child, or systemically in a population, can result from either genetic or environmental factors. In terms of the skeleton, delayed maturation may result in short stature or indicate another underlying issue. Thus, prediction of the timing of a maturational spurt is often desirable in order to determine the likelihood that a child will catch up to their chronological age peers. Serial data from the Fels Longitudinal Study were used to predict future skeletal age conditional on current skeletal age and to predict the timing of maturational spurts. For children who were delayed relative to their chronological age peers, the likelihood of catch‐up maturation increased through the average age of onset of puberty and decreased prior to the average age of peak height velocity. For boys, the probability of an imminent maturational spurt was higher for those who were less mature. For girls aged 11 to 13 years, however, this probability was higher for those who were more mature, potentially indicating the presence of a skeletal maturation plateau between multiple spurts. The prediction model, available on the web, is most relevant to children of European ancestry living in the Midwestern US. Our model may also provide insight into the tempo of maturation for children in other populations, but must be applied with caution if those populations are known to have high burdens of environmental stressors not typical of the Midwestern US. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Observations on Fission, Maturation and Reproduction in Dugesia biblica (Turbellaria, Tricladida) from Israel

Laboratory studies on the normally fissiparous Dugesia biblica from Israel (3 n =27+ x supernumeraries) have been made in order to investigate fission rates and spontaneous maturation of four fissioning populations and one clone. Laboratory induced maturation in a sixth population of D. biblica resulted in the laying of fertile cocoons, the offspring of which were either 3 n =27+ x , 2 n = 18+ x or 2 n = 18+ x It is suggested that triploidy is primarily responsible for the lack of sexual reproduction in the field, and that unequal inheritance of supernumerary chromosomes during mitosis may explain the differing tendencies to undergo spontaneous maturation by individuals of a clone of D. biblica. The karyotype, habitat and reproduction of D. biblica is compared with a closely related but diploid, normally sexually reproducing Dugesia form and possible relationships between these two are discussed.     

Directionality of contact networks suppresses selection pressure in evolutionary dynamics

Individuals of different types, may it be genetic, cultural, or else, with different levels of fitness often compete for reproduction and survival. A fitter type generally has higher chances of disseminating their copies to other individuals. The fixation probability of a single mutant type introduced in a population of wild-type individuals quantifies how likely the mutant type spreads. How much the excess fitness of the mutant type increases its fixation probability, namely, the selection pressure, is important in assessing the impact of the introduced mutant. Previous studies mostly based on undirected and unweighted contact networks of individuals showed that the selection pressure depends on the structure of networks and the rule of reproduction. Real networks underlying ecological and social interactions are usually directed or weighted. Here we examine how the selection pressure is modulated by directionality of interactions under several update rules. Our conclusions are twofold. First, directionality discounts the selection pressure for different networks and update rules. Second, given a network, the update rules in which death events precede reproduction events significantly decrease the selection pressure than the other rules.     

Food-dependent growth leads to overcompensation in stage-specific biomass when mortality increases: the influence of maturation versus reproduction regulation

We analyze a stage-structured biomass model for size-structured consumer-resource interactions. Maturation of juvenile consumers is modeled with a food-dependent function that consistently translates individual-level assumptions about growth in body size to the population level. Furthermore, the model accounts for stage-specific differences in resource use and mortality between juvenile and adult consumers. Without such differences, the model reduces to the Yodzis and Innes (1992) bioenergetics model, for which we show that model equilibria are characterized by a symmetry property that reproduction and maturation are equally limited by food density. As a consequence, biomass production rate exactly equals loss rate through maintenance and mortality in each consumer stage. Stage-specific differences break up this symmetry and turn specific stages into net producers and others into net losers of biomass. As a consequence, the population in equilibrium can be regulated in two distinct ways: either through total population reproduction or through total population maturation as limiting process. In the case of reproduction regulation, increases in mortality may lead to an increase of juvenile biomass. In the case of maturation regulation, increases in mortality may increase adult biomass. This overcompensation in biomass occurs with increases in both stage-independent and stage-specific mortality, even when the latter targets the stage exhibiting overcompensation.     

Effects of an autocorrelated stochastic environment and fisheries on the age at maturity of Chinook salmon

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reproduce only once in their lifetime, and their age at reproduction varies among individuals (indeterminate semelparous). However, the factors that determine their spawning age still remain uncertain. Evidence from recent studies suggests that individual growth and reproduction of Chinook salmon are affected by the rate of coastal upwelling, which is shown to be positively autocorrelated between years. Therefore, the serially autocorrelated environmental is expected to play an important role in determining their spawning age. In the present study, I demonstrate the advantage of an indeterminate maturation strategy under a stochastic environment. I then present theoretical evidence for the advantage of adjusting the maturation probability based on the environment they experienced and demonstrate that fisheries reduce the fitness of the strategy to delay maturation. The results presented herein emphasize the importance of incorporating detailed life-history strategies of organisms when undertaking population management.     

线粒体与卵母细胞发育

卵子发育、成熟是一个复杂的过程, 细胞核成熟和细胞质成熟过程必须同步化, 才能保证卵子的正常受精和进一步的发育。作为细胞质内最重要的细胞器, 线粒体在卵子成熟过程中的分布的变化、氧化磷酸化产生ATP的能力以及线粒体ＤＮＡ的含量和拷贝数或转录水平对卵母细胞发育成熟有着重要的影响。因此, 对卵子成熟过程中线粒体的分布和功能状况及线粒体DNA的研究, 有利于进一步了解生殖生理, 并为解决辅助生殖技术中及克隆胚胎技术所面临的困难提供新的思路。     

Optimal patterns of growth and reproduction for perennial plants with persisting or not persisting vegetative parts

Summary Optimal allocation of energy to growth, reproduction and storage was considered for perennial plants differing in the proportion of vegetative structures persisting over winter and/or in the amount of resources which can be relocated to storage before abscission of some organs. It was found that for every mortality level there exists a critical proportion of persistent organs. Below this critical value it is optimal to grow without reproduction for the first years until a characteristic size is reached; afterwards, that size is maintained year after year and all extra resources are devoted to reproduction. Some storage is also necessary to maintain constant size. If the proportion of retained vegetative mass is above the critical value, the optimal strategy is gradual growth to an asymptotic size, with growth and reproduction occurring in several years following maturation. In this case real storage occurs only until maturation is reached, then storage is realized only by energy relocation from the vegetative body. Although the optimal solution changes abruptly qualitatively at a given proportion of resources saved from year to year, further growth of this proportion above the critical level brings about a greater difference between size reached at maturity and final size. The predictions of the model seem to follow the pattern of nature qualitatively.     

Effect of meiotic maturation on yolk platelet lipids from Bufo arenarum oocytes

Progesterone induces the resumption of meiosis in Bufo arenarum full-grown arrested oocytes through a nongenomic mechanism called meiotic maturation. Growing evidence indicates that lipids are involved in the maturation process. They are mainly located in yolk platelets, the principal organelles of amphibian oocytes. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of progesterone-induced maturation on lipids from B. arenarum yolk platelets. Ovarian oocytes, manually obtained, were incubated with progesterone to induce maturation. Yolk platelets were isolated by centrifugation at low velocity. Lipids were separated by thin-layer chromatography. For compositional analysis, they were derivatized by methanolysis, and were identified and quantified in a gas-liquid chromatograph. Phospholipid content decreased in progesterone-treated oocytes, mainly as a result of a decrease at the level of phosphatidylcholine (PC). The turnover of this lipid is considered crucial for the completion of meiosis. Sphingomyelin also underwent a decrease that could be related to the important role of ceramide as an inducer of germinal vesicle breakdown. Maturation effect on fatty acid composition registered significant changes in PC whose saturated fatty acids increased. A net increase in arachidonic acid was observed in phosphatidylserine after progesterone treatment. The contents of total triacylglycerols and diacylglycerols were not significantly modified by hormone effect while free fatty acids underwent a significant increase as a result of polyunsaturated fatty acids increase. Altogether, our results demonstrate that yolk platelet lipids are involved in the resumption of the meiotic cell cycle, thus suggesting that these organelles participate in a dynamic role during amphibian development.     

Clinostating effects on Apogee wheat resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus

The effects of vertical and horizontal clinostating with container velocity 2 rpm and platform velocity 1 rpm on Apogee wheat resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) were studied. For the first time the yield of grain was obtained from both, healthy and the WSMV-infected wheat plants under conditions of simulated microgravity (clinorotation) which is accounted for by the inclusion of various mechanisms in the process of plant adaptation to the factors of stresses. For the first time the stages of viral infection development were elucidated under the conditions of prolonged clinostating and the presence of the WSMV was detected in wheat plants on the 18th day after inoculation employing the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the test variant with vertical clinostating (R=1,0) the least favorable conditions for viral reproduction were identified. In the same variant the increases of the total nitrogen content in the ears were observed which may be an evidence of interferon-like protein synthesis in plant similar to the interferon system functioning in animals.     

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone signaling in behavioral plasticity

Sex and reproduction sculpt brain and behavior throughout life and evolution. In vertebrates, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is essential to these processes. Recent advances have uncovered novel regulatory mechanisms in GnRH signaling, such as the initiation of sexual maturation by kisspeptins. Yet despite our increasing molecular knowledge, we know very little about environmental influences on GnRH signaling and reproductive behavior. Alternative model systems have been crucial for understanding the plasticity of GnRH effects within an organismal context. For instance, GnRH signaling is under the control of seasonal cues in songbirds, whereas social signals regulate GnRH in cichlid fishes, with crucial consequences for reproduction and behavior. Analyzing cellular signaling cascades within an organismic context is essential for an integrative understanding of GnRH function.     

Reproductive biology of Astyanax fasciatus (Pisces: Characiformes) in a reservoir in southeastern Brazil

To study the reproductive biology of Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819) in Furnas Reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil, a total of 1307 specimens were captured in bimonthly sampling from August 1993 to July 1994. The sex ratio showed a predominance of females, representing 65.2% of the total sample. The stages of gonadal maturation and spawning type were determined through macro- and microscopic analysis of the gonads as well as by variation in the gonadosomatic indices. A . fasciatus showed fractionated spawning and reproduction throughout the year, with spawning peaks influenced by water temperature and rainfall. Males and females initiated gonadal maturation at a mean standard length of 6.4 and 6.5 cm, respectively. During gonadal maturation, females showed a reduction in hepatosomatic index (from 1.06 to 0.83), suggesting that hepatic substances are transferred from the liver to the ovaries. In the reproductive period, A. fasciatus had lower stomach repletion and coelomic fat indices, indicating that this species ate less and consumed more fat reserves when reproduction had the maximum GSI (11.3 for females and 2.7 for males). Weight of the ovaries had a positive influence on the condition factor (K1), as the lowest K2 value (weight without gonads) were obtained during maturation, confirming the influence of the ovaries upon the physiological condition of the females. In weight–length relationship, parameter b was 3.02 for females and 2.23 for males, and the correlation coefficient ( r ²) was 0.84 and 0.66, respectively.