Ultrastructure of the calcium-sequestering gastrodermal cell in the hydroid Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa)

Large, free-floating crystals of calcium carbonate occur in vacuoles of gastrodermal cells of the hydroid Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Here, morphological details about the process by which these cells accumulate and sequester calcium are provided by a cytochemical method designed to demonstrate calcium at the ultrastructural level. Electron-dense material presumably indicative of the presence of calcium was EGTA-sensitive and was shown by parallel electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy spectroscopic imaging (ESI) to contain calcium. Calcium occurred in only one cell type, the endodermally derived gastrodermal cell. In these cells, the electron-dense material appeared first as a fine precipitate in the cytosol and nucleus and later as larger deposits and aggregates in the vacuole. During the life cycle, gastrodermal cells of the uninduced planula and the planula during metamorphic induction sequestered calcium. In primary polyps and polyps from established colonies, gastrodermal cells sequestered calcium, but the endodermal secretory cells did not. Our observations support the hypothesis that gastrodermal cells function as a physiological sink for calcium that enters the organism in conjunction with calcium-requiring processes such as motility, secretion, and metamorphosis.     

Differential effect of allorecognition loci on phenotype in Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa)

The allorecognition complex of Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus is a chromosomal interval containing two loci, alr1 and alr2, that controls fusion between genetically distinct colonies. Recombination between these two loci has been associated with a heterogeneous class of phenotypes called transitory fusion. A large-scale backcross was performed to generate a population of colonies (N = 106) with recombination breakpoints within the allorecognition complex. Two distinct forms of transitory fusion were correlated with reciprocal recombination products, suggesting that alr1 and alr2 contributed differentially to the allorecognition response. Specifically, type I transitory fusion is associated with rapid and persistent separation of allogeneic tissues, whereas type II transitory fusion generates a patchwork of continuously fusing and separating tissues.     

Colony integration and the expression of the Hox gene, Cnox-2, in Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa).

The stolonal mat is an anatomical feature correlated with increased colonial integration in several lineages of the cnidarian class Hydrozoa. Cnox-2 is a Hox gene known to be expressed in the body column of the cnidarian polyp. We report the pattern of Cnox-2 expression in both the stolonal mat and free stolons of the hydroid Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. The gene is found to have high levels of expression in the mat similar to that found in the basal portion of the polyp, but it is not detectably expressed in those regions of free stolons where polyps are budded. These findings suggest that the stolonal mat arose via an expansion of the basal ectoderm of the polyp.     

The analysis of paternity and maternity in the marine hydrozoan Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

For organisms in which direct observation of mating and subsequent dispersal of offspring and relatives is impossible, patterns of reproductive success and genealogical relationship can only be established using genetic markers. The ideal genetic assay would (1) employ highly polymorphic genetic markers for distinguishing among individuals; (2) use little tissue for analysing early life-history stages; and (3) require minimal investment in time and money for population level studies. From this perspective, DNA polymorphisms revealed by PCR amplification using random ten-base primers [Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (PCR-RAPD) or Arbitrarily Primed DNA (AP-PCR)] have great potential. However, the evidence that RAPD/AP markers are both heritable and can be repeatably amplified remains controversial. This study characterizes patterns of inheritance and polymorphism of RAPD markers in the free-spawning, colonial marine hydrozoan Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. In all cases, the amplification products were identical among extractions from the same clone. Of 56 primers screened, 13 had sufficient polymorphism and scoreability for an analysis of parentage and higher-order genetic relationships in three matings. These primers generated 156 unique amplification products (putative loci), of which 133 were polymorphic. All but four of these loci were inherited as dominant mendelian markers. Our study suggests that the presence of a marker represents a single allele at a locus; however, what appear to be single null alleles may actually comprise several segregating alleles. When the identity of neither parent was known a priori, inclusion (unique markers present in offspring and only one of the potential parents) proved to be more efficient than exclusion for assigning offspring to parents. The most powerful approach, however, was cluster analysis of all presence/absence information for the marker bands. Clustering avoided the pitfalls caused by the appearance of occasional nonparental bands, and constructed a hierarchical framework that correctly reflected all genealogical relationships.     

猕猴桃属(Actinidia)植物的遗传多样性

猕猴桃属（Ａｃｔｉｎｉｄｉａ）植物全世界有６６个种、约１１８个种下分类单位（变种、变型）。中国有猕猴桃属６２个种,猕猴桃遗传资源极为丰富。本文就猕猴桃的遗传资源多样性主要特点作概要综述：１）形态性状多样性（重要的园艺及经济性状）;２）营养成分及风味多样性;３）性别变异;４）染色体倍性变异;５）同工酶水平遗传多样性;６）ＤＮＡ水平遗传多样性。     

微生物的遗传多样性

微生物是生物圈中不可或缺的重要组成部分, 维系着自然界生态平衡。随着分子生物学技术的发展, 微生物遗传多样性的研究从形态学水平、蛋白水平进入到了DNA水平。而高通量测序技术和宏基因组技术的发展, 不仅为我们理解微生物的遗传多样性提供了更加丰富的信息和有力的证据, 也对于合理利用生物资源、保护生态平衡等方面具有重要意义。文章就微生物遗传多样性研究的相关内容, 如物种的分离鉴定、微生物群体遗传结构、物种形成以及系统发育和进化等方面的研究进展进行综述。     

Genetic diversity of noroviruses in Brazil

Norovirus (NoV) infections are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks around the world. In Brazil, the surveillance system for acute diarrhoea does not include the diagnosis of NoV, precluding the ability to assess its impact on public health. The present study assessed the circulation of NoV genotypes in different Brazilian states by partial nucleotide sequencing analysis of the genomic region coding for the major capsid viral protein. NoV genogroup II genotype 4 (GII.4) was the prevalent (78%) followed by GII.6, GII.7, GII.12, GII.16 and GII.17, demonstrating the great diversity of NoV genotypes circulating in Brazil. Thus, this paper highlights the importance of a virological surveillance system to detect and characterize emerging strains of NoV and their spreading potential.     

An src-related tyrosine kinase activity in the hydroid, Hydractinia

Abstract. The metamorphosis of planula larvae of the hydroid, Hydractinia , into primary polyps can be artificially triggered by Li, Rb, and Cs ions, by tumor-promoting phorbol esters [14], and by diacylglycerols. Metamorphosis implies the transition of morphogenetically quiescent cells to a state of terminal differentiation or transdifferentiation. Among the events which occur during the first 2.5 h after induction is an increase in the level of activity of a protein kinase that is precipitated by antisera against Rous sarcoma virus-derived pp60^src and that phosphorylates tyrosine in the precipitated IgG. Immunoprecipitation using a preimmune serum did not yield any corresponding kinase activity. The antigenic relationship between the Hydractinia protein and vertebrate pp60^c-src"' was demonstrated by applying an immune competition assay.     

Genetic diversity among the Newars of Nepal

Genetic diversity among the Newars of Nepal has been studied using Wright's FST and the ratio of observed variance to theoretical variance following Lewontin and Krakauer's 1973 method, based on six genetic characteristics. The gene differentiation among the Newars is only 1.7%. These observations are further corroborated by the results obtained through genetic distance analysis. The average heterozygosity per locus is high (ranging from 35 to 42%) for all the groups. About 95% of total gene diversity exists within the Newar groups, the intergroup components being only about 5%.     

Genetic diversity and introgression in the Scottish wildcat

This paper describes a genetic analysis of wild-living cats in Scotland. Samples from 230 wild-living Scottish cats (including 13 museum skins) and 74 house cats from England and Scotland were surveyed for nine microsatellite loci. Pelage characteristics of the wild-living cats were recorded, and the cats were then grouped into five separate categories depending on the degree to which they conformed to the characteristics attributed to Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775. Allele frequency differences between the morphological groups are greater than those among the three house cat samples. Analysis of genetic distances suggests that more of the differences between individuals can be explained by pelage than geographical proximity, and that pelage and geographical location are not confounded. Ordination of the genetic distances suggests two main groups of wild-living cats, with intermediates, and one group is genetically very similar to the house cats, while the other group contains all cats taxonomically identified as wildcat based on morphology. A genetic mixture analysis gives similar results to the ordination, but also suggests that the genotypes of a substantial number of cats in the wildcat group are drawn from a gene pool with genotypes in approximately equilibrium proportions. We argue that this is evidence that these cats do not have very recent domestic ancestry. However, from the morphological data it is highly likely that this gene pool also contains a contribution from earlier introgression of domestic cat genes.     

Genetic diversity of the cytoplasm in Triticum and Aegilops

Summary Twelve kinds of common wheat nuclei were placed into the cytoplasms of 23 species of Aegilops and Triticum by repeated backcrosses in the Laboratory of Genetics, Kyoto University. Using these nucleus-cytoplasm hybrids, the distribution of the variegation-inducing cytoplasms was investigated. The variegation was maternally inherited, and was found to be temperature-dependent; it was expressed only at low temperatures, accompanied by a remarkable reduction in the content of chlorophyll a and b, and recovered to almost normal level in a greenhouse kept at 25 °C. The variegation was expressed only by special combinations of the wheat nuclei and alien cytoplasms; nine common wheat nuclei, Tve, P168, CS, N26, Slm, Sk, S615, Sphr, and Splt, and six cytoplasms, T. boeoticum, Ae. umbellulata, Ae. triuncialis, Ae. biuncialis, Ae. columaris, and Ae. triaristata 6x, expressed weak to strong variegation in almost all combinations. Combinations of three common wheat nuclei (JF , Comp and Macha) and 17 other cytoplasms showed no variegation: JF , Comp and Macha appeared to have a sort of restoring gene(s) against variegation. Since distribution of the variegation-inducing cytoplasms was confined to the A and C^u type plasmas, it was assumed that the plasmagene(s) responsible for the variegation originated in the diploid level and was transmitted from Ae. umbellulata to three tetraploid and one hexaploid species of Polyeides section through the process of amphidiploidization.Contribution from the Laboratory of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, No. 399. The present work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid (No. 036023) from the Ministry of Education, Japan.     

松杨栅锈菌遗传多样性初步分析

采用ITS-nrDNA-RELP、测序技术、RAPD(随机扩增多态性DNA)分子标记技术,对我国松杨栅锈菌不同地域的5个生理小种11个菌系进行了遗传多样性分化研究.结果表明,该菌在我国的遗传分化与地理来源相关,可分为西部地理群和北方地理群.西部地理群又可分为高山森林生态型(HMF)和平原生态型(WPL).小种遗传分化不一定与致病性分化一致.t检验表明,各生理小种RAPD遗传多样性指数无明显差异,高山森林小种遗传多样性指数(0.5172)略高于平原小种遗传多样性指数(0.5089).核糖体基因转录间隔区高度保守,不适合该菌种内群体遗传多样性分化研究.