Evolutionary patterns and processes in the genus Rosa (Rosaceae) and their implications for host-parasite co-evolution

The genus Rosa (Rosaceae) is a remarkable genus with respect to systematic biology. Multiple reproductive strategies ranging from apomixis to outcrossing including hybridisation, as well as different modes of character inheritance like matroclinal, paternal or sex unrelated ones. This complexity makes the genus a model in which simple concepts of radiation, speciation and taxonomy come to their limits. Analyses of the evolutionary patterns and processes in Rosa give clear evidence for the stochastic character of this specific evolutionary scenario.     

The interaction between Cyprinus carpio L. and Potamogeton pectinatus L. under aquarium conditions

Plants and seedlings of Potamogeton pectinatus were obtained from tubers grown under laboratory conditions. Four plants (mean total length: 14.3 m) and two seedlings (mean height: 10.9 cm) were placed in each of twenty 1001 aquaria illuminated with fluorescent lighting. A 5 cm-thick layer of muddy sediment was then put in each aquarium together with two size-matched fish (mean size classes: 6.8, 14.1 and 23.0 g) of the species Cyprinus carpio. After four weeks, the total length of the plants in the control and small fish aquaria had increased by 71% and 3% respectively, whereas plant total length in the aquaria with medium and large fish had diminished by 33% and 76%, respectively. Few seedlings survived in the presence of the fish. The reduction in plant growth was associated with an increase in water turbidity in all treatments as a result of the benthic feeding habit of C. carpio, and of direct herbivory action in the case of medium- and large-sized fish.     

Reproduction of the rare monocarpic species Saxifraga mutata L.

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of reproduction and genetic variation on the persistence of populations of the prealpine, monocarpic Saxifraga mutata L. The species grows on erosion slopes or rocks, and its local populations are often small and isolated. Crossing experiments resulted in better seed-set than selfing, but both yielded viable seeds. Agamospermy did not occur. In an early-successional species like S. mutata , successful selfing is important in the colonization of new habitats. Flowers of S. mutata were visited by Syrphidae and unspecialized Hymenoptera. A germination rate of 40% was reached in cultivation after 20 weeks but germination continued until the end of the experiment after 92 weeks. Seeds stored dry for 30 months at room temperature mostly lost their germinability. In natural habitats, seedlings were found almost throughout the year with a peak in spring. Suitable safe sites were small patches of open soil, bare marl on erosion slopes, and rock crevices. AU individuals investigated were diploid with 2n = 26. Allozyme electrophoresis showed a lack of segregation within the populations. Intra- and interpopulation genetic variation was low. These results were in partial disagreement with theoretical expectations in a mixed mating species. It is concluded that demographic rather than genetic processes are the main cause of extinction of populations of S. mutata , at least in the short-term.     

Isoprenoid quinone composition of representatives of the genus Campylobacter

The isoprenoid quinone composition of 17 strains representing nine species or sub-species of the genus Campylobacter was investigated. All strains produced similar respiratory quinone patterns consisting of unsaturated menaquinones with six isoprene units and a novel unidentified quinone. Mass spectral analysis indicate the unknown compound has six isoprene units and a formula C₄₂H₅₈O₂. The present study indicates respiratory quinones may be useful generic markers for Campylobacter.     

New cell wall glycopolymers of the representatives of the genus Kribbella

Each of the cell walls of four representatives of the genus Kribbella (order Actinomycetales; suborder Propionibacterineae; family Nocardioidaceae) contains a neutral polysaccharide and an acidic polysaccharide with unusual structures. Common to all four strains studied is a mannan with the following repeating unit: In the cell wall of the strain VKM Ac-2541, a teichulosonic acid was identified with a monosaccharide component that has not hitherto been found in Gram-positive bacteria, viz., pseudaminic acid, and an unusual linkage type in the polymeric chain,

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where R = Н (45%), α-d-Galp3OMe (37%) or α-d-Galp2,3OMe (18%).The anionic cell wall components of three other strains are represented by teichuronic acids with a rare constituent, viz., a diaminosugar, 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxyglucopyranose. The structures of their repeating units differ in the nature of the acidic components:→4)-β-d-Manp2,3NAcA-(1→6)-α-d-Glcp2,3NAc-(1→ (VKM Ас-2538 and VKM Ас-2540) and →4)-β-d-ManpNAcA-(1→6)-α-d-Glcp2,3NAc-(1→ (VKM Ас-2539).The structures of all the glycopolymers were established by chemical and NMR spectroscopic methods; they are identified in Gram-positive bacteria for the first time.     

Reproduction Strategy of the Deep-sea Hermit Crabs Pagurus alatus and Pagurus excavatus of the Central-Western Mediterranean Sea

Some aspects of the reproductive biology of two hermit crabs Pagurus alatus (Fabricius, 1775) and P. excavatus (Herbst, 1791) were studied. Specimens were collected monthly from April 2000 to March 2001 on the continental shelf and the upper-middle slope off the Southwestern coasts of Sardinia, in the central-western Mediterranean Sea. Crab size (minimum and maximum shield length) was 1.7 and 9.5 mm for 1150 females of P. alatus; 4.0 and 10.4 mm for 347 females of P. excavatus, respectively. Females of P. alatus with ripe ovaries were only found in February-April and ovigerous females were observed throughout the year except in March, with the highest incidence in summer. Females of P. excavatus with fully developed ovaries were collected during all months of the year reaching a peak from April to June. Ovigerous females of P. excavatus occurred throughout the year and the main spawning period occurred in March and April. Fecundity of both species was calculated to assess seasonal variation of reproductive intensity and was positively correlated with the size of the individuals. Monthly fecundity did not reveal significant differences in P. alatus ovigerous females, whereas P. excavatus exhibited significant differences in monthly fecundity depending on the time of year. Difference in fecundity among P. alatus and P. excavatus can be related to the size of the ovigerous females and species of hermit crab, but their different reproductive strategies suggest that they are specifically related to different environmental conditions.     

Genetic differentiation of Rosa canina (L.) at regional and continental scales

We investigated the genetic differentiation of Rosa canina at regional and continental scales to delineate provenance regions for seed collection. Using RAPD technique, we examined eight populations in Brandenburg (Germany) and 13 samples from Bavaria and Hungary. AMOVA and $\upphiWe investigated the genetic differentiation of Rosa canina at regional and continental scales to delineate provenance regions for seed collection. Using RAPD technique, we examined eight populations in Brandenburg (Germany) and 13 samples from Bavaria and Hungary. AMOVA and -statistics revealed a significant differentiation ( = 0.23, P < 0.0001) between accessions from Brandenburg and the two other regions. The interpopulation differentiation in Brandenburg was low ( = 0.13). We found the greatest interpopulation distance between Hungary and Brandenburg (Hoher Fl?ming, = 0.47) and the lowest between Dahmeland and Hoher Fl?ming (both Brandenburg, = 0.01). UPGMA dendrogram and PCA showed a clear disjunction between Brandenburg and other regions. Due to the outcrossing mating and seed dispersal system, the genetic variation within R. canina populations is moderately high (87% for Brandenburg, 76% for Bavaria and Hungary). The significant genetic differentiation at the continental scale suggests lower gene flow with increasing geographical distance and underlines the usefulness of regional provenances for planting.     

Using RAPDs to study phylogenetic relationships in Rosa

Nineteen species of rose (Rosa sp.) were analysed using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers (RAPD). Each 10-base-long arbitrary primer produced a specific DNA banding pattern that grouped plants belonging to the same species and botanical sections as predicted from their genetic background. One hundred and seventy-five amplification products were examined by cluster analysis to assess the genetic relationships among species and their genetic distances. All of the accessions belonging to 1 species grouped together before branching to other species. Dendrograms constructed for intra- and inter-specific studies showed a good correlation with previous classifications by different authors based on morphological and cariological studies. Our results show that the RAPD technique is a sensitive and precise tool for genomic analysis in rose, being useful in assigning unclassified accessions to specific taxonomic groups or else allowing accessions classified by traditional criteria to be re-classified.     

Different levels of morphometric variation in three heterogamous dogrose species (Rosa sect.Caninae, Rosaceae)

Difficulties in delimiting well-defined entities in the dogroses (Rosa sect.Caninae) has resulted in very variable taxonomic treatments. The present study was undertaken to provide a background for taxonomy as well as plant breeding. Morphometric diversity was analysed on seedlings obtained from field collections in South Sweden of three species,Rosa dumalis, R. rubiginosa andR. villosa. A canonical variates analysis showed that the three species are relatively distinct whereas two subspecies ofR. dumalis were less well discriminated. Analyses of variance demonstrated that intraspecific variation is pronounced inR. dumalis and, to a lesser extent, inR. villosa.     

Ontogenesis of the mite Varroa jacobsoni Oud. in drone brood of the honeybee Apis mellifera L. under natural conditions

A study carried out during the summer of 1994, in southern England, investigated the developmental times and mortality ofVarroa jacobsoni inApis mellifera drone cells. The position and time of capping of 2671 naturally infested drone cells were recorded. Six hours after the cell was capped, 90% of the mites were free from the brood food to start feeding on the developing drone. The developmental time of the mite's first three female offspring (133±3 h) and the male offspring (150 h) and the intervals between egg laying (20–32 h) were similar to those found in worker cells. However, the mortality of the offspring was much lower in drone cells than worker cells. The mode numbers of eggs laid were six and five in drone and worker cells, respectively. All offspring had ample time to develop fully in drone cells with the sixth offspring reaching maturity approximately 1 day before the drone bee emerged. Normal mites (those which lay five or six viable eggs) produced on average four female adult offspring but since only around approximately 55% of the mite population produced viable offspring the mean number of viable adult female offspring per total number of mother mites was 2 to 2.2 in drone cells.     

Novel teichulosonic acid from cell walls of some representatives of the genus Kribbella

Cell walls of each of five bacterial strains belonging to the genus Kribbella (family Nocardioidaceae, order Actinomycetales) contain a neutral polysaccharide (mannan) and teichulosonic acid of novel structure in different proportions. The novel teichulosonic acid found in strains VKM Ac-2500, VKM Ас-2568, VKM Ас-2572, and VKM Ас-2575 is a heteropolymer with an irregular structure where fragments I (predominant) alternate with fragments II (minor):The teichulosonic acid from Kribbella sp. VKM Ac-2527 has in general a structure similar to that above with the exception that the Pse residue is randomly glycosylated at O-4 with β-l-Rhap (along with α-d-Galp3OMe or α-d-Galp2,3OMe). The strain VKM Ac-2572 contained additionally teichuronic acid with the disaccharide repeating unit consisted of aminomannuronic acid and 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-α-glucopyranose. The mannan, a polysaccharide common to all of the strains, is built of (1→6)-linked α-d-mannopyranose substituted with α-d-mannopyranose at O-2. The structures of all the glycopolymers were established by a combination of chemical and NMR spectroscopic methods.     

Resistance of Rosa microtubule polymerization to colchicine results from a low-affinity interaction of colchicine and tubulin

The inhibition of the polymerization of tubulin from cultured cells of rose (Rosa. sp. cv. Paul's scarlet) by colchicine and the binding of colchicine to tubulin were examined in vitro and compared with data obtained in parallel experiments with bovine brain tubulin. Turbidimetric measurements of taxol-induced polymerization of rose microtubules were found to be sensitive and semiquantitative at low tubulin concentrations, and to conform to some of the characteristics of a nucleation and condensation-polymerization mechanism for assembly of filamentous helical polymers. Colchicine inhibited the rapid phase of polymerization at 24°C with an apparent inhibition constant (K _i) of 1.4·10^-4 M for rose tubulin and an apparent K _i=8.8·10^-7 M for brain tubulin. The binding of [³H]colchicine to rose tubulin to form tubulin-colchicine complex was mildly temperature-dependent and slow, taking 2–3 h to reach equilibrium at 24°C, and was not affected by vinblastine sulfate. The binding of [³H]colchicine to rose tubulin was saturable and Scatchard analysis indicated a single class of low-affinity binding sites having an apparent affinity constant (K) of 9.7·10² M^-1 and an estimated molar binding stoichiometry (r) of 0.47 at 24°C. The values for brain tubulin were K=2.46·10⁶ M^-1 and r=0.45 at 37°C. The binding of [³H]colchicine to rose tubulin was inhibited by excess unlabeled colchicine, but not by podophyllotoxin or tropolone. The data demonstrate divergence of the colchicine-binding sites on plant and animal tubulins and indicate that the relative resistance of plant microtubule polymerization to colchicine results from a low-affinity interaction of colchicine and tubulin.Abbreviations MT microtubule - TC tubulin-colchicine complex     

光果甘草与乌拉尔甘草开花与传粉方式对生殖及种间关系的影响

通过对光果甘草和乌拉尔甘草花期物候和访花昆虫行为的观察及人工授粉实验,探讨开花模式及传粉方式对生殖成功及种间关系的影响。结果表明:(1)两种甘草的种群水平花期重叠时间长达21d,均表现出"集中大量开花"模式,但乌拉尔甘草呈现分批渐次开花趋势,这对提高生殖成功率,避免近交衰退,维持物种的稳定具有重要意义。(2)两种甘草的访花昆虫在种类和数量上有所不同,但具有共同传粉者——宽板尖腹蜂、意大利蜂和紫木蜂。(3)以乌拉尔甘草为母本、光果甘草为父本的种间杂交结实率为48.3%;以光果甘草为母本、乌拉尔甘草为父本的种间杂交结实率为39.4%,说明种间杂交亲和,不存在生殖障碍。研究认为,花期重叠、共有传粉昆虫及种间杂交亲和使光果甘草与乌拉尔甘草自然种群杂交种的形成成为可能。     

Molecular phylogeny of the genus Triticum L

The genus Triticum L. includes the major cereal crop, common or bread wheat (hexaploid Triticum aestivum L.), and other important cultivated species. Here, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of all known wheat species and the closely related Aegilops species. This analysis was based on chloroplast matK gene comparison along with trnL intron sequences of some species. Polyploid wheat species are successfully divided only into two groups – Emmer (sections Dicoccoides and Triticum) and Timopheevii (section Timopheevii). Results reveal strictly maternal plastid inheritance of synthetic wheat amphiploids included in the study. A concordance of chloroplast origin with the definite nuclear genomes of polyploid species that were inherited at the last hybridization events was found. Our analysis suggests that there were two ancestral representatives of Aegilops speltoides Tausch that participated in the speciation of polyploid wheats with B and G genome in their genome composition. However, G genome species are younger in evolution than ones with B genome. B genome-specific PCR primers were developed for amplification of Acc-1 gene.     

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。     

Insect-induced wind pollination of the palm Chamaedorea pinnatifrons and pollination in the related Wendlandiella sp.

In Peruvian Amazonia pollination ecology of two palms, Chamaedorea pinnatifrons (Jacq.) Oerst. and Wendlandiella sp. was studied from October 1988 to January 1990. Both palms are dioecious understory species that form locally dense populations.In C. pinnatifrons both sexes flower synchronously during the dry season. Prior to anthesis, the pendulous male inflorescence is inhabited by numerous thrips (Thysanoptera) and Ptiliidae (Coleoptera). Staminate flowers open by a small basal slit between the petals. At anthesis pollen is shed and the movements of the insects inside the flowers trigger pollen release in small clouds. Thus, the powdery pollen becomes airborne and finally air currents act as a vector, carrying pollen to the inconspicuous female plants, which usually are not visited by insects. The term insect induced wind pollination is suggested for this pollination mode. Wendlandiella flowers during four months in the dry season. Male and female plants were not visited by insects. The dry condition of the pollen indicates that anemophily is the pollination mode in Wendlandiella. Fructification is rare but the plants show intense vegetative propagation.The significance of anemophily in the tropical lowland rain forest is discussed.     

Matroclinal inheritance of cuticular waxes in reciprocal hybrids of Rosa species, sect. Caninae (Rosaceae)

Chemical surface characters play a decisive role in the interaction between plants and their environment. Maternal or paternal inheritance of wax characters in Rosa, section Caninae may allow for ecological niche differentiation according to the parental evolutionary constraints. If so, the radiation of hybrid offspring may reflect the parentally determined framework of interaction and selection against pathogens and abiotic stresses. We tested the inheritance of cuticular chemical wax parameters of reciprocal hybrids within Rosa, section Caninae, the dogroses. We not only found an extremely rich spectrum of chemical compounds on abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces of dogroses, but also a maternally skewed inheritance of some of these wax characters. The possible role of these findings for the evolution of the allopolyploid dogrose complex is discussed.     

秦岭岩白菜的传粉生物学特性与繁育系统

对珍稀濒危植物秦岭岩白菜(Bergenia scopulosa T.P.Wang)的开花特性、传粉适应及繁育系统进行了分析研究。结果表明:(1)秦岭岩白菜为蝎尾状聚伞花序,具(29±10)朵单花,单花期约15d,遇低温雨雪天气花冠闭合,可延长3~5d,花序花期约30d,种群花期近4个月。(2)花粉活力在花药开裂后的12h内最高(约90%),维持单花平均花粉活力在30%以上约6d;柱头在第1~4天内保持很强的可授性,维持可授性的时间约为9d。(3)秦岭岩白菜主要有效传粉昆虫为中华蜜蜂,平均访花频率为6.5朵/min,单花停留时间为(11.0±4.8)s。(4)秦岭岩白菜的花粉胚珠比(P/O)为589.8,杂交指数(OCI)为3;人工授粉实验显示,秦岭岩白菜不存在无融合生殖,自交亲和,主动自交罕见,生殖成功主要依赖传粉者。研究认为,秦岭岩白菜是兼性异交的繁育系统,胚珠受精过程中可能存在自交衰退。     

Growth and population structure of Salamandra salamandra (L.) larvae in different limnological conditions

Salamandra salamandra (L.) larvae were studied in three types of aquatic systems, a permanent spring, a rock pool and temporary ponds. Growth was followed throughout ontogenesis until completion of metamorphosis. Growth patterns changed according to the pond type. Temporary ponds were rich in organic matter and subsequently larvae matured more rapidly there than those in a permanent pool or a spring. In the latter, cannibalism appears to be of major ecological importance, enabling survival and metamorphosis of large size tadpoles. The pattern of growth and metamorphosis is compared with European salamanders and the differences are discussed considering adaptations for survival of this species under xeric conditions.