The polymorphism, mimicry, and host plant relationships of Hypolimnas butterflies

The 30 species of Hypolimnas butterflies recognized are divided amongst six pattern morphism classes: monomorphic, weakly dimorphic, simple dual, unimodal polymorphic, partial 9-limited polymorphic, and multiple ♀ dual polymorphic. Eighty per cent of Hypolimnas species belong to one or other of the first three categories. About 60% of the species show evidence of mimicry, some 40% being mimetic in both sexes. In the Oriental region the great majority of mimetic species within the genus are modelled on Euptoea , whilst those of the Afrotropical region are mostly modelled on Amauris. The host plants recorded for the genus strongly suggest that the Urticaceae are primitive for the group, but eleven other families of flowering plants are recorded as hosts. The apparent non-utilization of Urticaceae by H. misippus (L.), the most widespread species of the group, is discussed in terms of its possible ecological and phylogenetic relationships with H. bolina (L.). A check-list of butterflies feeding on Ipomoea (a host plant for both H. bolina and H. misippus) , and on other Convolvulaceae, is included.     

Evolution of size-dependent flowering in a variable environment: partitioning the effects of fluctuating selection

In a stochastic environment, two distinct processes, namely nonlinear averaging and non-equilibrium dynamics, influence fitness. We develop methods for decomposing the effects of temporal variation in demography into contributions from nonlinear averaging and non-equilibrium dynamics. We illustrate the approach using Carlina vulgaris, a monocarpic species in which recruitment, growth and survival all vary from year to year. In Carlina the absolute effect of temporal variation on the evolutionarily stable flowering strategy is substantial (ca. 50% of the evolutionarily stable flowering size) but the net effect is much smaller (ca. 10%) because the effects of temporal variation do not influence the evolutionarily stable strategy in the same direction.     

甘草的药理作用概述

通过对国内外期刊中有关甘草药理作用的文献进行查阅,综述了甘草具有肾上腺皮质激素样作用、抗消化性溃疡、解痉、抗炎及免疫抑制作用和解毒、抗病毒、镇咳祛痰、抗肿瘤、抑菌、防治肝损害、抗衰老、抗心律失常、抑制气道平滑肌细胞增生、降血脂与抗动脉粥样硬化等药理作用,其临床应用有广阔的前号。     

Apparent inhibition of glycoprotein synthesis by S.cerevisiae mating pheromones

Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating pheromones a and alpha factor strongly inhibit the incorporation of radiolabelled glucosamine into N-glycosylated proteins of corresponding haploid cells. This observation was erroneously interpreted as an inhibition of glycoprotein synthesis. It has turned out that alpha factor causes a 4-5-fold dilution of incorporated [14C]glucosamine with non-radioactive endogenous precursor. In the case of the [14C]chitin synthesized, which does not show inhibition by alpha factor, the lowering of the specific activity of the precursor is exactly compensated for by an increased rate of chitin synthesis caused by alpha factor.     

Reproductive isolation between sympatric sister species,Mussaenda kwangtungensis and M. pubescens var. alba

Reproductive isolation de fi nes the biological species concept and plays a key role in the formation and maintenance of species. The relative contributions of different isolating stages has been suggested to be closely associated with phylogenetic relatedness. Few studies have focused on the relative contributions of pre- versus postzygotic mechanisms, and even fewer have been conducted under strict phylogenetic frameworks. Pre- and post-zygotic reproductive isolation stages have been investigated in the sister species Mussaenda kwangtungensis and M. pubescens var. alba. The two species have partly overlapping distribution ranges and fl owering times, while the principal pollinators differed strikingly for them, demonstrating strong pre-zygotic isolations. Natural hybrids were detected by simple sequence repeat markers and their maternal parents were identi fi ed based on chloroplast gene sequences. Five out of 81 individuals were suggested to be hybrids that fall into the categories F2, BC1, and BC2 by theNew Hybrids analysis. Interspeci fi c crossings resulted in signi fi cantly reduced fruit set and seed germination rates.Phylogenetic analysis revealed short Kimura-2-parameter distance between M. kwangtungensis and M. pubescens var.alba. These fi ndings strongly supported the hypothesis that for species with a closer phylogenetic relationship, prezygotic isolation plays an important part in limiting gene exchange in sympatric areas.     

Herbarium specimens, photographs, and field observations show Philadelphia area plants are responding to climate change

? Premise of the study: The global climate is changing rapidly and is expected to continue changing in coming decades. Studying changes in plant flowering times during a historical period of warming temperatures gives us a way to examine the impacts of climate change and allows us to predict further changes in coming decades. The Greater Philadelphia region has a long and rich history of botanical study and documentation, with abundant herbarium specimens, field observations, and botanical photographs from the mid-1800s onward. These extensive records also provide an opportunity to validate methodologies employed by other climate change researchers at a different biogeographical area and with a different group of species. ? Methods: Data for 2539 flowering records from 1840 to 2010 were assessed to examine changes in flowering response over time and in relation to monthly minimum temperatures of 28 Piedmont species native to the Greater Philadelphia region. ? Key results: Regression analysis of the date of flowering with year or with temperature showed that, on average, the Greater Philadelphia species studied are flowering 16 d earlier over the 170-yr period and 2.7 d earlier per 1°C rise in monthly minimum temperature. ? Conclusions: Of the species studied, woody plants with short flowering duration are the best indicators of a warming climate. For monthly minimum temperatures, temperatures 1 or 2 mo prior to flowering are most significantly correlated with flowering time. Studies combining herbarium specimens, photographs, and field observations are an effective method for detecting the effects of climate change on flowering times.     

Longitudinal trends in climate drive flowering time clines in North American Arabidopsis thaliana

Introduced species frequently show geographic differentiation, and when differentiation mirrors the ancestral range, it is often taken as evidence of adaptive evolution. The mouse-ear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) was introduced to North America from Eurasia 150-200 years ago, providing an opportunity to study parallel adaptation in a genetic model organism. Here, we test for clinal variation in flowering time using 199 North American (NA) accessions of A. thaliana, and evaluate the contributions of major flowering time genes FRI, FLC, and PHYC as well as potential ecological mechanisms underlying differentiation. We find evidence for substantial within population genetic variation in quantitative traits and flowering time, and putatively adaptive longitudinal differentiation, despite low levels of variation at FRI, FLC, and PHYC and genome-wide reductions in population structure relative to Eurasian (EA) samples. The observed longitudinal cline in flowering time in North America is parallel to an EA cline, robust to the effects of population structure, and associated with geographic variation in winter precipitation and temperature. We detected major effects of FRI on quantitative traits associated with reproductive fitness, although the haplotype associated with higher fitness remains rare in North America. Collectively, our results suggest the evolution of parallel flowering time clines through novel genetic mechanisms.     

A re-examination of the root cortex in wetland flowering plants with respect to aerenchyma

AIMS: We review literature and present new observations on the differences among three general patterns of aerenchyma origin and their systematic distributions among the flowering plants, and we clarify terminology on root aerenchyma. SCOPE: From our own previous works and some new observations, we have analysed the root cortex in 85 species of 41 families in 21 orders of flowering plants that typically grow in wetlands to determine the characteristic patterns of aerenchyma. FINDINGS: A developmental and structural pattern that we term expansigeny, as manifested by honeycomb aerenchyma, is characteristic of all aquatic basal angiosperms (the Nymphaeales) and basal monocots (the Acorales). Expansigenous aerenchyma develops by expansion of intercellular spaces into lacunae by cell division and cell expansion. Schizogeny and lysigeny, so often characterized in recent reviews as the only patterns of root cortex lacunar formation, are present in most wetland plants, but are clearly not present in the most basal flowering plants. CONCLUSION: We conclude that expansigeny is the basic type of aerenchyma development in roots of flowering plants and that the presence of expansigenous honeycomb aerenchyma in root cortices was fundamental to the success of the earliest flowering plants found in wetland environments.     

The locust jump: an integrated laboratory investigation

The locust is well known for its ability to jump large distances to avoid predation. This class sets out a series of investigations into the mechanisms underlying the jump enabling students to bring together information from biomechanics, muscle physiology, and anatomy. The nature of the investigation allows it to be undertaken at a number of levels of complexity from relatively simple comparative observations to detailed analysis of the properties of the muscles and the energy storage systems involved in powering the jump. The relative size and robustness of the locust make it simple to handle and ideal for such investigations.     

Determinants of cysteine pKa values in creatine kinase and alpha1-antitrypsin

The structural determinants of the unusually low pK(a) values of Cys282 in human creatine kinase and Cys232 in alpha1-antitrypsin were studied computationally. We have demonstrated that hydrogen bonding to the cysteine residue is the prime determinant for both proteins. In the case of creatine kinase, the hydrogen bond donors are a serine side chain and an amide NH-group, while in alpha1-antitrypsin the donor is an amide NH. Each hydrogen bond lowers the pK(a) by between 0.8 and 1.5 pH units. The 1.1-unit lowering due to the Ser284-Cys282 hydrogen bond is in good agreement with the 1.2-unit difference between the Cys282 pK(a) value of wild-type and the S284A mutant of creatine kinase.     

贵州麻山地区宗地乡苗族聚集地野生植物资源利用分析

运用民族植物学研究方法,对贵州宗地乡苗族聚集地野生植物资源利用进行了分析。结果发现:当地常用野生植物有83 种, 隶属42 科,较多的为菊科12 种(14.46%)、百合科6 种(7.23%)、禾本科5 种(6.02%)、蔷薇科5 种(6.02%)。以根、茎、皮、叶、花、果实、芽、全株利用为主的植物,分别有7 种(8.43%)、33 种(39.76%)、3 种(3.61%)、26 种(31.33%)、2 种(2.41%)、19 种(22.89%)、5 种(6.02%)和16 种(19.28%)。食用植物有26 种(31.33%);药用植物有37 种(44.58%);建材植物有12 种(14.46%);饲料植物有9 种(10.84%);工艺植物有6 种(7.23%);纤维植物有5 种(6.02%);染料植物有3 种(3.61%);油料植物有2 种(2.41%);仪式用植物和娱乐植物各有1 种(1.20%)。具三种利用类型的植物有6 种(7.23%);具两种利用类型的植物有12 种(14.46%)。研究表明,宗地乡苗族野生植物利用跟这些植物的生物学特性、喀斯特生境和当地苗族文化密不可分,需要进一步加强整理与挖掘。     

Hypothermic effects on action potential and force production of hedgehog and guinea pig papillary muscles

Action potentials and isometric force were recorded in papillary muscles from guinea pigs and summer hedgehogs at different temperatures between 37 and 0 degrees C. The action potential of the hedgehog was of a lower amplitude (mean 83 +/- 6 mV) than that of the guinea pig (mean 110 +/- 5 mV). The action potential duration at 50% repolarization was 22 +/- 2 msec in the hedgehog as compared to 105 +/- 11 msec in the guinea pig. Moreover, there was no distinct plateau phase of the hedgehog action potential. Lowering temperature prolonged the action potential duration in the two preparations by about the same percentage. However, the guinea pig preparation became progressively less excitable below 20 degrees C. Lowered temperature produced a positive inotropic effect in the guinea pig, whereas this effect was very slight in the hedgehog heart. Postextrasystolic potentiation was seen in the guinea pig but not in the hedgehog preparation. It is suggested that this difference between the preparations may be due to a greater relative amount of activator calcium in the hedgehog heart. The difference in cold tolerance between the preparations may reflect a difference in chemical composition of the sarcolemma.     

Aggregation of deoxyhemoglobin subunits.

The formation of deoxyhemoglobin was examined by measuring the heme spectral change that accompanies the aggregation of isolated alpha and beta chains. At low hemeconcentrations (less than 10(-5) M), tetramer formation can be described by two consecutive, second order reactions representing the aggregation of monomers followed by the association of alphabeta dimers. At neutral pH, the rates of monomer and dimer aggregation are roughly the same, approximately 5 X 10(5) M(-1) X(-1) at 20 degrees. Raising or lowering the pH results in a uniform decrease of both aggregation rates due presumably to repulsion of positively charged subunits at acid pH and repulsion of negatively charged subunits at alkaline pH. Addition of p-hydroxymercuribenzoate to alpha chains lowers the rate of monomer aggregation whereas addition of mercurials to the beta subunits appears to lower both the rate of monomer and the rate of dimer aggregation. At high heme concentrations (greater than 10(-5) M) or in the presence of organic phosphates, the rate of chain aggregation becomes limited, in part, by the slow dissociation of beta chain tetramers. In the case of inositol hexaphosphate, the rate of hemoglobin formation exhibits a bell-shaped dependence on phosphate concentration. When intermediate concentrations of inositol hexaphosphate (approximately 10(-4 M) are preincubated with beta subunits, a slow first order time course is observed and exhibits a half-time of about 8 min. As more inositol hexaphosphate is added, the chain aggregation reaction begins to occur more rapidly. Eventually at about 10(-2) M inositol hexaphospate, the time course becomes almost identical to that observed in the absence of phosphates. The increase in the velocity of the chain aggregation reaction at high phosphate concentrations suggests strongly that inositol hexaphosphate binds to beta monomers and, if added in sufficiently large amounts, promotes beta4 dissociation. A quantitative analysis of these results showed that the affinity of beta monomers for inositol hexaphosphate is the same as that of alphabeta dimers. Only when tetramers are formed, either alpha2beta2 or beta4, is a marked increase in affinity for inositol hexaphosphate observed.     

Factors affecting the response of Ceutorhynchus assimilis Payk. (Col., Curculionidae) males to conspecific odour

The effect of post-emergence feeding on the response of Ceutorhynchus assimilis males to conspecific odour was studied using both laboratory-overwintered and field-collected weevils. The response of males to females at different times in the season was also investigated using field-collected weevils. Males did not respond to the odour of virgin females that were newly emerged from diapause. However, they showed a significant response to the odour of overwintered virgin females that had spent some days on flowering rape. The response of males to females appeared to decline as the season progressed.     

细胞色素b基因序列与11种熊蜂的系统进化

通过比较一段357b的细胞色素b的序列,分析了熊蜂属5亚属11种熊蜂系统发育关系。5亚属包括Bombus( 5种）,Thoracobombus(3种）,Mendacibombus(1种）,Fervidobombus(1种）和Pyrobombus(1种）,该序列有65个单变异态位点和71个简约信息多态位点,翻译成119个氨基酸序列后有45个氨基酸变异位点。根据P－距离构建的邻接树（NJ tree)和最大简约树（MP tree)都显示同样的结果：Mendacibombus (B.avinovielllus)分化最早;Fervidobombus(B.pensylvanicus)次之;Pyrobombus(B.impatiens)和Bombus形成姊妹群;Bombus亚属是单系群,其中B.ignitus在所研究的5个种中分化最早。     

Caffeine Increases Anaerobic Work and Restores Cycling Performance following a Protocol Designed to Lower Endogenous Carbohydrate Availability

The purpose this study was to examine the effects of caffeine ingestion on performance and energy expenditure (anaerobic and aerobic contribution) during a 4-km cycling time trial (TT) performed after a carbohydrate (CHO) availability-lowering exercise protocol. After preliminary and familiarization trials, seven amateur cyclists performed three 4-km cycling TT in a double-blind, randomized and crossover design. The trials were performed either after no previous exercise (CON), or after a CHO availability-lowering exercise protocol (DEP) performed in the previous evening, followed by either placebo (DEP-PLA) or 5 mg.kg⁻¹ of caffeine intake (DEP-CAF) 1 hour before the trial. Performance was reduced (−2.1%) in DEP-PLA vs CON (421.0±12.3 vs 412.4±9.7 s). However, performance was restored in DEP-CAF (404.6±17.1 s) compared with DEP-PLA, while no differences were found between DEP-CAF and CON. The anaerobic contribution was increased in DEP-CAF compared with both DEP-PLA and CON (67.4±14.91, 47. 3±14.6 and 55.3±14.0 W, respectively), and this was more pronounced in the first 3 km of the trial. Similarly, total anaerobic work was higher in DEP-CAF than in the other conditions. The integrated electromyographic activity, plasma lactate concentration, oxygen uptake, aerobic contribution and total aerobic work were not different between the conditions. The reduction in performance associated with low CHO availability is reversed with caffeine ingestion due to a higher anaerobic contribution, suggesting that caffeine could access an anaerobic “reserve” that is not used under normal conditions.     

Habitat-specific responses in the flowering phenology and seed set of alpine plants to climate variation: implications for global-change impacts

The timing of the snowmelt is a crucial factor in determining the phenological schedule of alpine plants. A long-term monitoring of snowmelt regimes in a Japanese alpine area revealed that the onset of the snowmelt season has been accelerated during the last 17 years in early snowmelt sites but that such a trend has not been detected in late snowmelt sites. This indicates that the global warming effect on the snowmelt pattern may be site-specific. The flowering phenology of fellfield plants in an exposed wind-blown habitat was consistent between an unusually warm year (1998) and a normal year (2001). In contrast, the flowering occurrence of snowbed plants varied greatly between the years depending on the snowmelt time. There was a large number of flowering species in the fellfield community from mid- to late to late June and from mid- to late July. The flowering peak of an early-melt snowbed plant community was in the middle of the flowering season and that of a late-melt snowbed community was in the early flowering season. These habitat-specific phenological patterns were consistent between 1998 and 2001. The effects of the variation in flowering timing on seed-set success were evaluated for an entomophilous snowbed herb, Peucedanum multivittatum, along the snowmelt gradient during a 5-year period. When flowering occurred prior to early August, mean temperature during the flowering season positively influenced the seed set. When flowering occurred later than early August, however, the plants enjoyed high seed-set success irrespective of temperature conditions if frost damage was absent. These observations are probably explained based on the availability of pollinators, which depends not only on ambient temperature but also on seasonal progress. These results suggest that the effects of climate change on biological interaction may vary depending on the specific habitat in the alpine ecosystem in which diverse snowmelt patterns create complicated seasonality for plants within a very localized area.     

浙江种子植物物种编目

生物多样性的编目和分类以及生物多样性监测是全球生物多样性研究的两个核心内容。物种编目是了解物种多样性的基础, 只有掌握物种分布格局及物种与环境的关系, 才能为物种监测和科学管理提供依据。作为浙江种子植物研究的“家底”, 本文在《浙江植物志(新编)》编研的基础上, 系统整理了浙江种子植物的物种名录。结果显示, 浙江共有种子植物212科1,469属4,430种, 其中野生植物有190科1,085属3,347种。所含种数多于100种的科有禾本科(285种)、莎草科(216种)、菊科(186种)、蔷薇科(153种)、兰科(126种)、蝶形花科(109种)和唇形科(108种); 含20种以上的属有15属, 包括薹草属(Carex, 126种)、刚竹属(Phyllostachys, 44种)、悬钩子属(Rubus, 44种)、冬青属(Ilex, 35种)、蓼属(Polygonum, 34种)、珍珠菜属(Lysimachia, 32种)、铁线莲属(Clematis, 31种)、景天属(Sedum, 28种)、槭属(Acer, 26种)、荚蒾属(Viburnum, 26种)、飘拂草属(Fimbristylis, 26种)、蒿属(Artemisia, 25种)、堇菜属(Viola, 22种)、葡萄属(Vitis, 21种)和山矾属(Symplocos, 21种)。其区系特点主要反映在: 物种丰富, 其科属组成多样; 保存了较多古老孑遗植物; 地理成分多样, 联系广泛, 由热带向温带过渡; 中国特有科2科、中国特有属45属、浙江(准)特有种近500种(含亚种和变种), 珍稀濒危植物丰富, 96种为国家重点保护植物; 外来植物多, 入侵风险大, 有些种已形成明显的危害。     

Reverse-genetic analysis of the two biotin-containing subunit genes of the heteromeric acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase in Arabidopsis indicates a unidirectional functional redundancy

The heteromeric acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase catalyzes the first and committed reaction of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in plastids. This enzyme is composed of four subunits: biotin carboxyl-carrier protein (BCCP), biotin carboxylase, α-carboxyltransferase, and β-carboxyltransferase. With the exception of BCCP, single-copy genes encode these subunits in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Reverse-genetic approaches were used to individually investigate the physiological significance of the two paralogous BCCP-coding genes, CAC1A (At5g16390, codes for BCCP1) and CAC1B (At5g15530, codes for BCCP2). Transfer DNA insertional alleles that completely eliminate the accumulation of BCCP2 have no perceptible effect on plant growth, development, and fatty acid accumulation. In contrast, transfer DNA insertional null allele of the CAC1A gene is embryo lethal and deleteriously affects pollen development and germination. During seed development the effect of the cac1a null allele first becomes apparent at 3-d after flowering, when the synchronous development of the endosperm and embryo is disrupted. Characterization of CAC1A antisense plants showed that reducing BCCP1 accumulation to 35% of wild-type levels, decreases fatty acid accumulation and severely affects normal vegetative plant growth. Detailed expression analysis by a suite of approaches including in situ RNA hybridization, promoter:reporter transgene expression, and quantitative western blotting reveal that the expression of CAC1B is limited to a subset of the CAC1A-expressing tissues, and CAC1B expression levels are only about one-fifth of CAC1A expression levels. Therefore, a likely explanation for the observed unidirectional redundancy between these two paralogous genes is that whereas the BCCP1 protein can compensate for the lack of BCCP2, the absence of BCCP1 cannot be tolerated as BCCP2 levels are not sufficient to support heteromeric acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase activity at a level that is required for normal growth and development.