The 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase WFL is involved in lateral organ development and cuticular wax synthesis in Medicago truncatula

Plant Molecular Biology - A 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase involved in biosynthesis of very long chain fatty acids and cuticular wax plays a vital role in aerial organ development in M. truncatula....     

A basic equation for population dynamics with destruction of breeding habitats and its application to outbreak of cyprinid herpesvirus 3

In reproduction, many animal species migrate to local habitats that are appropriate for reproduction and for growth of newly born offspring. The examples are ubiquitous among crabs, freshwater fishes, amphibians, migratory birds, and sea animals. We propose a basic equation for population dynamics of such animals, assuming that the number of offspring is proportional to the area of the local breeding habitats as a first approximation. This equation is very simple to be solved analytically, and useful for representing environmental issues of habitat destruction and degradation. According to the equation, the adult density in breeding habitats increases temporarily during habitat destruction and returns to the original density afterwards. The temporal peak value is higher for a larger proportion of area with destruction, a higher temporal rate of destruction, and a higher survival probability of the adults. In contrast, habitat degradation results simply in a decrease of the adult density in breeding habitats. Using this equation, we will discuss the vulnerability of populations to epidemic diseases due to temporal local high densities with decreasing breeding habitats by human activities, exemplifying an outbreak of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 for wild carps in Lake Biwa.     

Is the insular endemic Psidium socorrense (Myrtaceae) at risk of extinction through hybridization?

Natural hybridization between an insular endemic species and a widely distributed congener may endanger the endemic through genetic assimilation or outbreeding depression. Furthermore, hybrids can exhibit complex morphological variation, causing taxonomic problems in the identification of the involved taxa. In this work, we used a combination of leaf morphological and molecular markers (RAPD) to establish the differentiation between Psidium sp. aff. sartorianum and the insular endemic P. socorrense. It was also determined if hybridization between these taxa occurs in the southern slope of Isla Socorro, Mexico. Plant collection was carried along an altitudinal gradient (100–800 m). We collected eight populations separated 100 m a.s.l. apart from each other; 25 individuals were collected per population. Psidium socorrense and P. sp. aff. sartorianum differed significantly in all but two morphological characters measured. Also, a high number of diagnostic RAPD markers were found for each taxon. These results suggest that two Psidium species occur at Isla Socorro. Furthermore, both morphological and RAPD markers revealed a hybrid zone located in the southern slope of Isla Socorro (400–700 m a.s.l.) with an asymmetrical pattern of gene flow towards P. socorrense. We suggest that the disturbance caused by the sheep population in the mixed stand favors the establishment of hybrids. We further discuss whether hybridization represents a threat to the insular endemic P. socorrense.     

Differences between domesticated Eurasian and Japanese indigenous strains of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in cortisol release following acute stress

To understand the differences in the stress sensitivities between domesticated Eurasian and Japanese indigenous strains of common carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus 1758), we compared concentrations of cortisol released into the water in response to handling of the two types of strains. At 0.5 and 2 h after the handling treatment, the cortisol emission was greater from the Eurasian strain than from the Japanese strain. There were no differences between the strains in the cortisol levels after 4 to 24 h. We found that Eurasian strains exposed to the unnatural stressor (i.e., handling) exhibited a higher cortisol response than the Japanese strain.     

Spatial variation and temporal stability of littoral water temperature relative to lakeshore morphometry: environmental analysis from the view of fish thermal ecology

Lakeshore developments change the physicochemical properties of the underwater environment by altering shore morphometry, which may have significant effects on spatial variation and temporal stability in water temperature. Spatiotemporal temperature changes are costly to fish in terms of subsequent thermoregulatory behavior and acclimation; therefore, thermal conditions have a heavy impact on the biological function of fishes. Spatiotemporal variation and stability of water temperatures along cross-shore transects in the littoral zone (within 100 m from shore) were monitored and compared on two lakeshores with different cross-shore depth profiles. One shore was associated with a retaining wall and a relatively deep, flat bottom (steep shore), whereas the other extended offshore at a gentle gradient (gentle shore). Water temperature was more spatially variable on the gentle shore than the steep shore [1.44 ± 0.47 and 0.20 ± 0.14°C (mean ± SD), respectively], but a stable temperature range (i.e., the range of temperatures continuously observed on each shore for 48 h) was maintained only on the gentle shore during seasonal temperature decline. These results suggest that gentle shores have higher potential to provide a wider range of thermal options, allowing fish to fine-tune thermoregulatory behavior and acclimate more efficiently to temperature changes.     

Benefits and Costs of Dominance in the Angelfish Centropyge bicolor

Social groups are often structured by dominance hierarchies in which subordinates consistently defer to dominants. High‐ranking individuals benefit by gaining inequitable access to resources, and often achieve higher reproductive success; but may also suffer costs associated with maintaining dominance. We used a large‐scale field study to investigate the benefits and costs of dominance in the angelfish Centropyge bicolor, a sequential hermaphrodite. Each haremic group contains a single linear body size‐based hierarchy with the male being most dominant, followed by several females in descending size order. Compared to their subordinate females, dominant males clearly benefited from disproportionately high spawning frequencies, but bore costs in lower foraging rates and greater aggressive defence of their large territories. Within the female hierarchy, more dominant individuals benefited from higher spawning frequencies and larger home ranges, but displayed neither higher foraging rates nor spawn order priority. However, dominance in females was also linked to aggressiveness, particularly towards immediate subordinates, suggesting that females were using energetically costly aggression to maintain their high rank. We further showed by experimentally removing dominant females that the linear hierarchy was also a social queue, with subordinates growing to inherit higher rank with its attendant benefits and costs when dominants disappeared. We suggest that in C. bicolor, the primary benefit of high rank is increased reproductive success in terms of current spawning frequency and the prospect of inheriting the male position in the near future, which may be traded off against the cost of aggressively defending rank and territory.     

普通小麦品种Alondra＇s遗传转化体系的建立

小麦（Triticum aestivum）幼胚愈伤组织的诱导和分化再生有高度依赖基因型特征。为了建立和优化Alondra’s的高效再生及遗传转化体系,为小麦遗传转化提供更多的受体基因型,以Alondra’s的幼胚为外植体,研究了培养基种类、不同激素配比等对其幼胚愈伤组织诱导及再生的影响。结果表明,在使用N6培养基时,添加3mg·L^-1的2,4-D并附加1000mg·L^-1的CH对愈伤组织的诱导效果较好;添加4mg·L^-1的ZT、不附加IAA对愈伤组织的分化效果最好。通过构建植物表达载体pCAMBIA1301-220.6,利用基因枪法将HYG基因导入Alondra’s幼胚愈伤组织中,以建立Alondra’s的高效遗传转化体系。结果在含100mg·L^-1潮霉素的选择培养基上进行筛选、分化,获得了30棵抗性植株。经PCR检测,其中5株为阳性转基因植株,转化率为0.5%。Alondra＇s遗传转化体系的建立丰富了小麦遗传转化的基因型,为小麦品种的转基因改良和在不同背景下研究基因的功能奠定了良好的基础。