High Frequency of Plant Production via Somatic Embryogenesis from Callus or Cell Suspension Cultures inEleutherococcus senticosus

Hypocotyl segments ofEleutherococcus senticosuscultured on Murashigeand Skoog's (MS) medium with 4.5 µM2,4-D produced somaticembryos directly from the surface of explants without interveningcallus formation. When these somatic embryos were subculturedto the same MS medium with 4.5 µM2,4-D, friable embryogeniccalli were formed mainly from radicle tips of somatic embryos,but at a low frequency (5%). Selected embryogenic calli weremaintained on MS agar or liquid medium with 4.5 µM2,4-D.To induce somatic embryo development, embryogenic calli andcell clumps were transferred to MS medium lacking 2,4-D. Thefrequency of somatic embryo formation differed between culturetypes with 1570 embryos formed per Petri dish from callus cultureand 5514 embryos formed per flask from cell suspension cultures.Somatic embryos formed on agar medium had larger cotyledonsthan those of embryos formed in liquid medium. GA₃treatmentwas necessary to induce germination from somatic embryos. Therate of plant conversion was 97% in somatic embryos from callusculture and 76% in embryos from liquid culture. Regeneratedplantlets were successfully acclimatized in the glasshouse.Copyright1999 Annals of Botany Company Eleutherococcus senticosus, micro propagation, somatic embryogenesis.     

Nereis succinea nuptial behavior: Does size matter?

Summary

Although Darwin noted that size may affect sexual selection, the effect of size on reproduction is controversial. Mature Nereis succinea, a polychaete that mates in pheromone-mediated twilight nuptial swarms, varies greatly in size, ranging more than 10-fold in body weight from 30 mg to >300 mg. Swim speed of swarming male worms increases with worm size, with the fastest males swimming more than twice the speed of the slowest. The female-produced spawning pheromone, nereithione, stimulates both swimming speed and spawning in males at concentrations of 10^?6 M and above, and lower concentrations cause significant activation of swimming. Individual worms can be stimulated to release sperm up to 40 or more times in a single experimental session. Larger worms release cumulatively more sperm than smaller ones, resulting in significant loss of body mass from repetitive spawning activated by nereithione. Size may enhance mating success of male N. succinea due to encountering more females as a result of faster swimming speed and due to the higher sperm density and number of spawning responses of large animals.     

SRAP、ISSR技术的优化及在甘蓝类植物种子鉴别中的应用

将SRAP与ISSR 2种分子标记技术应用于8种甘蓝类植物（Brassica oleracea L.）的种子鉴别中。先以甘蓝（Brassica oleracea var. capitata）基因组DNA为模板,通过对SRAP、ISSR反应体系中各影响因素的逐一筛选,优化了甘蓝类植物SRAP、ISSR反应体系。进而采用30个SRAP引物组合和15个ISSR引物对白甘蓝、皱叶甘蓝、红甘蓝、羽衣甘蓝、花椰菜、青花菜、抱子甘蓝、球茎甘蓝的基因组DNA进行了PCR扩增,结果表明：M3E5与M4E5两个SRAP引物组合可以在8种甘蓝类植物之间显示较高的多态性;844和888两个ISSR引物也可在8种甘蓝类植物之间产生很好的多态,特别是844引物单独应用即可区分所有材料。     

大连市一起由境外输入引起的本土新冠肺炎关联病例的病毒基因组特征分析

了解引起大连市本土新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）的新型冠状病毒（SARS-CoV-2）流行株的基因组特征和变异情况,追溯SARS-CoV-2来源。

选取2022年8月20日—9月14日97例由境外输入引起的COVID-19关联病例的样本。采用SARS-CoV-2全基因组靶向扩增结合高通量测序技术（Ion Torrent测序平台）进行全基因组测序。分析SARS-CoV-2的基因组特征、核苷酸和氨基酸突变位点和基因分型。构建进化树,结合病例的流行病学资料,溯源SARS-CoV-2流行株。

共获得97例SARS-CoV-2全基因组序列,基因组全长29 735～29 741 bp,平均测序深度1 457×～50 485×,测序覆盖率范围95.9%～100.0%。同NCBI数据库中的SARS-CoV-2参考基因组（NC_045512）序列相比,97例SARS-CoV-2全基因组序列共享75个核苷酸突变位点,22例在此基础上新增1～3个突变位点。75个共享突变位点类型包括：4个非编码区和7个基因编码区,其中基因编码区的70个突变位点,来自基因ORF1ab、S、ORF3a、E、M、ORF8、N。共享的氨基酸突变类型包括15个同义突变和51个非同义突变。97例SARS-CoV-2全基因组序列,Pangolin分型为BA.5.2.1.21 （BF.21进化分支）型,Nextstrain分型为22B型,GISAID分型为GRA型。经与大连SARS-CoV-2基因库的序列比对,与8月9日境外输入的编号20220809-1和20220809-2病例共享75个核苷酸突变位点,高度同源。进化分析结果显示,此次SARS-CoV-2流行株与同时期日本大阪SARS-CoV-2流行株共同处于BF.21进化分支上,与病例20220809-1和20220809-2流行病学调查中的来源国日本一致。

此次SARS-CoV-2流行株属于Omicron变异株（BF.21进化分支）,来源于日本。

     

Dynamics of Competition in Populations of Carrot (Daucus carota)

Populations of carrot (Daucus carota) were raised over a widerange of densities (79–5763 plants m^-2) to examine thedynamics of competition in terms of yield–density relationshipsand size variability, and to investigate the effects of nutrientsupply on competition. While the relationship between shootyield and density was asymptotic, the relationship between rootand total yield and density tended to be parabolic. For a giventime and density series the relationship between yield per unitarea and density could best be described by the model: y=w_mD_(1+aD)^b wherey is the yield per unit area,D is density,w_m, a andb arefitted parameters. The parametersw_m anda increased over timebut nutrient availability affected onlyw_m. An extension of thebasic yield-density model is proposed to describe the dynamicsof the yield–density relationship over time: y=kD_{[1+cexp(-rt)]{1+}     

In situPCR on Plant Material with Sub-cellular Resolution

In situPCR and reverse transcribedin situPCR have been testedon leaves of sugar cane fixed in FAA, 4% PFA or 2% PFA+2.5%GA.In situPCR amplification of the gene coding for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphatecarboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) was successfully performed followingall three fixation protocols. As expected the PCR product wasrestricted to the plastids of all cells. Reverse transcribedinsituPCR was performed onrbcL mRNA and in this case the PCR productwas restricted to the plastids of the bundle sheath cells. Thisis the first report ofin situPCR on plant material and onlythe second report ofin situPCR with sub-cellular resolution.InsituPCR onrbcL may prove to be a valuable positive control forfuturein situPCR studies on plant material.Copyright 1997 Annalsof Botany Company In situPCR; reversed transcribedin situPCR; rbcL; C₄-plants