Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) gene duplication during chordate evolution: the cDNA sequence of the LDH of the tunicate Styela plicata

L-Lactate dehydrogenase (L-LDH, E.C. 1.1.1.27) is encoded by two or three loci in all vertebrates examined, with the exception of lampreys, which have a single LDH locus. Biochemical characterizations of LDH proteins have suggested that a gene duplication early in vertebrate evolution gave rise to Ldh-A and Ldh-B and that an additional locus, Ldh-C arose in a number of lineages more recently. Although some phylogenetic studies of LDH protein sequences have supported this pattern of gene duplication, others have contradicted it. In particular, a number of studies have suggested that Ldh-C represents the earliest divergence among vertebrate LDHs and that it may have diverged from the other loci well before the origin of vertebrates. Such hypotheses make explicit statements about the relationship of vertebrate and invertebrate LDHs, but to date, no closely related invertebrate LDH sequences have been available for comparison. We have attempted to provide further data on the timing of gene duplications leading to multiple vertebrate LDHs by determining the cDNA sequence of the LDH of the tunicate Styela plicata. Phylogenetic analyses of this and other LDH sequences provide strong support for the duplications giving rise to multiple vertebrate LDHs having occurred after vertebrates diverged from tunicates. The timing of these LDH duplications is consistent with data from a number of other gene families suggesting widespread gene duplication near the origin of vertebrates. With respect to the relationships among vertebrate LDHs, our data are not consistent with previous claims that Ldh-C represented the earliest divergence. However, the precise relationships among some of the main lineages of vertebrate LDHs were not resolved in our analyses.      

Morphological and molecular taxonomy of a new Daptonema (Nematoda,Xyalidae) with comments on the systematics of some related taxa

A new species of Daptonema is described based upon morphological characters and 18S rRNA sequence. Daptonema matrona sp. nov. was collected in Pina Basin (north‐eastern Brazil). It differs from all other species of the genus by the presence of reduced cephalic setae and straight spicules. These features require an adaptation of the generic diagnosis. Moreover, the females are characterized by intra‐uterine development of the offspring, considered herein as their major autapomorphic feature. Molecular systematic analyses supported Daptonema matrona sp. nov. as a distinct genetic and evolutionary lineage. The data also indicate hypotheses of taxonomic synonymies amongst some related taxa from Xyalidae as well as the paraphyly of Daptonema. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 158 , 1–15.     

Mitochondrial DNA structure and colony expansion dynamics of New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) around Banks Peninsula

New Zealand fur seals are one of many pinniped species that survived the commercial sealing of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in dangerously low numbers. After the enforcement of a series of protection measures in the early twentieth century, New Zealand fur seals began to recover from the brink of extinction. We examined the New Zealand fur seal populations of Banks Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand using the mitochondrial DNA control region. We identified a panmictic population structure around Banks Peninsula. The most abundant haplotype in the area showed a slight significant aggregated structure. The Horseshoe Bay colony showed the least number of shared haplotypes with other colonies, suggesting a different origin of re-colonisation of this specific colony. The effective population size of the New Zealand fur seal population at Banks Peninsula was estimated at approximately 2500 individuals. The exponential population growth rate parameter for the area was 35, which corresponds to an expanding population. In general, samples from adjacent colonies shared 4.4 haplotypes while samples collected from colonies separated by between five and eight bays shared 1.9 haplotypes. The genetic data support the spill-over dynamics of colony expansion already suggested for this species. Approximate Bayesian computations analysis suggests re-colonisation of the area from two main clades identified across New Zealand with a most likely admixture coefficient of 0.41 to form the Banks Peninsula population. Approximate Bayesian computations analysis estimated a founder population size of approximately 372 breeding individuals for the area, which then rapidly increased in size with successive waves of external recruitment. The population of fur seals in the area is probably in the late phase of maturity in the colony expansion dynamic.     

中国植被分类系统修订方案

为了推动《中国植被志》研编工作, 该文回顾了中国植被分类系统的发展过程和主要阶段性成果, 提出了作为《中国植被志》研编技术框架组成部分的中国植被分类系统修订方案, 对各植被型组及各植被型进行了简单定义和描述, 并针对中国植被分类系统若干问题, 特别就中国植被分类系统总体框架、混交林的界定以及土壤在植被分类中的重要性等问题进行了讨论。1960年侯学煜在《中国的植被》中首次提出了中国植被分类的原则和系统, 1980年出版的《中国植被》制定了分类等级和划分依据等更加完善的系统, 之后《中国植被及其地理格局——中华人民共和国1:1 000 000植被图说明书》和《中国植物区系与植被地理》以及很多省区的植被专著对该系统进行过修订。2017年宋永昌在《植被生态学》中提出了一个分类等级单位调整的方案。本次提出的中国植被分类系统修订方案基本沿用《中国植被》的植被分类原则、分类单位及系统, 采用“植物群落学-生态学”分类原则, 主要以植物群落特征及其与环境的关系作为分类依据, 包含三级主要分类单位, 即植被型(高级单位)、群系(中级单位)和群丛(低级单位); 在三个主要分类单位之上分别增加辅助单位植被型组、群系组和群丛组, 在植被型和群系之下主要根据群落的生态差异和实际需要可再增加植被亚型或亚群系。修订方案包含了森林、灌丛、草本植被(草地)、荒漠、高山冻原与稀疏植被、沼泽与水生植被(湿地)、农业植被、城市植被和无植被地段9个植被型组, 划分为48个植被型(含30个自然植被型、12个农业植被型、5个城市植被型和无植被地段)。自然植被中有23个植被型进一步划分出了81个植被亚型。     

天童常绿阔叶树种栲树生殖个体大小及其生殖构件特征

对浙江天童木荷-栲树林内的常绿阔叶树种栲树(Castanopsis fargesii Franch.)的生殖个体大小、生殖构件的分布及其动态变化特征进行了研究。结果表明, 该地区栲树生殖个体的胸径在17~50 cm 间, 平均胸径为31. 2±8.0 cm, 平均年龄约36.3±6.6 年;林缘附近的生殖个体小于木荷-林内。相对稳定的群落和比较丰富的土壤养分条件有利于生殖枝数量和花序数量的增多。栲树生殖个体的数量在两年中变化较大, 部分栲树个体可以在连续年份中生殖。从枝系水平分析:在持续生殖的栲树个体上, 生殖枝数量有明显变化, 并非所有的生殖枝在两年中都可开花或结果, 保持连续生殖的枝系约占48.2%。栲树果序枝数量在连续年份有明显差异(p < 0.01), 而且果序枝上的幼蕾数、果实数量及结实率等都有明显差异(p < 0.05)。     

Differential proteomics of dehydration and rehydration in bryophytes: evidence towards a common desiccation tolerance mechanism

All bryophytes evolved desiccation tolerance (DT) mechanisms during the invasion of terrestrial habitats by early land plants. Are these DT mechanisms still present in bryophytes that colonize aquatic habitats? The aquatic bryophyte Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. was subjected to two drying regimes and alterations in protein profiles and sucrose accumulation during dehydration and rehydration were investigated. Results show that during fast dehydration, there is very little variation in protein profiles, and upon rehydration proteins are leaked. On the other hand, slow dehydration induces changes in both dehydration and rehydration protein profiles, being similar to the protein profiles displayed by the terrestrial bryophytes Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch and Schimp. and, to what is comparable with Syntrichia ruralis (Hedw.) F. Weber and D. Mohr. During dehydration there was a reduction in proteins associated with photosynthesis and the cytoskeleton, and an associated accumulation of proteins involved in sugar metabolism and plant defence mechanisms. Upon rehydration, protein accumulation patterns return to control values for both photosynthesis and cytoskeleton whereas proteins associated with sugar metabolism and defence proteins remain high. The current results suggest that bryophytes from different ecological adaptations may share common DT mechanisms.     

Molecular cloning and genetic mapping of perennial ryegrass casein protein kinase 2 α-subunit genes

The α-subunit of the casein protein kinase CK2 has been implicated in both light-regulated and circadian rhythm-controlled plant gene expression, including control of the flowering time. Two putative CK2α genes of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) have been obtained from a cDNA library constructed with mRNA isolated from cold-acclimated crown tissue. The genomic organisation of the two genes was determined by Southern hybridisation analysis. Primer designs to the Lpck2a-1 and Lpck2a-2 cDNA sequences permitted the amplification of genomic products containing large intron sequences. Amplicon sequence analysis detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the p150/112 reference mapping population. Validated SNPs, within diagnostic restriction enzyme sites, were used to design cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) assays. The Lpck2a-1 CAPS marker was assigned to perennial ryegrass linkage group (LG) 4 and the Lpck2a-2 CAPS marker was assigned to LG2. The location of the Lpck2a-1 gene locus supports the previous conclusion of conserved synteny between perennial ryegrass LG4, the Triticeae homoeologous group 5L chromosomes and the corresponding segment of rice chromosome 3. Allelic variation at the Lpck2a-1 and Lpck2a-2 gene loci was correlated with phenotypic variation for heading date and winter survival, respectively. SNP polymorphism may be used for the further study of the role of CK2α genes in the initiation of reproductive development and winter hardiness in grasses.     

Commercial ripening starter microorganisms inoculated into cheese milk do not successfully establish themselves in the resident microbial ripening consortia of a South german red smear cheese

Production of smear-ripened cheese critically depends on the surface growth of multispecies microbial consortia comprising bacteria and yeasts. These microorganisms often originate from the cheese-making facility and, over many years, have developed into rather stable, dairy-specific associations. While commercial smear starters are frequently used, it is unclear to what degree these are able to establish successfully within the resident microbial consortia. Thus, the fate of the smear starters of a German Limburger cheese subjected to the "old-young" smearing technique was investigated during ripening. The cheese milk was supplemented with a commercial smear starter culture containing Debaryomyces hansenii, Galactomyces geotrichum, Arthrobacter arilaitensis, and Brevibacterium aurantiacum. Additionally, the cheese surface was inoculated with an extremely stable in-house microbial consortium. A total of 1,114 yeast and 1,201 bacterial isolates were identified and differentiated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism, random amplified polymorphic DNA, repetitive PCR, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis analyses were used to type selected isolates below the species level. The D. hansenii starter strain was primarily found early in the ripening process. The G. geotrichum starter strain in particular established itself after relocation to a new ripening room. Otherwise, it occurred at low frequencies. The bacterial smear starters could not be reisolated from the cheese surface at all. It is concluded that none of the smear starter strains were able to compete significantly and in a stable fashion against the resident microbial consortia, a result which might have been linked to the method of application. This finding raises the issue of whether addition of starter microorganisms during production of this type of cheese is actually necessary.     

Indole RSK inhibitors. Part 1: discovery and initial SAR

A series of inhibitors for the 90 kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) based on an 1-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-[1,4]diazepino[1,2-a]indole-8-carboxamide scaffold were identified through high throughput screening. An RSK crystal structure and exploratory SAR were used to define the series pharmacophore. Compounds with good cell potency, such as compounds 43, 44, and 55 were identified, and form the basis for subsequent kinase selectivity optimization.