Large-scale de novo transcriptome analysis reveals specific gene expression and novel simple sequence repeats markers in salinized roots of the euhalophyte <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salicornia europaea</Emphasis>

Glycophytic plants suffer from severe stress and injury when roots are exposed to high salinity in the rhizosphere. In contrast, the euhalophyte Salicornia europaea grows well at 200 mM NaCl and can withstand up to 1000 mM NaCl in the root zone. Analysis of gene expression profiles and the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for this tolerance have been largely overlooked. Using the Illumina sequencing platform and the short-reads assembly programme Trinity, we generated a total of 40 and 39 million clean reads and further 140,086 and 122,728 unigenes from the 200 mM NaCl and 0 mM NaCl treated tissues of S. europaea roots, respectively. All unigenes in this study were functionally annotated within context of the COG, GO and KEGG pathways. Unigene functional annotation analysis allowed us to identify hundreds of ion transporters related to homeostasis and osmotic adaptation as well as a variety of proteins related to cation, amino acid, lipid and sugar transport. We found significant enrichment in response to stress including the functional categories of “antioxidant activity”, “catalytic activity” and “response to stimuli”. These findings represent for a useful resource for the scientific community working on salt tolerance mechanisms. Conversely, a total of 8639 EST-SSRs from 131,594 unigenes were identified and 4539 non-redundant SSRs primers pairs were developed. These data provide a good foundation for future studies on molecular adaptation mechanisms of euhalophytes roots under saline environments and will likely facilitate the identification of critical salt tolerance traits to be transferred in economically important crops.     

Age-associated increase in PGE2 synthesis and COX activity in murine macrophages is reversed by vitamin E

We previouslyshowed that increased macrophage andPGE₂ production with age is due toenhanced cyclooxygenase (COX) activity and COX-2 expression. This studydetermined the effect of vitamin E supplementation on macrophagePGE₂ synthesis in young and old mice and its underlying mechanism. Mice were fed 30 or 500 parts permillion vitamin E for 30 days. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages from old mice produced significantly morePGE₂ than those from young mice.Vitamin E supplementation reversed the increasedPGE₂ production in old mice buthad no effect on macrophage PGE₂production in young mice. In both LPS-stimulated and unstimulated macrophages, COX activity was significantly higher in old than in youngmice at all intervals. Vitamin E supplementation completely reversedthe increased COX activity in old mice to levels comparable to those ofyoung mice but had no effect on macrophage COX activity of young miceor on COX-1 and COX-2 protein or COX-2 mRNA expression in young or oldmice. Thus vitamin E reverses the age-associated increase in macrophagePGE₂ production and COX activity.Vitamin E exerts its effect posttranslationally, by inhibiting COXactivity.

     

Taxonomic review of Hemistola Warren, 1893 from China,with descriptions of seven new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae,Geometrinae)

The genus Hemistola Warren from China is reviewed, and seven new species are described: H. viridimargo, sp. nov., H. glauca sp. nov., H. asymmetra sp. nov., H. arcilinea sp. nov., H. flavifimbria sp. nov., H. orbiculosoides sp. nov. and H. stueningi sp. nov. Two species, acyra and christinaria, are transferred from Hemistola to Maxates and Comostola, respectively: Maxates acyra comb. nov. and Comostola christinaria comb. nov. Including the 25 species previously known from China, a total of 32 species is now recorded. All Chinese species are redescribed. Generic characters based on all species are summarized. Illustrations of adults and genitalia are presented.     

宜昌黄杨对夏季淹水的生理生态学响应

宜昌黄杨(Buxus ichangensis)主要分布于长江三峡地区的消落带, 对该地区的水土保持和岸坡地稳定起着十分重要的作用。作者通过模拟夏季淹水研究了宜昌黄杨的形态特征、光合作用和根系活力的变化特征, 揭示了宜昌黄杨对淹水的生态学响应规律。结果表明宜昌黄杨在淹水过程中产生了皮孔、不定根等形态适应特征, 经过60 d的淹水处理, 植株仍全部存活, 表现出较强的适应能力。但是植株的生长仍然受到淹水的显著影响: 淹水条件下宜昌黄杨的最大光合速率、气孔导度和根系活力与对照相比都显著下降, 60 d后分别只有对照的19.24%、24.04%和4.78%。在不同处理阶段这些指标下降的幅度不同: 初期的下降幅度最大, 后期下降幅度减少, 其中根系活力在后期还有所回升。叶绿素A的含量随淹水延长持续下降, 后期有所回升, 而叶绿素B和类胡萝卜素的变化却不大。最后, 作者对该物种在水电工程库区退化消落带植被生态恢复中的应用提出了一些建议。     

油松水源保护林人工诱导更新与定向恢复机理

以油松水源保护林为对象,进行人工诱导更新与定向恢复机理研究。结果表明,在郁闭林分内油松更新苗密度平均为5 375株.hm-2,更新苗年龄为1~2年,而在人工Gap“效应岛”样地内,更新苗密度平均为17 062.5株.hm-2,其中1~2年、3~4年、5~6年生更新苗分别占73.44%,13.97%和12.59%;生长季光照强度在0、1.5和2.0 m三个不同高度梯度上,在Gap内部的平均值分别为289.0×100、542.0×100和589.0×100 lux,在对照林分内分别为139.0×100、146.0×100和246.0×100lux;从夏季观测到的空气温度平均值日变化分析,在白天Gap内的温度高于郁闭林分内部,温差可差2~3℃,在夜间Gap内的温度低于郁闭林分内,温差可差0.5~1℃;在白天6:00~11:00,人工Gap“效应岛”内空气湿度明显低于郁闭林分内,在其它时间段大致相当;对于同一层次土壤而言,Gap内的土壤温度明显高于郁闭林分内且变化幅度大,在0、10和20 cm三个梯度上Gap与郁闭林分相比土壤温度最大差值分别可达10、5和2℃;0~10、10~20和20~30 cm三个层次平均土壤含水量在Gap内分别为16.9%1、5.1%和12.3%,在郁闭林分内分别为14.6%、12.5%和9.9%。总体上比较二者的光照强度、空气温度、空气湿度、土壤温度、土壤水分等有显著差异,因此人工Gap“效应岛”的创建是诱导其内部微环境因子变化的基础,也是油松水源保护林定向恢复更新的机理之所在。     

AMPA受体与谷氨酸在大鼠三叉神经尾侧亚核内分布的免疫组织化学研究

本文用免疫组织化学ＡＢＣ法调查了４种ＡＭＰＡ受体亚单位（ＧｌｕＲ１、２／３、４）和谷氨酸（Ｇｌｕ）在大鼠三叉神经尾侧亚核（Ｖｃ）内的分布及其匹配关系。我们发现,ＧｌｕＲ１和２／３免疫阳性胞体和纤维密集分布于Ｖｃ的Ⅱ层和Ⅲ层外侧部,在Ｖｃ的其余各层呈散在性分布。ＧｌｕＲ４免疫阳性胞体和纤维在Ｖｃ各层均无分布。Ｇｌｕ免疫阳性胞体分布于Ｖｃ各层,尤以浅层（Ⅰ、Ⅱ层）密集,Ｇｌｕ免疫阳性纤维及终末结构主要分布于Ｖｃ浅层。结果表明,Ｇｌｕ免疫阳性纤维及终末样结构与ＡＭＰＡ受体免疫阳性胞体和纤维在Ｖｃ浅层的分布总体上是相互匹配的,但ＡＭＰＡ受体各亚单位在Ｖｃ内的分布存在明显的差异。本文提示,Ｖｃ内的Ｇｌｕ可能通过作用于不同的ＡＭＰＡ受体亚单位而发挥其多种生理功能     

生物多样性理论最新进展

生物多样性是生态系统复杂性的重要特征, 理解多样性的形成和维持机制一直是理论生态学研究的核心议题。本文从三方面概述了生物多样性理论的最新进展。一是物种共存和群落构建, 总结了现代共存理论和基于过程的群落构建理论的新进展。二是物种相互作用, 综述了利用经验数据推断物种相互作用关系和强度的最新方法。三是生态-进化动态, 介绍了生态-进化模型的一般框架及其在生物多样性研究中的应用。最后对生物多样性理论的发展趋势做了展望, 特别是多尺度整合理论和全球变化下的预测理论。