The genome of Syntrophorhabdus aromaticivorans strain UI provides new insights for syntrophic aromatic compound metabolism and electron flow

How aromatic compounds are degraded in various anaerobic ecosystems (e.g. groundwater, sediments, soils and wastewater) is currently poorly understood. Under methanogenic conditions (i.e. groundwater and wastewater treatment), syntrophic metabolizers are known to play an important role. This study explored the draft genome of Syntrophorhabdus aromaticivorans strain UI and identified the first syntrophic phenol‐degrading phenylphosphate synthase (PpsAB) and phenylphosphate carboxylase (PpcABCD) and syntrophic terephthalate‐degrading decarboxylase complexes. The strain UI genome also encodes benzoate degradation through hydration of the dienoyl‐coenzyme A intermediate as observed in Geobacter metallireducens and Syntrophus aciditrophicus. Strain UI possesses electron transfer flavoproteins, hydrogenases and formate dehydrogenases essential for syntrophic metabolism. However, the biochemical mechanisms for electron transport between these H₂/formate‐generating proteins and syntrophic substrate degradation remain unknown for many syntrophic metabolizers, including strain UI. Analysis of the strain UI genome revealed that heterodisulfide reductases (HdrABC), which are poorly understood electron transfer genes, may contribute to syntrophic H₂ and formate generation. The genome analysis further identified a putative ion‐translocating ferredoxin : NADH oxidoreductase (IfoAB) that may interact with HdrABC and dissimilatory sulfite reductase gamma subunit (DsrC) to perform novel electron transfer mechanisms associated with syntrophic metabolism.     

Genetic variations and phylogeography of the swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon on the Japanese Islands

The swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758 is widely distributed in the Holarctic region, including all of the main islands of Japan, as well as Sakhalin, and on other smaller islands south to Yakushima Island. The Japanese population is situated at the margin of the Eurasian distribution range of this species. It is morphologically different from other populations and has been classified as the subspecies hippocrates C. & R. Felder, 1864. The population of the Japanese Islands is considered to be genetically distinct from the continental populations in relation to the geographical history of the Japanese Islands. Therefore, we examined a part of the ND5 gene sequence of the mitochondrial DNA for P. machaon individuals of various localities in Japan and some nearby countries, and found 68 haplotypes in 400 individuals from the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin. A DNA polymorphism analysis revealed that the genetic structure of the Hokkaido population was significantly different from that of the southern populations on the main Japanese islands. These results imply that P. machaon expanded its range from the Amur region of Russia southward through Sakhalin to the Japanese Islands, and that the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu may have subsequently limited their gene flow as a geographical barrier.     

Primulina maciejewskii sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong,China

Primulina maciejewskii F. Wen, R.L. Zhang & A.Q. Dong, a new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. lobulata and P. danxiaensis in leaf and flower shape, but can be distinguished by bract shape, peduncle, pedicel, and bract size, filament and anther indumentum, and number of bracts, staminodes and stigma.     

山西省蝶类多样性与地带分布

结合自然地理与植被条件对山西蝶类多样性分布的现状进行研究,结果表明,其特点是：不同林区差异性大,呈南北递减趋势,受小气候环境影响较大,资源呈片段化分布,耕作区种类多样性丧失严重。根据已知的216种蝶类在山西15个林区的分布情况,采用聚类平均法(UPGMA)对这15个林区的蝶类多样性进行聚类分析,在相似性系数为0.85时,可将山西林区划分为5个蝶类分布地带。按照地理位置和自然景观的不同,分别称之为：Ⅰ.南端山地蝴蝶区;Ⅱ.南部盆地蝴蝶区;Ⅲ.中南部山地丘陵蝴蝶区;Ⅳ.中部高山蝴蝶区;Ⅴ.西北部丘陵蝴蝶区。在关键区系分析中,得知南端山地蝴蝶区和中部高山蝴蝶区是山西蝶类多样性分布的重要地区,对这两个区系加以保护,即可保护山西已知蝴蝶种类的97.7%。     

Design and visualization of second‐generation cyanoisoindole‐based fluorescent strigolactone analogs

Strigolactones (SLs) are a family of terpenoid allelochemicals that were recognized as plant hormones only a decade ago. They influence a myriad of both above‐ and below‐ground developmental processes, and are an important survival strategy for plants in nutrient‐deprived soils. A rapidly emerging approach to gain knowledge on hormone signaling is the use of traceable analogs. A unique class of labeled SL analogs was constructed, in which the original tricyclic lactone moiety of natural SLs is replaced by a fluorescent cyanoisoindole ring system. Biological evaluation as parasitic seed germination stimulant and hypocotyl elongation repressor proved the potency of the cyanoisoindole strigolactone analogs (CISAs) to be comparable to the commonly accepted standard GR24. Additionally, via a SMXL6 protein degradation assay, we provided molecular evidence that the compounds elicit SL‐like responses through the natural signaling cascade. All CISAs were shown to exhibit fluorescent properties, and the high quantum yield and Stokes shift of the pyrroloindole derivative CISA‐7 also enabled in vivo visualization in plants. In contrast to the previously reported fluorescent analogs, CISA‐7 displays a large similarity in shape and structure with natural SLs, which renders the analog a promising tracer to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of SLs in plants and fungi.     

调亏灌溉对冬小麦耗水特性和水分利用效率的影响

以高产中筋冬小麦品种济麦22为材料,在山东兖州小孟镇史王村进行田间试验,研究了调亏灌溉对冬小麦耗水特性和水分利用效率的影响.结果表明：在全生育期降水228 mm条件下,W₁（土壤相对含水量：播种期80%+拔节期70%+开花期70%）和W₄（土壤相对含水量：播种期90%+拔节期85%+开花期85%）处理总耗水量高于W₀（土壤相对含水量：播种期80%+拔节期65%+开花期65%）、W₂（土壤相对含水量：播种期80%+拔节期80%+开花期80%）和W₃（土壤相对含水量：播种期90%+拔节期80%+开花期80%）处理,W₁和W₄处理间无显著差异;W₁处理增加了0～200 cm土层土壤贮水消耗量,降低了小麦拔节至开花期的耗水模系数,提高了开花至成熟期的耗水模系数;W₄处理在开花至成熟期、拔节至开花期的耗水量和耗水模系数均较大.调亏灌溉条件下,W₀处理水分利用效率较高,但产量最低;随灌溉量增加,其他处理水分利用效率呈先增加后降低的趋势.耗水量最高的W₁和W₄处理产量也最高,W₁处理灌溉水利用效率和灌溉效益均高于W₄处理,为本试验条件下高产节水的最佳处理.     

ABA、NAA诱导水稻胚性愈伤组织的研究

ABA和NAA联合使用能有效地诱导水稻原生质体再生的愈伤组织向胚性发展。通过液体浅层培养由原生质体得到的愈伤组织,在含ABA和NAA的N_6培养基上培养一段时间,可以诱导原来呈非胚性状态的愈伤组织形成胚性愈伤组织,并在含ZT的N_6分化陪养基上产生绿点。通过对这两种愈伤组织的生化分析,表明二者在游离氨基酸、DNA、RNA、核酸及蛋白质含量等方面,特别是SDS-PAGE谱带存在明显的差异,其细胞的形态与结构也有显著差别,其中经ABA NAA诱导后的愈伤组织其细胞形态与结构特征与来源于种胚的胚性愈伤组织基本类似,所分析的生化指标也大多数相近。结果表明,ABA和NAA联合使用得当,能促进形成胚性愈伤组织。