杂交-渐渗进化理论在转基因逃逸及其环境风险评价和研究中的意义

转基因作物的商品化生产和大规模环境释放, 引起了全球对生物安全问题的广泛关注和争议, 其中转基因通过花粉介导的基因漂移逃逸到非转基因作物及其野生近缘种, 进而带来不同类型的环境风险就是备受争议的生物安全问题之一。有效的生物安全评价和研究能够为转基因作物的安全持久利用保驾护航。按照风险评价的原则, 对于转基因逃逸及其潜在环境风险的评价应包括两个重要步骤: (1)检测转基因向野生近缘种(包括杂草类型)群体逃逸的频率; (2)确定逃逸后的转基因能否通过遗传渐渗在野生近缘种群体中存留和扩散。杂交－渐渗是进化生物学中非常重要的科学命题和普遍的自然现象, 杂交－渐渗的进化理论与转基因逃逸及其潜在环境风险的研究和评价有密切的关系。杂交－渐渗过程往往导致物种形成、适应性进化和自然群体的濒危与灭绝, 这是因为在杂交－渐渗过程中, 不同的机制如遗传同化作用、群体湮没效应以及群体的选择性剔除效应等都会在很大程度上影响群体的进化过程。转基因通过杂交－渐渗进入野生群体, 使这一过程更加复杂化。如果转基因能提高群体的适合度, 则更有利于其渐渗速率, 从而在群体中迅速扩散并带来一定的生态后果。杂交－渐渗的进化理论和思想将有益于指导转基因逃逸及其潜在环境风险的研究和评价。     

互花米草入侵影响下闽江河口湿地土壤有效硅的时空变化特征

2016年1—12月,选择闽江河口鳝鱼滩的短叶茳芏湿地、互花米草湿地以及二者的交错带湿地为研究对象,采用定位研究方法探讨了互花米草入侵影响下湿地土壤有效硅含量的时空变化特征。结果表明:互花米草入侵影响下3块湿地土壤有效硅含量随时间推移整体呈波动上升趋势;互花米草入侵显著提高了鳝鱼滩湿地30—60 cm土层土壤有效硅含量(P0.01),与短叶茳芏湿地相比,交错带湿地和互花米草湿地30—60 cm土层土壤有效硅含量分别增加了8.56%和19.97%,逐步线性回归分析表明土温和电导是影响其变化的重要因素(P0.01)。研究互花米草入侵影响下湿地土壤有效硅含量的变化特征,对于揭示湿地生态系统生源要素硅生物地球化学循环过程以及互花米草入侵及其扩张机制具有重要意义。     

Shifting daylength regimes associated with range shifts alter aphid‐parasitoid community dynamics

With climate change leading to poleward range expansion of species, populations are exposed to new daylength regimes along latitudinal gradients. Daylength is a major factor affecting insect life cycles and activity patterns, so a range shift leading to new daylength regimes is likely to affect population dynamics and species interactions; however, the impact of daylength in isolation on ecological communities has not been studied so far. Here, we tested for the direct and indirect effects of two different daylengths on the dynamics of experimental multitrophic insect communities. We compared the community dynamics under “southern” summer conditions of 14.5‐hr daylight to “northern” summer conditions of 22‐hr daylight. We show that food web dynamics indeed respond to daylength with one aphid species (Acyrthosiphon pisum) reaching much lower population sizes at the northern daylength regime compared to under southern conditions. In contrast, in the same communities, another aphid species (Megoura viciae) reached higher population densities under northern conditions. This effect at the aphid level was driven by an indirect effect of daylength causing a change in competitive interaction strengths, with the different aphid species being more competitive at different daylength regimes. Additionally, increasing daylength also increased growth rates in M. viciae making it more competitive under summer long days. As such, the shift in daylength affected aphid population sizes by both direct and indirect effects, propagating through species interactions. However, contrary to expectations, parasitoids were not affected by daylength. Our results demonstrate that range expansion of whole communities due to climate change can indeed change interaction strengths between species within ecological communities with consequences for community dynamics. This study provides the first evidence of daylength affecting community dynamics, which could not be predicted from studying single species separately.     

Studies on reproductive strategies of Vitex negundo L. var. heterophylla (Franch.) Rehder (Lamiaceae) based on morphological characteristics and SSR markers

Vitex negundo L. var. heterophylla (Franch.) Rehder (Lamiaceae) is an important tree species for soil and water conservation, yet the reproductive ecology of this species remains to be elucidated. To investigate the reproductive traits of V. negundo var. heterophylla, the phenology, morphological characteristics (a suite of characters was assessed: floral morphology, nectar production, pollen viability, and stigma receptivity) and mating system of this species were systematically revealed for the first time in this study. Phenological observations, morphological measurements, and nectar production analysis were conducted during anthesis. Pollen viability and stigma receptivity at different flowering stages were measured by biochemical methods. Finally, genetic analysis based on SSR markers was used to reveal the mating system; outcrossing index and pollen‐ovule ratio were also calculated to help analysis. V. negundo var. heterophylla showed several obvious characteristics of outcrossing, such as abundant and attractive flowers, secreting nectar, and emitting scent. In addition, mechanisms such as homogamy and a short anther‐stigma distance that can promote self‐fertilization were also identified in this species. The coexistence of selfing and outcrossing characteristics demonstrates a predominantly outcrossed mixed mating system (outcrossing rate, t = 95%). The scientific information provided by this study may contribute to conservation of V. negundo var. heterophylla from a reproductive perspective.     

化脓链球菌中野生型和突变体FtsB蛋白的铁色素结合特性

目的:进一步比较化脓链球菌中野生型和Y137A、W204A突变型FtsB蛋白的铁色素结合特性,确定铁色素结合位点。方法:制备野生型和Y137A、W204A突变型FtsB蛋白,采用ICP-MS和ITC比较其铁色素结合能力;Na2SO4还原实验比较铁色素的还原速率;CD热变性和盐酸胍化学变性实验比较其铁色素结合稳定性。结果:Y137A、W204A突变型FtsB蛋白的铁色素结合能力和结合稳定性均低于野生型蛋白,铁色素的还原速率均高于野生型蛋白,可见Tyr137和Trp204是FtsB蛋白重要的铁色素结合位点。结论:进一步确定了Tyr137和Trp204氨基酸残基在FtsB与铁色素结合中的重要作用,为深入研究细菌中的铁色素转运机理及开发疫苗候选物奠定了一定的理论基础。     

Mobile Phone Call Data as a Regional Socio-Economic Proxy Indicator

The advent of publishing anonymized call detail records opens the door for temporal and spatial human dynamics studies. Such studies, besides being useful for creating universal models for mobility patterns, could be also used for creating new socio-economic proxy indicators that will not rely only on the local or state institutions. In this paper, from the frequency of calls at different times of the day, in different small regional units (sub-prefectures) in Côte d''Ivoire, we infer users'' home and work sub-prefectures. This division of users enables us to analyze different mobility and calling patterns for the different regions. We then compare how those patterns correlate to the data from other sources, such as: news for particular events in the given period, census data, economic activity, poverty index, power plants and energy grid data. Our results show high correlation in many of the cases revealing the diversity of socio-economic insights that can be inferred using only mobile phone call data. The methods and the results may be particularly relevant to policy-makers engaged in poverty reduction initiatives as they can provide an affordable tool in the context of resource-constrained developing economies, such as Côte d''Ivoire''s.