Potential polyphenol markers of phase change in apple (Malus domestica)

In order to identify potential biochemical markers that can be used as indicators for phase change, the dynamics of polyphenolic compounds across apple seedlings (Malus domestica, Jonathan x Golden Delicious) were analyzed in this study by high performance liquid chromatography. Precocious flowering was induced by foliar sprays of plant growth regulators. Qualitative changes in the concentration of polyphenols were observed at node nos. 50, 80 and 120. Spontaneous and induced flowering was found at node nos. 122 and 77. It was reasonable to conclude that node no. 77 represented the point of transition between the juvenile phase and the adult vegetative phase, which was marked by the presence of phloridzin in the buds. The disappearance of myricitrin in the bark and the absence of caffeic acid in the aboveground tissues were qualitative markers of the reproductive phase, which was reached at node no. 122.     

Conservation and development through medicinal plants: a case study from Ludian (Northwest Yunnan,China) and presentation of a general model

A model for community-based conservation and development is presented, potentially applicable wherever communities rely on locally collected medicinal plants. The motivational foundation for conservation offered by these plants relates to people’s interests in health support, financial income and cultural identity. The model is based on experiences in the Medicinal Plants Conservation Initiative, a four-year programme (2005–2008) of Plantlife International with national partners, involving 14 projects in 8 countries in East Africa and the Himalayas. All projects provide evidence on the question “How best can communities conserve their medicinal plants?”. One of the projects (in China) is described to illustrate the types of evidence offered by the projects. The model consists of three social elements (community groups, project teams, policy makers), the relationships between them, and types of activity suggested for each group. Not all types of activity are relevant in all contexts. It is suggested that faith-based organisations, women’s associations and indigenous people’s groups are often well placed to take the model forward in terms of practical application at the landscape scale. The (on-going) project in China is at Ludian, a Naxi community in Northwest Yunnan. There is a secondary project site at Yongzhi, a Tibetan and Lisu village. The Ludian project is notable within the modern Chinese context for establishment of the first community group concerned specifically with the conservation of medicinal plants and the first community protected areas for medicinal plants.     

Stress response mechanisms and description of three novel species Shewanella avicenniae sp. nov., Shewanella sedimentimangrovi sp. nov. and Shewanella yunxiaonensis sp. nov., isolated from mangrove ecosystem

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek - Three Gram-staining negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped and motile strains, FJAT-51800T, FJAT-52962T and FJAT-54481T were isolated from the sediment samples of...     

喙尾琵琶甲肠道来源链霉菌(Streptomyces sp.)BPA71次级代谢产物的分离鉴定及其生物活性评价

【背景】昆虫是世界上种类最多、肠道菌群资源最丰富且多样的动物类群之一。昆虫肠道微生物具有产生活性次级代谢产物的能力,是活性天然产物的重要来源。【目的】研究药用昆虫喙尾琵琶甲(Blaps rynchopetera)成虫肠道来源链霉菌(Streptomyces sp.) BPA71的次级代谢产物及其生物活性。【方法】利用正相硅胶柱色谱、葡聚糖凝胶Sephadex LH-20柱色谱等方法分离纯化该菌株的发酵粗提物,采用牛津杯法进行抗菌活性追踪,确定抗菌活性部位,通过ESI-MS、NMR等波谱数据分析对化合物结构进行鉴定,采用微量肉汤稀释法测定最低抑菌浓度(minimal inhibitory concentration, MIC),采用MTS法测定抗肿瘤活性。【结果】从Streptomyces sp. BPA71的固体发酵提取物中共分离得到4个已知化合物,通过对比核磁数据确定为糠酸甲酯(1)、吡咯甲酰胺A (2)、吡咯甲酰胺B (3)和吲哚-3-乙酸甲酯(4)。抗菌活性结果显示化合物2具有广谱抗菌活性。此外,化合物2对宫颈癌细胞HeLa、肺癌细胞A549、肝癌细胞SMMC-7721、乳腺癌细胞MDA-MB-231和结肠癌细胞SW480这5株肿瘤细胞均有明显的抑制活性。【结论】喙尾琵琶甲肠道来源Streptomyces sp. BPA71可产生丰富的生物活性物质,该研究结果为进一步挖掘喙尾琵琶甲肠道链霉菌的活性天然产物奠定了基础,同时丰富了人们对喙尾琵琶甲肠道微生物的认识。     

15000年以来若尔盖高原泥炭地发育及其碳动态

高海拔泥炭地是维护高原气候环境稳定的重要生态系统,由于其兼具高海拔和高寒的特点,对气候变化尤为敏感。若尔盖高原泥炭地是中国高海拔泥炭地集中分布区,碳储量丰富,由于方法学差异及数据缺乏,其碳储量估算仍存在一定程度的不确定性,对长时间尺度碳通量的模拟研究还较为匮乏。因此,以若尔盖高原泥炭地为研究对象,基于若尔盖高原泥炭地每千年的面积变化和碳累积速率重新评估若尔盖高原泥炭地碳储量,并利用泥炭分解模型和碳通量重建模型探讨了15000年以来若尔盖高原泥炭地碳通量动态。研究结果表明,若尔盖高原泥炭地约从15000年开始发育,发育高峰期在12000-10000年和7000-5000年,泥炭累积速率范围为0.22-1.31 mm/a,平均值为0.56 mm/a;碳累积速率范围为13.4-77.2 g C m^-2 a^-1,平均碳累积速率为33.5 g C m^-2 a^-1,3000年至今碳累积速率最高,7000-6000年是碳累积速率次峰值时期;15000年以来若尔盖高原泥炭地碳储存量达1.4 Pg（1 Pg=10¹⁵ g）,碳累积输入和碳累积释放分别为5.6 Pg和4.2 Pg;净碳平衡平均值为0.087 Tg（1 Tg=10¹² g）C/a,峰值出现在11000-10000年为0.295 Pg;在6000-2000年若尔盖泥炭地出现微弱碳源,最大值出现在5000-4000年,约为-0.034 Pg,净碳平衡在15000-11000年和4000年至今呈现上升趋势,而10000-4000年整体呈现下降趋势。总体而言,若尔盖高原泥炭地碳储量丰富,是青藏高原东部重要的陆地生态系统碳库和碳汇,本研究将为我国高海拔泥炭地碳库保育提供一定的理论和数据支撑。     

海南尖峰岭热带山地雨林60ha动态监测样地群落结构特征

热带山地雨林是海南岛最占优势的植被类型,以往对热带山地雨林的研究通常基于小尺度,缺乏大尺度上的长期固定样地监测。作者基于海南岛尖峰岭地区60 ha(1,000 m×600 m)植被动态监测大样地,详细描述了该样地所属典型热带山地雨林的群落结构特征,以期为更深入地揭示我国热带雨林地区的物种多样性及其维持机制提供背景资料。尖峰岭大样地20 m×20 m样方水平上海拔和坡度分别在866.3–1,016.7 m和1.7°–49.3°间变化。大样地内共记录到439,676株存活的胸径≥1.0 cm的乔灌木植株,除61个植株未确定种名外,其他分属于62科155属290种。单位面积植株密度为0.7328株/m2(含萌条和分枝),20 m×20 m尺度上单位面积物种数量为32–120种,平均80种。植物属区系成分以热带性质为主,共有136属,占总属数的88.3%;另有鼠李科鼠李属(Rhamnus)为世界分布,木兰科拟单性木兰属(Parakmeria)为中国特有分布。按物种重要值排序,大样地内最具优势(重要值大于2.0)的6个种分别为:大叶蒲葵(Livistona saribus)、白颜树(Gironniera subaequalis)、厚壳桂(Cryptocarya chinensis)、油丹(Alseodaphne hainanensis)、四蕊三角瓣花(Prismatomeris tetrandra)和海南韶子(Nephelium topengii)。优势科为樟科、壳斗科、茜草科和棕榈科,重要值均超过了5.0。取样面积达到7.5 ha或取样数量达到2万株时,计数到的物种数量达到261种,占总物种数量的90.0%。大样地内稀有种和偶见种各占所有物种的20.7%和37.6%。样地内所有个体平均胸径5.22 cm,植株径级分布呈明显的倒"J"形。本文为后续尖峰岭大样地的研究提供了背景资料,尖峰岭大样地的建立也为热带地区生物多样性长期变化监测提供了一个基础平台。     

昆虫次生内共生菌Rickettsia研究进展

Rickettsia隶属于变形菌纲Proteobacteria的α亚群立克次体科Rickettsiaceae革兰氏阴性菌,是形态多样的次生真核细胞内共生菌。Rickettsia的功能是多样的,在一些宿主中为营养共生菌,在另一些宿主中为生殖调控因子,或以昆虫为载体的植物病原菌,此外,Rickettsia还能增强宿主抗药性,提高宿主抵御天敌、高温或者其它致死因素的能力。本综述主要从Rickettsia的起源、分类、在昆虫体内的分布、传播方式、与昆虫生殖调控的关系以及基因组进化等方面,简述Rickettsia的研究进展,重点提出了Rickettsia研究中一些尚未解决的问题,期望通过这些研究进一步明确Rickettsia与昆虫之间的互作关系。     

Unexpected CH4 emission from the Three Gorges Reservoir and its implications

Until the end of last century, scientists began to show their concern about greenhouse gas emission from reservoirs and questioned the “green credential” of hydroelectric dams since then. Through measurements along the channel of the TGR, an unexpectedly low CH₄ emission rate was recently observed from the surface of the TGR, much lower than our assumed estimate before. Moreover, the rate from the TGR is lower than that from many hydroelectric reservoirs. One possible reason for such a low emission rate is that lack of substrates supplied by decomposed vegetation limits the CH₄ production in the sediment of the TGR because of vegetation clearance since 2002 before impounding, whose primary purpose is to conserve the water quality. These results indicated that TGR is not a hotspot of CH₄ emission. On a broader sense, it also indicated that removal of flooded vegetation would help to decrease CH₄ emission from dam reservoirs before impounding, especially in the drawdown area.     

Unexpected CH4 emission from the Three Gorges Reservoir and its implications

Until the end of last century, scientists began to show their concern about greenhouse gas emission from reservoirs and questioned the “green credential” of hydroelectric dams since then. Through measurements along the channel of the TGR, an unexpectedly low CH₄ emission rate was recently observed from the surface of the TGR, much lower than our assumed estimate before. Moreover, the rate from the TGR is lower than that from many hydroelectric reservoirs. One possible reason for such a low emission rate is that lack of substrates supplied by decomposed vegetation limits the CH₄ production in the sediment of the TGR because of vegetation clearance since 2002 before impounding, whose primary purpose is to conserve the water quality. These results indicated that TGR is not a hotspot of CH₄ emission. On a broader sense, it also indicated that removal of flooded vegetation would help to decrease CH₄ emission from dam reservoirs before impounding, especially in the drawdown area.     

引种捕食螨胡瓜新小绥螨在中国的适生区分布预测

胡瓜新小绥螨(Neoseiulus cucumeris)是一种商业化的广食性生防天敌,可以防治多种农业害螨和害虫,具有重要的经济和生态价值。但是作为一种外来引种的捕食螨,它在我国的适生区域分布以及气候变化对其分布的影响尚不明确。根据胡瓜新小绥螨的现有分布点和19个生物气候因子,利用刀切法评估关键气候因素的重要性,并采用Maxent生态位模型分别预测了目前和未来气候条件下它在中国分布情况,分析了其在中国的潜在适生区域的变化。结果表明模型预测得到的受试者工作特征曲线ROC曲线下的面积AUC(Area under curve)值为0.87,表明模型的准确度好。最冷季节的降水量(Bio_19)、等温性(Bio_3)和气温季节性(Bio_4)是影响胡瓜新小绥螨适生性的最重要的环境因子, 对模型的贡献率分别为36.2%、25% 和18.1%。目前胡瓜新小绥螨的适生区面积约占我国陆地面积的60%,在未来气候条件下,其适生区域有进一步扩大的趋势,在2050年其中高度适生区域扩张至63%。不同时期胡瓜新小绥螨的分布中心比较稳定,均分布于四川省内,但有向东北迁移的趋势。本研究明确了胡瓜新小绥螨在中国适宜的释放区域及可能定殖的区域,为该引种天敌的合理利用提供了理论依据。