Tonoplast targeting of VHA‐a3 relies on a Rab5‐mediated but Rab7‐independent vacuolar trafficking route

Vacuolar trafficking routes and their regulators have recently drawn lots of attention in plant cell biology.A recent study reported the discovery of a plant-specific vacuolar trafficking route,i.e.,a direct ERto-vacuole route,through analysis of VHA-a3 subcellular targeting,a key component for the tonoplast VATPases.Our recent findings showed that VHA-a3 targets to the tonoplast through a Rab5-mediated but Rab7-independent pathway,shedding new lights on the unconventional vacuolar trafficking route in plant cells.     

Genome-wide analysis of codon usage bias patterns in an enterotoxigenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> F18 strain

Enterogenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) F18 strains are the main pathogenic bacteria causing severe diarrhea in humans and domestic animals. However, the information about synonymous codon usage pattern of ETEC F18 genome remains unclear. We conducted a genome-wide analysis of synonymous codon usage patterns in the ETEC F18 strain SRA: SAMN02471895. After filtering of the complete genome sequence, 4327 coding sequences were analyzed using multivariate statistical methods to calculate synonymous codon usage patterns and to evaluate the influence of various factors in shaping the codon usage. The mean GC content was 51.38%, with a slight preference for G/C-ending codons. Twenty-two codons were determined as ‘‘optimal codons”. ENC plots showed some of the genes were on or close to the expected curve, while only points with low-ENC values were below the curve. PR2 analysis showed that GC and AT were not used proportionally, suggesting major roles for mutational pressure and natural selection in shaping usage. Neutrality plots showed a significant correlation between GC12 and GC3, suggesting that mutational pressure is responsible for nucleotide composition in shaping the strength of codon usage. Translational selection was the main factor shaping the codon usage pattern of ETEC F18 genome, while other factors such as protein length, GRAVY and ARO values also influenced codon usage to some extent. We analyzed the codon usage pattern systematically and identified the factors shaping codon usage bias in the ETEC F18 genome. Such information further elucidates the mechanisms of synonymous codon usage bias and provides the basis of molecular genetic engineering and evolutionary studies.     

Intensified wind pollination mediated by pollen dimorphism after range expansion in an ambophilous biennial Aconitum gymnandrum

Pollination systems and associated floral traits generally differ between core and marginal populations of a species. However, such differences are rarely examined in plants with a mixed wind‐ and bumblebee‐pollination system, and the role of wind pollination during range expansion in ambophilous plants remains unclear. We compared floral traits and the contributions of bumblebee and wind pollination in refugium and marginal populations of the ambophilous plant Aconitum gymnandrum. We found that most floral traits differed between the two populations, and those traits associated with the shift to wind pollination were pronounced in the marginal population. Bumblebee visitation rates varied significantly, but were generally low in the marginal population. Wind pollination occurred in both populations, and the efficiency was lower than that of bumblebee pollination. Two types of pollen grains, namely round and fusiform pollen, were transported to a stigma by bumblebees and wind, but fusiform pollen contributed to wind pollination to a larger degree, especially in the marginal population. Our results suggest that wind pollination was enhanced by pollen dimorphism in the marginal population of A. gymnandrum, and wind pollination may provide reproductive assurance when bumblebee activity is unpredictable during range expansion, indicating that ambophily is stable in this species and shift in pollination system could be common when plants colonize new habitats.     

Contrasting effects of plant inter‐ and intraspecific variation on community trait responses to restoration of a sandy grassland ecosystem

Changes in plant community traits along an environmental gradient are caused by interspecific and intraspecific trait variation. However, little is known about the role of interspecific and intraspecific trait variation in plant community responses to the restoration of a sandy grassland ecosystem. We measured five functional traits of 34 species along a restoration gradient of sandy grassland (mobile dune, semi‐fixed dune, fixed dune, and grassland) in Horqin Sand Land, northern China. We examined how community‐level traits varied with habitat changes and soil gradients using both abundance‐weighted and non‐weighted averages of trait values. We quantified the relative contribution of inter‐ and intraspecific trait variation in specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf carbon content (LCC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), and plant height to the community response to habitat changes in the restoration of sandy grassland. We found that five weighted community‐average traits varied significantly with habitat changes. Along the soil gradient in the restoration of sandy grassland, plant height, SLA, LDMC, and LCC increased, while LNC decreased. For all traits, there was a greater contribution of interspecific variation to community response in regard to habitat changes relative to that of intraspecific variation. The relative contribution of the interspecific variation effect of an abundance‐weighted trait was greater than that of a non‐weighted trait with regard to all traits except LDMC. A community‐level trait response to habitat changes was due largely to species turnover. Though the intraspecific shift plays a small role in community trait response to habitat changes, it has an effect on plant coexistence and the maintenance of herbaceous plants in sandy grassland habitats. The context dependency of positive and negative covariation between inter‐ and intraspecific variation further suggests that both effects of inter‐ and intraspecific variation on a community trait should be considered when understanding a plant community response to environmental changes in sandy grassland ecosystems.     

黄渤海甲壳类的分类多样性

为了解黄渤海甲壳类的分类多样性特征, 我们统计了2010-2015年中国水产科学研究院黄海水产研究所调查捕获的黄渤海甲壳类(软甲纲: 十足目与口足目)物种名录。结合历史文献, 进一步系统整理得到黄渤海甲壳类物种总名录。基于这2个名录, 应用分类阶元包含指数(the inclusion index at taxonomic level, TINCL_i)、平均分类差异指数(average taxonomic distinctness index, Δ⁺)和分类差异变异指数(variation in taxonomic distinctness index, Λ⁺)研究了其分类多样性特征。结果显示: 2010-2015年调查名录中, 甲壳类共93种, 隶属于2目39科66属, 其中10种为新分布种; 对虾科、藻虾科、长臂虾科、梭子蟹科和弓蟹科的物种数最多, 合计占总物种数的38.71%; TINCL_i分别为1.41种/属和2.38种/科; Δ⁺和Λ⁺分别为50.25和35.20。总名录中, 甲壳类共228种, 隶属于2目53科123属, 其中藻虾科、豆蟹科、对虾科、弓蟹科和鼓虾科的物种数最多, 合计占总物种数的30.70%; TINCL_i分别为1.85种/属和4.30种/科, Δ⁺和Λ⁺分别为50.18和30.87。对虾科的相对丰富度指数(the relative richness index, R_r)最高(100), 其次是梭子蟹科(71.43)和长臂虾科(62.50), 豆蟹科最低(6.25)。黄渤海甲壳类的平均分类差异指数(Δ⁺)明显小于鱼类(P < 0.05)。2010-2015年调查的Δ⁺计算值高于理论值, 且在理论值的95%置信区间内, 说明黄渤海甲壳类群落正处在中等程度的干扰中。     

CRISPR/Cas系统的研究进展及其在畜禽遗传改良中的应用前景

广泛存在于细菌和古细菌中的CRISPR/Cas系统是通过介导外源DNA降解来实现抵抗病毒和外源DNA入侵的一种适应性免疫保护机制,也是新近发展起来的基因组定点编辑技术。从基本结构、作用机制、分类、运用等方面详细地介绍了CRISPR/Cas系统,并分析了该技术在畜禽遗传改良中的运用前景。     

山西庞泉沟银露梅群落物种多样性的海拔格局

采用样地调查的方法, 对山西庞泉沟银露梅(Potentilla glabra)群落的结构特征、物种多样性随海拔梯度的变化以及沿海拔梯度群落的相似性进行了研究, 并通过R语言对群落α多样性指数间的相关性进行了分析。结果表明: (1) 银露梅群落各层的α多样性指数除生态优势度指数(D)沿海拔梯度的变化不明显外, 其它各指数的变化基本一致。银露梅群落在海拔 1 700-1 900 m与2 100-2 300 m区间内, 灌木层和草本层的α多样性指数均较高, 在海拔1 900-2 000 m区间则较低。另外, 银露梅群落各α多样性指数间除J₂外均呈显著正相关。(2) 随着海拔间隔的增加, 灌木层和草本层的4个β多样性指数的变化均呈上升趋势, 并且草本层随海拔间隔的增加β多样性指数整体比灌木层高。(3) 银露梅群落Jaccard相似性指数随着海拔间隔的增大逐渐减小, 而当海拔达到2 300 m以上时, 群落间的相似性升高, 群落相对稳定。