Novel microsatellites from the green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) also display polymorphism in guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

The green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii; Poeciliidae) is a popular ornamental freshwater fish species. Fourteen microsatellites were isolated from a green swordtail genomic library enriched for CA‐repeats. Thirteen microsatellites were polymorphic in green swordtail; interestingly four of them were tetranucleotide‐type. Cross‐species amplification showed that 10 of the 14 microsatellites were polymorphic in guppy (Poecilia reticulata; Poeciliidae) as well. No significant directional difference of allele length was seen between the two species at any of the loci tested.     

Patchy distributions of Spirogyra arcta do not affect growth of the submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum

Spatial heterogeneity is common in aquatic conditions, but few studies have examined the effects of heterogeneous distributions of biological factors on aquatic plants. Spirogyra (Spirogyra arcta) coexists with many submerged macrophytes, such as Ceratophyllum demersum, but no study has examined the effects of heterogeneous distributions of spirogyra on the growth of submerged plants. We grew the submerged plant C. demersum in three homogeneous, aquatic conditions (0, 50 and 100% of the water surface in the container was evenly covered by spirogyra, referred to as ‘control’, ‘50%’ and ‘100%’, respectively) and two patchy conditions (the left half of the water surface in the container was not covered by spirogyra and 50% and 100% of the water surface in the right half of the container was evenly covered by spirogyra, referred to as ‘50%‐patchy’ and ‘100%‐patchy’, respectively). Compared with the control, the 100% treatment greatly decreased the biomass and number of ramets of C. demersum, but the 50% treatment did not. Growth of C. demersum in the left half of the container did not differ significantly between the control and the two heterogeneous treatments (50%‐patchy and 100%‐patchy). In addition, growth of C. demersum in the right half of the container did not differ between the 100% and the 100%‐patchy treatment or between the 50% and the 50%‐patchy treatment. Our results suggest that C. demersum can tolerate shading by spirogyra to a certain extent and that heterogeneous distributions of spirogyra do not affect its growth.     

猪骨髓基质干细胞低温生物学渗透特性的研究

以猪为材料利用细胞计数仪法研究了骨髓基质干细胞的渗透特性,包括细胞的等渗体积、低渗或高渗溶液中细胞的平衡体积及细胞的不可渗体积.结果表明,在等渗条件下,骨髓基质干细胞的平均体积为5248.4μm~3,相当直径d为21.6μm;细胞体积随溶液渗透压的变化规律符合Boyle van’t Hoff关系式,据此得到猪骨髓基质干细胞的不可渗体积V_b=0.36Vi,为1902.5μm~3.     

Autumn southward ‘return’ migration of the mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus in China

Abstract. Direct evidence for a southward ‘return’ migration in autumn of the mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus in China was obtained by aerial sampling with a net suspended from a balloon. In a preliminary study between 2 and 20 September 1990 at Jiangpu, near Nanjing, in Jiangsu Province, 11 females and 4 males of this species were taken at heights of 150–250 m. During 17–26 October 1991 at Dongxiang in northern Jiangxi Province, 44 mosquitoes (8 males, 36 females) were caught in the aerial net at heights of 80–380m in northeasterly winds (E-NNW). Most of the specimens were flying within the subsiding air-mass behind a cold front. Cx tritaeniorhynchus was the only species identified (31 females) among the mosquitoes from Dongxiang. Of 24 females dissected, 17 had N stage ovaries — interpreted as diapause, five had stage I ovaries, one had stage II ovaries, and one was gravid (stage V), but none was freshly bloodfed. Cx tritaeniorhynchus is the main vector of Japanese viral encephalitis in China, and it is possible that the virus is reintroduced to northern temperate areas in spring by northward migration of infected Cx tritaeniorhynchus females.     

Transgenic mice overexpressingγ-aminobutyric acid transporter subtypeⅠ develop obesity

INTRODUCTION7-aminobutyricacid(GABA)isthemajorinhibitoryneurotransmitterinthevertebratecelltralnervoussystemwhereitactingesavaxietyofGABAreceptortypes.TheneurotransmissionofGABAisthoughttobeterllilnatedbyit'srapidre-uptakeviaGABAtransportersintopresynapticneuronsandsurroundingglialcellsll,2].BesidesfUnctioningintheterminationofsynaptictransmission,GABAtransportersplayacriticalroleintheregUlationofthemagnitudeanddurationofGABA'sactionandmayajsomediatethereleaseofGABAintotheedrac…     

Ovarian development and modes of apoptosis during oogenesis in various castes of the termite Reticulitermes aculabialis

Reproductive division in termites is the most significant biological process that leads to the formation of caste‐specific differences in tasks and status. However, little is known about the mechanism of reproductive division that underlies caste differentiation. In the present study, ovarian development and stage‐specific apoptotic patterns are investigated during oogenesis in reproductive, worker and soldier termites Reticulitermes aculabialis Tsai & Hwang. The results show that the mean lengths of the ovaries of reproductives are two‐fold longer compared with those of workers and six‐fold longer compared with soldiers. By contrast to the reproductives, the process of oogenesis in the workers includes only the oogonium differentiation stage (stage I) and oocyte growth stage (stage II), and oogenesis in the soldiers stops at stage I. Vitelogenic oocytes (stage III) are absent from workers and soldiers. During stage II in the reproductives and workers, the layer of follicle cells has a thickness of 7.56 ± 0.52 and 2.81 ± 0.34 µm, respectively. In addition, there are significant differences in the number and size of the germ cells at the same stage in the various castes. The existence of two apoptotic patterns during oogenesis is demonstrated by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay. First, the majority of the cells showing apoptosis occur at stage I of oogenesis in reproductives, workers and soldiers. Second, DNA fragmentation is demonstrated by TUNEL staining of the follicle cell layers and oocytes at stage II in reproductives. Finally, the proliferation activity of follicle cells in the reproductives is observed by 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxy‐uridine labelling. The level of oogenesis may explain the significant discrepancies in the reproductive capacity among the reproductives, soldiers and workers. These large discrepancies are controlled by apoptosis during early oogenesis.     

中华蜜蜂越冬期抗寒生理生化指标研究

本文研究活框饲养和原始饲养中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana Fabricius越冬期的抗寒生理生化指标变化,为中蜂抗寒生理机制和科学饲养管理提供理论依据。结果表明,两种饲养方式蜜蜂的体重、蛋白质和甘油含量均由越冬初期开始上升,越冬中后期达到最高而后下降;游离水和糖原含量均在越冬中后期出现下降;除原始饲养中蜂的CAT酶外,两种饲养方式中蜂的越冬期超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)酶活均在越冬中期降到最低,而总抗氧化能力呈逐渐升高趋势。但活框饲养中蜂越冬期游离水(P<0.05)和糖原含量(P>0.05)均低于原始饲养中蜂,甘油含量显著高于原始饲养中蜂(P<0.05);活框饲养中蜂与原始饲养中蜂的3种抗氧化酶活性在不同时期存在显著差异,活框饲养中蜂总抗氧化能力显著高于原始饲养中蜂(P<0.05)。蜜蜂在自然越冬时通过降低体内游离水含量,增加甘油含量来增加抗寒能力,并贮备大量糖原和蛋白质供越冬期能量消耗;同时,其体内的抗氧化酶在越冬期间发挥协同作用,减少低温刺激造成的氧化应激反应。     

链霉菌来源D-甘露糖异构酶的性质及其在制备D-甘露糖中的应用

[背景]D-甘露糖具有多种功能活性,在食品、医药、饲料等行业应用广泛.D-甘露糖异构酶可以催化D-果糖与D-甘露糖之间的相互转化,在D-甘露糖的酶法制备中具有应用潜力.[目的]克隆一个链霉菌(Streptomyces sp.)来源的D-甘露糖异构酶基因(sssMIaseA)并在大肠杆菌中表达,研究其酶学性质,并用于制备...