Amphibian chytridiomycosis in Japan: distribution,haplotypes and possible route of entry into Japan

A serious disease of amphibians caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was first found in Japan in December 2006 in imported pet frogs. This was the first report of chytridiomycosis in Asia. To assess the risk of pandemic chytridiomycosis to Japanese frogs, we surveyed the distribution of the fungus among captive and wild frog populations. We established a nested PCR assay that uses two pairs of PCR primers to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of a ribosomal RNA cassette to detect mild fungal infections from as little as 0.001 pg (1 fg) of B. dendrobatidis DNA. We collected swab samples from 265 amphibians sold at pet shops, 294 bred at institutes and 2103 collected at field sites from northern to southwestern Japan. We detected infections in native and exotic species, both in captivity and in the field. Sequencing of PCR products revealed 26 haplotypes of the B. dendrobatidis ITS region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that three of these haplotypes were specific to the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) and appeared to have established a commensal relationship with this native amphibian. Many other haplotypes were carried by alien amphibians. The highest genetic diversity of B. dendrobatidis was found in the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). Some strains of B. dendrobatidis appeared to be endemic to Japanese native amphibians, but many alien strains are being introduced into Japan via imported amphibians. To improve chytridiomycosis risk management, we must consider the risk of B. dendrobatidis changing hosts as a result of anthropogenic disturbance of the host‐specific distribution of the fungus.     

The base of the Middle Ordovician in China with special reference to the succession at Hengtang near Jiangshan, Zhejiang Province, southern China

Extensive work during the last decade has led to the recent decision by the International Subcommission on Ordovician Stratigraphy that the base of the Middle Ordovician Series should be placed at the base of the Baltoniodus triangularis Conodont Biozone in the Huanghuachang GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) section near Yichang, Hubei Province, China. A review of the biostratigraphy of successions in many parts of China shows that for various reasons, it is currently difficult to recognize the precise boundary level in many regions, and additional studies are clearly needed. A newly exposed, previously poorly known, condensed section in deeperwater facies at Hengtang near Jiangshan in the Chiangnan (Jiangnan) belt has yielded a substantial number of important graptolites and conodonts through the boundary interval. It provides a more informative illustration of the relations between the ranges of several key taxa of these groups than any other section in China, and the level of the base of the Middle Ordovician appears to be within an about 1.8 m thick interval of Ningkuo Formation, and lies in the lower Isograptus caduceus imitatus Biozone.     

Quantitative aspects of heterogeneity in soil organic matter dynamics in a cool-temperate Japanese beech forest: a radiocarbon-based approach

Soil is the largest carbon reservoir in terrestrial ecosystems; it stores twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. It is well documented that global warming can lead to accelerated microbial decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) and enhance the release of CO₂ from the soil to the atmosphere; however, the magnitude and timing of this effect remain highly uncertain due to a lack of quantitative data concerning the heterogeneity of SOC biodegradability. Therefore, we sought to identify SOC pools with respect to their specific mean residence times (MRTs), to use those SOC pools to partition soil respiration sources, and to estimate the potential response of the pools to warming. We collected surface soil and litter samples from a cool-temperate deciduous forest in Japan, chemically separated the samples into SOC fractions, estimated their MRTs based on radiocarbon (¹⁴C) isotope measurements, and used the data to construct a model representing the soil as a complex of six SOC pools with different MRT ranges. We estimate that a minor, fast-cycling SOC pool with an MRT of less than 10 years (corresponding to the O horizon and recognizable plant leaf fragments in the A1 horizon) is responsible for 73% of annual heterotrophic respiration and 44% of total soil respiration. However, the predicted response of these pools to warming demonstrates that the rate of SOC loss from the fast-cycling SOC pool diminishes quickly (within several decades) because of limited substrate availability. In contrast, warming will continue to accelerate SOC loss from slow-cycling pools with MRTs of 20–200 years over the next century. Although using a ¹⁴C-based approach has drawbacks, these estimates provide quantitative insights into the potential importance of slow-cycling SOC dynamics for the prediction of positive feedback to climate change.     

Phylogenetic analyses suggest that Psammomitra (Ciliophora,Urostylida) should represent an urostylid family,based on small subunit rRNA and alpha‐tubulin gene sequence information

The morphologically unique ciliate Psammomitra has long been considered as a systematically uncertain stichotrich. This is mainly because of its highly specialized morphology and a lack of either detailed information concerning its ontogenesis, or molecular data. Based on the small subunit rRNA (SSrRNA) gene and alpha‐tubulin gene sequences, we re‐evaluated the phylogenetic position of Psammomitra retractilis using multiple algorithms. Phylogenetic trees inferred from the SSrRNA gene sequences representing a total of 53 spirotrichs demonstrated the closest relationship of Psammomitra was with Holosticha‐like taxa, with strong support, which clearly suggested that Psammomitra should be placed into the order Urostylida although it branched at a rather deep level, and is likely to be closely related to Holostichidae. With consideration to molecular evidence and morphological characters, Psammomitra should be a clearly outlined taxon at about the rank of family, i.e. Psammomitridae stat. nov. , within the order Urostylida. The improved diagnosis for this family is as follows: Urostylida possessing extremely contractile, elongated body which consists of three parts: head, trunk, and slender tail; midventral complex composed of midventral pairs only and restricted to about anterior 1/3 of ventral surface; frontal, frontoterminal, and transverse cirri present; one left and one right marginal rows which commence near proximal end of adoral zone and extend to near rear body end.     

Gestation temperature affects sexual phenotype, morphology, locomotor performance, and growth of neonatal brown forest skinks, Sphenomorphus indicus

We maintained pregnant Sphenomorphus indicus under four thermal conditions for the whole gestation period to assess the effects of gestation temperature on offspring phenotypes. Parturition occurred between late June and early August, with females at high body temperatures giving birth earlier than those maintained at low body temperatures. Litter size, litter mass, and postpartum body mass did not differ among treatments, and females with relatively higher fecundity produced smaller offspring. Females gave birth to predominantly female offspring (85.7% of the 14 sexed offspring were females) at 24 °C and to predominantly male offspring (76.5% of the 17 sexed offspring were males) at 28 °C. Females with the opportunity to regulate body temperature produced a mix of sexes that did not differ from equality. Offspring produced in different treatments differed in head size, hind-limb length, and tympanum length, but not in snout-vent length, tail length, body mass, fore-limb length, and eye length. Offspring produced at 28 °C were not only smaller in head size, but also shorter in hind-limb length and tympanum length than those offspring produced at lower temperatures. Offspring produced at 28 °C performed more poorly in the racetrack and grew more slowly than offspring produced in the other three treatments. Taken together, our results show that S. indicus might be a temperature-dependent sex determination species and that offspring phenotypes are impaired at high gestation temperatures but maximized at relatively low gestation temperatures.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 88 , 453–463.     

Effects of moderate ammonium enrichment on three submersed macrophytes under contrasting light availability

1. Increased ammonium concentrations and decreased light availability in a water column have been reported to adversely affect submersed vegetation in eutrophic waters worldwide. 2. We studied the chronic effects of moderate enrichment (NH₄–N: 0.16–0.25 mg L^?1) on the growth and carbon and nitrogen metabolism of three macrophytes (Ceratophyllum demersum, Myriophyllum spicatum and Vallisneria natans) under contrasting light availability in a 2‐month experiment. 3. The enrichment greatly increased the contents of free amino acids and nitrogen in the shoot / leaf of the macrophytes. This indicates that was the dominant N source for the macrophytes. 4. Soluble carbohydrate contents remained relatively stable in the shoot / leaf of the macrophytes irrespective of the treatments. Under ambient light, the starch contents in the shoot / leaf of C. demersum and M. spicatum increased with enrichment, whereas V. natans did not exhibit any change. The starch contents decreased in C. demersum, increased in M. spicatum and remained unchanged in V. natans after the combined treatment of enrichment and reduced light. 5. The enrichment did not affect the growth of the three macrophytes under the ambient light. However, it did suppress the growth of C. demersum and M. spicatum under the reduced light. The results indicate that a moderate enrichment was not directly toxic to the macrophytes although it might change their viability in eutrophic lakes in terms of the carbon and nitrogen metabolism.     

Two closely linked tomato HKT coding genes are positional candidates for the major tomato QTL involved in Na+/K+ homeostasis

The location of major quantitative trait loci (QTL) contributing to stem and leaf [Na⁺] and [K⁺] was previously reported in chromosome 7 using two connected populations of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of tomato. HKT1;1 and HKT1;2, two tomato Na⁺‐selective class I‐HKT transporters, were found to be closely linked, where the maximum logarithm of odds (LOD) score for these QTLs located. When a chromosome 7 linkage map based on 278 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was used, the maximum LOD score position was only 35 kb from HKT1;1 and HKT1;2. Their expression patterns and phenotypic effects were further investigated in two near‐isogenic lines (NILs): 157‐14 (double homozygote for the cheesmaniae alleles) and 157‐17 (double homozygote for the lycopersicum alleles). The expression pattern for the HKT1;1 and HKT1;2 alleles was complex, possibly because of differences in their promoter sequences. High salinity had very little effect on root dry and fresh weight and consequently on the plant dry weight of NIL 157‐14 in comparison with 157‐17. A significant difference between NILs was also found for [K⁺] and the [Na⁺]/[K⁺] ratio in leaf and stem but not for [Na⁺] arising a disagreement with the corresponding RIL population. Their association with leaf [Na⁺] and salt tolerance in tomato is also discussed.     

用免疫酶法对油桐尺蠖、家蚕核型多角体病毒的测定

免疫酶法(ELISA)是在萤光抗体和组织化学的基础上将抗原——抗体的免疫反应同酶的高效催化作用有机地结合起来而形成的一种新技术。在不破坏酶活性和免疫球蛋白的免疫反应的情况下,酶分子和免疫球蛋白共价结合形成标记抗体,成为保持免疫学与生物化学活性的指示剂。这种指示剂与待检物呈特异性结合,借助于酶对底物的作用而产生可见的不溶性反应产物。免疫酶法不仅能在光学显微镜下进行细胞水平上的抗原、抗体的定位研究,而且可用电子显微镜在分子水平上进行抗原、抗体超微结构的观察。本文试图应用ELISA对昆虫核型多角体病毒进行检测,并且在研究昆虫病毒的感染机制方面作出病原定位。     

高粱抗高粱蚜的生化基础

高粱中的可溶性总氮、可溶性总糖和绝大部分游离氨基酸,特别是必需氨基酸,在感性品种中的含量显著地比抗性品种中的含量高.感性品种叶液微偏酸,抗性品种近中性.多元回归分析表明,高梁对高粱蚜Melanaphis sacchari(Zehntner)的抗性与可溶性总氮、可溶性总糖和游离氨基酸的含量呈反相关.     

国内不同地区恶性疟原虫分离株间几种生物学特性的比较研究

本文报道海南岛与苏皖地区恶性疟原虫分离株在体外连续培养中生长特征、药敏性、同工酶谱、表面抗原等方面的比较研究。海南岛两株原虫适应体外培养的速度及增殖率均明显高于苏皖两株原虫,但后者产生配子体的能力较强。体外微量药效测定显示,海南岛两株均表现对氯喹有高度抗性,而苏皖两株则均为敏感株,此外不同原虫分离株在同工酶谱及单克隆抗体间接荧光试验中亦可显示明显的株间差异。文章对恶性疟原虫种内不同虫株间生物学特性的差异进行了讨论。