Bird community composition across an Andean tree‐line ecotone

Few studies have found strong evidence to suggest that ecotones promote species richness and diversity. In this study we examine the responses of a high‐Andean bird community to changes in vegetation and topographical characteristics across an Andean tree‐line ecotone and adjacent cloud forest and puna grassland vegetation in southern Peru. Over a 6‐month period, birds and vegetation were surveyed using a 100 m fixed‐width Distance Sampling point count method. Vegetation analyses revealed that the tree‐line ecotone represented a distinctive high‐Andean vegetation community that was easily differentiated from the adjacent cloud forest and puna grassland based on changes in tree‐size characteristics and vegetation cover. Bird community composition was strongly seasonal and influenced by a pool of bird species from a wider elevational gradient. There were also clear differences in bird community measures between tree‐line vegetation, cloud forest and puna grassland with species turnover (β‐diversity) most pronounced at the tree‐line. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that the majority of the 81 bird species were associated with tree‐line vegetation. Categorizing patterns of relative abundance of the 42 most common species revealed that the tree‐line ecotone was composed primarily of cloud forest specialists and habitat generalists, with very few species from the puna grassland. Only two species, Thlypopsis ruficeps and Anairetes parulus, both widespread Andean species more typical of montane woodland vegetation edges, were categorized as ecotone specialists. However, our findings were influenced by significant differences in species detectability between all three vegetation communities. Our study highlights the importance of examining ecotones at an appropriate spatial and temporal scale. Selecting a suitable distance between sampling points based on the detection probabilities of the target bird species is essential to obtain an unbiased picture of how ecotones influence avian richness and diversity.     

黑土微生物呼吸及群落功能多样性对温度的响应

采用室内培养法,研究了梨树(43°20′N,124°28′E)、德惠(44°12′N,125°33′E)、海伦(47°26′N,126°38′E)和北安(48°17′N,127°15′E)黑土在4℃、15℃和28℃培养条件下的土壤微生物呼吸及Biolog代谢功能多样性.呼吸试验结果表明:尽管土壤微生物呼吸速率在不同培养温度下均表现为北安海伦德惠梨树,但呼吸温度敏感性(Q10值)却随培养温度不同而产生分异,在4℃到15℃变化区间,梨树、德惠、海伦和北安土壤的Q10平均值分别为2.72、3.26、3.21和3.74,而在15℃到28℃变化区间,Q10平均值分别为3.29、2.36、2.11和1.79.不同样点土壤微生物呼吸熵(qCO2)也随培养温度不同而不同,qCO2值在28℃条件下为梨树德惠北安海伦,在15℃条件下为北安德惠海伦梨树,而在4℃条件下样点间变化不大.Biolog试验结果表明:在4℃条件下,微生物群落底物利用碳源数和代谢Shannon指数以海伦和北安黑土较高,而在15℃和28℃条件下,则以梨树和德惠黑土较高.主成分分析表明,海伦与北安、德惠与梨树之间的微生物群落代谢功能相似性较高.综上,不同纬度黑土微生物呼吸特征及群落功能多样性存在差异,高纬度黑土对低温变化敏感,而低纬度黑土对高温变化敏感.     

脂肪分化相关蛋白基因多态性与优质鸡屠宰性状和肌内脂肪含量的相关性研究

对脂肪分化相关蛋白(Adipocyte Differentiation-Related Protein, ADFP)基因的外显子进行SNPs 检测, 探讨其作为鸡脂肪性状候选基因的可能性。实验以四川省畜牧科学研究院和大恒家禽育种有限公司培育的优质肉鸡新品系为素材, 采用PCR-SSCP的方法进行SNPs 检测和基因型的分析。结果找到3个SNPs位点: 4 079位由A→T(位点A)、4 843位由C→T(位点B)和7 070位由A→G(位点C)。单位点基因型对屠宰性状的遗传效应分析表明, 位点A的基因型对腿肌率、腹脂重、腹脂率和肌内脂肪含量有显著性影响(P < 0.05), 位点B的基因型对活重和屠体重均有显著性影响(P < 0.05), 位点C的基因型对胸肌重和肌内脂肪含量有显著性影响(P < 0.05), 对胸肌率有极显著性影响(P < 0.01)。初步推断ADFP基因可能是影响鸡脂肪性状的主效基因或与主效基因连锁, 推测可以利用多态位点A和C对鸡腹脂重、腹脂率和肌内脂肪含量进行标记辅助选择。     

Genome-Wide Association Studies in an Isolated Founder Population from the Pacific Island of Kosrae

It has been argued that the limited genetic diversity and reduced allelic heterogeneity observed in isolated founder populations facilitates discovery of loci contributing to both Mendelian and complex disease. A strong founder effect, severe isolation, and substantial inbreeding have dramatically reduced genetic diversity in natives from the island of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, who exhibit a high prevalence of obesity and other metabolic disorders. We hypothesized that genetic drift and possibly natural selection on Kosrae might have increased the frequency of previously rare genetic variants with relatively large effects, making these alleles readily detectable in genome-wide association analysis. However, mapping in large, inbred cohorts introduces analytic challenges, as extensive relatedness between subjects violates the assumptions of independence upon which traditional association test statistics are based. We performed genome-wide association analysis for 15 quantitative traits in 2,906 members of the Kosrae population, using novel approaches to manage the extreme relatedness in the sample. As positive controls, we observe association to known loci for plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein and to a compelling candidate loci for thyroid stimulating hormone and fasting plasma glucose. We show that our study is well powered to detect common alleles explaining ≥5% phenotypic variance. However, no such large effects were observed with genome-wide significance, arguing that even in such a severely inbred population, common alleles typically have modest effects. Finally, we show that a majority of common variants discovered in Caucasians have indistinguishable effect sizes on Kosrae, despite the major differences in population genetics and environment.     

城市带状绿地结构类型与温湿效应的关系

利用小尺度定量测定的方法,选择北京典型的城市带状绿地--西四环旁侧4种不同内部结构以及5种不同郁闭度带状绿地(绿地宽度42 m)作为研究对象,研究带状绿地结构类型与温湿效应的关系.结果表明:与对照相比,草坪的降温增湿效应不显著,灌-草、乔-草和乔-灌-草绿地的降温增湿效果显著.当郁闭度为10%～31%时,绿地具有一定的降温增湿效应,但效应不显著;当郁闭度超过44%时,绿地降温增湿效应显著;当郁闭度超过67%时,绿地降温增湿效应显著且趋于稳定.     

高等植物葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶与6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因的不同进化起源

葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶与6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶是植物戊糖磷酸途径中的两个酶.在克隆了水稻质体葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶基因OsG6PDH2和质体6-磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶基因Os6PGDH2基础上,分析比较了水稻胞质和质体葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶基因和6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因的基因结构、表达特性和进化地位.结合双子叶模式植物拟南芥两种酶基因的分析结果,认为高等植物葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶基因和6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因在进化方式上截然不同,葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶的胞质基因与动物和真菌等真核生物具有共同的祖先;6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶的胞质酶和质体酶基因都起源于原核生物的内共生.讨论了植物葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶与6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因可能的进化模式,为高等植物及质体的进化起源提供了新的资料.     

Ligularia dalaolingensis sp. nov. (Asteraceae–Senecioneae) from central China

Ligularia dalaolingensis, a new species from Hubei and Hunan, China, is described and illustrated. It belongs to L. sect. Ligularia ser. Speciosae on the basis of its palmate leaf venation, racemose synflorescence and pappus which is slightly shorter than the tube of the tubular corolla. In the series, its closest relatives are assumed to be L. fischeri and L. stenocephala. From L. fischeri, L. dalaolingensis is readily distinguished by smaller basal leaves, shorter synflorescence, narrower involucres and fewer phyllaries and florets; from L. stenocephala, L. dalaolingensis differs by smaller basal leaves, shorter synflorescence as well as broader bracts. A diagnostic key to Chinese species of L. ser. Speciosae with broadly ovate, ovate or ovate‐lanceolate bracts is provided.     

The Phosphodiesterase 9 Inhibitor PF‐04449613 Promotes Dendritic Spine Formation and Performance Improvement after Motor Learning

The cyclic nucleotide cGMP is an intracellular second messenger with important roles in neuronal functions and animals' behaviors. The phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a family of enzymes that hydrolyze the second messengers cGMP and cAMP. Inhibition of phosphodiesterase 9 (PDE9), a main isoform of PDEs hydrolyzing cGMP, has been shown to improve learning and memory as well as cognitive function in rodents. However, the role of PDE9 in regulating neuronal structure and function in vivo remains unclear. Here we used in vivo two‐photon microscopy to investigate the effect of a selective PDE9 inhibitor PF‐04449613 on the activity and plasticity of dendritic spines of layer V pyramidal neurons in the mouse primary motor cortex. We found that administration of PF‐04449613 increased calcium activity of dendrites and dendritic spines of layer V pyramidal neurons in mice under resting and running conditions. Chronic treatment of PF‐04449613 over weeks increased dendritic spine formation and elimination under basal conditions. Furthermore, PF‐04449613 treatment over 1–7 days increased the formation and survival of new spines as well as performance improvement after rotarod motor training. Taken together, our studies suggest that elevating the level of cGMP with the PDE9 inhibitor PF‐04449613 increases synaptic calcium activity and learning‐dependent synaptic plasticity, thereby contributing to performance improvement after learning. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 00: 000–000, 2018     

筇竹构件生物量积累分配特征及其与土壤物理性质的关系

以大关县3种土层深度0-40 cm、0-80 cm和0-120 cm的天然筇竹林为研究对象,在个体水平上研究了竹子构件生物量分配特征及其与土壤物理性质的相关关系,以期为筇竹林适宜立地条件选择、适地适竹及定向培育提供的理论指导。结果表明:(1)同一土层深度,土壤含水量、最大持水量、毛管持水量、毛管孔隙度和总孔隙度均呈现出随土层增加而增加的趋势,而土壤容重和非毛管孔隙度则呈现出随土层增加而减少的趋势,且薄土层和厚土层各土壤物理因子差异显著(P＜0.05)。(2)随着土层厚度的增加,筇竹总生物量以及构件秆、枝、叶、蔸、鞭和根生物量表现出增加的趋势,且不同土层厚度差异显著(P＜0.05)。(3)随着土层厚度的增加,筇竹构件枝、叶、蔸、鞭、根生物量分配相应增加,秆生物量分配则相应减少,但各处理间差异并不显著(P＞0.05)。(4)土壤物理因子对筇竹构件生物量分配有着显著影响(P＜0.05),单一土壤物理因子对筇竹构件生物量分配特征的重要性大小排序为土壤含水量＞总孔隙度＞最大持水量＞容重＞毛管孔隙度＞毛管持水量＞非毛管孔隙度。结论:土壤物理因子沿土层厚度的变化对筇竹构件生物量分配产生了重要影响,在土壤物理性质较差的生境中,筇竹会优先将生物量分配给秆,并通过减少叶生物量来响应水分缺失的不利环境,这对筇竹林立地条件选择有指导意义,即筇竹宜选择较深厚土层经营,以促进生物量积累和种群生长。