臭柏异形叶解剖结构及其抗旱性的比较

以成熟臭柏(Sabina vulgaris)为试验材料,使用徒手切片法观测臭柏鳞叶和刺叶的解剖结构,分析叶片解剖结构与其抗旱适应的关系,以揭示臭柏异形叶机制的生态意义,为臭柏在干旱半干旱地区植被恢复与重建中的推广应用提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)鳞叶角质层厚度极显著大于刺叶,而近轴面和远轴面的表皮系统厚度均极显著小于刺叶,说明鳞叶主要通过较厚的角质层防止水分散失,而刺叶主要通过较厚的整个表皮系统来保持水分。(2)鳞叶的气孔开张比、气孔开张度、气孔长度和宽度均极显著大于刺叶,而气孔密度极显著小于刺叶,说明鳞叶较耐旱,刺叶依赖较大的气孔密度和灵敏的气孔关闭来应对干旱胁迫。(3)鳞叶和刺叶的叶片厚度和主脉厚度无显著差异,但鳞叶的栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度、栅/海、叶片组织紧密度和树脂道面积均显著或极显著大于刺叶,木质部厚度、木/维和叶片组织疏松度均极显著小于刺叶,说明鳞叶可通过较大的栅/海、紧密的叶片结构来适应干旱,而刺叶通过增强输导组织来应对干旱。研究认为,鳞叶忍耐干早能力较强,而相对鳞叶来说,刺叶主要通过逃避的方式来应对干旱。     

Ancient gene transfer from algae to animals: Mechanisms and evolutionary significance

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is traditionally considered to be rare in multicellular eukaryotes such as animals. Recently, many genes of miscellaneous algal origins were discovered in choanoflagellates. Considering that choanoflagellates are the existing closest relatives of animals, we speculated that ancient HGT might have occurred in the unicellular ancestor of animals and affected the long-term evolution of animals. RESULTS: Through genome screening, phylogenetic and domain analyses, we identified 14 gene families, including 92 genes, in the tunicate Ciona intestinalis that are likely derived from miscellaneous photosynthetic eukaryotes. Almost all of these gene families are distributed in diverse animals, suggesting that they were mostly acquired by the common ancestor of animals. Their miscellaneous origins also suggest that these genes are not derived from a particular algal endosymbiont. In addition, most genes identified in our analyses are functionally related to molecule transport, cellular regulation and methylation signaling, suggesting that the acquisition of these genes might have facilitated the intercellular communication in the ancestral animal. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide additional evidence that algal genes in aplastidic eukaryotes are not exclusively derived from historical plastids and thus important for interpreting the evolution of eukaryotic photosynthesis. Most importantly, our data represent the first evidence that more anciently acquired genes might exist in animals and that ancient HGT events have played an important role in animal evolution.     

Genetic changes in a novel breeding population of Brassica napus synthesized from hundreds of crosses between B. rapa and B. carinata

Introgression of genomic variation between and within related crop species is a significant evolutionary approach for population differentiation, genome reorganization and trait improvement. Using the Illumina Infinium Brassica 60K SNP array, we investigated genomic changes in a panel of advanced generation new‐type Brassica napus breeding lines developed from hundreds of interspecific crosses between 122 Brassica rapa and 74 Brassica carinata accessions, and compared them with representative accessions of their three parental species. The new‐type B. napus population presented rich genetic diversity and abundant novel genomic alterations, consisting of introgressions from B. rapa and B. carinata, novel allelic combinations, reconstructed linkage disequilibrium patterns and haplotype blocks, and frequent deletions and duplications (nonrandomly distributed), particularly in the C subgenome. After a much shorter, but very intensive, selection history compared to traditional B. napus, a total of 15 genomic regions with strong selective sweeps and 112 genomic regions with putative signals of selective sweeps were identified. Some of these regions were associated with important agronomic traits that were selected for during the breeding process, while others were potentially associated with restoration of genome stability and fertility after interspecific hybridization. Our results demonstrate how a novel method for population‐based crop genetic improvement can lead to rapid adaptation, restoration of genome stability and positive responses to artificial selection.     

Simultaneous determination of didanosine and its amino acid prodrug,valdidanosine by hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry: Application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats

A rapid, sensitive and selective ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method with hydrophilic interaction chromatography has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of didanosine and valdidanosine (L-valine amino acid ester prodrug of didanosine) in rat plasma. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) column was employed to extract the analytes from rat plasma, with high extraction recovery (>85%) for both didanosine and valdidanosine. The analytes were then separated by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC column) and detected by a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The method was linear over the concentration ranges of 2–20,000 ng/mL for didanosine and 4–300 ng/mL for valdidanosine. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of didanosine and valdidanosine was 2 and 4 ng/mL, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) were less than 15% and the relative errors (RE) were all within 15%. Finally, the validated UPLC–MS/MS method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study after either didanosine or valdidanosine orally administrated to the Sprague–Dawley rats.     

Preparation and characterization of two novel three-dimensional supramolecular networks with blue photoluminescence

Two novel photoluminescent coordination polymers of formula [Cd(atpt)(H₂O)₂] · 2H₂O (1) and [Zn(atpt)(H₂O)₂] (2) (H₂atpt = 2-aminoterephthalic acid), in which the amino group of the atpt ligand coordinates to the metal(II) ions for the first time, have been synthesized through the self-assemblies of H₂atpt and N-containing ligands [nicotiamide for 1 and imidazole for 2, respectively] with the metal(II) ions in the presence of NaOH. These complexes were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TG), elemental analysis and X-ray analysis. X-ray crystallographic studies of the complexes reveal that complex 1 is a double stranded one-dimensional chain, which further assembles into a three-dimensional supramolecular network via the interchain π-π stacking interaction and strong hydrogen bonds, while complex 2 exhibits a two-dimensional porous architecture. The extensively strong hydrogen bonds in complex 2 lead to the formation of three-dimensional supramolecular framework. Photoluminescence properties of the compounds 1 and 2 have been examined in solid state at room temperature. These compounds have been found to exhibit blue photoluminescence and may be good candidates for photoactive materials.