The impact of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carpobrotus</Emphasis> cfr. <Emphasis Type="Italic">acinaciformis</Emphasis> (L.) L. Bolus on soil nutrients,microbial communities structure and native plant communities in Mediterranean ecosystems

Background and aims

Carpobrotus spp. are amongst the most impactful and widespread plant invaders of Mediterranean habitats. Despite the negative ecological impacts on soil and vegetation that have been documented, information is still limited about the effect by Carpobrotus on soil microbial communities. We aimed to assess the changes in the floristic, soil and microbial parameters following the invasion by Carpobrotus cfr. acinaciformis within an insular Mediterranean ecosystem.

Methods

Within three study areas a paired-site approach, comparing an invaded vs. a non-invaded plot, was established. Within each plot biodiversity indexes, C and N soil content, pH and microbial biomass and structure (bacterial and fungal) were assessed.

Results

Invaded plots showed a decrease of α-species richness and diversity. The least represented plant species in invaded plots were those related to grassland habitats. In all invaded soils, a significant increase of carbon and nitrogen content and a significant decrease of pH were registered. Carpobrotus significantly increased bacterial and fungal biomass and altered soil microbial structure, particularly favoring fungal growth.

Conclusions

Carpobrotus may deeply impact edaphic properties and microbial communities and, in turn, these strong modifications probably increase its invasive potential and its ability to overcome native species, by preventing their natural regeneration.

     

A modified MS-PCR approach to diagnose patients with Prader-Willi and Angelman syndrome

Prader-Willi (PWS) and Angelman (AS) syndromes are clinically distinct neurodevelopmental genetic diseases with multiple phenotypic manifestations. They are one of the most common genetic syndromes caused by non-Mendelian inheritance in the form of genomic imprinting, and can be attributable to the loss of gene expression due to imprinting within the chromosomal region 15q11-q13. Clinical diagnosis of PWS and AS is challenging, and the use of molecular and cytomolecular studies is recommended to help in determining the diagnosis of these conditions. The methylation analysis is a sensible approach; however there are several techniques for this purpose, such as the methylation-sensitive polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR). This study aims to optimize the MS-PCR assay for the diagnosis of potential PWS and AS patients using DNA modified by sodium bisulfite. We used the MS-PCR technique of PCR described by Kosaki et al. (1997) adapted with betaine. All different concentrations of betaine used to amplify the methylated and unmethylated chromosomal region 15q11-q13 on the gene SNRPN showed amplification results, which increased proportionally to the concentration of betaine. The methylation analysis is a technically robust and reproducible screening method for PWS and AS. The MS-PCR assures a faster, cheaper and more efficient method for the primary diagnosis of the SNRPN gene in cases with PWS and AS, and may detect all of the three associated genetic abnormalities: deletion, uniparental disomy or imprinting errors.     

京族药用红树林民族植物学知识及现状

京族是我国唯一的海洋民族,在长期与红树林为伴的生存环境中,积累了丰富的利用红树林植物的民族植物学知识。然而,这些知识至今仍不为外界所知。为掌握京族药用红树林民族植物学知识和现状,该研究采用民族植物学和植物分类学方法,调查京族药用红树林知识中的红树林植物种类,记录其具体药用用途,并分析其生存现状及其中包含的可持续利用红树林植物资源经验。结果表明:共记录到京族药用红树林植物15种隶属于10科,具体药用用途共49种。其中,20种已有报道,29种未见报道;通过京族对红树林药用知识认知程度和依赖程度的调查还表明,京族历史上依赖本民族草医的情形已经基本消失,对红树林医药的依赖性和需求性也在消失。最后,剖析了京族在药用红树林植物选择与采集中的可持续利用经验。该研究结果不仅补充和拓宽了红树林民间药物的利用知识,而且为红树植物资源的管理与可持续利用提供了新视角。     

Canola Oil in Lactating Dairy Cow Diets Reduces Milk Saturated Fatty Acids and Improves Its Omega-3 and Oleic Fatty Acid Content

To produce milk that is healthier for human consumption, the present study evaluated the effect of including canola oil in the diet of dairy cows on milk production and composition as well as the nutritional quality of this milk fat. Eighteen Holstein cows with an average daily milk yield of 22 (± 4) kg/d in the middle stage of lactation were used. The cows were distributed in 6 contemporary 3x3 Latin squares consisting of 3 periods and 3 treatments: control diet (without oil), 3% inclusion of canola oil in the diet and 6% inclusion of canola oil in the diet (dry matter basis). The inclusion of 6% canola oil in the diet of lactating cows linearly reduced the milk yield by 2.51 kg/d, short-chain fatty acids (FA) by 41.42%, medium chain FA by 27.32%, saturated FA by 20.24%, saturated/unsaturated FA ratio by 39.20%, omega-6/omega-3 ratio by 39.45%, and atherogenicity index by 48.36% compared with the control treatment. Moreover, with the 6% inclusion of canola oil in the diet of cows, there was an increase in the concentration of long chain FA by 45.91%, unsaturated FA by 34.08%, monounsaturated FA by 40.37%, polyunsaturated FA by 17.88%, milk concentration of omega-3 by 115%, rumenic acid (CLA) by 16.50%, oleic acid by 44.87% and h/H milk index by 94.44% compared with the control treatment. Thus, the inclusion of canola oil in the diet of lactating dairy cows makes the milk fatty acid profile nutritionally healthier for the human diet; however, the lactating performance of dairy cows is reduce.     

高丹草杂种和亲本叶片基因差异表达研究

以4份高粱不育系和5种类型苏丹草为亲本,按照NCⅡ设计配制成20个杂交组合,分析各组合及亲本的表型值和中亲及超亲优势并筛选出8个优势强的组合为试材,利用cDNA-AFLP技术,分析杂种与亲本苗期叶片基因差异表达类型与主要产量性状的杂种表现及杂种优势的关系。研究表明:(1)12对引物共扩增出315条TDFs,杂种与亲本间基因表达类型有:单亲表达一致一型(P1F1型)和二型(P2F1型)、杂种特异表达类型(F1型)、单亲表达沉默一型(P1型)和二型(P2型)、双亲共沉默类型(P1P2型)和杂种亲本表达一致型(P1F1P2型)7种。(2)在差异展示类型与产量构成因素的相关分析中,有效分蘖数与P1F1型(0.726**)呈极显著正相关,单株鲜重与P1P2型(0.659*)、叶长与P2型(0.647*)呈显著正相关,成株期叶片数与F1型(-0.81**)呈极显著负相关。在与中亲优势相关分析中发现,单株鲜重与P1(0.695*)、P2(0.637*)呈显著正相关,单株鲜重与P1F1P2型(0.743**)呈极显著正相关,叶宽与P1P2型(-0.619*)呈显著负相关。在与超亲优势进行相关分析后发现,穗长与P2F1型(0.732**)呈极显著正相关,叶宽与P2F1型(-0.731**)以及P1P2型(-0.731**)呈极显著负相关。(3)差异展示类型P1F1、P2F1、P1和P2是显性效应类型,共占总检测的91.4%。差异展示类型F1和P1P2表现超显性,共占总检测的4.8%,说明各个性状的杂种表现主要受到的是(超)显性效应影响。(4)对8个与高丹草杂种优势相关的TDFs进行回收及BLAST分析均得到同源核苷酸,并且找到7个同源蛋白,这些蛋白质在控制植物生长发育方面具有重要作用。(5)将克隆测序获得差异片段的核苷酸序列,采用半定量RT-PCR进行了验证。本研究为进一步揭示高丹草杂种优势的分子机制和提高高丹草强优势组合的筛选效率以及种质资源的创建提供依据。