Isolation and characterization of simple sequence repeat loci in Rubus hochstetterorum and their use in other species from the Rosaceae family

The identification of microsatellite loci in Rubus hochstetterorum provides an important tool for the characterization and conservation of wild populations of this species. Cross‐species amplification of markers may be of particular interest for the study of other Rubus species. In this study, 41 simple sequence repeat markers were identified in a genomic library of R. hochstetterorum. Fifteen of the identified microsatellite loci were characterized in a set of 30 samples and revealed to be polymorphic with three to 19 alleles per locus. All the identified markers allowed cross‐species amplification in at least one of the other three tested species from the Rosaceae family.     

DEVONIAN TRILOBITES FROM THE FALKLAND ISLANDS

Abstract:  New trilobite material is described from the Fox Bay Formation (Lower Devonian; Pragian) of the Falkland Islands (South Atlantic). The fossils were collected from many localities in both East and West Falkland and represent the first significant collection of trilobites from East Falkland. The trilobites belong to three higher taxa: Proetida (the first proetid record in these islands); Homalonotidae, Burmeisteria Salter, 1865; and Calmoniidae, including Bainella Rennie, 1930 and Metacryphaeus Reed, 1907. All of the forms except proetids have now been found in both East and West Falkland.     

上海两种新记录植物

报道了上海2种新分布植物:禾本科的日本莠竹[Microstegium japonicum (Miq.) Koidz.]和菊科的卤地菊[Wedelia prostrata (Hook.et Arn.) Hemsl.].     

Reinstatement of Phyllanthus retroflexus Brade (Phyllanthaceae)

Phyllanthus retroflexus Brade is reinstated. It and the very similar P. subemarginatus Müll. Arg. are described, illustrated, and their relationships are discussed, based on a morphological analysis of herbarium specimens. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158 , 78–81.     

费氏链霉菌中子辐射诱变菌株对新霉素的生物转化

对新霉素产生菌费氏链霉菌进行中子辐射诱变和突变株筛选, 获得不产新霉素的突变株。以突变株为转化菌种, 以新霉素为底物, 对转化发酵液进行高效液相色谱分析, 研究了不同转化条件对新霉素转化的影响。结果表明, 底物浓度、底物添加时间、底物添加方式、接种量、培养基装量、转化时间、碳源、氮源、pH、温度对新霉素转化具有不同程度的影响。以转化条件优化参数进行转化大量培养, 转化液经4步离子交换层析进行分离纯化, 薄层层析检测纯化样品为单一斑点。采用薄层生物自显影对获得的4个转化产物分离样品做生物活性检测, 发现4个样品对金黄色葡萄球菌和姜青枯假单孢杆菌都具有抑制活性, 1个样品对大白菜软腐样品具有明显的抑制活性。     

Interaction of ouabain with the Na(+) pump in intact epithelial cells

To determine the specificity and efficacy of [(3)H]ouabain binding as a quantitative measure of the Na(+) pump (Na(+), K(+)-ATPase) and as a marker for the localization of pumps involved in transepithelial Na(+)-transport, we analyzed the interaction of [(3)H]ouabain with its receptor in pig kidney epithelial (LLC-PK(1)) cells. When these epithelial cells are depleted of Na(+) and exposed to 2 muM [(3)H]ouabain in a Na(+)-free medium, binding is reduced by 90 percent. When depleted of K(+) and incubated in a K(+)- free medium, the ouabain binding rate is increase compared with that measured at 5 mM. This increase is only demonstable when Na(+) is present. The increased rate could be attributed to the predominance of the Na(+)-stimulated phosphorylated form of the pump, as K(+) is not readily available to stimulate dephosphorylation. However, some binding in the K(+)-free medium is attributable to pump turnover (and therefore, recycling of K(+)), because analysis of K(+)-washout kinetics demonstrated that addition of 2 muM ouabain to K(+)-depleted cells increased the rate of K(+) loss. These results indicate that in intact epithelial cells, unlike isolated membrane preparations, the most favorable condition for supporting ouabain binding occurs when the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase is operating in the Na(+)-pump mode or is phosphorylated in the presence of Na(+). When LLC-PK(1) cells were exposed to ouabain at 4 degrees C, binding was reduced by 97 percent. Upon rewarming, the rate of binding was greater than that obtained on cells kept at a constant 37 degrees C. However, even at this accelerated rate, the time to reach equilibrium was beyond what is required for cells, swollen by exposure to cold, to recover normal volume. Thus, results from studies that have attempted to use ouabain to eliminate the contribution of the conventional Na(+) pump to volume recovery must be reevaluated if the exposure to ouabain was done in the cold or under conditions in which the Na(+) pump is not operating.     

Permeability of receptive fig fruits and its effects on the re‐emergence behaviour of pollinators

1. Figs and pollinating fig wasps provide a model system for studying mutualism. The permeability of the syconium changes during receptivity or between seasons, which may affect the behaviour of pollinators. Fig fruits are permeable during receptivity, and in some species, pollinators can enter and re‐emerge after oviposition/pollination. We studied the relationship between fig permeability and pollinator re‐emergence behaviour with a functional dioecious fig, Ficus hispida and the obligate pollinator Ceratosolen solmsi marchali. 2. The relationship reflects the interaction of figs and pollinators in the mutualism and also the conflicts of interests between the two partners: figs benefit from the enclosed fig fruits which have low permeability, but pollinators benefit from their re‐emergence behaviour, which requires high fig permeability. 3. The results showed that at the end of receptivity, the permeability of fig fruits lowered rapidly with changes to the ostiole structures, and re‐emergence rate was low, with more re‐emerging pollinators trapped in the ostiolar bracts. Our results also showed that in the rainy season, the length of receptivity was shorter and fig permeability was lower. The re‐emergence rates were also lower than those in the dry season. The results elucidated that figs' interests dominated in the conflicts between fig and pollinating wasp. 4. Based on a new criteria which employed the classification of pollinators found dead in the ostiolar bracts and which involved a survey of 6 monoecious and 12 dioecious fig species, we found that re‐emergence behaviour was prevalent among fig species, and was more prevalent in functional dioecious figs than monoecious ones.     

Stromatoporoid palaeoecology in the Frasnian (Upper Devonian) Belgian platform,and its applications in interpretation of carbonate platform environments

Abstract: Stromatoporoid faunas in the Frasnian of southern Belgium are abundant in the carbonate platform environments present in this area. Stromatoporoids dominate the large skeletal organisms and occur principally in biostromes. The stromatoporoid assemblage is represented by a small number of taxa. Stromatoporoid genera include Actinostroma, Amphipora, Atelodictyon, Clathrocoilona, Salairella, Stachyodes, Stictostroma, Stromatopora and Trupetostroma which are present in environments ranging from the outer, outer intermediate, inner intermediate and inner zones and associated biostromes. Most large skeletal stromatoporoids are low profile, which reinforces the conclusions of previous studies that low‐profile growth forms were the most successful stromatoporoid forms. These low‐profile forms are likely to have been important sediment stabilisers that may have led to expansion of the carbonate factory. Growth forms vary between facies, indicating some degree of environmental control on form; for example, laminar in the intermediate zone, bulbous and domical in the inner and outer zones. Stromatoporoid taxa vary in occurrence across the environmental gradient from shallow to deep. There is some taxonomic control on growth forms, with some taxa showing more variability than others in different environments.     

Miocene intertidal zonation on a volcanically active shoreline: Porto Santo in the Madeira Archipelago,Portugal

Santos, A., Mayoral, E.J., da Silva, C.M., Cachão, M., Johnson, M.E. & Baarli, B.G. Miocene intertidal zonation on a volcanically active shoreline: Porto Santo in the Madeira Archipelago, Portugal. Lethaia, Vol. 44, pp. 26–32. Short‐term biological colonization of rockgrounds on the basaltic shorelines of oceanic islands has, as yet, been poorly explored. A Miocene sea cliff on Ilhéu de Cima off Porto Santo in the Madeira Archipelago of Portugal provides a case study showing intertidal zonation with two types of barnacles, serpulid worm tubes, two coral species, epifaunal bivalves and the trace fossils of endolithic bivalves. Large barnacles (Balanus sp.) and serpulids are limited to the upper 400 mm of a basalt cliff of 1.6 m in height. Small barnacles, possibly of the same species, extend to the base. The upper half includes the corals Isophyllastrea orbignyana and Tarbellastraea reussiana, to which many small, coral‐inhabiting, barnacles (Ceratoconcha costata) are fixed. Borings identified as Gastrochaenolites torpedo appear through the bottom two‐thirds of the cliff face. Rarely, Gastrochaenolites lapidicus is exposed in longitudinal section with borings up to 45 mm deep in solid basalt. Epifaunal bivalves, such as Spondylus sp., are limited to a middle zone. Associated with the sea cliff is an outer platform on which a multitude of T. reussiana colonies occur in growth position. The corals exhibit planar erosion over180 m². The shelf was faulted and cut by a basalt dike prior to the brief recolonization of I. orbignyana, found attached to low fault scarps. Habitation of the sea cliff was facilitated by rising sea level, but abruptly terminated by burial under volcanoclastic ejecta. □Basalt bioerosion, coastal dynamics, Ilhéu de Cima (Porto Santo), Miocene intertidal zonation, volcanogenic perturbations.