Evaluation of housekeeping genes as references for quantitative real-time PCR analysis of European eel,Anguilla anguilla

Eels are important aquaculture species for which an increasing number of reference genes are being identified and applied. In this study, five housekeeping genes [RPL7 (ribosomal protein L7), 18 S (18 S ribosomal RNA), EF1A (elongation factor 1α), ACTB (β-actin) and GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase)] were chosen to evaluate their reliability as reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for the study of Anguilla anguilla. The expression of the selected genes in different eel tissues was determined using qPCR at different growth stages or upon challenge by Anguillid herpesvirus (AngHV), and the expression levels of these genes were then compared and evaluated using the geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. Then, RefFinder was used to comprehensively rank the examined housekeeping genes. Interestingly, the expression of the evaluated housekeeping genes exhibited tissue-dependent and treatment-dependent variations. In different growth periods A. anguilla tissues, the most stable genes were the following: ACTB in mucus; 18 S in skin and kidney; RPL7 in muscle, gill, intestine and brain; EF1A in heart and liver; and GAPDH in spleen. In contrast, in AngHV-challenged A. anguilla tissues, the most stable genes were the following: 18 S in mucus; RPL7 in skin, gill, heart, spleen, kidney and intestine; EF1A in muscle and liver; and ACTB in brain. Further comparison analysis indicated that the expression of RPL7 and EF1A was stable in multiple A. anguilla tissues in different growth periods and in eels challenged by AngHV. Nonetheless, the expression level of GAPDH in eel tissues was lower, and it was unstable in several tissues. These results indicated that the selection of reference genes for qPCR analysis in A. anguilla should be made in accordance with experimental parameters, and both RPL7 and EF1A could be used as reference genes for qPCR study of A. anguilla at different growth stages or upon challenge by AngHV. The reference genes identified in this study could improve the accuracy of qPCR data and facilitate further studies aimed at understanding the biology of eels.     

Antibacterial Activity and Mechanisms of Ethanol Extracts from <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> Georgi and <i>Magnolia officinalis</i> against <i>Phytophthora nicotianae</i>

Phytophthora nicotianae causes substantial economic losses in most countries where tobacco is produced. At present, the control of P. nicotianae mainly depends on chemical methods, with considerable environmental and health issues. We investigated the effects of ethanol extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) and Magnolia officinalis (MO). On mycelial growth, sporangium formation, and zoospore release of P. nicotianae. Both extracts inhibited the growth of P. nicotianae, with mycelial growth inhibition rates of 88.92% and 93.92%, respectively, at 40 mg/mL, and EC50 values of 5.39 and 5.74 mg/mL, respectively. The underlying mechanisms were the inhibition of sporangium formation, the reduction of zoospore number, and the destruction of the mycelium structure. At an SBG extract concentration of 16.17 mg/mL, the inhibition rates for sporangia and zoospores were 98.66% and 99.39%, respectively. At an MO extract concentration of 2.87 mg/mL, the production of sporangia and zoospores was completely inhibited. The hyphae treated with the two plant extracts showed different degrees of deformation and damage. Hyphae treated with SBG extract showed adhesion and local swelling, whereas treatment with MO extract resulted in broken hyphae. Mixture of the extracts resulted in a good synergistic effect.     

Thecate stem medusozoans (Cnidaria) from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota

Cnidarians are phylogenetically located near the base of the ‘tree of animals’, and their early evolution had a profound impact on the rise of bilaterians. However, the early diversity and phylogeny of this ‘lowly’ metazoan clade has hitherto been enigmatic. Fortunately, cnidarian fossils from the early Cambrian could provide key insights into their evolutionary history. Here, based on a scrutiny of the purported hyolith Burithes yunnanensis Hou et al. from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota in South China, we reveal that this species shows characters distinct from those typical of hyoliths, not least a funnel-shaped gastrovascular system with a single opening, a whorl of tentacles surrounding the mouth, and the lack of an operculum. These characters suggest a great deviation from the original definition of the genus Burithes, and a closer affinity with cnidarians. We therefore reassign the material to a new genus: Palaeoconotuba. Bayesian inference of phylogeny based on new anatomical traits identifies a new clade, including Palaeoconotuba and Cambrorhytium, as a stem group of sessile medusozoan cnidarians that are united by the synapomorphies of developing an organic conical theca and a funnel-like gastrovascular system. This study unveils a stem lineage of medusozoans that evolved a lifelong conical theca in the early Cambrian.     

中华鳖阴茎头的组织学观察

2021年8月,在安徽省合肥市庐江县牛王寨采集到东亚腹链蛇属(Hebius)蛇类标本1号。经形态比较发现,该蛇明显不同于大别山地区已有的东亚腹链蛇属物种——棕黑腹链蛇(H. sauteri)和绣链腹链蛇(H. craspedogaster)。分子系统学分析显示,该标本与东亚腹链蛇(H. vibakari)遗传关系最近,且形态上符合东亚腹链蛇特征,提示该标本应为东亚腹链蛇。东亚腹链蛇是安徽省和大别山地区爬行动物分布新记录种,这也是该物种在中国东北地区之外首次被报道。该分布新记录扩大了对东亚腹链蛇的分布范围的认知,对东亚腹链蛇的种群分化和生物地理学研究具有重要意义。     

基于拉曼技术的单细胞生长检测方法

目的 单细胞生长检测可以更加科学地揭示微生物代谢变化的规律,为后期微生物工程应用提供指导。针对微生物生长应用于食品安全期和最佳食用期的精准检测问题,本文提出一种基于拉曼技术的单细胞生长检测方法。方法 首先,通过同步培养实验采集了枯草芽孢杆菌两个批次共900个单细胞拉曼光谱（SCRS）数据,其中600个用于训练和测试,另一批次300个用于模型验证。其次,基于主成分分析的特征关系矩阵,提出CP-SP特征评估方法以筛选SCRS特征用于模型检测。再基于XGBoost构建检测模型,并应用网格搜索和交叉验证对检测模型进行调优。最后,应用混淆矩阵、ROC曲线评估模型对细胞滞后期、对数期和稳定期的检测准确率、敏感性和特异性。结果 选用CP-SP筛选的第一、第二和第四主成分较特征贡献率前3个主成分的分类性能提高了3.1%,调优后的细胞生长检测模型测试准确率为96.0%,验证准确率为92.3%。结论 基于拉曼技术的单细胞生长检测方法能准确识别单细胞生长状态且具有较高的泛化能力,可为食品安全和保鲜制定精准调控机制提供科学指导。     

谷子不育系及其相应可育系小孢子发育的细胞学观察

以谷子2个品种的不育系及其保持系为材料,对其小孢子发育的细胞形态学进行了观察研究。结果表明:昭盟A花药的外部形态及花粉母细胞的发育过程与昭盟B相似,能形成外观正常的三核花粉,但其花药不能开裂散粉。石炮A表现出了败育时间和方式的多样性,且不育系与保持系间在花药长度上有显著差异。此外,两种不育系的维管束都表现出不同程度的发育不良。不良程度与药囊退化程度相关。     

糜子黄、黑种皮遗传及转录组学分析

同源异型域-亮氨酸拉链(homedomain-leucine zipper,HD-Zip)转录因子广泛参与植物的生长发育和抗胁迫过程。该研究通过生物信息学方法对青稞HD-Zip基因家族进行全基因组分析鉴定,并采用qRT-PCR技术分析非生物胁迫下该基因的表达特性,为深入探讨青稞HD-Zip转录因子的生物学功能及其在高原作物抗逆育种中的应用奠定基础。结果表明：(1)成功从青稞基因组中共鉴定出41个HD-Zip基因家族成员,依次命名为i>HvvHD-ZipⅠ-1~Ⅳ-13,且这些基因在7条染色体上呈不均匀分布。(2)理化性质分析发现,HvvHD-Zip蛋白包含197～885个不等的氨基酸残基;分子量范围在19 914.36～94 014.87 Da;亚细胞定位表明HvvHD-Zip蛋白都位于细胞核。(3)根据多序列比对、系统进化、基因结构和保守基序差异将其聚为4个亚家族,各亚家族分类特征与系统聚类结果一致。(4)顺式作用元件预测分析发现,i>HvvHD-Zip基因启动子中含有11种植物激素和胁迫响应元件。(5)qRT-PCR结果显示,HvvHD-Zip Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅳ亚家族基因对各胁迫响应明显;与根组织相比,多数i>HvvHD-Zip基因在叶组织中响应明显(上调或下调);与冷和盐胁迫相比,i>HvvHD-Zip各基因对旱胁迫响应较强。     

中国环缘蝽属昆虫记述(半翅目:姬缘蝽科)

环缘蝽属(Stictopleurus Stal)建立于1872年,为半翅目(Hemiptera)姬缘蝽科(Rhopalidae)中的一个类群。Reuter(1885)将其降为姬缘蝽属(Corizus Fallen)的一个亚属,该意见曾被一些学者所采纳,如Puton(1886/1899),Ragusa(1907),Van Duzee(1916),Torre-Bueno(1914)等;Muzik(1904)亦曾将其作为伊缘蝽属(Rhopalus Schil-ling)的一个亚属;但后来多数学者及近代的分类学工作者均将其视为一个独立的属,如Oshanin(1906/1912),De Seabra(1927),Harris(1943),Chopra(1967),Gollner-