紫胶林中蚂蚁-紫胶虫互利关系和寄主植物多样性对节肢动物各营养级的影响

【目的】昆虫之间的互利关系和植物多样性在生态系统中具有重要的作用,本研究旨在探讨蚂蚁-紫胶虫互利关系的下行效应以及寄主植物多样性的上行效应对节肢动物群落各营养级的影响。【方法】试验样地位于云南省普洱市墨江县雅邑乡的人工紫胶林中。通过随机裂区试验方法,于2016年8月和9月分两次用手捡法、网扫法和震落法采集了蚂蚁-紫胶虫3种互利关系处理(有互利关系、无互利关系和自然对照)以及3种植物多样性处理(单一种植、2树种混植和3树种混植,分别代表植物多样性1, 2和3)下样地寄主植物上所有的节肢动物,并按照不同营养级将其分类。【结果】蚂蚁-紫胶虫互利关系会显著降低消费者多度［有互利关系(14.2±0.95)<自然对照(18.57±1.13)<无互利关系(23.27±1.38), (F=4.290, P=0.017)］,植物多样性会显著提高消费者多度［植物多样性1(13.49±2.54)<植物多样性2(16.31±2.50)<植物多样性3(25.01±2.47), (F=56.03, P<0.001)］;在两者的交互作用下,无论哪个植物多样性水平上,有互利关系处理的消费者多度都显著低于无互利关系处理的消费者多度 (F=6.850, P<0.001)。互利关系对捕食者多度无显著影响(F=1.277, P=0.284),植物多样性会显著增加捕食者多度［植物多样性1 (1.72±0.49) <植物多样性2 (3.42±0.54) <植物多样性3 (3.59±0.55), (F=10.976, P<0.001)］,两者的交互作用对捕食者多度无显著影响(F=0.428, P=0.788)。互利关系和植物多样性会显著增加蚂蚁多度［自然对照(44.08±8.94) <有互利关系(324.82±65.35), (F=48.9, P<0.001)］, ［植物多样性1(86.31±12.51)<植物多样性3 (131.20±18.80) <植物多样性2(151.27±21.68), (F=137.85, P<0.001)］, 两者的交互作用也会显著增加蚂蚁多度(F=80.31, P<0.001)。【结论】蚂蚁与紫胶虫的互利关系显著降低植物上的植食性害虫,对捕食者不产生显著作用,但显著提高蚂蚁多度;而植物多样性对节肢动物各营养级都有积极作用;两者会产生一定的联合作用,对各营养级产生不同的影响。     

Two Rab GTPases play different roles in conidiation,trap formation,stress resistance,and virulence in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Rab GTPases are the largest group of the small GTPases family, which play a pivotal role in the secretion of proteins. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a...     

QTL editing confers opposing yield performance in different rice varieties

Grain yield is one of the most important and complex trait for genetic improvement in crops; it is known to be controlled by a number of genes known as quantitative trait loci(QTLs). In the past decade, many yield-contributing QTLs have been identified in crops.However, it remains unclear whether those QTLs confer the same yield performance in different genetic backgrounds. Here, we performed CRISPR/Cas_9-mediated QTL editing in five widely-cultivated rice varieties and revealed that the same QTL can have diverse, even opposing, effects on grain yield in different genetic backgrounds.     

Single‐Crystalline Ultrathin Co3O4 Nanosheets with Massive Vacancy Defects for Enhanced Electrocatalysis

The role of vacancy defects is demonstrated to be positive in various energy‐related processes. However, introducing vacancy defects into single‐crystalline nanostructures with given facets and studying their defect effect on electrocatalytic properties remains a great challenge. Here this study deliberately introduces oxygen defects into single‐crystalline ultrathin Co₃O₄ nanosheets with O‐terminated {111} facets by mild solvothermal reduction using ethylene glycol under alkaline condition. As‐prepared defect‐rich Co₃O₄ nanosheets show a low overpotential of 220 mV with a small Tafel slope of 49.1 mV dec^?1 for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is among the best Co‐based OER catalysts to date and even more active than the state‐of‐the‐art IrO₂ catalyst. Such vacancy defects are formed by balancing with reducing environments under solvothermal conditions, but are surprisingly stable even after 1000 cycles of scanning under OER working conditions. Density functional theory plus U calculation attributes the enhanced performance to the oxygen vacancies and consequently exposed second‐layered Co metal sites, which leads to the lowered OER activation energy of 2.26 eV and improved electrical conductivity. This mild solvothermal reduction concept opens a new door for the understanding and future designing of advanced defect‐based electrocatalysts.     

Doped Copper Phthalocyanine via an Aqueous Solution Process for Normal and Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Great efforts toward developing novel and efficient hole‐transporting materials are needed to further improve the device efficiency and enhance the cell stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The poor film conductivity and the low carrier mobility of organic small‐molecule‐based hole‐transporting materials restrict their application in PSCs. This study develops an efficient and stable hole‐transporting material, tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane (F₄‐TCNQ)‐doped copper phthalocyanine‐3,4′,4′′,4′′′‐tetra‐sulfonated acid tetra sodium salt (TS‐CuPc) via a solution process, in planar structure PSCs. The p‐type‐doped TS‐CuPc film demonstrates improved film conductivity and hole mobility owing to the strong electron affinity of F₄‐TCNQ. By the F₄‐TCNQ tailoring, the composite film gives the highest occupied molecular orbital level as high as 5.3 eV, which is beneficial for hole extraction. In addition, the aqueous solution processed TS‐CuPc:F₄‐TCNQ precursor is almost neutral with good stability for avoiding the electrode erosion. As a result, the fabricated PSCs employing TS‐CuPc:F₄‐TCNQ as the hole‐transporting material exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 16.14% in a p–i–n structure and 20.16% in an n–i–p structure, respectively. The developed organic small molecule of TS‐CuPc provides the diversification of hole‐transporting materials in planar PSCs.