坝上地区农田及两种恢复生境中蜘蛛多样性与群落特征

蜘蛛是农田生态系统中重要的自然天敌,其生物多样性及群落特征直接决定了农田的害虫控制等生态系统服务功能质量。农田及其周边的恢复生境是蜘蛛重要的栖息地。本研究采用陷阱法,对河北省张家口市崇礼区871、1360、1635 m 3个海拔农田、自然恢复草地及人工修复林地的蜘蛛群落的物种组成、物种多样性和功能特征进行研究,分析不同恢复生境中蜘蛛群落特征。结果表明: 不同生境蜘蛛的物种多样性指数差异明显,人工修复林地蜘蛛的多度为124.3只,显著高于自然恢复草地(70.1)及农田(38.6)的蜘蛛多度;人工修复林地(16.3)与自然恢复草地(21.4)的物种丰富度没有显著差别,但均显著高于农田(8.9);人工修复林地(2.04)及自然恢复草地(2.05)的Shannon多样性指数差异不显著,且均显著高于农田(1.55)。3种生境的蜘蛛群落组成均具有显著差异;蜘蛛体长与蜘蛛捕猎类型呈正相关,大型蜘蛛倾向于通过捕猎获取食物;自然恢复草地与农田蜘蛛以游猎型为主,而人工修复林地倾向于拥有更多的结网型蜘蛛,高海拔地区的蜘蛛体积通常较小。自然恢复草地与人工修复林地均可以提升蜘蛛群落多样性,在区域生物多样性保护中起重要作用;不同生境蜘蛛群落组成出现了显著分化,即蜘蛛群落总体的功能特征发生改变和保留了部分生境特有种。2种恢复生境蜘蛛多样性指标优于农田生境,且2种恢复生境物种组成存在差异,均具有保护特有种的功能,研究结果对农田及区域尺度蜘蛛生物多样性保护与恢复具有指导意义。     

Polymorphic microsatellite primers developed from DNA of the endangered Mekong giant catfish,Pangasianodon gigas (Chevey) and cross‐species amplification in three species of Pangasius

The critically endangered Pangasianodon gigas is endemic to the Mekong River. Despite its importance, little is known about its genetic diversity and conservation efforts are hampered. Ten polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite primer pairs were developed from DNA of P. gigas. The analysis of 20 individuals from hatchery stocks using these primers resulted in two to six alleles/locus; H_O = 0.05–0.95; H_E = 0.05–0.81. All but one locus (Pg‐3) conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectation. Eight, six and seven primer pairs were amplified with the DNA from Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, Pangasius larnaudii and Pangasius sanitwongsei, respectively. These markers will be useful for genetic monitoring of wild and hatchery stocks of these pangasiids.     

Syndecan expressions in the human amnion and chorionic plate

The syndecan family consists of four distinct membrane glycoproteins in mammals. Syndecans control cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion and migration through participation in cell-cell interactions, anchorage of cells to the extracellular environment, and modulation of multiple growth factors. Therefore, syndecans may play a pivotal role in the regulation of cell behaviour depending on the cellular microenvironment. Here, we demonstrate that syndecan-1, syndecan-2 and syndecan-4 are expressed in fetal membrane tissue with different immunolocalizations. Syndecan-1 is expressed in the amniotic epithelium, localizing at basolateral cell surfaces. Syndecan-2 and syndecan-4, in contrast, are mostly localized in intracellular compartments, in the extravillous cytotrophoblastic cells and in some fibroblasts of the chorionic plate as well as in the amniotic epithelial cells. In the latter, syndecan-4 is mainly localized in the apical part of the cells. Our results strongly suggest a key role of syndecan-1, syndecan-2 and syndecan-4 in the determination of structural and functional characteristics of human amnion and chorionic plate. Since the solute exchanges between fetus and mother take place in fetal membranes, our data suggest that syndecans are important players in the placenta for the establishment of the fetal-maternal inter-communication.     

Placental thrombomodulin expression in recurrent miscarriage

Background  

Early pregnancy loss can be associated with trophoblast insufficiency and coagulation defects. Thrombomodulin is an endothelial-associated anticoagulant protein involved in the control of hemostasis and inflammation at the vascular beds and it's also a cofactor of the protein C anticoagulant pathway.     

Nickel(II) complexes of the multihistidine peptide fragments of human prion protein

Nickel(II) complexes of the peptide fragments of human prion protein containing histidyl residues both inside and outside the octarepeat domain have been studied by the combined application of potentiometric, UV-visible and circular dichroism spectroscopic methods. The imidazole-N donor atoms of histidyl residues are the exclusive metal binding sites below pH 7.5, but the formation of stable macrochelates was characteristic only for the peptide HuPrP(76-114) containing four histidyl residues. Yellow colored square planar complexes were obtained above pH 7.5-8 with the cooperative deprotonation of three amide nitrogens in the [N_im,N⁻,N⁻,N⁻] coordination mode. It was found that the peptides can bind as many nickel(II) ions as the number of independent histidyl residues. All data supported that the complex formation processes of nickel(II) are very similar to those of copper(II), but with a significantly reduced stability for nickel(II), which shifts the complex formation reactions into the slightly alkaline pH range. The formation of coordination isomers was characteristic of the mononuclear complexes with a significant preference for the nickel(II) binding at the histidyl sites outside the octarepeat domain. The results obtained for the two-histidine fragments of the protein, HuPrP(91-115), HuPrP(76-114)H85A and HuPrP(84-114)H96A, made it possible to compare the binding ability of the His96 and His111 sites. These data reveal a significant difference in the nickel(II) and copper(II) binding sites of the peptides: His96 was found to predominate almost completely for nickel(II) ions, while the opposite order, but with comparable concentrations, was reported for copper(II).     

双斑蟋的胚胎发育

为了从组织胚胎学角度探究昆虫胚胎发育过程,以双斑蟋Gryllus bimaculatus de Geer的卵为实验材料,通过观察、记录蟋蟀胚胎每一天的形态变化并使用显微摄影方法记录胚胎发育过程,对蟋蟀卵胚胎发育全过程进行系统的观察和研究。根据胚胎形态的发育特点,可将整个胚胎发育过程分为7个阶段:卵裂期、囊胚期、原肠胚、无节幼体期Ⅰ、无节幼体期Ⅱ、无节幼体期Ⅲ、无节幼体期Ⅳ。经历14天,蟋蟀的头部、触角、3对足、尾部、腹部及背部都发育完全,整个胚胎发育随之结束。