Morphology and Phylogeny of Two Novel Pleurostomatids (Ciliophora,Litostomatea), Establishing a New Genus

Pleurostomatida Schewiakoff, 1896 is a cosmopolitan order of ciliates. In the present study, we investigated two new pleurostomatid species, Apolitonotus lynni gen. et sp. nov. and Protolitonotus clampi sp. nov., with state‐of‐the‐art methods. Apolitonotus lynni lacks its oral extrusomes and its right kineties form an anterior semi‐suture near the dorsal margin. Based on these two features, the new genus Apolitonotus was established within the Protolitonotidae Wu et al., 2017. Protolitonotus clampi differs from its congeners by its size of 80–130 × 15–30 μm, 4–6 left, and 9–11 right kineties, extrusomes arranged along the oral slit, and two macronuclear nodules. Because Litonotus antarcticus possesses an anterior semi‐suture and oral extrusomes, it was transferred to the genus Protolitonotus, becoming P. antarctius comb. nov. (basionym Litonotus antarcticus Song and Wilbert, 2002). Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequences suggest a sister group relationship of P. clampi and the family Kentrophyllidae, and A. lynni is adelphotaxon to Litonotus gracilis, both within the order Pleurostomatida. Based on the new findings, an improved diagnosis for Protolitonotus was also provided.     

Increased high‐latitude photosynthetic carbon gain offset by respiration carbon loss during an anomalous warm winter to spring transition

Arctic and boreal ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon (C) budget, and whether they act as a future net C sink or source depends on climate and environmental change. Here, we used complementary in situ measurements, model simulations, and satellite observations to investigate the net carbon dioxide (CO₂) seasonal cycle and its climatic and environmental controls across Alaska and northwestern Canada during the anomalously warm winter to spring conditions of 2015 and 2016 (relative to 2010–2014). In the warm spring, we found that photosynthesis was enhanced more than respiration, leading to greater CO₂ uptake. However, photosynthetic enhancement from spring warming was partially offset by greater ecosystem respiration during the preceding anomalously warm winter, resulting in nearly neutral effects on the annual net CO₂ balance. Eddy covariance CO₂ flux measurements showed that air temperature has a primary influence on net CO₂ exchange in winter and spring, while soil moisture has a primary control on net CO₂ exchange in the fall. The net CO₂ exchange was generally more moisture limited in the boreal region than in the Arctic tundra. Our analysis indicates complex seasonal interactions of underlying C cycle processes in response to changing climate and hydrology that may not manifest in changes in net annual CO₂ exchange. Therefore, a better understanding of the seasonal response of C cycle processes may provide important insights for predicting future carbon–climate feedbacks and their consequences on atmospheric CO₂ dynamics in the northern high latitudes.     

Probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 Promotes Growth Performance,Intestinal Immunity,and Gut Microbiota in Piglets

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Numerous studies have investigated the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus johnsonii strain BS15 on mice and broilers. This study aimed to understand the...     

Genetic diversity of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites infecting dogs in southern Louisiana sheds light on parasite transmission cycles and serological diagnostic performance

BackgroundChagas disease is a neglected zoonosis of growing concern in the southern US, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. We genotyped parasites in a large cohort of PCR positive dogs to shed light on parasite transmission cycles and assess potential relationships between parasite diversity and serological test performance.Methodology/principal findingsWe used a metabarcoding approach based on deep sequencing of T. cruzi mini-exon marker to assess parasite diversity. Phylogenetic analysis of 178 sequences from 40 dogs confirmed the presence of T. cruzi discrete typing unit (DTU) TcI and TcIV, as well as TcII, TcV and TcVI for the first time in US dogs. Infections with multiple DTUs occurred in 38% of the dogs. These data indicate a greater genetic diversity of T. cruzi than previously detected in the US. Comparison of T. cruzi sequence diversity indicated that highly similar T. cruzi strains from these DTUs circulate in hosts and vectors in Louisiana, indicating that they are involved in a shared T. cruzi parasite transmission cycle. However, TcIV and TcV were sampled more frequently in vectors, while TcII and TcVI were sampled more frequently in dogs.Conclusions/significanceThese observations point to ecological host-fitting being a dominant mechanism involved in the diversification of T. cruzi-host associations. Dogs with negative, discordant or confirmed positive T. cruzi serology harbored TcI parasites with different mini-exon sequences, which strongly supports the hypothesis that parasite genetic diversity is a key factor affecting serological test performance. Thus, the identification of conserved parasite antigens should be a high priority for the improvement of current serological tests.     

The Chimonanthus salicifolius genome provides insight into magnoliid evolution and flavonoid biosynthesis

Chimonanthus salicifolius, a member of the Calycanthaceae of magnoliids, is one of the most famous medicinal plants in Eastern China. Here, we report a chromosome‐level genome assembly of C. salicifolius, comprising 820.1 Mb of genomic sequence with a contig N50 of 2.3 Mb and containing 36 651 annotated protein‐coding genes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that magnoliids were sister to the eudicots. Two rounds of ancient whole‐genome duplication were inferred in the C. salicifolious genome. One is shared by Calycanthaceae after its divergence with Lauraceae, and the other is in the ancestry of Magnoliales and Laurales. Notably, long genes with > 20 kb in length were much more prevalent in the magnoliid genomes compared with other angiosperms, which could be caused by the length expansion of introns inserted by transposon elements. Homologous genes within the flavonoid pathway for C. salicifolius were identified, and correlation of the gene expression and the contents of flavonoid metabolites revealed potential critical genes involved in flavonoids biosynthesis. This study not only provides an additional whole‐genome sequence from the magnoliids, but also opens the door to functional genomic research and molecular breeding of C. salicifolius.     

Functional divergence of two duplicated Fertilization Independent Endosperm genes in rice with respect to seed development

Fertilization Independent Endosperm (FIE) is an essential member of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) that plays important roles in the developmental regulation of plants. OsFIE1 and OsFIE2 are two FIE homologs in the rice genome. Here, we showed that OsFIE1 probably duplicated from OsFIE2 after the origin of the tribe Oryzeae, but has a specific expression pattern and methylation landscape. During evolution, OsFIE1 underwent a less intensive purifying selection than did OsFIE2. The mutant osfie1 produced smaller seeds and displayed reduced dormancy, indicating that OsFIE1 predominantly functions in late seed development. Ectopic expression of OsFIE1, but not OsFIE2, was deleterious to vegetative growth in a dose‐dependent manner. The newly evolved N‐terminal tail of OsFIE1 was probably not the cause of the adverse effects on vegetative growth. The CRISPR/Cas9‐derived mutant osfie2 exhibited impaired cellularization of the endosperm, which suggested that OsFIE2 is indispensable for early seed development as a positive regulator of cellularization. Autonomous endosperm was observed in both OsFIE2^+? and osfie1/OsFIE2^+? but at a very low frequency. Although OsFIE1‐PRC2 exhibited H3K27me3 methyltransferase ability in plants, OsFIE1‐PRC2 is likely to be less important for development in rice than is OsFIE2‐PRC2. Our findings revealed the functional divergence of OsFIE1 and OsFIE2 and shed light on their distinct evolution following duplication.     

IPBES框架下的生物多样性和生态系统服务区域评估及政策经验

生物多样性和生态系统服务为人类的生计和良好的生活质量奠定了重要基础。然而, 越来越多的研究表明, 生物多样性和生态系统服务在全球范围内的持续下降使自然对人类的贡献大幅降低。多尺度评估能够说明不同尺度下生物多样性的现状, 有利于制定适合区域特点、符合国情的决策建议。2013年12月, 生物多样性和生态系统服务政府间科学政策平台(Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, IPBES)通过第一轮工作方案, 决定开展“区域/次区域生物多样性和生态系统服务评估”(简称“区域评估”), 即评估亚洲-太平洋(简称亚太)、美洲、非洲以及欧洲-中亚四大地理区域的生物多样性和生态系统服务。区域评估报告及其决策者摘要已在IPBES第六次全体会议上(2018年3月, 哥伦比亚麦德林)审议通过。本文概述了四大地理区域的生物多样性的重要性、生物多样性保护领域取得的进展、面临的主要危机和机遇, 探讨了评估对其他国际进程的影响, 综合分析了各区域生物多样性和生态系统服务的特点以及各区域评估结果的差别, 总结了评估的政策经验, 以期为中国的生物多样性保护提供科学参考。     

西双版纳国家级自然保护区蚂蚁-树互作网络空间变异

网络分析(network analysis)可以同时分析群落中的物种多样性和种间关系, 为了解生态群落的稳定性机制提供了新的分析思路和方法。本研究从西双版纳国家级自然保护区的纳板河、勐仑和勐腊(补蚌)三个地点采集了树栖性蚂蚁及树木的种类和数量数据, 对蚂蚁-树组成的二分网络进行了分析, 探讨了3个采样点物种的多样性、网络指标以及群落指标之间的关系。我们采用零模型的方法比较了3个样点的标准化网络参数差异。结果表明: 蚂蚁和树木的物种数以及树的异质性指数(Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson多样性指数)都呈现出勐仑 > 纳板河 > 补蚌的趋势。树木-蚂蚁的灭绝曲线系数大小关系同样为勐仑 > 纳板河 > 补蚌, 灭绝曲线与树的物种数及异质性指数大小趋势一致, 而与蚂蚁的异质性指数并不吻合。根据Z值的绝对值来看, 网络参数(加权嵌套性、平均连接数、特化水平、模块性、连接度)与群落参数(灭绝曲线系数、生态位重叠)的大小趋势相同, 表现出勐仑 > 纳板河 > 补蚌的趋势。综上所述, 蚂蚁-树互作网络的稳定性(灭绝曲线系数)主要由树的数量和异质性指数决定。网络的加权嵌套性和网络中节点的平均连接数也能促进群落的稳定性。而在一个特化的(数值越大表示专性互作越多)和模块化(具有较多密切互作的节点单元)的网络中, 当低营养级物种灭绝时高营养级物种数量将迅速减少。