The influence of Eurasian beaver Castor fiber activity on fish assemblages in small steppe rivers in Russia

In recent decades, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) has once again become the keystone species in small river ecosystems in Russia. In many places, beaver activity has resulted in a significant change in lotic habitats, affecting the diversity, density, and biomass of aquatic organisms, including fish. While many studies have considered the ecosystem impacts of beavers, relatively few have focused on understanding the influence of beaver activity on steppe rivers. We conducted the first quantitative study of beaver impacts on fish assemblages in beaver-influenced and beaver-free sites on two small steppe rivers in the Don River basin in Russia. The presence of beavers altered the habitats in small steppe rivers and affected the diversity, density, and biomass of fish. A comparison of the number of species, density, and biomass of fish in six types of river habitats showed that these parameters were lower in beaver ponds than at riverine sites without beaver activity. Three fish species primarily preferred a single habitat type. Barbatula barbatula was found in riffles, Misgurnus fossilis in old beaver ponds, and Eudontomyzon mariae in abandoned beaver ponds. Beavers impacted fish distribution and density by changing dissolved oxygen, pH, and water current velocity. Overall, our results showed that the presence of beavers led to a temporary homogenization of fish habitats at a local scale in the valleys of small steppe rivers because beavers occupied these rivers only for a short period. However, habitat heterogeneity may increase if the beaver population stays stable or expands in the future.

     

Effect of selected sampling media,flow rate,and time on the sampling efficiency of a liquid impinger packed with glass beads for the collection of airborne viruses

Aerobiologia - The liquid impingers can be used for sampling of viral aerosols, such as COVID-19 virus, influenza, and measles. However, the lowest cutoff diameter of commercially available liquid...     

荻草谷网蚜唾液蛋白基因Sm13498的克隆及功能分析

【目的】荻草谷网蚜Sitobion miscanthi为我国小麦Triticum aestivum主产区麦蚜优势种;Sm13498蛋白是在荻草谷网蚜唾液腺中特异表达的唾液蛋白。本研究旨在探析荻草谷网蚜功能未知的Sm13498在调节植物防御反应中的潜在作用。【方法】基于荻草谷网蚜唾液腺转录组测序数据,PCR克隆Sm13498的cDNA全长序列,并进行生物信息学分析;采用RT-qPCR测定Sm13498在取食小麦叶片不同时间的荻草谷网蚜无翅成蚜中的表达动态;通过酵母分泌系统验证Sm13498蛋白信号肽的分泌功能;利用根癌农杆菌Agrobacterium tumefaciens介导在本氏烟Nicotiana benthamiana中瞬时表达技术鉴定Sm13498蛋白功能及亚细胞定位。【结果】克隆获得了荻草谷网蚜Sm13498 cDNA全长序列(GenBank登录号：MW346655),开放阅读框(ORF)全长783 bp,编码260个氨基酸,预测蛋白分子量28.01 kD,第1-22位氨基酸为N端信号肽。系统进化树显示,Sm13498与豌豆蚜Acyrthosiphon pisum的功能未知蛋白LOC100159087precursor(GenBank登录号: NP_001313548.1)亲缘关系最近(氨基酸序列一致性为71.7%)。RT-qPCR结果表明,Sm13498在荻草谷网蚜无翅成蚜取食小麦叶片12 h时表达水平达到最高。含有Sm13498信号肽片段的酿酒酵母Saccharomyces cerevisiae YTK12可在YPRAA培养基正常生长,并可将无色2,3,5-氯化三苯基四氮唑(TTC)还原为不可溶的暗红色的氯化三苯基四氮唑(TTF),证实其信号肽具有分泌活性。经根癌农杆菌介导在本氏烟瞬时表达Sm13498蛋白可抑制Bcl-2相关X蛋白(Bcl-2-associated X protein, BAX)及病原菌激发子INF1诱导的程序性细胞死亡。亚细胞定位结果表明,Sm13498-GFP融合蛋白定位于本氏烟叶片细胞膜。【结论】结果说明荻草谷网蚜唾液蛋白Sm13498可抑制植物防御反应。本研究为发掘荻草谷网蚜唾液中效应子, 深入解析麦蚜对小麦品种强适应性奠定了基础。     

安荔赤眼蜂在中国野外首次发现及其体内Wolbachia的检测

【目的】为丰富赤眼蜂Trichogramma的种类资源,明确野外新采集的一种赤眼蜂的种类,探明该赤眼蜂所感染Wolbachia的类型。【方法】采用挂米蛾Corcyra cephalonica卵卡法在华南农业大学树木园诱集到两批赤眼蜂,通过形态鉴定和PCR扩增ITS2序列并测序分析的分子鉴定手段对野外采集的赤眼蜂材料进行种类鉴定;通过PCR扩增Wolbachia的外膜蛋白基因(wsp)序列,检测赤眼蜂体内Wolbachia的感染情况;通过PCR扩增wsp序列和多位点序列分型(multilocus sequence typing, MLST)对检测到的赤眼蜂体内的Wolbachia进行同源性分析。【结果】所诱集到的两批赤眼蜂均被鉴定为安荔赤眼蜂Trichogramma oleae Voegelé & Pointel,体内Wolbachia的感染率达100%。该Wolbachia株系与安荔赤眼蜂(前南斯拉夫品系)、短管赤眼蜂T. pretiosum(乌拉圭品系)以及T. deion(荷兰品系)体内Wolbachia亲缘关系较近,属于B超组Sib亚组,对应MLST序列型为ST486。【结论】安荔赤眼蜂T. oleae为中国野外首次发现,是完全感染Wolbachia的产雌孤雌生殖品系。本研究为害虫生物防治提供了一种新的天敌种类资源,并为进一步探明Wolbachia与赤眼蜂的互作提供了研究材料。     

Genetics and Resistance Mechanism of the Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Against Powdery Mildew

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Powdery mildew (PM) is one of the most severe foliar diseases in cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.), but the inheritance of PM resistance remains unclear. The...     

Plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of L-lysine α-oxidase from Trichoderma cf. aureoviride RIFAI VKM F- 4268D in mice

L-lysine α-oxidase (LO) is an L-amino acid oxidase with antitumor, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies were carried out by measuring LO concentration in plasma and tissue samples by enzyme immunoassay. L-lysine concentration in samples was measured spectrophotometrically using LO. After single i.v. injection of 1.0, 1.5, 3.0 mg/kg the circulating T_1/2 of enzyme in mice varied from 51 to 74 min and the AUC_0–inf values were 6.54 ± 0.46, 8.66 ± 0.59, 9.47 ± 1.45 μg/ml × h, respectively. LO was distributed in tissues and determined within 48 h after administration with maximal accumulation in liver and heart tissues. Mean time to reach the maximum concentration was highest for the liver—9 h, kidney—1 h and 15 min for the tissues of heart, spleen and brain. T_1/2 of LO in tissues ranged from 7.75 ± 0.73 to 26.10 ± 2.60 h. In mice, plasma L-lysine decreased by 79% 15 min after LO administration in dose 1.6 mg/kg. The serum L-lysine levels remained very low from 1 to 9 h (< 25 μM, 17%), indicating an acute lack of L-lysine in animals for at least 9 h. Concentration of L-lysine in serum restored only 24 h after LO administration. The results of LO PK study show that it might be considered as a promising enzyme for further investigation as a potential anticancer agent.