Genetic variations and phylogeography of the swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon on the Japanese Islands

The swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758 is widely distributed in the Holarctic region, including all of the main islands of Japan, as well as Sakhalin, and on other smaller islands south to Yakushima Island. The Japanese population is situated at the margin of the Eurasian distribution range of this species. It is morphologically different from other populations and has been classified as the subspecies hippocrates C. & R. Felder, 1864. The population of the Japanese Islands is considered to be genetically distinct from the continental populations in relation to the geographical history of the Japanese Islands. Therefore, we examined a part of the ND5 gene sequence of the mitochondrial DNA for P. machaon individuals of various localities in Japan and some nearby countries, and found 68 haplotypes in 400 individuals from the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin. A DNA polymorphism analysis revealed that the genetic structure of the Hokkaido population was significantly different from that of the southern populations on the main Japanese islands. These results imply that P. machaon expanded its range from the Amur region of Russia southward through Sakhalin to the Japanese Islands, and that the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu may have subsequently limited their gene flow as a geographical barrier.     

Primulina maciejewskii sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong,China

Primulina maciejewskii F. Wen, R.L. Zhang & A.Q. Dong, a new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. lobulata and P. danxiaensis in leaf and flower shape, but can be distinguished by bract shape, peduncle, pedicel, and bract size, filament and anther indumentum, and number of bracts, staminodes and stigma.     

Design and visualization of second‐generation cyanoisoindole‐based fluorescent strigolactone analogs

Strigolactones (SLs) are a family of terpenoid allelochemicals that were recognized as plant hormones only a decade ago. They influence a myriad of both above‐ and below‐ground developmental processes, and are an important survival strategy for plants in nutrient‐deprived soils. A rapidly emerging approach to gain knowledge on hormone signaling is the use of traceable analogs. A unique class of labeled SL analogs was constructed, in which the original tricyclic lactone moiety of natural SLs is replaced by a fluorescent cyanoisoindole ring system. Biological evaluation as parasitic seed germination stimulant and hypocotyl elongation repressor proved the potency of the cyanoisoindole strigolactone analogs (CISAs) to be comparable to the commonly accepted standard GR24. Additionally, via a SMXL6 protein degradation assay, we provided molecular evidence that the compounds elicit SL‐like responses through the natural signaling cascade. All CISAs were shown to exhibit fluorescent properties, and the high quantum yield and Stokes shift of the pyrroloindole derivative CISA‐7 also enabled in vivo visualization in plants. In contrast to the previously reported fluorescent analogs, CISA‐7 displays a large similarity in shape and structure with natural SLs, which renders the analog a promising tracer to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of SLs in plants and fungi.     

盐分、变温和激素处理对盐生植物异子蓬异型性种子萌发及成苗的影响

利用培养皿种子萌发及土壤盆栽方法对新疆特有藜科1年生盐生植物异子蓬(Suaeda aralocaspica)在不同盐分(NaCl和Na2SO4)、变温(4～30℃)和激素(GA3)处理下的种子萌发及成苗行为进行了研究.结果表明:异子蓬2种种子在NaCl和Na2SO42种盐胁迫下的萌发和休眠特性表现出明显差异,其中黑色种子的萌发率比褐色种子低;黑色种子属于非深度生理休眠,可分别通过15/30℃变温处理、4℃低温层积30 d及用800mg·L-1赤霉素处理促进其萌发;盐处理及温度变化对褐色种子的出苗率和成苗率影响显著,对黑色种子则不明显,说明黑色种子萌发存在着持续性的缓萌机制,有利于其形成持久种子库,以上特性均显示出其对初春盐生环境的适应性.     

粘虫类钙粘蛋白基因的克隆、序列分析及时空表达

昆虫中肠膜类钙粘蛋白（cadherin-like protein, CLP）是苏云金芽孢杆菌Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)毒素的重要受体之一, 与Bt毒素的杀虫作用机制以及昆虫对Bt毒素的抗性等密切相关。本研究应用RT-PCR和RACE技术, 克隆了迁飞性重要害虫粘虫Mythimna separata类钙粘蛋白基因全长cDNA序列（命名为Msclp, GenBank登录号为JF951432）, 全长5 642 bp, 编码1 757个氨基酸, 推导的氨基酸序列具有昆虫类钙粘蛋白的特征结构, 包括1个信号肽、 1个前蛋白区、 12个钙粘蛋白重复、 1个近膜区、 1个跨膜区和1个胞质区。预测的分子量和等电点分别为196.786 kD和4.5。该蛋白与同科的烟夜蛾Helicoverpa assulta、 烟芽夜蛾Heliothis virescens、 棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera及甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua的类钙粘蛋白亲缘关系最近, 氨基酸序列一致性分别为61.77%, 61.66%, 61.26%和58.14%。荧光定量RT-PCR分析表明, 该类钙粘蛋白基因在不同龄期的粘虫幼虫中表达量差异极显著(P<0.01), 其中4龄幼虫相对表达量最高, 但与3龄、 6龄幼虫并没有显著性差异; 1和2龄幼虫表达量最低; 表达部位主要在粘虫中肠, 在中肠以外的虫体其他部位表达量极低。这些结果对于揭示转Bt作物对非靶标、 迁飞性粘虫的杀虫作用机制以及评价其潜在的对Bt毒素抗性机制等奠定了基础。     

应用基因表达谱芯片从不同转移能力的 乳腺癌细胞中筛选转移相关基因

人乳腺癌细胞系 MCF-7 及其转移亚克隆 LM-MCF-7 为肿瘤转移分子机制的研究提供了细胞模型 . 应用基因芯片技术比较两种具有不同转移能力细胞系基因表达谱的差异,寻找乳腺癌转移相关基因 . 提取两种细胞总 RNA ,分别用 Cy5-dCTP 、 Cy3-dCTP 标记 LM-MCF-7 和 MCF-7 的 cDNA ,并与含有 21 329 个基因的芯片进行杂交并扫描,利用 GenePix Pro 4.0 图像分析软件处理数据判断基因是否在两个细胞中存在表达差异 . 经互换荧光标记物重复两次实验,共筛选出差异表达基因 67 个,其中 41 个在 LM-MCF-7 细胞中表达上调, 26 个在 LM-MCF-7 细胞中表达下调 . 应用实时定量 RT-PCR 对 7 个表达差异明显的基因进行了验证 . 生物信息学分析结果提示,上述发现的差异基因编码产物与细胞内信号转导、转录调节、应激反应、新陈代谢、发育、细胞运动、细胞凋亡和细胞粘连等功能有关 . 据文献报道,这些差异表达的基因中有 35 个与肿瘤有关,其中 9 个与乳腺癌转移有关, 6 个可能参与肿瘤浸润和转移过程 . 根据基因芯片检测的结果,从功能上对 LM-MCF-7 细胞和 MCF-7 细胞与细胞凋亡的关系进行了研究,发现具有高转移倾向的 LM-MCF-7 细胞与 MCF-7 细胞相比,抗凋亡能力较强 . 上述与肿瘤转移相关基因在肿瘤转移中的作用及其分子机理有待深入研究 .     

模拟酸雨对污泥堆肥中重金属形态转化及其环境行为的影响

通过模拟酸雨淋溶土柱的方法,研究了酸雨（pH=5．0和2．9）作用下污泥堆肥中Zn、Cu和Ni的溶出和迁移性。分析了酸雨对重金属形态分布规律的影响。结果表明,在相同酸雨强度下,淋出液中重金属含量与其在土柱中迁移距离大小次序为Zn〉Cu〉Ni;重金属在相同深度的土层中含量大小次序为Zn〉Ni〉Cu。淋溶液pH的降低和污泥堆肥施加比例的提高均会增加重金属在淋出液和土柱中的含量,但不影响重金属在土柱中的迁移距离。土壤酸化会促使土壤中重金属形态向活性形态转化,而且迁移距离增加。