The linkage maps of Dendrobium species based on RAPD and SRAP markers

Dendrobium plants are used commonly as tonic herbs and health food in many Asian countries,especially in China.Here we report the genetic map construction of two Dendrobium species with a double pseudo-testcross strategy using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers.A F1 mapping population of 90 individuals was developed from a cross between D.officinale and D.hercoglossum.A total of 307 markers,including 209 RAPD and 98 SRAP,were identified and used for genetic linkage group (LG) analysis.The D.officinale linkage map consisted of 11 major linkage groups and 3 doublets,which covered 629.4 cM by a total of 62 markers with an average locus distance of 11.2 cM between two adjacent markers.The D.hercoglossum linkage map contained 112 markers mapped on 15 major and 4 minor linkage groups,spanning a total length of 1,304.6 cM with an average distance of 11.6 cM between two adjacent markers.The maps constructed in this study covered 92.7% and 82.7% of the D.hercoglossum and D.officinale genomes respectively,providing an important basis for the mapping of horticultural and medicinal traits and for the application of marker-assisted selection in Dendrobium breeding program.     

籼稻232蜡质基因转录起始位点的鉴定

Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ杂交分析和蜡质基因ｃＤＮＡ的序列分析表明水稻蜡质基因的转录本可能延伸到翻译起始密码子（ＡＴＧ）上游１２ｋｂ处。据此设计了２１Ｎｔ的寡核苷酸引物,并以籼稻２３２胚乳ＲＮＡ为模板,以引物延伸法确定籼稻２３２蜡质基因的转录起始点,籼稻蜡质基因的转录起始旁邻顺序ＣＴＣＡＣＣＡ与高等植物基因的转录起始点一致顺序ＣＴＣＡＴＣＡ仅相差１个碱基。通过顺序比较,对东乡野生稻蜡质基因中的转录起始位点的位置,以及对此两稻种中ＴＡＴＡ盒的可能顺序进行了讨论。     

Hamamelidaceae: Geographic Distribution,Fossil History and Origin

The family Hamamelidaceae is one of the core (or key) groups for studying the phylogeny of Hamamelids. It is an important taxon for the palaeobotanists and the botanists in discussing the origin and early evolution of the angiosperms owing to its strong differentiation of gross and pollen morphological characters. In this paper, the systematic position, modern distribution pattern and fossil history of the genera are analyzed, and the place and time of origin of the family are discussed according to the principle of the unity between the phylogeny and distribution of plants. The paper consists four parts.     

陕西省鸟类调查初报

从2002年5月至2006年10月,采用路线调查法和定点调查法,对陕西省鸟类资源进行了初步的调查与研究,对过去文献记载的种类进行了修订,经过5年多的调查,目前陕西省共有鸟类465种,隶属18目69科,其中含省级鸟类新纪录37种.     

Changes of 5＇ Terminal Nucleotides of PCR Primers Causing Variable T-A Cloning Efficiency

T-A cloning takes advantage of the unpaired adenosyl residue added to the 3＇ terminus of amplified DNAs by Taq and other thermostable DNA polymerase and uses a Ilnearlzed plasmld vector with a protruding 3＇ thymldylate residue at each of Its 3＇ termini to clone polymerase chain reaction （PCR）-derived DNA fragments. It Is a simple, reliable, and efficient Ilgatlon-dependent cloning method for PCR products, but the drawback of variable cloning efficiency occurs during application. In the present work, the relationship between variable T-A cloning efficiency and the different 5＇ end nucleotlde base of primers used In PCR amplification was studied. The results showed that different cloning efficiency was obtained with different primer pairs containing A, T, C and G at the 5＇ terminus respectively. The data shows that when the 5＇ end base of primer pair was adenosyl, more white colonies could be obtained In cloning the corresponding PCR product In comparison with other bases. And the least white colonies were formed when using the primer pair with 5＇ cytldylate end. The gluanylate end primers resulted In almost the same cloning efficiency In the white colonies amount as the thymldylate end primer did, and this efficiency was much lower than that of adenosyl end primers. This presumably is a consequence of variability In 3＇dA addition to PCR products mediated by Taq polymerase. Our results offer instructions for primer design for researchers who choose T-A cloning to clone PCR products.     

绝经对血液单核细胞基因表达谱的影响:基因芯片初步研究

绝经是女性一生中很重要的生理现象之一,它能增加一系列复杂免疫、神经退化、新陈代谢和心血管方面的疾病。血液单核细胞能分化成各种各样的细胞,这些细胞在组织形态发生和免疫应答方面起着很重要的作用。本研究中采用了包含大约14,500个基因探针的Affymetrix Human U133A基因芯片来研究健康的绝经前和绝经后女性外周血液单核细胞中的基因表达谱。样本之间的对比分析表明有20个基因上调,20个基因下调。其中的28个基因根据它们的生物过程如细胞繁殖、免疫应答、细胞代谢等等被分成了6个主要的GO类别;剩下的12个基因其生物学功能还没有被鉴定。研究结果支持了我们的假设:血液单核细胞的功能状态确实受到绝经的影响,而且由此带来的改变可能是由全基因组范围的基因表达谱而决定的。本研究中鉴定的一些差异表达基因有可能作为以后研究与绝经相关的系统免疫、神经退化和心血管疾病的候选基因研究。此工作是这个研究方向的第一次尝试,为将来的进一步研究奠定了基础。     

Early-stage litter decomposition and its influencing factors in the wetland of the Sanjiang Plain, China

Using the litter bag technique, the decomposition rates and their influencing factors were studied by investigating three wetland macrophytes, Calamagrostics angustifolia, Carex meyeriana and Carex lasiocapa, in Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. It was revealed that C. lasiocapa lost 28.91% of its weight, C. angustifolia lost 31.98% and C. meyeriana lost 32.99% after 164 days. Another finding was that the amount of organic carbon in the litter of C. angustifolia and C. lasiocapa fluctuated, but continuously decreased in that of C. meyeriana. However, all the three types of litter released organic carbon. Nitrogen was released substantially from the litter of both C. angustifolia and C. meyeriana, but accumulated in the litter of C. lasiocapa. Phosphorus concentrations in all the three types of litter apparently decreased first and then slightly increased. Overall, P release was observed in all the three types of litter. The C/N and C/P ratios varied significantly in the decomposition process. The decomposition rates and nutrient content variations were simultaneously influenced by the quality of the litter as well as the environmental factors in the Sanjian Plain, but they were more strongly affected by the quality of the litter.     

Phylogeny and biogeography of Chinese and Australasian Polystichum ferns as inferred from chloroplast trnL-F and rps4-trnS sequence data

Polystichum, one of the largest genera of ferns, occurs worldwide with the greatest diversity in southwest China and adjacent regions. Although there have been studies of Chinese Polystichum on its traditional classification, geographic distributions, and even a few on its molecular systematics, its relationships to other species outside China remain little known. Here, we investigated the phylogeny and biogeography of the Polystichum species from China and Australasia. The evolutionary relationships among 42 Polystichum species found in China (29 taxa) and Australasia (13 taxa) were inferred from phylogenetic analyses of two chloroplast DNA sequence data sets: rps4-trnS and trnL-F intergenic spacers. The divergence time between Chinese and Australasian Polystichum was estimated. The results indicated that the Australasian species comprise a monophyletic group that is nested within the Chinese diversity, and that the New Zealand species are likewise a monophyletic group nested within the Australasian species. The divergence time estimates suggested that Chinese Polystichum migrated into Australasia from around 40 Ma ago, and from there to New Zealand from about 14 Ma. The diversification of the New Zealand Polystichum species began about 10 Ma. These results indicated that Polystichum probably originated in eastern Asia and migrated into Australasia: first into Australia and then into New Zealand.     

An evaluation of the vitamin D3 content in fish: Is the vitamin D content adequate to satisfy the dietary requirement for vitamin D?

It has been suggested that the major source of vitamin D should come from dietary sources and not sun exposure. However, the major fortified dietary source of vitamin D is milk which often does not contain at least 80% of what is stated on the label. Fish has been touted as an excellent source of vitamin D especially oily fish including salmon and mackerel. Little is known about the effect of various cooking conditions on the vitamin D content in fish. We initiated a study and evaluated the vitamin D content in several species of fish and also evaluated the effect of baking and frying on the vitamin D content. Surprisingly, farmed salmon had approximately 25% of the vitamin D content as wild salmon had. The vitamin D content in fish varied widely even within species. These data suggest that the tables that list the vitamin D content are out-of-date and need to be re-evaluated.     

Can mobile sandy land be vegetated in the cold and dry Tibetan Plateau in China?

Desertification has taken place in the overgrazed grassland of the Tibetan Plateau,China,and the area of mobile sandy land has increased in recent decades.The challenging problem about desertification control is how to restore the vegetation of mobile sandy lands caused by severe desertification.Sand drifting is now regarded as the limiting factor of vegetation restoration in such lands.The initial phase of vegetation restoration is plant colonization,but it is often aborted due to sand drifting,and then vegetation restoration fails to proceed.For the sake of revegetation,the first step is to stop sand drifting to ensure plant colonization.In the northeastern Tibetan Plateau,China,feasible approaches have been found through long-term experiments,and the vegetation is being restored satisfactorily with these approaches in experimental sandy lands.The approaches comprise three types:enclosure,mechanical barriers and biological barriers.Different sandy lands require dissimilar combinations of these approaches.Enclosures may be adequate to revegetate inter-dunes or degraded grassland even in cold regions like the Tibetan Plateau,China,but it is deficient for revegetation of the shifting sand dunes unless mechanical and biological barriers are established simultaneously.