Why is the beautyberry so colourful? Evolution,biogeography, and diversification of fruit colours in Callicarpa (Lamiaceae)

Fruit colour is essential to seed dispersal, speciation, and biological diversity in global ecosystems. The relationship between fruit-colour variation and species diversification has long been of interest in evolutionary biology, but remains poorly understood at the genus level. Here, we used Callicarpa, a typical representative of pantropical angiosperm, to analyse whether fruit colours are correlated with biogeographic distribution, dispersal events, and diversification rate. We estimated a time-calibrated phylogeny for Callicarpa and reconstructed ancestral fruit colour. Utilizing phylogenetic methods, we estimated the major dispersal events across the phylogenetic tree and the most likely fruit colours related to each dispersal event, and tested whether the dispersal frequencies and distances of the four fruit colours between major biogeographical areas were equal. We then tested whether fruit colours are correlated with latitude, elevation, and diversification rate. Biogeographical reconstructions showed that Callicarpa originated in the East Asia and Southeast Asia during the Eocene (∼35.53 Ma) and diverse species diverged mainly in the Miocene and lasted into the Pleistocene. Large-scale dispersal events were significantly associated with violet-fruited lineages. Furthermore, different fruit colours were markedly correlated with different latitudes and elevations (e.g., violet fruits were correlated with higher latitudes and elevations; red fruits and black fruits with lower latitudes; white fruits with higher elevations). Notably, violet fruits were statistically associated with highest diversification rates, driving fruit colour variation among different regions globally. Our results contribute to further understanding why fruit colour is so variable at the genus level of angiosperms in different areas around the world.     

河野脂螨发育各阶段外部形态扫描电镜观察

[目的]了解河野脂螨Lardoglyphus konoi各发育阶段外部形态和超微结构特征.[方法]利用室内培养获得的不同发育阶段的河野脂螨个体样本,在扫描电镜下观察各发育阶段(卵、幼螨、若螨和成螨)的外部形态和超微结构.[结果]河野脂螨卵呈椭圆形;幼螨足3对,未见生殖器官生长痕迹,生殖毛和肛毛缺如;若螨足4对,生殖器官...     

Key role of cysteine residues in catalysis and subcellular localization of sulfur oxygenase-reductase of Acidianus tengchongensis

Analysis of known sulfur oxygenase-reductases (SORs) and the SOR-like sequences identified from public databases indicated that they all possess three cysteine residues within two conserved motifs (V-G-P-K-V-C(31) and C(101)-X-X-C(104); numbering according to the Acidianus tengchongensis numbering system). The thio-modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide and Zn(2+) strongly inhibited the activities of the SORs of A. tengchongensis, suggesting that cysteine residues are important. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct four mutant SORs with cysteines replaced by serine or alanine. The purified mutant proteins were investigated in parallel with the wild-type SOR. Replacement of any cysteine reduced SOR activity by 98.4 to 100%, indicating that all the cysteine residues are crucial to SOR activities. Circular-dichroism and fluorescence spectrum analyses revealed that the wild-type and mutant SORs have similar structures and that none of them form any disulfide bond. Thus, it is proposed that three cysteine residues, C(31) and C(101)-X-X-C(104), in the conserved domains constitute the putative binding and catalytic sites of SOR. Furthermore, enzymatic activity assays of the subcellular fractions and immune electron microscopy indicated that SOR is not only present in the cytoplasm but also associated with the cytoplasmic membrane of A. tengchongensis. The membrane-associated SOR activity was colocalized with the activities of sulfite:acceptor oxidoreductase and thiosulfate:acceptor oxidoreductase. We tentatively propose that these enzymes are located in close proximity on the membrane to catalyze sulfur oxidation in A. tengchongensis.     

Characterization of porcine arterial endothelial cells cultured on amniotic membrane, a potential matrix for vascular tissue engineering

The existing of basement membrane improves the development of endothelium while constructing blood vessel equivalent. The amniotic membrane (AM) provides a natural basement membrane and has been used in ocular surface reconstruction. This study evaluated the molecular and cellular characteristics of porcine vascular endothelial cells (ECs) cultured on AM. ECs cultured on AM expressed the endothelial marker vWF and exhibited normal endothelial morphology. Here, we demonstrated that AM enhanced the expression of intercellular molecules, platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), and adhesion molecule VE-cadherin at the intercellular junctions. The expression level of integrin was markedly higher in ECs cultured on AM than on plastic dish. Furthermore, the AM downregulated the expression of E-selectin and P-selectin in both LPS-activated and non-activated ECs. Consistently, adhesion of leukocytes to both activated and non-activated cells was decreased in ECs cultured on AM. Our results suggest that AM is an ideal matrix to develop a functional endothelium in blood vessel equivalent construction.     

普通齿蛉幼虫的游泳行为（英文）

为了探究广翅目昆虫幼虫在水中的游泳能力, 以丰富其水生习性的行为学资料, 选取中国特有种普通齿蛉Neoneuromus ignobilis幼虫为研究对象, 通过室内试验对其游泳的姿势、 刺激因素、 不同龄期游泳能力及在外界刺激下的游泳行为进行了观察和测定。结果表明： 普通齿蛉幼虫有垂直、 平行、 仰面和侧面等4种游泳姿势, 出现的频率分别为89.08%, 5.49%, 4.40%和0.61%。游泳时身体呈不同程度的“S”形, 利用头部和尾部方向的改变实现虫体的上升、 下沉和游泳姿势的改变。普通齿蛉幼虫利用身体的摆动游泳, 游泳时3对足以固定的姿势靠紧身体。不同龄期的幼虫游泳能力差异很大, 6龄幼虫的游泳能力远强于2龄和末龄幼虫。在游泳时, 普通齿蛉幼虫还具有比较复杂和独特的防御行为, 如其腹部末端会喷射出化学物质。据此认为, 普通齿蛉拥有较强的游泳能力, 有助于其逃生和防御。     

中华青荚叶的一个新果糖酯

从山茱萸科中华青荚叶( Helwingia chinensis )的乙醇提取物中分离得到一个新果糖酯和十个已知化合物.通过现代波谱技术分别鉴定为:2- O -(E)-咖啡酰-3- O -(3, 5-二甲氧基香豆酰)-α-D-呋喃果糖甙(1),2- O -β-D-呋喃果糖基α-D-异吡喃糖酯(2),甘草甜素(3),4′-羟基-7- O -葡萄糖-2, 3-二羟黄酮甙(4),黄豆甙(5),5-葡萄糖芹菜甙(6),7- O -葡萄糖芹菜甙(7),4- O -葡萄糖香豆酸(8), 葡萄糖咖啡酸(9), 3β-赤杨醇(10), 薯蓣皂甙3- O -{α-L-鼠李糖吡喃糖基(1→2)-[α-L-阿拉伯呋喃糖基(1→3)]-β-D-葡萄糖吡喃糖} (11).     

双功能抗体介导的胃癌杀伤效应

将诱变的αＣＤ３杂交瘤（ＴＫ~－）与ＰＤ４杂交瘤（ＨＧＰＲＴ~－）融合,获得分泌双功能抗体（ＢｓＡｂ）的四体杂交瘤Ｃ３．ＢｓＡｂＣ３可分别与ＣＤ３分子及胃癌相关抗原Ｐ４０反应．体外杀伤试验证实,当效靶比为４０：１,ＢｓＡｂＣ３浓度为１ｍｇ／Ｌ时,其杀伤效应可达７７．６％．该杀伤效应具有明显的特异性,仅Ｐ４０阳性表达的靶细胞可被溶解,体内杀伤试验证实,裸鼠接种胃癌细胞后５ｄ,以ＢｓＡｂＣ３活化的外周血淋巴细胞（ＰＢＬｓ）经局部皮下注射处理,可使移植胃癌完全消退（５／５）．这一明显的治疗作用可能与局部注射途径有关,可供临床应用参考．     

滇产与日产松茸的IGS1-RFLP比较分析

应用Cfr13I限制性内切酶对采自于云南省16个市县的127个松茸子实体进行了IGS1-RFLP比较分析,发现126个松茸子实体属于A类型,来自大理白族自治州剑川县的1例(TF89)为C类型。通过对A类型的IGS1序列分析发现产自云南的松茸有一个CTTT的简单重复,滇产松茸IGS1序列差异不明显。滇产松茸的IGS1-RFLP与日产松茸的主要类型十分相似,两地松茸可能是同源的。     

蕨类植物的VA菌根与蕨类植物系统演化关系的研究

通过对云南热带、亚热带生长的２５６种蕨类植物ＶＡ菌根的调查,发现蕨类植物ＶＡ菌根营养者所占的比例低于被子植物;在真蕨类植物中,植物具有由ＶＡ菌根营养经兼性ＶＡ菌根营养向自养方向进化的趋势。