Nitrogen addition increases fecundity in the desert shrub Sarcobatus vermiculatus

Nutrients, in addition to water, limit desert primary productivity, but nutrient limitations to fecundity and seed quality in desert ecosystems have received little attention. Reduced seed production and quality may affect recruitment, population, and community processes. At the Mono Basin, CA, USA where the alkaline, sandy soil has very low availability of N, P, and most other nutrients, seed production, recruitment, and dominance of the desert shrub Sarcobatus vermiculatus decrease over a dune successional sequence. Concurrently, Sarcobatus leaf N, P, and Ca/Mg ratio decline from early to later successional dunes. At two later successional dune sites, we fertilized adult Sarcobatus shrubs for 2 years and determined which nutrient(s) limited growth, seed production, and seed quality. We also tested whether nutrient addition at these older sites made these fitness-related variables equivalent to a younger, high-fecundity site. Nitrogen addition, alone, increased Sarcobatus leaf N, growth, and seed production per shoot module. Any treatment including P, Ca, Mg, or micronutrients but not N had an insignificant effect on growth and fecundity. Nitrogen addition also increased filled seed weight, a predictor of potential seedling survival, at one of the sites. Nitrogen-limited seed production and seed mass may reduce Sarcobatus fitness and contribute to the observed successional changes in plant community composition in this alkaline desert ecosystem.     

The beneficial effect of aluminium and the role of citrate in Al accumulation in Melastoma malabathricum

* Here we investigated the beneficial effect of aluminium (Al) on the development of the Al accumulating plant Melastoma malabathricum. * Seedlings of M. malabathricum were cultivated in a nutrient solution containing 0.5 mM Al and compared with barley (Hordeum vulgare). In addition, roots of M. malabathricum were divided into one part growing in a nutrient solution, and the other part growing in a calcium solution. Al (0.5 mM) was applied to either solution. * Al-induced improvements of the root activity contributed to a growth enhancement in M. malabathricum. Al exposure without nutrients did not increase root growth and Al accumulation in the leaves. The beneficial effect, however, was induced by the combination of Al and nutrients. * We suggest that without nutrients roots are not able to synthesize an adequate amount of citrate that is required for transporting Al to the leaves. High Al levels in the plant tissues and/or an interaction of Al with particular nutrient elements in the apoplast of root cells appear to be essential to exert the beneficial effect of Al.     

Micrografting and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ex vitro</Emphasis> grafting for somatic embryo rescue and plant recovery in avocado (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Persea americana</Emphasis>)

To improve plant regeneration from oat (Avena sativa L.) anther culture, the effects of induction medium supplements and culture conditions were studied. Significantly better plant regeneration rates were obtained with cultivars Lisbeth (naked type) and Aslak when a medium containing W₁₄ salts and vitamins, supplemented with 2,4-d, BAP, Ethephon, l-cysteine and myo-inositol, was used for induction in the dark compared with a medium containing only 2,4-d and kinetin. Genotypes reacted differently on the light during the induction phase. Use of dim light significantly decreased the green plant regeneration rates in cv. Lisbeth, while in cv. Aslak the difference was not so clear. Up to 30 green plants per 100 anthers were recovered from Aslak × Lisbeth progeny and in total, over 500 oat regenerants were produced. With these numbers, acceptable rates of DH-production for cultivar breeding and genetic study purposes are approached. The agronomic performance of some DH lines was compared with that of the plants derived from commercial seeds of the same cultivars in the field experiment. A few differences were found, but generally DH lines yielded the same or more as the commercial cultivars.     

How do deer affect tree seedlings on a dwarf bamboo-dominated forest floor?

A field experiment was conducted in Mt. Ôdaigahara, west-central Japan, to reveal the effects of two herbivores, Sika deer (Cervus nippon) and mice (Apodemus spp.), on the seedlings of five cohorts of three tree species, Abies homolepis, Fraxinus lanuginosa f. serrata and Fagus crenata. The forest floor of the study site was covered with dwarf bamboo, Sasa nipponica, which would also affect the seedlings. Eight combinations of three treatments were set: exclusion of deer, exclusion of mice and removal of dwarf bamboo. Deer were expected to affect the seedlings not only negatively by foraging but also positively by browsing dwarf bamboo that overshadows seedlings. The survival of these cohorts was analyzed by survival analysis and the differences in their survival between the treatments were investigated. The results of the experiment showed that: (1) exclusion of deer increased the aboveground biomass of dwarf bamboo and made it more difficult for seedlings to survive under the regenerated dwarf bamboo stand, and (2) deer negatively affected the seedlings, but they had positive, indirect effects in some cohorts by decreasing the aboveground biomass of dwarf bamboo. However, such effects were not detected in some cohorts which were affected excessively by deer or dwarf bamboo. No clear results on the effect of mice on seedlings were obtained. We conclude that a positive, indirect effect of deer on seedling survivorship would be observable when the magnitude of a positive, indirect effect caused by decreasing dwarf bamboo is larger than that of a negative, direct effect of deer.     

A major bristle QTL from a selected population of Drosophila uncovers the zinc-finger transcription factor poils-au-dos, a repressor of achaete-scute

Traditional screens aiming at identifying genes regulating development have relied on mutagenesis. Here, we describe a new gene involved in bristle development, identified through the use of natural variation and selection. Drosophila melanogaster bears a pattern of 11 macrochaetes per heminotum. From a population initially sampled in Marrakech, a strain was selected for an increased number of thoracic macrochaetes. Using recombination and single nucleotide polymorphisms, the factor responsible was mapped to a single locus on the third chromosome, poils au dos, that encodes a zinc-finger-ZAD protein. The original, as well as new, presumed null, alleles of poils au dos, is associated with ectopic achaete-scute expression that results in the additional bristles. This suggests a possible role for Poils au dos as a repressor of achaete and scute. Ectopic expression appears to be independent of the activity of known cis-regulatory enhancer sequences at the achaete-scute complex that mediate activation at specific sites on the notum. The target sequences for Poils au dos activity were mapped to a 14 kb region around scute. In addition, we show that pad interacts synergistically with the repressor hairy and with Dpp signaling in posterior and anterior regions of the notum, respectively.     

木立芦荟多糖提取的工艺优化及其清除活性氧自由基的研究

对影响木立芦荟多糖提取的温度、时间和乙醇浓度3个因素进行L9(33)正交试验,分析其主要影响因素并对提取多糖进行活性测定。结果表明:提取温度显著影响多糖得率,最佳工艺条件为提取温度85℃、乙醇体积分数80%,时间1 h。用过硫酸铵/N,N,N,,N,-四甲基乙二胺(AP/TEMED)体系产生的氧自由基O2-.对在最佳工艺条件下得到的多糖进行活性氧自由基清除研究,发现其具有较高的清除能力。     

Characterization of reproductive activity in captive male Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)

This study characterizes the reproductive activity of male European lynx kept in Central Russia. Four captive adult males were subjected to an electroejaculation prior to (November), during (March) and after (June) the breeding season. Concentration, motility and morphological integrity of spermatozoa as well as testis diameter and testosterone levels in serum were evaluated. Additionally, fecal samples were collected for 2 years to determine the fecal testosterone secretion. Testis sizes and serum testosterone concentrations were characterized by little changes with highest levels in March (2.98 mm³; 1.96 ng/ml testosterone) and lowest in June (2.34 mm³; 0.75 ng/ml testosterone). In faeces, the highest testosterone concentrations were measured in February followed by a second increase in May. The volume of ejaculates and percentages of motile and intact spermatozoa reached the maxima in March. By performing two-male mating experiments, we could prove multiple paternity within three litters. Paternity analysis of litter also revealed that 26 of 31 cubs (84%) were sired from the same male, independently from being the first or second mating partner of the respective female. This particular male showed the most developed and activated reproductive tract and also had the best semen quality, which seems to be important for sperm competition.     

正交法优化嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌冷冻干燥保护剂

利用正交实验方法,以甘油、海藻糖、蔗糖和牛血清蛋白为因素,对嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌（Acididfiobacillus ferrooxidans,A．ferrooxidans）冷冻干燥保护剂的最优化配比进行了研究。直观分析、因素指标分析和方差分析的结果表明：由甘油、海藻糖、蔗糖和牛血清蛋白组成的冷冻干燥保护剂中,对存活率影响的主次顺序依次为：甘油〉海藻糖〉牛血清蛋白〉蔗糖。保护剂的最优化组合为甘油5％、海藻糖15％、蔗糖18％、牛血清蛋白10％。经过验证,该组合的保护剂可使冷冻干燥嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌的存活率达到94％。     

酶辅助提取莲房原花青素工艺及其抗氧化活性研究

主要用纤维素酶和果胶酶对莲房组织进行酶解,以提高莲房原花青素提取率。采用四因素三水平正交实验对酶解时间、加酶量和酶解温度等提取工艺参数进行优化,获得了最佳工艺参数为纤维素酶添加量为0.7%,果胶酶添加量0.1%,酶解温度55℃,酶解时间2.5h,优化后的提取工艺与直接醇提法相比,能将莲房原花青素的提取率提高约48%。在此基础上采用DPPH法进行了抗氧化性的对比,结果表明酶辅助提取和醇提法提取的原花青素有着相同的抗氧化性。     

解放军疾控所SPF动物房的工艺设计

解放军疾病预防控制所,为履行职能和任务,在业务办公大楼12层建设了SPF动物实验设施,面积约240 m^2。文章介绍了作者的设计思路和建设方案。同时还介绍了SPF动物房的建设经验。