Shoot regeneration from organogenic callus of sweet cherry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus avium</Emphasis> L.)

A complete method to regenerate adventitious shoots and to produce field-ready trees from three commercial cultivars of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is described. The effects of explant types, pre-treatments, basal media, and phloroglucinol on cultivars Bing, Sweetheart, and Lapins were investigated. Callus developed on four explant types: apical shoot tips isolated from orchard trees; and punctured shoot tips, stem sections, and shoot bases of in vitro shoot cultures. Callus formed on Bing (5%), Sweetheart (8%), and Lapins (20%) shoot tips from orchard trees after 4 months on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) at half-strength with 3 μM benzylaminopurine (BA). In vitro-derived explants formed callus after 3 months on Woody Plant Medium with 3 μM BA (W3B): punctured shoot tips (Sweetheart and Lapins 67%), stem sections (Sweetheart 31%, Lapins 27%), and shoot bases (Sweetheart 10%, Lapins 17%). Pre-treatment of shoot cultures on MS with 3 μM BA and 1 mM phloroglucinol increased callus formation three-fold on shoot base explants. Callus was separated from parental explants and maintained on MS with 3 μM BA. Shooting was induced by transferring callus to W3B. At 2 weeks, shoot development approached 100%. By 4 weeks, 7–17 shoots had formed on each explant. Callus was maintained for 1.5 years with no decrease in shoot production. Shoots were grafted onto Mazzard (P. avium) rootstocks with 54% (Sweetheart), 57% (Lapins), and 21% (Bing) success after 5 weeks.     

分子进化研究中的今祖法,其理论基础、存在的问题和解释

在分子进化树的建立上,今祖法(Present-Day Ancestor Method)由于能够避免由于不同进化枝进化速率的不同所造成的错误,对于相距较远的各类群低等生物的进化关系的研究有着特别重要的意义。但是在应用此法于具体的研究时,也遇到了一些令人困惑的带根本性的问题。为此我们对它的理论基础、适用范围和所遇到的问题等等进行了一番认真的考察,并对存在的问题给予了合理的说明。     

黄土区4个树种水势特征的研究

采用压力室法对晋西北黄土区柠条(Caragana korshinskii)、河北杨(Populus hopeiensis)、北京杨(Populus beijingensis)和小叶杨(Populus simonii)4 个树种的小枝水势、叶含水率及其环境因子的日变化进行了定期测定。分析了4 个树种水势日变化与光照(L)、气温(T)、相对湿度(RH)日变化及叶含水率(LWC)日变化的关系以及其水势的季节变化与土壤水分季节变化的关系。主要结果如下:整个生长期所测4 个树种小枝水势的日变化为呈抛物线型。生长期小枝水势的平均值分别为柠条(-1.569 MPa)、河北杨(-1.030 MPa)、北京杨(-0.993 MPa)和小叶杨(-0.971MPa)。小枝水势与环境单因子的相关性大小依次为:光照、气温、相对湿度。水势与光温复合因子(L*T)、光湿复合因子(L/RH)的相关性大于它与单因子的相关性。小枝水势与叶含水率的相关性较差。生长期清晨水势(Wp)季变化与土壤水分(X)季节变化的最佳关系模型为Wp=Ae^-BX型。但生长期午间水势的季节变化与土壤水分季节变化的关系均不显著。土壤水分含量对水势有较大影响。     

低温对茶树叶片膜脂脂肪酸和蛋白质的影响

本文研究低温胁迫过程中龙井43和大叶云峰叶片膜脂脂肪酸的变化。结果发现,低温下不同品种茶树叶片膜脂脂肪酸配比变化趋势不同,较抗寒的龙井43,不饱和脂肪酸指数(IUFA)和亚麻酸(183)比例随低温期间不同阶段呈现出"低-高-低"的变化趋势;而不抗寒的大叶云峰的变化趋势无明显规律性。此外,还研究了越冬过程中龙井43叶片可溶性蛋白和膜蛋白的变化,发现低温期间龙井43叶片可溶性蛋白含量和组分基本稳定,而膜蛋白含量在低温胁迫时大幅度上升,且经低温诱导出现了46KD、38KD两种新的蛋白组分,并在温度升高后消失。     

Molecular characterisation and origin of the Coffea arabica L. genome

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers were used in combination with genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) to investigate the origin of the allotetraploid species Coffea arabica (2n = 44). By comparing the RFLP patterns of potential diploid progenitor species with those of C. arabica, the sources of the two sets of chromosomes, or genomes, combined in C. arabica were identified. The genome organisation of C. arabica was confirmed by GISH using simultaneously labelled total genomic DNA from the two putative genome donor species as probes. These results clearly suggest that C. arabica is an amphidiploid formed by hybridisation between C. eugenioides and C. canephora, or ecotypes related to these diploid species. Our results also indicate low divergence between the two constituent genomes of C. arabica and those of its progenitor species, suggesting that the speciation of C. arabica took place relatively recently. Precise localisation in Central Africa of the site of the speciation of C. arabica, based on the present distribution of the coffee species, appears difficult, since the constitution and extent of tropical forest has varied considerably during the late Quaternary period. Received: 6 June 1998 / Accepted: 10 November 1998     

Population genetic structure of the endangered tropical tree species Caryocar brasiliense, based on variability at microsatellite loci

We report the population genetic structure of the endangered tropical tree species Caryocar brasiliense, based on variability at 10 microsatellite loci. Additionally, we compare heterozygosity and inbreeding estimates for continuous and fragmented populations and discuss the consequences for conservation. For a total of 314 individuals over 10 populations, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 20 to 27 and expected and observed heterozygosity varied from 0.129 to 0.924 and 0.067 to 1.000, respectively. Significant values of theta and R(ST) showed important genetic differentiation among populations. theta was much lower than R(ST), suggesting that identity by state and identity by descent have diverged in these populations. Although a significant amount of inbreeding was found under the identity by descent model (f = 0.11), an estimate of inbreeding for microsatellite markers based on a more adequate stepwise mutation model showed no evidence of nonrandom mating (R(IS) = 0.04). Differentiation (pairwise F(ST)) was positively correlated with geographical distance, as expected under the isolation by distance model. No effect of fragmentation on heterozygosity or inbreeding could be detected. This is most likely due to the fact that Cerrado fragmentation is a relatively recent event (approximately 60 years) compared to the species life cycle. Also, the populations surveyed from both fragmented and disturbed areas were composed mainly of adult individuals, already present prior to ecosystem fragmentation. Adequate hypothesis testing of the effect of habitat fragmentation will require the recurrent analysis of juveniles across generations in both fragmented and nonfragmented areas.     

Impacts of Cyclone Larry on arboreal folivorous marsupials endemic to upland rainforests of the Atherton Tableland,Australia

Abstract Intense cyclones might be expected to adversely affect populations of arboreal mammals, either directly or as a consequence of the destruction of food resources and other key habitat elements. However, such impacts have rarely been quantified. The present study examined the response of five species of arboreal folivorous marsupials to Severe Cyclone Larry at nine sites in upland rainforests of the Atherton Tableland, north‐east Australia. Sites were originally surveyed for folivores in 1995–1997, and then resurveyed in 2006, 6–8 months after Cyclone Larry had traversed the region. All sites showed evidence of structural damage to vegetation, but overall damage levels (assessed in terms of canopy cover, damage to trees, basal area of dead trees and volume of woody debris) decreased from east to west across the study region. The detectability of rainforest possums increased after the cyclone. For the most commonly observed species, the proportion of individuals observed >5 m from survey transects was correlated with the amount of structural damage to vegetation. To avoid confounding changes in detectability with changes in abundance, only observations close (<5 m) to transects were used to estimate folivore abundance before and after the cyclone. On this basis, there were no significant differences between pre‐ and post‐cyclone abundance estimates for any folivore species. Further, changes in folivore abundance after the cyclone were not correlated with damage to vegetation across sites. Cyclone Larry does not appear to have caused a catastrophic loss of key habitat resources for marsupial folivores at the sites surveyed. The high degree of folivory practiced by marsupial folivores may help make them resilient to cyclone impacts. These conclusions are more robust for three commonly observed folivore species (Hemibelideus lemuroides, Pseudochirulus herbertensis and Trichosurus vulpecula johnstonii) than for two less frequently encountered species (Pseudochirops archeri and Dendrolagus lumholtzi).     

Size-biased Mating in Both Sexes of the Black-horned Tree Cricket, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oecanthus nigricornis</Emphasis> Walker (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Oecanthinae)

Previous studies on tree crickets have demonstrated female choice of males based on size and courtship feeding but less is known about sexual selection under conditions of direct mating competition. I studied courtship, aggression and mating of the black-horned tree cricket Oecanthus nigricornis (Walker) to test size-related sexual selection under conditions of direct sexual competition. Results show that larger individuals of both sexes mated more frequently than their smaller counterparts, and this was due to the ability of large individuals to out compete rivals. Large males achieved the advantage by aggressively reducing courtship by small males, whereas large females responded to male courtship more quickly but with little aggression. Although there was no evidence here for mate choice, there were advantages for having larger mates; fecundity increased with female size and spermatophores (which females consume after mating) increased with male size. Size of the specialized metanotal courtship gift, however, was not related to male size.