Melatonin concentrations in relation to oxidative status and oocyte dynamics in the ovary during different reproductive phases of an annual cycle in carp Catla catla

The present study on carp Catla catla is the first attempt to search for a relationship between the concentrations of melatonin, oxidative status, and oocyte dynamics in the ovary of any fish. We measured the levels of melatonin, different antioxidative agents, and the marker of intracellular stress along with the profiles of different developmental stages of oocyte in the ovary of adult carp during four distinct phases in an annual reproductive cycle. Ovarian melatonin titers displayed significant seasonal variations with a peak during spawning and nadir during post-spawning, and thereby underlined its proximity to the course of ovarian development. A significant positive correlation was found between the ovarian levels of melatonin and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione transferase (GST), although each of them showed a negative correlation with the level of malondialdehyde (MDA)—a faithful indicator of intracellular stress. However, ovarian melatonin titers did not exhibit any correlation with the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Collectively, our findings suggest that melatonin measured in carp ovary may be associated with an enhanced activity/level of selective antioxidative agents for reduction in oxidative stress to augment ovarian functions during the spawning.     

Diet spectrum of great cormorants (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis</Emphasis> L.) at the Donji Miholjac carp fishponds in eastern Croatia

This paper reports the results of a diet analysis from the digestive tracts of 203 great cormorants shot at the Donji Miholjac fishponds in eastern Croatia, in the period 2000–2002. Eight fish species were determined. The dominant species was common carp (Cyprinus carpio) with a relative frequency of 73.4%, followed by grass carp (Ctenopharingodon idella) (11.6%), bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) (7.2%), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) (2.0%), wels catfish (Silurus glanis) (1.7%), pike (Esox lucius) (1.5%), topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) (1.5%) and Prussian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) (1.1%). The diet spectrum of the great cormorants from the Donji Miholjac fishponds was in accordance with the structure of the fish population in the fishponds. The average stomach weight per bird was 244 g. When birds shot with an empty stomach were excluded, the average stomach weight increased to 286 g. The length of consumed fish ranged from 40–335 mm, with 47% of the fish belonging to the length category 100–149 mm. The study revealed no significant relationship between the weight of the consumed fish and the body weight of male and female cormorants.     

铅胁迫对欧美杂交杨幼苗碳、氮和磷积累与分配的影响

为深入了解欧美杂交杨(Populus deltoids × Populus nigra)在不同铅(Pb)胁迫条件下的生长适应特性, 采用盆栽控制试验, 研究了长江上游典型酸性紫色土和钙质紫色土上欧美杂交杨碳(C)、氮(N)和磷(P)积累与分配特征对不同浓度Pb胁迫(CK: 0 mg·kg^-1; T1: 200 mg·kg^-1; T2: 450 mg·kg^-1; T3: 2000 mg·kg^-1)的响应。欧美杂交杨总C、N和P积累量在两种土壤中均表现出随Pb胁迫程度的增加而降低的趋势, 且钙质紫色土中欧美杂交杨总C、N和P积累量在各处理浓度下均高于酸性紫色土。Pb胁迫处理明显改变了欧美杂交杨各器官C、N和P的分配格局。与对照相比, Pb胁迫处理使酸性紫色土中欧美杂交杨细根C、N和P积累量的比例明显增加, 叶C、N和P积累量的比例则呈现出降低的趋势。相对于酸性紫色土, 钙质紫色土中欧美杂交杨细根C、N和P积累量的比例明显降低, 其叶C、N和P积累量的比例则表现出增加的趋势。两种土壤中欧美杂交杨P的利用效率均表现出随Pb胁迫程度的增加而增加的趋势, 而T2、T3处理下两种土壤中N的利用效率均显著降低。这些结果表明, 在N素缺乏的情况下, 酸性紫色土中欧美杂交杨P的利用效率显著低于钙质紫色土, 因此酸性紫色土中植物C、N和P积累、分配与利用更易受到Pb胁迫的影响。同时也表明, 钙质紫色土中欧美杂交杨通过改变养分分配格局将资源更多地分配于养分利用器官维持自身的生长, 能更好地适应Pb胁迫环境。     

鲤鱼线粒体tRNA~(Cys)基因和轻链复制起始区的结构分析

我们测定了鲤鱼线粒体半胱氮酸tRNA 基因和轻链(L 链)复制起始区的核苷酸序列,绘制了半胱氨酸tRNA 三叶草形的二级结构以及L 链复制区的茎环结构。通过五种脊椎动物tRNA~(cya)基因的核苷酸序列分析发现,鲤鱼线粒体tRNA~(cya)基因有许多不同于细胞质tRNA~(cya)基因的不寻常的结构特点。鲤鱼线粒体L 链复制起始区含有36个碱基,复制起始区茎环结构中的茎含有11对碱基,而环则是由14个碱基组成。同其它10种脊椎动物L-链复制起始区的核苷酸序列比较发现,鲤鱼茎环结构中的茎序列是非常保守的,而环的序列及环的长度则变化较大。茎环结构可能在轻链复制中起着重要的作用。     

闽西北引种湿加松12年生个体与林分生长适应性

对福建西北地区栽培的湿加松Pinus elliottii × P. caribaea 12年生林分树高与胸径生长分布进行统计分析。结果表明,林分树高分布在3～14 m范围内,胸径生长分布于2～22 cm,林分的经济生长性状呈正态分布。在同等立地条件下,湿加松早期树高生长优于乡土树种马尾松,但马尾松胸径生长6年后有更好的生长量,12年生后胸径生长相接近,马尾松12年生林分中平均木单株材积优于湿加松林分,不过11年生后开始减缓,而湿加松保持持续生长势头。由材积生长来看,各树种个体材积生长正处于快速生长期,湿加松材积生长表现出较强的生长趋势。     

鲤鱼线粒体tRNA~(phe)基因结构的特异性

鲤鱼线粒体tRNA~(phe)基因的核酸序列已被测定。在鲸、人、爪蟾、牛、小鼠、鸡和鲤鱼中对此基因序列比较发现在D茎存在一个奇怪的保守结构,然而D茎在其余种类的已经测定的脊椎动物线粒体tRNA基因和细胞质tRNA基因中是极不保守的。这一保守结构包含有13bp碱基,我们将此保守区前7个碱基与真核生物RNA PolⅢ识别的A区相比较,发现在此不同物种的两种序列存在部分的同源性。考虑到tRNA~(phe)基因在线粒体基因组上位于置换环区和线粒体rRNA基因编码区之间这一特殊区域内,我们推测这一奇怪的保守结构可能存在其它更为有意义的功能。     

Changes in carp myosin ATPase induced by temperature acclimation

Summary Myosins were isolated from dorsal ordinary muscles of carp acclimated to 10°C and 30°C for a minimum of 5 weeks and examined for their ATPase activities. Ca²⁺-ATPase activity was different between myosins from cold-and warm-acclimated carp, especially at KCl concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 M, when measured at pH 7.0. The highest activity was 0.32 mol P_i·min^-1·mg^-1 at 0.2 M KCl for cold-acclimated carp and 0.47 mol P_i·min^-1·mg^-1 at 0.1 M KCl for warm-acclimated fish. The pH-dependency of Ca²⁺-ATPase activity at 0.5 M KCl for both carp was, however, similar exhibiting two maxima around 0.3 mol P_i·min^-1·mg^-1 at pH 6 and 0.4 mol P_i·min^-1·mg^-1 at pH 9. K⁺(EDTA)-ATPase activity at pH 7.0 neither exhibited differences between both myosins. It increased with increasing KCl concentration showing the highest value of about 0.4 mol P_i·min^-1·mg^-1 at 0.6–0.7 M KCl. Actin-activated myosin Mg²⁺-ATPase activity was markedly different between cold-and warm-acclimated carp. The maximum initial velocity was 0.53 mol P_i·min^-1·mg^-1 myosin at pH 7.0 and 0.05 M KCl for cold-acclimated carp, which was 1.6 times as high as that for warm-acclimated carp. These differences were in good agreement with those obtained with myofibrillar Mg²⁺-ATPase activity between both carp. No differences were, however, observed in myosin affinity to actin. Differences in myosin properties between cold- and warm-acclimated carp were further evidenced by its thermal stability. The inactivation rate constant of myosin Ca²⁺-ATPase was 25·10^-4·s^-1 at 30°C and pH 7.0 for cold-acclimated carp, which was about 4 times as high as that for warm-acclimated carp. Light chain composition did not differ between both carp myosins. The differences in a primary structure of the heavy chain subunit was, however, clearly demonstrated between both myosins by peptide mapping.Abbreviations ATPase adenosine 5-triphosphatase - DTNB 5,5 dithio-bis-2-nitrobenzoic acid - DTT dithiothreitol - EGTA ethyleneglycol bis (-aminoethylether)-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid - K _D inactivation rate constant - SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate - SDS-PAGE SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

液流径向变化对尾巨桉单株日蒸腾量估算的影响

采用Granier热扩散方法(TDP)测定了尾巨桉2个径向深度(0～2和2～4 cm)的液流速率,探讨液流径向变化对树木蒸腾估算产生的影响、不同个体大小的估算误差以及估算误差与光合有效辐射(PAR)和水汽压亏缺(VPD)的关系.结果表明: 尾巨桉的日蒸腾量在单点径向深度0～2 cm条件下估算值最大,两点综合估算值次之,单点径向深度2～4 cm最小,单点径向0～2 cm和径向2～4 cm所得的日蒸腾量分别较两点综合估算值高估了32.9%和低估了58.7%;用单点径向0～2 cm估算蒸腾量时所产生的误差随胸径的递减而减少,胸径为17.7、12.9和9.8 cm的树木产生的估算误差分别为51.7%、33.0%、18.0%,而单点径向2～4 cm所产生的估算误差则没有明显的径级差异;PAR和VPD都与单点径向0～2 cm估算误差有较好的正相关性,相比较VPD而言,PAR与单点径向0～2 cm估算误差的相关性更好.相比传统的仅用单一深度液流速率估算单株蒸腾耗水量的方法,两点估算方法一定程度上提高了日蒸腾量计算的精度,为尾巨桉人工林森林耗水量估算提供了可靠依据.     

巨尾桉工业原料林下植物群落学分析

基于群落调查方法,对巨尾桉林下植物进行群落学分析。结果表明:巨尾桉林下植物共有维管束植物57科、124属、154种及变种,以禾本科和菊科的种类占优势;林下植物物种组成较为分散,优势属不明显;种子植物53科划分为6个分布区类型和2个变型,以热带分布科为主;种子植物120个属有14个分布区类型和7个变型,以热带分布属为主,植物区系成分较为复杂。林下植被可分为灌木层和草本层,但是分层现象不明显,草本层植物占优势,偶见有少量的层间植物分布。林下物种丰富度表现为草本层>灌木层;而Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、Pielou均匀度指数则表现为灌木层>草本层,生境空间异质性及人为干扰活动影响了巨尾桉林下植物组成及分布。