Hierarchical clustering of 54 races and strains of the mulberry silkworm,Bombyx mori L: Significance of biochemical parameters

Summary A detailed analysis was undertaken to test the efficacy of hierarchical agglomerative clustering (UPGMA method) in grouping the races and strains of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx moti L., and to ascertain the importance of biochemical parameters in the clustering process. The analysis was based on data from two rearing seasons with 54 selected races/strains of different geographic origin and varying yield potentials. The results indicate that seven clusters can be realised with yield parameters alone, whereas the inclusion of biochemical parameters in clustering resulted into two broad groups: one having all the breeds with high cocoon weight and shell weight, the other having all the low-yielding silkworm strains both from India and from other countries. Further sub-grouping under these two groups highlights genetical differences associated with the differentiation of various groups of races in temperate and tropical areas as well as their significance for silkworm breeding. Estimates of all ten variables were further subjected to quick clustering and the results showed that cluster 5, constituted by 38 lowyielding strains of India, China and Europe, had the highest values of the final cluster centre for amylase and the effective rate of rearing (ERR), while clusters 1 and 4 had the highest values for invertase and alkaline phosphatase. The evolutionary aspect of the genetic channelisation of silkworm races from various countries is discussed against the background of differences in the biochemical parameters and yield variables.     

油菜秸秆还田对水稻根系、分蘖和产量的影响

采用田间试验与栽培模拟试验相结合的方法,分析了油菜秸秆还田对水稻根系、分蘖和产量的影响.结果表明: 水稻移栽后0～36 d,与秸秆不还田处理相比,油菜秸秆还田处理下水稻分蘖减少1～2个,根系单株伤流量降低1.0～8.6 mg,根系谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)、谷丙转氨酶(GPT)和谷草转氨酶(GOT) 活性分别降低0.10～6.11、0.06～0.31和0.52～0.84 μmol·g^-1·h^-1. 水稻移栽后56 d,与秸秆不还田处理相比,油菜秸秆翻埋还田处理下水稻根系单株伤流量增加3.4～11.7 mg,根系GS、GPT和GOT活性分别增加0.34～0.78、0.13～0.45和0.18～0.20 μmol·g^-1·h^-1;油菜秸秆覆盖还田处理下水稻根系单株伤流量降低19～25 mg,根系GS、GPT和GOT活性分别增加0.16～0.34、0.08～0.21和0.06～0.32 μmol·g^-1·h^-1.油菜秸秆还田处理中,全量还田处理下的水稻产量最高,其中,与全量覆盖还田相比,全量翻埋还田处理下的水稻产量增加0.13～0.48 t·hm^-2.可见,油菜秸秆还田会导致水稻生长前期根系活力下降、氮代谢酶活性降低,从而使水稻根系生长缓慢、返青延迟,但在中后期,随着根系活力和氮代谢酶活性的增强,秸秆还田会促进水稻根系生长;油菜秸秆还田对水稻产量的影响是多因素综合作用的结果,全量翻埋还田更适宜于四川油稻两熟轮作系统.     

三北工程黄土高原丘陵沟壑区森林降温增湿效果研究

生态系统可通过植被蒸腾与土壤蒸发作用调节区域温度与湿度。三北工程黄土高原丘陵沟壑区属于干旱和半干旱区,森林降温增湿功能有助于改善区域生存环境。在分析研究区森林覆被变化基础上,利用Penman-Monteith公式模拟了森林实际蒸散量,研究了森林增湿与降温效果。研究结果显示:(1)1980—2015年研究区森林面积增加了2.25%,主要来自荒草地、耕地和荒漠;(2)1980—2015年研究区森林6—9月实际蒸散总量为1.19×10~(10)—1.40×10~(10) t/a,平均实际蒸散量为219—257 mm,可使区域6—9月绝对湿度每日增加0.47—0.55 g/m~3,相对湿度每日增加2.87%—3.32%;(3)森林通过蒸散作用吸热量为29.15×10~(15)—34.26×10~(15) kJ/a,单位面积蒸散吸热量为53.72×10~8—63.13×10~8 kJ hm~(-2) a~(-1),通过蒸散吸热日降温量为0.92—1.08℃/d;(4)研究区森林蒸散量在1980—2010年逐渐增加,但在2015年明显下降,这主要是由降水减少导致;森林面积较大的山西和陕西森林蒸散降温增湿效果较好。通过对比相同年份不同土地覆被发现,森林实际蒸散量显著高于其他土地覆被类型。因此,未来研究区可在水资源承载能力范围内适当增加森林面积,充分发挥森林调节区域气候的作用。     

基于红外相机技术对广东车八岭国家级自然保护区大中型兽类与雉类的编目清查与评估

近年来, 红外相机技术已被广泛应用于国内外自然保护地内地栖鸟兽的物种编目和动态评估。本文以广东车八岭国家级自然保护区为例, 探讨基于红外相机技术如何进行保护区全境大中型兽类和雉鸡类的物种编目清查与评估。通过对车八岭保护区全境为期1年的调查, 共记录兽类和雉鸡类18种, 其中兽类15种, 鸡形目鸟类3种。基于物种累计曲线, 采用全年数据所需的最小调查网格数、最少调查相机日均要少于雨季或旱季, 而旱季调查需要的最小调查网格数和最少调查相机日比雨季更少。通过红外相机图像数据获得了车八岭保护区的大中型兽类和地栖雉鸡类物种名录、物种丰富度、每个物种的相对多度、分布图和凭证标本等重要内容。     

一株鸭源传染性支气管炎病毒的分离鉴定及结构蛋白基因和血清型分析

【目的】对从广西某鸭场发生呼吸道感染的11天龄樱桃谷肉鸭分离到的病毒株进行鉴定,并探索此鸭源病毒分离株的遗传变异情况。【方法】通过血凝试验、鸡胚接种实验、3?端非编码区(3'UTR)基因扩增与序列测定对分离株进行鉴定,并对该分离株的结构基因S1、E、M和N分别进行序列测定以及相似性、系统进化树分析和血清型鉴定。【结果】血凝试验为阴性,接种鸡胚盲传5代后出现侏儒胚,3?UTR基因测序结果表明为传染性支气管炎病毒(IBV)序列。该分离株S蛋白的裂解位点为RRSRR,S1、E、M和N基因与IBV毒株H120、4/91、LTD3核苷酸相似性分别为:78.6%–99.7%、85.4%–100.0%、91.6%–93.2%、86.7%–91.7%。除N基因存在点突变外,S1、E和M基因均存在氨基酸的突变、插入和(或)缺失。系统进化树分析显示,其S1基因属于4/91型,E、M和N基因均为LDT3型。血清型分析表明,该分离株的血清型不同于疫苗株H120和4/91。【结论】此鸭源病毒分离株为IBV,且该分离株的基因型与血清型均发生了变异。本研究结果暗示禽类传染性支气管炎的防控面临着更严峻的挑战。     

Gradients of life-history variation: an intercontinental comparison of fishes

Multivariate analysis identified atwo-dimensional continuum of life-historyvariation among 301 fish species from Europe,North America, South America and the Atlanticand Pacific coasts of North America. The firstaxis was associated with larger body size,higher fecundity, delayed maturation, fewerreproductive events, and shorter breedingseason on one end and small size, lowfecundity, early maturity, multiplereproductive events per year, and prolongedbreeding season on the other. The second axiscontrasted fishes having larger eggs and moreparental care against fishes with the oppositesuite of traits.Phylogenetic affiliations of species wereapparent in the general patterns of ordinationof species within orders, indicatingevolutionary divergences in life-historypatterns. In fact, partitioning the variance oflife-history traits showed that taxonomic orderand latitude were the most important factorsand geographic region and habitat the least.Despite phylogenetic constraints, basiclife-history patterns showed consistencybetween distantly geographical regions,latitudinal ranges and basic adult habitats,indicating convergences in life-historypatterns. Although the basic life-historypatterns seemed repeatable among distantlyrelated taxa, geographical and latitudinalaffiliations were apparent. Species from SouthAmerica are skewed toward the opportunisticendpoint, whereas North American marine speciesare skewed toward the periodic endpoint of thetrilateral continuum model. Most of the fishspecies from South American data set came fromfluctuating environments, so an opportunisticstrategy of early maturation and continuousspawning permits efficient recolonization ofhabitats over small spatial scales. Incontrast, most species in the North Americanand European data sets came from seasonalhabitats that are nonetheless more hydrologicalstable, so a periodic strategy of delayingmaturation to attain large clutches enhancesadult survivorship during suboptimalenvironmental conditions and recruitment whenearly life stages encounter suitableenvironmental conditions. Similarly,latitudinal affiliations were also observed:opportunistic strategists more common intropical latitudes and periodic strategistsmore common in temperate and Arctic latitudes.     

Factors influencing the characteristics of fish assemblages in a large subtropical marine embayment

Mean number of species and density of fishes in nearshore shallow waters of Shark Bay, a large subtropical embayment, were c . seven and 19.5 times greater in seagrass than over bare sand, where protection from predators and the abundance of potential invertebrate prey were less. The number of fish species and density of fishes over bare sand were lower in nearshore than offshore waters, where there was a greater amount of organic material and thus presumably a greater density of benthic macroinvertebrate prey. Species composition in vegetated and unvegetated habitats differed markedly, with species such as Monacanthus chinensis, Apogon rueppellii and Pelates quadrilineatus being largely confined to seagrass, whereas others such as Pseudorhombus jenynsii, Torquigener whitleyi and Engyprosopon grandisquama were found predominantly or exclusively over bare sand. The ichthyofauna in beds of Posidonia australis , in which the canopy is uniformly dense, differed in composition and comprised a greater number of species and density of fishes than that in Amphibolis antarctica , in which an open space is present beneath the terminal clusters of relatively short leaves. Species composition in the beds of both of these seagrass species underwent well defined cyclical changes, caused by out-of-phase sequential changes in the densities of certain species. Such changes were less common over bare sand, where the ichthyofaunal composition was more variable. The number of species and density of fishes over bare sand were greater at night than during the day, reflecting, in part, a tendency for species such as A. rueppellii to move into unvegetated areas to feed at night, when the likelihood of predation by visual predators would be reduced. Within Shark Bay, ichthyofaunal composition is influenced most by habitat type (vegetated v . unvegetated), followed in general by water depth and then region in the bay and time of year.     

Biosynthesis and transport of envelope proteins of Escherichia coli

Bacterial protein synthesis takes place in the cytoplasm, thus periplasmic and outer membrane proteins pass through the cytoplasmic membrane during their dispatch to the cell envelope. The exported proteins are synthesized as precursor that contains an extra amino-terminal sequence of amino-acids. This sequence, termed "signal sequence", is essential for transport of the envelope proteins through the inner membrane and is cleaved during the exportation process. Various hypotheses for the mechanism have been presented, and it is likely that no signal model will be suitable to the export of all cell envelope proteins. This review is focused on the relationship between the cytoplasmic membrane and the precursor form. The physiological state of the membrane - fluidity, membrane potential for instance - is the strategic requirement of exportation process. Precursors can be accumulated in whole cells with various treatments which alter the cytoplasmic membrane. This inhibition of processing is obtained by modification of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio or with phenylethyl alcohol which perturbs the membrane fluidity, with uncoupler agents such as carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone which dissipate the proton motive force, or with hybrid proteins which get jamming in the membrane. However, little is known about the early steps of translocation process across the cytoplasmic membrane ; for instance, it is not clear yet whether energy is required for either or both of the first interaction membrane-precursor and the crossing through the membrane. Several studies have recently shown the presence of exportation sites and of proteins which might play a prominent role in the export process, but the mechanism of discrimination between outer membrane proteins and periplasmic proteins is unknown. Considerable work has been done by genetic or biochemical methods and we have now the first lights of the expert mechanism.