Origin and differentiation of endemism in the flora of China

The present paper analyzed 239 endemic genera in 67 families in the flora of seed plants in China.The results showed that there are five families containing more than ten endemic genera,namely,Gesneriaceae (27),which hereafter refers to the number of endemic genera in China,Composite (20),Labiatae (12),Cruciferae (11),and Umbelliferae (10),15 families with two endemic genera,and another 30 families with only one endemic genus.Four monotypic families (Ginkgoaceae,Davidiaceae,Eucommiaceae and Acanthochlamydaceae)are the most ancient,relict and characteristic in the flora of seed plants in China.Based on integrative data of systematics,fossil history,and morphological and molecular evidence of these genera,their origin,evolution and relationships were discussed.In gymnosperms,all endemic genera are relicts of the Arctic-Tertiary flora,having earlier evolutionary history,and can be traced back to the Cretaceous or to the Jurassic and even earlier.In angiosperms,the endemic genera are mostly relicts,and are represented in all lineages in the"Eight-Class System ofClassification of Angiosperms",and endemism can be found in almost every evolutionary stage of extant angiosperms.The relict genera once occupied huge areas in the northern hemisphere in the Tertiary or the late Cretaceous,while neo-endemism mostly originated in the late Tertiary.They came from Arctic-Tertiary,Paleo-tropical-Tertiary and Tethys-Tertiary florisitic elements,and the blend of the three elements with many genera of autochthonous origin.The endemism was formed when some dispersal routes such as the North Atlantic Land Bridge,and the Bering Bridge became discontinuous during the Tertiary,as well as the climate change and glaciations in the late Tertiary and the Quaternary.Therefore,the late Tertiary is the starting point of extant endemism of the flora in China.     

Effects of metabolic rate on protein evolution

Since the modern evolutionary synthesis was first proposed early in the twentieth century, attention has focused on assessing the relative contribution of mutation versus natural selection on protein evolution. Here we test a model that yields general quantitative predictions on rates of protein evolution by combining principles of individual energetics with Kimura's neutral theory. The model successfully predicts much of the heterogeneity in rates of protein evolution for diverse eukaryotes (i.e. fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) from different thermal environments. Data also show that the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitution is independent of body size, and thus presumably of effective population size. These findings indicate that rates of protein evolution are largely controlled by mutation rates, which in turn are strongly influenced by individual metabolic rate.     

Intractable mixtures and the origin of life

Attempts to model the spontaneous chemistry which presumably preceded the origin of life on Earth commonly result in the production of intractably complex mixtures of organic compounds. It is, therefore, difficult to understand how any kind of evolutionary process might have begun. A number of potential solutions to this well-known and frustrating problem have been offered in the literature over the years. The present contribution briefly reviews and evaluates some of the more promising possibilities.     

Possible molecular evolution of biomembranes: from single-chain to double-chain lipids

We have studied a possible evolution process permitting a 'primitive' membrane to evolve towards a membrane structure with an outer wall, similar to that of bacteria. We have investigated whether a polysaccharide bearing hydrophobic phytyl or cholesteryl chains coats giant vesicles made of single- or double-chain lipids. Phytyl-pullulan 5b was found to bind to the surface of vesicles made of either single- or double-chain lipids. In contrast, cholesteryl-pullulan 5a only coated the surface of vesicles made of double-chain lipids. These results indicate that there must be a close match between the size and shape of membrane constituents and the hydrophobic molecules to be inserted. This process could, thus, provide a selection mechanism of lipid-membrane constituents during the course of biomembrane evolution. The presence of the above 'hydrophobized' polysaccharides on the surface of different giant vesicles was identified by lectin binding. Both concanavalin A and annexin V were shown by fluorescence microscopy to bind spontaneously to vesicles made of double-chain lipids. Our experiments exemplify that self-organization of amphiphiles into closed vesicles in aqueous solution automatically leads to the coating of vesicles by 'hydrophobized' polysaccharides, which then permit lectin binding. This is a possible mechanism for the evolution of primitive membranes towards 'proto-cells'.     

U7 snRNAs： A Computational Survey

U7 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) sequences have been described only for a handful of animal species in the past. Here we describe a computational search for func- tional U7 snRNA genes throughout vertebrates including the upstream sequence elements characteristic for snRNAs transcribed by polymerase Ⅱ. Based on the results of this search, we discuss the high variability of U7 snRNAs in both se- quence and structure, and report on an attempt to find U7 snRNA sequences in basal deuterostomes and non-drosophilids insect genomes based on a combination of sequence, structure, and promoter features. Due to the extremely short se- quence and the high variability in both sequence and structure, no unambiguous candidates were found. These results cast doubt on putative U7 homologs in even more distant organisms that are reported in the most recent release of the Rfam database.     

Artificial selection of stable rhizosphere microbiota leads to heritable plant phenotype changes

Artificial selection of microbiota opens new avenues for improving plants. However, reported results lack consistency. We hypothesised that the success in artificial selection of microbiota depends on the stabilisation of community structure. In a ten-generation experiment involving 1,800 plants, we selected rhizosphere microbiota of Brachypodium distachyon associated with high or low leaf greenness, a proxy of plant performance. The microbiota structure showed strong fluctuations during an initial transitory phase, with no detectable leaf greenness heritability. After five generations, the microbiota structure stabilised, concomitantly with heritability in leaf greenness. Selection, initially ineffective, did successfully alter the selected property as intended, especially for high selection. We show a remarkable correlation between the variability in plant traits and selected microbiota structures, revealing two distinct sub-communities associated with high or low leaf greenness, whose abundance was significantly steered by directional selection. Understanding microbiota structure stabilisation will improve the reliability of artificial microbiota selection.     

Genotoxicity assessment of amino zinc nanoparticles in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as cytogenetical perspective

Nanoparticles have a positive impact in several subjects especially in agriculture, while their safety is still being debated. Numerous commercial nano pesticide, insecticides, and fertilizers products are found in the local markets without any intensely studies on the side effect of these products on plant, human as well as environmental effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the genotoxicity of commercial amino zinc nanoparticles (AZ NPs) on Triticum aestivum L. during seeds germination and root elongation using concentration ranges (50, 100, and 150 ppm) at different exposure times (8, 16 and 24 hrs). Long term exposure to AZ NPs, exhibited only slight variation in germination rates and the elongation of roots was affected by AZ NPs treatment ranged from 97.66 to 100%. Significant reduction in the mitotic index was 35.33% after 24 hrs and 150 ppm of AZ NPs, was also observed comparing with control which was 88.0%. Genotoxicity was evaluated at a cytological level in root meristems that revealed sever variations in mitotic activity, chromosomal aberrations, and micronuclei release. Results exhibited that nano amino zinc could enter effortlessly into the cells and inhibit the normal cellular function. The decrease in the emergence of chromosomal aberrations resulting from AZ NPs exposure in a dose-dependent manner was clearly indicated that AZ NPs has induced genotoxic effect on wheat root tips.     

Global research trends and gaps in ecological compensation studies from 1990 to 2020: A scientometric review

Ecosystems are facing severe destruction and threats due to unreasonable human utilization. Repairing damage to nature and protect biodiversity through ecological compensation will be an inevitable measure for achieving sustainable development. To explore the current research hotspots and future research directions of ecological compensation, this paper tries to search the WoS Core Collection and collects 685 ecological compensation papers published between 1990 and 2020. R language and CiteSpace software were applied in this paper. It is found that: (1) The number of articles has gone through the initial explorations, fluctuating growth, and rapid development of the field from 1990 to 2020. Only 7.5% of authors have published more than two papers. (2) Regarding the production of papers, the top 3 countries are the US, China, and the UK. At present, the majority of countries focus on independent research, and international cooperation is gradually strengthening. (3) The current research hotpots mainly invlove biodiversity and sustainable development, ecological compensation for forests and water resources, China's Grain-to-Green Project, poverty reduction, livelihood issues, public participation willingness and equity issues, indicating that ecological compensation is a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary academic field. (4) The results reveal several research directions in the future: strengthening theoretical research, resolving issues pertaining to the complex relationships among stakeholders, encouraging a transformation from qualitative to quantitative research, increasing the focus of ecological compensation models on local conditions, and applying more scientific models and high-tech tools in effect evaluation.     

近20年内蒙古鄂托克旗草地降水利用效率时空演变的驱动力量化

降水利用效率(PUE)是评价干旱半干旱地区草地生产力与降水关系的有效指标。为进一步探究气候变化和人类活动对草地PUE的驱动机理,本研究采用改进的CASA模型估算了2001—2020年鄂托克旗草地净初级生产力(NPP),结合同期降水量的空间插值数据获取了研究区草地PUE,利用简单线性回归和分段线性回归分析了PUE的时空演变特征及其空间格局对6类气候因子的响应,并引入基于偏导数的量化分析方法定量评估了气候变化和人类活动对PUE动态的相对贡献。结果表明: 鄂托克旗草地PUE多年均值为0.748 g C·m^-2·mm^-1,年际波动呈显著下降趋势,下降速率为0.014 g C·m^-2·mm^-1·a^-1;PUE在空间上西低东高,沿气温、降水、相对湿度、日照时数和ET₀的增长梯度呈显著的单峰分段线性模式,而沿风速梯度表现为先快后慢的持续显著增长模式;研究区94.3%的草地表现为PUE衰减态势,且有43.6%为严重衰减,这一突出问题是气候变化和人类活动共同作用导致的,二者的贡献分别为-1.162×10^-2和-0.240×10^-2 g C·m^-2·mm^-1·a^-1,而气候变化是首要驱动力,其中降水是关键气候驱动因子。