Genetic population structure of the net-winged midge, Elporia barnardi (Diptera: Blephariceridae) in streams of the south-western Cape, South Africa: implications for dispersal

SUMMARY 1. The net‐winged midges (Diptera: Blephariceridae), with highly specific habitat requirements and specialised morphological adaptations, exhibit high habitat fidelity and a limited potential for dispersal. Given the longitudinal and hierarchical nature of lotic systems, along with the geological structure of catchment units, we hypothesise that populations of net‐winged midge should exhibit a high degree of population sub‐structuring. 2. Sequence variation in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was examined to determine patterns of genetic variation and infer historical and contemporary processes important in the genetic structuring of populations of Elporia barnardi. The DNA variation was examined at sites within streams, between streams in the same range, and between mountain ranges in the south‐western Cape of South Africa. 3. Twenty‐five haplotypes, 641 bp in length, were identified from the 93 individuals sampled. A neighbour‐joining tree revealed two highly divergent clades (～5%) corresponding to populations from the two mountain ranges. A number of monophyletic groups were identified within each clade, associated with individual catchment units. 4. The distribution of genetic variation was examined using analysis of molecular variance (amova ). This showed most of the variation to be distributed among the two ranges (～80%), with a small percentage (～15%) distributed among streams within each range. Similarly, variation among streams on Table Mountain was primarily distributed among catchment units (86%). A Mantel's test revealed a significant relationship between genetic differentiation and geographical distance, suggesting isolation by distance (P < 0.001). 5. Levels of sequence divergence between the two major clades, representing the two mountain ranges, are comparable with those of some intra‐generic species comparisons. Vicariant events, such as the isolation of the Peninsula mountain chain and Table Mountain, may have been important in the evolution of what is now a highly endemic fauna. 6. The monophyletic nature of the catchment units suggests that dispersal is confined to the stream environment and that mountain ridges provide effective physical barriers to dispersal of E. barnardi.     

Gene Copy-Number Variation in Haploid and Diploid Strains of the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The kinetochore is the macromolecular protein complex that mediates chromosome segregation. The Dsn1 component is crucial for kinetochore assembly and is phosphorylated by the Aurora B kinase. We found that Aurora B phosphorylation of Dsn1 promotes the interaction between outer and inner kinetochore proteins in budding yeast.     

Condition‐dependent expression of pre‐ and postcopulatory sexual traits in guppies

Female choice can impose persistent directional selection on male sexually selected traits, yet such traits often exhibit high levels of phenotypic variation. One explanation for this paradox is that if sexually selected traits are costly, only the fittest males are able to acquire and allocate the resources required for their expression. Furthermore, because male condition is dependent on resource allocation, condition dependence in sexual traits is expected to underlie trade‐offs between reproduction and other life‐history functions. In this study we test these ideas by experimentally manipulating diet quality (carotenoid levels) and quantity in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a livebearing freshwater fish that is an important model for understanding relationships between pre‐ and post‐copulatory sexually selected traits. Specifically, we test for condition dependence in the expression of pre‐ and postcopulatory sexual traits (behavior, ornamentation, sperm traits) and determine whether diet manipulation mediates relationships among these traits. Consistent with prior work we found a significant effect of diet quantity on the expression of both pre‐ and postcopulatory male traits; diet‐restricted males performed fewer sexual behaviors and exhibited significant reductions in color ornamentation, sperm quality, sperm number, and sperm length than those fed ad libitum. However, contrary to our expectations, we found no significant effect of carotenoid manipulation on the expression of any of these traits, and no evidence for a trade‐off in resource allocation between pre‐ and postcopulatory episodes of sexual selection. Our results further underscore the sensitivity of behavioral, ornamental, and ejaculate traits to dietary stress, and highlight the important role of condition dependence in maintaining the high variability in male sexual traits.     

西沙宣德群岛海域浮游植物群落及其影响因子

为了解西沙宣德群岛海域浮游植物群落结构特征,于2019年2月和11月对该海域进行采样调查,分析浮游植物群落组成及环境影响因素。两个航次共发现109种浮游植物,其中硅藻门最多,有81种。冬秋季节优势种不尽相同,冬季优势种为铁氏束毛藻(Trichodesmium thiebautii)、红海束毛藻(T. erythraeum)和标志星杆藻(Asterionella notata)等,秋季优势种为菱形海线藻(Thalassionema nitzschioides)、丹麦细柱藻(Leptocylindrus danicus)和劳氏角毛藻(Chaetoceros lorenzianus)。冬季浮游植物平均丰度[(5.27±6.14)×10⁷ cells/L]显著高于秋季[(1.56±1.40)×10⁵ cells/L]。浮游植物群落分布主要受亚硝酸盐、盐度等环境因子影响。冬秋季各站位浮游植物群落的多样性指数、均匀度指数和丰富度指数平均值分别为3.15、0.71、1.36和3.28、0.75、1.77。因此,宣德群岛海域冬秋季节浮游植物群落多样性较高,物...     

长潭水库铁锰含量与环境因子的季节性变化相关性分析及铁锰氧化菌群的富集培养

【背景】目前对水库水体污染原因的研究往往专注于水体的富营养化、pH值、溶解氧、氨氮、菌落总数指标的变化,而重金属含量与环境因子的季节性变化相关性分析研究较少,同时对于典型季节原位微生物种群的多样性差异研究尚未见报道。【目的】研究浙江省台州市长潭水库底部水中正二价金属离子(二价锰离子Mn²⁺;二价铁离子Fe²⁺)浓度与不同环境因子的季节性变化规律,并对其相关性进行分析;富集平水期(2月)和丰水期(8月)水库底部水体中功能微生物菌群,分析其种类和丰度的差异。【方法】分别检测12个月的水库水Mn²⁺和Fe²⁺浓度及多种环境因子(水体溶解氧浓度、pH值、总磷浓度、浊度、水库环境温度及降水量),过滤并富集培养水库底部水体的功能微生物菌群,对其16S rRNA基因V3-V4区测序并分析其菌群结构。【结果】长潭水库水中Mn²⁺和Fe²⁺浓度呈季节性变化,每年的春夏交替季节水体中铁锰含量从零开始慢慢升高,至夏秋高温季节水体中Mn²⁺和Fe²⁺浓度达到最高值,然后慢慢降低,至秋末冬初检测不到含量。在检测的多种环境因子中,水体溶解氧浓度、水库环境温度及降水量呈明显的季节性规律变化。Mn²⁺和Fe²⁺浓度与温度、降水量和浊度有正相关性,与溶解氧浓度、pH值和总磷浓度有负相关性,其中在正负相关性分析中两种金属离子的浓度与溶解氧浓度的相关性最强,其次是环境温度及降水量。丰水期和平水期中富集获得的功能微生物菌群的种类和丰度差异很大,从属水平上分类,丰水期时菌群只包含不动杆菌(Acinetobacter)和鲑色沉积物杆状菌(Sediminibacterium)这2个属的菌株,含量各占约50%;平水期时菌群则主要由杆菌属(Bacillariophyta) (47.62%)和Limnohabitans(9.52%)等9个属的菌株构成。富集获得的平水期和丰水期的两个可培养的菌群均具有去除水库水中Mn²⁺的功能,去除率分别约为35.9%和11.4%。【结论】长潭水库底部水体中Mn²⁺和Fe²⁺浓度与不同环境因子均呈季节性规律变化,它们之间呈现不同的正负相关性,丰水期和平水期的功能微生物菌群结构差异很大。本研究为利用微生物进行重金属污染水体的治理储备了微生物资源,为实现国家“美丽乡村”的建设目标提供一定的参考价值。     

西双版纳区域气候变化对植物生长趋势的影响

目前全球变暖已经致使地球上生物群系的格局发生了显著的变化。高纬度地区的植物生长由此变得更加活跃,而热带地区植物生长的趋势仍然是一个具有争论的问题。西双版纳热带植物园地处中国西南地区,20世纪70年代以来,这里气候发生了显著的变化,其气温以每10年0.18℃的速度上升。本研究利用西双版纳热带植物园中的48种热带植物（28科）的株高生长数据（1974～2003年）来分析其对西双版纳区域气候变化的长期变化响应,通过对株高与气候因子的相关分析选出对植物株高生长影响最大的气候因子。结果表明,植物在研究期间的株高生长年间波动比较强烈,但没有表现出明显的趋势;植物的株高生长主要受到干热季（3、4月份）的日照时数（负）与月均最低气温（正）所影响,而干热季正是这些植物每年开始萌叶的时期;另外,降雨并没有对引种植物株高生长产生显著的影响;从2个关键因子的长期变化趋势来看,西双版纳气候变化将有利于保护植物的生长,进而将有利于植物园内热带植物的保护与保存。     

Isolation,culture and regeneration of protoplasts from birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

A method was developed for rapid plant regeneration from protoplasts of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L. cv. Leo). Green cotyledons from in vitro grown seedlings were preplasmolyzed in CPW salts containing 13% mannitol (CPW 13 M) for 1 h prior to the enzyme treatment. The enzyme formula consisted of 2% (w/v) Onozuka Cellulase R-10, 1% (w/v) Macerase and 0.1% (w/v) Pectolyase Y-23 in CPW 13 M. This method produced high yields of viable protoplasts after purification. The procedure is reproducible and takes approximately 2.5 months from protoplast isolation to plantlet establishment in a greenhouse. More than 100 plantlets were grown in soil. Two somaclonal variants, a chimeric plant for chlorophyll production and an albino cell line, have been obtained by this procedure.     

Characterization of AFLP Markers Associated with Growth in the Kuruma Prawn, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Marsupenaeus japonicus</Emphasis>, and Identification of a Candidate Gene

Growth rate of the Kuruma prawn, Marsupenaeus japonicus is an important economic trait, with larger animals commanding higher market prices. To identify gene markers associated with growth, a genetic map of a full-sib F₂ intercross family of M. japonicus has previously been generated and quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing weight, total length, and carapace length were identified. In this study, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers associated with the major QTL region, contributing 16% to phenotypic variation, were characterized. Flanking sequence has been obtained and allelic variants responsible for segregation patterns of these markers have been identified. The genomic sequence surrounding the AFLP band 7.21a, residing under the QTL peak, contains a gene sequence homologous to the elongation of very long chain fatty acids-like (ELOVL) protein family. A full-length mRNA (ELOVL-MJ) encoding this protein was isolated from M. japonicus, representing both the first ELOVL gene in crustacea and the first candidate gene identified via QTL studies in crustacea.     

Gene variation and gene flow inOrchis morio (Orchidaceae) from Italy

Data are presented on genetic variation at 27 enzyme loci of the Green-Winged orchid,Orchis morio, in 18 population samples from Italy. The existence in Italy of two subspecies, i.e. subspp.morio andpicta, is not supported by allozyme data. No genetic heterogeneity was found betweenmorio-like andpicta-like samples and specimens. Moreover, morphological transition between the two forms was observed in different Italian populations. The parameters of genetic variability estimated forO. morio populations are consistent with those found among monocotyledon plants, and among those outcrossing, animal-pollinated and with wind-dispersed seeds. Genetic diversity of ItalianO. morio is mostly within populations. Correspondingly, low values of interpopulational genetic distance were found. This appears to be due to high levels of gene flow, which were estimated with different methods. The lack ofO. longicornu from Italian samples, as well as of any hybrid withO. morio (F₁, backcrossed or recombinant individuals) is demonstrated on the basis of genetic data. It is concluded that recurrent reports ofO. longicornu from Italy are due to confusion withO. morio or with otherOrchis species.     

华山松吸收光谱及叶绿素荧光特性的地理变异

利用分离的叶绿体作实验材料,发现华山松(Pinus armandi Franch.)南方种源的4阶导数吸收光谱在680nm处峰值较大,在670nm处峰值较小,而北方种源中出现了在680nm处峰值较在670nm峰值小的类群,推断北方种群反应中心活力有下降趋势。南、北种源之间的低温(77K)荧光发射光谱有明显差异,PSⅠ、PSⅡ发射峰位置出现地理变动。低温荧光激发光谱分析表明,地理变异主要发生在叶绿素a的分子状态上。研究还表明,完整的针叶因为有角质层、松脂等物质干扰,检测不出光谱的差异,不是理想的实验材料。