An invasive aster (Ageratina adenophora) invades and dominates forest understories in China: altered soil microbial communities facilitate the invader and inhibit natives

Exotic plant invasion may alter underground microbial communities, and invasion-induced changes of soil biota may also affect the interaction between invasive plants and resident native species. Increasing evidence suggests that feedback of soil biota to invasive and native plants leads to successful exotic plant invasion. To examine this possible underlying invasion mechanism, soil microbial communities were studied where Ageratina adenophora was invading a native forest community. The plant–soil biota feedback experiments were designed to assess the effect of invasion-induced changes of soil biota on plant growth, and interactions between A. adenophora and three native plant species. Soil analysis showed that nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and available P and K content were significantly higher in a heavily invaded site than in a newly invaded site. The structure of the soil microbial community was clearly different in all four sites. Ageratina adenophora invasion strongly increased the abundance of soil VAM (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and the fungi/bacteria ratio. A greenhouse experiment indicated that the soil biota in the heavily invaded site had a greater inhibitory effect on native plant species than on A. adenophora and that soil biota in the native plant site inhibited the growth of native plant species, but not of A. adenophora. Soil biota in all four sites increased A. adenophora relative dominance compared with each of the three native plant species and soil biota in the heavily invaded site had greater beneficial effects on A. adenophora relative dominance index (20% higher on average) than soil biota in the non-invaded site. Our results suggest that A. adenophora is more positively affected by the soil community associated with native communities than are resident natives, and once the invader becomes established it further alters the soil community in a way that favors itself and inhibits natives, helping to promote the invasion. Soil biota alteration after A. adenophora establishment may be an important part of its invasion process to facilitate itself and inhibit native plants.     

大仓鼠的核型与B染色体研究

采用骨髓细胞染色体制片法,对分布于山东济南、泰山、东北长白山和陕西西安的大仓鼠的染色体组型、Ｇ－带、Ｃ－带和银染核型进行了分析研究。济南、西安和长白山的标本的二倍体数目和核型相似,２ｎ＝２８,２２ｔ＋４ｍ＋ＸＹ（ｓｔ,ｍ）。泰山标本的二倍体数目为２ｎ＝２８～２９,即在６７５％的中期相中多出了一条形态最小的端着丝粒染色体,这条染色体为Ｂ染色体,可能起源于Ｘ染色体。泰山标本的Ａ染色体组与上述３地标本相同。４地标本的Ｇ－带、Ｃ－带和银染核型相似。除Ｂ染色体外,每个端着丝粒染色体都具有着丝粒异染色质,ＡｇＮＯＲｓ较恒定地出现在Ｎｏｓ２,４,８,９,１３染色体上。也就是说大仓鼠的Ｂ染色体为Ｃ－带阴性,不携带核仁组织者。这种Ｂ染色体Ｃ－带阴性的特征在赤狐、黑家鼠和大林姬鼠朝鲜亚种中亦有报道。     

Interaction among Non-toxic Phytoplankton,Toxic Phytoplankton and Zooplankton: Inferences from Field Observations

We explore the mutual dependencies and interactions among different groups of species of the plankton population, based on an analysis of the long-term field observations carried out by our group in the North–West coast of the Bay of Bengal. The plankton community is structured into three groups of species, namely, non-toxic phytoplankton (NTP), toxic phytoplankton (TPP) and zooplankton. To find the pair-wise dependencies among the three groups of plankton, Pearson and partial correlation coefficients are calculated. To explore the simultaneous interaction among all the three groups, a time series analysis is performed. Following an Expectation Maximization (E-M) algorithm, those data points which are missing due to irregularities in sampling are estimated, and with the completed data set a Vector Auto-Regressive (VAR) model is analyzed. The overall analysis demonstrates that toxin-producing phytoplankton play two distinct roles: the inhibition on consumption of toxic substances reduces the abundance of zooplankton, and the toxic materials released by TPP significantly compensate for the competitive disadvantages among phytoplankton species. Our study suggests that the presence of TPP might be a possible cause for the generation of a complex interaction among the large number of phytoplankton and zooplankton species that might be responsible for the prolonged coexistence of the plankton species in a fluctuating biomass.     

冬小麦粒叶比杂种优势及遗传效应分析

用9个冬小麦品种按5×4不完全双列杂交设计组配20个杂交组合,对小麦粒叶比的杂种优势和遗传效应进行分析。结果表明,小麦粒叶比表现出一定的杂种优势;一般配合力和特殊配合力方差均达极显著水平,说明亲本的粒叶比差异及杂交互作均对F1代产生遗传差异,该试验中石6021、农大99260080等的一般配合力较大,石6021×农大99260080、鲁麦14×济南17等组合的特殊配合力较大,产生了较强的杂种优势;粒叶比遗传符合加性-显性遗传模型,但以加性效应为主,其遗传决定度达87.65%,狭义遗传力为64.71%;在高粒叶比品种选育上应重视高粒叶比亲本筛选利用和杂交后代的早代选择。     

生态学中的尺度问题：内涵与分析方法

尺度问题已成为现代生态学的核心问题之一.尺度问题主要涉及3个方面：尺度概念、尺度分析和尺度推绎.主要评述前两个方面.生态学尺度有三重概念：维数、种类和组分,其中每重概念又包含了多个定义,有必要进行澄清、分类和统一.尺度分析涉及尺度效应分析和多尺度空间格局分析.格局、过程及它们之间的关系,以及某些景观特性均表现出尺度效应,因此多尺度研究非常必要和重要.多尺度空间格局分析（尤其是特征尺度的识别）是进行尺度效应分析和跨尺度推绎的基础.多尺度分析需要特定的方法,景观指数法是最常用和最简单的方法,但也常产生误导;空间统计学方法（如半方差分析法、尺度方差分析法、空隙度指数法和小波分析法等）和分维分析法在最近十几年发展起来,并逐渐应用于生态学,在尺度分析上具有很大的应用潜力.各种方法在尺度分析上各有优势和不足,有必要同时使用两种或两种以上方法进行比较和评估.总之,有关尺度分析的研究需要进一步加强,从而为下一步的尺度推绎提供可靠的依据.     

Translation of Sindbis virus 26S mRNA does not require intact eukariotic initiation factor 4G

The infection of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells by Sindbis virus gives rise to a drastic inhibition of cellular translation, while under these conditions the synthesis of viral structural proteins directed by the subgenomic 26S mRNA takes place efficiently. Here, the requirement for intact initiation factor eIF4G for the translation of this subgenomic mRNA has been examined. To this end, SV replicons that contain the protease of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) or the poliovirus 2A(pro) replacing the sequences of SV glycoproteins have been constructed. BHK cells electroporated with the different RNAs synthesize protein C and the corresponding protease at late times. Notably, the proteolysis of eIF4G by both proteases has little effect on the translation of the 26S mRNA. In addition, recombinant viable SVs were engineered that encode HIV-1 PR or poliovirus 2A protease under the control of a duplicated late promoter. Viral protein synthesis at late times of infection by the recombinant viruses is slightly affected in BHK cells that contain proteolysed eIF4G. The translatability of SV genomic 49S mRNA was assayed in BHK cells infected with a recombinant virus that synthesizes luciferase and transfected with a replicon that expresses poliovirus 2Apro. Under conditions where eIF4G has been hydrolysed significantly the translation of genomic SV RNA was deeply inhibited. These findings indicate a different requirement for intact eIF4G in the translation of genomic and subgenomic SV mRNAs. Finally, the translation of the reporter gene that encodes green fluorescent protein, placed under the control of a second duplicate late promoter, is also resistant to the cleavage of eIF4G. In conclusion, despite the presence of a cap structure in the 5' end of the subgenomic SV mRNA, intact eIF4G is not necessary for its translation.     

两个水稻GDP-甘露糖-3’，5＇-异构酶基因特征及表达模式的研究

GDP-甘露糖-3’,5’-异构酶（GME）可以催化GDP-甘露糖转化为左旋GDP-半乳糖,该反应对于高等植物体内抗坏血酸的合成是非常重要的．但目前在分子水平上还没有对GME基因进行研究的报道．通过逆转录PCR（RT-RCR）技术从水稻成熟叶片中克隆到两个GME基因的cDNA序列,并与其他植物物种中的GMEs进行比对,结果显示,GME基因在所有植物物种中高度保守,尽管进化树分析表明单子叶植物GMEs和双子叶植物GMEs在进化上相互独立．同时,分析这两个水稻GME基因的剪切模式揭示了二者也存在高度相似性．采用半定量RT-PCR技术对两个GME基因在不同组织和不同胁迫条件下的表达模式进行研究表明,OsGME1基因在冷胁迫条件下表达水平上调,这和先前水稻冷胁迫蛋白质组学研究的结果是一致的．而OsGME2和OsGME1基因在用赤霉素处理条件下表达水平均下调,暗示赤霉素可能通过调节GME基因的表达来调控植物体内的抗坏血酸合成．     

Expression and localization of recombinant human EDG-1 receptors in Pichia pastoris

The receptor for human endothelial differentiation gene-1 protein (EDG-1) was C-terminally tagged with green fluorescent protein and expressed in the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris. EDG-1 expression was driven by the highly inducible alcohol oxidase 1 promoter. Expression of EDG-1 recombinant protein was detected by Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy. The recombinant EDG-1 receptor protein was located in the plasma membrane. Radioligand binding assays demonstrated that the␣EDG-1 receptors expressed in Pichia pastoris␣have specific and saturation binding of ³²P-labeled sphingosine 1-phosphate.     

Low rates of expression profile divergence in highly expressed genes and tissue-specific genes during mammalian evolution

Evolutionary rates provide important information about the pattern and mechanism of evolution. Although the rate of gene sequence evolution has been well studied, the rate of gene expression evolution is poorly understood. In particular, it is unclear whether the gene expression level and tissue specificity influence the divergence of expression profiles between orthologous genes. Here we address this question using a microarray data set comprising the expression signals of 10,607 pairs of orthologous human and mouse genes from over 60 tissues per species. We show that the level of gene expression and the degree of tissue specificity are generally conserved between the human and mouse orthologs. The rate of gene expression profile change during evolution is negatively correlated with the level of gene expression, measured by either the average or the highest level among all tissues examined. This is analogous to the observation that the rate of gene (or protein) sequence evolution is negatively correlated with the gene expression level. The impacts of the degree of tissue specificity on the evolutionary rate of gene sequence and that of expression profile, however, are opposite. Highly tissue-specific genes tend to evolve rapidly at the gene sequence level but slowly at the expression profile level. Thus, different forces and selective constraints must underlie the evolution of gene sequence and that of gene expression.