The progress of membrane protein structure determination

The rate of membrane protein (MP) structure determination has been examined for the 18-year period following the publication of the first high-resolution crystal structure. The growth is solidly exponential, but lags behind the rate for soluble proteins during the equivalent time period.     

EBI databases and services

The EMBL Outstation-European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) is a center for research and services in bioinformatics. It serves researchers in molecular biology, genetics, medicine, and agriculture from academia, and the agricultural, biotechnology, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. The Institute manages and makes available databases of biological data including nucleic acid, protein sequences, and macromolecular structures. It provides to this community bioinformatics services relevant to molecular biology free of charge over the Internet. Some of these databases and services are described in this review. For more information, visit the EBI Web server at http://www.ebi.ac.uk/.     

Root starch storage and allocation patterns in seeder and resprouter seedlings of two Cape Erica (Ericaceae) species

Post-fire sprouting of dormant buds in resprouter plants is facilitated by stored carbohydrate reserves, with starch being the critical reserve. Starch is mainly stored in xylem parenchyma ray tissue of woody underground organs, such as burls, lignotubers, and roots. We carried out a comparative analysis of the pattern of starch storage and the proportion of parenchymatic ray tissue in the upper root or cotyledonary region of seedlings from seeder and resprouter forms within two Cape Erica (Ericaceae) species: E. coccinea L. and E. calycina L., which were raised in the greenhouse under controlled irrigation. We also explored the root-to-shoot allocation patterns of seeder and resprouter seedlings in these two species. Resprouter seedlings of both species showed higher relative amounts of upper-root starch and upper-root storage tissue as well as a higher root-to-shoot allocation than their seeder counterparts. Pronounced swelling of the upper root region suggests ontogenetic development of a lignotuber in the resprouter forms of the two Erica species. The distinct allocation of starch in roots seems to be genetically determined and would account for the apparent differences in the root-to-shoot allocation patterns between both regeneration forms from the early seedling stage.     

Human sequence variation and mutation databases

This paper aims to give an overview of current resources onhuman sequence variations and give an idea about the directionin which these services are moving.      

A new species of Sanicula L. (Umbelliferae/Apiaceae) endemic to Baja California, Mexico

A new species of the genusSanicula (sect.Sanicoria) endemic to the southern Sierra Juárez of Baja California, Mexico, is described and illustrated.Sanicula moranii resemblesS. deserticola andS. bipinnatifida, but has thicker basal leaves, with broader petioles and rachises, and shorter fruit prickles that are confined to the apical part of the mericarps. The taxonomic relationships of these species are discussed, along with aspects of their distribution and habitat.

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Resumen  Una neuva especie del géneroSanicula (secciónSanicoria) endémica de la Sierra Juárez de Baja California, México, es descrita e ilustrada.Sanicula moranii presenta similitud conS. deserticola yS. bipinnatifida, no obstante tiene gruesas hojas basales con pecíolos y raquis anchos, y espínulas del fruto más cortas que se distribuyen únicamente en la parte apical de los mericarpos. Además, se comentan las relaciones taxonómicas de las tres especies, así como algunos aspectos de sus distribuciones y hábitats.

     

The coconut palm,Cocos nucifera,impacts forest composition and soil characteristics at Palmyra Atoll,Central Pacific

Question: Cocos nucifera, the coconut palm, has a pantropical distribution and reaches near monodominance in many atolls, low lying islands and coastal regions. This paper examines the ecological correlation between C. nucifera abundance and changes in forest structure, floristic diversity and forest soil characteristics. Location: Palmyra Atoll NWR (USA), Central Pacific Ocean. Methods: Plant surveys were conducted on 83 transects (each 100 m²). All plants ≥5 cm in height were identified and counted; large plants were also measured and ground cover was surveyed. Major macronutrients, pH, macro‐elements/base cations, micronutrients and pedogenic elements, and thermodynamic stability levels were quantified from soil samples taken at each transect. Results: Even in a low diversity atoll environment, we found that high abundances of C. nucifera corresponded with pronounced differences in forest communities including: lower diversity of established trees and regenerating understorey; higher stem density and stand basal area; lower abundance of major macronutrients; and differences in macro and trace elements and energy content of soil organic matter. Historical natural experiments document that the expansion of C. nucifera was the likely causative agent of these changes. Discussion: Cumulatively, these data show that C. nucifera has important impacts on floristic, structural and soil characteristics of forests where it becomes dominant. Given the high proportion of tropical coastal areas in which C. nucifera is now naturalized and abundant, this likely has important implications for coastal forest diversity and structure.     

江西猕猴桃属(Actinidia)植物的分布及其区系特征

通过野外调查和查阅大量标本、文献,对江西猕猴桃属植物的分布和区系特征进行了系统研究。江西省境内分布有猕猴桃属植物20种和11变种(或变型),其中葛枣猕猴桃(Actinidia polygama (Sieb．et Zucc．)Maxim．)、灰毛猕猴桃(A．cinerascens C．F．Liang)、楔叶猕猴桃(A.fasciculoides var. cuneata C.F.Lang)和簇花猕猴桃(A．fasciculoides C．F．Liang)为江西新分布。江西猕猴桃属植物区系特征表现在：(1)种类丰富;(2)特有现象较明显;(3)多型性突出;(4)地理成分复杂,以中国特有分布式样为主;(5)种间、种内分化较强烈;(6)与邻近地区猕猴桃属植物的关系密切。还对江西猕猴桃属植物的分布与自然生境的关系进行了探讨。     

贵州雷公山国家级自然保护区鱼类物种多样性及其资源保护

2005年4月至2006年11月,对雷公山自然保护区的鱼类资源状况进行了调查.调查表明,保护区共有鱼类35种,隶属4目10科30属.该区的鱼类多数为适应于山区溪流生活的种类,鲤科鱼类是其中最大的类群,构成鱼类区系成分的主体.该区有一定经济价值的鱼类包括泥鳅(Misgurnus anguillicandatus)、马口鱼(Opsariichthys bidens)、鲤(Cyprinus carpio)、瓦氏黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus vachelli)、黄鳝(Monopterus albus)、草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)、刺鲃(Spinibarbus caldwelli)、南方白甲鱼(Onychostoma gerlachi)、月鳢(Channa asiatica)等.通过实地调查,对保护区内两条主要水系(长江水系和珠江水系)的物种相似度进行了对比.     

神农架豆科植物的分布及其区系特点

神农架位于湖北西部,素有“华中第一峰”之称,最高海拔3105米。神农架有豆科植物31属56种(不包括栽培种),其中,乔木10种,灌木19种,草本22种和藤本5种。在温带常绿针叶林带内有2种生长,有28种分布在暖温性落叶阔叶和针叶混交林带,52种分布在亚热带落叶阔叶和常绿阔叶混交林带。其中,只有紫云英1种在三个带内都有分布,24种可跨两个分布带。在区系成分中,中国-日本成分16种,中国特有种21种,温带亚洲成分5种,欧亚成分4种,北温带成分3种,热带亚洲成分3种,热带亚洲和热带非洲成分1种,东亚-北美成分1种,西亚至东亚成分1种,中国-喜马拉雅成分1种。神农架豆科植物区系特点是:种类较丰富,成分复杂,特有种多,具明显的过渡特色。