不同分离源植物乳杆菌的群体基因组分析

【背景】植物乳杆菌(Lactobacillus plantarum)广泛存在于植物、乳制品、肉制品、哺乳动物和昆虫的肠道等多种生态环境中。【目的】探究不同分离源L. plantarum基因组与其所在环境是否存在潜在的联系。【方法】利用比较基因组学对126株分离自植物、乳制品、肉制品、果蝇及哺乳动物肠道和口腔等部位的L. plantarum菌株基因组进行系统发育分析和功能基因组分析,解析不同分离源菌株间的亲缘关系和进化历程。【结果】果蝇分离株的基因组大小显著高于植物、哺乳动物肠道、肉制品和乳制品分离株(P0.05),植物和哺乳动物肠道、口腔等部位与肉制品分离株的基因组大小和编码基因数量无显著差异(P0.05)。基于单拷贝基因串联和核心基因系统发育树分析均发现,果蝇分离株和乳制品分离株分别集中聚集分布在某一分支中,其余分离源均匀分布在各个分支中。附属基因分析结果与系统发育树分析结果一致。功能基因注释结果发现,果蝇分离株的环境特异性基因参与低聚果糖和几丁质代谢,乳制品分离株的环境特异性基因参与mazEF毒素-抗毒素系统和CRISPR系统。【结论】植物乳杆菌分离株为适应较为独特的果蝇和乳制品生境而发生了适应性进化。本研究为植物乳杆菌适应性进化提供了新见解,同时为解析菌株的进化历程提供了理论基础。     

中国东北草原植物中的C3和C4光合作用途径

以光合作用关键羧化酶ＰＥＰＣ和ＲｕＢＰＣ活性化,并且参照叶片ＣＯ补偿浓度,δ＾１３Ｃ值和叶片解剖结构特点来鉴定东北草原区２３３种植物的Ｃ３,或Ｃ４光全作用途径,这些植物隶属于１４４属７３科,其中１３７种为首次鉴定。８９种具有Ｃ４光合作用途径,隶属于５５属１７科;１４４种人有Ｃ３光俣作用途径;隶属于９４属２８在多数Ｃ４种分布在禾本科、莎草科、苋科和藜科。苋属、地肤属、狗昌属和虎尾草属中的均为Ｃ４植物     

云南西双版纳尚勇保护区亚洲象对栖息地的选择

以西双版纳国家级自然保护区尚勇子保护区内的亚洲象种群为研究对象, 利用村寨调查、样线调查和3S(GIS、GPS、RS) 技术对该地区野生亚洲象的栖息地状况和亚洲象对栖息地选择利用进行了初步的研究。结果表明亚洲象喜欢海拔1 000 m以下的区域, 坡度小于10°的区域, 坡位为平坦的沟谷和山坡的下部, 坡向为南、北两个方向。偏好的植被类型有竹阔混交林、灌丛和高山草甸。研究还发现尚勇保护区及周边区域亚洲象栖息地的丧失和日益增加的非法盗猎活动已经严重威胁到该地区野生亚洲象种群的生存。     

Back-and-forth shifts in habitat selection by giant pandas over the past two decades in the Daxiangling Mountains,southwestern China

Habitat selection is a complex process, and animals may change their habitat selection over time. However, we have a poor understanding of temporal variation in habitat selection of endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), which has limited the development of conservation strategies for them. This study examined giant panda habitat selection in three stages of the past two decades (2001–2002, 2011–2012, and 2019–2020) in the Daxiangling Mountains, southwestern China. We applied the resource selection function to estimate the probability of species occurrence with five limiting habitat factors, i.e., elevation, slope, aspect, tree diameter at breast height, and bamboo cover. We found that giant pandas consistently selected for south- and west-facing slopes with mid-elevations and large trees in the three stages. However, there were shifts back-and-forth in the choice between higher and lower elevations and between higher and lower bamboo cover across the three stages. We suggest that the giant panda habitat selection had important consequences for gaining the high availability of palatable bamboo and good shelters. The back-and-forth shifts might be the result of changes in the type, spatial distribution, and intensity of human disturbance. Our study provides insights for improving our understanding and approaches for quantifying temporal variation in habitat selection in giant pandas and other species, suggesting that adaptive conservation and management in response to changing environments is needed.     

Millennial-scale faunal record reveals differential resilience of European large mammals to human impacts across the Holocene

The use of short-term indicators for understanding patterns and processes of biodiversity loss can mask longer-term faunal responses to human pressures. We use an extensive database of approximately 18 700 mammalian zooarchaeological records for the last 11 700 years across Europe to reconstruct spatio-temporal dynamics of Holocene range change for 15 large-bodied mammal species. European mammals experienced protracted, non-congruent range losses, with significant declines starting in some species approximately 3000 years ago and continuing to the present, and with the timing, duration and magnitude of declines varying individually between species. Some European mammals became globally extinct during the Holocene, whereas others experienced limited or no significant range change. These findings demonstrate the relatively early onset of prehistoric human impacts on postglacial biodiversity, and mirror species-specific patterns of mammalian extinction during the Late Pleistocene. Herbivores experienced significantly greater declines than carnivores, revealing an important historical extinction filter that informs our understanding of relative resilience and vulnerability to human pressures for different taxa. We highlight the importance of large-scale, long-term datasets for understanding complex protracted extinction processes, although the dynamic pattern of progressive faunal depletion of European mammal assemblages across the Holocene challenges easy identification of ‘static’ past baselines to inform current-day environmental management and restoration.     

舟山群岛春秋季黄麂的栖息地特征及其利用的初步研究

栖息地选择是野生动物与其环境之间的基本关系,野生动物的栖息地特征研究对野生动物的保护和利用具有重要意义(骆颖等,2009).动物的食物资源具有季节性变化(蒋志刚,2004),在舟山群岛,春季有蹄类动物的可利用资源相对较为缺乏而到秋季相对丰富,有蹄类动物的栖息地特征由于不同季节间的环境可利用资源不同而产生差异(Sehmitz,1991).研究不同季节动物的柄息地特征及利用机制,可以深入了解动物是如何适应环境的(蒋志刚,2004).     

Persistent soil seed banks and floristic diversity in Fagus orientalis forest communities in the Hyrcanian vegetation region of Iran

We assessed the size of seed bank, species diversity and similarity between seed bank and standing vegetation in four oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) community types of the central Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran. For this purpose a total of 52 relevés was established in two associations and two subassociations of the beech forests, and six soil samples (20 × 20 cm square and to a depth of 10 cm) were collected in each relevé in mid-spring, after the germination season had ended. Soil seed bank was investigated using the seedling emergence method. A total of 63 species, 57 genera and 36 families was represented in the persistent soil seed bank of the forest communities. The seed bank contained 28 species not found as adult plants in the vegetation, but these were mostly early successional species. Size of the seed bank ranged from 3740 to 4676 individuals m⁻² in the Rusco hyrcani-Fagetum orientalis and Danae racemosae-Fagetum orientalis associations, respectively. Species composition of seed banks and aboveground vegetation had low similarity with an average of 24.3% in the four plant communities, because only 38% of the species were the same in the vegetation and the seed banks. Most seeds in the seed bank were from early successional species, and the only tree with a large persistent seed bank was the fast-growing pioneer Alnus subcordata. DCA ordination also demonstrated low similarity between soil seed bank and vegetation. The soil seed banks of the four beech communities did not differ significantly in size, composition, diversity and uniformity. Although above ground vegetation in the four community types is floristically distinct, there is considerable overlap among the soil seed banks because they contain in a similar way early successional species. Further, the absence of typical forest species in the soil seed bank indicates that restoration of forest tree species cannot rely on the soil seed bank.     

Predicting the redox state and secondary structure of cysteine residues in proteins using NMR chemical shifts

Different programs and methods were employed to superimpose protein structures, using members of four very different protein families as test subjects, and the results of these efforts were compared. Algorithms based on human identification of key amino acid residues on which to base the superpositions were nearly always more successful than programs that used automated techniques to identify key residues. Among those programs automatically identifying key residues, MASS could not superimpose all members of some families, but was very efficient with other families. MODELLER, MultiProt, and STAMP had varying levels of success. A genetic algorithm program written for this project did not improve superpositions when results from neighbor-joining and pseudostar algorithms were used as its starting cases, but it always improved superpositions obained by MODELLER and STAMP. A program entitled PyMSS is presented that includes three superposition algorithms featuring human interaction.     

生境破碎化对生物多样性的影响

生境破碎化对生物多样性和生态系统功能的影响是当前国内外生态学家研究的热点问题之一。生境破碎化导致原生境的总面积减小,产生隔离的异质种群,从而影响个体行为特性、种群间基因交换、物种间相互作用及生态过程。生境破碎化的过程引起栖息地内部食物、繁殖场所、局部小气候、边缘效应等生物和非生物条件的变化,从而影响植物种群的大小和灭绝速率、扩散和迁入、遗传和变异以及存活力等,影响动物种群的异质种群动态、适宜生境比例、灭绝阈值、种间关系等。随着景观生态学与农业科学的融合,探索利用景观布局控制害虫发生将是人类利用生境破碎化为人类服务的一条新途径。     

El Niño as a Window of Opportunity for the Restoration of Degraded Arid Ecosystems

Most arid ecosystems have suffered from severe overexploitation by excessive wood harvesting, overgrazing, and agriculture, resulting in depletion of vegetation biomass and soil erosion. These changes are often difficult to reverse due to positive feedbacks that tend to stabilize the new situation. In this paper, we briefly review evidence for the idea that different states in these ecosystems might represent alternative equilibria and present a graphic model that summarizes the implications for their response to changing environmental conditions. We show how, in the light of this theoretical framework, climatic oscillations such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) could be used in combination with grazer control to restore degraded arid ecosystems. We also present evidence that, depending on grazing pressure, ENSO episodes can trigger structural and long-lasting changes in these ecosystems.