High apex predator biomass on remote Pacific islands

On coral reefs in Palmyra—a central Pacific atoll with limited fishing pressure—total fish biomass was 428 and 299% greater than on reefs in nearby Christmas and Fanning Islands. Large apex predators, groupers, sharks, snappers, and jacks larger than 50 cm in length, accounted for 56% of total fish biomass in Palmyra on average, but only 7 and 3% on Christmas and Fanning. These biomass proportions are remarkably similar to those previously reported for the remote and uninhabited Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and densely populated Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), although Palmyra’s reefs are dominated in biomass by sharks (44% of the total), whereas the NWHI by jacks (39%). Herbivorous fish biomass was also greater on Palmyra than on Christmas and Fanning (343 and 207%, respectively). These results and previous findings indicate that remote, uninhabited islands support high levels of consumers, and highlight the importance of healthy coral reef ecosystems as reference points for assessment of human impacts and establishment of restoration goals.     

氧诱导视网膜病模型中曲安奈德抑制新生血管生长的机制

目的观察氧诱导视网膜病模型(OIR)中曲安奈德(TA)对CD14+细胞聚集及VEGF表达的干预作用,初步探讨曲安奈德抑制视网膜新生血管生长的可能机制。方法清洁级C57BL/6哺乳期小鼠36只(共36个眼球),随机将其分为四组:①正常对照组(6个眼球),6只17日龄正常小鼠先行FFA眼底造影,然后每鼠随机摘取一个眼球,行眼球石蜡切片HE染色。②单纯高氧组(6个眼球),6只17日龄OIR模型小鼠处理同单纯对照组。③TA高氧组(12个眼球),12只12日龄OIR模型小鼠随机一眼注射TA 2μL,再于17日龄后行FFA眼底造影后摘除术眼,其中6个眼球行眼球石蜡切片HE染色及视网膜CD14和VEGF免疫组化染色,另6个眼球行视网膜VEGF mRNA的real-time PCR检测。④BSS高氧(12个眼球),12只12日龄OIR模型小鼠随机一眼注射BSS 2μL,余处理同TA高氧组。用t检验两两比较各组视网膜突破内界膜的内皮细胞核数,视网膜CD14与VEGF免疫组化染色的平均吸光度值(IOD/AOI),及VEGF mRNA的相对含量值(2-ΔCt×105)。结果与正常对照组相比,高氧诱导组突破视网膜内界膜的内皮细胞核数...     

Cisplatin Effects on Rhythmic Functions of Mice: Strain and Tissue Dependence

The competence to preserve the optimal timing relationships between rhythmic variables enables adaptation of mammals to alternate environmental conditions. The capability to re-entrain depends on genetic factors and the nature of imposed time cues. In the present study, the authors examined in rodent models, following a cancer chronochemotherapy, cisplatin (CP), the rhythm patterns of locomotor activity and of a few biochemical variables (alkaline phosphatase and creatinine phosphokinase in kidney tissue and plasma, kidney urea nitrogen, and white blood cell count). Males of two inbred mice strains, BALB/c and c57Bl/6J, received 10 consecutive daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of either saline or CP at zeitgeber time 22 (ZT22). CP administration altered the rhythms of each examined function in both strains. The type and extent of the changes varied among variables, tissues/plasma, and mouse strain. Yet, the effect of CP was not detected on all parameters, but only in ～60% of them. In addition, in the majority of the studied parameters, BALB/c and c57Bl/6J mice differed in their response to CP. The temporal parameters of period and peak time were more affected by CP than were the level ones of mesor (time series mean) and amplitude of variation. This observation may indicate the involvement of independent pathways of action upon each of the rhythm parameter sets. As a result, the rhythm phenotype of each function was modified and novel timing relationships were shaped. The results show that the circadian systems of BALB/c and c57Bl/6J mice failed to re-entrain after cessation of CP injections (tested on the first day following the 10 d course of CP administration), pointing to a direct effect of the medication on the tissues. The findings imply that optimal chemotherapeutic protocols should be tailored individually, according to the current temporal order rather than administered at a fixed predetermined circadian time. Further studies are necessary to determine which variables and rhythmic parameters could be useful to determine the optimal timing of chronochemotherapy. (Author correspondence: lpeleg@sheba.health.gov.il)     

Hybridization,recombination, and the genetic basis of fitness variation across environments in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Avena barbata</Emphasis>

We created Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) derived from a cross between ecotypes of Avena barbata associated with moist (mesic) and dry (xeric) habitats in California. Traits which were correlated with fitness across RILs mapped to the same Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) as fitness. However, different QTL affected fitness in different environments so that fitness was weakly correlated across environments. Recombination released considerable heritable variation both in fitness, and in ecologically relevant traits. Many traits showed transgressive segregation caused by recombination of QTL associated in repulsion phase in the parents. In addition, some traits were uncorrelated, allowing novel combinations of those traits to be created. Recombination also created heritable variation in reaction norms for at least one trait (root allocation). Altogether these results suggest that recombination can combine the most selectively advantageous genes and traits of the parents to produce broadly adapted genotypes that are capable of outperforming the parents. Indeed, two of the RILs showed higher fitness than the parental ecotypes across a range of environmental treatments in the greenhouse, but their superiority was less pronounced in the field. Although late-generation recombinants exhibited hybrid breakdown, being less fit, on average, than the mid-parent, early generation hybrids appear to exhibit hybrid vigour through the expression of dominance effects in the heterozyotes. This vigour may offset the effects of hybrid breakdown in the early generations following a cross, enhancing the opportunity for recombination to create broadly adapted genotypes. We discuss the implications of these findings to the evolution of colonizing species.     

Inferring purging from pedigree data

The harmful effects of inbreeding can be reduced if deleterious recessive alleles were removed (purged) by selection against homozygotes in earlier generations. If only a few generations are involved, purging is due almost entirely to recessive alleles that reduce fitness to near zero. In this case the amount of purging and allele frequency change can be inferred approximately from pedigree data alone and are independent of the allele frequency. We examined pedigrees of 59,778 U.S. Jersey cows. Most of the pedigrees were for six generations, but a few went back slightly farther. Assuming recessive homozygotes have fitness 0, the reduction of total genetic load due to purging is estimated at 17%, but most of this is not expressed, being concealed by dominant alleles. Considering those alleles that are currently expressed due to inbreeding, the estimated amount of purging is such as to reduce the expressed load (inbreeding depression) in the current generation by 12.6%. That the reduction is not greater is due mainly to (1) generally low inbreeding levels because breeders in the past have tended to avoid consanguineous matings, and (2) there is essentially no information more than six generations back. The methods used here should be applicable to other populations for which there is pedigree information.     

利用微卫星多重PCR技术鉴定剑尾鱼RR-B系

目的建立多重PCR技术鉴定选育剑尾鱼RR-B系的方法。方法根据可明显鉴定剑尾鱼RR-B系的6对特异性微卫星引物Msa012、Msa014、Msa033、Msb025、Msd003、Msd051,采用不同的组合方式对RR-B系剑尾鱼和红眼红体的非选育剑尾鱼进行多重PCR扩增。结果引物组合1(Msa014、Msb025、Msd003)和组合2(Msa012、Msa033、Msd051)两个三重PCR反应体系能清楚的扩增各个微卫星座位,且各目的片段之间无干扰,易于识别,引物组合1的排除概率为99.98%,引物组合2的排除概率为99.96%,能准确鉴定剑尾鱼RR-B系。结论本检测方法具有较高的稳定性,可快速准确鉴定剑尾鱼RR-B系。