长爪沙鼠资源开发利用进展

长爪沙鼠是源于我国的＂多功能＂实验动物资源,在某些研究领域发挥重要作用。随着研究深入,越来越多的长爪沙鼠生物学特性将被发现,这些将使长爪沙鼠资源利用更加多元化。本文对长爪沙鼠的开发研究历程及在分类学、寄生虫学、脑缺血、脂质代谢、神经性疾病和肿瘤学等研究中的应用作简要概述。     

两株耐寒PGPB的分离及其对藏北当地牧草生长的影响

为了从青藏高原北部(简称藏北)退化草原的土壤中分离筛选可以促进当地典型牧草生长的促生菌株,以促进藏北植被修复。该文通过采用稀释涂平板的方法,分离耐低温植物促生菌株,并结合盆栽试验设计,评估分离细菌对当地牧草生长的影响。结果表明:(1)从西藏土壤中成功筛选得到两株耐低温细菌TS22和TS27,经16S rRNA基因鉴定分别属于Brevibacterium sp.和Bacillus mycoides。(2)通过离体评估两株分离菌植物促生属性的结果显示,菌株TS22和TS27均具有产生IAA、SID的能力和ACC-脱氨酶活性,TS22具有较高的ACC-脱氨酶活性(264.69 nmol·α-KB mg~(-1)·h~(-1)),TS27显示出较强的产IAA[(7.52±3.85) mg·L~(-1)]和SID(92%)的能力。(3)盆栽试验显示,在10℃低温环境下,菌株TS22和TS27对早熟禾和老芒麦生长的影响因植物和菌种的不同而有所不同;菌株TS22在株高、根长、地上和地下干重方面显著促进了早熟禾的生长,且促生能力优于TS27。该研究结果为植物-微生物技术在藏北高寒地区植被恢复中的使用提供了很好的菌种资源和实践基础。     

Potential impacts of climatic change on southern African birds of fynbos and grassland biodiversity hotspots

Aim To examine potential impacts of climatic change on bird species richness of the fynbos and grassland biomes, especially on species of conservation concern, and to consider implications for biodiversity conservation strategy. Location Southern Africa, defined for this study as South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Methods Climate response surfaces were fitted to model relationships between recorded distributions and reporting rates of 94 species and current bioclimatic variables. These models were used to project species’ potential ranges and reporting rates for future climatic scenarios derived from three general circulation models for 30‐year periods centred on 2025, 2055 and 2085. Results were summarized for species associated with each biome and examined in detail for 12 species of conservation concern. Results Species richness of fynbos and grassland bird assemblages will potentially decrease by an average of 30–40% by 2085 as a result of projected climatic changes. The areas of greatest richness are projected to decrease in extent and to shift in both cases. Attainment of projected shifts is likely to be limited by extent of untransformed habitat. Most species of conservation concern are projected to decrease in range extent, some by > 60%, and to decrease in reporting rate even where they persist, impacts upon their populations thus being greater than might be inferred from decreases in range extent alone. Two species may no longer have any areas of suitable climatic space by 2055; both already appear to be declining rapidly. Main conclusions Species losses are likely to be widespread with most species projected to decrease in range extent. Loss of key species, such as pollinators, may have far‐reaching implications for ecosystem function and composition. Conservation strategies, and identification of species of conservation concern, need to be informed by such results, notwithstanding the many uncertainties, because the certainties of climatic change make it essential that likely impacts not to be ignored.     

Climate change and the invasion of California by grasses

Over the next century, changes in the global climate are expected to have major consequences for plant communities, possibly including the exacerbation of species invasions. We evaluated this possibility in the grass flora of California, which is economically and ecologically important and heavily invaded. We used a novel, trait‐based approach involving two components: identifying differences in trait composition between native and exotic components of the grass flora and evaluating contemporary trait–climate relationships across the state. The combination of trait–climate relationships and trait differences between groups allows us to predict changes in the exotic‐native balance under climate change scenarios. Exotic species are more likely to be annual, taller, with larger leaves, larger seeds, higher specific leaf area, and higher leaf N percentage than native species. Across the state, all these traits are associated with regions with higher temperature. Therefore, we predict that increasing temperatures will favor trait states that tend to be possessed by exotic species, increasing the dominance of exotic species. This prediction is corroborated by the current distribution of exotic species richness relative to native richness in California; warmer areas contain higher proportions of exotic species. This pattern was very well captured by a simple model that predicts invasion severity given only the trait–climate relationship for native species and trait differences between native and exotic species. This study provides some of the first evidence for an important interaction between climate change and species invasions across very broad geographic and taxonomic scales.     

X-chromosome inactivation in monkey embryos and pluripotent stem cells

Inactivation of one X chromosome in female mammals (XX) compensates for the reduced dosage of X-linked gene expression in males (XY). However, the inner cell mass (ICM) of mouse preimplantation blastocysts and their in vitro counterparts, pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs), initially maintain two active X chromosomes (XaXa). Random X chromosome inactivation (XCI) takes place in the ICM lineage after implantation or upon differentiation of ESCs, resulting in mosaic tissues composed of two cell types carrying either maternal or paternal active X chromosomes. While the status of XCI in human embryos and ICMs remains unknown, majority of human female ESCs show non-random XCI. We demonstrate here that rhesus monkey ESCs also display monoallelic expression and methylation of X-linked genes in agreement with non-random XCI. However, XIST and other X-linked genes were expressed from both chromosomes in isolated female monkey ICMs indicating that ex vivo pluripotent cells retain XaXa. Intriguingly, the trophectoderm (TE) in preimplantation monkey blastocysts also expressed X-linked genes from both alleles suggesting that, unlike the mouse, primate TE lineage does not support imprinted paternal XCI. Our results provide insights into the species-specific nature of XCI in the primate system and reveal fundamental epigenetic differences between in vitro and ex vivo primate pluripotent cells.     

Effect of geographical range size on plant functional traits and the relationships between plant,soil and climate in Chinese grasslands

Aim Our aim was to address the potential effect of the geographical range size of species on the relationships between plant traits, soil and climate in Chinese grasslands. Previous analyses tended to examine plant–environment relationships across many species while ignoring that species with different range sizes may respond differently to the environment. Here we hypothesized that leaf traits of narrow‐ranging species would be more strongly correlated with soil and climatic variables than those of wide‐ranging species. Location Chinese grasslands. Methods Data on leaf traits, including nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, carbon/nitrogen ratio, nitrogen/phosphorus ratio and specific leaf area, as well as species range sizes for 208 species distributed across 178 sites in Chinese grasslands were collected. Soil and climate information for each study site was also gathered. The effects of range size on leaf traits were tested using one‐way ANOVA. Correlations between leaf traits, soil and climate were calculated for all species pooled together and for species partitioned into range size quartiles, from the first (narrowest‐ ranging 25%) to the fourth (widest‐ranging 25%). Results Narrow‐ranging species tended to occur at high altitude with lower temperature but higher soil nutrient concentrations compared with wide‐ranging species. No direct link between leaf traits and species range sizes was detected. However, patterns of leaf–soil nutrient relationships changed significantly across levels of range size. Narrow‐ranging species tended to be more sensitive to variation in soil nutrient availability than wide‐ranging species, resulting in a shift from a positive leaf–soil nutrient relationship for narrow‐ranging plants to no relationship for wide‐ranging plants. Species responses to climatic variables were unrelated to their range sizes. Main conclusions The close relationship between leaf and soil nutrients indicates a specialization of narrow‐ranging species to particular habitats whereas wide‐ranging species may be able to better withstand changes in environment such as soil fertility over a large area.     

Intraspecific Chromosome Number Variation and Prairie Restoration—A Case Study in Northeast Iowa,U.S.A

Genome duplication has played an important role in plant evolution. Variation in genome size within species is common, particularly in grasses, but rarely considered when planning restorations. We surveyed ploidy variation within one habitat (tall grass prairie) in one region (northeast Iowa, U.S.A.) to assess the risk of ploidy mismatch in restoration plantings. Genome sizes were estimated using flow cytometry for samples from 19 remnant prairies, 5 restoration plantings, and 2 seed sources. Intraspecific ploidy variation in remnant prairie populations was found for two species of grasses, Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) and Panicum virgatum (switchgrass). Restoration seeds differed from remnants in ploidy for three species of grass, P. virgatum, Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass), and Spartina pectinata (prairie cordgrass), and for one species of forb, Amorpha canescens (lead plant). In the case of S. pectinata, local ecotype seeds were found to consist of two different ploidy levels. Restorations in grasslands in the United States and elsewhere are likely to create mixed ploidy populations, probably resulting in lower reproductive success for the remnant population. Prevention of mixed ploidy populations will require the screening of restoration seed sources and regional surveys for ploidy variation.     

内蒙古外来入侵植物种类调查及相关分析

[目的] 近几年,内蒙古外来入侵植物种类日趋增长,对当地物种和环境的危害逐渐加大,相关研究相对薄弱。为了解内蒙古外来入侵植物种类组成,本研究分析其生活型、原产地、引进途径,以期为今后内蒙古外来入侵植物的管理与防治工作提供基础资料。[方法] 通过野外实地考察,查阅相关文献与数据库,对内蒙古外来入侵植物进行分类统计分析。[结果] 内蒙古外来入侵植物共有94种,隶属于24科65属,其中,种数超过10种的有3科,分别为菊科（22种,占总种数的23.4%）、苋科（11种,占总种数的11.7%）和禾本科（11种,占总种数的11.7%）;生活型分析发现,一年生草本最多（68种）,占总种数的72.3%,二年生草本（25种）与多年生草本（18种）分别占总种数的26.6%和19.1%,乔木、灌木较少;原产地来源最多的是北美洲（44种）,占总种数的46.8%,最少的是非洲（8种）,仅占总种数的8.5%;引进途径中,有意引进和无意引进分别占总种数的48.9%和51.1%。[结论] 内蒙古外来入侵植物种类较多、涵盖科广泛,以菊科、苋科和禾本科为主;来源广、无意引进趋势增强。为了防止外来入侵植物对内蒙古生态、经济、人畜健康等方面的危害,应及时开展外来入侵植物风险评估、有效防除等工作。     

The role of the Golgi complex in the isolation and digestion of organelles

The origin of the membranes and lytic enzymes involved in autophagy has been studied in metamorphosing insect fat body.The Golgi complex has two functions in the organelle destruction which takes place when fat body cells change their activities. (1) It gives rise to envelopes which externalize organelles scheduled for destruction. Microbodies, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum are sequentially removed from the cytoplasm by investment in isolation membranes. During the isolating phase, isolation membranes have the same osmiophilia as the outer saccular and microvesicular components of the Golgi complex, they do not contain lytic enzymes and they are specific in their adhesion to organelles scheduled for destruction. (2) The Golgi complex gives rise to lytic enzymes. Primary lysosomes which contain acid phosphatase fuse with the isolation bodies formed from invested organelles to become autophagic vacuoles. During this lytic phase, acid phosphatase is present in the inner saccules and microvesicular components of the Golgi complex, in the primary lysosomes seen fusing with isolation bodies and in autophagic vacuoles.     

内蒙古兴安盟汉族体质调查

调查了内蒙古兴安盟乌兰浩特市320例城市汉族(男145人, 女175人)和突泉县太平乡514例乡村汉族(男256人, 女258人)的85项体质指标, 计算了32项指数及其分型。研究显示, 1)内蒙古兴安盟汉族的主要体质特征为:大多数人有上眼睑皱褶, 44.5%的人具蒙古褶,眼裂高度以窄、中型为主, 眼裂倾斜度以外高内低型最高; 鼻根高度以中、低型为主, 鼻基部多上翘或水平, 鼻梁侧面观多为直型, 鼻翼高度中等, 鼻孔最大径多横位或斜位; 上唇皮肤部高度多为中等型; 耳垂类型多为圆形、三角形; 黑发, 眼色褐色, 肤色黄或浅黄。男女均以特圆头型、高头型、中头型、狭鼻型、中面型、宽胸型、宽骨盆型、宽肩型及中肩型、长躯干型、亚短腿型居多。城市男女身高均以高型为主, 乡村男女身高中等或亚中等类型占优。2)兴安盟汉族城市人群的体质状况总体上优于乡村。3)兴安盟汉族的体质特征与蒙古族、回族、锡伯族等北方族群接近。