Marine actinobacteria: perspectives,challenges, future directions

In this paper we evaluate the current state of research on the biology and biotechnology of marine actinobacteria. The topics covered include the abundance, diversity, novelty and biogeographic distribution of marine actinobacteria, ecosystem function, bioprospecting, and a new approach to the exploration of actinobacterial taxonomic space. An agenda for future marine actinobacterial research is suggested based upon consideration of the above issues.     

The relationship between soil seed bank,above‐ground vegetation and disturbance intensity on old‐field successional permanent plots

Questions: How does disturbance and successional age influence richness, size and composition of the soil seed bank? What is the potential contribution of the soil seed bank to the plant community composition on sites differing in their successional age or disturbance intensity? Location: Experimental Botanical Garden of Göttingen University, central Germany. Methods: Above‐ground vegetation and soil seed bank were studied on formerly arable fields in a 36‐year‐old permanent plot study with five disturbance intensities, ranging from yearly ploughing via mowing to long‐term uninterrupted succession. We compared species compositions, seed densities and functional features of the seed bank and above‐ground vegetation by using several methods in parallel. Results: The seed bank was mainly composed of early successional species typical of strongly disturbed habitats. The difference between seed bank composition and above‐ground vegetation decreased with increasing disturbance intensity. The species of greatest quantitative importance in the seed bank was the non‐native forb Solidago canadensis. Conclusions: The ability of a plant community to regenerate from the soil seed bank dramatically decreases with increasing time since abandonment (successional age) and with decreasing disturbance intensity. The present study underlines that plant species typical of grasslands and woodlands are limited by dispersal capacity, owing to low capacity for accumulation of seeds in the soil and the fact that most species do not build up persistent seed banks. Rare and target species were almost absent from the seed bank and will, after local elimination, depend on reintroduction for continuation of their presence.     

Mycorrhizal colonization of Pinus muricata from resistant propagules after a stand-replacing wildfire

Colonization of mycorrhizal fungi was studied in a Pinus muricata forest on the coast in California, USA, burned by a stand-replacing wildfire in October 1995. Naturally established field seedlings of P. muricata were harvested 1 yr after the fire. The species composition of the mycorrhizal fungi on these field seedlings was dominated by Rhizopogon species, Wilcoxina mikolae and Tomentella sublilacina . Bioassays, set up with soil collected immediately after the fire, were used to determine which mycorrhizal species had colonized the burned area from resistant propagules. The P. muricata seedlings in these bioassays were dominated by suilloid and ascomycetous fungi, the same fungi which dominated the mycorrhizal flora of seedlings in pre-fire bioassays derived from the same forest site, suggesting that resistant propagules were the primary inoculum source for naturally establishing seedlings. Drying of post-fire soil for 1 month raised the number of bioassay seedlings associated with Rhizopogon olivaceotinctus , while the number of bioassay seedlings associated with Rhizopogon ochraceorubens was reduced. Fire appeared to have either stimulated or provided a competitive advantage to R. olivaceotinctus , which increased in abundance on the post-fire bioassay and field seedlings. Soil collected from the burned area was diluted with sterile soil in three different concentrations, and the number and frequency of mycorrhizal taxa on bioassay seedlings decreased with increased dilution. Although precise quantification was not possible, propagules of the Rhizopogon species were much more abundant than those of Tomentella or Wilcoxina species. Differences between the mycorrhizal associates of bioassay seedlings, naturally regenerated seedlings, and different inoculum sources are discussed.     

微囊藻毒素与自然水体中细菌VIVIFORM状态的相关性

细菌VIVIFORM状态是直接关系到自然水体水质评价和环境保护的生态现象 ,其形成机理相当复杂 ,但环境胁迫是主要诱因。通过人为改变湖水中的微囊藻毒素 (MC LR)水平 ,对水体中蓝藻毒素与细菌VIVIFORM状态之间的相关性进行了分析。结果表明 ,较高的毒素水平对水体中细菌种群总量没有明显的影响 ,但能刺激VIVIFORM细菌转化成可培养状态 ,从而证实了自然水体中蓝藻毒素与水细菌VIVIFORM状态之间存在直接的相关性。     

Post-cultivation Secondary Succession in a Venezuelan Lower Montane Rain Forest

Since tropical rain forests are widely threatened by conversion to agriculture, even within protected areas, an understanding of recovery processes is important for restoration of forest ecosystems and thus conservation of their biodiversity. Secondary succession following land clearance and crop cultivation was studied in a lower montane rain forest in a protected area of the Venezuelan Cordillera de la Costa Central. Forest recovery was studied using a chronosequence of eight 20 × 20 m plots which represented four forest types ca.10 year-old Secondary Forest, ca. 20 year-old Secondary Forest, ca. 35 year-old (uncultivated) secondary forest and mature forest. Species richness and structural complexity increased during succession, with the oldest secondary forest having a physiognomy comparable to the mature forest. Species diversity was lower in the secondary forests than the mature forest, and their floristic composition was distinct. Four phases are hypothesized to occur in the succession process, each with a distinctive species assemblage: initial colonisation by non-woody vegetation; establishment and canopy closure by short-lived small-seeded woody pioneer species; replacement by longer-lived secondary species; and gradual replacement by mature forest large-seeded climax species. Full recovery of the forests in the protected area is likely to take many years, although it may be assisted through conservation management measures.     

Ten years primary succession on a newly created landfill at a lagoon of the Mediterranean Sea (Lake Burullus RAMSAR site)

This study was carried out on the transported bed soil dredged from the outlet of Lake Burullus to the Mediterranean Sea and deposited nearby, forming by this way new land that underwent a primary plant succession. The multi-methodological approach comprised floristic inventories, vegetation sampling and soil composition analyses of the study site in order to detect the crucial parameters controlling the plant resettlement on recently deposited soil as related to time, local micro-topography and substrate characteristics. Floristic composition was assessed for the first 10 years of primary succession (2001–2010) on 18 stands of the area, distributed on basement, slope stands and plateau of the landfill, respectively. Vegetation surveys were the basis of multivariate analyses of the vegetation and soil data using TWINSPAN, DCA and CCA. Relationships between the edaphic gradients, floristic composition and species diversity were assessed.     

Biochemical characterization of indole prenyltransferases: filling the last gap of prenylation positions by a 5-dimethylallyltryptophan synthase from Aspergillus clavatus

The putative prenyltransferase gene ACLA_031240 belonging to the dimethylallyltryptophan synthase superfamily was identified in the genome sequence of Aspergillus clavatus and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The soluble His-tagged protein EAW08391 was purified to near homogeneity and used for biochemical investigation with diverse aromatic substrates in the presence of different prenyl diphosphates. It has shown that in the presence of dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), the recombinant enzyme accepted very well simple indole derivatives with L-tryptophan as the best substrate. Product formation was also observed for tryptophan-containing cyclic dipeptides but with much lower conversion yields. In contrast, no product formation was detected in the reaction mixtures of L-tryptophan with geranyl or farnesyl diphosphate. Structure elucidation of the enzyme products by NMR and MS analyses proved unequivocally the highly regiospecific regular prenylation at C-5 of the indole nucleus of the simple indole derivatives. EAW08391 was therefore termed 5-dimethylallyltryptophan synthase, and it filled the last gap in the toolbox of indole prenyltransferases regarding their prenylation positions. K(m) values of 5-dimethylallyltryptophan synthase were determined for L-tryptophan and DMAPP at 34 and 76 μM, respectively. Average turnover number (k(cat)) at 1.1 s(-1) was calculated from kinetic data of L-tryptophan and DMAPP. Catalytic efficiencies of 5-dimethylallyltryptophan synthase for L-tryptophan at 25,588 s(-1)·M(-1) and for other 11 simple indole derivatives up to 1538 s(-1)·M(-1) provided evidence for its potential usage as a catalyst for chemoenzymatic synthesis.     

基于景观尺度过程模型的长白山地表径流量时空变化特征的模拟

运用已建立的景观尺度生态系统生产力过程模型EPPML对长白山自然保护区地表径流量的季节动态和空间分布特征进行了模拟,对其与环境因子间的相互关系进行了分析．模拟结果表明,长白山自然保护区地表径流量的季节进程表现出明显的三峰型,6月和9月出现低谷,8月达最大(2．58mm·d^-1),与土壤含水量的季节变化趋势十分相似．1995年地表径流量的模拟值平均为0．203m·年^-l,空间分布随海拔升高呈现明显增加的趋势,最高为高山流砾滩(0．619m·年^-1),最低为阔叶红松林(0．081m·年^-1)．年地表径流量与叶面积指数(LAI)呈极显著负相关指数关系(R^2＝0．857)．年地表径流量与气温和总辐射呈负相关关系(R^2分别为0．965和0．836),与降水量、相对湿度和风速呈正相关关系(R^2均大于0．950),还与土壤特性密切相关。     

四川盆地西缘山地土壤肥力评价

从土壤的理化因子出发,利用综合评价的方法,建立土壤肥力综合指标模型,对四川盆地西缘山地土壤的肥力状况进行了研究。结果表明,该区域内影响土壤肥力的主导因子为土壤有机质的含量、全氮重、全碳重及代换性H^ 含量。在同一种土壤类型中,随着植物群落的演替土壤肥力逐渐增加,但这不适合于不同土壤类型之间。这是由于不同的土壤类型所对应的气候条件不同所致。