数学模型与自然保护科学

日益加剧的人类干扰和景观破碎化已危及全球的生物多样性。自然保护成为人类所面临的最重要也最富有挑战性的任务。指导这一实践的理论和原则极为需要。本文试图综述与自然保护科学有关的几个学科在理论和实际研究(尤其是模型)方面的近期成果以及发展趋势,从而提出自然保护模型的发展方向。文中涉猎基于不同方法论、不同组织水平的模型,并对数学模型在自然保护科学中的作用和实用性加以讨论。     

禾本科植物的组织培养研究及其应用

禾本科植物是粮食作物的主要来源,随着人口的增加和生活水准的提高,人类对粮食的产量、种类和质量的需求也日益迫切。根据国外在1982年对90个发展中国家的统计和预测的结果说明到1990年末,这些国家共缺少72百万吨谷物而到2000年将缺少144百万吨谷物。近十余年以来,随着植物分子生物学的迅猛发展和作为植物生物技术重要组成部分的植物组织培养技术的日臻完善,被公认为非常困难从事的禾本科植物(Gramina-ceae)的组织培养也取得了异常迅速的发展,并且已经在作物改良的生产中取得了成效,显示了越来越大的潜能和威力,为人类从根本上解决食物问题指出了一条切实可行的途径。本文拟在评述近年来禾本利植物组织培养(主要指胚胎培养、器官培养、细胞培养和原生质体培养)的理论性研究和应用性研究的进展,并重点描述和讨沦在应用上较为成熟和有发展前景的几个领域的发展现状以及利用禾本科植物的组织培养技术而进行的基因转移技术的概况。希望能为我国从事植物组织培养的工作者们提供某些参考资料并对于一些问题进行共同的商榷和探讨。     

Energy conservation in whole cells of the methylotrophic bacterium Methylophilus methylotrophus

Respiratory chain phosphorylation has been investigated in the methylotrophic bacterium Methylophilus methylotrophus following the addition of oxidisable substrates to aerobic, whole cell suspensions. Initial-rate experiments showed that ATP synthesis occurred at the overall expense of AMP and inorganic phosphate via the sequential action of the ATP phosphohydrolase and adenylate kinase; some of the nascent ATP was rapidly used to synthesis nonadenine nucleoside triphosphates. After being corrected for ATP turnover, Pi/O quotients of 0.46 to 0.54, 0.77 and 1.37 nmol/ng-atom O were obtained for the oxidation of methanol dehydrogenase-linked substrates (methanol, ethanol and acetaldehyde), duroquinol and formate (NAD⁺-linked) respectively. These values were proportional to the H⁺/O and/or K⁺/O quotients exhibited by these substrates, and yielded an average H⁺/ATP (H⁺/Pi) quotient of 4.2 ng-ion H⁺/nmol. Steady-state experiments showed that the extent of cellular energisation varied with the respiration rate but was always in the order methanol > duroquinol > acetaldehyde, thus indicating that under these longer-term conditions methanol was completely oxidised to yield PQQH₂ and 2NAD(P)H. These results are discussed in terms of the various reactions which lead to the generation or utilisation of the protonmotive force in this organism.Abbreviations FCCP carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethyxyphenyl-hydrazone - bulk phase, transmembrane electrochemical potential difference of protons ( ) - pH bulk phase, transmembrane pH difference (pH_in–pH_out) - bulk phase, transmembrane electrical potential difference (_in - _out) - [P] concentration of anhydride phosphate bonds in adenine nucleotides (2[ATP]+[ADP]) - FPLC fast protein liquid chromatography - PQQ pyrroloquinoline quinone - Gp phosphorylation potential     

Knob heterochromatin homology in maize and its relatives

Summary We have characterised the major DNA sequence component of knob heterochromatin in maize, teosinte andTripsacum. Sequence analysis of this DNA gives strong support to the proposal that maize originated by selection of variants in teosinte. In situ hybridization has confirmed that this repeating DNA sequence, which is the major component of maize knob heterochromatin, is also the major component of knobs in teosinte,Zea diploperennis andTripsacum. In Southern blot hybridizations the repeat has a similar basic organization in all taxa;Tripsacum, however, is differentiated from maize and teosinte by a number of sequence features. Maize and teosinte knob heterochromatin are indistinguishable with regard to the distribution of mutations in the 180-bp repeat and the presence and organization of a 202-bp variant sequence. The knob DNA sequence was not detectable in three species ofCoix, an Old World genus of the Maydeae.Within the repeat unit is a 27-bp region that shows no sequence changes in maize, teosinte orTripsacum. The remainder of the repeat unit has randomly distributed nucleotide changes. The presence of the conserved sequence region suggests that knob DNA may have a functional role in the nucleus.     

The semiquinone cycle. A hypothesis of electron transfer and proton translocation in cytochromebc-type complexes

The Q cycle and theb cycle are the main current models of action of the cytochromebc-type complexes of mitochondria, bacteria, and chloroplasts. Both are based on the concept, proposed in 1972, of two sequential one-electron oxidations of (ubi)quinol along two discrete pathways which operate at different redox potentials, and with bound semiubiquinone as an intermediate. The models differ in two respects, viz. in the pathway of electron transfer and the principle of linkage of electron transfer to proton translocation. In this article we outline a new model, called the semiquinone or, simply, SQ cycle, which is based on the electron transfer principles of theb cycle but which incorporates the Q cycle concept of direct coupling between electron transfer and proton translocation through action of ubiquinone.This paper is dedicated to the memory of Bob Casey, who died in Helsinki on the 2nd of August 1985.     

Evolution of CuZn superoxide dismutase and the Greek key beta-barrel structural motif

Detailed analysis of the CuZn superoxide dismutase (SOD) structure provides new results concerning the significance and molecular basis for sequence conservation, intron-exon boundary locations, gene duplication, and Greek key beta-barrel evolution. Using 15 aligned sequences, including a new mouse sequence, specific roles have been assigned to all 23 invariant residues and additional residues exhibiting functional equivalence. Sequence invariance is dominated by 15 residues that form the active site stereochemistry, supporting a primary biological function of superoxide dismutation. The beta-strands have no sequence insertions and deletions, whereas insertions occur within the loops connecting the beta-strands and at both termini. Thus, the beta-barrel with only four invariant residues is apparently over-determined, but dependent on multiple cooperative side chain interactions. The regions encoded by exon I, a proposed nucleation site for protein folding, and exon III, the Zn loop involved in stability and catalysis, are the major structural subdomains not included in the internal twofold axis of symmetry passing near the catalytic Cu ion. This provides strong confirmatory evidence for gene evolution by duplication and fusion followed by the addition of these two exons. The proposed evolutionary pathway explains the structural versatility of the Greek key beta-barrel through functional specialization and subdomain insertions in new loop connections, and provides a rationale for the size of the present day enzyme.     

Captive breeding for the conservation of cichlid fishes

Cichlid fishes are by far the largest familial group of endangered vertebrates, especially the haplochromines. This paper concerns the organization and management of captive breeding of haplochromine cichlids. The setting up of a small-scale laboratory programme for the conservation of endangered species is described in terms of funding, staffing, installation and livestock husbandry. Breeding is discussed in the context of the selection of broodstock, basic reproductive biology, rearing, disease, pathological disorders and the arrangements necessary for the transfer and documentation of progeny. There are already indications in Africa and elsewhere that the dramatic decline and demise of cichlid taxa in Lake Victoria will not be an isolated phenomenon. There is no prospect that the captive breeding of cichlids can alone resolve such large-scale problems in fisheries management and ecology, or prevent the loss of taxa in nature. Nevertheless, captive breeding provides conservation options which are otherwise limited or unavailable regarding the saving of individual 'heritage' species, restocking to the wild, fundamental laboratory research and, finally, public education on the grave issue of actual and prospective mass extinctions of cichlids and other rare fishes.     

Demography of agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis)

Demographic processes and the structure of a population of agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis) were investigated over 6 years in the Gunung Palung Reserve, Indonesia. Estimates of population size, density, and biomass revealed a population whose groups were stable in size and composition. Demographic processes place gibbons at risk, however, to short-term changes in their environment. Patterns of survival, fecundity, mortality, and dispersal combined to produce negative rates of growth. In addition, a top-heavy age-class distribution, with adults forming a large fraction of animals, makes it unlikely that this population could recover rapidly from a decline in numbers. Two behavioral factors, territoriality and monogamy, account for the size and stability of gibbon groups. Monogamy imposes limits on group size, while mating patterns and territoriality decrease the impact of sources of high mortality common in other primate species. These relationships underscore the fundamental importance of behavioral influence on demographic processes and social structure.