A PCR-based tool for the cultivation-independent monitoring of Pandora neoaphidis

Pandora neoaphidis is one of the most important fungal pathogens of aphids and has a great potential for use in biocontrol. Little is known on how this fungus persists in an area and in particular on its overwintering strategies. It is hypothesized that natural areas play an important role for survival and that soil may serve as a source of inoculum for new aphid populations in spring. To test these hypotheses, a cultivation-independent PCR-based diagnostic tool was developed, that allows the detection of P. neoaphidis in the environment. Two P. neoaphidis specific PCR primer pairs were designed, targeting sequences in the ribosomal RNA gene cluster. Specificity of both primer pairs was demonstrated with P. neoaphidis and non-target close entomophthoralean relatives. Moreover, single amplicons of expected sizes were obtained with both primer pairs from various environmental sample types, including aphid cadavers, plant material, and soil. The PCR-based diagnostic tool was applied to investigate the persistence of P. neoaphidis in soil samples obtained in 2004/2005 from a nettle field harboring infected aphids in fall 2004. P. neoaphidis was detected in every sample collected in November 2004 and March 2005, suggesting an overwintering stage of P. neoaphidis in top soil layers. The developed cultivation-independent PCR-based tool will be valuable for further investigation of the ecology of P. neoaphidis and for the development and future implementation of management strategies against aphids involving conservation biocontrol.     

First detection of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) in France, a dicistrovirus affecting honeybees (Apis mellifera)

Bee samples were collected in French apiaries that displayed severe losses and mortality during the winter (from November 2007 to March 2008). They were screened for the presence of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) by using RT-PCR. Five out of 35 surveyed apiaries, located in two different geographical areas, were found positive. This represents the first reported detection of IAPV in France. The specificity of the PCR products was checked by sequencing. The phylogenetic analysis showed that French isolates of IAPV were closely related to a cluster including American and Australian isolates. Nevertheless, most of American isolates previously reported to be associated to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and an Israeli isolate first isolated in 2004 from dead bees were included in another cluster. Since IAPV was detected in only 14% of the affected apiaries, it was not possible to establish a causal link between IAPV and the severe winter losses that occurred.     

Replication slippage versus point mutation rates in short tandem repeats of the human genome

Short tandem repeats (STRs) are subjected to two kinds of mutational modifications: point mutations and replication slippages. The latter is found to be the more frequent cause of STR modifications, but a satisfactory quantitative measure of the ratio of the two processes has yet to be determined. The comparison of entire genome sequences of closely enough related species enables one to obtain sufficient statistics by counting the differences in the STR regions. We analyzed human–chimpanzee DNA sequence alignments to obtain the counts of point mutations and replication slippage modifications. The results were compared with the results of a computer simulation, and the parameters quantifying the replication slippage probability as well as the probabilities of point mutations within the repeats were determined. It was found that within the STRs with repeated units consisting of one, two or three nucleotides, point mutations occur approximately twice as frequently as one would expect on the basis of the 1.2% difference between the human and chimpanzee genomes. As expected, the replication slippage probability is negligible below a 10-bp threshold and grows above this level. The replication slippage events outnumber the point mutations by one or two orders of magnitude, but are still lower by one order of magnitude relative to the mutability of the markers that are used for genotyping purposes.     

河北塞罕坝冬季黑琴鸡种群密度调查

2007年12月对河北塞罕坝地区的黑琴鸡(Lyrurus tetrix)冬季种群密度进行了专项集中调查.越冬期种群密度为3.26只/km2,与历史资料对比,该地区黑琴鸡种群密度呈明显下降趋势.这与该地区栖息地的质量恶化、人类活动日益加剧和偷捕偷猎活动有关.     

Variation within species and inter-species comparison of seed dormancy and germination of four annual Lamium species

In an ecological context, knowledge of intra-species variation in dormancy and germination is necessary both for practical and theoretical reasons. We used four or five seed batches (replicates) of four closely related annuals co-occurring in arable fields in Sweden: Lamium amplexicaule, L. confertum, L. hybridum and L. purpureum. Seeds used for experiments stemmed from plants cultivated on two sites, each site harbouring one population of each species, thereby ensuring similar environmental history of seeds. Seeds were tested for germination when fresh and after three different pre-treatments (cold or warm stratification, or dry storage) for up to 24 weeks. Seeds were also sown outdoors. Despite substantial intra-species variation, there were clear differences between species. The general seed dormancy pattern, i.e. which environmental circumstances that affect dormancy, was similar for all species; dormancy reduction occurred during warm stratification or dry storage. Even though the response to warm stratification indicates a winter annual pattern, successful plants in Sweden were mostly spring emerged. Germination in autumn occurred, but plants survived winters poorly. Consequently, as cold stratification did not reduce dormancy, strong dormancy in combination with dormancy reduction during dry periods might explain spring germination. It is hypothesised that local adaptations occur through changes mainly in dormancy strength, i.e. how much effort is needed to reduce dormancy. Strong dormancy restricts the part of each seed batch that germinate during autumn, and thus reduces the risk of winter mortality, in Sweden.     

Effects of exogenous ABA and cytokinin on leaf photosynthesis and grain protein accumulation in wheat ears cultured <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

A detached culture system and steady-state ¹⁵N labeling technique were used to study the effects of exogenous ABA and ZR on photosynthetic characteristics, nitrogen remobilization and the activities of key enzymes for nitrogen metabolism in detached wheat parts during grain protein accumulation. The differences in net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and soluble protein content in the flag leaves of detached culture system between the treatments of ABA and ZR showed that ABA facilitates the post-anthesis senescence course compared to the ZR treatment. The differences in the changes of ¹⁵N amount in different organs in the detached culture system between the ABA and ZR treatments showed that nitrogen remobilization from vegetative organs to the grain is accelerated by the ABA treatment but is delayed by ZR. The activities of GS and GPT in grains treated with ABA were significantly higher than those with the control treatment at 5 DAC, but reduced significantly compared with control at 11 DAC. The two enzyme activities in grains were reduced significantly by ZR at 5 DAC and increased significantly at 11 DAC, compared with those treated with ABA. The above changes of enzyme activity showed that the ABA treatment hastens amino acid conversion into grains and protein accumulation in grains, whereas the ZR treatment delays these processes. A significant reduction in grain weight with ABA treatment is associated with the reduction of net photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, and soluble protein content in flag leaves. Compared with the control and ZR treatments, a significant increase in grain protein content with the ABA treatment may result from the accelerating effects of ABA on N remobilization, amino acid conversion into grains and protein accumulation in grains.     

新疆黄鹀冬季的生物学资料

调查资料表明,黄鹀(Emberiza citronella erythrogenys)在中国境内新疆北部越冬,并非是偶见冬候鸟或迷鸟。     

开花后水分调控对两个筋型冬小麦品种品质与产量的影响

 通过开花后不同水分处理研究了两个不同筋型冬小麦品种(‘豫麦34’和‘洛阳8716’)(Triticum aestivum cv. `Yumai 34' and `Luoyang 8716')的品质及产量变化。结果表明：随着灌水时间推迟,湿面筋含量、沉降值、面团形成时间、稳定时间、评价值和拉伸面积有提高的趋势,但是千粒重和产量下降;随着开花后灌水量的增加,上述品质数值又有减少,产量及千粒重增加;多次灌水处理与开花后灌1次水处理、开花后不灌水处理之间差异显著,开花后21 d和28 d灌水处理的多项品质指标都大于不灌水处理。两品种面团稳定时间（45%和15%）、沉降值（20%和12%）在不同水分处理下变异系数较大,吸水率、湿面筋、蛋白质含量变异系数（<10%和 <5%）较小。     

Comparative mapping of loci controlling winter survival and related traits in oilseed Brassica rapa and B. napus

Winter survival is an important characteristic of oilseedBrassica that is seeded in the fall in northern climates,and it may be affected by genetic variation for other cold-regulated traits,such as freezing tolerance and vernalization responsive flowering time. Weanalyzed immortalized populations of oilseed Brassica rapa(recombinant inbred lines) and B. napus (double haploidlines) derived from crosses of annual and biennial types in order to comparethe map positions and effects of quantitative trait loci controlling wintersurvival, nonacclimated and acclimated freezing tolerances, and flowering time.The B. napus population was evaluated in multiple winters,and six of the 16 total significant QTL for winter survival were detected inmore than one winter. Correspondence in the map positions of QTL controllingdifferent traits within species provided evidence that some alleles causinggreater acclimated freezing tolerance and later flowering time also contributedto increased winter survival. Correspondence in the map positions of QTLbetween species provided evidence for allelic variation at homologous loci inB. rapa and B. napus. The potentialrole of some candidate genes in regulating these traits is discussed.