Clinical isolates of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nocardia brasiliensis</Emphasis> from Japan exhibit variable susceptibility to the antibiotic imipenem

Clinical isolates of Nocardia brasiliensis from Japan were classified into two groups based on their susceptibility to the carbapenem antibiotic, imipenem (IPM). Of 33 strains tested, 10 belonged to an IPM susceptible group, with MIC of from 0.25 to 2 εg/ml and a MIC₈₀ value of 1.5 εg/ml for this antibiotic. The remaining 23 strains belonged to an IPMresistant group with MIC and MIC₈₀ values of 8–16 εg/ml and >16 εg/ml, respectively. The type strain of N. brasiliensis belonged to this resistant group. Analysis of 16S rDNA genes sequences showed that the IPM susceptible group had characteristic single nucleotide substitutions at positions 103 (T), 381 (A), and 456 (A), in contrast to the IPM resistant group. This grouping, however, was not associated with their clinical manifestation.     

AFLP Fingerprinting Analysis of Elite Hevea brasiliensis Germplasm

There are more than 6 000 clones of Hevea brasiliensis Mull. Ary germplasm in the germplasm garden of Chinese National Key Biotechnology Laboratory for Tropical Crops and some of them are elite germplasm demonstrated by production and previous studies. AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) fingerprinting analysis was performed on 25 clones (15 of Wickham clones and 10 of Amazon wild clones which possess phenotypes with high-yielding/low-yielding, cold-tolerance/cold-sensitivity, oidium-resistance/oidium-sensitivity, tapping panel dryness (TPD)/healthy) respectively through a 377 DNA sequencer (P. E. Corp.) and PAGE electrophoresis results were analyzed by using GeneScanTMand GenotypeTM Analysis software (P.E.Corp.). The fragment profiles of different clones were obtained. Five hundred and eighteen fragments were generated by two primer combinations screened from 64 primer combinations and 511 fragments appeared to be polymorphic (98.6%). Genetic distance ranged from 0.25 to 0.81 between clones and ranged from 0.07 to 0.17 within RRIM600 clone. A specific 320 bp fragment of the oidium-resistant clones was found through genotype analysis. These results showed that AFLP fingerprints were highly reproducible and powerful and can be widely used in germplasm identification and genetic diversity analysis of Hevea brasiliensis. In addition, based on the AFLP data, cluster analysis was performed. Cluster results showed that all the clones studied were almost clustered into a group one by one.      

西双版纳热带季节雨林与橡胶林土壤呼吸

季节雨林和橡胶(Hevea brasiliensis)林是西双版纳热带森林生态系统中原始林和大面积种植人工林的两种代表类型。热带季节雨林层次结构复杂,多样性丰富,而橡胶林结构简单,乔木层只有橡胶树1种。应用碱吸收法,研究了这两种植被类型土壤呼吸速率、地下5 cm土壤温度、气温和土壤含水率的季节变化规律,以及土壤呼吸速率与地下5 cm土壤温度、气温和土壤含水率的关系。结果表明:1)季节雨林和橡胶林土壤呼吸速率、土壤温度、气温和土壤含水率都有明显的季节变化,而且两种林型的变化趋势基本一致;2)季节雨林和橡胶林土壤呼吸速率与地下5 cm土壤温度和气温之间具有显著的指数相关关系,显著水平达1%,与地下5 cm温度的相关性(r²分别为0.87和0.82)明显高于与气温的相关性(r²分别是0.80和0.72);3)季节雨林和橡胶林土壤呼吸速率与土壤含水率具有显著的线性相关(r²分别是0.73和0.63),显著水平达1%;4)橡胶林的土壤呼吸速率明显高于季节雨林,这与两种林型的结构有关;5)季节雨林和橡胶林土壤呼吸的Q₁₀分别为2.16和2.18,比文献报道的热带土壤的Q₁₀(1.96)稍高。     

橡胶树胶乳4个HbRab基因的克隆和表达分析

克隆了橡胶树胶乳中表达的4个Rab基因的全长cDNA,命名为HbRab5-HbRab8。它们编码22～24kDa的蛋白,均具有小G蛋白家族共有的GTP／GDP结合保守结构域,分别属于植物Rab家族的F、D、A和B亚家族成员。组织表达分析显示,除HbRab69外,其他3个HbRab6基因均在胶乳中表达丰度最高。在胶乳中,伤害处理显著下调HbRab6表达而上调HbRab7表达：乙烯和水杨酸处理下调HbRab6和HbRab8的表达,甲基茉莉酸处理上调HbRab5、HbRab7、HbRab8的表达,细胞分裂素上调HbRab5的表达。本文结果为橡胶树胶乳再生相关Rab基因的筛选与功能阐述奠定了基础。     

Anionic Antimicrobial and Anticancer Peptides from Plants

Anionic antimicrobial peptides (AAMPs) have been identified in a wide variety of plant species with net charges that range between ?1 and ?7 and structures that include: extended conformations, α-helical architecture and cysteine stabilized scaffolds. These peptides commonly exist as multiple isoforms within a given plant and have a range of biological activities including the ability to kill cancer cells as well as phytopathogenic bacteria, fungi, pests, molluscs, and other predatory species. In general, the killing mechanisms underpinning these activities are poorly understood although they appear to involve attack on intracellular targets such as DNA along with compromise of cell envelope integrity through lysis of the cell wall via chitin-binding and/or permeabilisation of the plasma membrane via lipid interaction. It is now becoming clear that AAMPs participate in the innate immune response of plants and make a major contribution to the arsenal of defence toxins produced by these organisms to compensate for their lack of some defence mechanisms possessed by mammals, such as mobility and a somatic adaptive immune system. Based on their biological properties, a number of potential uses for plant AAMPs have been suggested, including therapeutically useful anticancer agents and novel antimicrobial compounds, which could be utilized in a variety of scenarios, ranging from the protection of crops to the disinfection of hospital environments.     

橡胶树不同品种雌花分布和座果规律研究

以橡胶树（Hevea brasiliensis Muell.Arg.）RRIM600、GT1、RRII105、IAN873、RRIM712、PB217等6个品种为对象,对不同品种橡胶树雌花分布和座果位置进行了观察和统计。结果表明：不同橡胶树品种间,圆锥花序上雌花的个数、雌花在花序上的位置分布和结果侧枝上的花序数存在极显著差异。雌花和果实在圆锥花序上的分布规律相似,主要分布在圆锥花序的顶端和下部;结果花序主要分布在结果侧枝的下部,圆锥花序距离树干越远,则花序结果的几率越小。因此,在橡胶树杂交育种时,可以只对相关品种座果率高的结果侧枝相应位置上的花序及花序上相应的雌花进行授粉,而摘掉其余座果率低的花序和雌花,从而提高杂交育种效率和效果。     

Lack of transovarial transmission of Bartonella by rodent fleas

In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Morick et al. (2011) present an interesting study of acquisition and transmission of Bartonella by Xenopsylla ramesis fleas (Fig. 1) which infest naturally wild desert rodents from the Negev desert. A major issue with vector-borne diseases and vector-borne infection is to know whether the vector can also be a natural reservoir and transmit the infectious agent transovarially, allowing the infection to be perpetuated through successive generations of vectors. The desert flea, X. ramesis, is a flea species parasitizing gerbilline rodents in the deserts of the Middle East (Fielden et al. 2004).     

Feeding Ecology of the Giant Otter,Pteronura brasiliensis1

The food habits of the giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, were determined by analyzing fecal samples collected year–round from communal latrines at Xixtiaú Creek (00°48'S, 61°33'W), Jauaperi River (central Brazilian Amazon) between 1993 and 1994. Communal latrines were also sampled during the low water season at Aquidauana River (19°32'S, 56°40'W), Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul (central Brazil). Fragments of vertebrae, mandibles, teeth, scales, and fin spines provided an estimate of the diet composition. Remains of fish were present in all of the samples. The main fish groups found at Xixuaú Creek were Perciformes, represented specifically by Cichlidae (97.3% of all samples), Characiformes (86.5%) and Siluriformes (5.4%). The Characiformes were represented mainly by E, rythrinidae (Hoplias sp. 90.6%), followed by Serrasalmidae (28%). The Anostomidae occurred with a frequency of 18.7 percent, while Characinae, Bryconinae, and Cynodontidae were only observed in 3.1 percent of the Characiformes records. At Aquidauana River, the Characiformes were the most frequent fish group, represented in 100 percent of all samples, followed by Siluriformes (66.6%) and Perciformes (33.3%). The fish from the main groups identified in the diet of the giant otters prefer riverbanks, lakes, and flooded forests. The feeding habits of Pteronura brasiliensis are probably influenced by the vulnerability and abundance of the prey consumed by this carnivore.     

Synchronous flowering of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) induced by high solar radiation intensity

How tropical trees flower synchronously near the equator in the absence of significant day length variation or other meteorological cues has long been a puzzle. The rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is used as a model to investigate this phenomenon. The annual cycle of solar radiation intensity is shown to correspond closely with the flowering of the rubber tree planted near the equator and in the subtropics. Unlike in temperate regions, where incoming solar radiation (insolation) is dependent on both day length and radiation intensity, insolation at the equator is due entirely to the latter. Insolation at the upper atmosphere peaks twice a year during the spring and autumn equinoxes, but the actual solar radiation that reaches the ground is attenuated to varying extents in different localities. The rubber tree shows one or two flowering seasons a year (with major and minor seasons in the latter) in accordance with the solar radiation intensity received. High solar radiation intensity, and in particular bright sunshine (as distinct from prolonged diffuse radiation), induces synchronous anthesis and blooming in Hevea around the time of the equinoxes. The same mechanism may be operational in other tropical tree species.     

燃油植物橡胶树籽的开发利用

橡胶籽是橡胶树种植产业中的一项副产品资源,估计我国每年可产橡胶籽油15万～18万t.论述了橡胶籽油用于生物柴油的可行性,如能因地制宜开发生物柴油,既可解决植胶农场柴油不足,也可充分利用资源,其生态效益、经济效益均很明显,值得引起有关方面的注意.