阴道微生态在早产中的研究进展

阴道微生态是由阴道的局部解剖结构、周期性的内分泌变化、阴道局部免疫系统和阴道内微生物菌群共同组成的阴道环境和生态系统。多项研究证实阴道微生态失调通过局部炎症因子释放、黏膜免疫应答的改变和局部代谢变化,可引起早产的发生。阴道内小分子物质如糖类、短链脂肪酸和胺类通过代谢路径和代谢产物在阴道微生态失调与早产的发病机制起作用。近年来,阴道微生态的理念得到重视,治疗方法由传统的抗生素治疗转向了综合治疗,目的是恢复正常阴道菌群和阴道上皮黏膜免疫系统。但阴道微生态与宿主之间存在复杂的相互作用,因此仍需要进一步的研究。     

Spine and dine: A key defensive trait promotes ecological success in spiny ants

A key focus of ecologists is explaining the origin and maintenance of morphological diversity and its association with ecological success. We investigate potential benefits and costs of a common and varied morphological trait, cuticular spines, for foraging behavior, interspecific competition, and predator–prey interactions in naturally co‐occurring spiny ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Polyrhachis) in an experimental setting. We expect that a defensive trait like spines might be associated with more conspicuous foraging, a greater number of workers sent out to forage, and potentially increased competitive ability. Alternatively, consistent with the ecological trade‐off hypothesis, we expect that investment in spines for antipredator defense might be negatively correlated with these other ecological traits. We find little evidence for any costs to ecological traits, instead finding that species with longer spines either outperform or do not differ from species with shorter spines for all tested metrics, including resource discovery rate and foraging effort as well as competitive ability and antipredator defense. Spines appear to confer broad antipredator benefits and serve as a form of defense with undetectable costs to key ecological abilities like resource foraging and competitive ability, providing an explanation for both the ecological success of the study genus and the large number of evolutionary origins of this trait across all ants. This study also provides a rare quantitative empirical test of ecological effects related to a morphological trait in ants.     

繁殖期杂色山雀应激水平的皮质酮浓度 与繁殖投入的关系

皮质酮是鸟类重要的糖皮质激素,在其适应环境变化及压力应激反应中起重要的调节作用。非应激状态时,鸟类血浆皮质酮浓度处于基线水平,当鸟类面对应激刺激时,血浆皮质酮浓度迅速升高,应激水平的皮质酮对鸟类个体生存至关重要。然而,目前繁殖季鸟类血浆应激水平的皮质酮浓度变化及其与繁殖投入关系的研究结果存在种间差异,仍需在不同的物种中进行实验研究。本研究分析了繁殖季杂色山雀（Sittiparus varius）血浆应激水平的皮质酮浓度在繁殖阶段的变化,及育雏期亲鸟血浆应激水平的皮质酮浓度与繁殖参数和亲鸟育雏投入的关系。结果显示,与求偶期相比,育雏期杂色山雀亲鸟血浆应激水平的皮质酮浓度极显著升高（P < 0.001）,雌性与雄性亲鸟之间无显著性差异（P > 0.05）;雌性与雄性亲鸟血浆应激水平的皮质酮浓度与繁殖参数、亲鸟递食投入、巢防卫行为均无显著相关性（P > 0.05）。     

Toward insights on antimicrobial selectivity of host defense peptides via machine learning model interpretation

Host defense peptides are promising candidates for the development of novel antibiotics. To realize their therapeutic potential, high levels of target selectivity is essential. This study aims to identify factors governing selectivity via the use of the random forest algorithm for correlating peptide sequence information with their bioactivity data. Satisfactory predictive models were achieved from out-of-bag prediction that yielded accuracies and Matthew's correlation coefficients in excess of 0.80 and 0.57, respectively. Model interpretation through the use of variable importance metrics and partial dependence plots indicated that the selectivity was heavily influenced by the composition and distribution patterns of molecular charge and solubility related parameters. Furthermore, the three investigated bacterial target species (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) likely had a significant influence on how selectivity was realized as there appears to be a similar underlying selectivity mechanism on the basis of charge-solubility properties (i.e. but which is tailored according to the target in question).     

A comprehensive landscape genomics approach for seed sourcing strategies in landscapes under varying degrees of habitat disturbance

As most ecosystems around the world are threatened by anthropogenic degradation and climate change, there is an increasing urgency to implement restoration strategies aiming at ensuring ecosystem self‐sustainability and resilience. An initial step towards that goal relies on selecting the most suitable seed sources for a successful revegetation, which can be extremely challenging in highly degraded landscapes. The most common seed sourcing strategy is to select local seeds because it is assumed that plants experience strong adaptations to their natal sites. An alternative strategy is the selection of climate‐adapted genotypes to future conditions. While considering future climatic projections is important to account for spatial shifts in climate to inform assisted gene flow and translocations, to restore highly degraded landscapes we need a comprehensive approach that first accounts for species adaptations to current at‐site environmental conditions. In this issue of Molecular Ecology Resources, Carvalho et al. present a novel landscape genomics framework to identify the most appropriate seed sourcing strategy for moderately and highly degraded sites by integrating genotype, phenotype and environmental data in a spatially explicit context for two native plant species with potential to help restore iron‐rich Amazonian savannas. This framework is amenable to be applicable and adapted to a broad range of restoration initiatives, as the dichotomy between focusing on the current or future climatic conditions should depend on the goals and environmental circumstances of each restoration site.     

短波紫外线照射对‘金都’火龙果采后保鲜的影响

以‘金都’火龙果(Hylocereus polyrhizus ‘Jindu’)果实为试材,采用波长254 nm紫外杀菌灯为辐射源,给予不同剂量短波紫外线(Ultraviolet-C,UV-C)照射处理,探讨低剂量UV-C对火龙果采后保鲜的影响及作用机理。结果表明,不同剂量UV-C照射处理能有效抑制‘金都’火龙果果实腐烂和电导率上升,降低果实TSS含量,其中1.0 kJ·m–2紫外线辐照效果最好。1.0 kJ·m–2 UV-C处理能极显著提高贮藏期火龙果的SOD和CAT活性,显著提高贮藏早中期的几丁质酶活性和PPO活性,β-1,3葡聚糖酶活性在贮藏后期也显著高于对照,但降低了火龙果贮藏中期(第6天)的POD活性。此外,1.0 kJ·m–2 UV-C处理显著提高火龙果贮藏期H2O2含量(除第6天外),对果实的失水率无影响。采后火龙果应用适当剂量UV-C照射可提高抗病性,延长贮藏保鲜期。     

Facultative mutualisms: A double‐edged sword for foundation species in the face of anthropogenic global change

Ecosystems worldwide depend on habitat‐forming foundation species that often facilitate themselves with increasing density and patch size, while also engaging in facultative mutualisms. Anthropogenic global change (e.g., climate change, eutrophication, overharvest, land‐use change), however, is causing rapid declines of foundation species‐structured ecosystems, often typified by sudden collapse. Although disruption of obligate mutualisms involving foundation species is known to precipitate collapse (e.g., coral bleaching), how facultative mutualisms (i.e., context‐dependent, nonbinding reciprocal interactions) affect ecosystem resilience is uncertain. Here, we synthesize recent advancements and combine these with model analyses supported by real‐world examples, to propose that facultative mutualisms may pose a double‐edged sword for foundation species. We suggest that by amplifying self‐facilitative feedbacks by foundation species, facultative mutualisms can increase foundation species’ resistance to stress from anthropogenic impact. Simultaneously, however, mutualism dependency can generate or exacerbate bistability, implying a potential for sudden collapse when the mutualism's buffering capacity is exceeded, while recovery requires conditions to improve beyond the initial collapse point (hysteresis). Thus, our work emphasizes the importance of acknowledging facultative mutualisms for conservation and restoration of foundation species‐structured ecosystems, but highlights the potential risk of relying on mutualisms in the face of global change. We argue that significant caveats remain regarding the determination of these feedbacks, and suggest empirical manipulation across stress gradients as a way forward to identify related nonlinear responses.     

Spontaneous Return of Biodiversity in Restored Subtropical Thicket: Portulacaria afra as an Ecosystem Engineer

An accepted criterion for measuring the success of ecosystem restoration is the return of biodiversity relative to intact reference ecosystems. The emerging global carbon economy has made landscape‐scale restoration of severely degraded Portulacaria afra (spekboom)‐dominated subtropical thicket, by planting multiple rows of spekboom truncheons, a viable land‐use option. Although large amounts of carbon are sequestered when planting a monoculture of spekboom, it is unknown whether this is associated with the return of other thicket biodiversity components. We used available carbon stock data from degraded, restored, and intact stands at one site, and sampled carbon stocks at restored stands at another site in the same plant community. We also sampled plant community composition at both sites. The total carbon stock of the oldest (50 years) post‐restoration stand (250.8 ± 14 t C ha^?1) approximated that of intact stands (245 t C ha^?1) and we observed a general increase in carbon content with restoration age (71.4 ± 24 t C ha^?1 after 35 and 167.9 ± 20 t C ha^?1 after 50 years). A multiple correspondence analysis separated degraded stands from stands under restoration based on ground cover, floristic composition, and total carbon stock. Older post‐restoration and intact stands were clustered according to woody canopy recruit abundance. Our results suggest that spekboom is an ecosystem engineer that promotes spontaneous return of canopy species and other components of thicket biodiversity. The spekboom canopy creates a cooler micro‐climate and a dense litter layer, both likely to favor the recruitment of other canopy species.