广西北部湾海岸带、海岛的外来入侵植物

为保护广西北部湾海岸带、海岛的植物多样性和生态系统多样性,通过样方、样带法野外实地调查并结合文献资料,对其外来入侵植物的物种组成、原产地、生活型、入侵途径和危害状况等进行了分析。结果表明,广西北部湾海岸带、海岛共有入侵植物64种,隶属28科55属,其中菊科(Asteraceae)最多(15种)。草本植物最多,有48种(75.00%)。原产地来自美洲的植物最多,有49种。入侵风险等级可划分为5个等级,其中Ⅰ级严重危害的有8种(12.50%)。与广西、广东、海南及华南地区的外来入侵植物在物种组成、生活型和原产地等方面呈现出较强的相似性;北部湾与广西中越边境内陆地区来自美洲的入侵植物都超过60%。因此推测广西外来入侵植物有两条可能的入侵线路：一是从海南登录,二是从中越边境跨入。广西北部湾海岸带、海岛的外来入侵植物总数(相对整个广西)虽较少,但其8种Ⅰ级严重危害植物的防治,仍需引起重视。     

Otolith microstructure pattern in Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

The microstructure of otoliths from young and old Oreochromis niloticus (L.) were studied. Otoliths were prepared histologically except for those from newly hatched fish. Hatching results in the formation of a check in the otoliths, which appeared 1 day later. Other checks are rare in juvenile otoliths but common in adult otoliths. Faint and non-daily increments were observed within the hatching check. After hatching, increments were deposited daily. Sub-daily increments were faint and narrow, they were present in the area along the dorso-ventral axis of the otolith but did not continue into the lateral region. Discontinuous zones in the medial area appeared different from those in the lateral area. New growth centres were not only found in the juvenile fish otoliths, but also in adult fish otoliths.     

Algae-associated marine molluscs in the Azores

The raolluscan fauna of a special habitat, the high intertidal algal turf, was studied at four stations on the island of Sao Miguel, Azores. The number of species found ranged from 13 to 23. However, a small group of only six species (the bivalve Lasaea adansoni and the gastropods Pisinna punctulum, Omalogyra atomus, Fossarus ambiguus, Skeneopsis planorbis and Alvania postrema) accounted for more than 80% of all the specimens collected. Mollusc density reached values of 20000 specimens per 100 g algal dry weight. The abundance and number of species of molluscs was comparable with those reported for algal zones lower on the Azorean shores.
Wave exposure and seasonality effects were found to be small, presumably because of the relatively mild abiotic conditions and the protective role of the turf. The algal substrata influenced the phytal molluscan community in two ways. First, the abundance of molluscs was significantly correlated with algal dry weight. Secondly, molluscan abundance and diversity were influenced by the algal composition of the turf. A rich algal composition, with several species of branched fleshy and coralline algae, was associated with a rich molluscan fauna. The dominance of coralline algae resulted in a abundant but species-poor fauna, while an almost monospecific turf of Gigartina was poor in both species and number of molluscan fauna.     

CALLING SONG DISPLACEMENT IN A ZONE OF OVERLAP AND HYBRIDIZATION

The ground crickets Allonemobius fasciatus and A. socius meet in a mosaic zone of overlap and hybridization stretching from the East Coast to at least Illinois. To test whether male calling song differences were enhanced in sympatry, we analyzed the songs of crickets from inside and outside the zone of overlap along two transects. No evidence of calling song displacement was found in A. socius males from populations within the zone of overlap. On the other hand, A. fasciatus displayed calling song displacement in three populations. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the selective pressure exerted by the challenge from a related species is frequency dependent. While not a conclusive demonstration, the observed shifts in calling song are strongly suggestive of reproductive character displacement.     

Search for substrate-based inhibitors fitting the S2' space of malarial aspartic protease plasmepsin II.

Plasmepsin (Plm) has been identified as an important target for the development of new antimalarial drugs, since its inhibition leads to the starvation of Plasmodium falciparum. A series of substrate-based dipeptide-type Plm II inhibitors containing the hydroxymethylcarbonyl isostere as a transition-state mimic were synthesized. The general design principle was provision of a conformationally restrained hydroxyl group (corresponding to the set residue at the P2' position in native substrates) and a bulky unit to fit the S2' pocket.     

Competition between red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) and sheep (Ovis aries) in the arid rangelands of Australia

Abstract Competition between red kangaroos and sheep in the more arid areas of Australia was examined by means of a large-scale manipulative experiment incorporating two replicates of each of three treatments: sheep-only, kangaroo-only and a sheepAangaroo mixture. The study was conducted over two years during which time pasture conditions varied markedly. Competition was intermittent, occurring only during a period of climatically related food depletion (semi-drought). At this time there was a large increase in kangaroo densities due to an influx of kangaroos from neighbouring areas. Competition reduced live-weight in sheep but had no significant impact on wool production. This effect was linked to diet selection. Competition caused red kangaroos to favour paddocks destocked of sheep but had no detectable effect on the condition of kangaroos.     

Identification of genes expressed in the shoot apex ofBrassica campestris during floral transition

The vegetative-to-floral transition ofBrassica campestris cv. Osome was induced by vernalization. Poly(A)+RNA was isolated from the transition shoot apex after 6 weeks of vernalization, the floral apex after 12 weeks of vernalization and the expanded leaves just before vernalization, and cDNAs were synthesized. These cDNAs were used for subtraction and differential screening to select cDNA preferentially present in the transition and floral apices. Nucleotide sequences of the resulting 14 cDNA clones were determined, and northern blot analysis was carried out on six cDNAs. Two cDNA clones which did not show significant similarity to known genes were shown to be preferentially expressed in the floral apex.     

Physicochemical basis for the rapid time-action of LysB28ProB29-insulin: dissociation of a protein-ligand complex.

The rate-limiting step for the absorption of insulin solutions after subcutaneous injection is considered to be the dissociation of self-associated hexamers to monomers. To accelerate this absorption process, insulin analogues have been designed that possess full biological activity and yet have greatly diminished tendencies to self-associate. Sedimentation velocity and static light scattering results show that the presence of zinc and phenolic ligands (m-cresol and/or phenol) cause one such insulin analogue, LysB28ProB29-human insulin (LysPro), to associate into a hexameric complex. Most importantly, this ligand-bound hexamer retains its rapid-acting pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The dissociation of the stabilized hexameric analogue has been studied in vitro using static light scattering as well as in vivo using a female pig pharmacodynamic model. Retention of rapid time-action is hypothesized to be due to altered subunit packing within the hexamer. Evidence for modified monomer-monomer interactions has been observed in the X-ray crystal structure of a zinc LysPro hexamer (Ciszak E et al., 1995, Structure 3:615-622). The solution state behavior of LysPro, reported here, has been interpreted with respect to the crystal structure results. In addition, the phenolic ligand binding differences between LysPro and insulin have been compared using isothermal titrating calorimetry and visible absorption spectroscopy of cobalt-containing hexamers. These studies establish that rapid-acting insulin analogues of this type can be stabilized in solution via the formation of hexamer complexes with altered dissociation properties.     

中国亚热带常绿阔叶林净第一性生产力的估算

中国亚热带常绿阔叶林净第一性生产力的估算倪健（中国科学院植物研究所生态室,北京１０００９３）ＥｓｔｉｍａｔｅｏｆｔｈｅＮｅｔＰｒｉｍａｒｙＰｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｖｉｔｙｆｏｒＳｕｂｔｒｏｐｉｃａｌＥｖｅｒｇｒｅｅｎＢｒｏａｄｌｅａｖｅｄＦｏｒｅｓｔｉｎＣｈ...     

内蒙古草原退化群落恢复演替的研究II. 恢复演替时间进程的分析

 根据内蒙古典型草原地带的羊草+大针茅草原退化变型一冷蒿群落封育12年(1983—1994)的动态监测数据进行分析,对群落恢复演替轨迹取得以下认识： 1．依据群落优势种的更替及主分量分析结果可将恢复演替过程划分为冷蒿优势阶段、冷蒿+冰草阶段、冰草优势阶段、羊草优势阶段。 2;退化草原群落在恢复演替过程中,群落生产力的变化表现出阶梯式跃变和亚稳态阶面相间的特点。第一次跃变发生在1984年,上升到第二个阶面,第二次跃变发生在1990年,进入了第三个阶面,已接近于原生群落的生产力。 3．群落生产力与水资源量的关系因恢复演替阶段不同而异。第一亚稳态时期,群落地上现存生物量大体处于166g·m-2的水平上,生长季降水量达176mm以上时,增加降水对群落生产力的提高不发生显著影响。第二亚稳态时期,群落生物量与降水量之间的相关性显著。可推算出群落于物质生产用水量介于1.1～1.6mm·g-1之间。此值在1.1mm·g-1时,群落对水资源的利用效率最高,而在1.6mm·g-1时群落生物量达到最大值。 4．在恢复演替进程中,群落密度的位点常数约为271.5株·m-2,循此常数上下波动,表现出拥挤与稀疏交替发生的过程,构成了恢复演替的节奏性变化。群落生物量的跃变与亚稳态的形成,以及群落密度的拥挤与稀疏交替作用是群落恢复演替的内在机制。恢复演替的速度,到第10年发生了1.78个半变的生态距离。5．草原退化群落恢复演替过程中,按照其节奏性及生产力跃变与亚稳态的规律,调控放牧利用强度或采取技术措施,调节群落拥挤和稀疏的交替过程可加速恢复演替进程。