Gonad Morphology, Colony Demography and Evidence for Hermaphroditism in Gobiodon Okinawae (Teleostei, Gobiidae)

Gobiodon okinawae is a small-sized, obligate coral-dwelling goby. The majority of species in this Indo-Pacific genus exhibit an obligatory association with branching live corals and a number have been shown to be bi-directional hermaphrodites in which adults have the capacity to shift between male and female function. Gonadal histology in G. okinawae demonstrated that all individuals had either an ovotestis or an ovary. Some females had an ovary with vitellogenic oocytes, indicating adult female function. Hermaphrodites having an ovotestis were either functionally male, as evidenced by the presence of spermatozoa or, in one instance, functionally female so judged by the presence of vitellogenic oocytes. No individuals were found to have mature gametes of both sexes, although a number of hermaphrodites had an inactive ovotestis with no mature gametes of either sex. Based on size ranges for fish having different gonad morphologies, individuals in this species appear to develop first as a female. They then either mature and function solely as a female, or become hermaphroditic. Findings based on experimentally maintained individuals suggests that adult hermaphrodites can shift sexual function in either direction. Accessory gonadal structures (AGS) were found in both sexes. These consisted of two fully differentiated pairs of lobes, each compartmentalized internally by lumina and containing PAS+secretions. The secretions of the dorsally located AGS were colloidal while those of the ventrally located AGS were fibrillar and granular in nature. The presence of two sets of AGS among males appears to be characteristic of both Gobiodon and its putative sister genus, Paragobiodon. However, the occurrence of fully developed AGS in both females and males has not previously been reported and may be unique to G. okinawae.     

Sex change of primary males in a diandric labrid Halichoeres trimaculatus: coexistence of protandry and protogyny within a species

In the threespot wrasse Halichoeres trimaculatus , sex change of primary males was observed in the field and confirmed by aquarium experiments. In other words, protandry and protogyny coexisted within this species. Moreover, male-to-female-to-male sex change and female-to-male-to-female sex change were observed in aquarium experiments; i.e . reversed sex change occurred in both protandrous and protogynous hermaphrodites. These results suggest that only the direction of sex differentiation before maturation may differ between the two sexual types that have been regarded as a primary male and a protogynous hermaphrodite.     

Relationship between photochemical reflectance index with multi-angle hyper-spectrum and light use efficiency in urban green-land ecosystems

Aims Light-use efficiency (LUE) is one of critical parameters in the terrestrial ecosystem production studies. Accurate determination of LUE is very important for LUE models to simulate gross primary productivity (GPP) at regional and global scales. We used eddy covariance technique measurement and tower-based, multi-angular spectro-radiometer observations in autumn 2012 to explore the relationship between bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) corrected photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and LUE in different phenology and environment conditions in urban green-land ecosystems. Methods Using the eddy covariance technique, we estimated the temporal changes in GPP during the autumn 2012 over Beijing Olympic Forest Park. LUE was calculated as the ratio of GPP to the difference between incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and PAR reflected from the canopy. Daily PRI values were averaged from the BRDF using semi-empirical kernel driven models. The absolute greenness index (2G_RB) was made by webcam at a constant view zenith and view azimuth angle at solar noon. The logistic function was used to fit the time series of the greenness index. The onset of phonological stages was defined as the point when the curvature reached its maximum value. Important findings Webcamera-observed greenness index (2G_RB) showed a decreasing trend. There was a highly significant relationship between 2G_RB and air temperature (R² = 0.60, p < 0.001). This demonstrates that air temperature is the main driving factor to determine the phenology. PRI estimated from multi-angle hyper-spectrum can estimate LUE in urban green-land ecosystems in vigorous photosynthetic period. The correlation was the strongest (R² = 0.70, p < 0.001) in the peak photosynthetic period. PRI relates better to LUE under high temperature (>15 °C) with high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) (>700 Pa) and high PAR (>300 μmol·m^-2·s^-1). The LUE was up-scaled to landscape/regional scales based on these relationships and phenology. It can also be used for the estimation of GPP of urban green-land with high accuracy.     

城市绿地生态系统多角度高光谱光化学反射植被指数与光能利用率的关系

光能利用率(LUE)是陆地生态系统总初级生产力(GPP)估算的一个重要参数。LUE的准确估算对于在区域甚至全球尺度上使用LUE模型估算GPP是非常重要的。一个基于通量塔的观测视场与通量观测足迹在时空上相匹配的自动多角度遥感平台为LUE在站点尺度上的准确估算提供了一个好方法。该文基于通量塔涡度相关(EC)和自动多角度高光谱连续观测获取的连续30 min的数据, 在站点空间尺度和0.5 h与日时间尺度上, 探讨了城市绿地生态系统秋季光化学反射植被指数(PRI)与LUE之间的关系。研究发现, 反映植被叶面积和色素变化的植被绿度指数在秋季呈现逐渐下降的趋势, 表征了植被冠层的状态与结构变化, 叶片从绿色逐渐变黄凋落, 植被冠层叶片的叶绿素逐渐减少, 裸露的枝干增多; 用空气温度和代表物候过程的绝对绿度指数(2G_RB)做线性回归分析, 得到回归系数(R²)为0.60 (p < 0.001)。说明在城市绿地生态系统中, 空气温度是决定植被物候过程的主要驱动因素, 随着植被物候变化, 叶片的凋落导致的裸露土壤的增多以及随时间变化的色素含量和其比例的变化将影响PRI和LUE的关系; 采用植被生长模型(logistic曲线), 拟合时间与2G_RB, 得到曲率变化最快的点, 确定为秋季植被落叶期的初日, 即第290天。在0.5 h和日时间尺度上, PRI都可以捕捉LUE的变化。但是日尺度上不同物候期, PRI和LUE的关系发生了急剧的变化。在秋季植被正常生长期, PRI和LUE之间的关系最密切(R² = 0.70, p < 0.001)。当土壤温度大于15 ℃、光合有效辐射(PAR)大于300 μmol·m^-2·s^-1以及饱和水汽压差(VPD)大于700 Pa的情况下, PRI能够更好地预测LUE。基于通 量塔尺度上时空尺度相匹配, 利用半经验的核驱动二向反射分布函数模型得到的高光谱PRI和通量观测得到的LUE在不同环境条件下的关系以及考虑到在植被的不同物候期对PRI和LUE的关系的优化, 将会更加准确地估算城市绿地生态系统的LUE。     

植物基因启动子研究进展

综述了植物基因启动子的核心结构与功能、植物基因启动子的种类：异源组成型启动子(CaMV35S、MMV)和从植物自身克隆的组成型启动子(PTSB1和PPHYB),以及植物中通过按物理因素(温、光、旱、热等)、化学因素(离子、有机物、激素等)和生物因素(病菌、组织器官、发育阶段等)诱导表达的一些启动子,发育时期特异的启动子、器官特异的启动子(根、茎、叶等)和植物中应用的人工双向启动子的研究进展和应用前景。     

Synapse Formation Activates a Transcriptional Program for Persistent Enhancement in the Bi-directional Transport of Mitochondria

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Evolutionary genetics of Drosophila ananassae. I. Effect of selection on body size and inversion frequencies

Adaptive importance of inversion polymorphism has been discussed in Drosophila species at several levels but no study has been carried out demonstrating the individual and combined effects of polymorphic inversions on the fitness of flies through bi‐directional selection. Therefore, artificial bi‐directional selection for thorax length in Drosophila ananassae was carried out for 10 generations. Both, Tukey test for selection difference and regression coefficients of offspring on mid‐parent are highly significant. The realized heritability (h²) in males of both high and low selection lines is more or less similar but is more pronounced in low line females, which suggests the asymmetrical response. This asymmetry in selection is discussed in the light of evidence provided by the study of chromosome inversion frequencies in different selection lines at different generations of selection. Interestingly, chromosome inversion frequency changes towards homozygosity for different gene arrangements in different selection lines. Tests of correlations at G₆ and G₁₀ among different gene arrangements as well as with mean thorax length suggest that 2L‐ST gene arrangement is negatively correlated, while 3L‐ST gene arrangement is positively correlated with thorax length. Furthermore, the present study shows the significant effects of 3L‐ST and 2L + 3L (positive correlation) on thorax length, while 3R‐ST and 2L + 3R show significant effect (negative correlation) on thorax length, which was not evident in the previous study. Present results also suggest how polymorphic inversions and their combinations affect the body size differently in different selection lines. These results suggest that thorax length in D. ananassae is under polygenic control and inversion polymorphism plays crucial role in maintaining body size by modifying genotypic frequency under various selection pressures.