Intriguing asexual life in marginal populations of the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus

Reproduction of attached large brown algae is known to occur only by sexual zygotes. Using microsatellites we show evolution of asexual reproduction in the bladder wrack promoting population persistence in the brackish water Baltic Sea (< 6 psu). Here a dwarf morph of Fucus vesiculosus is dominated by a single clone but clonal reproduction is also present in the common form of the species. We describe a possible mechanism for vegetative reproduction of attached algae, and conclude that clonality plays an important role in persistence and dispersal of these marginal populations, in which sexual reproduction is impaired by low salinity.     

A role for Fas II in the stabilization of motor neuron branches during pruning in Drosophila

During insect metamorphosis, the nervous system is extensively remodeled resulting in the development of new circuits that will execute adult-specific behaviors. The peripheral remodeling seen during development of innervation to the Dorsal Longitudinal (flight) Muscle (DLM) in Drosophila involves an initial retraction of larval neuromuscular junctions followed by adult-specific branch outgrowth. Subsequently, a phase of pruning occurs during which motor neuron branches are pruned back to reveal the stereotypic pattern of multiple contact points (or arbors) along the length of each DLM fiber. In this study, we show that the cell adhesion molecule, Fasciclin II (Fas II), is important for generating the stereotypic pattern. In Fas II hypomorphs, the number of contact points is increased, and the phenotype is rescued by targeted expression of Fas II in either synaptic partner. Arbor development has three distinct phases: outgrowth and elaboration, pruning and stabilization, and expansion of stabilized arbors. Fas II is expressed during the first two phases. A subset of branches is labeled during the elaboration phase, which is likely to initiate a stabilization pathway allowing branches to survive the pruning phase. However, since not all Fas II positive branches are retained, we propose that it primes branches for stabilization. Our data suggest that Fas II functions to restrict branch length and arbor expanse.     

藿香枝叶多糖的提取工艺及其清除羟基自由基作用研究

采用苯酚-硫酸,并以超声法辅助提取野生藿香枝叶中的多糖,设计L9(34)正交试验考察料液比、pH和超声提取时间对藿香枝叶中多糖提取的影响,并对藿香多糖进行清除.OH试验。结果表明,藿香多糖的最佳提取工艺为料液比1∶10,超声提取30min,pH值为6,可使藿香多糖的提取率高达7.50%。藿香多糖对羟基自由基有显著地清除效果,表明其有抗氧化作用。     

Intra-specific hybridization: generator of genetic diversification and heterosis in Andrographis paniculata Nees. A bridge from extinction to survival

Andrographis paniculata (AP) has been stated as a low-diverse, endangered and red-listed plant species. Self-pollinated mating system, being an introduced species and experiencing a bottleneck as well as over exploitation cause such a consequence. Inter and intra-specific hybridizations have been suggested as essential techniques for generating genetic diversity. To test the effect of intra-specific hybridization on diversification and heterosis of AP, seven accessions were outcrossed manually in all 21 possible combinations. Three types of markers including morphological, phytochemical and RAPD markers were employed to evaluate the mentioned hypothesis. The results revealed that hybridization acted as a powerful engine for diversification of AP as it caused heterotic expression of the studied traits, simultaneously. Initially, it seems that additive and non-additive gene effects both can be considered as the genetic basis of heterosis in AP for the investigated traits. Agronomic and morphological traits were differentiated from each other, while positive heterosis was recorded mainly for agronomic traits but not for the morphological traits. Intra-specific hybridization increased the genetic diversity in AP population. Nevertheless, a part of this variation could also be attributed to the negative heterosis. The current exploration demonstrated the first ever conducted manual intra-specific hybridization among AP accessions in a mass scale. However, the 17 RAPD primers produced a monomorph pattern, but perhaps increasing the number of markers can feature a new genetic profile in this plant.     

不同灌溉量对头状沙拐枣幼苗生长和生理特性的影响

采用盆栽试验,分析了不同水分梯度下(田间持水量的30%、40%、50%、60%和85%)头状沙拐枣幼苗的干物质累积分配特征及生理生化特性,以探明头状沙拐枣幼苗能够良好生长的土壤水分条件。结果表明:(1)随灌溉量增加,沙拐枣幼苗同化枝的干物质累积量显著增加,但在最高灌溉量下同化枝出现严重病害。(2)在生长旺季,增加灌溉量后,同化枝的干物质分配比例也均显著增加,平均可占整株的39.5%;季末,分配比例受灌溉量的影响明显减弱,平均占整株的12.3%。(3)在整个生长季同化枝的全氮和硝态氮含量均处于较高水平,随灌溉量增加全氮含量有降低趋势,硝态氮含量则波动变化。(4)灌溉量对植株同化枝生理特性的影响主要表现在生长旺季。在最低灌溉量下,同化枝丙二醛含量明显较高,但植物可通过大量累积脯氨酸和可溶性糖来降低体内水势,以提高植物抗旱性;在最高和最低灌溉量下,同化枝硝酸还原酶活性和叶绿素含量均显著下降。研究认为,沙拐枣幼苗虽具有较强的抗旱性,但灌溉量过低或过高对同化枝的生长、氮素还原和叶绿素累积均有明显的抑制,因此中等灌溉量(田间持水量的50%~60%)对头状沙拐枣幼苗生长更有利。     

黑河下游绿洲胡杨生长状况与叶生态特征

选择黑河下游额济纳绿洲为研究区,以优势物种胡杨(Populus euphratica Oliv.)为研究对象。在2009年和2010年对研究区胡杨的生长状况、叶生态特征和生境进行了调查。调查结果表明:胡杨受水分胁迫的程度增强,生长态势变差,其枯枝比由2.45%增加到81.00%,其比叶面积由11.84 m2/kg减少到5.35 m2/kg。叶气孔密度变化很大,最小值为105(个/mm2),最大值为218(个/mm2),平均值为158.4(个/mm2),随着地下水埋深的增加,叶气孔密度先减少后增加之后再显著减少(P0.05),呈三次函数关系。研究得出枯枝比能够反映胡杨分布区地下水的变化状况,是林相描述比较重要的指标,比叶面积和叶气孔密度能够指示胡杨种群环境变化。研究结果可为荒漠河岸林恢复和生态输水效应评价提供科学依据。     

云南红豆杉人工林萌枝特性

萌枝是许多木本植物维持种群稳定和延续的重要机制之一。本文通过对云南红豆杉人工林萌枝情况的调查,分析了云南红豆杉萌枝特征及其对生长的影响。结果表明：（1）云南红豆杉萌枝现象明显,萌枝率达到88.1%,萌枝类型有树基萌枝和树干萌枝两种,其中树基萌枝是最主要的类型,有树基萌枝的个体达到了总株数的80.0%,树干萌枝率仅为39.6%,约为树基萌枝率的一半,两种萌枝都有的比率为31.5%;（2）云南红豆杉的树基萌枝数量与树高呈正相关关系,与地径呈负相关关系,而树干萌枝数量与树高和地径都没有显著的相关关系。总萌枝数量与树高及地径的相关关系与树基萌枝的一样,但相关性略低。（3）树基萌枝和树干萌枝都会影响云南红豆杉枝叶的空间分布格局,但从植株总体上说,它们对云南红豆杉的枝叶生长量没有显著的影响。     

云南元江普通野生稻穗颈维管束和穗部性状的QTL分析

以云南元江普通野生稻为供体亲本,籼稻品种特青为轮回亲本构建高代回交群体,用SSR标记构建连锁图谱,在第1、2、3、4、7和10染色体上定位到7个控制穗颈大维管束数的QTL,在第1、2、3、4和8染色体上定位到5个控制穗颈小维管束数的QTL,在第11和12以外的10条染色体上,共定位到15个控制穗一、二次枝梗数和穗颖花数QTL。来自野生稻的等位基因大多表现负效,能显著减少群体的穗颈维管束数、枝梗数和颖花数,说明从野生稻演化成栽培稻的过程中,可能淘汰了一些对产量不利的QTL,保留了有利的QTL。相当一部分控制穗颈维管束数、枝梗数及颖花数的QTL在染色体上成簇分布或紧密连锁,且加性效应的方向一致,从理论上解释了这些性状表型显著相关的遗传基础,同时也说明在人工选择或自然选择下,这些性状可能存在平行进化或协同进化的关系。     

药剂输液滴干对龙眼成花的影响

虹吸输液滴干技术作为一种新型的输液技术,能显著提高龙眼对调节剂的利用率。该研究利用虹吸输液滴干技术来研究氯酸钾与多效唑对龙眼成花的影响,同时探索从花芽生理分化期开始控制龙眼冲梢的方法。结果表明：氯酸钾输液滴干不但能够促使龙眼提早开花,而且能够提高其成花率、抽穗率、雌雄花比例与坐果率。不同品种龙眼对氯酸钾的敏感度不同,‘石硖’对氯酸钾最为敏感,但稳定性低;‘储良’对氯酸钾的敏感性低,但稳定度高;‘桂香’对氯酸钾的敏感性与稳定度居中。从整体上看,‘石硖’的处理效果最好,最佳处理次数为3次,每次施用7.5 L浓度为1 g·L-1的氯酸钾,处理后枝梢成花率、枝梢抽穗率、雌雄花比例、坐果率分别为53.67％、59.38％、16.01和19.58％。多效唑输液滴干对‘桂龙1号’的控梢效果显著,有效促进了龙眼成花,并以160 mg·L-1的多效唑溶液处理效果最佳,抽梢率为15.16％,抽穗率、雌花率、花穗长、花穗宽和坐果率分别为96.53％、10.36％、21.95 cm、12.96 cm和38.37％。药剂输液滴干技术施用氯酸钾和多效唑对于龙眼成花坐果有积极作用,该研究结果为实现高效、省工、环保的果园管理模式提供了借鉴。     

The influence of large mammalian herbivores on growth form and utilization of mopane trees, Colophospermum mopane, in Botswana's Northern Tuli Game Reserve

Mopane veld is of great value to the general ungulate spectrum in times of drought, and it is capable of retaining its dominance in a community even in the presence of extremely heavy browsing pressure imposed by large browsing mammals. Scrub mopane (hedges) has been regarded as resulting from excessive browsing pressure by large mammals, especially elephants. Both the nutrient and chemical composition of mopane twig bark were investigated, the seasonal results being related back to the seasonal utilization of branches by large mammals. Mopane twigs were most palatable in winter. Eland feed on mopane throughout the year irrespective of palatability. Elephants were rarely present in the scrub mopane area before the onset of spring rains, when the major mopane leaf flush occurs independently of rainfall. The impact of both species was not excessive and recruitment of mopane seedlings does occur. Herbivore browsing is responsible for a mopane morph which buds early and continues to produce accessible, nutritious leaves even when heavily browsed. Many browsing ungulates are reliant on this resource during the stressful transition from spring to summer in south-eastern Botswana.