<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sinorhizobium meliloti</Emphasis>-induced chitinase gene expression in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Medicago truncatula</Emphasis> ecotype R108-1: a comparison between symbiosis-specific class V and defence-related class IV chitinases

The Medicago truncatula (Gaertn.) ecotypes Jemalong A17 and R108-1 differ in Sinorhizobium meliloti-induced chitinase gene expression. The pathogen-inducible class IV chitinase gene, Mtchit 4, was strongly induced during nodule formation of the ecotype Jemalong A17 with the S. meliloti wild-type strain 1021. In the ecotype R108-1, the S. meliloti wild types Sm1021 and Sm41 did not induce Mtchit 4 expression. On the other hand, expression of the putative class V chitinase gene, Mtchit 5, was found in roots of M. truncatula cv. R108-1 nodulated with either of the rhizobial strains. Mtchit 5 expression was specific for interactions with rhizobia. It was not induced in response to fungal pathogen attack, and not induced in roots colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Elevated Mtchit 5 gene expression was first detectable in roots forming nodule primordia. In contrast to Mtchit 4, expression of Mtchit 5 was stimulated by purified Nod factors. Conversely, Mtchit 4 expression was strongly elevated in nodules formed with the K-antigen-deficient mutant PP699. Expression levels of Mtchit 5 were similarly increased in nodules formed with PP699 and its parental wild-type strain Sm41. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of Mtchit 5 (calculated molecular weight = 41,810 Da, isoelectric point pH 7.7) and Mtchit 4 (calculated molecular weight 30,527 Da, isoelectric point pH 4.9) revealed that the putative Mtchit 5 chitinase forms a separate clade within class V chitinases of plants, whereas the Mtchit 4 chitinase clusters with pathogen-induced class IV chitinases from other plants. These findings demonstrate that: (i) Rhizobium-induced chitinase gene expression in M. truncatula occurs in a plant ecotype-specific manner, (ii) Mtchit 5 is a putative chitinase gene that is specifically induced by rhizobia, and (iii) rhizobia-specific and defence-related chitinase genes are differentially influenced by rhizobial Nod factors and K antigens.     

Geographic variation in cone volatiles and pollinators in the thermogenic African cycad Encephalartos ghellinckii Lem

• Heat and odour production can have profound effects on pollination in cycads. It is therefore expected that these traits would co‐vary geographically with pollinator assemblages. Such intraspecific variation, may lead to the evolution of pollination ecotypes, which can be an early stage of pollinator‐mediated speciation.
• We measured cone temperatures using miniature temperature data loggers and examined the composition of cone volatile odours using headspace sampling and analysis with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry in four populations spanning the range of the African cycad Encephalartos ghellinckii. Pollinator assemblages were also investigated in three populations.
• Male and female cones were thermogenic at pollen shed and receptive stages, respectively, but patterns of thermogenesis did not vary among populations. Scent emissions from cones in populations in the Drakensberg Mountains were characterised by cis‐β‐ocimene, β‐myrcene and (3E)‐1,3‐octadiene, while camphene and α‐pinene were characteristic of scent emissions from cones in populations closer to the coast. These differences in volatile blends corresponded with differences in insect assemblages.
• These results confirm intraspecific variation in volatile emissions of E. ghellinckii and support the predictions that intraspecific variation in volatile emissions will be associated with shifts in pollinator assemblages. While further work needs to be done to test for local adaptation in this system, this preliminary evidence is consistent with the formation of pollination ecotypes in the E. ghellinckii species complex.

     

ECOTYPIC VARIATION IN PHYLLOPHORA PSEUDOCERANOIDES (RHODOPHYTA) ENSURES WINTER REPRODUCTION THROUGHOUT ITS GEOGRAPHIC RANGE1

Responses to temperature and daylength were determined in laboratory culture for isolates of the red alga Phyllophora pseudoceranoides (Gmelin) Newroth et A.R.A. Taylor from Nova Scotia, Iceland, Roscoff (France), and Helgoland (Germany). All isolates grew from 3° to 25° C and survived from -2° or 0° C to 27° C but not 30° C. Reproductive requirements differed between life history phases and isolates. Isolates from Helgoland and Roscoff formed sporangial sori at 3°-20° C, tetraspores at 3°-12° C, and procarps at 10°-20° C, irrespective of daylength. Spermatangia developed at 10°-23° C but only in long days. As the other European isolates, the isolate from Iceland formed tetrasporangia at 3°-12° C, but it had an additional requirement for short days. The Nova Scotian isolate formed sori at 10°-20° C and sporulated at 10°-18° C. When grown plants were transferred from noninductive to inductive conditions, sori were formed after 4 months and tetraspores developed and were shed (1-)3 months later. Procarps formed 1(-3) months after transfer. The phenology of P. pseudoceranoides was studied at Helgoland and Roscoff, where similar seasonal patterns were observed. Plants were perennial, forming new blades from October to June, which degenerated between August and February. In June, reproductive structures (sori, spermatangia, and procarps) started to appear on the new blades. From October to April, mature cystocarps were found. Mature tetrasporangia were observed only in February. The life history of P. pseudoceranoides is regulated by temperature and daylength. Differential effects on the different life history phases all serve to confine the production of spores (both carpospores and tetraspores) to the winter season. Differences in response between isolates from different geographic regions bring about the same effect: spores are shed only in winter. The nature of the geographic boundaries of P. pseudoceranoides is discussed.     

Parallel genetic divergence among coastal–marine ecotype pairs of European anchovy explained by differential introgression after secondary contact

Ecophenotypic differentiation among replicate ecotype pairs within a species complex is often attributed to independent outcomes of parallel divergence driven by adaptation to similar environmental contrasts. However, the extent to which parallel phenotypic and genetic divergence patterns have emerged independently is increasingly questioned by population genomic studies. Here, we document the extent of genetic differentiation within and among two geographic replicates of the coastal and marine ecotypes of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) gathered from Atlantic and Mediterranean locations. Using a genome‐wide data set of RAD‐derived SNPs, we show that habitat type (marine vs. coastal) is the most important component of genetic differentiation among populations of anchovy. By analysing the joint allele frequency spectrum of each coastal–marine ecotype pair, we show that genomic divergence patterns between ecotypes can be explained by a postglacial secondary contact following a long period of allopatric isolation (c. 300 kyrs). We found strong support for a model including heterogeneous migration among loci, suggesting that secondary gene flow has eroded past differentiation at different rates across the genome. Markers experiencing reduced introgression exhibited strongly correlated differentiation levels among Atlantic and Mediterranean regions. These results support that partial reproductive isolation and parallel genetic differentiation among replicate pairs of anchovy ecotypes are largely due to a common divergence history prior to secondary contact. They moreover provide comprehensive insights into the origin of a surprisingly strong fine‐scale genetic structuring in a high gene flow marine fish, which should improve stock management and conservation actions.     

四种生态型芦苇叶中离子分布对生境的生理适应

采用X射线微区分析技术,测定了4种生态型芦苇(Phragmites australis (CaV.) Trin. exSteud.)叶的表皮泡状细胞、叶肉细胞和叶脉维管束鞘细胞离子的含量.结果表明:沼泽芦苇的鞘细胞内,K+、Na+、Ca2+、Mg2+和Cl-分布均较叶肉细胞和泡状细胞高.沙丘芦苇的泡状细胞中Ca2+分布较叶肉细胞和鞘细胞高,而Mg2+在其叶肉细胞,以及K+、Na+和Cl-在其鞘细胞内分布均较高.在轻度盐化草甸芦苇的叶肉细胞内分布较多的Na+和Mg2+,而在鞘细胞内K+、Ca2+ 和Cl-的分布均较叶肉细胞和泡状细胞为高.重度盐化草甸芦苇的泡状细胞内Na+和Mg2+的分布较多;同样,在叶肉细胞中K+、Ca2+和Cl-的分布也较多.最后,讨论了上述各种离子在不同生态型芦苇叶内分布的状况, 以及与其环境适应的生理意义.     

膜蕨科植物rbcL基因的适应性进化和共进化分析

膜蕨科植物是薄囊蕨类中种类最多的科,主要分布在潮湿的热带地区,拥有陆生、附生、半附生和攀生等多种生态型。为进一步了解膜蕨科植物辐射式物种分化的分子适应机制,该研究在时间框架下采用位点模型对膜蕨科植物rbc L基因的进化式样进行分析。结果表明:共鉴定出6个氨基酸正选择位点(125I、227L、231A、258F、304S和351L),其中位点304S位于环六上,对维持Rubisco功能有重要作用。此外,还计算了Rubisco大亚基内部氨基酸位点之间的共进化关系,共检测出39组(35个氨基酸)共进化位点,其中位点在α螺旋上的占46%,在β折叠上的占14%。膜蕨科植物rbc L基因这种复杂的进化式样可能与其起源较早有关。鉴于此,基于UCLD分子钟模型对膜蕨科植物的分化时间进行了估计,结果显示膜蕨科植物首次发生分歧的时间在三叠纪早期,瓶蕨属和膜蕨属的分歧时间分别发生在侏罗纪早期和白垩纪晚期,并且得出陆生生态型是其它生态型进化的基础,推测最近几次最热事件可能对物种分化的形成产生一定的作用。该研究结果对认识膜蕨科植物如何应对被子植物兴起所导致的陆地生态系统改变具重要意义。     

Disparate movement behavior and feeding ecology in sympatric ecotypes of Atlantic cod

Coexistence of ecotypes, genetically divergent population units, is a widespread phenomenon, potentially affecting ecosystem functioning and local food web stability. In coastal Skagerrak, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) occur as two such coexisting ecotypes. We applied a combination of acoustic telemetry, genotyping, and stable isotope analysis to 72 individuals to investigate movement ecology and food niche of putative local “Fjord” and putative oceanic “North Sea” ecotypes—thus named based on previous molecular studies. Genotyping and individual origin assignment suggested 41 individuals were Fjord and 31 were North Sea ecotypes. Both ecotypes were found throughout the fjord. Seven percent of Fjord ecotype individuals left the study system during the study while 42% of North Sea individuals left, potentially homing to natal spawning grounds. Home range sizes were similar for the two ecotypes but highly variable among individuals. Fjord ecotype cod had significantly higher δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N stable isotope values than North Sea ecotype cod, suggesting they exploited different food niches. The results suggest coexisting ecotypes may possess innate differences in feeding and movement ecologies and may thus fill different functional roles in marine ecosystems. This highlights the importance of conserving interconnected populations to ensure stable ecosystem functioning and food web structures.     

宁镇山脉蕨类植物资源调查与区系多样性分析

在野外调查和查阅文献资料的基础上,对宁镇山脉蕨类植物区系组成、分布区类型及生态类型进行了分析,并与邻近的7个蕨类植物区系相似性进行比较。结果表明:(1)宁镇山脉共有蕨类植物28科47属109种,主要科为鳞毛蕨科、金星蕨科及蹄盖蕨科,主要属为鳞毛蕨属、铁角蕨属及复叶耳蕨属,并有14种中国特有蕨类植物。(2)分布区类型以热带分布科、属为主,以东亚分布种为主,表明宁镇山脉蕨类植物区系具有亚热带向温带过渡的特征。(3)与邻近7个山区蕨类植物区系科、属、种相似性系数的比较表明,宁镇山脉与河南鸡公山亲缘关系最近,其次是浙江凤阳山和江西武夷山。(4)宁镇山脉蕨类植物可划分为湿生、石生及土生3种类型,其中石生类型有31种,湿生类型有8种,土生类型有70种。     

Role of aromatic aldehyde synthase in wounding/herbivory response and flower scent production in different Arabidopsis ecotypes

Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylases (AADCs) are key enzymes operating at the interface between primary and secondary metabolism. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains two genes, At2g20340 and At4g28680, encoding pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent AADCs with high homology to the recently identified Petunia hybrida phenylacetaldehyde synthase involved in floral scent production. The At4g28680 gene product was recently biochemically characterized as an L-tyrosine decarboxylase (AtTYDC), whereas the function of the other gene product remains unknown. The biochemical and functional characterization of the At2g20340 gene product revealed that it is an aromatic aldehyde synthase (AtAAS), which catalyzes the conversion of phenylalanine and 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine to phenylacetaldehyde and dopaldehyde, respectively. AtAAS knock-down and transgenic AtAAS RNA interference (RNAi) lines show significant reduction in phenylacetaldehyde levels and an increase in phenylalanine, indicating that AtAAS is responsible for phenylacetaldehyde formation in planta. In A. thaliana ecotype Columbia (Col-0), AtAAS expression was highest in leaves, and was induced by methyl jasmonate treatment and wounding. Pieris rapae larvae feeding on Col-0 leaves resulted in increased phenylacetaldehyde emission, suggesting that the emitted aldehyde has a defensive activity against attacking herbivores. In the ecotypes Sei-0 and Di-G, which emit phenylacetaldehyde as a predominant flower volatile, the highest expression of AtAAS was found in flowers and RNAi AtAAS silencing led to a reduction of phenylacetaldehyde formation in this organ. In contrast to ecotype Col-0, no phenylacetaldehyde accumulation was observed in Sei-0 upon wounding, suggesting that AtAAS and subsequently phenylacetaldehyde contribute to pollinator attraction in this ecotype.