Rural and urban distribution of wild and domestic carnivore stools in the context of Echinococcus multilocularis environmental exposure

In zoonotic infections, the relationships between animals and humans lead to parasitic disease with severity that ranges from mild symptoms to life-threatening conditions. In cities and their surrounding areas, this statement is truer with the overcrowding of the protagonists of the parasites’ life cycle. The present study aims to investigate the distribution of a parasite, Echinococcus multilocularis, which is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, using copro-sampling in historically endemic rural settlements of the eastern part of France and in newly endemic areas including urban parks and settlements surrounding Paris. Based on 2741 morphologically identified and geolocalized copro-samples, the density of fox faeces was generally higher in the surrounding settlements, except for one rural area where the faeces were at larger density downtown in the winter. Fox faeces are rare but present in urban parks. Dog faeces are concentrated in the park entrances and in the centre of the settlements. DNA was extracted for 1530 samples that were collected and identified from fox, dog, cat, stone marten and badger carnivore hosts. Echinococcus multilocularis diagnosis and host faecal tests were performed using real-time PCR. We failed to detect the parasite in the surroundings of Paris, but the parasite was found in the foxes, dogs and cats in the rural settlements and their surroundings in the historically endemic area. A spatial structuring of the carnivore stool distribution was highlighted in the present study with high densities of carnivore stools among human occupied areas within some potentially high-risk locations.     

长期施肥条件下西南黄壤旱地有效磷对磷盈亏的响应

以贵州黄壤肥力与肥效长期定位试验为平台,探究有效磷(Olsen-P)与土壤累积磷盈亏、磷肥用量的关系,确定西南黄壤旱地最佳磷肥施肥量,通过Mitscherlich方程模拟作物相对产量对土壤Olsen-P的响应关系,明确西南黄壤旱地的农学阈值.结果表明: 施用磷肥可显著提高土壤Olsen-P含量,不同施磷处理间提升幅度主要与磷肥施用量有关;不施磷处理土壤磷素一直处于亏缺状态,施磷处理土壤磷素有盈余,其中全量有机肥配施全量化肥处理(MNPK)作物吸磷量和磷素盈余量最高,同等施磷水平下,与单施化肥处理(NPK)相比,有机肥配施化肥处理(1/4 M +3/4 NPK、1/2 M +1/2 NPK)更能促进作物对磷素的吸收,提高磷素累积利用率.土壤累积磷盈亏与土壤Olsen-P增量呈显著直线相关关系(P<0.05),土壤中磷素每盈余100 kg·hm^-2,MNPK、1/4 M +3/4 NPK、1/2 M +1/2 NPK、NPK处理Olsen-P分别增加16.4、13.0、21.4、5.6 mg·kg^-1,有机肥与化肥配施能有效增加土壤Olsen-P含量.西南黄壤旱地Olsen-P的农学阈值为22.4 mg·kg^-1;土壤每年磷盈亏和Olsen-P含量与磷肥施用量呈极显著正相关关系(P<0.01),磷肥用量(纯P)为每年33.3 kg·hm^-2时,土壤磷盈亏呈持平状态,Olsen-P农学阈值对应的施肥量(纯P)为每年45.9 kg·hm^-2.西南黄壤旱地Olsen-P含量主要与施磷水平有关,当年施磷量为45.9 kg·hm^-2时可获得最佳的作物产量,磷肥利用率高;当年施磷量高于45.9 kg·hm^-2时,作物产量对磷肥用量无响应,大量磷素累积在土壤中,增加了磷素的环境流失风险.西南黄壤旱地长期施用有机肥处理单位累积磷盈余量提升土壤Olsen-P的速率大于单施化学磷肥处理.     

五种荒漠灌木群落土壤有机碳垂直分布及其与根系分布的关系

研究土壤有机碳与根系分布之间关系对评估碳储量和固碳潜力具有重要意义,而我国荒漠区灌木群落土壤有机碳与植物根系之间的关系尚不清楚。本研究选取深根性表层型灌木(表层根系生物量最大)梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendro)和中间锦鸡儿(Caragana intermedia)、深根性非表层型(表层根系生物量不是最大)灌木白刺(Nitratia tangutorum)、浅根性表层型灌木红砂(Reaumuria songarica)及浅根性非表层型灌木霸王(Sarcozygium xanthoxylon)为优势种的5种荒漠灌木群落为研究对象,测定100 cm深度内不同层次根系生物量及土壤有机碳含量,探讨灌木群落土壤有机碳的垂直分布格局及其与根系之间的关系。结果显示:(1)0~100 cm土壤有机碳密度与群落0~20 cm根系生物量碳密度显著正相关,与其他层次或累积深度不显著相关;(2)梭梭群落0~100 cm土壤有机碳密度显著低于与其他4个群落(P0.01),其他4个群落无显著差异(P0.05);(3)优势种为表层型的梭梭、中间锦鸡儿和红砂群落土壤有机碳密度与群落及优势种根系变化趋势一致,优势种为浅根性非表层型的霸王群落仅表层40 cm土壤有机碳与优势种灌木根系分布规律一致,优势种为深根性非表层型的白刺群落土壤有机碳与优势种根系分布规律一致。本研究表明,荒漠灌木群落0~100 cm土壤有机碳储量与群落0~20 cm根系生物量显著相关,群落优势种根系分布类型是影响土壤有机碳垂直分布格局的重要因素。     

Molecular,genetic and evolutionary analysis of a paracentric inversion in Arabidopsis thaliana

Chromosomal inversions can provide windows onto the cytogenetic, molecular, evolutionary and demographic histories of a species. Here we investigate a paracentric 1.17‐Mb inversion on chromosome 4 of Arabidopsis thaliana with nucleotide precision of its borders. The inversion is created by Vandal transposon activity, splitting an F‐box and relocating a pericentric heterochromatin segment in juxtaposition with euchromatin without affecting the epigenetic landscape. Examination of the RegMap panel and the 1001 Arabidopsis genomes revealed more than 170 inversion accessions in Europe and North America. The SNP patterns revealed historical recombinations from which we infer diverse haplotype patterns, ancient introgression events and phylogenetic relationships. We find a robust association between the inversion and fecundity under drought. We also find linkage disequilibrium between the inverted region and the early flowering Col‐FRIGIDA allele. Finally, SNP analysis elucidates the origin of the inversion to South‐Eastern Europe approximately 5000 years ago and the FRI‐Col allele to North‐West Europe, and reveals the spreading of a single haplotype to North America during the 17th to 19th century. The ‘American haplotype’ was identified from several European localities, potentially due to return migration.     

Mechanisms of nodule-specific melanization in the hemocoel of the silkworm,Bombyx mori

In the insect immune system, nodules are known to be a product of the cellular response against microorganisms and may be a preferential target for melanization. However, the mechanism of nodule-preferential melanization remains to be explored. In this study, we identified several mechanisms of nodule-preferential melanization by analyzing congregation and the activation of several factors involved in the prophenoloxidase (proPO)-activating system in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Microorganism-binding assays revealed that B. mori larval plasma have an effective invading microorganism-surveillance network consisting of at least six pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). We also found that a hemolymph serine proteinase, BmHP14, can bind to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pull-down assays showed that PRR C-type lectins form protein complexes with serine proteinase homologs, BmSPH1 and BmSPH2, which leads to the activated forms of BmSPH1 and BmSPH2 being gathered on microorganisms and trapped in nodules. Immunostaining analysis revealed that most factors in the proPO-activating system and some factors in the triggering system for antimicrobial peptide production exist in the granules of hemocytes which can gather in nodules. Western blot analysis showed that factors in the proPO-activating system are congregated in formed nodules by their concentration in plasma and aggregating hemocytes.     

马铃薯甲虫两个系统性RNA干扰缺失基因cDNA的克隆、序列分析和时空表达

【目的】克隆马铃薯甲虫Leptinotarsa decemlineata(Say)两条Sid-1基因的全长并分析其时空表达。【方法】本研究通过RT-PCR和5'/3'RACE等技术从马铃薯甲虫中克隆全长序列,通过序列多重比对和系统发育分析研究序列的保守性和基因起源,通过阶段收样,组织解剖和qPCR技术获得这两个基因的时空表达。【结果】从马铃薯甲虫Leptinotarsa decemlineata的4龄幼虫中克隆得到LdeSid-1a和LdeSid-1c,其m RNA全长为2 887和3 733 bp,编码759和782个氨基酸,分子量为86.19和90.27 ku,两条蛋白质序列的相似性为59%。与其它昆虫的系统性RNA干扰缺失基因的比对结果显示,LdeSid-1a和LdeSid-1c分属于鞘翅目系统性RNA干扰缺失基因的两个分支,均具有典型的11个跨膜域结构,在蛋白质序列的N端具有4段高度保守的基序。qPCR的时序分析表明LdeSid-1a和LdeSid-1c的表达从初孵幼虫开始逐渐上升,而LdeSid-1c在卵中的表达也较高,组织中的分布结果表明,两个基因在所有组织中均表达,在前肠、中肠和后肠以及生殖系统中表达较高,在神经系统中为优势表达。LdeSid-1a和LdeSid-1c的Gen Bank登录号为KR153284和KR153285。【结论】LdeSid-1a和LdeSid-1c具有典型的系统性RNA干扰缺失基因家族的结构,时空表达和系统发育的结果均表明这两条基因可能在幼虫的高龄阶段起到重要作用。     

不同抗性小麦品种上麦红吸浆虫幼虫的空间分布型与理论抽样数

【目的】为了解小麦品种抗性对麦红吸浆虫Sitodiplosis mosellana(Géhin)幼虫在麦穗上空间分布型的影响,为科学调查提供合理的抽样依据。【方法】2015年5月采用剥穗调查法对陕西省周至县试验田种植的4个抗虫和4个感虫小麦品种麦红吸浆虫幼虫危害进行调查,应用6种聚集度指标和Iwao M*?m回归法综合分析了幼虫在抗性不同小麦品种上的的空间分布结构。【结果】幼虫在抗、感小麦品种整穗及麦穗上、中、下部位上空间分布型一致,均呈聚集分布,但在抗虫品种上聚集强度大于感虫品种;抗、感小麦品种上分布的基本成分均为个体群,个体间相互吸引。聚集均数λ分析表明,幼虫在抗性较强品种上的聚集主要由小麦穗部化学物质和形态结构等环境因素引起,感虫品种上则由环境因素和成虫的产卵习性共同作用所致。幼虫在抗、感小麦品种上的发生趋势一致,均是上部发生最重,中部次之,下部最轻。根据Iwao回归法中的分布型参数,确立了幼虫在不同虫口密度和允许误差条件下的理论抽样数。【结论】麦红吸浆虫幼虫在抗性不同小麦品种上均呈聚集分布,调查时应根据当地栽培品种平均虫口密度选择适宜的抽样数量。