Expression of the Stilbene Synthase (StSy) Gene from Grapevine in Transgenic White Poplar Results in High Accumulation of the Antioxidant Resveratrol Glucosides

When present, stilbene synthase leads to the production of resveratrol compounds, which are major components of the phytoalexin response against fungal pathogens of the plant and are highly bioactive substances of pharmaceutical interest. White poplar (Populus alba L.) was transformed with a construct containing a cDNA insert encoding stilbene synthase from grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter, and a chimeric kanamycin resistance gene. Southern blot hybridization analysis demonstrated the presence and integration of exogenous DNA sequences in the poplar genome. Expression of the stilbene synthase-encoding gene in different transgenic lines was confirmed by Western blot and Northern analyses. Compared to the controls, in the transgenic plants two new compounds were detected and were identified as the trans- and cis-isomers of resveratrol-3-glucoside (piceid) by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV spectrophotometry, electrospray mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) and enzymatic hydrolysis. Since poplar is a good biomass producer and piceids are accumulated in substantial amounts (up to 615.2 microg/g leaf fresh weight), the transgenic plants represent a potential alternative source for the production of these compounds with high pharmacological value. Despite the presence of piceid, in our experimental conditions no increased resistance against the pathogen Melampsora pulcherrima, which causes rust disease, was observed when in vitro bioassays were performed.     

元宝枫生长旺季树干液流动态及影响因素

利用热扩散式边材液流探针和多种气象、土壤因子传感器组成的全自动数据采集系统和美国产Licor-6400光合测定系统,于夏秋季节对北京西山地区低山成林元宝枫单株边材液流动态和叶片蒸腾作用进行了系统观测。元宝枫树干边材液流变化受天气的影响,环境胁迫或环境的改善都能改变边材液流的波动特征。在正常情况下,边材液流的日变化呈单峰曲线:日出后树干液流迅速上升,峰值在中午前后出现,然后下降,在次日早晨前达到坡谷。最热月7月液流启动和进入坡谷的时间比其他各月早1~4 h。6月树干上位液流速率大于中位和下位,其他各月树干下位液流速率大于上位和中位,这种差距在7月达2~3倍。多元回归分析表明,在整个生长旺季,元宝枫边材液流变化深受气温、太阳辐射、空气相对湿度、土壤温度和风速等环境因子的影响,但在不同的观测时段和观测部位其影响的主导因子不完全相同,只有空气温度在任何情况下都是影响液流的主导因子;元宝枫边材液流的变异规律较好地说明了其耐旱的生态策略。     

Using genetic markers to estimate the pollen dispersal curve

Pollen dispersal is a critical process that shapes genetic diversity in natural populations of plants. Estimating the pollen dispersal curve can provide insight into the evolutionary dynamics of populations and is essential background for making predictions about changes induced by perturbations. Specifically, we would like to know whether the dispersal curve is exponential, thin-tailed (decreasing faster than exponential), or fat-tailed (decreasing slower than the exponential). In the latter case, rare events of long-distance dispersal will be much more likely. Here we generalize the previously developed TWOGENER method, assuming that the pollen dispersal curve belongs to particular one- or two-parameter families of dispersal curves and estimating simultaneously the parameters of the dispersal curve and the effective density of reproducing individuals in the population. We tested this method on simulated data, using an exponential power distribution, under thin-tailed, exponential and fat-tailed conditions. We find that even if our estimates show some bias and large mean squared error (MSE), we are able to estimate correctly the general trend of the curve - thin-tailed or fat-tailed - and the effective density. Moreover, the mean distance of dispersal can be correctly estimated with low bias and MSE, even if another family of dispersal curve is used for the estimation. Finally, we consider three case studies based on forest tree species. We find that dispersal is fat-tailed in all cases, and that the effective density estimated by our model is below the measured density in two of the cases. This latter result may reflect the difficulty of estimating two parameters, or it may be a biological consequence of variance in reproductive success of males in the population. Both the simulated and empirical findings demonstrate the strong potential of TWOGENER for evaluating the shape of the dispersal curve and the effective density of the population (d(e)).     

滦河流域河岸带入侵植物分布特征及其与环境的关系

根据滦河流域河岸带56个样点的植被调查,研究入侵植物种类,其组成特征、空间分布,及其与环境因子的关系.结果表明: 滦河流域河岸带共记录入侵植物26种,属12科19属,其中菊科和苋科植物为优势科,占入侵植物总数的50%,一年生植物占总数的73.1%,反枝苋、大狼杷草、小藜是出现频数最高的3种植物;样点的入侵种数、入侵强度与海拔呈显著负相关;人类活动强度对入侵植物分布有显著影响,人口密集、交通便利、人类活动频繁的平原区,水库众多的浅山区,以及中游段旅游业发达的承德市周边山区是入侵植物集中分布的区域;人口分布较稀的高原地区只出现几种宽生态幅的入侵物种.总体上,滦河流域河岸带入侵等级高的植物主要分布在400 m以下的中低海拔地区,除反枝苋外,其他高等级入侵物种尚未扩散进入高海拔地区.     

Herbivore regulation of plant abundance in aquatic ecosystems

Herbivory is a fundamental process that controls primary producer abundance and regulates energy and nutrient flows to higher trophic levels. Despite the recent proliferation of small‐scale studies on herbivore effects on aquatic plants, there remains limited understanding of the factors that control consumer regulation of vascular plants in aquatic ecosystems. Our current knowledge of the regulation of primary producers has hindered efforts to understand the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems, and to manage such ecosystems effectively. We conducted a global meta‐analysis of the outcomes of plant–herbivore interactions using a data set comprised of 326 values from 163 studies, in order to test two mechanistic hypotheses: first, that greater negative changes in plant abundance would be associated with higher herbivore biomass densities; second, that the magnitude of changes in plant abundance would vary with herbivore taxonomic identity. We found evidence that plant abundance declined with increased herbivore density, with plants eliminated at high densities. Significant between‐taxa differences in impact were detected, with insects associated with smaller reductions in plant abundance than all other taxa. Similarly, birds caused smaller reductions in plant abundance than echinoderms, fish, or molluscs. Furthermore, larger reductions in plant abundance were detected for fish relative to crustaceans. We found a positive relationship between herbivore species richness and change in plant abundance, with the strongest reductions in plant abundance reported for low herbivore species richness, suggesting that greater herbivore diversity may protect against large reductions in plant abundance. Finally, we found that herbivore–plant nativeness was a key factor affecting the magnitude of herbivore impacts on plant abundance across a wide range of species assemblages. Assemblages comprised of invasive herbivores and native plant assemblages were associated with greater reductions in plant abundance compared with invasive herbivores and invasive plants, native herbivores and invasive plants, native herbivores and mixed‐nativeness plants, and native herbivores and native plants. By contrast, assemblages comprised of native herbivores and invasive plants were associated with lower reductions in plant abundance compared with both mixed‐nativeness herbivores and native plants, and native herbivores and native plants. However, the effects of herbivore–plant nativeness on changes in plant abundance were reduced at high herbivore densities. Our mean reductions in aquatic plant abundance are greater than those reported in the literature for terrestrial plants, but lower than aquatic algae. Our findings highlight the need for a substantial shift in how biologists incorporate plant–herbivore interactions into theories of aquatic ecosystem structure and functioning. Currently, the failure to incorporate top‐down effects continues to hinder our capacity to understand and manage the ecological dynamics of habitats that contain aquatic plants.     

The recent colonization of south Brazil by the Azores chromis Chromis limbata

The damselfish Chromis limbata is native to the Macaronesian Archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and Canaries) and the western coast of Africa between Senegal and Angola. During the austral summers of 2008 and 2009 the species was recorded for the first time in the south‐western Atlantic Ocean around Campeche and Xavier Islands, in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Here, the progression of C. limbata in southern Brazilian waters is described using visual counts and genetic surveys and changes in the density of the native congener Chromis multilineata were also investigated. Underwater visual censuses of both Chromis species were carried out from 2009 to 2014. Chromis limbata tissue samples were collected and the mtDNA control region was sequenced and compared with mtDNA haplotypes from the natural range to confirm species identity, compare genetic diversity and to infer connectivity between newly established Brazilian populations. The Brazilian population of C. limbata increased significantly over the past 5 years and the effect on C. multilineata is still an open question, longer time‐series data will be necessary to clarify possible interactions. The molecular analyses confirmed species identity, revealed strong haplotype connectivity among Brazilian study sites and showed a low genetic diversity in Brazil when compared with the native populations, suggesting few individuals started the invasion. Four hypotheses could explain this colonizing event: C. limbata was released by aquarium fish keepers; larvae or juveniles were transported via ship ballast water; the species has rafted alongside oil rigs; they crossed the Atlantic Ocean through normal larval dispersal or naturally rafting alongside drifting objects. The rafting hypotheses are favoured, but all four possibilities are plausible and could have happened in combination.     

Primary HPV testing: a proposal for co‐testing in initial rounds of screening to optimise sensitivity of cervical cancer screening

As explained by Kitchener in a previous issue of Cytopathology (2015; 26 :4‐6), primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is likely to be introduced in the UK for all women aged 25–64 years following pilot site studies already in place. This will be necessary when the prevalence of cervical cancer and its precursors declines when vaccination takes effect but there is a risk in abandoning cytology as a primary test: a risk that would be most apparent in the present unvaccinated population in which the prevalence of cervical cancer and its precursors is exceptionally high. HPV testing is more sensitive than cytology but has a significant false‐negative rate that could be detrimental to a successful screening programme if introduced without cytology backup. Accurate cytology would be needed for triage and could be compromised if HPV‐negative tests were excluded from examination. This article proposes a compromise: cytology and HPV co‐testing for the first two screening tests to optimise the sensitivity of the test as a whole. Registrations of invasive and in situ carcinoma of the uterine cervix in England indicate that the prevalence of the disease is highest in young women in the early rounds of screening. Calculations of the likely impact on the workload of this proposal have been based on a service evaluation of 295 cytology tests received at St Thomas’ Hospital, which suggests that the volume of cytology tests would be reduced by approximately 60% compared with 80% for primary HPV testing alone. This proposal should be debated openly before irrevocable changes are made to a skilled workforce.     

Invasion genetics from eDNA and thousands of larvae: A targeted metabarcoding assay that distinguishes species and population variation of zebra and quagga mussels

Identifying species and population genetic compositions of biological invasions at early life stages and/or from environmental (e)DNA using targeted high‐throughput sequencing (HTS) metabarcode assays offers powerful and cost‐effective means for early detection, analysis of spread patterns, and evaluating population changes. The present study develops, tests, and applies this method with a targeted sequence assay designed to simultaneously identify and distinguish between the closely related invasive Eurasian zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis) and their relatives and discern their respective population genetic patterns. Invasions of these dreissenid mussel species have markedly changed freshwater ecosystems throughout North America and Europe, exerting severe ecological and economic damage. Their planktonic early life stages (eggs and larvae) are morphologically indistinguishable, yet each species exerts differential ecological effects, with the quagga often outcompeting the zebra mussel as adults. Our targeted assay analyzes genetic variation from a diagnostic sequence region of the mitochondrial (mt)DNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene, to assess temporal and spatial inter‐ and intra‐specific genetic variability. The assay facilitates analysis of environmental (e)DNA from water, early life stages from thousands of individuals, and simultaneous analysis of 50–100 tagged field‐collected samples. Experiments evaluated its accuracy and performance using: (a) mock laboratory communities containing known DNA quantities per taxon, (b) aquaria with mixed‐species/haplotype compositions of adults, and (c) field‐collected water and plankton versus traditional sampling of adult communities. Results delineated species compositions, relative abundances, and population‐level diversity differences among ecosystems, habitats, time series, and life stages from two allopatric concurrent invasions in the Great Lakes (Lake Erie) and the Hudson River, which had separate founding histories. Findings demonstrate application of this targeted assay and our approach to accurately and simultaneously discern species‐ and population‐level differences across spatial and temporal scales, facilitating early detection and ecological understanding of biological invasions.     

The impacts of introduced House Mice on the breeding success of nesting seabirds on Gough Island

Invasive species are the main threat to island biodiversity; seabirds are particularly vulnerable and are one of the most threatened groups of birds. Gough Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the South Atlantic Ocean, is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, and one of the most important seabird colonies globally. Invasive House Mice Mus musculus depredate eggs and chicks of most seabird species on the island, but the extent of their impact has not been quantified. We used field data and bootstrapped normal distributions to estimate breeding success and the number of surviving chicks for 10 seabird species on Gough Island, and compared estimates with those of analogous species from predator‐free islands. We examined the effects of season and nest‐site location on the breeding success of populations on Gough Island, predicting that the breeding success of Gough birds would be lower than that of analogues, particularly among small burrow‐nesting species. We also predicted that winter‐breeding species would exhibit lower breeding success than summer‐breeding species, because mice have fewer alternative food sources in winter; and below‐ground nesters would have lower breeding success than surface nesters, as below‐ground species are smaller so their chicks are easier prey for mice. We did indeed find that seabirds on Gough Island had low breeding success compared with analogues, losing an estimated 1 739 000 (1 467 000–2 116 000) eggs/chicks annually. Seven of the 10 focal species on Gough Island had particularly high chick mortality and may have been subject to intense mouse predation. Below‐ground and winter breeders had lower breeding success than surface‐ and summer‐breeders. MacGillivray's Prion Pachyptila macgillivrayi, Atlantic Petrel Pterodroma incerta and Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena are endemic or near‐endemic to Gough Island and are likely to be driven to extinction if invasive mice are not removed.     

湛江5种红树林树种光合作用特性及光合固碳能力研究

应用Li-6400便携式光合作用测定系统,对湛江市特呈岛5种红树林树种的净光合速率日变化和光合作用—光响应曲线进行了测定,探讨了各树种的光合作用特性以及主要影响因子并评估其固碳能力大小。结果表明:在自然光照条件下,秋茄和红海榄叶片净光合速率(Pn)的日变化曲线呈单峰型,白骨壤、木榄和桐花树为双峰型,光合"午休"现象明显,而且峰值分别出现在10:00和14:00左右。其中,白骨壤和木榄的光合午休主要由气孔限制因素引起,桐花树主要由非气孔限制因素引起。通径分析表明,光合有效辐射(PAR)是影响白骨壤和桐花树叶片Pn的主要决策因子,而叶面大气蒸汽压亏缺(VPD)是主要限制因子;影响秋茄和红海榄叶片Pn的主要决策因子是气孔导度(Gs),主要限制因子是叶温(Tl);影响木榄叶片Pn的主要决策因子是气孔导度(Gs)。基于叶片净光合作用速率的各树种日净固碳量存在显著性差异(P0.01),秋茄的日净固碳量最大(13.83 g·m-2·d-1),其次为白骨壤和桐花树(9.48和8.24 g·m-2·d-1),木榄和红海榄的较小(6.72和6.30 g·m-2·d-1)。5种红树林树种的光补偿点(LCP)介于28.3~137.0μmol·m-2·s-1之间,显示了阳生植物的特性。光饱和点(LSP)介于169.3~1189.3μmol·m-2·s-1之间,桐花树最大,红海榄最小。5种红树林树种的表观量子效率(AQY)存在极显著差异(P0.01),白骨壤最高为0.064 mol·mol-1,木榄最低,仅为0.005 mol·mol-1。5种红树林植物叶片的光响应参数与日净固碳量的关联度大小顺序为最大净光合速率(Pmax)、LSP-LCP、AQY、LSP、LCP。