Long‐term changes in the impacts of global warming on leaf phenology of four temperate tree species

Contrary to the generally advanced spring leaf unfolding under global warming, the effects of the climate warming on autumn leaf senescence are highly variable with advanced, delayed, and unchanged patterns being all reported. Using one million records of leaf phenology from four dominant temperate species in Europe, we investigated the temperature sensitivities of spring leaf unfolding and autumn leaf senescence (S_T, advanced or delayed days per degree Celsius). The S_T of spring phenology in all of the four examined species showed an increase and decrease during 1951–1980 and 1981–2013, respectively. The decrease in the S_T during 1981–2013 appears to be caused by reduced accumulation of chilling units. As with spring phenology, the S_T of leaf senescence of early successional and exotic species started to decline since 1980. In contrast, for late successional species, the S_T of autumn senescence showed an increase for the entire study period from 1951 to 2013. Moreover, the impacts of rising temperature associated with global warming on spring leaf unfolding were stronger than those on autumn leaf senescence. The timing of leaf senescence was positively correlated with the timing of leaf unfolding during 1951–1980. However, as climate warming continued, the differences in the responses between spring and autumn phenology gradually increased, so that the correlation was no more significant during 1981–2013. Our results further suggest that since 2000, due to the decreased temperature sensitivity of leaf unfolding the length of the growing season has not increased any more. These finding needs to be addressed in vegetation models used for assessing the effects of climate change.     

Invasion by activated macrophages requires delivery of nascent membrane‐type‐1 matrix metalloproteinase through late endosomes/lysosomes to the cell surface

Macrophage migration into injured or infected tissue is a key aspect in the pathophysiology of many diseases where inflammation is a driving factor. Membrane‐type‐1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1‐MMP) cleaves extracellular matrix components to facilitate invasion. Here we show that, unlike the constitutive MT1‐MMP surface recycling seen in cancer cells, unactivated macrophages express low levels of MT1‐MMP. Upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activation, MT1‐MMP synthesis dramatically increases 10‐fold at the surface by 15 hours. MT1‐MMP is trafficked from the Golgi complex to the surface via late endosomes/lysosomes in a pathway regulated by the late endosome/lysosome R‐SNAREs VAMP7 and VAMP8. These form two separate complexes with the surface Q‐SNARE complex Stx4/SNAP23 to regulate MT1‐MMP delivery to the plasma membrane. Loss of either one of these SNAREs leads to a reduction in surface MT1‐MMP, gelatinase activity and reduced invasion. Thus, inhibiting MT1‐MMP transport through this pathway could reduce macrophage migration and the resulting inflammation.     

Soil microbiome mediates positive plant diversity‐productivity relationships in late successional grassland species

Which processes drive the productivity benefits of biodiversity remain a critical, but unanswered question in ecology. We tested whether the soil microbiome mediates the diversity‐productivity relationships among late successional plant species. We found that productivity increased with plant richness in diverse soil communities, but not with low‐diversity mixtures of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or in pasteurised soils. Diversity‐interaction modelling revealed that pairwise interactions among species best explained the positive diversity‐productivity relationships, and that transgressive overyielding resulting from positive complementarity was only observed with the late successional soil microbiome, which was both the most diverse and exhibited the strongest community differentiation among plant species. We found evidence that both dilution/suppression from host‐specific pathogens and microbiome‐mediated resource partitioning contributed to positive diversity‐productivity relationships and overyielding. Our results suggest that re‐establishment of a diverse, late successional soil microbiome may be critical to the restoration of the functional benefits of plant diversity following anthropogenic disturbance.     

马铃薯种质资源的晚疫病抗性鉴定

采用离体叶片接种法,对43份马铃薯种质资源进行晚疫病抗性鉴定、比较和评价。以接种5 d后的感病品种‘Désirée’和抗病品种‘加湘1号’叶片症状为对照,鉴定出5份表现为高抗的种质资源,其中包含3个Solanum phurejia和2个S. tuberosum ssp. andigena材料。另外,还鉴定出14份中抗材料(No. 7～20)。结果表明,野生种和安第斯山栽培亚种马铃薯资源的抗性材料较为丰富,可作为晚疫病抗病育种的亲本。     

Post-ruminal or intravenous infusions of carbohydrates or amino acids to dairy cows 2. Late lactation

The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of post-ruminal and intravenous infusions of wheat starch or glucose (CHO) or a mixture of amino acids (AA) on milk protein yield, nitrogen (N) utilisation, plasma metabolites and mammary extraction rate of dairy cows in late lactation. Eight cow, ruminally fistulated, was assigned to two 4 × 4 Latin squares during 14-day periods, where the last 7 days were for infusions. Infusions were: (1) starch in the abomasum (SP), (2) glucose in the blood (GB), (3) AA in the abomasum (AP), and (4) AA in the blood (AB). The experiment started 165 ± 4 days (mean ± s.e.) post partum (milk yield 22.5 ± 1.1 kg) Daily amounts of nutrients infused were 257, 283, 233, and 260 g for SP, GB, AP and AB, respectively. The cows were fed a basal diet consisting of a concentrate mixture and grass silage (55:45 on a dry-matter (DM) basis), where total dry-matter intake (DMI) was 13.3 kg/day. Milk production was affected by site of infusion within substrate, whereas infusion substrates within infusion site (CHO or AA) were of minor importance. Responses to intravenous infusions (GB or AB) were similar to those in early lactation, but more pronounced. Compared with SP infusion, GB infusion increased ( P < 0.05) milk yield, energy-corrected milk (ECM), protein and lactose yield by 1.4 and 0.9 kg, 38 and 59 g, respectively. The AB infusion had 1.4 and 1.3 kg, 51, 52 and 50 g higher ( P < 0.05) milk yield, ECM, protein, fat and lactose yields than the AP infusion, respectively. N balance data indicated higher losses of metabolic faecal nitrogen (MFN) by abomasal than by intravenous infusions, but the catabolism of AA was lower than in early lactation indicated by no difference ( P < 0.05) in urinary N excretion between treatments. Intravenous AA infusion increased plasma glucose and insulin above that of intravenous glucose infusion. The treatment effects on plasma insulin concentrations were higher in late than in early lactation, suggesting a higher sensitivity in late lactation even at similar negative energy balance. Compared with the SP infusion, GB infusion showed lower ( P < 0.05) concentrations of essential AA (EAA) and branched-chain AA (BCAA) resulting in a higher AA utilisation because of a higher milk protein production. AP infusion increased ( P < 0.05) plasma non-essential AA concentration compared with AB infusion, but infusion site of AA had no effect ( P>0.05) on plasma EAA or BCAA. It is concluded that it is the nutrient supply and not the lactation stage per se that is important for the response in milk production. Nevertheless, stage of lactation affects the N metabolism and the response in plasma hormone concentrations even when cows are in negative energy balance in both lactation stages.     

Foraminifers of the Viséan–Serpukhovian boundary interval in Western Palaeotethys: a review

A detailed revision of foraminiferal zonal schemes in sections throughout Europe and North Africa for the Viséan–Serpukhovian boundary interval suggests that several foraminiferal taxa might have the potential to form reliable markers throughout the Palaeotethys. This would support the currently investigated boundary definition based on the First Appearance Datum of the conodont Lochriea ziegleri. However, correlation of these foraminiferal markers in the Western Palaeotethys region has encountered several problems, partly arising from taxonomic issues, but mainly because of apparent discrepancies between the First Occurrence Data (FOD). Analysis of the available foraminiferal data has revealed that some taxa show marked delays in their FODs, due to the timing of westward dispersal within the Palaeotethys, emanating from a probable source in eastern Russia. As a result of this investigation, two dispersal routes have been identified, a northern branch and a southern branch. In general, the displacements within the southern branch occurred more rapidly than in the northern branch. In addition to different dispersal routes, separation of the main foraminiferal markers in stratigraphical sections from different regions can result from isolation of shallow‐water facies of the inner platform from those of relatively deeper‐water settings in the outer platform, the latter showing more consistent foraminiferal FODs. The differences in palaeobathymetry and associated energy levels have enabled two foraminiferal zonal schemes to be distinguished for the Viséan–Serpukhovian boundary interval in the Western Palaeotethys, one for the inner platform and a second one for the outer platform.     

Regional impacts of global climate change: a local humid phase in central Iberia in a late Miocene drying world

The end of the Miocene was an eventful period of changes in climate and geography, and a restructuring of terrestrial plant and mammals. The tendency towards global aridification has attracted much recent interest, making the late Miocene a striking case‐study for testing current and near‐future scenarios involving global warming. Little is known about the consequences of global changes in temperature and precipitation at regional or local scales. Given its geographical position and extraordinary fossil record, the Iberian Peninsula offers many insights into short‐ and long‐term shifts in climate, and the local response. Here, we explore the diet and ecology of large‐mammals through tooth‐wear patterns, and examine changes in local climate and habitat conditions in central Spain in a period (9.1–6.3 Ma) for which there exists a dearth of palaeoenvironmental information. Relatively dry climates and open‐woodland landscapes evolved locally during the late Vallesian and early Turolian (9.0–7.7 Ma). Unexpectedly, we detect a period of high precipitation and a peak of humidity at the end of the Turolian (7.0 Ma) that prompted the development of wetter, more forested habitats, suggesting that the traditional view of the late Miocene as a steppe landscape is a misconception. We also find a period of relatively drier and warmer conditions from the early Ventian onwards. Overall, our finding that a local episode of increased humidity in central Spain was synchronous with a global warming trend in Europe provides evidence that the greatest climatic changes may have an opposite impact at regional and local scales.