海洋动物来源活性物质的研究新进展

海洋动物因具有产生抗菌物质、抗肿瘤物质、抗病毒物质、免疫调节物质等活性产物的巨大潜力,备受研究人员重视。近年来,各 国研究者已从海洋动物中分离出了数千种结构新颖的活性物质,为新药的开发提供了坚实的基础。简要介绍了近六年来海绵、珊瑚、海参、 海鞘等海洋动物来源的活性物质研究进展,旨在为海洋药用动物资源的开发利用提供参考。     

An interaction between climate change and infectious disease drove widespread amphibian declines

Climate change might drive species declines by altering species interactions, such as host–parasite interactions. However, few studies have combined experiments, field data, and historical climate records to provide evidence that an interaction between climate change and disease caused any host declines. A recently proposed hypothesis, the thermal mismatch hypothesis, could identify host species that are vulnerable to disease under climate change because it predicts that cool‐ and warm‐adapted hosts should be vulnerable to disease at unusually warm and cool temperatures, respectively. Here, we conduct experiments on Atelopus zeteki, a critically endangered, captively bred frog that prefers relatively cool temperatures, and show that frogs have high pathogen loads and high mortality rates only when exposed to a combination of the pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and high temperatures, as predicted by the thermal mismatch hypothesis. Further, we tested various hypotheses to explain recent declines experienced by species in the amphibian genus Atelopus that are thought to be associated with B. dendrobatidis and reveal that these declines are best explained by the thermal mismatch hypothesis. As in our experiments, only the combination of rapid increases in temperature and infectious disease could account for the patterns of declines, especially in species adapted to relatively cool environments. After combining experiments on declining hosts with spatiotemporal patterns in the field, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that widespread species declines, including possible extinctions, have been driven by an interaction between increasing temperatures and infectious disease. Moreover, our findings suggest that hosts adapted to relatively cool conditions will be most vulnerable to the combination of increases in mean temperature and emerging infectious diseases.     

湛江沿海潮间带产胞外纤溶活性酶类海洋真菌的生物多样性分析

【目的】研究湛江沿海硇洲岛和徐闻珊瑚礁自然保护区潮间带产胞外纤溶酶样酶和纤溶酶原激活物海洋真菌的生物多样性,为发掘新型溶栓药物奠定基础。【方法】采用马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂(PDA)和酵母膏蛋白胨葡萄糖(YPD)培养基分离培养海洋真菌,采用真菌r DNA转录间隔区1-5.8S r DNA-转录间隔区2(ITS1-5.8S-ITS2)片段的序列分析及其系统进化树构建的方法鉴定分离培养的海洋真菌,采用脱脂牛奶马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂(SM-PDA)培养基培养法筛选产胞外蛋白酶的海洋真菌,采用海水纤维蛋白马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂(FN-PDA)培养基培养法筛选产胞外纤溶酶样酶和/或纤溶酶原激活物的海洋真菌。【结果】从湛江沿海的硇洲岛和徐闻珊瑚礁自然保护区潮间带分离、培养和鉴定了海洋真菌446株,含真菌的98个种,分布于真菌域子囊菌门(Ascomycota)和担子菌门(Basidiomycota)的6个纲、18个目、46个科、65个属;其中产胞外蛋白酶的海洋真菌有265株,61个种,分布于41个属;产胞外纤溶酶样酶的海洋真菌有67株,22个种,分布于14个属;产胞外纤溶酶原激活物的海洋真菌有84株,23种,分布于13个属;优势属为曲霉属(Aspergillus),其次为青霉属(Penicillium)。【结论】湛江沿海潮间带可分离培养的产胞外纤溶酶样酶和纤溶酶原激活物的海洋真菌物种丰富多样,是发掘新型溶栓药的丰富资源。     

Soluble and particulate methane monooxygenase gene clusters in the marine methanotroph Methylomicrobium sp. strain NI

Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) and particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) gene clusters in the marine methanotroph Methylomicrobium sp. strain NI were completely sequenced and analysed. Degenerated primers were newly designed and used to amplify the gene fragments containing intergenic mmoX-Y and mmoD-C regions and a partial pmoC region. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences deduced from mmoX and pmoA, as well as of 16S rRNA gene sequences, indicated that this strain was most closely related to the halotolerant methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense. There were putative sigma(54)- and sigma(70)-dependent promoter sequences upstream of the sMMO and pMMO genes, respectively, and mmoG, which is known to be related to the expression and assembly of sMMO, existed downstream of the sMMO genes. These findings suggest that the major components and regulation of MMOs in this marine methanotroph are quite similar to those in freshwater methane oxidizers, despite the difference in their habitats.     

Marine foraging ecology influences mercury bioaccumulation in deep-diving northern elephant seals

Mercury contamination of oceans is prevalent worldwide and methylmercury concentrations in the mesopelagic zone (200–1000 m) are increasing more rapidly than in surface waters. Yet mercury bioaccumulation in mesopelagic predators has been understudied. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) biannually travel thousands of kilometres to forage within coastal and open-ocean regions of the northeast Pacific Ocean. We coupled satellite telemetry, diving behaviour and stable isotopes (carbon and nitrogen) from 77 adult females, and showed that variability among individuals in foraging location, diving depth and δ¹³C values were correlated with mercury concentrations in blood and muscle. We identified three clusters of foraging strategies, and these resulted in substantially different mercury concentrations: (i) deeper-diving and offshore-foraging seals had the greatest mercury concentrations, (ii) shallower-diving and offshore-foraging seals had intermediate levels, and (iii) coastal and more northerly foraging seals had the lowest mercury concentrations. Additionally, mercury concentrations were lower at the end of the seven-month-long foraging trip (n = 31) than after the two-month- long post-breeding trip (n = 46). Our results indicate that foraging behaviour influences mercury exposure and mesopelagic predators foraging in the northeast Pacific Ocean may be at high risk for mercury bioaccumulation.     

The reproductive phenology of nine species of Rhodophyta in the subtidal region of the Isle of Man

Monthly samples of about 40 separate plants of each species were collected from 1 to 3 m below lowest astronomical tide on Port Erin breakwater, Isle of Man, Irish Sea. In three species growing on rock, Plocamium cartilagineum, Cryptopleura ramosa and Callophyllis laciniata, about 90% of the plants were fertile in late summer but less than 10% in spring although some fertile plants were always present. Delesseria sanguinea and Odonthalia dentata, also epilithic, had a winter sporing season, Odonthalia extending into late spring, and all plants were sterile in summer. Three species growing epiphytically, Palmaria palmata, Membranoptera alata and Phycodrys rubens, reproduced maximally in the first half of the year at the time when the stipes of the host species, Laminaria hyperborea, grow fastest. Only Palmaria had a sterile season, late summer. The encrusting Cruoria pellita showed little seasonality. The first three species, which reproduce mainly when the sea temperature is above average, are in the northern part of their geographical range. The remaining species (apart from Cruoria) reproduce mainly at low temperatures and are in the southern half of their ranges. Male plants appear to be in a minority in all species, presumably because they were manifest for a shorter period than carposporic plants. They appeared first after sterile periods and were absent as sporing declined. Plocamium and to a lesser extent Cryptopleura show an extremely high preponderance of tetrasporophytes in the population. This is attributed to perennation and some factor disallowing the survival of most of the tetraspores.     

Fish Growth in Marine Culture Systems: A Challenge for Biotechnology

Aquaculture production is constrained largely by the growth efficiency of the species being produced. Nutritional approaches have played an important part in improving this situation, but, it is argued, the room for further improvement using such established techniques is limited. Alternative ways of improving fish production by utilizing recent biotechnological advances are explored and assessed as to their potential for commercialization in the near future. Transgenic technologies promise a revolution in aquaculture, but it is considered that consumer resistance may delay the use of transgenic fish for food production. An alternative approach could be the breeding of transgenic fodder plants without the amino acid deficiencies of existing alternatives to fish meal in aquaculture diets. The use of probiotics could reduce antibiotic use on fish farms while they might also provide the basis for ``smart' diets, tailored to specific purposes by the inclusion of microorganisms. The selection and genetic engineering of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria could also pave the way for fully enclosed, recirculating marine culture systems, which would allow control of the environmental variables that currently restrain marine fish culture. Received August 10, 1998; accepted October 8, 1998.     

Biodiversity of Fusarium species in Mexico associated with ear rot in maize, and their identification using a phylogenetic approach

Fusarium proliferatum, F. subglutinans, and F. verticillioides are known causes of ear and kernel rot in maize worldwide. In Mexico, only F. verticillioides and F. subglutinans, have been reported previously as causal agents of this disease. However, Fusarium isolates with different morphological characteristics to the species that are known to cause this disease were obtained in the Highland-Valley region of this country from symptomatic and symptomless ears of native and commercial maize genotypes. Moreover, while the morphological studies were not sufficient to identify the correct taxonomic position at the species level, analyses based in the Internal Transcribed Spacer region and the Nuclear Large Subunit Ribosomal partial sequences allowed for the identification of F. subglutinans, F. solani, and F. verticillioides, as well as four species (F. chlamydosporum, F. napiforme, F. poae, and F. pseudonygamai) that had not previously been reported to be associated with ear rot. In addition, F. napiforme and F. solani were absent from symptomless kernels. Phylogenetic analysis showed genetic changes in F. napiforme, and F. pseudonygamai isolates because they were not true clones, and probably constitute separate sibling species. The results of this study suggest that the biodiversity of Fusarium species involved in ear rot in Mexico is greater than that reported previously in other places in the world. This new knowledge will permit a better understanding of the relationship between all the species involved in ear rot disease and their relationship with maize.