小鼠IL-27真核表达载体的构建及其在RAW264.7 细胞中的表达

目的:构建小鼠白介素27(Interleukin 27,IL-27)单链融合基因的真核表达载体并检验其在RAW264.7细胞中的表达情况。方法:提取小鼠脾细胞总RNA,通过RT-PCR扩增出小鼠EBI3和p28 c DNA。采用重叠延伸PCR(splicing by overlap extension PCR,SOE PCR)通过编码疏水性多肽接头(Gly4Ser)3的DNA序列连接小鼠EBI3和p28基因片段,构建小鼠IL-27单链融合基因(mouse single chain IL-27,msc IL-27),并将其克隆至pc DNA3.1(+)载体。通过酶切和测序鉴定阳性重组载体,将重组质粒pc DNA3.1-IL-27通过脂质体转染法转染小鼠巨噬细胞株RAW264.7,通过RT-PCR方法检测目的基因的表达。结果:测序分析表明,小鼠IL-27单链融合基因中EBI3、linker和p28的连接顺序、方向及碱基序列与预期相符。在转染后的RAW264.7细胞中检测到了小鼠IL-27 m RNA的表达。结论:成功构建了小鼠IL-27单链融合基因及其真核表达载体,并在RAW264.7细胞中实现表达,为进一步探讨IL-27的生物学功能奠定了基础。     

干旱荒漠区植物生态位对水盐的响应

全球气候变化对生态系统功能的影响决定着种群地位和群落演替,由于干旱区的特殊性成为研究生物响应环境变化的热点地区。为探索艾比湖流域荒漠区植物生态位对土壤水盐梯度的响应,在研究水、盐含量和植物生态位特征的基础上,应用变系数模型,分析了土壤水盐梯度下的群落组成和生态位响应趋势。结果显示:(1)随土壤水盐梯度的降低,艾比湖流域群落的物种组成呈倒"V"型分布,说明土壤水盐交互作用影响着植被分布和群落类型。(2)高水盐环境下,胡杨(Populus euphratica)、琵琶柴(Reaumuria soongorica)和梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)等生态位宽度值(B_i)较大,柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)、骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifolia)和甘草(Glycyrrhiza uralensis)等B_i较小;中水盐环境下,白刺(Nitraria schoberi)和琵琶柴的B_i较大,铃铛刺(Halimodendron halodendron)、甘草和盐节木(Halocnemum strobilaceum)的B_i较小;低水盐环境下,梭梭、花花柴(Karelinia caspica)和琵琶柴等B_i较大,盐节木的B_i较小;说明土壤水盐环境和物种生态学特性是影响B_i的重要因素。(3)物种水平上,B_i较大的种群与其他物种的生态位重叠(O_(ij))一般较大,但B_i较小的物种间的O_(ij)不一定小(例如:高水盐土壤环境下柽柳和骆驼刺的O_(ij)为1);群落水平上,B_i与O_(ij)具有一定的正相关性;说明由于资源纬度的相似性增大了低B_i物种间的O_(ij),并且B_i和O_(ij)由物种向群落尺度转换时,两者之间的关系存在冗余。(4)土壤水盐梯度与群落生态幅呈现一种非线性相关特征,高水盐格局对群落B_i有一定的促进效应,而低水盐模式对B_i具有一定的限制作用,表明土壤水盐的协同效应影响着物种在群落的地位,并在一定程度上决定了群落向正负两极演替的方向。     

18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability

Predator–prey relationships are important ecological interactions, affecting biotic community composition and energy flow through a system, and are of interest to ecologists and managers. Morphological diet analysis has been the primary method used to quantify the diets of predators, but emerging molecular techniques using genetic data can provide more accurate estimates of relative diet composition. This study used sequences from the 18S V9 rRNA barcoding region to identify prey items in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of predatory fishes. Predator GI samples were taken from the Black River, Cheboygan Co., MI, USA (n = 367 samples, 12 predator species) during periods of high prey availability, including the larval stage of regionally threatened lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque 1817) in late May/early June of 2015 and of relatively lower prey availability in early July of 2015. DNA was extracted and sequenced from 355 samples (96.7%), and prey DNA was identified in 286 of the 355 samples (80.6%). Prey were grouped into 33 ecologically significant taxonomic groups based on the lowest taxonomic level sequences that could be identified using sequences available on GenBank. Changes in the makeup of diet composition, dietary overlap, and predator preference were analyzed comparing the periods of high and low prey abundance. Some predator species exhibited significant seasonal changes in diet composition. Dietary overlap was slightly but significantly higher during the period of high prey abundance; however, there was little change in predator preference. This suggests that change in prey availability was the driving factor in changing predator diet composition and dietary overlap. This study demonstrates the utility of molecular diet analysis and how temporal variability in community composition adds complexity to predator–prey interactions.     

Analysis of trophic structure of two carnivore assemblages by means of guild identification

We evaluated the existence of trophic guild structure, considering seasonal and annual variation, in two terrestrial carnivore assemblages: one from Santa Cruz province (Argentinean Patagonia, composed by six carnivore species), and the other from Doñana National Park (SW Spain, composed by five carnivore species). To identify trophic guilds, we first studied seasonal and annual diets of predators, calculated trophic overlap among species pairs, and then constructed overlap matrices (similarity matrices). We determined guild membership objectively by entering the similarity matrices into the clustering technique unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averaging. Carnivores from both assemblages were grouped, respectively, into four feeding guilds. Lagomorphs and rodents promoted the formation of two feeding guilds in both study sites, although the taxonomic composition of predator species that composed them was different. The ungulates-edentates feeding guild was only present at Santa Cruz, whereas the birds and reptiles feeding guild was only present at Doñana. Invertebrates and fruits were the base for the formation of a guild composed by species of the same taxonomic origin both in Santa Cruz and Doñana. Guild structure of Santa Cruz and Doñana assemblages did not exhibit seasonal or annual variation, although the specific guild composition changed over the two studied periods for both assemblages. This structure probably responded to discontinuities in resource spectra in Santa Cruz and fluctuations in rabbit abundance in Doñana. Our results support the hypothesis that establishes that guilds are originated by opportunistic convergence of species on abundant and energetically rewarding resources.     

林窗尺度对马尾松人工林林下灌草层优势种生态位的早期影响北大核心CSCD

马尾松作为中国广泛栽植的乡土树种,其人工林群落结构简单和生物多样性低下是普遍存在的生态学问题。探究不同林窗尺度对马尾松人工林林下植被群落的影响,可为马尾松人工林近自然经营提供理论依据。该研究在45 a生马尾松人工林中分别设置A(50 m^(2))、B(100 m^(2))、C(200 m^(2))和D(667 m^(2))4种不同尺度的林窗,以不做任何处理的马尾松人工林作为对照(CK),探究采伐开窗后林窗内自然更新1 a后的灌草层植物组成、优势种生态位宽度和生态位重叠度分布特征。结果显示:(1)除100 m^(2)林窗下灌木层物种数与对照无显著差异外,其余林窗灌草层物种数均显著高于对照(P<0.05),且200 m^(2)林窗下灌草层物种数均最多,分别为35种和20种;4种林窗下灌草层物种丰富度指数较对照均显著增加(P<0.05),最大值均出现在200 m^(2)林窗下,其值分别为对照的1.5倍和2.6倍。(2)林窗增加了灌草层喜光植物种类,且在200 m^(2)林窗下种类最多,灌木层喜光植物有13种,草本层喜光植物有5种。(3)4种林窗下灌草层优势种中,喜光植物生态位宽度均较大,200 m^(2)林窗下灌草层生态位宽度平均值最小,其对资源利用程度低,重要值与生态位宽度之间无显著相关性(P>0.05)。(4)4种林窗下灌草层优势种间生态位重叠度指数均较小。667 m^(2)林窗下,灌草层优势种平均生态位重叠度指数最小,分别为0.029和0.024,200 m^(2)林窗下灌草层优势种高生态位重叠度占总数比例最大,分别为20%和23.8%。研究表明,采伐开窗促进了马尾松人工林林下植被发育,丰富了林下植物多样性,有利于马尾松林稳定持续发展,对精准提升马尾松人工林质量具有重要意义。     

Habitat characteristics and species interference influence space use and nest‐site occupancy: implications for social variation in two sister species

Nest‐site selection is an important component of species socio‐ecology, being a crucial factor in establishment of group living. Consequently, nest‐site characteristics together with space‐use proxies may reveal the social organization of species, which is critical when direct observation of social interactions is hindered in nature. Importantly, nest‐site choice is expected to be under strong selective pressures and the object of intra‐ and interspecific competition. Although the bulk of research on sociality focuses on its ecological drivers, our study introduces interspecific competition as a potential factor that could influence social evolution. We investigated the influence of habitat and interspecific competition on the social organization of two sister species of the African four striped mouse, Rhabdomys dilectus dilectus and Rhabdomys bechuanae, in a similar macroenvironment. These species diverged in allopatry and occupy distinct environmental niches. We radiotracked 140 adults to identify their nest‐sites, determine nest characteristics and record groups that shared nest‐sites. Group cohesion was estimated from nest‐site fidelity, group association strength, and home range overlap within versus between group members. We compared the two species in sympatry versus parapatry to determine the impact of species interference on sociality. In parapatry, the two species selected distinct nest‐site types, interpreted as different anti‐predator strategies: R. bechuanae selected fewer, spaced, less concealed nest‐sites whereas R. d. dilectus selected clumped and less visible nest‐sites. Rhabdomys bechuanae also showed more cohesive and stable social groups than R. d. dilectus. In sympatry, compared to R. bechuanae, R. d. dilectus occupied similar nest‐sites, however slightly more exposed and clumped, and displayed similar nest‐site fidelity and group association strength. We conclude that although habitat selection may be an important driver of social divergence in Rhabdomys, species interference, by limiting R. d. dilectus movements and forcing nest‐site sharing may induce new ecological pressures that could influence its social evolution.     

Interactions between overlapping multimale groups of black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza) in the Kakamega Forest,Kenya

Sixteen out of 18 groups of black and white colobus monkeys, or guerezas (Colobus guereza), observed in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya, included more than one adult male. Each group overlapped in its home range with 4–7 other groups, and no group appeared to have exclusive access to any part of its home range. Groups were engaged in intergroup encounters one-quarter of observation time. Encounters often occurred around preferred feeding sites as different groups were attracted to such sites in their overlapping home ranges. Wins and losses during encounters were not dependent on location and a null model suggested that groups were not increasing their encounter rate to defend boundaries, further demonstrating a lack of territoriality. Although guerezas have repeatedly been described as a territorial species living in one-male groups, nonterritorial multimale groups are common in continuous forests. Territorial one-male groups may be usual in narrow riparian forests where resources are limiting, groups are small, and defendability is high, but such organization cannot be regarded as typical of the species. Habitat affects group size, as well as the potential for territoriality, and group size determines the number of adult males per group; therefore, classifying groups as one-male or multimale appears to be an artificial dichotomy. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

浙江乐清湾浮游动物空间生态位

基于2016年5月至2017年2月在乐清湾进行的4个航次浮游动物调查数据,计算乐清湾浮游动物优势种的优势度指数(S)、平均拥挤度(X*)、生态位宽度(Bi)及生态位重叠值(Qik).结果表明:乐清湾海域浮游动物优势种(S＞0.02)共17种,生态位宽度值差异较大,优势度指数与生态位宽度值呈极显著正相关.浮游动物的生态位...