一平浪盐矿古老岩盐沉积中可培养细菌的系统发育多样性研究

运用纯培养法和基于16S rRNA基因序列的系统发育分析对云南省一平浪盐矿古老岩盐沉积中可培养细菌的多样性进行了研究。用补充0.5~3.5mol/L NaCl的MBA和ISP2琼脂培养基从卤水、岩盐和盐土样品中分离到38株细菌,用细菌通用引物进行16S rRNA基因扩增和序列测定,用相关软件进行序列相似性搜索、比对和系统发育分析。结果表明,38个分离菌株可分为31个物种,属于4个大的系统发育类群(Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Firmicutes,Actinobacteria)、17个科、24个属。多数菌株属于Proteobacteria门(18株,47.3%;Gamma-Proteobacteria,31.5%;Alpha-Proteobacteria,15.8%)和Firmicutes门(13株,34.2%)。这些分离菌株中,至少有3个菌株可能代表3个不同属的3个新物种:Y3、Y15和Y25分别代表Idiomarina属、Salinicoccus属和Saccharospirillum属的新物种;而菌株Y21有可能代表Staphylococcaceae科的一个新属。从以上结果可以看出,一平浪盐矿古老岩盐沉积中存在较为丰富的微生物物种多样性和系统发育多样性,并且潜藏着新的微生物资源。     

大绒鼠解偶联蛋白1基因部分序列扩增与分析

解偶联蛋白1（Uncoupling protein 1,UCP1）是位于褐色脂肪组织线粒体内膜上的一种解偶联蛋白,该蛋白可以诱导质子漏从而产热。通过设计简并引物进行RT-PCR从大绒鼠BAT中获得UCP1基因cDNA核心序列,RTPCR所得产物长约458 bp,包含的开放阅读框（open reading frame,ORF）为456 bp,编码151个氨基酸。通过BLAST搜索,所得大绒鼠UCP1基因cDNA氨基酸序列与黑线仓鼠、橙腹草原田鼠、金黄仓鼠、小家鼠和褐家鼠等哺乳动物的UCP1氨基酸序列同源性均在80%以上,而与鱼类和两栖类的氨基酸序列同源性在61%以下。研究结果表明UCP1在哺乳类中高度保守。同时,通过NJ方法以UCP1序列构建系统进化树表明大绒鼠与橙腹草原田鼠聚成一支,构成田鼠类分支。     

链格孢属小孢子种的RAPD分析*

用筛选出的12个随机引物,对链格孢属Alternaria13个小孢子种和作为对照的3个大孢子种共55个分离系(isolates)进行RAPD分析。大孢子种Alternariasolani、A.porri和形态独特的A.leucanthemi在树状聚类图上遗传距离0.44处与所有供试小孢子种区分开,它们彼此之间在遗传距离0.25处相区分,表明所采用的RAPD分析方法适于链格孢种间亲缘关系的研究。所有供试的链格孢小孢子种在遗传距离0.31水平上被聚在一起,表明它们之间的亲缘关系较近。A.infectoria与其它链格孢小孢子种之间遗传距离较远;A.longipes的3个分离系和A.brassicicola的7个分离系在较低的遗传距离上被聚在一起,表明它们是独立的种。其它供试链格孢小孢子种的不同分离系在树状聚类图上未显示明确区分。     

Human overexploitation and extinction risk correlates of Chinese snakes

China is one of the countries with the richest snake biodiversity in the world. However, about one‐third of all 236 species are now considered threatened, partially due to the intense human overexploitation. Despite that, to date, no study has explicitly investigated the patterns and processes of extinction and threats of Chinese snakes, or between human exploited and unexploited snake subgroups. We addressed the following three questions: 1) which snake families proportionally include more human exploited species than expected by chance? 2) Which species traits and extrinsic factors are correlated with their extinction risk? 3) Are there differences between human exploited and unexploited species in terms of patterns and processes of extinction? We found that the family Elapidae contained a significantly higher number of exploited species. Considering eight species traits and four extrinsic factors, we performed phylogenetic correlation tests, finding that small geographic range size, large body length, oviparous reproduction, diurnal activity and high human exploitation were important in determining the extinction risk of all Chinese snakes. Moreover, human exploited snakes had a higher percentage of threatened species and large‐bodied species than unexploited snakes. Extinction risk of human exploited species was related to body length, reproduction mode and activity period, whereas that of human unexploited species were associated with geographic range size, microhabitat and annual temperature. Overall, we highlight the phylogenetic non‐random exploitation of snakes, and different factors underlying species response to human overexploitation. We suggest that conservation priority should be given to exploitation‐prone families and species with extinction‐prone traits, as identified in this study. Moreover, human exploited and unexploited species should be managed considering different strategies since their extinction risk was associated with different ecological traits. Conservation actions should also focus on preventing human threats, such as human overexploitation and habitat loss, for the effective preservation of Chinese snakes.     

The solution and crystal structures of a module pair from the Staphylococcus aureus-binding site of human fibronectin--a tale with a twist

An important goal of structural studies of modular proteins is to determine the inter-module orientation, which often influences biological function. The N-terminal domain of human fibronectin (Fn) is composed of a string of five type 1 modules (F1). Despite their small size, to date F1 modules have proved intractable to X-ray structure solution, although there are several NMR structures available. Here, we present the first structures (two X-ray models and an NMR-derived model) of the (2)F1(3)F1 module pair, which forms part of the binding site for Fn-binding proteins from pathogenic bacteria. The crystallographic structure determination was aided by the novel technique of UV radiation damage-induced phasing. The individual module structures are very similar in all three models. In the NMR structure and one of the X-ray structures, a similar but smaller interdomain interface than that observed previously for (4)F1(5)F1 is seen. The other X-ray structure has a different interdomain orientation. This work underlines the benefits of combining X-ray and NMR data in the studies of multi-domain proteins.     

The What,Why and How of Primate Taxonomy

Taxonomy has a well-defined role, which is much more than simply stamp-collecting and pigeon-holing. Species are the units of classification, biogeography and conservation; as such they must be defined as objectively as possible. The biological species concept, still widely used in biology, though predominantly by non-taxonomists and all too often misunderstood, is a process-based concept, which offers no criterion for the classification of allopatric populations beyond inference and hypothesis. The phylogenetic species concept—a pattern-based concept—is as nearly objective as we are likely to get. Amount of difference is not a criterion for recognizing species. It is not possible to insist on monophyly at the specific level, but it is mandatory for the higher categories (genus, family, etc.). The rank we assign to a given supraspecific category should be determined by its time depth.     

Have superfetation and matrotrophy facilitated the evolution of larger offspring in poeciliid fishes?

Superfetation is the ability of females to simultaneously carry multiple broods of embryos, with each brood at a different developmental stage. Matrotrophy is the post‐fertilization maternal provisioning of nutrients to developing embryos throughout gestation. Several studies have demonstrated that, in viviparous fishes, superfetation and matrotrophy have evolved in a correlated way, such that species capable of bearing several simultaneous broods also exhibit advanced degrees of post‐fertilization provisioning. The adaptive value of the concurrent presence of both reproductive modes may be associated with the production of larger newborns, which in turn may result in enhanced offspring fitness. In this study, we tested two hypotheses: (1) species with superfetation and moderate or extensive matrotrophy give birth to larger offspring compared with species without superfetation or matrotrophy; (2) species with higher degrees of superfetation and matrotrophy (i.e. more simultaneous broods and increased amounts of post‐fertilization provisioning) give birth to larger offspring compared with species with relatively low degrees of superfetation and matrotrophy (i.e. fewer simultaneous broods and lesser amounts of post‐fertilization provisioning). Using different phylogenetic comparative methods and data on 44 species of viviparous fishes of the family Poeciliidae, we found a lack of association between offspring size and the combination of superfetation and matrotrophy. Therefore, the concurrent presence of superfetation and moderate or extensive matrotrophy has not facilitated the evolution of larger offspring. In fact, these traits have evolved differently. Superfetation and matrotrophy have accumulated gradual changes that largely can be explained by Brownian motion, whereas offspring size has evolved fluidly, experiencing changes that probably resulted from selective responses to the local conditions.     

Distribution of the endosymbiotic bacterium Cardinium in Chinese populations of the carmine spider mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Abstract:  ' Candidatus Cardinium hertigii ( Cardinium )' from the Bacteroidetes group is a symbiont that has recently received attention as a reproductive manipulator of its arthropod hosts. Though the spatial distribution of symbionts depends heavily on that of their hosts, evidence has shown that dispersal limitations also have effect on some micro-organisms. In order to estimate the distribution of Cardinium in Chinese populations of the carmine spider mite, twenty seven geographical populations of Tetranychus cinnabarinus were collected and screened, using Cardinium -specific primers for the 16S ribosomal DNA. Six geographical populations collected between 30° and 36°N tested positive for the presence of Cardinium , whereas it could not be detected in populations collected between 19°–29°N and 37°–46°N, suggesting that the symbiont is not evenly distributed, comparing with a wider distribution of Wolbachia previously reported in the same populations. In addition, the infection rates of Cardinium seem to increase from the south to the north of China. All the six Cardinium -infected populations were found to be doubly infected with Wolbachia . Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rDNA gene sequence of Cardinium shows a close relationship between Cardinium in Chinese carmine spider mite and symbionts found in other species in the Tetranychidae.     

白三叶TrFQR1基因克隆与表达分析

采用RACE和RT-PCR方法,克隆白三叶拉丁诺(Trifolium repens cv.‘Ladino’)的cDNA基因序列,命名为TrFQR1,对该序列进行生物信息学分析,利用实时荧光定量PCR检测TrFQR1的表达模式。结果表明:(1)TrFQR1序列长为1 003bp,开放阅读框为612bp,编码203个氨基酸,该蛋白的理论分子质量21.88kD,等电点为5.96,属于亲水性稳定蛋白,无信号肽,无跨膜结构域,在进化上高度保守,N端11~15位氨基酸和C端112~165位氨基酸是FMN结合位点。(2)TrFQR1表达模式分析显示,白三叶TrFQR1基因对于8种处理均有响应,但不同处理响应不同,其中:用25μmol/L SNP、10mmol/L H_2O_2、5mmol/L CaCl_2处理1.5h以及15%PEG处理3h时,白三叶TrFQR1基因相对表达量显著增加;在200mmol/L NaCl和600μmol/L CdSO4处理下,TrFQR1基因相对表达量随处理时间的增加而增加;4℃处理6h和0.02mmol/L NaHS处理1.5h时,TrFQR1基因相对表达量显著减少。     

Active dispersal of Triatoma infestans and other triatomines in the Argentinean arid Chaco before and after vector control interventions

Peridomestic structures are considered the main sites where Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) remain and disperse, representing the first risk factor for intradomestic invasion, even after vector control activities. This study analyzed T. infestans dispersal during vector control interventions in six rural houses of the arid Chaco (La Rioja, Argentina). Flying and walking dispersers were captured during five months of two consecutive warm seasons after insecticide spraying of intra‐ and peridomiciles. These data were compared with previous published data in the same scenario but without insecticide spraying in peridomiciles. Recorded climatic conditions were favorable for active dispersion during the study. Total number of T. infestans dispersers moving among domestic habitats decreased after insecticide spraying. Sylvatic triatomines T. guasayana, T. eratyrusiformis, T. garciabesi, and T. platensis, not targeted by insecticide spraying, were captured simultaneously within peridomestic areas and showed higher invasion pressure than T. infestans. Adult T. infestans peridomestic populations showed high nutritional status, indicating low dispersion probability. Some peridomiciles remained infested at the end of the study. However, no intradomiciles were recolonized. These results suggest that there is a low probability of intradomestic recolonization by active dispersion from peridomiciles during 15 months post‐spraying.