濒危植物长蕊木兰的核型

报道了长蕊木兰（Alcimandra cathcartii）的染色体核型,核型公式为2n=2x=38=22m＋15sm（3sat）＋1st。核型类型属于Stebbins的2A型。第18条染色体为st染色体,第5、6、7条sm染色体的短臂上各具有1个随体。间期核为简单染色中心型（simple chromocenter type）,有丝分裂前期染色体为中间型（interstitial type）。对前人关于木兰属和含笑属植物的核型研究结果进行了比较分析,长蕊木兰与含笑属亲缘关系较近,但稍有区别,而与木兰属的亲缘关系较远。     

The complete mitochondrial genome of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae: gene order and trn gene clusters reveal a common evolutionary course for all Sordariomycetes, while intergenic regions show variation

The mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae, with a total size of 24,673 bp, was one of the smallest known mtDNAs of Pezizomycotina. It contained the 14 typical genes coding for proteins related to oxidative phosphorylation, the two rRNA genes, a single intron that harbored an intronic ORF coding for a putative ribosomal protein (rps) within the large rRNA gene (rnl), and a set of 24 tRNA genes which recognized codons for all amino acids, except proline and valine. Gene order comparison with all known mtDNAs of Sordariomycetes illustrated a highly conserved genome organization for all the protein- and rRNA-coding genes, as well as three clusters of tRNA genes. By considering all mitochondrial essential protein-coding genes as one unit a phylogenetic study of these small genomes strongly supported the common evolutionary course of Sordariomycetes (100% bootstrap support) and highlighted the advantages of analyzing small genomes (mtDNA) over single genes. In addition, comparative analysis of three intergenic regions demonstrated sequence variability that can be exploited for intra- and inter-specific identification of Metarhizium. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Genetic relationships among Turkish sheep

Genetic relationships among Turkish sheep breeds were analysed on the basis of 30 microsatellite markers. Phylogenetic analyses based on the estimation of genetic distances revealed the closest relationships for the Akkaraman, Morkaraman and Tuj breeds, which were clearly differentiated from the others in the dendrogram. Our pattern was completely confirmed by results from the Factorial Correspondence Analysis. All the results described analysing either population parameters or individuals revealed a clear separation between the fat-tailed group and the others. These results, based on nuclear DNA, are discussed along with those already reported for these breeds through the investigation of mitochondrial DNA, which had revealed the invaluable significance of the genetic background of these Turkish sheep.     

基于COⅠ部分序列对皿蛛科盖蛛属(Linyphiidae,Neriene)几种蜘蛛亲缘关系的研究

将自测的皿蛛科Linyphiidae盖蛛属Netiene 15种蜘蛛与从GenBank中下载的1种盖蛛的COⅠmtDNA序列片段进行了同源性比较,以皿蛛科朱氏盾蛛Frontinella zhui的作为外群,用NJ、MP、ML和贝叶斯法构建了分子系统树。在所比较的818bp的序列中,有371个变异位点,143个简约信息位点;A、T、G、C的平均含量为23．1％、42．9％、17．8％、16．2％,所有种类的A＋T含量比较高,平均为66．0％。分子系统树基本支持已有的形态学研究,但鹤嘴盖蛛Nerien macella却没有被归入哈氏盖蛛组,可能是由于鹤嘴盖蛛与同组其他3种蜘蛛属于不同的动物地理区系所致;分析结果同时支持将中华盖蛛Neriene sinensis和黑斑盖蛛Neriene nigripectoris归入盾形盖蛛组。     

Fire Risk and Vegetation Structural Dynamics in Mediterranean Shrubland

Phytomass structural characteristics are highly related to vegetation flammability. In fire-prone species like Mediterranean gorse, which accumulate standing dead fuel, susceptibility to fire is a function of fuel load, vegetation composition and fuel cover, and these characteristics change with time. Thus, for effective fuel control management, knowledge of the vegetation structural dynamics related to fire risk is crucial for preventing future fires. This study analyses structural dynamics in the above-ground phytomass of Ulex parviflorus shrublands in relation to different stages of flammability, i.e., the amount of time elapsed since the last fire. For this, 152 plants were cut from shrublands at different stages of development (young, mature and senescent), and various dimensional measurements were taken on each. The phytomass was separated into living or dead fuel fractions as well as into twigs or branches depending on the stem diameter. Basal diameter is the variable that best predicted Ulex parviflorus total phytomass as well as that of the different fractions. Both dimensional and phytomass variables increased with plant development. In the young shrublands Ulex parviflorus constitutes 54% of total phytomass, and Ulex parviflorus's dead twigs fraction accounts for 5% of total phytomass. In the mature and senescent shrublands, this species represents 80% of total shrubland phytomass, and dead twigs reach values greater than 40%. Our results show that structural changes in the fuel over short periods of time (young and mature) reveal critical periods in shrub development. Identification of these stages is a necessary tool for planning fuel control programmes.     

杨树重要品种( 无性系) 的AFLP 指纹分析

品种的准确鉴定及其遗传相关性的了解对杨树育种和品种管理具有非常重要的意义。本试验采用AFLP对来自青杨组和黑杨组的21 个重要杨树品种( 无性系) 的鉴定与遗传相关性进行了研究。结果显示, 筛选的4对AFLP 引物总共产生了181 条多态性带,尤其是每对引物对每个品种都产生了独特的指纹图谱; 聚类分析和多维尺度分析将试验材料大体上分为五类, 结果不仅显示了组间不同品种的差异, 而且大体上区分了我国原生品种和外来品种。本研究表明, 所有品种都可被筛选的引物准确鉴定, 遗传相关性的推断结果与它们的系谱或分类基本一致。另外, 本研究还表明AFLP 技术完全可用于大规模地构建杨树树种DNA 指纹图谱、进行树种鉴定和遗传相关性的研究。     

Lipophilicity plays a major role in modulating the inhibition of monoamine oxidase B by 7-substituted coumarins

A series of coumarin derivatives (1-22), bearing at the 7-position ether, ketone, ester, carbamate, or amide functions of varying size and lipophilicity, were synthesized and investigated for their in vitro monoamine oxidase-A and -B (MAO-A and -B) inhibitory activities. Most of the compounds acted preferentially as MAO-B inhibitors, with IC(50) values in the micromolar to low-nanomolar range. A structure-activity-relationship (SAR) study highlighted lipophilicity as an important property modulating the MAO-B inhibition potency of 7-substituted coumarins, as shown by a linear correlation (n=20, r(2)=0.72) between pIC(50) and calculated log P values. The stability of ester-containing coumarin derivatives in rat plasma provided information on factors that either favor (lipophilicity) or decrease (steric hindrance) esterase-catalyzed hydrolysis. Two compounds (14 and 22) were selected to investigate how lipophilicity and enzymatic stability may affect in vivo MAO activities, as assayed ex vivo in rat. The most-potent and -selective MAO-B inhibitor 22 (=7-[(3,4-difluorobenzyl)oxy]-3,4-dimethyl-1-benzopyran-2(2H)-one) within the examined series significantly inhibited (>60%) ex vivo rat-liver and striatal MAO-B activities 1 h after intraperitoneal administration of high doses (100 and 300 mumol kg(-1)), revealing its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. At the same doses, liver and striatum MAO-A was less inhibited in vivo, somehow reflecting MAO-B selectivity, as assessed in vitro. In contrast, the metabolically less stable derivative 14, bearing an isopropyl ester in the lateral chain, had a weak effect on hepatic MAO-B activity in vivo, and none on striatal MAO-B, but, surprisingly, displayed inhibitory effects on MAO-A in both peripheral and brain tissues.     

Evolution of BK Virus Based on Complete Genome Data

The human polyomavirus BK virus (BKV) is ubiquitous in humans, infecting children asymptomatically. BKV is the only primate polyomavirus that has subtypes (I–IV) distinguishable by immunological reactivity. Nucleotide (nt) variations in a major capsid protein (VP1) gene region (designated the epitope region), probably responsible for antigenic diversity, have been used to classify BKV isolates into subtypes. Here, with all the protein-encoding gene sequences, we attempted to elucidate the evolutionary relationships among 28 BKV isolates belonging to subtypes I, III, and IV (no isolate belonging to subtype II, a minor one, was included). First, using the GTR + Γ + I model, maximum likelihood trees were reconstructed for individual viral genes as well as for concatenated viral genes. On the resultant trees, the 28 BKV isolates were consistently divided into three clades corresponding to subtypes I, III, and IV, although bootstrap probabilities are not always high. Then we used more sophisticated likelihood models, one of which takes account of codon structure, to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among BKV subtypes, but the phylogeny of the deep branchings remained ambiguous. Furthermore, the possibility of positive selection in the evolution of BKV was examined using the nonsynonymous/synonymous rate ratio as a measure of selection. An analysis based on entire genes could not detect any strong evidence for positive selection, but that based on the epitope region identified a few sites potentially under positive selection (these sites were among those showing subtype linked polymorphisms). These author Yuriko Nishimoto and Tomokazu Takasaka contributed equally to this article. [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Rasmus Nielsen]     

Characterization of the Cystoid Nematode Meloidoderita kirjanovae (Nemata: Sphaeronematidae) from Southern Italy

A population of the cystoid nematode Meloidoderita kirjanovae was detected parasitizing water mint (Mentha aquatica) in southern Italy. The morphological identification of this species was confirmed by molecular analysis using the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and 5.8S gene sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA), which clearly separated it from the closely related species Meloidoderita polygoni. A phylogenetic analysis of M. kirjanovae with species of related genera was conducted using sequences of the D2-D3 expansion segments of the 28S nuclear ribosomal RNA gene. The resulting phylogenetic tree was congruent with trees from an extended dataset for Criconematina and Tylenchida. The basal position of the genus Meloidoderita together with Sphaeronema within the Criconematina clade in this tree may indicate their close relationships. The anatomical changes induced by M. kirjanovae population from Italy in water mint were similar to those reported for a nematode population infecting roots of M. longifolia in Israel. Nematode feeding caused the formation of a stellar syncytium that disorganized the pericycle and vascular root tissues.