胚泡着床窗口的分子调控

着床窗口是指当胚胎发育到胚泡阶段时,子宫也增殖和分化到可接受状态,二者相互作用使胚泡着床的短暂时间.雌激素和孕酮是该过程的综合调控分子,它们通过多种局部信号分子的介导,使子宫中的各种细胞类型增殖、分化,为着床窗口的开放做出相互协调的反应.子宫与胚胎在着床窗口通过前列腺素、组织胺、降钙素、多种细胞因子和生长因子的旁分泌作用进行分子对话,使胚泡滋养层与子宫内膜上皮发生附着反应.着床窗口一旦开放,即自动向非接受态转化.     

七叶树花粉活力和柱头可授性变化的研究

采用花粉离体萌发法研究不同蔗糖浓度、硼酸浓度和不同温度对七叶树花粉萌发的影响及花粉活力测定,用联苯胺-过氧化氢法测定柱头可授性.结果表明:七叶树花粉萌发的最佳培养基是12％蔗糖+30 mg/L硼酸,花粉萌发的最适温度为25℃.雄花在开花当天花粉活力最高达75.69％,并在开花当天的上午10:00时,花粉活力最强,10:00～16:00花粉活力保持较高活力,是最佳授粉时段.两性花的柱头可授期持续时间较长,为8～9 d,开花3d达到最强,开花1～4 d柱头可授性保持较高水平,为授粉的最佳时间段.因此,从七叶树的花部特征、花粉活力与柱头可授性及花粉萌发的条件看,在长期的自然选择下七叶树在花部结构和开花生理上都是相配合的,以保障生殖成功.     

Female receptivity and male mate-guarding in the jewel spiderGasteracantha minax thorell (Araneidae)

In field populations, several male jewel spidersGasteracantha minax Thorell (Araneidae) may be found at the periphery of the orb web of a female, indicating that males may compete for fertilisation success. Laboratory experiments revealed that virgin femaleG. minax readily remate shortly after their first mating. However, they appear to enter a refractory period between 1 and 24 h postmating and respond aggressively to courting males. Males that have mated with a female initially defend her from rival males but cease to do so after the onset of the refractory period. These data can be interpreted within the context of mate-guarding and sperm competition. There is marked size dimorphism in this species, which may be the result of selection for protandry. In contrast with other orb-weaving spiders, this selection pressure does not seem to be counterbalanced by selection for larger male size through either sexual cannibalism or male-male competition.     

N-glycosylation of uterine endometrium determines its receptivity

Glycosylation alters the molecular and functional features of glycoproteins, which is closely related with many physiological processes and diseases. During “window of implantation”, uterine endometrium transforms into a receptive status to accept the embryo, thereby establishing successful embryo implantation. In this article, we aimed at investigating the role of N-glycosylation, a major modification type of glycoproteins, in the process of endometrial receptivity establishment. Results found that human uterine endometrial tissues at mid-secretory phase exhibited Lectin PHA-E+L (recognizes the branched N-glycans) positive N-glycans as measured by the Lectin fluorescent staining analysis. By utilizing in vitro implantation model, we found that de-N-glycosylation of human endometrial Ishikawa and RL95-2 cells by tunicamycin (inhibitor of N-glycosylation) and peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) impaired their receptive ability to human trophoblastic JAR cells. Meanwhile, N-glycosylation of integrin αvβ3 and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) are found to play key roles in regulating the ECM-dependent FAK/Paxillin and LIF-induced STAT3 signaling pathways, respectively, thus affecting the receptive potentials of endometrial cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments and primary mouse endometrial cells-embryos coculture model further verified that N-glycosylation of mouse endometrial cells contributed to the successful implantation. Our results provide new evidence to show that N-glycosylation of uterine endometrium is essential for maintaining the receptive functions, which gives a better understanding of the glycobiology of implantation.     

Stigma development and receptivity in almond (Prunus dulcis)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Fertilization is essential in almond production, and pollination can be limiting in production areas. This study investigated stigma receptivity under defined developmental stages to clarify the relationship between stigma morphology, pollen germination, tube growth and fruit set. METHODS: Light and scanning electron microscopy were employed to examine stigma development at seven stages of flower development ranging from buds that were swollen to flowers in which petals were abscising. Flowers at different stages were hand pollinated and pollen germination and tube growth assessed. Artificial pollinations in the field were conducted to determine the effect of flower age on fruit set. KEY RESULTS: Later stages of flower development exhibited greater stigma receptivity, i.e. higher percentages of pollen germination and more extensive tube growth occurred in older (those opened to the flat petal stage or exhibiting petal fall) than younger flowers. Enhanced stigma receptivity was associated with elongation of stigmatic papillae and increased amounts of stigmatic exudate that inundated papillae at later developmental stages. Field pollinations indicated that the stigma was still receptive and nut set was maintained in older flowers. CONCLUSIONS: Stigma receptivity in almond does not become optimal until flowers are past the fully open stage. The stigma is still receptive and fruit set is maintained in flowers even at the stage when petals are abscising. Strategies to enhance pollination and crop yield, including the timing and placement of honey bees, should consider the effectiveness of developmentally advanced flowers.     

宁夏枸杞繁育系统初步研究

运用TTC法、联苯胺—过氧化氢法、P/O比、OCI和套袋实验,对宁夏枸杞种内各参试材料花粉活力、柱头可授性及繁育系统进行了研究。结果表明:宁夏枸杞花粉数量/胚珠比大于4 000,杂交指数介于3～4,结合人工授粉和套袋实验结果可以确定在参试的13个品种(系)中麻叶系材料(宁杞1号、2号、大麻叶、小麻叶)表现为部分自交亲和;而其它材料(白花、白条、宁杞3号、尖头圆果、圆头圆果、蒙杞1号、扁果、0701、0616)表现为自交不亲和,同株异花、异株异花几乎不坐果,自然条件下只有通过与其他材料混植的途经来实现结实。由于自交亲和水平极低,宁夏枸杞的繁育系统应属于专性异交(除麻叶系材料)。     

Can captivity lead to inter-species mating in two Mesocricetus hamster species?

In two closely related species, females generally prefer conspecific males over heterospecific males. We found that estrous (but not diestrous) female Syrian hamsters Mesocricetus auratus prefer the odors of conspecific males to odors of Turkish hamsters Mesocricetus brandti . However, female Syrian hamsters are not aggressive toward male Turkish hamsters and will readily mate with them. We hypothesize that many generations in captivity led to a reduction in females' ability to avoid inter-species mating, possibly related to the heightened sexual receptivity observed in Mesocricetus hamsters in captivity. To test this hypothesis, we replicated a study carried out with female Turkish hamsters soon after the current laboratory stock of this species was established. In that study, female Turkish hamsters showed lordosis toward male Syrian hamsters in only 20% of interactions and attacked heterospecific males in 80% of the pairings. Using animals descended from that original colony (after many generations in captivity and certain episodes of inbreeding), 100% of female Turkish hamsters mated with heterospecific males and none showed aggression toward heterospecific males. Thus female avoidance of inter-specific mating may be affected by captive rearing conditions.     

极具潜力的子宫内膜容受性形态学标志-胞饮突的研究进展

胞饮突是种植窗期在扫描电镜（Scanning electron microscopy,SEM）下子宫内膜上皮细胞膜顶端出现的大而平滑的膜突起。近年胞饮突被认为子宫内膜容受性的一个标志性结构,其功能可能是直接或间接参与囊胚与子宫内膜的黏附反应。本文就胞饮突的形态、功能及与其他子宫内膜容受性相关因子相互作用作一综述。     

Reproductive ecology of the basal angiosperm Trithuria submersa (Hydatellaceae)

Background and Aims

Trithuria, the sole genus in the family Hydatellaceae, is an important group for understanding early angiosperm evolution because of its sister relationship to the ancient lineage, Nymphaeales (water lilies). Although also aquatic, Trithuria differs from water lilies in that all species are extremely small, and most have an annual life form and grow in seasonal wetlands. Very little is known about their reproductive ecology. This paper reports on reproductive timing, mode of pollination and characteristics of the breeding system of Trithuria submersa in Western Australia.

Methods

Mass collections of open-pollinated plants from different ecological settings were used to characterize the reproductive developmental sequence and natural pollen reception. Hand-pollination, caging and emasculation experiments were used to measure outcross + geitonogamous pollen reception versus autonomous self-pollination in two populations over two field seasons.

Key Results

Natural outcross or geitonogamous pollination was by wind, not by water or insects, but pollen reception was extremely low. Pollen production was very low and pollen release was non-synchronous within populations. The pollen to ovule (P/O) ratio was 23·9, compared with 1569·1 in dioecious Trithuria austinensis. Stigmas became receptive before male phase and remained so until anthers dehisced and autonomous self-pollination occurred. Natural pollen loads are composed primarily of self pollen. Self- and open-pollinated plants had equivalent seed set (both >70 %). Self-pollinated plants produced seed within 17 d.

Conclusions

Autonomous self-pollination and self-fertilization are predominant in T. submersa. The low P/O ratio is not an artefact of small plant size and is inconsistent with long-term pollination by wind. It indicates that T. submersa has evolved a primarily autogamous breeding system. Selfing, along with the effect of small plant size on the speed of reproduction, has enabled T. submersa to colonize marginal ephemeral wetlands in the face of unpredictable pollination.     

光果甘草生殖生物学特性的初步研究

对光果甘草的花部特征、花粉活力、柱头可授性和花粉-胚珠比(P/O)进行了初步研究.结果表明:(1)光果甘草雄蕊异型,雌雄蕊异位,有利于避免自花授粉;(2)开花当天花粉活力在上午12:00最高,为91.8%,14:00迅速下降,16:00到达最低,16:00以后逐渐上升;(3)柱头可授性可持续4 d,以开花当天可授性最强;(4)花粉-胚珠比(P/O)为1 751.1±217.002,表明其繁育系统类型为兼性异交.