Cross-scale drivers of plant trait distributions in a fragmented forest landscape

During community assembly, plant functional traits are under selective pressure from processes operating at multiple spatial scales. However, in fragmented landscapes, there is little understanding of the relative importance of local-, patch- and landscape-scale processes in shaping trait distributions. Here, we investigate cross-scale influences of landscape change on traits that dictate plant life history strategies in re-assembling plant communities in a fragmented landscape in eastern China. Using forest dynamics plots (FDPs) on 29 land-bridge islands in which all woody plants have been georeferenced and identified to species, we characterized and derived two composite measures of trait variation, representing variation across the leaf economics spectrum and plant size. We then tested for trait shifts in response to local-, patch- and landscape-scale factors, and their potential cross-scale interactions. We found substantial community-wide trait changes along local-scale gradients (i.e. forest edge to interior): more acquisitive leaf economic traits and larger sized species occurred at edges, with a significant increase in trait means and trait range. Moreover, there were significant cross-scale interaction effects of patch and landscape variables on local-scale edge effects. Altered spatial arrangement of habitat in the surrounding landscape (i.e. declining habitat amount and increasing patch density), as well as decreasing area at the patch level, exacerbated edge effects on traits distributions. We suggest that synergistic interactions of landscape- and patch-scale processes, such as dispersal limitation, on local-scale environmental filtering at edges, together shape the spatial distributions of plant life history strategies in fragmented plant communities.     

喀斯特次生林幼树更新空间分布格局及种间关联性

本研究以贵州省喀斯特典型区域紫云苗族布依族自治县撂荒30余年后自然恢复形成的次生林为对象,设置140 m×120 m固定样地,系统调查样地内幼树更新,并采用空间点格局分析方法分析幼树更新优势种群在不同空间尺度下的分布格局和种间关联性。结果表明: 调查样地中幼树共计1291株,包括39个树种,其中光皮桦、化香、马尾松、枫香和山杨5个树种的幼树个体数量总和达83.7%,重要值总和达77.8%,为幼树更新的优势树种。光皮桦、化香和枫香3个幼树优势种群的空间分布格局在0～60 m空间尺度上均呈现较强的聚集分布;马尾松和山杨2个幼树优势种群在小尺度上呈现聚集分布,大尺度上则随机分布。幼树优势种群空间关联性多呈现正关联,仅马尾松与枫香和山杨在小尺度呈现正关联,大尺度呈现不相关。调查样地5个幼树优势种群空间分布格局及种间关联性差别较大,可能与树种的生物学特性、生境及空间资源的利用密切相关。目前,林分多以先锋树种为主,群落结构不稳定;以马尾松和光皮桦为优势种群的松-桦混交林可能成为下一阶段演替方向,建议通过森林经营措施加快植被恢复进程。     

Effects of Barium Stress in <i>Brassica juncea</i> and <i>Cakile maritima</i>: The Indicator Role of Some Antioxidant Enzymes and Secondary Metabolites

Soil contamination by toxic trace metal elements, like barium (Ba), may stimulate various undesirable changes in the metabolic activity of plants. The plant responses are fast and with, direct or indirect, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To cope with the stress imposed by the ROS production, plants developed a dual cellular system composed of enzymatic and non-enzymatic players that convert ROS, and their by-products, into stable nontoxic molecules. To assess the Ba stress response of two Brassicaceae species (Brassica juncea, a glycophyte, and Cakile maritime, a halophyte), plants were exposure to different Ba concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300 and 500 μM). The plants response was evaluated through their morphology and development, the determination of plant leaves antioxidant enzymatic activities and by the production of plants secondary metabolites. Results indicated that the two Brassicaceae species have the ability to survive in an environment containing Ba (even at 500 μM). The biomass production of C. maritima was slightly affected whereas an increase in biomass B. juncea was noticed. The stress imposed by Ba activated the antioxidant defense system in the two species, noticed by the changes in the leaves activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaicol peroxidase (GPX), and of the secondary metabolites, through the production of total phenols and flavonoids. The enzymatic response was not similar within the two plant species: CAT and APX seem to have a more important role against the oxidative stress in C. maritima while in B. juncea is GPX. Overall, total phenols and flavonoids production was more significant in the plants aerial part than in the roots, of the both species. Although the two Brassicaceae species response was different, in both plants catalytic and non-catalytic transformation of ROS occurs, and both were able to overcome the Ba toxicity and prevent the cell damage.     

<i>In vitro</i> Antibacterial Activity of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Ethanolic Extract against Tomato Phytopathogenic Bacteria

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the world’s most important vegetable crops. Still, phytopathogenic bacteria affect the yield and quality of tomato cultivation, like Agrobacterium tumefeciens (At), Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm), Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs), and Xanthomonas axonopodis (Xa). Synthetic chemical products are used mostly on disease plant control, but overuse generates resistance to bacterial control. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of the ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves against At, Cmm, Pst, Rs, and Xa, as well as information about this plant species’ chemical composition. Antibacterial activity against pathogens observed by microplate technique, phytochemical screening, and FTIR analysis revealed different bio-active compounds on ethanolic extracts with antibacterial activity. The growth inhibition rate ranged between 0.08% and 99.94%. The inhibitory concentration, IC50, required to inhibit 50% of At, Cmm, Pst, Rs, and Xa bacterial growth, was 276.67, 350.48, 277.85, 351.49, and 283.22 mg/L, respectively. Inhibition of phytopathogen bacteria’s growth increased as the concentrations of the extract also increased. Moringa oleifera extract can be recommended as a potent bio-bactericide.     

一株稀有海洋真菌Stachybotrys longispora FG216的De Novo测序及基因组学分析

【背景】长孢葡萄穗霉菌(Stachybotrys longispora) FG216是一株稀有海洋真菌,其次生代谢产物FGFC1具有纤溶活性。进行S. longispora FG216的基因组序列分析,将充实和促进海洋微生物功能基因和次生代谢产物合成生物学的基础研究和应用研究。【目的】解析S. longispora FG216的基因组序列,分析基因组生物功能和同源相似性关系,分析次生代谢产物纤溶活性化合物FGFC1的相关基因。【方法】基于Illumina HiSeq高通量测序平台对S. longispora FG216菌株进行De Novo测序,使用SSPACE、Augustus等软件进行组装、编码基因预测、基因功能注释、物种共线性分析以及预测FGFC1次生代谢产物合成基因簇。【结果】S. longispora FG216的基因组测序总长度为45622830bp,共得到605个Scaffold,GC含量为51.31%,注释预测得到13329个编码基因和169个非编码RNA。基因组测序数据提交至国家微生物科学数据中心(编号为NMDC60016264),其中13 053、8 422、8 460、7 714和2 847个基因分别能够在NR、KEGG、KOG、GO和CAZy数据库匹配到注释信息。比较基因组学分析发现,Stachybotrys具有保守性,核心基因占基因家族总数目的71.44%,S. longispora FG216与S. chlorohalonata IBT 40285的相似性最高;同时,预测得到101个次生代谢产物合成基因簇,其中18个基因簇与已知的化合物相匹配。通过antiSMASH预测,Cluster57是编码合成FGFC1母核结构异吲哚啉酮的基因簇,与S.chlorohalonataIBT40285中的基因簇相似度为40%。【结论】海洋稀有真菌S.longisporaFG216的基因组信息已上传至国家微生物科学数据中心公开使用,为Stachybotrys种属的研究提供了重要的参考意义,同时发现了S. longispora FG216次生代谢产物纤溶活性化合物FGFC1母核部分编码基因是Cluster 57。     

Integrative genomic phylogeography reveals signs of mitonuclear incompatibility in a natural hybrid goby population

Hybridization between divergent lineages generates new allelic combinations. One mechanism that can hinder the formation of hybrid populations is mitonuclear incompatibility, that is, dysfunctional interactions between proteins encoded in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of diverged lineages. Theoretically, selective pressure due to mitonuclear incompatibility can affect genotypes in a hybrid population in which nuclear genomes and mitogenomes from divergent lineages admix. To directly and thoroughly observe this key process, we de novo sequenced the 747‐Mb genome of the coastal goby, Chaenogobius annularis, and investigated its integrative genomic phylogeographics using RNA‐sequencing, RAD‐sequencing, genome resequencing, whole mitogenome sequencing, amplicon sequencing, and small RNA‐sequencing. Chaenogobius annularis populations have been geographically separated into Pacific Ocean (PO) and Sea of Japan (SJ) lineages by past isolation events around the Japanese archipelago. Despite the divergence history and potential mitonuclear incompatibility between these lineages, the mitogenomes of the PO and SJ lineages have coexisted for generations in a hybrid population on the Sanriku Coast. Our analyses revealed accumulation of nonsynonymous substitutions in the PO‐lineage mitogenomes, including two convergent substitutions, as well as signals of mitochondrial lineage‐specific selection on mitochondria‐related nuclear genes. Finally, our data implied that a microRNA gene was involved in resolving mitonuclear incompatibility. Our integrative genomic phylogeographic approach revealed that mitonuclear incompatibility can affect genome evolution in a natural hybrid population.     

不同坡位水曲柳木质部解剖特征及其与气候关系

随着气候变暖,东北地区暖干化加剧。为了解干旱胁迫对小兴安岭地区不同坡位水曲柳径向生长的影响,采用木材解剖学方法,分析了水曲柳木质部解剖特征对不同坡位水分变化的响应。结果表明: 上、下坡位水曲柳木质部解剖参数整体上变化趋势一致,导管数量呈线性分布,最大导管面积和总导管面积总体上呈对数分布,平均导管面积总体上呈偏正态分布。不同坡位多个解剖参数均存在显著差异,下坡位导管数量、导管面积总体上大于上坡位。大部分解剖参数与日积温呈显著正相关,但存在一定差异,上坡位水曲柳总导管面积与日均温呈正相关,导管数量、总导管面积与相对湿度呈正相关,相关性均大于下坡位。上坡位最小导管面积与日积温和相对湿度呈显著负相关;而下坡位,总导管面积与相对湿度呈显著正相关。气候暖干化会导致水曲柳导管面积和导管数量相对减少,但基本上不影响导管分布状况,上、下坡位导管分布基本一致。目前,气候暖干化未限制而是促进了水曲柳的径向生长。     

杨树受机械损伤与光肩星天牛危害的防御性反应

杨树是我国“三北”地区防护林建设的主栽树种,自20世纪70年代以来长期受到光肩星天牛的严重危害。北抗杨对光肩星天牛有一定的抗性,但产生抗性的生化机制尚不清楚。本研究采用试剂盒法与高效液相色谱法以未受害、机械损伤、虫害北抗杨为研究材料,对其树皮和木质部中的次生代谢产物和防御酶含量进行检测,以探索其抗性机制。结果表明,北抗杨受到机械损伤和光肩星天牛危害后其反应不同:1)次生代谢产物,北抗杨受到机械损伤后,树皮中的水杨苷和白杨甙含量显著上升,槲皮苷含量降低;而受光肩星天牛危害后,树皮中的水杨苷和槲皮苷含量显著上升,白杨甙含量无显著变化。机械损伤的北抗杨木质部总酚含量高于虫害与未受害木质部,后两者间无显著差异;光肩星天牛危害的北抗杨木质部白杨甙和亚麻木酚素含量高于机械损伤木质部与未受害木质部。遭受机械损伤与虫害后北抗杨木质部的总酚苷含量显著高于未受害木质部。2)防御酶活性分析表明,与未受害北抗杨树皮相比,受到机械损伤与虫害后的树皮苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)活性显著升高,但两者间无差异;受到机械损伤与虫害后的树皮超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性高于未受害树皮,且机械损伤树皮高于虫害树皮;北抗杨受机械损伤与虫害后木质部中的过氧化物酶(POD)活性高于未受害木质部,但两者间无差异。3)与未受害北抗杨相比,北抗杨受机械损伤、虫害后部分次生代谢物和防御酶都有不同程度的增加,推测这些物质可能与北抗杨抗逆性反应有关。