The role of salivary androgen-binding protein in reproductive isolation between two subspecies of house mouse: Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus

Previous behavioural studies using inbred lines have suggested that the gene ( Abpa ) for the alpha subunit of salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP) plays a role in prezygotic isolation between house mouse Mus musculus subspecies. We tested this hypothesis in animals from wild allopatric (121 individuals from four samples) and parapatric (320 animals from 15 samples) populations sampled on the Czech–Bavarian transect across the hybrid zone between M. m. domesticus and M. m. musculus . The study did not reveal a consistent statistically significant trend of homosubspecific preferences in individual allopatric and parapatric populations. Nonetheless, the whole pattern of preference was skewed toward homosubspecific preference mostly on the M. m. musculus side of the hybrid zone. The pattern of homosubspecific preferences was stronger for the time spent sniffing than it was for the first choice of the signal (the ratio of homosubspecific vs. heterosubspecific preferences for both sexes was 6 : 2 in allopatric and 21 : 9 in parapatric populations, while the same rates were 4 : 4 and 16 : 14 for the first choice). To the extent that Y-maze tests reflect preference under wild conditions, we suggest that this slight preference may not in itself be sufficient to impede gene flow between the two subspecies and thus act as a reproductive barrier. ABP most probably participates in a complex system of subspecies-specific recognition in the hybrid zone, but the picture is far too complex at this time to allow a conclusive evaluation of the importance of this role.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 84 , 349–361.     

The genomics of speciation: investigating the molecular correlates of X chromosome introgression across the hybrid zone between Mus domesticus and Mus musculus

Understanding the genetic details of reproductive isolation is a key goal in the study of speciation. Hybrid zones, geographical regions where two species meet and exchange genes, can provide insight into the genetic basis of reproductive isolation. This is especially true in species with mapped molecular markers because patterns of gene flow can be compared among different genomic regions. Even greater insight can be obtained in species with complete genome sequences because gene identity, gene number and other features of interest can be assessed for genomic regions with different patterns of introgression. Here, we review recent studies on the well-characterized hybrid zone between Mus domesticus and M. musculus , including a detailed survey of patterns of introgression for 13 markers on the X chromosome. We then compare levels of introgression for these 13 regions to a number of genomic attributes inferred from the complete sequence of the X chromosome, with two purposes. First, we identify candidate genes for reproductive isolation by finding genes that map to an X-linked region of reduced introgression and that are only expressed in the male germ line or that show high rates of protein evolution in comparison with rat. Second, we ask whether patterns of gene flow are correlated with recombination rate, gene density, base composition, CpG island density, mutation rate and the rate of protein evolution, as might be expected if many genes contribute to reproductive isolation. We identify seven candidate genes for reproductive isolation between M. domesticus and M. musculus , and our analyses reveal no general correlations between levels of introgression and other measured sequence characteristics. These results underline the utility of the house mouse as a model system for the study of speciation.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 84 , 523–534.     

Species richness and food web structure of soil decomposer community as affected by the size of habitat fragment and habitat corridors

While most ecologists agree that the effects of fragmentation on diversity of organisms are predominantly negative and that the scale of fragmentation defines their severity, the role of habitat corridors in mitigating those effects still remains controversial. This ambiguousness rests largely on various difficulties in experimentation, a problem partially solved in the present paper by the use of easily manipulated soil communities. In this 2.5‐year‐long field experiment, we investigated the responses of soil decomposer organisms (from microbes to mesofaunal predators) to habitat fragment size, in the presence or absence of habitat corridors connecting the fragments. The habitat fragments and corridors, composed of forest humus soil, were embedded in mineral soil representing an uninhabitable (or nonpreferred) matrix for the decomposer organisms. The results demonstrate that soil decomposer organisms do respond to changes in their habitat size: the species richness of microarthropods (mites and collembolans) increased as the size of the fragments increased. Especially collembolan species and predatory mites proved to be sensitive to the restricted habitat size, which is suggested to be a consequence of the large proportion of rare species and small and fluctuating population sizes in these groups. Contrary to our expectations, the presence of corridors had no positive effects on species richness or abundance of any of the studied faunas, possibly because of the low quality of the corridors. On the other hand, the biomass of soil fungi increased in the presence of corridors, which apparently provided a preferred pathway for vegetative dispersal of the fungi. Our results indicate that despite their characteristic underground environment, the response of soil decomposer organisms – in particular that of microarthropods – to habitat size is not unlike to that of the larger organisms in aboveground habitats.     

季也蒙假丝酵母胞外多糖的分离纯化及抗氧化活性研究

对一株源于海参肠道的季也蒙假丝酵母产胞外多糖进行分离纯化并对其抗氧化活性进行研究.采用乙醇沉淀、Sevag除蛋白等方法得到胞外粗多糖EPS.EPS经Sepharose强阴离子交换层析分离后,分别得到3个组分EPS1、EPS2和EPS3,对抗氧化活性较高的EPS2采用Sephacryal凝胶过滤层析进行纯化,得到1个单一组分EPS2-1,采用气相色谱法分析其单糖组成,并验证其抗氧化活性.结果表明:EPS2-1是由木糖、甘露糖、葡萄糖和半乳糖组成的;它具有较强的抗氧化活性,当其浓度为0.36 mg/mL时,对羟基自由基的清除率可达100％,明显高于同浓度下Vc对羟基自由基的清除率14.42％;当EPS2-1浓度为0.60 mg/mL时,对超氧阴离子自由基的清除率可达53.22％;同时EPS2-1表现出一定的还原力.研究证明该活性多糖具有很好的应用潜力,值得进一步研究开发.     

入侵植物猫爪藤体外细胞毒活性成分的筛选分离

为了筛选分离入侵植物猫爪藤的细胞毒活性成分,采用MTT法以75%乙醇提取物的不同组分分别处理人肝癌细胞SMMC7721、Bel7402和正常肝细胞Chang Liver,对他们的体外增殖抑制率进行了研究。结果表明,总醇提物的氯仿组分对肝癌细胞表现出明显的体外增殖抑制作用,其次是石油醚组分。从氯仿萃取组分中分离出具有更强细胞毒活性的成分熊果酸。因此,入侵植物猫爪藤具有体外细胞毒活性,熊果酸是其体外细胞毒活性的主要成分之一。     

Habitat preference and flowering‐time variation contribute to reproductive isolation between diploid and autotetraploid Anacamptis pyramidalis

Tetraploid lineages are typically reproductively isolated from their diploid ancestors by post‐zygotic isolation via triploid sterility. Nevertheless, polyploids often also exhibit ecological divergence that could contribute to reproductive isolation from diploid ancestors. In this study, we disentangled the contribution of different forms of reproductive isolation between sympatric diploid and autotetraploid individuals of the food‐deceptive orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis by quantifying the strength of seven reproductive barriers: three prepollination, one post‐pollination prezygotic and three post‐zygotic. The overall reproductive isolation between the two cytotypes was found very high, with a preponderant contribution of two prepollination barriers, that is phenological and microhabitat differences. Although the contribution of post‐zygotic isolation (triploid sterility) is confirmed in our study, these results highlight that prepollination isolation, not necessarily involving pollinator preference, can represent a strong component of reproductive isolation between different cytotypes. Thus, in the context of polyploidy as quantum speciation, that generates reproductive isolation via triploid sterility, ecological divergence can strengthen the reproductive isolation between cytotypes, reducing the waste of gametes in low fitness interploidy crosses and thus favouring the initial establishment of the polyploid lineage. Under this light, speciation by polyploidy involves ecological processes and should not be strictly considered as a nonecological form of speciation.     

Heterospecific sperm reduction in interspecific crosses between two closely related phytophagous ladybird beetles,Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata and H. pustulosa (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

In interspecific crosses, a mismatch in internal physiological conditions between two species can reduce sperm viability in the interval from insemination to fertilization, leading to gametic isolation. Two closely related Japanese phytophagous ladybird beetles, Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata and H. pustulosa, show several isolating barriers, including reduction in the number of heterospecific sperm in the female reproductive tract and low egg‐hatching rates in interspecific matings. However, the mechanisms of these two potential isolating barriers and the association between them are unknown. Here we investigated temporal changes in the number of sperm stored in the female reproductive tract and egg‐hatching rates in inter‐ and intraspecific crosses between these species. Although the number of sperm decreased after both inter‐ and intraspecific crosses, the reduction was more drastic in inter‐ than in intraspecific crosses for females of both species. Most of the sperm reduction occurred early on, during sperm transfer from the bursa copulatrix to the paired ampullae of the common oviduct (the sperm storage organs). These two species also demonstrated stably low egg‐hatching rates in interspecific crosses. Since the degree and timing of the sperm reduction did not correlate with egg‐hatching rates, the reduction in heterospecific sperm in interspecific crosses may not directly cause the low hatching rates. These two isolating barriers could be different expressions of the physiological mismatch and/or genetic incompatibility between gametes of these species.     

Climatic drivers of leaf traits and genetic divergence in the tree Annona crassiflora: a broad spatial survey in the Brazilian savannas

The Cerrado is the largest South American savanna and encompasses substantial species diversity and environmental variation. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the influence of the environment on population divergence of Cerrado species. Here, we searched for climatic drivers of genetic (nuclear microsatellites) and leaf trait divergence in Annona crassiflora, a widespread tree in the Cerrado. The sampling encompassed all phytogeographic provinces of the continuous area of the Cerrado and included 397 individuals belonging to 21 populations. Populations showed substantial genetic and leaf trait divergence across the species' range. Our data revealed three spatially defined genetic groups (eastern, western and southern) and two morphologically distinct groups (eastern and western only). The east‐west split in both the morphological and genetic data closely mirrors previously described phylogeographic patterns of Cerrado species. Generalized linear mixed effects models and multiple regression analyses revealed several climatic factors associated with both genetic and leaf trait divergence among populations of A. crassiflora. Isolation by environment (IBE) was mainly due to temperature seasonality and precipitation of the warmest quarter. Populations that experienced lower precipitation summers and hotter winters had heavier leaves and lower specific leaf area. The southwestern area of the Cerrado had the highest genetic diversity of A. crassiflora, suggesting that this region may have been climatically stable. Overall, we demonstrate that a combination of current climate and past climatic changes have shaped the population divergence and spatial structure of A. crassiflora. However, the genetic structure of A. crassiflora reflects the biogeographic history of the species more strongly than leaf traits, which are more related to current climate.     

Genetic diversity of Saccharina latissima (Phaeophyceae) along a salinity gradient in the North Sea–Baltic Sea transition zone

The North Sea–Baltic Sea transition zone constitutes a boundary area for the kelp species Saccharina latissima due to a strong salinity gradient operating in the area. Furthermore, the existence of S. latissima there, along Danish waters, is fairly patchy as hard bottom is scarce. In this study, patterns of genetic diversity of S. latissima populations were evaluated along the salinity gradient area of Danish waters (here designated brackish) and were compared to reference sites (here designated marine) outside the gradient area, using microsatellite markers. The results showed that the S. latissima populations were structured into two clusters corresponding to brackish versus marine sites, and that gene flow was reduced both between clusters and between populations within clusters. In addition, results provided empirical evidence that marginal populations of S. latissima in the salinity gradient area exhibited a distinct genetic structure when compared to marine ones. Brackish populations were less diverse, more related, and showed increased differentiation over distance compared to marine populations. The isolation of the brackish S. latissima populations within the salinity gradient area of Danish waters in conjunction with their general low genetic diversity makes these populations vulnerable to ongoing environmental and climate change, predicted to result in declining salinity in the Baltic Sea area that may alter the future distribution and performance of S. latissima in the area.     

Low but contrasting neutral genetic differentiation shaped by winter temperature in European great tits

Gene flow is usually thought to reduce genetic divergence and impede local adaptation by homogenising gene pools between populations. However, evidence for local adaptation and phenotypic differentiation in highly mobile species, experiencing high levels of gene flow, is emerging. Assessing population genetic structure at different spatial scales is thus a crucial step towards understanding mechanisms underlying intraspecific differentiation and diversification. Here, we studied the population genetic structure of a highly mobile species – the great tit Parus major – at different spatial scales. We analysed 884 individuals from 30 sites across Europe including 10 close‐by sites (< 50 km), using 22 microsatellite markers. Overall we found a low but significant genetic differentiation among sites (F_ST = 0.008). Genetic differentiation was higher, and genetic diversity lower, in south‐western Europe. These regional differences were statistically best explained by winter temperature. Overall, our results suggest that great tits form a single patchy metapopulation across Europe, in which genetic differentiation is independent of geographical distance and gene flow may be regulated by environmental factors via movements related to winter severity. This might have important implications for the evolutionary trajectories of sub‐populations, especially in the context of climate change, and calls for future investigations of local differences in costs and benefits of philopatry at large scales.