Evaluation of inoculum performance for enhancing gamma-linolenic acid production from Mucor rouxii

Aims: To facilitate a cost‐effective preparation of spore inoculum with good capacity for gamma‐linolenic acid (GLA) production from Mucor rouxii. Methods and Results: Sporangiospore production, mycelial growth ability and fatty acid composition of M. rouxii were determined. Compared with fungal cultivation on solid semi‐synthetic media, high spore production was achieved from M. rouxii grown on rice grains, particularly polished rice (30·7 g kg^?1 initial substrate). Variations in the fatty acid profiles were found in the spores grown on different types of solid media, whereas the spores obtained at different ages from cultivated polished rice showed a similar fatty acid profile. Using the inocula from different spore‐forming media and culture ages, and low temperature storage, not much change in the vegetative growth of submerged cultures or fatty acid composition of mycelia was observed. Conclusion: The spores generated on polished rice exhibited a high performance for GLA production. Age of spore and timing of spore storage at low temperature did not affect on fatty acid profile of the mycelial cultures. Significance and Impact of the Study: The simple, low cost method of inoculum preparation can be applied for large‐scale production of GLA‐rich oils, which reduce a time constraint and variation in fatty acid composition.     

3种阴生地被植物对SO_2胁迫的生理响应及净化能力

该研究以3种阴生地被植物麦冬、虎耳草和紫萼玉簪为研究材料,采用人工模拟熏气方法,测定不同浓度(5.71,11.43,17.14,22.86mg·m~(-3))SO_2胁迫下参试植物的外观受害症状,以及膜质过氧化、保护酶活性、渗透调节物质等生理指标,以叶片吸硫量比较3种植物的净化能力,并采用模糊数学隶属函数与主成分分析法对其抗SO_2能力进行综合评价。结果显示:(1)随着SO_2熏气浓度的升高,3种植物的叶片都有不同程度的受害症状,叶片叶绿素含量、汁液pH值和相对含水量下降,丙二醛含量、叶片相对电导率、可溶性糖、游离脯氨酸含量上升,且其SOD和CAT活性显著增强。(2)隶属函数法和主成分分析法综合评定结果显示,3种地被植物对SO_2抗性能力表现为:麦冬紫萼玉簪虎耳草,与叶片受伤害症状和叶液pH值下降的顺序相反,说明这2个指标可作为简单可行的评价SO_2抗性的重要鉴定指标。(3)3种植物均有一定的SO_2净化能力,其强弱顺序为虎耳草麦冬紫萼玉簪。研究表明,3种阴生地被植物都能够在SO_2胁迫下提高其保护酶活性和渗透调节物质含量,增强其抗硫胁迫和SO_2吸收能力,并以麦冬对SO_2抗性最强,虎耳草对SO_2的吸收能力最强;该试验中最低参试SO_2浓度远远高于城市大气中的实际SO_2浓度,在试验环境下3种阴生植物再都未呈现伤害症状,说明吸收硫能力强的虎耳草和麦冬可以在SO_2污染严重的林下区域大面积应用推广。     

Phylogeographic breaks and the mechanisms of their formation in the Sino-Japanese floristic region

Due to combinations of diverse geography and climate, and complex geo-climate histories and sea level fluctuations, the Sino-Japanese floristic region has extremely high species diversity. Phylogeography is an effective method to identify the factors triggering the formation and differentiation of species diversity. Previous studies showed that phylogeographic breaks, the genetic discontinuity between different gene genealogies, were ubiquitously present. From the west to the east, seven general phylogeographic breaks occur, including the Mekong- Salween Divide, the Tanaka-Kaiyong Line, the Sichuan Basin, ca. 105° E, the boundary between the Second and Third ladders, the North China, and the East China Sea and Korea Strait. These phylogeographic breaks are mainly attributable to both historical and ecological factors, which are generally due to a combined effect of the isolation by distance (IBD) and the isolation by environment (IBE). Geological events and climate changes are the historical factors, mainly including the uplift of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the formation and intensification of the Asian monsoon and the Asian interior aridification, the redevelopment of the arid belt, and the Quaternary climate oscillations and sea level fluctuations. Adaptive divergence, namely the divergence induced by different selective pressures under different environments, is responsible for the ecological factors. Adaptive divergence could obstacle gene flow among populations, resulting in the formation of phylogeographic break. However, an identical phylogeographic break is not shared by all the plants because of their various intrinsic biological characteristics, among which the difference in dispersal ability is most important. Finally, we envisaged the future development of phylogeographic break studies based on accurate divergence time estimation, relative contribution of IBD and IBE, and also the utilization of comparative phylogeography.     

Differential effect of inter- and intraspecific competition on the performance of invasive and native Taraxacum species

Inter- and intraspecific competitive abilities are significant determinants of invasive success and the ecological impact of non-native plants. We tested two major hypotheses on the competitive ability of invasive species using invasive (Taraxacum officinale) and native (T. platycarpum) dandelions: differential interspecific competitive ability between invasive and native species and the kin recognition of invasive species. We collected seeds from two field sites where the two dandelion species occurred nearby. Plants were grown alone, with kin (plants from the same maternal genotype) or strangers (plants from different populations) of the same species, or with different species in a growth chamber, and the performance at the early developmental stage between species and treatments was compared. The invasive dandelions outcompeted the native dandelions when competing against each other, although no difference between species was detected without competition or with intraspecific competition. Populations of native species responded to interspecific competition differently. The effect of kinship on plant performance differed between the tested populations in both species. A population produced more biomass than the other populations when grown with a stranger, and this trend was manifested more in native species. Our results support the hypothesis that invasive plants have better competitive ability than native plants, which potentially contributes to the establishment and the range expansion of T. officinale in the introduced range. Although kin recognition is expected to evolve in invasive species, the competitive ability of populations rather than kinship seems to affect plant growth of invasive T. officinale under intraspecific competition.     

Effects of Acute Swimming Exercise on Some Elements in Rats

The objective of the present study is to explore the effects of acute swimming exercise on plasma levels of some elements in rats, immediately after the exercise, and 24 and 48 h later. The study included 40 adult male rats of Spraque Dawley species, which were equally allocated to four groups. Group 1: General Control Group; Group 2: Swimming Group, the group that was decapitated immediately after 30-min acute swimming exercise; Group 3: Swimming Group, the group that was decapitated 24 h after 30-min acute swimming exercise; Group 4: Swimming Group, the group that was decapitated 48 h after 30-min acute swimming exercise. Plasma copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn) levels were determined according to atomic emission method in the blood samples collected from the animals by decapitation method. Measurements conducted immediately after acute swimming exercise (group 2) showed a significant decrease in Se and Zn levels (p < 0,01) and a significant increase in P levels (p < 0,01), when compared to group 1. Measurements carried out 24 h after the exercise (group 3) demonstrated a significant increase in all parameters except for Mg, in comparison to groups 1 and 2 (p < 0,01). It was seen in the measurements made 48 h after the exercise (group 4) that all parameters were restored to control values. The results of our study show that acute swimming exercise significantly changes plasma Cu, Fe, P, Se, and Zn levels.     

饲料蛋白质含量对黄粉虫生长繁殖及川硬皮肿腿蜂寄生能力的影响

【目的】筛选出适宜川硬皮肿腿蜂Scleroderma sichuanensis Xiao寄生的黄粉虫Tenebrio molitor饲料配方。【方法】用10种不同蛋白质含量的饲料饲喂黄粉虫,并观察各虫态生长繁殖情况,再用川硬皮肿腿蜂接种各配方黄粉虫蛹后置于培养箱中培养,5 d后计数雌蜂产卵量,并通过显著性分析、相关性分析及一元回归分析进行数据处理。【结果】各配方黄粉虫生长繁殖情况正常,指标间存在一定的显著性和相关性且与一元回归分析所得相关性一致。川硬皮肿腿蜂对黄粉虫蛹寄生率没有显著性,为86.25%~96.97%,表现出较高寄生率。寄生产卵量较高且蛋白质含量为14.09%和13.73%配方组显著高于其他配方组。【结论】黄粉虫饲料中蛋白质含量在14%(13.73%~14.09%)时川硬皮肿腿蜂寄生能力最强。     

杉木人工林冰雪灾害受灾和萌生情况调查及影响因子分析

以九龙山国家级自然保护区的主要公益林杉木人工林作为研究对象,选择具有代表性的受灾区域,自海拔700 m至900 m设置样地,共10块样地,总面积4 000 m2。分析其受2008年初严重冰雪灾害破坏及灾后萌生情况与胸径、树高、尖削度、海拔之间的关系。结果表明： 1）杉木人工林损害严重,其中断冠、断干植株比例较高,而掘根和冻死植株相对较少;杉木具有极强的萌生能力,以断冠杉木的萌生能力最强。2）不同胸径、树高、尖削度的杉木对于冰雪灾害的抵御能力及萌生能力存在一定差异,小径级矮小的个体受灾较重,易被冻死和掘根,大径级的较高个体受灾相对较轻,主要表现为断冠和断干危害,且不同径级下的受灾杉木上部萌生均占较大比例。3）杉木的抵御能力和萌生能力与海拔存在一定的关系,高海拔地区杉木受灾较重,而中海拔地区的杉木萌生能力相对较强。     

Mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in wheat – a review of root and shoot physiology

We review the detrimental effects of waterlogging on physiology, growth and yield of wheat. We highlight traits contributing to waterlogging tolerance and genetic diversity in wheat. Death of seminal roots and restriction of adventitious root length due to O₂ deficiency result in low root:shoot ratio. Genotypes differ in seminal root anoxia tolerance, but mechanisms remain to be established; ethanol production rates do not explain anoxia tolerance. Root tip survival is short‐term, and thereafter, seminal root re‐growth upon re‐aeration is limited. Genotypes differ in adventitious root numbers and in aerenchyma formation within these roots, resulting in varying waterlogging tolerances. Root extension is restricted by capacity for internal O₂ movement to the apex. Sub‐optimal O₂ restricts root N uptake and translocation to the shoots, with N deficiency causing reduced shoot growth and grain yield. Although photosynthesis declines, sugars typically accumulate in shoots of waterlogged plants. Mn or Fe toxicity might occur in shoots of wheat on strongly acidic soils, but probably not more widely. Future breeding for waterlogging tolerance should focus on root internal aeration and better N‐use efficiency; exploiting the genetic diversity in wheat for these and other traits should enable improvement of waterlogging tolerance.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATING-SYSTEM CHARACTERS AND INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN MIMULUS GUTTATUS

Several recent theoretical considerations of mating-system evolution predict within-population covariation between levels of inbreeding depression and genetically controlled mating-system characters. If inbreeding depression is caused by deleterious recessive alleles, families with characters that promote self-pollination should show lower levels of inbreeding depression than families with characters that promote outcrossing. The converse is expected if inbreeding depression is due to overdominant allelic interactions. Whether these associations between mating-system and viability loci evolve will have important consequences for mating-system evolution. The evolution of selfing within the genus Mimulus is associated with a reduction in stigma-anther separation (i.e., a loss of herkogamy) and high autogamous seed set. In this study we compared families from two M. guttatus populations that differed genetically in their degree of stigma-anther separation. In one of these populations we also compared families that differed genetically in the degree to which they autogamously set seed in a pollinator-free greenhouse. Dams often differed significantly in levels of inbreeding depression for aboveground biomass and flower production, but variation in inbreeding depression was never explained by herkogamy class or autogamy class. Several factors might account for why families with traits associated with selfing did not show lower inbreeding depression, and these are discussed. Our study also demonstrated significant variation among self progeny from a given female likely due to differences in pollination date and position of fruit maturation. The detection of significant dam × sire interactions suggests biparental inbreeding or differences in combining ability for specific pairs of parents.