PIG7慢病毒表达载体的构建

目的:构建一个含有PIG7基因ORF区的表达载体pPRRL-PIG7-IRES,为研究PIG7基因的功能打下基础。方法:采用RT-PCR方法从经苯丁酸钠处理过的Kasumi-1细胞获得PIG7基因SIMPLE转录本的ORF片段,再用酶切-连接的方法将目的片段亚克隆入慢病毒表达质粒PRRL.SIN.CPPT.PGK/GFP.WPRE。结果:PIG7基因ORF区成功亚克隆入了慢病毒表达质粒PRRL.SIN.CPPT.PGK/GFP.WPRE。结论:成功完成了PIG7慢病毒表达载体的构建,为研究PIG7基因的功能打下了基础。     

A non-linear model for measuring grapevine leaf thickness by means of red-edge/near-infrared spectral reflectance

Vegetation is a key element of our ecology system. The leaf area and its thickness provide valuable information about the status of our environment. Thus, there is a need for accurate, efficient, practical methodologies to estimate this biochemical parameter. Hyperspectral measurement is a means of quickly assessing leaf parameter in situ. In the past decades, there were lots of work (Boyd et al.) that focused on measurement of leaf area index, but very few on measurement of leaf thickness. In this paper, reflectance of grape leaves was measured over the spectral range of 350–1010 nm. The corresponding thickness of leaves from four grapevine cultivars was also measured as part of seventeen field campaigns undertaken during the summer of 2007. An artificial-intelligence technique, the support vector machine (SVM) model, was introduced to establish the relationship between the leaf thickness and red-edge/near-infrared (NIR) reflectance, with variability examined among individual cultivars as well as at various growth stages. The best wavelengths were variable depending on the grape cultivar and growth stage. The SVM model allows compilation of factors such as cultivar and growth stage with spectral information to yield a superior result.     

Barren‐ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) behaviour after recent fire events; integrating caribou telemetry data with Landsat fire detection techniques

Fire regimes are changing throughout the North American boreal forest in complex ways. Fire is also a major factor governing access to high‐quality forage such as terricholous lichens for barren‐ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). Additionally, fire alters forest structure which can affect barren‐ground caribou's ability to navigate in a landscape. Here, we characterize how the size and severity of fires are changing across five barren‐ground caribou herd ranges in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada. Additionally, we demonstrate how time since fire, fire severity, and season result in complex changes in caribou behavioural metrics estimated using telemetry data. Fire disturbances were identified using novel gap‐free Landsat surface reflectance composites from 1985 to 2011 across all herd ranges. Burn severity was estimated using the differenced normalized burn ratio. Annual area burned and burn severity were assessed through time for each herd and related to two behavioural metrics: velocity and relative turning angle. Neither annual area burned nor burn severity displayed any temporal trend within the study period. However, certain herds, such as the Ahiak/Beverly, have more exposure to fire than other herds (i.e. Cape Bathurst had a maximum forested area burned of less than 4 km²). Time since fire and burn severity both significantly affected velocity and relative turning angles. During fall, winter, and spring, fire virtually eliminated foraging‐focused behaviour for all 26 years of analysis while more severe fires resulted in a marked increase in movement‐focused behaviour compared to unburnt patches. Between seasons, caribou used burned areas as early as 1‐year postfire, demonstrating complex, nonlinear reactions to time since fire, fire severity, and season. In all cases, increases in movement‐focused behaviour were detected postfire. We conclude that changes in caribou behaviour immediately postfire are primarily driven by changes in forest structure rather than changes in terricholous lichen availability.     

Evolution of density‐dependent movement during experimental range expansions

Range expansions and biological invasions are prime examples of transient processes that are likely impacted by rapid evolutionary changes. As a spatial process, range expansions are driven by dispersal and movement behaviour. Although it is widely accepted that dispersal and movement may be context‐dependent, for instance density‐dependent, and best represented by reaction norms, the evolution of density‐dependent movement during range expansions has received little experimental attention. We therefore tested current theory predicting the evolution of increased movement at low densities at range margins using highly replicated and controlled range expansion experiments across multiple genotypes of the protist model system Tetrahymena thermophila. Although rare, we found evolutionary changes during range expansions even in the absence of initial standing genetic variation. Range expansions led to the evolution of negatively density‐dependent movement at range margins. In addition, we report the evolution of increased intrastrain competitive ability and concurrently decreased population growth rates in range cores. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding movement and dispersal as evolving reaction norms and plastic life‐history traits of central relevance for range expansions, biological invasions and the dynamics of spatially structured systems in general.     

Behavioural synchronization of large‐scale animal movements – disperse alone,but migrate together?

Dispersal and migration are superficially similar large‐scale movements, but which appear to differ in terms of inter‐individual behavioural synchronization. Seasonal migration is a striking example of coordinated behaviour, enabling animal populations to track spatio‐temporal variation in ecological conditions. By contrast, for dispersal, while social context may influence an individual's emigration and settlement decisions, transience is believed to be mostly a solitary behaviour. Here, we review differences in drivers that may explain why migration appears to be more synchronized than dispersal. We derive the prediction that the contrast in the importance of behavioural synchronization between dispersal and migration is linked to differences in the selection pressures that drive their respective evolution. Although documented examples of collective dispersal are rare, this behaviour may be more common than currently believed, with important consequences for eco‐evolutionary dynamics. Crucially, to date, there is little available theory for predicting when we should expect collective dispersal to evolve, and we also lack empirical data to test predictions across species. By reviewing the state of the art in research on migration and collective movements, we identify how we can harness these advances, both in terms of theory and data collection, to broaden our understanding of synchronized dispersal and its importance in the context of global change.