Host-Parasite Interactions and Purifying Selection in a Microsporidian Parasite of Honey Bees

To clarify the mechanisms of Nosema ceranae parasitism, we deep-sequenced both honey bee host and parasite mRNAs throughout a complete 6-day infection cycle. By time-series analysis, 1122 parasite genes were significantly differently expressed during the reproduction cycle, clustering into 4 expression patterns. We found reactive mitochondrial oxygen species modulator 1 of the host to be significantly down regulated during the entire infection period. Our data support the hypothesis that apoptosis of honey bee cells was suppressed during infection. We further analyzed genome-wide genetic diversity of this parasite by comparing samples collected from the same site in 2007 and 2013. The number of SNP positions per gene and the proportion of non-synonymous substitutions per gene were significantly reduced over this time period, suggesting purifying selection on the parasite genome and supporting the hypothesis that a subset of N. ceranae strains might be dominating infection.     

Size-dependent mortality in a Neotropical savanna tree: the role of height-related adjustments in hydraulic architecture and carbon allocation

Size-related changes in hydraulic architecture, carbon allocation and gas exchange of Sclerolobium paniculatum (Leguminosae), a dominant tree species in Neotropical savannas of central Brazil (Cerrado), were investigated to assess their potential role in the dieback of tall individuals. Trees greater than ∼6-m-tall exhibited more branch damage, larger numbers of dead individuals, higher wood density, greater leaf mass per area, lower leaf area to sapwood area ratio (LA/SA), lower stomatal conductance and lower net CO₂ assimilation than small trees. Stem-specific hydraulic conductivity decreased, while leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity remained nearly constant, with increasing tree size because of lower LA/SA in larger trees. Leaves were substantially more vulnerable to embolism than stems. Large trees had lower maximum leaf hydraulic conductance ( K _leaf) than small trees and all tree sizes exhibited lower K _leaf at midday than at dawn. These size-related adjustments in hydraulic architecture and carbon allocation apparently incurred a large physiological cost: large trees received a lower return in carbon gain from their investment in stem and leaf biomass compared with small trees. Additionally, large trees may experience more severe water deficits in dry years due to lower capacity for buffering the effects of hydraulic path-length and soil water deficits.     

广东省种子植物分布新资料

报道广东省种子植物分布新记录2属——甜茅属(Glyceria R. Br.)及锦鸡儿属(Caragana Fabr.)，2个新记录种——甜茅[Glyceria acutiflora subsp. japonica (Steud.) T. Koyama et Kawano]及锦鸡儿[Caragana sinica (Buc’hoz) Rehder]，均发现于丹霞山国家级自然保护区。新记录的发现对于研究丹霞山的区系发生具有一定指示意义。     

Oat leaf base: tissue with an efficient regeneration capacity

Summary An efficient short term regeneration system using seedling derived oat (Avena sativa) leaf tissue has been developed. Callus derived from the leaf base showed a higher response of plant regeneration than callus initiated from mesocotyls and more mature parts of the leaves. A correlation between the nuclear DNA content of the donor material, as analysed with flow cytometry, and its ability to form callus was observed. Somatic embryogenesis was histologically recognised from callus derived from tissue close to the apical meristem. Plant regeneration media with various concentrations of auxin were tested. Callus from three different cultivars had a similar regeneration potential with an optimal regeneration frequency of 60%. About 2 months after inoculation regenerated plantlets could be moved to a greenhouse for cultivation.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - DAPI 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - KT kinetin - MS Murashige and Skoog's medium - NAA naphthalene acetic acid     

华东植物区系成分与日本植物间的联系

华东和日本两地为东亚地区重组成部分,同属于中国－日本森林植物亚区。两地植区物系成具有较高的相似性。两地共有连香树科（Ｃｒｃｉｄｉｐｈｙｌｌａｃｅａｅ）、三尖杉科（Ｃｅｐｈａｌｏｔａｃｅａｅ）、领春木科（Ｅｕｐｔｅｌｅａｃｅａｅ）、旌节花科ǎ樱簦幔悖瑁酰颍幔悖澹幔澹┑榷翘赜锌啤;腿毡玖降毓灿惺粼迹叮福岸嗍簟Ｈ缌迹ǎ茫颍穑簦铮恚澹颍椋幔⑺荆ǎ模椋螅幔睿簦瑁酰螅⑿」炊ǎ拢澹颍悖瑁     

星花绣线菊中的一个新二萜——绣线菊内酯B

从星花绣线菊（Ｓｐｉｒａｅａｊａｐｏｎｉｃａｖａｒ．ｓｔｅｌｌａｒｉｓ）根中得到１个新的Ａｔｉｓｉｎｅ型二萜,命名为绣线菊内酯Ｂ（１）。通过光谱分析测定了其结构,此外还得到了９个已知化合物,包括１个ａｔｉｓｉｎｅ型二萜－ｓｐｉｒａｍｉｎｏｌ（２）和８个二萜生物碱,ｓｐｉｒａｍｉｎｅＡ,Ｂ,Ｃ,Ｄ,Ｆ,Ｈ,Ｐ,Ｑ。