直刺变豆菜叶绿体全基因组及其特征

直刺变豆菜(Sanicula orthacantha)是中国广泛分布的多年生草本植物, 也是一味著名的民族药。本文通过二代高通量测序平台Illumina HiSeq PE150对直刺变豆菜叶绿体全基因组进行测序, 并通过生物信息学方法对其结构特征进行分析。结果表明: 直刺变豆菜叶绿体全基因组大小为157,163 bp, 包括大单拷贝区(large single copy, LSC)、小单拷贝区(small single copy, SSC)和2个反向重复序列(inverted repeat sequence, IRa和IRb), 长度分别为87,547 bp、17,122 bp和26,247 bp, 具有典型被子植物叶绿体基因组环状四分体结构; 共注释得到129个基因, 包括8个核糖体RNA (rRNA)基因、37个转运RNA (tRNA)基因和84个蛋白质编码基因。直刺变豆菜在叶绿体基因组结构、基因种类、排列顺序上与其他伞形科植物基本一致。直刺变豆菜叶绿体全基因组测序的成功为变豆菜属植物完整叶绿体基因组组装及其特征分析提供了新的方法。     

变豆菜属15种植物的果实微形态特征及其分类学意义

采用扫描电镜对来自北美和东亚的变豆菜属植物(美国7个种,中国8个种)的果实表面微形态进行观察,结合前人对伞形科其他类群果实微形态特征的研究及近年来分子系统学证据,对变豆菜属的种间分类进行研究。结果显示,变豆菜属植物果实的形态大小、皮刺弯曲程度和果柄蜡质纹饰丰富多样。研究表明变豆菜属是一个自然类群,果实表面钩刺结构有利于该属植物的传播及扩散,果实微形态特征具有分类学价值,可作为种间分类的依据。根据变豆菜属果实表面微形态特征,编制了该属植物分种检索表。     

Forest fragmentation and plant reproductive success: a case study in four perennial herbs

We assessed the effects of habitat fragmentation on reproductive success in natural populations of four forest herbs with differing life-history traits and whose distribution patterns appeared to be negatively affected by decreased habitat size and/or increased isolation: Carex sylvatica, Galium odoratum, Sanicula europaea and Veronica montana. Our aims were to test (1) whether habitat size and isolation are positively correlated with population size and isolation, respectively, (2) whether plant reproductive success, a major component of plant fitness, is reduced in small and/or isolated populations when also accounting for differences in habitat quality (edaphic conditions, light intensity) and the effects of plant size, and (3) whether species with different life histories are affected differently. There were significant positive relationships between habitat and population size and between habitat and population isolation in some, but not all of the species. We mostly found no negative effects of small population size or isolation on reproduction. However, reproductive success was reduced in small populations of Sanicula, and this effect was independent of differences in plant size and environmental conditions. The reduced fecundity in small populations may be a consequence of the Allee-effect, a possible mechanism being pollen limitation. Furthermore, the proportion of flowering ramets was reduced in small and isolated populations of Galium, which may have been caused by changes in population structure. Lastly, we found some evidence for largely outcrossing, non-clonal species to be more sensitive to reductions in population size, at least in terms of their reproductive success.     

GENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF SEED DISPERSAL IN THREE SYMPATRIC FOREST HERBS. I. HIERARCHICAL POPULATION-GENETIC STRUCTURE

To examine the effects of seed dispersal on spatial genetic structure, we compare three sympatric species of forest herbs in the family Apiaceae whose fruits differ widely in morphological adaptations for animal-attached dispersal. Cryptotaenia canadensis has smooth fruits that are gravity dispersed, whereas Osmorhiza claytonii and Sanicula odorata fruits have appendages that facilitate their attachment to animals. The relative seed-dispersal ability among species, measured as their ability to remain attached to mammal fur, is ranked Sanicula > Osmorhiza > Cryptotaenia. We use a nested hierarchical sampling design to analyze genetic structure at spatial scales ranging from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers. Genetic differentiation among population subdivisions, estimated by average genetic distance and hierarchical F-statistics, has an inverse relationship with dispersal ability such that Cryptotaenia > Osmorhiza > Sanicula. In each species, genetic differentiation increases with distance among population subdivisions. Stochastic variation in gene flow, arising from seed dispersal by attachment to animals, may partly explain the weak relationship between pairwise spatial and genetic distance among populations and heterogeneity in estimates of single locus F-statistics. A hierarchical island model of gene flow is invoked to describe the effects of seed dispersal on population genetic structure. Seed dispersal is the predominant factor affecting variation in gene flow among these ecologically similar, taxonomically related species.     

变豆菜属分类、起源与进化研究进展

变豆菜属(Sanicula)是典型的东亚-北美间断分布属,属于北极-第三纪古老区系成分。目前全世界有40种,中国(17种,11个特有种)和美国(22种,13个特有种)是2个分布中心。近年来有关变豆菜属分子系统发育研究表明该属并非单系,不同学者采用了不同的属下分类标准,但属下分类系统和种间界限仍存在争议,特别是药用植物的种类较易混淆。变豆菜属的系统进化研究主要集中在北美Sanicora DC.组及夏威夷Sandwicensis Shan and Constance组的类群,缺少对中国特有种的研究,因此该属的系统位置、起源地、迁移、扩散模式和种间进化关系均不清楚。本文对变豆菜属的分类系统、分类方法、起源和进化的研究进展进行了综述,并提出存在的问题和解决方法。     

变豆菜属植物叶表皮微形态及分类学意义

对变豆菜属(Sanicula L.)6种13个居群植物的叶表皮特征进行光学显微观察,并测定了相应的数量指标。结果表明,变豆菜属植物叶表皮形态较为一致:上表皮几乎全为多边形,垂周壁平直或弓形弯曲;下表皮多为不规则形,垂周壁浅波状、波状至深波状;气孔散生,均为不等型。但表皮细胞垂周壁式样、气孔长短轴之比等细微特征在种间存在差异,可以区分种类。因此,叶表皮特征对于变豆菜属种类的划分和亲缘关系的确定具有一定的分类学意义。     

中国15种变豆菜属植物的花粉形态及系统学分析

利用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜对变豆菜属15种植物的花粉形态进行观察。结果表明,变豆菜属15种植物的花粉大小为（28.51~54.29） μm~（12.23~28.98） μm,极轴与赤道轴比值（Polar axis/Equatorial axis）为1.48~2.46,具三孔沟。花粉粒赤道面观有近矩形、赤道收缩形、长椭圆形等类型,其中近矩形和赤道收缩形占多数;极面观为圆形或三角圆形。在扫描电镜下,其外壁表面纹饰为网状。我们研究结果支持在伞形科变豆菜亚科中,变豆菜属植物的花粉具有中等进化、比较进化的形态特征,花粉形态可为个别物种的分类处理提供孢粉学证据。     

The effect of timing and amount of leaf removal on survival,growth and reproduction in the perennial herb Sanicula europaea L.

In Sweden the deciduous forest perennial Sanicula europaea L. (Apiaceae) is frequently subjected to leaf loss due to cattle grazing and trampling. In a two-season field experiment, the effects of the extent, timing and repetition of leaf removal on survival, growth and reproduction in S. europaea were examined. Removal of vegetative tissue in S. europaea reduced future survival, growth and flowering probabilities. The magnitude of these effects depended both on the extent and the timing of the season of the leaf losses, as greater leaf losses had more negative effects than moderate and early removals had more negative consequences than late. Moreover, the probability of an individual to regrow the same season after severe losses was higher when losses occurred early in the season than when they occurred late. And, those defoliated early that did regrow, did so to a larger extent than those defoliated later. Experimental responses were more pronounced after a second year of leaf removals, indicating that repeated herbivory exhausts resources. Thus, herbivory causing losses in vegetative tissue will affect the performance of S. europaea. However, the impact depends on the extent and timing of the leaf losses. This should be considered in managing policies and cattle should, if possible, not be introduced early in the growing season.