Response of Three Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi to Simulated Acid Rain and Aluminium Stress

Simulated acid rain (SAR) combined with higher concentration of aluminium (SAR+Al) influenced the ecophysiology of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in both the germination and symbiotic phases of their life cycle. Acaulospora tuberculata, an isolate from the soil with low pH, exhibited a higher tolerance to environmental stress as compared to Glomus mosseae and G. fistulosum. This higher tolerance may be related to the edaphic conditions of soil of the isolate origin. The histochemical staining of the alkaline phosphatase and NADH-diaphorase activities in the extraradical mycelium (ERM) of the AMF proved to be more sensitive indication of negative effects of the SAR or SAR+Al stress compared to commonly measured parameters of the AMF such as mycorrhizal colonisation or growth of the ERM. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A molecular phylogeography approach to biological invasions of the New World by parthenogenetic Thiarid snails

The parthenogenetic snail Melanoides tuberculata, present in tropical fresh waters of most of the Old World before 1950, has now invaded the Neotropical area. The phylogeography of this snail was studied to evaluate the pathways and number of such invasions. Because of parthenogenetic reproduction, individuals are structured into genetical clones. Within populations from both the original and invaded areas, several morphologically distinct clones (referred to as morphs) often coexist but the amount of genetic divergence among morphs is unknown. Individuals from 27 morphs and 40 populations world-wide were sequenced at two mitochondrial genes (12S and 16S). Our phylogenetic reconstruction suggests that (i) most of the morphological variation observed in the New World predates invasion, (ii) at least six independent introductions have occurred, and (iii) invasive clones are found throughout most of the phylogenetic tree and do not come from a particular region of the area of origin. Two ideas are discussed in the light of these results. The first lies with the specificities of parthenogenesis in an invasion context. While in sexual species, independently introduced populations eventually merge into a single invasive population, in a parthenogenetic species independently introduced clones have distinct invasion dynamics and possibly exclude each other. Second, although repeated invasions in Melanoides may have an impact on indigenous molluscan faunas, their most likely effect is the world-wide homogenization of the invasive taxon itself.     

Volatile oil from Guarea macrophylla ssp. tuberculata: seasonal variation and electroantennographic detection by Hypsipyla grandella

GC and GC-MS analyses of the volatile oils from Guarea macrophylla (Meliaceae) collected during three different periods in one year (February, June and October) indicated a seasonal variation in chemical composition. Whilst sesquiterpenes were the predominant class of components present in the leaf oil, a seasonal dependent variation in the degree of oxygenation of these compounds was detected, which seemed to be associated with phenological factors. The leaf oil, and fractions thereof, were subjected to GC coupled with electroantennographic detection employing antennae of females of Hypsipyla grandella, an insect pest that attacks several meliaceous species. Five compounds elicited significant responses and these were identified as ledol, 1-cubenol, guai-6-en-10beta-ol, 1-epi-cubenol, and tau-muurolol. The results suggest that these components could be responsible for the attraction of H. grandella to G. macrophylla.     

Pathogenic Vibrio harveyi,in contrast to non‐pathogenic strains,intervenes with the p38 MAPK pathway to avoid an abalone haemocyte immune response

Vibrio harveyi is a marine bacterial pathogen responsible for episodic abalone epidemics associated with massive mortalities in France, Japan, and Australia. The aim of this study was the understanding of a possible role of the p38 MAPK in abalone haemocyte responses towards this bacterium. First, the pathogenicity of different V. harveyi strains was compared in both immersion and injection trials, and clear differences were detected. The three strains, ORM4, 04/092, and 05/053, all isolated from moribund abalone, induced up to 80% mortalities in immersion or injection challenges (LD₅₀ (ORM4) = 2.5 × 10² CFU animal^?1). The two strains, LMG 4044T and LMG 7890 were non‐pathogenic towards abalone in immersion trials, and needed very high numbers for killing by intramuscular injections (LD₅₀ = 8.9 × 10⁴ and 1.6 × 10⁵ CFU animal^?1, respectively). To start unraveling the mechanism explaining these differences, the p38‐MAPK, a keyplayer in antimicrobial immune response, was studied. The non‐pathogenic strain, LMG 7890 can be eliminated by abalone haemocytes and induces haemocyte phagocytosis and high ROS production. With different concentrations of a p38‐specific inhibitor, SB203580, p38 implication was shown. This inhibitor reduced phagocytosis and ROS induction leading to LMG 7890 proliferation. In the case of the pathogenic ORM4 which can not be eliminated by abalone haemocytes, no phagocytosis and ROS production was induced, and a retarded p38 activation was observed. Taken together, our results suggest that p38 MAPK modulation may be one of the ways of virulent V. harveyi to attack its host and escape abalone immune response. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 152–160, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

吉林省一新记录虫草菌

报道了吉林省新发现的虫草属真菌细座虫草[Cordyceps tuberculata（Lebert）Maire],并对其形态特征及分布进行了描述。     

山东10种植物的核型分析

对山东１０ 种植物进行了核型分析。茴茴蒜（ Ｒａｎｕｎｃｕｌｕｓｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ Ｂｇｅ－） 染色体数目２ｎ ＝１６ , 核型公式Ｋ（２ｎ） ＝ ２ｘ ＝ １６ ＝ ２ Ｍ ＋ ２ｍ ＋ ２ｓｍ ＋ １０ｓｔ, “３Ａ”类型; 五脉地椒（ Ｔｈｙｍｕｓｑｕｉｎｑｕｅｃｏｓｔａｔｕｓ Ｃｅｌａｋ－） 染色体数目２ｎ＝ ２６ , 核型公式Ｋ （２ｎ） ＝ ２ｘ＝ ２６ ＝ ８ Ｍ ＋ １８ｍ , “１Ａ”类型; 蛇床（ Ｃｎｉｄｉｕｍ ｍｏｎｎｉｅｒｉ（Ｌ－） Ｃｕｓｓ－） 染色体数目２ｎ＝ ２０ , 核型公式Ｋ （２ｎ） ＝ ２ｘ＝ ２０ ＝ ２Ｍ＋ １６ｍ ＋ ２ｓｍ , “２Ｂ”类型; 波斯菊（ Ｃｏｓｍｏｓ ｂｉｐｉｎｎａｔｕｓ Ｃａｖ－） 染色体数目２ｎ ＝ ２４ , 核型公式Ｋ（２ｎ） ＝ ２ｘ ＝ ２４ ＝ １６ｍ ＋ ２ｍ （ｓａｔ） ＋ ６ｓｍ , “２Ａ”类型; 白车轴草（ Ｔｒｉｆｏｌｉｕｍ ｒｅｐｅｎｓ Ｌ－） 染色体数目２ｎ＝ ３２ , 核型公式Ｋ （２ｎ） ＝ ４ｘ ＝ ３２ ＝ ３２ｍ , “１Ａ”类型; 铁苋菜（ Ａｃａｌｙｐｈａ ａｕｓｔｒａｌｉｓ Ｌ－）染色体数目２ｎ ＝ ３２ , 核型公式Ｋ （２ｎ） ＝ ２ｘ＝ ３２ ＝ ３２ｍ , “１Ｂ”类型; 地构叶（ Ｓｐｅｒａｎｓｋｉａ ｔ?     

Temporal patterns of geographic parthenogenesis in a freshwater snail

Geographic parthenogenesis describes the observation that parthenogenetic organisms tend to occupy environments different from those of their close, sexually reproducing relatives. These environments are often described as extreme or disturbed habitats. We examined whether patterns of geographical parthenogenesis persist over time, by conducting a 3-year life-history survey and comparing two very proximate habitats of the freshwater snail Melanoides tuberculata : Nahal Arugot, a desert stream naturally disturbed by flash floods, and Or Ilan, a stable freshwater pond. Both sites occur in a xeric environment and are subject to otherwise similar biotic (e.g. parasites, predators) and climatic conditions. In the stable habitat, male frequencies and snail densities were significantly higher than in the disturbed one, whereas infection levels, mean embryo counts, and water temperatures were similar at both sites. Additionally, male frequencies declined after density decreased, thereby providing evidence for geographical parthenogenesis via reproductive assurance. Infection prevalence was very low regardless of reproduction mode. Although further genetic work is required, the apparent metapopulation structure of M. tuberculata in the Judean desert may be suitable for evaluating other possible explanations of geographical parthenogenesis.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 91 , 711–718.     

Variation of shell shape in the clonal snail Melanoides tuberculata and its consequences for the interpretation of fossil series

Interpreting paleontological data is difficult because the genetic nature of observed morphological variation is generally unknown. Indeed, it is hardly possible to distinguish among several sources of morphological variation including phenotypic plasticity, sexual dimorphism, within-species genetic variation or differences among species. This can be addressed using fossil organisms with recent representatives. The freshwater snail Melanoides tuberculata ranks in this category. A fossil series of this and other species have been studied in the Turkana Basin (Kenya) and is presented as one of the best examples illustrating the punctuated pattern of evolution by the tenants of this theory. Melanoides tuberculata today occupies most of the tropics. We studied variation of shell shape in natural populations of this parthenogenetic snail using Raup's model of shell coiling. We considered different sources of variation on estimates of three relevant parameters of Raup's model: (1) variation in shell shape was detected among clones, and had both genetic and environmental bases; (2) sexual dimorphism, in those clones in which males occur, appeared as an additional source of shell variation; and (3) ecophenotypic variation was detected by comparing samples from different sites and years within two clones. We then tested the performance of discriminant function analyses, a classical tool in paleontological studies, using several datasets. Although the three sources of variation cited above contributed significantly to the observed morphological variance, they could not be detected without a priori knowledge of the biological entities studied. However, it was possible to distinguish between M. tuberculata and a related thiarid species using these analyses. Overall, this suggests that the tools classically used in paleontological studies are poorly efficient when distinguishing between important sources of within-species variation. Our study also gives some empirical bases to the doubts cast on the interpretation of the molluscan series of the Turkana Basin.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of parthenogenesis and parasitism in the freshwater snail Melanoides tuberculata

The Red Queen hypothesis predicts that sex should be more common in populations heavily infested with parasites, than in those without. This hypothesis was investigated in the aquatic snail Melanoides tuberculata, in which both sexual and parthenogenetic individuals exist in natural populations, and some populations are heavily infested by trematodes. The presence of fertile males and the higher genetic diversity of bisexual populations are indicative of sexual reproduction. We compared sites in 1990, 1999, and 2001, and we looked for a positive correlation between male and parasite frequencies. Male frequency was not correlated with the frequency of individuals infected by trematodes. This lack of correlation was reconfirmed in a retrospective power analysis. In a period of 9 years, male frequencies decreased but infection levels increased. These results do not support the Red Queen hypothesis. In samples with high male frequency the number of embryos was low, perhaps indicating that males may have a negative effect on embryo numbers. This effect of males on fitness could perhaps suggest that the cost of sex is fewer embryos. The reduction in embryo numbers may also represent a trade-off between mating and egg production costs.