Regulation of worker reproduction in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris): workers eavesdrop on a queen signal

In the annual bumblebee Bombus terrestris, the onset of queen-worker conflict over male production is seasonally and socially constrained. Workers will do better if they start to reproduce (the so-called competition phase) only after ascertaining that larvae are committed to gyne development but before the season ends because they gain more by rearing sister-gynes than their own sons. Here, we tested two nonmutually exclusive hypotheses as to what triggers the onset of worker reproduction: Workers can directly monitor larval development and/or workers eavesdrop on the queen signal that directs gyne development. Exposing workers to gyne larvae through a double mesh did not advance the competition phase compared to control colonies. However, when workers, but not the queen, were allowed contact with gyne larvae, both the competition phase and gyne production were advanced. Thus, while larvae do not emit a volatile pheromone that discloses their developmental route, the physical contact of workers with such larvae triggers early competition phase. However, workers exclusively exposed to worker larvae (colonies prevented from producing gyne larvae) started to reproduce at the same time as control colonies. Replacing the resident queen with an older queen (from gyne-rearing colonies) advanced the competition phase, irrespective of worker age. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that workers eavesdrop on the queen pheromones. This is adaptive because it allows workers a broader time-window for reproduction and thus to gain fitness from rearing both sister-gynes and sons before the season ends without affecting colony development.     

Queen fertility, egg marking and colony size in the ant Camponotus floridanus

In ant societies, workers do not usually reproduce but gain indirect fitness benefits from raising related offspring produced by the queen. One of the preconditions of this worker self-restraint is sufficient fertility of the queen. The queen is, therefore, expected to signal her fertility. In Camponotus floridanus, workers can recognize the presence of a highly fertile queen via her eggs, which are marked with the queen's specific hydrocarbon profile. If information on fertility is encoded in the hydrocarbon profile of eggs, we expect workers to be able to differentiate between eggs from highly and weakly fertile queens. We found that workers discriminate between these eggs solely on the basis of their hydrocarbon profiles which differ both qualitatively and quantitatively. This pattern is further supported by the similarity of the egg profiles of workers and weakly fertile queens and the similar treatment of both kinds of eggs. Profiles of queen eggs correspond to the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of the respective queens. Changes in the cuticular profiles are associated with the size of the colony the queen originates from and her current egg-laying rate. However, partial correlation analysis indicates that only colony size predicts the cuticular profile. Colony size is a buffered indicator of queen fertility as it is a consequence of queen productivity within a certain period of time, whereas daily egg-laying rate varies due to cyclical oviposition. We conclude that surface hydrocarbons of eggs and the cuticular profiles of queens both signal queen fertility, suggesting a major role of fertility signals in the regulation of reproduction in social insects.     

吸烟烟气引起鼠肝微粒体脂质过氧化的ESR波谱研究

本文用ESR自旋捕集技术,以4-POBN为捕集剂,研究了吸烟烟气处理的鼠肝微粒体体系中的自由基性质。结果发现,在吸烟烟气处理的鼠肝微粒体中,4-POBN捕集到了自由基信号,这一信号的强度随温育时间的延长及充入烟气的量增加而增强,根据其性质及ESR波谱参数分析,体系中产生了脂类自由基。结果说明,吸烟烟气刺激了鼠肝微粒体的脂质过氧化。     

植物诱导抗病性的分子生物学研究进展

植物诱导抗病性是植物抵御病害侵袭的重要机制之一，作为一种经济有效的抗病策略，在农业可持续病害防治中具有广阔的应用前景，日益受到人们的关注．其中系统获得性抗性(SAR)作为植物诱导抗病性的一种重要形式，随着分子生物学实验手段的迅速发展及其在植物抗病机制研究中的应用，其分子机制研究方面已取得了不少进展．图1参58     

吉林省生态足迹时间序列计算与分析

为了定量评价吉林省可持续发展程度的动态变化及其影响因素，计算了1994-2003年吉林省生态足迹时间序列，着重分析了该省生态足迹、生态盈亏和生态足迹强度的动态变化及其驱动机制。结果显示：吉林省生态足迹和生态承载力的人均水平和总量均呈增长趋势，自然资源供需结构渐趋多元化；自然资源供需的非均衡增长导致生态赤字的出现和持续增长，表明目前吉林省的发展模式是不可持续的；自然资源利用效益不断提高，但仍低于全国和东部地区的平均水平。最后，根据生态盈亏的影响因素提出了降低和消除生态赤字的措施。     

粉喷桩体的力学性质试验研究

粉喷桩是处理软弱地基的一种重要方法.通过水泥土的室内配合比试验,研究了粉喷桩体的抗拉、抗压和抗剪强度性质及其影响因素,可为粉喷桩施工和设计提供理论指导.图1,表3,参5.     

细胞凋亡的线粒体途径调控

细胞凋亡是近年来研究的一个热点问题，涉及到细胞内许多复杂的生化过程．线粒体是真核生物能量和代谢的中心，也是细胞凋亡信号传导途径中起关键调节作用的细胞器，对细胞凋亡的线粒体途径调控机制进行研究具有重要意义．本文综述了细胞凋亡过程中线粒体途径的信号传导及其调控机制、线粒体对细胞凋亡信号的反应、细胞凋亡过程中线粒体功能丧失几方面的研究进展．图1参43     

山东赤松种群的空间分布型及强度

利用分布类型和聚集强度指数对山东主产区赤松种群的空间分布型及强度进行了初步研究,结果表明：鲁东丘陵区的赤松种群生林一般表现为负二项分布和奈曼分布,鲁中南山地丘陵区的人工林则呈现均匀分布;在赤松种群不同发育阶段,出现了由幼苗→幼树→大中树扩散态势的一般规律,但鲁东丘陵区次生林由于受人为、虫害等因素的影响,其分布类型和聚散态势呈明显的多样化,鲁中南山地丘陵区人工林则表现为聚集→扩散的独特态势。     

历山山地草甸的物种多样性及其与土壤理化性质的关系

运用12种多样性指数综合分析了历山舜王坪草甸的物种多样性．随着放牧强度渐弱，物种多样性升高，土壤环境因子影响多样性指数，且有机质、N和K对各多样性指数的影响都较大．各群落多样性指数有大体一致的变化趋势，且其随Cu,K含量的增加而增加，说明土壤养分的增加有利于物种多样性的升高；而有机质和N增加群落多样性反而减少，这是因为人为干扰的影响超过了土壤环境因子的影响．综合以上分析得出，该研究地物种多样性指数的影响因子有放牧强度和土壤环境因子等，其中放牧的影响是最主要的．图3表3参15