Oligogyny by unrelated queens in the carpenter ant, Camponotus ligniperdus

Multilocus DNA fingerprinting and microsatellite analysis were used to determine the number of queens and their mating frequencies in colonies of the carpenter ant, Camponotus ligniperdus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Only 1 of 61 analyzed queens was found to be double-mated and the population-wide effective mating frequency was therefore 1.02. In the studied population, 8 of 21 mature field colonies (38%) contained worker, male, or virgin queen genotypes which were not compatible with presumed monogyny and therefore suggested oligogyny, i.e., the cooccurrence of several mutually intolerant queens within one colony. Estimated queen numbers in oligogynous colonies ranged between two and five. According to the results of the genetic analysis, most of the queens coexisting in oligogynous colonies were not closely related. Pleometrosis is very rare and queenless colonies adopt mated queens both in the laboratory and field. Therefore, the most plausible explanation for the origin of oligogynous colonies in C. ligniperdus is the adoption of unrelated queens by orphaned mature colonies. The coexistence of unrelated, but mutually intolerant queens in C. ligniperdus colonies demonstrates that oligogyny should be considered as a phenomenon distinct from polygyny. Received: 18 December 1997 / Accepted after revision: 20 June 1998     

重金属污染土壤接种丛枝菌根真菌对蚕豆毒性的影响

采用盆栽实验的方法,研究了重金属(包括Cu、Zn、Pb和Cd)复合污染和接种丛枝菌根真菌(arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF)Glomus mosseae对蚕豆(Vicia faba)生长及DNA损伤的影响.结果表明,虽然接种菌根真菌对蚕豆生物量的影响并不显著,但是却显著影响植物对重金属的吸收,接种菌根真菌对蚕豆吸收4种重金属元素的作用有差异.采用单细胞凝胶电泳(single cell gel electrophoresis,SCGE)法研究接种菌根真菌对蚕豆叶片的DNA损伤的影响,与重金属吸收的结果相吻合.结果表明,接种处理可显著增加蚕豆叶片的DNA损伤程度,这与接种处理可提高植物的重金属吸收相一致.     

植物根瘤内痕量Frankia DNA的提取及鉴定

建立了一种简捷、快速植物根瘤内痕量Frankia DNA的提取方法，即采集自然态下根瘤，剥离瘤瓣，取瘤瓣尖经液氮研主民粉末，以20g/L CTAB（十六烷基三甲基溴化铵）消化胞壁，然后以d=5-10μm的石英粉吸附DNA，再以无菌去离子蒸馏水释放DNA，所获DNA产率及纯度较酚／氯仿法好。经对辽宁沙棘、色赤杨根瘤的瘤内痕量Frankia DNA及体外培养的9种Frankia菌株DNA分纯，并用于酶切及PCR，获满意结果。图3参12     

Mating patterns and reproductive success in the bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea), as revealed by DNA fingerprinting

The mating patterns and reproductive success of the bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) were investigated over a 3-year period (1992–1994) using DNA fingerprinting. Paternity was determined by genetic analysis of 58 juveniles of known maternity from 35 litters. Analysis of DNA fingerprints revealed that all offspring within a litter were fathered by a single male; the statistical probability of detecting multiple males mating with a female was high, indicating that multiple paternity would have been detected had it occurred. However, individual males did not father more than one litter from a given female either within or between years. At least 75% of females and 57% of males successfully produced offspring each year. The finding that all littermates are first-order relatives may contribute to the high level of female cooperation in this species. Received: 28 May 1997 / Accepted after revision: 22 March 1998