拟南芥SHI基因在烟草中的表达和矮化、延迟开花的烟草植株的获得

利用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)从拟南芥基因组DNA中克隆了拟南芥SHOTINTERNODS(SHI)基因,并进行了序列测定.以载体pBI121为基本骨架构建了SHI的植物表达载体,并导入根癌农杆菌EHA105.通过农杆菌介导的叶盘法将拟南芥SHI基因转入烟草.PCR和RT-PCR检测证明,拟南芥SHI基因已整合到烟草基因组中并得以表达,获得了矮化、延迟开花的烟草植株.图5参12     

绿萍LmPDS基因RNAi载体的构建及遗传转化

PDS基因编码控制类胡萝卜素生物合成过程中的关键酶,其被沉默或抑制性表达会使叶片组织出现斑驳、黄化、白化的现象.构建绿萍(Lemna minor)LmPDS基因RNAi载体及完成遗传转化研究,对于实现RNAi技术在绿萍中的应用具有重要意义.选取595 bp LmPDS基因片段为干涉片段,利用中间载体pUCCRNAi将克隆的LmPDS干涉片段正反向插入植物表达载体pCAMBIA2300-35S-OCST中.将成功构建的RNAi载体通过农杆菌介导法转入绿萍愈伤,经愈伤抗性筛选、植株再生、植株扩培、标记基因NPTII检测等过程,获得植株70株,其中4株为转基因阳性植株.再经荧光定量PCR分析、番茄红素含量检测、表型观察转基因植株.结果显示,转基因阳性植株LmPDS相对表达量明显下降,为对照的28.8%-40.5%,其番茄红素含量也明显下降,且叶片出现了明显的白化表型.本研究成功构建绿萍LmPDS基因RNAi载体,实现了RNAi在绿萍中的应用,结果可为进一步的绿萍基因功能研究提供材料和方法.(图11表1参30)     

中国水仙DFR基因启动子的克隆及功能

为了解中国水仙花青素合成途径关键基因DFR(NtDFR)的表达调控以及中国水仙不能合成花青素的分子机制,采用染色体步移法从中国水仙中克隆NtDFR基因起始密码子上游962 bp的启动子序列.生物信息学分析结果表明启动子序列除包含TATA-box、CAAT-box等基本启动子元件外,还包含光调控元件、植物激素响应元件、胁迫响应元件等多个顺式作用元件.此外,该启动子序列还含有MYB转录因子结合位点.为验证启动子的表达特性,将NtDFR启动子取代植物表达载体pBI121上35S启动子,构建pBI121-pNtDFR::GUS载体,利用农杆菌转化烟草叶片瞬时表达,通过GUS组织染色法确定了克隆的启动子的活性.将中国水仙R2R3-MYB转录因子NtMYB2、NtMYB5分别和pBI121-p NtDFR::GUS共同注射烟草,定量PCR和GUS组织化学染色结果表明NtMYB2和NtMYB5都使NtDFR启动子诱导的烟草叶片GUS颜色变浅以及GUS基因表达量下降,表明NtMYB2和NtMYB5是NtDFR的抑制因子.本研究结果有助于了解中国水仙花青素合成途径的分子调控机制.(图5参34)     

干扰烟草GA 20-氧化酶siRNA植物表达载体的构建及矮化烟草的产生

根据烟草(Nicotiana tabacum)GA 20-氧化酶基因序列,设计2对分别含有特定酶切位点的特异引物,以烟草基因组DNA为模板,扩增目的基因(约250 bp)片段.将正、反向目的片段分别插入中间载体的内含子两侧.再经BamH I和Sac I双酶切回收约700 bp的目的片段,插入到双元载体质粒p2355中,成功构建了含GA 20-氧化酶基因片段的反向重复序列植物表达载体p23700,其转录产物能形成发夹RNA(hpRNA),产生小分子干扰RNA,干扰目的基因的表达.将p23700质粒导入根癌农杆菌EHA105中并转化烟草叶片细胞,经选择分化培养,获得表型矮化的转基因烟草.图4参14     

水稻幼穗分化特异性启动子pRFL的克隆和特征分析

组织特异性启动子能够驱动基因在特定的时期和部位表达,克服组成型启动子启动的外源基因在受体植物中非特异、持续、高效表达所造成的浪费,是基因工程技术最重要元件之一.本研究利用PCR技术从水稻基因组中克隆了幼穗分化特异表达基因RFL翻译起始位点上游2 001 bp的启动子序列,命名为pRFL.生物信息分析显示,该片段含有36个转录起始核心启动子元件TATA-box和多个启动子增强子区顺式作用元件CAAT-box,以及多个光反应调控元件和植物激素响应元件等.将其与GUS基因构建成植物表达载体,导入水稻"日本晴",组织化学染色法检测显示,转基因水稻植株叶片、茎均无GUS显色,花序及发育中的小花有较强表达;荧光定量PCR测定幼穗GUS基因转录活性,显示pRFL驱动的GUS基因表达量比actin启动子驱动的GUS基因表达量高2.9倍.上述结果初步证明了pRFL为幼穗分化特异性启动子.     

盐生杜氏藻烯醇酶基因启动子的克隆分析及胁迫转录应答

为了解盐生杜氏藻(Dunaliella salina)烯醇酶(Enolase)在渗透耐受中的具体功能,利用基因组步行方法和巢式PCR,从D.salina中克隆了烯醇酶基因DsENO 5’上游约2 000 bp的调控序列,并对其进行序列分析.分析表明,它包含多个与转录调控有关的保守序列(如CAAT-box,TATA-box),富含光﹑干旱及其它胁迫应答元件.利用实时荧光定量PCR的方法,研究了高渗﹑高温以及低温外界胁迫条件下DsENO的转录情况,发现其受高渗强烈抑制,高温显著诱导而低温微弱诱导.     

盐生杜氏藻3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶不同结构域蛋白的表达纯化及其抗体的制备与分析

盐生杜氏藻(Dunaliella salina)是迄今为止世界上发现的最耐盐的真核光合生物,而甘油是盐藻用于调节细胞内外渗透压变化的关键调渗物质.3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶(GPDH)是盐生杜氏藻甘油合成途径中的关键酶.与已经报道的其它物种的GPDH基因不同,盐生杜氏藻3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶(Ds.GPDH)基因具有两个独立的功能结构域,即丝氨酸磷酸化酶结构域(SGPP domain)和3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶结构域(GPD domain).本实验在已克隆的Ds.GPDH2基因的基础上,以含GPDH2全基因序列的T质粒载体(pMD18-T-GPDH2)为模板,PCR扩增分别得到两个单结构域片段(SGPP与GPD),以及双结构域片段(GPDH),构建了pET32a-SGPP、pET32a-GPD和pET32a-GPDH三种原核表达载体,并在大肠杆菌中成功表达.纯化蛋白制备抗原,制备出3个多克隆抗体.Western Blot和交叉反应分析显示通过重组蛋白制备的多克隆抗体具有很高的特异性.图7参16     

盐藻LHCB3蛋白的表达纯化及抗体制备

为了解盐生杜氏藻(Dunaliella salina)主要光捕获蛋白LHCB蛋白的功能,将已获得的盐藻Lhcb3基因构建到原核表达载体pET32a-DsLhcb3,通过优化表达条件,建立了高效的重组系统.pET32a-DsLhcb3在大肠杆菌中的优化表达条件为1 mmol/L IPTG在37℃下诱导4 h.采用镍离子亲合层析纯化获得LHCB3蛋白,并以此为抗原制备了多克隆抗体,经琼脂糖扩散检测效价,在1:16处有明显沉淀.提取盐藻总蛋白,经过制备的LHCB3抗体杂交,在29 000处获得两条明显的杂交条带,为进一步研究盐藻LHCⅡ蛋白表达机理奠定了基础.     

番茄SlNAC1基因启动子的盐应答功能分析

番茄NAC转录因子编码基因SlNAC1受假单胞菌、盐、干旱和低温等多种生物和非生物胁迫诱导表达,但其转录调控机制仍不清楚.为研究SlNAC1的盐应答转录调控机制,分离SlNAC1基因的启动子并分析其盐应答功能.构建4个5′-缺失的SlNAC1启动子(起始密码子上游2 039 bp、1 508 bp、1 373 bp和777 bp)驱动的GUS基因表达载体,并利用农杆菌介导法分别转化烟草(Nicotiana benthamiana),随后对转基因植株进行NaCl处理和GUS染色分析.结果显示,未经NaCl处理的转基因植株均不被明显染色,而NaCl处理后,除777 bp启动子转基因植株外,2 039 bp、1 508 bp和1373 bp启动子转基因植株都被明显染色.这说明SlNAC1启动子中盐应答元件位于-1 373 bp和-777 bp之间.结合该区间有4个盐应答元件——GT1GMSCAM4元件(核心序列为GAAAAA)的预测分析结果,推断这4个GT1GMSCAM4元件中的一个或者多个协同负责SlNAC1基因的盐应答转录调控.这4个GT1GMSCAM4元件将用于筛选SlNAC1盐应答的转录调控因子.(图4表1参28)     

异源表达胡杨PeCPD基因提高烟草对盐、高氮和干旱胁迫的抗性

油菜素类固醇(Brassinosteroids,BRs)在调节植物生长发育和提高植物对非生物胁迫的抗性中起着重要作用,CPD(Constitutive Photomorphogenesis and Dwarfism)基因编码一种甾醇类23a羟化酶,在BR的生物合成中发挥着重要作用.本研究克隆胡杨Pe CPD基因的c DNA序列,并利用农杆菌介导法,将Pe CPD基因植物过表达载体p BI121-35S::Pe CPD转化野生型烟草,筛选得到Pe CPD基因过表达的转基因烟草植株,并利用Na Cl、高氮和甘露醇分别对转基因和野生型烟草进行胁迫处理,检测转基因烟草的耐受性和相关的生理生化指标.结果表明:(1)在正常条件下,转基因烟草的鲜重是野生型烟草的1.47倍;(2)在Na Cl、高氮以及甘露醇的胁迫处理下,转基因烟草植株的根长、叶片叶绿素和类胡萝卜素的含量均显著高于野生型植株,抗氧化酶SOD和POD活性以及渗透调节物质脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖的含量也同样表现为转基因烟草显著高于野生型,而野生型植株的丙二醛(MDA)含量显著高于转基因植株.因此在烟草中异源过表达胡杨Pe CPD基因不但能够增加烟草的生物量,而且能够提高烟草对盐、高氮和干旱胁迫的抵抗能力.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Sequestration of cucurbitacin analogs by New and Old World chrysomelid leaf beetles in the tribe Luperini

Summary Two South American polyphagous leaf beetles,Diabrotica speciosa andCerotoma arcuata, selectively accumulated the bitter tasting compound 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D in their body after ingesting root tissues of cucurbit plants. Similarly, three Asian Cucurbitaceae-feeding specialists in the genusAulacophora were found to sequester the same compound. Cucurbitacin analogs were shown to deter feeding by a bird predator, indicating an allomonal role for these compounds in cucurbitacin-associated chrysomelid leaf beetles both of New and Old Worlds. The strong affinity to cucurbitacins, selective sequestration of the analogs and consequent protection from predators suggested an ecological adaptation mechanism developed in common among these two geographically isolated subtribes in the Luperini.     

Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation

Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza‐Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land‐use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon‐dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon‐based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development.     

Effects of Controlled Fire and Livestock Grazing on Bird Communities in East African Savannas

Abstract: In East Africa fire and grazing by wild and domestic ungulates maintain savannas, and pastoralists historically set fires and herded livestock through the use of temporary corrals called bomas. In recent decades traditional pastoral practices have declined, and this may be affecting biodiversity. We investigated the effects of prescribed fires and bomas on savanna bird communities in East Africa during the first and second dry seasons of the year (respectively before and after the rains that mark the onset of breeding for most birds). We compared abundance, richness, and community composition on 9‐ha burned plots, recently abandoned bomas, and control plots in the undisturbed matrix habitat over a 3‐year period. Generally, recently burned areas and abandoned bomas attracted greater densities of birds and had different community assemblages than the surrounding matrix. The effects of disturbances were influenced by interactions between primary productivity, represented by the normalized difference vegetation index, and time. Bird densities were highest and a greater proportion of species was observed on burned plots in the months following the fires. Drought conditions equalized bird densities across treatments within 1 year, and individuals from a greater proportion of species were more commonly observed on abandoned bomas. Yearly fluctuations in abundance were less pronounced on bomas than on burns, which indicate that although fire may benefit birds in the short term, bomas may have a more‐lasting positive effect and provide resources during droughts. Several Palearctic migrants were attracted to burned plots regardless of rainfall, which indicates continued fire suppression may threaten their already‐declining populations. Most notably, the paucity of birds observed on the controls suggests that the current structure of the matrix developed as a result of fire suppression. Traditional pastoralism appears critical to the maintenance of avian diversity in these savannas.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.