Testosterone-induced depression of male parental behavior in the barn swallow: female compensation and effects on seasonal fitness

In birds, many aspects of male socio-sexual and parental behavior are influenced by androgens, most notably testosterone (T). We report the effects of subcutaneous T-implants in male barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) on male and female parental behavior and on seasonal reproductive success. Males were assigned to one of three experimental groups: (i) implanted with a T-filled Silastic tube; (ii) implanted with an empty Silastic tube; and (iii) not implanted. T-implanted males provided a smaller proportion of feedings (number of feedings by the male/total number of feedings by both parents) and fed nestlings less frequently (number of feedings/h) than males of the other two groups. Females paired to T-implanted males fed nestlings significantly more often than females paired with unimplanted males. Females almost fully compensated for their mates' shortfall, and this resulted in similar combined feeding efforts among treatments. Reproductive success in their first broods or during the entire breeding season was unaffected by T- treatment. These results confirm earlier reports of the suppressive effects of T on male parental behavior. However, they are inconsistent with current ESS models that predict partial compensation as the optimal response by one individual to reduction of parental effort by its mate in monogamous, biparental systems.     

Harem choice and breeding experience of female southern elephant seals influence offspring survival

Female mammals can increase their lifetime fitness through modification of investment potential and by providing better rearing environments with improved breeding experience. We examined the relationships between reproductive fitness and the behavioural decisions that female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) made during the breeding season. We examined whether mother age and breeding experience influenced reproductive success (measured as 1st-year survival probability), and whether there was a change in the choice of harem size with increasing age. Pups produced by young mothers had lower 1st-year survival probability than pups produced by older mothers. A significant increase in mean female mass with age required an analysis of both these effects on offspring survival. There was a significant positive effect of both female age and mass, and the interaction between the two, on 1st-year pup survival. The proportion of young mothers (<5 years old) decreased and the proportion of older mothers (>6 years old) increased with increasing harem size (harems surveyed from 1997 to 2001). Females chose larger harems in which to breed as they aged. Females demonstrated fidelity to breeding areas among successive breeding seasons, with older females displaying greater breeding-site fidelity than younger females. The mean number of previous breeding attempts per female within a harem (breeding experience) increased significantly with increasing harem size. Breeding females returned to breed later in the breeding season as they aged—we hypothesize that young, subordinate females gain a priority advantage by returning earlier. These results lend support to the hypothesis that there are fitness advantages, in terms of offspring survival, that are conferred to females that breed in successively larger harems with age. Potential mechanisms that select for females to improve their breeding conditions include improved mate selection and the avoidance of conspecific harassment in harems.Communicated by F. Trillmich     

Effects of testosterone on male-male competition and male-female interactions in blue tits

In temperate-zone birds, testosterone (T) influences male behavior during the breeding season. The elevation of plasma levels of T to a breeding baseline is necessary for basic reproductive behaviors, but it is still unclear whether variation in T levels above this critical threshold influences the intensity of these behaviors. Such a relationship between T and sexually selected traits is a critical assumption of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. We here experimentally elevated T levels in blue-tit males above the natural mean (T-males) during the period of nest building and egg laying, without manipulating hormone levels during chick feeding. T-males neither interacted more often with other males, nor did they respond more aggressively to a dummy intruder, compared to males with control implants. T-males did not guard their social mates more closely, but they were more likely to interact with potential extra-pair mates. Females mated to T-males did not change their behavior during egg laying and the treatment did not significantly affect male and female feeding rates. Despite this, nests of T-males produced larger and heavier fledglings in one study year. Our observations suggest that T levels above the natural mean during the mating period do not increase aggressive or territorial behavior in male blue tits. However, if females perceived T-males as high-quality mating partners, superior offspring development in nests of T-males might be caused by higher maternal investment. Hence, male behaviors involved in mate attraction may have been influenced by T levels above the natural mean.Communicated by R. Gibson     

The effect of helpers on artificially increased brood size in sociable weavers (Philetairus socius)

In cooperatively breeding birds, the presence of helpers is expected to increase the reproductive success of the breeding pair. However, some studies fail to find this effect. A positive effect of helpers may be restricted to cases in which a breeding pair has a poor likelihood of raising the entire brood on its own, as would be the case under stressful environmental conditions or with enlarged brood sizes. We conducted brood size manipulations in a cooperative breeder, the sociable weaver, Philetairus socius, to investigate the relationship between the difficulty of raising nestlings and the effort and impact of helpers. Overall, sociable weavers did not work harder to raise the enlarged broods. However, the presence of helpers significantly increased the feeding rates at enlarged nests, but not controls. This was insufficient to prevent generalised brood reduction in enlarged broods, whether attended by pairs alone or with helpers. Nonetheless, the presence of helpers was associated with decreased nestling mortality and an increase in the numbers of young fledged. Our results suggest that groups are better able to respond to the needs of enlarged broods than pairs alone and that the presence of helpers has a beneficial effect on overall reproductive success.Communicated by J. Dickinson     

Effects of foundress number on brood raids and queen survival in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta

In several ant species, colonies are founded by small groups of queens (pleometrosis), which coexist until the first workers eclose, after which all but one queen is killed. It has been hypothesized that, by producing a larger cohort of workers, cooperating queens may increase colony success during brood raids, a form of competition in which brood and workers from losing nests are absorbed into winning colonies. To test whether this benefit is sufficient to favor pleometrosis, newly mated queens of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta were assembled in groups of one, two, three, or four, reared in the laboratory until the first workers eclosed, then planted in the field in replicated assemblages. The proportion of colonies engaging in brood raids increased with average foundress number per nest and with colony density but was unaffected by variance in foundress number among interacting colonies. Within mixed assemblages of single-queen and multiple-queen colonies, queen number had no effect on the likelihood of engaging in raids or the probability of nest survival through the brood raiding period. However, following nearly 30% of raids, queens moved to new nests and displaced the resident queens. When queen relocation and subsequent mortality were accounted for, it was found that the survival of queens from four-queen groups was substantially higher than that of solitary queens. By contrast, the survival of queens from two-queen colonies was no greater than that of solitary queens. These results show that the competitive advantages of multiple-queen colonies are sufficient to counterbalance the increased mortality of queens within groups only when the number of foundresses is greater than two and when colonies are founded at high density. When colonies lose brood raids, the workers appear to abandon their mothers to join surviving colonies. However, in laboratory experiments, queens attempting to enter foreign nests were significantly more likely to displace the resident queen if their own daughters were present within the invaded nest. Thus, workers may be able to bias the probability that their mother rejoins them and displaces competing queens.     

铜和镉对珠江天然仔鱼和幼鱼的毒性效应及其潜在生态风险

以静水实验法探讨珠江流域主要金属污染物铜和镉对当地天然仔鱼和幼鱼的急性毒性效应。结果显示,铜对西江赤眼鳟和鲴仔鱼(48 h)和广东鲂幼鱼(96 h)的LC50分别为0.066、0.055和0.10 mg·L-1,对应的安全浓度分别为0.006、0.010和0.010 mg·L-1;镉对赤眼鳟和鲴仔鱼(48 h)以及广东鲂幼鱼(96 h)的LC50分别为1.29、0.83和3.20 mg·L-1,对应的安全浓度分别为0.163、0.077和0.320 mg·L-1。其中,铜对上述受试鱼的安全浓度低于或接近我国《渔业水质标准》及《地表水环境质量标准》Ⅱ类水对铜的规定,而镉对这些受试鱼的安全浓度则高于相关标准对镉的规定。研究结果表明,珠江流域铜污染可能会对当地天然仔鱼、幼鱼群体的补充构成一定程度的威胁,但镉污染暂不会对该区域主要鱼类早期群体补充带来严重的生态风险。     

纳米氧化锌对羊角月牙藻毒性效应及其在藻细胞内外的分布

为研究纳米氧化锌(ZnO NP)的毒性效应及其在细胞内外分布,以羊角月牙藻(Selenastrum capricornutum)为模型藻类,研究了不同浓度ZnO NP对羊角月牙藻生长、叶绿素含量、可溶性蛋白含量、超氧化物岐化酶(SOD)及过氧化物酶(POD)活性、丙二醛(MDA)含量及细胞内外ZnO NP含量变化。结果表明,ZnO NP对羊角月牙藻的生长抑制与处理浓度呈现正相关。在45 mg·L~(-1)ZnO NP暴露24 h后,其生长抑制率已达到95%。当ZnO NP处理藻细胞72 h后,羊角月牙藻细胞的叶绿素含量与处理浓度之间存在剂量-效应关系。低浓度(0.5 mg·L~(-1))ZnO NP处理后藻细胞可溶性蛋白质含量、SOD和POD活性明显下降,MDA含量升高,其产生的毒性效应高于高浓度组(5 mg·L~(-1)、45 mg·L~(-1))。细胞培养液溶出Zn2+量及藻细胞外吸附的ZnO NP量与ZnO NP处理浓度成正比,但是藻细胞内ZnO NP量与ZnO NP浓度没有相关性,胞内积累量基本维持不变。研究表明,各浓度组对藻细胞毒性的差异,不仅与细胞内Zn2+量有关,还与细胞外粘附的ZnO NP有关。     

Factors influencing length of maternal care in brown bears (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ursus arctos</Emphasis>) and its effect on offspring

Length of maternal care, i.e. the interval between successfully raised litters, is the most important factor explaining the variation in reproductive rate among brown-bear (Ursus arctos) populations. In this paper, we examine the variation in length of maternal care in radio-marked brown bears and its effect on their offspring in northern Sweden. Young stayed with their mothers for 1.4–1.5 or 2.4–2.5 (in one case 3.5) years and were weaned with body masses varying from 17 to 69 kg. The probability of yearling litters staying with their mother for a 2nd year increased with decreasing yearling body mass, and was higher for litters with two offspring than for litters with one or three to four offspring. Staying with their mothers for a 2nd year had a positive effect on mass gain in yearlings and this effect was more pronounced in litters with two than three to four offspring. Body mass of 2-year-olds was not related to age of weaning, suggesting that keeping offspring for an additional year mainly compensated for low yearling body mass. If large offspring body mass positively affects later offspring survival and reproduction, mothers may be able to optimize the length of maternal care according to the litter size and the size of their yearlings.Communicated by F. Trillmich     

环境浓度下的混合抗生素对普通小球藻的联合毒性

近年来,抗生素已成为一类备受关注的新型环境污染物。为了探究这类化合物对各类生物的毒性效应,本实验以红霉素(ERY)、恩诺沙星(ENR)、磺胺甲恶唑(SMX)这3种常见的抗生素作为代表,研究其单独作用和两两联合作用对普通小球藻的生长、蛋白合成及丙二醛(MDA)含量的影响。结果表明:ERY、ENR和SMX对小球藻的96 h-EC50分别为85.7、124.5和1 672.7μg·L~(-1),且3种抗生素两两联合时对小球藻的毒性作用类型均为协同作用。此外,当暴露于环境浓度的抗生素时,无论是单独加药还是联合加药,除ERY处理组的小球藻的蛋白合成被轻微抑制外,其他各处理组的蛋白含量与对照组相比,均展现出低剂量刺激效应。对于MDA产量,ENR处理组的MDA含量与对照组无显著差异,其他各处理组均高于对照组;故环境浓度下的ENR并没有对小球藻造成明显的氧化损伤,而其他2种抗生素则对小球藻造成了氧化损伤。该研究为低浓度混合抗生素在淡水环境中联合暴露的生态风险评估提供了科学依据。     

纳米二氧化钛(nTiO_2)与双酚A对斜生栅藻(Scenedes-mus obliquus)的联合毒性效应

纳米二氧化钛(n Ti O2)在被人们广泛使用的同时,其潜在的环境影响也受到越来越多的关注。为深入探讨n Ti O2与环境中现有污染物的相互作用及生物效应,以斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)为受试生物,按照毒性单位法、相加指数法和混合毒性指数法,研究了n Ti O2与双酚A(BPA,一种常见的环境类雌激素)的联合毒性效应。结果显示,n Ti O2与BPA对S.obliquus生长的72 h半抑制浓度(EC50)分别为28.7 mg·L-1与1.81 mg·L-1。而n Ti O2与BPA共存时,在不同毒性比(4:1,3:1,2:1,1:1,1:2和1:3)下,其联合毒性作用(以BPA计)的72 h EC50值分别为2.198,1.58,1.153,0.428,0.306和0.189 mg·L-1。两者的联合毒性作用不仅仅是简单的相加,而是随着两者毒性比的变化,由拮抗作用转变为相加作用,继而转变为协同作用。这表明,n Ti O2进入环境后与现有污染物的毒性比(浓度比)可能是其联合毒性作用模式的一个重要影响因素。     

背角无齿蚌AwPrx4A基因克隆及在PFOS和PFOA胁迫下的表达分析

硫氧化蛋白过氧化物酶(Prx)可以将过氧化氢、有机过氧化物和过氧化合物分别转化为水、乙醇和亚硝酸盐,是机体一种重要的抗氧化蛋白。为了探讨全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)和全氟辛酸(PFOA)对背角无齿蚌的胁迫效应,背角无齿蚌随机分为对照组、PFOS处理组和PFOA处理组;同时克隆出AwPrx4A全基因序列,分析PFOS和PFOA对AwPrx4A表达的影响。背角无齿蚌AwPrx4A cDNA全长由958个核苷酸组成,包含1个120 bp的5’非编码区,1个412 bp的3’非编码区和1个426 bp的开放阅读框,开放阅读框为由142个氨基酸组成的多肽链。PFOS和PFOA对背角无齿蚌的LC50分别为28.388和192.083 mg·L~(-1)。与对照组相比,浓度6.25、12.5、25、50和100 mg·L~(-1)的PFOS处理后,实验观察过程中肝胰腺中AwPrx4A mRNA水平分别增加了18.75%、2.85倍(P 0.05)、5.08倍(P 0.01)、5.52倍(P 0.01)和6.77倍(P 0.01)以上。与对照组相比,浓度50、100、200、400和800 mg·L~(-1)的PFOA处理后,实验观察过程中肝胰腺AwPrx4A mRNA水平分别增加了20.83%、2.21倍(P 0.01)、2.25倍(P 0.01)、3.19倍(P 0.01)和5.64倍(P 0.01)以上。与对照组相比,PFOS和PFOA处理后鳃中AwPrx4A mRNA水平分别增加了61.61%(P 0.05)和59.59%(P 0.05)以上。与对照组相比,PFOS和PFOA处理后血淋巴中AwPrx4A mRNA水平分别增加了47.42%和20.61%以上。结果表明,PFOS和PFOA处理对背角无齿蚌AwPrx4A表达具有明显的诱导作用,其原因与对抗PFOS和PFOA的胁迫效应有关。     

Effects of glucosinolate and myrosinase levels in Brassica juncea on a glucosinolate-sequestering herbivore – and vice versa

Summary. Larvae of the turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae L. (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), sequester glucosinolates of their host plants, namely members of the Brassicaceae family, in their haemolymph. Therefore, they need to circumvent myrosinase activities of the plant tissue which normally hydrolyse the glucosinolates after plant damage. Effects of varying levels of glucosinolates and myrosinases on the performance of A. rosae were investigated using homozygous lines of Brassica juncea (L.) with either (1) low glucosinolate (lowGS) and low myrosinase (lowMR), (2) high glucosinolate (highGS) and high myrosinase (highMR), or (3) high glucosinolate (highGS) and low myrosinase (lowMR) levels. To insure that the given quantities remained as constant as possible, newly hatched larvae were enclosed on the second-youngest leaf of a plant, and were offered a new plant of comparable physiological age (6-leaf-stage) every day. The performance of A. rosae was little affected by leaf quality. Body masses of eonymphs and adults were on average lowest on the highGS/highMR-line, but these differences were rarely significant. The pupal developmental times of females and males were longest on the highGS/lowMR-line in only one of two replicate experiments. All other performance traits (developmental times of larvae, egg numbers, adult longevity) were not significantly different. Glucosinolates, sequestered by the larvae, are carried through the pupal stage. The glucosinolate concentration measured in adult insects reflected the level of the host plant line, without showing any obvious costs for sequestration. Obviously, A. rosae is highly tolerant to variation in the glucosinolate-myrosinase system of its host. In addition, induced changes of glucosinolate concentrations and myrosinase activities caused by 24 h-feeding of groups of three small larvae were analysed in the second-youngest leaves. In contrast to the patterns most herbivores evoke on Brassicaceae, namely an increase of both glucosinolate concentration and myrosinase activity, we detected a significant decrease of both traits in all three lines where the respective trait was originally high in the plants. Although glucosinolate levels dropped in the highGS lines about 50%, these still contained higher concentrations than the lowGS line. Whereas the activity of soluble myrosinases remained highest in the highMR line, even after a decrease to almost 30% due to feeding, the levels of insoluble myrosinases converged after feeding in lowMR and highMR lines. Levels of the signalling molecule salicylic acid slightly decreased on average after feeding, whereas jasmonic acid was below the detection threshold in almost all samples. The concentration of several molecules varies strongly in plant tissue with age and can change due to induction by herbivore feeding. Therefore, if performance of an insect species is measured on plants with specific traits, the variability in these traits needs to be carefully controlled in experiments.     

The effects of age and relatedness on mating patterns in thornbug treehoppers: inbreeding avoidance or inbreeding tolerance?

The social environment of many species includes synchronous maturation of siblings in family groups, followed by limited dispersal of adults from their natal site. Under these conditions, females may experience high encounter rates with same-age siblings during mate searching, increasing their risk of inbreeding. If inbreeding depression occurs, mating with a sibling is often considered maladaptive; however, in some contexts, the inclusive fitness benefits of inbreeding may outweigh the costs, favoring females that tolerate some level of inbreeding depression. We evaluated mating patterns in the treehopper Umbonia crassicornis, a semelparous species in which females encounter same-age siblings during mate searching. A female U. crassicornis that mates with a brother suffers from inbreeding depression. We used a free-choice mating design that offered females simultaneous mating opportunities with three groups of males: siblings, same-age nonsiblings, and older nonsiblings. These groups represent the types of males typically encountered by females during mate searching. Our goal was to assess whether mating patterns were influenced by inbreeding avoidance by evaluating two hypotheses: kin discrimination and age-based mating (older males cannot be siblings in this species). There was no difference in the proportions of females mating with siblings vs nonsiblings, suggesting an absence of kin discrimination. However, females mated with a greater proportion of older vs younger males. Given that females do not avoid siblings as mates despite a cost to inbreeding, our results provide a possible example of inbreeding tolerance. We also discuss some factors that may have contributed to the mating advantage of older males.     

花背蟾蜍性腺抗氧化酶对稀土尾矿库污染胁迫的响应

本研究以花背蟾蜍(Bufo Raddei)作为实验动物,以某稀土尾矿库周边受污染的水域湿地为研究样地,以相对无污染的小白河黄河湿地自然保护区为对照样地。通过检测两地花背蟾蜍精巢和卵巢的脏器系数、MDA和GSH含量、SOD、GSH-Px、GST、CAT和GR活性、T-AOC等相关指标。研究花背蟾蜍性腺抗氧化酶对该稀土尾矿库污染胁迫的响应效应。结果显示:与黄河湿地相比,稀土尾矿库湿地复合污染对花背蟾蜍精巢和卵巢脏器系数的影响差异不显著。稀土尾矿库花背蟾蜍精巢和卵巢中MDA含量、GPx、GST和CAT活性显著高于黄河湿地(P0.05),而GSH含量表现出相反的趋势。精巢中T-AOC显著高于卵巢(P0.01),但相同组织在两地间差异不显著。结果表明该稀土尾矿库复合污染对花背蟾蜍精巢和卵巢抗氧化能力有一定的毒害效应,且精巢和卵巢对污染胁迫的响应有明显的差异性。在应对稀土尾矿库湿地复合污染胁迫时,精巢更倾向于调用SOD-CAT系统的抗氧化机制,而在卵巢内GSH系统发挥作用更大。     

Effects of body mass,age, dominance and parasite load on foraging time of bighorn rams,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Ovis canadensis</Emphasis>

In sexually dimorphic ungulates, males generally spend less time foraging than females, possibly because of difference in body mass or because of the energetic requirements of lactation. The relationship between body size and foraging time has received little attention at the intra-specific level, because few studies have documented activity budgets for individuals of known size. Bighorn rams are a good model to explore how body mass affects foraging time, because they range in mass from 55 to 140 kg. We examined how the foraging time of bighorn rams varied according to individual characteristics. We observed rams in a marked population and constructed time budgets during the 3 months preceding the rut. We determined ram social rank based on agonistic encounters and collected fecal samples to count lungworm larvae. Time spent foraging was negatively correlated with body mass. After accounting for age differences, larger rams spent less time foraging and more time lying than smaller rams. Among rams aged 6–12 years, dominants spent less time feeding than subordinates, while fecal output of lungworm larvae was negatively correlated with foraging time for rams of all ages. Body mass accounts for much of the individual variation in foraging time, suggesting that sexual dimorphism is important in explaining differences in feeding time between males and females.Communicated by P. Heeb     

啶氧菌酯对斑马鱼的安全性评价及其生物富集行为研究

啶氧菌酯是一种新型的内吸性杀菌剂,本研究对其水生生物的毒性和累积风险进行了评估。啶氧菌酯原药对斑马鱼的急性毒性试验结果显示,96 h-LC₅₀为0.0509 mg a.i. L^-1。设置0.005 mg L^-1(1/100LC₅₀)和0.05 mg L^-1(1/10LC₅₀)2个浓度8 d生物累积试验。在0.005 mg L^-1组,第8天斑马鱼体内啶氧菌酯浓度达到0.48 mg kg^-1,生物富集系数(BCF_{8 d})缓慢增长到80.00。而在0.05 mg L^-1组,第8天斑马鱼体内的啶氧菌酯浓度为5.27 mg kg^-1,BCF_{8 d}值为99.42。研究表明,啶氧菌酯对斑马鱼为有剧毒,同时具有中等生物累积效应。因此在使用过程中,需要考虑其对水生生物的毒性和水生食物链的放大效应。     

溴氰菊酯对菲律宾蛤仔体内酶活性和组织损伤的初步探索

采用不同质量浓度的溴氰菊酯(0.0070 mg·L~(-1)、0.014 mg·L~(-1)、0.020 mg·L~(-1)、0.027 mg·L~(-1))对菲律宾蛤仔进行20 d半静置染毒,测定不同时间淋巴液中乙酰胆碱酯酶(ACh E)和钠离子-钾离子-三磷酸腺苷酶(Na~+-K~+-ATPase)活性、鳃和肝脏中谷胱甘肽转硫酶(GST)活性的变化,并观察染毒20 d后鳃丝组织和消化盲囊组织的损伤情况。酶活性分析结果显示,与对照组相比,低浓度组(0.0070 mg·L~(-1))试验期间酶活性均无显著差异(P0.05);中浓度组(0.014 mg·L~(-1)、0.020 mg·L~(-1))淋巴液中ACh E和Na~+-K~+-ATPase均呈先激活后抑制的变化规律(P0.05),鳃和肝脏中GST活性均呈上升趋势(P0.05);高浓度组(0.027mg·L~(-1))淋巴液中ACh E和Na~+-K~+-ATPase、肝脏中GST活性在试验期间持续下降(P0.01),而鳃中GST活性呈先抑制后升高的趋势(P0.05)。研究表明,低中浓度的溴氰菊酯对菲律宾蛤仔体内的酶活性表现为先诱导后抑制,具有明显的时间、剂量效应;高浓度的溴氰菊酯对菲律宾蛤仔体内酶活持续抑制,且染毒浓度越高,组织细胞变异越显著,表现为鳃丝上皮细胞纤毛层萎缩、纤毛脱落,消化盲囊上皮细胞膨胀,出现包涵体样结构。     

The neglected scent: on the marking function of urine in Lemur catta

In ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) urine deposition can be combined with two different tail configurations: (i) tail held up in an evident display (urinate tail-up, UT-up); (ii) tail slightly raised to avoid its impregnation with urine (urinate tail-down, UT-down). We used both signaller- and receiver-based approaches to search for functional differences between these two kinds of urine deposition. We predicted that UT-up might be a complex signal combining olfactory and visual cues. We carried out observations and scent tests on four captive groups of ring-tailed lemurs. Group members sniffed/licked UT-up scents more frequently than UT-down ones. Moreover, UT-up showed peak levels during the mating season whereas UT-down did not. These findings suggest that urine can play a role in intra-group reproductive communication. Lemurs more frequently performed UT-up in a few drops and UT-down in streams. Recognition experiments clearly showed that individuals can discriminate between urine of their own group and urine from a foreign group (a necessary prerequisite for the use of urine in inter-group communication). The possible function of UT-up in inter-troop communication was supported by the higher frequency of this pattern along a fence separating two of the study groups. Moreover, in the presence of a dummy, the frequency of UT-up increased significantly. In conclusion, UT-up is a complex signal with multiple characteristics. By using different sensory channels, UT-up provides different types of information (location and signaller quality) and contains multiple messages directed both at group-members and neighbouring groups....to conceal this letter, the Minister had resorted to the comprehensive and sagacious expedient of not attempting to conceal it at all (from the Purloined letter E. A. Poe, 1845)     

苯系物对仿刺参catalase基因表达及酶活性的影响

以仿刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)为受试生物,采用半静水式试验方法,设置3种不同浓度(1/5、1/25、1/125的96 h-LC50)的苯、甲苯、乙基苯、邻–二甲苯、间–二甲苯和对–二甲苯处理健康仿刺参,检测仿刺参过氧化氢酶(CAT)基因在呼吸树、肠组织中的表达和酶活性变化情况。结果发现:在各苯系物处理组的仿刺参呼吸树和肠组织中,cat基因的转录表达变化显著;苯、甲苯、乙基苯、邻–二甲苯对呼吸树中CAT活性具有诱导作用,其中乙基苯的诱导倍数最高,为12.0~19.8倍;6种苯系物对肠组织中CAT活性具有抑制作用,抑制程度大小顺序为:邻–二甲苯乙基苯对–二甲苯甲苯间–二甲苯苯。表明苯系物对仿刺参呼吸树、肠具有氧化胁迫作用,可能造成2种组织的氧化损伤。相关性分析表明:苯系物处理后,仿刺参肠组织中cat m RNA相对表达倍数与CAT活性变化呈显著正相关;仿刺参肠和呼吸树中cat m RNA相对表达倍数变化呈显著正相关。以上结果为苯系物对仿刺参的生物毒性评价提供了基础数据。     

Cr(VI)对脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)幼虾暴露和恢复期肝胰脏的SOD活性、MDA及MTs含量的影响

为了探索水体中Cr(VI)对脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)的毒性效应,通过Cr(VI)的暴露(15 d)和清水恢复实验(15 d),研究了Cr(VI)对脊尾白虾肝胰脏的SOD活性、MDA及MTs含量的影响。结果表明,通过15 d的暴露,5 mg·L-1(高浓度)、0.5 mg·L-1(低浓度)实验组肝胰脏的SOD均显著高于对照组水平(p0.05),15 d的清水恢复后,两个浓度实验组均能够恢复到对照组水平(p0.05)。MDA在暴露阶段呈现持续上升的趋势,且在15 d后两个浓度实验组MDA的含量均显著高于对照组水平(p0.05),15 d的清水恢复后,5 mg·L-1实验组的MDA含量依然显著高于对照组水平(p0.05),0.5mg·L-1实验组的MDA含量基本恢复到对照组水平(p0.05)。通过15 d的暴露,两个浓度实验组MTs的含量均显著高于对照组水平(p0.05),15 d的清水恢复后,两个浓度实验组MTs的含量均能够恢复到对照组水平(p0.05)。