麻疯树RAPD分析的影响因素

麻病树（Jatropha curcas L.）是一种具有广泛潜在用途的植物，为获得有重复性的RAPD分析结果，以对麻疯树的遗传多样性进行研究，本文作者对影响RAPD扩增结果的多个因素，包括缓冲体系成分，Taq酶、引物、模板浓度，PCR循环数等进行了研究，确定了反应的最适条件范围。     

甘蔗SCoT-PCR反应体系优化与多态性引物筛选及应用

目标起始密码子多态性(Start condon targeted polymorphism,SCoT)分子标记是一种新型的标记,结合了ISSR标记和RAPD标记的优点.本研究针对SCoT-PCR反应体系的影响因素,以甘蔗叶片DNA为材料,在单因子实验的基础上,采用L16(45)正交实验设计,进一步探讨了模板DNA、Mg2+、dNTPs、引物及Taq酶等5个因素对甘蔗SCoT-PCR扩增效果的影响,建立了甘蔗SCoT-PCR的优化反应体系.25μL PCR反应混合液中,含50 ng DNA模板、2.0μL 10×Ex Taq Buffer(Mg2+Plus)、0.625 U Ex Taq酶,dNTP和引物的终浓度分别为0.22 mmol/L和0.9μmol/L.以我国种植面积最大的栽培品种新台糖22号为模板,应用优化体系,对40条SCoT标记引物进行测试,筛选出16条有效扩增的引物,且均为多态性引物,其GC含量在50%～67%之间.该体系的稳定性和SCoT标记引物的扩增能力,通过基于随机选择的4条引物对9份具有地理来源和遗传背景不同的甘蔗种质进行标记分析来验证,结果共扩增出84条带,其中多态性条带占82.14%,平均单条引物可扩增出21条.研究结果为在甘蔗上进一步开发和应用功能性SCoT标记奠定了基础.     

氧化石墨烯对聚合酶链式反应扩增效率、灵敏度和特异性的影响

以人类基因组DNA和志贺氏菌粗制裂解菌液为模板,扩增115 bp的Alu基因片段和402 bp的ipaH基因片段.通过设置氧化石墨烯(Graphene Oxide,GO)和模板的浓度为变量,分别研究了氧化石墨烯对聚合酶链式反应(Polymerase chain reaction,PCR)扩增效率和灵敏度的影响;运用多轮PCR扩增方法研究了氧化石墨烯对聚合酶链式反应扩增特异性的影响.结果显示,氧化石墨烯有效提高PCR扩增效率的范围为9—14倍,提高PCR灵敏度一个数量级以及增加多轮PCR扩增中的两轮扩增反应.从原子力显微镜(Atomic force microscope,AFM)的结果可以看出,本文制备的氧化石墨烯片层厚度主要集中在0.5—0.8 nm,少数大于1 nm,总体具有较大的比表面积.除此之外,本文还发现当氧化石墨烯浓度到达μg·μL~(-1)后,引物二聚体与氧化石墨烯的浓度呈正比,说明氧化石墨烯优化PCR的主要影响因素是其与引物的相互作用.     

一种改进的SON-PCR基因扩增方法

单侧寡聚核苷酸嵌套PCR(single oligonucleotide nested PCR,SON-PCR)是一种简便易行的由已知序列克隆其侧翼序列的方法,但该法的第二轮PCR反应引发效率低,而且得到的产物两端含相同的引物序列,不可直接测序.针对该问题,将第二轮PCR改进为两段式扩增,即先以单侧嵌套引物引发5′端做选择性线性扩增,然后再加入第一轮引物特异引发3′端,使特异性和效率都得到很大提高,并可用PCR产物直接测序.分别用已报道的和改进的SON-PCR法克隆Botrytis cinerea羟甲基戊二酰CoA还原酶基因侧翼序列,后者获得期望结果,证明改进的SON-PCR方法行之有效.国内外尚未见同类报道.图4参7     

A_2型高粱细胞质雄性不育系与其保持系的胞质DNA和核DNA差异

以高粱细胞质雄性不育系A2 V4 (A)及其保持系V4 (B)的总DNA为模板 ,对 184个随机引物进行筛选 ,找到6个其RAPD扩增产物在A/B间存在稳定差异的引物 .将该 6个引物同时扩增A/B的总DNA、线粒体DNA(mtDNA)及叶绿体DNA(cpDNA) .以总DNA为模板时得到 12个扩增片段 ,以mtDNA为模板时得到 4个 ,以cpDNA为模板时得到 11个 .结果分析表明 ,在这些扩增片段中 ,有 7个仅仅出现在以胞质DNA为模板的扩增中 ,有 5个在以总DNA和胞质DNA为模板时同时出现 ,即认为这 12个片段来自胞质DNA .另有 7个片段 ,在以胞质DNA为模板时未出现 ,而是仅仅出现在以总DNA为模板的扩增中 ,认为是来自核DNA .来自核DNA的 7个扩增片段中 ,有 5个来自保持系 ,有 2个来自不育系 ,这表明 ,不育系与保持系在核DNA上存在差异 .对A/B核DNA在CMS中的重要性及研究对策进行了讨论 .图 2表 4参 19     

A2型高粱细胞质雄性不育系与其保持系的胞质DNA和核DNA差异

以高粱细胞质雄性不育系A2V4（A）及其保持系V4（B）的总DNA为模板,对184个随机引物进行筛选,找到6个其RAPD扩增产物在A／B间存在稳定差异的引物,将该6个引物同时扩增A／B的总DNA、线粒线DNA（mtDNA）及叶绿体DNA（cpDNA）,以总DNA为模板时得到12个扩增片段,以mtDNA为模板时得到4个,以cpDNA为板时得到11个,结果分析表明,在这些扩增片段中,有7个仅仅出现在以胞质DNA为模板的扩增中,有5个在以总NDA和胞质DNA为模板时同时出现,即认为这12个片段来自胞质DNA,另有7个片段,在以胞质DNA为模板时未出现,而是仅仅出现在以总DNA为模板的扩增中,认为是来自核DNA,来自核DNA的7个扩增片段中,有5个来自保持系,有2个来自不育系,这表明,不育系与保持系在核DNA上存在差异,对A／B核DNA在CMS中的重要性及研究对策进行了讨论。     

利用RAPD技术分析兰属（Cymbidium）品种间的亲缘关系

本文利用RAPD技术来检测兰属13个品种间的亲缘关系。通过对55种10个碱基随机引物的筛选,其中4种引物能得到重复性、稳定性较高扩增产物,四种引物共扩增出93条多态性带,多态率为100％,根据RAPD标记进行邻体聚类分析,表明兰属各种间的亲缘关系与形态学分类结果不完全一致。实验结果认为RAPD技术可用于兰属植物的系统学研究。图2表3参13     

朱■的随机扩增多态DNA分析与种内亲缘关系研究

利用随机扩增多态ＤＮＡ技术对朱（Ｎｉｐｐｏｎｉａｎｉｐｐｏｎ）８个个体进行了随机扩增多态ＤＮＡ分析．用２０个１０ｂｐ的随机引物对每只朱的基因组ＤＮＡ进行扩增,共得到１６８个扩增片段,其中共有片段为１０２个．根据聚类分析所得到的树状图确定了８只朱的亲缘关系,这为进一步构建全部朱个体的谱系关系图打下了基础,有利于制定更有效的朱保护计划     

松材线虫PCR标准化阳性对照构建及检测体系的建立

建立了松材线虫PCR检测标准化阳性对照及特异性强的PCR检测体系.根据松材线虫rDNA-ITS区和BxPe12基因的特异基因序列设计引物,并从中筛选出一对特异引物cqubs01/cquba01,该引物能从松材线虫特异性扩增出196 bp片段,而不能对其他种类线虫进行扩增.基于优化PCR反应体系和反应程序,稳定的检测体系得以建立,检测灵敏度为100 ps/μL.以松材线虫基因组DNA为模板,以上述特异引物进行PCR扩增,将纯化后的PCR产物与PMD18-T载体连接之后转入大肠杆菌中,筛选出阳性克隆进行测序验证,最终获得了松材线虫的无害化阳性对照,建立了松材线虫标准化阳性对照的PCR检测体系.对来自于不同地区的12批次近100个样品进行了实际检测验证,其结果与实际发生情况一致,说明本检测体系稳定可靠.图3表2参8     

濒危植物厚朴SSR引物筛选及反应体系优化

探索适宜厚朴(Magnolia officinalis)简单重复序列(simple sequence repeat,SSR)-聚合酶链式反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)的最佳条件.在SSR引物筛选基础上,利用正交试验设计对影响PCR反应的5个因素(模板DNA、引物、Mg2+、dNTPs和Taq酶催化活性浓度)进行4个水平的优化,并通过温度梯度试验优化引物退火温度.在厚朴及其近缘物种的70对引物中,筛选出13对扩增条带清晰、多态性丰富的SSR引物.PCR各因素在不同水平下对反应体系的影响由大到小依次为引物浓度、Taq酶催化活性浓度、Mg2+浓度、dNTPs浓度和模板DNA浓度.PCR最佳优化体系:25 μL体系中,模板DNA质量浓度为2 ng·μL-1,引物浓度为0.6μmol·L-1,Mg2+浓度为2.0 mmol·L-1,dNTPs浓度为0.5 mmol·L-1,Taq酶催化活性浓度为0.03 U·μL-1(1U=16.67 nkat).最佳扩增程序:94℃预变性4 min,94℃变性30 s,48.0～59.0℃(退火温度随引物不同而定)退火30 s,72℃延伸1 min,35个循环后72℃延伸10 min.上述结果可为利用SSR-PCR技术研究濒危厚朴群体遗传学和分子生态学提供技术参数.     

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     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

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.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

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.     

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.