Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Effective Dispersal of Florida Scrub‐Jays

Abstract: Studies comparing dispersal in fragmented versus unfragmented landscapes show that habitat fragmentation alters the dispersal behavior of many species. We used two complementary approaches to explore Florida Scrub‐Jay (Aphelocoma c?rulescens) dispersal in relation to landscape fragmentation. First, we compared dispersal distances of color‐marked individuals in intensively monitored continuous and fragmented landscapes. Second, we estimated effective dispersal relative to the degree of fragmentation (as inferred from two landscape indexes: proportion of study site covered with Florida Scrub‐Jay habitat and mean distance to nearest habitat patch within each study site) by comparing genetic isolation‐by‐distance regressions among 13 study sites having a range of landscape structures. Among color‐banded individuals, dispersal distances were greater in fragmented versus continuous landscapes, a result consistent with other studies. Nevertheless, genetic analyses revealed that effective dispersal decreases as the proportion of habitat in the landscape decreases. These results suggest that although individual Florida Scrub‐Jays may disperse farther as fragmentation increases, those that do so are less successful as breeders than those that disperse short distances. Our study highlights the importance of combining observational data with genetic inferences when evaluating the complex biological and life‐history implications of dispersal.     

Biodiversity Consequences of Genetic Variation in Bark Characteristics within a Foundation Tree Species

Abstract: The developing field of community genetics has the potential to broaden the contribution of genetics to conservation biology by demonstrating that genetic variation within foundation plant species can act to structure associated communities of microorganisms, invertebrates, and vertebrates. We assessed the biodiversity consequences of natural patterns of intraspecific genetic variation within the widely distributed Australian forest tree, Eucalyptus globulus. We assessed genetic variation among geographic races of E. globulus (i.e., provenances, seed zones) in the characteristics of tree‐trunk bark in a 17‐year‐old common garden and the associated response of a dependent macroarthropod community. In total, 180 macroarthropod taxa were identified following a collection from 100 trees of five races. We found substantial genetically based variation within E. globulus in the quantity and type of decorticating bark. In the community of organisms associated with this bark, significant variation existed among trees of different races in composition, and there was a two‐fold difference in species richness (7–14 species) and abundance (22–55 individuals) among races. This community variation was tightly linked with genetically based variation in bark, with 60% of variation in community composition driven by bark characteristics. No detectable correlation was found, however, with neutral molecular markers. These community‐level effects of tree genetics are expected to extend to higher trophic levels because of the extensive use of tree trunks as foraging zones by birds and marsupials. Our results demonstrate the potential biodiversity benefits that may be gained through conservation of intraspecific genetic variation within broadly distributed foundation species. The opportunities for enhancing biodiversity values of forestry and restoration plantings are also highlighted because such planted forests are increasingly becoming the dominant forest type in many areas of the world.     

Cloning and expression analysis of ScBAK1 gene and its alternative spliceosome in sugarcane北大核心CSCD

Alternative splicing (AS) is an important part of regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. BAK1 (Brassinosteroid insensitive1-associated receptor kinase 1) is a specific type of plant serine/threonine protein kinases, and can regulate growth and development and natural immunization. To reveal the responses of sugarcane BAK1 gene to the adverse environment, a ScBAK1 gene and its alternative spliceosome, termed ScBAK1 (GenBank accession number: KP032226) and ScBAK1 S1 (GenBank accession number: KP032227), were cloned from leaf cDNA of Yacheng 05-179 utilizing the methods of electronic cloning and RT-PCR. The open reading frame (ORF) length of ScBAK1/ScBAK1 S1 gene was 1 860bp/1 770bp, encoding 619/589 amino acids residues. The predicted molecular weight of the protein was 69.28 kDa/ 65.76 kDa. Both proteins were located in plasma membrane, estimated as acid, hydrophikic and secretive proteins. Random coil and alpha helix gave priority to extended strand in their secondary structure without beta turn. The most important protein function was cell envelope, secondly biosynthesis of amino acids and cofactors. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression of sugarcane ScBAK1 S1 gene exhibited the reduced expression trend under smut fungus stress and various abiotic exogenous stresses, including SA, CuCl2, PEG, ABA, NaCl and JA, while the expression of ScBAK1 gene was induced by SA, CuCl2, PEG, NaCl and smut fungus stresses. The phenomenon showed that the absent sequences or amounts of ScBAK1 S1 gene plays a key role in the response of ScBAK1 to the stress of sugarcane smut fungus, osmotic stress and cell growth. The differential expression of ScBAK1 and ScBAK1 S1 lays a foundation for further research on the function of ScBAK1 gene under biotic and abiotic stress.     

Genomic analyses of metal resistance genes in three plant growth promoting bacteria of legume plants in Northwest mine tailings, China

To better understand the diversity of metal resistance genetic determinant from microbes that survived atmetal tailings in northwest of China, a highly elevated level of heavymetal containing region, genomic analyses was conducted using genome sequence of three native metal-resistant plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). It shows that: Mesorhizobium amorphae CCNWGS0123 contains metal transporters from P-type ATPase, CDF (Cation Diffusion Facilitator), HupE/UreJ and CHR (chromate ion transporter) family involved in copper, zinc, nickel as well as chromate resistance and homeostasis. Meanwhile, the putative CopA/CueO system is expected to mediate copper resistance in Sinorhizobium meliloti CCNWSX0020 while ZntA transporter, assisted with putative CzcD, determines zinc tolerance in Agrobacterium tumefaciens CCNWGS0286. The greenhouse experiment provides the consistent evidence of the plant growth promoting effects of these microbes on their hosts by nitrogen fixation and/or indoleacetic acid (IAA) secretion, indicating a potential in-site phytoremediation usage in themining tailing regions of China.     

环境因素对土壤中几种典型四环素抗性基因形成的影响

兽用四环素在养殖业中的大量使用导致了日益严重的环境污染,其诱导生成的抗性基因更可能产生比其自身污染更大的环境危害.本研究探讨了环境因素对几种典型四环素抗性基因(tetA、tetC)形成的影响,结果表明,温度、光照及pH能够对土壤中四环素抗性基因的形成产生显著的影响,在较为合适的温度条件(25℃)、光照条件(500 lx)和pH(7.5)条件下,土壤中四环素耐药菌菌落数和四环素抗性基因总含量均处于较高的水平,并多显著高于其他环境条件下的诱导水平(P<0.05),而高温、强光照及较高的pH条件能够有效抑制土壤中四环素抗性基因的形成,抑制的主要途径可能包括影响土壤中四环素的残留水平或直接影响抗性基因的生成,同时研究也发现这些不利的环境条件也抑制了土壤中四环素耐药菌的生长.进一步分析在两种不同通气处理条件下土壤中所诱导产生的四环素抗性基因含量水平与土壤中四环素耐药菌数量之间的关系,发现在两种条件下四环素抗性基因含量水平与土壤中四环素耐药菌数量之间存在着较为显著的正相关关系(R2好氧=0.7872,n=30;R2缺氧=0.8841,n=21),土壤中四环素耐药菌的生长对四环素抗性基因的形成也起到了关键性作用.     

3种典型消毒副产物对细菌抗生素抗性的影响

本文研究了消毒副产物对细菌抗生素抗性的作用.分别选取三卤甲烷类(THMs)、卤乙酸类(HAAs)以及醛类消毒副产物中典型物质一氯二溴甲烷(CDBM)、碘乙酸(IAA)和水合三氯乙醛(CH),研究了细菌经消毒副产物染毒之后,对多种抗生素的抗性变化情况.结果发现,3种消毒副产物均可以诱导野生型铜绿假单胞菌提高对5种受试抗生素的抗性,提高作用IAACHCDBM.IAA对多重抗性也具有一定的提高作用.野生型大肠杆菌的抗生素抗性同样能够被DBPs诱导提高,说明DBPs对抗性的影响具有普遍性.其作用机制可能是DBPs通过氧化胁迫机制诱导细菌发生突变,进而提高细菌抗生素抗性.本研究表明饮用水系统中部分细菌抗生素抗性的获得可能与消毒副产物有关;除毒理学风险外,消毒副产物的流行病学风险同样不容忽视.     

油田回注水中硫酸盐还原原核生物的快速检测和群落结构分析

利用荧光原位杂交(Fluorescence in situ hybridization,FISH)技术,采用荧光标记的rRNA探针及其组合对胜利油田胜利采油厂回注水中硫酸盐还原原核生物(Sulfate reducing prokaryotes,SRPs,包括硫酸盐还原细菌和硫酸盐还原古菌)进行检测,分析了该回注水中SRPs群落结构.结果表明:SRPs在胜利油田回注水中具有极高的种群多样性,广泛分布于4个细菌门和1个古菌门;总数可达2.86×104个/mL,占回注水中总微生物细胞的20%左右;其中优势菌属为脱硫弧菌属(Desulfovibrio)和脱硫肠状菌属(Desulfotomaculum),分别占回注水微生物总细胞数的8.71%(±4.45%),和12.15%(±3.90%).Desulfobacterales和Syntrophobacterales这2个目中的SRPs,Thermodesulfobacteriales以及Thermodesulfovibro属的SRPs分别占样品微生物总量的7.59%(±2.92%),3.57%(±1.39%)和2.32%(±0.80%).除此之外,也检测到了占微生物总量4.29%(±1.75%)的Archaeoglobus属的SRPs,证明了古菌类SRPs是回注水中一个不容忽视的硫酸盐还原微生物种群.FISH法能够快速、准确地检测回注水中SRPs数量,解析SRPs群落结构.