Egg pigmentation reflects female and egg quality in the spotless starling <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sturnus unicolor</Emphasis>

It has been proposed that blue colouration in eggs has evolved as a signal of female quality that males can use to modulate their parental investment. This hypothesis is based in the antioxidant properties of biliverdin whose costly deposition in the eggshell is expected to signal female antioxidant capacity and egg quality. Since maternally derived androgens are costly to produce and may adaptively affect offspring phenotype, high-quality females may benefit by signalling their androgen investment through egg colouration. Our aim was to investigate whether egg colour variation in the spotless starling reflected the amount of pigments on the eggshell and whether egg pigmentation was related to female and egg quality. Chromatography analyses revealed that spotless starling eggshells contained two different pigments: biliverdin and protoporphyrin IX with no correlation between them. Biliverdin contents correlated positively with egg colouration indicating that darker eggs with a higher peak in the blue–green segment of the spectrum contained higher amounts of biliverdin. Eggs containing more biliverdin were laid by high-quality females and contained higher yolk testosterone levels. However, despite the strong correlation between biliverdin and colorimetric variables, egg colouration did not reflect accurately female and egg quality. Our results provide evidence that eggshell pigmentation in the spotless starling is related to female and egg quality as shown by the yolk testosterone levels. However, the lack of relation between egg colour and female condition and egg quality do not provide evidence to support the signalling function of egg colouration.     

Evaluation of antioxidant enzymes activities and identification of intermediate products during phytoremediation of an anionic dye (C. I. Acid Blue 92) by pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris)

The potential of pennywort(Hydrocotyle vulgaris)for phytoremediation of C.I.Acid Blue 92(AB92)was evaluated.The efects of various experimental parameters including pH,temperature,dye concentration and plant weight on dye removal efciency were investigated.The results showed that the optimal condition for dye removal were pH 3.5 and temperature 25°C.Moreover,the absolute dye removal enhanced with increase in the initial dye concentration and plant weight.Pennywort showed the same removal efciency in repeated experiments(four runs)as that obtained from the first run(a 6-day period).Therefore,the ability of the plant in consecutive removal of AB92 confirmed the biodegradation process.Accordingly,a number of produced intermediate compounds were identified.The efect of treatment on photosynthesis and antioxidant defense system including superoxide dismutase,peroxidase and catalase in plant roots and leaves were evaluated.The results revealed a reduction in photosynthetic pigments content under dye treatments.Antioxidant enzyme responses showed marked variations with respect to the plant organ and dye concentration in the liquid medium.Overall,the increase in antioxidant enzyme activity under AB92 stress in the roots was much higher than that in the leaves.Nevertheless,no significant increase in malondialdehyde content was detected in roots or leaves,implying that the high efciency of antioxidant system in the elimination of reactive oxygen species.Based on these results,pennywort was founded to be a capable species for phytoremediation of AB92-contaminated water,may be efective for phytoremediation dye-contaminated polluted aquatic ecosystems.     

Variation of phytoplankton community before an induced cyanobacterial （Arthrospira platensis ） bloom

A cyanobacterial (Arthrospira platensis) bloom was induced in situ by nutrient manipulation in an enclosure. The succession of the phytoplankton community and the water chemistry variations before the appearance of bloom, as well as their relationship, were investigated. The cell pigment variations were studied simultaneously. The Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between water chemistry and green algal or cyanobacterial composition, indicating that water chemistry variations were not suitable to be used as indicators for cyanobacterial-bloom early-warning. However, the diversity index of the phytoplankton community decreased sharply before the bloom appeared. Therefore, the dynamics of phytoplankton community was put forward to be an indicator for cyanobacterial-bloom early-warning. In addition, the cell pigment variations represented the changes of community structure, which should be useful for studying the dynamics of phytoplankton community.     

硫脲用量对菠菜生理指标及土壤氮素转化的影响

采用盆栽法,研究了硫脲不同用量(0%、1%、3%、5%、7%)对菠菜生长、硝酸盐累积、土壤氮含量及叶绿体色素含量的影响.结果表明,不同硫脲用量对菠菜的单盆重、株高均有提高.随硫脲用量的增加,菠菜叶绿体色素含量均有提高;硫脲能显著降低菠菜硝酸盐含量,随着硫脲用量的增加,降低效果提高,其中硫脲用量为7%时,降低效果达极显著水平.硫脲对土壤硝态氮累积的抑制作用随硫脲用量的增加而增强,硫脲用量达7%时,抑制作用表现为极显著.     

Enhancement of Rhodobacter sphaeroides growth and carotenoid production through biostimulation

Bacillus thuringiensis/cereus L2 was added as a biostimulant to enhance the biomass accumulation and carotenoid yield of Rhodobacter sphaeroides using wastewater as the culturing medium. Results showed that biostimulation could significantly enhance the R. sphaeroides biomass production and carotenoid yield. The optimal biostimulant proportion was 40 μL(about 6.4 × 105CFU). Through the use of biostimulation, chemical oxygen demand removal, R. sphaeroides biomass production, carotenoid concentration, and carotenoid yield were improved by 178%, 67%, 214%, and 70%, respectively. Theoretical analysis revealed that there were two possible reasons for such increases. One was that biostimulation enhanced the R. sphaeroides wastewater treatment efficiency. The other was that biostimulation significantly decreased the peroxidase activity in R. sphaeroides. The results showed that the highest peroxidase activity dropped by 87% and the induction ratio of the RSP_3419 gene was 3.1 with the addition of biostimulant. The enhanced carotenoid yield in R. sphaeroides could thus be explained by a decrease in peroxidase activity.     

Testosterone upregulates lipoprotein status to control sexual attractiveness in a colorful songbird

A salient feature of many secondary sexual characteristics in animals is that their expression is controlled by sex-steroid hormones. However, for only a few types of ornaments do we know the precise molecular mechanism by which androgens like testosterone (T) enhance trait production. We studied the red carotenoid-based beak of male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), which serves as a sexually selected trait and is thought to be T dependent. In previous research, we demonstrated that the extent to which male finches produce lipoproteins in the bloodstream, which bind carotenoid pigments acquired from the diet and transport them to peripheral tissues, regulates the accumulation of carotenoids in the body and beak pigmentation. Here we show that T acts to upregulate lipoprotein production and allows male zebra finches to display flashy, sexually attractive coloration. Levels of circulating T in blood positively and significantly predicted lipoprotein profile (as measured by cholesterol levels), blood carotenoid concentration, and beak color. Exogenous T administration elevated cholesterol and carotenoid status as well as beak redness. Last, experimental inhibition of T (using the anti-androgen flutamide) downregulated lipoprotein production and carotenoid circulation and faded the beak. This androgen- and lipoprotein-mediated system represents one of the more detailed physiological mechanisms underlying the development of a sex-steroid-dependent trait in animals.     

Hormesis-like growth and photosynthetic physiology of marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin exposed to polystyrene microplastics

• Polystyrene microplastic caused hormesis-like effects in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. • Low concentration of microplastic promoted growth, otherwise the opposite was true. • The change trends of pigment contents were opposite at two initial algae densities. • The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were more sensitive at low algae density. The effects of pristine polystyrene microplastics (pMPs) without any pretreatment at different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mg/L) on Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin at two initial algae densities (10⁵ and 10⁶ cells/mL) were assessed in this study. Hormesis-like effects were found when microalgae grew with pMPs. The results showed that pMPs inhibited microalgae growth under a high concentration of microplastics tolerated by individual algal cell (low initial algae density) (up to −80.18±9.71%) but promoted growth when the situation was opposite (up to 15.27±3.66%). The contents of photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c and carotenoids showed resistance to pMPs stress under a low initial algae density and increased with time, but the opposite was true under a high initial algae density. Compared with the low initial algae density group, Qp received less inhibition, and NPQ (heat dissipation) also decreased under the high initial algae density. Under the low initial algae density, OJIP parameters such as S_m, N, Area, Pi Abs, ѱ_o, φ_Eo, TRo/RC and ETo/RC were more perturbed initially and returned to the levels of the control group (without pMPs) over time, but they remained stable throughout the experiment at high initial algae density. These results show that microplastics in the marine environment may have different toxic effects on P. tricornutum at different growth stages, which is of great significance for understanding the impact of microplastics on marine microalgae and aquatic ecosystems.     

纳米二氧化铈对蛋白核小球藻的生物学效应研究

纳米二氧化铈(CeO_2)在被广泛使用的同时,其潜在的环境效应也受到人们越来越多的关注。以蛋白核小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa)为实验材料,研究纳米CeO_2的生物学效应,为探索纳米材料对微藻的生物学效应提供理论基础和数据支持。研究结果显示:1)纳米CeO_2在低浓度(≤80 mg·L~(-1))时可促进蛋白核小球藻的生长及色素、可溶性蛋白等的合成,但在高浓度(80 mg·L~(-1))下具有毒性效应;2)低浓度纳米CeO_2可诱导藻细胞合成超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase,SOD)等可溶性蛋白,以抵御纳米CeO_2的胁迫;但在高浓度时又会降低SOD活力;3)随着纳米CeO_2浓度的升高,藻细胞中丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)含量显著增加,说明藻细胞中活性氧自由基(reactive oxygen species,ROS)过量积累,这将破坏藻细胞的膜结构与功能,使细胞遭受严重损伤。     

Ni2+胁迫对铜绿微囊藻（Microcystis aeruginosa）和集胞藻（Synechocystis sp.）的生长和光合色素的影响(Effects of Nickel on Growth and Photosynthetic Pigments of Microcystis aeruginosa and Synechocystis sp.)

光合作用是蓝藻生长繁殖的生理基础,研究重金属胁迫下蓝藻光合色素的变化和响应,有助于揭示其受害机理.在实验室无菌纯培养条件下,研究了不同浓度Ni2+处理下铜绿微囊藻和集胞藻的生物量和光合色素随时间的变化趋势.结果表明:浓度为5mg·L-1～25mg·L-1的Ni2+对M.aerugonisa的生长有抑制作用,随着处理剂量的增加和处理时间的延长,抑制作用愈加显著;在短时间(24h)内,Ni2+对Synechocystissp.的生长没有显著影响,随胁迫时间延长呈现出抑制作用;Ni2+处理M.aerugonisa至24h及Synechocystis sp.至48h时,藻细胞光吸收能力整体上受到明显抑制;5mg·L-1～25mg·L-1的Ni2+胁迫下,M.aerugonisa和Synechocystis sp.的叶绿素a含量随胁迫时间延长而降低;在叶绿素a(Chla)、藻蓝蛋白(PC)和别藻蓝蛋白(APC)三种光合色素中,藻蓝蛋白(PC)对Ni2+胁迫最为敏感,是Ni2+伤害蓝藻的重要作用位点.Ni2+对M.aerugonisa的抑制作用比Synechocystis sp.更明显.     

利用光合色素研究厦门海域超微型浮游植物群落结构

应用反相高效液相色谱(RP-HPLC)方法对厦门海域9个站位水样进行分析，对色素数据进行换算，结果表明在厦门海域超微型浮游植物优势类群是绿薰，而总浮游植物优势类群是硅藻；超微型浮游植物对总浮游植物生物量贡献为总生物量1．5％～11％，超微型粒级细胞在一些类群中(绿藻、金藻)中占有很大比重。在超微型浮游类群组成中没有甲藻纲，而蓝藻丰度也非常低。超微型浮游植物组成结构厦门港富营养化水域呈单优势类群结构，在九龙江河口区域受冲淡水与陆源成分影响。结构较为复杂。