Extended family structure in the ant Formica paralugubris: the role of the breeding system

In populations of various ant species, many queens reproduce in the same nest (polygyny), and colony boundaries appear to be absent with individuals able to move freely between nests (unicoloniality). Such societies depart strongly from a simple family structure and pose a potential challenge to kin selection theory, because high queen number coupled with unrestricted gene flow among nests should result in levels of relatedness among nestmates close to zero. This study investigated the breeding system and genetic structure of a highly polygynous and largely unicolonial population of the wood ant Formica paralugubris. A microsatellite analysis revealed that nestmate workers, reproductive queens and reproductive males (the queens' mates) are all equally related to each other, with relatedness estimates centring around 0.14. This suggests that most of the queens and males reproducing in the study population had mated within or close to their natal nest, and that the queens did not disperse far after mating. We developed a theoretical model to investigate how the breeding system affects the relatedness structure of polygynous colonies. By combining the model and our empirical data, it was estimated that about 99.8% of the reproducing queens and males originated from within the nest, or from a nearby nest. This high rate of local mating and the rarity of long-distance dispersal maintain significant relatedness among nestmates, and contrast with the common view that unicoloniality is coupled with unrestricted gene flow among nests. Received: 8 February 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 June 1999 / Accepted: 19 June 1999     

磁处理的除垢机理探讨

通过磁处理的实践,对磁处理除垢的机理进行探讨,认为磁处理除垢的实质是同晶异构现象生成同晶异构体,使碳酸钙生成能量较高的胶体碳酸钙和球霰石,通过水溶液传递能量,使老垢脱落.还用此机理解释磁处理的"记忆"效应.     

砷中毒易感性与基因多态性的关系研究进展

无机砷是一种确认的人类致癌物,但其致癌机制至今仍不很清楚.人类的大多数肿瘤是环境与遗传因素共同作用的结果.砷中毒在不同种属(族)和个体之间存在着明显的差异,除年龄、性别、砷暴露量、营养状况等因素外,近年来研究发现,个体间砷中毒易感性的不同可能与某些基因多态性密切相关,这些基因包括谷胱苷肽-S-转移酶基因、5,10-亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶基因、着色性干皮病D基因、髓性过氧化物酶基因、过氧化氢酶基因以及p53基因等.只有充分考虑遗传因素的作用,才能深入阐明砷中毒的机制.     

Black spots and female association preferences in a sexual/asexual mating complex (Poecilia, Poeciliidae, Teleostei)

We investigated whether female association preferences for males are influenced by black spot disease (BSD), a parasite induced change of the host phenotype. We compared three different species of fish: a gynogenetic hybrid species, Poecilia formosa (amazon molly) and two sexual species (Poecilia latipinna and Poecilia mexicana), which were involved in the natural hybridisation leading to the amazon molly. Contrary to their sexual relatives, asexual amazon mollies significantly avoided images of males infected with black spot disease. We propose that amazon molly females have direct fitness benefits from choosing healthy males. The adaptive significance of the preference for BSD-uninfected males in the asexual amazon molly is yet unclear but may involve avoidance of predation or parasite infection as well as increased sperm availability.     

Cross-hybridization of the chromosome 13/21 alpha satellite DNA probe to chromosome 22 in the prenatal screening of common chromosomal aneuploidies by fish

In a routine application of commercially available centromeric DNA probes for the prenatal screening of common trisomies involving the autosomes 13, 18, and 21, and sex chromosomes, four cases of discrepancy between fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results and follow-up cytogenetic analysis were observed from a total of 516 cases of amniocentesis. In three of these cases, the results were false negative, and in one false positive. In this case, amniocentesis was performed because of a positive triple test in a 34-year-old woman with previous infertility treatment. The alpha satellite DNA probe for chromosomes 13/21 revealed five signals in 50 per cent of uncultured amniocytes, while standard cytogenetic analysis showed a normal karyotype. FISH analysis on metaphase chromosomes demonstrated the location of the additional signal in the centromeric region of chromosome 22. This additional signal was also present in the centromeric region of chromosome 22 of the mother, providing evidence for a possible inherited polymorphism in chromosome 22 responsible for unspecific hybridization with the alpha satellite probe for chromosomes 13/21 in this case. The observed polymorphism in centromeric regions may contribute to unreliability of the use of the 13/21 alpha satellite probe for prenatal screening by FISH.     

北京市模拟给水管网管壁微生物膜群落分析

以北京市模拟给水管网管壁微生物膜为研究对象,采用HPC(异养菌平板计数)和PCR-SSCP(单链构象多态性)方法,分析模拟给水管网管壁微生物膜异养菌数目和微生物群落结构.结果表明,在相同流速条件下,镀锌钢管的管壁微生物数量约为PVC管的5倍.在相同材质的镀锌钢管内,死水区的HPC计数量约为0.6m·s-1,是流速区的1/5.计数结果的差异可能与不同材质表面的光滑度及流速造成微生物生长所需的氧气和营养基质不同有关.而不同材质和不同流速区微生物群落的SSCP电泳图谱则显示为一样,均在相同位置出现同样条带.测序结果显示, SSCP电泳图中的3条带与蜡状芽孢杆菌(Bacillus cereus, GenBank登录号为AB190077)、假单胞菌(Peudomonas sp.yged143, GenBank登录号为EF419342)和未分类细菌(Bacterium UASWS0134, GenBank登录号为DQ190347)的同源性分别为100%、99%和94%.测序结果的一致性可能与取样点为同一模拟管网,距离比较接近,不同微生物容易在其中流动和转移有关.而潜在致病菌蜡状芽孢杆菌和假单胞菌的存在则提示应该更加重视饮用水的微生物安全性.     

Effect of excessive cadmium chloride on the plasmids of E. coli HB 101 in vivo

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ABR处理大豆蛋白废水的效能及微生物群落动态分析

为考察厌氧折流板反应器(ABR)处理大豆蛋白生产废水的效能及其运行特征,采用有效容积为28 L的四格室ABR,通过为期100 d的运行,研究了基于进水COD浓度提高的有机负荷(OLR)改变对其处理效能的影响,并以真细菌的通用引物SRV3-2P和BSF8/20,通过单链构象多态性(SSCP)和UPGMA群落聚类分析,对反应器运行过程中微生物菌落结构的动态变化进行了研究.结果表明,以啤酒厂二沉池排放的好氧剩余污泥为种泥.在污泥接种量MLVSS为18.0 g·L-1、进水COD浓度2 000mg·L-1、HRT 39.5 h、(35±1)℃等条件下,可在31 d内成功启动ABR并达到初步稳定运行,COD去除率达到96%左右;ABR具有较强的抗OLR冲击能力,当OLR由1.2 kg·(m3·d)-1逐步提高到6.0 kg·(m3·d)-1时,ABR仍能实现安全稳定运行,其COD去除率可以稳定在98%左右;OLR的改变,对ABR内微生物群落的结构以及不同微生物类群在各格室中的分布具有显著影响,随着OLR的逐步提高,ABR各格室微生物的遗传距离逐渐拉大.特异性随之增加,表现出显著的生物相分离特征.     

黄河三角洲湿地土壤微生物群落结构分析

采用末端限制性片段长度多态性分析(T-RFLP)技术和16S rDNA克隆文库的方法,分析了黄河三角洲滨海湿地土壤不同深度细菌和古菌的群落结构.研究表明,随着深度的增加,细菌群落的多样性下降,而古菌群落多样性则有上升的趋势,且土壤的细菌和古菌群落结构都呈现出规律的层状分布.该土壤包括各种硫酸盐还原菌、产甲烷古菌、光合细菌等丰富的细菌和古菌资源.图5参27     

Reproductive plasticity in bumblebee workers (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis>)—reversion from fertility to sterility under queen influence

Worker sterility in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris is conditional and is linked to the social development of the colony. Workers refrain from reproducing or overtly challenging the queen until gyne production has initiated, at the so-called competition point (CP). It is not known whether this behavior is hard-wired or workers show reproductive plasticity. It also remains unclear whether worker reproductive decision is under queen and/or worker control. In this study, we tested worker reproductive plasticity in an attempt to assess whether and under which conditions worker sterility/fertility are reversible. We introduced egg-laying workers into colonies with different social structures for 1 week then monitored their reproductive status. We revealed a remarkable reproductive plasticity in the introduced workers that was social-condition-dependent. In the presence of a pre-CP queen, the introduced workers reverted to sterility, whereas in the presence of a post-CP queen, such workers remained egg-layer. Reversion to sterility does not occur when direct contact with the queen is prevented, as the introduced workers remained egg-layer in the queenright colonies with a confined queen. Egg-laying workers that were introduced into queenless colonies mostly maintained their fertility regardless of colony social phase. This shows that worker transition from cooperative to selfish behavior is reversible depending on the social context.