微塑料及金属在黄浦江地表水环境的赋存特征及与金属抗性基因的相关性分析

城市河流是微塑料(MPs)及重金属污染的“热点”区域,在污染迁移中起到重要作用.然而同样作为抗性基因赋存及释放的重要媒介,鲜有研究考察了流域MPs、金属与金属抗性基因(MRGs)的关联.为此,调研了10个黄浦江站点水样的金属及MPs的污染特征,并基于宏基因组学对水样及提取的MPs上的MRGs及可移动遗传元件(MGEs)进行分析.结果显示,表层水中ρ[锑(Sb)]平均值最高,为(3.16±0.419)μg·L^-1. MPs的丰度平均值为(1.78±0.84)n·L^-1,位于工业区和人口密集区的MPs丰度显著高于农业区和低人口密度的区域.纤维状、“小粒径”(<0.5 mm)的聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)是最主要的MPs类型.所有样本中共检出18类MRGs,其中水样中MRGs的相对丰度为1.68±0.21.最主要的MRGs亚型是merR和ruvB,分别为汞和多重金属抗性基因的亚型.相关性分析表明,水中的铬和镍与MRG-Cr、MRG-Ni和多重金属抗性基因之间存在显著正相关.MPs上MRGs的相对丰度为1.63±0.53,最主要的MRGs亚型...     

化肥减量与有机物料添加对华北潮土微生物氮循环功能基因丰度和氮转化遗传潜力的影响

有机物料作为生态友好型的化肥替代品为农业生态系统带来了巨大的经济和环境效益.然而,在化肥减量的基础上添加有机物料会对土壤氮（N）循环产生何种影响依旧知之甚少.在此,设置了常规施肥（NPK）、化肥减量（NPKR）、化肥减量配施秸秆（NPKRS）、化肥减量配施有机肥（NPKRO）、化肥减量配施秸秆和有机肥（NPKROS）共5种施肥处理,采用实时定量PCR方法测定微生物N循环功能基因丰度,并估算微生物N转化遗传潜力.结果表明,与NPK处理相比,有机物料添加显著增加了参与有机N分解、N固定和N还原的异养微生物数量,而降低了执行氨氧化的自养微生物丰度.因此,异养微生物的比例增加,自养微生物的比例降低.施肥措施变化显著提高了微生物N存储和气态N排放潜力,降低了NO₃^-淋溶潜力,N₂ O还原潜力也有所提升.基于距离的冗余分析（db-RDA）表明,5种施肥处理间N循环功能基因丰度差异显著（PERMANOVA,P=0.002）,NH₄⁺是驱动这种变化的关键因子,施用有机肥有利于异养N循环功能微生物,并且同时加入秸秆增强了这种影响.Pearson相关分析表明N存储潜力和气态N排放潜力均与NH₄⁺含量显著负相关;NO₃^-淋溶潜力与SOC和TN含量显著负相关,而与NH₄⁺含量显著正相关.综上所述,在化肥减量基础上添加有机物料有利于增加农田土壤N库,降低土壤N淋溶损失,甚至在特定环境下可以降低N₂ O排放的环境风险.     

Aligning science and policy to achieve evolutionarily enlightened conservation

There is increasing recognition among conservation scientists that long‐term conservation outcomes could be improved through better integration of evolutionary theory into management practices. Despite concerns that the importance of key concepts emerging from evolutionary theory (i.e., evolutionary principles and processes) are not being recognized by managers, there has been little effort to determine the level of integration of evolutionary theory into conservation policy and practice. We assessed conservation policy at 3 scales (international, national, and provincial) on 3 continents to quantify the degree to which key evolutionary concepts, such as genetic diversity and gene flow, are being incorporated into conservation practice. We also evaluated the availability of clear guidance within the applied evolutionary biology literature as to how managers can change their management practices to achieve better conservation outcomes. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of maintaining genetic diversity, conservation policies provide little guidance about how this can be achieved in practice and other relevant evolutionary concepts, such as inbreeding depression, are mentioned rarely. In some cases the poor integration of evolutionary concepts into management reflects a lack of decision‐support tools in the literature. Where these tools are available, such as risk‐assessment frameworks, they are not being adopted by conservation policy makers, suggesting that the availability of a strong evidence base is not the only barrier to evolutionarily enlightened management. We believe there is a clear need for more engagement by evolutionary biologists with policy makers to develop practical guidelines that will help managers make changes to conservation practice. There is also an urgent need for more research to better understand the barriers to and opportunities for incorporating evolutionary theory into conservation practice.     

A novel holistic framework for genetic‐based captive‐breeding and reintroduction programs

Research in reintroduction biology has provided a greater understanding of the often limited success of species reintroductions and highlighted the need for scientifically rigorous approaches in reintroduction programs. We examined the recent genetic‐based captive‐breeding and reintroduction literature to showcase the underuse of the genetic data gathered. We devised a framework that takes full advantage of the genetic data through assessment of the genetic makeup of populations before (past component of the framework), during (present component), and after (future component) captive‐breeding and reintroduction events to understand their conservation potential and maximize their success. We empirically applied our framework to two small fishes: Yarra pygmy perch (Nannoperca obscura) and southern pygmy perch (Nannoperca australis). Each of these species has a locally adapted and geographically isolated lineage that is endemic to the highly threatened lower Murray–Darling Basin in Australia. These two populations were rescued during Australia's recent decade‐long Millennium Drought, when their persistence became entirely dependent on captive‐breeding and subsequent reintroduction efforts. Using historical demographic analyses, we found differences and similarities between the species in the genetic impacts of past natural and anthropogenic events that occurred in situ, such as European settlement (past component). Subsequently, successful maintenance of genetic diversity in captivity—despite skewed brooder contribution to offspring—was achieved through carefully managed genetic‐based breeding (present component). Finally, genetic monitoring revealed the survival and recruitment of released captive‐bred offspring in the wild (future component). Our holistic framework often requires no additional data collection to that typically gathered in genetic‐based breeding programs, is applicable to a wide range of species, advances the genetic considerations of reintroduction programs, and is expected to improve with the use of next‐generation sequencing technology.     

Triangulation theory applied to conflict over hormone herbicide drift in Natal,South Africa

Policies that arise out of conflict or collaboration between specific interest groups and government agencies are often explained by theoretical constructs that fall under the umbrella of group theory. Triangulation theory is one of these constructs and serves to explain the mutuality of interests that exist between government agencies and interest groups expressed as points linking geometric forms. Conflict tends to occur when competing interest groups are excluded from the linkage, in this case between the opponents and proponents of hormone herbicides in the Tala area in Natal, South Africa. In opposition to the use of hormone herbicides were vegetable farmers and their supporters: in linked support were agricultural interest groups who used hormone herbicides, the manufacturers of the herbicides, and the government agency responsible for agriculture. Because of the influence exerted through mutual support by the proponents of hormone herbicides, the formulation of policy decisions directed towards the resolution of the conflict was delayed. When the minister of agriculture finally intervened, the policy decisions were designed to secure the support of those opposing the use of hormone herbicides by introducing issues that cut across those maintaining the discord.     

Birth of healthy children after preimplantation diagnosis of β-thalassemia by whole-genome amplification

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) offers couples at risk for transmitting an inherited disorder the possibility to avoid the need to terminate affected pregnancies. PGD for monogenic diseases is most commonly accomplished by blastomere biopsy from cleavage-stage embryos, followed by PCR-based DNA analysis. However, the molecular heterogeneity of many monogenic diseases requires a diagnostic strategy capable of detecting a range of mutations and compound genotypes. With the above considerations, we developed an accurate and reliable strategy for analysis of β-globin gene mutations, applicable for PGD for the wide spectrum of β-thalassemia major mutations in the Chinese population. The strategy involves primer-extension preamplification (PEP), followed by nested PCR and reverse dot blot (RDB) for mutation detection since it facilitates simultaneous analysis of more than one mutation in a single cell. This report describes the application of the strategy in two clinical IVF/PGD cycles at risk for transmitting β-thalassemia major, which resulted in the first thalassemia-free children born after PGD in China. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

从我国畜禽品种资源特点出发的保种战略

本文论述了对我国畜禽品种资源保护的两种战略及依据,即被动保种战略与主动保种战略。这一研究结论是基于我国畜禽品种资源的现状与特点:即拥有丰富的品种资源(共有601个品种与类型,其中本国地方品种385个)多样化的性能与产品对世界畜牧业的贡献面临经济发展的严峻挑战以及处于变化中的品种结构等。对于那些濒于灭绝及濒危中的品种,可采取被动保种的办法而对于尚未濒危但有潜在危险的大多数地方品种,则应采取主动保种的办法,将保种与开发相结合。并在主动保种方面提供了滩羊与湖羊保种研究中的两个实例以做说明。