An acanthocephalan parasite increases the salinity tolerance of the freshwater amphipod <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gammarus roeseli</Emphasis> (Crustacea: Gammaridae)

Studies of the influence of parasites on host fitness generally conclude that parasites have a strong negative effect on their hosts. In this study, we have investigated experimentally the role of Polymorphus minutus, an acanthocephalan parasite, on the salinity tolerance of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeseli, one of its intermediate hosts. Unexpectedly, P. minutus-infected gammarids were more tolerant to salinity stress than uninfected ones. The mean lethal salt concentrations for 50% mortality of hosts tested were 17.3 (infected) and 9.7 g/L (uninfected). The parasitic load (one or two parasites per host) did not affect the result. The size of hosts had no significant influence on the salinity tolerance of either infected or uninfected gammarids. The mobility of all types of gammarid decreased when the salinity exceeded 9.0 g/L, but there was no significant difference between infected and uninfected gammarids. We discuss the higher salinity tolerance of infected amphipods in relation to O₂ consumption and osmoregulation. Finally, we demonstrate that the salinity tolerance is enhanced in the parasitized amphipod but without a significant change in behavior or an osmoregulatory adjustment.     

A novel concept of Fe-mineral-based magnetoreception: histological and physicochemical data from the upper beak of homing pigeons

Animals make use of the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation and regulation of vegetative functions; however, the anatomical and physiological basis for the magnetic sense has not been elucidated yet. Our recent results from histology and X-ray analyses support the hypothesis that delicate iron-containing structures in the skin of the upper beak of homing pigeons might serve as a biological magnetometer. Histology has revealed various iron sites within dendrites of the trigeminal nerve, their arrangement along strands of axons, the existence of three dendritic fields in each side of the beak with specific 3D-orientations, and the bilateral symmetry of the whole system. Element mapping by micro-synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analysis has shown the distribution of iron and its quantities. Micro-synchrotron X-ray absorption near-edge-structure spectroscopy has allowed us to unambiguously identify maghemite as the predominating iron mineral (90 vs 10% magnetite). In this paper, we show that iron-based magnetoreception needs the presence of both of these iron minerals, their specific dimensions, shapes, and arrangements in three different subcellular compartments. We suggest that an inherent magnetic enhancement process via an iron-crusted vesicle and the attached chains of iron platelets might be sufficient to account for the sensitivity and specificity required by such a magnetoreceptor. The appropriate alignment between the Earth’s magnetic field and the maghemite bands would induce a multiple attraction of the magnetite bullets perpendicular to the membrane, thus, triggering strain-sensitive membrane channels and a primary receptor potential. Due to its 3D architecture and physicochemical nature, the dendritic system should be able to separately sense the three vector components of the Earth’s local field, simultaneously—allowing birds to detect their geographic position by the magnetic vector, i.e., amplitude and direction of the local magnetic field, irrespective of the animal’s posture or movement and photoreception.     

The effects of exogenous salicylic acid on growth and H2O2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress

Salicylic acid （SA） was an essential component of the plant resistance to pathogens and also plays an important role in mediating plant response to some abiotic stress. The possible effects of SA on the growth and H2O2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress were studied. When rice seedlings grown in nutrient solution containing Pb^2＋ （0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.25 mmol/L） for 18 d, the plant biomass as well as the chlorophyll content of leaves decreased with increasing Pb concentration. The pre-treatment with SA （treated with 0.1 mmol/L SA for 48 h before Pb stress） partially protected seedlings from Pb toxicity. The chlorophyll contents were significant higher in leaves of Pb-exposed with SA pre-treatment seedlings than in Pb-exposed plants at the same Pb intensity. SA pre-treated alone could significantly increase the length of shoot and root of seedlings but the vigour difference was not marked under long-term exposure to Pb toxicity. SA pre-treated influence the H2O2 level in leaves of seedlings by up-regulating the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, repressing the activity of catalase （CAT） and ascorbate peroxidase （APX） depending on the concentrations of Pb^2＋ in the growth medium. The results supported the conclusion that SA played a positive role in rice seedlings against Pb toxicity.     

Set-aside management: How do succession, sowing patterns and landscape context affect biodiversity?

European Union (EU) member states set aside between 5 and 15% of arable land during the last two decades, but abolition of the set-aside scheme in 2008 caused a sudden loss in habitat availability and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Management of set-aside has many facets and in this perspective paper we focus on the biodiversity effects of successional age, sowing strategies and landscape context. Young, 1-2-year-old set-asides have been initially considered to be too ephemeral to have any conservation value. However, when a rich seed and bud bank is available, a species-rich natural (secondary) succession can be observed. Arable (annual) weed communities in the first two years of succession can even include endangered plant species with associated rare insect consumers. Furthermore, many bird species benefit from early-successional habitats, whereas small mammal communities are richer in older habitats. If the local plant species pool is poor, sowings of diverse mixtures from regional seed collections can be recommended. Set-aside managers using species-rich sowings often experience that dominant weeds suppress the less competitive annual species. This trend to species-poor communities can be avoided by intraspecific aggregation of competitively weak species. Broadening the spatial scale from the plot to the landscape, efficiency of set-aside is highest in simple landscapes, where set-aside exhibits greatest effect in enhancement of biodiversity and associated services such as pollination and biological control. In complex landscapes, however, additional set-aside does not add much to the high level of biodiversity and ecological processes already present. Twenty percent of semi-natural, non-crop habitat appears to be a rough threshold for enhancing biodiversity and sustaining services such as pollination and biological control, but improved set-aside management should have the potential to reduce the percentage of semi-natural non-crop habitat needed. EU policy should tailor set-aside schemes for the maintenance of biodiversity and also consider that management efficiency is higher in simple than complex landscapes.     

Trametes sp.SQ01和Chaetomium sp.R01混合培养对四种染料的脱色

利用本实验室新构建的白腐菌Trametes sp.SQ01和毛壳菌Chaetomium sp.R01混合培养体系,对刚果红、酸性红、橙黄G和溴酚蓝4种染料进行了脱色研究.结果表明,SQ01与R01混合培养所产生的锰过氧化物酶(MnP)酶活比菌株SQ01单独培养时提高了约5.5倍.菌株R01的接种量、接种时间对混合培养中...     

SBR短程脱氮系统中亚硝酸盐积累对生物除磷的影响

采用SBR工艺处理实际生活污水,通过控制好氧段的DO浓度及曝气时间,实现了短程硝化反硝化,并考察了短程硝化引起的亚硝酸盐积累对生物除磷系统的影响.结果表明,在没有补充外碳源的情况下,好氧阶段NO2--N的积累低于10 mg·L-1时,聚磷菌的吸磷及放磷能力没有受到影响,好氧出水磷浓度基本维持在1 mg·L-1以下;当N...     

长江口潮滩表层沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性及其影响因素

以长江口潮滩作为研究区域,对表层沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性、解磷微生物量、磷组分及理化性质的时空分布特征进行了分析.结果表明,长江口潮滩湿地沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性具有显著的季节性、区域性差异,冬季（1月）碱性磷酸酶活性较低,介于0.65～1.59μg.g-.1h-1之间;夏季（8、9月份）最高,变化范围为1.80～5.64...     

超声波-缺氧/好氧消化过程污泥EPS、酶活性及菌落数的变化研究

为研究超声波促进污泥缺氧/好氧消化的机理,采用最佳超声波参数（超声频率28kHz,超声密度0.1W.mL-1,超声时间15min,超声间隔时间12h）与缺氧/好氧消化衔接进行间歇试验,研究了消化过程中污泥胞外聚合物（EPS）组分（蛋白质、多糖、DNA）和相应溶出物占总量的比例,以及酶活性（蛋白酶,脱氢酶）和菌落数的变化...     

伊乐藻中有机酸的GC-MS分析及其抑藻作用研究

防治湖泊富营养化和藻类水华是当代资源、环境、生态领域重大的科学和技术问题与热点之一。利用水生植物化感作用抑制藻类生长作为一种新型的生物抑藻技术在近年来开始受到研究者的重视,并取得了一定的研究成果。文章采用气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联用技术分析了伊乐藻超纯水浸提液的乙酸乙酯萃取浸膏的化学成分,共鉴定出20种有机酸,还研...     

填料对新型曝气生物滤池污水处理效能试验研究

采用新型酶促厌氧填料、半软性填料、酶促好氧填料和PYC挂膜陶粒填料对两段错向流曝气生物滤池反应器进行污水处理试验研究,分析了4种填料对反应器污水处理效能的贡献并为反应器填料的选择提供科学依据.结果表明,以半软性填料和酶促好氧填料为组合填料的两段错向流曝气生物滤池反应器污水处理效能均优于其它填料.