海南省胡椒瘟病病原鉴定及发生规律

采用形态特征观察、致病性测定及rDNA-ITS序列分析等方法,对海南省主产区胡椒瘟病病原进行鉴定,通过田间实地调查对胡椒瘟病的发生规律进行了研究。结果表明,该病病原为辣椒疫霉(Phytophthora capsici),月平均降雨量对该病的发生有着显著的影响。降雨量越大,持续降雨天数越多,发病率越高。     

Ribosomal DNA repeat unit polymorphism and heritability in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) accessions and related wild species

Repeat unit length and restriction site variation in ribosomal RNA geneclusters (rDNA) was surveyed in 77 Arachis accessions, includingsamples from 39 accessions of cultivated Arachis hypogaea(2n=4x=40), 36 accessions representing 15 related tetraploid and diploidwild species, and two synthetic amphidiploids. Total genomic DNA wasdigested with five restriction enzymes, and probed with three heterologousribosomal clones of wheat and broad bean. Four rDNA repeat unit lengthclasses were recognized in the Arachis species. Restriction site analysisshowed that some SacI, BamHI and TaqI cleavage sites in rDNA unit werehighly conserved. With few exceptions, the variable BamHI and EcoRV siteswere able to differentiate the taxonomic sections and species, respectively.Arachis hypogaea and A. duranensis accessions produced fourrDNA length classes. Among these, three were identical with those of otherArachis species. A SacI restriction site (s) from probe (Ver6-5) cangenerally distinguish the two subspecies A. hypogaea ssp. hypogaea and A. hypogaea ssp. fastigiata. Forty nine per centof bands were polymorphic across the A. hypogaea accessionsanalysed. This study does not support A. batizocoi to be a progenitorof A. hypogaea. For the gene array, the contribution from eachparental genome can be detected in the two synthetic amphidiploids.     

小麦核糖体蛋白S15a基因(TaRPS15a)的克隆及其在多子房株系中的时空表达分析

为研究40S核糖体蛋白S15a(ribosomal protein S15a,RPS15a)在小麦多子房性状形成过程中的功能作用,以小麦(Triticum aestivum)多子房近等基因系构建的多子房性状SSH-cDNA文库中与RPS15a基因同源的EST序列为信息探针,采用RT-PCR技术从小麦多子房株系幼穗中克隆获得了RPS15a基因的cDNA与DNA序列,分析了该基因在近等基因系间的表达差异及其在多子房株系中不同时期幼穗和同一发育时期不同组织中的表达模式.结果表明,小麦RPS15a基因的cDNA序列(GenBank登录号:HM055513)长为413 bp,编码131个氨基酸;DNA序列(GenBank登录号:HM063421)长为642 bp,含有3个外显子和2个内含子.半定量RT-PCR分析显示,该基因在多子房株系2～4mm幼穗中的表达量高于单子房株系幼穗;在多子房株系不同时期幼穗中的表达量随着幼穗的发育呈现上升趋势,8～9 mm时表达量达到最高;该基因广泛存在于幼根、茎顶端、幼叶和幼穗组织中,在茎顶端表达量高于其他组织.研究推测RPS15a基因的表达上调,可能与小麦多子房性状的发生有关.     

Genetic diversity and translocation in the marron, Cherax tenuimanus (Smith): implications for management and conservation

Approximately 440 base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal ribose nucleic acid (rRNA) coding region were sequenced from 13 marron, Cherax tenuimanus (Smith), samples from six locations and samples of two additional Cherax species from Western Australia. The results indicated that, with the exception of the Margaret River, no variation was found within or between marron populations. In contrast, marron from the Margaret River were found to be polymorphic for two divergent haplotypes (2.76% divergence). These findings were consistent with allozyme data that highlight the general lack of genetic variability within and between populations of this species apart from the Margaret River stocks. The genetic polymorphisms in the Margaret River stocks contrasted with earlier studies and indicated the recent translocation and mixing of genetically differentiated stocks within this river system. The implications of these findings for the conservation and management of genetic diversity within marron are discussed.     

Rapid and Accurate Identification by Real-Time PCR of Biotoxin-Producing Dinoflagellates from the Family Gymnodiniaceae

The identification of toxin-producing dinoflagellates for monitoring programmes and bio-compound discovery requires considerable taxonomic expertise. It can also be difficult to morphologically differentiate toxic and non-toxic species or strains. Various molecular methods have been used for dinoflagellate identification and detection, and this study describes the development of eight real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting the large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA) gene of species from the genera Gymnodinium, Karenia, Karlodinium, and Takayama. Assays proved to be highly specific and sensitive, and the assay for G. catenatum was further developed for quantification in response to a bloom in Manukau Harbour, New Zealand. The assay estimated cell densities from environmental samples as low as 0.07 cells per PCR reaction, which equated to three cells per litre. This assay not only enabled conclusive species identification but also detected the presence of cells below the limit of detection for light microscopy. This study demonstrates the usefulness of real-time PCR as a sensitive and rapid molecular technique for the detection and quantification of micro-algae from environmental samples.     

印度西部卡奇沼泽地沉积物中微生物活性和人工培养细菌多样性的研究

The Great Rann of Kachchh, a vast expanse of salt desert in Western India is a unique hostile ecosystem posing an extreme environment to life forms due to high salt content, hyper-axid climate, seasonal water logging and extremes of temperature. In the virtual absence of natural vegetation, soils and sediments of Rann of Kachchh axe microbially dominated ecosystems. In the present study microbial activity and the diversity of cultivated heterotrophic bacteria were investigated in the sediments collected along a 5-m exposed section at Khadir Island in the Great Rann of Kachchh. Microbial activity （as an index of sediment enzymes） was found to be high in the middle of the section （200-280 cm）. Dehydrogenase （DHA）, substrate-induced DHA and alkaline phosphatase activities revealed the oligotrophic nature of the basal portion （320-480 cm）. Abundant bacterial isolates obtained from different depths were found to be clustered in 12 different phylogenetic groups by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed the dominant bacterial ribotypes to be affiliated to Firmicutes （Families Bacillaceae and Staphyloeoccaeeae） and Aetinobaeteria （Family Brevibaeteriaceae） with minor contribution of Proteobacteria （Families Phyllobacteriaeeae and Bartonellaceae）, pointing their endurance and adaptability to environmental stresses. Statistical analysis indicated that sediment organic carbon, salinity, total available nitrogen and total available phosphorous are most likely critical determinants of microbial activity in the Khadir Island sediments.     

A multi-gene phylogeny for species of Mycosphaerella occurring on Eucalyptus leaves

Species of the ascomycete genus Mycosphaerella are regarded as some of the most destructive leaf pathogens of a large number of economically important crop plants. Amongst these, approximately 60 Mycosphaerella spp. have been identified from various Eucalyptus spp. where they cause leaf diseases collectively known as Mycosphaerella Leaf Disease (MLD). Species concepts for this group of fungi remain confused, and hence their species identification is notoriously difficult. Thus, the introduction of DNA sequence comparisons has become the definitive characteristic used to distinguish species of Mycosphaerella. Sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal RNA operon have most commonly been used to consider species boundaries in Mycosphaerella. However, sequences for this gene region do not always provide sufficient resolution for cryptic taxa. The aim of this study was, therefore, to use DNA sequences for three loci, ITS, Elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) and Actin (ACT) to reconsider species boundaries for Mycosphaerella spp. from Eucalyptus. A further aim was to study the anamorph concepts and resolve the deeper nodes of Mycosphaerella, for which part of the Large Subunit (LSU) of the nuclear rRNA operon was sequenced. The ITS and EF-1α gene regions were found to be useful, but the ACT gene region did not provide species-level resolution in Mycosphaerella. A phylogeny of the combined DNA datasets showed that species of Mycosphaerella from Eucalyptus cluster in two distinct groups, which might ultimately represent discrete genera.     

Soil DNA extraction and assessment of the fate of Mycobacterium chlorophenolicum strain PCP-1 in different soils by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence based most-probable-number PCR and immunofluorescence

Since Mycobacterium chlorophenolicum strain PCP-1 is not detectable in soil by selective plating, a specific tracking method was based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using soil DNA as a target. A direct extraction protocol based on bead beating was adapted and used to obtain PCR-amplifiable DNA from five different soils. In one soil, the disruption of cells of PCP-1, of Pseudomonas fluorescens R2f and of Paenibacillus azotofixans P3L5, as well as of the indigenous bacteria increased with increasing bead beating times. After 4.5 min, lysis efficiency was about 90% or more in all cases. Total DNA yields varied between soils, from 2 to 35 μg g^–1. The purification steps needed to obtain amplifiable DNA were different per soil. To detect target DNA specifically in bacterial cells, a new indirect extraction protocol was developed, which efficiently dislodged bacterial cells from the soil matrix, and produced amplifiable DNA with high yield. To detect strain PCP-1 in soil, 16S ribosomal gene-based PCR combined with oligonucleotide hybridization was applied using a most-probable-number (MPN) set-up, whereas immunofluorescence was used for calibration. Strain PCP-1 was detected shortly after introduction into three soils at about the inoculum levels, as evidenced by both approaches. Both the direct and indirect DNA extraction methods yielded similar MPN estimates. The dynamics of M. chlorophenolicum PCP-1 was estimated in two soils over 14 days via MPN-PCR/oligonucleotide probing. PCP-1 showed good survival in both soils, and results obtained by MPN-PCR with directly and indirectly extracted DNA were internally consistent. Immunofluorescence cell enumerations supported the gross stability of PCP-1 in these two as well as in two additional soils. Received: 8 February 1996     

Advances in pathophysiology of gut microbiota

Before the technique of advanced high-throughput sequencing comes up, less is known about the human gut microbiota. It has been understood that trillions of microbes, in which 99% are bacteria, inhabit the human gut, forming a complicated ecological community. The gut microbiota has a great impact on human physiology and susceptibility to disease through its integrative metabolic activities and interactions with the host. In physiology, gut microbiota contributes to the host acquisition of nutrition and energy from diets, promoting development and maturation of gastrointestinal tract and immune system, and protecting host from invasion of enteropathogens. In pathology, dysbiosis underlying altered gut microbiota is associated with the susceptibilities to various diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, asthma, obesity, metabolic syndrome, autism and cancer. Understanding of the factors that underlie alterations in the composition and function of gut microbiota will be helpful in the development of drugs and the design of therapies that target it. This goal is formidable. It is because that the compositions of gut microbiota are immensely diverse, varying between individuals in a population and fluctuating over time in an individual, especially during early development and diseases. Viewing the gut microbiota with an ecological perspective will provide new insights into how to improve our health by targeting this microbial community in clinical treatments.     

Winter Scours' in sheep — An oibsolete term

We recently published a paper⁽¹⁾ documenting the success of head-only electrical stunning in red deer (Cervus elaphus). This work has now been extended to fallow deer (Dama dama) to determine whether there are differences between this species and red deer in terms of behavioural responses and effectiveness of electrical stunning.