Genetische Ressourcen der Kulturpflanzen im alpinen Raum

Zusammenfassung Die Kulturpflanzenevolution im alpinen Raum ist durch drei Faktoren geprägt, durch klimatische, geologisch-landschaftsmorphologische und geschichtliche. Die Aufgliederung in cine Vielzahl von ökologischen Nischen, in denen verdrängte Arten und Varietäten überleben konnten, mußte zwangsläufig zu einer bestimmten Formenanreicherung führen. Ihr stcht aber ein scharfer natürlicher Selektionsdruck einschränkend entgegen, der mit fortschreitender Höhenlage stärker wird. Er bestimmt letztlich das Ausschen der Populationen und läßt allfällige Zufallsfaktoren bei beginnender Einnischung und kleiner werdenden Populationsgrößen in den Hintergrund treten. Darin liegt die Ursache, daß mit zunehmender Höhenlage die Populationen uniformer werden, die umgekehrt im Flachland die größte Variabilität aufweisen.Die Kulturpflanzenarten, Varietäten und Sorten sind einem ständigen Bewegungsprozeß unterworfen, bedingt durch das Streben des Menschen, Leistung, Qualität, Aussehen, usw., zu verbessern. Die Suche nach Neuem birgt stets die Möglichkeit in sich, daß ein besseres Sortiment das altbewährte verdrängt. Ist eine Sorte ausreichend adaptierfähig und bringt sie eine Verbesserung mit sich, wird sie sich schrittweise — das alte Sortiment vor sich herschiebend — bis in die Alpentäler ausbreiten. Die Frage, wieviele Arten und Varietäten auf diese Weise ins Land gelangten, bleibt unbeantwortet. Jedenfalls waren es nur wenige, die diesem Verdrängungsprozeß haben standhalten können und bis heute erhalten geblieben sind.Wenn wir im Rückzugsgebiet der Alpen eine Formenanhäufung finden, die historisch betrachtet einen Abriß des Widerstandsfähigsten aus den letzten Jahrhunderten darstellt, ist dieser Formenreichtum doch bescheiden im Vergleich zu dem eines Genzentrums. Besteht hier das entscheidende evolutionsmotorische Moment darin, daß neu entstandene Formen auch eine entsprechende Überlebens-und Fortpflanzungschance besitzen, wirkt der scharfe Selektionsdruck der Alpen einer solchen Mannigfaltigkeit entgegen und wird stets in genotypische wie phänotypische Uniformität münden.

---

Crop genetic ressources in the alps

Summary The evolution of cultivated plants in the area of the Alps is especially influenced by climatical, geological-orographical and historical factors. The available abundance of ecological niches providing chances for the survival of otherwise displaced species and varieties, consequently led to a certain increase of diversity. It is counteracted by strong natural selection pressures increasing with progressive altitudes. These selection pressures ultimately determine the composition of the populations and predominate over coincidental factors during the first phases of annidation connected with descreasing population size. That causes an increasing uniformity of the populations in higher altitudes whereas in the lowlands the highest diversity can be found.Due to human efforts in improving yields, quality, appearance, etc., of cultivated species, varieties and cultivars, they are subject to a permanent evolutionary process. The search for new material always includes the possibility that better accessions displace the well-known old ones. If a variety is sufficiently adaptable and shows improved characters, it will proceed step by step, — pushing the old accessions ahead of it — into the valleys of the Alps. How many species and varieties were introduced in this way is a question which cannot be answered. Anyway, only a few varieties could resist this displacing process and are in existance still today.Though we can find a certain amount of variation in the refugial area of the Alps, which, as seen from the historical standpoint of view, represents a part of the most resistant races from the last few centuries, this variation is relatively low in comparison with that of a gene center. In a gene center the decisive evolutionary mechanisms result in the maintaining of newly evolved forms whereas the strong selection pressures of the Alps counteract a high variability and will always lead to genotypical and phenotypical uniformity.

---

: , - . , , . , , , , . , . , , , , . , , , , . . , . , , , . , , . , , . , , , , , I . - , , , , .

     

Semisynthesis and pharmacological investigation of lipo-alkaloids prepared from aconitine

Processed aconite drugs are widely used in Eastern medicine as painkillers and antirheumatic agents. It is known that the traditional processing of aconite drugs increases the amount of lipo-alkaloids. In order to obtain information about the pharmacological potential of these compounds, semisynthesis of 9 aconitine-derived lipo-alkaloids was carried out and their COX-1, COX-2 and LTB₄ formation inhibitory activities were investigated. It was found that compounds esterified with unsaturated fatty acids demonstrated significant COX-2 inhibitory effects, while in the COX-1 assay only 14-benzoylaconine-8-O-eicosapentaenoate exerted remarkable activity. The inhibition of LTB₄ formation was pronounced in cases of long chain fatty acid derivatives.     

Organochlorine and Metal Accumulation in Fish (Phoxinus phoxinus) Along a North-South Transect in the Alps

Southern populations of the European minnow fromremote oligotrophic mountain lakes along an Alpinenorth-south transect accumulated more p,p DDE andPCBs than northern populations. As these semi-volatileorganochlorines predominantly evaporate in warmcountries, higher rates of condensation (deposition)are assumed to occur in the southern slopes of theAlps. The higher accumulation of lead and cadmium insouthern population is rather attributed to geogenicand specific environmental impacts than to atmosphericdeposition. Increasing liver ratios of [glutathionedisulfide]/[glutathione], a potential indicator foroxidative stress, from north to south reflect thegenerally higher toxic load at remote sites at thesouthern edge of the Alps. However, histopathologicalchanges in the liver did not correlate withaccumulated toxicants indicating that deposition doesnot lead to severe lesions but induces specificmechanisms for detoxification.     

Induction of tumors in mice by genomic hypomethylation

Genome-wide DNA hypomethylation occurs in many human cancers, but whether this epigenetic change is a cause or consequence of tumorigenesis has been unclear. To explore this phenomenon, we generated mice carrying a hypomorphic DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) allele, which reduces Dnmt1 expression to 10% of wild-type levels and results in substantial genome-wide hypomethylation in all tissues. The mutant mice were runted at birth, and at 4 to 8 months of age they developed aggressive T cell lymphomas that displayed a high frequency of chromosome 15 trisomy. These results indicate that DNA hypomethylation plays a causal role in tumor formation, possibly by promoting chromosomal instability.     

Seismic images of the far side of the Sun

Images of an active region on the far side of the sun were derived by applying seismic holography to recent helioseismic observations from space. Active regions are the centers of energetic phenomena such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, whose resulting electromagnetic and particle radiation interfere with telecommunications and power transmissions on Earth and can pose significant hazards to astronauts and spacecraft. Synoptic seismic imaging of far-side solar activity will now allow anticipation of the appearance of large active regions more than a week ahead of their arrival on the east solar limb.     

Unidirectional spread of secondary sexual plumage traits across an avian hybrid zone

Theory predicts that traits under positive selection can rapidly cross a hybrid zone in spite of a substantial barrier to neutral gene flow between hybridizing taxa. An avian hybrid zone between Manacus candei (white-collared manakin) and M. vitellinus (golden-collared manakin) is reported here that displays an unusual pattern of noncoincident clines. Male secondary sexual traits of M. vitellinus have spread into populations that are genetically and morphometrically like M. candei. These birds have a lek breeding system in which male mating success is highly skewed, suggesting that sexual selection is driving male sexual traits across the zone.