Are Vavilov's law of homologous series and synteny related?

Summary Synteny, the co-linear arrangement of genes in related taxa, shows parallelity to Vavilov's law of homologous series and possibly provides a molecular approach for the explanation of this law.     

Discovery of mass anomalies on Ganymede

We present the discovery of mass anomalies on Ganymede, Jupiter's third and largest Galilean satellite. This discovery is surprising for such a large icy satellite. We used the radio Doppler data generated with the Galileo spacecraft during its second encounter with Ganymede on 6 September 1996 to model the mass anomalies. Two surface mass anomalies, one a positive mass at high latitude and the other a negative mass at low latitude, can explain the data. There are no obvious geological features that can be identified with the anomalies.     

Venus tectonics: initial analysis from magellan

Radar imaging and altimetry data from the Magellan mission have revealed a diversity of deformational features at a variety of spatial scales on the Venus surface. The plains record a superposition of different episodes of deformation and volcanism; strain is both areally distributed and concentrated into zones of extension and shortening. The common coherence of strain patterns over hundreds of kilometers implies that many features in the plains reflect a crustal response to mantle dynamic processes. Ridge belts and mountain belts represent successive degrees of lithospheric shortening and crustal thickening; the mountain belts also show widespread evidence for extension and collapse both during and following crustal compression. Venus displays two geometrical patterns of concentrated lithospheric extension: quasi-circular coronae and broad rises with linear rift zones; both are sites of significant volcanism. No long, large-offset strike-slip faults have been observed, although limited local horizontal shear is accommodated across many zones of crustal shortening. In general, tectonic features on Venus are unlike those in Earth's oceanic regions in that strain typically is distributed across broad zones that are one to a few hundred kilometers wide, and separated by stronger and less deformed blocks hundreds of kilometers in width, as in actively deforming continental regions on Earth.     

Inositol hexakisphosphate is bound in the ADAR2 core and required for RNA editing

We report the crystal structure of the catalytic domain of human ADAR2, an RNA editing enzyme, at 1.7 angstrom resolution. The structure reveals a zinc ion in the active site and suggests how the substrate adenosine is recognized. Unexpectedly, inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) is buried within the enzyme core, contributing to the protein fold. Although there are no reports that adenosine deaminases that act on RNA (ADARs) require a cofactor, we show that IP6 is required for activity. Amino acids that coordinate IP6 in the crystal structure are conserved in some adenosine deaminases that act on transfer RNA (tRNA) (ADATs), related enzymes that edit tRNA. Indeed, IP6 is also essential for in vivo and in vitro deamination of adenosine 37 of tRNAala by ADAT1.     

不同啃食强度对沙拐枣影响的初步研究

在飞播区根据牧畜对沙拐枣啃食程度的不同，采用人工模拟放牧方法对牲畜啃食的绿色部分设置了10％、30％、50％、70％、90％、对照6种不同啃食强度处理，以探讨啃食强度对沙拐枣生长的影响。试验结果表明，30％啃食强度的生物量化90％的高121．37％，比对照高34．85％。沙拐枣的啃食强度在30％－50％时生物量最高，完全不利用或过度利用都会影响其正常生长。     

甘蔗黑穗病拮抗细菌的促生长特性及其防治效果研究

【目的】筛选具有拮抗甘蔗黑穗病菌（Sporisorium scitamineum）及促进植物生长特性的细菌，为甘蔗黑穗病的生物防治提供菌株资源和参考依据。【方法】采集出现黑穗病甘蔗株的根际土壤，采用平板对峙培养法分离纯化获得拮抗菌株，通过16S rRNA序列分析明确拮抗菌株的分类地位并分析其促生长特性；采用桶栽试验，研究筛选获得的优良拮抗菌株对甘蔗黑穗病的防治效果。【结果】分离纯化获得68株细菌菌株，其中7株（G1、G10、G12、G14、G20、G21和G23）对甘蔗黑穗病菌具有抑制效果。7株菌株具有产纤维素酶、产几丁质酶、分泌吲哚乙酸（IAA）、产1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸脱氨酶（ACC脱氨酶）、嗜铁能力、溶解有机磷、产蛋白酶及产氢氰酸（HCN）等不同程度的促进植物生长特性，特别是3株伯克霍尔德氏菌属（Burkholderia）菌株G1、G10和G23的综合效果更好。用拮抗能力较强的菌株G1、G10、G12和G23防治甘蔗黑穗病的桶栽试验结果表明，4株拮抗菌株处理均可有效抑制黑穗病的发生，提高甘蔗的出苗率和生物量，其中以菌株G23处理的综合效果最好。【结论】分离获得7株对甘蔗黑穗病菌拮抗效果较好的菌株，均具有不同程度的促进植物生长特性，其中以菌株G23的综合效果最好，具有良好的应用前景。     

PEP‐Carboxylase Activity: A Comparison of its Role in a C4 and a C3 Species Under Salt Stress

In our experiments, we found an increase of PEP‐carboxylase activity in young shoots of maize under salt stress. Within this study, several analyses were carried out to identify the function of this enhanced enzyme activity during salt stress. In our first experiment, we analysed plants of the salt‐resistant maize hybrid SR 03 (Zea mays L.), whereas in the second experiment, we compared maize and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Thasos), which were grown under two different light intensities for 20 days. In the saline treatments, NaCl was applied up to 100 mm, while control plants grew under non‐saline conditions (1 mm NaCl). Analyses of shoot fresh weight revealed a comparable reduction for both genotypes and suggested salt resistance at a similar level. Analyses of sugar concentrations showed an increase in the saline treatment for both genotypes independent of the light intensity. Results for sucrose concentrations led to the conclusion that an increase in PEP‐carboxylase activity was not required for sugar metabolism. Independent of light intensity, alkalinity and malate concentrations were decreased only in wheat. It can be concluded that an enhancement of PEP‐carboxylase activity in young shoots of maize supports organic acid metabolism under salt stress.