Actions of quinolizidine alkaloids on Periplaneta americana nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

BACKGROUND: Botanical insecticides do not play a major role as crop protectants, but they are beneficial in some applications. The authors investigated the actions of naturally occurring alkaloids on insect nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs) by evaluating their abilities to inhibit specific binding of [³H]imidacloprid (IMI) to nerve‐cord membranes from Periplaneta americana L. Two alkaloids were also tested for their actions on nAChRs expressed by cockroach neurons using patch‐clamp electrophysiology. RESULTS: Four natural quinolizidine alkaloids (matrine, sophocarpine, cytisine and aloperine) exhibited more than 50% inhibition of [³H]IMI binding at 10 µM , although other compounds were found to have no or low inhibitory activity. The rank order of potency based on concentration–inhibition curves was cytisine > sophocarpine ≥ aloperine ≥ matrine. Patch‐clamp analysis indicated that sophocarpine and aloperine were not agonists of nAChRs expressed in P. americana neurons, yet, at 10 µM , aloperine, but not sophocarpine, suppressed ACh‐induced inward currents significantly. CONCLUSION: Three of the four natural alkaloids tested possess structural moieties that are necessary for interaction with P. americana nAChRs. Aloperine, which possesses a unique structure and showed a distinctive dose–response curve, was found to act as an antagonist. Appropriate modifications of these alkaloids might result in novel insecticidal nAChR ligands. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ameliorative effects of nurse shrubs on soil chemical characteristics are driven by plant size in the Monte desert

In deserts, shrubs determine landscape structure and influence plant productivity by creating nutrient-enriched environments. Attributes vary among shrub species, thus their contribution to soil characteristics is expected to vary as well, and nutrient input under shrub cover will depend on species attributes. We propose that plant size determines the contribution to soil chemical characteristics. Therefore, the contribution of larger species will be higher than smaller ones. Also, each species will contribute differentially for each chemical parameter. To corroborate these premises, we measured six soil chemical characteristics in areas covered by shrubs and in bare soil, as well as among five nurse species, in four sites of the Monte desert (La Rioja, Argentina). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated significant variation between cover conditions and locations. Supporting previous studies, the presence of shrubs improved soil properties. Chemical concentration between soils under shrubs and bare soils, respectively, showed as mean and (SD) were: carbon(%): 0.82 (0,47), 0.52 (0.22); nitrates (ppm): 33,33 (67,36), 2.63 (0.56); phosphorous(ppm): 16.76 (25.02), 6.56 (1.92); electrical conductivity (dS m^?1): 0.24 (0,43), 0.03 (0,02); pH: 6.93 (0.56), 7.62 (0.53); and water content (%): 3,17 (8.94), 2.47 (9.15). Chemical characteristics also varied according to the nurse species. Larger nurse species affected the ensemble of chemical characteristics, after controlling for cover condition and site. Larger plant species (Bulnesia retama, Prosopis torquata, and Zuccagnia punctata) were significantly associated with higher carbon and higher nitrates concentration. These results suggest that soil properties are enhanced by the size of nurse plant species.     

Conservation priorities for the different lines of Dutch Red and White Friesian cattle change when relationships with other breeds are taken into account

From a genetic point of view, the selection of breeds and animals within breeds for conservation in a national gene pool can be based on a maximum diversity strategy. This implies that priority is given to conservation of breeds and animals that diverge most and overlap of conserved diversity is minimized. This study investigated the genetic diversity in the Dutch Red and White Friesian (DFR) cattle breed and its contribution to the total genetic diversity in the pool of the Dutch dairy breeds. All Dutch cattle breeds are clearly distinct, except for Dutch Friesian breed (DF) and DFR and have their own specific genetic identity. DFR has a small but unique contribution to the total genetic diversity of Dutch cattle breeds and is closely related to the Dutch Friesian breed. Seven different lines are distinguished within the DFR breed and all contribute to the diversity of the DFR breed. Two lines show the largest contributions to the genetic diversity in DFR. One of these lines comprises unique diversity both within the breed and across all cattle breeds. The other line comprises unique diversity for the DFR but overlaps with the Holstein Friesian breed. There seems to be no necessity to conserve the other five lines separately, because their level of differentiation is very low. This study illustrates that, when taking conservation decisions for a breed, it is worthwhile to take into account the population structure of the breed itself and the relationships with other breeds.     

Analysis of the Genetic Relationships in Chinese Ziziphus with SRAP Markers

The phylogenic and genetic relationships in germplasm resources of Chinese Ziziphus were studied at molecular levels, for providing new molecular evidences of classification, protection, and utilization of germplasm resources of Ziziphus. The sequence-related amplified polymorphism （SRAP） was assessed to analyse the genetic relationships among 14 species of Ziziphus, 11 cultivars of Z. jujuba Mill., and one outgroup. A total of 580 DNA bands were amplified by 19 selective primers, 570 of which （98.28%） were polymorphic. The average number of polymorphic DNA bands amplified by each primer was 30. The genetic similarities of 26 sample materials were between 0.22 and 0.99. UPGMA method cluster analysis showed that 26 sample materials were classified into six cluster groups with the genetic similarity of 0.28. The results showed that SRAP technique is efficient in studying genetic relationships among Ziziphus, Z. jujuba Mill. and Z. acidojujuba C. Y. Cheng et M. J. Liu which should be treated as one species, and further infraspecific classification of Z. jujuba Mill. should be classified into two subspecies; the scientific names of new taxa, Chinese jujube, and wild jujube were Ziziphus jujuba Mill. subsp, jujuba and Ziziphus jujuba Mill. subsp, spinosa （Bunge） J. Y. Peng, X. Y. Li et L. Li, respectively. Z. xiangchengensis Y. L.Chen et P. K. Chou, Z. montana W.W. Smith and Z. mairei Dode might be originated from same ancestry. Z xiangchengensis Y. L. Chen et P. K. Chou and Z. montana W.W. Smith should be treated as one species. The infrasubspecific taxon of Z. jujuba Mill. was not suitable to set up varieties.     

野生马蹄金种质资源的RAPD鉴别

采用RAPD分子标记技术,从100个随机引物中筛选出多态性强、重复性好且稳定性高的引物22个,对西南区16份抗性较强、坪用价值较高的马蹄金Dichondra repens材料进行扩增,共扩增出269条带,其中多态性带246条,多态性比率为91.45%,表明野生马蹄金植物种间有丰富的遗传多态性。采用UPGMA法聚类分析,在遗传距离0.73处把马蹄金材料分为4类,部分地理上相近的马蹄金种质资源被聚在了不同的大类中,分类结果能将优异马蹄金材料区分开来,与景观价值评定较吻合。     

福建省地级市代谢系统差异性研究

以福建省9个地级市的代谢系统为研究对象,根据城市代谢的基本原理,运用能值理论和城市代谢系统互动关系分析方法,从代谢系统生态流和代谢系统中自然子系统与社会经济子系统之间的互动关系这两个方面对9个地级市代谢系统差异性研究,并结合GIS技术对其结果进行等级划分和空间差异性比较。结果表明代谢系统的可更新资源能值投入和进出口能值存在明显的海陆差异性;代谢系统的不可更新资源能值投入存在明显的南北差异性;福州市、厦门市、泉州市和漳州市这4个地级市代谢系统中自然生态子系统对社会经济子系统存在着限制关系,三明市、南平市、龙岩市、宁德市和莆田市这5个地级市代谢系统的社会经济子系统对自然生态子系统存在掠夺关系。     

应用AFLP标记分析枣品种亲缘关系

从分子水平研究宁夏红枣品种系统发育和亲缘关系,为宁夏枣种质资源的保护和利用提供科学依据。利用AFLP标记方法对原产宁夏地区7个枣品种和6个从区外引种的枣品种基因组DNA进行分析。筛选出的5对AFLP引物组合对13个供试材料共扩增出351条DNA带,其中301条为多态带(占85.75%),平均每个引物扩增多态性带70条。13个材料间的遗传相似系数为0.376～0.957。UPGMA聚类表明,13个材料在相似系数0.85处被划分为5个类。宁夏地域相对狭小,品种交流频繁,从而造成该产区枣品种间亲缘关系较近,演化关系复杂。枣虽然品种资源丰富、分布范围广泛,但遗传多样性相对较小。     

Etude de la nutrition potassique du sorgho III‐relations entee les teneurs en cations et la composition en acides organiques des feuilles

Abstract

Extracts that are coloured, owing to dissolved organic matter, give rise to an interference when boron is determined by the colorimetric Azomethine‐H method. A scheme is presented in which boron is removed from coloured extracts by dialysis. In this way the interference can be removed automatically. The suggested scheme allows hydroponic solutions and extracts of soils, peat‐based composts and plant materials to be analysed without further treatment at a rate of 20 hr^‐1. The limit of detection is 0.05ppm B in solution. Recoveries of boron added to extracts from all types of sample were excellent. The effects of some interferences were investigated and found not to be significant under normal working.     

由16S rDNA序列初步推断鳜类与低等鲈形目鱼类的系统关系

为验证鳜类系统分类位置的各种假说，对部分鳜类鱼类线粒体16SrDNA基因片段进行PCR扩增和测序，利用其与GenBank中鳕科以及鲈形目其它科鱼类的同源序列，初步构建了鳜类与部分低等鲈形目鱼类的分子系统关系。结果表明，鳜类为单系类群，但未与绪科聚合成单系群体，与目前假设的暖鲈科、狼鲈科、锯盖鱼群、花鲈等亲缘关系相对较远。由于鳜类为淡水特化类群，系统演化上较晚发生，因而，支持将其独立为一科——鳜科。本研究结果可为理解低等鲈形目鱼类的系统进化关系提供分析资料。     

Molecular analysis of genetic variation in potato (Solarium tuberosum L.). II. International cultivar spectrum

Summary Seventy-five commercial potato cultivars orginating from North America, Europe and Japan were analysed using AFLP and SSR markers to assess their genetic relationships. Results of cluster and principal coordinate analysis reflect in most cases known pedigree information. Independent of the marker system used it was possible to identify groups based on their geographical descent. Cultivars from Central and East Europe formed two overlapping pools. An Anglo-American gene pool was also identified. Additionally, principal coordinate analysis based on AFLP data uncovered that this pool is subdivided in two groups. One group is more closely related to the European pools and dominated by cultivars with immediate background of cv. Kathadin. Japanese cultivars gave no distinct cluster.