Thermal preference and tolerance of green abalone Haliotis fulgens (Philippi, 1845) and pink abalone Haliotis corrugata (Gray, 1828)

The thermoregulatory behaviour of green abalone Haliotis fulgens and pink abalone H. corrugata was investigated. Haliotis fulgens juveniles ranging in wet weight from 3.0 to 3.3 g and from 28.7 to 30.5 mm shell length and of H. corrugata 2.0 g and 25.7 mm in shell length were exposed to 19°C for 30 days in a flow‐through water system. Temperature preference was determined in a horizontal thermal gradient and was found to be 25.4°C for green abalone and 25.0°C for pink abalone. Displacement velocity was 4.3 cm h⁻¹ for H. fulgens and 12.8 cm h⁻¹ for H. corrugata. The optimum temperature for growth calculated for both abalone species was 24.6 and 24.5°C respectively. The critical thermal maxima (CTMax) of H. fulgens and H. corrugata were determined as a measure of thermal tolerance. Abalones were subjected to increasing water temperatures at a rate of 1°C on 30 min until they detached from the substrate. The CTMax at 50% were 33.6 and 32.0°C for green and pink abalone respectively. The results are discussed in relation to site selection and commercial rearing.     

Effect of thermal stress on Hsp70 gene expression and female reproductive performance of giant freshwater prawn,Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Using Hsp70 as a biomarker, thermal stress impinges on reproductive organs, ovary and hepatopancreas were being analyzed by determining the expression of Hsp70 mRNA inside the organs after the adult inter‐molt females were subjected to thermal treatment at 35, 30 and 28°C (Control). Results showed the expression of Hsp70 mRNA under thermal treatment of 35°C after 2 hr recovery in ovary were upregulated at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24 hr and 30 days compared to control whereas in hepatopancreas under similar treatment, the expression of Hsp70 mRNA were significantly higher than control at 6, 24 hr and 30 days. Frequency of reproductive molt at 35°C showed the ovary of females were failed to develop and only entered common molt along three consecutive molt cycles. For 30°C thermal treatment, the expression of Hsp70 mRNA was significantly higher than control after 2 hr recovery but returned to normal afterwards until 30 days’ thermal treatment. Maternal heat shock for 2 hr at 35°C were found to give significantly lower frequency of reproductive molt and longer duration of ovarian development and incubation period whereas maternal heat shock for 2 hr at 30°C gave lower frequency of reproductive molt, slower development of embryo and lower hatching success compared to untreated control. This study suggests that short and long‐term thermal stress at 30 and 35°C were found to affect the induction of Hsp70 mRNA in reproductive organs of Macrobrachium rosenbergii and also influence their reproductive performance.     

Enhanced kernel set promoted by synchronous pollination determines a tradeoff between kernel number and kernel weight in temperate maize hybrids

Maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield is strongly related to the number of harvested kernels, where kernel number can be increased by synchronously pollinating silks rather than allowing them to be progressively pollinated as they naturally appear from the husks. However, there is scarce evidence on how this practice affects kernel weight (KW) and plant grain yield (PGY), and no report exists on its effects when combined with treatments aimed to reduce apical dominance, like male sterility and detasseling. Field experiments were conducted in two growing seasons (Exp₁ and Exp₂) using two hybrids, cropped at contrasting stand densities (3 and 9 plants per m²) and including (i) male-fertile and male-sterile versions, (ii) tasseled and detasseled plants, and (iii) natural (NP) and synchronous pollination (SP; pollen added manually to ears bagged 5 days after initial silking) systems. Tassel growth of sterile and fertile versions was also evaluated in a separate experiment (Exp₃). Detasseling increased the number of ears per plant reaching silking (P < 0.001) of NP plants, but this beneficial effect of reduced apical dominance did not improve kernel number per plant (KNP) or PGY. Similarly, the early arrest of anther growth in male-sterile plants had no clear benefit on KNP. In contrast, KNP was enhanced by synchronous pollination (range between −13% and +71%; average of +15.4% in Exp₁ and +3.9% in Exp₂). However, this pollination system promoted a decreased in KW (range between −30% and +4%; average of −11.8% in Exp₁ and −7.8 in Exp₂) such that the treatment had no effect on PGY (range between −19% and +37%; average of +1% in Exp₁ and −4% in Exp₂). Because plant growth rate around flowering was not different between pollination treatments, assimilate availability per kernel was reduced from ovary fertilization onwards in synchronously pollinated plants when compared to open pollinated plants. This explains the reduced KW when increasing KNP by synchronous pollination. In summary, none of the imposed treatments allowed grain yield to be increased at the plant level.     

生物质导热系数测量系统设计

随着不可再生能源的日渐枯竭,生物质能源的研究工作受到越来越多的关注。想要充分了解和利用生物质能源,生物质材料的热物性分析必不可少。其中,导热系数表征就是研究的重点内容之一,设计出可靠便捷的测量系统至关重要。笔者以LabVIEW平台为基础,依靠其强大的测控功能,结合3ω法测量原理及具体的实验步骤,设计出一种固液相样品都适用的导热系数测量系统。实验中测量端的铂丝将产生电信号,经前置放大电路被锁相放大器SR830采集,然后通过GPIB接口卡与PC机通讯。其中,上位机LabVIEW的程控交互界面包括了前期准备、信息记录、数据采集和曲线显示4个部分,为研究人员提供了直观、便捷、高效的实验进程帮助。还从测量对象的性质和实验台搭建过程两个方面,分析了可能存在的误差来源。为了验证该导热系数测量系统的可靠性,对常见的生物质液体,包括存在固液相变化的样品,进行了测量实验。测量值与文献参考值比较显示,系统误差小于5%,说明该测量系统具有较高的可靠性和稳定性。     

热胁迫对白梭吻鲈鳃组织结构及抗氧化指标的影响

温度是导致鱼类生理变化的最重要的环境因素之一。热应激导致氧化应激,破坏抗氧化防御系统,并导致脂质和组织病理学的损害。白梭吻鲈(Sander lucioperca)属于亚冷水性鱼类,最适生长水温20～24℃。近年来,由于夏季气温极高,中国池塘出现了大量的白梭吻鲈死亡,白梭吻鲈的水产养殖业一直面临着高温的严峻挑战。鱼鳃参与鱼类许多重要功能,如呼吸,渗透调节和排泄,与外部环境保持密切接触,对水质变化特别敏感。为探究热胁迫对白梭吻鲈鳃组织结构及抗氧化指标的影响,将100尾鱼暴露于28℃,31℃,34℃,36℃热应激2h,以23℃作为对照组。收集鳃用于石蜡切片制备,并将苏木精伊红（HE）染色用于一般组织学观察。测定超氧化歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GPX）活性和丙二醛（MDA）等抗氧化指标。结果显示,28 ℃组鳃小片发生充血,31 ℃组部分鳃小片末端卷曲变形、上皮细胞水肿,34 ℃组鳃小片变形加重,且有少量融合,上皮细胞水肿加重、明显隆起,鳃小片之间粘液细胞肥大、增生,36 ℃组相邻鳃小片大量融合且严重变形,卷曲混乱排列,大量上皮细胞坏死、脱落,鳃丝粘液细胞增生、肥大;随着胁迫温度升高,鳃中SOD、CAT、GPX、MDA均整体呈现先升高、后降低的变化趋势,且在36℃时显著下降。这表明在热应激后,鱼体内ROS增加,脂质过氧化增加。由于体内产生大量的ROS和H2O2,机体也增加了GPX和CAT的合成。当暴露在36℃时,胁迫强度超过白梭吻鲈的适应能力,抗氧化系统功能无法正常进行。表明热胁迫对白梭吻鲈鳃组织有损伤,且随着热胁迫温度的升高,其鳃受损情况越发严重。     

Chemical and Thermal Properties of Freshwater Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) Meat

Chemical compositions and thermal properties of cultured freshwater prawn meat (FPM) were studied. FPM contained 83.2% protein (dry basis), 62.7% of which was myofibrillar protein. Pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) and insoluble collagen (ISC) contents were 0.63 and 0.32%, respectively. Both collagens were similar to type V collagen from porcine placenta. Glutamic acid/glutamine, arginine, aspartic acid/?asparagine, and lysine were abundant amino acids in FPM. Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and aspartic acid/?asparagine were predominant in both collagens. FPM exhibited thermal transition temperatures (T_max) of 48.3 and 64.7°C, whereas T_max of PSC and ISC were 43.0 and 46.0°C, respectively. Textural changes in FPM during post-mortem storage on ice are plausibly dependent upon its compositional and thermal properties.     

大菱鲆生长和耐高温性状的遗传参数估计

对来自40个家系的753尾大菱鲆个体进行耐高温实验,测定其生长和耐高温性状.基于是否考虑全同胞家系效应,建立了两种动物模型,用于估算大菱鲆生长和耐高温性状的遗传参数.利用WOMBAT程序采用平均信息约束极大似然法估计各模型中性状的方差组分,用似然比检验法进行不同模型的差异检验.方差组分分析结果显示,估计体质量遗传参数时,采用模型Ⅰ效果较好,相应遗传力为(0.22±0.09);估计肥满度时,两模型间差异不显著,其遗传力范围为(0.21±0.18)～(0.39±0.11);估计耐热性时,采用模型Ⅰ比较理想,遗传力为(0.026±0.034).表型和遗传相关分析结果表明,体质量与肥满度、耐热性的表型相关系数分别为0.13和0.04,肥满度与耐热性的表型相关系数为0.13;体质量与肥满度、耐热性遗传相关系数分别为0.01和-1.00,肥满度与耐热性的遗传相关系数为0.05.研究结果表明,没有考虑全同胞家系效应的模型Ⅰ是估计大菱鲆生长和耐高温性状遗传参数的较好模型.     

Main stem movement of Atlantic salmon parr in response to high river temperature

Atlantic salmon become thermally stressed when water temperatures exceed 23 °C. To alleviate this stress, they behaviourally thermoregulate by moving to patches of cold water, often forming large aggregations. These patches are known as thermal refuges. Given the consensus that climate change will increase temperatures in Atlantic salmon catchments, thermal refuges will become increasingly important in minimising summer mortalities. While the behaviour of salmonids within thermal refuges is fairly well understood, less is known about their main stem movement in search of thermal refuges or its thermal and temporal cues. We detail the results of a PIT telemetry study to investigate the main stem movement behaviour of thermally stressed Atlantic salmon parr in a temperature‐impacted river. PIT antennas placed around two thermal refuges and at the upstream and downstream limits of their surrounding reach were used to record the movement of salmonids during a heatwave. We observed parr movement at the upstream and downstream antennas 135 min prior to the occurrence of the midpoint of aggregations in the thermal refuges, indicating that Atlantic salmon parr make reach‐scale movements in search of cool water prior to aggregating. Logistic regression showed that the number of degree hours >28 °C predicted the occurrence of main stem movement with a good degree of accuracy, indicating that this temperature represents a fundamental threshold causing Atlantic salmon parr to move towards cool water. Such data could be instrumental in allowing river managers to place limits on human activity within rivers, allowing salmon populations time to recover following heat stress events.     

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Gene Involved in Fatty Acid Synthesis in Brassica napus L.

Based on the sequence of a novel expressed sequence tag (EST), the full-length cDNA of 1 017 nucleotides was cloned from Brassica napus cv. Xiangyou 15 through rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The gene was designated as Bnhol34 (HQ585980), encoding a protein of 338 amino acids. BLAST analysis showed no high degree of sequence identity to any known gene. The calculated molecular weight of the Bnhol34 protein was 36.23 kDa, and the theoretical isoelectric point was 8.74. The Bnhol34 was also cloned from a high oleic acid mutant 854-1 through homologous cloning. There was no difference between the two Bnhol34 genes. Bnhol34 was localized in a tissue-specific manner in B. napus, and its expression level was about eight-fold greater in Xiangyou 15 seeds than in 854-1. The promoter region sequences of Bnhol34 were then isolated from Xiangyou 15 and 854-1, and a 93-bp deletion was found to occur in the Bnhol34 promoter region of 854-1. Three abscisic acid-responsive cis-elements (ABRE) were identified in the promoter region of Xiangyou 15. Real-time PCR analyses revealed that exogenous abscisic acid increased Bnhol34 expression by about four-fold in Xiangyou 15 seeds, yet did not change Bnhol34 expression in 854-1. It appeared that Bnhol34 might be abscisic acid insensitive in 854-1.     

Developmental temperature stress and parental identity shape offspring burst swimming performance in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

Abstract – The persistent effects of embryonic temperature stress and individual parentage on fry swimming performance were examined in a cross‐fertilisation experiment using sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). A fixed‐velocity test of burst swimming was used to assess the endurance capacity and behavioural performance of individual fry from 10 offspring families incubated at 12, 14 or 16 °C to hatch and then reared through yolk absorption and exogenous feeding stages in a common posthatch environment (average 6.9 °C). Fry burst swim time (BST) was influenced by an interaction between incubation temperature and family identity. Average BST was longer for fry from the 12 °C prehatch treatment compared to 14 and 16 °C, although differences were largely attributable to temperature effects on average fry size. Behavioural observations revealed that fish incubated at 16 °C performed more poorly, having a larger proportion of individuals that required stimulation to swim, fatigued more frequently or were classified as ‘nonswimmers’. Within all three incubation temperature treatments, mean BST varied significantly among offspring families, independent of fry mass and length. An interesting relationship was observed within the 16 °C treatment, whereby families with higher survivorship were characterised with lower mean BSTs. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that exposure to high temperatures in early sockeye salmon development can result in persistent, parentally mediated effects on fry performance. As such, these results provide important insight into how elevated temperature events during egg incubation may affect early life history selection processes and survival in stages beyond when the stressor is experienced.