六盘山不全变态类昆虫区系研究

本文在考证大量文献资料和定名标本基础上整理出六盘山不全变态类昆虫名录,共计12目70科236属382种。采用二元相似性系数公式SI=C/（A＋B-C）对该区昆虫的区系特征及其相互间关系进行了分析。最后以下初步结论：六盘山不全变态类昆虫在世界动物地理区系中,突出古北区成分,共计219种,占已知总数的57.33%,古北界＋东洋界混合成分次之,共计122种,占31.94%;在中国动物地理区系中,华北动物区成分113种,占29.58%,其他成分由高到低依次为：蒙新区〉东北区〉西南区〉青藏区〉华中区〉华南区,表明该区昆虫在区系组成上的特殊性。     

水温对方格星虫幼体发育及变态的影响

研究了温度对方格星虫浮游期海球幼体发育和附着幼体变态发育的影响。实验用的亲虫来自本地海区,试验幼体通过人工催产和孵化获得。结果表明,浮游期海球幼体的发育时间与温度变化的关系极密切,并遵从Log istic曲线分布。适宜的发育温度为27.5~32.0℃之间。幼体变态发育的临界温度为27.5~28.0℃,适宜水温30.0~34.0℃之间。在30℃以上进行变态发育的幼体,变态率和变态成活率都明显提高,变态后成活率达20%以上。本文还讨论了中国方格星虫自然分布与海区水温分布的关系,认为方格星虫的自然分布自北向南增高的原因与水温有关。     

细指长臂虾的幼体发育

1991年4月，从长江口采回细指长臂虾抱卵亲虾，至实验室进行幼体培育。孵化后的幼体，在水温22℃．盐度12、饵料充足的条件下，有规律的每2d蜕皮1次，经10个状幼体期，变态为仔虾。如在发育后期遇饵料不足等不良环境条件的影响，则幼体须经11次蜕皮后，始能发育为仔虾。     

圆背角无齿蚌寄生变态发育的初步观察

对圆背角无齿蚌的钩介幼虫寄生变态及稚贝发育过程进行了形态学观察和比较。实验表明:在水温(19.0±1.0)℃时,钩介幼虫需要约13天的寄生变态才能从鱼体脱落。圆背角无齿蚌在变态发育过程中其外部形态、内部器官、营养源发生了较大变化:成熟的钩介幼虫仅仅可以作简单的双壳开合运动;刚脱落的稚贝外部形态与幼虫相似,但已经可以依靠斧足进行爬行,并逐渐开始滤食;稚贝经过一段时间的生长,从幼虫壳内侧长出一对新壳,形态逐渐趋向于成贝,而幼虫壳则逐渐退化为壳顶。因此,圆背角无齿蚌的变态发育包括两个明显的阶段:第一阶段为寄生变态期;第二阶段为贝壳分泌期。     

牙鲆早期发育和变态期间Pitx2基因的表达(英文)

Pitx2基因被认为是脊椎动物中调节内脏器官左右不对称的关键转录因子。为进一步探讨牙鲆变态期间的左右不对称是否也受Pitx2的左特异活性调节,采用逆转录聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR),拟在变态的牙鲆的头部组织中克隆编码Pitx2基因的部分cDNA序列,并通过以18s rRNA为内标的半定量RT-PCR研究其在牙鲆早期发育和变态期间的表达情况。克隆和测序的结果表明Pitx2在牙鲆早期发育和变态期间也存在基因表达;而半定量的结果表明它的左特异性功能很可能在变态的早期阶段发挥作用。但是,牙鲆变态期间的右眼移动是否受Pitx2的左特异活性调控,以及变态期间的左右不对称和内脏器官的左右不对称是否拥有相同的分子机制,仍需进一步研究。     

Inhibitory effect of 2,4-dibromophenol and 2,4,6-tribromophenol on larval survival and metamorphosis of the sea urchin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strongylocentrotus nudus</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   As a possible factor leading to the low recruitment level of sea urchins in kelp forests, the inhibitory effect of 2,4-dibromophenol (DBP) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP) released from the large perennial brown algae Ecklonia kurome and Eisenia bicyclis on survival and metamorphosis of eight-armed larvae of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus nudus was examined. The percentage of larvae that underwent metamorphosis in filtered sea water after 1 h exposure to one-half dilution of saturated dibromomethane solution (∼60 ppm) as a chemical inducer reached approximately 100% after 1 h, while that in filtered sea water containing 1 ppm TBP was reduced to 73%. This was further reduced to less than 40% in the presence of 10 and 20 ppm TBP after 2 h. In filtered sea water containing 1 and 10 ppm DBP, the proportion of metamorphosed larvae was reduced markedly to 43 and 5% after 2 h, respectively. All larvae exposed to 50 ppm TBP and to 20 and 50 ppm DBP died after 1 h. These findings suggest that DBP is more toxic than TBP for sea urchin larvae, strongly inhibiting their metamorphosis.     

Thyroid Hormone-disrupting Effects and the Amphibian Metamorphosis Assay

There are continued concerns about endocrine-disrupting chemical effects, and appropriate vertebrate models for assessment of risk are a high priority. Frog tadpoles are very sensitive to environmental substances because of their habitat and the complex processes of metamorphosis regulated by the endocrine system, mainly thyroid hormones. During metamorphosis, marked alteration in hormonal factors occurs, as well as dramatic structural and functional changes in larval tissues. There are a variety of mechanisms determining thyroid hormone balance or disruption directly or indirectly. Direct-acting agents can cause changes in thyroxine synthesis and/or secretion in thyroid through effects on peroxidases, thyroidal iodide uptake, deiodinase, and proteolysis. At the same time, indirect action may result from biochemical processes such as sulfation, deiodination and glucuronidation. Because their potential to disrupt thyroid hormones has been identified as an important consideration for the regulation of chemicals, the OECD and the EPA have each established guidelines that make use of larval African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) and frog metamorphosis for screening and testing of potential endocrine disrupters. The guidelines are based on evaluation of alteration in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. One of the primary endpoints is thyroid gland histopathology. Others are mortality, developmental stage, hind limb length, snout-vent length and wet body weight. Regarding histopathological features, the guidelines include core criteria and additional qualitative parameters along with grading. Taking into account the difficulties in evaluating amphibian thyroid glands, which change continuously throughout metamorphosis, histopathological examination has been shown to be a very sensitive approach.     

New ways and new hopes for IGR development

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) represent advanced, bio-rational insecticides. This Special Issue reflects progress in IGR development that has been enabled by insight into the molecular principles of biosynthetic or hormone signaling pathways. The unifying principle is aiming at processes and molecular targets that are unique to arthropods and ideally to narrower insect taxa representing pests or disease vectors. While some strategies of obtaining the desired compounds for chemical intervention rely on rational, structure-based design or computational power, others exploit technologies allowing automated, high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. All avenues leading to selective and environmentally safe pest control are valid as we face the imminent threat of the declining world insect population.