Wolbachia-induced incompatibility precedes other hybrid incompatibilities in Nasonia

Wolbachia are cytoplasmically inherited bacteria that cause a number of reproductive alterations in insects, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, an incompatibility between sperm and egg that results in loss of sperm chromosomes following fertilization. Wolbachia are estimated to infect 15-20% of all insect species, and also are common in arachnids, isopods and nematodes. Therefore, Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility could be an important factor promoting rapid speciation in invertebrates, although this contention is controversial. Here we show that high levels of bidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility between two closely related species of insects (the parasitic wasps Nasonia giraulti and Nasonia longicornis) preceded the evolution of other postmating reproductive barriers. The presence of Wolbachia severely reduces the frequency of hybrid offspring in interspecies crosses. However, antibiotic curing of the insects results in production of hybrids. Furthermore, F1 and F2 hybrids are completely viable and fertile, indicating the absence of F1 and F2 hybrid breakdown. Partial interspecific sexual isolation occurs, yet it is asymmetric and incomplete. Our results indicate that Wolbachia-induced reproductive isolation occurred in the early stages of speciation in this system, before the evolution of other postmating isolating mechanisms (for example, hybrid inviability and hybrid sterility).     

An extrachromosomal factor causing loss of paternal chromosomes

Extrachromosomal inheritance is ubiquitous among plants and animals; however, most extrachromosomal factors are uniparentally inherited through females, but not through males. Examples include chloroplasts, mitochondria and a variety of intracellular symbionts. The only known exception to maternal extrachromosomal inheritance in an animal is a paternally transmitted sex ratio factor (psr) which causes all-male families in the parasitic wasp, Nasonia vitripennis. Normally in this wasp, male offspring are haploid and develop from unfertilized eggs whereas females are diploid and develop from fertilized eggs. The psr factor is either a venereally transmitted infection which prevents egg fertilization (and therefore causes all-male families), or a factor transmitted to eggs by the sperm of males carrying psr, which somehow prevents incorporation of the paternal chromosomes. Here we report that sperm from psr males fertilizes eggs, but that the paternal chromosomes are subsequently condensed into a chromatin mass before the first mitotic division of the egg and do not participate in further divisions. Resulting haploid offspring are male, but have inherited the paternal factor. This extrachromosomal factor promotes its own transmission at the expense of the paternal chromosomes, and therefore can be considered a 'selfish' genetic element.     

一个药用野生稻异源单体附加系在减数分裂时期的GISH分析鉴定

异源单体附加系是从亲缘关系较远或属间的一个物种单条染色体附加到另一个物种中．栽培稻珍籼97B与药用野生稻Hy18杂交与连续回交，在BC2后代中得到一个药用野生稻单体附加系．生物素标屺的药用野生稻总DNA作为探针，未标记的栽培稻总DNA封阻，对其异源单体系减数分裂染色体进行基因组原位杂交．FISH结果表明，在栽培稻（AA，2n=24）基因组中附加了一条药用野生稻染色体，并鉴定为第8号染色体．研究表明，药用野生稻异源单体附加系的建立为药用野生稻的基因组学和遗传学的研究提供一个新的操作平台．而GISH技术在水稻远缘杂交育种中是最准确有效的染色体鉴定方法．在水稻育种改良中具有重要应用前景．     

Localized maternal orthodenticle patterns anterior and posterior in the long germ wasp Nasonia

The Bicoid (Bcd) gradient in Drosophila has long been a model for the action of a morphogen in establishing embryonic polarity. However, it is now clear that bcd is a unique feature of higher Diptera. An evolutionarily ancient gene, orthodenticle (otd), has a bcd-like role in the beetle Tribolium. Unlike the Bcd gradient, which arises by diffusion of protein from an anteriorly localized messenger RNA, the Tribolium Otd gradient forms by translational repression of otd mRNA by a posteriorly localized factor. These differences in gradient formation are correlated with differences in modes of embryonic patterning. Drosophila uses long germ embryogenesis, where the embryo derives from the entire anterior-posterior axis, and all segments are patterned at the blastoderm stage, before gastrulation. In contrast, Tribolium undergoes short germ embryogenesis: the embryo arises from cells in the posterior of the egg, and only anterior segments are patterned at the blastoderm stage, with the remaining segments arising after gastrulation from a growth zone. Here we describe the role of otd in the long germband embryo of the wasp Nasonia vitripennis. We show that Nasonia otd maternal mRNA is localized at both poles of the embryo, and resulting protein gradients pattern both poles. Thus, localized Nasonia otd has two major roles that allow long germ development. It activates anterior targets at the anterior of the egg in a manner reminiscent of the Bcd gradient, and it is required for pre-gastrulation expression of posterior gap genes.     

灰飞虱共生菌Wolbachia引起的细胞质不亲和性

对我国６个地区和日本３个地区灰飞虱的Ｗｏｌｂａｈｉａ感染率，用ＰＣＲ技术进行了检测，结果表明中国的辽宁、北京、上海和云南的灰飞虱的Ｗｏｌｂａｃｈｉａ感染率均接近１００％；四川为５９．６％；而宁夏为０。各地区灰飞虱间的交配实验证明了在Ｗｏｌｂａｃｈｉａ引起的细胞质不亲和现象的存在，Ｗｏｌｂａｃｈｉａ１６ＳｒＤＮＡ的部分测序分析表明，上海、云南和日本出云的灰飞虱发的同为Ｗｏｌｂａｃｈｉａ ｐｉｐｉｅｎ     

部分李属植物种间杂交不亲和性的研究

通过常规杂交及荧光显微镜观测等方法,对李、杏种间杂交不亲和性进行了研究.研究结果表明,铃铛花期授粉的坐果率显著高于初花期授粉的坐果率;同一杂交组合,正反交坐果率差异显著;母本对远缘杂交亲和性影响很大,父本对远缘杂交亲和性的影响较小;通过具备正常活力及萌芽率的花粉授粉后,李杏杂交存在一定程度的花粉和柱头不亲和及＂拒绝＂反应,以李为母本的杂交不亲和性部位在柱头表面和花柱上部,而以杏为母本的不亲和部位则在花柱中下部.研究结果可为阐释李、杏种间杂交不亲和机制提供理论依据.     

水生生态调控及水污染治理中微生物的应用

微生物是地球生态系统中最重要的分解者,也是开发潜力最大、人类最宝贵的资源库,在污染物的降解转化、资源的再生利用、无公害产品的生产开发、生态环境的建设保护等方面都能发挥重要作用．当今人类所面临的诸如环境污染、资源短缺、生态破坏、健康受害等许多重大问题,都有可能从微生物资源的开发研究中寻找到解决的办法,生物技术对人类社会的持续发展将产生重要影响．本文论述影响水生生态的主要因素及其相互作用,重点分析微生物在生态调控中的功能、演变及应用前景．结合国情探讨生物技术在环境保护中的研究、技术开发及产业化发展方向,分析微生物高级技术如基因工程技术、克隆技术等在环境领域中应用和产业化的可行性．文中着重介绍维持生态平衡、环境资源化和环境无害化不同层次微生物技术的作用,从微生物的多样性和功能性特点发展各种专门技术,实现废水资源化和无害化的综合协调与优化,实现其环境领域中的广泛应用．     

Novel sex differences in linkage values and meiotic chromosome behaviour in a marsupial

There have been few reported family studies of gene segregation in marsupials and no report on genetic linkage in a marsupial species. The paucity of such genetic data probably stems from the lack of marsupial species sufficiently well adapted to a laboratory environment to give the abundant progeny from controlled crosses which are required in such work. A colony of the fat-tailed insectivore Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae), which was established in the R. A. Fisher Laboratories, University of Adelaide, more than 20 years ago, has now provided unusual linkage data. These data indicate that the linkage situation in this marsupial species differs markedly from that in eutherian mammals. Extremely large differences exist between the sexes in the values of the recombination frequencies, with much closer linkage occurring in females. Cytological examination of meiosis in males and females has revealed a major difference between the sexes in chromosome behaviour.     

Direct evidence for extensive paternal mitochondrial DNA inheritance in the marine mussel Mytilus.

Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in animals was thought to be strictly maternal. Recently, evidence for incidental paternal mtDNA leakage was obtained in hybrid crosses of Drosophila and mice. In mice, the frequency of paternal mtDNA contributions was estimated at 10(-4), compared with maternal contributions. The common occurrence in the marine mussel Mytilus of heteroplasmic individuals with two or more types of highly diverged mtDNA molecules was interpreted as strong evidence for biparental mtDNA inheritance by some, but not by others. We report here results from pair-matings involving two species of mussels, Mytilus edulis and Mytilus trossulus. Extensive contribution of paternal mtDNA, amounting to several orders of magnitude higher than that inferred for Drosophila or mice, was observed in both intra- and interspecific crosses.     

Females increase offspring heterozygosity and fitness through extra-pair matings

Females in a variety of species commonly mate with multiple males, and there is evidence that they benefit by producing offspring of higher genetic quality; however, the nature of these genetic benefits is debated. Enhanced offspring survival or quality can result from intrinsic effects of paternal genes---'good genes'--or from interactions between the maternal and paternal genomes--'compatible genes'. Evidence for the latter process is accumulating: matings between relatives lead to decreased reproductive success, and the individual level of inbreeding--measured as average heterozygosity--is a strong fitness predictor. Females should thus benefit from mating with genetically dissimilar males. In many birds, social monogamy restricts mate choice, but females may circumvent this by pursuing extra-pair copulations. Here we show that female blue tits, Parus caeruleus, increase the heterozygosity of their progeny through extra-pair matings. Females thereby produce offspring of higher reproductive value, because less inbred individuals have increased survival chances, a more elaborate male secondary sexual trait (crown colour) and higher reproductive success. The cost of inbreeding may therefore be an important factor driving the evolution of female extra-pair mating.     

Bidirectional incompatibility between conspecific populations of Drosophila simulans

Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) describes the phenomenon whereby eggs fertilized by sperm from insects infected with a rickettsial endosymbiont fail to hatch. Unidirectional CI between conspecific populations of insects is a well documented phenomenon. Bidirectional CI has, however, only been described in mosquito populations, and recently between closely related species of parasitic wasps, where it is of interest as both an unusual form of reproductive isolation and as a potential means of insect population suppression. Here we report on the first known example of bidirectional CI between conspecific populations of Drosophila simulans. Further, we show that defects as early as the first cleavage division are associated with CI. This observation suggests that the cellular basis of CI involves disruption of processes before or during zygote formation and that CI arises from defects in the structure and/or function of the sperm during fertilization.     

海甘蓝与芸苔属属间杂交的亲和性研究

对海甘蓝和芸苔属属间杂交的花粉粒萌发，花粉管生长以及珠孔受精情况进行了研究。结果表明，甘蓝型油采与海甘蓝杂交不亲和，表现在花粉管不能进入柱头或不能通过珠孔肥精，同时乳突细胞有强烈的胼胝质反应。白菜型油菜与海甘蓝杂交有少量花粉管萌发，花粉管顶端受阻于柱头乳突细胞中缠绕于乳突细胞表面，乳突细胞有大量的胼胝质产生。     

Genetic imprinting suggested by maternal heterodisomy in nondeletion Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is the most common form of dysmorphic genetic obesity associated with mental retardation. About 60% of cases have a cytological deletion of chromosome 15q11q13 (refs 2, 3). These deletions occur de novo exclusively on the paternal chromosome. By contrast, Angelman syndrome (AS) is a very different clinical disorder and is also associated with deletions of region 15q11q13 (refs 6-8), indistinguishable from those in PWS except that they occur de novo on the maternal chromosome. The parental origin of the affected chromosomes 15 in these disorders could, therefore, be a contributory factor in determining their clinical phenotypes. We have now used cloned DNA markers specific for the 15q11q13 subregion to determine the parental origin of chromosome 15 in PWS individuals not having cytogenetic deletions; these individuals account for almost all of the remaining 40% of PWS cases. Probands in two families displayed maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 15q11q13. This is the first demonstration that maternal heterodisomy--the presence of two different chromosome 15s derived from the mother--can be associated with a human genetic disease. The absence of a paternal contribution of genes in region 15q11q13, as found in PWS deletion cases, rather than a mutation in a specific gene(s) in this region may result in expression of the clinical phenotype. Thus, we conclude that a gene or genes in region 15q11q13 must be inherited from each parent for normal human development.     

普洱茶区空气微生物的群落结构及生态分布

为揭示普洱茶发酵微生物来源及普洱茶生长环境中微生物的存在及作用，利用安德森空气微生物采样器对云南普洱茶树良种场的3个茶山的空气微生物进行了采集，在24℃和45℃两个温度下培养，并做了分子生物学鉴定。实验结果确定了该地区普洱茶生长环境中空气微生物的种类及各种类所占比例，为探究普洱茶发酵微生物的来源提供一定的数据支持。     

Isolation and characterization of a potential transposable element from Wolbachia

Wolbachia are a group of Rickettsia-like bacteria which parasitize the cells of a wide range of anthropoid. These microorganisms are associated with the reproductive and developmental abnormalities io their hosts. To study the molecular mechanism underlying such phenomena, we analyzed the genomic difference between Wolbachia with different cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) phenotype using representational difference analysis method. A potential transposable element, which exists in the strong CI-inducing strain wRi, was isolated. This element was designated as Wolbachia insertion sequence element (WISE).     

Variation in regulation of steroid sulphatase locus in mammals

Inactivation (lyonization) of one of the two copies of X-linked genes occurs in female mammals, thereby reducing the number of active copies to that of the male. It has been suggested that genes subject to lyonization would be expected to be preserved as a linkage group during mammalian evolution. A short region of the human X chromosome containing several genes, including that necessary for the expression of steroid sulphatase (STS), is exceptional in that it apparently escapes X-inactivation. As it is not apparent why the linkage of genes not subject to X-inactivation should be conserved, we have examined the expression of the STS gene in mice (it has been shown recently that this gene is X-linked). Enzyme levels were determined in normal males and females and in the progeny of crosses in which the sex reversing factor, Sxr, was segregating to produce XX males. We report here that in contrast to the situation in humans, the STS gene in mice is subject to the normal pattern of X-inactivation.     

大黄鱼与黄姑鱼杂交F_1及其双亲的核型分析

研究了大黄鱼与黄姑鱼正反交F1原肠早期胚胎细胞及其亲本头肾细胞的染色体核型,为深入剖析大黄鱼与黄姑鱼杂交后代的基因组构成提供了细胞遗传学证据.大黄鱼与黄姑鱼染色体组均含有48条端部着丝粒染色体,染色体组型公式均为2n=48 t,染色体臂数均为NF=48,组内染色体长度分布连续.两亲本物种间核型很相似,未找到鉴别两物种的细胞遗传标志.正反交F1原肠期胚胎细胞的染色体众数也均为48,均可较好地配为24对.结合前期AFLP分析结果可以推断,正反交胚胎细胞均同时含有一个大黄鱼染色体组和一个黄姑鱼染色体组.此外,杂交F1中的非整倍体比例与两亲本没有明显区别,初步表明杂交胚胎细胞未发生明显的染色体丢失.在黄姑鱼♀与大黄鱼♂杂交F1中出现4对非t-染色体,原因尚待查明.     

灰飞虱Wolbachia群体生物学的遗传特性研究

Ｗｏｌｂａｃｈｉａ是存在于多种昆虫生殖器官的一类共生菌,它可能在宿 主群体中引起细菌质不亲和性而给宿 主带来生殖优势。对灰飞虱体内的Ｗｏｌｂａｃｈｉａｆｊｔｆｄｇｐｗ,ｖ ｇｍ ｐｇｃｆｍｗ ｑｎｎｋｕｄｙｊｒ ｄｏ ｎｕｉ     

陈山红心杉1.5代种子园遗传多样性和子代父本分析

【目的】陈山红心杉是江西特有的杉木优良种源,其近髓心的木质部为高比例的油亮栗褐色,是工艺建筑和室内装潢极为宝贵的天然材料。对陈山红心杉1.5代种子园进行遗传多样性和子代父本分析,为红心杉种子园的管理提供科学依据。【方法】以江西省青原区白云山林场陈山红心杉1.5代种子园及其子代测定林为研究材料,利用12对SSR引物,对种子园32个亲本及14个无性系的459个子代进行遗传多样性和父本分析。【结果】各引物在亲本群体中检测到等位基因数(N_a)为3~7,平均为4.41个;引物在子代群体中检测到的等位基因数(N_a)为4~11,平均为6.50个,较亲本群体高2.09个。亲本群体的平均有效等位基因数(N_e)为2.330,子代群体的平均有效等位基因数为2.306。子代群体包含亲本群体所有的等位基因,并检测到25个子代特有的等位基因。子代群体的Shannon’s信息指数(I)=1.004高于亲本群体的0.992,说明子代群体的遗传多样性略高于亲本群体。子代群体和亲本群体的观测杂合度(H_o)分别为0.525和 0.571,表明子代群体中杂合单株的比例较亲本有所下降。种子园的多位点异交率(t_m)是1.012,单位点异交率(t_s)为0.991,说明种子园异交率较高。双亲近交系数(t_m-t_s)为0.021,表明种子园无性系间近交水平比较低。种子园的有效花粉供体数目(N_ep)为7.81。种子园的多位点父本相关性[R_p(m)]和单位点父本相关性[R_p(s)]分别为0.128和-0.016,单位点和多位点父本相关性的差值R_p(s)-R_p(m)=-0.144<0,表明亲本间没有明显的近亲关系。家系间的多位点异交率(t_m)变化幅度为0.938~1.200,有10个家系的多位点异交率(t_m)大于0。家系间近交系数(t_m-t_s)变化幅度为-0.127~0.150,9个家系的近交系数大于零,说明这些家系存在近交现象。通过父本分析,在80%的置信水平下确定了325个子代的父本来源,占分析子代总数的70.8%。子代的亲本均不是同一无性系,说明种子园无自交现象。各家系子代确定父本的比率不一致,41号家系子代确定父本的比率最高,为93.9%,其余家系子代确定父本比率为54.3%~90.9%。8号家系确定父本的30个子代中,16个子代的父本为同一无性系,占家系子代总数的53.3%;12号家系确定父本的26个子代中,12个子代的父本为同一无性系,占家系子代总数的46.2%,说明无性系间授粉亲和性不同。种子园存在非随机交配现象,在32个潜在无性系中,有26个无性系提供了有效花粉,其中父本贡献率最高的是22号和29号无性系,各为33个子代提供了花粉,其贡献率均为10.2%,其他无性系的父本贡献率为0.3%~8.9%。父本贡献率最高的前11个无性系共计产生了70.2%的子代。【结论】陈山红心杉1.5代种子园遗传多样性丰富,子代保持了亲代的遗传多样性水平;种子园异交率较高,部分家系存在低水平的近交;子代父本分析表明,种子园无自交现象,无性系间授粉亲和性不同,父本贡献率不均等。