Foraging strategies in the greater horseshoe bat （Rhinolophus f errumequinum ）on Lepidoptera in summer

Abstract The diet of the bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum was studied at the Zhi＇an Village of Ji＇an City in China, from June to August 2004. The bats were trained in a laboratory （volume： 9×4×4 m^3）. Foraging strategies of the bat were observed at night and prey remains were collected and identified. The results showed that the diet consisted mainly of Lepidoptera in summer, including 11 families, more than 30 species of moths, such as Noctuidae （36.6% by number）,Sphingidae （24.1%）, Geometridae （13.4%） and Limacodidae （9.5%）. The length of culled wings ranged from 10--40 mm （97.7%）. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the bat R.ferrumequinum foraged their prey selectively, but not opportunistically. From field studies, two ways were observed in which the bats retrieved their prey including aerial hawking during peak active period of the insects and flycatching during the insects＇ non-peak activity period. The bats never gleaned prey from the ground, though they appeared to be well able to detect fluttering moths on the ground.     

Microbial control of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. （Lepidoptera： Yponomeutidae） using bacteria （Xenorhabdus nematophila） and its metabolites from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae

Cells and cell-free solutions of the culture filtrate of the bacterial symbiont, Xenorhabdus nematophila taken from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in aqueous broth suspensions were lethal to larvae of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella. Their application on leaves of Chinese cabbage indicated that the cells can penetrate into the insects in the absence of the nematode vector. Cell-free solutions containing metabolites were also proved as effective as bacterial cells suspension. The application of aqueous suspensions of cells of X.nematophila or solutions containing its toxic metabolites to the leaves represents a possible new strategy for controlling insect pests on foliage.     

Molecular phylogenetics of Gymnocypris （Teleostei：Cyprinidae） in Lake Qinghai and adjacent drainages

149 complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes (1140 bp) of Gymnocypris przewaiskii, Gymnocypris eckloni and Gymnocypris scolistomus from the Lake Qinghai, Yellow River and Qaidam Basin were sequenced and analyzed. Consistent dendrogram indicated that the samples collected from the same species do not constitute a separate monophyletic group and all the samples were grouped into three highly divergent lineages (A, B and C). Among them, Lineage A contained all samples of G.przewaiskii from the Lake Qinghai and partial samples of the G. eckloni from the Yellow River. Lineage B contained the remaining samples of G. eckloni from the Yellow River.Lineage C was composed of a monophyletic group by G. eckloni from the Qaidam Basin. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most of genetic variations were detected within these three mtDNA lineages (93.12%), suggesting that there are three different lineages of Gymnocypris in this region. Our Cyt b sequence data showed that G.przewaiskii was not a polytypic species, and G. scolistomus was neither an independent species nor a subspecies of G.eckloni. The divergent mtDNA lineages of G. eckloni from theYellow River suggested that gene flow between the different populations was restricted to a certain extent by several gorges on the upper reach of the Yellow River. Lineage B of G. eckloni might be the genetic effect from the ancestor which was incorporated with the endemic schizothoracinefishes when the headward erosion of the Yellow Riverreached to its current headwaters of late. The G. eckloni from Basin Qaldam was a monophyletic group (lineage C) and Fst values within G. eckloni from the Yellow River were higher than 0.98, suggesting that the gene flow has been interrupted for a long time and the G. eckloni from Basin Qaidam might have been evolved into different species by ecology segregation. The correlation between the rakers number of Gymnocypris and population genetic variation was not significant.All Gymnocypris populations exhibited a low nucleotide diversity (n=0.00096-0.00485). Therefore the Gymnocypris populations from Basin Qaidam could have experienced severe bottleneck effect in history. Our result suggested Gymnocypris populations of Basin Qaidam should give a high priority in conservation programs.     

Inclusion of the Eastern Asia endemic genus Sorolepidium in Polystichum （Dryopteridaceae）： Evidence from the chloroplast rbcL gene and morphological characteristics

The taxonomic status of the Eastern Asia endemic Sorolepidium is controversial. Some authors accept it as member of the large diverse genus Polystichum, whereas others suggest that it is an independent genus separated from the later by the exindusiate sorus and the absence of aristate teeth at the pinnae margins. Here we infer phylogenetic relationship of Sorolepidium using DNA sequences of the chloro-plast rbcL gene. Phylogenies were inferred using maximum-parsimony, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods. Molecular data establish that Sorolepidium is deeply nested within the large genus Polystichum and has a close relationship with P. duthiei and P. lachenense in the model-based analyses. The Kimura 2-parameter distances of the rbcL sequences between S. glaciale and P. duthiei and P. lachenense were 0.1 and 0.2%, respectively. Furthermore, S. glaciale differed from P. duthiei by a single nucleotide in their rbcL sequences. Close relationships between S. glaciale and P. duthiei and P. lachenense are also supported by the shared spore ornamentation with echinate fenes-trate folds.     

Molecular evolution of connective tissue growth factor in Cyprinidae （Teleostei： Cypriniformes）

Connective tissue growth factor （CTGF） plays an important role in regulation of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis and individual development in animals. The study of sequences variation and molecular evolution of CTGF gene across various species of the cyprinid could be helpful for understanding of speciation and gene divergence in this kind of fish. In this study, 19 novel sequences of CTGF gene were obtained from the representative species of the family Cyprinidae using PCR amplification, cloning and sequencing. Phylogenetic relationships of Cyprinidae were reconstructed by neighbor-joining （NJ）, maximum parsimony （MP）, maximum likelihood （ML） and Bayesian method. Oryzias latipes from the family Cyprinodontidae was assigned to be the outgroup taxon. Leuciscini and Barbini were clustered into the monophyletic lineages, respectively, with the high nodal supports. The estimation of the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitution （dN/dS） for the various branches indicated that there stood the different evolution rates between the Leuciscini and the Barbini. With the ratio of dN/dS of the Leuciscini being lower than that of the Barbini, species within the Barbini were demonstrated to be subjected to the relatively less selection pressure and under the relaxable evolution background. A 6 bp indel （insertion/deletion） was found at the 5＇ end of CTGF gene of Cyprinidae, and this 6 bp deletion only appeared in the Leuciscini, which is a typical characteristic of the Leuciscini and provides evidence for the monophylogeny of the Leuciscini. For the amino acid sequences of CTGF protein, the most variations and indels were distributed in the signal region and IGFBP region of this protein, implying that these variations were correlated with the regulation of the CTGF gene expression and protein activity.     

Evolutionary relationship and species separation of four morphologically similar stichotrichous ciliates （Protozoa, Ciliophora）

Phylogenetic and taxonomic studies on ciliate protists using molecular approaches have been demonstrated to be very reliable to form strong conclusions and results. In the present work, species separation of some morphologically similar stichotrichous ciliates, two species of Pseudokeronopsis and two species of Apokeronopsis, was reexamined using amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (PCRRFLP). Five of 10 restriction enzymes revealed species-specific polymorphic patterns, of which four similar stichotrichs could be significantly separated and identified. Among them, EcoR I offered almost no significantly different restriction fragment patterns, but the four species could be separated from one another and identified with Hae III. Distinctly different restriction digestion haplotypes and similarity indices separated the species, and were used to construct a phylogeny. Phylogenies based on ITS2 nucleotide sequences and ITS2 secondary structures supported the separation of Pseudokeronopsis and Apokeronopsis using RFLP analysis, although three Pseudokeronopsis carnea populations did not cluster together. In addition, phylogenetic analyses using multiple algorithms confirmed that these two genera formed two distinct groups within the urostylids.     

Cloning the interferon regulatory factor I gene in lungfish （Protopterus annectens） and its molecular evolution among sarcopterygians

Sarcopterygians is an important vertebrate clade that includes crossopterygians and tetrapods. Crossopterygians are lobe-finned fish that include lungfish and coelacanths. Tetrapods include amphibians, reptiles, avians and mammals. To compare the interferon regulatory factor 1 (irf-1) gene structure and to explore phylogenetic relationships among sarcopterygians, we cloned the cDNA sequence of irf-1 from lungfish and compared it with irf-1 orthologs in other sarcopterygian species. The lungfish is a primitive sarcopterygian that occupies a very important position in vertebrate phylogeny. Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) are a family of proteins involved in innate immunity. To date, 11 IRF family members have been reported. All IRFs share homology in the first 115 amino acids, which encompasses a DNA binding domain containing a characteristic repeat of 5 tryptophan residues separated by 10–18 amino acids. IRF-1 and IRF-2 were the first members of this family to be reported and they have a very important role in innate immunity. However, studies of the irf-1 and irf-2 genes are mostly confined to mammals; very few non-mammalian irf-1 genes have been reported. Consistent with the irf-1 gene sequences already published, the first 345 nucleotides of lungfish irf-1 are highly conserved. At the carboxyl terminal a C-terminal transactivating region motif and an interferon associated domain (IAD2) were identified. 417 million years separate the present from the closest common ancestor of lungfish and tetrapods; however, the irf-1 genes among sarcopterygians are highly conserved and have very obvious phylogenetic relationships. Also the interrelationship tree of sarcopterygians, based on IRF-1 amino acid sequences, is identical with trees produced using other data, such as morphological characteristics or mitochondrial gene sequences.     

Morphological evolution from aquatic to terrestrial in the genus Oreolalax （Amphibia, Anura, Megophryidae）

A phylogeny of 17 species in the genus Oreolalax is reconstructed based on 21 morphological characters from adult specimens, skeleton specimens, tadpoles and eggs. Four species groups are recognized, of which the O. rugosus species group is the most primitive, the O. weigoldi species group is the second, the O. omeimontis species group is the third and the O. pingii species group is the most recently diversified. Based on the evolutional tendency of the morphological characters on the phylogenetic tree, it is proposed that the evolution of tympanum, tympanic annulus, columella, spoon-like cartilage and the web between toes reflect the habit changes from aquatic to terrestrial. Thus, Oreolalax is regarded as one important representative genus to study further the evolution of morphological characters from aquatic to terrestrial.     

Duplication and divergent evolution of the CHS and CHS-like genes in the chalcone synthase （CHS） superfamily

CHALCONE SYNTHASE (CHS) IS A KEY ENZYME OF FLA- VONOID BIOSYNTHESIS. IT CATALYSES THE CONDENSATION OF THREE MOLECULES OF MALONYL-COA WITH ONE MOLECULE OF 4-COUMAROYL-COA TO FORM NARINGENIN CHALCONE, THE PRECURSOR FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF FLAVONOIDS WHICH ARE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED IN THE PLANT KINGDOM AND HAVE IM- PORTANT ROLES IN FLOWER PIGMENTATION, PROTECTION AGAINST UV LIGHT A…     

Phylogenetic identification and microbial diversity in snow of the summit （8201 m） of Cho Oyu Mountain,Tibet

The bacterial diversity and abundance in snow of the summit （8201 m） of Cho Oyu mountain, Tibet, were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing followed by scanning electronic microscopy analysis. Most of bacteria were found to be of spherical or oval shape （〉95%）. Bacterial 16S rDNA sequences were classified into 5 genera （Caulobacter, Ralstonia, Cupriavidus, Pelomonas and Pseudomonas）. Gammaproteobacteria were the most abundant （91.25%） among the library that consists of 594 clones. The sequences found in this study are highly similar to those previously retrieved from other cold environments, such as ice core, sea ice, permafrost and snow. The results showed that the cold and barren environments strongly influence the survival of bacteria. The high similarity among sequences retrieved from snow sample and other places, such as ocean, soil and water, suggested that the bacteria in snow, soil and water environments have the same origin.     

基于COI和D-Loop序列豫北虾虎鱼分子系统分析

虾虎鱼在河南省北部广泛分布,但其系统分类和多样性未有报道.从豫北原阳黄寺、安阳小南海、淇县淇河、长垣孙东闸、林州弓上水库等地采集虾虎鱼样本共计23尾,成都岷江样本6尾,分别扩增了线粒体COI基因和D-Loop序列.联合GenBank下载虾虎鱼的COI序列和D-Loop序列,构建了虾虎鱼的系统进化树.结果显示,采自黄寺、小南海、淇县、岷江地区的子陵吻虾虎鱼(Rhinogobius giurinus)聚为一个分支,而采自孙东闸和弓上水库的褐吻虾虎鱼(Rhinogobius brunneus)聚为一个单系群;这两种虾虎鱼遗传分化主要来自群体间.系统发育结果支持子陵吻虾虎鱼的韩国群体与中国群体构成姐妹群关系,中国不同地理种群间则相互交叉.     

麂属(Muntiacus)动物12SrRNA基因序列分析及其分子进化关系

对麂属（Muntiacus)中3种动物，赤麂（M.muntjak)(2n=6♀，7♂），小麂（M.reevesi)(2n=46),黑麂（M.crinifrons)(2n 8♀,9♂)线粒体DNA12SrRNA基因450bp左右的片段进行序列分析，并根据序列信息建立分子类聚图，同时探讨了这3种动物的起源，分类地位及进行关系，结果表明黑麂起源最早，赤麂次之，小麂最晚。     

Phylogenetic relationships of native and introduced Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera:Aleyrodidae) from China and India based on mtCOI DNA sequencing and host plant comparisons

Phylogenetic relationships for Bemisia tabaci were reconstructed by analysis of a ～780 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene with an emphasis on geographic range and distribution among eight eudicot plant families that are common hosts of B. tabaci worldwide to elucidate key phylogeographic linkages between populations extant in China (n=31) and India (n=34). Bootstrap values for the Maximum Parsimony tree were highly robust for all major nodes involving the major Asian clade, subgroups, and sister groups within, at 92%—100%. Between-clade distances for the Southeast Asia and three other major clades, e.g. from sub-Sahara Africa, North Africa-Mediterranean, and the Americas, were approximately >16% divergent. Two major Asian subgroups (I, II) were resolved, which represented populations indigenous to the region, comprising two (I a, I b) and five (II a—e) sister groups, respectively, which diverged by 11%. Two distinct populations from sunflower in Hyderabad grouped separately within the two Asian subgroups. All other populations grouped uniquely within Asian subgroup II or I. The “B” biotype was identified in 23 collections from China at 97.3%—99.5% nucleotide identity with “B” biotype reference sequences; it was not identified in collections from India. The majority of haplotypes were associated with 3—4 plant families, with one exception that for sister group IId (sesame, India), it might be monophagous. Thus, B. tabaci from the southeastern and near eastern regions of the Asian continent comprise of a large number of ancestral, richly divergent, mostly polyphagous populations. This region is therefore hypothesized to constitute an important Old World center of diversification for the B. tabaci complex, together with sub-Saharan Africa.     

Comparison of Molecular Biological Techniques (RAPD, ARDRA and SSrRNA Gene Sequencing) on the Phylogenetic Relationships of Lower Taxa within Spirotrichous Ciliates

The evolutionary relationships of seven spirotrichous ciliates (3 stichotrichs: Oxytricha saltans, O. Ferruginea, Stylonychia mytilus; 4 hypotrichs: Uronychia transfuga, Diophrys appendiculata, Aspidisca steini, Euplotes vannus) inferred from the SSrRNA (small subunit rRNA) gene sequences and the polymorphic patterns of RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) and ARDRA (amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analyses) fingerprinting are constructed. Compared with that of morphometric characters, the dendrograms from SSrRNA gene using three different calculation methods (distance matrix, maximum-parsimony, and UPGMA) agree with the morphological division into two clades, Oxytricha - Stylonychia and Uronychia - Diophrys - Aspidisca - Euplotes, though the branching orders within the hypotrichous ciliates are slightly different from morphometric analyses.     

半自然驯化条件下黑线姬鼠冬夏两季产热的比较

为探讨小型哺乳动物适应于季节性环境的产热机制,本文测定了户外半自然条件下驯化的黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)冬、夏两季的体重以及肝和褐色脂肪组织(Brown adipose tissue, BAT)的细胞色素c氧化酶及BATα-磷酸甘油氧化酶活力等指标.结果显示黑线姬鼠冬季体重显著降低,BAT绝对重量、BAT和肝的线粒体蛋白含量及BAT和肝酶的活力冬季均显著高于夏季.冬季BAT细胞色素c氧化酶活力是夏季的9.5倍,肝脏细胞色素c氧化酶活力是夏季的5倍;冬季BAT的α-磷酸甘油氧化酶活力高达夏季的19倍.以上结果表明,在寒冷的冬季为保证存活,黑线姬鼠降低体重以减少绝对能量需求,并极大地增加BAT重量及肝和BAT细胞水平上的产热能力.     

六种蝗虫基因组DNA多态性的RAPD标记研究

运用随机扩增多态 DNA技术对斑翅蝗科 Oedipodidae中三属六种蝗虫基因组DNA进行了多态性比较 ,共扩增出 2 2条特异性片断 ,分子量大小为 650～ 1 990 bp之间 ,并根据各种间片段共享度构建了 UPG聚类关系图 .研究结果表明 ,大垫尖翅蝗和甘蒙尖翅蝗的片段共享度为 0 .375;红翅皱膝蝗和鼓翅皱膝蝗的片段共享度为 0 .2 86;亚洲小车蝗和黄胫小车蝗的片段共享度也为 0 .2 86     

Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the highly specialized grade schizothoracine fishes （Teleostei： Cyprinidae） inferred from cytochrome b sequences

We recovered the phylogenetic relationships among 23 species and subspecies of the highly special-ized grade schizothoracine fishes distributing at 36 geographical sites in the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding regions by analyzing sequences of cytochrome b genes. Furthermore, we estimated the possible divergent times among lineages based on a historical geological isolation event in the Tibetan Plateau. The molecular data revealed that the highly specialized grade schizothoracine fishes were not a monophyletic group, but were the same as genera Gymnocypris and Schizogypsis. Our results indi-cated that the molecular phylogenetic relationships apparently reflected their geographical and historical associations with drainages, namely species from the same and adjacent drainages clustered together and had close relationships. The divergence times of different lineages were well consistent with the rapid uplift phases of the Tibetan Plateau in the late Cenozoic, suggesting that the origin and evolution of schizothoracine fishes were strongly influenced by environment changes resulting from the upheaval of the Tibetan Plateau.