冻融作用下土壤物理和微生物性状变化与氧化亚氮排放的关系

在中、高纬度及高海拔地区,土壤冻融交替现象普遍存在.冻融作用影响土壤的物理和微生物性状,影响土壤的氮素转化过程和强度,导致土壤温室气体氧化亚氮排放增多,使冻融区土壤成为氧化亚氮的重要排放源.冻融作用改变了土壤水分特征和土壤团聚体的稳定性;冻融作用使土壤微生物量、微生物的组成和结构发生改变,导致微生物标识物氨基糖种类和数量改变.本文概述了上述变化与氧化亚氮排放的关系,简要提出了冻融作用下土壤氧化亚氮产生、排放的理论问题及其研究去向.     

三极冰川冰尘微生物及其介导的碳氮生物地球化学循环研究进展

冰尘是散落在冰川表面由矿物质、有机质和微生物组成的聚合体,其主要来源包括远源输送来的细粉尘和气溶胶组分、局地源的粗冰碛物及来自周围生态系统的土壤和植物碎屑等。冰尘对太阳辐射具有较强的吸收作用,可降低冰面反照率、促进冰川融化。冰尘也是迄今为止生物多样性最高的冰川表面微生物栖息地,生活着细菌、真菌、藻类等。冰尘微生物是冰川表面地球化学循环的主要驱动者,微生物分解转化冰尘内有机质,降低冰川表面反照率影响冰川物质平衡。基于冰尘的重要性,本文综述了南极、北极、青藏高原第三极冰川冰尘的物理和化学特征及其影响因素,冰尘微生物群落组成及其介导的碳氮生物地球化学循环过程,并展望了冰尘微生物研究的前景。     

冻融作用对我国东北湿地土壤碳排放与土壤微生物的影响

通过室内模拟冻融实验,探讨了冻融强度(-5和-15℃)和循环次数(0、1、5、10和15次)对我国东北连续多年冻土和季节性冻土湿地二氧化碳(CO2)、甲烷(CH4)产生以及土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)的影响。结果表明,不同冻融条件下,2种冻土中CO2、CH4排放速率及MBC均表现为:在第1次冻融循环后有所降低,随后随着循环次数的增加,呈现先增高后降低并趋于稳定的趋势。总体上,循环次数显著影响2种冻土CO2、CH4排放和MBC。与对照和小幅度冻融循环相比,大幅温度波动显著促进2种冻土土壤碳排放,但冻融强度对MBC影响不大。实验期间,FTC(-15℃)处理中,连续多年冻土CO2累积排放量(679.99 mg·kg-1)高于季节性冻土(454.32 mg·kg-1),而对CH4累积排放量来说,在FTC(-5℃)处理时,连续多年冻土达到334.49μg·kg-1,略高于其他处理;而在FTC(-15℃)处理时,季节性冻土则最高(600.07μg·kg-1),可能意味着冻融过程中2种冻土产甲烷菌的温度敏感性具有一定差异。本研究为科学评估全球气候变化对我国东北主要冻土区的土壤碳周转提供了数据支持。     

高寒湿地冻融退化下微生物群落特征变化

全球变暖大背景下,大量冻土将面临进一步退化,而冻融过程遍布整个青藏高原,土壤微生物对环境变化更有着高度的敏感性.以青海湖河源湿地湿地冻融退化下的土壤微生物为研究对象,基于16s rRNA及18s rDNA测序探究冻融退化对土壤微生物群落结构及多样性的影响.结果显示:青海湖高寒湿地有效序列注释得到1583个细菌操作分类单...     

生物地球化学锰循环中的微生物胞外电子传递机制

微生物是生物地球化学元素循环的重要驱动者,在锰等变价金属元素的氧化还原过程中起着至关重要的作用。近年来,Mn(Ⅲ)的发现以及在一些环境中的广泛存在,丰富了人们对Mn(Ⅲ)以及自然界锰循环过程的认识。研究发现,锰的生物地球化学循环,尤其是锰还原过程,与微生物胞外电子传递紧密相关,且目前已知的5种胞外电子传递机制均与锰还原有关联。因此,本文综述了锰的生物地球化学循环及其意义,并从微生物胞外电子传递的机制、微生物介导锰氧化、微生物介导锰还原等3个方面来介绍参与锰循环的微生物多样性;以及微生物地球化学锰循环的环境意义。对微生物参与锰循环过程的研究不仅可以进一步丰富相关理论,同时也能推动生物除锰、污染物原位修复及生物冶金等应用领域的发展。     

疏勒河上游不同退化类型冻土可培养细菌数量变化

在气候变暖及人类活动的双重干扰下,疏勒河上游冻土发生了显著退化,具体表现为活动层厚度加大、植被退化等。然而,关于冻土退化对微生物的影响还未见报道。本文以疏勒河上游不同季节(4月、6月、9月)、不同退化程度冻土为对象,研究了可培养细菌数量的季节性变化及其影响因素。结果表明:研究区域可培养细菌数量介于0.4×10~7~5.3×10~7CFU·g~(-1),3个月份土壤可培养细菌数量均随冻土退化程度增加而显著下降,且同种类型冻土6月份样品中可培养细菌数量最多,但不同类型冻土细菌数量的季节变化未表现出一致的规律性。相关性分析表明,可培养细菌数量与土壤含水量、总氮呈极显著正相关,与有机碳呈显著正相关。这些结果表明,伴随着冻土退化而发生的地上植被逆向演替过程中,青藏高原不同类型冻土间已产生较大的环境异质性如土壤碳氮及含水量,进一步可能导致冻土微生物数量分异。研究结果为利用微生物综合评价青藏高原不同类型冻土的生态环境提供了数据基础。     

冻融交替对土壤氮素循环关键过程的影响与机制研究进展

冻融交替是由于季节或昼夜热量的变化,在表土及以下一定深度形成的反复冻结和解冻的过程,是普遍存在于中、高纬度及高海拔地区的一种自然现象。在全球变暖的背景下,部分地区的土壤环境将经受更广泛和频繁的冻融交替作用,这将对土壤氮素循环关键过程产生深远的影响。冻融交替主要通过改变土壤的理化性质使土壤微生物量、微生物群落的组成和结构发生改变,进而影响氮素在土壤中的迁移与转化,是陆地生态系统氮循环的重要影响因素。目前,关于冻融交替对土壤氮素循环关键过程影响的研究结果还不尽一致,其影响机制尚不明晰,研究方法也还有待进一步创新。重点论述了冻融交替对土壤氮素循环各个关键过程的影响效应,归纳总结了冻融交替对土壤氮素循环的影响机制,简要指出了目前研究过程中存在的一些不足,并对未来研究中值得重点关注和深入研究的科学问题进行了探讨与展望。     

基于直接接触的微生物胞外电子传递

微生物电子传递在微生物的代谢繁殖和物质的生物地球化学循环中发挥着关键作用。其中基于直接接触的微生物胞外电子传递(Direct extracellular electron transfer,DEET)已成为微生物学、地球化学和生物物理学等学科共同关注的焦点,并在近几年取得了一系列重要发现和理论突破,包括微生物纳米导线、电缆细菌、微生物种间DEET等。伴随着这些新进展,更多的问题也需要研究者们在进一步的研究中解决,包括DEET的分子机制及其相关功能微生物种群等。不同学科理论和技术的交叉是进一步揭示DEET过程的关键。     

冻融循环对金川泥炭沼泽土壤微生物量及群落结构的影响

冻融作用显著改变土壤微生物活性及碳氮循环过程。以长白山金川泥炭沼泽0-15 cm和15-30 cm土壤为研究对象，进行室内冻融交替模拟实验。实验设置两个冻融幅度（-10-10℃和-5-5℃）。经过0/1/3/5/7/15次冻融循环后，分别采用氯仿熏蒸法和磷脂脂肪酸法测定泥炭沼泽土壤微生物量及磷脂脂肪酸含量，并与未进行冻融处理的FTC （0）对比。实验结果表明：冻融作用对土壤微生物量碳、氮及微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量有显著影响（P<0.001）。15次冻融交替作用后，土壤微生物碳（MBC）含量均显著增加，土壤微生物量氮（MBN）含量显著降低。两种冻融模式下，各类型微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量均显著降低。冻融作用显著改变了泥炭沼泽土壤微生物群落结构。冻融作用降低了土壤真菌/细菌比值（-5-5℃，0-15 cm土壤除外），增加了革兰氏阳性菌/革兰氏阴性菌比值。-5-5℃冻融作用下，各土壤微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量变幅大于-10-10℃，土壤MBC的变化则与其相反，在-10-10℃变化幅度更大。两种冻融幅度下MBC与大部分微生物群落在15-30 cm土壤的变幅更大，这说明冻融作用对不同深度土壤微生物量和微生物群落结构的影响存在差异。冻融次数对土壤微生物量和各类型磷脂脂肪酸含量有显著影响（P<0.01）。相关性分析结果表明多种微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量与MBN含量呈正相关关系（P<0.01），与DOC含量呈负相关关系（P<0.05）。综上，冻结作用促进了微生物的死亡，为融化期微生物生存提供更多碳源与营养物质，改变了土壤微生物群落结构。冻融期间各类型微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量降低，可能会降低泥炭沼泽土壤碳汇能力。     

红树林沉积物中微生物驱动硫循环研究进展

红树林滨海湿地是在周期性咸水、淡水作用下形成的特殊生态系统,其沉积物中有机质含量丰富,微生物驱动的营养物质循环活跃。由于红树林沉积物中硫酸盐含量高、硫化物种类多,因此红树林是研究硫元素生物地球化学循环过程和机制的理想系统。本文综述了红树林生态系统中主要的硫元素循环过程,重点总结了硫氧化和硫酸盐还原过程及其功能微生物,分析了影响硫氧化和硫酸盐还原的主要环境因素,并对红树林沉积物中微生物驱动硫循环的重点研究方向进行了展望。鉴于微生物驱动的硫循环过程耦合碳、氮和金属元素循环,本文可为深入探究微生物驱动的生物地球化学元素循环耦合机制提供参考。     

Race and Racism in America and in Anthropology

Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview . Audrey Smedley
Anthropology and Race . Eugenia Shanklin     

Degradation and conversion of somatostatin in normal and diabetic rats in vivo and in vitro

Plasma somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the portal and jugular veins of streptozotocin diabetic rats was compared with that in normal control rats. In the diabetic group, somatostatin levels in the portal (p less than 0.05) and jugular (p less than 0.01) veins were both elevated compared with those in the control group. Moreover, the degree of elevation was greater in the jugular vein than in the portal vein. To further investigate the role of the liver in the clearance of somatostatin-28 in vivo, 2 micrograms of somatostatin-28 was administered as a bolus into the external jugular vein of intact and functionally hepatectomized rats. The mean half-time of somatostatin-28 was significantly longer in intact diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.05). The functional hepatectomy did not cause a significant difference in the half-time in diabetic rats but made it longer in control rats. These results suggest that the longer half-time of somatostatin-28 in diabetic rats in vivo is due to its slower hepatic clearance. The hepatic clearance of somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-14 was further studied in vitro using a recirculating liver perfusion method. The hepatic clearance of 1.2 nM of either somatostatin-28 or somatostatin-14 was significantly lower in diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.01). This indicates that elevated plasma somatostatin levels in diabetic rats are caused at least in part by decreased hepatic clearance of somatostatin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Electroejaculation in chimpanzees and gorillas and artificial insemination in chimpanzees

Electroejaculation was performed in 3 chimpanzees, 1 pygmy chimpanzee, and 2 gorillas with an instrument that delivers a modified sine wave current with a frequency of 24 Hz. The current stimuli were applied by a rectal probe with longitudinal electrodes. The electrical parameters varied from 6 to 12 V and from 30 to 40 mA for response of erection and lay between 8 and 18 V and between 40 and 145 mA during semen emission. Eleven chimpanzee semen samples showed the following data (x ± SD): total volume 1.9 ± 1.3 ml, volume of the liquid fraction 0.3 ± 0.2 ml, spermatozoa per ejaculate 743 ± 376 × 10⁶, sperm motility 52.7 ± 9.6%, morphologically abnormal spermatozoa 12.2 ± 7.5%. From an adult gorilla, three semen samples were collected, in each case without spermatozoa. The electrostimulation of a 6-year-old gorilla led to an erection, but not to semen emission. Three female chimpanzees were inseminated with fresh or frozen semen, each of them within three different estrous cycles. None of these inseminations led to a pregnancy.     

Variation in infectivity and aggressiveness in space and time in wild host-pathogen systems: causes and consequences

Variation in host resistance and in the ability of pathogens to infect and grow (i.e. pathogenicity) is important as it provides the raw material for antagonistic (co)evolution and therefore underlies risks of disease spread, disease evolution and host shifts. Moreover, the distribution of this variation in space and time may inform us about the mode of coevolutionary selection (arms race vs. fluctuating selection dynamics) and the relative roles of G × G interactions, gene flow, selection and genetic drift in shaping coevolutionary processes. Although variation in host resistance has recently been reviewed, little is known about overall patterns in the frequency and scale of variation in pathogenicity, particularly in natural systems. Using 48 studies from 30 distinct host–pathogen systems, this review demonstrates that variation in pathogenicity is ubiquitous across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Quantitative analysis of a subset of extensively studied plant–pathogen systems shows that the magnitude of within‐population variation in pathogenicity is large relative to among‐population variation and that the distribution of pathogenicity partly mirrors the distribution of host resistance. At least part of the variation in pathogenicity found at a given spatial scale is adaptive, as evidenced by studies that have examined local adaptation at scales ranging from single hosts through metapopulations to entire continents and – to a lesser extent – by comparisons of pathogenicity with neutral genetic variation. Together, these results support coevolutionary selection through fluctuating selection dynamics. We end by outlining several promising directions for future research.     

Trajectories and Constraints in Brain Evolution in Primates and Cetaceans

A negative allometric relationship between body mass (BM) and brain size (BS) can be observed for many vertebrate groups. In the past decades, researchers have proposed several hypotheses to explain this finding, but none is definitive and some are possibly not mutually exclusive. Certain species diverge markedly (positively or negatively) from the mean of the ratio BM/BS expected for a particular taxonomic group. It is possible to define encephalization quotient (EQ) as the ratio between the actual BS and the expected brain size. Several cetacean species show higher EQs compared to all primates, except modern humans. The process that led to big brains in primates and cetaceans produced different trajectories, as shown by the organizational differences observed in every encephalic district (e.g., the cortex). However, these two groups both convergently developed complex cognitive abilities. The comparative study on the trajectories through which the encephalization process has independently evolved in primates and cetaceans allows a critical appraisal of the causes, the time and the mode of quantitative and qualitative development of the brain in our species and in the hominid evolutionary lineage.     

Aminoacylation in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and in methanogenic and halophilic archaebacteria

Abstract Phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PRS) from the sulphur-metabolizing thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius has been purified 150-fold using different chromatographic steps. The enzyme has a M _r of 270 000 and exhibits considerable thermostability in a temperature range up to 90°C with optimal activity at 70°C. Conservation of antigenic determinants could not be detected by antibodies against various PRS of all primary kingdoms. As a further means to detect traits of phylogenetic relationship, the cross-species reactivity between PRS and tRNAs of organisms from the three branches of archaebacteria and from all primary kingdoms reveals the group character of all 3 branches of the archaebacterial domain, the sulphur-metabolizing, methanogenic and halophilic archaebacteria.