稻属的分子系统学研究

稻属（Oryza L）属于禾本科的稻族，主要分布于世界的热带和亚热带地区。一般认为稻属包括20个左右的野生种和2个栽培种，我国有4-5种。迄今为止，对于稻属中种的数目和划分;稻属中所包括的种类是否为一单系类群;各基因组之闻的关系和起源以及稻属的起源等等，学术界仍然存有争议。本文评述了稻属分子系统学研究的进展，研究中存在的问题以及对未来稻属系统学研究的展望。针对稻属的分子系统学研究中所存在的问题，运用核糖体DNA转录间隔区序列测定、随机扩增多态性DNA（RAD）和SSR-anchoredPCR等分子生物学的手段对稻属中全部23个种的来自中国和世界不同地区的材料开展了分子系统学的研究。所得主要结果如下： 1．对产于中国的三种野生稻和栽培稻的二个亚种的核糖体DNA第一转录间隔区进行了序列测定。 DNA序列分别用PAUP程序进行分支分析和用MEGA程序中的UPGMA和Neighbor-joining进行聚类分析，结果表明核糖体DNA转录间隔区序列适合于进行稻属的分子系统学研究。 2．用荧光自动测序法和人工同位素测序法测定了稻属23个种和4个外类群的转录间隔区的序列。所有的DNA序列用Clustal V程序排阵后，再用PAUP程序进行分支分析。结果表明： A．稻属中的23个种组成四个主要分支，分别相当于Vaughan(1989)的四个种复合体。 B．所有AA基因组的种都在一个分支中。除了O.meridionalis与其它种的关系相对较远外，AA基因组种间有一定程度的分化，但不大。 C．尽管BB、BBCC、CC、CCDD和EE基因组的种都在一个分支中，但它们之间的分化是较为明显的。O.australiensis与该分支中的其它种的关系相对较远。以上两个分支的关系较为密切，它们组成一个自然类群，是稻属的核心部分。 D．O.ridleyi与O.longiglumis非常近缘，它们组成一个分支。 E．O.meyeriana与O．granulata有非常密切的关系。O.brachyantha与O.meyeriana近缘，而与AA基因组的关系较远。O,schlechter/与Leersia hexandra近缘，而与稻属中其它种的关系较远。作为外类群的Porteresia coarctata与稻属的a brachyantha非常近缘，这有可能说明将它作稻属中的一员的观点是正确的。 3．用RAPD和ISSR技术对稻属23介种的36份材料以及Porteresia coar ctata和Leersia hexandra各1份材料进行PCR扩增。16个10-mer RAPD随机引物共扩增出368个多态条带，5个锚定SSR引物共扩增出1 16个多态条带。RAPD和ISSR扩增出的多态条带合在同一数据矩阵中，用NTSYS-pc程序进行聚类分析。得出的结果与ITS序列分支分析的结果相似。 A.从表征图上亦可区分出四个群。所有的AA基因组的种聚在一起，O.nivara与O.rufipogon的关系密切，两个种的界限不清楚，所以认为它们是一个种：O.rufipogon.。 B.分布于中国的O.officinalis与O.minuta非常近缘，而菲律宾的四倍体O.officinalis则与同是基因组的O.eichingeri和O.rhizomatis关系密切。EE基因组的O.australiensis与Officinalis群保持一种松散的联系。 C。具FF基因组的O.brachyantha与O.schlechteri近缘，它们与Porteresiacoarctata和Leersia hexandra关系的密切程度要大于它们与稻属其它种的关系。 D。最后讨论了RAPD和ISSR用予植物属内的系统发育研究存在的问题。本研究结果说明RAPD和ISSR适合于进行属内近缘种亲缘关系的研究。

Understanding jet noise.

Jets are one of the most fascinating topics in fluid mechanics. For aeronautics, turbulent jet-noise modelling is particularly challenging, not only because of the poor understanding of high Reynolds number turbulence, but also because of the extremely low acoustic efficiency of high-speed jets. Turbulent jet-noise models starting from the classical Lighthill acoustic analogy to state-of-the art models were considered. No attempt was made to present any complete overview of jet-noise theories. Instead, the aim was to emphasize the importance of sound generation and mean-flow propagation effects, as well as their interference, for the understanding and prediction of jet noise.

Trends in counts of manatees Trichechus manatus latirostris from 1987 to 2006 in waters of Sarasota County, Florida, USA

To demonstrate the utility of distributional surveys for assessing relative abundance and trends in counts for a discrete area of coastline, aerial survey data from Sarasota County, Florida, USA, were analyzed for the years 1987 to 2006. The study area was divided into 3 regions: the Sarasota Bay Region (SBR; N = 353 surveys), Lemon Bay (N = 368), and the Myakka River (N = 209). Manatee counts varied significantly across seasons (p < 0.0001) for all 3 regions. Manatees within Sarasota County utilized open bays primarily in the warmer months. Such usage may have been influenced by resource availability. Conversely, usage of the Myakka River peaked in winter months when manatees seek warm-water refugia such as Warm Mineral Spring. Marginal means for yearly counts within Lemon Bay and the SBR increased significantly, beginning midway through the survey period (1996) until the early 2000s. In contrast, mean yearly counts within the Myakka River decreased over this time period. After record lows in 2003 for Lemon Bay and the Myakka River, and a considerable decline in 2004 for the SBR, mean yearly counts for all 3 regions showed an increasing trend over the remaining 2 yr of the study. Greater protection of manatee habitat and availability of forage coincided with the increase in numbers of manatees using Sarasota County waters during the 1990s, and the subsequent decline in numbers may be indicative of the increase in mortality in recent years due to watercraft collisions and severe red tide events.

Prevalence of brevetoxins in prey fish of bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida

Blooms of the brevetoxin-producing dinoflagellate Karenia brevis have been linked to high mortality of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus on Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coast. A clear understanding of trophic transfer of brevetoxin from its algal source up the food web to top predators is needed to assess exposure of affected dolphin populations. Prey fish constitute a means of accumulating and transferring brevetoxins and are potential vectors of brevetoxin to dolphins frequently exposed to K. brevis blooms. Here we report results of brevetoxin analyses of the primary fish species consumed by long-term resident bottlenose dolphins inhabiting Sarasota Bay, Florida. Fish collected during K. brevis blooms in 2003 to 2006 were analyzed by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and had brevetoxin concentrations ranging from 4 to 10844 ng PbTx-3 eq g–1 tissue. Receptor binding assay (RBA) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis confirmed toxicity and the presence of parent brevetoxins and known metabolites. Fish collected in the absence of K. brevis blooms tested positive for brevetoxin by ELISA and RBA, with concentrations up to 1500 ng PbTx-3 eq g–1 tissue. These findings implicate prey fish exposed to K. brevis blooms as brevetoxin vectors for their dolphin predators and provide a critical analysis of persistent brevetoxin loads in the food web of dolphins repeatedly exposed to Florida red tides.

Larval development of the southern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus melanochir) and the river garfish (H. regularis) (Beloniformes: Hemiramphidae) from South Australian waters

Larval development of the southern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus melanochir) and the river garfish (H. regularis) is described from specimens from South Australian waters. Larvae of H. melanochir and H. regularis have completed notochord flexion at hatching and are characterized by an elongate body with distinct rows of melanophores along the dorsal, lateral, and ventral surfaces; a small to moderate head; a heavily pigmented and long straight gut; a persistent pre-anal finfold; and an extended lower jaw. Fin formation occurs in the following sequence: caudal, dorsal and anal (almost simultaneously), pectoral, and pelvic. Despite the similarities between both species and among hemiramphid larvae in general, H. melanochir larvae are distinguishable from H. regularis by 1) having 58–61 vertebrae (vs. 51–54 for H. regularis); 2) having 12–15 melanophore pairs in longitudinal rows along the dorsal margin between the head and origin of the dorsal fin (vs. 19–22 for H. regularis); and 3) the absence of a large ventral pigment blotch anteriorly on the gut and isthmus (present in H. regularis). Both species can be distinguished from similar larvae of southern Australia (other hemiramphids and a scomberosocid) by differences in meristic counts and pigmentation.

Bycatch and catch-release mortality of small sharks in the Gulf coast nursery grounds of Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor

The bays and estuaries of the southeast United States coast generally are thought to serve as nursery areas for various species of coastal sharks, where juvenile sharks find abundant food and are less exposed to predation by larger sharks. Because these areas typically support substantial commercial and recreational fisheries, fishing mortality of sharks in the nurseries particularly by bycatch, may be significant. This two-year project assessed the relative importance of two estuaries of the southwest Florida Gulf coast, Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor/Pine Island Sound, as shark nursery areas, and examined potential fishing mortality of these young sharks in the nurseries.