Diel vertical migration of the bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus), a species possessing orbital retia mirabilia

The bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus, Lowe 1841) is one of three sharks in the family Alopiidae, which occupy pelagic, neritic, and shallow coastal waters throughout the altropics and subtropics (Gruber and Compagno, 1981; Castro, 1983). All thresher sharks possess an elongated upper caudal lobe, and the bigeye thresher shark is distinguished from the other alopiid sharks by its large upward-looking eyes and grooves on the top of the head (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1948). Our present understanding of the bigeye thresher shark is primarily based upon data derived from specimens captured in fisheries, including knowledge of its morphological features (Fitch and Craig, 1964; Stillwell and Casey, 1976; Thorpe, 1997), geographic range as far as it overlaps with fisheries (Springer, 1943; Fitch and Craig, 1964; Stillwell and Casey, 1976; Gruber and Compagno, 1981; Thorpe, 1997), age, growth and maturity (Chen et al., 1997; Liu et al., 1998), and aspects of its reproductive biology (Gilmore, 1983; Moreno and Moron, 1992; Chen et al., 1997).

Age and growth of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) in waters off eastern Taiwan

Age and growth of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) in waters off eastern Taiwan were examined from counts of growth rings on cross sections of the fourth spine of the first dorsal fin. Length and weight data and the dorsal fin spines were collected monthly at the fishing port of Shinkang (southeast of Taiwan) from July 1998 to August 1999. In total, 1166 dorsal fins were collected, of which 1135 (97%) (699 males and 436 females) were aged successfully. Trends in the monthly mean marginal increment ratio indicated that growth rings are formed once a year. Two methods were used to back-calculate the length of presumed ages, and growth was described by using the standard von Bertalanffy growth function and the Richards function. The most reasonable and conservative description of growth assumes that length-at-age follows the Richards function and that the relationship between spine radius and lower jaw fork length (LJFL) follows a power function. Growth differed significantly between the sexes; females grew faster and reached larger sizes than did males. The maximum sizes in our sample were 232 cm LJFL for female and 221 cm LJFL for male.

Growth, recruitment, and abundance of juvenile striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) in South Carolina estuaries

Growth, recruitment, and abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) striped mullet (Mugil cephalus L.) in estuarine habitats in South Carolina from 1998 to 2000 were examined and compared to historical data (1986–91) of growth, recruitment, and abundance. Daily growth increments from the sagittal otoliths of juvenile striped mullet were validated by using fish immersed in oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) for five hours from the Charleston Harbor Estuary system. The distribution of back-calculated birthdates indicated that striped mullet spawn from October to late April and estuarine recruitment occurs from January through May. Juveniles were more abundant in mesohaline and polyhaline salinity regimes but were found throughout the estuary. Juvenile growth after recruitment into the estuary can be described by the relationship Total length (mm) = 0.341 (Age)1.04 (r2=0.741, P=0.001). Growth of juveniles according to the analysis of size-frequency data from historical surveys (1986 to 1991) in the same estuaries gave the relationship Total length (mm) = 8.77 (month)1.12 (r2=0.950, P=0.001). The similarity in the growth curves for both groups of fish suggests that juvenile striped mullet in South Carolina have consistent annual growth during the first year of life.

一种小G蛋白TaRAN1在植物细胞周期和发育过程中的功能研究

　　小G蛋白作为信号转导中重要的分子开关， 进化相当保守，与许多不同的调控因子和效应器分子相互作用，产生细胞功能的多样性。近年来，人们不断发现植物中小G蛋白家族的新成员，也不断揭示小G蛋白的新功能，许多植物特有的信号途径和功能需要小G蛋白这个重要的分子开关来完成，使它越来越成为人们研究的热点问题。但是，有关植物中Ran GTPase及其编码基因的研究工作报道很少，对与之相互作用的调控蛋白研究进展也刚刚开始。 　　TaRAN1 (AF488730) 是小麦来源的Ran同源蛋白编码基因，全长1055 bp, 编码221个氨基酸，它在植物发育过程中的功能还没有任何报道。本论文在验证了它是小G蛋白Ran家族的成员后，从分子水平上还发现它在植物细胞周期调控、对生长素以及胁迫应答信号转导过程中都起着重要作用，这也说明了它可能作为信号转导过程中重要的转换因子，参与了很多细胞的基本生理过程。 　　利用原核表达系统及亲和色谱的方法纯化了TaRAN1融合蛋白，并用放射性标记的GTP和竞争实验证实了它具有特异的GTP结合活性。TaRAN1的转录产物在小麦幼茎和花芽等分生组织活动旺盛的器官表达较多，而在老叶中表达较少。利用洋葱表皮瞬时表达系统分析表现，TaRAN1蛋白主要定位于细胞核，但其没有典型的核定位信号。 　　细胞周期一直是生物学领域中的热门问题，人们虽然在动物细胞中取得了很大进展，但在植物细胞中的研究远落后于动物。裂殖酵母（Schizosaccharomyces pombe）是研究细胞形态和细胞周期的良好系统，利用此系统发现超表达TaRAN1的酵母细胞表现出许多新的细胞学表型，例如G2细胞周期延滞、染色体对紫外线敏感、细胞超长或多隔细胞的出现等;反义表达TaRAN1的酵母细胞呈近圆型、具有高度凝集的核并且生长速度缓慢、核质混合和无核细胞的数目明显增加。流式细胞仪检测实验也证实其细胞周期的异常。这些结果推测TaRAN1蛋白可能参与细胞周期的有丝分裂过程和发育的调控机制，并且在维持染色体结构稳定和完整性方面起着重要的作用。通过免疫荧光实验观察表明，超表达转基因酵母的微管多呈异常的狭小扇形结构，反义表达TaRAN1的酵母微管不能形成丝状结构，推测TaRAN1还可能参与微管（包括纺锤体）的结构形成过程。最后，我们用超表达TaRAN1的转基因拟南芥和水稻也证实了它的功能，其生长点表现出分生组织增多的原基、根生长点的有丝分裂指数有所改变、出现异常的细胞分裂时相等有关细胞周期异常的现象，更进一步说明了TaRAN1确实参与着细胞周期的调控过程，推测其与细胞周期从G2期进入M期的过程有关。 　　TaRAN1基因受IAA的诱导表达，且随着浓度的增加表达量增强。超表达的TaRAN1植株（包括拟南芥和水稻）的根表现出对外源生长素异常敏感，侧根显著变少，地上部分表现出生长素过量的表现型，顶端优势减弱，分蘖增多，生长周期延长等。HPLC测定转基因植物的IAA含量，明显高于对照。所以，TaRAN1可能还参与了复杂的生长素信号转导过程。TaRAN1基因还受各种胁迫处理的诱导表达，并且超表达植株对胁迫的忍受能力有明显提高，这说明TaRAN1还参与了胁迫信号应答的相应机制。Ran蛋白这些新功能目前还未见到其它报道。

Anchorage of air bladder with the interspinous bone of the anal fin in Lactarius lactarius (Bloch and Schneider, 1801)

Specimens of the false trevally (Lactarius lactarius ), 127 to 221 mm in total length, were studied for the mode of anchorage of the air-bladder with the interspinous bone of the anal fin. The 1st and 2nd interspinous bones are fused together into a single piece (named here as the anchor bone) which pierces through the air-bladder, dividing it into two intercommunicating chambers at its upper end, and ultimately articulates with the 10th vertebral bone. The lower end of the bone is broad, fan like with one side affording articulation with the 1st and 2nd anal spines. This is an unique feature of great taxonomical importance to L. lactarius, the only species in the family Lactariidae. The anal fin counts (23-27) and vertebral counts (23) are also given.

中国蕨类植物保护生物地理学研究

保护生物地理学（Conservation biogeography）就是运用生物地理学的原理、理论和分析方法，特别是那些有关物种分布格局的信息，去解决生物多样性保护的相关问题，是当前生物多样性及其保护生物学研究领域的热点。通过构建中国蕨类植物物种及分布数据库得知，中国现有蕨类植物63科，221属，2456种，其中有1218种属于中国特有（中国蕨类总数约50%），3种蕨类植物为外来种。科的统计表明：最大的科为鳞毛蕨科、蹄盖蕨科、金星蕨科和水龙骨科4个科所包含的种类占全国总种数的51.5%。鳞毛蕨科、蹄盖蕨科、金星蕨科、水龙骨科、铁角蕨科、凤尾蕨科、碗蕨科、中国蕨科、叉蕨科、观音座莲科等十个大科所含种数占了中国特有种总数的80%。云南、四川、贵州、广西、台湾、湖南、西藏等省区是中国蕨类植物种类数量及中国特有种数量较多的地区；全国有22个省区拥有地方特有种，地方特有蕨类植物数量由西向东、由南向北逐渐递减，云南、台湾、西藏、海南等四省区的地方特有蕨类植物种数占各省区蕨类植物总数10%以上，反映了青藏高原隆起及岛屿现象对中国特有蕨类植物分化的影响。 中国蕨类植物与各地理、环境及气候因子的相关性分析结果表明：（1）随着经度、纬度的增加， 蕨类植物物种总数及中国特有蕨类植物总数具有减少的趋势；（2）蕨类植物在海拔1000-1600米之间、特有蕨类植物在海拔700-2100米之间具有最大的多样性，此区间外随着海拔的降低及升高，物种丰富度依次降低；（3）气候因子特别是一月均温、年均温、相对湿度、年降雨量等因素对蕨类植物及中国特有蕨类植物均具有较大的影响，与最热月均温成低度线性相关或相关不显著；（4）地形因子是影响蕨类植物多样性的一个独立因素，地形条件越复杂，蕨类植物种类及中国特有蕨类植物种类越丰富。 运用SPSS统计分析软件分析了中国蕨类植物在各省之间种的相似性，以省区为单元对中国各省区蕨类植物物种组成进行了聚类分析，最后结果划分成：①南方蕨类植物区（包括横断山—青藏高原亚区、华中亚区、华东亚区、华南亚区）和北方蕨类植物区（包括东北—华北—西北亚区、秦岭亚区、江淮亚区）。 中国蕨类植物区系地理成分分析结果表明：（1）中国—喜马拉雅分布（40.86%）、热带亚洲分布（30.95%）、东亚分布（12.77%）和中国—日本分布（8.24%）构成中国蕨类植物区系成分的主体；在洲际关系方面，中国蕨类植物与大洋洲的蕨类植物关系最为紧密，共有种最多，达94种；与南美洲共有的蕨类植物种类最少，仅32种。（2）基于地理成分的聚类分析结果表明，可将我国蕨类植物区系地理区划为代表温带亚洲成分的（特别是中亚、西亚地中海分布成分）西北温带亚洲植物区、代表古热带成分的华南古热带植物区和代表广义东亚成分的东亚植物区，东亚植物区可继续下分为中国东北—俄罗斯远东亚区（该区分布有大量的东亚－北美间断分布类型）、中国—日本植物亚区、中国—喜马拉雅植物亚区。 运用IUCN濒危物种等级对中国蕨类植物及其国家重点保护蕨类植物进行了现状评估，结果表明：可能灭绝（EX）的2种，极危（CR）的蕨类植物有33种，属于濒危（EN）的蕨类植物51种，属于易危（VU）的蕨类植物有109种，接近受危（NT）的蕨类植物158种，需予关注（LC）的845种，数据不足（DD）的1255种。对国家重点保护蕨类植物的保护级别提出部分变更的建议，对部分没有列入保护名录珍稀蕨类提出保护的建议，并就建议保护级别变更和增加保护的种类进行了必要的说明。