Microcalorimetry as a possible tool for phylogenetic studies of Tetrahymena

Using isothermal microcalorimetry, the growth power-time curves of three strains of Tetrahymena were determined at 28°C. Their Euclidean distances and cluster analysis diagram were obtained by using two thermokinetic parameters (r and Q_log), which showed that T. thermophila BF₁ and T. thermophila BF₅ had a closer relationship. Compared with the single molecular biomarker (ITS1) method, microcalorimetry wasmaybe a simpler, more sensitive andmore economic technique in the phylogenetic studies of Tetrahymena species.     

A complete sequence and comparative analysis of a SARS-associated virus(Isolate BJ01)

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a newly identified infectious disease[1—5]. The global outbreak of SARS has been threatening the health of people worldwide and has killed 353 people and infected more than 5462 in 27 countries, as reported by WHO on April 29, 2003 (http://www.who.int/csr/sarscountry/en). Although it has been recognized that a variant of virus from the family of coronavirus might be the candidate pathogen of SARS[1—5], its identity as the unique pathogen sti…     

似然比检验和贝叶斯推论在雉科分子系统学中的应用

应用似然比检验和贝叶斯推论进行雉科分子系统学研究．所用的56条纫胞色素b基因全序列代表了雉科24属50种以及作为外类群的6个相关属．等级制似然比检验表明该数据集的最佳进化模型为GTR I——G。建立在坚实的统计学基础上的贝叶斯系统树表明雉科可以分为3个分支．特别是包括角雉、松鸡、火鸡和gallopheasant等在内的第3分支的单系群性质得到了充分的支持．深层分支格局的高分辨率和高支持率说明将雉科划分为雉族和鹑族是人为的．结果表明，似然比检验和贝叶斯推论是分子系统学研究的强有力工具．     

山茶科系统发育诠释：Ⅸ.山茶属的原始特征及其演化趋向

讨论和比较了关于山茶属演化趋向的两种观点，认为根据现存种类及目前发现的化石资料，花无梗，苞被不分化为苞片和萼片，代表了山茶属的原始特征；而花梗伸长，引起了苞萼分化，苞片在花梗上疏离，宿存，脱落或减少，演化出更加进步的类群；而苞被保持不分化，多数状态下也可能在花和果等方面得到演化，体现了系统发育和个体发育在山茶属内次级分类群中并不一致     

盲蝽科(半翅目异翅亚目)部分昆虫酯酶同工酶比较研究

运用酯酶同工酶电泳技术获得盲蝽亚科Mirinae、合垫盲蝽亚科Orthotylinae、叶盲蝽亚科Phylinae和齿爪盲蝽亚科Deraeocorinae 4个亚科12个属的23种盲蝽的酯酶同工酶(EST)酶谱．将所获得的酶谱数据(酶带和相对迁移率Rf)转化为二态特征数据，建立矩阵，用系统发育分析软件包WinClada 1．00．04对数据矩阵进行分析运算，分别获得各个亚科内和亚科间的系统发育树．分析结果表明：①酯酶同工酶酶谱特征在不同属级单元之间以及同属的不同种类之间都存在着明显的差异；②不同属种之间酯酶同工酶特征的相似程度与外部形态特征之间的相似程度不一致，以外部形态为主要依据的传统分类的一些属不是真正的单系群；③酯酶同工酶酶谱特征所反映出的盲蝽科4个亚科间的相互关系与Sehuh 1974年所做的盲蝽科内系统发育部分一致，但合垫盲蝽亚科与叶盲蝽亚科之间不是直接的姐妹群关系．4个亚科的关系为(((盲蝽亚科Mirinae，齿爪盲蝽亚科Deraeocorinae)叶盲蝽亚科Phylinae)合垫盲蝽亚科Orthotylinae)；④盲蝽亚科内存在着明显的异质性，需要进一步分类修订．     

基于trn L-F序列数据利用贝叶斯法推测罗汉松科的系统发育

以黑松和Agathis australis为外类群,基于罗汉松科42种植物的叶绿体trnL-F序列数据通过贝叶斯法对该科的系统发育进行了推测.结果显示:①Phyllocladus为单系分支,位于罗汉松科的基部,是罗汉松科所有其余成员的姊妹群;②Nageia嵌套在罗汉松科内,同罗汉松属、Afrocarpus及Retrophyllum的关系较为密切;③Dacrycarpus为单系群且处于姊妹分支Falcatifolium-陆均松属的基部;④Lagarostrobs franklinii和Manoao colensoi应置于同一属Lagarostrobs内;⑤支持成立Halocarpus和Lepidothamnus属;⑥赞同Microstrobos和Microcachrys两属亲缘密切的观点.     

中国岩黄耆属(Hedysarum L.)植物区系生态地理分布

依据种的现代分布、替代关系、地质历史、古气候和化石资料,探讨了中国岩黄耆属植物区系的发生、演变及形成机制.结果表明:岩黄耆属可能是由古地中海旱生植物区系中一类中生的原始灌木类群,在晚始新世到早渐新世或比这个时期稍晚一些,经过第三纪以来的环境分异变化,逐渐形成适应高寒山地生长的扁荚组种类和适应干旱环境生长的多茎组、短茎组种类,短茎组种类是多茎组对干旱强化进一步适应的结果,与此同时,原始的灌木类群自身也在继续演化,形成适应荒漠半荒漠生长的种类.这种演化过程揭示出生存环境中水热条件的剧烈变化是植物演化的主要动力.     

Phylogenetic characterization of a mixed microbial community capable of degrading carbon tetrachloride

Two bacterial communities (NO92 and GBS) capable of degrading carbon tetrachloride (CT) were enriched from in-house CT-contaminated water. These communities are able to degrade CT in the presence of toluene. To characterize the community structure and diversity, one enrichment (NO92) was subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-based molecular analysis. The 16S rRNA genes were amplified from the bulk genomic community DNA and cloned into plasmid vectors. Unique 16S rRNA gene clones, i.e., phylotypes, were detected by four tetrameric restriction enzymes. Together, 123 16S rRNA gene clones were obtained; thirty-one showed different restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns. About 73% of the clones belong to two dominant RFLP patterns. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of 10 major phylotypes showed that all the phylotypes that were sequenced were affiliated with the high G+C Gram-positive bacteria. Whereas seven of the phylotypes (∼80% of the clones) were closely related to Rhodococcus, the other three (∼5% of the clones) were related to Curtobacterium. These results suggest that this CT-degrading community is diverse but is predominated by closely related bacterial groups.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis>-Trees and Weighted Quartet Systems

In this note, we consider a finite set X and maps W from the set $ \mathcal{S}_{2|2} (X) $ of all 2, 2- splits of X into $ \mathbb{R}_{\geq 0} $. We show that such a map W is induced, in a canonical way, by a binary X-tree for which a positive length $ \mathcal{l} (e) $ is associated to every inner edge e if and only if (i) exactly two of the three numbers W(ab|cd),W(ac|bd), and W(ad|cb) vanish, for any four distinct elements a, b, c, d in X, (ii) $ a \neq d \quad\mathrm{and}\quad W (ab|xc) + W(ax|cd) = W(ab|cd) $ holds for all a, b, c, d, x in X with #{a, b, c, x} = #{b, c, d, x} = 4 and $ W(ab|cx),W(ax|cd) $ > 0, and (iii) $ W (ab|uv) \geq \quad \mathrm{min} (W(ab|uw), W(ab|vw)) $ holds for any five distinct elements a, b, u, v, w in X. Possible generalizations regarding arbitrary $ \mathbb{R} $-trees and applications regarding tree-reconstruction algorithms are indicated.AMS Subject Classification: 05C05, 92D15, 92B05.     

Pitfalls in the analysis of ancient human mtDNA

The retrieval of DNA from ancient human specimens is not always successful owing to DNA deterioration and contamination although it is vital to provide new insights into the genetic structure of ancient people and to reconstruct the past history. Normally, only short DNA fragments can be retrieved from the ancient specimens. How to identify the authenticity of DNA obtained and to uncover the information it contained are difficult. We employed the ancient mtDNAs reported from Central Asia (including Xinjiang, China) as an example to discern potentially extraneous DNA contamination based on the updated mtDNA phylogeny derived from mtDNA control region, coding region, as well as complete sequence information. Our results demonstrated that many mtDNAs reported are more or less problematic.Startim, from a reliable mtDNA phylogeney and combining the available modern data into analysis, one can ascertain the authenticity of the ancient DNA, distinguish the potential errors in a data set, and efficiently decipher the meager information it harbored. The reappraisal of the mtDNAs with the age of more than 2000 years from Central Asia gave support to the suggestion of extensively (pre)historical gene admixture in this region.