Costs and Limitations of Marine Synechococcus Blue-Green Chromatic Acclimation

Benefits and trade-offs of blue/green chromatic acclimation (CA4) have received limited study. We investigated the energetic costs associated with executing chromatic acclimation using a fluorescence-based calculation of light use efficiency. Using laboratory cultures and artificial light environments, we show that the delayed response to acclimation known to occur in marine Synechococcus acclimating strains (generalists) in green light do not reduce light use efficiency in green light, but that only one generalist, RCC307, with a much smaller range of acclimation, had higher light use efficiency than blue and green light specialist strains. Generalists with a wider acclimation range either had the same or >30% lower light use efficiencies in blue and green light environments. From this work, we propose that advantages from CA4 may not be geared at direct competition with other Synechococcus specialists with fixed pigment types, but may serve to expand the ecological range of Synechococcus in spectral competition with other genera. As all eight Synechococcus strains tested had higher light use efficiency in green light, regardless of a fixed or flexible light harvesting strategy, we add evidence to the suitability of the Synechococcus genus to greener ocean niches, whether stable, or variable.

Allotetraploidization in Brachypodium May Have Led to the Dominance of One Parent’s Metabolome in Germinating Seeds

Seed germination is a complex process during which a mature seed resumes metabolic activity to prepare for seedling growth. In this study, we performed a comparative metabolomic analysis of the embryo and endosperm using the community standard lines of three annual Brachypodium species, i.e., B. distachyon (Bd) and B. stacei (Bs) and their natural allotetraploid B. hybridum (BdBs) that has wider ecological range than the other two species. We explored how far the metabolomic impact of allotetraploidization would be observable as over-lapping changes at 4, 12, and 24 h after imbibition (HAI) with water when germination was initiated. Metabolic changes during germination were more prominent in Brachypodium embryos than in the endosperm. The embryo and endosperm metabolomes of Bs and BdBs were similar, and those of Bd were distinctive. The Bs and BdBs embryos showed increased levels of sugars and the tricarboxylic acid cycle compared to Bd, which could have been indicative of better nutrient mobilization from the endosperm. Bs and BdBs also showed higher oxalate levels that could aid nutrient transfer through altered cellular events. In Brachypodium endosperm, the thick cell wall, in addition to starch, has been suggested to be a source of nutrients to the embryo. Metabolites indicative of sugar metabolism in the endosperm of all three species were not prominent, suggesting that mobilization mostly occurred prior to 4 HAI. Hydroxycinnamic and monolignol changes in Bs and BdBs were consistent with cell wall remodeling that arose following the release of nutrients to the respective embryos. Amino acid changes in both the embryo and endosperm were broadly consistent across the species. Taking our data together, the formation of BdBs may have maintained much of the Bs metabolome in both the embryo and endosperm during the early stages of germination. In the embryo, this conserved Bs metabolome appeared to include an elevated sugar metabolism that played a vital role in germination. If these observations are confirmed in the future with more Brachypodium accessions, it would substantiate the dominance of the Bs metabolome in BdBs allotetraploidization and the use of metabolomics to suggest important adaptive changes.

Is Vipera orlovi a Distinct Hybrid Species?

The species status of Vipera orlovi is discussed in the context of the concept of hybrid speciation. The genome of this Caucasian viper is composed of the genomes of Vipera kaznakovi (major part) and of Vipera renardi (about 20%). V. orlovi is intermediate in ecology between its ‘parental species,’ however its habitat is not the typical habitat of neither V. kaznakovi nor V. renardi. As all three taxa are allopatric, there is no evidence of current geneflow between them. Pleistocene climatic changes may have mediated contact and hybridization between V. kaznakovi and V. renardi. The resulting hybrid flock may have had a wider ecological range than its parental species, enabling a descendant lineage to occupy a novel niche which was previously unoccupied. Similar scenarios of hybrid speciation have probably occurred in vipers throughout the Caucasus. Although the future fate of this hybrid speciation remains open unless full genetic isolation has occurred, we propose to grant species status to Vipera orlovi. This is in line with the genotypic cluster species concept and the unified species concept.

Molecular and biological characteristics of streptomyces diversity in the soils of the Saxaul forest in Mongolia

Saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron) is a plant with a wide ecological range that forms forests in Mongolia often used as pastures for camels. Actinomycetes were isolated from the soils of the saxaul forest using selective isolation methods. According to the results of phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of the 16S rRNA gene fragment, it has been established that the obtained isolates belong to the Streptomyces genus. According to the taxonomic position, strains (M41; M42; M 43; C 4-46; C 4-47; C 4-50; M44; C 5-54; C5-60 and C 5-63) demonstrate a high level of similarity (99.20- 100 %) of 16S rRNA gene sequences with type strains of the following species: S. fradiae, S. huasconensis, S. coeruleoprunus, S. tendae, S. rubrogriseus, S. malachitofuscus, S. flavoviridis S. pilosus, S. caelestis, S. azureus, S. fulvissimus, S. microflavus, S. griseussubsp. griseus, S. anulatus, S. cyaneofuscatus, S. luridiscabiei, S. halstedii, S. fulvorobeus, S. pratensis, S. setonii, S. anulatus, S. pratensis, S. caelestis and S. azureus.

Catatan Beberapa Jamur Liar yang Tumbuh di Sekitar Pemukiman Penduduk

Abstrak: Jamur merupakan organisme yang memiliki sebaran luas dengan rentang ekologi beragam. Keragaman dan potensi jamur liar yang tumbuh di sekitar pemukiman penduduk jarang dilaporkan sebelumnya di Indonesia. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menambah koleksi informasi keragaman jamur liar di tempat-tempat yang bersinggungan dengan kegiatan antropogenik. Eksplorasi jamur dilakukan dengan opportunistic sampling method. Identifikasi jamur dilakukan dengan menggunakan beberapa kunci identifikasi. Sejumlah 10 jamur berhasil diidentifikasi dan dideskripsikan pada penelitian ini. Seluruh jamur tersebut merupakan bagian dari filum Basidiomycota yang terbagi ke dalam 5 ordo dan 8 famili. Jamur-jamur tersebut adalah: Leucoagaricus sp., Marasmiellus sp., Coprinellus sp., Psathyrell asp., Schizophyllum sp., Auricularia sp., Phallusi ndusiatus, Phallus cf. multicolor, Pycnoporus cf. sanguineus, dan Dacryopinax spathularia. Beberapa jamur diketahui memiliki potensi sebagai bahan pangan, obat, dan pewarna alami.Kata kunci : Jamur, Ragam, Potensi, Pemukiman, Indonesia�Abstract: Fungi are knownto have bothbroad distribution and ecological range. The diversity of wild mushrooms which distributed around the residence area are rarely been reported previously in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to increase the collection data of the diversity of wild macrofungi in places that intersect with the anthropogenic activities. Observations were conducted usingopportunistic sampling method. The identification of mushrooms was carried out using several identification keys. A total of 10 mushrooms were identified and described in this study. All these fungi are members of the phylum of Basidiomycota which is divided into 5 orders and 8 families. These fungi are: Leucoagaricus sp., Marasmiellus sp., Coprinellus sp., Psathyrella sp., Schizophyllum sp., Auricularia sp., Phallus indusiatus, Phallus cf. multicolor, Pycnoporus cf. sanguineus, and Dacryopinaxspathularia. Some mushrooms are known to have potential as food, medicinal, and natural dyes.Keywords: Mushrooms, Variety, Potency, Residence, Indonesia

Phenotypic plasticity at fine-grained spatial scales: the scorched mussel Perumytilus purpuratus growing on Patagonian rocky salt-marshes

Understanding phenotypic plasticity of species at different spatial scales is vital in the current context of an increasing pace of environmental changes. Through this knowledge, it is possible to predict their potential to adapt and/or evolve in face of new environmental conditions such as climate change, and/or to understand their ecological range expansion. In Patagonian rocky salt-marshes, one of the most abundant invertebrate species is the scorched mussel Perumytilus purpuratus. In this system, this mussel can be found inhabiting both vegetated and non-vegetated patches, which differ in critical environmental conditions. We performed a field study evaluating whether mussels growing in vegetated patches differ in shell shape from those growing in adjacent non-vegetated patches. We sampled individuals from both patch types and assessed their shell shape and size using geometric morphometrics. The results showed that mussels from vegetated patches had shells that were more dorsoventrally expanded, anterodorsally restricted and globose in shape than those from non-vegetated patches, which showed the opposite traits resulting in a more elongated shell. The differences found could be driven by the different conditions of temperature, desiccation rate, wave action and population density to which mussels are exposed in each patch type. These results revealed the striking phenotypic plasticity of shell form of this native species at a fine-grained scale, which could be one of the explanations for its success in its ecological range expansion.

Comparative genome analysis proposes three new Aureobasidium species isolated from grape juice

ABSTRACT Aureobasidium pullulans is the most abundant and ubiquitous species within the genus and is also considered a core component of the grape juice microflora. So far, a small number of other Aureobasidium species have been reported, that in contrast to A. pullulans, appear far more constrained to specific habitats. It is unknown whether grape juice is a reservoir of novel Aureobasidium species, overlooked in the course of conventional morphological and meta-barcoding analyses. In this study, eight isolates from grape juice taxonomically classified as Aureobasidium through ITS sequencing were subjected to whole-genome phylogenetic, synteny and nucleotide identity analyses, which revealed three isolates to likely represent newly discovered Aureobasidium species. Analyses of ITS and metagenomic sequencing datasets show that these species can be present in grape juice samples from different locations and vintages. Functional annotation revealed the Aureobasidium isolates possess the genetic potential to support growth on the surface of plants and grapes. However, the loss of several genes associated with tolerance to diverse environmental stresses suggest a more constrained ecological range than A. pullulans.

Reproductive capacity of the dendrological resources of the Rosaceae family and their prospects for nursery management and forest flora enrichment

Проведение научных исследований по вопросам влияния стресс-факторов на репродуктивную способность экономически важных древесных растений актуально для аридных регионов РФ, в связи с выполнением мероприятий по национальным проектам «Наука», «Экология». Механизмы приспособления биологических систем к воздействию стресс-факторов, определяются пределами устойчивости растений, раскрывают природу их целостности и сохранности. Объекты исследований – представители семейства Rosaceae (Amelanchier, Amygdalus, Aronia, Armeniaca, Chaenomeles, Cerasus, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Gydonia, Malus, Rosa, Sorbus, Spiraea и др.), произрастающие в коллекциях ФНЦ агроэкологии РАН (Волгоградская, Самарская области, Алтайский край), включают виды многоцелевого назначения (лесомелиоративные, декоративные, лекарственные, пищевые и др.). Климат характеризуется небольшим количеством годовых атмосферных осадков (270-395 мм), высокими летними (+40-43°C) и низкими зимними (-35-50°C) температурами воздуха, оттепелями зимой, малым снеговым покровом. Наблюдение за поведением древесных интродуцентов оценивалось по степени роста, развития и получения репродукции. Использованы методы определения пределов толерантности в условиях действия стресс-факторов на основе кондуктомера S230Kit, устройства Dualex Scientific. Определение влияния факторов среды на цветение, плодоношение и семеношение исследуемых представителей родовых комплексов семейства Rosaceae проводилось по методическим указаниям, разработанным ФНЦ агроэкологии РАН. В кластерных коллекциях ФНЦ агроэкологии РАН (дендрарии: Волгоградский, Камышинский, Поволжский, Кулундинский) выделены 33,2 % древесных видов с генеративным индексом 0,65-0,79. В эту группу вошли растения с широким экологическим ареалом произрастания (полиморфные родовые комплексы). У них наряду с высоким уровнем экологической пластичности к стресс-факторам по коллоидно-осмотическим свойствам протоплазмы (1,70-2,05) отмечено интенсивное плодоношение, высокие показатели завязываемости плодов (64-91%), развитие крупных плодов и семян, хорошая доброкачественность семян. Семена высоких качеств продуцируют представители Cydonia (80…95), Spiraea(85…93), Prunus (86…97), Aronia (88…95), Padus (89…96), Pyrus(89…99), Amygdalus (90…100), Cerasus (93…99), Chaenomeles(95…99), Physocarpus (95…100), Armeniaca (99…100). Разнообразием качества семян характеризуются следующие виды родов этого семейства: Crataegus(48…91), Sorbus (59…88), Amelanchier (60…90), Malus(68…90), у Aflatuniaulmifolia (31…50). Установлена экологическая специфика видов, связанная с ареалом их происхождения и сложным процессом адаптивной изменчивости. Выявлены биоэкологические параметры семеношения и генеративная способность деревьев и кустарников, для их эффективного непрерывного использования в питомниководстве и лесомелиорации. В результате исследований разработана теоретическая основа семеноведения, которая базируется на получении адаптивного поколения растений. Получены новые знания по пределам экологической толерантности древесных видов к стресс-факторам. Для формирования устойчивых лесомелиоративных комплексов и улучшения биоресурсов деградирующих ландшафтов рекомендованы полиморфные родовые комплексы кустарников. На основе анализа климатических характеристик, играющих определяющую роль в успешности интродукции, установлены виды с широким экологическим ареалом, как растения многоцелевого назначения. Они перспективны для насаждений в аридных регионах. Scientific research on the impact of stress factors on the reproductive ability of economically important woody plants is relevant for arid regions of the Russian Federation in connection with activities under the national projects "Science" and "Ecology". Mechanisms of adaptation of biological systems to the impact of stress factors are determined by the limits of plant resistance and reveal the nature of their integrity and preservation. The objects of research are representatives of the Rosaceae family (Amelanchier, Amygdalus, Aronia, Armeniaca, Chaenomeles, Cerasus, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Gydonia, Malus, Rosa, Sorbus, Spiraea, etc.) growing in the collections of the Federal Research Center ofAgroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Volgograd and Samara Regions, Altai Territory), including multi-purpose species (forest-reclamation, decorative, medicinal, food, etc.). The climate is characterized by a small amount of annual precipitation (270-395 mm), high summer precipitation (+40-43°C), and low winter (- 35-50°C) air temperatures, thawing in winter, low snow cover. Observation of the behavior of introduced trees was evaluated by the degree of growth, development,and reproduction. Methods for determining tolerance limits under stress factors based on an s230kit conductometer and a Dualex Scientific device were used. The effect of environmental factors on the flowering, fruiting, and seed production of the studied representatives of generic systems in the Rosaceaefamily was determined according to guidelines developed by the Federal Scientific Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In the cluster collections of the Federal Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (arboretums: Volgograd, Kamyshin, the Volga Region, Kulunda), 33.2 percent of woody species with the generative index 0.65-0.79 were allocated. This group includes plants with a wide ecological range of growth (polymorphic generic complexes). Along with a high level of environmental plasticity to stress factors, the colloid-osmotic properties of protoplasm (1.70-2.05) showed intensive fruiting, high fruit set rates (64-91%), development of large fruits and seeds, and good seed quality. Seeds of high quality are produced by representatives of Cydonia (80 ... 95), Spiraea(85...93), Prunus (86...97), Aronia (88...95), Padus(89...96), Pyrus (89...99), Amygdalus (90...100), Cerasus(93...99), Chaenomeles (95...99), Physocarpus (95...100), andArmeniaca(99...100). The following species of genera of this family are characterized by a variety of seed quality: Crataegus (48 ... 91), Sorbus(59...88), Amelanchier (60...90), Malus (68...90), and Aflatuniaulmifolia(31…50). The ecological specificity of the species, associated with the range of their origin and with a complex process of adaptive variability, was established. Bioecological parameters of seed production and generative capacity of trees and shrubs for their effective continuous use in nursery and forest reclamation were identified. As a result of research, a theoretical basis for seed science has been developed, which is based on obtaining an adaptive generation of plants. New knowledge has been obtained on the limits of ecological tolerance of tree species to stress factors. Polymorphic generic complexes of shrubs are recommended for the formation of sustainable forest-reclamation complexes and improvement of bioresources of degraded landscapes. Based on the analysis of climatic characteristics that play a decisive role in the success of introduction, species with a wide ecological range, as multi-purpose plants, are promising for plantings in arid regions.