Sky islands as foci for divergence of fig trees and their pollinators in southwest China.

The dynamics of populations and their divergence over time have shaped current levels of biodiversity and in the case of the "sky islands" of mountainous southwest (SW) China have resulted in an area of exceptional botanical diversity. Ficus tikoua is a prostrate fig tree subendemic to the area that displays unique intraspecific diversity, producing figs typical of different pollination modes in different parts of its range. By combining climate models, genetic variation in populations of the tree's obligate fig wasp pollinators and distributions of the different plant phenotypes, we examined how this unusual situation may have developed.

Development of 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers for (Moraceae).

Premise Of The Study: (Moraceae) is distributed widely in South and Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and northern Australia, and it is also cultivated outside its original northern range limit in southwestern China. Therefore, the species is well suited to explore the mechanism of range limits of species. However, little is known about its genetic background.

Extremely high proportions of male flowers and geographic variation in floral ratios within male figs of Ficus tikoua despite pollinators displaying active pollen collection.

Most plants are pollinated passively, but active pollination has evolved among insects that depend on ovule fertilization for larval development. Anther-to-ovule ratios (A/O ratios, a coarse indicator of pollen-to-ovule ratios) are strong indicators of pollination mode in fig trees and are consistent within most species. However, unusually high values and high variation of A/O ratios (0.

[An analysis on genetic characterization of HA1 gene of influenza virus subtype H3N2 circulated from 2001 to 2006 in Liaoning local area].

Objective: To understand the HA1 genetic variation characterization of influenza virus subtype H3N2 circulated from 2001 to 2006 in Liaoning local area.

Methods: Viral RNA was extracted and transcribed into cDNA by reverse transcriptase and amplified by PCR. The product of PCR was purified by QIAgen purification kits,and sequenced by ABI 3100avant.

[Influenza surveillance from 1999 to 2005 in Liaoning regions].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and subtypes of influenza viruses in Liaoning regions from November 1999 to March 2005.

Methods: Influenza virus was isolated by embryonated eggs together with cell culture and subtypes, identified by HI test.

Results: During the study in 1999 - 2005, a total number of 2713 swab specimens were collected in different cities in Liaoning regions in which 188 strains were identified for influenza viruses with an average rate as 7.