Characterization of PHB in the gonadal development of the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus.

Prohibitin (PHB) is an evolutionarily conserved multifunctional protein with ubiquitous expression. In this study, we cloned the PHB gene from the testis of the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus (PtPHB) and analyzed the deduced amino acid sequence. The expression level of phb mRNA in larvae was analyzed using qRT-PCR.

[Overwintering and size dynamic characters of Apis cerana cerana].

A systematic observation and research was conducted on the overwintering and size dynamic characters of Apis cerana cerana at south and west mountaneous area of Anhui Province in 1998-2003. The results showed that the center temperature of overwintering bee flock changed synchronously with the outside temperature. With the decrease of overwintering bee colony, its center temperature and relative humidity ranged widely, and stably descended.

[Effect of habitat and interspecific competition on Apis cerana cerana colony distribution].

Habitat change and interspecific competition were the main factors affecting, Apis cerana cerana colony distribution among Wannan and Wanxi Dabie mountainous areas, Jianghuai area and Huaibei plain. Wannan and Wanxi Dabie mountainous areas were the ideal places for Apis cerana cerana' habitation and propogation, in which, there were integrated natural vegetation, fine ecological condition, abundant nectariferous plants, and Apis cerana cerana had large colony size, wide distribution, high density, no disturbances of natural mating, and was dominant interspecific competition. In Jianghuai area and Huaibei plain, there were small covering of natural vegetation, different degree of degradation of ecological balance, few kinds of nectariferous plants with almost the same blooming periods, natural mating perturbed by Apis mellifera ligustica for Apis cerana cerana, and which was inferior in interspecific competition, colony size sharply decreased, distribution area reduced, and density cut down to a great extent.