Müller Werner E G, Brümmer Franz, Batel Renato, Müller Isabel M, Schröder Heinz C
Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie, Universität, Duesbergweg 6, 55099 Mainz, Germany.
Naturwissenschaften. 2003 Mar;90(3):103-20. doi: 10.1007/s00114-003-0407-6. Epub 2003 Feb 27.
Biological diversity--or biodiversity--is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms. The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend. The research on molecular biodiversity tries to lay the scientific foundation of a rational conservation policy that has its roots in various disciplines including systematics/taxonomy (species richness), present day ecology (diversity of ecological systems), and functional genetics (genetic diversity). The results of ongoing genome analyses (genome projects and expressed sequence tag projects) and the achievements of molecular evolution may allow us not only to quantitate the diversity of the present biota but also to extrapolate to their diversification in the future. A link between biodiversity and genomics/molecular evolution will create a platform which we hope may facilitate a sustainable management of organismic life and ensure its exploitation for human benefit. In the present review we outline possible strategies, using the Porifera (sponges) as a prominent example. On the basis of solid taxonomy and ecological data, the high value of this phylum for human application becomes obvious, especially with regard to the field of chemical ecology and the desire to find novel potential drugs for clinical use. In addition, the benefit of trying to make sense of molecular biodiversity using sponges as an example can be seen in the fact that the study of these animals, which are "living fossils", gives us a good insight into the history of our planet, especially with respect to the evolution of Metazoa.
生物多样性——或简称生物多样——是指地球上生命的多样性及其形成的自然模式。我们如今所见的生物多样性是数十亿年进化的成果，它由自然过程塑造，且日益受到人类影响。它构成了生命之网，我们是其中不可或缺的一部分，并且完全依赖于它。分子生物多样性研究试图奠定合理保护政策的科学基础，该政策源于包括系统学/分类学（物种丰富度）、当代生态学（生态系统多样性）和功能遗传学（遗传多样性）在内的多个学科。正在进行的基因组分析（基因组计划和表达序列标签计划）的结果以及分子进化的成果，不仅可能使我们能够量化当前生物群的多样性，还能推断其未来的多样化情况。生物多样性与基因组学/分子进化之间的联系将创建一个平台，我们希望这个平台能够促进对生物生命的可持续管理，并确保其为人类利益而被利用。在本综述中，我们以多孔动物门（海绵动物）为例概述可能的策略。基于扎实的分类学和生态学数据，这个门类在人类应用方面的高价值显而易见，尤其是在化学生态学领域以及寻找新型临床用潜在药物的需求方面。此外，以海绵动物为例来理解分子生物多样性的益处在于，对这些“活化石”动物的研究能让我们很好地洞察地球历史，特别是后生动物的进化历程。
