Nodulation and nitrogen-fixation byHippophaë rhamnoides L. in the field

Summary 1. The extent of nodulation and nitrogen fixation by a population ofHippophaë rhamnoides bushes occurring on a sand dune system on the east coast of England has been studied.2. Nodules were found on all plants (the latter ranged from 3 to 16 years in age) and using the isotope N¹⁵ it was confirmed that these nodules fixed nitrogen. The nodules on the youngest plants were most active in fixation but because of the greater total nodule mass older plants fixed the largest quantities of nitrogen.3. Large increases in total nitrogen (i.e. soil plus plant nitrogen) occurred with increase in age of the plants, such nitrogen increases ranging from 27 kg per hectare per annum in the presence of bushes 0 to 3 years old to 179 kg per hectare per annum in the presence of bushes 13 to 16 years old.4. The N¹⁵-technique indicated that a proportion of the nitrogen accumulated was due to fixation byHippophaë but nitrogen contributions from other sources could not be ruled out.5. The levels of nitrate-nitrogen and ammonium-nitrogen in the soil underHippophaë showed a marked seasonal variation, increasing to a maximum in the winter and to a minimum in the summer. These levels were in general inversely related to the level of average monthly rainfall. Because of the low levels of combined nitrogen in the soil during the summer months it seems unlikely that combined nitrogen should markedly inhibit fixation in this situation.     

Mycorrhizal improvement in non-leguminous nitrogen fixing associations with particular reference toHippophaë rhamnoides L.

Summary The roots ofHippophaë rhamnoides which regularly bear actinomycete induced nodules when growing on Scottish sand dunes have also been found to support an endomycorrhizal association withGlomus fasciculatus. Ultrastructural and cytochemical studies carried out on the indigenous infections of establishedHippophaë mycorrhizal roots would support the postulate that transport is indeed occurring between the fungal symbiont and the host plant and vice versa in respect of phosphate and carbohydrate. Experiments using various inoculation regimes, demonstrated the significant improvement in the mycorrhizal/nodulated plants compared to the nodulated-only and the mycorrhizal-only plants with respect to plant growth, uptake of phosphate and nitrogenase activity, when grown in a medium poor in combined nitrogen and soluble phosphate. Preliminary work onAlnus andMyrica species growing in Central Scotland indicates that the mycorrhizae associated with these nodulated root systems exhibit a different interaction pattern which may be dependent on habitat type and associated angiosperm species.     

中国沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides L.ssp. sinensis Rousi)的开花特性及风媒传粉距离的检测

连续两年对雌雄异株的中国沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides L.ssp. sinensis Rousi)的花期物候、开花式样进行了观察,检测了柱头可授性、花粉活力和花粉-胚珠比,并进行了人工授粉、套袋实验,检测结实率.结果显示中国沙棘风媒传粉发生在4月下旬或5月上旬,单花花期约7d;传粉盛期在第3天到第5天,柱头的可授性从第2天到第4天或第5天.中国沙棘花先叶开放、花小、无花冠、花药成熟时萼片从两个侧面的纵缝中裂开,形成有利于花粉散布的对流风洞.花粉活力和花粉-胚珠比都很高,具有典型的适应风媒传粉的花部特征和性状.中国沙棘花粉的传播距离受外界环境影响较大,通过重力玻片法检测可以看出,在风速小于3m/s时,主要集中在15～25m之间,当风速大于3m/s时,顺风向可超过85m以外.传粉效率对结实率的影响较大.     

Observations on the fine structure of the root nodule endophyte of Hippophaë rhamnoides L.

Summary Electron microscopy of ultra-thin sections of Hippophaë rhamnoides root nodules has been carried out in order to elucidate the nature of the endophyte. The organism is seen as a branching, septate filament approximately 0.6 microns in diameter bearing on its terminal ends spherical sub-divided vesicles 3–4 microns in diameter. In the mature nodule the vesicles are the most prominent endophyte form and appear to be formed by swelling of the hyphal tips. It is concluded that the endophyte is an actinomycete closely related to but not identical with that of Alnus glutinosa.     

中国沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. Sinensis)根瘤内Frankia菌的遗传多样性

为了研究中国沙棘亚种共生菌Frankia的遗传多样性,利用PCR-RFLP分子标记方法,对从青海西宁到内蒙古库伦17个地点采集的106个中国沙棘根瘤样品进行遗传多样性分析.供试样品nifD-nifK基因间隔区(IGS)扩增产物分别用3种内切酶(HinfⅠ、HaeⅢ和MboⅠ)酶切,共产生21条酶切谱带,其中17条为多态性条带,多态位点百分比(PPL)为80.99%,所有样品可被划分为9个基因型.结果表明中国沙棘根瘤内的Frankia菌有丰富的遗传多样性,土壤质量较好地点的丰富度高于土壤质量较差地点,海拔较高地区的丰富度高于海拔较低地区,多数地点至少有2种不同基因型的Frankia 菌.聚类分析显示Frankia 菌不同基因型间的遗传距离在4.88%～55.96%之间,它们在不同地点的分布是不均匀的,没有发现不同基因型菌间的亲缘关系与地点有相关性.中国沙棘根瘤中Frankia菌可分为两个基因型组,组内基因型分布比较一致,而组间有明显差异.     

The formation of vesicles in the developmental cycle of the nodular endophyte of Hippophaë rhamnoides L.

Summary The mature vesicle of the Hippophaë rhamnoides root nodule endophyte is spherical, approximately 3–4 m in diameter and exhibits a high degree of apparently random septation. Electron micrographs are presented which show that this vesicular form in the endophytic development within the host cell originates as a swelling of the hyphal tip. The young vesicle is non-septate and in general attains a minimum diameter of 3 m before septation becomes evident. The number of septa then increases with vesicle maturity.     

Feedback regulation of nodule formation in Hippophaë rhamnoides

Seedlings of Hippophaë rhamnoides possessing two equally infectible root systems (split roots) were used in conjunction with specific Frankia strains to investigate plant control over nodulation. When a wild-type Frankia strain was inoculated onto both root systems simultaneously or 1, 2, 4, or 8 weeks apart, an inhibitory response occurred which retarded nodulation on the root exposed to the delayed inoculum. Similar suppressive responses were also observed when two different wild-type Frankia inocula were applied onto opposite sides of a split-root system at different times. The depressed response shown by the delayed inoculum was more pronounced as the delay period was increased. The roots exposed to the delayed inoculum displayed a complete lack of nodulation when the delay was 4 or 8 weeks. The nodulation response on the root inoculated first depended on subsequent inoculation of the second root system of the plant, so that maximum nodulation of the first root was observed when the second root was unnodulated. These results provide evidence that sea buckthorn has an active, systemic mechanism for feedback control of nodulation that suppresses further nodule formation and prevents excessive nodulation. The significance of these results to the understanding of nodule ontogeny is discussed.