Glycine Betaine Biosynthesis Is Induced by Salt Stress but Repressed by Auxinic Herbicides in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kochia scoparia</Emphasis>.

Kochia scoparia biotypes that are susceptible or resistant to the auxinic herbicide dicamba were used to characterize expression levels of choline monooxygenase (CMO) and glycine betaine accumulation in response to salt stress and herbicide treatment. A 1180-bp cDNA was isolated using differential display and 3 RACE with a deduced amino acid sequence that was more than 90% similar to the carboxy terminal 290 residues of CMOs from four related plant species. Salt stress led to a substantial increase in CMO mRNA and enzyme levels in K. scoparia biotypes, and the accumulation of up to 80 mol g^–1 fresh weight glycine betaine. In contrast, dicamba treatment was followed by the rapid attenuation of CMO message and protein levels, with a recovery of expression in the resistant but not the susceptible biotype. CMO mRNA and enzyme levels similarly declined, and recovered in the resistant biotype, after dicamba treatment of plants that were previously salt stressed for 4 days. The opposing effects of these two stresses may represent a regulatory scheme in which competition for the substrate choline leads to a repression of glycine betaine biosynthesis to make sufficient choline available for auxin-mediated growth processes.     

Seasonal Differences in Photochemical Efficiency and Chlorophyll and Carotenoid Contents in Six Mediterranean Shrub Species under Field Conditions

The effects of summer and winter stress on the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents and photosystem 2 efficiency were examined in six Mediterranean scrub species. These six species belong to two different plant functional types: drought semi-deciduous (Halimium halimifolium L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Erica scoparia L.) and evergreen sclerophylls (Juniperus phoenicea L., Pistacia lentiscus L., Myrtus communis L.). Two sites with different water availability were chosen. In the xerophytic site, despite they belong to two different functional types, R. officinalis and J. phoenicea showed a similar response. These were the most affected species in summer. H. halimifolium showed optimal values of F_v/F_m and non-significant seasonal changes in xanthophyll content. In the mesic site, E. scoparia and M. communis were apparently the most affected species by winter climatic conditions. P. lentiscus presented a pattern similar to H. halimifolium, except for elevated F₀ values. In all the studied species, lutein plus zeaxanthin content was negatively correlated with F_v/F_m in summer and with leaf water potential, thus indicating that the thermal dissipation of energy was a general pattern for all species. Under stress, plant response is more species-specific than dependent on its functional type.     

Seed germination responses to seasonal temperature and drought stress are species‐specific but not related to seed size in a desert steppe: Implications for effect of climate change on community structure

Investigating how seed germination of multiple species in an ecosystem responds to environmental conditions is crucial for understanding the mechanisms for community structure and biodiversity maintenance. However, knowledge of seed germination response of species to environmental conditions is still scarce at the community level. We hypothesized that responses of seed germination to environmental conditions differ among species at the community level, and that germination response is not correlated with seed size. To test this hypothesis, we determined the response of seed germination of 20 common species in the Siziwang Desert Steppe, China, to seasonal temperature regimes (representing April, May, June, and July) and drought stress (0, ?0.003, ?0.027, ?0.155, and ?0.87 MPa). Seed germination percentage increased with increasing temperature regime, but Allium ramosum, Allium tenuissimum, Artemisia annua, Artemisia mongolica, Artemisia scoparia, Artemisia sieversiana, Bassia dasyphylla, Kochia prastrata, and Neopallasia pectinata germinated to >60% in the lowest temperature regime (April). Germination decreased with increasing water stress, but Allium ramosum, Artemisia annua, Artemisia scoparia, Bassia dasyphylla, Heteropappus altaicus, Kochia prastrata, Neopallasia pectinata, and Potentilla tanacetifolia germinated to near 60% at ?0.87 MPa. Among these eight species, germination of six was tolerant to both temperature and water stress. Mean germination percentage in the four temperature regimes and the five water potentials was not significantly correlated with seed mass or seed area, which were highly correlated. Our results suggest that the species‐specific germination responses to environmental conditions are important in structuring the desert steppe community and have implications for predicting community structure under climate change. Thus, the predicted warmer and dryer climate will favor germination of drought‐tolerant species, resulting in altered proportions of germinants of different species and subsequently change in community composition of the desert steppe.     

陕北黄土丘陵区撂荒群落共存种活性氧清除指标对水分胁迫的响应

群落共存种对环境变化的生理生态响应差异是群落演替的重要因素,其中活性氧清除是生理生态响应的重要方面。该研究以黄土丘陵区10个常见撂荒群落共存种(阿尔泰狗娃花、猪毛蒿、铁杆蒿、茭蒿、小花棘豆、达乌里胡枝子、白羊草、冰草、中华隐子草和无芒隐子草)为研究对象,测定了不同水分处理条件下(适宜水分、中度胁迫及重度胁迫)生长季中3个月份(8、9和10月)个体和种群的生长表现(个体株高、生物量和种群存活率),及主要活性氧清除指标［类胡萝卜素含量、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性和谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量］,分析群落共存种的生态适合度和活性氧清除指标对水分处理的响应差异及其相互关系,以明确演替生态位置上各指标的变化趋势。结果表明：(1)随水分胁迫程度的增加,演替前期种——猪毛蒿的的适合度有所下降,后期种——白羊草有所上升。(2)GSH和类胡萝卜素含量均随水分胁迫程度增强显著升高。(3)类胡萝卜素含量、SOD活性和GSH含量存在显著的种间差异,其中达乌里胡枝子的类胡萝卜素含量、小花棘豆的SOD活性、中华隐子草的SOD活性和GSH含量、无芒隐子草的类胡萝卜素含量和GSH含量均相对较高,且这3个指标的生长季变化也较为明显,8月份类胡萝卜素含量和GSH含量相对较高,而10月份GSH含量和SOD活性相对较高。(4)演替生态位置上,10个共存种在演替序列上以前期种的适合度和类胡萝卜素含量相对较低,而演替后期种相对较高,表明演替后期的植物较为耐旱。     

荒漠草原不同土壤条件下猪毛蒿幼苗种群的点格局分析

采用摄影定位法测定了宁夏荒漠草原3种不同土壤条件下猪毛蒿（Artemisia scoparia）幼苗种群的空间格局,并应用完全空间随机模型、泊松聚块模型和嵌套双聚块模型对其分布格局进行了分析。结果表明：（1）在灰钙土生境下,猪毛蒿幼苗种群在小尺度上（0-2.85m）表现为聚集分布,随着尺度的增大先呈现为随机分布（2.85-3.75 m）,然后又呈现为均匀分布（3.75-5m）;在风沙土生境下,猪毛蒿幼苗种群在0-1.85 m之间表现为聚集分布,在1.85-2.35 m之间表现为随机分布,当尺度大于2.35 m时表现为均匀分布;而基岩风化残积土上的猪毛蒿幼苗种群在整个尺度上均呈现随机分布。（2）猪毛蒿种群幼苗在基岩风化残积土上符合泊松聚块模型,即猪毛蒿种群空间格局的聚块中不存在较高密度的小聚块;而在风沙土和灰钙土上则符合嵌套双聚块模型,即在大聚块中分布较高密度的小聚块。猪毛蒿幼苗种群空间格局的形成与土壤异质性存在着密切的联系,种群在空间中分布格局的形成机制可以通过种群空间格局的分析加以解释。     

Heat shock and light activation of aChlamydomonas HSP70 gene are mediated by independent regulatory pathways

Induction ofHSP70 heat shock genes by light has been demonstrated inChlamydomonas. Our aim was to establish whether this induction by light is mediated by the heat stress sensing pathway or by an independent signal chain. Inhibitors of cytoplasmic protein synthesis revealed an initial difference. Cycloheximide and other inhibitors of protein synthesis preventedHSP70A induction upon illumination but not during heat stress. Analysis ofHSP70A induction in cells that had differentiated into gametes revealed a second difference. While heat shock resulted in elevatedHSP70A mRNA levels, light was no longer able to serve as an inducer in gametes. To identify the regulatory sequences that mediate the response of theHSP70A gene to either heat stress or light we introduced a series of progressive 5 truncations into its promoter sequence. Analyses of the levels of mRNA transcribed from these deletion constructs showed that in most of them the responses to heat shock and light were similar, suggesting that light induction is mediated by a light-activated heat shock factor. However, we show that theHSP70A promoter also containscis-acting sequences involved in light induction that do not participate in induction by heat stress. Together, these results provide evidence for a regulation ofHSP70A gene expression by light through a heat shock-independent signal pathway.     

Speciation,population structure,and demographic history of the Mojave Fringe‐toed Lizard (Uma scoparia), a species of conservation concern

The North American deserts were impacted by both Neogene plate tectonics and Quaternary climatic fluctuations, yet it remains unclear how these events influenced speciation in this region. We tested published hypotheses regarding the timing and mode of speciation, population structure, and demographic history of the Mojave Fringe‐toed Lizard (Uma scoparia), a sand dune specialist endemic to the Mojave Desert of California and Arizona. We sampled 109 individual lizards representing 22 insular dune localities, obtained DNA sequences for 14 nuclear loci, and found that U. scoparia has low genetic diversity relative to the U. notata species complex, comparable to that of chimpanzees and southern elephant seals. Analyses of genotypes using Bayesian clustering algorithms did not identify discrete populations within U. scoparia. Using isolation‐with‐migration (IM) models and a novel coalescent‐based hypothesis testing approach, we estimated that U. scoparia diverged from U. notata in the Pleistocene epoch. The likelihood ratio test and the Akaike Information Criterion consistently rejected nested speciation models that included parameters for migration and population growth of U. scoparia. We reject the Neogene vicariance hypothesis for the speciation of U. scoparia and define this species as a single evolutionarily significant unit for conservation purposes.     

Response to recurrent disturbance in two co-occurring resprouter heath species: the ecological consequences of withstanding herbivores

Resprouting woody plants are vulnerable to large mammal herbivores in the early stages of regeneration after disturbance (e.g., fire, slashing), because herbivory reduces the storage of below-ground starch reserves and may thus compromise regeneration success. Defence from herbivory may incur a cost to resprouter plants in terms of lengthening the time to recovery of pre-disturbance starch levels. Erica scoparia and E. australis (Ericaceae), two resprouter woody species that co-occur in Mediterranean heath-communities of the Strait of Gibraltar, differ in the way they cope with herbivory: E. scoparia is browsing-tolerant and E. australis is a browsing-avoider. Our experimental field study demonstrated that exposure to a moderate density of ungulate herbivores markedly lowered starch re-storage after resprouting in E. scoparia, but not in E. australis. Nevertheless, time to recover pre-disturbance starch levels was shorter in the tolerant E. scoparia, even under exposure to herbivores. The slower starch recovery rate of E. australis is a likely outcome of its resource-demanding browsing-avoidance mechanism. Differences in starch recovery rates after disturbance between the two Erica species partly explains their ecological segregation at the landscape scale.     

Suppression of auxin signalling promotes rice susceptibility to Rice black streaked dwarf virus infection

Auxin plays a fundamental role in plant growth and development, and also influences plant defence against various pathogens. Previous studies have examined the different roles of the auxin pathway during infection by biotrophic bacteria and necrotrophic fungi. We now show that the auxin signalling pathway was markedly down-regulated following infection of rice by Rice black streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), a dsRNA virus. Repression of the auxin receptor TIR1 by a mutant overexpressing miR393 increased rice susceptibility to RBSDV. Mutants overexpressing the auxin signalling repressors OsIAA20 and OsIAA31 were also more susceptible to RBSDV. The induction of jasmonic acid (JA) pathway genes in response to RBSDV was supressed in auxin signalling mutants, suggesting that activation of the JA pathway may be part of the auxin signalling-mediated rice defence against RBSDV. More importantly, our results also revealed that OsRboh-mediated reactive oxygen species levels played important roles in this defence. The results offer novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of auxin signalling in the rice–RBSDV interaction.     

黄土高原先锋种猪毛蒿叶片形态解剖与生理特征对立地的适应性

为了揭示黄土丘陵沟壑区撂荒地植被演替前期优势种猪毛蒿(Artemisia scoparia)对该区立地环境的适应性,探讨猪毛蒿演替生态位的变化,研究了陕北黄土丘陵沟壑区3种立地环境下(阳峁坡、峁顶、阴峁坡)猪毛蒿叶片形态解剖和生理特征的变化,以及这些变化与生态因子之间的相互关系。结果表明:(1)猪毛蒿叶片具有适应该区半干旱环境的形态及解剖结构:叶片针形化、具表皮毛、环栅型叶肉组织、海绵组织特化为贮水组织、维管束退化、具裂生分泌腔,C3植物呈现类似CAM植物的叶片特性;(2)在土壤、空气湿度相对干燥和强光生境的阳峁坡与峁顶,猪毛蒿具有较小的叶面积、发达的栅栏组织、致密的表皮毛和紧密的细胞间隙,而在生境条件较好的阴峁坡则呈相反趋势;(3)阳峁坡猪毛蒿叶片相对含水量和叶绿素含量较小,超氧阴离子自由基增加,但植物体内超氧化物歧化酶和抗坏血酸含量增加以清除植物体内产生的活性氧;(4)冗余及相关性分析表明,猪毛蒿叶片形态、解剖和生理指标的可塑性对立地光照强度、土壤水分和有机质含量较为敏感,同时其形态解剖与生理可塑性可共同调节来适应生境。综合分析,猪毛蒿对陕北黄土丘陵沟壑区撂荒初期光照强度大、土壤贫瘠但土层干化现象尚未出现的立地环境有较好的适应性,使其成为黄土高原植被自然演替过程中的先锋物种。     

沙质草地3种优势植物叶片光合生理对增温和降水减少的响应北大核心CSCD

以沙质草地优势物种猪毛蒿、胡枝子和糙隐子草为研究对象,利用开顶式生长室(OTC)模拟增温,研究降水减少20%、40%和60%与增温的交互作用对3种典型植物叶片光合气体交换特征及叶绿素荧光特征的影响,以揭示沙质草地3种优势植物对气候变化的响应规律。结果显示:(1)与自然温度相比,OTC模拟增温增加了猪毛蒿C_(i),显著降低了胡枝子G_(s)、P_(n)和T_(r)、糙隐子草G_(s)和P_(n)、猪毛蒿WUE和L_(s),也显著降低了猪毛蒿和胡枝子F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)。(2)无论增温与否,随着降水减少幅度的增加,猪毛蒿G_(s)和P_(n)呈下降趋势,且中度以上的干旱胁迫下(降水减少>40%)胡枝子和糙隐子草P_(n)显著低于对照。(3)在自然温度条件下,轻度干旱胁迫时(降水减少20%)猪毛蒿T_(r)显著低于对照,重度干旱胁迫时(降水减少60%)其WUE、F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)显著低于对照;重度干旱胁迫时,胡枝子C_(i)显著高于对照,差异幅度达10.7%,L_(s)显著低于对照,轻度干旱胁迫时(降水减少20%)其F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)显著高于中度以上的干旱胁迫;中度以上的干旱胁迫下糙隐子草T_(r)和G_(s)显著低于对照,重度干旱胁迫时,其C_(i)、F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)显著低于对照,WUE和L_(s)显著高于对照。(4)增温与降水减少交互作用下,所有处理猪毛蒿C_(i)均高于对照,差异幅度分别达4.5%,6.0%和8.4%;胡枝子T_(r)均显著低于对照,差异幅度达57.8%;重度干旱胁迫时猪毛蒿L_(s)和WUE显著低于对照,糙隐子草F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)随降水减少而降低,中度以上的干旱胁迫时其值显著低于对照。(5)相关性分析表明,3个优势物种的P_(n)与F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)均呈显著正相关关系,其中猪毛蒿和糙隐子草的P_(n)—F_(v)/F_(m)和P_(n)—F_(v)/F_(o)斜率明显高于胡枝子。研究表明,气候变暖会在一定程度上加剧降水减少对沙质草地3种群落优势物种光合作用的抑制。     

牛血清白蛋白与地肤提取物N-反式阿魏酰酪胺相互作用研究

该研究以一年生白及幼苗为材料,通过测定生物量、氨基酸含量、蛋白质及多糖含量的变化,研究不同浓度的芸苔素内酯（BR）、萘乙酸（NAA）和茉莉酸甲酯（Me JA）喷施对白及幼苗假鳞茎快速生长发育影响。结果表明：1.6 × 10 4 mmol·L 1的BR处理组,假鳞茎鲜重达3.39 g/株,高于其他处理组,分别是清水对照(CK1)和沼气肥对照组(CK2)的1.19倍和1.25倍;单个假鳞茎（单株）的新生萌芽数也高于其他处理,达到2.17个,说明生产效益至少可提高19%。把两个对照组和三种植物生长调节物质处理后假鳞茎产量最高的处理组（即1.6 ×10 4 mmol·L 1的BR、0.5 mmol·L 1的NAA和0.25 mmol·L 1的Me JA）进一步测定假鳞茎氨基酸、蛋白质和多糖含量,发现CK2氨基酸含量最高,高达8.58%,而CK1含量最低,仅为5.21%,三种植物生长调节物质处理组分别是7.26%、7.53%和5.69%。蛋白质含量由高到低依次是沼气肥对照组、1.6 ×10 4 mmol·L 1 BR、0.5 mmol·L 1 NAA、0.25 mmol·L 1 ME JA和清水对照组,它们的含量分别是11.6%、11.0%、10.5%、9.14%、7.72%,这说明与氨基酸含量基本一致。三种植物生长调节物质处理后白及多糖含量分别为24.2%、26.5%、26.5%,均远高于清水对照（19.3%）和沼气肥对照（21.8%）。综合分析认为,1.6 ×10 4 mmol·L 1的BR能同时提高白及假鳞茎的产量和质量。该研究结果对于白及规模化种植栽培具有重要指导意义。     

放牧践踏对黄蒿功能性状的影响

植物功能性状是构成植物个体的基础,从性状角度揭示植物个体特征的变化机制尤为重要。该研究以半干旱沙质草地优势草本植物黄蒿为研究对象,探讨不同践踏强度在生长季早期对其功能性状的影响。结果表明：(1)在群落水平上,放牧践踏显著降低了生长季早期植物群落高度;而在个体水平上,黄蒿株高不是响应放牧践踏的敏感性状。(2)黄蒿的叶长、叶宽随践踏强度增加呈先增加后减少的趋势,在中度践踏强度下达到最高;茎直径随践踏强度的增加而增加;根系和全株性状随践踏强度增加无显著差异。(3)黄蒿的叶片长度、叶片宽度、单叶面积随叶片厚度的增加而减小,且叶片与一级根数目、根茎叶生物量之间均呈显著正相关关系;放牧践踏会影响黄蒿茎直径,但对其他表型性状没有显著影响;在生长发育过程中,黄蒿通过不同表型性状的非对称变化进行性状之间的权衡,践踏强度的增加对生长季早期黄蒿根茎叶生物量积累的影响很小。研究认为,黄蒿在生长季早期对放牧践踏具有较强的抵抗力,这对生长季早期半干旱沙地放牧压力的选择和物种保护具有重要的指导意义。     

荒漠草原土壤相对湿度对猪毛蒿表型可塑性的影响

猪毛蒿(Artemisia scoparia)为菊科蒿属草本植物,是一种适应性较强的广幅种。研究荒漠草原不同土壤相对湿度条件下猪毛蒿的表型可塑性,对认识异质生境下猪毛蒿的生存适应策略具有重要的生态学意义。结果表明:株高、茎粗、根长、根重和单株生物量均表现出随土壤相对湿度的增大而增加的趋势,对异质生境具有较强的可塑性,而根冠比则表现出相对的稳定性。植株不同部位生物量大小排序为:上部中部下部,且植株下部显著大于上部生物量(P0.05)。土壤相对湿度40%生境下的头状花序数量和重量显著高于土壤相对湿度30%和30%—40%生境。繁殖器官绝对投入量(lg R)随着个体大小(lg V)的增大呈极显著的增加(P0.001),繁殖阈值介于1.868—2.006 g。随着土壤相对湿度的增加,繁殖分配比例极显著增大(P0.001)。营养器官和繁殖器官生物量、头状花序重量和数量、地下生物量和地上生物量均呈极显著线性正相关关系(P0.001),存在正向权衡。单个头状花序重量并不随个体大小和头状花序数量的增加而发生显著变化(P0.05),且在不同土壤相对湿度和不同部位间均无显著差异(P0.05)。由此可见,猪毛蒿在异质生境下产生的可塑性是其生存繁殖的重要反应机制之一。     

异质生境对荒漠草原植物群落组成和种群生态位的影响

为揭示荒漠草原不同植物种群生态位特征以及对有限资源的利用状况,以围栏内外不同土壤类型下植物群落为研究对象,运用经典生态位理论,探讨其群落组成和种群生态位特征。结果表明：在调查样方中共记录到15科36属42种植物,以豆科、禾本科、菊科和藜科的草本植物为主。风沙土生境中的植被生物量和密度最高,一年生植物生态位宽度值往往较高,以猪毛蒿的重要值最大。灰钙土生境中植被盖度较高,多年生植物生态位宽度值相对较高,以牛枝子和针茅的重要值最大。放牧会减少多年生草本的种类和数量,而一年生草本有所增加,对半灌木数量则影响不大。在不同生境下猪毛蒿生态位宽度和总宽度值均居首,是该区域主要优势种和典型的泛化种。在放牧和短期围栏内猪毛蒿与其他物种的生态位重叠指数均较高,但在长期围封样地中,特别是灰钙土生境下,重叠指数比重有所降低。基岩风化沉积土中物种间的重叠程度最大,而风沙土中则最小。猪毛蒿分布在生态位重叠指数DCA排序图的中心,说明其在群落中占有重要地位,对有限资源的竞争能力和对环境的适应能力较强。综上,生境的异质性是导致群落组成及生态位不同的关键因子,因此在荒漠草原进行植被恢复建设和保护措施时,应考虑不同土壤类型条件下各物种生态适应性,避免生态位功能冲突。     

High-throughput miRNA sequencing and identification of a novel ICE1-targeting miRNA in response to low temperature stress in Eucalyptus camaldulensis

• MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in the growth, development, morphogenesis, signal transduction, and stress response in plants. The ICE (Inducer of CBF expression)-CBF (C-repeat binding factor)-COR (Cold-regulated gene) regulatory cascade is an important signalling pathway in plant response to low temperature stress, and it remains unknown whether this pathway is regulated by miRNAs.
• In this study, high-throughput sequencing was employed for predicting and identifying the miRNAs that were likely to target the ICE-CBF-COR pathway in Eucalyptus camaldulensis. A novel ICE1-targeting miRNA, eca-novel-miR-259-5p (nov-miR259), was further analysed.
• A total of 392 conserved miRNAs and 97 novel miRNAs were predicted, including 80 differentially expressed miRNAs. Of these, 30 miRNAs were predicted to be associated with the ICE-CBF-COR pathway. The full-length of mature nov-miR259 was 22 bp and its precursor gene was 60 bp in length, with a typical hairpin structure. The RNA ligase-mediated 5′ amplification of cDNA ends (5′-RLM-RACE) and Agrobacterium-mediated tobacco transient expression assays demonstrated that nov-miR259 could cleave EcaICE1 in vivo. Moreover, qRT-PCR and Pearson's correlation analysis further revealed that the expression levels of nov-miR259 were almost significantly negatively correlated with those of its target gene, EcaICE1, and the other genes in the ICE-CBF-COR pathway.
• We first identified the nov-miR259 as a novel ICE1-targeting miRNA, and the nov-miR259-ICE1 module may be involved in regulating the cold stress response in E. camaldulensis.