主要农作物转基因研究现状和展望

近15年来,大豆、水稻、玉米、小麦等主要农作物转基因研究取得了较大进展,几乎各种遗传转化方法在这些作物上都取得了成功,尤其是农杆菌介导法,不仅在难转化的双子叶作物大豆上取得了成功,而且在单子叶作物水稻、玉米、小麦上先后取得了突破。同时,将一些与重要性状改良有关的外源基因转入了主要农作物,包括抗虫、抗病、抗除草剂、抗逆、品质改良、发育调控、营养吸收等。转基因大豆、玉米、棉花、油菜在生产上得到了大面积种植,产生了极大的经济效益,2004年全球转基因作物的种植面积达到了8100万公顷。本文对大豆、玉米、水稻和小麦等主要农作物转基因研究历史和产业化现状进行了综述,并对主要农作物转基因研究中存在的问题进行了分析。     

龙眼树形对生长结果及机理影响初探

为了解决龙眼园的郁闭问题,提高龙眼的产量和品质,该文以桂香龙眼品种为材料,研究了扁开心形、开心形、自然圆头形三种不同树体结构对树体光照强度、叶片、根系、果实的影响。结果表明:扁开心形显著改善了树冠和果园通风透光环境,提高了叶绿素含量,增大了叶面积,提高了PSⅡ系统活性和开放程度,调节了光合机构的自我保护机制,改善了荧光参数,从而提高了果实品质;扁开心形、开心形、对照的单株产量分别是19.90、17.00、15.60 kg,单果重分别是10.24、10.07、7.64 g;扁开心形和开心形可食率比对照分别提高了4.20%、4.40%,可溶性固形物含量分别提高了12.16%、12.55%;扁开心形比开心形以及对照的表层根有所上浮,促进了果树的生殖生长,显著扩大了根系的分布深度,扩大了根系对营养物质以及水分的吸收。扁开心形是一种高光效的树形,应在生产上加以推广。     

我国蓝藻水华的发生机理、危害及防控利用研究进展

近些年蓝藻水华的大规模爆发不仅危害了水产养殖业,而且严重影响了人类日常生活、供水、旅游业等。主要介绍了蓝藻水华爆发的内在因素（假空泡、类胡萝卜素、厚壁孢子、细胞壁等）及外在因素（营养物质、温度、微量元素、滤食性鱼类等）。阐述了蓝藻水华对生产、生态和生活造成的危害,归纳总结了蓝藻水华防控的化学、物理、生物等方法。最后描述了蓝藻水华的有效利用并提出其研究中存在的问题。     

我们在云南挖化石

一天妈妈告诉我一个好消息：有一个去云南古生物化石考察的活动,我听了非常想参加。我们出发之前,我和妈妈做了准备工作．我复习了地球生命的起源,妈妈看着地质时代图表,她说出每个时期,我就用笔画出从古生代的寒武纪到新生代诞生的各种生物,我从软体动物画起,贝壳、三叶虫、千足虫、蝎子、恐龙、蛇、剑齿虎、猛犸象……一直画到人类。我还复习了恐龙时代的知识,又准备了一些问题要问科学家。     

广东省生态学会七届一次常务理事会议纪要

2009年1月16日,广东省生态学会在中山大学召开了七届一次常务理事（扩大）会议。理事长彭少麟、副理事长张润杰主持了会议。副理事长骆世明、段舜山、梁健开,秘书长周长久,常务理事章家恩、苏志尧、任海,以及陆玲、薛加林、岑柏锐、耿博闻、何新凤、梁少棉等同志,顾问张社尧、丁培强、胡镇球等共23人出席了这次会议。     

甜菜夜蛾防控技术研究与示范——公益性行业(农业)科研专项“甜菜夜蛾防控技术研究与示范”研究进展

针对当前我国蔬菜生产中甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua(Hübner)高抗药性、猖獗为害、防控困难的现状,项目组对甜菜夜蛾的发生规律、越冬与迁飞、抗药性、生物防治与综合防控等进行了系统的研究。明确了甜菜夜蛾在我国各地的发生规律及发生动态,从南到北发生时间呈楔形,而发生量总体东高西低,从南到北呈中部高南北低的马鞍形。阐述了甜菜夜蛾"无卵子发生-飞行拮抗"的迁飞特性,提出了接力棒式季节性南北往返迁飞模式,初步阐明了甜菜夜蛾在我国东部地区的迁飞路线与迁飞时间。提出并认证了甜菜夜蛾在我国的越冬区域。明确了全国各主要发生区甜菜夜蛾对10种杀虫剂的抗药性水平,探明了甜菜夜蛾对茚虫威、甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐的抗性风险、交互抗性、种群适合度、抗性遗传规律和抗性机理,提出了抗药性治理措施。分别在海南、湖南、湖北、上海、天津等地进行了甜菜夜蛾田间药效试验,筛选出环境友好型高效杀虫剂7种。掌握了马尼拉陡胸茧蜂、夜蛾黑卵蜂和淡足侧沟茧蜂人工大量繁殖技术,改进了甜菜夜蛾核型多角体病毒生产工艺,解决了寄生蜂和病毒规模化生产及田间释放关键技术,达到规模化生产的要求。改进优化了甜菜夜蛾性引诱剂配方、研发出新型诱捕装置,并投入生产应用。集成出4套农业生产轻简化实用技术,华南、华中、华北、华东地区根据当地发生特点制定了4套防控方案。在全国甜菜夜蛾主要发生区建立试验基地16个,核心示范基地29个,年示范面积总计约3800hm2,取得显著的经济、社会和生态效益。     

陕西省植物引种驯化的回顾与展望

回顾了陕西植物引种驯化的成就、经验,特别是对区域性的引进种类、成功事例进行了较详尽的叙述,并在此基础上讨论了引种驯化的理论、方法与技术措施、路线,展望了陕西植物引种驯化的趋向,提出了若干建议。     

城市生态系统:人与自然复合

随着城市化快速发展,城市生态学进入了空前繁荣时期,一些新理念和新范式引起了广泛关注。从生态系统角度,分析了城市生态系统组分、结构、过程、功能和服务的特点,提出了城市生态系统研究的黑箱范式和结构-过程-功能-服务级联范式。重点分析了人与自然在城市生态系统的组分、结构、过程、功能和服务等方面上的不同角色,探讨了人与自然在城市生态系统组分上镶嵌、结构上融合、过程上耦合、功能上互补和服务上协同的相互作用机制,提出了城市生态系统研究的人与自然共同进化范式,即人类和自然相互作用和适应,推动了城市发展。这将为深入认识和研究城市生态系统提供重要理论支撑。     

沿海都市型农业院校生物化学新课程体系的建设

天津沿海都市型农业的特点对人才培养提出了高素质、复合型、创新型的需要,生物化学作为重要的专业基础课,建立新的课程体系势在必行。结合自身优势特点,我们从多层面、多角度进行课程改革,形成了教学层次多样化的新课程体系、进行了立体化系列教材的建设、创建了新形势下的实验教学体系和双语教学模式。经过多年的教学实践,这些教学模式对培养高素质、复合型的人才起到了重要作用。     

基于WebGIS的植物园植物物种管理信息系统

鉴于植物园现代化管理和国内外植物资源信息交流的迫切需要,利用WebGIS系统集成技术在Internet上建立了中国科学院武汉植物园植物物种管理信息系统。系统实现了基于网络的图形属性数据的双向查询,并具有新增、编辑、缩放、漫游、定位等功能,为植物迁地保育的动态管理提供了管理工具,为科研、科普等应用部门和科技人员提供了获取植物物种信息的工作平台。文中详细介绍了该系统的设计要求、数据来源、开发运行环境、数据库构成、系统功能等。     

Bioavailability of synthetic and biosynthetic deuterated lycopene in humans

Current knowledge of the bioavailability of lycopene in humans is limited due to the inability to distinguish newly administered lycopene from the body reserves of lycopene. A quantitative method to assess the absorption and relative bioavailability of newly absorbed synthetic or natural lycopene was developed using two deuterated lycopene sources, in conjunction with an advanced LC/APCI-MS (liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry) to analyze newly absorbed lycopene in blood samples of study subjects. Two subjects (1 male and 1 female) consumed hydroponically grown tomatoes containing deuterium-enriched lycopene (80-84 g wet weight tomato containing 16.3 and 17.4 micromol lycopene, respectively) and two subjects (1 male, and 1 female) consumed 11 micromol synthetic (2)H(10) lycopene in 6 g of corn oil. Tomatoes were steamed and pureed. The doses were given together with a liquid formulated drink with 25% energy from fat. Our results showed that up to 34 days after taking an oral (2)H(10) lycopene dose (synthetic or from tomato) with a liquid formula drink, the area under the curve of the average serum percent enrichment response of synthetic lycopene reached 33.9 (+/-1.7) nmol-day/micromol lycopene in the dose, whereas that of lycopene from the tomato dose was 11.8 (+/-0.3) nmol-day/mumol lycopene in the dose. Our study provides evidence that the absorption of physiological levels of lycopene in intrinsically labeled tomatoes can be studied in humans. From these preliminary investigations, we find that the bioavailability of synthetic lycopene in oil appears to be about three times higher than that of lycopene from steamed and pureed tomatoes.     

Real Time Detection of Reactions Between Radicals of Lycopene and Tocopherol Homologues

Laser flash photolysis of lycopene in homogeneous chloroform solution together with tocopherol homolopes results in rapid formation of the lycopene radical cation and slower formation of tocopheroxyl radicals. Time-resolved detection by absorption spectroscopy of decay of the lycopene radical cation, of formation of the tocopheroxyl radicals, and of bleaching of lycopene has shown that a-tocopherol is able to reduce the lycopene radical cation and thereby partially regenerate lycopene on a ms timescale. In contrast, lycopene is able to reduce the δ-tocopheroxyl radical, whereas an equilibrium exists between the lycopene radical cation and β- or γ-tocopherol. The relative stability of these antioxidant radicals is hence: a-tocopheroxyl > lycopene radical cation ≈ β-tocopheroxyl - γ-tocopheroxyl > S-toco-pheroxyl.     

A review of animal model studies of tomato carotenoids,lycopene, and cancer chemoprevention

There are relatively few reports on the cancer chemopreventive effects of lycopene or tomato carotenoids in animal models. The majority, but not all, of these studies indicate a protective effect. Inhibitory effects were reported in two studies using aberrant crypt foci, an intermediate lesion leading to colon cancer, as an end point and in two mammary tumor studies, one using the dimethylbenz(a)anthracene model, and the other the spontaneous mouse model. Inhibitory effects were also reported in mouse lung and rat hepatocarcinoma and bladder cancer models. However, a report from the author's laboratory found no effect in the N-nitrosomethylurea-induced mammary tumor model when crystalline lycopene or a lycopene-rich tomato carotenoid oleoresin was administered in the diet. Unfortunately, because of differences in routes of administration (gavage, intraperitoneal injection, intra-rectal instillation, drinking water, and diet supplementation), species and strain differences, form of lycopene (pure crystalline, beadlet, mixed carotenoid suspension), varying diets (grain-based, casein based) and dose ranges (0.5-500 ppm), no two studies are comparable. It is clear that the majority of ingested lycopene is excreted in the feces and that 1000-fold more lycopene is absorbed and stored in the liver than accumulates in other target organs. Nonetheless, physiologically significant (nanogram) levels of lycopene are assimilated by key organs such as breast, prostate, lung, and colon, and there is a rough dose-response relationship between lycopene intake and blood levels. Pure lycopene was absorbed less efficiently than the lycopene-rich tomato carotenoid oleoresin and blood levels of lycopene in rats fed a grain-based diet were consistently lower than those in rats fed lycopene in a casein-based diet. The latter suggests that the matrix in which lycopene is incorporated is an important determinant of lycopene uptake. A number of issues remain to be resolved before any definitive conclusions can be drawn concerning the anticancer effects of lycopene. These include the following: the optimal dose and form of lycopene, interactions among lycopene and other carotenoids and fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin E and D, the role of dietary fat in regulating lycopene uptake and disposition, organ and tissue specificity, and the problem of extrapolation from rodent models to human populations.     

Effects of lycopene-beadlet or tomato-powder feeding on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicty in rats.

The carotenoid lycopene has been touted as possessing various antioxidant properties, but there are no demonstrations that lycopene inhibits tissue injury due to acute oxidant stress. Thus, the present study examined the effects of intake of lycopene or tomato extract, a rich source of lycopene, on acute liver injury caused by the oxidant carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Feeding with tomato extract (10% tomato powder), but not with lycopene (0.25% lycopene beadlets), partially inhibited CCl4-induced hepatic injury based on the serum activities of sorbitol dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase. No effect was seen for either lycopene or tomato extract on serum beta-glucuronidase activity, a marker of lysosomal injury. We concluded that tomato extract, but not lycopene, partially protected against acute liver injury due to chemically-induced oxidant stress.     

高产番茄红素链霉菌选育及摇瓶发酵研究

番茄红素的抗氧化能力目前在类胡萝卜素中最强,是近年来国际上功能食品成分研究的热点。在国内首次利用龟裂链霉菌（Streptomyces rimosus）发酵生产番茄红素,建立了分光光度计法和HPLC法等番茄红素测定方法;以一株龟裂链霉菌Fc作为出发菌株,进行紫外诱变,筛选到一株突变高产菌株Fc’,其番茄红素产量较出发菌株提高2.5倍;通过摇瓶发酵实验优化培养条件,使菌株Fc’的番茄红素产量达到230 mg/L,并且在不添加任何阻断剂的情况下,利用链霉菌发酵可获得纯度较高的番茄红素。该结果为今后利用链霉菌工业化生产番茄红素奠定了良好基础。     

Lycopene, tomatoes, and coronary heart disease

Tomato and its major antioxidant component lycopene have recently been focused as important antioxidant nutrients because of their ability to reduce reactive oxygen species and to provide health benefits. Most of the studies were undertaken to determine the usefulness of lycopene against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Epidemiological studies, however, yielded conflicting results. This study was undertaken to compare cardioprotective abilities of tomato juice and lycopene. Rats were gavaged either tomato juice or lycopene for 3 weeks. At the end of 3 weeks, isolated hearts were subjected to 30 min ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Both tomato juice and lycopene reduced the extent of lipid peroxidation; but only tomato juice, but not lycopene, improved post-ischemic ventricular function, and reduced myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The results indicated for the first time that tomato juice, but not lycopene, possesses cardioprotective ability.     

Lycopene in tomatoes: chemical and physical properties affected by food processing

Lycopene is the pigment principally responsible for the characteristic deep-red color of ripe tomato fruits and tomato products. It has attracted attention due to its biological and physicochemical properties, especially related to its effects as a natural antioxidant. Although it has no provitamin A activity, lycopene does exhibit a physical quenching rate constant with singlet oxygen almost twice as high as that of beta-carotene. This makes its presence in the diet of considerable interest. Increasing clinical evidence supports the role of lycopene as a micronutrient with important health benefits, because it appears to provide protection against a broad range of epithelial cancers. Tomatoes and related tomato products are the major source of lycopene compounds, and are also considered an important source of carotenoids in the human diet. Undesirable degradation of lycopene not only affects the sensory quality of the final products, but also the health benefit of tomato-based foods for the human body. Lycopene in fresh tomato fruits occurs essentially in the all-trans configuration. The main causes of tomato lycopene degradation during processing are isomerization and oxidation. Isomerization converts all-trans isomers to cis-isomers due to additional energy input and results in an unstable, energy-rich station. Determination of the degree of lycopene isomerization during processing would provide a measure of the potential health benefits of tomato-based foods. Thermal processing (bleaching, retorting, and freezing processes) generally cause some loss of lycopene in tomato-based foods. Heat induces isomerization of the all-trans to cis forms. The cis-isomers increase with temperature and processing time. In general, dehydrated and powdered tomatoes have poor lycopene stability unless carefully processed and promptly placed in a hermetically sealed and inert atmosphere for storage. A significant increase in the cis-isomers with a simultaneous decrease in the all-trans isomers can be observed in the dehydrated tomato samples using the different dehydration methods. Frozen foods and heat-sterilized foods exhibit excellent lycopene stability throughout their normal temperature storage shelf life. Lycopene bioavailability (absorption) can be influenced by many factors. The bioavailability of cis-isomers in food is higher than that of all-trans isomers. Lycopene bioavailability in processed tomato products is higher than in unprocessed fresh tomatoes. The composition and structure of the food also have an impact on the bioavailability of lycopene and may affect the release of lycopene from the tomato tissue matrix. Food processing may improve lycopene bioavailability by breaking down cell walls, which weakens the bonding forces between lycopene and tissue matrix, thus making lycopene more accessible and enhancing the cis-isomerization. More information on lycopene bioavailability, however, is needed. The pharmacokinetic properties of lycopene remain particularly poorly understood. Further research on the bioavalability, pharmacology, biochemistry, and physiology must be done to reveal the mechanism of lycopene in human diet, and the in vivo metabolism of lycopene. Consumer demand for healthy food products provides an opportunity to develop lycopene-rich food as new functional foods, as well as food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade lycopene as new nutraceutical products. An industrial scale, environmentally friendly lycopene extraction and purification procedure with minimal loss of bioactivities is highly desirable for the foods, feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. High-quality lycopene products that meet food safety regulations will offer potential benefits to the food industry.     

Effects of lycopene and tomato paste extracts on DNA and lipid oxidation in LNCaP human prostate cancer cells

Animal and epidemiological studies point to a cancer preventive/therapeutic role for tomato products and its antioxidant, lycopene. It is hypothesized that lycopene will behave as an antioxidant at low concentrations and as a prooxidant at high concentrations in LNCaP human prostate cancer cell culture systems. We characterized the antioxidant, and prooxidant effects of a hexane extract of tomato paste (TP) and water solubilized lycopene at different concentrations using a prostate cancer cell line. Placebo (5% triglyceride, Roche Inc.) was used as a control. After 6, 24 hr and 48 hr incubation, LNCaP cells were harvested and used for each measurement. Cellular proliferation was determined using the MTT colorimetric assay. Lycopene and TP hexane extract inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent (0.1-50 microM lycopene) manner and growth inhibition was 55% and 35% at 1 microM lycopene and TP hexane extract, respectively after 48 hr incubation. The levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine/deoxyguanosine (an oxidative DNA damage product) was significantly increased starting at 5 microM lycopene from both TP hexane extract and pure lycopene after 24 and 48 hr incubation with no protection at the lower concentrations. Malondialdehyde formation (a lipid peroxidation product measured by HPLC separation of the MDA-TBA adduct) was significantly reduced at low concentrations (0.1-1 microM) of lycopene in all treatments. Clinically relevant concentrations of lycopene and the tomato fraction containing lycopene significantly reduced LNCaP cancer cell survival which can only be partially explained by increased DNA damage at high lycopene concentrations (> 5 microM). Low concentrations of lycopene acted as a lipid antioxidant but did not protect DNA.     

Lycopene,tomatoes, and coronary heart disease

Tomato and its major antioxidant component lycopene have recently been focused as important antioxidant nutrients because of their ability to reduce reactive oxygen species and to provide health benefits. Most of the studies were undertaken to determine the usefulness of lycopene against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Epidemiological studies, however, yielded conflicting results. This study was undertaken to compare cardioprotective abilities of tomato juice and lycopene. Rats were gavaged either tomato juice or lycopene for 3 weeks. At the end of 3 weeks, isolated hearts were subjected to 30?min ischemia followed by 2?h of reperfusion. Both tomato juice and lycopene reduced the extent of lipid peroxidation; but only tomato juice, but not lycopene, improved post-ischemic ventricular function, and reduced myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The results indicated for the first time that tomato juice, but not lycopene, possesses cardioprotective ability.