The myth of “minima” and “maxima”, the species of Physalis in the Indian Subcontinent

The status of the names, Physalis minima L. and P. maxima Mill. (Solanaceae), and their alleged presence on the Indian subcontinent are discussed. The issues of nativity and identity of Linnaean Physalis minima are long-debated while the use of the name P. maxima Mill. and its report from India are recent. The available evidence indicates that the name "P. minima L." is misapplied to two different elements, viz., P. angulata L. and P. lagascae Roem. & Schult. The name Physalis minima L. may be rejected as nomen confusum, for which the paper provides the primary information. As on today, it is submerged under the synonymy of P. angulata L. The correct name for the widely known P. minima is P. lagascae. The name "P. maxima Mill." applied to the escape and naturalized weed in the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere is to be substituted by P. pruinosa L., a name misapplied to P. grisea (Waterf.) M. Martínez.     

Detection and monitoring of insect resistance to transgenic Bt crops

Transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt） endotoxins havebecome one of the most important tools for managing corn and cotton insect pests in the US and other countries. The widespread adoption of transgenic Bt crops could place a high degree of selection pressure on the target insect populations and accelerate development of resistance, raising concerns about the long-term durability of Bt plants as an effective pest management tool. Conservation of Bt susceptibility in insects has become one of the most active research areas in modern agriculture. One of the key factors for a successful Bt resistance management plan is to have a cost-effective monitoring system that can provide information on. （i） the initial Bt resistance allele frequencies at low levels in field insect populations; and （ii） early shifts in Bt resistance allele frequencies so that proactive measures for managing resistance can be deployed well before field control failures. Developing such a monitoring program has been difficult because： （i） resistance traits that occur at very low frequencies are hard to detect; （ii） many factors affect the sensitivity and accuracy of a Bt resistance monitoring program; and （iii） monitoring resistance is costly. Several novel methods for detecting Bt resistance alleles developed during the last decade have made a cost-effective monitoring system possible. Future studies should focus on how to improve and standardize the methodologies for insect sampling and Bt resistance detection.     

Achene Wall Anatomy and Surface Sculpturing of Lactuca L. and Related Genera （Compositae： Lactuceae） with Notes on Their Systematic Significance

The achene wail anatomy and surface sculpturing of 14 species representing Lactuca L. and related genera were Investigated to evaluate inter-and Intrageneric relationships. The achene wall anatomy of the studied species can be divided Into two types： winged and ribbed. The winged type is present in Lactuca L., Pterocypsela Shlh, Clcerblta Wallr., Chaetoserls Shlh and Stenoseris Shlh, and is characterized by protruding wings and costae in transverse section. Winged type achene mesocarps are composed of parenchymatous cells and fiber ceils, and the distinct fibrous strands are confined to the costae or wings of the achenes. The ribbed type is present in Notoseris Shih and Paraprenanthes Chang ex Shih, and Is characterized by only having costae In transverse section. Fiber cells are continuous in the costae and intercostae, in surface sculpturing, the ornamentation and the shape of epidermal cells are different among these genera. The results Indicate that L. altalca and L. serrlola should be conspeclfic, and that L. dollchophylla is probably an Intermediate taxon between Lactuca and Chaetoserls. The results also support the separation of Pterocypseia, Paraprenanthes, Notoseris, Chaetoseris and Stenoserls from Lactuca and Clcerblta as independent entitles. Close affinities between Pterocypsela and Lactuca, Paraprenanthes and Notoserls, and Chaetoserls and Stenoserls are also proposed.     

Mating system and genetic diversity of a rare desert legume Ammopiptanthus nanus （Leguminosae）

Ammopiptanthus nanus is an endangered evergreen shrub endemic to the deserts of central Asia and plays an important role in delaying further desertification. We examined allozyme variation and AFLP diversity in A. nanus populations and investigated the mating system of this species using progeny arrays assayed for polymorphic allozyme loci. Mating system analysis in the Keyi＇eryongke＇er population showed low levels of outcrossing, and strong inbreeding depression. Low levels of genetic variation were detected at both population （allozyme, Pp=14.0%, A=l.14, He=0.031; AFLP, Pp=14.5%, Shannon＇s information index I=0.063） and species （allozyme, Pp=21.1%, A=1.21, He=0.040; AFLP, Pp=20.9%, I=0.083） levels; while moderate genetic differentiation existed among populations, as indicated by allozymes （Gsa-=0.081） and AFLP （GST=0.151-0.193）. Founder effect, bottlenecks in evolutionary history, the mixed mating system and co-ancestry may have influenced the level of genetic diversity in A. nanus. Markers of both types provide new insights for conservation management, indicating that the Biao＇ertuokuoyi and Keyi＇eryongke＇er populations should be given priority for in situ conservation and regarded as seed sources for ex situ conservation.     

Ecological Characteristics of Plants of Harboi Rangeland, Kalat, Pakistan

The Harboi rangeland, Kalat, Pakistan, covers an area of 22 351 hectares and it lies between 29°N and 66°45' to 67°E. It was declared as Protected Forest since January 1967 (Fig.1). The study area has rugged mountainous limestone and conglomerates with many small valleys and dry ravines. The altitude varies from 2 900 to 3 300 m. The area is under heavy grazing and human pressure due to lopping and uprooting of plants for fuel, forage and medicinal purposes. The climate is of dry tempe…     

Light Regulation of Gibberellins Metabolism in Seedling Development

Light affects many aspects of plant development, including seed germination, stem elongation, and floral initiation. How photoreceptors control photomorphogenic processes is not yet fully understood. Because phytohormones are chemical regulators of plant development, it may not be surprising that light affects, directly or indirectly, cellular levels and signaling processes of various phytohormones, such as auxin, gibberellins （GA）, cytokinin, ethylene, abscisic acid （ABA）, and brassinosteroids （BR）. Among those phytohormones, light regulation of GA metabolism has probably attracted more attention among photoblologists and it is arguably the most extensively studied plant hormone at present with respect to its role in photomorphogenesis. It has become Increasingly clear that phytochromes and cryptochromes are the major photoreceptors mediating light regulation of GA homeostasis. This short article attempts to examine some recent developments in our understanding of how light and photoreceptors regulate GA blosynthesis and catabolism during seedling development. It is not our intention to carry out a comprehensive review of the field, and readers are referred to recent review articles for a more complete view of this area of study （Kamiya and Garcia-Martinez 1999; Hedden and Phillips 2000; Garcla-Martinez and GI12001; Olszewski et al. 2002; Halliday and Fankhauser 2003; Sun and Gubler 2004）.     

A RHOse by any other name： a comparative analysis of animal and plant Rho GTPases

Rho GTPases are molecular switches that act as key regulators of a many cellular processes,including cell movement,morphogenesis,host defense,cell division and gene expression.Rho GTPases are found in all eukaryotic kingdoms.Plantslack clear homologs to conventional Rho GTPases found in yeast and animals;instead,they have over time developeda unique subfamily,ROPs,also known as RAC.The origin of ROP-like proteins appears to precede the appearance ofland plants.This review aims to discuss the evolution of ROP/RAC and to compare plant ROP and animal Rho GTPases,focusing on similarities and differences in regulation of the GTPases and their downstream effectors.     

Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Roles in Bacteriostasis in Five Conifer Species

In order to make clear the functions of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on bacteriostasis and air decontamination, we analyzed the composition and content of VOCs in Pinus tabulaeformis Carr., P. bungeana Zucc., Sabina chinensis Antoine, Picea koraiensis Nakai, and Cedrus deodara G. Don under near-natural conditions using the thermal-desorption cold trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometer technique. The effects of the VOCs on airborne microorganisms were investigated using the method of natural sedimentation. Results showed that the major VOCs were as follows: limonene, β-pinene, α-pinene,and α-caryophyllene in Pinus tabulaeformis and P. bungeana; limonene, borneol acetate, β-pinene, myrcene, and tricylene in S. chinensis; limonene, α-pinene, myrcene, camphene, and β-pinene in Picea koraiensis; and limonene, 2, (10)-pinene, α-pinene, and myrcene in C. deodara. These VOCs and the corresponding foliar extracts inhibited the growth of bacteria and stimulated the growth of fungi. Experimental data using monomers of the VOCs demonstrated that limonene, β-pinene, and three aldehydes could significantly inhibit bacterial growth, suggesting an inhibitory effect of VOCs on the growth of airborne microorganisms in the five conifer species. The bacteriostasis and air-decontaminating effects of plant VOCs are further discussed in terms of their chemical composition.     

UV-B-induced Oxidative Damage and Protective Role of Exopolysaccharides in Desert Cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus

UV-B-induced oxidative damage and the protective effect of exopolysaccharides （EPS） in Microcoleus vaginatus, a cyanobacterium isolated from desert crust, were investigated. After being irradiated with UV-B radiation, photosynthetic activity （FvlFm）, cellular total carbohydrates, EPS and sucrose production of irradiated cells decreased, while reducing sugars, reactive oxygen species （ROS） generation, malondialdehyde （MDA） production and DNA strand breaks increased significantly. However, when pretreated with 100 mg/L exogenous EPS, EPS production in the culture medium of UVo B stressed cells decreased significantly; Fv/Fm, cellular total carbohydrates, reducing sugars and sucrose synthase （SS） activity of irradiated cells increased significantly, while ROS generation, MDA production and DNA strand breaks of irradiated cells decreased significantly. The results suggested that EPS exhibited a significant protective effect on DNA strand breaks and lipid peroxidation by effectively eliminating ROS induced by UV-B radiation in M. vaginatus.     

Domain structure of cellobiohydrolase II as studied by small angle X-ray scattering: close resemblance to cellobiohydrolase I

Evidence for a domain structure of cellobiohydrolase II (CBH II, 58 kDa) from Trichoderma reesei (Teeri et al., 1987; Tomme et al., 1988) is corroborated by results from SAXS experiments. They indicate a 'tadpole' structure for the intact CBH II in solution (Dmax = 21.5 +/- 0.5 nm; Rg = 5.4 +/- 0.1 nm) and a more isotropic, ellipsoid shape for the core protein (Dmax = 6.0 +/- 0.3 nm; Rg = 2.1 +/- 0.1 nm). The latter was obtained by partial proteolysis with papain which cleaves the native CBH II to give two fragments (Tomme et al., 1988): the core (45 kDa) with the active (hydrolytic) domain and a smaller fragment (11 kDa) coinciding with the tail part of the model and containing the binding domain for unsoluble cellulose. This peptide fragment is conserved in most cellulolytic enzymes from Trichoderma reesei (Teeri et al., 1987). It contains a conserved region (block A) and glycosylated parts (blocks B and B' duplicated and located N-terminally in CBH II). In spite of different domain arrangements in CBH I (blocks B-A at C-terminals) SAXS measurements (Abuja et al., 1988) indicate similar tertiary structures for both cellobiohydrolases although discrete differences in the tail parts exist.     

Trichoderma stromaticum and its overseas relatives

Trichoderma stromaticum, T. rossicum and newly discovered species form a unique lineage in Trichoderma. Phylogenetic and phenotypic diversity in Trichoderma stromaticum are examined in the light of reported differences in ecological parameters and AFLP patterns. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis using 4 genes (tef1, rbp2, cal, chi18-5) did not reveal phylogenetic basis for the two reported divergent AFLP patterns or for ecological parameters; however, this analysis does indicate incomplete speciation with one supported clade derived from within T. stromaticum that corresponds to AFLP Group 2 of de Souza et al. (2006, Phytopathology 96:61–67). Trichoderma stromaticum is known only from tropical America and is typically found in association with Theobroma cacao infected with Moniliophthora perniciosa. It is reported here for the first time on pseudostromata of M. roreri in Peru. Strains of T. stromaticum also have been isolated as endophytes from stems of Theo. cacao. There are no recognized close relatives of T. stromaticum in tropical America. The closest relatives of T. stromaticum are collected in Africa and Thailand; somewhat more distantly related are T. rossicum and T. barbatum, both found in north temperate regions.     

Hypocrea/Trichoderma species with pachybasium-like conidiophores: teleomorphs for T. minutisporum and T. polysporum and their newly discovered relatives

We describe or redescribe species of Hypocrea/Trichoderma (Ascomycetes, Hypocreales) having hyaline ascospores and pachybasium-like conidiophores. Teleomorphs are reported for Trichoderma minutisporum (Hypocrea minutispora sp. nov.) and T. polysporum (H. pachybasioides). Hypocrea pilulifera/T. piluliferum is redescribed. Trichoderma croceum is synonymized with T. polysporum. The new species H. parapilulifera, H. stellata and H. lacuwombatensis are described. All of these species fall within the morphological concept of Trichoderma sect. Pachybasium and within the phylogenetic group pachybasium B5 of Kullnig-Gradinger et al (2002). Parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequences from three unlinked loci-ITS1 and 2, endochitinase (ech42) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1)-detects two distinct phylogenetic lineages within the group pachybasium B5. One comprises H. pachybasioides/T. polysporum, H. pilulifera/T. piluliferum, H. parapilulifera and H. stellata; this group, the "polysporum" lineage, is characterized by having conidia that are white in mass and is the only lineage within Hypocrea characterized by such conidia. The second group includes the green conidial T. minutisporum and H. lacuwombatensis. The partition homogeneity test reveals significant recombination within the "polysporum" lineage but not within the "minutisporum" lineage.     

Multiple Forms and Distribution of Calcium/Calmodulin-Stimulated Protein Kinase II in Brain

In recent years, the enzyme Ca²⁺/calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II¹ (CaM-PK II) as attracted a great deal of interest. CaM-PK II is the most abundant calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase in brain, where it is particularly enriched in neurons (Ouimet et al., 1984; Erondu and Kennedy, 1985; Lin et al., 1987; Scholz et al., 1988). Neuronal CaM-PK II has been suggested to be involved in several phenomena associated with synaptic plasticity (Lisman and Goldring, 1988; Kelly, 1992), including long-term potentiation (Malinow et al., 1988; Malenka et al.,1989), neurotransmission (Nichols et al., 1990; Siekevitz, 1991), and learning (for review, see Rostas, 1991). This enzyme has also been postulated to be selectively vulnerable in several pathological condition, including epilepsy/kindling (Bronstein et al.,1990; Wu et al., 1990), cerebral ischemia (Taft et al., 1988), and organophosphorus toxicity (Abou-Donia and Lapadula, 1990).     

Some progress in the study of plant–soil interactions in China

Plants and soil are the base for sustainably surviving human beings on the globe as the role of materials, energy, resources and environment (Shao & Chu 2008; Shao et al. 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012a,b; Liu & Shao, 2010; Ruan et al. 2010; Xu et al. 2010, 2012; Shao 2012; Huang et al. 2013). This topic has been extensively investigated for 100 years with more achievements in many sectors and practical significance in conducting high-efficient agriculture and eco-environmental construction. The plant–soil interaction is the core issue of this topic, which has been given much attention for the past 30 years (Wu et al. 2007, 2010; Zhang et al. 2011, 2013; Xu et al. 2012, 2013).     

A mitotic recombination in Wilms tumor occurs between the parathyroid hormone locus and 11p13

Summary Wilms tumor is believed to occur as the result of two mutations affecting both alleles of a critical gene located within the p13 band of chromosome 11 (Knudson and Strong 1972; Riccardi et al. 1978). Several mechanisms by which these mutations occur have already been determined in retinoblastoma (Cavenee et al. 1983) and Wilms tumor (Koufos et al. 1984; Orkin et al. 1984; Reeve et al. 1984; Fearon et al. 1984a; Eccles et al. 1984). Of the various mechanisms, however, no example of a mitotic recombination was demonstrated in Wilms tumor. An example is presented here which has been detected by the use of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) mapping to chromosome 11p. In addition the data presented are consistent with the mapping location of parathyroid hormone (PTH) being proximal to 11p13.     

十种海洋寡毛类纤毛虫:形态学及分类学修订

利用活体观察和蛋白银染色技术对近年来采自青岛、大亚湾、湛江沿岸水体的10个海洋寡毛类纤毛虫种:侧扁急游虫Strombidium apolatum Wilbert & Song,2005、具头急游虫Strombidium capitatum (Leegaard,1995) Kahl,1932、广东急游虫Strombidium guangdongense Liu,et al.,2016、拟卡氏急游虫Strombidiumparacalkinsi (Lei,et al.,1999) Agatha,2004、拟楔尾急游虫Strombidium parastylifer Song,et al.,2009、铃木急游虫Strombidium suzukii Song,et al.,2009、束腰旋游虫Spirostrombidium cinctum (Kahl,1932) Petz,et al.,1995、杨科夫平游虫Parallelostrombidium jankowski (Song,et al.,2009) Song,et al.,2018、卡尔平游虫Parallelostrombidium kahli (Song,et al.,2009) Song,et al.,2018、最小拟盗虫Strombidinopsis minima (Gruber,1884) Song & Bradbury,1998的形态学开展了比较研究,补充和厘定了有关形态特征、纤毛图式以及性状变异等分类学新信息。     

Home cage presentation of complex discrimination tasks to marmosets and rhesus monkeys

The study reported here demonstrates the feasibility of presenting cognitive tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) to either marmosets or rhesus monkeys in their home cages. This location of testing offers opportunities for the measurement of additional indices, for example spontaneous behaviour (Prowse et al. 1995) and electrophysiology (Pearce et al. 1998) as well as facilitating repeated test presentation. Results from 12 marmosets and 4 rhesus monkeys which have completed several sequences of an eight-stage discrimination task involving simple discriminations, compound discriminations and reversals are reported. The paradigm developed has application in long-term studies. Tests from CANTAB have been used extensively in normal humans (Robbins et al. 1994) as well as a range of patient groups (Owen et al. 1992, Elliott et al. 1995) and to assess drug effects (Coull et al. 1996). Additionally some of these tests have been presented to marmosets (Roberts et al. 1988) to examine neuropsychological functioning. This comparative approach facilitates meaningful cross species comparison, particularly in the study of the effects of pharmacological intervention.     

绿色木霉菌LTR-2孢子提取物的抑菌活性及化学成分分析

通过研究绿色木霉菌LTR-2分生孢子提取物的抑菌活性及化学成分,为进一步提取纯化新型抗生素提供依据。采用固体麸皮培养基培养绿色木霉菌LTR-2,以二氯甲烷浸提法提取分生孢子中的抗菌物质,采用菌丝生长法测定提取物的抑菌活性,并用气相色谱-质谱联用仪进行分析,峰面积归一法计算有关成分的相对含量。绿色木霉菌LTR-2分生孢子的提取物抑菌谱广,对供试11种植物病原真菌均有不同程度的抑制作用;抑制效果好,对禾谷丝核菌的抑制率为89.3%。从提取物中分离鉴定出60多种化学成分,其中烷烃类成分数量最多,为43种,其他成分有酮类、有机酸类、醇类、烯类等,主要成分是麦角固醇,含量为41.90%。结论:绿色木霉菌LTR-2分生孢子提取物具有抑菌作用。通过化学成分分析,提取物中含有化合物5,6-二氢-6-戊基-2H-吡喃-2-酮,含量为2.35%,结合文献报道,推测5,6-二氢-6-戊基-2H-吡喃-2-酮是提取物中起抑菌作用的物质。     

Neospora caninum Infection in a Litter of Labrador Retriever Dogs in Denmark

Neospora caninum is a recently recognized cyst-forming coccidian parasite associated with severe encephalomyelitis and myositis in dogs of different breeds and ages (Bjerkås et al 1984, Bjerkås & Presthus 1988, Dubey et al. 1988), but has for many years been misdiagnosed as Toxoplasma gondii. In some dogs, the main clinical sign has been attributed to polyradiculoneuritis (Dubey et al. 1988, Cuddon et al. 1992). Furthermore, ulcerative dermatitis (Dubey et al. 1988) and megaoesophagus have been reported (Wolf et al. 1991). The life cycle of the parasite and mode of infection have not been clarified, but transplacental infection seems so far to be the natural route of transmission between intermediate hosts (Dubey & Lindsay 1989). It has been speculated that the disease in young and adult dogs might be due to reactivation of a persistent infection because corticosteroid therapy can activate a latent N. caninum infection (Dubey & Lindsay 1993).