新年寄语

时光荏苒,岁月如梭,伴随着新年的轻快脚步,历史准时翻开了它崭新的篇章。值此2012年新春之际,我谨代表《植物生理学报》,向本刊的读者、作者、审稿专家、编委以及所有关心和支持本刊的朋友们表示诚挚的问候、衷心的感谢和美好的祝愿!感谢大家对本     

“绿色革命”新进展:赤霉素与氮营养双重调控的表观修饰助力水稻高产高效育种

以半矮秆育种为代表的“绿色革命”极大地提高了作物产量,但也带来氮营养利用效率降低的严重问题。“绿色革命”主要基于调控赤霉素的代谢和信号转导而实现。前期的研究发现,赤霉素信号转导关键因子DELLA蛋白通过调控GRF4而负调控氮素的吸收利用,为半矮秆品系氮利用效率低的问题提供了解决方案。最近的一项研究进一步揭示了GA信号途径与氮响应交叉互作的新机制。该研究发现水稻(Oryza sativa)NGR5是氮素调控分蘖数目的一个关键基因,其表达受氮诱导。通过招募PRC2,NGR5对D14和OsSPL14等分蘖抑制基因所在位点进行H3K27me3甲基化修饰,从而抑制其表达。而在半矮秆背景下超表达NGR5可以提高低氮水平下的水稻产量。NGR5同时也被发现为赤霉素受体GID1的一个新靶标,受到其负调控。该研究发现了调控赤霉素信号通路的新机制,并对高产高效的新一代“绿色革命”育种实践具有重要启示。     

香之道：吸引与护佑

迷人的芳香，起源自生物生存繁衍的需要，飘散到人类生活的各个领域。它既能安神开窍，又可祛病疗疾；既能悠然于书斋琴房，又可缥缈于庙宇神坛。它被赋予了神性与美感。古往今来，香已经逐渐成为我们生活中不可或缺的味道。     

A Putative Calcium-Permeable Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channel, CNGC18, Regulates Polarized Pollen Tube Growth

A tip-focused Ca^2＋ gradient is tightly coupled to polarized pollen tube growth, and tip-localized influxes of extracellular Ca^2＋ are required for this process. However the molecular identity and regulation of the potential Ca^2＋ channels remains elusive. The present study has implicated CNGC18 （cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 18） in polarized pollen tube growth, because its overexpression induced wider and shorter pollen tubes. Moreover, CNGC18 overexpression induced depolarization of pollen tube growth was suppressed by lower extracellular calcium （[Ca^2＋]ex）. CNGC18-yellow fluorescence protein （YFP） was preferentially localized to the apparent post-Golgi vesicles and the plasma membrane （PM） in the apex of pollen tubes. The PM localization was affected by tip-localized ROP1 signaling. Expression of wild type ROP1 or an active form of ROP1 enhanced CNGC18-YFP localization to the apical region of the PM, whereas expression of RopGAP1 （a ROP1 deactivator） blocked the PM localization. These results support a role for PM-Iocalized CNGC18 in the regulation of polarized pollen tube growth through its potential function in the modulation of calcium influxes.     

来自海洋的抗癌药

美国巴尔的摩JohnsHopkinsSidneyKimmel综合癌症中心的MariaAmador及其同事在最近的综述中介绍了来自海洋的抗癌药开发进展概况。Amador及其同事指出 ,已批准的抗癌药中有 6 0 %来自天然资源 ,包括来自植物的长春新硷、伊立替康、依托泊苷及紫杉烷 ,和其它如来自微生物的放线菌素D、蒽环类、丝裂霉素及博来霉素。相比之下 ,海洋化合物作为抗癌药开发仍在幼年阶段 ,不过在最近几年已有大量新的化合物得到确认和定性。据Amador及其同事说 ,其中有些已在作临床试验和在晚期开发阶段 ,其他一些仍在作临床前研究。Amador等指出 ,一些最新和最…     

Effects of the supply levels and ratios of nitrogen and phosphorus on seed traits of Chenopodium glaucum

全球氮沉降不仅改变土壤氮和磷的有效性, 同时也改变氮磷比例。氮磷供应量、比例及其交互作用可能会影响植物种子性状。该研究在内蒙古草原基于沙培盆栽实验种植灰绿藜(Chenopodium glaucum), 设置3个氮磷供应量水平和3个氮磷比例的正交实验来探究氮磷供应量、比例及其交互作用对灰绿藜种子性状的影响。结果发现氮磷供应量对种子氮浓度、磷浓度和萌发率影响的相对贡献(15%-24%)大于氮磷比例(3%-7%), 而种子大小只受氮磷比例的影响。同时氮磷供应量和比例之间的交互作用显著影响种子氮浓度和磷浓度。同等氮磷比例情况下, 低量养分供应提高种子氮浓度、磷浓度和萌发率。氮磷比例只有在养分匮乏的环境中才会对种子大小和萌发率产生显著影响。总之, 灰绿藜种子不同性状对氮或磷限制的敏感性不同, 同时种子性状也对养分限制表现出适应性和被动响应。     

ω-3 多不饱和脂肪酸对母婴健康结局影响的研究进展

综述了国内外研究中ω-3 PUFAs补充与妊娠期间母婴健康结局的关系以及目前推荐摄入的国家的现状和推荐后所带来的健康效益，为我国妇女在妊娠期间是否需要补充剂ω-3 PUFAs以及其推荐摄入量提供科学依据。     

植物精细胞及其研究概况

本文介绍了植物精细胞的基础知识及其相关问题的最新研究成果概况,并评述了目前的研究现状。     

The relationship between the reduction of nonstructural carbohydrate induced by defoliator and the growth and mortality of trees

Large scale herbivorous insect outbreaks can cause death of regional forests, and the events are expected to be exacerbated with climate change. Mortality of forest and woodland plants would cause a series of serious consequences, such as decrease in vegetation production, shifts in ecosystem structure and function, and transformation of forest function from a net carbon sink into a net carbon source. There is thus a need to better understand the impact of insects on trees. Defoliation by insect pests mainly reduces photosynthesis (source decrease) and increases carbon consumption (sink increase), and hence causes reduction of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC). When the reduction in NSC reaches to a certain level, trees would die of carbon starvation. External environment and internal compensatory mechanisms can also positively or negatively influence the process of tree death. At present, the research of carbon starvation is a hotspot because the increase of tree mortality globally with climate change, and carbon starvation is considered as one of the dominating physiological mechanisms for explaining tree death. In this study, we reviewed the definition of carbon starvation, and the relationships between the reduction of NSC induced by defoliation and the growth and death of trees, and the relationships among insect outbreaks, leaf loss and climate change. We also presented the potential directions of future studies on insect-caused defoliation and tree mortality.