2‐(Undecyloxy)‐ethanol is a major component of the male‐produced aggregation pheromone of Monochamus sutor

The small white‐marmorated longicorn beetle, Monochamus sutor (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is widely distributed throughout Europe and Asia. It is a potential vector of the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner et Buhrer) Nickle, the causal agent of the devastating pine wilt disease. Volatiles were collected from both male and female beetles after maturation feeding. In analyses of these collections using gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry, a single male‐specific compound was detected and identified as 2‐(undecyloxy)‐ethanol. In analyses by GC coupled to electroantennography the only consistent responses from both female and male antennae were to this compound. Trapping tests were carried out in Spain, Sweden, and China. 2‐(Undecyloxy)‐ethanol was attractive to both male and female M. sutor beetles. A blend of the bark beetle pheromones ipsenol, ipsdienol, and 2‐methyl‐3‐buten‐2‐ol was also attractive to both sexes in Spain and Sweden, and further increased the attractiveness of the 2‐(undecyloxy)‐ethanol. The host plant volatiles α‐pinene, 3‐carene, and ethanol were weakly attractive, if at all, in all three countries and did not significantly increase the attractiveness of the blend of 2‐(undecyloxy)‐ethanol and bark beetle pheromones. 2‐(Undecyloxy)‐ethanol is thus proposed to be the major, if not only, component of the male‐produced aggregation pheromone of M. sutor, and its role is discussed. This compound has been reported as a pheromone of several other Monochamus species and is another example of the parsimony that seems to exist among the pheromones of many of the Cerambycidae. Traps baited with 2‐(undecyloxy)‐ethanol and bark beetle pheromones should be useful for monitoring and control of pine wilt disease, should M. sutor be proven to be a vector of the nematode.     

贵州红壤水稻土淹水培养过程中Fe-氢酶微生物的多样性

【目的】研究水稻土淹水培养过程中Fe-氢酶微生物的多样性,对于揭示Fe-氢酶微生物的群落演替规律和产氢微生物的生化代谢机理具有重要的意义。【方法】采用PCR-变性梯度凝胶电泳和实时定量PCR技术进行基于梭菌属Fe-氢酶基因的多样性和丰度的分析。【结果】水稻土淹水培养过程中Fe-氢酶基因的变性梯度凝胶电泳图谱显示,培养1-5 d时Fe-氢酶基因条带数增加,10 d时Fe-氢酶基因条带数减少,20-40 d时Fe-氢酶基因条带数再次增加并保持稳定,对应的含Fe-氢酶微生物的群落结构随着培养过程的进行发生了显著变化。主成分分析表明,1 d与20 d、5 d与10 d、30 d与40 d的含Fe-氢酶微生物群落结构相似性较高,随着培养时间的增长含Fe-氢酶微生物群落结构趋于稳定。α多样性指数分析显示,1 d和10 d的丰富度指数(R)、Shannon-Weaver指数(H’)、Simpson指数(DS)与其他时间点相比较小,说明这2个时间点的Fe-氢酶多样性低,对应的含Fe-氢酶微生物群落结构较为简单,表明淹水培养过程中微生物的群落结构发生了演替变化。变性梯度凝胶电泳指纹图谱15个Fe-氢酶的优势条带测序后构建的系统发育树表明,培养前期的优势条带与梭菌属的Fe-氢酶关系较近,培养后期出现了非梭菌属的Fe-氢酶。淹水培养过程中Fe-氢酶基因的拷贝数在106/g干土的水平,占细菌的相对比例为1‰–2‰。【结论】水稻土淹水培养过程中发现了4种梭菌属Fe-氢酶和3种非梭菌属Fe-氢酶基因,对应的含Fe-氢酶微生物在培养前期群落结构发生显著演替变化,培养后期趋于稳定。     

云南阳宗海酵母菌种群结构及产胞外酶测试北大核心CSCD

【目的】研究阳宗海酵母菌种群结构,分析生物因子及非生物因子对酵母菌种群分布的影响;测试阳宗海酵母菌产胞外酶活性。【方法】水样用醋酸纤维素滤膜过滤,原位培养分离酵母菌;梯度稀释法分离土样和底泥样品;对分离得到的菌株进行DNA提取和测序,分析26S rDNA的D1/D2区域,并结合形态及生理生化指标进行鉴定;用产酶筛选培养基对分离得到的酵母菌进行产胞外酶活性测试。【结果】共分离得到201株酵母菌,鉴定分属于15个属48个种,其中包括10个潜在的新种;普鲁兰类酵母(Aureobasidium pullulans),库德里阿兹威氏毕赤酵母(Pichia kudriavzevii),胶红酵母(Rhodotorula mucilaginosa),Cryptococcus podzolicus是优势种;15.9%的酵母菌具有产胞外酶活性,主要是脂肪酶和淀粉酶。【结论】阳宗海酵母菌有较为丰富的多样性,人为活动对阳宗海酵母菌分布影响较大,其次浊度、电导率也是影响酵母菌种群分布的重要因素;阳宗海产胞外酶酵母菌可能参与湖泊生态系统的自然循环。     

Imaging of jasmonic acid binding sites in tissue

Hormones regulate the mechanism of plant growth and development, senescence, and plants’ adaptation to the environment; studies of the molecular mechanisms of plant hormone action are necessary for the understanding of these complex phenomena. However, there is no measurable signal for the hormone signal transduction process. We synthesized and applied a quantum dot-based fluorescent probe for the labeling of jasmonic acid (JA) binding sites in plants. This labeling probe was obtained by coupling mercaptoethylamine-modified CdTe quantum dots with JA using N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) as a coupling agent. The probe, CdTe–JA, was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and fluorescent spectrum and applied in labeling JA binding sites in tissue sections of mung bean seedlings and Arabidopsis thaliana root tips. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) revealed that the probe selectively labeled JA receptor. The competition assays demonstrated that the CdTe–JA probe retained the original bioactivity of JA. An LSCM three-dimensional reconstruction experiment demonstrated excellent photostability of the probe.     

A rice lectin receptor‐like kinase that is involved in innate immune responses also contributes to seed germination

Seed germination and innate immunity both have significant effects on plant life spans because they control the plant's entry into the ecosystem and provide defenses against various external stresses, respectively. Much ecological evidence has shown that seeds with high vigor are generally more tolerant of various environmental stimuli in the field than those with low vigor. However, there is little genetic evidence linking germination and immunity in plants. Here, we show that the rice lectin receptor‐like kinase OslecRK contributes to both seed germination and plant innate immunity. We demonstrate that knocking down the OslecRK gene depresses the expression of α–amylase genes, reducing seed viability and thereby decreasing the rate of seed germination. Moreover, it also inhibits the expression of defense genes, and so reduces the resistance of rice plants to fungal and bacterial pathogens as well as herbivorous insects. Yeast two‐hybrid and co‐immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that OslecRK interacts with an actin‐depolymerizing factor (ADF) in vivo via its kinase domain. Moreover, the rice adf mutant exhibited a reduced seed germination rate due to the suppression of α–amylase gene expression. This mutant also exhibited depressed immune responses and reduced resistance to biotic stresses. Our results thus provide direct genetic evidence for a common physiological pathway connecting germination and immunity in plants. They also partially explain the common observation that high‐vigor seeds often perform well in the field. The dual effects of OslecRK may be indicative of progressive adaptive evolution in rice.     

Downregulation of multiple CDK inhibitor ICK/KRP genes upregulates the E2F pathway and increases cell proliferation,and organ and seed sizes in Arabidopsis

The ICK/KRP cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors are important plant cell cycle factors sharing only limited similarity with the metazoan CIP/KIP family of CDK inhibitors. Little is known about the specific functions of different ICK/KRP genes in planta. In this study, we created double and multiple mutants from five single Arabidopsis ICK/KRP T‐DNA mutants, and used a set of 20 lines for the functional investigation of the important gene family. There were gradual increases in CDK activity from single to multiple mutants, indicating that ICK/KRPs act as CDK inhibitors under normal physiological conditions in plants. Whereas lower‐order mutants showed no morphological phenotypes, the ick1 ick2 ick6 ick7 and ick1 ick2 ick5 ick6 ick7 mutants had a slightly altered leaf shape. The quintuple mutant had larger cotyledons, leaves, petals and seeds than the wild‐type control. At the cellular level, the ICK/KRP mutants had more but smaller cells in all the organs examined. These phenotypic effects became more apparent as more ICK/KRPs were downregulated, suggesting that to a large extent ICK/KRPs function in plants redundantly in a dosage‐dependent manner. Analyses also revealed increased expression of E2F‐dependent genes, and elevated RBR1 as well as an increased level of phospho‐RBB1 protein in the quintuple mutant. Thus, downregulation of multiple ICK/KRP genes increases CDK activity, upregulates the E2F pathway and stimulates cell proliferation, resulting in increased cell numbers, and larger organs and seeds.