Drought stimulation by hypocotyl exposure altered physiological responses to subsequent drought stress in peanut seedlings

Drought stress occurring at the seedling stage of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plants is a limiting factor resulting in considerable reductions in production. Plants can improve their resistance to subsequent stresses after experiencing an initial stress. The aim of this study was to explore the possible role of drought priming by hypocotyl exposure in alleviating subsequent severe drought stress in peanut. Hypocotyl exposure in peanut seedlings as a drought stimulus induced xerophytophysiological regulation, shown by induced osmotic adjustment, activated antioxidant enzymes, anthocyanin accumulation, up-regulation of Gdi-15 and fewer amyloplasts. The seedlings primed by hypocotyl exposure showed improved leaf water retention and reduced proline content when exposed to subsequent drought stress. The alleviated oxidative damage and lower antioxidant enzyme activities indicated rapid acclimation following past hypocotyl exposure and further defenses against subsequent drought stress by retaining ‘memories’ to enable more rapid or stronger physiological responses. The improved leaf photosynthesis and low photosynthetic hysteresis as drought ended indicated a positive effect of drought priming in peanut seedlings. The peanut seedlings ‘remembered’ the xerophytophysiological responses caused by the prior drought stimulation from hypocotyl exposure and displayed quicker and more potent physiological responses to following drought stress. The results showed that hypocotyl exposure could help peanut seedlings survive the severe environments that occurred in the later growth stages.     

生态环境用水研究现状、问题分析与基本构架探索

生态学与水文学交叉研究是目前国际上前沿研究领域之一,生态环境用水研究则是连接生态过程与水文过程、刻画生态演化与水资源相互关系的核心问题。对生态、环境用水产生与发展的基本过程进行了回顾,并根据对已有成果的综合分析提出了目前研究中存在的5方面主要问题。首先,生态用水尚需理论上的进一步升华,这一点突出体现在生态用水的概念与内涵表述上;其次,在生态用水研究中,缺乏合理的生态保护目标的建立,因而影响到了研究成果的实际应用价值;第三,目前的研究均是针对较大尺度所作的,不能在生态机理与物理机制上揭示生态用水规律,因此,不适于具体问题的深入分析,个别实验在由“点“尺度向生态用水计算的“面“尺度转换时缺乏基础,从而严重影响了研究成果的精度;第四,生态用水机理是生态用水研究中至为关键的工作,以往研究主要依据野外宏观观测资料来探讨,缺乏直接的实验依据;第五,没有涉及生态用水对生态系统稳定性、生态用水满足程度及其波动性对生态系统影响等方面,从而也使得研究成果的科学性受到影响。同时作者认为,中国工程院“中国可持续发展水资源研究报告“中的生态环境用水概念对我国地大物博,地质地貌与气候类型多样的特点给给予了更多的关注,故可以确定为全国性的生态环境用水概念。最后文章认为应当将生态用水与环境用水分别予以考虑,并给出了其新的概念构架。     

广东南澳岛不同森林群落的林窗环境对3种移植树苗生长的影响

 先锋种和非先锋种可能对林窗产生不同的反应。在广东南澳岛4个不同的森林群落样地里移植了大叶相思（Acacia auriculaeformis A. Cunn.）、尾叶桉（Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake）和荷木（Schima superba Gardn. et Champ）3种树苗,其中大叶相思和尾叶桉是先锋种,而荷木是非先锋种,测定了林窗和非林窗生境中的透光率和幼苗生长高度。结果表明,林窗的透光率大于非林窗的;各群落的透光率有季节性的变化,变化幅度各不同。3种幼苗在林窗内比     

不同狂犬病毒株在地鼠肾细胞上培养的病毒滴度与免疫原性比较

三个狂犬病毒株,分别经地鼠肾细胞培养,将其抗原含量,病毒滴度和免疫原性进行比较。结果显示,三个病毒株的抗原含量有差异。但差异显著性,CTN-V10M3的毒力最高,CTN-BHK3的毒力最低,aG株的毒力虽然居中,但免疫原性最好,它仍是最适于地鼠肾细胞上培养的毒株。     

人类新基因cegl cDNA的克隆及表达研究

CLECT and EGF-like domain contained Gene 1(cegl)基因是用电子克隆的方法获得的人类新基因。该基因定位在人类的第14号染色体上,是一个单一外显子的基因。cegl基因的cDNA长度为2050bp,通过生物信息学方法预测它包含一个1340bp的完整阅读框架,编码一个490个氨基酸的蛋白,含有CLECT、EGF-like结构域各一个。以cegl基因全长编码区为探针的整体原位杂交结果显示该基因的小鼠和鸡的同源基因在各自早期胚胎头部中特异表达,并且在不同时期胚胎神经系统增殖迅速的部位中有大量的表达。RT-PCR结果显示该同源基因在小鼠成体各组织中广泛分布。这提示cegl基因可能与头部生长发育有密切关系,并且对维持成体各组织的正常功能起到重要的作用。对cegl基因在胚胎发育的时间和空间表达模式的研究将有助于进一步深入地揭示它在人脑的正常生长发育中的作用。     

毛乌素沙地景观格局变化研究

通过对毛乌素沙地不同时期的景观分类和制图以及景观格局计算,分析了50年代到90年代毛乌素沙地景观动态与景观格局变化的特征和模式。研究表明,50年代以来,毛乌索沙地景观发生了巨大变化,流动沙地、半固定沙地面积大幅度增加,固定沙地面积迅速减少,农田面积明显增加,草原、柳湾和盐湿低地等面积显著减少。50年代时,整个景观以流动沙地和固定沙地占优势,而90年代,则以流动沙地占绝对优势。伴随着荒漠化的发展,各种景观要素类型之间相互转化,景观格局发生显著变化。固定沙地面积减少伴随着斑块的破碎化,大型斑块数量减少,小型斑块数量增加;流动沙地面积增加的同时,一方面,较小的斑块不断联合形成更多的大型斑块,另一方面,流动沙地不断向固定、半固定沙地内部渗透,形成更多的小型斑块,使整个景观更加破碎。不合理的人类活动是荒漠化扩展及景观格局发生显著变化的主要驱动因素。     

石河子莫索湾垦区绿洲景观格局变化分析

以新疆石河子１５０团场为例,从景观多样性、优势度、均匀度、分离度、分维数、嵌块体伸长指数、聚集度、嵌块体数目破碎化指数、嵌块体形状碎化指数等９个方面,对其景观格局进行了分析,结果表明：随着干扰时间的延长,整个景观的多样性和均匀度下降,而优势度聚集度指数值增加,这说明,该团场绿洲愈来愈由少数嵌块体类型所控制,嵌块体伸长度指数的增加与分维数的下降则说明,该团场绿洲嵌块体形状有愈加规则、愈趋简单势。而嵌块体形状破碎化指标数、数目破碎化指数、分离度指数的变化情况显示,１５０团场绿洲景观的破碎化程度在逐渐增加,其中以自然和半自然嵌块体的影响最大,对于人工景观而言,这意味着人类活动对１５０团绿洲施加的直接影响在逐渐减弱、而间接影响在增强。     

Dynamic genome plasticity during unisexual reproduction in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans

Genome copy number variation occurs during each mitotic and meiotic cycle and it is crucial for organisms to maintain their natural ploidy. Defects in ploidy transitions can lead to chromosome instability, which is a hallmark of cancer. Ploidy in the haploid human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is exquisitely orchestrated and ranges from haploid to polyploid during sexual development and under various environmental and host conditions. However, the mechanisms controlling these ploidy transitions are largely unknown. During C. deneoformans (formerly C. neoformans var. neoformans, serotype D) unisexual reproduction, ploidy increases prior to the onset of meiosis, can be independent from cell-cell fusion and nuclear fusion, and likely occurs through an endoreplication pathway. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this ploidy transition, we identified twenty cell cycle-regulating genes encoding cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), and CDK regulators. We characterized four cyclin genes and two CDK regulator genes that were differentially expressed during unisexual reproduction and contributed to diploidization. To detect ploidy transition events, we generated a ploidy reporter, called NURAT, which can detect copy number increases via double selection for nourseothricin-resistant, uracil-prototrophic cells. Utilizing this ploidy reporter, we showed that ploidy transition from haploid to diploid can be detected during the early phases of unisexual reproduction. Interestingly, selection for the NURAT reporter revealed several instances of segmental aneuploidy of multiple chromosomes, which conferred azole resistance in some isolates. These findings provide further evidence of ploidy plasticity in fungi with significant biological and public health implications.