Volatiles from Botrytis cinerea‐infected and healthy berries of Vitis vinifera influence the oviposition behaviour of Epiphyas postvittana

Interactions among plants, plant‐feeding insects, and plant – pathogenic fungi are partially mediated by volatile compounds. Herbivorous insects use sensory cues to choose host plants for feeding and/or oviposition that are likely to support survival and development of progeny. It is known that some fungus‐induced alterations in plants can modify plant volatiles, which are recognized by the olfactory receptors of the insect, either as an attractant or as a deterrent. We tested for the presence of behaviour‐modifying volatiles emanating from the berries of Vitis vinifera L. (Vitaceae) infected with Botrytis cinerea Pers. (Helotiales). We tested the olfactory behaviour of adults of Epiphyas postvittana Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to these volatiles using two‐choice and wind‐tunnel experiments. We hypothesized that olfactory cues influence E. postvittana's oviposition behaviour. We found that volatiles emanating from B. cinerea‐infected berries did not significantly attract the gravid females of E. postvittana; consequently, they laid significantly fewer eggs on infected berries. Furthermore, significantly fewer females of E. postvittana were found attracted to infected berries in the wind tunnel assay. Ethanol and 3‐methyl‐1‐butanol were abundant in B. cinerea‐infected berries. Oviposition assays made with laboratory standards of ethanol and 3‐methyl‐1‐butanol confirmed their role in regulating the olfactory behaviour of E. postvittana site selection.     

Optimization of solid-phase synthesis of difficult peptide sequences via comparison between different improved approaches

Summary. Different approaches are applied to avoid the strong aggregation of the difficult peptide sequences, which is considered as the main reason for incomplete acylation and deprotection reactions hindering the synthesis of these sequences. Temporary protection of amide nitrogen of peptide bond using 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl (Hmb) and 2,4,6-timethoxybenzyl (Tmob) amino acid derivatives, introduction of D-Ala or Pro residues in the peptide chain sequences and utilization of microwave energy are proved to be useful methods in the enhancement of solubility and in the hindrance of the aggregation during the solid-phase synthesis of oligoalanine. Oligoalanine is chosen to demonstrate the difficult sequences and to compare the efficiencies of these methods.     

Application of Dmb-Dipeptides in the Fmoc SPPS of Difficult and Aspartimide-Prone Sequences

Mutter’s pseudoproline dipeptides and Sheppard’s Hmb derivatives are powerful tools for enhancing synthetic efficiency in Fmoc SPPS. They work by exploiting the natural propensity of N-alkyl amino acids to disrupt the formation of the secondary structures during peptide assembly. Their use results in better and more predictable acylation and deprotection kinetics, enhanced reaction rates, and improved yields of crude products. However, these approaches have certain limitations: pseudoproline dipeptides can only be used for sequences containing serine or threonine, and the coupling of the amino acid following the Hmb residue can be extremely difficult. To alleviate some of these shortcomings, we have prepared a range of Fmoc-Aaa-(Dmb)Gly-OH dipeptides and tested their efficacy in the synthesis of a number of challenging hydrophobic peptides. We also compared the efficiency of N-Dmb against N-Hmb backbone protection in preventing aspartimide formation in the Fmoc SPPS of peptides containing the Asp-Gly sequence.     

植物根系提水作用研究述评

根系提水作用是植物在干旱生境下,通过根系将深层湿润土壤中的水分提升至浅层干燥土壤中的一种生理过程,不同植物具有不同的根系提水强度。这一研究的基本方式是分根法,而时域反射仪(TDR)法和中子水分仪法则是近年来较受重视的测定方法,并逐步由室内测定向大田测定过渡。研究的主要内容可归纳为五个方面,其中在根系提水作用与植物蒸腾作用、浅层土壤营养的有效性以及与植物遗传性的关系等方面,研究结果较为一致,但在提水的数量和发生提水作用时土壤水分状况等方面,研究结果不尽相同;对植物光合、呼吸等其他代谢的影响以及室内测定结果与大田条件一致性等问题的研究,报道较少,特别是作用机理的研究。因此,深入这方面的研究对于进一步提高植物水分利用率,促进旱地节水农业和畜牧业的发展具有重要的意义。     

Inoculating wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with the endophytic bacterium Serratia sp. PW7 to reduce pyrene contamination

This research was conducted to find an optimal inoculation way for a pyrene-degrading endophytic Serratia sp. PW7 to colonize wheat for reducing pyrene contamination. Three inoculation ways, which are soaking seeds in inocula (TS), dipping roots of seedlings in inocula (TR), and spraying inocula on leaves of seedlings (TL), were used in this study. Inoculated seedlings and noninoculated seedlings (CK) were, respectively, cultivated in Hoagland solutions supplemented with pyrene in a growth chamber. The results showed that strain PW7 successfully colonized the inoculated seedlings in high numbers, and significantly promoted the growth of seedlings (TS and TR). More importantly, strain PW7 reduced pyrene levels in the seedlings and the Hoagland solutions. Compared to the noninoculated seedlings, the pyrene contents of the inoculated seedlings were decreased by 35.7-86.3% in the shoots and by 26.8–60.1% in the roots after 8-day cultivation. By comparing the efficiencies of decreasing pyrene residues, it can be concluded that TR was an optimal inoculation way for endophytic strains to colonize the inoculated plants and to reduce the pyrene contamination. Our findings provide an optimized inoculation way to reduce organic contamination in crops by inoculating plants with functional endophytic bacteria.     

细胞核起源研究的意义和研究途径的探讨

细胞核的起源是真核细胞进化形成的关键。回顾了过去几十年国内外对细胞核起源问题的探索历程,通过多年的摸索找到了一个条切实可行的探索细胞核起源问题的途径。其要点：在一系列的进化环节中首先抓住原始性的细胞核这一重要环节,探明原始性细胞核的特性,解决了从原始核到典型细胞核的进化问题,原始性细胞核自身的起源问题也就有了基础,为探源始性细胞核的特性,需要在现存的原生生物中间寻找最原始的类群,然后对它们的细胞核进行尽可能深入地和多方面地研究,对所得结果作进化地分析,以期提出一个原始性细胞核的模型,依据这个模型也就可对典型的细胞核的进化形成和原始核自身的起源作出推论,而这个原始性细胞核的模型,依据这个模型也就可以对典型细胞核的进化形成和原始核自身的起源作出推论,这些推论是可以设法加以检验的,不仅可以检验这些推论的正确性,而且对原始核模型的建立是重要的,可以据之加以发展,修正,甚至否定,沿此途径已经否定了原始性细胞核的涡鞭毛虫核模型,进而提出了双滴虫核模型。     

不同更新方式对林地植被生长及土壤性状的影响

本文研究天然次生林采伐迹地的三种更新方式对林地植被及土壤性状的影响。结果表明,炼山人工造林对林地植被和土壤有一定的破坏作用,是影响林木生长、导致物种丧失、引起林地水土流失和地力衰退的重要原因。不同林分物种丰富度为:天然更新 >人促更新 >炼山人工造林;林下植被生物量为:人促更新 >天然更新 >炼山人工造林。不炼山的天然更新和人促更新,有利于物种多样性保护、植被生长、林地土壤理化性状改善和土壤肥力提高,并具有更高的经济效益。     

中国异域杂草的考察与分析

经过调查研究和对大量文献资料的整理和分析,中国的异域杂草有108种,隶属23科,来源于世界各地,而其中美洲起源的占60%。这些异域杂草58%是作为有用植物引进的,其余则随交通工具、进口农产品等途径无意传入。对传入时间的分析表明,自古代以来就有异域杂草的传入,而随着国际交往的日益频繁呈上升趋势。异域杂草在中国的分布是其固有的环境生态适应性、杂草自身的传播能力和人类的传播活动综合作用的结果。     

RNA structure analysis of human spliceosomes reveals a compact 3D arrangement of snRNAs at the catalytic core

Although U snRNAs play essential roles in splicing, little is known about the 3D arrangement of U2, U6, and U5 snRNAs and the pre‐mRNA in active spliceosomes. To elucidate their relative spatial organization and dynamic rearrangement, we examined the RNA structure of affinity‐purified, human spliceosomes before and after catalytic step 1 by chemical RNA structure probing. We found a stable 3‐way junction of the U2/U6 snRNA duplex in active spliceosomes that persists minimally through step 1. Moreover, the formation of alternating, mutually exclusive, U2 snRNA conformations, as observed in yeast, was not detected in different assembly stages of human spliceosomal complexes (that is, B, B^act, or C complexes). Psoralen crosslinking revealed an interaction during/after step 1 between internal loop 1 of the U5 snRNA, and intron nucleotides immediately downstream of the branchpoint. Using the experimentally derived structural constraints, we generated a model of the RNA network of the step 1 spliceosome, based on the crystal structure of a group II intron through homology modelling. The model is topologically consistent with current genetic, biochemical, and structural data.     

我国玉米主产区秸秆资源利用现状及其效果

在我国东北春玉米区、华北玉米区、西南玉米区3个玉米主产区,共125个县、720个村,采用问卷调查和用户调查相结合的方法,对玉米秸秆资源利用现状及其效果进行调查.结果表明:在玉米秸秆资源利用方式中,以秸秆还田、饲料和燃料占绝大多数,研究区域内平均分别占30.8%、26.2%和24.6%.其中东北春玉米区从大到小依次为燃料、饲料和秸秆还田,分别占35.4%、30.8%和19.8%;华北玉米区依次为秸秆还田、饲料和燃料,分别占43.6%、19.9%和17.9%;西南玉米区依次为秸秆还田、饲料和燃料,分别占29.0%、27.9%和20.5%.在研究区域内秸秆焚烧比例均较小,占12.8%;工业原料比例最小,占0.7%.秸秆还田可增加作物产量,东北、华北、西南玉米产区秸秆还田的作物产量分别平均增加632.0、371.6和290.4 kg·hm-2;还可改良土壤状况、减少化肥和有机肥的施入量,其中有机肥施入量减少20%～30%,氮肥减少16%～30%,磷肥减少24%～34%,钾肥减少33%～38%.不同产量水平地块,作物产量随秸秆产量、还田量和还田比例增加而增大.但由于秸秆还田机械不配套,还田质量差,增加了整地除草难度,加重某些病虫害发生,影响后茬作物苗期生长,仍需进行相关配套技术研究.