Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa) and tissue specific and developmental expression of the CaMV 35S promoter in transgenic tomatillo plants

A protocol for the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tomatillo was developed. Up to 40 transgenic plants could be obtained in experiments using 60 cotyledon expiants. The transformed nature of the regenerated plants was confirmed by NPT II and Southern blot hybridization analysis. Using the b-glucuronidase system the tissue specific and developmental patterns of expression of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter were determined in transgenic tomatillo plants. It was found that this promoter is developmentally regulated during fruit and seed formation.     

酸浆的化学成分及药理作用研究进展

酸浆为茄科多年生草本植物,资源丰富,应用广泛。迄今已从酸浆中分离鉴定出159种化合物,可分为类固醇类、黄酮类、苯丙素类、含氮化合物等。借助现代药理学研究手段,酸浆广泛的药理活性被陆续发现,其可发挥抗炎、抗菌、抗氧化、抗肿瘤等功效,同时在抗糖尿病、抗衰老、抗肥胖以及调节肠道菌群平衡等方面也发挥着重要的作用。本文主要对酸浆化学成分及药理作用的研究进展进行综述,以期为酸浆的合理开发和综合应用提供科学依据。     

Effect of Heliothis subflexa herbivory on fruit abscission by Physalis species: the roles of mechanical damage and chemical factors

1. Insect oral secretions are important for the induction of a number of plant responses, but the relative role of mechanical damage in the induction of these responses is often not well understood. Damage from the frugivore Heliothis subflexa, a specialist on Physalis species, causes herbivore‐induced fruit abscission. In this field study, we examined the separate and combined effects of mechanical damage and H. subflexa oral secretions on Physalis fruit abscission. 2. To determine the relative role of mechanical and chemical factors, the following treatments were administered to fruit: (1) three levels of mechanical damage, (2) natural herbivore damage by control larvae and by larvae surgically treated to inhibit saliva secretion, and (3) injection of H.subflexa oral secretions and a water control. Abscission of mechanically damaged fruit with and without the addition of oral secretions was also compared. 3. Mechanical damage was sufficient to cause fruit abscission, and the addition of oral secretions to mechanically damaged fruit did not cause an increase in fruit abscission. Normal caterpillars and those treated to inhibit saliva secretion caused similar abscission rates. 4. Though most studies examining the effects of insect oral secretions on induced plant responses find these chemical stimuli to be important or essential, the results of the present study showed that oral secretions are not necessary for fruit abscission. Future work is needed to determine the relative importance of mechanical damage in herbivore‐induced plant responses in other systems.     

Immune depression in Rhodnius prolixus by seco-steroids, physalins

A comparative study of the effects of physalins, seco-steroidal substances of Physalis angulata (Solanaceae), on the immune reactions of R. prolixus was carried out. Ecdysis and mortality were not affected by treatment with physalins B, D, F or G (1-10 microg/ml of blood meal). R. prolixus larvae fed with blood containing physalins and inoculated with 1 microl of Enterobacter cloacae beta12 (5 x 10(3)/insect) exhibited mortality rates three times higher than controls. The insects treated with physalin B, and F (1 microg/ml) and inoculated with E. cloacae beta12 showed significant differences on lysozyme activity in the hemolymph compared to untreated insects. Furthermore, physalin D (1 microg/ml) significantly reduced the antibacterial activity. Concerning cellular immune reactions, all insects treated with physalins (1 microg/ml), exhibited drastic reductions in the quantity of yeast cell-hemocyte binding and subsequent internalization. Insects inoculated with bacteria and treated with physalins B, F and G showed reductions of microaggregate formation but physalin D did not. Physalins B and F also reduced total hemocyte count in the hemolymph. These results suggest that, in different ways, probably due to their different chemical structures, physalin B, D, F and G are immunomodulatory substances for the bloodsucking insect, R. prolixus.     

Physalin B inhibits Rhodnius prolixus hemocyte phagocytosis and microaggregation by the activation of endogenous PAF-acetyl hydrolase activities

The effects of physalin B (a natural secosteroidal chemical from Physalis angulata, Solanaceae) on phagocytosis and microaggregation by hemocytes of 5th-instar larvae of Rhodnius prolixus were investigated. In this insect, hemocyte phagocytosis and microaggregation are known to be induced by the platelet-activating factor (PAF) or arachidonic acid (AA) and regulated by phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) and PAF-acetyl hydrolase (PAF-AH) activities. Phagocytic activity and formation of hemocyte microaggregates by Rhodnius hemocytes were strongly blocked by oral treatment of this insect with physalin B (1 μg/mL of blood meal). The inhibition induced by physalin B was reversed for both phagocytosis and microaggregation by exogenous arachidonic acid (10 μg/insect) or PAF (1 μg/insect) applied by hemocelic injection. Following treatment with physalin B there were no significant alterations in PLA₂ activities, but a significant enhancement of PAF-AH was observed. These results show that physalin B inhibits hemocytic activity by depressing insect PAF analogous (iPAF) levels in hemolymph and confirm the role of PAF-AH in the cellular immune reactions in R. prolixus.     

国产酸浆属（茄科）的叶表皮和种皮特征及其分类学意义

在光学显微镜和扫描电镜下观察了茄科酸浆属５种２变种及邻近属２种植物：辣椒和龙珠的叶表皮及种皮特征,发现上述植物的叶上、下表皮细胞表面观形状为不规则形,垂周壁浅波状、波状或深波状;一些类群的气孔器在上、下表皮均存在,另一些类群的气孔器则仅在下表皮存在,其类型一致为无规则型。扫描电镜下叶下表皮的特征,包括角质膜以及气孔外拱盖和拱盖内缘的特征,有一定的分类学价值。此外,种皮纹饰可作为区分酸浆属、辣椒和龙     

13,14‐seco‐Withanolides from Physalis minima with Potential Anti‐inflammatory Activity

Four new 13,14‐seco‐withanolides, minisecolides A – D ( 1  –  4 ), together with three known analogues 5  –  7 , were isolated from the whole plants of Physalis minima. The structures of new compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including ¹H‐, ¹³C‐NMR, 2D‐NMR (HMBC, HSQC, ROESY), and HR‐ESI‐MS. Evaluation of all isolates for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production was conducted on lipopolysaccaride‐activated RAW264.7 macrophages. Compounds 2 , 3 , 5 , and 6 showed inhibitory activities, especially for compound 5 with IC₅₀ value of 3.87 μm .     

Responses of Microplitis croceipes to host and nonhost plants of Heliothis virescens in a wind tunnel

The relative attractiveness of velvet leaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medicus), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (host plants) and groundcherry (Physalis angulata L.) (nonhost plant), and cotton plants with or without nectaries and with or without glands to Microplitis croceipes Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was determined in a wind tunnel. Female parasitoids flew significantly more to glandless than to glanded cotton; response to nectaried and nectariless cotton was similar. Velvet leaf and cotton were favored significantly over groundcherry; parasitoids being equally responsive to both host plant species. Addition of larval frass alone or in combination with host larvae significantly improved the attractivity of the nonhost plant (groundcherry) to the parasitoids. There was no difference in attractiveness of groundcherry terminals with or without host larvae. Parasitoid search time was significantly increased with addition of larval frass. In the presence of cotton, however, kairomone-treated groundcherry remained unattractive.

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Résumé L'influence des nectaires et des glandes du coton, et l'attractivité des feuilles veloutées du coton (plante hôte) et de Physalis angulata sur Microplitis croceipes, ont été déterminées dans des expériences avec tunnel à vent. Les résultats ont montré que les parasitoïdes femelles sont significativement plus attirés par les cotons sans glandes que par les cotons glanduleux, tandis que la présence ou l'absence de nectaires ne modifie pas l'attractivité du coton. Elles réagissent de la même façon aux feuilles veloutées. P. angulata traité avec des crottes de chenilles, présenté seul ou en combinaison avec du coton, attire plus de femelles que des pousses de P. angulata non traitées. L'addition de chenilles hôtes seules n'améliore pas significativement l'attractivité de la plante. P. angulata traité avec des kairomones est demeuré inattractif quand il était proposé en même temps que du coton.

     

Cytotoxic withanolides from Physalis angulata L

Four new withanolides, physagulins L-O (1-4), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the aerial parts of Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae), together with seven known withanolides, compounds 5-11. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic techniques, including 1H-, 13C-NMR (DEPT), and 2D-NMR (HMBC, HMQC, 1H,1H-COSY, NOESY) experiments, as well as by HR-MS. All eleven compounds were tested for their antiproliferative activities towards human colorectal-carcinoma (HCT-116) and human non-small-cell lung-cancer (NCI-H460) cells. Compound 5 exhibited the highest anticancer activity against the HCT-116 cell line, with an IC50 value of 1.64+/-0.06 microM. Compound 9 exhibited the highest cytotoxicity towards the NCI-H460 cell line, with an IC50 value of 0.43+/-0.02 microM.