Community structure and abundance of insects in response to early‐season aphid infestation in wild cabbage populations

1. Changes in the arthropod community structure can be attributed to differences in constitutively expressed plant traits or those that change depending on environmental conditions such as herbivory. Early‐season herbivory may have community‐wide effects on successive insect colonisation of host plants and the identity of the initially inducing insect may determine the direction and strength of the effects on the dynamics and composition of the associated insect community. 2. Previous studies have addressed the effect of early infestation with a chewing herbivore. In the present study, the effect of early infestation was investigated with a phloem‐feeding aphid [Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera, Aphididae)] on the insect community associated with three wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) populations, which are known to differ in defence chemistry, throughout the season in field experiments. 3. Aphid infestation had asymmetric effects on the associated insect community and only influenced the abundance of the natural enemies of aphids, but not that of chewing herbivores and their natural enemies. The effect size of aphid infestation further depended on the cabbage population. 4. Aphid feeding has been previously reported to promote host‐plant quality for chewing herbivores, which has been attributed to antagonism between the two major defence signalling pathways controlled by the hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), respectively. Our results show no effects of early infestation by aphids on chewing herbivores, suggesting the absence of long‐term JA–SA antagonism. 5. Investigating the effects of the identity of an early‐season coloniser and genotypic variation among plant populations on insect community dynamics are important in understanding insect–plant community ecology.     

A Novel Sesquiterpene,Tuberonone, from Solanum tuberosum L.

The effects of the ovarian hormones progesterone and estrone on the conversion of tryptophan to nicotinamide in rats were investigated. Female rats were fed for 35 days with a 20% casein diet, or with a 20% casein diet containing 0.1% progesterone, or 0.001% estrone, or 0.1% progestrone and 0.001% estrone. The conversion ratio of tryptophan to nicotinamide on the last day of the experiment was 2% in the groups fed with the 20% casein diet and the diet containing 0.1% progesterone, but around 1.2% in the group fed with 0.001% estrone, and 0.7% in the group fed with 0.1% progesterone and 0.001% estrone. These results demonstrated that administration of ovarian hormones significantly decreased the conversion of tryptophan to nicotinamide.     

外源硫对镉胁迫下马齿苋光合性状和矿质元素吸收的影响

从光合反应系统揭示外源硫(S)诱导马齿苋镉(Cd)耐受性的生理机制,为外源S缓解重金属毒害提供理论依据.采用营养液培养,研究外源S供体(NH4)2SO4对100 mg/L Cd胁迫下马齿苋叶片光合色素、光合特性、叶绿素荧光参数和矿质营养元素的影响.结果表明,Cd胁迫可显著降低马齿苋叶片中叶绿素a和叶绿素b含量;净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度均显著降低,而胞间二氧化碳浓度上升,表明非气孔因素是Cd胁迫诱导马齿苋光合抑制的主要因素;同时,PSⅡ实际光化学效率(ФPSII)、电子传递效率(J)、化学猝灭系数(qP)显著下降,而非化学猝灭系数(qN)显著上升,表明Cd胁迫影响马齿苋PSⅡ反应系统的正常运行.外施400 mg/L(NH4)2SO4显著提高马齿苋叶片叶绿素a含量、叶绿素b含量和叶绿素a/b比值,增强马齿苋叶片光合作用和PSⅡ原初光化学反应量子效率.对5种与光反应系统密切相关的矿质元素含量进行分析发现,Cd处理显著增加马齿苋叶片中的Ca和Fe含量,显著抑制马齿苋对Mg、Mn和Cu的吸收.Cd胁迫下马齿苋叶片的变黄与Mg、Mn的亏缺有关,而与Fe缺乏无关;添加外源S可显著提升马齿苋叶片中Ca、Mg、Fe、Cu和Mn含量,从而增强Cd胁迫下马齿苋叶片的PSII反应系统功能.     

Risposte Fotomorfogeniche Indotte Dalla Radiazione UV-B in Brassica Oleracea var. Capitata

Abstract

Photomorphogenic responses induced by UV-B radiation in Brassica oleracea var. capitata.—Ultraviolet radiation can induce a plethora of “damaging” and “non damaging” effects in higher plants. We analyzed two possible photomorphogenic responses to UV-B radiation, the anthocyanin accumulation and the inhibition of hypocotyl elongation by modifying the UV spectral range with specific cut-off filters, under two levels of photon fluence rate. Experimental results suggest that detrimental effects are due to shorter wavelenghts of UV-B region (less than 305 nm); in contrast some adaptative responses may be induced by longer wavelenghts of UV-B region (between 305 and 320 nm). We attempted to determine the involvment of endogenous anthocyanin content in the UV-B photoprotection. Our experiments suggest a secondary role of anthocyanin accumulation in UV-B plant adaptation.     

Volatile Flavor Components of Dried Bonito (Katsuobushi) II. From Neutral Fraction

The aqueous extract of dried bonito (Katsuobushi) was distilled under reduced pressure. The resulting distillate with diethyl ether and the extract was separated into acidic, phenolic, basic and neutral fractions. The neutral fraction was further fractionated into ten sub-fractions by silica gel column chromatography. All these sub-fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

One hundred and sixty-five compounds were identified and 12 compounds were tentatively identified from the neutral fraction. Among them, 111 compounds were newly identified as flavor components of Katsuobushi.     

花椰菜BobACT基因的克隆及其作为内参基因的研究

实时荧光定量PCR技术是探索植物基因功能和调节机理的有效手段。选择合适的内参基因是获得实时荧光定量PCR准确性数据的必备条件。ACT基因高度保守且表达稳定,常作为内参基因被广泛应用。为了获得花椰菜ACT基因,以转录组测序和RT-PCR方法为手段克隆得到花椰菜肌动蛋白基因Actin。该基因等电点为5.395,理论分子量为41.77 kD;其cDNA开放阅读框长1134 bp,编码氨基酸377个,GenBank登录号为MG598643。Wolf Psort分析发现,BobActin蛋白亚细胞定位于细胞质基质中。Motif Scan分析显示,BobActin蛋白质的氨基酸序列4～377位为Actin保守结构域。进化分析表明,同源序列基因编码的蛋白质与同为十字花科的甘蓝、芜菁和油菜同源蛋白的相似性达到90%以上,具有高度的保守性。在此基础上,设计了1对荧光定量PCR引物,分析显示,该引物具有较高的特异性和扩增效率,在花椰菜根、茎、花、花球、叶片等不同组织和低温、高温、盐处理、干旱处理、ABA处理等胁迫处理下均能稳定表达,适合在花椰菜基因表达研究中作为内参基因,为开展花椰菜重要功能基因的挖掘、表达模式以及调控机理的研究提供参考。花椰菜在内参基因方面的研究还处于初步阶段,今后可继续克隆其他内参基因,丰富花椰菜的内参基因库,从而进一步提高花椰菜基因表达分析研究的稳定性、重复性和准确性。     

Karyotyping of Brassica oleracea L. based on rDNA and Cot-1 DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization

To explore an effective and reliable karyotyping method in Brassica crop plants,Cot-1 DNA was isolated from Brassica oleracea genome,labeled as probe with Biotin-Nick Translation Mix kit,in situ hybridized to mitotic spreads,and where specific fluorescent bands showed on each chromosome pair.25S and 5S rDNA were labeled as probes with DIG-Nick Translation Mix kit and Biotin-Nick Translation Mix kit,respectively,in situ hybridized to mitotic preparations,where 25S rDNA could be detected on two chromosome pairs and 5S rDNA on only one.Cot-1 DNA contains rDNA and chromosome sites identity between Cot-1 DNA and 25S rDNA was determined by dual-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization.All these showed that the karyotyping technique based on a combination of rDNA and Cot-1 DNA chromosome landmarks is superior to all but one.A more exact karyotype ofB.oleracea has been analyzed based on a combination of rDNA sites,Cot-1 DNA fluorescent bands,chromosome lengths and arm ratios.     

Biochemical insights into basal and induced resistance in cabbage to black rot

Black rot, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), is the most devastating disease of brassica, but the mechanisms of basal or induced resistance in cabbage remain largely unknown. Here, we performed three experiments to investigate biochemical features associated with cabbage resistance to black rot. In the first experiment, biochemical changes were assessed in plants that were inoculated with a highly (UFPR 5) or a moderately (Xcc 10) aggressive Xcc isolate. In the second experiment, we examined the biochemical responses in two cultivars (Chato de Quintal [CQ] and Louco de Verão [LV], susceptible and moderately resistant to Xcc, respectively). Finally, we examined whether acibenzolar‐S‐methyl (ASM) could induce cabbage resistance to Xcc. Plants inoculated with the Xcc 10 isolate displayed higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), whereas activities of chitinase (CHI), β‐1,3‐glucanase (GLU) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) as well as the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were lower compared to plants inoculated with the UFPR 5 isolate. The resistance of the cultivar LV to Xcc was linked to increases in the activities of CHI, GLU, and PPO and decreases in the activities of SOD, POX and APX as well as in the concentrations of H₂O₂ and MDA relative to the cultivar CQ. In general, ASM‐sprayed plants displayed higher activities for the enzymes studied, which was associated with decreased disease symptoms and oxidative stress. Taken together, our results demonstrated that high activities of both defence and antioxidant enzymes played a major role in both basal and induced resistance of cabbage to black rot.     

The solution structure of the loop E region of the 5S rRNA from spinach chloroplasts

A structure has been obtained for the loop E region of the 5S rRNA from Spinacia oleracia chloroplast ribosomes using residual dipolar coupling data as well as NOE, J coupling and chemical shift information. Even though the loop E sequence of this chloroplast 5S rRNA differs from that of Escherichia coli loop E at approximately 40% of its positions, its conformation is remarkably similar to that of E.coli loop E. Consistent with this conclusion, ribosomal protein L25 from E.coli, which binds to the loop E region of both intact E.coli 5S rRNA and to oligonucleotides containing that sequence, also binds to the chloroplast-derived oligonucleotide discussed here.     

Proteomics of chloroplast envelope membranes

Proteomics is a very powerful approach to link the information contained in sequenced genomes, like Arabidopsis, to the functional knowledge provided by studies of plant cell compartments, such as chloroplast envelope membranes. This review summarizes the present state of proteomic analyses of highly purified spinach and Arabidopsis envelope membranes. Methods targeted towards the hydrophobic core of the envelope allow identifying new proteins, and especially new transport systems. Common features were identified among the known and newly identified putative envelope inner membrane transporters and were used to mine the complete Arabidopsis genome to establish a virtual plastid envelope integral protein database. Arabidopsis envelope membrane proteins were extracted using different methods, that is, chloroform/methanol extraction, alkaline or saline treatments, in order to retrieve as many proteins as possible, from the most to the less hydrophobic ones. Mass spectrometry analyses lead to the identification of more than 100 proteins. More than 50% of the identified proteins have functions known or very likely to be associated with the chloroplast envelope. These proteins are (a) involved in ion and metabolite transport, (b) components of the protein import machinery and (c) involved in chloroplast lipid metabolism. Some soluble proteins, like proteases, proteins involved in carbon metabolism or in responses to oxidative stress, were associated with envelope membranes. Almost one third of the newly identified proteins have no known function. The present stage of the work demonstrates that a combination of different proteomics approaches together with bioinformatics and the use of different biological models indeed provide a better understanding of chloroplast envelope biochemical machinery at the molecular level.