Photosynthetic pathway of dominant plant species in the Qaidam Basin: evidence from foliar stable carbon isotope measurement

Foliar δ¹³C values of Calligogum kozlovi and Haloxylon ammodendron ranged from −13.13 to −15.11 ‰, while those of the rest 11 species were in the range of −22.22 to −27.73 ‰. This indicates that two of 13 dominant plant species in the Qaidam Basin possess a C₄ photosynthetic pathway. Significant differences were observed for the average foliar δ¹³C values between C₃ or C₄ plant communities, between grass and shrub communities, even between the same species derived from different sites. Precipitation accounted for the major part of the differences.     

植物转录抑制子的结构特征及其作用机理

转录因子依转录调控能力可分为激活子和抑制子。植物转录抑制蛋白的分类依据很多,从作用方式上可分为主动抑制子和被动抑制子两大类：根据与DNA结合的方式则可分为锌指类、MYB类、AP2／EREBP类、bHLH类和bZlP类等。植物主动抑制子通过其含有的抑制域对转录直接起抑制作用。抑制域又可分很多类,但多数为含有类似EAR基序的保守性基序,其上具有几个保守性亮氨酸残基。植物转录抑制子主要通过对激活子或基本转录复合物产生作用及改变染色体结构3种方式来抑制目标基因的转录。有关植物转录抑制子的研究虽很欠缺,但以拟南芥SUPERMAN等抑制子的EAR基序为代表的研究表明,抑制域是阐明植物转录抑制子功能和下游基因表达调控机理的核心对象,而融合抑制子沉默技术（CRES-T）也为人为调控基因沉默带来了新的技术手段。     

热激蛋白90在植物发育和疾病抗性中的作用

相对分子质量90000的热激蛋白（heatshock protein,HSP90）是真核细胞必需的分子伴侣。拟南芥中HSP90有7个成员,其中AtHSP90-1、AtHSP90-2、AtHSP90-3和AtHSP90-4组成细胞质亚族;AtHSP90-5、AtHSP90-6、AtHSP90-7分别位于叶绿体、线粒体和内质网。HSP90分子伴侣复合物在植物发育和对外部刺激应答中非常重要,尤其是在抗性（resistance R）蛋白介导的抵抗病毒侵入的过程中起重要作用。     

广州外来入侵植物

根据野外调查及相关文献资料,初步探讨了广州市外来入侵植物的种类组成、分布生境、生长特性、危害以及来源.结果表明:广州市现有外来人侵植物73种,隶属于27科59属,其中菊科(19种)、禾本科(8种)、豆科(7种)和苋科(7种)植物占了入侵植物总种数的56.2%.生活型分析发现,在广州有分布的外来入侵植物中,陆生草本植物最多(58种),其次为灌木(10种)、水生草本(3种),乔木种类最少(2种),它们主要生长在人类干扰比较频繁的低海拔地区.另外,基于对外来入侵植物目前在野外的生长和分布状况等生态学特性进行分析,可大致将它们对本地生物多样性危害程度分为3级,其中危害严重的有11种,危害中等的有25种,危害较轻的有37种.从原产地分析来看,61种来自于热带美洲地区,占广州外来入侵植物总种数的83.6%.与国内其他地区外来入侵植物进行比较发现,广州和广西共有种数最多,有62种,然而,对已经造成严重危害的外来植物种类,在数量上广州与香港、深圳和广西相同种类较多,分别有8种、7种和6种.对广州市目前外来植物的入侵风险(潜在威胁)的评估结果表明,对一些在其它地区已经造成严重危害的外来植物,应当加强监控,防止入侵扩散并造成重大生态灾难.还对广州市外来植物入侵的主要途径及防治策略做了简要分析和说明.     

兰科菌根研究综述

兰科菌根是一种内生菌根,主要寄生于兰科（Orchidaceae）植物的种子及根系上。对兰科菌根真菌的分类及真菌资源多样性、兰科菌根的形态和菌根对兰科植物的效应等最新研究进展进行了综述。目前研究已知,感染兰科植物根部并能与之共生的真菌绝大多数属于担子菌门（Basidiomycota）和半知菌门（Deuteromycotha）,也有部分属于子囊菌门（Ascomycota）;兰科菌根的形成可分为两种情况：一是对兰科植物种子的侵染;二是对成长新根的侵染。菌根真菌对兰科植物的种子萌发及植株生长发育均有一定影响。     

外来入侵植物的氮代谢及其土壤氮特征

研究了4种外来入侵植物(五爪金龙、南美蟛蜞菊、金腰箭和马缨丹)和1种本地植物鸡矢藤(对照)的氮代谢及其土壤氮特征.结果表明:外来人侵植物的组织硝酸还原酶活性、根际土壤NH4-N、NO3-N含量、蛋白酶活性和脲酶活性均较高,分别为鸡矢藤的1.65～4.34、1.56～2.15、1.72～3.11、1.43～3.23和1.41～3.33倍,而植物组织硝态氮含量则较低,仅为鸡矢藤的17.5%～50.6%.相关分析表明:植物组织硝酸还原酶活性与根际土壤总氮、NH4-N、NO3-N含量呈显著正相关(P<0.05),与蛋白酶活性和脲酶活性呈极显著正相关(P<0.01).这说明,外来植物入侵使土壤氮代谢加快,氮的生物有效性增强,氮同化能力提高,并且较好地将植物体氮素代谢与土壤氮素代谢协调起来.因此,较强的氮素同化能力与加速土壤氮素的转化可能是植物成功入侵的重要机制之一.     

Influence of Bt-plants on soil biota and pleiotropic effect of δ-endotoxin-encoding genes

The critical review of experimental conclusions stating environmental safety of transgenic plants reveals that the methods and test materials employed in some studies were inadequate to the goals pursued. A large-scale application of transgenic Bt-plants may result in long-lasting negative impact on the environment. First, the cultivation of these plants leads to accumulation of Bt-toxins in soil. Second, the decomposition of transgenic plants takes significantly longer time compared to that of isogenic lines. Third, the biological activity of soils under transgenic crops is lower than in the control plots. The transfer of δ-endotoxin-encoding genes to the genome of agricultural crops affects simultaneously several entirely different traits of genetically modified plants, thus exerting pleiotropic effects. This gives rise to a paradoxical situation: the genetically engineered crops selected on the trait of resistance to herbivorous insects of the order Lepidoptera become more attractive for herbivores from the other order, Homoptera.     

Signaling role of action potential in higher plants

The signaling role of action potential (AP) in higher plants is considered. The principles underlying realization of this role and the significance of AP-induced short-term effector response are discussed. The notion is put forward that the effect of propagating AP on plant cells is similar to nonspecific component of the cell functional response to external stimuli.     

Superfamily of plant monomeric GTP-binding proteins: 2. Rab proteins are the regulators of vesicles trafficking and plant responses to stresses

In plants, Rab proteins represent the largest family of monomeric GTP-binding proteins (mG-proteins). As distinct from animal cells comprising 40 subfamilies of Rab proteins, which are the key regulators of intracellular vesicular transport, numerous Rab proteins in Arabidopsis and other plant species could be grouped in only eight subfamilies on the basis of their functional properties. The available data concerning the involvement of these mG-proteins in the control of vesicle trafficking agree generally with the paradigms accepted for other eukaryotes. On the other hand, these proteins play an important role in plant responses to abiotic and biotic factors, indicating specific for plants functions of Rab proteins.