A plasma membrane-bound enzyme oxidizes l-tryptophan to indole-3-acetaldoxime

The in vitro conversion of [¹⁴C]-tryptophan to [¹⁴C]-indole-3-acetaldoxime (IAOX) by microsomal membranes of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. pekinensis cv. Granat) has been studied. The reaction product was identified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore. IAOX was identified as an endogenous compound of Chinese cabbage by mass spectroscopy. The tryptophan-oxidizing enzyme (TrpOxE) was characterized. MnCl₂ was required as cofactor, H₂O₂, and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) stimulated the reaction. The enzyme showed a pH optimum at pH 8–9 and a K_m for l -tryptophan of 20 μ M . The membranes containing TrpOxE activity were identified as plasma membranes by means of aqueous polymer two-phase partitioning. The TrpOxE from Chinese cabbage was purified 3-fold from plasma membranes by solubilization followed by (NH₄)₂SO₄-fractionation, affinity-chromatography with concanavalin A, and native gel electrophoresis. Enzyme activity was reduced by a tunicamycin pretreatment. Several other plant species, e.g. maize (Zea mays L. Inrakorn), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Hohes Sonnengold), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. White Burley), and pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Krombeck) showed a similar conversion of [¹⁴C]-tryptophan to [¹⁴C]-IAOX by phase-partitioned plasma membranes.     

Use of chitin for controlling plant-parasitic nematodes

Cabbage plants were grown in soil amended with Clandosan (CLA) prepared from crustacean chitin (0.3% w/w). The plants were maintained in constant temperature tanks set to 15° or 30°C, in soils naturally infested with cyst nematodeHeterodera schachtii, or inoculated with the root-knot nematode,Meloidogyne javanica, respectively. At 30°C, after the first month following inoculation, CLA caused an increase in top fresh weight of plants but no reduction in nematode—induced root galling was recorded. However, when fresh plants were planted, CLA induced a large reduction in gall formation and caused an increase in top fresh weight of nematode-inoculated plants. At 15°C, CLA significantly affected the plants only after 60 days: an increase in top fresh weight and a reduction in the number of eggs per cyst were recorded. Ammonium was not detected in soil after 30 days, at 30°C, whereas at 15°C, CLA-treated soil contained twice as much ammonium as non-treated soil. After 60 days, ammonium was not detected at all. After 30 days nitrate concentrations in soil attained higher values at 30°C than at 15°C, whereas after 60 days high levels were detected only at 15°C. At 30°C, CLA induced an increase in the number of fungi, chitinolytic bacteria, and total amount of bacteria; at 15°C, such an increase was detected only with the chitinolytic microorganisms.Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Bet Dagan, Israel No. 2196-E, 1987 series.     

Water balance in the arborescent palm, Sabal palmetto. II. Transpiration and stem water storage

The contribution of stem water storage to the water balance of the arborescent palm, Sabal palmetto, was investigated using greenhouse studies, field measurements and a tree-cutting experiment. Water balance studies of greenhouse trees (1.5 to 3 m tall) were conducted in which transpiration was measured by weight loss, and changes in soil and stem water content by time-domain reflectometry. When the greenhouse plants were well-watered (soil moisture near saturation), water was withdrawn from the stem during periods of high transpiration and then replenished during the night so that the net transpirational water loss came primarily from the soil. As water was withheld, however, an increasing percentage of daily net transpirational water loss came from water stored in the stem. However, studies on palms growing in their natural environment indicated that during periods of high transpiration leaf water status was somewhat uncoupled from stem water stores. In a tree-cutting experiment, the maintenance of high relative water content of attached leaves was significantly correlated with stem volume/leaf area. Leaves of a 3-m tree remained green and fully hydrated for approximately 100d after it had been cut down, whereas those of a 1-m-tall plant turned brown within one week. The significance of stem water storage may be in buffering stem xylem potentials during periods of high transpiration and in contributing to leaf survival during extended period of low soil water availability.     

Human health risks from consuming cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) grown on wastewater irrigated soil

The present study investigated the impact of cumulative irrigation with wastewater on the soil properties and, its health hazards on the consumers of cabbage plants at south Cairo Province, Egypt. Irrigation water, soil and cabbage plants were sample d from two polluted and other two unpolluted farms. The physicochemical properties of water and soil were analyzed and the growth parameters, as well as nutrients and heavy metals concentration in cabbage were investigated. In addition, the daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) were estimated. Wastewater posed a decrease in the availability of N, P and K, but increases heavy metals in the soil solution. Cabbage stem and root lengths as well as the number of leaves and biomass were greatly reduced in the polluted farms. In addition, the photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates and proteins were decreased under pollution stress. The concentration of most investigated metals in the leaves and roots were increased with translocation factor greater than one for Pb, Cd, As, Cr, Ni, Fe, and Co. The study revealed that the HRI exceeded one for Pb and Cd in polluted and unpolluted plants; and Fe in polluted ones. Irrigation with wastewater is not suitable for cabbage as it has health risks on humans due to accumulation of heavy metals. It worth noting that, the high ability of cabbage plants to accumulate Pb and Cd from both polluted and unpolluted soils should be taken into consideration when consuming this plant.     

不结球白菜金属硫蛋白基因的克隆及表达分析

通过RACE技术,从不结球白菜抗病品种‘苏州青’叶片克隆到金属硫蛋白(metallothionein)基因的全长cDNA序列(BcMT2)。序列分析结果表明,BcMT2基因的cDNA全长为528 bp,其中开放阅读框长度为243 bp,共编码80个氨基酸,相对分子质量为8.02×10³ Da,理论等电点是4.61。氨基酸同源系统进化分析表明,不结球白菜BcMT2基因属于Ⅱ类植物MT2基因家族,且与同科植物的进化关系相近,其中与大白菜第5号染色体的基因(Bra029765)相似性最高(100%)。qRT PCR分析表明,BcMT2基因在不结球白菜叶中表达最强;霜霉病菌诱导后,BcMT2基因在抗病品种‘苏州青’中的表达量于48 h达到峰值,而在感病品种‘矮脚黄’中的表达量于72 h达到峰值;盐处理条件下,BcMT2基因在抗病品种‘苏州青’中的表达量于12 h达到峰值,而在感病品种‘矮脚黄’中的表达量于24 h达到峰值;ABA处理下,‘苏州青’中其表达量于24 h达到峰值,且在‘矮脚黄’中BcMT2基因的表达趋势与‘苏州青’类似;干旱处理条件下BcMT2基因的表达在两材料中均受到抑制。BcMT2原核表达分析发现,在37 ℃、1.0 mmol·L^-1IPTG诱导2、4 、6 h后,均检测到了一条蛋白分子质量约为8×10³ Da的表达特异条带,这与预期融合蛋白的相对分子质量的理论值8.02×10³ Da相符。研究表明,不结球白菜BcMT2基因在受到生物胁迫和非生物胁迫等逆境条件下均发挥着重要作用,且BcMT2在大肠杆菌中成功实现融合表达,为进一步进行蛋白水平和转基因功能研究奠定了基础,也为选育高产、优质的不结球白菜新品种提供重要的理论依据。     

大白菜发育的日长气温机理模型及生物学意义

以发育效应指数和生物气象时间尺度概念为基础,建立了不同品种大白菜在各发育阶段上的发育机理模型．通过对模型的数值模拟,研究了模型的生物学意义．     

Impact of a glossy collard trap crop on diamondback moth adult movement, oviposition, and larval survival

One component of developing a systematic approach for deployment of trap crops is to understand how the trap crop modifies pest behavior. Glossy‐leafed collards, Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala (Brassicaceae), were evaluated as a potential trap crop for diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), because they are attractive to P. xylostella adults and are a poor host for P. xylostella larvae compared to cabbage, Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata. We used large field plots to measure the changes in adult, egg, and larval P. xylostella densities in cabbage when the trap crop was planted in the field. Furthermore, we planted the trap crop in dispersed and concentrated spatial arrangements to determine the impact of trap crop arrangement on the behavior of P. xylostella. In 2002, results showed that the presence of collards within a cabbage field reduced larval density on cabbage. In 2003, neither trap crop arrangement had a significant impact on P. xylostella larval density on cabbage. Adult moths aggregated in proximity to collards in 2002, but not in 2003. Egg and larval data in both years in all treatments showed that total oviposition was highest near a central release point, indicating that females lay many eggs before dispersing very far when suitable host plants are available. The mean direction of P. xylostella movement and oviposition from a central release point was not consistent or correlated to wind direction. Plant size of the trap crop in relation to the main crop and environmental factors may have been responsible for the inconsistent effectiveness of the trap crop.     

Studies ontrichogramma buesi as a biocontrol agent againstPieris rapae in Egypt

Trichogramma buesi was reared in the laboratory on eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth,Anagasta kuehniella. The incubation period of the parasite's egg was 27 h at 23 °C and 22 h at 27 °C. The larval stage lasted 3.6 and 3.2 days, the pre-pupa lasted 16 and 23 h, and the pupa lasted 5.4 and 4.6 days at 23° and 27°C, respectively. The total developmental time (from egg to adult) averaged 9.2, 9.4, and 9.1 days when the parasite was reared on eggs ofPieris rapae, Spodoptera littoralis, andA. kuehniella, respectively, at 27 °C. Sex ratio inT. buesi was 1 ♂: 1 ♀ in nature and 1 ♂: 1.3 ♀ in the laboratory. The daily and total numbers or progeny produced/female were 5.1 and 98.2 adults, respectively. The parasite female, fed on honey, lived 10.7 days at 27 °C and 12.1 days at 23 °C. Percentages of parasitism byT. buesi on eggs ofP. rapae collected from cabbage fields ranged between 0 and 31.5 % in 1985 and betwcen 0 and 36.4% in 1986 during July through December. The respective figures on eggs collected from turnip fields were 16–42.2% and 12.5–32.1% during November and December.      

A game model for the daily activity schedule of the male butterfly

A game model is developed of the daily schedule of matesearching activity by male butterflies, assuming that each male maximizes his expected mating success given a limited total time for mate search. The model predicts that (1) in the early morning, no male is active even though many females are emerging; (2) at a critical time, many males suddenly become active; and (3) the male's maximum activity occurs after the peak female emergence and before the peak capture efficiency. The inverse problem is also analyzed, in which the temporal pattern of capture efficiency is estimated from the knowledge of male activity and female emergence, assuming the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) condition. The model is then applied to data from a cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae crucivora) population and predicts that (1) females remain unmated for several hours on average after emergence, and (2) the male 's capture efficiency is rather low and increases significantly with time during the morning.     

Cell wall breakdown during the formation of syncytia induced in plants by root knot nematodes

Bird Alan F. 1972. Cell wall breakdown during the formation of syncytia induced in plants by root knot nematodes. International Journal for Parasitology, 2: 431–432. Examination under the light muscope of thin (2 μm) serial sections of syncytia embedded in epoxy resin reveals a close association between these structures and adjacent cells. Sometimes these cells protrude into the cytoplasm of a syncytium but at other times their walls and those of syncytia break down and permit cytoplasmic contact. These results support the hypothesis that syncytia are formed partly by incorporation of cells whose walls have dissolved rather than by expansion of a single cell. They also provide an explanation for the observed variability in nucleic acid content of syncytial nuclei.