Effects of natural and artificial selection on survival of columnar cacti seedlings: the role of adaptation to xeric and mesic environments

Escontria chiotilla, Polaskia chichipe, and Stenocereus pruinosus are species of Mexican columnar cacti that are economically important because of their edible fruits. These species are managed by gathering fruits from the wild, silvicultural management in agroforestry systems, and cultivation in home gardens. Previous studies reported that artificial selection favored individuals that produced larger fruits, which indirectly led to the production of larger seeds and seedlings, with possible effects on survival. We hypothesized that seedlings from managed populations would be larger but more susceptible to xeric conditions than those from wild populations. We evaluated the effects of artificial and natural selection on seedling survival of the three species in wild and managed populations, which were managed with low and high intensity, respectively. We tested seedling performance in gradients of shade (0, 40, and 80%) and humidity (low and high). A GLM of seedling survival showed significant differences among species, shade, and humidity treatments, with each species having environmental requirements associated with their particular adaptations. High humidity decreased seedling survival of all species, and high solar radiation decreased survival of S. pruinosus and P. chichipe. The effect of management type was significant only in S. pruinosus. Significant differences in the initial growth of seedlings among species were detected with ANOVA. In optimal conditions, the hypocotyl and the cotyledons decreased in size and the epicotyl grew, whereas under stress, these structures remained unchanged. The optimum conditions of shade and humidity varied among species and management types. The seedlings of S. pruinosus were the largest and the most susceptible, but in all species, seedlings from managed populations were more susceptible to environmental conditions. Thus, artificial selection influenced the susceptibility of these cacti to xeric environments.     

Gene expression profile of zeitlupe/lov kelch protein1 T-DNA insertion mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana: Downregulation of auxin-inducible genes in hypocotyls

Elongation of hypocotyl cells has been studied as a model for elucidating the contribution of cellular expansion to plant organ growth. ZEITLUPE (ZTL) or LOV KELCH PROTEIN1 (LKP1) is a positive regulator of warmth-induced hypocotyl elongation under white light in Arabidopsis, although the molecular mechanisms by which it promotes hypocotyl cell elongation remain unknown. Microarray analysis showed that 134 genes were upregulated and 204 genes including 15 auxin-inducible genes were downregulated in the seedlings of 2 ztl T-DNA insertion mutants grown under warm conditions with continuous white light. Application of a polar auxin transport inhibitor, an auxin antagonist or an auxin biosynthesis inhibitor inhibited hypocotyl elongation of control seedlings to the level observed with the ztl mutant. Our data suggest the involvement of auxin and auxin-inducible genes in ZTL-mediated hypocotyl elongation.     

药用红树木榄胚轴抗HBV化学成分的研究

红树木榄(Bruguiera gymnorhiza)胚轴为京族常用治疗乙肝中草药。为研究木榄胚轴中化学成分及其抗乙型肝炎病毒(hepatitis B virus,HBV)活性,该文采用MTT法和实时荧光定量PCR方法测定木榄胚轴不同萃取部位抗HBV活性,使用现代色谱和波谱方法对活性萃取部位的化学成分进行分离鉴定,并测试获得的化学成分抗HBV活性。结果表明:(1)红树木榄胚轴的正丁醇萃取部位具有抗HBV活性;(2)从中分离了11个化合物,分别鉴定为尿嘧啶(1)、胸腺嘧啶(2)、腺嘌呤核苷(3)、oryzalactam(4)、正丁基-O-D-吡喃果糖苷(5)、nortetillapyrone(6)、(4R,6S)-4-methoxyl-2,3-dihydroaquilegiolide(7)、(4R,6S)-2-dihydromenisdaurilide(8)、没食子儿茶素(9)、1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy)-phenyl-2-[4-(1,2,3-trihydroxypropyl)-2-methoxy]-phenoxy-1,3-propandiol(10)和(-)-南烛木树脂酚-9-O-β-D-木吡喃糖苷(11),其中化合物4、5、7和8为首次从药用红树木榄中获得,化合物4具有抗HBV 活性,其抑制率为23.59%。该研究丰富了木榄胚轴抗HBV化学成分。     

Redox reactions of tonoplast and plasma membranes isolated from soybean hypocotyls by free-flow electrophoresis

Redox reactions were studied in more than 90% pure tonoplast and plasma membranes isolated by free-flow electrophoresis from soybean (Glycine max) hypocotyls. Both types of membrane contained a b-type cytochrome (_max = 561 nm) and a noncovalently bound flavin, two possible components of a transmembrane electron-transport chain. Isolated tonoplast and plasma membranes reduced ferricyanide, indophenol and various iron complexes with NADH or NADPH as electron donors. The redox activity was inhibited in tonoplast membranes by about 60% by 10 μM p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate, 8% by 500 μM lanthanum nitrate and 10% by 100 μM nitrophenyl acetate. In contrast, the redox activity of isolated plasma membranes was inhibited by about 60% by 500 μM lanthanum nitrate or 100 μM nitrophenyl acetate, but only 25% by 10 μM p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate. The results show that both tonoplast and plasma membranes of soybean contain active electron-transport systems, but that the two systems respond differently to inhibitors.     

吲哚乙酸对向日葵下胚轴生长区单向K~+(~(86)Rb~+)通量的影响

植物生长素在刺激某些植物组织生长的同时促进K~+吸收和H~+分泌(Hager等1971,Cleland1975,赖寿鹏和倪晋山1983),可能是由于生长素刺激位于植物细胞质膜上的H~+泵ATP酶(Scherer 1984,赖寿鹏和倪晋山1985)。但以往的文献中只测定了生长素促进的植物组织对K~+的净吸收速率,即组织中K~+的累积速率或吸收溶液中K~+的减少速率。自从MacRobbie和Dainty(1958)首先运用放射性     

Photocontrol of hypocotyl elongation in light-grown Cucumis sativus L.

The control by phytochrome of hypocotyl elongation of light-grown Cucumis sativus L. after a white-light period was examined. The farred-absorbing form of phytochrome inhibits hypocotyl elongation. The response to phytochrome photostationary state () is not linear; all values of from 0.004 to 0.13 promote growth maximally, in the range of values of from 0.13 to 0.22 there is a linear growth response, between values of of 0.22 and 0.35 there is again no differential effect, and for values above 0.35 there is a strong (near linear) effect of on elongation. A kinetic examination of events following the white-light period shows that the major recovery from the photoperiod requires 8.5 h of darkness. End-of-day far-red treatment produces a very different response pattern, with a minor growth stimulation within 28 min of treatment followed by a major effect after 80 to 90 min. Three hours after far-red treatment there is a transient decline in growth rate which persists for about 2 h. Over the whole time course there is a great stimulation of growth rate compared with the controls. A similar growth-rate pattern also occurs if the end-of-day is 0.48, although the magnitude of the growth stimulation is less. Two components are affected by end-of-day , namely the time at which growth recovers and the subsequent growth rate. In the long term, the latter accounts for most of the differences in elongation growth. The dark recovery when only the hypocotyl is irradiated requires 4 h, but end-of-day far-red treatment reduces this to about 1.5 h. The persistence of the far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome for many hours in darkness in these light-grown plants is also demonstrated.Abbreviations and symbols D darkness - FR far-red light - Pfr far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome - R red light - WL white light (from fluorescent lamps) - photostationary state of phytochrome - _c calculated      

Interaction of potassium ions and gibberellin in the control of hypocotyl growth in Amaranthus caudatus

Potassium promotes growth in several plant tissues. Elongation growth of the hypocotyls of Amaranthus caudatus L. ev. Lalsag is mainly controlled by gibberellins, but K⁺ also promotes growth. In the present study the interaction of K⁺ with gibberellin (GA₃) and chlorocholine chloride (CCC) has been investigated. When K⁺ was applied externally in the dark, hypocotyl growth was promoted in the seedlings. External application of GA₃ did not promote growth in the dark. GA₃ was effective in the light and K⁺ was synergistic with GA₃ in promoting elongation. Application of CCC in the dark makes the seedlings sensitive to GA₃. The inhibition of growth by CCC was also reversed by K⁺. The results indicate a possible role of K⁺ in GA₃ induced elongation of hypocotyls.     

表油菜素内酯对绿豆下胚轴切段的保幼延衰作用

表油菜素内酯(1ppm)对绿豆下胚轴切段有明显的保幼延衰和维持旺盛伸长生长的作用。0.1～1ppm的表油菜素内醋几乎完全阻抑了绿豆下胚轴切段花青素的累积。 表油菜素内醋处理的下胚轴能维持远较对照为高的呼吸作用和蛋白质合成水平。电镜观察表明,表油菜素内酯处理5日后的离体下胚轴切段细胞仍然保持完整的细胞器结构,而对照细胞内部完整细胞器结构则已崩溃破坏殆尽。     

绿豆下胚轴中的雌二醇结合位点

越来越多的证据表明,动物的甾类激素广泛存在于植物体内(Hewitt等1980,周永春和曹宗巽1982,王焕民和曹宗巽1986,Jones和Roddick 1988,Simons和Grinwich 1989,Zhang等1991a,b)。而这些激素对植物的生长发育也具有多方面的作用,如雌二醇可以促进多种植物开花,增加菠菜、女蒌菜等雌花比例;雌酮和雌二醇在适当浓度下可以促进豌豆     

Inhibition of hypocotyl elongation by ultraviolet-B radiation in de-etiolating tomato seedlings. I. The photoreceptor

Broad-band UV-B radiation inhibited hypocotyl elongation in etiolated tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Alisa Craig) seedlings. This inhibition could be elicited by < 3 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ of UV-B radiation provided against a background of white light (> 620 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ between 320 and 800 nm), and was similar in wild-type and phytochrome-1-deficient aurea mutant seedlings. These observations suggest that the effect of UV-B radiation is not mediated by phytochrome. An activity spectrum obtained by delivering 1 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ of monochromatic UV radiation against a while light background (63 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ showed maximum effectiveness around 300 nm, which suggests that DNA or aromatic residues in proteins are not the chromophores mediating UV-B induced inhibition of elongation. Chemicals that affect the normal (photo)chemistry of flavins and possibly pterins (KI, NaN, and phenylacetic acid) largely abolished the inhibitor) effect of broad-hand UV-B radiation when applied to the root zone before irradiation. KI was effective at concentrations < 10⁻⁴ M , which have been shown in vitro to be effective in quenching the triplet excited stales of flavins but not fluorescence from pterine or singlet states of flavins. Elimination of blue light or reduction of UV-A, two sources of flavin excitation, promoted hypocotyl elongation, but did not affect the inhibition of elongation evened by UV-B. Kl applied after UV-B irradiation had no effect on the inhibition response. Taken together these findings suggest that the chromophore of the photoreceptor system invoked in UV-B perception by tomato seedlings during de-etiolation may be a flavin.