Inhibition of photosystem II (PSII) electron transport as a convenient endpoint to assess stress of the herbicide linuron on freshwater plants

Effects of the herbicide linuron on photosynthesis of the freshwater macrophytes Elodea nuttallii (Planchon) St. John, Myriophyllum spicatum L., Potamogeton crispus L., Ranunculus circinatus Sibth., Ceratophyllum demersum L. and Chara globularis (Thuill.), and of the alga Scenedesmus acutus Meyen, were assessed by measuring the efficiency of photosystem II electron flow using chlorophyll fluorescence. In a series of single-species laboratory tests several plant species were exposed to linuron at concentrations ranging from 0 to 1000 μg l−1. It was found that the primary effect of linuron, inhibition of photosystem II electron flow, occurred with a half-lifetime of about 0.1 to 1.9 h after addition of linuron to the growth medium. The direct effect of the herbicide on photosynthesis appeared to be reversible. Complete recovery from the inhibition occurred with a half-lifetime of 0.5 to 1.8 h after transfer of linuron treated plants to linuron free medium. The EC50,24h of the inhibition of photosystem II electron transport by linuron was about 9–13 μg l−1 for most of the macrophytes tested. For S. acutus the EC50,72h for inhibition of photosystem II electron flow was about 17 μg l−1 for the free suspension, and 22 μg l−1 for cells encapsulated in alginate beads. In a long-term indoor microcosm experiment, the photosystem II electron flow of the macrophytes E. nuttallii, C. demersum and the alga Spirogyra sp. was determined during 4 weeks of chronic exposure to linuron. The EC50,4weeks for the long-term exposure was 8.3, 8.7 and 25.1 μg l−1 for E. nuttallii, C. demersum and Spirogyra, respectively. These results are very similar to those calculated for the acute effects. The relative biomass increase of E. nuttallii in the microcosms was determined during 3 weeks of chronic exposure and was related to the efficiency of photosystem II electron transport as assessed in the different treatments. It is concluded that effects of the photosynthesis inhibiting herbicide on aquatic macrophytes, algae and algae encapsulated in alginate beads can be conveniently evaluated by measuring photosystem II electron transport by means of chlorophyll fluorescence. This method can be used as a rapid and non-destructive technique in aquatic ecological research. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Intra-tissue Characteristics of Chloroplasts in the Lamina and Petiole of Mature Winter Leaf of Arum italicum Miller

Abstract: Laminae and petioles from mature winter leaves of Arum italicum were studied in order to obtain information on the sun—shade intra-tissue properties of chloroplasts. This inference was based on the: (1) micro- and submicroscopic characteristics of the chloroplasts, (2) cytochemical localizations of functional PS I and PS II, (3) pigment patterns and compositions, (4) immunolocalization of Rubisco, and (5) net photosynthesis. It was inferred that all the chloroplasts across the lamina had adaptations to intermediate shade conditions, without a sun-shade dimorphism between the palisade and the spongy tissues. In the petiole, where normally-structured chloroplasts were surprisingly present in the entire thickness of the organ, a structural and chemical dimorphism was found between the outer chlorenchyma and the inner aerenchyma where intermediate shade-type and extreme shade-type chloroplasts were present, respectively. However, some anomalies in the pigment composition were noted chiefly in the inner aerenchyma (low concentrations of β-carotene and lutein, absence of zeaxanthin, presence of unusual pigments, for instance lutein epoxide, lutein cis-isomer, and chlorophyllide a). The Rubisco immunolabelling in the outer chlorenchyma of the petiole was similar to that in the lamina, while it was very scant in the inner aerenchyma. Net photosynthesis in the petiole was about 75% of that recorded in the lamina. These data suggest that the petiole of the mature winter leaf of A. italicum closely co-operates with the lamina for enhancing light capture and utilization.     

Chick parasitism by blowflies affects feeding rates in a Mediterranean population of blue tits

Offspring fitness depends on interactions between parental care and environmental constraints. It has been suggested that in altricial birds parents are able to compensate for the detrimental effects of ectoparasites by improving food provisioning. We tested this prediction in a population of blue tits highly parasitized by blowfly larvae. The frequency of parental feeding visits was significantly higher in parasitized broods than in broods experimentally deparasitized. Despite a strong increase in parental care, chicks of parasitized broods were lighter, smaller, and more anaemic than chicks in deparasitized broods. Parents invest more in feeding parasitized young but cannot fully compensate for the negative effects of parasites, hence young are in poor condition at fledging.     

呼吸活性的下降可解释水分亏缺对银合欢根瘤固氮酶活性的抑制(英)

在温室条件下研究了水分亏缺对银合欢根瘤的水分关系、固氮酶活性（乙炔还原活性）、呼吸活性以及蔗糖代谢有关酶活性的影响。随着土壤含水量的下降,根瘤水势也相继下降。土壤干旱不但显著地抑制了根瘤乙炔还原的活性,而且对根瘤的呼吸活性、ATP的产生以及催化蔗糖降解的碱性转化酶和蔗糖合成酶的活性也具强烈的抑制作用。然而,根瘤可溶性总糖含量则不受土壤干旱的影响。用呼吸抑制剂DNP处理根瘤后,其固氮酶活性、呼吸活性及ATPI含量都受到极显著的抑制。这都表明,水分胁迫对根瘤呼吸活性及ATP产生的抑制可解释干旱条件下固氮酶活性的下降。     

应用离子注入技术对家蚕形态学及遗传学进行的初步研究(英文)

离子注入技术是将某种元素的原子进行电离,并使其在电场中加速,在获得较高的速度后射入固体材料表面。在离子注入过程中,被电离的离子在电场作用下加速运动,离子靠着本身获得的动能进入基体表面,在表层中运动的离子与基体原子作用损失能量后在一定的位置停留下来。该技术自６０年代问世以来,主要用于材料改性等方面。８０年代中期,我国学者开始将其用于农作物育种方面的研究,大大拓宽了离子注入技术的应用领域。所用实验材料的基因及表现型见Ｔａｂ３,我们将氢离子（Ｅ＝３５ＭｅＶ）注入处于胚胎发育后期的家蚕卵内（Ｔａｂ１）,观察其对家蚕形态及遗传方面的影响,结果表明：（１）在家蚕胚胎发育的已４期注入氢离子,其半致死剂量ＬＤ５０为１ｘ１０１０～１ｘ１０１１ｃｍ２这一区间之内;当剂量达到１ｘ１０１２ｃｍ２时,已全部致死（Ｆｉｇ．１＆Ｔａｂ．２）;（２）注入氢离子能够使家蚕在第１腹节上产生褐斑（Ｆｉｇ．２）的频率增高。并首次观察到因注入氢离子而导致家蚕出现非成对的褐斑（Ｆｉｇ．３＆Ｔａｂ．４）。（３）在氢离子注入剂量为１ｘ１０１０ｃｍ２时,能够诱变产生大量的嵌合体家蚕,并且诱变频率高达３８．５％（Ｆｉｇ．４＆Ｔａｂ．５）,这样高的     

Sucrose and jasmonic acid interact in photosynthetic pigment metabolism and development of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Sante) grown in vitro

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Sante) plantlets grown from stem node culture on medium supplemented with 90 mM sucrose accumulated lower amounts of photosynthetic pigments per mg dry weight in comparison to those grown on 30 mM sucrose. Addition of 0.1, 1 or 10 µM jasmonic acid (JA) to the medium resulted in a decrease of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the plantlets grown on either sucrose concentration. JA treatment induced de-epoxidation of violaxanthin to antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin only in those plantlets grown on a higher amount of sucrose in which hyperhydric symptoms were observed. The synergistic effect of JA and sucrose was clearly demonstrated in the plantlets grown on 90 mM sucrose and 1 µM JA. This was possibly due to overaccumulation of sucrose, the consequence of the most developed root system, and/or to stimulated water and solute transport by other mechanisms.     

Direct evidence of structural changes in reaction centers of Rb. sphaeroides containing suppressor mutations for Asp L213 → Asn: A FTIR study of QB photoreduction

In bacterial reaction centers (RCs), changes of protonation state of carboxylic groups, of quinone-protein interactions as well as backbone rearrangements occuring upon Q_B photoreduction can be revealed by FTIR difference spectroscopy. The influence of compensatory mutations to the detrimental Asp L213 Asn replacement on Q_B ^–/Q_B FTIR spectra of Rb. sphaeroides RCs was studied in three double mutants carrying a Asn M44 Asp, Arg M233 Cys, or Arg H177 His suppressor mutation. The proton uptake by Glu L212 upon Q_B ^– formation, as reflected by the positive band at 1728 cm^–1, is increased in the Asn M44 Asp and Arg H177 His suppressor RCs with respect to native RCs, and remains comparable to that observed in Asp L213 Asn mutant RCs. Only the Arg M233 Cys suppressor mutation affected the 1728 cm^–1 band, reducing its amplitude to near native level. Thus, there is no clear correlation between the apparent extent of proton uptake by Glu L212 and the recovery of the proton transfer RC function. In all of the mutant spectra, several protein (amide I and amide II) and quinone anion (C...O/C...C) modes are perturbed compared to the spectrum of native RCs. These IR data show that all of the compensatory mutations alter the semiquinone-protein interactions and the backbone providing direct evidence of structural changes accompanying the restoration of efficient proton transfer in RCs containing the Asp L213 Asn lesion.     

Leaf expansion,net CO2 uptake,Rubisco activity,and efficiency of long-term biomass gain for the common desert subshrub Encelia farinosa

Encelia farinosa is one of the most abundant and highly studied species of the Sonoran Desert, yet characteristics of its leaf development and long-term photosynthetic capacity are relatively unknown. The net CO₂ uptake rate and the Rubisco activity per unit leaf area for E. farinosa in a glasshouse increased in parallel for about 18 days after leaf emergence (leaf area was then 5 cm²), after which both were constant, suggesting that Rubisco levels controlled net CO₂ uptake. Instantaneous net CO₂ uptake rates at noon for well-watered E. farinosa in the glasshouse at different temperatures and light levels correctly predicted differences in daily net CO₂ uptake at four seasonally diverse times for transplanted plants under irrigated conditions in the field but overpredicted the daily means by 13%. After this correction, seasonally adjusted net CO₂ uptake per unit leaf area multiplied by the estimated monthly leaf area predicted that 42% of the net carbon gain was incorporated into plant dry weight over a 17-month period. The ecological success of E. farinosa apparently reflects an inherently high daily net CO₂ uptake and retention of a substantial fraction of its leaf carbon gain.     

Kinetics of electron transfer between the tetrahemic cytochrome and the special pair in isolated reaction centers of Roseobacter denitrificans

We have analyzed the rate of electron transfer between the tetrahemic cytochrome and the primary electron donor in isolated reaction centers of Roseobacter denitrificans as a function of the ambient redox potential. Three different phases are observed: a slow phase (half-time > ms), and two fast phases with half-times of 5 µs and 380 ns. The slow phase is present at high redox potential, it corresponds to the kinetics of charge recombination between the photo-oxidized primary electron acceptor P⁺ and the reduced primary acceptor (Q _A ^– ). The 5 µs phase titrates with the reduction of the highest potential heme (HP₁). This phase corresponds to the electron transfer between heme HP₁ and P⁺. At redox potentials where the second high potential heme HP₂ becomes reduced, the 5 µs phase disappears and is replaced by the 380 ns phase, which is therefore related to the electron transfer between the high potential heme HP₂ and P⁺. To explain the large difference in the rate of oxidation of HP₁ and HP₂ we propose a tentative model where the heme HP₂ is closest to P.     

Photosynthetic characteristics of coffee (Coffea arabusta) plantlets in vitro in response to different CO2 concentrations and light intensities

The photosynthetic characteristics of coffee ( Coffea arabusta) plantlets cultured in vitro in response to different CO₂ concentrations inside the culture vessel and photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) were investigated preliminarily. The estimation of net photosynthetic rate (P_n) of coffee plantlets involved three methods: (1) estimating time courses of actual P_n in situ based on measuring CO₂ concentrations inside and outside the vessel during a 45-day period, (2) estimating P_n in situ at different CO₂ concentrations and PPFs using the above measuring approach for 10-day and 30-day old in vitro plantlets, and (3) estimating P_n of a single leaf at different CO₂ concentrations and PPFs by using a portable photosynthesis measurement system for 45-day old in vitro coffee plantlets. The results showed that coffee plantlets in vitro had relatively high photosynthetic ability and that the P_n increased with the increase in CO₂ concentration inside the vessel. The CO₂ saturation point of in vitro coffee plantlets was high (4500–5000 μmol mol^-1); on the other hand, the PPF saturation point was not so high as compared to some other species, though it increased with increasing CO₂ concentration inside the vessel. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.