A comparison of the developmental and reproductive biology of two soybean pod borers, Etiella spp. in Indonesia

Experiments conducted in West Java, Indonesia investigated the developmental biology and reproductive behavior of two sympatric soybean pod borers, Etiella zinckenella Treitschke and E. hobsoni Butler (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). It was determined that: (1) significant interspecific differences occurred between the egg, larval, pupal and total egg-to-adult developmental periods of laboratory raised E. zinckenella and E. hobsoni; (2) the pre-pupal and total egg-to-adult development periods of female E. zinckenella were significantly shorter than for males; (3) the longevity of virgin female E. zinckenella was significantly longer than that of virgin males, or virgin male and female E. hobsoni; (4) interspecific differences occurred in the female: male sex-ratios of laboratory raised adults; (5) peak mating for both species occurred on the second night after eclosion; (6) interspecific differences occurred in the temporal distribution of calling and mating behaviors; (7) repeated mating was observed for both species at a very low frequency; (8) interspecific mating did not occur; (9) female E. zinckenella were significantly more fecund than E. hobsoni; (10) the duration in copulo of E. zinckenella was significantly longer than that of E. hobsoni; and (11) wingtraps baited with virgin females caught only conspecific males, and reduced numbers of males were captured in traps simultaneously baited with virgin females of both species. This study demonstrates distinct biological differences and reproductive isolation between the two Etiella spp.     

A purple acid phosphatase,GmPAP33, participates in arbuscule degeneration during arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in soybean

Arbuscules are the central structures of the symbiotic association between terrestrial plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. However, arbuscules are also ephemeral structures, and following development, these structures are soon digested and ultimately disappear. Currently, little is known regarding the mechanism underlying the digestion of senescent arbuscules. Here, biochemical and functional analyses were integrated to test the hypothesis that a purple acid phosphatase, GmPAP33, controls the hydrolysis of phospholipids during arbuscule degeneration. The expression of GmPAP33 was enhanced by AM fungal inoculation independent of the P conditions in soybean roots. Promoter‐β‐glucuronidase (GUS) reporter assays revealed that the expression of GmPAP33 was mainly localized to arbuscule‐containing cells during symbiosis. The recombinant GmPAP33 exhibited high hydrolytic activity towards phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidic acid. Furthermore, soybean plants overexpressing GmPAP33 exhibited increased percentages of large arbuscules and improved yield and P content compared with wild‐type plants when inoculated with AM fungi. Mycorrhizal RNAi plants had high phospholipid levels and a large percentage of small arbuscules. These results in combination with the subcellular localization of GmPAP33 at the plasma membrane indicate that GmPAP33 participates in arbuscule degeneration during AM symbiosis via involvement in phospholipid hydrolysis.     

Photolysis of 3-Hydroxyisoxazoles

Photolysis of 3-hydroxy-5-phenylisoxazole in methanol with a low-pressure mercury lamp afforded 5-phenyl-4-oxazolin-2-one, together with small amounts of benzoic acid and benzoylacetamide. Similarly, 3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole in distilled water afforded 5-methyl-4-oxazolin-2-one as the major product. Both isoxazoles were stable in sunlight for up to 20 days.     

蕨藻红素促进大豆插条不定根的形成

对蕨藻红素影响大豆下胚轴插条不定根形成的研究表明：蕨藻红素促进大豆插条不定根的形成,其最适浓度为0.5μmol·L^-1,最适处理时间为2d。0.5μmol·L^-1蕨藻红素处理大豆插条后,不定根诱导阶段（0～24h）的POD、CAT、IAAox活性较低;而不定根形成生长阶段（24～72h）的CAT和IAAox活性较高,POD活性低于未作处理的。试验推测蕨藻红素促进大豆插条不定根形成的生理基础可能与其影响POD、CAT和IAAox活性有关。     

Phytase expression in transgenic soybeans: stable transformation with a vector-less construct

A minimal linear gene cassette (35S-phytase gene-nos) with T-DNA borders was acquired by PCR and directly introduced into soybean through the pollen tube pathway. A total of 13% of T₁ plants were positive for phyA by specific PCR. Southern blot analyses showed that phyA insertions were harbored stably in T₂ progeny. Phytase expression level increased 2.5-fold over a 6-week period; its highest activity was 150 U/mg protein, compared to 56 U/mg protein in untransformed controls. Activity of phytase increased to 125 FTU/kg in T₃ transgenic seeds as compared to 64 FTU/kg in wild-type plants.     

Cadmium Uptake by Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as Basis for Derivation of Risk Limits in Soils

The availability and uptake of Cd by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in two common tropical soils (before and after liming) were studied in order to derive human health-based risk soil concentration. Cadmium concentrations ranging from 1 to 12 mg kg^?1 were added to samples from a clayey Oxisol and a sandy-loam Ultisol under glasshouse conditions. After incubation, a soil sample was taken from each pot, the concentration of Cd in the soil was determined, lettuce was grown during 36 d, and the edible parts were harvested and analyzed for Cd. A positive linear correlation was observed between total soil Cd and the Cd concentration in lettuce. The amount of Cd absorbed by lettuce grown in the Ultisol was about twice the amount absorbed in the Oxisol. Liming increased the soil pH and slightly reduced Cd availability and uptake. CaCl₂ extraction was better than DTPA to reflect differences in binding strength of Cd between limed and unlimed soils. Risk Cd concentrations in the Ultisol were lower than in the Oxisol, reflecting the greater degree of uptake from the Ultisol. The derived risk Cd values were dependent on soil type and the exposure scenario.     

The effect of the source of nitrogen supplementation on nitrogen balance,rates of plasma leucine turnover,protein synthesis and degradation in sheep

Combined experiments of the isotope dilution method of [1-¹³C]leucine, open-circuit calorimetry and nitrogen (N) balance test were used to determine the effect of the source of N supplementation on N balance, whole body protein synthesis (WBPS) and degradation (WBPD) in sheep. The experiment was performed in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. The control diet consisted of timothy hay, ground maize and soybean meal. The urea diet was the control diet supplemented with 1.5% urea. The SBM diet contained the same N and metabolisable energy as the urea diet, which was reached by changing ground maize and soybean meal weights of the control diet. Nitrogen retention was greater (p < 0.05) for the urea diet than the control and SBM diets. Plasma urea concentrations were highest for the SBM diet, followed by the urea diet, and the control diet was lowest. The WBPS and WBPD did not differ between diets, but were numerically lower for the urea and SBM diets. These results suggest that in sheep, urea supplementation influenced N retention without clear changes in WBPS and WBPD.     

Effect of slow-release urea on soil nematode community structure in a Chinese soybean field

The effect of slow-release urea on soil nematode community structure was investigated in a soybean field in northeast China.Three treatments,no urea (CK),conventional urea (U) and slow-release urea (SRU),were arranged in a completely random design.The results show that the abundance of total nematodes was significantly higher in SRU than in CK and U.Significant differences in the abundance of bacterivores with colonizer-persister (cp) values 2-3,fungivores with cp 2 and herbivores with cp 3 were found among different treatments.Forty-one genera were identified,of which Acrobeloides,Aphelenchus and Heterodera were dominant.Soil nematode guilds and genera exhibited different responses to slow-release urea.The most trophic groups and genera had greater abundances in SRU than in CK and U.Slow-release urea had a positive effect on soil nematode community structure.     

Enhanced evapotranspiration was observed during extreme drought from Miscanthus,opposite of other crops

The impact of extreme drought and heat stress that occurred in the Midwestern U.S. in 2012 on evapotranspiration (ET), net ecosystem productivity (NEP), and water‐use efficiency (WUE) of three perennial ecosystems (switchgrass, miscanthus, prairie) and a maize/soybean agroecosystem was studied as part of a long‐term experiment. Miscanthus had a slower initial response but an eventually drastic ET as drought intensified, which resulted in the largest water deficit among the crops. The substantially higher ET at peak drought was likely supplied by access to deep soil water, but suggests that stomatal conductance of miscanthus during the drought may respond differently than the other ecosystems, consistent with an anisohydric strategy. While there was a discrepancy in the water consumption of maize and switchgrass/prairie in the early time of drought, all these ecosystems followed a water‐saving strategy when drought intensified. The gross primary production (GPP) of miscanthus dropped, but was reversible, when temperature reached 40 °C and still provided the largest total GPP among the ecosystems. Increased ET for miscanthus during 2012 resulted a large decline in ecosystem WUE compared to what was observed in other years. The biophysical responses of miscanthus measured during an extreme, historic drought suggest that this species can maintain high productivity longer than other ecosystems during a drought at the expense of water use. While miscanthus maintained productivity during drought, recovery lagged associated with depleted soil moisture. The enhanced ET of miscanthus may intensify droughts through increase supply of deep soil moisture to the atmosphere.