Cyclic GMP stimulates flower induction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pharbitis nil</Emphasis> via its influence on cGMP regulated protein kinase

It was revealed that cGMP is involved in the control of photoperiodic flower induction. Further insight into the signalling function of cGMP is likely to be obtained by analysis of its effectors. Therefore, in the present study, we used various agents that cause changes in cGMP-dependent kinase (PKG) activity and examined their effects on the activity of kinase isolated from Pharbitis nil and flower induction. It was found that exogenous applications of PKG activators (cGMP, 8-pCPT-cGMP, 8-Br-cGMP, 8-pCPT-PET-cGMP) to cotyledons which were exposed to a 12-h-long subinductive night significantly increased flowering response. From among the many antagonists of cGMP-dependent protein kinase Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS, Rp-8-pCPT-cGMP and the synthetic heptapeptide inhibitor of PKG were used for our analysis. When Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS and Rp-8-pCPT-cGMP were applied during a 16-h-long inductive night, significant reduction in the number of flower buds was observed, whereas synthetic heptapeptide did not change the intensity of flowering. The influence of the analysed chemicals on protein kinase activity was also examined in vitro. With the exception of synthetic heptapeptide, which seems ineffective, the enzyme activity was stimulated by all agonists and significantly reduced by all antagonists. The activity of protein kinase was assayed in P. nil soluble protein fractions from plants grown under flower-inducing and non-inducing conditions. In vitro phosphorylation was slightly greater in the soluble fraction obtained from plants grown under the flower-inducing condition, reaching 1.05 nmol/min/mg protein, when compared to the control 0.81 nmol/min/mg protein. In relation to the results described above, we can conclude that cGMP as a mediator participating in photoperiodic flower induction may govern this process by the phosphorylation mechanism via its influence on cGMP-dependent protein kinase activity.     

环境因素对薇甘菊开花结实影响初探

2001—2002年度在广东东莞市选取不同的自然小生境,研究土壤肥力、土壤水分和生境郁闭度对薇甘菊(Mikania micrantha H．B．K)开花结实的影响,结果表明：土壤肥力较高,花数较多,花期较长,结实率较高,种子千粒重较大;但土壤肥力过高,虽然种子千粒重大,花期长,但花数少,结实率低。在开阔的生境中,薇甘菊花数多,花期长;在林荫处花期短,花数少,但种子千粒重反而有所升高;植株在郁闭度为10％-20％的生境中结实率最高,高于20％或低于10％结实率均有所降低,过强或过弱的光照均不利于结实。土壤湿度虽然对种子千粒重无明显影响,但对薇甘菊花数、花期和结实率的影响显著,土壤湿度大,花数多,结实率高,花期长。在自然生境中,三种因素的影响既相对独立又相互制约。     

Location and interseasonal variation in flowering, propagule setting and propagule size in mangroves species of the family Rhizophoraceae

Three species of mangroves, Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora mangle (synonym R. samoensis) and Bruguiera gymnorhiza in the family Rhizophoraceae were studied to understand the flowering pattern, propagule development and the propagule size at maturity prior to dispersal from the mother plant. The study was conducted in the Wet and the Dry zones over two seasons in Viti Levu, the Main Island of Fiji. The flower number, number of propagules and propagule size at maturity were significantly different among three species and within species in the Dry and the Wet zones. Only 1–2% of total flowers in each species became mature propagules. This percentage was significantly lower in the Dry zone for all three species. Rhizophora stylosa produced the biggest size of propagules followed by Rhizophora mangle and Bruguiera gymnorhiza. Relatively longer and heavier propagules were recorded in the Wet zone and shorter and lighter in the Dry zone. Inter-seasonal differences were not significant for these characters. This could be mainly due to almost similar amount of rainfall, relative humidity and temperature regimes over two seasons within each zone.     

Unique and conserved features of floral evocation in legumes

Legumes, with their unique ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, play a vital role in ensuring future food security and mitigating the effects of climate change because they use less fossil energy and produce less greenhouse gases compared with N-fertilized systems. Grain legumes are second only to cereal crops as a source of human and animal food, and they contribute approximately one third of the protein consumed by the human population. The productivity of seed crops, such as grain legumes, is dependent on flowering. Despite the genetic variation and importance of flowering in legume production, studies of the molecular pathways that control flowering in legumes are limited.Recent advances in genomics have revealed that legume flowering pathways are divergent from those of such model species as Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we discuss the current understanding of flowering time regulation in legumes and highlight the unique and conserved features of floral evocation in legumes.     

Evidence of genetic influence on the flowering pattern of Ficus microcarpa

Flowering patterns result from the interactions between genetic and environmental factors. While the genetic basis for flowering time variation in commercial plants is often well understood, few studies have been conducted to investigate these patterns in plants without economic importance. Ficus microcarpa is a commonly introduced horticultural fig tree. Asynchrony in syconium development and the initiation, frequency, and size of crops may affect its fitness as well as the success of mutualism with its pollinating wasps. In order to identify genetically determined patterns in the flowering traits in F. microcarpa, a 14-month census was taken on the flowering characteristics of 28 trees growing in close proximity along an urban street in Taipei, Taiwan. Weekly surveys were taken on 7 characteristics: crop number, syconia per branch, crop asynchrony, as well as flowering onset and seed development duration for both the spring and summer crops. Post-census genotyping at microsatellite loci distinguished 16 genetic groups (5 clonal groups and 11 non-clone trees). All crop characteristics presented higher variation across different genotype groups than within groups except for seed development duration. We found no evidence of adjacency effects or spatial auto-correlation of flowering traits. The study offers the first evidence of genetic variations in the flowering patterns in a species of Ficus. These findings lend insight into the adaptive characteristics that potentially facilitate the local establishment of F. microcarpa in new locations.     

Patterns of tree phenological diversity in dry tropics

Recent phenological studies in tropical deciduous forests revealed a mosaic of vegetation composed of several pheno-phases that are evolved as an adaptation by the species to overcome seasonal drought in different ways. These pheno-phases represent extent of annual deciduousness (～leaflessness) and triggering factors for buds break (e.g. vegetative and flower). Thus, studying patterns of various pheno-phases (phonological diversity) in tropical forest have been thought to provide a potential tool to address critical questions related to climate change modeling and monitoring. In tropics, tree species represent a gradient of deciduousness (from leaf-exchanging species to >6 months deciduous species) and flowering initiation (breaking of flower buds in various part of annual cycle). Both processes are mostly triggered by variation in day length and/or temperature during late dry season/autumn, and/or first significant rain during rainy season. In addition, few factors like drought induced leaf fall and sporadic winter rains are supposed to affect these processes temporarily. Besides, the abundances of pheno-phases (i.e. leafing and flowering) also vary among tropical deciduous forest trees. Presence of such variations in tropical tree pheno-phases and their abundances are reported to vary due to micro-climatic variables and has specific implications in tropical forests. Present paper discusses the existing information on various pheno-phases and their abundances in tropical forests and role of climatic factors on tree phonological diversity. Further, we emphasized the need to develop predicting understanding of impending climatic change (i.e. precipitation and temperature) on diversity of pheno-phases by collecting long-term data on tree pheno-phases through a network of phonological stations in dry tropics.     

Genotypic variation in the persistence of transgenerational responses to seasonal cues*

Phenotypes respond to environments experienced directly by an individual, via phenotypic plasticity, or to the environment experienced by ancestors, via transgenerational environmental effects. The adaptive value of environmental effects depends not only on the strength and direction of the induced response but also on how long the response persists within and across generations, and how stably it is expressed across environments that are encountered subsequently. Little is known about the genetic basis of those distinct components, or even whether they exhibit genetic variation. We tested for genetic differences in the inducibility, temporal persistence, and environmental stability of transgenerational environmental effects in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetic variation existed in the inducibility of transgenerational effects on traits expressed across the life cycle. Surprisingly, the persistence of transgenerational effects into the third generation was uncorrelated with their induction in the second generation. Although environmental effects for some traits in some genotypes weakened over successive generations, others were stronger or even in the opposite direction in more distant generations. Therefore, transgenerational effects in more distant generations are not merely caused by the retention or dissipation of those expressed in prior generations, but they may be genetically independent traits with the potential to evolve independently.     

蔺草开花与温光条件关系的数学分析及模拟模型

本文对蔺草开花与温光条件关系作了分析研究.根据浙江宁波市郊区1992-2000年的农业气候资料的分析计算表明,影响蔺草冈山3号草茎开花率（SFR）的主要气象因子为12月下旬、2月中旬的平均气温,2月下旬的日照时数和3月下旬的雨量.依据春化作用的机理和上述影响因子的分析,得SFR的模拟模型为:SFR=其中∑j相似文献   

独花兰野生种群研究——开花与营养体状态的关系

对安徽省天堂寨自然保护区独花兰野生种群的花果期节律和营养体状态研究表明 ,开花植株占观察样本的 3 7 5 %,个体是否开花与假鳞茎数目、地下茎总体积和叶面积呈极显著相关关系。绝大多数开花个体具有 3个假鳞茎且其总体积通常达 8cm3,叶面积达 3 3cm2 。个体较大的植株开花持续期较长。花葶在花果期具有不同的生长时相 :开花期中止生长 ,幼果期呈逻辑斯谛型生长。面对日益增长的人类采掘风险 ,独花兰开花与大型植株的关联可能是其生活史中影响种群生存的脆弱点之一。