Lignicolous marine fungi in the Straits of Messina,Italy

The occurrence and distribution of lignicolous marine fungi in the Straits of Messina has been studied. Using submerged panels of pine, beech and poplar, twenty fungal species were identified. The lignicolous mycoflora of the Messina Straits was not significantly different from that reported in the literature for other temperate marine coastal environments, Ascomycotina being frequent, while Basidiomycotina were rare.     

Decline and Death of Pinus spp. in Delaware Caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Etiological studies to determine the cause of decline and death of Pinus spp. in Delaware were initiated in 1980. The pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, was found to be the major canse of mortality in Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii). When inoculated into healthy 5-yr-old Japanese black pines, B. xylophilus produced typical decline symptoms observed in the field. The xylophilous fungi most often associated with declining trees, Rhizosphaera pini, Fusarium spp., and Pestalotia funerea, were not pathogenic to Japanese black pine in greenhouse tests. Mineral analyses of soil and foliage showed no significant differences between healthy and infested trees. B. xylolyhilus was also found on loblolly pine (P. taeda), scrub pine (P. virginiana), Scots pine (P. sylvestris), red pine (P. resinosa), Eastern white pine (P. strobus), and pitch pine (P. rigida).     

Changes in phenolic acids and abscisic acid in sugar pine embryos and megagametophytes during stratification

The phenolic acids and abscisic acid (ABA) of sugar pine ( Pinus lambertiana Dougl.) embryos and megagametophytes, separated by high-pressure liquid chromatography, were analyzed during 90 days stratification of the seeds. The phenolic acids occurred mainly as glycosides. Following hydrolysis, the majority of phenolics present could be identified as common benzoic and ciranamic acid derivatives. Levels of phenolic acids were relatively low in dormant seeds, but increased substantially in the embryos during stratification at 5°C, particularly cinnamic acid, p -coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and one unknown. This active synthesis during stratification did not support an inhibitory function for phenolic acids. During stratification at 5°C, changes in ABA levels in both tissues followed a triphasic pattern, with no loss during the first 30 days, a significant decrease the second 30 days, and a lesser decrease the last 30 days. Loss of ABA from moist seeds at 25°C occurred three times as rapidly, so that by 30 days the ABA level of these seeds was equivalent to that of seeds stratified 90 days at 5°C; however, dormancy was not alleviated at 25°C. Application of exogenous ABA (10⁻⁷ to 10⁻⁴M) to stratified seeds did not significantly reduce germination. Together, the above results did not support a primary role for ABA in the maintenance of dormancy in sugar pines.
A correlated increase in phenylpropanoid metabolism and respiratory capacity with increased germinability during stratification suggests that loss of dormancy may be more closely dependent on increased levels of growth promoters or shifts in metabolic pathways.     

Seasonal variation in ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activity in Pinus silvestris

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activity was examined in Pinus silvestris L. during successive seasons. The enzyme activities were studied both in seedlings, kept under controlled conditions in a climate chamber, and in needles from a 15-year-old tree in a natural stand. The enzyme activities were analysed in cell-free extracts prepared with Tween 80 as protective agent. The carboxylase activity fluctuated periodically both in the seedlings and in the natural stand. In the seedlings, the weight-related activity in the older needles increased 50–100% (in the cotyledons c. 200%) in the beginning of the “summer”. It decreased as the new shoot developed. The specific activity increased c. 100%. With chlorophyll as base, the activity usually decreased during “summer”. In the developing current needles the carboxylase activity increased when expressed on a weight or on a protein basis. The decrease in weight-related carboxylase activity in the older needles was preceded by, or simultaneous with, loss of total protein. It is suggested that protein, including the carboxylase, is utilized as nitrogen reserve for the new shoot. During hardening by combined photoperiod and thermoperiod, the carboxylase activity decreased when expressed relative to dry weight and protein. Calculated on a chlorophyll basis, the activity was rather constant. In the natural stand the activity in the one- and two-year-old needles increased during spring and summer and decreased during autumn and winter. Even at severe winter stress substantial carboxylase activity remained in the needles. The activity of the enzyme in vivo is discussed with respect to electron transport and net photosynthesis.     

Systematic studies of Pinus balfouriana based on volatile terpenoids from wood and needles and on seed morphology

Essential oil from wood and from needles of Pinus balfouriana, growing in six geographically well-separated locations in California, was analysed by GLC. Several monoterpenoid components, in particular -pinene from needles, were found to be usable for distinguishing between trees from the northern and southern parts of the geographic range. Similarity coefficients were calculated and dendrograms constructed. These demonstrated the distinct separation of the northern from the southern populations, and thus substantiated the proposal by Mastrogiuseppe to regard the southern populations as a subspecies. While the northern populations exhibited a tendency to produce larger seeds with longer wings, the difference was of only moderate diagnostic value.     

Analysis of 3-indole carboxylic acid in Pinus sylvestris needles

3-Indole carboxylic acid (ICA) has been characterized as an endogenous constituent of Pinus sylvestris needles. Quantitative estimates of 3-indole acetic acid (IAA) and ICA, corrected for both sample losses and the conversion of IAA to ICA occurring during purification, indicate that Pinus needles contain 24.5 ± 6.5 ng IAA/g and 2.3 ± 0.4 ng ICA/g.     

Ultrastructural changes in naturally aged Pinus pinea seeds

The decline of germination observed after storage of Pinus pinea L. seeds up to 35 years at room temperature was accompanied by an increase in their ability to leak reducing sugars, probably as a consequence of membrane alterations due to senescence. Results of studies of the cell ultrastructure of viable and non-viable seeds before and after imbibition indicate that such is the case. Noticeable changes occurred in the ultrastructure of endosperm and embryo cells with germinability loss, even in the unimbibed condition. The main alterations were spherosome coalescence, plasmalemma separation from the cell wall and chromatin aggregation.     

松籽油的干式酶法提取工艺优化与理化性质分析

应用单因素实验设计对干式酶法松籽油提取工艺进行优化。结果表明,干式酶法提取松籽油最佳制备工艺为：0.2%淀粉酶、料液比为6：1、酶解温度为55℃、酶解时间为8 h,所得最大出油率为90.2%,残油率为6.2%。经检测最佳制备条件提取的松籽油不饱和脂肪酸的含量为90.09%,其中油酸含量为26.84%,介酸含量为2.41%、亚油酸含量为46.25%、皮诺敛酸为14.59%;饱和脂肪酸中棕榈酸含量为6.5%、硬脂酸为3.41%。松籽油酸价为2.61 mg·g^-1、过氧化值为1.56 mmol·kg^-1、丙二醛含量为0.41 mg·kg^-1。所有检测结果均高于《中华人民共和国粮食行业标准LS/T 3242-2014》松籽油中质量标准的要求。     

β-环糊精包合红松籽油的制备工艺及生物利用度评价

介绍了单因素法优化红松籽油包合物的制备工艺,在最优条件下制备的红松籽油包合物固化率为70.95%,包合物含油率为26.88%。且对红松籽油和红松籽油包合物脂肪酸组分、粒径、电位和生物利用度进行对比。研究结果表明,包合物中红松籽油的各组分含量与红松籽油中各组分含量无明显差异,其中皮诺敛酸的含量为14%~16%。红松籽油包合物的平均粒径为177.3±2.6 nm,电位为-33.01±1.4 mV。红松籽油包合物组的血药最大浓度（Cmax）是红松籽油组的1.27倍,t1/2a是红松籽油的1.42倍;AUC值是红松籽油1.56倍;平均滞留时间（MRT）是红松籽油的1.04倍。因此,通过本实验说明红松籽油包合物与水溶液形成乳剂,粒径减小,水溶性增大,增加了包合物在体内的t1/2a和平均滞留时间（MRT）,提高了皮诺敛酸在体内的吸收。     

Variation in the phenology of photosynthesis among eastern white pine provenances in response to warming

In higher‐latitude trees, temperature and photoperiod control the beginning and end of the photosynthetically active season. Elevated temperature (ET) has advanced spring warming and delayed autumn cooling while photoperiod remains unchanged. We assessed the effects of warming on the length of the photosynthetically active season of three provenances of Pinus strobus L. seedlings from different latitudes, and evaluated the accuracy of the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and the chlorophyll/carotenoid index (CCI) for tracking the predicted variation in spring and autumn phenology of photosynthesis among provenances. Seedlings from northern, local and southern P. strobus provenances were planted in a temperature‐free‐air‐controlled enhancement (T‐FACE) experiment and exposed to ET (+1.5/3°C; day/night). Over 18 months, we assessed photosynthetic phenology by measuring chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange, leaf spectral reflectance and pigment content. During autumn, all seedlings regardless of provenance followed the same sequence of phenological events with the initial downregulation of photosynthesis, followed by the modulation of non‐photochemical quenching and associated adjustments of zeaxanthin pool sizes. However, the timing of autumn downregulation differed between provenances, with delayed onset in the southern provenance (SP) and earlier onset in the northern relative to the local provenance, indicating that photoperiod at the provenance origin is a dominant factor controlling autumn phenology. Experimental warming further delayed the downregulation of photosynthesis during autumn in the SP. A provenance effect during spring was also observed but was generally not significant. The vegetation indices PRI and CCI were both effective at tracking the seasonal variations of energy partitioning in needles and the differences of carotenoid pigments indicative of the stress status of needles. These results demonstrate that PRI and CCI can be useful tools for monitoring conifer phenology and for the remote monitoring of the length of the photosynthetically active season of conifers in a changing climate.