A new find of macrofossils of feather grass (Stipa) in an Early Bronze Age storage pit at Vliněves, Czech Republic: local implications and possible interpretation in a Central European context

The abundance of Stipa remains in material dated to the Middle Neolithic (ca. 4400–4000 b.c.) from Kujawy (central Poland) and their presence in a storage pit at Vliněves (Czech Republic) dated to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2300–1600 b.c.) are most probably connected with gathering of the plant. Stipa grains are edible and the whole plant could have been used as insulation, for making mattresses and for a range of similar purposes. Nowadays spikelets of Stipa are used for decoration. They are dangerous to herbivores because of the sharpness of the basal part of the spikelet and the tendency of the awns to unroll in wet conditions. Already in the first half of the 20th century the plant was regarded as a weed of meadows. The gathering and use of Stipa, as suggested by the abundance of its archaeological macro-remains, was most probably prompted by changes in the local environment. These latter arose from intensive human activity, mostly deforestation and grazing by domestic animals, leading to the formation of steppe-like vegetation. This process is documented by a pollen diagram from a peat section located near the Vliněves site.     

NO和茉莉酸甲酯对黄芩悬浮细胞生长及黄芩苷合成的影响

以硝普钠(sodium nitroprusside,SNP)为一氧化氮(nitric oxide,NO)的供体,向黄芩(Scutellaria baicalensis)悬浮培养细胞系中添加SNP和茉莉酸甲酯(methyl jasmonate,MJ),考察这两种诱导子在不同的添加时间、添加浓度及混合配比使用对黄芩悬浮细胞系生长和黄芩苷含量的影响。研究结果表明：低浓度的外源NO有利于细胞的生长,但对黄芩苷积累无作用,而MJ有利于黄芩苷的合成,但抑制细胞生长,且两者的适用浓度范围和添加时间存在差异。在细胞培养初期(0天)添加0.05 mmol·L~(-1)SNP,而在细胞生长对数中期(8天)添加10μmol·L~(-1)的MJ,细胞鲜重可达到对照的1.2倍,黄芩苷总量达到对照的2.96倍。     

Ferredoxin-sulfite Reductase from Spinach

Ferredoxin-sulfite reductase (Fd-SiR) [hydrogen-sulfide: ferredoxin oxidoreductase, EC 1.8.7.1] from spinach leaves has been purified to homogeneity by a new procedure. Subunit analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis yielded a single protein band with a molecular weight of 71,000. Gel electrophoresis in non-denaturing media at different acrylamide concentrations gave a molecular weight of 270,000, suggesting that the native enzyme was composed of four identical subunits. In the presence of 0.2 m sodium chloride, however, gel filtration produced a value of 136,000, indicating the presence of dimer in this ionic environment. A plot of substrate (sulfite) concentration versus enzymatic (Fd-SiR) activity yielded a sigmoidal curve, giving a Hill coefficient (n?) of 2.1. Purified Fd-SiR, in the oxidized form, had absorption maxima at 279, 385, 588 and 714nm. Thus the enzyme has the property of a siroheme-containing protein.     

Contribution to the knowledge on relic Stipa spp.-dominated ultramafic grasslands of the Central Balkans

The heterogeneity of the ultramafic vegetation of the Central Balkans is rather great. Although this vegetation has been continuously investigated, some gaps are still to be filled. For example, the lack of available data on ultramafic vegetation of the Republic of Macedonia is evident. In that light, we have investigated different relic Stipa species-dominated dry grasslands over ultramafic bedrock. Twenty relevés were made and compared to the similar vegetation types (i.e. Potentilla visianii, Centaureo kosaninii-Bromion fibrosi, “Thymion jankae”, Saturejo-Thymion and Alyssion heldreichii) by means of numerical analyses. We distinguished one new association and one informal community, providing them with diagnosis and lists of diagnostic, constant and dominant species. We also determined their syntaxonomic positions and relations to ultramafic syntaxa from the neighboring countries.     

Examining the genetic diversity of Stipa grandis under various grazing pressures

The Stipa grandis steppe in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region occupies an area of 2798081 hm2. On the basis of the genetic variation, it was found that its adaptability to the environmental conditions under grazing pressure was significant. Using the Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) procedure, the changes to the genetic diversity of the Stipa grandis population under different grazing pressures were observed. Plant samples were collected from a series of grazing gradients of the Stipa grandis steppe in Dalinuoer National Nature Reserve in the Inner Mongolia (located at 116°38′–116°41′E and 43°25′–43°27′N.), which has the following vegetation types in abundance: Leymus chinensis is the constructive species; the dominant species include Stipa grandis, Cleistogenes squarrosa, and Artemisia frigida; the companion species is Potentilla acaulis and others. According to the grazing pressure, the following four grazing gradients were identified from the dwellings of the herdsmen to the enclosure site: (1) no grazing (CK enclosure site); (2) light grazing (LG); (3) moderate grazing (MG); (4) heavy grazing (HG). Young leaves of each Stipa grandis were collected during the growing season. The results showed that the Stipa grandis showed abundant genetic diversity despite the fact that certain polymorphic loci were lost; at the same time, new polymorphic loci emerged when grazing pressure increased; a total of 10 primers were used, and 74 bands were produced in total, of which 65 bands were polymorphic; the total percentage of polymorphism was 89%; the percentage of polymorphic loci of the Stipa grandis population decreased with the increase of grazing pressure; the percentage of polymorphic loci was 62.2% in the no-grazing (CK) population, 64.9% in the light-grazing (LG) population, 58.1% in the moderate-grazing (MG) population, and 56.8% in the heavy-grazing (HG) population; the genetic diversity of the population in the descending order using the Shannon's information index is as follows: (1) light grazing (0.3486); (2) no grazing (0.3339); (3) moderate grazing (0.3249); (4) heavy grazing (0.2735) with the same distributional pattern as the Nei's genetic diversity index. The test showed the following: As the grazing pressures increased, the change of genetic diversity decreased; the genetic differentiation coefficient among the population (Gst) was 0.1984, which showed the presence of small partial genetic diversity (19.8%) among populations; gene flow (Nm*) between primers varied from 0.9806 to 3.4463, and the mean gene flow (Nm*) was 2.0202; the UPGMA cluster figure that was constructed on the basis of the genetic distance matrix showed four populations that became genetically closer at each step: (1) The first group was the moderate-grazing (MG) population and the heavy- grazing (HG) population; (2) The second group consisted of the no-grazing (CK) population and the light-grazing (LG) population; (3) The two groups gathered together.     

Integrative taxonomy recognized a new cryptic species within Stipa grandis from Loess Plateau of China

Stipa shanxiensis, a cryptic species within Stipa grandis that originated from central and western China, is described based on morphological, genomic, and ecological data from field and common garden experiments. Stipa shanxiensis morphologically resembles S. grandis, although phylogenetically it is closely related to the less morphologically similar Stipa baicalensis and Stipa krylovii. Of the eight significant morphological differences between S. shanxiensis and S. grandis, the two, cauline ligules longer than 2 cm with a filiform apex, and hairs shorter than 0.2 mm on the adaxial surface of the cauline uppermost leaves can be used to distinguish the species. Results from a common garden experiment verified that the two diagnostic characteristics were relatively stable and less morphologically plastic in response to environmental variation. Furthermore, a significant ecological divergence was found between S. shanxiensis and S. grandis, such that the former preferred warmer and more humid climates, and their predicted distribution was generally separated. Taken together, our results highlight that the integrative taxonomic approach was valuable for recognizing a new cryptic species in Stipa. In particular, we find that common garden experiments involving the effects of growth stage and characteristic position helped to morphologically diagnose cryptic species. These findings may also facilitate our understandings of ecological adaption and phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental change.     

割草和放牧对大针茅根际与非根际土壤养分和微生物数量的影响

选取内蒙古典型草原大针茅为主要研究对象,研究割草和放牧干扰对其根际与非根际土壤有机碳、全氮、有效氮、全磷、有效磷含量以及微生物数量的影响.结果表明：在割草和放牧干扰下,根际土壤有机碳、全氮、有效氮含量均有不同程度的减少,根际截存效应减弱;土壤全磷由于固定性强不易向植物根部聚集,土壤全磷的根际效应不明显;土壤有效磷异质性较大,在放牧和割草干扰下有不同程度的变化,但根际和非根际间差异不显著;放牧干扰显著减少了土壤微生物的数量;土壤养分的变化与土壤微生物数量的变化关系密切,细菌和真菌的数量变化可能对土壤养分的影响更大;相对于割草,放牧干扰更易造成根际土壤养分的流失及微生物数量的减少.     

Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity of Orally Administered Botanical Composition,UP446‐Part III: Effects on Fertility and Early Embryonic Development to Implantation in Sprague Dawley Rats

In recent years, high prevalence of adverse effects associated to the use of traditional medicines during pregnancy is becoming alarming due to the self‐medication of oral supplements by expecting mothers without supervision. Many expectant mothers use alternative and complementary medicines as a supplement to conventional pregnancy management with an inherent belief of considering herbal remedies as harmless. To the contrary, herbal remedies could incur a potential teratogenic risk both to the child bearing mother and the developing fetuses when consumed before or at the time of gestation. Here, we describe the potential adverse effects of orally administered UP446, a standardized bioflavonoid composition from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and the heartwoods of Acacia catechu, on fertility and early embryonic development to implantation in Sprague Dawley rats at doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg. Besides body weight and food consumption, reproductive functions, sperm motility and morphology, estrus cycle, and fertility rate were monitored. There were no statistically significant differences in reproductive function in all UP446 treated groups in both genders. Test substance impacts on reproductive parameters were very minimal. Neither sperm motility nor morphology was affected as a result of oral UP446 administrations in males. There were no treatment‐related effects on estrus cycle stages in females. No significant changes in necropsy or histopathology were observed for all the groups. Therefore, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of UP446 was considered to be 1000 mg/kg, the highest dose tested, in both genders     

Leaf traits of two Mediterranean perennial tussock grass species in relation to soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability

Studying relationships of plant traits to ecosystem properties is an emerging approach aiming to understand plant's potential effect on ecosystem functioning. In the current study, we explored links between morphological and nutritional leaf traits of two Mediterranean perennial grass species Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum, widely used to prevent desertification process by stabilizing sand dunes. We evaluated also relationships in terms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability between leaves of the investigated species and the corresponding soil. Our results showed that leaf P was very low in comparison with leaf N for the two investigated species. In fact, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis capacity and water conservation during photosynthesis are mainly linked to leaf nitrogen content. Our findings support previous studies showing that at the species levels, morphological and nutritional leaf traits were not related. On the other hand, significant relationships were obtained between soil N and leaf N for S. tenacissima (P = 0.011) and L. spartum (P = 0.033). However, leaf P was not significantly related to soil P availability for both species. We suggest that any decrease in soil N with the predicted increasing aridity may result in reduction in leaf N and thus in worst dysfunction of some biological processes levels.