The relationship between the reduction of nonstructural carbohydrate induced by defoliator and the growth and mortality of trees

Large scale herbivorous insect outbreaks can cause death of regional forests, and the events are expected to be exacerbated with climate change. Mortality of forest and woodland plants would cause a series of serious consequences, such as decrease in vegetation production, shifts in ecosystem structure and function, and transformation of forest function from a net carbon sink into a net carbon source. There is thus a need to better understand the impact of insects on trees. Defoliation by insect pests mainly reduces photosynthesis (source decrease) and increases carbon consumption (sink increase), and hence causes reduction of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC). When the reduction in NSC reaches to a certain level, trees would die of carbon starvation. External environment and internal compensatory mechanisms can also positively or negatively influence the process of tree death. At present, the research of carbon starvation is a hotspot because the increase of tree mortality globally with climate change, and carbon starvation is considered as one of the dominating physiological mechanisms for explaining tree death. In this study, we reviewed the definition of carbon starvation, and the relationships between the reduction of NSC induced by defoliation and the growth and death of trees, and the relationships among insect outbreaks, leaf loss and climate change. We also presented the potential directions of future studies on insect-caused defoliation and tree mortality.     

分泌型磷脂酶PLA2G5的生物学功能及其抑制剂研究进展

分泌型磷脂酶PLA2G5属于磷脂酶A2超家族的一员,在免疫细胞和非免疫细胞中均有表达.研究表明,PLA2G5参与生物学事件的发生发展,在特定的病理条件下具有诱导作用.本文简要阐述了PLA2G5的来源、结构特征、生物学功能和在疾病中的作用,以及现有或潜在的PLA2G5抑制剂,以期探索基于PLA2G5的治疗新靶标.     

栗瘿蜂幼虫期虫瘿与寄主植物部分营养和防御物质含量或活性的比较

为验证营养假说,本研究首次利用分光光度计测定了栗瘿蜂(Dryocosmus kuriphilus)幼虫期虫瘿及其着生枝条的部分营养和防御物质的含量或活性。研究结果表明:虫瘿中单宁和类黄酮的含量及苯丙氨酸解氨酶和多酚氧化酶的活性显著低于枝条的含量或活性,符合营养假说;虫瘿蛋白质和还原糖含量显著低于枝条的含量,淀粉的含量与枝条的含量差异不显著,不符合营养假说。     

甘蓝型油菜芥酸和二十碳烯酸含量的基因效应

以甘蓝型油菜的4种纯合芥酸基因型之间所有可能的6个杂交组合的P_1、P_2、F_1、P_2、B_1和B_2世代为材料,用生统遗传学方法研究了芥酸和二十碳烯酸的基因作用形式及效应。发现无论亲本是单基因差异还是二基因差异,F_1和F_2代的芥酸含量都接近中亲值,F_1略大于中亲值和F_(20)世代均值分析表明,芥酸含量的遗传符合加性显性模型,加性效应占绝对优势,显性效应不显著。用数量遗传学方法估计的芥酸基因数与已知的结果相近。     

粘球藻固氮作用与几种能量代谢过程的关系

本文以单细胞蓝藻（粘球藻）为材料,研究了固氮作用与光合作用,呼吸代谢以及氢代谢等能量代谢过程的关系,发现光照是固氮作用的主要限制因子,在光下的有氧分解过程和氧化磷酸化反应是推动固氮作用的能量来源,抑制光合磷酸化或氧化磷酸化反应都能导至固氮作用的显著降低,但用DCMU抑制光系统II电子传递过程却意外地能大幅度提高固氮活性,在暗中的粘球藻固氮主要靠有氧分解过程支持,粘球藻与其它固氮生物相似,在没有可利用的还原底物存在或正常固氮作用被特异性和抑制时,可以将固氮酶所截获能量的大部分用于释放分子氢和回收氢,但未发现通过吸氢反应来推动固氮作用。     

马齿苋叶片PEP羧化酶的分子特性

马齿苋叶片PEPCase由四个相同的亚基组成,亚基分子量为83kD。远紫外CD光谱分析表明,此酶含有36.6％α—螺旋结构。马齿苋叶片PEPCase可被G6P激活,但不能被Gly、Ser激活。G6P可防止酶的尿素变性和枯草杆菌蛋白酶的作用。这种保护效应与G6P诱导的酶构象变化有关。 从酶对低温、高温及尿素的反应来看,马齿苋叶片PEPCase的稳定性高于高粱叶片PEP—Case,两者的免疫特性和电泳特性亦不同。