Phytochemical Study of Juglans regia L. Pericarps from Greece with a Chemotaxonomic Approach

Phytochemical research of different polarity extracts from green Juglans regia L. pericarps from Greece afforded 32 compounds: four pentacyclic triterpenes (1 – 4), three sesquiterpenes (5 – 7), four tetralones (8 – 11), two naphthoquinones (12 and 13), seven phenolic acids (14 – 20), one diarylheptanoid (21), one neo‐lignan (22), seven flavonoids (23 – 29), two phenylethanoids (30 and 31) and one hydrolysed tannin (32). Compounds 4 and 29 are isolated for the first time from the species, while compounds 3, 7, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30 are reported for the first time in Juglandaceae. Chemotaxonomic significance of isolated compounds into Junglandaceae family is thoroughly discussed.     

An ectomycorrhizal nitrogen economy facilitates monodominance in a neotropical forest

Tropical forests are renowned for their high diversity, yet in many sites a single tree species accounts for the majority of the individuals in a stand. An explanation for these monodominant forests remains elusive, but may be linked to mycorrhizal symbioses. We tested three hypotheses by which ectomycorrhizas might facilitate the dominance of the tree, Oreomunnea mexicana, in montane tropical forest in Panama. We tested whether access to ectomycorrhizal networks improved growth and survival of seedlings, evaluated whether ectomycorrhizal fungi promote seedling growth via positive plant–soil feedback, and measured whether Oreomunnea reduced inorganic nitrogen availability. We found no evidence that Oreomunnea benefits from ectomycorrhizal networks or plant–soil feedback. However, we found three‐fold higher soil nitrate and ammonium concentrations outside than inside Oreomunnea‐dominated forest and a correlation between soil nitrate and Oreomunnea abundance in plots. Ectomycorrhizal effects on nitrogen cycling might therefore provide an explanation for the monodominance of ectomycorrhizal tree species worldwide.     

Molecular phylogeny of Juglans (Juglandaceae): a biogeographic perspective

The eastern Asian and eastern North American disjunction in Juglans offers an opportunity to estimate the time since divergence of the Eurasian and American lineages and to compare it with paleobotanical evidence. Five chloroplast DNA noncoding spacer (NCS) sequences: trnT−trnF, psbA−trnH, atpB−rbcL, trnV-16S rRNA, and trnS-trnfM and data from earlier studies (matK, ITS, and nuclear RFLP) were used to reconstruct phylogeny and to estimate the divergence time of major lineages. Seventeen taxa from four sections of Juglans and two outgroup taxa, Pterocarya stenoptera and Carya illinoiensis were included. NCS data was congruent only with matK data. Both maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) cladograms were concordant at the sectional level and revealed three well-supported monophyletic clades corresponding to sections Juglans, Cardiocaryon, and Rhysocaryon in both NCS and combined analyses. The single extant American butternut, Juglans cinerea was placed within the poorly resolved, but well-supported Rhysocaryon. Placement of taxa within Rhysocaryon and Cardiocaryon were inconsistent between NCS and combined analyses. Overall, the results suggest that: (1) the NCS sequence divergence observed within and between sections of Juglans is low and the addition of matK data only marginally improved resolution within Rhysocaryon; (2) the early divergence of section Juglans in both MP and ML analyses of NCS and combined data implies its ancient origin in contrast to fossil evidence, which suggests the earliest divergence of sections Rhysocaryon and Cardiocaryon; and (3) the extant taxa may not hold the footprints to unravel the evolutionary history of the genus.     

Phytochemical investigation on the roots of Juglans mandshurica and their chemotaxonomic significance

Phytochemical research of the roots of Juglans mandshurica Maxim. (Juglandaceae) verified 37 secondary metabolites, including thirteen diarylheptanoids (1–13), five naphthoquinones (14–18), five tetralones (19–23), three lignans (24–26), three phenols (27–29), two anthraquinones (30–31), two triterpenoids (32–33), two secoiridoids (34–35), one naphthalenyl glycoside (36), and one flavonoid (37). The chemical structures of these constituents were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and compared with data from the literature. This is the first confirmation of the presence of ten compounds (6, 12, 16, 18, 24–26, 30, 32–33) isolated from the family Juglandaceae, two compounds (1 and 8) from the genus Juglans, and four compounds (27, 31, 34–35) from J. mandshurica. The isolation and chemotaxonomic significance of the metabolites from the roots of J. mandshurica were described in this study.     

Phylogeography and population genetics of the riparian relict tree Pterocarya fraxinifolia (Juglandaceae) in the South Caucasus

We aimed to (i) assess the extant genetic diversity of the riparian relict tree Pterocarya fraxinifolia across its current distribution range in the South Caucasus, including the past refugial areas Colchis and Hyrcan, and (ii) test if a separation of these areas is reflected in its phylogeographic history. Genetic diversity of natural populations was examined using nuclear microsatellite and plastid DNA markers. Spatial genetic structure was evaluated using Bayesian clustering methods and the reconstruction of plastid DNA networks. Divergence times of Colchic and Hyrcanian populations were estimated via divergence dating using a relaxed molecular clock. Allelic richness, private allelic richness, and expected heterozygosity were significantly higher in Hyrcan than in Colchis and the Greater Caucasus, and significant genetic differentiation was revealed between the two groups. Whereas only two plastid haplotypes were detected for the Colchic and Caucasian populations, the Hyrcanian populations displayed 11 different haplotypes. Significant isolation by distance was detected in Hyrcan. The most recent common ancestor of all P. fraxinifolia haplotypes was dated to a time well before a suggested glaciation period in the Caucasus during the late Pliocene (5.98 Ma [11.3–2.48 Ma HPD]). The widespread Colchic haplotype that also occurs along the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus and reaches south-eastern Azerbaijan has appeared more recently (0.24 Ma [1.41–0 Ma HPD]). This diversification pattern of Colchic haplotypes from ancient Hyrcanian haplotypes suggests a colonization of the region from south-east to north-west that predates the last glacial maximum (LGM). Natural populations of P. fraxinifolia show low-to-intermediate levels of genetic diversity and a significant decrease of diversity from Hyrcan to Colchis. However, the genetic differentiation between Colchic-Caucasian and Hyrcanian populations for nuclear markers suggests that independent gene pools existed in both areas at least since the LGM. Particular attention to conservation seems justified for the more diverse Hyrcanian populations.     

三线钩蛾的生物学初步观察

三线钩蛾Pseudalbara parvula(Leech)是胡桃科和壳斗科树木的食叶害虫,核桃树受害很普遍。该虫1年发生2代,以蛹越冬。越冬代和第1代成虫于4月下旬和7月下旬开始羽化。文章报道其分布、寄主、生物学特性和天敌情况及防治方法。     

Host‐associated differentiation in a pecan and water hickory Aphidomorpha community

Host‐associated differentiation (HAD) is the formation of genetically distinct, host‐associated populations created and maintained by ecologically mediated reproductive isolation. HAD potentially accounts for species origins in parasites, including herbivorous insects. Although case studies testing the occurrence of HAD are accumulating, it is still unclear how common HAD is and which specific ecological traits explain its occurrence. To address these issues, studies are needed that include negative results (i.e., instances in which parasite populations do not exhibit HAD) and test for HAD across communities (i.e., several parasite species on the same set of host species). In this study, HAD was tested in a community of six species of Aphidomorpha (Hemiptera) that share a host‐plant pair: pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K.Koch] and water hickory [Carya aquatica (F.Michx) Nutt., both Juglandaceae] trees. All six species are parthenogenetic and three species are endophagous, traits that can exacerbate host‐specific selection. AFLP markers were employed to detect the presence of genetically distinct, host‐associated populations for each insect species. Strict HAD (i.e., the occurrence of genetically distinct pecan‐associated and water hickory‐associated genotypes) was found in Phylloxera notabilis Pergande (Phylloxeridae), Phylloxera devastatrix Pergande, and Monelliopsis pecanis Bissel (Aphididae). Monellia caryella Fitch (Aphididae) displayed a pattern of partial HAD (i.e., the occurrence of only a genetically distinct pecan‐associated genotype). No HAD was found in Melanocallis caryaefoliae Davis (Aphididae) or Phylloxera texana Stoetzel. The pattern of HAD occurrence in the pecan and water hickory Aphidomorpha community indicated that neither parthenogenesis nor endophagy sufficiently explain the occurrence of HAD in this system.     

ent-Eudesmane sesquiterpenoids, galloyl esters of the oak lactone precursor, and a 3-O-methylellagic acid glycoside from the wood of Platycarya strobilacea

ent-Eudesmane sesquiterpenoids, 8,11-dihydroxy-2,4-cycloeudesmane, 11-hydroxy-2,4-cycloeudesman-8-one and 2,4-cyclo-7(11)-eudesmen-8-one, were isolated from the wood of Platycarya strobilacea, which has been used as an aromatic tree since at least the 18th century. On charring the wood, 2,4-cyclo-7(11)-eudesmen-8-one was detected in the smoke. In the charred wood, the concentrations of ellagitannins, such as galloyl pedunculagin, dramatically decreased, whereas concentrations of pentagalloyl glucose, and other gallotannins were relatively stable. In addition, two other compounds, the 6′-O-m- and p-digalloyl oak lactone precursor and the 3-O-methylellagic acid 4′-O-(4″-O-galloyl)-xylopyranoside, were isolated from the charred wood along with m- and p-digallic acid.     

Molecular identification of species in Juglandaceae:A tiered method

DNA barcoding is a method of species identification and recognition using DNA sequence data. A tiered or multilocus method has been recommended for barcoding plant species. In this study, we sampled 196 individuals representing 9 genera and 54 species of Juglandaceae to investigate the utility of the four potential barcoding loci (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)). Our results show that all four DNA regions are easy to amplify and sequence. In the four tested DNA regions, ITS has the most variable information, and rbcL has the least. At generic level, seven of nine genera can be efficiently identified by matK. At species level, ITS has higher interspecific p-distance than the trnH-psbA region. Difficult to align in the whole family, ITS showed heterogeneous variability among different genera. Except for the monotypic genera (Cyclocarya, Annamocarya, Platycarya), ITS appeared to have limited power for species identification within the Carya and Engelhardia complex, and have no power for Juglans or Pterocarya. Overall, our results confirmed that a multilocus tiered method for plant barcoding was applicable and practicable. With higher priority, matK is proposed as the first-tier DNA region for genus discrimination, and the second locus at species level should have enough stable variable characters.