Protein Kinase Activity of in vitro Cultured Plant Cells in Relation to Growth and Starch Metabolism

Taking tetcyclacis, a norbornenodiazentine derivative, as an example, the influence of a growth retardant on the shoot growth of sunflower, soybean, and maize seedlings grown and treated in hydroculture was investigated. In detail, the reduction in the length of various shoot sections {epicotyl, 1st internode, leaf blade) caused by the retardant was studied. At low concentrations of the retardant (\lt10^-6 M) the shortening effects are substantially attributable to an influence on cell elongation, whereas cell division is inhibited as the concentration increases (τ10^-6 M). A comparison of the effects of tetcyclacis in cell suspension cultures of appropriate plant species showed that also in this system concentrations τ 10^-6 M inhibited cell division growth, i. e. there is comparability of plant/ cell culture regarding the retardant effect on cell division. In contrast to the intact plants, however, cell elongation appears to be of only subordinate importance for the growth of cell cultures, as it has been shown using parsley cell suspension cultures.It is discussed to what extent influencing the gibberellin or sterol biosynthesis by means of tetcyclacis provides an explanation for the concentration-dependent effect on the cell division and cell elongation processes.     

Effects of Riyadh cement industry pollutions on some physiological and morphological factors of Datura innoxia Mill. plant

Cement factory emissions into air cause serious air pollution and affect the plant and animal life in the environment. Herein, we report the effects of cement industry emissions (O₃, SO₂ and NO₂) in air, as pollutants, at Riyadh City on Datura innoxia Mill. plant. Morphological characters including plant height, leaves area and number, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root systems of D. innoxia showed a significant reduction from their normal control plants as a response to exposure to pollutant emissions. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents recorded reductions in values compared to control plant, and the lowest values of chlorophyll A, B, total chlorophyll, carotenoids and total pigments were 0.431, 0.169, 0.60, 0.343 and 0.943 mg/g respectively at a distance of 1–5 m from the cement factory in fruiting stage. These changes in values may be attributed to a probable deceleration of the biosynthetic process rather than degradation of pigments. Further D. innoxia showed a significant (P < 0.01) reduction in non-reducing and total sugars, protein and total lipid contents compared with the control plant. The root system recorded the lowest values of reducing sugars (0.350 mg/g f. wt.), non-reducing sugars (0.116 mg/g f. wt.), total sugars (0.466 mg/g f. wt.), protein content (0.931 mg/g f. wt.) and total lipids content (0.669 mg/g f. wt.) in fruiting stage at a distance of 1–5 m from the cement factory. The peroxidase activity of shoot and root systems of the studied plant was also significantly higher than those of control plant. Thus a highest value of (29.616 units/g f. wt.) peroxidase activity was recorded in vegetative stage of shoot system at a distance 1–5 m from the cement factory. Results of the study indicated that cement industry emission strongly influence the physiology and morphology of date palm D. innoxia which contribute date fruits, a staple food in the Arab world.     

Comparative Study of Accumulation of Two Potato Virus X Strains Differing in Virulence,Hydrolase Activity and Morphological Abnormalities in Datura stramonium L. Leaves

In young systemically infected leaves of Datura stramonium L., a severe strain of Potato virus X (PVX) accumulated to a lower degree than a mild strain. Infected leaves had increased protease and RNase activities in comparison with those of healthy controls. The highest hydrolase activities were found in leaves infected with the severe strain. Negative‐staining electron microscopy of dips from the infected leaves indicated that PVX virions underwent destructive changes, which resulted in the appearance of abnormal (swollen and ‘thin’) particles. Immuno‐electron microscopic assays showed that thin PVX particles, in contrast to those of normal diameter, lost the ability to bind with specific antiserum. The relative number of thin virions in leaves infected with the severe PVX strain was considerably higher than in leaves infected with the mild strain. This shows that a correlation exists between increased protease activity and intracellular destruction of virions. In abnormal virions, the viral RNA appears to be available for RNase attack. Therefore, it seems that high RNase activity together with increased generation of abnormal virions in the leaves infected with the severe strain promote inactivation of the viral RNA with RNase. We suppose that the enhanced hydrolase activities in the leaves infected with severe PVX strain, on the one hand, limit viral accumulation and thus play a defensive role and, on the other hand, cause considerable intracellular pathological changes resulting in severe symptoms.     

Defensive role of leaf trichomes in resistance to herbivorous insects in Datura stramonium

This study assessed the role of leaf trichome density as a component of resistance to herbivores, in six populations of Datura stramonium. Phenotypic selection on plant resistance was estimated for each population. A common garden experiment was carried out to determine if population differences in leaf trichome density are genetically based. Among population differences in leaf trichome density, relative resistance and fitness were found. Leaf trichome density was strongly positively correlated to resistance across populations. In 5 out of 6 populations, trichome density was related to resistance, and positive directional selection on resistance to herbivores was detected in three populations. Differences among populations in mean leaf trichome density in the common garden suggest genetic differentiation for this character in Datura stramonium. The results are considered in the light of the adaptive role of leaf trichomes as a component of defence to herbivores, and variable selection among populations.     

Influence of the ion-balance in the growth medium on the yield and alkaloid content ofDatura stramonium L.

Plants ofDatura stramonium var.tatula L. Torr. were grown for 24 weeks on vermiculite and provided with mineral solutions where the relative proportions of the major anions (N, S, P) and cations (K, Ca, Mg) were varied within a constant total.With all treatments a cyclic transport of alkaloids (hyoscyamine) from the roots to the upper plant parts appeared. The fluctuations in alkaloid content in the leaves followed those in the roots with a delay of 4 weeks.The interionic ratios seemed to influence growth and alkaloid content rather than to affect the ontogenic variations. In general, the response to the different treatments could be divided into two types. The nitrogen treatments which gave at the same time a higher crop yield and an increased hyoscyamine content, and the other treatments where a much lower yield and content was obtained.The scopolamine content on the other hand seemed to be more affected by the developmental stage. Also, the time of maximal yield was not influenced by the ion-balance but rather the climatic conditions.     

Effects of boundary layer conductance on substomatal pressures of carbon dioxide

Abstract. Gas exchange measurements were made on single leaves of three C₃ and one C₄ species at air speeds of 0.4 and 4.0 m s⁻¹ to determine if boundary layer conductance substantially affected the substomatal pressure of carbon dioxide. Boundary layer conductances to water vapour were 0.4 to 0.5 mol m⁻² s⁻¹ at the lower air speed, and 1.2 to 1.5 mol m⁻² s⁻¹ at the higher air speed. Substomatal carbon dioxide pressures were about 5 Pa lower at low boundary layer conductance in the C₃ species, and about 3 Pa lower in the C₄ species when measurements were made at high and moderate photosynthetic photon flux densities. No evidence of stomatal adjustment to altered boundary layer conductance was found. Photosynthetic rates at high photon flux densities were reduced by about 20% at the low air speed in the C₃ species. The commonly reported values of substomatal carbon dioxide pressure for C₃ and C₄ species were found to occur only when measurements were made at the higher air speed.     

Host Status of Five Weed Species and Their Effects on Pratylenchus zeae Infestation of Maize

The host suitability of five of the most common weed species occurring in maize (Zea mays L.) fields in South Africa to Pratylenchus zeae was tested. Based on the number of nematodes per root unit, mealie crotalaria (Crotalaria sphaerocarpa) was a good host; goose grass (Eleusine indica), common pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus), and thorn apple (Datura stramonium) were moderate hosts; and khaki weed (Tagetes minuta) was a poor host. Only the root residues of khaki weed suppressed the P. zeae infestation of subsequently grown maize. When goose grass, khaki weed, and mealie crotalaria were grown in association with maize in soil infested with P. zeae, goose grass and khaki weed severely suppressed maize root development; this resulted in a low number of nematodes per maize root system and a high number of nematodes per maize root unit. Mealie crotalaria did not restrict maize root growth and did not affect nematode densities per maize root system or maize root unit. Special attention should be given to the control of mealie crotalaria, which is a good host for P. zeae, and goose grass, which, in addition to its ability to compete with maize, is also a suitable host for P. zeae.     

Cytotoxic activity of withanolides isolated from Tunisian Datura metel L

Withanolide-type steroids, withametelin Q (1) and 12α-hydroxydaturametelin B (2) along with three known withanolides, were isolated from leaves of Datura metel L. (Solanaceae). The respective structures, characterized mainly by NMR spectroscopy, were identified as (20R,22R,24R)-21,24-epoxy-1α,3β-dihydroxywitha-5,25(27)-dienolide-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) and (20R,22R,24R)-12α,21,27-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,5,24-trienolide-27-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (2). The cytotoxicity of isolated compounds was evaluated against human lung carcinoma cells (A549) and human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (DLD-1), respectively. Compound 2 exhibited cytotoxicity against A549 and DLD-1 cell lines, with IC₅₀ values of 7 and 2.0 μM, respectively. However, for compounds 6 and 7, cytotoxicities were higher against DLD-1 cells with IC₅₀ values of 0.6 and 0.7 μM. Both compounds blocked the cell cycle in the S-phase and induced apoptosis.     

Costs of glandular trichomes in Datura wrightii: a three-year study

Models accounting for genetic variation for resistance to herbivores within plant populations often postulate a balance between the costs of that resistance and its benefits. The production of glandular trichomes by Datura wrightii was shown to be costly in a previous one-year study because plants producing glandular trichomes (sticky plants), a factor conferring resistance to some insect herbivores, also produced 45% fewer seeds than plants producing nonglandular trichomes (velvety plants) when grown in a common garden. Because sticky plants tended to be larger than velvety plants but produced fewer seed capsules, we postulated an allocation trade-off in which velvety plants are more reproduction-dominated whereas sticky plants are more growth-dominated. If a greater commitment to vegetative growth eventually allows sticky plants to compensate for reduced seed production, we would expect a reduction or elimination of the cost of resistance over time in this perennial plant. We monitored growth, survival, and seed production of plants from defined crosses of local populations for three years in a common garden when exposed to and protected from herbivores, and with and without supplemental water. The majority of plants exposed to herbivores had died by the end of the study. We used standard life-table methods to determine the net reproductive rate (R0) and the finite rate of increase (lambda) of plants of each trichome type. After three years, when plants were protected from herbivores, sticky plants were 187-245% larger than velvety plants, depending upon irrigation treatment, but sticky plants continued to be less efficient in producing seeds per unit of canopy volume. Even though the total seed production of sticky plants eventually equaled that of velvety plants, the advantage of earlier reproduction by velvety plants increased lambda by 55-230% over that of sticky plants, depending upon herbivore and irrigation treatment. Exposure to herbivores reduced lambda by 69-83%, depending upon plant type and irrigation treatment, whereas supplemental irrigation increased lambda by 29-175%, depending upon plant type and exposure to herbivores. Although there was a large allocation trade-off between growth and reproduction, the benefits of such a trade-off did not emerge before most plants were killed by herbivores. The cost of producing glandular trichomes strictly for herbivore resistance continued to exceed its benefits, and in the absence of other, unmeasured benefits from the suite of life-history characters associated with glandular trichome production, natural selection is expected to eliminate this costly resistance trait from D. wrightii populations.