Comparative pollen morphology and ultrastructure of Platanus: Implications for phylogeny and evaluation of the fossil record

Pollen of Platanus was studied using light (LM) and electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Overall, pollen is uniform in modern Platanus (small, tricolpate, prolate to spheroidal, reticulate, semitectate). A number of characters, however, display remarkable variability within a taxon and even a single anther (size; foveo‐reticulate, fine to coarse reticulate ornamentation). Platanus kerrii (subgenus Castaneophyllum) differs from the remaining species by its high and “folded” reticulum and possibly the smooth colpus membrane. Moreover, to our knowledge, pollen of the P. kerrii – type is not known from the fossil record. The exine in modern and fossil Platanaceae shows great structural similarity, but the thickness of the foot layer within the ectexine is less variable and normally smaller in modern taxa. Furthermore, in Early Cretaceous to Early Cainozoic Platanaceae a number of distinct pollen types occurred that are not known within the modern Platanus. Considering pollen of Platanaceae from the Early Cretaceous to today, a dynamic picture of the evolution of the family emerges. In the first phase (Early Cretaceous) pollen of extinct genera such as Aquia differed considerably from modern Platanus and shows strong similarity to basal eudicot taxa such as Ranunculales (e.g. Lardizabalaceae). The Late Cretaceous Platananthus hueberi displays a distinct coarse reticulum that is unknown from modern Platanus but similar to some taxa of Hamamelidaceae (e.g. Exbucklandia). After the first phase of eudicot radiation that appears to have been characterized by strongly reticulate evolution, platanaceous diversity decreased in the course of the Cainozoic. Despite this, the pollen type of the modern subgenus Castaneophyllum (P. kerrii type) seems to be an innovation that originated after the initial radiation of the family.     

二球悬铃木不同器官对空气中Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的累积作用

以交通繁忙区(污染点)和相对清洁区(对照点)道路两侧的二球悬铃木〔Platanus acerifolia ( Ait.) Willd.〕为研究对象,测定了不同器官(包括主干、老树皮、2年生枝条、1年生枝条、腋芽、叶片和果实)中Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的含量,并对污染点二球悬铃木各器官中4种重金属元素的累积量和污染指数及二者的分布比例进行分析。结果表明：二球悬铃木体内重金属元素的含量因样点、器官及元素的不同而呈现不同的变化规律,污染点4种重金属元素的累积量及其分布比例、污染指数及其分布比例则因器官和元素的不同而有明显差异。总体上看,污染点各器官的Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的含量均高于对照点且差异显著(P<0.05);4种重金属元素相比较,均以Zn含量最高,Cu含量次之,而Ni和Pb含量则较低;在不同器官中同一重金属元素的含量也有明显差异,其中,Cu、Ni和Zn含量均在腋芽中最高,Pb含量在2年生枝条中最高。4种重金属元素的累积量及其分布比例均在叶片中最高,在老树皮中次之,在1年生枝条、2年生枝条和腋芽中均较低;而4种重金属元素的污染指数及其分布比例则在老树皮中最高,在叶片中次之。研究结果显示：二球悬铃木各器官对空气中的重金属元素均有一定的吸滞能力,并且叶片和老树皮的吸滞能力明显优于其他器官。     

空气重金属元素在悬铃木叶中的亚细胞分布及其区隔化效应

以南京市常见行道树二球悬铃木为试材,研究了交通繁忙区和相对清洁区道路两边悬铃木叶内6种重金属元素的亚细胞分布及其区隔化效应.结果显示:交通污染区悬铃木叶内各亚细胞组分中Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn 5种重金属元素的含量均明显高于对照区,交通空气污染是影响其含量增加的主要原因之一.相对清洁区和交通污染区5种重金属元素在悬铃木叶片、叶柄的细胞壁组分中含量最高,胞外隔离系数和污染指数均大于0.900,细胞壁是大气重金属元素重要的吸滞器官,并对重金属有明显的阻隔效应;胞内细胞器对Pb和Cu的隔离系数和污染指数最大,细胞器双层膜能在一定程度上抵御重金属元素进入细胞内.悬铃木叶片和叶柄亚细胞组分的污染指数表现为胞质组分＞细胞壁组分＞细胞器组分,即包括液泡液在内的胞质组分是囤积重金属元素的场所.研究表明,悬铃木叶片、叶柄各亚细胞组分对重金属均有不同程度的累积能力,叶内胞质组分的囤积作用以及细胞壁、质膜与细胞器双层膜的区隔化作用可能是悬铃木叶解除重金属元素毒害的重要原因.     

悬铃木属植物果皮毛性状及其对小鼠肺部的致炎作用

观察了3种悬铃木聚合果的形态、坚果形态、聚合果上坚果数量、坚果上果皮毛数量、聚合果总果皮毛数量,比较了3种悬铃木聚合果的形态学差异,发现二球悬铃木的聚合果最大,聚合果上的坚果数量与坚果的果皮毛数量最多;采用石蜡切片染色观察和NaOH处理证明悬铃木果皮毛主要有果胶质、纤维素和木质素3种主要成分;通过用不同浓度粒级符合PM10大小的果皮毛对小白鼠进行支气管染毒试验,证明染毒后小鼠肺泡灌洗液中磷酸还原酶(ACP)含量升高,显示肺细胞受损;GSH-Px含量下降,显示小鼠肺部氧化和抗氧化系统失衡.试验结果证明,悬铃木果皮毛破碎后所形成的可吸入颗粒物PM10对小鼠的呼吸道具有致炎作用.     

二球悬铃木冬芽休眠的温度特性

为了探讨树木冬芽休眠与分布的相互关系以及悬铃木冬芽休眠机理,研究了悬铃木冬芽休眠的温度特性.结果表明：（1）悬铃木冬芽具有浅冬休眠特性,在25℃条件下即使深休眠期的冬芽也能够部分萌发,萌芽率达到40﹪～60﹪,但在15～20℃低温下不能萌发,而随着经历低温量的增加,休眠逐渐得到解除,在春季的10～15℃低温下也能萌发;（2）悬铃木冬芽的休眠解除的低温范围较大,5℃与12℃具有同样的低温效果,15℃也有较大的低温效果,甚至20℃也有低温效果,不同于温带树种,但与横跨亚热带与暖温带分布的山桐子相似;（3）9～10月份为悬铃木的休眠导入期,10月下旬进入深休眠期,同时进入休眠解除期,经过冬季低温信号的诱导,休眠得以解除,保证春季冬芽的正常萌发;（4）悬铃木冬芽能否萌发取决于芽鳞的阻碍作用力与生长点、叶原基或花原基萌发力的平衡状态,当阻碍力大于萌发力表现为冬芽不能萌发,当阻碍力小于萌发力表现为冬芽的萌发;（5）芽鳞除了具有阻碍作用和抵御冬季寒冷干燥气候外,还具有利用冬季低温解除其休眠的作用,在解除其休眠的过程中既提高了生长点、叶原基或花原基的萌发力,也降低了芽鳞的阻碍力;（6）悬铃木冬芽内的主芽和副芽休眠特性不同,在主芽萌芽能力弱时,副芽的萌芽能力增强,反之,主芽萌芽力强时,副芽的萌发就会受到抑制,当主芽能够经过冬季低温解除休眠能够萌发时,冬芽内的副芽重新进入休眠状态,可能是系统维持的一种生态适应;（7）二球悬铃木能横跨亚热带与暖温带广泛栽培正是由悬铃木冬芽休眠的生理生态特性决定的.     

悬铃木花粉生活力及贮藏力的研究

以30~40年生悬铃木(Platanus acerifolia)的花粉为试材,研究了不同培养基对其萌发的作用,同时探讨了不同贮藏条件和贮藏时间对花粉生活力的影响。结果表明:悬铃木花粉在15%蔗糖 0.01%硼酸的培养基上培养24 h后萌发率最高;附加琼脂的固体培养基对花粉的萌发影响不大;50 mg/L的赤霉素对悬铃木花粉的萌发没有明显的抑制或促进作用;花粉干燥后在低温4℃下贮藏能保持较长的生活力,比未经干燥25℃和4℃下贮藏分别长35 d和20 d。     

城市胁迫生境下二球悬铃木叶片的发育稳定度及其环境指示功能

对采自上海市区14个样点的二球悬铃木叶片发育稳定度、叶片气孔密度和气孔长径进行研究。结果表明,在3个采样时期,根据叶片宽度确定的非稳态不对称指数(FA1)和根据叶片侧脉长度确定的偏向性不对称指数(RDA1)在不同环境胁迫程度(UESL)下均表现出显著的差异,但进一步分析表明,各样点FA1与环境胁迫程度UESL之间呈显著的非线性回归关系,而RDA1与环境胁迫程度之间却未显示类似关系。此外,FA1与叶片气孔密度和气孔长径之间的显著相关关系表明,它们可共同作为指示小尺度上环境胁迫的有效指标,而RDA1是叶片的一种正常发育状态参数,并不适于反映环境胁迫状态。     

中国内蒙古缨齿藓属(紫萼藓科)1新变种——缨齿藓菱形变种

报道了内蒙古清水河黄土丘陵地区发现的紫萼藓科1新变种——缨齿藓菱形变种[Jaffueliobryum wrightii(Sull.)Thér.var.rhombicumX.L.BaiSarula],该变种与干旱山地岩面生境中的原变种缨齿藓[Jaffueliobryum wrightii(Sull.)Thér.]相似,生境的变化导致其形态发生变化,主要表现在上部细胞菱形和细胞壁背部强烈加厚,未分化的叶上部边缘细胞、中肋横切面细胞不分化,叶片长0.7~0.8mm,毛尖长0.8~1.3mm。文中对缨齿藓及其新变种的形态学特征,分布和生境进行了描述,并提供了显微照片,另外,列出了缨齿藓属5个种的检索表。     

Stable <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated genetic transformation of London plane tree (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Platanus acerifolia</Emphasis> Willd.)

London plane tree (Platanus acerifolia Willd.) is an important tree in urban landscaping but it suffers from a number of negative traits which genetic engineering could be used to address. As with many woody species, P. acerifolia has appeared recalcitrant to genetic transformation. However, the recent development of a method for regenerating shoots from P. acerifolia leaf explants suggests that such material could be a target for gene-transfer. Using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain in which the T-DNA carries the histochemically detected reporter gene β-glucuronidase (GUS), we have followed the transfer of genes from Agrobacterium to leaf explants of Platanus acerifolia. Using this system, we have identified a set of inoculation and co-cultivation conditions (notably: the pre-treatment of leaf explants with 0.4 M mannitol, an inoculation period of 10 min, a bacterial OD₆₀₀ of 0.8–1.0 and a co-cultivation period of 5 days) that permit a good frequency and reliability of transient gene-transfer. Optimum levels of antibiotics for bacterial elimination and kanamycin-resistant shoot regeneration were also established. By applying these parameters, we recovered eight independent stably transformed shoots that were kanamycin-resistant and contained the nptII T-DNA gene, as confirmed by PCR analysis. Furthermore, Southern blot analysis confirmed that, in at least five of these lines, the transgene was associated with high molecular weight DNA, so indicating integration into the plant genome.