The effect of Cd2+ on photosynthetic reactions of mesophyll protoplasts

Photosynthetic CO₂-fixation of mesophyll protoplasts of lambs lettuce [Valerianella locusta (L.) Betcke] was inhibited by short time exposure to Cd⁺. Inhibition was due to uptake of the metal ion into the protoplasts and increased with increasing Cd²⁺ concentrations and the time of preincubation. A 10 min pretreatment at 2 mM Cd²⁺ reduced CO₂-fixation by 40–60%. Inhibition of photosynthesis was independent of the light intensity to which the protoplasts were exposed. Measurement of the lightinduced electrochromic pigment absorption change at 518nm and chlorophyll fluorescence studies revealed that primary photochemical reactions associated with the thylakoid membranes were not affected by the metal ion. Also, light activation of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.39) was not inhibited by Cd²⁺. Under rate-limiting CO₂ concentrations, inhibition of CO₂-fixation was smaller than at V_max of CO₂ reduction indicating that the carboxylation reaction of the Calvin cycle is not susceptible to Cd²⁺. Cd²⁺ treatment of protoplasts significantly extended the lagphase of CO₂-supported O₂-evolution and partly inhibited light activation of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.13) and the ribulose-5-phosphate kinase (EC 2.7.1.19). Measurement of relative concentrations of [¹⁴C]-labeled Calvin cycle intermediates showed that Cd²⁺ caused a decrease in the 3-phosphoglycerate/triose phosphate ratio and an increase in the triose phosphate/ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate ratio. It is concluded that in protoplasts Cd²⁺ affects photosynthesis mainly at the level of dark reactions and that the site of inhibition may be localized in the regenerative phase of the Calvin cycle.     

The site of action of abscisic acid at the guard cell plasmalemma of Valerianella locusta

Abstract. Abscisic acid (ABA) is taken up by guard cells of isolated epidermata of Valerianella locusta only at low external pH values. At pH 8.0, when nearly all ABA molecules are present as the union of ABA (ABA⁻), no uptake can be observed. ABA-dependent movement of stomata was tested at external pH values between 5.0 and 8.0. Independent of the external pH, ABA induced stomatal closure at all tested ABA concentrations. It is concluded that ABA need not be taken up into the cytosol of the guard cells in order to induce slomatal closure. The primary site of ABA action at the guard cell plasmalemma must be located either at the outer surface of the plasmalemma or at least be easily accessible from outside. ABA− is as effective as undissociated ABA (ABAH).     

Predicting Damage of Meloidogyne incognita on Watermelon

Quantitative growth response of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) sensitive to Meloidogyne incognita is poorly understood. Determination of soil population densities of second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita with Baermann funnel extraction often is inaccurate at low soil temperatures. In greenhouse experiments, three sandy soils were inoculated with dilution series of population densities of eggs or J2 of M. incognita and planted in small containers to watermelon ‘Royal Sweet’ or subjected to Baermann funnel extraction. After five weeks of incubation in the greenhouse bioassay plants in egg-inoculated soils, gall numbers on watermelon roots related more closely to inoculated population densities than J2 counts after Baermann funnel extraction. In April 2004, perpendicularly-inserted tubes (45-cm diameter, 55-cm deep) served as microplots where two methyl bromide-fumigated sandy soils were inoculated with egg suspensions of M. incognita at 0, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 eggs/100 cm³ of soil in 15-cm depth. At transplanting of 4-week old watermelon seedlings, soils were sampled for the bioassay or for extraction of J2 by Baermann funnel. In the Seinhorst function of harvested biomass in relation to nematode numbers, decline of biomass with increasing population densities of M. incognita was accurately modeled by the inoculated eggs (R² = 0.93) and by the counts of galls on the bioassay roots (R² = 0.98); but poorly by J2 counts (R² = 0.68). Threshold levels of watermelon top dry weight to M. incognita were 122 eggs/100 cm³ soil, 1.6 galls on bioassay roots, or 3.6 J2/100 cm³ of soil. Using the bioassay in early spring for predicting risk of nematode damage appeared useful in integrated pest management systems of watermelon.     

莴苣叶疫病和茎腐病的病原

2021年3–6月,从甘肃省的生菜(叶用莴苣)叶片和青海省的莴笋(茎用莴苣)茎秆罹病样本上分离得到腐霉属卵菌。通过Koch’s法则明确了分出菌株的致病性。依据形态学和分子生物学特征,将3个菌株鉴定为嗜导管腐霉Pythium tracheiphilum。在核糖体DNA内转录间隔区(rDNA-ITS)、细胞色素氧化酶亚基1(cox1)和核糖体DNA28S大亚基(rDNA-LSU)基因联合系统发育树中,甘肃菌株(LPy-B)和青海菌株(LPy-C和LPy-D)被聚在P. tracheiphilum的不同亚群里,不同菌株的适宜生长温度和产孢特性存在差异。孢子囊顶生、间生或侧生,球形,17.13–53.73μm,或近球形至葫芦状,24.58–56.72×18.62–53.73μm;休止孢球形,6.70–9.68μm;藏卵器光滑,顶生或间生,球形,15.64–23.09μm;每个藏卵器有雄器1–2个,雄器与藏卵器同丝或异丝生;卵孢子满器或近满器,球形,直径13.41–20.11μm,卵孢子壁厚0.74–2.23μm。致病性测定结果表明,除莴苣外,嗜导管腐霉还可侵染菊科的华蒲公英和刺儿菜、十字花科的...     

Reproduction of Criconemoides simile, Helicotylenchus pseudorobustus,and Paratylenchus projectus on Soybean

Reproduction of Criconernoides simile, Paratylenchus projectus, and Helicotylenchus pseudorobustus, alone and in certain combinations, was characterized during 50 days on the soybean cultivars Custer and Hood. Custer was the more suitable host for all three nematodes and C. simile was the most vigorous parasite on both cultivars. C. simile and H. pseudorobustus reproduced as well in combination as they did alone; addition of P. projectus to this combination did not alter results. Reproduction by P. projectus was repressed on both cultivars when it was combined with C. simile and H. pseudorobustus. The relative importance of time was assessed, as it relates both to the establishment of parasitism by applied nematodes and to the rate of development of larvae in the various host-parasite combinations. The necessity of characterizing as well as enumerating populations when evaluating population development of ectoparasitic nematodes was demonstrated.     

Interaction of triacontanol with gibberellin in control of lettuce seed germination

Triacontanol at concentrations from 2.3 × 10^-9 M to 2.3 × 10^-7 M did not affect the germination of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L., cv. Grand Rapids) seeds in darkness, stimulated by light at 25°C or by benzyladenine at 31°C. Stimulation of seed germination by gibberellin A₃ (10^-5 M ) was significantly inhibited by triacontanol; the most effective concentration was 4.6 × 10^-8 M. Pulse experiments demonstrated that triacontanol was ineffective when applied later than gibberellin, whereas an inverse sequence of treatment caused an inhibition comparable to that resulting from continuous treatment of seeds with both factors. Possible interaction of triacontanol with gibberellin receptor is discussed.     

Validation of a Model for Prediction of Host Damage by Two Nematode Species

Plant roots were mechanically injured or subjected to nematode parasitism to test the model of host damage by two nematode species: y = m'' + (l - m'')c''z₁^P₁₁z₂^P₁₂ for y ≤ 1.0 and y = 1.0 for y > 1.0, where m'' = m₁ + (m₂ - m₁) (1 - y₂)/[(1 - y₁) + (l - y₂)] and c'' = (z₁^-T₁ + z₂^-T₂)/2. Damage functions for greenhouse-grown radish plants (cv. Cherry Belle) mechanically injured with small or large steel needles were used to predict growth of plants injured by both needles. Growth predictions accounted for 94%, 87%, and 82% of mean treatment variation in plant height, stem weight, and root weight, respectively. Cowpea (cv. California Blackeye No. 5) damage functions, based on preplant population levels of Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica, were used to predict seed yield of plants concomitantly infected with various levels of each species. Single species damage functions and population growth curves indicated significant host resistance to M. incognita and significantly lower virulence of that species compared to M. javanica. Model predictions accounted for 88% of mean seed yield variation in two-species treatments. In a separate experiment, mean top weights of 30-day-old cowpea plants, nniformly inoculated with 20,000 M. javanica eggs, increased with increasing levels of concomitantly inoculated M. incognita eggs. It is speculated that competitive interactions between M. incognita and M. javanica mitigated host damage by the more virulent species.     

Regulation of the photosynthetic electron transport during dark-light transitions by activation of the ferredoxin-NADP+-oxidoreductase in higher plants

Absorbance changes associated with the oxidation and reduction of cytochrome f belong to the classical observations about the interaction of the two photosystems. A complex induction pattern of cytochrome f oxidation results, if both photosystems are excited simultaneously. This indicates a light-modulated regulation of the photosynthetic electron transport, which we examined for intact biological systems of decreasing complexity. The ferredoxin-NADP⁺-oxidoreductase (FNR) is suggested to be activated by light and inactivated in the dark. This is pointed out by the kinetics of variable fluorescence and by the influence of different artificial electron acceptors on the cytochrome f kinetics. The photoreduction of NADP⁺ by carefully prepared thylakoids demonstrates the activation process directly.This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Phytochrome control of skotodormancy release in Grand Rapids lettuce achenes

Light-requiring Grand Rapids lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) achenes develop skotodormancy when imbibed in darkness for 7 days at 25°C. Redried skotodormant achenes maintain this type of dormancy upon subsequent rehydration. At 25°C full germination of skotodormant achenes can be induced by continuous and intermittent red light illumination as well as by several brief red irradiations given daily. One brief (10 min) red light irradiation can partly break skotodormancy at 20°C, while at lower temperatures the same treatment results in full induction of germination. Phytochrome control of the release from skotodormancy is proven by a) the dependence of the germination response on the relative sequence of red and far-red light in cyclic irradiations, and b) the reversion of red action by subsequent far-red irradiation. The time course of germination of skotodormant achenes treated with intermittent red light depends upon the length of dark interval between the light pulses. Germination is considerably delayed compared to that of non-skotodormant ones, induced by a single brief red light treatment. This fact in combination with the requirement, over a long period of time, of P_fr action for full manifestation of germination, indicates that skotodormancy is a deeper form of dormancy. It is concluded that the germination of lettuce achenes may always be subjected to phytochrome control.     

Effects of Environments,Meloidogyne incognita Inoculum Levels,and Glycine max Genotype on Root-knot Nematode-Soybean Interactions in Field Microplots

Five soybean cultivars (Braxton, Gordon, Jeff, Bragg, and Wright) resistant to Meloidogyne incognita (Mi) and three susceptible cultivars (Coker 156, GaSoy 17, and Coker 237) were grown at two locations for four seasons in microplots with increasing initial soil population densities (Pi) of Mi. The resistant cultivars and Coker 156 yielded better than GaSoy 17 and Coker 237 at all Pi. Yield response was dependent on environmental conditions and at one location was stimulated on Braxton, Gordon, Jeff, and Bragg by low Pi. Although Mi reproduced well on all cultivars, the pattern of reproduction differed. Population densities of Mi leveled off after 90 days on GaSoy 17 and Coker 237 but were still increasing after 120 days on the resistant cultivars; population densities were lower on resistant than on the susceptible cultivars. The population density of Mi on Coker 156 after 120 days was intermediate between those on the other susceptible and on the resistant cultivars. Mi population densities followed the same pattern under varying environmental conditions.