A Comparative Study of Chlorophyll Production in Cotyledons

Chlorophyll production was studied in four species with cotyledonsdiffering widely in photosynthetic potential. When cotyledons were detached from dark-grown seedlings at intervalsduring germination and exposed to light for 24–48 h, maximumchlorophyll production was found after 8 days of dark-germinationin french bean, runner bean, and lupin, and after 5 days inmustard. Chlorophyll formation was reduced when the cotyledonswere detached earlier or later than this time, and during thefirst 1–2 days of germination the cotyledons producedvery little chlorophyll. With later times of excision the abilityto accumulate chlorophyll increased, rapidly in lupin and mustardand more slowly in the beans. A comparison of chlorophyll accumulation by attached cotyledonsand those excised during the first 24 h of germination showeda fourfold enhancement of chlorophyll content in detached french-beancotyledons and a fourfold reduction in chlorophyll content indetached mustard cotyledons, whilst chlorophyll accumulationwas similar in both the attached and detached cotyledons oflupin. The results are discussed in relation to the possible promotiveand inhibitory influence of the seedling axis on greening ofcotyledons differing in their potential for expansion and inthe amount of reserve material stored.     

A Comparative Study of PEPC Activity of Green Organs in C3 Plant

PEPC and relevant enzymes in different photosynthetic organs of wheat and soybean were studied. Almost all green organs examined have been found to contain PEPC. PEPC activity in pod hull and seed coat of soybean as well as in paleae of wheat is higher than that in leaves. 14CO2 can be fixed in different green organs either in light or in dark, however in dark, 14CO2 fixation in pnl hull and seed coat of soybean as well as in paleae of wheat is higher than in leaves. Similarly, N AD-malic enzyme and NAD-malate dehydrogenase are also higher in those organs than in leaves. It was shown that active β-carboxylation of PEPC took place in the fruit organs. The above results indicate that PEPC is important not only for CO2 fixation during photosynthesis but also for recapturing CO2 released from respiration.     

Comparative Study of β-Glucosidase from Cotyledons and Fruits of Cucumber, Cucumis sativus

This study was conducted to compare the β-glucosidase of cotyledons and fruits of Cucumis sativus L. cv. Chipper. The concentration of the enzyme was followed throughout the growth period of each organ. The greatest concentration of the enzyme did not correspond with the most rapid period of growth. Each enzyme was characterized kinetically. The Michaelis constant of the cotyledon β-glucosidase for p-NO₂-phenyl-β-D-gluco-pyranoside was 1.57 mM, and was 0.35 mM for the fruit enzyme. The enzymes from the two sources also differed in affinity for glucono-1,5-lactone, a competitive inhibitor of β-glucosidases, susceptibility to inhibition by saccharides, and heat stability. The two organs apparently contain different forms of β-glucosidase.     

两个苜蓿品种营养器官解剖结构特征比较

为了明确具有极强抗虫特性的‘草原4号紫花苜蓿’(Medicago sativa L.‘Caoyuan No.4’) 营养器官的解剖特征,该研究选择具有抗蓟马特性较强的‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’(Medicago varia Martin.‘Caoyuan No.2’)为对照,采用显微镜观察比较两品种的根、茎、叶解剖结构特征,为揭示‘草原4号紫花苜蓿’ 抗蓟马特性提供理论依据。结果显示：(1)‘草原4号紫花苜蓿’根部解剖结构的皮层薄壁细胞厚度、内皮层厚度、形成层厚度、木质部厚度和木射线宽度等5个指标均极显著高于(P＜0.01)‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’,其中木射线宽度(159.37 μm)是‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’的1.82倍。(2)‘草原4号紫花苜蓿’的茎部厚角组织厚度(21.4 μm)极显著高于‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’(P＜0.01),而韧皮部宽度、髓直径却均极显著低于‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’(P＜0.01)。(3)‘草原4号紫花苜蓿’叶片解剖构造的7个指标均极显著高于‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’(P＜0.01),其中栅栏组织层数(2～3层)极明显地高于‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’(1~2层)。研究表明,‘草原4号紫花苜蓿’的组织结构特征具有明显的抗虫特征,且其组织的抗虫特征比‘草原2号杂花苜蓿’更为突出。     

大豆雄性不育系与其保持系不同器官蛋白质比较

采用双向凝胶电泳技术对大豆质核互作雄性不育系NJCMS2A及其保持系NJCMS2B的种子、叶片和花药等不同器官蛋白质进行比较分析.结果显示,不育系NJCMS2A与其保持系NJCMS2B的花药2-DE图谱间存在较多差异表达蛋白点,种子2-DE图谱间仅有少量差异表达蛋白点,而叶片2-DE图谱间基本没有差异表达蛋白点.结果表明,不育基因表达具有时空性和器官特异性,与育性有关的蛋白主要在花药中表达.     

The Lympho-Hemopoietic Organs of the Anadromous Sea Lamprey,Petromyzon marinus. A Comparative Study throughout its Life Span

We have analyzed morphological changes affecting the lympho-hemopoietic organs of the anadromous sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus throughout its life span. For this analysis, ammocoetes (2–4 years), premetamorphosing lampreys (nearly 5 years), metamorphosing lampreys, macrophtalmia stages (young adults) and parasitic adults (nearly 7 years) were used. The principal lympho-hemopoietic organs in the ammocoete are typhlosole, larval opisthonephros and nephros-associated adipose tissue. After metamorphosis, these organs degenerate, and their lympho-hemopoietic tissue is replaced by dense connective tissue. The supraneural body and to a lesser degree, the definitive opisthonephros, are the main blood-forming organs in adult lampreys. During larval life, lympho-hemopoietic cells appear in the branchial area, associated with pharyngeal epithelium. These loci are not morphologically homologous to the thymus gland of jawed vertebrates. These results are discussed, with special emphasis on the importance of cell microenvironments in eluciding changes in different blood-forming loci throughout the life cycle and their significance for the lamprey's immune capacity.     

怒江上游三种裂腹鱼类摄食及消化器官比较研究

于2017年5和6月以及9和10月在怒江西藏段收集了怒江裂腹鱼（Schizothorax nukiangensis）194尾、裸腹叶须鱼（Ptychobarbus kaznakovi）152尾,热裸裂尻鱼（Schizopygopsis thermalis）117尾。综合运用3 种多元分析方法分析3 种鱼类摄食及消化器官形态的种间差异,结果显示,主要种间差异部位为头部及肠道;种间形态指标均为显著性差异（P < 0.05）;3种裂腹鱼的头部形态已有了一定程度的分化。鱼类食物组成及食物竞争情况研究表明,怒江裂腹鱼和裸腹叶须鱼属杂食性偏动物食性鱼类,两者食物重叠指数较高（0.91）;热裸裂尻鱼属杂食性偏植物食性鱼类。食物多样性指数的种间差异明显。3种裂腹鱼营养及空间生态位均有分化,摄食与水温、流速和海拔等环境因素密切相关。     

怒江上游三种裂腹鱼类摄食及消化器官比较研究

于2017年5和6月以及9和10月在怒江西藏段收集了怒江裂腹鱼(Schizothorax nukiangensis)194尾、裸腹叶须鱼(Ptychobarbus kaznakovi)152尾,热裸裂尻鱼(Schizopygopsis thermalis)117尾。综合运用3种多元分析方法分析3种鱼类摄食及消化器官形态的种间差异,结果显示,主要种间差异部位为头部及肠道;种间形态指标均为显著性差异(P <0.05);3种裂腹鱼的头部形态已有了一定程度的分化。鱼类食物组成及食物竞争情况研究表明,怒江裂腹鱼和裸腹叶须鱼属杂食性偏动物食性鱼类,两者食物重叠指数较高(0.91);热裸裂尻鱼属杂食性偏植物食性鱼类。食物多样性指数的种间差异明显。3种裂腹鱼营养及空间生态位均有分化,摄食与水温、流速和海拔等环境因素密切相关。     

不同倍性盾叶薯蓣营养器官解剖结构比较

运用石蜡切片法对三个倍性盾叶薯蓣营养器官的解剖结构进行比较研究。结果表明,不同倍性盾叶薯蓣的结构差异主要表现在叶片厚度、栅栏组织厚度、栅栏组织厚度/海绵组织厚度(P/S)、栅栏组织厚度/叶片厚度(P/L)、茎维管束中导管所占比例(VR)以及根状茎周皮厚度,其中栅栏组织厚度、P/S、P/L和VR在三倍体植株中表现最高,叶片厚度和周皮厚度则是四倍体植株表现最高,多倍体植株的表现总体优于二倍体植株。     

The Importance of Cotyledons for Early-Stage Oak Seedlings Under Different Nutrient Levels: A Multi-species Study

Oaks produce acorns containing a large amount of reserves in their cotyledons, which are important for the early development of seedlings. However, it remains unclear at what level oak seedlings will rely on cotyledonary reserves under different soil nutrition levels. We carried out an indoor experiment to quantify seedling growth, mobilization of cotyledonary reserves, and soil-derived N in seedlings of eleven red and white oak species in response to contrasting soil nutrition levels. Our results showed that dry masses of shoots, roots, whole seedlings, and the remnant cotyledons did not vary significantly in response to soil nutrition levels. Moreover, soil-derived N contents in oak seedlings were not significantly different under contrasting soil nutrition levels, reflecting a low morphological and physiological plasticity of oak seedlings to soil fertilization at early growth stage. Lower soil-derived N incorporated into seedlings suggests that oaks rely mainly on cotyledonary reserves for seedling development regardless of soil fertility. A positive correlation between mean fresh masses of acorns and mean dry masses of seedlings at the interspecific level further indicates that reserves in acorns rather than soil nutrition play an important role in supporting oak seedling growth at the early stage.     

Assimilatory reduction of sulfate and sulfite by methanogenic bacteria

A variety of sulfur-containing compounds were investigated for use as medium reductants and sulfur sources for growth of four methanogenic bacteria. Sulfide (1 to 2 mM) served all methanogens investigated well. Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg and delta H grew well with S0, SO3(2-), or thiosulfate as the sole sulfur source. Only Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus was able to grow with SO4(2-) as the sole sulfur source. 2-Mercaptoethanol at 20 mM was greatly inhibitory to growth of Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus on SO4(2-) or SO2(2-) and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg on SO3(2-) but not to growth of strain delta H on SO3(2-). Sulfite was metabolized during growth by Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus. Sulfide was produced in cultures of Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus growing on SO4(2-), SO3(2-), thiosulfate, and S0. Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg was successfully grown in a 10-liter fermentor with S0, SO3(2-), or thiosulfate as the sole sulfur source.     

A Quantification of the Significance of Assimilatory Starch for Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana L. Heynh

These studies use starch synthesis mutants to quantify the contribution of assimilatory starch to whole plant growth and form. Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh plants were used with null plastid phosphoglucomutase (T Caspar, SC Huber, CR Sommerville, [1986] Plant Physiol 79; 1-7) or 7% of wild-type ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (T-P Lin, T Caspar, CR Sommerville, J Preiss [1988] Plant Physiol 88; 1175-1179). The daily turnover of starch and the rate of biomass increase in the mutants and the wild type were investigated during growth in a 14 hour light/10 hour dark cycle in high irradiance (600 micromoles per square meter per second) and nitrogen (6 millimolar NH₄NO₃), in high irradiance and low nitrogen (0.1 millimolar NH₄NO₃) or in low irradiance (80 micromoles per square meter per second) and high nitrogen. There is some variability in the data, but the following conclusions can be drawn. Growth was slow in the absence of starch turnover. In high nitrogen conditions, about 1 mole of carbon per gram dry weight per day was incorporated additionally into structural biomass for every one mole of carbon turned over as starch per gram dry weight per day. In low nitrogen, the gain was much lower. This indicates that temporary storage of photosynthate is important for rapid growth in high nitrogen, but not in low nitrogen when carbohydrate is in excess. Starch-deficient plants showed the usual decrease of the shoot/root ratio in low nitrogen and increase of the ratio in low light. This shows that adjustment of plant form to nitrogen nutrition and irradiance is not mediated via regulation of photosynthate partitioning in the leaf. Starch deficient plants had lower shoot/root ratios than the wild type and the nitrogen concentration in their leaves was increased. It is discussed how interactions between carbohydrate allocation, respiration and growth at the organ and whole plant level generate these changes. We conclude that mutants with a decreased capacity to carry out a particular partial process provide a powerful tool to disect complex mutually interacting systems, and define and quantify causal interactions at the level of whole plant growth.