Understory light and root ginsenosides in forest-grown Panax quinquefolius

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between light levels in the understory of a broadleaf forest and the content of six ginsenosides (Rg(1), Re, Rb(1), Rc, Rb(2,) and Rd) in 1- and 2-year-old American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) roots. Our results revealed that ginsenoside contents in 1- and 2 year-old roots collected in September were significantly related to direct and total light levels, and duration of sunflecks. At this time, the effect of light levels accounted for up to 48 and 62% of the variation in ginsenoside contents of 1- and 2-year-old American ginseng roots. Also, red (R) and far red (FR) light, and the R:FR ratio significantly affected Rd, Rc, and Rg(1) contents in 2-year-old roots, accounting for up to 40% of the variation in ginsenoside contents.     

基于28S, COI和Cytb基因序列的薜荔和爱玉子传粉小蜂分子遗传关系研究

薜荔和爱玉子均属于桑科榕属植物,二者为同一物种的原变种与变种的关系,早期研究认为这两种榕树与同一种传粉榕小蜂(Wiebesia pumilae (Hill))建立了稳定的互利共生关系,但近期在形态学、生态学、传粉生物学等方面对二者的研究结果表明,薜荔传粉小蜂和爱玉子传粉小蜂之间可能发生了遗传分化。实验用核糖体28SrDNAD1-D3区、线粒体Cytb及COI基因部分序列,对采自福建3个不同样地的薜荔传粉小蜂和3个不同品系的栽培爱玉子的传粉小蜂进行分析,结果表明:(1)薜荔传粉小蜂和爱玉子传粉小蜂的核糖体28S序列的碱基组成中A,T,G,C 4种含量较平均,C+G的平均含量(56%)稍高于A+T的含量(44%)。线粒体Cytb序列中A+T的含量(76.1%)明显高于C+G的含量(23.9%),COI序列中A+T的含量(71.9%)也明显高于G+C的含量(28.1%),这是膜翅目昆虫线粒体基因的普遍特征。在薜荔和爱玉子传粉小蜂的线粒体Cytb及COI基因中,密码子第三位点A+T的含量最高。(2)比较薜荔和爱玉子传粉小蜂的3种分子标记的变异范围显示,28S进化速度较Cytb及COI序列慢,比较保守,更适合科、亚科等较高分类单元的研究。薜荔传粉小蜂与爱玉子传粉小蜂之间的亲缘关系较近,采用Cytb与COI序列进行分析更为精确。(3)用Cytb及COI序列对薜荔传粉小蜂与爱玉子传粉小蜂之间的遗传距离进行分析显示,薜荔传粉榕小蜂个体间Cytb序列平均遗传距离为0.0054,爱玉子传粉小蜂个体间的Cytb遗传距离为0.0164;薜荔传粉小蜂与爱玉子传粉小蜂群体之间的Cytb序列平均遗传距离为0.1385;COI序列的薜荔传粉榕小蜂个体间遗传距离为0.0048,爱玉子传粉小蜂各样本间平均遗传距离为0.0102;薜荔传粉小蜂与爱玉子传粉小蜂群体间COI序列平均遗传距离为0.1896,两群体间的遗传距离(差异大于10%以上)明显大于群体内各样本之间的遗传距离,表明薜荔传粉小蜂与爱玉子传粉小蜂之间已经发生了很大的遗传分化,其变异水平达到了种间分化水平,即薜荔传粉小蜂与爱玉子传粉小蜂为两个不同的种。     

UV-B辐射对神农香菊萜类物质合成 及其相关基因表达的影响

该研究以神农香菊为材料,用强度为400μw·cm~(-2)的紫外光UV-B对其进行辐射处理,辐射时间分别为0、0.5、1、2、4 h,探讨了UV-B辐射对神农香菊萜类物质合成及其相关基因表达的影响。结果表明:(1)较短时间的UV-B辐射对神农香菊萜类物质合成相关基因表达量有明显的促进作用。与对照相比,0.5、1、2、4 h处理对相关基因表达量均有不同程度的提高;在2 h处理下HMGR、DXR、TPS、GPS基因的相对表达量达到最大值,在4 h处理下FPS和DXS的相对表达量达到最大值,其中FPS基因表达量变化最显著,为对照的69倍。(2) MVA途径中,去氢白菖烯、杜松萜烯的含量与FPS基因表达量4 h内持续上升的变化趋势保持一致,1-石竹烯与HMGR的变化趋势保持一致,表现为先升高后降低。(3) MEP合成途径中,α-侧柏酮、崖柏酮、β-侧柏酮的含量呈现与DXR、GPS、TPS基因表达量相同的变化趋势,桉树脑在UV-B辐射4 h内持续上升,与DXS基因的变化一致。由此可以推断,UV-B辐射通过影响各自途径中一些关键基因的表达量,进而影响了神农香菊萜类物质的合成量。     

The Triterpenoid Saponins of Rhizomes of Panax laponicus C.A. Meyer var. angustifolius(Burk.) Cheng et Chu

From the rhizome of Panax japonicus C. A. Meyer var. angustifolius (Burk.) Cheng et Chu collected in Yunnan, 10 triterpenoid saponins were isolated with SiO2 chromatograph and reversed phase chromatograph. The saponins were identified as ginsenoside Ro (1), Rd (7), Rg1 (8), Rhl (9), notoginsenoside R1 (6), chikusetsusaponin Ⅳ(4), Ⅳa(2), zingibroside R1(3), oleanolic acid 28-β-D-glucoside (10) and oleanolic acid 3-β-D-glucuronoside (5) respectively, by means of 13C-NMR, MS of acetate, and chemical methods, as well as compared with authentic samples. Among the rest, (5), a prosaponin of ginsenoside Ro (1) was firstly isolation from species of genus Panax. The fact that saponin constituents of rhizome of var. angustifolius was similar to P. japonicus and var. major, further supported the view that three taxes belonged to a variational limit of one species.     

In vitro metabolism of ginsenosides by the ginseng root pathogen Pythium irregulare

The role of ginseng saponins (ginsenosides) as modulators or inhibitors of disease is vague, but our earlier work supports the existence of an allelopathic relationship between ginsenosides and soilborne microbes. Interestingly, this allelopathy appears to significantly promote the growth of the important ginseng pathogen, Pythium irregulare while inhibiting that of an antagonistic non-pathogenic fungus, Trichoderma hamatum. Herein we report on the apparent selective metabolism of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides by an extracellular glycosidase from P. irregulare. Thus, when P. irregulare was cultured in the presence of a purified (> 90%) ginsenoside mixture, nearly all of the 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and to a limited extent G-XVII) were metabolized into the minor ginsenoside F2, at least half of which appears to be internalized by the organism. No metabolism of the 20(S)-protopanaxatriol ginsenosides (Rg1 and Re) was evident. By contrast, none of the ginsenosides added to the culture medium of the non-pathogenic fungus T. hamatum were metabolized. The metabolism of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides by P. irregulare appears to occur through the hydrolysis of terminal monosaccharide units from disaccharides present at C-3 and/or C-20 of ginsenosides Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rd and G-XVII to yield one major product, ginsenoside F2 and one minor product (possibly G-III). A similar transformation of ginsenosides was observed using a crude protein preparation isolated from the spent medium of P. irregulare cultures.