异育银鲫养殖环境典型病原微生物检测和细菌群落解析

【背景】水产养殖病害是限制淡水渔业发展的一个重要因素,养殖环境的微生物状况与鱼类健康紧密相关,已引起人们广泛关注。【目的】阐明养殖水体和沉积物中病原微生物丰度和细菌群落多样性变化特征。【方法】利用荧光定量PCR方法和末端限制性片段长度多态性(Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism,T-RFLP)技术,对异育银鲫养殖环境水体和沉积物中的典型病原微生物进行定量检测,以及细菌群落多样性分析。【结果】养殖过程中病原菌丰度呈现不同的变化趋势,嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)、温和气单胞菌(A. sobria)和维氏气单胞菌(A. veronii)与鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ型丰度变化呈显著正相关。水体中病原菌丰度受pH、温度和溶解氧等环境因子的影响显著。T-RFLP分析表明沉积物样品较水体样品细菌群落组成复杂,并且沉积物细菌群落动态变化幅度高于水体。水体和沉积物中细菌T-RFs数量范围分别在11-29和20-32之间,Shannon-wiener指数在1.44-2.87和2.44-3.25之间。【结论】养殖水体中的病原菌丰度高于沉积物,而沉积物细菌群落丰富度和多样性高于水体。病原菌丰度和细菌群落结构变化与环境因子密切相关,明确养殖池塘环境中病原微生物的生态分布和丰度变化,将为指导养殖过程中病原性疾病发生早期预警提供理论依据。     

虾-贝-红树林耦合循环水养殖系统中微生物群落分析

海水循环水养殖系统是重要的生态养殖模式发展趋势之一, 为了深入了解循环水养殖生态系统, 通过对系统各功能区水体中细菌16S rRNA基因V4V5区进行高通量测序和生物信息学分析, 从微生物生态学角度分析了循环水养殖系统不同功能区的细菌群落结构动态。测序分析结果显示, 海水循环水养殖系统中优势细菌种群分别属于变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、蓝藻门(Cyanobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)和浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)。红树林湿地水体中变形菌门和厚壁菌门丰度较高, 而对虾养殖池的拟杆菌门和浮霉菌门丰度较高。在不同优势类群中, 变形菌门多样性指数平均值最高, 其次是拟杆菌门, 厚壁菌门最低。在各功能区中, 红树林细菌多样性最高, 虾池最低。MDS分析结果显示虾池、贝池和红树林湿地水体中细菌群落结构有明显差异, 虾池与其他功能区差异最大。研究表明, 高密度对虾养殖对虾池水体中细菌群落有显著影响, 但其影响在循环水养殖系统后续功能区中逐渐减弱。     

福州左海湖细菌群落与环境的关系

摘要:【目的】揭示福州左海湖水体细菌群落时空动态变化与其相应环境因子的关系。【方法】通过DAPI荧光染色法、变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)和构建16S rRNA基因克隆文库分析相结合的分子生物学技术,系统研究了福州左海湖在2011－2013为期两年的水体细菌丰度与群落结构的时空变化情况,并结合多元统计分析的方法,探讨了细菌群落组成与相关环境因子的对应关系。【结果】左海湖全年总细菌介于4.91×106－18.71×106 cells/mL之间,细菌丰度具有显著的季节性变化特征;DGGE和克隆文库分析结果表 明,左海湖细菌群落结构空间差异不明显,季节变化对菌群结构的影响更为显著;系统进化分析表明,左海湖细菌菌群归属于11个门类,其中最优势菌群为β-Proteobacteria和Cyanobacteria,较优势菌群为α-Proteobacteria、Actinobacteria 和Bacteroidetes。冗余分析(RDA)结果显示,pH、水温(WT)、总氮(TN)、总磷 (TP)和叶绿素a(Chla)是影响左海湖细菌群落组成的主要环境因子。【结论】左海湖中存在较丰富的细菌多样性,水体环境的季节间差异对其细菌群落组成的影响要大于不同采样点间的差异,但在优势菌群组成方面比较稳定,均为β-Proteobacteria和Cyanobacteria。     

鲟鳇鱼网箱养殖环境微生物菌群结构及潜在病原菌分析

为探究鲟鳇鱼网箱养殖环境中的细菌群落结构组成和潜在致病菌的种类与数量,文章用高通量测序对中华鲟Acipenser sinensis、施氏鲟Acipenser schrenckii、达氏鳇Huso dauricus、大杂交鲟A. schrenckii♂×H.dauricus♀等网箱养殖水体的细菌群落结构特征和潜在病原菌属进行分析,同时应用实时荧光定量PCR方法对鲟鳇鱼养殖水体中的典型病原菌种进行定量检测。研究结果表明,在同一水域同一管理条件下,不同品种鲟鳇鱼网箱养殖水体中细菌群落结构组成相似度高,优势菌门由Proteobacteria、Actinobacteria、Bacteroidetes、Verrucomicrobia和Planctomycetes组成,占到所有样品序列总数的88.81%—93.94%;在属水平上,各样品未分类的细菌(unclassified)占比较大,共发现鲟鳇鱼潜在致病细菌菌属7个:Aeromonas、Acinetobacter、Chryseobacterium、Edwardsiella、Flavobacterium、Pseudomonas和Vibrio。实时荧光...     

基于高通量测序的乐安江冬季细菌群落特征分析

【目的】分析乐安江从上游至下游水体细菌群落结构组成变化,揭示细菌群落结构组成变化的影响因素。【方法】分析不同河段水体中C、N、P、Cu、Zn、As和Pb等化学指标。对水体DNA的16S rRNA基因进行高通量测序确定细菌群落特征。基于Bray-Curtis距离的采样点非度量多维尺度(NMDS)分析和聚类分析研究乐安江水体细菌群落结构差异,基于冗余分析(RDA)研究环境因子与细菌群落的关系。【结果】乐安江水体中C、N、P、Cu、Zn、As和Pb等化学指标含量中下游偏高。中游河水受德兴铜矿废水影响,细菌群落多样性降低,下游受农业、生活废水影响,细菌群落丰富度和多样性升高。水体中优势菌群为β-变形菌纲(Beta-proteobacteria,53.03%)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria,20.24%)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,14.75%)。中游受德兴铜矿废水影响,Beta-proteobacteria丰度增大,而Actinobacteria丰度减小;下游受微生物间捕食影响,Bacteroidetes丰度下降。在细菌群落与环境因子的关系中,DO是解释乐安江细菌群落结构变化的最佳环境因子。【结论】乐安江中游德兴铜矿废水和中下游农业、生活废水明显改变了水体细菌群落结构组成,使水体细菌群落特征从上游到下游发生显著变化。本研究为揭示人类活动对乐安江水生态环境的影响提供了参考性数据。     

乌梁素海浮游细菌群落结构及其对富营养化因子的响应

【目的】揭示乌梁素海浮游细菌的群落结构及其对富营养化环境因子的响应,认识乌梁素海浮游细菌多样性,以丰富微生物与富营养化关系的理论。【方法】提取水体浮游细菌总DNA,利用细菌通用引物对63F/1387R进行PCR扩增,构建小口、沙尖北和红圪卜3个湖区16S rRNA基因克隆文库;以典型对应分析(CCA)方法解析浮游细菌群落结构对环境因子的响应。【结果】各湖区中富营养化程度最重的红圪卜位点细菌多样性、丰富度及均匀度最高,而富营养化程度最轻的小口位点细菌多样性、丰富度及均匀度最低。Proteobacteria、Bacteroidetes和Actinobacteria为水体中优势类群。α-、γ-、δ-Proteobacteria,Actinobacteria及Bacteroidetes等菌群丰度随着水体的富营养化程度改变而有显著的变化。各湖区皆存在许多可能具有污染物降解及驱动生源要素循环能力的细菌类群。CCA分析表明TN、NH4+、NO3-和COD等水体指标对浮游细菌群落结构组成的影响较大。此外,乌梁素海水体内未知细菌类群很多;且不同于一般淡水生态系统,乌梁素海中存在9.6%的轻度嗜盐碱性细菌。【结论】乌梁素海水体中浮游细菌多样性较高,细菌群落结构复杂、其类群组成与富营养化因子紧密相关。     

海水混养池塘虾蛤肠道与养殖环境的微生物多样性

【背景】海水混养池塘环境微生物以及动物肠道微生物的群落结构已有研究,但对混养环境中多品种动物肠道与环境微生物群落的关系尚未见报道。【目的】研究海水虾蛤混养环境中微生物多样性以及与养殖动物健康之间的关系。【方法】采用Illumina高通量测序技术测定冬季莆田市北江养殖区2个混养池塘中水体、底泥以及虾蛤肠道的菌群结构。【结果】同一池塘水体与底泥之间、不同池塘水体或底泥之间的微生物结构存在一定的差异;同一养殖区2个混养池塘虾与蛤肠道微生物结构之间具有极高的相似性,与养殖环境存在显著的差异。微生物多样性和丰富度差异很大,表现出底泥水体肠道;虾蛤肠道微生物以厚壁细菌和γ-变形细菌为主;池塘水体以放线菌、α-变形细菌以及拟杆菌为主,底泥以γ-变形细菌和δ-变形细菌为主。养殖动物肠道微生物主要优势种为乳球菌属和假单胞菌属,池塘环境内存在较高丰度的黄杆菌类潜在致病菌,而在虾和蛤的肠道中基本未检出。2个池塘底泥硫还原细菌含量较高,增加了底质产生硫化氢等有害物质的风险。【结论】比较混养池塘中水体、底泥以及虾蛤肠道三者之间微生物群落结构的差异,揭示虾、贝混养模式微生物与养殖环境的关系,为池塘养殖虾、贝疾病防治和混养结构的优化提供参考。     

凡纳滨对虾生物絮团养殖系统中不同生境细菌群落特征

【目的】凡纳滨对虾生物絮团养殖系统(biofloc-based culture system, BFS)是一种基于培育和调控微生物群落的新型生态养殖模式。然而,目前对于BFS在不同生境中的微生物群落特征及其构建过程还不清楚。【方法】采用16S rRNA基因测序技术探究BFS在3种不同生境(水体、絮团和对虾肠道)的细菌群落组成;通过溯源分析和中性模型等方法,探究不同生境细菌群落的特征及其构建过程。【结果】3种生境的微生物群落多样性和组成具有显著性差异,絮团和对虾肠道的群落结构和组成最为相似,溯源结果显示对虾肠道有98.76%的细菌类群来自絮团,仅有0.83%的细菌类群来自水体;3种生境共有的细菌主要为鲁杰氏菌(Ruegeria),在水体、絮团和对虾肠道中的丰度分别为1.72%、7.34%和6.00%,水体中特有的扩增子变异序列(amplicon sequence variants, ASV)数量为89个,主要属于海茎状菌(Maricaulis)和欧文威克斯菌(Owenweeksia),絮团中有56个,主要为莱茵海默氏菌(Rheinheimera),而对虾肠道中仅有10个,主要属于玫瑰杆菌(Roseobacter);中性模型结果表明,水体、絮团和对虾肠道细菌群落构建均符合中性模型,表明3种生境中细菌群落构建均受中性过程主导。【结论】在BFS系统中,不同生境的微生物群落具有显著差异,对虾肠道细菌主要来自生物絮团,而3种生境的细菌群落构建过程由中性过程主导。这些结果为调控生物絮团养殖系统中微生物群落提供了理论依据。     

大兴安岭典型永久冻土土壤细菌群落组成和多样性

【背景】土壤微生物是土壤生物中的重要成分,参与了土壤生态系统中关键的生物化学循环过程。但是关于寒温带多年冻土土壤微生物的研究还比较薄弱。【目的】探究大兴安岭多年冻土土壤中微生物的多样性和种群结构。【方法】利用MiSeq高通量测序技术对黑龙江大兴安岭地区呼中保护区落叶松冻土和樟子松林冻土土壤样品进行测序。【结果】在落叶松冻土和樟子松林冻土土壤中,相对丰度最高的优势菌群的组成基本一致,在门水平有疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)、浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)、绿菌门(Chlorobi)、Parcubacteria、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、芽单胞菌门(Gemmatimonadetes)10个细菌门类,其中,疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)在樟子松林土壤中的相对丰度较多,变形菌门(Proteobacteria)在落叶松林土壤中的相对丰度较多。通过α多样性分析可知,落叶松冻土土壤微生物的群落多样性高于樟子松林冻土,而且两者的细菌群落组成与结构差异性较大。【结论】为深入认识大兴安岭多年冻土区的土壤微生物群落结构组成以及影响因素提供数据支撑。     

鄱阳湖河湖交错带枯水期水体细菌群落空间分布

【背景】界面微生物群落组成研究日益成为微生态系统的研究热点之一。【目的】探究鄱阳湖河湖交错带枯水期水体细菌群落空间分布。【方法】选取鄱阳湖河湖交错带的典型采样点11个,现场采集水样,进行理化指标分析。运用扩增子测序获得了上述样品的16SrRNA基因序列数据。根据多样性指数和丰富度指数计算比较11个采样点样品的微生物群落多样性和丰富度。根据β多样性距离矩阵,利用相似度树状图对细菌群落进行聚类分析,研究鄱阳湖河湖交错带微生物分布差异。基于冗余分析(Redundancy Analysis,RDA)研究理化因子与微生物群落分布之间的关系。【结果】鄱阳湖河湖交错带水体为中性或微酸性水质、总氮含量在V类标准以上、总磷含量在Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ类标准间波动。鄱阳湖河湖交错带水体细菌优势种组成大体相似,只是其相对丰度有所区别,其中门级微生物群落优势类群为:变形菌门(Proteobacteria,36.18%)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes,22.18%)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,17.06%)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria,8.87%)和蓝细菌门(Cyanobacteria,4.43%)。水体中变形菌门以γ-变形菌为优势菌群,以β-变形菌为次优势菌群;属分类水平上,相对丰度最高的是放线菌门(Actinobacteria)的其他属类(11.4%)。乐安河(R9采样点)与鄱阳湖长江交汇处(H11采样点)的细菌α多样性指数较高,万家桥(N2采样点)、赣江鄱阳湖交汇处(W6采样点)和瑶湖(Y10采样点)的α多样性指数最低。从细菌群落组成看:鄱阳湖大湖池保护区(W7采样点)、乐安河(R9采样点)和鄱阳湖长江交汇处(H11采样点)群落组成相似,其余8个采样点群落组成相似。pH值(P=0.735 2)、总氮(P=0.761 4)和总磷(P=0.612 8)是影响微生物群落分布的主要环境因子。【结论】鄱阳湖河湖交错带枯水期水体细菌群落空间分布差异较为明显,其空间地理差异叠加人类活动的扰动,影响了植被、水文、富营养化程度等,从而导致水体理化指标的差异,进而影响细菌群落的组成,水体理化指标相似的区域细菌群落组成也相似。水体富营养化严重的区域细菌多样性低。该研究有助于深层次了解鄱阳湖河湖交错的生态系统结构和功能,可为鄱阳湖水环境治理和生态保护提供相应的技术支持,对维持鄱阳湖生态平衡有着重要的意义。     

ent-Kaurene biosynthesis in a cell-free system from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings and the localisation of ent-kaurene synthetase in plastids of three species

A cell-free system capable of converting [¹⁴C]geranylgeranyl diphosphate to ent-[¹⁴C]kaurene and to an unidentified acid-hydrolysable compound was obtained from the basal portions of 5-d-old shoots of wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.). By means of marker enzyme activities, the synthesis of ent-kaurene and the unknown compound could be quantitatively assigned to a plastid fraction obtained by Percoll-gradient centrifugation of the homogenate. The enzyme activities were located within the plastids, probably in the stroma, because they withstood trypsin treatment of the intact plastids, and the plastids had to be broken to release the activity, which was then obtained in soluble form. Plastid membranes had no activity. Plastid stroma preparations obtained from pea (Pisum sativum L.) shoot tips and pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.) endosperm also yielded ent-kaurene synthetase activity, but did not form the unknown compound. The exact nature of the active plastids was not ascertained, but the use of methods for proplastid isolation was essential for full activity, and the active tissues are all known to contain high proportions of proplastids, developing chloroplasts or leucoplasts. We therefore believe that ent-kaurene synthesis may be limited to these categories. Mature chloroplasts from the wheat leaves did not contain ent-kaurene synthetase activity and did not yield the unknown component. Incorporation of [¹⁴C]geranylgeranyl diphosphate into ent-[¹⁴C]kaurene and the unknown component was assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line radiocounting. ent-[¹⁴C]Kaurene was identified by Kovats retention index and full mass spectra obtained by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The unknown component was first believed to be copalyl diphosphate, because it yielded a compound on acid hydrolysis, which migrated like copalol on high-performance liquid chromatography and gave a mass spectrum very similar to that of authentic copalol. However, differences in the mass spectrum and in retention time on capillary gas chromatography excluded identity with copalol. Furthermore, the unhydrolysed compound was not converted to ent-kaurene by a cell-free system from C. maxima endosperm as copalyl diphosphate would have been.Abbreviations ADH alcohol dehydrogenase - AMO 1618 2isopropyl-4-(trimethylammoniumchloride)-5-methylphenyl piperi-dine-1-carboxylate - BSA bovine serum albumin - DTT dithioth-reitol - GA_n gibberellin A_n - GAPDH NADP⁺-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase - GC-MS combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry - GGPP all trans-isomer of geranyl-geranyl diphosphate - KS ent-kaurene synthetase - MDH malate dehydrogenase - MAA mevalonate activating activity - SOR shikimate oxidoreductase We thank Mrs. Gudrun Bodtke and Mrs. Dorothee Dasbach for able technical assistance, Prof. L.N. Mander (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) for ent-[²H₂]kaurene and Dr. Yuji Kamiya (RIKEN, Saitama, Japan) for geranylgeraniol and copalol. The work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Identification and localisation of a nucleoporin-like protein component of the plant nuclear matrix

Salt-detergent extraction of purified plant nuclei yields a fraction enriched in putative structural proteins known as the nuclear matrix. Compared with mammalian nuclear matrices, which contain three major proteins, plant nuclear matrices are complex, containing at least 100 polypeptides. In order to characterise more fully the plant nuclear matrix we have used antibodies raised against both yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and mammalian (rat) nuclear pore proteins. We have shown that the nuclear matrix of carrot (Daucus carota L.) contains at least one nucleoporin-like protein of about 100 kDa which is immunologically related to both the yeast nuclear pore protein NSP1 and mammalian nucleoporins (p62). Antibody labelling of a variety of plant cells at the light-microscope and electron-microscope levels confirms that this antigen is located at the nuclear pores. This, to our knowledge, is the first identification of a nuclear pore protein in plants.Abbreviations IgG immunoglobulin G - kDa kilodaltons - DAPI 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole - FITC fluorescein isothioganate The authors would like to thank Dr. E. Hurt (European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, FRG) for antibodies against yeast nucleoporins, and Dr. L. Davis (Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Mass., USA) for the monoclonal antibodies MAb 414 & 350. We thank Brian Wells for useful advice on electron microscopy. We also thank Peter Scott, Andrew Davis, and Nigel Hannant for photography, and Sue Bunnewell for development and printing of electronmicrographs.     

Effects of experimental infection with Eimeria bovis on the balance of sodium, potassium and water in calves

Balance trials were performed to investigate the effects of experimental Eimeria bovis coccidiosis on the metabolism of water, sodium and potassium in calves. Non-infected pair-fed controls and controls fed according to plan were included in the study to allow differentiation between the effects due to infection and due to changes in feed intake. Primary infection with 5 × 10⁴ (group A) or 1 × 10⁵ (group B) oocysts caused mild diarrhoea in three out of four group A calves and mild to severe haemorrhagic diarrhoea in all five group B calves. Losses of sodium and potassium via faeces tended to increase in the infected calves during patency and apparent digestibility (AD) of these minerals was comparably low. In the urine of the infected calves the Na/K-ratio decreased due to a reduced urinary excretion of sodium. The retention (RT) of sodium was particularly high in the calves that had received the higher oocyst dose. Potassium RT did not underlie significant changes during the course of coccidiosis. In the infected calves the plasma level of sodium was reduced transiently while the level of potassium remained fairly stable. Infections with the higher oocyst dose caused a distinct reduction of fluid excretion via urine which compensated for the increased faecal water losses during severe diarrhoea. Reinfection of the group A calves with 1 × 10⁵ oocysts did not cause any significant metabolic impairment. The results of this study indicate that although acute sublethal bovine coccidiosis alters electrolyte and water metabolism the overall balance of electrolytes and water is largely maintained by physiologic adaptation.     

Autoradiographic studies on the role of plasmodesmata in the transport of gibberellin

Translocation of [¹⁴C]gibberellic acid into antheridial cells of Chara vulgaris L. was investigated in relation to the presence of symplasmic connections between the antheridium and the thallus. It was found that manubria, capitular cells, and antheridial filaments were about three-fold more strongly labelled in young antheridia connected to the thallus by plasmodesmata than in older antheridia in which spontaneous symplasmic isolation had occurred. Plasmolytically induced symplasmic isolation of young antheridia severely diminished the radioactivity of all the cells, down to the level characteristic for spontaneously isolated antheridia. It is concluded that plasmodesmata are the main channel of gibberellin transport into antheridia. The change in the character of symplasmic connections during the course of morphogenesis might, among other events, constitute a signal determining a shift of cell metabolism in a new direction, in response to a rapid change in gibberellin level.Abbreviations GA_(n) gibberellin (A_n) - GA₃ gibberellic acid - IAA indole-3-acetic acid This study was supported by the Polish Academy of Sciences research project CPBP 04.01.5.05.     

High-and low-intensity photosystems in Phycomyces phototropism: Effects of mutations in genes madA,madB, and madC

Sporangiophores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus Burgeff that have been grown in darkness and are then suddenly exposed to unilateral light show a two-step bending response rather than a smooth, monotonic response found in light-adapted specimens (Galland and Lipson, 1987, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 104–108). The stepwise bending is controlled by two photosystems optimized for the low-and high-intensity ranges. These two photosystems have now been studied in phototropism mutants with defects in genes madA, madB, and madC. All three mutations raise the threshold of the low-intensity (low-fluence) photosystem by about 10⁶-fold and that of the high-intensity (high-fluence) system by about 10³-fold. Estimates for the light-adaptation time constants of the low-and high-intensity photosystems show that the mutants are affected in adaptation. In the mutants, the light-adaptation kinetics are only slightly affected in the low-intensity photosystem but, for the high-intensity photosystem, the kinetics are considerably slower than in the wild type.Abbreviations WT wild type     

Distribution of glucose/mannose-specific isolectins in pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings

We report on the distribution and initial characterization of glucose/mannose-specific isolectins of 4- and 7-d-old pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings grown with or without nitrate supply. Particular attention was payed to root lectin, which probably functions as a determinant of host-plant specificity during the infection of pea roots by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae. A pair of seedling cotyledons yielded 545±49 g of affinity-purified lectin, approx. 25% more lectin than did dry seeds. Shoots and roots of 4-d-old seedlings contained 100-fold less lectin than cotyledons, whereas only traces of lectin could be found in shoots and roots from 7-d-old seedlings. Polypeptides with a subunit structure similar to the precursor of the pea seed lectin could be demonstrated in cotyledons, shoots and roots. Chromatofocusing and isoelectric focusing showed that seed and non-seed isolectin differ in composition. An isolectin with an isoelectric point at pH 7.2 appeared to be a typical pea seed isolectin, whereas an isolectin focusing at pH 6.1 was the major non-seed lectin. The latter isolectin was also found in root cell-wall extracts, detached root hairs and root-surface washings. All non-seed isolectins were cross-reactive with rabbit antiserum raised against the seed isolectin with an isolectric point at pH 6.1. A protein similar to this acidic glucose/mannose-specific seed isolectin possibly represents the major lectin to be encountered by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae in the pea rhizosphere and at the root surface. Growth of pea seedlings in a nitrate-rich medium neither affected the distribution of isolectins nor their hemagglutination activity; however, the yield of affinity-purified root lectin was significantly reduced whereas shoot lectin yield slightly increased. Agglutination-inhibition tests demonstrated an overall similar sugar-binding specificity for pea seed and non-seed lectin. However root lectin from seedlings grown with or without nitrate supplement, and shoot lectin from nitrate-supplied seedlings showed a slightly different spectrum of sugar binding. The absorption spectra obtained by circular dichroism of seed and root lectin in the presence of a hapten also differed. These data indicate that nutritional conditions may affect the sugar-binding activity of non-seed isolectin, and that despite their similarities, seed and non-seed isolectins have different properties that may reflect tissue-specialization.Abbreviations IEF isoelectric focusing - MW molecular weight - pI isoelectric point - Psl1, Psl2 and Psl3 pea isolectins - SDSPAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis The authors wish to thank Professors L. Kanarek and M. van Poucke for helpful discussions.     

Spontaneous nodules induce feedback suppression of nodulation in alfalfa

A small subpopulation of alfalfa (Medicago saliva L.) plants grown without fixed nitrogen can develop root nodules in the absence of Rhizobium. Cytological studies showed that these nodules were organized structures with no inter- or intracellular bacteria but with the histological characteristics of a normal indeterminate nodule. Few if any viable bacteria were recovered from the nodules after surface sterilization, and when the nodular content was used to inoculate alfalfa roots no nodulation was observed. These spontaneous nodules were formed mainly on the primary roots in the region susceptible to Rhizobium infection between 4 and 6 d after seed imbibition. Spontaneous nodules appeared as early as 10 d after germination and emerged at a rate comparable to normal nodules. The formation of spontaneous nodules on the primary root suppressed nodulation in lateral roots after inoculation with R. meliloti RCR2011. Excision of spontaneous nodules at inoculation eliminated the suppressive response. Our results indicate that the presence of Rhizobium is not required for nodule organogenesis and the elicitation of feedback regulation of nodule formation in alfalfa.Abbreviation RT root tip This work was supported by an endowment to the Racheff Chair of Excellence of the University of Tennessee, and the Soybean Promotion Board, Haskinsville, Tenn., USA. We are indebted to Noel Gerahty for performing the acetylene-reduction assays, and Dr. E.T. Graham for allowing the use of microscope facilities.     

Detection of lectins in nodulated peanut and soybean plants

The direct double-antibody enzymelinked immunosorbent assay system was used in the detection and measurement of seed lectins from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) plants (PSL and SBL, respectively) that had been inoculated with their respective rhizobia. Concentrations of PSL dropped to undetectable levels in peanut roots at 9 d and stems and leaves at 27 d after planting; SBL could no longer be detected in soybean roots at 9 d and in stems and leaves at 12 d. A lectin antigenically similar to PSL was first detected in root nodules of peanuts at 21 d reaching a maximum of 8 g/g at 29 d then decreasing to 2.5 g/g at 60 d. There was no evidence of a corresponding lectin in soybean nodules.Sugar haemagglutination inhibition tests with neuraminidase-treated human blood cells established that PSL and the peanut nodule lectin were both galactose/lactose-specific. Further tests with rabbit blood cells demonstrated a second mannosespecific lectin in peanut nodule extracts that was not detected in root extracts of four-week-old inoculated plants or six-week-old uninoculated plants, although six-week-old root extracts from inoculated plants showed weak lectin activity. The root extracts from both nodulated and uninoculated plants contained another peanut lectin that agglutinated rabbit but not human blood cells. Haemagglutination by this lectin was, however, not inhibited by simple sugars but a glycoprotein, asialothyroglobulin, was effective in this respect.Abbreviations DAS double antibody sandwich - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - PBS phosphate-buffered saline - PSL peanut seed lectin - SBL soybean lectin     

Identification of keratins and analysis of their expression in carp and goldfish: comparison with the zebrafish and trout keratin catalog

With more than 50 genes in human, keratins make up a large gene family, but the evolutionary pressure leading to their diversity remains largely unclear. Nevertheless, this diversity offers a means to examine the evolutionary relationships among organisms that express keratins. Here, we report the analysis of keratins expressed in two cyprinid fishes, goldfish and carp, by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, complementary keratin blot binding assay, and immunoblotting. We further explore the expression of keratins by immunofluorescence microscopy. Comparison is made with the keratin expression and catalogs of zebrafish and rainbow trout. The keratins among these fishes exhibit a similar range of molecular weights and isoelectric points, with a similar overall pattern on two-dimensional gels. In addition, immunofluorescence microscopy studies of goldfish and carp tissues have revealed the expression of keratins in both epithelial and mesenchymally derived tissues, as reported previously for zebrafish and trout. We conclude that keratin expression is qualitatively similar among these fishes, with goldfish and carp patterns being more similar to each other than to zebrafish, and the cyprinid fishes being more similar to each other than to the salmonid trout. Because of the detected similarity of keratin expression among the cyprinid fishes, we propose that, for certain experiments, they are interchangeable. Although the zebrafish distinguishes itself as being a developmental and genetic/genomic model organism, we have found that the goldfish, in particular, is a more suitable model for both biochemical and histological studies of the cytoskeleton, especially since goldfish cytoskeletal preparations seem to be more resistant to degradation than those from carp or zebrafish. This work was supported by grants to J.M. from the Stiftung Rheinland Pfalz für Innovation (836-386261/138) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ma 843/5-1) and a grant to D.G. from the National Science Foundation (INT-0078261).     

The measurement of ethylene binding and metabolism in plant tissue

Methods are described for the rigorous measurement of C₂H₄ metabolism and C₂H₄ binding in plant tissue. Comparisons are drawn between the results obtained using other methods and those which emerge from our studies, indicating that significant misapprehensions may have arisen in relation both to the distribution of metabolism and binding.