Factors modulating differentiation of spores: Characterization of mutants defective in sporulation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena doliolum (AdS strain)

Summary Mutants of Anabaena doliolum (AdS strain) altered with respect to the time of initiation and degree of sporulation were isolated following mutagenesis with N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and hydroxylamine. The non-sporulating mutant showed a high phycocyanin (Pc): chlorophyll a (chl a) ratio (ca. 7.2) as compared to sporulating strains (Pc:chl a, 4.7–5.3). Also this strain seemed to have higher RNA pools per unit of genomic material as reflected in a higher RNA:DNA ratio. The data suggest that degradaton of phycocyanin and controlled RNA synthesis are prerequisites for sporulation. Mutants exhibiting non-sporulation and delayed initiation of sporulation accumulated more nitrogen through nitrogen fixation, probably indicating nitrogenase function over an extended vegetative phase.     

中国假野菰属(列当科)一新记录种——泰国假野菰

报道了中国假野菰属(列当科)一新记录种——泰国假野菰(Christisonia siamensis Craib)。结果表明:该种与假野菰(C.hookeri Clarke)的主要区别是花萼黄色或白色,有时暗紫色,具有独特的三角状花萼齿;花冠裂片紫色,下唇裂片中部有一黄色斑点并延伸至花冠筒内侧;花丝光滑,花药一室,粘合,通常明显有距,距的基部具圆锥形的突起;顶端有开裂的毛孔。     

暹罗芽胞杆菌FJAT-45551用于农业生物防治的优化培养

以具有防病促长且抑菌谱广的暹罗芽胞杆菌(Bacillus siamensis)FJAT-45551为出发菌株,分别以生物量和发酵液的青枯雷尔氏菌和尖孢镰刀菌抑菌活性为指标,通过单因子和正交试验对其培养基成分和发酵培养条件进行优化,从而提高其抑菌活性。结果表明,优化后的培养基配方为:麸皮20 g/L,蛋白胨25 g/L,MgSO_4·H_2O 0. 2 g/L,CaCl_20. 1 g/L,FeSO_4·7H_2O 0. 1 g/L,NaH_2PO_4·H_2O 0. 5 g/L,K_2HPO_40. 5 g/L;最适发酵培养条件为:接种量1%、摇床转速130 r/min、温度20℃、装液量50 mL(250 mL的摇瓶装液50 mL)、初始pH值为6. 0。在优化的发酵条件下,FJAT-45551发酵液对番茄青枯病菌(Ralstorinia solanacearum)FJAT-91的抑菌圈直径达30. 82 mm,较优化前的抑菌圈直径增加了9. 09 mm,抑菌活性提高了41. 83%。     

Light-mediated regulation of glutamine synthetase activity in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 6301

Glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) activity from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 6301 shows a short-term regulation by light-dark transitions. The enzyme activity declines down to 30% of the original level after 2 h of dark incubation, and can be fully reactivated within 15 min of re-illumination. The loss of activity is not due to protein degradation, but rather to a reversible change of the enzyme, as deduced from the GS-protein levels determined in dark-incubated cells using polyclonal antibodies raised against Synechococcus GS. Incubation with 3-(3-4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) also provokes GS inactivation, indicating that an active electron flow between both photosystems is necessary to maintain GS in an active state. On the other hand, the light-mediated reactivation of GS in dark-incubated cells treated with dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide (DCCD) or carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) indicates that neither changes in the ATP synthesis nor the lack of an electrochemical proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane are directly involved in the regulation process. The inactive form of GS is extremely labile in vitro after disruption of the cells, and is not reactivated by treatment with dithiothreitol or spinach thioredoxin m. These results, taken together with the fact that dark-promoted GS inactivation is dependent on the growth phase, seem to indicate that GS activity is not regulated by a typical redox process and that some other metabolic signal(s), probably related to the ammonium-assimilation pathway, might be involved in the regulation process. In this regard, our results indicate that glutamine is not a regulatory metabolite of Synechococcus glutamine synthetase.Abbreviations CAP chloramphenicol - CCCP carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone - DCCD dicyclohexylcarbodiimide - DCMU 3-(3-4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea - DTT dithiothreitol - GOGAT glutamate synthase - GS glutamine synthetase - PFD photon flux density This work has been financed by the Directión General de Investigación Científica y Técnica, (Grant PB88-0020) and by the Junta de Andalucía, Spain.     

华癸根瘤菌urtB基因突变株的构建与共生固氮表型分析

【目的】尿素ABC转运体透性酶亚基编码基因urtB可能参与尿素代谢及支链氨基酸转运;本文旨在获得实验证据阐明urtB基因对华癸根瘤菌结瘤和固氮的影响,为深入研究其功能机制提供一定的科学依据。【方法】利用生物信息学分析urtB基因的结构特征及生物学功能,通过荧光定量检测urtB基因在自生和共生条件下的时空表达特征和启动子原位表达技术检测urtB基因组织表达特征,采用插入突变构建urtB突变株,通过植物盆栽并结合添加氮素处理,检测与分析突变体的共生固氮表型变化。【结果】分析表明urtB基因对于氮素转运非常重要,在共生条件下的表达水平比自生培养条件下显著上调表达;在成熟根瘤的固氮区中大量表达;正确构建和筛选获得了根瘤菌urtB突变株;接种urtB突变株与野生型菌株7653R相比较,突变体根瘤发育异常;植株地上部分生物量和根瘤固氮酶活性显著降低;添加氮素可恢复其共生缺陷表型。【结论】华癸中慢生根瘤菌urtB基因可能通过影响根瘤中氮转运或同化,进而在根瘤发育与共生固氮中发挥重要作用。     

Identification and initial utilization of a portion of the smaller plasmid of Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 capable of replication in Anabaena sp. strain M-131

Summary Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 contains two cryptic plasmids. Clones of the smaller (41 kb) plasmid, designated pRDS1, in cosmid vectors were used to construct a physical map. A clone bank of pRDS1 constructed by ligating fragments from aXhoII digest of a pRDS1 cosmid clone into a mobilizable plasmid was used to locate an origin of replication of pRDS1. Because we were unable to cureA. variabilis of pRDS1, the clone bank was transferred by conjugation to another strain ofAnabaena sp., strain M-131. A 5.3 kb fragment of pRDS1 contained all of the sequences necessary for replication inAnabaena sp. strain M-131 as judged by the ability to rescue the hybrid vector from exconjugants in unchanged form after many generations. Hybrid plasmids derived from pRDS1, one bearing genes for luciferase, were also transferred by conjugation toA. variabilis, where they appeared to recombine with pRDS1.     

单细胞水平解析土壤固氮鱼腥藻的碳氮固存过程研究进展

固氮鱼腥藻作为光能自养型微生物,具备良好的碳氮固存能力。施加固氮鱼腥藻能够提升土壤肥力并减少化肥施用量。然而,解析固氮鱼腥藻在土壤中的碳氮固存机制以及不同菌株固存效率差异仍有待深入研究。因此,从单细胞水平对土壤固氮鱼腥藻菌株进行筛选和碳氮固存过程的研究至关重要。针对固氮鱼腥藻在单细胞水平上发生的复杂而动态的元素变化过程,本研究综述了土壤固氮鱼腥藻碳氮固存过程,并探讨了利用纳米二次离子质谱法与稳定同位素标记结合(nano-secondary ion mass spectrometry-stable isotopic probing, NanoSIMS-SIP)技术和拉曼光谱成像与稳定同位素标记结合(Raman spectroscopy imaging-stable isotopic probing, Raman-SIP)技术解析单细胞水平上的碳氮元素的时空分布的原理、进展与难点。重点关注了单细胞稳定同位素技术定量可视化固氮鱼腥藻碳氮固存的最新技术发展与应用。同时,对该类可视化技术的未来研究进行了展望。本研究对于理解固氮鱼腥藻在土壤中的碳氮固存机制和固氮效率差异具有重要的科学意义,为农业生产中减少化肥使用、提高土壤肥力提供理论依据。     

Accumulation of an ABA analogue in the wilty tomato mutant,flacca

A new abscisic acid (ABA) analogue has been isolated from tomato plants. High levels of the compound are found in flacca mutants compared with normal isogenic controls. The analogue also accumulates in response to water stress. Three alternative structures, consistent with the mass spectrum, have been proposed. The possibility that the compound may be a biosynthetic precursor of ABA is considered.We are grateful for the financial support of the ARC.     

Purification and initial characterization of phycobiliproteins from the endophytic cyanobacterium of Azolla

The endophytic cyanobacterium, Anabaena azollae, isolated from laboratory cultures of Azolla caroliniana Willd., contains three spectroscopically distinct biliproteins. About 70% of the biliprotein is c-phycocyanin (_max 610 nm) and 13% is allophycocyanin (_max 647 nm, shoulder 620 nm). A third pigment corresponds to phycoerythrocyanin (_max 570 nm, shoulder 590 nm). In very dilute solutions of allophycocyanin, at constant pH and buffer strength, the 647 nm maximum disappears and a single _max occurs at 615–620 nm. The 647 nm absorption maximum reappears upon concentrating the dilute solution. Very dilute solutions of phycoerythrocyanin exhibit a broad peak between 570 and 590 nm. Absorption spectra of c-phycocyanin are not significantly altered upon dilution. Fluorescence emission maxima of phycoerythrocyanin, c-phycocyanin, and allophycocyanin occur at 630 nm, 643 nm and 660 nm respectively, using 540 nm excitation. Two subunits, of molecular weight 16,500 () and 20,600 (), are seen in c-phycocyanin upon dissociation with SDS. Dissociation of allophycocyanin and phycoerythrocyanin with SDS yields one sizeclass of subunits, with a molecular weight of about 17,500 for allophycocyanin and 18,000 for phycoerythrocyanin.Contribution No. 684 Offprint requests to: G. A. Peters     

基于分子证据确认秦岭藤属与驼峰藤属(夹竹桃科)的系统位置

秦岭藤属(Biondia Schltr.)是中国特有属,约13种,驼峰藤属(Merrillanthus Chun&Tsiang)是仅在我国与柬埔寨分布的单种属,目前两个属均被归并到白前属(Vincetoxicum Wolf),由于取样和系统发育分析尚存一些欠缺,因此其系统位置和归属尚需进一步确认。该文使用2个核糖体基因序列片段(ITS、ETS)、5个叶绿体基因序列片段(psbA-trnH、trnG、trnL、trnL-F、trnT-L),以及二者的合并数据,重建娃儿藤亚族(Tylophorinae)(包含属的模式秦岭藤[B.chinensis Schltr.=V.shaanxiense(Schltr.) Meve&Liede]与驼峰藤[M.hainanensis Chun&Tsiang=V.hainanense(Chun&Tsiang) Meve, H. H. Kong&Liede])的系统发育树。结果表明：秦岭藤属与驼峰藤属均包含在白前属中,秦岭藤与青龙藤[B.henryi(Warb.) Tsiang&Li=V.henryi(Warb....     

Glucose excretion by the symbiotic Chlorella of Spongilla fluviatilis

Chlorella sorokiniana strain 211-40c, a symbiotic Chlorella isolated from a freshwater sponge, excreted between 3% and 5% of assimilated ¹⁴CO₂ as glucose in the light, with a pH optimum around 5. This percentage increased when the illuminance was lowered (to 15% at 20 lx). Release of [¹⁴C]glucose continued in the dark and could be inhibited by the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP). Net efflux of glucose occurred even at a concentration ratio of extracellular/intracellular glucose of 4. This, together with the sensitivity to FCCP, is taken as evidence for active transport. Exogenous [¹⁴C]glucose was taken up by the cells under conditions of net glucose efflux, showing uptake and excretion to take place simultaneously.Abbreviations FCCP carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone - p.c. packed cells     

Resistance in the wild crop relatives Avena macrostachya and Hordeum bogdani to the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi

In previous screening tests the two wild crop relatives Avena macrostachya (Bal., ex Coss. et Dur.) and Hordeum bogdani (Wil.) demonstrated a high degree of resistance to the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.). In a choice situation using wild and cultivated oats and barley, alate aphids settled in lower numbers on the wild species. The results were, however, variable in the Avena combination. Nymph production was significantly higher, development time shorter and adult weight higher on the cultivated varieties. From the third instar and onwards the excretion of honeydew was significantly lower on the resistant plants. In general the honeydew contained less than 1% free amino acids although excreta from H. vulgare contained 3.5%. The percentage of free amino acids found in the honeydew was similar for all plant species (5.2–7.6%) except for H. vulgare, on which the aphids excreted 22% of the amounts ingested. Amino acids excreted in high proportions on all plants included asparagine, -aminobutyric acid, glutamic acid, and glycine. Tissue sectioning did not reveal any obvious mechanical barriers to stylet penetration. The potential use of these wild species as sources for aphid resistance breeding in oats and barley is considered.

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Résumè Lors d'examens systématiques antérieurs, Avena macrostachya (Bal. ex Coss. & Dur.) et Hordeum bogdani (Wil.) ont présenté une résistance élevée au puceron Rhopalosiphum padi (L.). Lorsqu'ils avaient un choix comprenant de l'avoine et de l'orge cultivés, les pucerons ailés ont atterri en nombres moins importants sur les espèces sauvages. Les résultats étaient cependant variables dans le complexe avoine. La production de nymphes et le poids des adultes étaient plus élevés sur espèces cultivées, ainsi que la durée du développement était plus longue sur les espèces sauvages. A partir du troisième stade, l'excrétion de miellat a été significativement plus faible sur les espèces résistantes. En général, le miellat y contenait moins de 1% d'acides aminés bien que sur H. vulgare il en contînt 3,5%. Les pourcentages d'acides aminés libres du miellat étaient semblables sur toutes les plantes (5,2–7,6%), à l'exception de H. vulgare sur lequel les pucerons excrétaient 22% des taux ingérés. Les acides aminés excrétés en fortes quantités sur les différentes plantes, comprenaient l'asparagine, l'acide -aminobutyrique, l'acide glutamique et la glycine. Des coupes de tissus n'ont révélé aucun obstacle mécanique clair à la pénétration des stylets. Les possibilités d'utiliser ces espèces sauvages comme source de résistance aux pucerons dans la sélection de l'avoine et de l'orge ont été examinées.

     

Maltose excretion by the symbiotic Chlorella of the heliozoan Acanthocystis turfacea

Chlorella sp. strain 3.83, a symbiotic Chlorella isolated from the heliozoan Acanthocystis turfacea, excreted between 8% and 16% of assimilated ¹⁴CO₂ as maltose in the light (15000 lx), with a pH optimum around 4.8. This percentage increased when the illuminance was lowered (36% at 1700 lx). Release of [¹⁴C]maltose continued in darkness and could be inhibited by the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoro-methoxyphenylhydrazone and by diethylstilbestrol. Net efflux of maltose was observed even at a concentration ratio of extracellular/intracellular maltose of 7.8. Exogenous [¹⁴C]maltose (5 mM) was taken up by the cells with a rate <2% of that of simultaneous maltose release, indicating a practically unidirectional transport. It is concluded that maltose excretion is an active-transport process.Abbreviations DES diethylstilbestrol - FCCP carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone - p.c. packed cells This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Thanks are due to Doris Meindl for skillful experimental help.     

苦苣苔科植物Lysionotus bijantiae的名实订正

通过查阅相关文献和标本,作者发现近期发表的苦苣苔科吊石苣苔属植物一新种——Lysionotus bijantiae D. Borah & A. Joe实为鉴定错误,应是汉克苣苔属的长圆叶汉克苣苔[Henckelia oblongifolia(Roxb.)D. J. Middleton & Mich. Möller] [原长圆叶唇柱苣苔Chirita oblongifolia(Roxb.)Sinclair]。Lysionotus bijantiae的模式标本采集于中国西藏东南部地区的喜马拉雅南坡,该地区苦苣苔植物多样性较为丰富。作者因其花具2枚发育雄蕊而将其归于吊石苣苔属,花萼分裂不达基部而与吊石苣苔属其他相关种类比较,而忽略了其种子先端不具附属物的特征。通过电镜扫描观察到,该种在墨脱境内居群以及其模式产地居群的种子均无附属物,从而证实了该种不是吊石苣苔属的物种,而是属于汉克苣苔属。因此,作者将Lysionotus bijantiae处理为Henckelia oblongifolia的新异名,同时提供了长圆叶汉克苣苔的彩色图片(含种子扫描图)、选定模式标本,并给出了吊石苣苔属和汉克苣苔属的区分方法和主要识别特征,不仅为这两个属的物种鉴定提供了参考,而且避免更多的物种分类混淆问题出现。     

黄梁木NcEXPA8基因提高拟南芥种子萌发速度的研究

为探究NcEXPA8基因的分子功能,该文以在黄梁木形成层区域中高表达的扩展蛋白基因NcEXPA8为研究对象,研究其在黄梁木种子萌发过程中的表达及其过表达对拟南芥种子萌发的影响。该文以黄梁木和拟南芥野生型(WT)(Col-0)种子以及转NcEXPA8基因的拟南芥T3代纯合体种子为实验材料,利用实时荧光定量RT-qPCR分析NcEXPA8基因在黄梁木种子萌发不同阶段的表达量,并分析NcEXPA8基因和拟南芥种子萌发内源相关基因在拟南芥WT和转基因不同株系萌发种子中的表达量,且对拟南芥WT种子和转基因T3代纯合体种子在不同处理和不同时间的萌发率进行比较。结果表明:NcEXPA8基因在黄梁木种子萌发不同阶段的表达量存在差异,在种壳破裂时表达量最高,随后降低。与拟南芥WT相比,过表达NcEXPA8基因不仅显著提高了种子的萌发速度,而且提高了对赤霉素的敏感性,降低了对脱落酸的敏感性,但未影响拟南芥内源相关结构基因的表达。该研究初步分析了黄梁木NcEXPA8基因在种子萌发中的功能,但其最终确定还需在黄梁木中进行验证。     

Complete Genome sequence of Burkholderia phymatum STM815T,a broad host range and efficient nitrogen-fixing symbiont of Mimosa species

Burkholderia phymatum is a soil bacterium able to develop a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with species of the legume genus Mimosa, and is frequently found associated specifically with Mimosa pudica. The type strain of the species, STM 815^T, was isolated from a root nodule in French Guiana in 2000. The strain is an aerobic, motile, non-spore forming, Gram-negative rod, and is a highly competitive strain for nodulation compared to other Mimosa symbionts, as it also nodulates a broad range of other legume genera and species. The 8,676,562 bp genome is composed of two chromosomes (3,479,187 and 2,697,374 bp), a megaplasmid (1,904,893 bp) and a plasmid hosting the symbiotic functions (595,108 bp).     

Effect of Different Carbon and Nitrogen Sources on Clostridium argentinense Toxigenicity in Coculture withPseudomonas mendocina

The effect of different carbon and nitrogen sources on the production of toxin by Clostridium argentinense was examined. The toxin production by C. argentinense in coculture with Pseudomonas mendocina increased in all the cases in relation to that produced by monocultures independent of the nature of the source. Using dextrin as carbon source C. argentinense produced the highest levels of toxin both in monocultures (300 LD₅₀/mL) and in cocultures with P. mendocina (5000 LD₅₀/mL). Experiments run in a microfermenter showed that the slow growth of cocultures associated with the assimilation of dextrin and the pH and Eh profiles favoured the production of toxin. Of the nitrogen sources assayed, corn steep liquor sustained the highest levels of toxin in both monocultures and cocultures with 3 and 2.8 fold increases with respect to that obtained using proteose peptone. The toxin production by C. argentinense cultures and C. argentinense–P. mendocina cocultures was highly dependent on the nature of the carbon and nitrogen sources used in the culture media. Growth of C. argentinense on substrates slowly assimilated stimulated the production of toxin.     

Assimilation of ethylenediamine as nitrogen source by the cyanobiont Nostoc ANTH

Nostoc ANTH metabolizes ethylenediamine (EDA) as sole nitrogen source but not as a carbon source. EDA is assimilated by the glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase pathway. EDA represses heterocyst formation and nitrogenase activity but this is reversed by l-methionine-dl-sulphoximine.The authors are with the Department of Microbiology, Barkatullah University, Bhopal 462 026, India