Mapping loci controlling flowering time in Brassica oleracea

The timing of the transition from vegetative to reproductive phase is a major determinant of the morphology and value of Brassica oleracea crops. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling flowering time in B. oleracea were mapped using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) loci and flowering data of F₃ families derived from a cabbage by broccoli cross. Plants were grown in the field, and a total of 15 surveys were made throughout the experiment at 5–15 day intervals, in which plants were inspected for the presence of flower buds or open flowers. The flowering traits used for data analysis were the proportion of annual plants (PF) within each F₃ family at the end of the experiment, and a flowering-time index (FT) that combined both qualitative (annual/biennial) and quantitative (days to flowering) information. Two QTLs on different linkage groups were found associated with both PF and FT and one additional QTL was found associated only with FT. When combined in a multi-locus model, all three QTLs explained 54.1% of the phenotypic variation in FT. Epistasis was found between two genomic regions associated with FT. Comparisons of map positions of QTLs in B. oleracea with those in B. napus and B. rapa provided no evidence for conservation of genomic regions associated with flowering time between these species.     

Effect of inorganic phosphate on photosynthesis in bean leaves

It was shown that raising pod seedlings by the hydroponics method on KH2PO4 solutions at concentrations between 10(-7) and 10(-5) M leads to an increase in the rate of oxygen release (delta O2/delta t), with the chlorophyll content in leaves being unchanged. The values of the parameters FM/FT of slow fluorescence induction and B/A of photoinduced changes in ESR1 signals from pod leaves correlate with the delta O2/delta t value.     

Characteristics of the leaf photosynthetic machinery in broad bean grown in zinc chloride aqueous solutions

The structural and functional characteristics of bean leaves (the content of chlorophyll, the rate of oxygen production, the slow fluorescence induction, and light-induced changes in the EPR signal I from oxidized reaction centers P700+) were investigated to obtain insight into the mechanism of influence of zinc chloride on the photosynthetic apparatus. Seedlings were grown on hydroponic medium containing ZnCl2 at concentrations from 10(-7) to 10(-3) M. At low concentrations of ZnCl2, a decrease in the content of chlorophyll per one unit of leaf mass was observed, while the rate of oxygen production per chlorophyll was increased. High concentrations of ZnCl2 in the hydroponic medium caused the slowed down the plant development and inhibited the light-induced production of oxygen. The changes in biophysical characteristics of leaves the parameter FM/FT of the slow fluorescence induction, and kinetics of redox transients of P700 induced by ZnCl2 were of similar character and correlated with the changes in photosynthetic activity. The data obtained demonstrate that structural and functional changes in the photosynthetic apparatus induced by the variations of growth conditions have adaptive character.     

Regulation of cholesterol synthesis in cultured mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A cells

Mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A cells, which are able to grow in a serum-free medium, have novel characteristics that could be valuable in biochemical and somatic cell genetic studies. In FM3A cells grown in the presence of serum, both sterol synthesis and the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the major rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, were strongly suppressed by human low density lipoprotein (LDL). The addition of LDL (50 micrograms protein/ml) resulted in a 50% decrease in the reductase activity within 3 h and a 95% reduction after 24 h. Similarly, over 90% suppression of the reductase activity was obtained by the addition of LDL or mevalonolactone when the cells were grown on a serum-free medium. ML-236B (compactin), a specific inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, inhibited sterol synthesis from [14C]acetate by 80% at 1 microM. Reductase activity in FM3A cells was increased by 2.5- to 5-fold when the cells were treated with ML-236B (at 0.26-2.6 microM for 24 h). Thus, in FM3A cells, HMG-CoA reductase activity responded well to LDL, as is observed in human skin fibroblasts. Along with other novel features of this cell line, the present observations indicate that FM3A cells should be useful in biochemical and somatic cell genetic analysis of cholesterol metabolism, especially as regards the regulation of HMG-CoA reductase activity.     

丛枝菌根真菌定殖银中杨对舞毒蛾幼虫食物利用及适应性的影响

丛枝菌根真菌可提高寄主植物的抗虫性,但在林木方面的研究较少。为探明丛枝菌根真菌对林木的抗虫机制,以银中杨Populus alba × P. berolinensis为研究对象,分别进行摩西斗管囊霉Funneliformis mosseae (FM)、根内根孢囊霉Rhizophagus intraradices (RI)接种处理,以不接种处理为对照,比较两种丛枝菌根真菌定殖银中杨对舞毒蛾Lymantria dispar幼虫食物利用及适应性的影响。结果显示,FM处理可显著降低(P<0.05) 3-5龄幼虫的取食量、食物转化率和3-4龄幼虫食物利用率,且显著抑制(P<0.05) 4龄幼虫酸性磷酸酶(ACP)、羧酸酯酶(CarE)和谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTs)活性及5龄幼虫淀粉酶、脂肪酶、胰蛋白酶和ACP活性。而RI处理可显著降低(P<0.05) 3-5龄幼虫的食物消耗率,显著抑制(P<0.05) 4龄幼虫CarE、GSTs和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性及5龄幼虫ACP、GSTs和SOD活性。结论认为,FM和RI定殖均能在一定程度上诱导银中杨产生抗虫性,但综合来看FM比RI定殖银中杨产生的抗虫性更强。     

Liver stiffness measurement and biochemical markers in Senegalese chronic hepatitis B patients with normal ALT and high viral load

Background and Aims

Despite the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Africa, few studies have been performed among African patients. We sought to evaluate liver stiffness measurement by FibroScan® (LSM) and two biochemical scores (FibroTest®, Fibrometer®) to diagnose liver fibrosis in Senegalese CHB patients with HBV plasma DNA load ≥3.2 log₁₀ IU/mL and normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values.

Methods

LSM and liver fibrosis biochemical markers were performed on 225 consecutive HBV infected Senegalese patients with high viral load. Patients with an LSM range between 7 and 13 kPa underwent liver biopsy (LB). Two experienced liver pathologists performed histological grading using Metavir and Ishak scoring.

Results

225 patients were evaluated (84% male) and LB was performed in 69 patients, showing F2 and F3 fibrosis in 17% and 10% respectively. In these patients with a 7–13 kPa range of LSM, accuracy for diagnosis of significant fibrosis according to LB was unsatisfactory for all non-invasive markers with AUROCs below 0.70. For patients with LSM values below 7 kPa, FibroTest® (FT), and Fibrometer® (FM) using the cut-offs recommended by the test promoters suggested a fibrosis in 18% of cases for FT (8% severe fibrosis) and 8% for FM. For patients with LSM values greater than 13 kPa, FT, FM suggested a possible fibrosis in 73% and 70%, respectively.

Conclusion

In highly replicative HBV-infected African patients with normal ALT and LSM value below 13 kPa, FibroScan®, FibroTest® or Fibrometer® were unsuitable to predict the histological liver status of fibrosis.     

Geographical variation in the monoterpenes of Pinus contorta oleoresin

The monoterpene composition of the shoot cortical oleoresin allowed the natural range of Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) to be divided into chemically distinct regions. The trees examined were all grown in Britain from seed originally collected from 150 localities in north-west America. Those from the central area of the natural range contained a wide variety of monoterpene pattern-types, while those from more peripheral areas tended to be more exclusively characterized by their own specific pattern-types. Chemical evidence for introgression with Jack pine (P. banksiana) was detected in trees originating from central British Columbia, and there was also a highly localized and pronounced region of introgression chemotypes in coastal populations near the border of Oregon and California. Variations between trees grown in replicate plots and at different sites in Britain were small, and the results indicated that resin analysis of a sample of 25 trees was usually sufficient to determine the region of origin of an unknown population.     

Sustained activation of p34(cdc2) is required for noscapine-induced apoptosis.

Mitotic arrest and subsequent apoptosis has been observed in many types of cells treated with anti-microtubule agents. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the two events as well as their relationship are not well understood; on the contrary, there has been increasing evidence indicating that anti-microtubule agents might induce apoptosis via signaling pathways independent of mitosis. In this study, we found that apoptosis induced by noscapine, an anti-microtubule drug previously shown to cause both mitotic arrest and apoptotic cell death, was blocked by inhibiting p34(cdc2) activity with olomoucine in FM3A murine mammary carcinoma cells or by reducing the level and activity of p34(cdc2) in a mutant cell line FT210 derived from FM3A. Furthermore, transfection of the mutant FT210 cells with wild-type p34(cdc2) restored their ability to undergo mitotic arrest and then apoptosis in response to noscapine. Thus, we conclude that sustained activation of the p34(cdc2) kinase during mitotic arrest is required for subsequent apoptosis induced by noscapine, establishing a link between the two events.     

栽培基质酸碱度对甘草生长及菌根效应的影响

为分析不同栽培基质的酸碱度对甘草生长及菌根效应的影响,使用摩西管柄囊霉Funneliformis mosseae（FM）菌剂,以盆栽甘草Glycyrrhiza uralensis为材料,以灭菌的水洗河沙为栽培基质,设置接菌组和空白组,浇灌以不同pH的水,处理60d后测定各处理组的侵染率、侵染密度、生物量指标、光合指标以及有效成分含量。实验结果表明,未接菌条件下,甘草更适合在pH 6-7范围内生长;接种菌剂后,甘草在pH 7-8范围内长势更佳。在pH 7-8范围内,菌根对甘草生长的贡献率较大,光合速率较快。接菌情况下,pH 7时,甘草有效成分积累高于其他接菌组和未接菌组。因此在甘草的种植应用上,摩西管柄囊霉F. mosseae适合在中性和偏碱性栽培基质上配合使用。     

Repression of floral meristem fate is crucial in shaping tomato inflorescence

Tomato is an important crop and hence there is a great interest in understanding the genetic basis of its flowering. Several genes have been identified by mutations and we constructed a set of novel double mutants to understand how these genes interact to shape the inflorescence. It was previously suggested that the branching of the tomato inflorescence depends on the gradual transition from inflorescence meristem (IM) to flower meristem (FM): the extension of this time window allows IM to branch, as seen in the compound inflorescence (s) and falsiflora (fa) mutants that are impaired in FM maturation. We report here that Jointless (J), which encodes a MADS-box protein of the same clade than Short Vegetative Phase (SVP) and Agamous Like 24 (AGL24) in Arabidopsis, interferes with this timing and delays FM maturation, therefore promoting IM fate. This was inferred from the fact that j mutation suppresses the high branching inflorescence phenotype of s and fa mutants and was further supported by the expression pattern of J, which is expressed more strongly in IM than in FM. Most interestingly, FA--the orthologue of the Arabidopsis LEAFY (LFY) gene--shows the complementary expression pattern and is more active in FM than in IM. Loss of J function causes premature termination of flower formation in the inflorescence and its reversion to a vegetative program. This phenotype is enhanced in the absence of systemic florigenic protein, encoded by the Single Flower Truss (SFT) gene, the tomato orthologue of Flowering Locus T (FT). These results suggest that the formation of an inflorescence in tomato requires the interaction of J and a target of SFT in the meristem, for repressing FA activity and FM fate in the IM.     

FT overexpression induces precocious flowering and normal reproductive development in Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus trees are among the most important species for industrial forestry worldwide. However, as with most forest trees, flowering does not begin for one to several years after planting which can limit the rate of conventional and molecular breeding. To speed flowering, we transformed a Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla hybrid (SP7) with a variety of constructs that enable overexpression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). We found that FT expression led to very early flowering, with events showing floral buds within 1–5 months of transplanting to the glasshouse. The most rapid flowering was observed when the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was used to drive the Arabidopsis thaliana FT gene (AtFT). Early flowering was also observed with AtFT overexpression from a 409S ubiquitin promoter and under heat induction conditions with Populus trichocarpa FT1 (PtFT1) under control of a heat‐shock promoter. Early flowering trees grew robustly, but exhibited a highly branched phenotype compared to the strong apical dominance of nonflowering transgenic and control trees. AtFT‐induced flowers were morphologically normal and produced viable pollen grains and viable self‐ and cross‐pollinated seeds. Many self‐seedlings inherited AtFT and flowered early. FT overexpression‐induced flowering in Eucalyptus may be a valuable means for accelerating breeding and genetic studies as the transgene can be easily segregated away in progeny, restoring normal growth and form.     

Use of flowering gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">FLOWERING LOCUS T</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">FT</Emphasis>) homologs in the phylogenetic analysis of bambusoid and early diverging grasses

A nuclear gene, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) homolog, was cloned from Phyllostachys meyeri as PmFT. Its putative copy number was estimated as four by Southern blot analysis, and the two copies were completely sequenced. Twenty-seven FT homolog sequences of bambusoid and early diverging grasses comprised 172-bp exons, and 357- to 785-bp introns exhibited 0-58.9% pairwise divergence with six modal levels. Parsimony analyses of the FT homologs rooted at Pharus virescens produced six equally parsimonious trees. In the strict consensus tree, five clades were resolved; they were affected by divergence of the intron region rather than exon region. The basal clade was Puelioideae, followed by Olyreae clade including Oryza sativa. Streptogyneae clade combined the Olyreae clade with terminal sister clades of the Bambuseae, i.e., pantropical bamboos and East Asiatic temperate bamboos. The global topology suggested that FT homologs are significant for resolving the tribe level. However, the phylogeny of FT homologs does not resolve monophyly in Bambusoideae because of intercalary positioning by Streptogyneae clade. We discussed the role of FT homologs in controlling the inflorescence architecture and position of Streptogyneae in the bamboo phylogeny.     

Can Flowering Plants Enhance Numbers of Beneficial Arthropods in UK Apple and Pear Orchards?

A replicated experiment with fourteen flowering plant species was used to determine the effectiveness of flowering plants as attractants for beneficial arthropods in orchards. The greatest numbers of anthocorids were found on cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis) and hymenopteran parasitoids on corn marigold (Chrysanthemum segetum) and corn chamomile. The impact on pest numbers of manipulating the orchard environment by the use of flowering plants was investigated in two ways. In an apple and a pear orchard, a proportion of the trees was undersown with a mixture of cornflower, corn marigold and corn chamomile. No significant differences were found in numbers of Panonychus ulmi (in apple) or Cacopsylla pyricola (in pear) on trees grown in the undersown areas compared with trees grown in conventional bare herbicide strips. When potted pear trees infested with pear psyllids were placed either into plots sown with the flower mixture or on bare earth, psyllid numbers declined rapidly on trees in both treatments. When beneficials were excluded from the potted control trees, numbers of psyllid larvae, but not eggs, declined more quickly on the trees surrounded by flowering plants. The importance of habitat diversity on biocontrol in orchards is discussed.     

Stimulation of LDL receptor activity in Hep-G2 cells by a serum factor(s)

The regulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity in the human hepatoma cell line Hep-G2 by serum components was examined. Incubation of dense monolayers of Hep-G2 cells with fresh medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FM) produced a time-dependent increase in LDL receptor activity. Uptake and degradation of 125I-LDL was stimulated two- to four-fold, as compared with that of Hep-G2 cells cultured in the same media in which they had been grown to confluence (CM); the maximal 125I-LDL uptake plus degradation increased from 0.2 microgram/mg cell protein/4 h to 0.8 microgram/mg cell protein/4 h. In addition, a two-fold increase in cell surface binding of 125I-LDL to Hep-G2 cells was observed when binding was measured at 4 degrees C. There was no change in the "apparent" Kd. The stimulation of LDL receptor activity was suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner by the addition of cholesterol, as LDL, to the cell medium. In contrast to the stimulation of LDL receptor activity, FM did not affect the uptake or degradation of 125I-asialoorosomucoid. Addition of FM increased the protein content per dish, and DNA synthesis was stimulated approximately five-fold, as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA; however, the cell number did not change. Cellular cholesterol biosynthesis was also stimulated by FM; [14C]acetate incorporation into unesterified and esterified cholesterol was increased approximately five-fold. Incubation of Hep-G2 cells with high-density lipoproteins (200 micrograms protein/ml) or albumin (8.0 mg/ml) in the absence of the serum factor did not significantly increase the total processed 125I-LDL. Stimulation of LDL receptor activity was dependent on a heat-stable, nondialyzable serum component that eluted in the inclusion volume of a Sephadex G-75 column. Uptake of 125I-LDL by confluent monolayers of human skin fibroblasts was not changed by incubation with FM or by incubation with Hep-G2 conditioned medium. Taken together, these data demonstrate that LDL receptor activity in Hep-G2 cells is stimulated by a serum component. Furthermore, this serum factor shows some specificity for the LDL receptor pathway in liver-derived Hep-G2 cells.     

柴胡多糖的结构和抗氧化活性分析

用超声波辅助提取法从柴胡中提取、分离得到多糖SAP3。高效液相色谱法测定其相对分子质量,红外光谱、气相色谱和原子力显微镜对其结构进行初步分析。结果表明:柴胡多糖SAP3是组分均一的多糖,由鼠李糖、木糖、甘露糖、葡萄糖、半乳糖组成,平均相对分子质量为3.3×105。红外光谱分析表明:柴胡多糖具有一般多糖类物质的特征吸收峰,单糖残基以吡喃环的形式存在。原子力显微镜显示柴胡多糖糖链具有分支结构,并缠绕形成环状结构。在0.2~1.2 mg/mL的实验浓度范围内,随着多糖质量浓度的升高,柴胡多糖SAP3对.OH的清除率逐渐增大,最大清除率可达45.2%。     

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance (QMR) for Longitudinal Evaluation of Body Composition Changes With Two Dietary Regimens

We have recently reported a validation study of a prototype low‐field strength quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) instrument for measurement of human body composition (EchoMRI‐AH). QMR was very precise, but underreported fat mass (FM) by 2–4 kg when compared to a 4‐compartment (4C) model in this cross‐sectional study. Here, we report the performance of an updated instrument in two longitudinal studies where FM was decreasing. Healthy obese volunteers were given a modest energy deficit diet for 8 weeks (study A) and obese patients with heart failure and/or at high cardiovascular risk were prescribed a low energy liquid diet for 6 weeks (study B). FM was measured at the start and end of these periods by QMR, dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and 4C. A higher proportion of the weight lost came from fat in study A compared with study B, where loss of total body water (TBW) played a greater part. The intraclass correlation between QMR and 4C estimates of FM loss (ΔFat) was 0.95, but 20 of 22 estimates of ΔFat by QMR were lower than the corresponding estimate by the 4C model. Bland–Altman analysis demonstrated that estimates of FM loss by QMR were ～1.0 and 0.7 kg lower than those obtained with 4C (P = 0.0008) and DXA (P = 0.049), respectively. Measurement precision remained high. QMR measurement should prove valuable for quantifying modest changes of FM in small trials.     

Luminescent indicators in various parts of wheat leaves in ontogenesis

A comparative study of slow fluorescence induction, fluorescence spectra, thermoluminescence, photosynthetic activity and chlorophyll content in ontogenesis of wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L, cv. Yubileinayd) grown in the laboratory conditions was carried out. It was shown that (FM-FT)/FT values of slow fluorescence induction increased with the age of leaf part, reached a maximum (for 2-week-old seedlings), and then decreased. Changes in (FM-FT)/FT positively correlated with the changes in photosynthetic activity per chlorophyll unit (delta O2/(delta t.chlorophyll)); the coefficient of correlation r = 0.84, p > 0.999. The F685/F730 ratio of the intensities of fluorescence spectrum decreased with the increase in chlorophyll content. The relative light sum SA/S(tot) of band A of thermoluminescence changed in the same direction as delta O2/(delta t-chlorophyll), the relative light sum (SC/S(tot) of band C of thermoluminescence decreased during leaf maturation. The regularities revealed in the experiments are discussed in terms of changes in the structural and functional organization of the photosynthetic apparatus known from the literature.     

Mating patterns of black oak Quercus velutina (Fagaceae) in a Missouri oak-hickory forest

Wind-pollinated forest trees usually have high outcrossing rates, but allogamy does not necessarily translate into high pollen movement. The goal of this study was to determine the outcrossing rates, pollen pool genetic structure, and the size of the effective pollination neighborhood in a population of black oak, Quercus velutina, in a Missouri oak-hickory forest. Based on 6 allozyme loci, 12 maternal trees, and 439 progenies sampled along a transect of 1300 m, we found complete outcrossing (t(m) = 1.000, P < 0.001) and small amounts of biparental inbreeding. Using a TwoGener analysis of the pollen gene pool, we found significant structure across maternal plants (Phi(FT) = 0.078, P < 0.001), which when corrected for adult inbreeding translates into Phi(FT) = 0.066 that corresponds to an effective number of pollen donors of 7.5 individuals. Assuming a bivariate normal distribution and an adult density of 16.25 trees ha(-1), we estimated that the effective pollination neighborhood area had a radius of 41.9 m. Even assuming that our estimates may be conservative, these findings join a growing body of evidence that suggest that the local neighborhood of wind-pollinated forest tree populations may be relatively small creating opportunities for local selection and genetic drift.