A systematic relationship between phytochrome-controlled development and species habitat,for plants grown in simulated natural radiation

A survey of the responsiveness of plant species, typical of open and shade habitats, to simulated natural shade-light quality (i.e. white light plus supplementary far-red) has demonstrated a systematic relationship between habitat and certain developmental responses. Supplementary far-red light has a much greater effect on stem extension rate, petiole length, and leaf dry weight: stem dry weight ratio of the open habitat, shade-intolerant species. Far-red effects on leaf chlorophyll content show no such systematic grading. These results are discussed in relation to habitat adaptation. In most cases, the relationship between developmental response and the estimated phytochrome photoequilibrium, which is established by the radiation treatment, is linear. This is taken as an indication of phytochrome involvement in shade perception.Abbreviations P _fr far-red light absorbing form of phytochrome - P _total total phytochrome - PAR photosynthetically active radiation Paper 8 in the series The Function of Phytochrome in the Natural Environment; for paper 7 see Morgan and Smith (1978)     

Effects of PVA and PEG Pretreatment on Development and Ultrastructure of Plumular Root Mitochondria in Soybean Seed During Low Temperature Imbibition Process

Electron microscope observation revealed that mitochondria in plumular root cells of soy bean seed were invisible at the beginning of seed germination. They were sequentially formed re-differentiated and developed from proplastids during the process of germination. The proplastids in the control plumular root markedly expanded at low temperature imbibition process and did not develop into mitochondria when normal temperature was restored. Even the structure of reticulata membrane was further destroyed and vacuolized. In contrast, mitochondria of soybean seed pretreated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polythylene glycol-6000 (PEG) continused to develop well under the same conditions, as characterized by a clear structure of bilayered membrane and tube cristae. The results suggest that continuous re-differentiation and development of proplastids into mitochondria at low temperature imbibition process play an important role in the increase of soybean seed vigour and its resistance to chilling injury.     

Selective pressure, putative recombination events and evolutionary relationships among members of the family Closteroviridae: A proposal for a new classification

Molecular evolution of viruses is driven by both positive selection and recombination. In an effort to determine putative recombination events in the entire genome of members of the family Closteroviridae comprising 54 accessions retrieved from the international databases, a detail study was carried out by using RDP algorithm version 3.31β. Only isolates of Citrus tristeza virus and Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 were potential recombinants. None of members of Crinivirus genus was possible recombinant, but in turn, they were under positive selection that might be correlated with vector and/or host interactions. In contrast, Citrus tristeza virus isolates were under purifying selection as well as one-third of isolates of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3. The evolutionary history of all members of the Closteroviridae showed that they split into three distinct clusters corresponding to the three genera constituting this family. Moreover, the inferred phylogeny reshuffled the existing classification actually adopted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. In this regard, each genus should be constituted by two distinct subgroups.     

高温和红光诱导的鱼腥藻7120短藻丝体中TNF-α基因表达效率的提高

目前解决外源基因在蓝藻中低效表达的主要策略是改进供体DNA元件。这项工作尝试改变受体系统生理状态,研究对外源基因表达效率的影响。以前已经报道用高温(45℃)和红光处理鱼腥藻7120(Anabaena sp．PCC7120)可以诱导其形成短藻丝体,这里报道以此作为受体细胞,将构建的含重组人肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF—α)基因的穿梭表达载体pKT-TNF通过三亲接合转移法进行转化。红光和高温诱导形成的短藻丝体中,TNF—α基因接合转移效率为在正常营养藻丝中的5～6倍,Southern杂交结果证明pKT-FNF已在受体细胞中复制。Western印迹表明TNF—α基因已在受体系统中表达,放射免疫测定结果显示在短藻丝体中的表达效率提高到在正常营养藻丝中的4～5倍。这可能为提高外源基因在丝状蓝藻中的表达效率提供了一条新途径。此外,研究还分析了人TNF-α基因密码子使用偏向性对在鱼腥藻7120中表达效率的影响。