Activities of Various Peptidases in the Senescing Petals of Tulip

The hydrolysis of seven peptidase substrates by petal extracts of tulip (Tulipa sp. cv. Guillaume Tell) was assayed at four stages in the life cycle of the petals. During senescence pronounced increases from three- to sixfold took place in all the activities. At the same time the amount of soluble protein decreased about 75% and there was a simultaneous increase in free amino acids. The activity levels (on a dry weight basis) in the petals at the beginning of withering were rather similar to those present in normal leaves. Despite their different pH-optima (5-9), all the peptidases probably act in the mobilization of protein amino acids in the senescing petals.     

上海地区郁金香引种栽培与品种综合评价

通过建立郁金香(Tulipa gesneriana)品种评价体系,筛选生长适应性好、观赏价值高,适宜应用于园林景观的郁金香品种。对29个郁金香进口品种在上海地区进行引种栽培,观察记录其物候期,并对植株高、冠幅等12个生长特性,以及开花整齐度、花型、花色等32个观赏特性进行了观测。从观测指标中筛选出了包括开花整齐度、花色均匀度、花色等27个评价指标,使用层次分析法与灰色关联度分析法建立了评价体系。综合评价将29个品种分成了4个等级：Ⅰ级包含10个品种, Ⅱ级12个品种,而Ⅲ级和Ⅳ级包含品种数较少,分别只有4和3个品种。Ⅰ、Ⅱ级品种普遍具有较高的观赏价值,同时适应性较强,适合今后推广应用于上海及周边地区园林绿化。这对筛选适于上海及周边地区园林种植的郁金香品种有重要的指导作用,建立的评价体系对评价其他郁金香品种在园林中应用也有积极参考意义。     

Identification of Genes Associated with Chlorophyll Accumulation in Flower Petals

Plants have an ability to prevent chlorophyll accumulation, which would mask the bright flower color, in their petals. In contrast, leaves contain substantial amounts of chlorophyll, as it is essential for photosynthesis. The mechanisms of organ-specific chlorophyll accumulation are unknown. To identify factors that determine the chlorophyll content in petals, we compared the expression of genes related to chlorophyll metabolism in different stages of non-green (red and white) petals (very low chlorophyll content), pale-green petals (low chlorophyll content), and leaves (high chlorophyll content) of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.). The expression of many genes encoding chlorophyll biosynthesis enzymes, in particular Mg-chelatase, was lower in non-green petals than in leaves. Non-green petals also showed higher expression of genes involved in chlorophyll degradation, including STAY-GREEN gene and pheophytinase. These data suggest that the absence of chlorophylls in carnation petals may be caused by the low rate of chlorophyll biosynthesis and high rate of degradation. Similar results were obtained by the analysis of Arabidopsis microarray data. In carnation, most genes related to chlorophyll biosynthesis were expressed at similar levels in pale-green petals and leaves, whereas the expression of chlorophyll catabolic genes was higher in pale-green petals than in leaves. Therefore, we hypothesize that the difference in chlorophyll content between non-green and pale-green petals is due to different levels of chlorophyll biosynthesis. Our study provides a basis for future molecular and genetic studies on organ-specific chlorophyll accumulation.     

The Anthocyanins in the Petals of White Peach (Prunus percica SlBE et ZUCC var. vulgaris MAXIM.)

Two kinds of anthocyanin were isolated from the petals of white peach and examined by paper chromatographic and spectral analyses. The results showed that one of them is crysanthemin and the other is a derivative of chrysanthemin which has not been isolated from peaches previously.     

新疆棕色棉纤维中花色苷的提取及初步鉴定

以新疆深棕色棉品系‘棕86’的成熟纤维为材料,用甲醇溶液(VMeOH∶VHCl=99∶1)避光冷浸提取15d后,浓缩成浸膏.用适量蒸馏水溶解浸膏,乙酸乙酯萃取除杂,水相用HP-20大孔树脂纯化色素组分;采用紫外-可见吸收光谱分析,并结合高效液相色谱方法,对天然彩色棉纤维色素组分进行鉴定,为彩色棉花新色彩的分子改良提供参考.结果显示,棕色棉纤维提取液中含有花色苷,且至少含有4种不同的花色苷成分.对棕色棉纤维提取液中花色苷的降解分析显示,棕色棉中的色素物质很不稳定.研究表明,花色苷是棕色棉纤维色素中的一种重要组成成分,进一步补充了彩棉色素的物质基础.     

两种葡萄孢属真菌对不同品种百合花瓣和叶片的侵染能力比较

为明确两种葡萄孢属真菌对不同百合品种叶片和花瓣的侵染能力,采用离体叶片接种法测定灰葡萄孢Botrytis cinerea和椭圆葡萄孢Botrytis elliptica对4个百合品种叶片和花瓣的侵染时间和病斑扩展速度。结果表明,供试百合花瓣接种灰葡萄孢病斑出现时间明显早于叶片,而不同品种花瓣接种椭圆葡萄孢病斑出现时间差异显著。此外,百合品种‘木门’叶片接种椭圆葡萄孢96 h后仍没有病斑出现,而花瓣接种后48 h病斑出现,说明‘木门’叶片对椭圆葡萄孢抗性较强,而花瓣较易感病。     

葡萄风信子花青素苷分析方法建立及成分鉴定

采用高效液相色谱(HPLC)技术,以葡萄风信子‘拉特夫拉姆’(Muscari latifolium)为材料,建立葡萄风信子花青素苷分析方法,研究了流动相配置、有机相初始及最高比例、流速等对葡萄风信子花青素苷洗脱效果的影响,并对该优化体系进行了可行性验证;采用高效液相色谱-质谱联用(HPLC-MS)技术进一步对其成分进行结构鉴定。结果显示:(1)以0.1%甲酸水溶液-80%乙腈为流动相,梯度洗脱,流速0.8mL/min,Tosoh C18色谱柱柱温35℃为条件,可获得良好的洗脱效果。(2)在质量浓度为0.001~1mg/mL范围内线性良好,相关系数0.999 8;采用该技术方法对标准品矢车菊素的最低检出限为0.1μg/mL,加样回收率在94.4%~99.8%之间,相对标准偏差1.42%。(3)葡萄风信子花瓣中共鉴定出6种花青素苷,分别是飞燕草素-3-O-葡萄糖苷、矮牵牛素-3-O-葡萄糖苷、锦葵素-3-O-葡萄糖苷、天竺葵素-3-O-咖啡酰槐糖苷-5-O-阿拉伯糖苷、矢车菊素、矢车菊素-3-O-对香豆酰葡萄糖苷-5-O-丙二酰葡萄糖苷。     

Influence of the Queen on Worker Behaviour and Queen Recognition Behaviour in Ants

We investigated the influence of the queen on worker behaviour in ants and their queen recognition behaviour. Queenless and queenright homo- and hetero-specific groups were created using three Myr-micinae species (Manica rubida, Myrmica rubra and Myrmica ruginodis). In homospecific groups, the presence of a queen contributed to an increase in the brood care, which had an effect on all other tasks of the group. In heterospecific groups, the presence of a queen led workers to care more for the conspecific brood. The queen appears to be a factor in the maintenance of both behavioural characteristics of the workers and the organization of the colony. The absence of the queen revealed some behavioural differences between species compared and populations that did not occur in queenright groups. Attractiveness tests were also conducted on these colonies. In homospecific queenright groups, workers were attracted both by unfamiliar conspecific and allospecific queens, but they were attracted more by the former. Therefore, queens appear to emit volatile pheromones which have a non-species-specific and a species-specific attractant effect. In heterospecific groups, workers were attracted more by an unfamiliar queen of the familiar species (even if allospecific) than by an unfamiliar conspecific queen, suggesting the importance of early social experience for the discrimination behaviour of adults.     

Thermonasty in Tulip and Crocus Flowers

The earlier literature on thermonasty is summarized, and itis confirmed that these movements are due to different growth-rateson the two sides of the perianth members. The underlying mesophyll cells are chiefly concerned; thoseof the outer surface have a temperature optimum for growth about10° C. lower than the corresponding cells of the inner surface. The percentage elongation of complete tepals is shown to begreater than that of separate tissue strips, and this differenceis shown to result from the change in internal CO₂ concentration. Increasing the CO₂ concentration causes a marked cell extensionand a lowering of the temperature optimum for growth. This effectappears to be closely related to respiration.     

RcAGL61基因调控雄蕊和花瓣之间转变影响月季花瓣数量

【目的】为了探究月季重瓣性状的调控机制,课题组前期筛选到一个与花发育相关的AG同源基因RcAGL61,本研究对该基因的功能进行了分析。【方法】利用荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）对该基因在‘窄叶藤本月季花’ב月月粉’杂交群体中重瓣株系和单瓣株系花芽5个发育时期的表达模式进行了分析,以重瓣株系和单瓣株系为材料,克隆RcAGL61,并进行生物信息学分析、亚细胞定位及VIGS实验。【结果】（1）该基因表达水平在单瓣株系的五个发育时期均显著高于重瓣株系,在单瓣株系花发育的S4-S5期比S1-S3期表达量明显升高。（2）RcAGL61编码区序列在单瓣株系和重瓣株系中一致,长度为495 bp,与RcAG基因序列相似度为30.75%,编码164个氨基酸,含有一个MADS-Box保守结构域,属于MADS-Box基因家族。（3）亚细胞定位发现RcAGL61蛋白定位于烟草表皮细胞的细胞核。（4）沉默该基因后,瓣化雄蕊数量增加,雄蕊数量减少,花瓣数量增加,萼片数量和雌蕊数量无显著变化。【结论】RcAGL61参与调控了雄蕊原基和花瓣原基间的转变,影响了月季的花瓣数量。     

Anthocyanins in the epacridaceae

An examination of 73 species of the family Epacridaceae resulted in the identification of the following anthocyanins: cyanidin 3-galactoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-arabinoside, cyanidin 3-rhamnoside, cyanidin 3-rhamnosylgalactoside, cyanidin 3-rhamnosylglucoside, cyanidin 3-xylosylgalactoside, cyanidin 3-xylosylarabinoside, delphinidin 3-galactoside, delphinidin 3-arabinoside, delphinidin 3-rhamnosylgalactoside, delphinidin 3-rhamnosylglucoside and pelargonidin 3-rhamnosylglucoside. No acylated or 5-substituted anthocyanins were detected in any of the species examined. Evidence of methylated anthocyanidin was found only in one species, Woollsia pungens. The occurrence of cyanidin 3-galactoside and cyanidin 3-arabinoside forms a chemical link between this family and the related Ericaceae.     

Anthocyanins of the Sterculiaceae

No uncommon anthocyanins were detected among 13 taxa (sig genera) of the Sterculiaceae. Floral pigments appear to be of little systematic utility in this family.     

Anthocyanins of the Fouquieriaceae

Species of the Fouquieriaceae cluster into four groups on the basis of floral anthocyanin content. The four clusters agree with species groupings based on morphological characters. Floral anthocyanins support a close relationship between the Fouquieriaceae and the Solanales.     

Anthocyanins in the genus Erica

3-Glucosides, 3-galactosides and 3-arabinosides of cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin and pelargonidin have been identified as major floral pigments in Erica (Ericaceae). Unidentified 3-biosides are present as minor pigments in some species. A comparison is made with floral anthocyanins occurring in the related family Epacridaceae.     

Anthocyanins and their distribution in the genusEpimedium

Anthocyanins contained in plants belonging to the genusEpimedium in Japan are discussed in this study. Two kinds of anthocyanin, delphinidin 3-p-coumaroyl-sophoroside-5-glucoside (cayratinin) and cyanidin 3-p-coumaroylsophoroside, were identified, and the latter is new to the literature. Only cayratinin was found in the colored petals of theEpimedium species, but cayratinin and cyanidin glucoside were contained in the stems, young leaves and autumn leaves of all the species surveyed.     

Anthocyanins of the bignoniaceae

The pattern of floral anthocyanins exhibits little variation in the family Bignoniaceae. Floral pigments of the genus Paulownia are consistent with an assignment to the Bignoniaceae. No evidence of a pigment syndrome associated with bat pollination could be detected. The 3-desoxyanthocyanidin, carajurin, appears to be unique to the genus Arrabidaea.