玉米对渗透胁迫的反应和生理适应

利用不同渗透势的培养液模拟土壤干旱条件,研究了玉米杂交种“中单2号”在此条件下的生长和生理的变化。实验表明,各指标对于渗透胁迫的变化敏感性顺序为叶片延伸速率、叶水势、脯氨酸含量>净光合速率>相对透性。玉米幼苗在渗透胁迫下具有一定的生理适应能力,表现在一定的渗透胁迫范围内随胁迫时间的延长,生长、生理变化有趋于缓和或恢复的趋势。     

土壤干旱对沙棘苗木生长及水分利用的影响

研究了土壤干旱条件下盆栽沙棘苗木生长、光合和水分关系的变化。结果表明,同样环境条件下,蒸腾速率随干旱胁迫程度加重而降低,而蒸腾日进程差异不大,均为单峰曲线,峰值出现在11：00;轻、中度干旱胁迫下沙棘叶含水量、水势、渗透势、膨压下降幅度较小,光合速率、侧枝生长速率保持在较高水平,能维持基本的生长量,表现出耐旱植物的生理特征;重度干旱胁迫使上述指标下降较显著,且长时间胁迫后,33．3％沙棘幼苗死亡。     

水分胁迫对春播玉米苗期生长及其生理生化特性的影响

采用盆栽试验,以‘蠡玉18'玉米单交种为供试材料,设置充分供水(CK)、轻度水分胁迫(LS)、中度水分胁迫(MS)和重度水分胁迫(SS)4个水分处理水平,研究了水分胁迫对春播玉米苗期保护酶活性和生长的影响,以探讨土壤水分胁迫对玉米苗期生长发育及其生理过程的影响机制.结果表明:(1)随着水分胁迫程度的加剧,玉米幼苗的生物量显著下降,根冠比、根系活力和脯氨酸含量增加,且水分胁迫对玉米幼苗地上部生物量的抑制作用更大;可溶性蛋白含量差异不明显,MDA含量波动变化.(2)随着水分胁迫时间的延长,根冠比、根系活力和植株脯氨酸含量先升高后降低,可溶性蛋白含量呈先下降后升高的趋势;玉米幼苗叶片和根系MDA积累波动变化,而叶片MDA含量始终高于根系.(3)在水分胁迫初期,玉米叶片中CAT活性较SOD、POD响应更敏感;玉米苗期根系在中度水分胁迫下主要依赖CAT来降低氧化危害,而在重度水分胁迫下前期主要依赖CAT、后期通过CAT和POD的共同作用来降低氧化伤害;水分胁迫条件下,叶片和根系POD同步降低氧化伤害,而SOD和CAT在叶片和根系间存在互补作用.研究表明,在不同程度的水分胁迫条件下,玉米幼苗的生长受到一定程度的抑制,但其能够通过调节自身的保护酶活性和渗透调节物质含量来减轻干旱伤害,维持植株的正常生理代谢功能.     

水分胁迫对玉米苗期生理和形态特性的影响

水分胁迫下3个玉米品种苗期形态和生理特征变化的研究结果表明,在中度水分胁迫下,鲁单981、赤单202和郑单958三个品种在株高、茎粗、叶片数和叶面积等形态指标方面变化不大,与正常供水下生长的玉米几个参数基本一致,而重度水分胁迫下,鲁单981的株高、茎粗和总叶面积均小于赤单202和郑单958.测定结果还表明鲁单981的光合速率和蒸腾速率受水分胁迫的影响最大,而郑单958和赤单202受到的影响相对较小;水分胁迫在一定程度上能够提高玉米的水分利用效率,增幅与品种关系较大,抗旱型品种增幅明显,耗水型品种增幅相对较少.     

盐胁迫对不同品种玉米苗期生长与叶片光合特性的影响

为研究盐胁迫对不同玉米品种玉米苗期生理性状的影响, 以玉米杂交种隆平206、秦龙14以及隆平206亲本(母本L239和父本L7221)为试验材料, 设置不同盐浓度处理, 分析玉米苗期生长与叶片光合特性的变化。结果表明, 盐胁迫下玉米植株高和地上部分鲜重显著下降, 随着盐浓度的增加, 其下降幅度增加; 两杂交种品种比较, 盐胁迫对秦龙14的影响较隆平206大; 隆平206两亲本比较, 盐胁迫对父本L7221较母本L239植株高与地上部分鲜重的影响更大。与对照相比, 盐胁迫显著增加玉米叶片色素含量, 且随着盐浓度的增加, 其增幅逐渐增加。盐胁迫显著增加叶片净光合速率, 但单叶光合速率逐渐降低, 两杂交种品种表现一致。可见虽然盐胁迫下单叶光合速率下降, 单位面积叶片的光合作用对玉米有一定的补偿作用。盐胁迫对秦龙14单叶光合速率的影响较隆平206大, 隆平206两亲本比较, 盐胁迫对父本L7221的影响较母本L239更大。     

不同生育期玉米叶片光合特性及水分利用效率对水分胁迫的响应

利用大型移动防雨棚开展了玉米水分胁迫及复水试验,通过分析玉米叶片光合数据,揭示了不同生育期水分胁迫及复水对玉米光合特性及水分利用效率的影响。结果表明:水分胁迫导致玉米叶片整体光合速率、蒸腾速率和气孔导度下降以及光合速率日变化的峰值提前;水分胁迫后的玉米叶片蒸腾速率、光合速率和气孔导度为适应干旱缺水均较对照显著下降,从而提高了水分利用效率,缩小了与水分充足条件下玉米叶片的水分利用效率差值;在中度和重度水分胁迫条件下,玉米叶片的水分利用效率降幅低于光合速率、蒸腾速率和气孔导度的降幅, 有时甚至高于正常供水条件下的水分利用效率;适度的水分胁迫能提高玉米叶片的水分利用效率,从而增强叶片对水分的利用能力,抵御干旱的逆境;水分亏缺对玉米光合速率、蒸腾速率及水分利用效率的影响具有较明显滞后效应,干旱后复水,光合作用受抑制仍然持续;水分胁迫时间越长、胁迫程度越重,叶片的光合作用越呈不可逆性;拔节-吐丝期水分胁迫对玉米叶片光合作用的逆制比三叶-拔节期更难恢复。     

黄连木对干旱胁迫的生理响应

研究了自然干旱条件下黄连木（Pistacia chinensis Bunge）的生理变化。结果表明,随土壤含水量的减少,叶绿素b含量、光合速率、叶片相对含水量与叶水势均下降;叶绿素a和可溶性糖含量、叶绿素a和b的比值及总叶绿素含量呈现上升的趋势;超氧化物歧化酶活性先升后降;丙二醛含量干旱胁迫前期升高,后期变化不明显;净光合速率、气孔导度和蒸腾速率随土壤含水量的减少逐步降低。气孔和可溶性糖含量都是影响黄连木光合速率的关键因子,干旱胁迫前12d光合速率主要受气孔限制,之后为非气孔限制。干旱胁迫前期渗透调节物质以可溶性糖为主,干旱胁迫较重时脯氨酸含量急剧升高,与可溶性糖同时起渗透调节作用。     

模拟岩溶旱钙土壤基质中AM真菌对玉米幼苗光合生长的影响

利用盆栽试验,探讨了AM真菌在模拟岩溶区干旱、高钙及其双重胁迫的土壤基质中对玉米幼苗光合生长的影响。结果表明:玉米幼苗的菌根侵染率在不同处理下的大小顺序为对照干旱双重胁迫高钙。无论接种与否,干旱、高钙及其双重胁迫均导致玉米幼苗生物量、净光合速率下降。未接种AM真菌条件下,玉米幼苗生物量在干旱、高钙及其双重胁迫下较对照分别低3.2%、63.7%、76.0%,净光合速率较对照分别低33.4%、86.9%、98.8%;接种AM真菌条件下,玉米幼苗生物量在干旱、高钙及其双重胁迫下较对照分别低16.3%、78.4%、80.2%,净光合速率较对照分别低9.7%、92.8%、91.7%。与同种条件下的非菌根植株相比,干旱及双重胁迫下的菌根植株生物量、叶绿素含量、光合蒸腾速率、最大光化学效率,以及P吸收均呈上升趋势;高钙胁迫下的菌根植株叶绿素含量、最大光化学效率有所增加,但生物量、光合蒸腾速率以及N、P的吸收未体现菌根促进效应。AM真菌与干旱及双重胁迫的交互作用对玉米幼苗的净光合速率影响显著,与高钙交互作用对玉米幼苗净光合速率无显著影响。AM真菌能够通过促进玉米幼苗N、P吸收及叶绿素含量增加,光化学效率、气孔导度增大,从而提高玉米幼苗光合作用能力促进生长。实验结果对岩溶生态系统中合理利用菌根技术及制定合理的农业生产措施具有重要的理论和实践意义。     

杨树生理生态指标与环境因子之间相关性分析

为了揭示杨树生理生态指标与环境因子间综合复杂的关系,找出重要指标,在适宜土壤水分、中度干旱和严重干旱3种土壤水分条件下研究水分胁迫对杨树生理生长变化的影响;在人工控制条件下,研究叶片净光合速率(Pn)、叶片气孔导度(Gs)随光合有效辐射(PAR)和CO2浓度变化的反应关系;在中度干旱条件下,通过直接相关和综合相关分析,揭示各指标间相互影响的复杂关系。结果分析表明,水分胁迫对杨树生理生长变化有显著影响,是主要因子。在中度干旱条件下,对杨树有重要影响的因子依次为:光合有效辐射(PAR)、CO2浓度、大气温度(Ta);能够反映杨树生理生态特性的重要指标依次为:耗水量、蒸腾速率(Tr)、呼吸速率(R)和净光合速率(Pn).由此获得基本结论:杨树的生理生长变化受土壤水分、光合有效辐射(PAR)、大气CO2浓度和大气温度等多个环境因子的综合影响极其显著,其生理生长变化特征也宜采用多个指标来反应。直接相关分析不足以反映它们间的复杂关系,综合分析优于直接相关分析,分析方法科学合理,值得研究推广。     

沼液施用对干旱胁迫下玉米幼苗生长和生理特性的影响*

为了探明干旱胁迫下沼液对玉米幼苗抗旱、光合生理、形态的缓解效应,以中度抗旱玉米杂交种‘先玉335’和较强抗旱杂交种‘中单2号’为材料,采用10%聚乙二醇-6000模拟干旱胁迫,研究50%沼液根部浇灌处理对干旱胁迫下玉米幼苗生长和生理特性的影响。结果表明,沼液根部施用可以显著提高两品种玉米的抗旱性,有效缓解干旱胁迫对玉米幼苗根系和地上部生长的抑制作用,促进两品种玉米幼苗生长和提高根系活力,降低根冠比,且‘先玉335’的变幅更大;同时显著提高两品种叶片SOD、POD和CAT活性以及可溶性糖、脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白含量(‘中单2号’的CAT除外),降低MAD含量,且对‘中单2号’的影响更显著;沼液根施还可以显著提高干旱胁迫下两品种叶片的净光合速率(Pn)、蒸腾速率(Tr),降低气孔导度(Gs)、胞间CO_(2)浓度(Ci),但‘中单2号’的Tr和Gs除外,同时使两品种叶片叶绿素含量和水分利用效率(WUE)均显著增加。可见,沼液根施处理可以有效改善干旱胁迫下玉米幼苗的光合能力,显著提高幼苗抗氧化酶活性和渗透调节物质的含量,减轻膜脂过氧化程度,有效缓解干旱胁迫对2种不同抗旱性玉米幼苗的生长抑制,从而增强玉米耐受干旱胁迫的能力,且对‘中单2号’的缓解效果更明显。     

不同耐盐性花生品种对NaCl胁迫的光合和抗逆生理响应特征

以较耐盐花生品种‘花育25’、‘鲁花12’和盐敏感品种‘海花1’、‘花育20’为材料,采用盆栽试验,设置0、1.0、2.0、3.0 g/kg土壤NaCl胁迫浓度梯度,测定其净光合速率、表观量子效率、气孔导度等光合特性,以及抗氧化酶活性和渗透调节物质含量等指标,明确NaCl胁迫条件下不同耐盐性花生品种光合和生理生化特性的适应特征。结果表明：(1)NaCl胁迫明显抑制各品种花生叶片光合作用,净光合速率随盐胁迫浓度的升高呈明显降低的趋势。(2)各品种花生叶片净光合速率均先随光照强度的增强而升高,当光强达到一定数值时趋于平稳;光补偿点和光饱点因品种和盐胁迫浓度差异较大,较高的盐胁迫浓度使叶片光补偿点升高,盐敏感品种的光饱和点降低。(3)盐胁迫条件下,各品种叶片表观量子效率和最大净光合速率均随盐胁迫强度的增加呈显著降低趋势,盐敏感品种利用弱光的能力在低盐胁迫下强于耐盐品种,其最大净光合速率在较高盐胁迫浓度(3.0 g/kg)下明显低于耐盐品种,但两类品种的叶片表观量子效率降幅相近(78.65%~88.00%)。(4)在NaCl胁迫下,耐盐品种叶片自由水含量显著高于盐敏感品种;在2.0～3.0 g/kg NaCl胁迫下,耐盐品种叶片SOD、CAT、POD活性和MDA含量的升降幅度均低于盐敏感品种;耐盐品种在NaCl浓度低于2.0 g/kg时的抗氧化能力明显高于盐敏感品种。研究发现,盐胁迫下花生品种抗盐耐逆的主要生理响应特征是提高光补偿点和最大净光合速率,增强叶片持水能力和物质代谢能力,以及提升抗氧化和渗透调节能力。     

Role of spinal V1a receptors in regulation of arterial pressure during acute and chronic osmotic stress

Vasopressinergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus project to areas in the spinal cord from which sympathetic nerves originate. This pathway is hypothesized to be involved in the regulation of mean arterial pressure (MAP), particularly under various conditions of osmotic stress. Several studies measuring sympathetic nerve activity support this hypothesis. However, the evidence that spinal vasopressin influences MAP under physiological or pathophysiological conditions in conscious animals is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate, in conscious rats, if the increases in MAP during acute or chronic osmotic stimuli are due to activation of spinal vasopressin (V1a) receptors. Three conditions of osmotic stress were examined: acute intravenous hypertonic saline, 24- and 48-h water deprivation, and 4 wk of DOCA-salt treatment. Rats were chronically instrumented with an indwelling catheter for intrathecal injections and a radiotelemeter to measure MAP. In normotensive rats, intrathecal vasopressin and V1a agonist increased MAP, heart rate, and motor activity; these responses were blocked by pretreatment with an intrathecal V1a receptor antagonist. However, when the intrathecal V1a antagonist was given during the three conditions of osmotic stress to investigate the role of "endogenous" vasopressin, the antagonist had no effect on MAP, heart rate, or motor activity. Contrary to the hypothesis suggested by previous studies, these findings indicate that spinal V1a receptors are not required for elevations of MAP under conditions of acute or chronic osmotic stress in conscious rats.     

Optimized potassium nutrition improves plant-water-relations of barley under PEG-induced osmotic stress

Aims

Water use efficiency (WUE) of crop plants is an important plant trait for maintaining high yield in water limited areas. By influencing osmoregulation of plants, potassium (K) plays a critical role in stress avoidance and adaptation. However, whole plant physiological mechanisms modulated by K supply in respect of plant drought tolerance and water use efficiency are not well understood. In the present study, growth, development and transpiration dynamics of two barley cultivars were evaluated with and without PEG-induced osmotic stress using an automated balance system and image based leaf area determination.

Methods

Experiments were conducted to study the effects of varied K supply under different osmotic stress treatments on a wide range of morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics of barley plants such as leaf area development, daily whole plant transpiration rate (DTR), stomatal conductance (g_s), assimilation rate (A_N), biomass and leaf water use efficiency (WUE) as well as foliar abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations. Two barley cultivars (cv. Sahin-91 and cv. Milford) were treated with two K supply levels (0.04 and 0.8 mM K) and osmotic stress induced by polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) for a period of 9 days (in total 48 days experiment) in the hydroponic plant culture (non-PEG and + 20% PEG ).

Results

Without PEG, low-K supply depressed dry matter (DM) by almost 60% averaged across both cultivars. Under osmotic stress (+PEG), total leaf area was reduced by almost 70% in low-K compared to adequate-K plants. Low K concentration under PEG stress was correlated with higher ABA concentration and was correlated with lower leaf- and whole plant transpiration rate. Biomass-WUE under low K supply decreased significantly in both barley cultivars, to a greater extent in cv. Milford under osmotic stress. However, leaf-WUE was not affected by K supply in the absence of osmotic stress.

Conclusions

It was suggested that reduced biomass-WUE in low-K treated barley plants was not related to inefficient stomatal control under K deficiency, but instead due to reduced assimilation rate. It was further hypothesized that under low K supply, a number of energy consuming activities reduce biomass-WUE, which are not distinguished by measuring leaf-WUE. This study showed that low K supply under osmotic stress increases foliar ABA concentration thereby decreasing plant transpiration.

     

Osmolality, temperature, and membrane lipid composition modulate the activity of betaine transporter BetP in Corynebacterium glutamicum

The gram-positive soil bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum, a major amino acid-producing microorganism in biotechnology, is equipped with several osmoregulated uptake systems for compatible solutes, which is relevant for the physiological response to osmotic stress. The most significant carrier, BetP, is instantly activated in response to an increasing cytoplasmic K(+) concentration. Importantly, it is also activated by chill stress independent of osmotic stress. We show that the activation of BetP by both osmotic stress and chill stress is altered in C. glutamicum cells grown at and adapted to low temperatures. BetP from cold-adapted cells is less sensitive to osmotic stress. In order to become susceptible for chill activation, cold-adapted cells in addition needed a certain amount of osmotic stimulation, indicating that there is cross talk of these two types of stimuli at the level of BetP activity. We further correlated the change in BetP regulation properties in cells grown at different temperatures to changes in the lipid composition of the plasma membrane. For this purpose, the glycerophospholipidome of C. glutamicum grown at different temperatures was analyzed by mass spectrometry using quantitative multiple precursor ion scanning. The molecular composition of glycerophospholipids was strongly affected by the growth temperature. The modulating influence of membrane lipid composition on BetP function was further corroborated by studying the influence of artificial modulation of membrane dynamics by local anesthetics and the lack of a possible influence of internally accumulated betaine on BetP activity.     

The plant cuticle is required for osmotic stress regulation of abscisic acid biosynthesis and osmotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis

Osmotic stress activates the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA). One major step in ABA biosynthesis is the carotenoid cleavage catalyzed by a 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED). To understand the mechanism for osmotic stress activation of ABA biosynthesis, we screened for Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that failed to induce the NCED3 gene expression in response to osmotic stress treatments. The ced1 (for 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase defective 1) mutant isolated in this study showed markedly reduced expression of NCED3 in response to osmotic stress (polyethylene glycol) treatments compared with the wild type. Other ABA biosynthesis genes are also greatly reduced in ced1 under osmotic stress. ced1 mutant plants are very sensitive to even mild osmotic stress. Map-based cloning revealed unexpectedly that CED1 encodes a putative α/β hydrolase domain-containing protein and is allelic to the BODYGUARD gene that was recently shown to be essential for cuticle biogenesis. Further studies discovered that other cutin biosynthesis mutants are also impaired in osmotic stress induction of ABA biosynthesis genes and are sensitive to osmotic stress. Our work demonstrates that the cuticle functions not merely as a physical barrier to minimize water loss but also mediates osmotic stress signaling and tolerance by regulating ABA biosynthesis and signaling.     

Scale of Physiological Processes Sensitivity to PEG-Induced Water Stress in Scots Pine Seedlings

The idea that water deficit strengthening induces concerted changes of plant physiological parameters is rather widespread. However, such changes are often difficult to identify due to challenges in establishments and maintenance of required water stress intensities using solid substrates. Therefore, we exposed Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings to the range of water potentials from–0.15 to–1.5 MPa in PEG-water culture to identify the series of physiological parameters differently sensitive to water stress. We observed that even mild water stress (–0.15 MPa) inhibited root elongation, which could be one of the main pine seedlings vulnerabilities under drought. Active accumulation of osmolytes was already induced by mild water deficit and further increased with water stress severity. Plant fresh biomass growth sensitivity was more related to changes of relative water content (RWC) than to changes in tissue water content or dry weight accumulation. Plants were able to grow and accumulate dry weight down to–0.5 MPa, but lower medium water potentials (–1.0 and–1.5 MPa) suppressed growth and heavily damaged root cells, as judged from many-fold increase of Ca²⁺ content in roots. Chlorophyll a content was surprisingly sensitive to water stress, while carotenoids level was increased under severe stress conditions. In conclusion, the experimental system with stepwise water potential values allowed us to analyze the sensitivity scale of a range of P. sylvestris physiological processes to water stress. It was largely similar to those described earlier for other plant species, but its peculiarities were high sensitivity of root elongation, marked resistance of biomass growth to water deficit and well-developed ability to osmotic adjustment.     

Mechanosensitive channel functions to alleviate the cell lysis of marine bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus, by osmotic downshock

The mechanosensitive channel with large conductance of Escherichia coli is the first to be cloned among stretch-activated channels. Although its activity was characterized by a patch clamp method, a physiological role of the channel has not been proved. The marine bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus, is sensitive to osmotic stress and cell lysis occurs under osmotic downshock. We introduced an mscL gene into Vibrio alginolyticus, and the mechanosensitive channel with large conductance functions was found to alleviate cell lysis by osmotic downshock. This is the first report to show a physiological role of the mechanosensitive channel with large conductance.