Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Concentrations in Proline and Some Other Amino Acids in the Phloem Sap of Alfalfa

Changes in amino acid composition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) phloem sap were studies in response to a water deficit. Sap was collected by stylectomy. As the leaf water potential ([psi]) decreased from -0.4 to -2.0 MPa, there was significant increase of the total amino acid concentration, due to that of some amino acids: proline, valine, isoleucine, leucine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and threonine. Asparagine concentration, which is the main amino acid assayed in the phloem sap of alfalfa (it accounts for 70% of the total content), did not vary with the plant water status. The other amino acid concentrations remained stable as [psi] varied; in particular, [gamma]-amino butyric acid concentration remained unchanged, whereas it varied in response to wounding. The more striking change in the sieve tubes was the accumulation of proline, which was observed below a [psi] threshold value of about -0.9 MPa (concentration x60 for a decrease of [psi] from -0.9 to -2.0 MPa). The role of such changes in phloem sap amino acid concentration in osmotic adjustment of growing tissues is discussed.     

Nitrate and Other Anions in the Rice Phloem Sap

The anionic composition was determined for pure rice phloemsap which had been collected from brown planthopper styletsby cutting them with a YAG laser beam. The most abundant inorganicanion was Cl^– at 52.1 mM. PO₄^3– and SO₄^2–were found at 8.1 mM and 1.8 mM, respectively. NO₃^– waspresent at 1.9 mM when the rice had been grown with nutrientsolution containing 0.35 m of NO₃^– The phloem sap alsocontained malic, succinic and citric acid at 7.3, 3.0 and 3.2mM respectively. Small amounts of other organic acids were alsofound. (Received October 4, 1984; Accepted December 14, 1984)     

Antitranspirant Activity in Xylem Sap of Maize Plants

Xylem sap from unwatered maize plants was collected and testedfor antitranspirant activity. Two assays were used. These werea transpiration assay with detached wheat leaves and a stomatalbio-assay involving the direct microscopic observation of epidermisof Commelina communis. The reduction in transpiration of detached wheat leaves promotedby xylem sap could be duplicated almost exactly by the applicationof solutions of ABA of equivalent concentration to that foundin the xylem sap. Removal of virtually all the ABA from thexylem sap, using an immunoaffinity column, removed virtuallyall the antitranspirant activity in both assays. These results are discussed in the context of other resultswhich suggest the presence of as-yet unidentified inhibitorsin the xylem sap of unwatered plants. We suggest that with maize plants at least, stomatal responsesto soil drying can be entirely explained by enhanced concentrationof ABA in the xylem stream. Key words: Antitranspirant activity, ABA, ABA bio-assay, xylem sap     

Isolates of Phytophthora cryptogea Pathogenic to Wheat and Some Other Crop Plants

Abstract A fungus of the genus Phytophthora , frequently isolated from diseased spinach roots and also from field-grown wheat plants in an area in the south of Sweden, was identified as P. cryptogea on the basis of morphology, growth characters and cardinal temperatures. Mycelium or zoospores applied as inoculum in a series of pathogenicity tests induced symptoms in spinach, sugarbeet, wheat, cucumber, oil-seed rape, pea and oats. These ranged from death of all (spinach) or some inoculated plants (sugarbeet and wheat), to only slight root symptoms (oats). Successful re-isolations from all plants tested, confirmed infectivity in all cases. This is the first report of the occurrence of P. cryptogea in Sweden and, as far as we know, of pathogenicity of this fungus to wheat, oil-seed rape and oats.     

毛萼田菁和其它茎瘤固氮植物(综述)

近来,豆科植物茎瘤固氮研究取得很大进展,这种双重固氮能力在农业上具有很大应用潜力。茎瘤固氮植物主要有三个属,即田菁属（Ｓｅｓｂａｎｉａ）、合萌属（Ａｅｓｃｈｙｎｏｎｍｅｎｅ）和假含羞草属（Ｎｅｐｔｕｎｉａ）。本文论述它们的生长特性、茎瘤的形成、固氮及在农业上的应用。     

Growth of Plants in Different Oxygen Concentrations

Dwarf french beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. Canadian Wonder)were grown in chambers at 25?C with the roots aerated at 20per cent oxygen and tops variously maintained at: T₁ O₂ 0.21;CO₂ 270?10^–6: T₂; O₂ 0.05, CO₂, CO₂ 270?10^–6: T₃;O₂ 0.21; CO₂ 550?10^–6. Experiment 1 (T₁ and T₂) lasted2 weeks: Experiment 2 (T₁ T₂ and T₃) only one week. Hourly estimatesof CO₂ uptake were made by gas analysis and weekly estimatesof fresh weight, dry matter in tops and roots, and leaf area,by sampling. Light intensity was 80 W m^–2 of photosyntheticallyactive radiation. An attempt was made to explain the results in terms of a simplelight absorption model such that where dV/dt is the rate of CO₂ uptake per plant, ßis the photosynthetic efficiency, I₀ is the incident light intensity,f is the fraction of incident light absorbed by unit leaf layerand L is the leaf area index. The analysis showed that ß(T₂)was at least double ß(T₁), whilst f(T₂) was smallerthan f(T₁) at a given leaf area. The results also required thatthroughout the period of the experiment, fL(T₁)=fL(T₂) at anygiven time, i.e. the treatment with the larger leaf area (T₂)has the smaller value of f, and therefore intercepts less lightper unit leaf area. This could be advantageous for plant growth,but requires further experiments. The photosynthetic rates per unit leaf are about 40 per centgreater in T₂ than T₁. Over the relatively short period of the experiment the resultsare adequately described by U=btⁿ, where U is the accumulatedcarbon dioxide uptake, b is related to the photosynthetic efficiency(different for the differing treatments), and n is a constant(similar for all treatments). This relationship with time isbelieved to be a relationship with accumulated radiation, forthe light was constant throughout the experiments. Comparisons of carbon fixed (measured gas uptake) and dry matteraccumulation (sampling) show great scatter with an average valueof 0.43. The first week's results were generally smaller thanthis value and the second week's greater. Energy fixation as a fraction of photosynthetically active radiationon the ground area covered by the plants ranged from 3.5 to10 per cent. The results from treatment T₃ were similar to T₂ suggestingthat increasing CO₂ concentration decreases the growth inhibitionat 21 per cent O₂.     

中国的盐生植物

本文主要讨论了有关中国盐生植物的五个方面的问题：(1)中国盐生植物的种类;(2)中国盐生植物的类型;(3)中国盐生植物的植被类型;(4)世界盐生植物名录中漏录的中国盐生植物;(5)中国盐生植物的经济潜势。最后还讨论了我国今后盐生植物研究方向和重点。     

Stomatal Closure in Flooded Tomato Plants Involves Abscisic Acid and a Chemically Unidentified Anti-Transpirant in Xylem Sap

We address the question of how soil flooding closes stomata of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Ailsa Craig) plants within a few hours in the absence of leaf water deficits. Three hypotheses to explain this were tested, namely that (a) flooding increases abscisic acid (ABA) export in xylem sap from roots, (b) flooding increases ABA synthesis and export from older to younger leaves, and (c) flooding promotes accumulation of ABA within foliage because of reduced export. Hypothesis a was rejected because delivery of ABA from flooded roots in xylem sap decreased. Hypothesis b was rejected because older leaves neither supplied younger leaves with ABA nor influenced their stomata. Limited support was obtained for hypothesis c. Heat girdling of petioles inhibited phloem export and mimicked flooding by decreasing export of [14C]sucrose, increasing bulk ABA, and closing stomata without leaf water deficits. However, in flooded plants bulk leaf ABA did not increase until after stomata began to close. Later, ABA declined, even though stomata remained closed. Commelina communis L. epidermal strip bioassays showed that xylem sap from roots of flooded tomato plants contained an unknown factor that promoted stomatal closure, but it was not ABA. This may be a root-sourced positive message that closes stomata in flooded tomato plants.     

Some Constituents of Xylem Sap and their Possible Relationship to Xylem Differentiation

Bleeding sap of Actinidia chinensis and Betula populifolia andguttation fluidof Avena sativa were analysed for sugars, amino-acids,auxin, and certain enzymes. A wide range of amino-acids wasfound in all three. Auxin was not detected in the bleeding sap,but was present in Avena guttation fluid (5.1 µg IAA equivalent/l).‘IAA oxidase’, acid phosphatase, ribonuclease, deoxyribonuclease,and protease were detected in the bleeding sap and guttationfluid. The possibility that some of the substances found insap and guttation fluid are products of autolysing, differentiatingxylem cells in the roots is discussed.     

Composition of the Xylem Sap of Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis L.)

A modified method for the collection of xylem sap from tea plantsis described. In multistemmed tea plants a marked differencein the composition of the sap collected from different branchesof comparable diameter on the same plant was found. The possibilitythat the variation could be due to root disease or mechanicaldamage on one side of the tree was eliminated byusing V-stemsfrom a main branch. The sap contained a small quantity of asubstance which showed gibberellin-like activity.     

林茶间作下的光照条件与茶树生理生态研究综述

林茶间作下的光照条件与茶树生理生态研究综述周志翔（华中农业大学林学系,武汉４３００７０）ＲｅｖｉｅｗｏｎＬｉｇｈｔＶａｒｉａｔｉｏｎｉｎＴｅａａｎｄＯｔｈｅｒＷｏｏｄｙＰｌａｎｔｓＩｎｔｅｒｃｒｏｐｐｅｄＰｌａｎｔａｔｉｏｎｓａｎｄＥｃｏ－ｐｈｙｓｉ...     

水稻及其他禾本科植物体内硅结合 蛋白的免疫印迹检测

为了检测硅结合蛋白在水稻和禾本科植物体内的分布,根据硅结合蛋白 (silica-binding protein 117, SBP117) 的氨基酸保守片段和天然抗原表位,合成了 SBP117 的两个肽段做抗原,与匙孔血蓝蛋白载体偶联后免疫兔子,获得了抗 SBP117 的专一性抗体. 蛋白质印迹和免疫印迹检测表明, SBP117 的抗体不仅能识别水稻硅结合蛋白,而且与其他累积硅的禾本科植物中提取的硅结合蛋白有交叉反应,但它不识别不累积硅的双子叶植物番茄叶中的蛋白质以及牛血清蛋白,说明与 SBP117 同源的硅结合蛋白广泛存在于禾本科植物之中. 组织印迹法定位显示, SBP117 主要分布在水稻根茎叶的外表皮中,在根和叶的维管组织中也有分布,这与前人报道的硅在水稻体内的分布是一致的,说明此蛋白质可能参与到诱导和控制硅在植物体内的沉积.     

Phytochromes and Other (Photo)Receptors of Information in Plants

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - In land plants, at least five groups of photoreceptors perceive information about light conditions and diurnal rhythm, as well as about ambient temperature,...     

Roadside Topsoil Concentrations of Lead and Other Heavy Metals in Ibadan,Nigeria

Concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Cr, Co, and Ni were determined in roadside topsoil collected from locations of varied vehicular traffic densities in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria, with a view to determining the level of contamination and the contribution of traffic density. Levels of Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cu were elevated above background concentrations measured in control areas. Average values (ppm) for all sample locations were Pb — 81±140; Zn — 48±37; Cd — 0.55±0.49; Cu — 17±17; Cr — 22.1±9.6; Co — 7.9±3.8; Ni — 10.5±9.7. Factors of accumulation of metals in roadsides relative to control sites were highest for Pb. Vehicular traffic was not an important source of chromium, cobalt and nickel, for which roadside concentrations were about those of the control sites. Metal concentrations were poorly correlated with traffic volumes. An average of about 60% of total soil concentration of the metals were determined to be held in bioavailable geochemical phases, of which the highest concentrations were mostly held in either the reducible or oxidizable phase. Levels of the metals in the topsoil were generally lower than the soil quality criteria of some developed countries.     

Concentrations of GABA and Other Amino Acids in CSF from Torsion Dystonia Patients

Abstract: Free amino acid concentrations were measured by conventional amino acid analysis, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations were determined, by an ion-exchange fluorometric technique, in CSF specimens from 16 patients with torsion dystonias and in CSF from a large number of control subjects. The mean CSF GABA concentration of the dystonia patients (97 ± 11 nmol/L) did not differ significantly from the means for CSF GABA in two groups of adult control subjects. Mean concentrations of all commonly determined amino compounds were normal in the CSF of torsion dystonia patients, except for ornithine, which was modestly but significantly reduced.