Fungi populate deep-sea coral gardens as well as marine sediments in the Irish Atlantic Ocean

Fungi populate deep Oceans in extreme habitats characterized by high hydrostatic pressure, low temperature and absence of sunlight. Marine fungi are potential major contributors to biogeochemical events, critical for marine communities and food web equilibrium under climate change conditions and a valuable source of novel extremozymes and small molecules. Despite their ecophysiological and biotechnological relevance, fungal deep-sea biodiversity has not yet been thoroughly characterized. In this study, we describe the culturable mycobiota associated with the deepest margin of the European Western Continental Shelf: sediments sampled at the Porcupine Bank and deep-water corals and sponges sampled in the Whittard Canyon. Eighty-seven strains were isolated, belonging to 43 taxa and mainly Ascomycota. Ten species and four genera were detected for the first time in the marine environment and a possible new species of Arachnomyces was isolated from sediments. The genera Cladosporium and Penicillium were the most frequent and detected on both substrates, followed by Candida and Emericellopsis. Our results showed two different fungal communities: sediment-associated taxa which were predominantly saprotrophic and animal-associated taxa which were predominantly symbiotic. This survey supports selective fungal biodiversity in the deep North Atlantic, encouraging further mycological studies on cold water coral gardens, often overexploited marine habitats.     

Floral morphogenesis in Rudbeckia hirta in relation to polyamine concentration

Changes in polyamine concentration in the long day (LD) plant Rudbeckia hirta were examined over the course of floral initiation and development. Plants of R. hirta were grown to maturity under 9h, non-floral-inductive photoperiods. At maturity, half the plants were placed in ambient day length plus a 4- h night interruption. Plants were sampled at 0, 4, 8, 12 or 16 days for polyamine content and floral initiation. Polyamines were extracted from fully expanded leaves and the meristems were examined histologically. In another experiment, polyamines were extracted from the meristems under paired LD and short day (SD) conditions every 2 days from 0 to 22 days. A rise in free polyamines was linked to important cytological events during floral initiation. Free putrescine and spermidine levels increased after 4 LD and continued until 14 to 16 LD when the levels in the meristem began to decline. Events of floral initiation began between 4 and 8 LD with cell proliferation and the start of stem elongation. Initiation was irreversible after 14 to 16 LD, the period when putrescine and spermidine began to decline. After 4 LD, the polyamine level was consistently higher in the photoinduced plants. Our results from this study, using direct histological comparisons of meristematic development and polyamine concentration, clearly demonstrate a correlation of polyamines and flowering.     

不同浸种方式对黑心菊种子萌发特性的影响

对发育良好的黑心菊（Rudbeckia hybrida）种子采用不同温度（40、50、60 ℃）温水和不同浓度（50、80、 110、140 mg/L）赤霉素（GA3）溶液分别浸种处理,研究其不同处理组合对种子萌发的影响。结果表明,以80 mg/L赤霉素溶液浸泡2 h处理的种子萌发效果最好,是促进黑心菊种子萌发的最优组合。     

Plant regeneration from protoplasts of Dimorphotheca and Rudbeckia

Protoplasts were isolated from leaves, shoots, cotyledons, ray florets and callus cultures of Dimorphotheca aurantiaca (syn. D. sinuata) (Cape Marigold, Star of the Veldt) and Rudbeckia hirta, R. laciniata and R. purpurea; species of ornamental value. For Dimorphotheca, plants were regenerated from protoplasts of all sources apart from the ray floret, whilst for the Rudbeckia species, although protoplast division was induced in most cases, only leaf mesophyll protoplasts of R. hirta c.v. Marmalade gave plants. The establishment of plant regeneration for these ornamental species, from protoplasts, now provides a basis for their somatic hybridisation.Abbreviations BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - NAA naphthaleneacetic acid - K kinetin - GA₃ gibberellic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) - f.wt. fresh weight     

Ricerche Cariologiche e Embriologiche Sul Genere Rudbeckia (Asteraceae)

Summary

The author describes the different modalities of the cellularisation of the adult gametophyte of Rudbeckia laciniata L. The several cases are arranged according to the number and the type of differentiation of the cells of the gametopyte. Of each type it is stated the frequency, calculated in about 500 cases.

The author remarks that the differentiation of the single cells is owing to »an effect of the position«, which exists in the displacement of the nuclei of the gametophyte regarding the proendospermatic cell, to which cell, however, one can attribute a pre-eminent »power of organization«. The displacement of the nuclei is after all the consequente of the stage of the » polarisation «.     

Ricerche cariologiche ed embriologiche sul genere Rudbeckia (Asteraceae)

Riassunto

L'Autore ha studiato lo sviluppo del gametofito femminile di Rudbeckia speciosa Wender, pianta tetraploide apomittica, riscontrando una modalita analoga a quella osservata in Ixeris dentata (OKABE 1932). It gametofito diploide si costruisce attraverso quattro divisioni di cui la prima di tipo restituzionale. La formazione dell'embrione e preceduta dal fenomeno della semigamia.     

Climate change impact on Amazonian ant gardens

In Amazonia higher Atlantic sea surface temperatures, greenhouse gasses, deforestation and El Niño events result in the greater frequency of severe droughts, although total rainfall has increased due to wetter rainy seasons, something confirmed in French Guiana from available climatic data (1980–2017). Aiming to study the impact of rainfall on ant gardens (i.e., arboreal ant-epiphyte mutualisms that depend on the atmosphere for water; AGs) initiated by the ponerine ant Neoponera goeldii, we conducted surveys around the Petit Saut and Régina areas (mean annual rainfall: ≈3,000 mm and ≈4,000 mm, respectively). Each year, near the end of the dry season we recorded the number of these AGs in 10 × 5 m sections parallel to the roadsides. The Petit Saut survey (1993–2017) revealed that AG density along roadsides varied only slightly in "wet zones" situated along ditches, whereas in "dry zones" where the soil seasonally dries out it dropped sharply during the drastic 1997 dry season. Then, this density, low due to recurrent droughts, dropped again during the drastic successive 2015–2016 dry seasons. In the Régina survey (2006–2017), we had the opportunity to follow the establishment of AGs in a "dry zone". It was represented by a typical sigmoidal curve and then it stabilized with AG densities higher than at its peak in 1996 in dry zones of Petit Saut, showing the importance of rainfall. Here, too, the drastic 2016 dry season adversely affected the AGs. Finally, the epiphytic composition of the AGs was mainly represented by Aechmea mertensii (a tank bromeliad), Anthurium gracile (Araceae) and Codonanthe crassifolia (Gesneriaceae), but AGs with the tank bromeliad are more resistant to droughts. These AGs are at risk in dry zones if drastic successive dry seasons occur in the future as global warming intensifies while those developing in riparian areas might survive.     

Physiological and Hormonal Factors Influencing Organogenesis in Rudbeckia bicolor Explants Cultured In vitro

Factors influencing organogenetic responses and bolting of adventitiouslyformed buds were investigated in in vitro cultured cotyledon,stem and leaf explants of Rudbeckia bicolor. Application ofnaphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) induced adventitious root formationand that of benzyladenine (BA) induced adventitious bud differentiation.When NAA at a low concentration was added together with BA,bud initiation and development were promoted further, althoughoptimal concentrations of NAA and BA varied with the kind ofexplants used. Gibberellic acid caused stem elongation of adventitiousbuds, and occasionally differentiation of floral buds on theapices of developed shoots. The action of N-phenyl-N'-(4-pyridyl)urea(4PU) and its derivative (4PU-Cl) on adventitious bud formationwas also examined. (Received August 8, 1981; Accepted November 9, 1981)     

Floral initiation in Rudbeckia hirta (Asteraceae) under limited inductive photoperiodic treatments

Two experiments were conducted to examine the response of Rudbeckia hirta to limited inductive photoperiodic treatments. The first examined the effects on plants grown to an thesis of the second axillary inflorescence, and the second examined the early histological events within the meristem. Plants of Rudbeckia hirta were grown to maturity under short days (SD). At maturity, half the plants were placed in long days (LD). In the first experiment, the plants remained under LD for 0, 8, 16, 24, or 32 days before being returned to SD with an additional group remaining under LD as a control. In the second experiment, the plants remained under LD for 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, or 28 days before being returned to SD. Meristems were sampled 0, 4, 8, or 12 days after return to SD and histologically examined. Four groups of plants receiving 32, 36, 40, or 44 LD were used as a continuous LD control. When grown to anthesis, plant height and branch number increased as the number of inductive cycles increased. Plants receiving 24 or more LD reached anthesis earlier than plants receiving fewer LD. Histological examination of plants receiving only 4 LD showed they never progressed beyond early floral initiation. After 12 LD, the meristems continued to develop even when returned to SD, indicating that enough of the floral stimulus had reached the meristem to initiate flowering. Once involucral bract primordia initiated, floral development continued whether in LD or SD conditions.     

Effects of botanical gardens on student environmental perception

This paper examines the role of the classroom environment in promoting student well-being and, more specifically, a sense of responsibility towards nature in the city. The study analyzed how indoor vs outdoor educational environments affect students' perception of events and phenomena focusing on emotional, behavioral and cognitive processes. It was conducted in the Kayakyolu Secondary School, Erzurum, Turkey with 282 students ranging in age from 11 to 14 in grades 5–8. They participated in reading a story in two distinct environments: an enclosed indoor classroom and an outdoor botanical garden. Significant differences in the emotional, behavioral and cognitive approaches of the students in these two environments were obtained at p < .05. All three approaches (emotional behavioral and cognitive) in the botanical garden environment produced higher positive values than those of the classroom environment. The rate of negative emotions of the students in the botanical garden was 23.3% and increased to 40.1% in a closed classroom environment. It was clearly observed that the environmental awareness and sensitivity of the students educated in botanical garden was absolutely higher than those of an indoor environment. The responses indicating behaviors of not adversely interfering with natural processes and indicating the value of living in harmony with nature increased in the botanical garden. The findings of this research demonstrate that environmental education conducted in a natural environment is more effective as compared to the education given in the classroom setting. The study supports the proposition that future generations educated in natural surroundings will be better able to make more accurate, creative, and resilient decisions for the environment.