Environmental Factors Controlling Flower Opening and Closing in aPortulacaHybrid

To examine flower opening and closing of aPortulacahybrid, flowerbuds were placed in darkness for 12 h (2030–0830 h) at20 °C and then exposed to various light-temperature conditions.Flower buds exposed to light at 25, 30 or 35 °C opened within1 h, and wilted 10–14 h later. Flower buds exposed tolight at 20 °C started to open after 4 h but opened slowlyand not completely. Flower buds subjected to 25, 30 or 35 °Cin darkness also opened rapidly, but did not reach full opening.Flowers opened at 30 °C in light, and partially closed andopened repeatedly in response to cycles of a 2-h exposure to20 °C and a 2-h exposure to 30 °C at any time between1000 to 1600 h. Similar phenomena were observed when the flowersopened at 30 °C in light and then were subjected to darknessand light alternately at 30 °C, although the effect of lightwas less obvious than that of alternating temperature. Floweropening and closing were not affected by relative humidity.These results indicate that a rise in temperature is requiredfor rapid flower opening in the buds kept at 20 °C, andthat light intensifies the effect of high temperature. Exposureto light without a temperature change delayed and slowed floweropening which was never complete. The involvement of an endogenousrhythm in flower opening byPortulacais indicated. Portulacahybrid, flower opening, flower closing, temperature shift, endogenous rhythm.     

Flower-Inducing Activity of Phloem Exudate in Cultured Apices from Pharbitis Seedlings

Phloem exudate from cotyledons of photoperiodically inducedPharbitis plants induced flowering in apices excised from non-inducedseedlings and cultured in vitro. The exudate also stimulatedflowering in apices excised from photo-induced seedlings andcultured under long-day conditions. The application of benzoicacid had similar effects. Both the exudate from non-inducedplants and gallic acid suppressed flowering in apices from photo-inducedseedlings. It appears that the phloem exudate contains flower-inducingor flower-suppressing substance(s), depending on the plant materialsfrom which it was collected. (Received August 15, 1989; Accepted May 14, 1990)     

Effect of NaCl and Proline on Bean Seedlings Cultured in vitro

Effects of NaCl (150 mM), proline (10 mM) and their combination on growth and contents of chlorophyll, proline and protein of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Kizilhaç) seedlings in vitro were investigated. NaCl decreased seedling growth. Proline added to control seedlings did not change seedling growth but decreased chlorophyll and increased protein contents. When proline added to NaCl-treated seedlings growth was increased in comparison with NaCl-treated only. Thus, proline alleviated salinity stress in bean seedlings.     

环境因素对肺癌发生的影响

肺癌每年夺走人类几百万条生命,是当今一个重大的公共健康问题.吸烟是肺癌发生的重要诱因,但仅有10%～15%的吸烟者患肺癌.随着人类生活环境及生活方式的不断变化,肺癌患者正日益增多.研究发现,除遗传因素外,肺癌的发生主要与环境因素相关,包括吸烟、空气污染、饮水及食品污染、饮食习惯的改变等;环境致癌物透过皮肤等机体自然屏障和代谢屏障而进入细胞并损伤D NA,导致细胞生长、分化及凋亡失衡而形成肿瘤.因此,改善环境对于降低肺癌发生率具有积极的影响.     

The Meristem and Quiescent Centre in Cultured Root Apices of the gib-l Mutant of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Cultured root apices of tomato bearing the gib-I mutation, whichreduces the levels of endogenous gibberellins, grew slower andwere thicker than wild-type contols. This was the result ofshorter and broader cells in the menstem of the mutant. Cellsof both cortex and stele were affected, but this did not causeany alteration to the volume fraction occupied by these twotissues in the root meristem. Root caps were longer in the mutantand there were also more layers of rhizodermis. All these effectscould be reproduced in wild-type roots by addition of 0.1µM2S, 3S paclobutrazol (an inhibitor of gibberellin biosynthesis)to the culture medium and could be normalized in mutant rootsby 0.1 µM GA₃. Cell doubling times in the proximal regionof the meristem were similar in mutant and wild-type roots,but were faster in both the quiescent centre (QC) and the capmeristem of the mutant. This latter feature of the mutant rootsis likely to be the cause of their longer caps, while the fasterrate of division in the QC accounts for the additional tiersof cells that were found to build up in the cortical portionof this zone These additional tiers failed to form in mutantroots grown in GA₃, but they could be induced in wild-type rootsby 2S, 3S paclobutrazol. These results suggest that endogenousgibberellins may be partly responsible for the slow rate ofcell growth and proliferation in the QC. Gibberellins, gib-I mutation, Lycopersicon esculentum, meristem, roots, 2S, 3S paclobutrazol, quiescent centre, tomato     

MADS-box基因对花的发育及开花早晚的影响

介绍了植物中MADS-box基因和MADS-box蛋白转录因子的组成,MADS-box基因是一类序列特异的多基因家族,所编码的蛋白即为MADS-box转录因子,它是以二聚体化的形式通过其保守结构域与特定的DNA序列相结合来调控基因的表达.主要介绍了ABC模型及MADS-box基因与花的发育,并介绍了可促进开花的4种MADS-box基因-AGL20、AGL24、CO和SOC1及抑制开花的另外4种MADS-box基因-FLC、FLM、FRI和SVP,最后提出前景和展望.     

Some Environmental and Nutritional Factors Affecting Growth and Sporulation of Aspergillus sydowi

Aspergillus sydowi (Bain. & Start.) Thom & Church grew and sporulated best at 30°C. The best pH for growth and sporulation was 5.5. Light was stimulatory to sporulation but inhibitory to growth. Among the carbon sources employed, sucrose supported the best growth and sporulation. Nitrate, ammonium and asparagine were good nitrogen sources for growth and sporulation. During utilization of sucrose, the carbohydrates found in the mycelium included dulcitol, inositol, mannitol, arabinose, trehalose and galactose.     

Effects of Auxin and Kinetin on the Development and Differentiation of Potato Tissue Cultured in vitro

The present investigation deals with the influence of auxin and kinetin on cultures of potato tuber tissue, and the effect of the size of the explants on the organ formation. Exogenous application of auxin is indispensable for initiating callus formation of the tissue, but kinetin is not necessarily required. Kinetin serves to maintain the callus development, indicating that the stimulation of callus growth due to exogenous auxin would presumably be mediated by the addition of kinetin to the medium. A relatively low concentration of auxin in the medium is required for root formation on the culture. In this case, IAA is markedly superior to any other auxin in root forming activity. NAA is somewhat less effective than IAA, and 2,4-D shows no stimulation on root formation. The growth and organ formation of potato tissue are remarkably affected By the variation in sizes of the explants. Spontaneous formation of a sprout was observed on the large explant in the medium without auxin. Small explants form only callus or roots in the presence of auxin and kinetin irrespective of combination or concentration. It seems likely that a sufficient amount of stimulus for initiation of bud formation may be contained in the large sized explant itself.     

环境因子对草菇生长发育影响的灰色综合评判

本文运用灰色系统理论,进行了环境因子对草菇生长发育的影响的灰色关联评判．结果表明：以A_2B_2C_2D_1E_1,A_4B_1C_2D_2E_1两个处理组合为最佳处理组合,草菇栽培适宜条件为废棉,pH值8.0～8.5,CO_2浓度＜0.2%等．     

Environmental and Nutritional Factors Affecting the Production of Rubratoxin B by Penicillium rubrum Stoll

Rubratoxin B can be produced in a semisynthetic medium by Penicillium rubrum under varying environmental and nutritional conditions. Maximum production (552.0 mg/500 ml) was obtained with P. rubrum NRRL A-11785 grown in stationary cultures of Mosseray's simplified Raulin solution supplemented with 2.5% malt extract broth at ambient temperature. Zinc is required at levels of at least 0.4 mg per liter. In the absence of iron sulfate, there was a 50-fold reduction in rubratoxin B production but not in growth. No toxin was produced by this isolate in 5- or 7-liter fermentors.     

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)     

Observations of the Effect of Water on the Hyphal Apices of Fusarium oxysporum

When colonies of Fusarium oxysporum, growing on plates of mineral-sucroseagar, are flooded with the mineral-sucrose solution, withoutadded agar, or with solutions of any of the constituents ofthe mineral-sucrose mixture at a concentration of 0.076 M theleading hyphal apices at the agar surface continue to grow onunchecked. If, however, the colonies are flooded with solutionsof decreasing and increasing molarity from 0.076 M an increasingproportion of the leading hyphal apices at the agar surfacestop growing, and branch subterminally. In distilled water about50 per cent. of the apices branch and this branching is precededby swelling, whereas in 0.5 M sucrose more than 90 per cent.of the apices branch and the branching is not accompanied byswelling. In the distilled water those hyphae which do not branchswell a little and grow on from the apex within 40 seconds. When hyphal apices are flooded with distilled water for from10 to 40 seconds and then transferred to mineral-sucrose solutionmore than 90 per cent, of the hyphal apices branch, whereasflooding with distilled water for 60 seconds or longer givesthe same percentage of branched apices as does flooding withdistilled water alone. It is shown that swelling and branching of the hyphal apex arenot causally related but that branching always occurs followingarrestment of the hyphal apex for more than 60 seconds. It issuggested that the phenomena reported can be explained in termsof an irreversible change in the apical cap of the arrestedhypha such that continued extension can no longer take placein this region and fresh outlets for growth must then be foundsubterminally. Such a mechanism, however triggered, could accountfor a wide variety of morphogenetic forms in the fungi.     

Effect of Cytokinins and Cytokinin Antagonists on in vitro Cultured Gypsophila paniculata L.

This study deals with the effects of two cytokinins [kinetin (Kin) and N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N-phenylurea (CPPU)] and cytokinin antagonists [2-chloro-4-cyclobutyl-amino-6-ethylamino-1,3,5-triazine (ACK1) and N-(4-pyridyl)-O-(4-chlorophenyl)carbamate (ACK2)] in concentration of 1 μM on in vitro cultured Gypsophila. The application of Kin and CPPU stimulated bud opening and increased fresh and dry masses. Cytokinin antagonists reduced the number of sprouted buds and bud fresh and dry masses. In plants treated with CPPU the chloroplasts possessed well developed membrane system, which covered almost the entire chloroplasts volume. In ACK2 treated plants, the plastid apparatus in each cell was represented by two types of chloroplast in which the inner membrane system was differently organized. Cell wall adjacent chloroplasts possessed structure similar to the controls. In inner located chloroplasts part of thylakoids were semi-concentrically arranged and partially destructed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Some Environmental Factors on Psychrophilic Microbacteria

S ummary . The growth of three psychrophilic strains of Microbacterium isolated from meat was studied at 10 temperatures between 0° and 35° and at 6 water activity (a_w) levels between 0.99 and 0.94. The temperature and water relations of the three strains were similar. For all strains the rate of growth was fastest at 25° and a_w 0.99, and growth did not occur at 35°.
Further experiments on one strain showed that under aerobic conditions the range of water activities permitting growth was independent of temperature, but under anaerobic conditions the minimum water activity increased from about 0.94—0.96 as the temperature was reduced from 25° to 0°. Growth was inhibited by low concentrations of undissociated nitrous acid, and inhibition was greater at 0° than at 10° or 25°.     

Study of Nutritional and Environmental Factors Affecting the Fruiting Competence of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1

The study of nutritional, physiological and physical factors affecting basidiospore development in Rhizoctonia solani evidenced the critical influence of the physiological state of the mycelium subjected to a nutritional stress for fruiting induction. Comparison of four preculture media allowed identification of the optimal nutrient status provided by glucose, yeast extract and bacto-peptone, for subsequent basidial differentiation on a starved water agar medium. While variations of glucose and yeast extract concentrations are not determinant for basidial differentiation, the breakdown observed with a low bactopeptone concentration underscores a major role for the nitrogen content which however should be considered in a balance with the carbon source. The basidial differentiation was shown: (i) to increase as the age of the preculture used to inoculate water agar increases; (ii) to be stimulated by a dark/light regime, and (iii) to be induced and increased by a cold temperature shock (8^oC) when the mycelium was derived from young precultures. The effect of the cold temperature shock indicates that the preculture conditions can induce long-term physiological modifications in the myccelia. While the fruiting response to nutritional factors is similar whatever the strain used the response to environmental factors depends mainly on the genotype of the strains.     

The Effect of Growth Substances on Growth of Excised Embryo Shoot Apices of Wheat in Vitro

Excised embryo shoot apices of wheat were grown on media containingeither indolylacetic acid (IAA), kinetin, gibberellic acid (GA),or adenine. GA and adenine stimulate the activity of the apicalmeristem whereas IAA and kinetin do not. No combination of anytwo substances significantly stimulated growth when comparedwith the most active substance present. GA can overcome theinhibitory effect of IAA or kinetin. The possible function ofthese substances in the apical meristem is discussed.     

钙在植物花发育过程中的作用

对于园林观赏植物,开花是一个非常重要的发育阶段,它直接影响花卉的品质。近年来,植物花发育的分子生物学研究进展迅速,并取得了一些突破性成果。钙作为第二信使在植物信号转导中起着非常重要的作用,大量研究显示,钙有可能参与开花控制。本文总结了钙信号与植物花发育这一领域的最新研究进展,包括以下几个方面的内容：钙在植物成花诱导(包括光周期诱导和低温诱导)中的作用;花芽分化时期钙在植物叶芽和花芽中的动态分布及组织培养条件下不同钙浓度对花芽分化的影响;钙与花衰老的关系。     

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Factors on Pathogen Regrowth in Compost Extract

Pathogenic microorganisms may survive the composting process in low numbers and subsequently regrow to high levels under favorable conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the regrowth potential of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in dairy-based composts under different environmental conditions. Water extract of commercially available dairy compost was used as a model system. Cocktails of five rifampin-resistant strains of each pathogen previously grown in reduced nutrient media (1/2 or 1/10 strength of tryptic soy broth, TSB) were inoculated into water extract of compost of different ratios (1:2,1:5, and 1:10, w/v), and then stored at 35°C or 22°C for 7 days. The strains exhibiting greatest survival or regrowth were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). At 22°C, both E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes multiplied in all compost extracts, whereas Salmonella spp. regrew in both 1:2 and 1:5 compost extracts but not in 1:10. For all three pathogens, incubation at 22°C provides better conditions for regrowth than at 35°C. Both Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 previously adapted to nutrient-limited broth (1/10 strength of TSB) regrew in compost extracts to higher populations than the control cultures grown previously in full strength of TSB. In the absence of indigenous microorganisms, all three pathogens regrew even in the most diluted sterile compost extract (1:10) with growth potentials ranging from 2.30 to 3.59 log CFU/ml. In nonsterile compost extract with ca. 5 log CFU/ml of background microorganisms, all three pathogens regrew only in the most concentrated compost extract (1:2) with much less population increases ranging from 0.70 to 1.43 log CFU/ml. Compost extract samples of all ages supported the regrowth of both Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 with population increases ranging from 0.95 to 2.32 log CFU/ml. The PFGE patterns for E. coli O157:H7 isolates from sterile compost extracts matched with either the spinach outbreak strain or an avirulent B6914 strain. These results demonstrated that compost extract of dairy-based compost contained sufficient nutrients for pathogen regrowth. Cultures previously adapted to low nutrient media regrew to higher populations than control cultures; however, indigenous microflora suppressed the pathogen regrowth in compost extract, especially at 35°C.     

Effect of Homologous Peptides of Differentiation Factors HLDF and PEDF on Preimplantation Development of Mice in vitro

We studied the effect of synthetic peptides PEDF-6 and HLDF-6 on preimplantation development of mouse embryos in vitro. PEDF-6 peptide corresponds to fragment 351–356 and of pigment epithelium-derived differentiation factor (PEDF), while HLDF-6 peptide corresponds to fragment 84–89 of differentiation factor HLDF isolated from HL-60 cell line. Despite high homology, these peptides had different effects on the early development. PEDF-6 had no effect on the cleavage of 2–4-cell embryos but decelerated blastocyst formation from such embryos and disturbed their structure. In the presence of HLDF-6 the blastomeres divided more actively as compared to the control and a higher number of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage. The effects of both peptides were stage-specific: the affect the embryos at early cleavage stages and, apparently, determine their further development at that moment although do not directly affect formation of the blastocysts.     

Effect of Inorganic Phosphate on the Extracellular Acid Phosphatase Activity of Tobacco Cells Cultured in vitro

Acid phosphatase activity in culture medium of tobacco cells growing in suspension increased with the age of the culture from which the medium was obtained. The increase in the activity was accelerated by omitting inorganic phosphate from nutrient medium, and it was depressed by addition of inorganic phosphate or cycloheximide. Amylase and β-galactosidase activities were not induced by the omission of inorganic phosphate. It was concluded that derepression of acid phosphatase synthesis was involved in the increase in the extracellular acid phosphatase activity upon inorganic phosphate depletion.