Cell wall invertases from apex and callus tissues of sugar cane

Calluses were obtained from the stalk apex of sugar cane. Boththe stalk apex and callus tissues possessed firmly bound cellwall invertases. The invertases of each tissue were characterizedon the basis of their Km, optimum pH and the action of variousinhibitors. According to this characterization, the two tissuespossess different isoenzymes. Taking into account the presentisoenzymes and the known cell wall invertases from stalk tissue,we postulated a different pattern of isoenzymes for each organof the sugar cane. These differences suggest that the cell wallinvertases might be used as markers in studies of tissue differentiation. (Received May 27, 1980; )     

Cell wall invertases of sugar cane

A study of the cell wall invertases in the different organs of a sugar cane cultivar has been undertaken. The enzymes could not be separated from the cell wall. They are compared on the basis of optimum pH, K_m, the effect of various chemicals and the substrate specificities of the preparations. According to the results each organ appears to possess a set of cell wall invertases with predominance of a different activity in each case.     

Sugar transport: Occurrence of trehalase activity in sugar cane

Summary Trehalase activity was detected in extracts of roots, leaves, and stalk tissue from sugar cane. The enzyme was not bound to cell particulates, and had a pH optimum of 6.2 and a Michaelis constant for trehalose of 1×10^-4 M. The level of enzyme detected in mature stalk tissue was too low to account for glucose transport into tissue slices. The enzyme level was high in immature stalk tissue in which the vacuolar sugar pool turns over rapidly. Trehalose synthesis and breakdown may be part of a system for transport of hexose out from the vacuole.     

Physiological Functions of Acid and Neutral Invertases in Growth and Sugar Storage in Sugar Cane

The roles of acid invertases, pH optima about 5, and neutral invenase, pH optimum 7, have been examined during growth and maturation of stalks of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) and hybrid cultivars. Bound acid invertases are found in the outer space which includes the cell wall. A soluble acid invertase occurs in immature, elongating internodes, and is located both in the outer space and the vacuole of storage parenchyma cells. This enzyme disappears when internode growth ceases. The outer space component appears to be the major controller for dry matter input accompanying cell extension growth. The vacuolar component appears to be concerned with regulation of both turgor pressure and internal sugar pools. The neutral invertase increases during maturation. The level of enzyme activity correlates with the level of hexoses. This enzyme appears to be part of a system controlling sugar flux in mature storage tissue.     

Cell wall invertases from sugar cane

Invertases in sugar cane leaf sheaths are firmly bound to the cell wall. They consist of three different enzymes distinguished on the basis of optimum pH, K_m and the response to inhibitors. This invertase complex differs from the single enzyme described for immature and mature stalk tissues.     

Infection of sugar cane by the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Acetobacter diazotrophicus

Significant nitrogen fixation has recently been demonstratedin Brazilian sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) cultivars knownto form associations with a number of diazotrophs, includingAcetobacter diazotrophicus, an acid-tolerant endophytic bacteriumwhich grows best on a sucrose-rich medium. In a series of experiments,aseptically-grown sugar cane plantlets were rooted in a liquidmedium and inoculated with A. diazotrophicus originally isolatedfrom field-grown sugar cane. After 4, 7, 9, and 15 d, plantswere examined under light, scanning and transmission electronmicroscopes and the presence of A. diazotrophicus on and withinplant tissues was confirmed by immunogold labelling. By 15 d,external bacterial colonization was seen on roots and lowerstems, particularly at cavities in lateral root junctions. Theloose cells of the root cap at root tips were a site of entryof the bacteria into root tissues. Both at lateral root junctionsand root tips, bacteria were also seen in enlarged, apparentlyintact, epidermal cells. After 15 d, bacteria were present inxylem vessels at the base of the stem, many connected via mucusto spiral secondary thickening. There was no obvious pathogenicreaction to the bacteria within the xylem. From these observations,it is proposed that, under experimental conditions, A. diazotrophicusfirstly colonized the root and lower stem epidermal surfacesand then used root tips and lateral root junctions to enterthe sugar cane plant where it was distributed around the plantin the transpiration stream. It is further suggested that thexylem vessels in the dense shoots of mature plants are alsoa possible site of N₂-fixation by diazotrophs as they providethe low pO₂ and energy as sucrose necessary for nitrogenaseactivity. Key words: Acetobacter diazotrophicus, endophyte, infection, nitrogen fixation, sugar cane.     

Localization of Silicon in Specific Cell Wall Layers of the Stomatal Apparatus of Sugar Cane by Use of Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis

By use of combined light, transmission electron, and scanningelectron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays,silicon was localized in specific cell wall layers of the stomatalapparatus of sugar cane. The silicon occurs beneath the cuticlein layers of wall which correspond to the middle lamella andfirst-formed primary wall region of interior plant cells. Inother plants these regions are also reported high in pectinsand hemicellulose. It is suggested that the silicon may interactwith the pectins and hemicellulose and also with the ligninsand phenolics which may also be deposited in these wall layers. Saccharum officinarum L, sugar cane, stomata, silicon, X-ray analysis     

Cytochemical methods for the localization of invertase activity in plant tissues

Summary Two cytochemical methods for the localization of acid and alkaline invertases are given. The first is based upon the reduction of a silver complex at two different pH ranges, whilst the second is based upon the tetrazolium raction and permits quantification of the rate of activity of alkaline invertase activity. The distribution of alkaline invertase activity throughout the root apex of Pisum sativum and the cell wall localization of acid invertase for material excised from tuber tissue of Helianthus tuberosus are both confirmed.     

Genetic control of yield related stalk traits in sugarcane

A major focus of sugarcane variety improvement programs is to increase sugar yield, which can be accomplished by either increasing the sugar content of the cane or by increasing cane yield, as the correlation between these traits is low. We used a cross between an Australian sugarcane variety Q165, and a Saccharum officinarum accession, IJ76-514, to dissect the inheritance of yield-related traits in the complex polyploid sugarcane. A population of 227 individuals was grown in a replicated field trial and evaluated over 3 years for stalk weight, stalk diameter, stalk number, stalk length and total biomass. Over 1,000 AFLP and SSR markers were scored across the population and used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL). In total, 27 regions were found that were significant at the 5% threshold using permutation tests with at least one trait; individually, they explained from 4 to 10% of the phenotypic variation and up to 46% were consistent across years. With the inclusion of digeneic interactions, from 28 to 60% of the variation was explained for these traits. The 27 genomic regions were located on 22 linkage groups (LGs) in six of the eight homology groups (HGs) indicating that a number of alleles or quantitative trait alleles (QTA) at each QTL contribute to the trait; from one to three alleles had an effect on the traits for each QTL identified. Alleles of a candidate gene, TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1 (TB1), the major gene controlling branching in maize, were mapped in this population using either an SSR or SNP markers. Two alleles showed some association with stalk number, but unlike maize, TB1 is not a major gene controlling branching in sugarcane but only has a minor and variable effect.     

低氮条件下甘蔗-大豆间作对甘蔗产量、品质及经济效益的影响

为探究甘蔗-大豆间作对甘蔗产量、品质及经济效益的影响,在施用尿素150 kg·hm^-2条件下,选择3个甘蔗品种(B8、ROC22及GT21)进行了甘蔗单作、甘蔗-大豆间作两种种植模式的试验.结果表明： 甘蔗-大豆间作对甘蔗的有效茎数、茎径以及原料蔗、蔗糖产量均有显著影响,而对原料蔗品质影响不大;与单作相比,间作大豆处理的宿根蔗茎径大小、有效茎数、蔗茎产量和糖产量分别提高5.1%～8.7%、7.9%～31.0%、9.0%～40.5%和5.6%～39.5%;每公顷原料蔗+大豆、糖+大豆可分别增收5.89～7.93万元和5.83～7.72万元;3个品种中,ROC22间作大豆的经济收益最高,而宿根蔗B8和GT21的产量均高于ROC22.表明甘蔗-大豆间作是减少氮肥施用、提高经济收入的有效栽培措施.     

Some Aspects of Ontogeny of the Shoot Apices of Solanum melongena L. and Capsicum annuum L.

The ontogeny of the vegetative shoot apices of two importantvegetable plants, Solanum melongena L. and Capsicum annuum L.is described. Each shoot apex is studied at different stagesof seed germination. The relationship between time of germinationand (i) area of vacuoles in the cell, (ii) total area of thecell, (iii) area of the nucleus in the cell, and (iv) ratioof area of vacuoles in the cell to the total area of the cellin each apex is examined. The differentiation of cytohistologicalzonation in both apices is distinct only after one or two leavesare initiated and developed. At a certain stage heterogeneityin staining in the peripheral region of the shoot apex of S.melongena is found. The zonation in both plants differentiatesgradually in histological and cytological features. Vacuolationincreases or decreases in all the cells of the shoot apex orin the cells of a particular region of the shoot apex at differentstages of its ontogeny.     

Cytochemical methods for the localization of invertase activity in plant tissues

Two cytochemical methods for the localization of acid and alkaline invertases are given. The first is based upon the reduction of a silver complex at two different pH ranges, whilst the second is based upon the tetrazolium reaction and permits quantification of the rate of activity of alkaline invertase activity. The distribution of alkaline invertase activity throughout the root apex of Pisum sativum and the cell wall localization of acid invertase for material excised from tuber tissue of Helianthus tuberosus are both confirmed.     

Response of eight sugarcane cultivars to glyphosine and glyphosate ripeners

Studies were conducted on eight sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hydrid) cultivars during the 1982–83 (plant crop) and 1983–84 (ratoon crop) growing seasons to determine the effects of glyphosine (Polaris) (N,N-bis (phosphonomethyl) glycine) and glyphosate (Polado) (sodium-N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine) on stalk sucrose content and yield. Difference due to crops (plant vs. ratoon) for sugarcane quality, kilograms of sugar per ton of cane (S/T), sugarcane yield, tons of cane per hectare (TCH), and sugar yield, tons of sugar per hectare (TSH) were significant. Significant differences were found in quality for the ratoon crop and cane and sugar yield in both crops due to ripener treatment. Cultivars in both crops differed significantly in quality and yield. Harvest dates were significantly different for all plant characteristics. Interactions of cultivar by treatment for the plant crop, harvest date by treatment for the ratoon crop, and cultivar by harvest date for both crops for cane quality also were significant. Time from ripener application to achievement of maximum sugar concentration also depended on cultivar. This is important in determining the economic benefits of a ripener treatment. Climatic conditions may also affect the benefits of such applications.     

Harvesting Systems,Soil Cultivation,and Nitrogen Rate Associated with Sugarcane Yield

The adoption of mechanical harvesting of green cane gives rise to concerns as to whether systems developed under burnt cane harvesting are applicable to a green cane harvesting system. In particular, tillage, which is an integral part of the burnt cane system, may no longer be necessary, and the nitrogen fertilizer rates required may need to be replaced due to the large amounts of organic matter being returned to the soil after green cane harvesting. Mechanical harvesting is relatively new in Brazil and little is known about its effect on other sugarcane production strategies. This work aimed to evaluate sugarcane performance under not only different harvesting and cultivation systems, but also different nitrogen fertilizer rates over a 3-year period. The experimental design was a split plot with harvesting systems (burnt vs. green) as main plots, cultivation (interrow vs. no cultivation) as sub plots, and nitrogen rates as sub-sub plots. The harvesting systems produced similar sugarcane yields throughout the experimental period, which demonstrates that the harvest systems do not influence sugarcane yield. Mechanical tillage practices in interrow after harvesting had no impact on stalk yield or sugar quality, indicating no necessity for this operation in the following crop. Ratoon nitrogen fertilization promoted an increase of stalk and sugar yield, with highest yields obtained at the rate of 130 kg ha^?1 N. However, there was no interaction between harvesting system and nitrogen rate.     

In vitro Growth of Vegetative Tomato Shoot Apices

Explants from the shoot apex of the tomato, comprising the apicaldome and youngest primordium together with small amounts ofsub-apical tissue were cultured for periods of 1 to 4 plastochrons.By the use of a simple parameter, the axillary distance, thegrowth-rate could be accurately monitored throughout each plastochron. Gibberellic acid, coconut milk, and kinetin, in addition tosucrose and inorganic salts, all promoted growth of the apex;a combination of gibberellic acid and coconut milk gave thefastest growth. Temperature had a large effect on the growth-ratewith an in vitro Q₁₀ of 2.1 contrasted with an in vivo Q₁₀ of1.2 over the range of 15 to 25 ?C. On gibberellic acid and coconutmilk at 15 ?C two-thirds of the in vivo growth--rate was sustainedin culture for two plastochrons after which the growth-rategradually declined; at 20 and 25 ?C growth-rates slightly higherthan in vivo rates were sustained for 1 plastochron before amore rapid decline. The anatomy of these in vitro apices wasnormal for 1? plastochrons after which there were small increasesin cell volume in the developing primordium. Reducing the amount of sub-apical tissue drastically reducedthe growth rate but had little effect on the responses to gibberellicacid and coconut milk. Explants are considered to be useful material for studying thechanges that take place in the apex during the course of 1 or2 plastochrons, but inadequate on the media tested for experimentsinvolving longer periods of growth. Explants also provide asensitive assay system for the effects of growth factors onthe rate of shoot apical growth.     

Quantitative analysis of the effect of selection history on sugar yield adaptation of sugarcane clones

An objective of the CSR sugarcane breeding programme in Australia was to assess the scope for broadening the genetic base of the commercial sugarcane germ plasm through interspecific hybridization with Saccharum spontaneum clones. The contribution of both selection history and S. spontaneum to sugar yield and its components was investigated in the germ plasm pool assembled. The analysis was conducted on a data-set of 256 clones, consisting of parents and full-sib families generated from 32 biparental crosses, tested in six environments. The minimum number of generations back to S. spontaneum ancestor in the clone's pedigree was used as a germ plasm score. The geographical origin and selection history of each parent and their use in the biparental crosses were used to develop a selection history score for parents and offspring. The variation for seven attributes, cane yield, commercial cane sugar %, sugar yield, stalk number per stool, stalk weight, fibre % and ash % juice was partitioned according to the germ plasm and selection history scores. Significant (P<0.05) clone variation and clone x environment interaction for all attributes was present. The germ plasm scores accounted for a significant (P<0.05) component of the clone variation for all of the attributes except cane yield. There was an increase in sugar yield with an increase in the minimum number of generations back to a S. spontaneum clone. The selection history groups accounted for a high proportion of the variation among parental clones for all of the attributes except cane yield. This suggested that parents were the outcome of strong selection pressure for the commercial cane attributes. However, the selection history groups for the offspring produced by random mating of parents did not account for a high proportion of the variation for the attributes. Using the mixture method of classification we partitioned the 256 clones into five groups for patterns of performance for the seven attributes across the six environments. The five groups emphasized major differences in the patterns of performance for the seven attributes across environments. The distribution of germ plasm and selection history scores in each of the five groups indicated that their patterns of performance were associated with selection history and minimum generations to S. spontaneum. Therefore, both the analysis on selection history and germ plasm scores (extrinsic classification) and the analysis on the mixture method of classification (intrinsic classification) emphasized the influence of selection history on the sugar yield of sugarcane.     

Bioconversion of phytosterols to androstanes by mycobacteria growing on sugar cane mud

Direct sterol conversion of sugar cane mud (residue) by Mycobacterium sp. was demonstrated to be possible technologically, thus avoiding sugar cane oil extraction and further processes of extraction and purification of phytosterols from this oil. Indeed, mycobacterial cells were able to convert phytosterols from sugar cane mud into 4-androstene-dione (AD) and 1,4 androsta-diene-3,17-dione (ADD). For the various concentrations assayed, concomitant higher yields for both androstanes were achieved at 20% (w/w) sugar cane mud in media. Furthermore, conversions were similar to those from other substrates, such as a mixture of phytosterols. The results suggest that the mycobacterial cell is able to easily access and bioconvert sugar cane mud phytosterols.     

Response of eight sugarcane cultivars to glyphosine and glyphosate ripeners

Studies were conducted on eight sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hydrid) cultivars during the 1982–83 (plant crop) and 1983–84 (ratoon crop) growing seasons to determine the effects of glyphosine (Polaris) (N,N-bis (phosphonomethyl) glycine) and glyphosate (Polado) (sodium-N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine) on stalk sucrose content and yield. Difference due to crops (plant vs. ratoon) for sugarcane quality, kilograms of sugar per ton of cane (S/T), sugarcane yield, tons of cane per hectare (TCH), and sugar yield, tons of sugar per hectare (TSH) were significant. Significant differences were found in quality for the ratoon crop and cane and sugar yield in both crops due to ripener treatment. Cultivars in both crops differed significantly in quality and yield. Harvest dates were significantly different for all plant characteristics. Interactions of cultivar by treatment for the plant crop, harvest date by treatment for the ratoon crop, and cultivar by harvest date for both crops for cane quality also were significant. Time from ripener application to achievement of maximum sugar concentration also depended on cultivar. This is important in determining the economic benefits of a ripener treatment. Climatic conditions may also affect the benefits of such applications.Mention of trade name or proprietary product does not imply or constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the USDA or the University of Florida.     

The Structure and Development of the Vegetative Shoot Apex in Glechoma hederacea L

The development of the vegetative shoot apex of Glechoma hederaceahas been followed through a double plastochron. During this period the apex grows from c. 20 to c. 260 µin height and c. 100 to c. 300 µ in width, whilst thepair of leaves inserted at the apex base increase from o toc. 600µ in height. The width of the apex and height ofthese leaves are directly related to apex height. Some variationoccurs in the average maximal dimensions of the apex with plastochronnumber but no regular increase or decrease in these dimensionsis apparent. Both a tunica-corpus organization and cytohistological zonationis visible within the apex throughout a double plastochron.The central initiation zone shows little change in size or appearanceduring this period but the rib and flank meristems grow considerablyand undergo some differentiation. The boundaries of these zonesare not sharply defined, but normally the rib meristem givesrise to the pith, and the flank meristem forms the epidermis,cortex, and provascular tissue. The provascular tissue differentiatesacropetally and in continuity with that in the axis below.