Tuberization in Potato at High Temperatures: interaction between Shoot and Root Temperatures

Tuber formation in intact potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.cv. Sebago) was reduced by high shoot or root temperatures andstrongly inhibited when both were high. When both the shootand root temperatures were high, disbudding strongly promotedtuberization. There was a smaller increase with warm roots andcool shoots, but no response with warm shoots and cool roots.When both the shoots and roots were cool, disbudding reducedtuberization. Exogenous GA₃, effectively substituted for thebuds at high temperatures, completely preventing tuberization.In apical cuttings, removal of the terminal bud, but not theroots, reduced the inhibitory effects of high temperatures ontuberization. The experiment indicates that tuber productionmay be controlled by at least three factors: a promoter, whichis not assimilate, produced by the buds at cool temperatures;an inhibitor, derived from the buds, but dependent on warm roottemperatures for its formation; and a second inhibitor derivedfrom the mature leaves and produced in response to warm shoottemperatures. Solanum tuberosumL, potato, tuberization, temperature, disbudding, gibberellic acid     

Biological and Abiological Sulfur Reduction at High Temperatures

Reduction of elemental sulfur was studied in the presence and absencè of thermophilic sulfur-reducing bacteria, at temperatures ranging from 65 to 110°C, in anoxic artificial seawater media. Above 80°C, significant amounts of sulfide were produced abiologically at linear rates, presumably by the disproportionation of sulfur. These rates increased with increasing temperature and pH and were enhanced by yeast extract. In the same medium, the sulfur respiration of two recent thermophilic isolates, a eubacterium and an archaebacterium, resulted in sulfide production at exponential rates. Although not essential for growth, sulfur increased the cell yield in both strains up to fourfold. It is suggested that sulfur respiration is favored at high temperatures and that this process is not limited to archaebacteria, but is shared by other extreme thermophiles.     

温度与光强对高山杜鹃催花期间花芽营养物质积累的影响

以高山杜鹃为材料,研究了在3个昼/夜温度(6℃/0℃、22℃/16℃、30℃/24℃)和3个光照强度(2 000/10lx、7 500/5 500lx、10 000/8 000lx)组合成的9个光温催花条件下,高山杜鹃花芽内可溶性糖、淀粉、可溶性蛋白和游离氨基酸等营养物质的变化以及对始花期的影响。结果表明:随着昼夜温度的升高和光照强度的加强,高山杜鹃花芽内的可溶性糖和淀粉含量增加,且在整个催花过程中持续上升;可溶性蛋白含量变化整体呈先升后降的趋势,前期随温度光强增加而增加,后期则相反;游离氨基酸含量的整体变化趋势与可溶性蛋白含量相反,表现为先降后升。在30℃/24℃、10 000/8 000lx的处理下,高山杜鹃最早进入始花期,比目标日期(春节)提前18d开花。可见,适当高温和高光强(22℃/16℃~30℃/24℃,7 500/5 500~10 000/8 000lx)处理能显著提高高山杜鹃花芽内可溶性糖、淀粉、可溶性蛋白和游离氨基酸等营养物质的积累和代谢,促进了其花芽发育,有效缩短了催花时间,使植株提前进入始花期,从而达到提前上市的目的。     

Bacterial Cell Production from Hexadecane at High Temperatures

On mineral medium with hexadecane as the sole carbon source, stable mixed bacterial enrichment cultures were obtained from soil inoculum at 25, 35, 45, 55, and 65 C. Cell yields (grams of dry cells per gram of hexadecane) were determined for each of the enrichment cultures grown at the temperature at which they were enriched, and also for the 55 and 65 C cultures grown at various temperatures. In all cases, cell yields decreased with increasing growth temperature. The highest yield obtained at 65 C was 0.26, and the lowest yield obtained at 25 or 35 C was 1.02. Slower growth was observed at higher temperatures.     

The Ability of the Fleas Citellophilus tesquorum and Frontopsylla luculenta luculenta (Siphonaptera,Ceratophyllidae) to Survive Below-Zero Temperatures during Winter

Entomological Review - This comparative study addresses survivorship of the fleas Citellophilus tesquorum and Frontopsylla luculenta from five natural populations in Siberia at below-zero...     

Evolution of Escherichia coli for Growth at High Temperatures

Evolution depends on the acquisition of genomic mutations that increase cellular fitness. Here, we evolved Escherichia coli MG1655 cells to grow at extreme temperatures. We obtained a maximum growth temperature of 48.5 °C, which was not increased further upon continuous cultivation at this temperature for >600 generations. Despite a permanently induced heat shock response in thermoresistant cells, only exquisitely high GroEL/GroES levels are essential for growth at 48.5 °C. They depend on the presence of lysyl-tRNA-synthetase, LysU, because deletion of lysU rendered thermoresistant cells thermosensitive. Our data suggest that GroEL/GroES are especially required for the folding of mutated proteins generated during evolution. GroEL/GroES therefore appear as mediators of evolution of extremely heat-resistant E. coli cells.     

Storage of Porcine Articular Cartilage at High Subzero Temperatures

Objective: Transplantation of osteochondral allograft tissue can treat large joint defects but is limited by tissue availability, surgical timing, and infectious disease transmission. Fresh allografts perform the best but requirements for infectious disease testing delay the procedure with subsequent decrease in cell viability and function. Hypothermic storage at lower temperatures can extend tissue banking time without loss of cell viability and, therefore, increase the supply of allograft tissue. This study investigated the effects of different cryoprotectant solutions on intact AC at various subzero temperatures. Design: 10 mm porcine osteochondral dowels were immersed for 30 minutes in various combinations of solutions [(XVIVO, propylene glycol (51% w/w), sucrose (46% w/w)] cooled to various subzero temperatures (−10, −15, and −20 °C), and held for 30 min. After warming, 70 μm slices were stained with membrane integrity dyes, viewed under fluorescence microscopy and cell recovery calculated relative to fresh controls. Results: Results demonstrated excellent cell recovery (>75%) at −10°C provided ice did not form. Excellent cell recovery (>70%) occurred at −15°C in solutions containing 51% propylene glycol but formation of extra-matrix ice in other solutions resulted in significant cell loss. All groups had <6% cell recovery at −20°C and propylene glycol did not provide a protective effect even though extra-matrix ice did not form Conclusions: These results suggest that extra-matrix ice plays an important role in cell damage during cryopreservation. Excellent cell recovery can be obtained after storage at subzero temperatures if ice does not form. Hypothermic preservation at high subzero temperatures may extend AC storage time in tissue banks compared to current techniques.     

膳食营养素与高血压关系的研究进展

高血压是心血管疾病和死亡的主要危险因素,其发生发展与人们的饮食及生活习惯密切相关。国内外研究均表明,各种膳食营养素与血压的调节有关,本文就各种营养素与血压的关系,调节血压的机制,以及干预措施的最新研究进行综述。     

极端高温和持续中等高温对小菜蛾耐热性的影响

气候变化频率的增加和持续时间的延长,导致具有较短生活史的大部分农业害虫的某一个或某几个生命阶段都可经历热浪的胁迫。热浪对小型昆虫的生态学效应取决于不同生命阶段的耐热性,因而解析特定龄期下昆虫生命阶段的耐热性对理解气候变暖热浪频发的生态学影响具有重要意义。本研究以世界重要蔬菜害虫小菜蛾为研究对象,试验了小菜蛾4龄幼虫、成虫的基底耐热性和诱导耐热性,以及1龄幼虫和3龄幼虫置于不同高温[(31±1)、33±1)、35±1)℃]和暴露时间(3、6、9、12d)组合的持续中等高温耐热性。试验发现幼虫和成虫具有不同的基底和诱导耐热性,具有较弱基底耐热性的幼虫反而具有更强的诱导耐热性。不同生命阶段在持续数天的中等高温胁迫下具有不同的存活表现,早期生命阶段存活率较后期阶段的低,而且这种差异在较强高温下表现得尤为明显。昆虫不同阶段耐热性的差异,对种群的维持具有重要的生态学意义。大多数农业害虫田间种群具有混合年龄结构,热浪后耐热的发育阶段的存活,保证种群可以一直生存和繁衍下去。     

Tuberization in Potato at High Temperatures: Interaction between Temperature and Irradiance

Potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Sebago) responded similarlyto high temperatures and low irradiance by diverting dry matterto the shoots rather than the tubers, and changes were notedin a range of morphological characteristics. It is proposedthat the effect of both high temperature and low irradianceis brought about by the increased production of a growth substance,possibly gibberellin, which inhibits tuber formation, and thattuber yield is determined by the balance between temperatureand irradiance. Solanum tuberosum L., potato, tuberization, temperature, irradiance, gibberellin     

Viability of Rhodococcus equi and Parascaris equorum Eggs Exposed to High Temperatures

There is great concern about the potential pathogen contamination of horse manure compost spread in the same fields horses graze in. To ensure that pathogen destruction occurs, temperatures need to be sufficiently high during composting. Here, we investigated the survival rate of two marker organisms, Rhodococcus equi and Parascaris equorum eggs, exposed to temperatures potentially encountered during horse manure composting. Our results show that the time required to achieve a 1 log10 reduction in R. equi population (D-value) are 17.1 h (±1.47) at 45°C, 8.6 h (±0.28) at 50°C, 2.9 h (±0.04) at 55°C and 0.7 h (±0.04) at 60°C. For P. equorum eggs we show that at 45 and 50°C, 2 log10 reduction of viability is reached between 8 and 24 h of incubation and that it takes less than 2 h at 55 and 60°C to achieve a viability reduction of 2 log10. These results are useful for identifying composting conditions that will reduce the risk of environmental contamination by R. equi and P. equorum eggs.     

Tuberization in Potato at High Temperatures: Promotion by Disbudding

The role of the terminal and axillary buds, as presumptive organsof gibberellin synthesis, in the control of tuberization inpotato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Sebago) at high temperatureswas studied. Decapitation alone strongly promoted the outgrowthof axillary buds, but did not promote tubenzation. When growthof the axillary buds was suppressed by the use of chemical pruningagents (MH, TIBA or 1-decanol), tuberization was promoted. Manualremoval of the buds promoted tuberization to a similar extent.The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the budsare major sites of gibberellin synthesis in the potato, andthat high temperatures stimulate the synthesis of gibberellinsand their export to the stolons, where they inhibit tuber formation. Solarium tuberosum L., potato, tuberization, temperature, disbudding, chemical pruning, gibberellins     

Tuberization in Potato at High Temperatures: Responses to Gibberellin and Growth inhibitors

The responses of potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Sebago)to high temperatures (32 day/28 C night or 32/18 °C) andgibberellin are similar, in that they promote haulm growth andsuppress tuber production, whereas low temperatures (22/18 °C)abscisic acid and CCC have the opposite effect, promoting tuberproduction and reducing the growth of the haulms. The inhibitoryeffect of the high temperatures on tuber production, under aphotoperiod of 14 h, was almost completely reversed in theseexperiments by the application of CCC, and partly reversed byABA. Single-leaf cuttings from plants grown at the various temperaturesand chemical treatments responded in the same way as the wholeplant. It is suggested that both haulm growth and tuber initiationare influenced by a common hormonal control, and that temperatureexerts its influence by altering the balance between the levelsof endogenous gibberellins and inhibitors. These substancesapparently act directly on the stolon tip, rather than throughtheir general influence on haulm growth. Solanum tuberosum L., potato, tuberization, temperature response, gibberellin, abscisic acid, 2-chloroethyltrimethylammonium chloride (CCC)     

Neurons and Neuronal Stem Cells Survive in Glucose-Free Lactate and in High Glucose Cell Culture Medium During Normoxia and Anoxia

Several questions concerning the survival of isolated neurons and neuronal stem and progenitor cells (NPCs) have not been answered in the past: (1) If lactate is discussed as a major physiological substrate of neurons, do neurons and NPCs survive in a glucose-free lactate environment? (2) If elevated levels of glucose are detrimental to neuronal survival during ischemia, do high concentrations of glucose (up to 40 mmol/L) damage neurons and NPCs? (3) Which is the detrimental factor in oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD), lack of oxygen, lack of glucose, or the combination of both? Therefore, in the present study, we exposed rat cortical neurons and NPCs to different concentrations of d-glucose ranging from 0 to 40 mmol/L, or 10 and 20 mmol/L l-lactate under normoxic and anoxic conditions, as well as in OGD. After 24 h, we measured cellular viability by biochemical assays and automated cytochemical morphometry, pH values, bicarbonate, lactate and glucose concentrations in the cell culture media, and caspases activities. We found that (1) neurons and NPCs survived in a glucose-free lactate environment at least up to 24 h, (2) high glucose concentrations >5 mmol/L had no effect on cell viability, and (3) cell viability was reduced in normoxic glucose deprivation to 50% compared to 10 mmol/L glucose, whereas cell viability in OGD did not differ from that in anoxia with lactate which reduced cell viability to 30%. Total caspases activities were increased in the anoxic glucose groups only. Our data indicate that (1) neurons and NPCs can survive with lactate as exclusive metabolic substrate, (2) the viability of isolated neurons and NPCs is not impaired by high glucose concentrations during normoxia or anoxia, and (3) in OGD, low glucose concentrations, but not low oxygen levels are detrimental for neurons and NPCs.