Foraging site recursion by forest elephants Elephas maximus borneensis

Recursion by herbivores is the repeated use of the same site or plants. Recursion by wild animals is rarely investigated but may be ubiquitous. Optimal foraging theory predicts site recursion as a function of the quality of the site, extent of its last use, and time since its last use because these influence site resource status and recovery. We used GPS collars, behaviour and site sampling to investigate recursion to foraging sites for two elephant Elephas maximus borneensis herds in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Borneo, over a 12 month period. Recursion occurred to 48 out of 87 foraging sites and was most common within 48 hours or between 151-250 days, indicating two different types ofrecursion. Recursion was more likely to occur if the site had previously been occupied for longer. Moreover, the time spent at a site at recursion was the same as the time spent at the site on the first occasion. The number of days that had passed between the first visit and recursion was also positively correlated with how much time was spent at the site at recursion. Habitat type also influenced the intensity of site-use, with more time spent at recursion within riverine/open grass areas along forest margins compared to other habitat types. Recursion is a common behaviour used by the elephants and its pattern suggests it may be a foraging strategy for revisiting areas of greater value. The qualities of recursion sites might usefully be incorporated into landscape management strategies for elephant conservation in the area [Current Zoology 60 （4）： 551-559, 2014].     

Modulating Effect of Far-Red Light on Activities of Alternative Electron Transport Pathways Related to Photosystem I

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves were irradiated with far-red (FR) light of various intensities after different periods of dark adaptation in order to investigate activities of alternative electron transport pathways related to photosystem I (PSI). Photooxidation of P700, the primary electron donor of PSI, was saturated at FR light intensity of 0.15 μmol quanta/(m² s). As the photon flux density was raised in this range, the slow and middle components in the kinetics of P700⁺ dark reduction increased, whereas the fast component remained indiscernible. The amplitudes of the slow and middle components diminished upon further increase of FR photon flux density in the range 0.15–0.35 μmol quanta/(m² s) and remained constant at higher intensities. The fast component of P700⁺ reduction was only detected after FR irradiation with intensities above 0.15 μmol quanta/(m² s); the light-response curve for this component was clearly sigmoid. In dark-adapted barley leaves, three stages were distinguished in the kinetics of P700 photooxidation, with the steady state for P700⁺ achieved within about 3 min. In leaves predarkened for a short time, the onset of FR irradiation produced a very rapid photooxidation of P700. As the duration of dark exposure was prolonged, the amplitude of the first peak in the kinetic curve of photoinduced P700 photooxidation was diminished and the time for attaining the steady-state oxidation level was shortened. After a brief dark adaptation of leaves, ferredoxin-dependent electron flow did not appreciably contributed to the kinetics of P700⁺ dark reduction, whereas the components related to electron donation from stromal reductants were strongly retarded. It is concluded that FR light irradiation, selectively exciting PSI, suffices to modulate activities of alternative electron transport routes; this modulation reflects the depletion of stromal reductants due to continuous efflux of electrons from PSI to oxygen under the action of FR light. __________ Translated from Fiziologiya Rastenii, Vol. 52, No. 6, 2005, pp. 805–813. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2005 by Egorova, Drozdova, Bukhov.     

Xanthophyll Cycle and Inactivation of Photosystem Ⅱ Reaction Centers Alleviating Reducing Pressure to Photosystem Ⅰ in Morning Glory Leaves under Short-term High Irradiance

Under 30-min high irradiance （1500μmol m^-2 s^-1）, the roles of the xanthophyll cycle and D1 protein turnover were investigated through chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in morning glory （Ipomoea setosa） leaves, which were dipped into water, dithiothreitol （DTT） and lincomycin （LM）, respectively. During the stress, both the xanthophyll cycle and D1 protein turnover could protect PSI from photoinhibition. In DTT leaves, non-photochemical quenching （NPQ） was inhibited greatly and the oxidation level of P700 （P700^＋） was the lowest one. However, the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII （Fv/Fm） in DTT leaves was higher than that of LM leaves and was lower than that of control leaves. These results suggested that PSI was more sensitive to the loss of the xanthophyll cycle than PSII under high irradiance. In LM leaves, NPQ was partly inhibited, Fv/Fm was the lowest one among three treatments under high irradiance and P700^＋ was at a similar level as that of control leaves. These results implied that inactivation of PSII reaction centers could protect PSI from further photoinhibition. Additionally, the lowest of the number of active reaction centers to one inactive reaction center for a PSII cross-section （RC/CSo）, maximal trapping rate in a PSll cross-section （TRo/CSo）, electron transport in a PSll cross-section （ETo/CSo） and the highest of 1-qP in LM leaves further indicated that severe photoinhibition of PSII in LM leaves was mainly induced by inactivation of PSII reaction centers, which limited electrons transporting to PSh However, relative to the LM leaves the higher level of RC/CSo, TRo/CSo, Fv/Fm and the lower level of 1-qP in DTT leaves indicated that PSI photoinhibition was mainly induced by the electron accumulation at the PSI acceptor side, which induced the decrease of P700^＋ under high irradiance.     

Dynamic changes of mechanically activated channels and K+ channels at injury site of peripheral nerve in rat

Ectopic ion channels developed locally at the injury site after nerve damage by light ligation around common sciatic nerve of the rats. Different channel types have different processes of formation, accumulation and degeneration. During the first three days after injury, mechanically activated channels that are modulated by Ca++ channel activities first appeared. As the nerve fibers begin to be excited by TEA, a blocker of K+ channels, suggesting that the accumulation of K+ channels, the responsibility of mechanically activated channels was declining. Onset of K+ channels was from the 3rd postoperative day and lasted up to the fiftieth day. This time course of K+ channel development was closely related to allodynia and hyperalgesia of neuropathic animal behaviour. The results suggest that chronic contraction injury induces a dynamic change in the ectopic mechanically activated channels and K+ channels at the injury site of nerve and there is an interchange in the development time courses of the mechanic     

Photodamage to Pigment in the Photosystem Ⅱ Reaction Center D1/D2/Cytochrome b559 Complex

Strong light （800μmol photons/m^2 per s）-induced bleaching of the pigment in the isolated photosystem Ⅱ reaction center （PSII RC） under aerobic conditions （in the absence of electron donors or acceptors） was studied using high-pressure liquid chromatography （HPLC）, absorption spectra, 77K fluorescence spectra and resonance Raman spectra. Changes in pigment composition of the PSII RC as determined by HPLC after light treatment were as follows： with Increasing illumination time chlorophyll （Chl） a and β-carotene （β-car） content decreased. However, decreases in pheophytin （Pheo） could not be observed because of the mixture of the Pheo formed by degraded chlorophyll possibly. On the basis of absorption spectra, it was determined that, with a short time of illuminatlon, the initial bleaching occurred maximally at 680 nm but that with Increasing Illumination time there was a blue shift to 678 nm. It was suggested that P680 was destroyed Initially, followed by the accessory chlorophyll. The activity of P680 was almost lost after 10 mln light treatment. Moreover, the bleaching of Pheo and β-car was observed at the beginning of illumination. After Illumination, the fluorescence emission Intensity changed and the fluorescence maximum blue shifted, showing that energy transfer was disturbed. Resonance Raman spectra of the PSII RC excited at 488.0 and 514.5 nm showed four main bands, peaking at 1 527 cm^-1 （υ101）, 1 159 cm^-1 （υ2）, 1 006 cm^-1 （υ3）, 966 cm^-1 （υ4） for 488.0 nm excitation and 1 525 cm^-1 （υ1）, 1 159 cm^-1 （υ2）, 1 007 cm^-1 （υ3）, 968 cm^-1 （υ4） for 514.5 nm excitation. It was confirmed that two spectroscopically different β-car molecules exist In the PSII RC. After light treatment for 20 mln, band positions and bandwidths were unchanged. This indicates that carotenoid configuration Is not the parameter that regulates photoprotectlon in the PSII RC.     

Principal component analysis of gene frequencies of Chinese populations

Principal components (PCs) were calculated based on gene frequencies of 130 alleles at 38 loci in Chinese populations, and geographic PC maps were constructed. The first PC map of the Han shows the genetic difference between Southern and Northern Mongoloids, while the second PC indicates the gene flow between Caucasoid and Mongoloids. The first PC map of the Chinese ethnic minorities is similar to that of the second PC map of the Han, while their second PC map is similar to the first PC map of the Han. When calculating PC with the gene frequency data from both the Han and ethnic minorities, the first and second PC maps most resemble those of the ethnic minorities alone. The third and fourth PC maps of Chinese populations may reflect historical events that allowed the expansion of the populations in the highly civilized regions. A clear-cut boundary between Southern and Northern Mongoloids in the synthetic map of the Chinese populations was observed in the zone of the Yangtze River. We suggest that the a     

Effect of Development Stage on the Artemisinin Content and the Sequence Characterized Amplified Region （SCAR） Marker of High-Artemisinin Yielding Strains of Artemisia annua L.

The effects of development states on the artemisinin content of clone S1 of Artemisia anuua L. grown in a greenhouse were investigated in the present study. The artemisinin content increased gradually during the phase of vegetative growth and reached its highest level at 8-9 mg/g dry weight （DW） when the S1 was 6 months old on a long day （LD） photoperiod. Treatment with 9-18 d of short day （SD） photoperiod resulted in the artemisinin content reaching and being maintained at a higher level （2.059-2.289 mg/g DW）, twofold that of control plants and plants of S1 presented at the pro-flower budding and flower-budding stages. The artemisinin content varied in different parts of the plant. The artemisinin content of leaves was higher than that of florets and branches. The artemisinin content in middle leaves was higher than that of bottom leaves, and then top leaves. Different densities of capitate glands （the storage organ of artemisinin） located on the surface of leaves, florets, and branches explained the variations in artemisinin content in these parts of the plant. The correlation coefficient between artemisinin content and density of capitate glands on the surface of different organs was 0.987. The genetic marker for artemisinin content was screened using random amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） and sequence characterized amplified region （SCAR） techniques. The random primer OPAl5 （5＇-TTCCGAACCC-3＇） could amplify a specific band of approximately 1 000 bp that was present in all high-artemisinin yielding strains, but absent in all low-yielding strains in three independent replications. This specific band was cloned and its sequence was analyzed. This RAPD marker was converted into a SCAR marker to obtain a more stable marker.     

Climate Signals from Tree Ring Chronologies of the Upper and Lower Treelines in the Dulan Region of the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The radial growth of trees In mountainous areas is subject to environmental conditions associated with changes In elevation. To assess the sensitivity of tree-ring growth to climate variation over a wide range of elevations, we compared the chronological characteristics of Sabina przewalskii Kom. and their relationships with climatic variables at the upper and lower treellnes In the Dulan region of the northeastern Qlnghal-Tlbetan Plateau. It was found that the radial growth in this region was controlled primarily by precipitation in late spring and early summer （from May to June）. In addition, a higher temperature from April to June could Intensify drought stress and lead to narrow tree rings. The significant similarity In climate-tree growth relationships at both the upper and lower treellnes Indicated that tree rings of S. przewalskU In this region are able to provide common regional climate information. However, the chronologies at the lower forest limits showed a higher standard deviation and more significant correlations with climatic factors, suggesting that the radial growth there was more significantly Influenced by climate variation. The first principal component of the four chronologies showed a common growth response to local climate. The second principal component showed a contrasting growth response between different sampling sites. The third principal component revealed different growth patterns In response to altitudinal variation. Further analysis Indicated that the precipitation In late spring and early summer controlled the growth of S. przewalskii on a regional scale and that other factors, such as mlcroenvlronment at the sampling sites, also affected the strength of the climatic response of tree growth.     

Effects of salicylic acid on protein kinase activity and chloroplast D1 protein degradation in wheat leaves subjected to heat and high light stress

In the north of China, wheat plants are often stressed by heat and high light during grain-filling stage, which leads to injury in photosynthetic apparatus and decline in photosynthetic rate. In order to develop a method to protect photosynthetic apparatus in wheat leaves subjected to heat and high light stress, the effects of SA (salicylic acid) and FSBA (5′-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl adenosine) on PK (protein kinase) activity, D1 protein degradation and the performance of PSII were investigated in present work. Our results showed that PK activity enhanced under heat and high light stress and declined when stress was removed. FSBA pretreatment resulted in marked decreases in PK activity and D1 protein level, suggesting a correlationship between degradation of D1 protein and phosphorylation. After 2 h of stress, D1 protein level in water-pretreated leaves decreased to 79% of control and then recovered to 81% after 3 h of recovery. This clearly indicated that the damage of D1 protein induced by heat and high light stress was reversible. Compared to the control, SA pretreatment could not only increase PK activity, retard the degradation of D1 protein during heat and high light stress, but also accelerate the recovery of D1 protein level when the stress was removed. Correspondingly, F_v/F_m (maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII), Φ_PSII (actual photochemical efficiency of PSII), ETR (electron transfer rate) and Pn (net photosynthetic rate) in SA-treated leaves were higher than that in leaves of control under both stress and non-stress conditions. Taken together, our results revealed that SA pretreatment could significantly alleviate damages of heat and high light stress on D1 protein and PSII of wheat leaves, and accelerate restoration of photosynthetic function.     

The studies on neurogenesis indufced by brain injury in adult ring dove

It was the first time demonstrated by us that the number of newborn neurons was increased after making lesion in forebrain of adult ring dove(Streptopelia risoria) by means of autoradiography and imunohistochemistry,Neurogensis in the adult avian is restricted to the telencephalon.In doves with bilateral electrolytic lesion of nucleus ectostriatum(E),the mean mumber of proliferating cells in the lateral ventricular zone(LVZ) and newborn neurons in the forebrain increased by 1.95 times and 2.38 times respectively as compared with that in intact doves.The most remarkable incresase of neurogenesis induced by nucleus ectostriatum lesions was found at the anteriorposterior level 3(L3),where the lesion site was located.These results showed that the electrolytic brain lesion al tered the distribution pattern of proliferating cells in the LVZ and resulted in increase of the number of newborn neureons in the non-VZ areas of forebrain.The changes in number and distribution pattern of proliferating cells in LVZ and newbon neurons in forebrain may be dependent on site of lesion.Studies on the relationship between proliferating cells in LVZ and newly generated neurons in non-VZ aresa may help to understand the mechanism of brain plasticity and development.     

Energy Transfer from Phycobilisomes to Photosystems of Nostoc flagelliforme Born. et Flah. During the Rewetting Course and Its Physiological Significance

During the non-frost season, the condensation of dew makes Nostocflagelliforme Born. et Flah., a highly drought-tolerant terrestrial cyanobacterium, frequently undergo rehydration-dehydration.Rehydration begins in the dark at night. After rewetting in the dark, photochemical activity and the structure of photosystem (PS)II were not recovered at all; the structure of PSI, energy transfer in phycobilisomes, and energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSI were recovered within 5 min, as in the light. The recovery of energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSII was light dependent and energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSII was only partially recovered in the dark. These results suggest that the two-trigger control (water and light) of photosynthetic recovery may make IV, flagelliforme avoid unnecessary energy consumption and, at the same time, the partial recovery of energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSII in the dark could help N. flagelliforme accumulate more photosynthetic products during the transient period of rehydration-dehydration.     

Adaptation to visual stimulation modifies the burst firing property of V1 neurons

The mean firing rate of visual cortical neurons is reduced after prolonged visual stimulation, but the underlying process by which this occurs as well as the biological significance of this phenomenon remains unknown. Computational neuroscience studies indicate that high-frequency bursts in stimulus-driven responses can be transmitted across synapses more reliably than isolated spikes, and thus may carry accurate stimulus-related information. Our research examined whether or not adaptation affects the burst firing property of visual cortical neurons by examining changes in the burst firing changes of V1 neurons during adaptation to the preferred visual stimulus. The results show that adaptation to prolonged visual stimulation significantly decreased burst frequency (bursts/s) and burst length (spikes/burst), but increased burst duration and the interspike interval within bursts. These results suggest that the adaptation of V1 neurons to visual stimulation may result in a decrease of feedforward response gain but an increase of functional activities from lateral and/or feedback connections, which could lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of adapted neurons in transmitting information to its driven neurons.     

Examining the genetic diversity of Stipa grandis under various grazing pressures

The Stipa grandis steppe in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region occupies an area of 2798081 hm2. On the basis of the genetic variation, it was found that its adaptability to the environmental conditions under grazing pressure was significant. Using the Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) procedure, the changes to the genetic diversity of the Stipa grandis population under different grazing pressures were observed. Plant samples were collected from a series of grazing gradients of the Stipa grandis steppe in Dalinuoer National Nature Reserve in the Inner Mongolia (located at 116°38′–116°41′E and 43°25′–43°27′N.), which has the following vegetation types in abundance: Leymus chinensis is the constructive species; the dominant species include Stipa grandis, Cleistogenes squarrosa, and Artemisia frigida; the companion species is Potentilla acaulis and others. According to the grazing pressure, the following four grazing gradients were identified from the dwellings of the herdsmen to the enclosure site: (1) no grazing (CK enclosure site); (2) light grazing (LG); (3) moderate grazing (MG); (4) heavy grazing (HG). Young leaves of each Stipa grandis were collected during the growing season. The results showed that the Stipa grandis showed abundant genetic diversity despite the fact that certain polymorphic loci were lost; at the same time, new polymorphic loci emerged when grazing pressure increased; a total of 10 primers were used, and 74 bands were produced in total, of which 65 bands were polymorphic; the total percentage of polymorphism was 89%; the percentage of polymorphic loci of the Stipa grandis population decreased with the increase of grazing pressure; the percentage of polymorphic loci was 62.2% in the no-grazing (CK) population, 64.9% in the light-grazing (LG) population, 58.1% in the moderate-grazing (MG) population, and 56.8% in the heavy-grazing (HG) population; the genetic diversity of the population in the descending order using the Shannon's information index is as follows: (1) light grazing (0.3486); (2) no grazing (0.3339); (3) moderate grazing (0.3249); (4) heavy grazing (0.2735) with the same distributional pattern as the Nei's genetic diversity index. The test showed the following: As the grazing pressures increased, the change of genetic diversity decreased; the genetic differentiation coefficient among the population (Gst) was 0.1984, which showed the presence of small partial genetic diversity (19.8%) among populations; gene flow (Nm*) between primers varied from 0.9806 to 3.4463, and the mean gene flow (Nm*) was 2.0202; the UPGMA cluster figure that was constructed on the basis of the genetic distance matrix showed four populations that became genetically closer at each step: (1) The first group was the moderate-grazing (MG) population and the heavy- grazing (HG) population; (2) The second group consisted of the no-grazing (CK) population and the light-grazing (LG) population; (3) The two groups gathered together.     

Examining the genetic diversity of Stipa grandis under various grazing pressures

The Stipa grandis steppe in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region occupies an area of 2798081 hm2. On the basis of the genetic variation, it was found that its adaptability to the environmental conditions under grazing pressure was significant. Using the Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) procedure, the changes to the genetic diversity of the Stipa grandis population under different grazing pressures were observed. Plant samples were collected from a series of grazing gradients of the Stipa grandis steppe in Dalinuoer National Nature Reserve in the Inner Mongolia (located at 116°38′–116°41′E and 43°25′–43°27′N.), which has the following vegetation types in abundance: Leymus chinensis is the constructive species; the dominant species include Stipa grandis, Cleistogenes squarrosa, and Artemisia frigida; the companion species is Potentilla acaulis and others. According to the grazing pressure, the following four grazing gradients were identified from the dwellings of the herdsmen to the enclosure site: (1) no grazing (CK enclosure site); (2) light grazing (LG); (3) moderate grazing (MG); (4) heavy grazing (HG). Young leaves of each Stipa grandis were collected during the growing season. The results showed that the Stipa grandis showed abundant genetic diversity despite the fact that certain polymorphic loci were lost; at the same time, new polymorphic loci emerged when grazing pressure increased; a total of 10 primers were used, and 74 bands were produced in total, of which 65 bands were polymorphic; the total percentage of polymorphism was 89%; the percentage of polymorphic loci of the Stipa grandis population decreased with the increase of grazing pressure; the percentage of polymorphic loci was 62.2% in the no-grazing (CK) population, 64.9% in the light-grazing (LG) population, 58.1% in the moderate-grazing (MG) population, and 56.8% in the heavy-grazing (HG) population; the genetic diversity of the population in the descending order using the Shannon's information index is as follows: (1) light grazing (0.3486); (2) no grazing (0.3339); (3) moderate grazing (0.3249); (4) heavy grazing (0.2735) with the same distributional pattern as the Nei's genetic diversity index. The test showed the following: As the grazing pressures increased, the change of genetic diversity decreased; the genetic differentiation coefficient among the population (Gst) was 0.1984, which showed the presence of small partial genetic diversity (19.8%) among populations; gene flow (Nm*) between primers varied from 0.9806 to 3.4463, and the mean gene flow (Nm*) was 2.0202; the UPGMA cluster figure that was constructed on the basis of the genetic distance matrix showed four populations that became genetically closer at each step: (1) The first group was the moderate-grazing (MG) population and the heavy- grazing (HG) population; (2) The second group consisted of the no-grazing (CK) population and the light-grazing (LG) population; (3) The two groups gathered together.     

Morphological structure and optical properties of the wings of Morphidae

The morphological structure and optical properties of the wings of 14 species of Morphidae have been investigated. Most of the scales of the iridescent species of Morphidae （Lepidoptera） present a very particular structure. The ground scales, responsible for the major part of the optical properties, are covered by a very regular set of longitudinal ridges. The ridges themselves are constituted by a superposition of lamellae that act locally as a multilayered structure. This very specific morphology leads to both interferences and diffraction effects. The first one is responsible of the brilliant blue coloration of the males, while the second one diffracts this colored light at a very large angle. These two phenomena give to the butterfly a very effective long-range communication system. The morphological characteristics of the scales of the various species are presented in detail. Two types of optical measurement were performed on the iridescent wings of 14 different species of Morphidae： spectroscopic measurements under various incidences and gonioscopic measurements for a given incidence angle and wavelength. The first allows a determination of the index of refraction of the cuticular material. The second leads to the drawing of spatial diffraction maps. It shows that most of the reflected light is diffracted laterally over a very large angle （90° 〈 0 〈 120°, according to the different species） and that this repartition depends of the polarization of incident light. As predicted by previous calculations, the dissymmetric structure of the ridge is responsible for the separation of the polarization modes in the various diffraction orders.     

Mutation of Residue Arginine^18 of Cytochrome b559 α-Subunit and its Effects on Photosystem Ⅱ Activities in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

It has been known that arginine is used as the basic amino acid in the α-subunit of cytochrome bsss （Cyt bsss） except histidine. However, previous studies have focused on the function of histidine in the activities of photosystem （PS） Ⅱ and there are no reports regarding the structural and/or functional roles of arginine in PSll complexes. In the present study, two arginine18 （R18） mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were constructed using site-directed mutagenesis, in which R18 was replaced by glutamic acid （E） and glycine （G）. The results show that the oxygen evolution of the PSII complex in the R18G and R18E mutants was approximately 60% of wild-type （WT） levels and that, after irradiation at high light intensity, oxygen evolution for the PSll of mutants was reduced to zero compared with 40% in WT cells. The efficiency of light capture by PSll （Fv/Fm） of R18G and R18E mutants was approximately 42%-46% that of WT cells. Furthermore, levels of the α-subunit of Cyt bsss and PsbO proteins were reduced in thylakoid membranes compared with WT. Overall, these data suggest that R18 plays a significant role in helping Cyt bss9 maintain the structure of the PSll complex and its activity, although it is not directly bound to the heme group.     

Response of Solanum tuberosum to Myzus persicae infestation at different stages of foliage maturity

Young leaves of the potato Solanum tuberosum L. cultivar Kardal contain resistance factors to the green peach aphid Myzuspersicae （Sulzer） （Hemiptera： Aphididae） and normal probing behavior is impeded. However, M. persicae can survive and reproduce on mature and senescent leaves of the cv. Kardal plant without problems. We compared the settling ofM. persicae on young and old leaves and analyzed the impact of aphids settling on the plant in terms of gene expression. Settling, as measured by aphid numbers staying on young or old leaves, showed that after 21 h significantly fewer aphids were found on the young leaves. At earlier time points there were no difference between young and old leaves, suggesting that the young leaf resistance factors are not located at the surface level but deeper in the tissue. Gene expression was measured in plants at 96 h postinfestation, which is at a late stage in the interaction and in compatible interactions this is long enough for host plant acceptance to occur. In old leaves of cv. Kardal （compatible interaction）, M. persicae infestation elicited a higher number of differentially regulated genes than in young leaves. The plant response to aphid infestation included a larger number of genes induced than repressed, and the proportion of induced versus repressed genes was larger in young than in old leaves. Several genes changing expression seem to be involved in changing the metabolic state of the leaf from source to sink.     

Phenylalanin Ammonia-lyase Activity,Total Phenolics and Flavonoids Contents in Flowers,Leaves,Hulls and Kernels of Three Pistachio(Pistacia vera L.) Cultivars

Phenylalanin ammonia-lyase (PAL) plays a pivotal role in the production of phenolic compounds, which are responsible for the success of the defense strategies in harsh environments in response to different stimuli. Measurements of the PAL activity, total phenolics, total flavonoids and anthocyanin contents were performed in flowers, leaves and fruits of three pistachio cultivars “Ahmadaghaii”, “Ohadi” and “Kallehghuchi”. The results showed that PAL activity was different in cultivars and in plant organs of pistachio trees (flowers, leaves and fruits). The highest activity rate of their compounds was observed in Ahmadaghaii cultivar. A positive correlation was observed between PAL activity, total phenolics and total flavonoids in leaves, and a negative correlation between PAL activity and anthocyanin contents in leaves and flowers of Ahmadaghaii cultivar. PAL activity and total phenolics in fruits of pistachio suffered a decrease when the maturation processes began. It is suggested that the hulls of the pistachio fruits, containing high level of phenolic compounds (especially in Ahmadaghaii cultivar), may function as a protective layer of defense chemicals against ultraviolet radiation and pathogens. The final concentration of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antocyanins in the kernel depend on PAL activity in the kernel’s cultivar. The results led to the conclusion that increase in PAL activity, phenolic compounds and flavonoids in Ahmadaghaii can help the plant to cope with the stresses better than the other cultivars. Since phenolic compounds are antioxidant and scavenge free oxygen, it is postulated that Ahmadaghaii is the most resistant cultivar to the environmental stresses.