Gene Expression and Regulation of Higher Plants Under Soil Water Stress

Higher plants not only provide human beings renewable food, building materials and energy, but also play the most important role in keeping a stable environment on earth. Plants differ from animals in many aspects, but the important is that plants are more easily influenced by environment than animals. Plants have a series of fine mechanisms for responding to environmental changes, which has been established during their long-period evolution and artificial domestication. The machinery related to molecular biology is the most important basis. The elucidation of it will extremely and purposefully promote the sustainable utilization of plant resources and make the best use of its current potential under different scales. This molecular mechanism at least includes drought signal recognition (input), signal transduction (many cascade biochemical reactions are involved in this process), signal output, signal responses and phenotype realization, which is a multi-dimension network system and contains many levels of gene expression and regulation. We will focus on the physiological and molecular adaptive machinery of plants under soil water stress and draw a possible blueprint for it. Meanwhile, the issues and perspectives are also discussed. We conclude that biological measures is the basic solution to solving various types of issues in relation to sustainable development and the plant measures is the eventual way.Key Words: Higher plants, soil water stress, gene regulatory network, drought, anti-drought gene resources, signal, ion homeostasis, physiological mechanisms.     

Hydrogen Sulfide–Phytohormone Interaction in Plants Under Physiological and Stress Conditions

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as a novel gaseous signalling molecule, has been extensively investigated in plants ranging from seed germination to senescence....     

胁迫条件下高等植物体内脯氨酸代谢及调节的研究进展

概述胁迫处理对Pro代谢调节机理的研究近况,从分子水平上分析了胁迫下Pro积累的原因,初步提出Pro与多胺的相互关系。     

胁迫条件下高等植物体内脯氨酸代谢及调节的研究进展

概述胁迫处理对Ｐｒｏ 代谢调节机理的研究近况，从分子水平上分析了胁迫下Ｐｒｏ 积累的原因，初步提出Ｐｒｏ 与多胺的相互关系     

Glutathione as an Antioxidant and Regulatory Molecule in Plants Under Abiotic Stress Conditions

The glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) redox couple is involved in several physiologic processes in plants under both optimal and stress conditions. It participates in the maintenance of redox homeostasis in the cells. The redox state of the GSH/GSSG couple is defined by its reducing capacity and the half-cell reduction potential, and differs in the various organs, tissues, cells, and compartments, changing during the growth and development of the plants. When characterizing this redox couple, the synthesis, degradation, oxidation, and transport of GSH and its conjugation with the sulfhydryl groups of other compounds should be considered. Under optimal growth conditions, the high GSH/GSSG ratio results in a reducing environment in the cells which maintains the appropriate structure and activity of protein molecules because of the inhibition of the formation of intermolecular disulfide bridges. In response to abiotic stresses, the GSH/GSSG ratio decreases due to the oxidation of GSH during the detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and changes in its metabolism. The lower GSH/GSSG ratio activates various defense mechanisms through a redox signalling pathway, which includes several oxidants, antioxidants, and stress hormones. In addition, GSH may control gene expression and the activity of proteins through glutathionylation and thiol-disulfide conversion. This review discusses the size and redox state of the GSH pool, including their regulation, their role in redox signalling and defense processes, and the changes caused by abiotic stress.     

miRNA调控药用植物生长发育和次生代谢

microRNA(miRNA)作为一类内源性的短链非编码RNA,广泛存在于真核细胞中,主要通过对转录本剪切和抑制翻译等方式,参与转录后基因的表达调控。近年来研究表明,多种药用植物中鉴定出大量的miRNA。这些miRNA对药用植物的生长发育和次生代谢产物合成具有调控功能。次生代谢产物是药用植物的主要有效成分,研究miRNA对药用植物次生代谢过程的调控作用具有十分重要的意义。本文综述了miRNA在植物中的产生途径、作用方式和体内功能,在此基础上重点介绍了miRNA对药用植物生长发育和次生代谢产物生物合成的调控作用,并对药用植物miRNA的研究进行了展望,以期为提高药用植物产量,高效获得药用植物有效成分以及临床应用开拓新的思路。     

植物萜类次生代谢及其调控

植物次生代谢在植物生长发育、环境适应、抵御病虫害等方面发挥着重要作用,这些天然产物组成地球上最丰富的有机化合物的宝库．萜类是植物代谢产物中种类最多的一类,具有重要的生理和生态功能,一些成分还有应用价值．近十几年来,人们在萜类化合物的分离、鉴定、应用、生物合成、相关基因与基因族、酶蛋白结构和功能、代谢调控以及代谢工程等各方面取得了重大进展．本文概述了植物萜类化合物代谢及其调控领域的研究进展与发展趋势．     

Sucrose Metabolism in Bean Plants Under Water Deficit

The effects of water stress on sucrose metabolism were evaluatedin bean plants of Tacarigua variety grown for 25 d. Decreasingwater potential and relative water content were observed. Waterstress effects resulted in a decrease of sucrose phosphate synthase(SPS) in both total (substrate saturating conditions) and Pi-insensitive(substrate limiting conditions plus inorganic phosphate) activities.The SPS Pi-insensitive activity was lower than the total SPSactivity, but the decrease in activity induced by water deficitwas relatively lower in the Pi-insensitive; however the activationstate increased during the water deficit period. An increasein sucrose synthase activity increased the activities of bothneutral and acid invertases at moderate water stress (–0·8MPa) and decreased activities at severe water stress(–1·45 MPa). The activity values of neutral invertasewere lower than those for the acid invertase. The starch/sucroseratio decreased and the ratio of total glucose/total fructoseincreased. These results indicate a relevant physiological roleof SPS in bean plants under water stress. Key words: Acid invertase, sucrose phosphate synthase, sucrose synthase     

Amino Acids as Stress Reducers in Soybean Plant Growth Under Different Water-Deficit Conditions

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Soybean is one of the most important crops of economic value, and among the factors that can alter its productivity is the water-deficit. Studies show that...     

低氧-酸化胁迫对大黄鱼早期发育阶段生长及生理代谢的影响

为探究低氧-酸化胁迫对大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea)早期发育阶段生长及生理代谢的影响,实验设置4个处理组,分别为对照组(溶解氧7.0 mg/L,pH 8.1)、低氧组(溶解氧3.5 mg/L,pH 8.1)、酸化组(溶解氧7.0 mg/L,pH 7.3)和低氧-酸化组(溶解氧3.5 mg/L,pH 7...     

Calcium and Phosphate Regulation of Nitrogen Metabolism in the Cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis Under the High Light Stress

High light stress (40 W/m²)-induced alterations in the nitrogen assimilatory enzymes in Spirulina platensis were studied under the Ca²⁺ and phosphate (Pi)-supplemented as well as starved conditions. Results revealed that activities of nitrate reductase (NR), amino acid transferases (AST/GOT and ALT/GPT), and protease enzymes in the high-light-incubated cells were relatively higher under the Ca²⁺- and Pi-starved conditions. On the contrary, relative rates of glutamine synthetase (GS) and ATPase activities were lower in the Ca²⁺- and Pi-starved cells. But the Spirulina cells under the Ca²⁺- and Pi-added conditions showed enhanced activity of both GS and ATPase enzymes. During the high-light stress, a decline in the GS activity, particularly under the Ca²⁺- and Pi-starved conditions, was indicative of a nitrogen starvation-like condition. This could be one of the reasons for induction of the NR and protease enzymes. A higher rate of GS activity was recorded under both the Ca²⁺- and Pi-supplemented conditions, perhaps owing to the enhanced rate of ATPase activity in such conditions. But a declining pattern of both NR and protease activities in the presence of Ca²⁺ and Pi, despite the higher rate of ATPase activity, might involve some other mechanism like the protein-kinase system. Received: 11 May 2000 / Accepted: 13 June 2000     

Linking Plants Functioning to Adaptive Responses Under Heat Stress Conditions: A Mechanistic Review

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - The general circulation models estimated an average increase in global surface temperature about 4 °C (2.9 to 5.5 °C). Escalating...     

Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Metabolism of Hydrogenomonas I. Growth Yields and Patterns Under Dual Substrate Conditions

Auxotrophic mutants of Hydrogenomonas eutropha and H. facilis requiring utilizable amino acids were employed to demonstrate the simultaneous utilization of H(2) and an organic substrate for growth. The ratio of the cell yields under dual substrate conditions compared to heterotrophic conditions indicated the relative contributions of the autotrophic and heterotrophic systems to the growth of the organism. Wildtype H. eutropha grown under simultaneous conditions exhibited a dicyclic growth pattern, the first cycle representing either heterotrophic or simultaneous growth and the second cycle representing autotrophic growth. The duration of the changeover period was either very short with no plateau or long with a plateau up to 8 hr, depending upon the organic substrate. The growth rate under simultaneous conditions with some organic substrates was faster than either the autotrophic or heterotrophic rate, but was not the sum of the two rates. The data suggest that, in the presence of both organic and inorganic substrates, heterotrophic metabolism functions normally but autotrophic metabolism is partially repressed.     

Copper Nanoparticle Application Enhances Plant Growth and Grain Yield in Maize Under Drought Stress Conditions

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Abiotic stresses, including drought, detrimentally affect the growth and productivity of many economically important crop plants, leading to significant yield...     

植物干旱胁迫信号转导及其调控机制研究进展

干旱是严重限制作物生长及产量的环境因子之一。经过长期的进化,植物形成了一套响应干旱胁迫的信号转导机制,包括对干旱胁迫信号的感知,第二信使的产生,信号转导和信号网络的形成。信号转导的结果是导致相关基因的表达和蛋白的合成,进而引起植物体渗透调节及抗氧化系统的改变,最终使植物适应干旱逆境或增强植物抗旱能力。干旱胁迫通常会促进ROS的积累及其他次级信号分子的产生。MAPK级联途径是真核生物信号转导最为保守的途径,在植物的生长发育及各种胁迫信号的传导中均起着较重要的作用。综述干旱胁迫信号及ROS→MAPK和ROS→Ca2+介导的信号途径,以及信号转导途径的调控机制。     

高等植物中异黄酮合成代谢及其调控

异黄酮是植物次级代谢过程中产生的酚类物质,豆科等植物中含量丰富,在动植物体内有着广泛的生理作用。本文综述了高等植物中异黄酮的合成代谢途径及其关键酶以及调控机理。     

Identification of Down-regulated Genes Modulated by an Alternative Oxidase Pathway Under Cold Stress Conditions in Watermelon Plants

This study investigated the cold responses of watermelon plants modulated by the alternative oxidase (AOX) pathway. Salicylhydroxamic acid was used in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) plants in order to chemically inhibit the AOX pathway. After exposure to cold temperature (10°C) for 24 h, the SHAM-treated plants showed more serious cold-induced damage compared to non-treated plants. To investigate how the AOX pathway modulated the watermelon plants’ responses to cold, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based suppression subtractive hybridization technique was used to isolate genes differently expressed between cold-stressed leaves of SHAM-treated and non-treated watermelon germplasm “IVSM No. 9”. After sequencing 400 randomly chosen cDNA clones, 314 uniquely expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were obtained. A total of 114 ESTs encoded unknown proteins or had no similarity in the database. Identified genes with significant protein homology mainly participated in stress and defense responses, metabolism and energetic processes, regulation of gene expression, signal transduction, protein fate and synthesis, cellular transport and others. These results indicated that watermelon plants could not respond appropriately to cold stress and suffer greater damage with an inhibited AOX pathway, thus, the AOX pathway had an important role in defining the plants cold responses.     

Growth Cycle Metabolism of Plants in Relation to Flowering

An examination of the percentages of total carbohydrate, nitrogen (Kjeldahl) and ash has been made at various times in the growth cycle in six plants of varying growth habit. The time of formation of the flower initial in four species (fumitory, leek, radish and yellow water-lily) corresponds to a maximum in the curve showing percentage of total carbohydrate plus percentage of ash in the whole plant. The other two species (pea and bean) make their flower initials very early in the growth cycle, at a time when the amounts of carbohydrate plus ash are high because of the attachment of the plant to the large seed. These two species therefore also make their flower initials at a virtual maximum of carbohydrate plus ash. All six species of plants studied have mobile carbohydrate. The distribution of nutrients after flowering is discussed.