Influence of sodium ion on heavy metal-induced inhibition of light-regulatd proton efflux and active carbon uptake in the cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae

The light-induced proton efflux and active carbon uptake are inhibited by mercury and cadmium ions in Anabaena flos-aquae. The inhibitory effects of these heavy metal ions are reversed by 40 mM concentration of sodium. Here we report that light-induced proton efflux is sodium-dependent which leads to a characteristic enhancement in the rate of photosynthetic oxygen generation and carbon fixation. A low concentration (10 M) of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) significantly inhibited the rate of oxygen generation while 10 M carbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) completely blocked the oxygen generation activity in the organism. The chlorophyll-a fluorescence yield indicates that little fluorescence quenching occurred in the absence of sodium ion. Increasing the extracellular sodium ion accelerated both the initial rate and the extent of fluorescence quenching. These results support the assumption that metal-induced inhibition of the photosynthetic machinery may be mediated by the movement of protons.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) technology for the conservation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Curculigo orchioides</Emphasis> Gaertn.: an endangered medicinal herb

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (family Hypoxidaceae) is an endangered anticarcinogenic and aphrodisiac herb, native of India. This study reports the effect of three arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal inocula on post-transplanting performance of ‘in vitro’ raised C. orchioides plantlets. The three AM fungal inocula consisted of two monospecific cultures of Glomus geosporum and G. microcarpum and one crude consortium of AM fungal spores isolated from rhizosphere soil of C. orchioides growing in natural habitat. Complete plantlets of C. orchioides were raised by direct organogenesis of leaf explants on half strength Murashige and Skoog’s medium devoid of any growth hormone. C. orchioides plantlets responded significantly different to all three mycorrhizal treatments. Mycorrhization enhanced the survival rate of C. orchioides plantlets to 100%. The inoculated plantlets fared significantly better than the uninoculated ones in terms of biomass production and number of leaves and roots per plant. Mycorrhizal plantlets exhibited higher concentrations of photosynthetic pigments as well as minerals P, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe in both shoots and roots. Among the three inocula tested, plantlets inoculated with the mixed consortium of AM fungi consistently performed better in terms of the parameters evaluated. The study suggests use of mixed consortium of AM fungi over monospecific cultures for the sustainable cultivation and conservation of endangered medicinal plant: Curculigo orchioides.     

Genetic relatedness of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma</Emphasis> isolates antagonistic against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f.sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">dianthi</Emphasis> inflicting carnation wilt

Twenty-eight isolates of Trichoderma belonging to four different species were screened in vitro for their antagonistic ability against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi causing carnation wilt. Three different levels of antagonism observed in dual plate assay were further confirmed by cell-free culture filtrate experiments. Isolates showing class I level of antagonism produced maximum lytic enzymes, chitinases and beta-1,3-glucanases. Genetic variability of 25 selected isolates was assessed by random amplified polymorphic DNA technique and the amplified products were correlated for their level of antagonism. Unweighed pair-group method with arithmetical averages cluster analysis revealed prominent inter-and intraspecific genetic variation among the isolates. Based on their genetic relationship, the isolates were mainly distributed into 3 major groups representing T. atroviride, T. pseudokoningii and T. harzianum, with 20-35% interspecific dissimilarity. However, the polymorphism shown by the isolates did not correlate to their level of antagonism.     

Effect of growth regulators and ethylmethane sulphonate on growth,and chlorophyll,sugar and proline contents in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dracaena sanderiana</Emphasis> cultured <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

A high efficient four step protocol (callus initiation, regeneration, shoot elongation and rooting) for in vitro propagation of Dracaena sanderiana Sander ex Mast was developed. Callusing was achieved from nodal stem segment explants treated with various concentrations of ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS) on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 1.5 g m⁻³). A significant increase in callus induction percentage and biomass production was noticed from lower EMS treated lines (ET₁ and ET₂) comparatively to control and other (ET₃, ET₄ and ET₅) lines. Calli of ET₁ line showed high regeneration potential on MS medium with N ⁶-benzylaminopurine (BAP; 1.75 g m⁻³). Length of microshoots, which was reduced by EMS, restored by addition of gibberellic acid (GA₃; 0.4 g m⁻³). A marked increase in rooting with increasing EMS concentration was noticed on MS medium fortified with 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA; 1.5 g m⁻³).     

Characterization of shrinkage cracks in medium black clay soil of madhya pradesh

Summary In a field experiment, the pattern and size of shrinkage cracks were studied under three vegetative covers of wheat crop, grass and cultivated fallow. Both the pattern and size of cracking varied widely. Under wheat crop, the major cracks developed parallel to the rows particularly midway between the two rows of plants. The cracks were few in number and simple in nature. And so was the case under grass where the major cracks developed either in between or around the grass tussocks. However, under cultivated fallow development of too many cracks forming an intricate network showed no definite pattern of cracking. In a soil other than the cultivated fallow, the pattern of cracking appeared to be a function of positioning of the plants rather than of the soil itself.As far as the size of cracks is concerned, the widest and deepest cracks developed under wheat crop and narrowest and shallowest under cultivated fallow. Under grass, the width and depth of the cracks was observed to be intermediate between the two extremes of wheat and cultivated fallow. The size of cracks seemed to depend on the magnitude of water loss from the soil. re]19760713     

Invasive plants negatively impact native,but not exotic,animals

Despite our growing understanding of the impacts of invasive plants on ecosystem structure and function, important gaps remain, including whether native and exotic species respond differently to plant invasion. This would elucidate basic ecological interactions and inform management. We performed a meta‐analytic review of the effects of invasive plants on native and exotic resident animals. We found that invasive plants reduced the abundance of native, but not exotic, animals. This varied by animal phyla, with invasive plants reducing the abundance of native annelids and chordates, but not mollusks or arthropods. We found dissimilar impacts among “wet” and “dry” ecosystems, but not among animal trophic levels. Additionally, the impact of invasive plants increased over time, but this did not vary with animal nativity. Our review found that no studies considered resident nativity differences, and most did not identify animals to species. We call for more rigorous studies of invaded community impacts across taxa, and most importantly, explicit consideration of resident biogeographic origin. We provide an important first insight into how native and exotic species respond differently to invasion, the consequences of which may facilitate cascading trophic disruptions further exacerbating global change consequences to ecosystem structure and function.