The synergistic attractiveness effect of plant volatiles to sex pheromones in a moth

The effects of plant-derived chemicals (volatiles) on the attraction of the Spodoptera litura moth to sex pheromones were evaluated using an electroantennogram (EAG). Neuronal responses of male moths to sex pheromone mixtures (SPs) (a 9:1 mixture of synthetic (9Z,11E)-9,11-tetraddecadienyl acetate (Z9E11-14:OAc) and (9Z,12E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (Z9E12-14:OAc)) and to SPs mixtures with eight plant volatiles (benzaldehyde, (E)-β-caryophyllene, phenylacetaldehyde, 2,6-nonadienal, benzyl alcohol, racemic linalool, longifolene, and (E)-β-ocimene) were also measured. Then, wind tunnels and field trapping bioassays were conducted to determine the influence of plant volatiles on S. litura moth behavioral responses to SPs. The results indicated that benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, and benzyl alcohol significantly enhanced, and longifolene, (E)-β-caryophyllene, and (E)-β-ocimene had no significant effect on the attractions to SPs, whereas racemic linalool significantly decreased the attraction of male S. litura moths to SPs throughout the olfactory pathway. 2,6-Nonadienal significantly enhanced olfactory responses, but had no significant effect on output behavior. These findings provide foundations in utilization of plant volatiles and sex pheromones to manage the pest and other agricultural pests.     

Species composition and distribution of Coleosporium species on the needles of Pinus densiflora at a semi-natural vegetation succession site in central Japan

Coleosporium species cause pine needle rust. Most species have heteromacrocyclic life cycles, and 12 species use Pinus densiflora as aecial hosts. To understand the biology of rust fungi and develop better methods for controlling rust diseases, it is necessary to clarify that which Coleosporium species affect pine trees. However, Coleosporium on pine trees have rarely been identified at the species level because of their morphological similarities. We used polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to clarify the species composition, abundance, and distribution of Coleosporium in a P. densiflora forest. We surveyed a site where several Coleosporium species might complete their life cycles. PCR-RFLP revealed four species on the pines: C. asterum, C. clematidis-apiifoliae, C. lycopodis, and C. phellodendri. Coleosporium phellodendri was distributed throughout the forest and was the most abundant. Aecia of C. phellodendri formed mainly on 2-y-old needles. The abundance and distribution of C. phellodendri appeared to be affected by the longer effective dispersal range of basidiospores and the existence of abundant inoculum sources. The age of leaves where C. phellodendri form aecia mainly was thought to be influenced by the characteristic life cycle, with aecial formation requiring 2?y after basidiospore infection.     

ERRγ Preserves Brown Fat Innate Thermogenic Activity

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Transcriptome and physiological analyses reveal that AM1 as an ABA-mimicking ligand improves drought resistance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis>

Abscisic acid (ABA) is the most important stress hormone in the regulation of plant adaptation to drought. Owing to the chemical instability and rapid catabolism of ABA, ABA mimic 1 (AM1) is frequently applied to enhance drought resistance in plants, but the molecular mechanisms governed by AM1 on improving drought resistance in Brassica napus are not entirely understood. To investigate the effect of AM1 on drought resistance at the physiological and molecular levels, exogenous ABA and AM1 were applied to the leaves of two B. napus genotypes (Q2 and Qinyou 8) given progressive drought stress. The results showed that the leaves of 50 µM ABA- and AM1-treated plants shared over 60% differential expressed genes and 90% of the enriched functional pathways in Qinyou 8 under drought. AM1 affected the expression of the genes involved in ABA signaling; they down-regulated pyrabactin resistance/PYR1-like (PYR/PYLs), up-regulated type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs), partially up-regulated sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s), and down-regulated ABA-responsive element (ABRE)-binding protein/ABRE-binding factors (AREB/ABFs). Additionally, AM1 treatment repressed the expression of photosynthesis-related genes, those mainly associated with the light reaction process. Moreover, AM1 decreased the stomatal conductance, the net photosynthetic rate, and the transpiration rate, but increased the relative water content in leaves and increased survival rates of two genotypes under drought stress. Our findings suggest that AM1 has a potential to improve drought resistance in B. napus by triggering molecular and physiological responses to reduce water loss and impair growth, leading to increased survival rates.     

Influence of supplemental ultraviolet-B on indoleacetic acid and calmodulin in the leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

IR68 and Dular rice cultivars were grown under ambient, 13.0 (simulating 20% ozone depletion) and 19.1 (simulating 40% ozone depletion) kJ m^-2 day^-1 of biologically effective ultraviolet-B (UV-B_BE) for 4 weeks. Plant height and leaf area were significantly reduced by supplemental UV-B_BE radiation. Greater reduction in leaf area than of plant height was observed. A decrease in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content and increase in peroxidase and IAA oxidase activities of UV-B treated plants in both cultivars were observed compared with ambient control. Calmodulin content also decreased after plants were treated with high supplemental UV-B for two weeks and medium UV-B treatment for four weeks. The results indicated that peroxidase and IAA oxidase activities in rice leaves were stimulated by supplemental UV-B, resulting in the destruction of IAA which in turn may cause inhibition of rice leaf growth. Although the mechanism is unclear, calmodulin is most likely involved in leaf growth.     

芽前胡的化学成分

从成都产芽前胡Peucedanum turgeniifolium Wolff.中分离鉴定了12个化合物,分别为香豆素化合物佛手柑内酯(bergapten)(1),异欧芹属乙素(isoimperatorin)(2),(±)diisovaleryl-cis-khellactone(3),(±)dihydrosamidin(4),(±)peuformosin(5),(±)cis-khellactone(6),8-(2’,3’-二羟基,3’-甲基-丁基)-伞形花内酯[8-(2’3’-dihydroxy,3’-methyl-butyl)-umbelliferone](7),(±)selinidin(8),turgeniifolin A(9)以及非香豆素化合物硬脂酸(stearic acid),β-谷甾醇(β-sitosterol),甘露醇(d-mannitol)。     

Soil disturbance regime in relation to micro-scale landforms and its effects on vegetation structure in a hilly area in Japan

To clarify vegetation-landform relationships, we examined the soil disturbance regime in relation to micro-scale landforms and its effects on vegetation structure in a mixed temperate forest in a hilly area in northeastern Japan. Soil profiles in each micro-landform unit were surveyed to elucidate the effects of soil disturbances on the vegetation structure. The hilly area studied consisted of an upper and a lower hillslope area divided by an erosion front, which differed considerably with respect to vegetation structure. In the upper hillslope area, canopy was closed and dominated by Pinus densiflora and Quercus serrata. In the lower hillslope area, on the other hand, canopy was less closed and shrubs, ferns, and herbaceous species were abundant. The species composition changed gradually from the crest slope to the upper sideslope to the head hollow in the upper hillslope area. However, micro-landforms in the lower hillslope area seemed to have less effect on the vegetation structure. This may be because the lower hillslope area, in contrast to the upper hillslope area, has suffered from soil disturbances, and hence shrubs, ferns, and herbs have developed irrespective of micro-landforms. Thus, vegetation can be quite different depending on whether or not sites have suffered from soil disturbance. In disturbed stands, it is suggested that the frequency and intensity of disturbance are more important for species composition than the type of soil disturbance.