Salicylic Acid Influences Net Photosynthetic Rate,Carboxylation Efficiency,Nitrate Reductase Activity,and Seed Yield in Brassica juncea

Aqueous solutions of salicylic acid (SA) were applied to the foliage of 30-d-old plants of mustard (Brassica juncea Czern & Coss cv. Varuna). The plants sprayed with the lowest used concentration (10₋₅ M) of SA were healthier than those sprayed with water only or with higher concentrations of SA (10⁻⁴ or 10⁻³ M). 60-d-old plants possessed 8.4, 9.8, 9.3, 13.0 and 18.5 % larger dry mass, net photosynthetic rate, carboxylation efficiency, and activities of nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase over the control, respectively. Moreover, the number of pods and the seed yield increased by 13.7 and 8.4 % over the control. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The species ofCoccophagus Westwood, 1833 [Hym., Aphelinidae] from India

An account of the Indian species of the Aphelinid genusCoccophagus,Westwood, collected by the author, is given. Three new species (C. gilvus sp. n.C. longicornis sp. n., andC. burksi sp. n.) are described, and three species [C. cowperi Girault,C. bogoriensis (Koningsberger) andC. Bivittatus Compere] are reported for the first time from India. A key to the Indian and some allied species is given.

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Résumé Trois nouvelles espèces (C. gilvus, C. longicornis etC. burksi) sont décrites et trois espèces (C. cowperi Girault,C. bogoriensis (Koningsberger) etC. bivitatus Compere) sont signalées pour la première fois de l'Inde. Une clé dichotomique des espèces de l'Inde et de certaines espèces voisines est donnée.

     

Effect of desiccation on potassium and anion currents from young root hairs: Implication on tip growth

Little is known about the early response of roots to desiccation. Young growing root hairs of Arabidopsis thaliana , Vigna unguiculata and Phaseolus vulgaris were used to study the early response of roots to desiccation since they behave like sensors that are able to perceive environmental signals. In control conditions, root hairs were polarized around −120 mV and displayed inward rectifying K⁺ currents. When submitted to short-term desiccation, root hairs stopped their tip growth and their membrane became depolarized. Under these conditions, the K⁺ influx carried by the inward rectifying K⁺ channels was not maintained and instead slow deactivating anion channels were recorded. The inhibition of K⁺ influx and the large anion efflux due to the activation of slow anion currents could participate in the inhibition of tip growth.     

The level of proteins and leakage of solutes in germinating fresh and stored seeds ofCicer arietinum L.

One-year-old seeds of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. C-235) lost about 23 % germinability and leaked larger quantities of N, P, K, saccharides and proteins into the soaking medium in the first 48 h, as compared with fresh seeds. The protein content in stored seeds decreased more than in fresh seeds, as the soaking progressed.     

Prediction of the burial status of transmembrane residues of helical membrane proteins

Background  

Helical membrane proteins (HMPs) play a crucial role in diverse cellular processes, yet it still remains extremely difficult to determine their structures by experimental techniques. Given this situation, it is highly desirable to develop sequence-based computational methods for predicting structural characteristics of HMPs.     

Assessment of risk of attack to safflower by Ceratapion basicorne (Coleoptera: Apionidae), a prospective biological control agent of Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae)

Ceratapion basicorne (Coleoptera: Apionidae) is a prospective biological control agent of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis, Asteraceae: Cardueae), which is an important invasive alien weed in the western United States. Previous studies have shown that it is possible for this insect to oviposit on and complete development on safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) under no-choice laboratory conditions; however, it has never been reported as a pest of safflower. Field experiments were conducted at three sites in eastern Turkey during 3 years to evaluate the risk of attack on safflower by this insect in its native range. At two sites where C. basicorne was the only apionid observed, no safflower plants were attacked despite high attack rates on yellow starthistle test plants (48–98% of plants infested). At a third site, where C. basicorne and three other species in the same genus; C. scalptum, C. orientale, and C. onopordi were present, 8–26% of safflower plants were infested, but none of the insects reared from safflower during 3 years were C. basicorne. Other authors have reported rearing C. basicorne from field-collected plants of only Ce. solstitialis, Ce. cyanus, Ce. depressa, and Cnicus benedictus. Our results indicate that C. basicorne does not attack safflower under field conditions and that its introduction would not pose a risk to this crop.