Two closely linked tomato HKT coding genes are positional candidates for the major tomato QTL involved in Na+/K+ homeostasis

The location of major quantitative trait loci (QTL) contributing to stem and leaf [Na⁺] and [K⁺] was previously reported in chromosome 7 using two connected populations of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of tomato. HKT1;1 and HKT1;2, two tomato Na⁺‐selective class I‐HKT transporters, were found to be closely linked, where the maximum logarithm of odds (LOD) score for these QTLs located. When a chromosome 7 linkage map based on 278 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was used, the maximum LOD score position was only 35 kb from HKT1;1 and HKT1;2. Their expression patterns and phenotypic effects were further investigated in two near‐isogenic lines (NILs): 157‐14 (double homozygote for the cheesmaniae alleles) and 157‐17 (double homozygote for the lycopersicum alleles). The expression pattern for the HKT1;1 and HKT1;2 alleles was complex, possibly because of differences in their promoter sequences. High salinity had very little effect on root dry and fresh weight and consequently on the plant dry weight of NIL 157‐14 in comparison with 157‐17. A significant difference between NILs was also found for [K⁺] and the [Na⁺]/[K⁺] ratio in leaf and stem but not for [Na⁺] arising a disagreement with the corresponding RIL population. Their association with leaf [Na⁺] and salt tolerance in tomato is also discussed.     

外源氮输入和水分变化对荒漠草原凋落物分解的影响

全球气候变化背景下,大气氮沉降和降水变化日益显著,其对荒漠草原凋落物分解的影响存在很大的不确定性.采用裂区设计,设置主区为自然降雨、增雨30%和减雨30% 3个水分处理,副区为0(N₀)、30(N₃₀)、50(N₅₀)和100 kg·hm^-2·a^-1(N₁₀₀)4个氮素水平,经过21个月(2016年1月—2017年10月)水氮处理,研究水氮共同作用对荒漠草原常见物种猪毛菜、短花针茅和木地肤3种植物凋落物分解的影响.结果表明: 3种凋落物干物质残留率随时间增加而减少,用Olson负指数衰减模型拟合效果较好,凋落物分解系数(k)大小为猪毛菜>短花针茅>木地肤.增雨30%N₁₀₀处理分解系数最高,为0.028.单因素处理下,增雨30%和N₅₀的凋落物分解最快.水氮共同作用下,增雨 30%N₁₀₀处理凋落物分解最快.3种凋落物初始化学全氮含量大小为猪毛菜>短花针茅>木地肤,猪毛菜和短花针茅k值与全氮含量呈显著正相关;全碳含量、纤维素含量、木质素含量、C/N、木质素/N和纤维素/N大小为木地肤>短花针茅>猪毛菜,猪毛菜k值与各指标均呈显著负相关,短花针茅和木地肤k值与C/N、木质素/N和纤维素/N均呈显著负相关.猪毛菜分解最快,木地肤分解最慢.适量的水、氮添加有利于荒漠草原凋落物的分解,可以促进土壤养分循环,对荒漠草原可持续发展及生态平衡有积极作用.     

Production of ethylene by gravistimulation: a potential problem with the interpretation of data from some experimental techniques

Abstract. Gravistimulation was investigated as a potential and unwanted component in the interpretation of physiological investigations on plants. Using both seedlings and mature sunflower plants, two situations are described where gravistimulation contributes significantly to the outcome of an experiment not initially designed to include this parameter. The number of adventitious roots formed in derooted seedings decreased when the tops of the plants were allowed to bend over under their own weight, and the effect correlated positively with the rate of ethylene production by non-vertical stems. In droughted mature plants, and increase in leaf and stem ethylene caused by water stress was supplemented by additional ethylene produced in the lower halves of stems. Drought had caused these stem tissues to wilt, become gravistimulated, and thus produce more ethylene. Other situations in which gravistimulated ethylene production and its physiological consequences are likely to be complicating factors in experiments are discussed. It is concluded that procedures that unnecessarily place experimental material in non-vertical orientations should be avoided.     

Does Late-acting Self-incompatibility (LSI) Show Family Clustering? Two More Species of Bignoniaceae with LSI:Dolichandra cynanchoides and Tabebuia nodosa

By means of hand pollination experiments and fluorescence microscopythe breeding systems and pollen tube growth were studied inDolichandra cynanchoides and Tabebuia nodosa, two bignoniaceousspecies of the Chaco woodland of NE Argentina. Both speciesabscised all selfed pistils within 4–8 d although selfpollen tubes grew successfully to the ovary and penetrated manyovules. Both species therefore show ‘late-acting self-incompatibility’(LSI) or ‘ovarian sterility’ (OS) type control ofselfing. LSI-OS has been reported in 17 species of the Bignoniaceae,and is also clustered in families such as the Bombacaceae-Sterculiaceae,Fabaceae and Myrtaceae. The implications of such family clusteringare discussed, with regard to current hypotheses for the actionof LSI-OS phenomena. Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Bignoniaceae, Dolichandra cynanchoides, Tabebuia nodosa, Chaco, late-acting self-incompatibility, ovarian sterility.     

Further evidence for cortical control over replication of the macronucleus and basal bodies in Stentor

This paper presents further evidence that the cortex controls macronuclear replication and basal body production during the cell cycle of Stentor. At the onset of cell division, basal body production occurs on the ventral side of the cell to form an oral primordium; this structure develops slowly into the oral apparatus destined for the posterior daughter cell. Meanwhile, a series of morphological changes in the macronucleus (coalescence, elongation, nodulation) doubles the number of nodes in preparation for division. When a cell undergoing oral development is grafted to a morphostatic cell of equal size, oral development is usually induced in the morphostatic component and the two members of the graft complex eventually become synchronized with respect to macronuclear morphology. However, primordium induction and nuclear synchronization usually do not occur when the 2 members of the graft complex are separated by cortical discontinuities which heal gradually, even though the graft components demonstrably share a common endoplasm throughout the experiment. These results suggest that the cell surface may control the replication of organelles such as the macronucleus and basal bodies which are normally kept “in step” with the cell cycle in such a way that they are not lost or reproduced too frequently.     

Morphological Modifications of Oocyte Vitelline Envelope from Bufo arenarum during Different Functional States

The submicroscopic morphology of the vitelline envelope of Bufo arenarum's oocyte change significantly during the maturation and fertilization processes. The morphological changes are related to physiological activity in vivo and can be triggered in vitro by experimental procedures. It is our scope to present the ultrastructure differences of fascicular components of the vitelline envelope in coelomic, "pars recta" conditioned, oviductal, oviposited and fertilized oocytes. Our experimental results indicate that artificial "pars recta" treatment of coelomic oocytes arrange the fascicular components as those of oviposited oocyte, although differences still remain indicating that additional maturation processes take place while the egg pass througth the oviduct. Fertilized or activated oocytes which are refractary to sperm penetration, change the vitelline envelope fascicular components orientation giving a submicroscopical image quite different to those of none fertilized oocytes. These ultrastructural changes define in a clear cut manner the functional states of Bufo arenarum's oocyte.     

EFFECT OF ECDYSTERONE ON VITELLOGENIN CONCENTRATION IN HAEMOLYMPH OF MALE AND FEMALE SARCOPHAGA BULLATA

Using Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, cycloheximide, incorporation of ³H-labelled amino acids and immunological methods, we have demonstrated that injection of ecdy- sterone induces de novo synthesis and release of vitellogenin in both sexes of Sarcophaga bullata. Vitellogenin concentrations were measured by the Mancini-radial immunodiffusion technique. In males a dose as low as 1 ng always makes vitellogenin appear in the haemolymph but very reproducible results are only obtained when doses varying from 10 to 250 ng were injected. In this range, the dose-response curve was linear on a semi- logarithmic scale.

In females, vitellogenin concentration remained low until a few hours after liver feeding and thereafter it rose sharply and reached its maximum about 24 h after the protein meal. 100 μg 6-hydroxydopamine HCl, injected before liver feeding in 4-day-old females, inhibited vitellogenin synthesis and yolk deposition, probably by interfering with the release of a brain hormone. This inhibitory effect on vitellogenin synthesis, but not that on yolk deposition, could be overruled by injection of ecdysterone. Juvenile hormone was ineffective on both. Females, ovariectomized on day 2 or 3, accumulated vitellogenin in their haemolymph, indicating that the continuous presence of the ovaries was not required for vitellogenin synthesis. The possible relation between the gonadotrophs hormone from the brain, vitellogenin synthesis and moulting hormone metabolism is discussed.