Frammenti cotiledonari di Aesculus hippocastanum L. coltivati in vitro. Primi dati sul comportamento dell'amido e dell'escina

Abstract

Fragments of Aesculus hippocastanum L. cotyledons grown in vitro. First results about starch and aescin characteristic features.—Cotyledon fragments of Aesculus hippocastanum grown in vitro in different media have been able to form callus and roots. The starch granules in the new cells are compound in structure and morphologically different from the simple cotyledon granules, whereas they are similar to the granules of the other parts of the plant in toto. Moreover, the callus has no aescin even though it originates from the cotyledor tissues.     

A geostatistical model to describe root vitality and ectomycorrhization in Norway spruce

Abstract

The spatial distribution of vital root tips and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities in forest soils is characterized by patchiness at a microscale level, mostly related to the distribution patterns of biotic and abiotic factors. A geostatistical model was applied to verify if spatial analyses could be useful in identifying an appropriate sampling method to study root tip vitality, ectomycorrhization and the ECM community. Root samples were collected from two high mountain Norway spruce forests (Trentino province, Italy) following a geometrical design. Laboratory microscopic and geostatistical ordinary kriging analyses were used to map tip vitality and ectomycorrhization degree, ECM richness and distribution grouped in “exploration types” (amount of emanating hyphae or presence and differentiation of rhizomorphs). Spatial gradients of the examined features existed at plant level, associated to the up-downslope direction (root tip vitality and ectomycorrhization, ECM richness) and distance from the stem base (ECM exploration types). The effectiveness of the geostatistical model used demonstrates that a geometrical sampling design, associated to spatial mapping techniques, can be useful in research where the tree, and not the forest, is the subject (mycological and phytopathological studies).     

Reflexions sur nos cultures d'antheres de plantes cultivées

Abstract

Considerations about our anther cultures of cultivated plants. – One of the main activities performed at the Casaccia Nuclear Centre, in the framework of a contract between CNEN and the European Communities, centers on the induction of haploid plants by anther culture and the subsequent chromosome doubling in order to obtain completely homozygous diploid plants. In tobacco, it is now possible to obtain haploid plants from any cultivar; we perform in vitro culture of internodes from which homozygous diploid plants are regenerated, taking advantage of natural phenomenon of endopolyploidy. In order to try to generalize this method of producing haploid plants in other plant species, we are studying the mechanism involved in haploid embryogenesis which occurs in vitro in the microspores. Datura, Nicotiana and Atropa are among the genera in which a direct embryogenesis from the microspore is observed; it is interesting to note that all three genera belong to the family Solanaceae and are very rich in alkaloids. In almost all the other cases of in vitro induction of haploids, microspores produce calli from which plantlets can be differentiated, but this way of plant regeneration is less interesting because only few plantlets are obtained and it is not sure that each haploid comes from a single microspore. We examined the factors which could influence the transformation of microspores into embryoids in tobacco, namely: the developmental stage of microspore, the degeneration of tapaetal cells, the genotype of microspore, the composition of cultural media, the physiological conditions of the plant from which the anthers were taken. From a practical point of view, it would be desirable to have informations on methods giving a maximum number of haploid plants from one embryogenic anther and the greatest number of embryogenic anthers from the cultured anthers. Our recent experiments on anther culture in liquid shaken medium have yielded good results (about 7,000 embryoids from 25 embryogenic anthers). Further, we are conducting several experiments in order to synchronize the development of the microspores in the anthers; to this end, we analyse the effect of cold treatment, ionizing radiation and gravity force. Experiments are being performed with other cultivated species, beside tobacco, in order to solve some problems of plant breeding more easily and quickly through haploidy. With the aim of introducing, in cultivated tomato, some desirable characters from the wild species, Lycopersicum peruvianum, (self-incompatibility, disease resistance, simultaneous flowering), we have obtained the interspecific hybrid through in vitro culture of young embryos. Haploid production from this hybrid could allow to quickly obtain various genetic recombinations from these two species. For this purpose we are carrying out anther cultures as well as single microspore cultures. In rice, strawberry and L. peruvianum, several diploid and tetraploid plantlets were obtained from our anther cultures. Work is in progress to ascertain the mode of their origin.     

Nuove ricerche sulla coltura in vitro di Aucuba japonica Thunb

Abstract

New researches on the culture « in vitro » of Aucuba japonica Thunb, – Caulinar fragments grown in vitro in nutrient media solidified with agar are compared with fragments grown on a filter paper support on unshaken liquid media. Tissue cultures of Aucuba are established putting down caulinar fragments just taken from the plant with isolated callus; subcultures are obtained more easily in July. We have observed that during the months of March or April, caulinar fragments, taken from the plant at various months of the year, of different ages and cultivated on various media, unexpectedly produce many roots.     

Biochemical investigations of the nuclear proteins during the transition of root meristems from quiescent to proliferating state in Pisum sativum

Abstract

The electrophoretic analysis of nuclear proteins extracted from root meristems at different times of germination puts in evidence the variations of content of specific proteins. Several nuclear proteins are phosphorylated by endogenous protein kinase and often the maximum rate of phosphorylation it has been observed in proteins present in the nucleus at low concentrations. Moreover also the phosphorylation rate of specific proteins changes at different times of germination. It is interesting the fact that both variations of concentration and phosphorylation in nuclear proteins occurr at the time when root meristems leave the quiescence to enter a proliferating state. We suggest that these variations play a role in this physiological event.     

Tegumento seminale e germinazione in Cercis siliquastrum L.

Abstract

Seminal integument and germination of Cercis siliquastrum L. – A histological study of the seminal integument of Cercis siliquastrum L. has been carried out, in order to explain whether the obstacle to the germination, removed by a cold-treatment, was caused by a mechanical action of the integument itself. We have noted that both the cold-treated seeds which germinate and the non-treated control seeds which don't germinate show in the long run the same modifications. We have therefore come to the conclusion that the inability to germinate found in the non-treated seeds is not due to the mechanical resistance of the integument and we think it necessary to return to further researches, also at a biochemical level.     

L'Influenza Delle Condizioni Fotoperiodiche e Termiche Sull'Accrescimento e Riproduzione della Salvia Longistyla Benth

Summary

Observations on growth and development of Salvia longistyla Benth., in several photoperiodic and termoperiodic conditions, both natural and artificial, were performed. The conclusions of my work are the following

I° - It has been proved that Salvia longistyla is a typical short-day plant and that its critical point of reaction lies approssimately on the 14 hours, when the average night-temperature is about 18°C; the flowering does not succeed if the night-temperature is decidedly below 15°C.

II° - The plant' requires short-day conditions not only for the formation of the flower buds, but also for the subsequent development, i. e. the full bloom; consequently the plant belongs to Eguchi's S. S. class (short day-plant for both the manifestations).

III. - Under natural conditions, in our latitude, Salvia longistyla flowers only in Autumn, because only in this season we have suitable photoperiod and concomitantly suitable night-temperature. In Spring, though the day is short, the night-temperature is not sufficiently high; in Winter and in Spring, the flowering is possible only in a warm green-house, with a night-temperature of about 18°C. In orange green-houses Salvia longistyla can continue the flowering begun in Autumn; during Winter and Spring new blooms do not succeed, just because the night-temperature, in such green houses, is never sufficiently high.

IV. - We can obtain fruiting only by artificial pollination (lack of natural pollination agency).

V. - The basal branches do not flower even in optimal photo- and termoperiodical conditions (which allow apical flowering) on acount of a mechanism of correlative inhibition.

VI. - The elongation of the internodes is relatively inhibited at a very long photoperiod, differently from what we observe in most plants.

These prerogatives, verified in repeated experiments, are in perfect accordance with the characteristics of the ambient in which the plant is naturally diffused (Mexico). The altitude and latitude of the stations in which the plant has usually been found, have a short photoperiod all year long, and temperatures (also night-temperatures) costantly suitable for a good growth and bloom. The plants, in the natural ambient, are perennial and bushy. The pluri-annuality can be referred to the flowering inhibition of the lateral and basal branches, that takes place in a specimen and that keeps on for a long time, also after the full flowering of the principal axis. The basal shoots show a tendency to the vegetative growth, even though the external conditions are suitable to the flowering of the apical parts of the plant. Therefore we must attribute the pluriannuality of S. longistyla to this correlative flower-inhibiting mechanism.