A stress‐inducible sulphotransferase sulphonates salicylic acid and confers pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis

Sulphonation of small molecules by cytosolic sulphotransferases in mammals is an important process in which endogenous molecules are modified for inactivation/activation of their biological effects. Plants possess large numbers of sulphotransferase genes, but their biological functions are largely unknown. Here, we present a functional analysis of the Arabidopsis sulphotransferase AtSOT12 (At2g03760). AtSOT12 gene expression is strongly induced by salt, and osmotic stress and hormone treatments. The T‐DNA knock‐out mutant sot12 exhibited hypersensitivity to NaCl and ABA in seed germination, and to salicylic acid (SA) in seedling growth. In vitro enzyme activity assay revealed that AtSOT12 sulphonates SA, and endogenous SA levels suggested that sulphonation of SA positively regulates SA production. Upon challenging with the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, sot12 mutant and AtSOT12 over‐expressing lines accumulate less and more SA, respectively, when compared with wild type. Consistent with the changes in SA levels, the sot12 mutant was more susceptible, while AtSOT12 over‐expressing plants are more resistant to pathogen infection. Moreover, pathogen‐induced PR gene expression in systemic leaves was significantly enhanced in AtSOT12 over‐expressing plants. The role of sulphonation of SA in SA production, mobile signalling and acquired systemic resistance is discussed.     

小鼠α1,2岩藻糖基转移酶基因的克隆及表达

本文报告小鼠GDP岩藻糖:β半乳糖苷α1,2-岩藻糖基转移酶(α1,2-fucosyltansferase,α1,2- FT)基因的克隆,并进行功能鉴定。利用RT-PCR方法克隆小鼠α1,2-岩藻糖基转移酶基因编码区 MFUT-Ⅱ,测序后将其插入表达载体pcDNA3．1的多克隆位点,构建表达载体pcDNA3．1-MFUT-Ⅱ; 采用磷酸钙法将其转染于COS-7细胞进行表达,通过对底物特异性比较研究酶的性质;应用 Northern印迹杂交法研究基因在小鼠组织中的表达情况;应用southern印迹杂交法分析基因存在状态。结果证实MFUT-Ⅱ为小鼠α1,2-岩藻糖基转移酶基因家族的新成员,含有一个完整的开放读码框,可编码347个氨基酸．其估计分子质量为39 kDa,和小鼠H及Secl基因具有序列同源性,分别与人类Se基因(79．0％)、大鼠Rat FTB(89％)基因、兔Rabbit FT-Ⅲ基因(77％)具有较高的序列同源性。用MFUT-Ⅱ基因转染的COS-7细胞具有α1,2-FT活性,MFUT-Ⅱ可在多种组织中产生 3．5kb大小的mRNA转录产物。基因Southern印迹杂交分析结果显示:基因MFUT-Ⅱ仅为一个拷贝。这些结果证明MFUT-Ⅱ为小鼠的Se基因。     

生于Equisetum上的日本新记录种Stamnaria americana(英文)

对日本新记录种Stamnaria americana进行了描述和图示。尽管低温适宜该种子囊孢子的萌发,它在20℃生长最好。DNA序列分析的结果表明,其分类地位应该从柔膜菌科转入锤舌菌科。     

Metabolism of Pyrimidines in Protoplasts from Cultured Catharanthus roseus Cells

The metabolism of [2-¹⁴C]thymine, [2-¹⁴C]thymidine, [2-¹⁴C]uraciland [¹⁴C]uridine was investigated in protoplasts obtained fromsuspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus. Most of the exogenouslysupplied thymine, thymidine and uracil was degraded, and salvageof these pyrimidines accounted for 5–36 per cent of thetotal amount of ¹⁴C-labelled precursors which was metabolized.However, more than 80 per cent of the labelled uridine was utilizedfor the biosynthesis of nucleotides and nucleic acids, and therest was degraded. In contrast to the results from protoplastsof sugar cane cells in suspension culture, the data indicatethat protoplasts possess a pathway for the degradation of pyrimidines,and that the overall metabolism of these pyrimidines in protoplastsis very similar to the metabolism in the intact cells. Catharanthus roseus, madagascar periwinkle, protoplasts, pyrimidine metabolism     

Indispensability of Iron for the Growth of Cultured Chick Cells

In order to clarify the role of iron in the growth promoting effect of transferrin (Tf), the effects of the following substances were examined in cultured chick skeletal myogenic cells: transition metal ions (Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺), Tf complexes with these metals and metal-free apoTf.
The cells did not grow well when incubated in a culture medium composed of Eagle's minimum essential medium and horse serum. But they grew well in the presence of Fe²⁺ or Fe³⁺ (10–100 μM) or iron-bound Tf (10–500 nM) in the medium. None of the transition metal ions other than iron was effective. Neither apoTf nor Tf complexes with these metals showed the growth promoting effect. The generality of the requirement of iron for cell growth was ascertained in the primary culture of other types of chick embryonic cells: fibroblasts, cardiac myocytes, retinal pigment cells and spinal nerve cells.
The results show that iron is one of the indispensable substances for cell growth and suggest that Tf protein plays a role in facilitating the transport of iron into the cells.     

Vespidae (Hymenoptera) of Vietnam 3: Synoptic key to Vietnamese species of the polistine genus Ropalidia, with notes on taxonomy and distribution

Nineteen species of the paper wasp genus Ropalidia are recorded from Vietnam, of which three are new records for Vietnam. A key to all of the species, distribution records and taxonomic remarks are given. New synonymies proposed are: Ropalidia bicolorata parvula van der Vecht, 1962, under R. bicolorata van der Vecht, 1962; R. hongkongensis juncta van der Vecht, 1941, under R. hongkongensis (de Saussure, 1854); Icaria jucunda Cameron, 1898, and R. marginata sundaica van der Vecht, 1941, under R. marginata (Lepeletier, 1836); R. rufocollaris atrata van der Vecht, 1941, under R. rufocollaris (Cameron, 1900); and R. stigma rufa van der Vecht, 1941 and R. stigma nigrolineata van der Vecht, 1962, under R. stigma (Smith, 1858).     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in Ijima's leaf warbler,Phylloscopus ijimae (Aves: Sylviidae)

Microsatellite markers were isolated from Ijima's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus ijimae. From an enriched genomic library and using the fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO) method, 10 polymorphic loci were obtained. Four to 12 alleles were identified in an analysis of 23 Ijima's leaf warblers, with the degree of heterozygosity ranging from 0.35 to 0.87. The markers were tested in four species of Phylloscopus and two other non‐Phylloscopus species of Sylviidae. Some loci were successfully amplified and showed polymorphism in Phylloscopus species, whereas amplification in the non‐Phylloscopus species was less successful.