Leaf traits of natural populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Adiantum reniforme</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">sinensis</Emphasis>, endemic to the Three Gorges region in China

Leaf mass per unit area (LMA), carbon and nitrogen contents, leaf construction cost, and photosynthetic capacity (P _max) of Adiantum reniforme var. sinensis, an endangered fern endemic to the Three Gorges region in southwest China, were compared in five populations differing in habitat such as soil moisture and irradiance. The low soil moisture and high irradiance habitat population exhibited significantly higher LMA, area-based leaf construction (CC_A), and carbon content (C_A), but lower leaf nitrogen content per unit dry mass (N_M) than the other habitat populations. The high soil moisture and low irradiance habitat populations had the lowest CC_A, but their cost/benefic ratios of CCA/P _max were similar to the medium soil moisture and irradiance habitat population due to their lower leaf P _max. Hence A. reniforme var. sinensis prefers partially shaded, moist but well-drained, slope habitats. Due to human activities, however, its main habitats now are cliffs or steeply sloped bare rocks with poor and thin soil. The relatively high energy requirements and low photosynthetic capacity in these habitats could limit the capability of the species in extending population or interspecific competition and hence increase its endangerment.     

One-year survey of a single Micronesian reef reveals extraordinarily rich diversity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Symbiodinium</Emphasis> types in soritid foraminifera

Recent molecular studies of symbiotic dinoflagellates (genus Symbiodinium) from a wide array of invertebrate hosts have revealed exceptional fine-scale symbiont diversity whose distribution among hosts, regions and environments exhibits significant biogeographic, ecological and evolutionary patterns. Here, similar molecular approaches using the internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) region were applied to investigate cryptic diversity in Symbiodinium inhabiting soritid foraminifera. Approximately 1,000 soritid specimens were collected and examined during a 12-month period over a 40 m depth gradient from a single reef in Guam, Micronesia. Out of 61 ITS-2 types distinguished, 46 were novel. Most types found are specific for soritid hosts, except for three types (C1, C15 and C19) that are common in metazoan hosts. The distribution of these symbionts was compared with the phylotype of their foraminiferal hosts, based on soritid small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences, and three new phylotypes of soritid hosts were identified based on these sequences. Phylogenetic analyses of 645 host-symbiont pairings revealed that most Symbiodinium types associated specifically with a particular foraminiferal host genus or species, and that the genetic diversity of these symbiont types was positively correlated with the genetic diversity found within each of the three host genera. Compared to previous molecular studies of Symbiodinium from other locations worldwide, the diversity reported here is exceptional and suggests that Micronesian coral reefs are home to a remarkably large Symbiodinium assemblage.     

A low copy number cosmid

A low copy number cosmid was constructed by subcloning the pair of cos sites and the kanamycin resistance gene of pcos2EMBL into pGB2. The resulting cosmid, pPR691, has the pSC101 replicon and specifies resistance to kanamycin, spectinomycin, and streptomycin. pPR691 also carries restriction sites suitable for cloning partial Sau3A digests using the strategy of Bates and Swift (P. F. Bates and R. A. Swift, 1983, Gene 26, 137-146). A library of Salmonella typhimurium chromosomal DNA was made using this cosmid and the rfb gene cluster (map position 42) was isolated from this library.     

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.     

Lanthanum relieves salinity-induced oxidative stress in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saussurea involucrata</Emphasis>

Changes in growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics under salt stress with or without La³⁺ treatment in Saussurea involucrata Kar. et Kir. were investigated. The results showed that La³⁺ relieved the plant growth inhibition, improved the leaf water potential and water content, increased the soluble protein and the proline contents and decreased malondialdehyde content under salt stress. Further, addition of La³⁺ significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione reductase, decreased the photosynthetic pigment decomposition and increased the ratio of total chlorophyll to carotenoids under salt stress.