A dynamic, architectural plant model simulating resource-dependent growth

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Physiological and architectural plant models have originally been developed for different purposes and therefore have little in common, thus making combined applications difficult. There is, however, an increasing demand for crop models that simulate the genetic and resource-dependent variability of plant geometry and architecture, because man is increasingly able to transform plant production systems through combined genetic and environmental engineering. MODEL: GREENLAB is presented, a mathematical plant model that simulates interactions between plant structure and function. Dual-scale automaton is used to simulate plant organogenesis from germination to maturity on the basis of organogenetic growth cycles that have constant thermal time. Plant fresh biomass production is computed from transpiration, assuming transpiration efficiency to be constant and atmospheric demand to be the driving force, under non-limiting water supply. The fresh biomass is then distributed among expanding organs according to their relative demand. Demand for organ growth is estimated from allometric relationships (e.g. leaf surface to weight ratios) and kinetics of potential growth rate for each organ type. These are obtained through parameter optimization against empirical, morphological data sets by running the model in inverted mode. Potential growth rates are then used as estimates of relative sink strength in the model. These and other 'hidden' plant parameters are calibrated using the non-linear, least-square method. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The model reproduced accurately the dynamics of plant growth, architecture and geometry of various annual and woody plants, enabling 3D visualization. It was also able to simulate the variability of leaf size on the plant and compensatory growth following pruning, as a result of internal competition for resources. The potential of the model's underlying concepts to predict the plant's phenotypic plasticity is discussed.     

Allometric growth and carbon storage in the mangrove Sonneratia apetala

Allometric growth reflects different allocation patterns and relationships of different components or traits of a plant and is closely related to ecosystem carbon storage. As an introduced species, the growth and carbon storage of Sonneratia apetala are still unclear. To derive allometric relationships of the mangrove S. apetala and to estimate carbon storage in mangrove ecosystems, we harvested 12 individual Sonneratia apetala trees from four different diameter classes in the Futian National Nature Reserve, Guangdong, China. Allometric growth models were fitted. The results showed that diameter at breast height (DBH) and wood density were better variables for predicting plant biomass (including above- and below-ground biomass) than plant height. There were significant power function relationships between biomass and DBH, with a mean allometric exponent of 2.22, and stem biomass accounted for 97% of the variation in S. apetala total biomass. Nearly isometric scaling relationships were developed between stem biomass and other biomass components. To better understand the carbon stocks of the S. apetala ecosystem, we categorized all trees into five age classes and quantified vegetation carbon storage. The S. apetala vegetation carbon storage ranged from 96.48 to 215.35 Mg C ha^?1, and the carbon storage significantly increased with stand age. The allometric equations developed in this study are useful to estimate biomass and carbon storage of S. apetala ecosystems.

     

玉米及马齿苋叶片SOD活性诱导研究

以玉米幼苗及马齿苋作材料,通过甘露醇、H2O2、臭氧和强光等胁迫后,用NBT光化还原抑制法测定叶中SOD活性的变化。臭氧和强光能诱导玉米叶片SOD活性增加。0.5mol／L甘露醇处理玉米叶片12h,SOD活性上升,至48h后下降;在该甘露醇溶液中另外加入10^-2mol/L H2O2;处理12h后SOD活性基本不变。对玉米叶片单独用10^-2mol/L H2O2诱导,30min内SOD活性上升到最高值,随着处理时间的延长又逐渐下降。用耐强光、耐干旱的野生马齿苋作为材料,与玉米相比,其叶片SOD基础活性低于后者;若予以正午强光结合渗透胁迫2h,其叶中SOD活性增幅超过玉米,从种间比较的角度旁证了SOD在抗逆性中的作用。推测植物中存在比活性氧更为直接的物理诱导机制。     

不同萃取体系对小球藻藻渣成分的影响

考察5种萃取体系（A：正己烷,B：正己烷/乙醇,C：正己烷/异丙醇,D：氯仿/甲醇,E：氯仿/乙醇）对小球藻（Chlorella phyrenoidosa）油脂的提取效果及藻渣成分的影响。实验结果表明：不同的萃取体系下,油脂得率为D（12.27%）、E（8.87%）、C（7.71%）、B（6.80%）、A（3.91%）,藻渣蛋白含量为A（52.60%）、E（46.23%）、B（40.19%）、C（39.52%）、D（32.52%）,藻渣碳水化合物含量为A（23.28%）、E（16.15%）、B（13.24%）、D（13.50%）、C（9.06%）;藻渣色素含量为A（1.75%）、E（1.29%）、B（1.14%）、C（0.96%）、D（0.58%）;藻渣灰分含量为D（3.63%）、E（2.94%）、C（2.23%）、B（2.25%）、A（1.48%）。综合考虑微藻生物柴油的生产及藻渣的可利用性,V（氯仿）/V（乙醇）=1是一种油脂萃取效果较好,藻渣营养成分损失较小的小球藻油脂萃取体系。     

鸡减蛋综合征病毒(EDSV)基因组右末端结构的分析

从中国发病鸡中分离的鸡减蛋综合征病毒（ＥｇｇＤｒｏｐＳｙｎｄｒｏｍＶｉｒｕｓ,ＥＤＳＶ）弱毒株（ＡＡ－２）,其基因组全长约为３３ｋｂ。用限制性内切酶ＨｉｎｄⅢ水解ＥＤＳＶ全基因组,构建了以ｐＢｌｕｅｓｃｒｉｐｔⅡ（ＫＳ＋）为载体的右末端片段的克隆（约４．２ｋｂ）,对其进行了序列测定和结构分析。该片段全长４１８３个碱基对（ｂｐ）,位于基因组右末端８７．３ｍ．ｕ．－１００ｍ．ｕ．。结果显示,该片段与哺乳动物腺病毒右末端Ｅ４区结构不同,与禽Ⅰ型腺病毒代表株ＣＥＬＯ右末端片段亦无同源性。本文为深入了解ＥＤＳＶ基因组结构特点,ＥＤＳＶ与其他腺病毒基因结构与功能的进化关系和ＥＤＳＶ载体的构建奠定了分子生物学基础     

A global alfalfa diversity panel reveals genomic selection signatures in Chinese varieties and genomic associations with root development

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage crop worldwide. However, little is known about the effects of breeding status and different geographical populations on alfalfa improvement. Here, we sequenced 220 alfalfa core germplasms and determined that Chinese alfalfa cultivars form an independent group, as evidenced by comparisons of F_ST values between different subgroups, suggesting that geographical origin plays an important role in group differentiation. By tracing the influence of geographical regions on the genetic diversity of alfalfa varieties in China, we identified 350 common candidate genetic regions and 548 genes under selection. We also defined 165 loci associated with 24 important traits from genome-wide association studies. Of those, 17 genomic regions closely associated with a given phenotype were under selection, with the underlying haplotypes showing significant differences between subgroups of distinct geographical origins. Based on results from expression analysis and association mapping, we propose that 6-phosphogluconolactonase (MsPGL) and a gene encoding a protein with NHL domains (MsNHL) are critical candidate genes for root growth. In conclusion, our results provide valuable information for alfalfa improvement via molecular breeding.     

miR-10a Regulates Proliferation of Human Cardiomyocyte Progenitor Cells by Targeting GATA6

microRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in cardiogenesis. The altered expression of miRNAs can result in cardiac malformations by inducing abnormalities in the behavior of cardiac cells. However, the role of miR-10a in the regulation of cardiomyocyte progenitor cells (CMPCs) remains undetermined. In the present study, we found that up- or down-regulation of miR-10a inhibited or promoted the proliferation of human CMPCs, respectively, without affecting their differentiation toward cardiomyocytes. miR-10a bound to GATA6 directly and reduced GATA6 expression. Over-expression of GATA6 greatly attenuated the miR-10a-mediated inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human CMPCs. Thus, our results indicate that miR-10a could effectively modulate the proliferation of human CMPCs by targeting GATA6. The finding provides novel insights into the potency of miR-10a during heart development.     

孢子丝菌病43例临床分析

目的 探讨孢子丝菌病的发病原因及特点。方法 就1991～2002年间在本院就诊的深部真菌病病例,利用沙氏真菌学检查方法筛查确诊为孢子丝菌病43例并进行临床观察。结果 1991—1993年患者5例（11．63％）,1994～1996年水灾后2年内患者34例（79．07％）,1997～2002年5年内患者4例（9．30％）。有明显外伤史及疑似蚊、蜂叮螫者占总发病人数72．09％。伴高血压者占20．93％。碘化钾治愈率100％。结论 各种原因造成的环境污染或某些自然灾害致使腐生菌大量生长繁殖是引起本病区域性流行的根本原因。外伤及昆虫叮、螫为重要致病条件。碘化钾为首选治疗药物。     

水分胁迫对小麦捕光色素蛋白复合物的影响

棉农４号春小麦幼苗（Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ ａｅｓｔｉｕｖｕｍ Ｌ．ｅｖ ．Ｍｉａｎｎｏｎｇ Ｎｏ．４）经一０．５ＭＰａ ＰＥＧ溶液渗透胁迫２４、４８和７２ｈ,使叶片分别受到轻蔗、中度和重度的水分胁迫。在渐进水分腔迫条件下,叶绿体类囊体膜中光系统Ⅱ捕光色素蛋白得合物（ＬＣＨ Ⅱ）的各组分含量发生了不同变化。对类囊体纱蛋白复合物进行的温和电泳结果显示,在轻度水分胁迫（２４ｈ）时,明轻度水分胁迫对其有诱导作     

Further Daphniphyllum Alkaloids with Insecticidal Activity from the Bark of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq.

Two new Daphniphyllum alkaloids, macropodumines J and K ( 1 and 2 , resp.), together with six known structurally related alkaloids, 3 – 8 , were isolated from the bark of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq . The structures of the new compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of their spectroscopic and chemical data. Macropodumine J ( 1 ) contains a CN group which is relatively rare in naturally occurring alkaloids. All isolated compounds were tested for their insecticidal activities against a number of insect species. Daphtenidine C ( 5 ) is the most active compound against Plutella xylostella. This is the first report of insecticidal properties of Daphniphyllum alkaloids.