Seed germination in Chenopodium album L.: further evidence for the dependence of the effects of growth regulators on nitrate availability

Abstract Chenopodium album L. plants, grown under controlled environmental conditions on different levels of soil nitrate, produced seeds with proportionately different NO^?₃ contents. Regardless of the endogenous NO^?₃ content, few seeds germinated in water or upon treatment with KNO₃. Ethylene promoted germination, and the extent of germination was positively correlated with the endogenous seed NO^?₃ content. Combined application of ethylene and KNO₃ in the dark had a synergistic effect on NO^?₃ -deficient seed. The synergism between ethylene and KNO₃ was attributable to the NO^?₃ moiety of the nitrate salt. Ethylene and light showed moderate synergism in seeds with low or high endogenous nitrate. Addition of nitrate, however, masked the interaction between ethylene and light. Gibberellic acid₄₊₇ (GA₄₊₇) or red light, each alone or combined with KNO₃, had little effect on germination. When applied together in the dark, ethylene and GA₄₊₇ synergistically enhanced the germination of NO^?₃-deficient seed. The combined effects of the two hormones on this seed were further enhanced by the addition of KNO₃. There was no synergism between ethylene and GA₄₊₇ in NO^?₃-rich seed. These interactions among GA₄₊₇, ethylene and KNO₃ were not affected by light. The results confirm and further elaborate our earlier finding that the sensitivity of C. album seeds to ethylene may depend on nitrate availability.     

Changes in distribution of chloroplast adenylate kinase isoforms during floral induction

In the short day plant Chenopodium rubrum and the long day plant Nicotiana tabacum cv. Havana 425, adenylate kinase (EC 2.7.4.3) occurs as a family of isoforms, with at least two members localized in the chloroplast representing the main isoforms. In this work, isoforms were separated by anion exchange chromatography and relative isoform activities were compared between vegetative plants and plants induced to flowering. In both species examined, a light regime leading to floral induction resulted in a significant decrease in the activity of one chloroplast isoform. This decrease modified considerably the relative distribution of isoform activities, especially that between the two chloroplast activities.     

Prediction of a low dose herbicide effect from studies on binding of metribuzin to the chloroplasts of Chenopodium album L.

Chenopodium album L. seedlings at the 4- and 8-leaf stage were exposed to low concentrations metribuzin [4-amino-6-(l, l-dimethyl)-3-(methylthio)-l,2,4-triazin (4 H )-one] in nutrient solution to study herbicide uptake and the effects of low-dose rates. Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured to relate the inhibition of photosynthesis to herbicide dose. The minimum rate at which metribuzin fully inhibited photosynthesis was less than 1 μM for seedlings at the 4-leaf stage of development, and between 1 and 5 μM for the 8-leaf stage seedlings. With isolated chloroplasts, experiments were conducted to establish the relationship between the amount of herbicide molecules bound to each chloroplast and the inhibition of photosynthesis. From the dose-response curves obtained it was calculated that photosynthesis was fully inhibited when 7.5 10⁵ molecules metribuzin were bound to each chloroplast. This amount of binding was used to estimate minimum-lethal dose rates of metribuzin required for seedlings differing in fresh weight of leaves and amounts of chloroplasts present. It is suggested that prediction of a low dose herbicide effect from studies on binding of photosystem-II inhibitors in combination with chlorophyll fluorescence measurements may lead to the development of a new weed management strategy.     

The effects of domestic compost upon the germination and emergence of barley and six arable weeds

In a bioassay, leachate from composted household waste was found to decrease both cress germination and the germination of barley and six arable weeds, especially in the light. The effect of compost depth upon the emergence of these species was examined in a glasshouse experiment. Compost had no significant effect on barley emergence. However, weed emergence, particularly of those with small seeds, was reduced greatly by the physical effect of compost and, to a lesser extent, by its chemical effect. The emergence of the large-seeded species was relatively unaffected by increasing depths of compost, whereas that of the smaller-seeded weeds steadily decreased, being almost completely prevented by a 3 cm layer. The use of compost to control arable weeds in the field is discussed.     

Fluctuation of free IAA under inductive and non-inductive photoperiods in Chenopodium rubrum

Fluctuation in levels of endogenous free IAA has been followed in the SD plant Chenopodium rubrum under photoperiodic conditions inductive or not inductive of flowering. Endogenous IAA was measured fluorimetrically as -pyrone. The level of IAA shows little fluctuation under continuous illumination. An endogenous rhythm of IAA fluctuation was found in plants transferred from light to continuous darkness, with a natural period of 30 hrs. The troughs of minimum IAA level within the endogenous rhythm coincided with the peaks in the endogenous rhythm of flowering response, which possessed the same period length. The concentration of IAA in the shoot always decreased at the end of cycles of dark period that induce flowering. The results are discussed in relation to the role of IAA in flowering of SD plants.     

土荆芥挥发油化感胁迫对土壤胞外酶活性和微生物多样性的影响

入侵植物释放的化感物质可改变土壤理化性状和微生物群落结构,通过与土壤微生物的互作抑制本土植物生长。为了进一步诠释土荆芥化感作用机制,采用温室培养瓶法,探讨了其挥发油对土壤胞外酶活性和微生物多样性的影响。结果表明:土荆芥挥发油不同程度降低了脲酶、酸性磷酸酶、蔗糖酶和硝酸还原酶的活性(P0.05);较高剂量的挥发油处理组显著促进了过氧化氢酶活性(P0.05)。处理初期挥发油对土壤胞外酶活性影响较大,但随着处理时间延长,其影响逐渐减弱;处理16 d后,较高剂量(20μL和50μL)的挥发油处理组细菌数量显著高于对照(P0.05)。挥发油对土壤放线菌数量的影响表现为低剂量促进,高剂量抑制的效应;PCR-DGGE分析表明,随着挥发油处理剂量增加和处理时间延长,土壤中细菌和真菌的Shannonwiener多样性指数和丰富度指数均增大。结论:土荆芥挥发油可改变土壤微生物群落结构和胞外酶活性,增加土壤微生物多样性。     

深海白色侧齿霉遗传转化体系建立及渗透压调控相关的EaSHO1基因功能

海洋中具有丰富的动植物及微生物资源,海洋真菌是其重要组成之一。我们前期的研究发现一株深海真菌白色侧齿霉Engyodontium album能产生具有抑菌活性的次级代谢产物engyodontiumin A,该化合物能抑制黑曲霉、金黄色葡萄球菌及创伤弧菌等病原菌的生长,是一种潜在的海洋源抗菌药物。目前,该菌遗传转化体系尚未建立,不利于开展次级代谢产物合成调控机制及其他功能基因研究。本研究成功制备了深海白色侧齿霉菌的原生质体,建立了借助聚乙二醇3350介导的原生质体转化体系,并将pCT74-sGFP载体成功导入白色侧齿霉的原生质体中,结果显示外源GFP能稳定表达。此外,为了明确白色侧齿霉菌是否能够开展基因敲除研究,通过氨基酸序列同源比对,我们选取酵母高渗甘油信号途径中的同源基因EaSHO1进行初步探究。利用同源重组的方法成功将目的基因EaSHO1的开放阅读框(ORF)替换成潮霉素磷酸转移酶基因(HPH),由此获得EaSHO1基因敲除突变体,并对突变体进行Southern杂交验证及初步的表型分析。结果表明,EaSHO1缺失不影响白色侧齿霉菌的营养生长及对高盐胁迫的响应,亚细胞定位结果显示EaS...     

铲草和施肥对降香黄檀与印度檀香混交林土壤氮素矿化淋溶的影响

珍贵树种降香黄檀与印度檀香混交种植是当前华南地区人工林发展的一种重要模式.本研究设置对照(不做处理)、铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥4个处理,研究抚育措施对林地土壤净矿化速率、净硝化速率、净铵化速率和氮素淋溶速率的影响.结果表明:4个处理0~10 cm土层在春、秋季有最大净氮矿化速率,分别为18.92、18.13 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;在春、秋季有最大硝化速率,分别为20.35、18.85 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;夏、冬季有最大铵化速率,分别为0.22、0.26 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;秋季的氮素淋溶最严重,为15.98 mg·kg^-1·month^-1,全年最大淋溶为86.69 mg·kg^-1.铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥都在一定程度上抑制了土壤氮的净矿化和硝化速率,铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥处理年氮矿化量分别下降26.2%、16.1%、6.3%,年氮硝化量分别下降17.1%、16.6%、1.4%,同时也抑制了土壤铵态氮的累积.铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥处理全年氮素淋溶量依次减少25.2%、8.6%、6.1%.相对于铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥抚育措施,季节因素对土壤氮素矿化和淋溶过程的影响更显著.铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥措施在一定程度上抑制了土壤氮素硝化和铵化过程,减少了土壤氮素的矿化和淋溶损失量,有利于土壤肥力的保存和氮素的累积.     

Turnover of O-Glucosides of Dihydrozeatin and Dihydrozeatin-9-riboside During the Cell Growth Cycle of Photoautotrophic Cell Suspension Cultures of Chenopodium rubrum

The cellular levels of O-glucosides of ³H-(diH)Z and ³H-(diH)[9R]Z, the major short-term metabolites of ³H-(diH)Z having been exogenously supplied to photoautotrophically growing suspension cell cultures of Chenopodium rubrum, decreased significantly during further culture, irrespective of whether the cells were maintained in the stationary phase or were transferred to conditions restoring cell divison. Metabolism of both compounds was more pronounced during the active growth phase than during the stationary phase. The O-glucosides were converted preferentially to polar compounds of as yet unknown nature, which were partly excreted into the medium. The cellular pools of both glycosides remained compartmented within the vacuole. In contrast to the O-glycosides, the small cellular pools of the aglycones ³H-(diH)Z and ³H-(diH)[9R]Z maintained their level during the experimental period of 30 days. Small amounts of the glucosides, as well as of the aglycones, were recovered from the medium and could have resulted from the lysis of a few cells. The results demonstrate, for the first time, that O-glucosides of cytokinins are not irreversibly deposited within the vacuole of plant cells but may serve to maintain a small, but more or less constant pool of extra-vacuolar, presumably cytosolic, aglycones. (DiH)Z and its derivatives could be demonstrated to be endogenous cytokinins of Chenopodium rubrum suspension cultured cells occurring along with those of the isopentenyladenine and zeatin types.