Natural revegetation on topsoiled mining-spoils according to the exposure

Comparative plant successional studies on derelict sites are providing significant insights into vegetation dynamics to ensure the success of future revegetation projects in these areas and, in the short-term, by using a space-for-time substitution. In this paper we describe, in relation to site exposure, vegetation development on waste rock materials covered with biologically active soil media, and compare this development with that from a previous study at the same mine (CW Spain) on non-biologically modified waste rock materials. The succession under study is faster on the North slope, as expected, and does not differ significantly from the general pattern of primary revegetation, although it was characterised by its own sequence of plant species. The topsoiling of waste increases richness and diversity from the first year of revegetation, reduces the time required for recovery of a terminal stage, and highlights the influence of slope orientation on vegetation dynamics. A total of 237 plant taxa were recorded, showing one of four patterns of change: (1) ‘pioneer’, (2) ‘intermediate’, (3) ‘late coloniser’ and (4) ‘fluctuating’.     

Involvement of Histone Modifications in Plant Abiotic Stress Responses

As sessile organisms, plants encounter various environmental stimuli including abiotic stresses during their lifecycle. To survive under adverse conditions, plants have evolved intricate mechanisms to ...     

Different flowering phenology of alien invasive species in Spain: evidence for the use of an empty temporal niche?

Flowering phenology is an important and poorly understood plant trait that may possibly be related to the invasiveness potential of alien species. The present work evaluates whether flowering time of invasive alien species is a key trait to overcome the climatic filters operating in continental Mediterranean ecosystems of Spain (characterised by summer drought and low temperatures in winter). We conducted comparisons between the flowering phenology of the invasive species in their native range and in Spain, and between flowering phenology of 91 coexisting invasive–native species pairs. For the alien species, geographical change from the native to the invaded region did not result in shifts in the start and the length of the flowering period. Overall, climatic conditions in the native range of species selected for a flowering pattern is maintained after translocation of the species to another region. Flowering of tropical and temperate invasive alien species peaked in summer, which contrasts with the spring flowering of native and invasive alien species of Mediterranean climate origin. By exploiting this new temporal niche, these invasive alien species native to tropical and temperate regions benefit from reduced competition with natives for abiotic and biotic resources. We suggest that human-mediated actions have reduced the strength of the summer drought filter in particular microhabitats, permitting the invasion of many summer-flowering aliens.     

热激转录因子在植物抗非生物胁迫中的功能研究进展

植物在遭受环境胁迫时会产生一系列应激反应,而热激转录因子可通过介导热激蛋白或其他热诱导基因的转录和表达,来参与调控植物抵抗逆境胁迫过程和其他生命活动。主要介绍了植物热激转录因子的基本蛋白结构域,阐述了3类热激转录因子在抗极端温度（高温、低温）胁迫、干旱胁迫、高盐胁迫、活性氧胁迫中的功能与作用机制,并探讨和展望了植物热激转录因子在植物育种和提高植物抗逆性的研究中的发展与应用前景,以期为深入研究热激转录因子在调控植物抵抗逆境胁迫中的生物学功能与机制提供理论参考。     

Overexpression of the soybean GmWNK1 altered the sensitivity to salt and osmotic stress in Arabidopsis

The WNK (With No Lysine K) serine-threonine kinases have been shown to be osmosensitive regulators and are critical for cell volume homeostasis in humans. We previously identified a soybean root-specific WNK homolog, GmWNK1, which is important for normal late root development by fine-tuning regulation of ABA levels. However, the functions of WNKs in plant osmotic stress response remains uncertain. In this study, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants with constitutive expression of GmWNK1. We found that these transgenic plants had increased endogenous ABA levels and altered expression of ABA-responsive genes, and exhibited a significantly enhanced tolerance to NaCl and osmotic stresses during seed germination and seedling development. These findings suggest that, in addition to regulating root development, GmWNK1 also regulates ABA-responsive gene expression and/or interacts with other stress related signals, thereby modulating osmotic stress responses. Thus, these results suggest that WNKs are members of an evolutionarily conserved kinase family that modulates cellular response to osmotic stresses in both animal and plants.     

植物谷胱甘肽代谢与环境胁迫

谷胱甘肽是植物体内普遍存在的小分子抗氧化物质,它在还原态硫的储存和转运、蛋白质和核酸的合成、酶活性的调节、组织抗氧化特性的维持以及对氧化还原敏感的信号传导的调节中起着重要作用。谷胱甘肽库的大小及其氧化还原状态也与植物对多种生物异源物质及生物与非生物环境胁迫的忍耐密切相关。本文简要综述了近年来人们在植物谷胱甘肽生物合成与代谢、转运、信号传导以及胁迫响应中所取得的研究进展。     

基因芯片研究植物逆境基因表达新进展

逆境胁迫影响植物的正常生长, 导致作物减产, 甚至绝收。提高作物的抗逆性一直是作物遗传育种学家追求的目标, 大量研究也正试图揭示这一复杂的生物学机制。传统的从生理生化水平到单一基因的研究都难以揭示植物复杂的抗逆机制, 而基因芯片(Gene chip)的应用使得这一目标成为了可能, 基因芯片从整个转录水平入手, 能够揭示大量基因的表达和调控情况, 同时结合蛋白质组学和代谢组学的研究方法, 将基因定位于代谢途径的某个位置, 寻找逆境胁迫响应的关键基因, 完善植物逆境胁迫响应的分子网络, 为今后利用生物技术手段提高作物抗逆境胁迫能力提供依据。文章主要对近年来基因芯片在植物逆境胁迫基因表达研究中的进展进行了综述。     

谷胱甘肽转移酶在植物抵抗非生物胁迫方面的角色

非生物胁迫因子如高盐、干旱、低温、重金属污染等严重影响植物的生长和繁殖。植物进化出一系列包括各种酶类物质的系统抵抗逆境所带来的氧化伤害。谷胱甘肽转移酶(glutathione S-transferase,GST,EC 2.5.1.18)是由多种功能的蛋白质组成的超家族,在植物遭受高盐、干旱、低温胁迫时,GSTs可清除活性氧,保护植物细胞膜结构和蛋白质活性。对谷胱甘肽转移酶在植物抵御非生物胁迫中的作用进行综述,为今后利用基因工程育种提供理论依据。