Implication of Ethylene in the Release of Secondary Dormancy in Amaranthus caudatus L. Seeds by Gibberellins or Cytokinin

Ethephon (Eth), gibberellin A₃, A_{4 + 7} (GA₃, GA_{4 + 7}), and 6-benzyladenine (BA) removed secondary dormancy of Amaranthus caudatus seeds. The GAs and BA potentiated the effect of ethephon or 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), an ethylene biosynthesis precursor, in terms of the rate or final percent of germination. Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), an ACC synthase activity inhibitor, was observed to simultaneously inhibit the release from dormancy effected by GA₃ or BA as well as the ethylene production stimulated by these regulators. Breaking of secondary dormancy by GA₃, GA_{4 + 7} or BA was prevented by 2,5-norbornadiene (NBD), an inhibitor of ethylene binding. Ethylene completely or markedly reversed the inhibitory effect of NBD. We thus conclude that the removal of secondary dormancy in Amaranthus caudatus seeds by gibberellin or benzyladenine involves ethylene biosynthesis and action.     

苏北滩涂海水灌溉与施氮对籽粒苋生长的影响

为创建海涂海水种、养复合清洁生产模式,首先要探索海水灌溉经济植物的种植条件,为此,在苏北滩涂布置田间小区试验,研究海水灌溉下氮肥与海水对籽粒苋生长的耦合效应。结果表明:1)20%海水灌溉下,施纯氮量120kg.hm-2,植株鲜草和籽粒产量均显著高于施纯氮量60kg.hm-2下的产量,且与施纯氮量180kg.hm-2处理下的产量差异不显著;40%海水灌溉下,施氮120kg.hm-2时籽粒产量最高,但其产量显著低于20%海水灌溉、施纯氮量120kg.hm-2下的产量。2)鲜草产量在淡水灌溉、施纯氮60kg.hm-2下达到最高值,籽粒产量在淡水灌溉,施纯氮180kg.hm-2下达到最高值。但20%海水灌溉、施纯氮120kg.hm-2组合下,籽粒产量和鲜草产量均未与最高产量达显著差异。3)随施氮量的增加,茎、叶中K+含量增加,而根、茎、叶中Na+含量和Cl-含量均先减少后增加。在施氮量为120kg.hm-2范围内,茎K+/Na+随施氮量的增加而升高,施氮量进一步增加,K+/Na+又随之下降。4)20%海水灌溉下,叶片氮素含量在120kg.hm-2处理下达到最高值,在40%海水处理下,氮肥施用对叶片氮素含量影响不显著。...     

Covalent immobilization of hydroperoxide lyase on chitosan hybrid hydrogels and production of C6 aldehydes by immobilized enzyme

Five kinds of spacer arm attached chitosan hybrid hydrogels were tested for the possibility of being used as carriers for the immobilization of hydroperoxide lyase from amaranthus tricolor leaves. The 1,6-hexamethylenediamine attached chitosan-κ-carrageenan with biomimetic hydrophobic surface was proved to be the most suitable carrier. A maximum activity of 7.49 ± 0.19 U/g and a yield of 95% were obtained under optimized coupling condition. Meanwhile, the affinity between enzyme and substrates was not reduced after immobilization, as evidenced by the fact that the K_m value of hydroperoxide lyase decreased from 108.6 to 79.97 μM for 13-hydroperoxy-linoleic-acid and almost unchanged for 13-hydroperoxy-linolenic-acid. Furthermore, the thermal, operational and storage stabilities of HPL were significantly improved after immobilization. Using the immobilized enzyme as the catalyst, the yield of 2(E)-hexenal and hexanal reached 1374.8 ± 51.8 mg/L and 1987.9 ± 67.9 mg/L, respectively, and the amount of immobilized enzyme needed in the reaction mixture was much lower than its free counterpart.     

Analysis of molecular genetic diversity and population structure in Amaranthus germplasm using SSR markers

We assessed the molecular genetic diversity and population structure of Amaranthus species accessions using 11 simple sequence repeat markers. A total of 122 alleles were detected, and the number of alleles per marker (N_A) ranged from 6 to 21 with an average of 11.1 alleles. The frequency of major alleles per locus ranged from 0.148 to 0.695, with an average value of 0.496 per marker. The overall polymorphic information content values were 0.436–0.898, with an average value of 0.657. The observed heterozygosity (H_O) and expected heterozygosity (H_E) ranged from 0.056 to 0.876 and from 0.480 to 0.907, with average values of 0.287 and 0.698, respectively. The average H_O (0.240) was lower than the H_E and gene flow (Nm), and showed substantial genetic variability among all populations of amaranth accessions. The sample groupings did not strictly follow the geographic affiliations of the accessions. A similar pattern was obtained using model-based structure analysis without grouping by species type. Knowledge of the genetic diversity and population structure of amaranth can be used to select representative genotypes and manage Amaranthus germplasm breeding programs.     

Molecular Identification of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi’‐related Strain Infecting Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) in China

Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) is a common weed that grows vigorously in orchards, roadside verges, fields, woods and scrubland in China. In 2009, phytoplasma disease surveys were made in orchards in Beijing, China, and stem/leaf tissues were collected from asymptomatic amaranths. Direct PCR using universal phytoplasma primers P1/P7 detected 16S rRNA gene sequences in every DNA sample extracted from the symptomless amaranths. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene determined that the amaranth phytoplasma strain was related to ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi’. Furthermore, virtual RFLP pattern analysis showed that the amaranth phytoplasma belonged to the 16SrV‐B subgroup. This is the first report of symptomless plants containing a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi’‐related strain.     

Interaction of Amaranthin with the Electron Transport Chain of Chloroplasts

The electron paramagnetic resonance method was used to study the interactions of amaranthin with isolated class B chloroplasts from broad bean (Vicia faba L.) and amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) during the light-driven electron and proton transport. Amaranthin was shown to interact with electron transport chain of chloroplasts at the PS II level; it also affects the electron transport near PS I. At the same time, amaranthin had no significant inhibitory effect on the light-dependent formation of the transmembrane pH gradient.     

A chromosome-level Amaranthus cruentus genome assembly highlights gene family evolution and biosynthetic gene clusters that may underpin the nutritional value of this traditional crop

Traditional crops have historically provided accessible and affordable nutrition to millions of rural dwellers but have been neglected, with most modern agricultural systems over-reliant on a small number of internationally traded crops. Traditional crops are typically well-adapted to local agro-ecological conditions and many are nutrient-dense. They can play a vital role in local food systems through enhanced nutrition (particularly where diets are dominated by starch crops), food security and livelihoods for smallholder farmers, and a climate-resilient and biodiverse agriculture. Using short-read, long-read and phased sequencing technologies, we generated a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly for Amaranthus cruentus, an under-researched crop with micronutrient- and protein-rich leaves and gluten-free seed, but lacking improved varieties, with respect to productivity and quality traits. The 370.9 Mb genome demonstrates a shared whole genome duplication with a related species, Amaranthus hypochondriacus. Comparative genome analysis indicates chromosomal loss and fusion events following genome duplication that are common to both species, as well as fission of chromosome 2 in A. cruentus alone, giving rise to a haploid chromosome number of 17 (versus 16 in A. hypochondriacus). Genomic features potentially underlying the nutritional value of this crop include two A. cruentus-specific genes with a likely role in phytic acid synthesis (an anti-nutrient), expansion of ion transporter gene families, and identification of biosynthetic gene clusters conserved within the amaranth lineage. The A. cruentus genome assembly will underpin much-needed research and global breeding efforts to develop improved varieties for economically viable cultivation and realization of the benefits to global nutrition security and agrobiodiversity.     

两种国产新记录植物

报导了两种国产新记录植物 :1 .薄叶苋 ( Amaranthus tenuifolius Willd.) ;2 .野甘薯 ( Ipomoea la-cunose L .)     

Zinc phytoavailability after remediation in soils contaminated by sphalerite-containing pyritic sludge

Zinc can be toxic to plants growing on soils in areas of the Guadiamar River valley (southwestern Spain) affected by the spillage of pyritic sludge in April 1998. The shoots and the soil around the roots of two wild plants (viz. Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats., November 2000; and Xanthium strumarium L., June 2001) growing in the sludge-affected areas were sampled with the purpose of relating Zn phytoavailability to soil properties. The soils were calcareous and non-calcareous Entisols and Inceptisols which, after remediation, contained ploughed-in residual sludge and unevenly distributed industrial lime. Chemical extracts from the soils suggested that much of the sphalerite (ZnS) originally present in the sludge had weathered and Zn was partly bound to carbonates and Fe oxides, the total Zn concentration ranging from 37 to 2407 mg kg ^–1. To identify the soil properties that influenced Zn phytoavailability under controlled conditions, the soil samples (n=63) were homogenized and oilseed rape (Brassica napus var. Karola) was pot-grown on them in a growth chamber. The concentrations of Zn in oilseed rape shoots and roots were below phytotoxic levels, with mean ± standard deviation values of 142 ± 128 and 244 ± 328 mg kg ^–1 dry matter, respectively. Citrate/bicarbonate-extractable Zn in soil (Zn _cb) was found to be the best predictor for the Zn concentration in both shoots and roots. Also, the Zn _cb/Olsen P ratio exhibited a high predictive power for Zn in shoots as the likely result of the Zn-P interaction in soil. The shoot Zn concentration in the wild plants, generally lay below phytotoxic levels (the mean ± standard deviation values were 261 ± 255 and 200 ± 228 mg kg ^–1 dry matter for Amaranthus blitoides and Xanthium strumarium, respectively) and was not correlated with soil properties – by exception, there was slight correlation between the Zn concentration in Amaranthus blitoides and Zn _cb/Olsen P. Such a lack of correlation can be ascribed to the local small-scale soil heterogeneity caused by remediation practices. The Zn concentration in wild plants growing on CaCO ₃-poor soils was weakly correlated with Zn _cb/Olsen P; no similar correlation was found in CaCO ₃-rich soils, however. The wild plants growing on CaCO ₃-poor and CaCO ₃-rich soils differed little in Zn concentration; this suggests that further addition of lime to reduce Zn phytoavailability may be unjustified.