Single point mutation on the gene encoding dysbindin results in recognition deficits

The dystrobrevin‐binding protein 1 (DTNBP1) gene is a candidate risk factor for schizophrenia and has been associated with cognitive ability in both patient populations and healthy controls. DTNBP1 encodes dysbindin protein, which is localized to synaptic sites and is reduced in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of patients with schizophrenia, indicating a potential role in schizophrenia etiology. Most studies of dysbindin function have focused on the sandy (sdy) mice that lack dysbindin protein and have a wide range of abnormalities. In this study, we examined dysbindin salt and pepper (spp) mice that possess a single point mutation on the Dtnbp1 gene predicted to reduce, but not eliminate, dysbindin expression. By western blot analysis, we found that spp homozygous (spp ?/?) mutants had reduced dysbindin and synaptosomal‐associated protein 25 (SNAP‐25) in the prefrontal cortex, but unaltered levels in hippocampus. Behaviorally, spp mutants performed comparably to controls on a wide range of tasks assessing locomotion, anxiety, spatial recognition and working memory. However, spp ?/? mice had selective deficits in tasks measuring novel object recognition and social novelty recognition. Our results indicate that reduced dysbindin and SNAP‐25 protein in the prefrontal cortex of spp ?/? is associated with selective impairments in recognition processing. These spp mice may prove useful as a novel mouse model to study cognitive deficits linked to dysbindin alterations. Our findings also suggest that aspects of recognition memory may be specifically influenced by DTNBP1 single nucleotide polymorphisms or risk haplotypes in humans and this connection should be further investigated.     

Capsicum spp in vitro liquid cell suspensions: A useful system for the production of capsaicinoids and polyphenols

Capsicum are among the most extensively cultivated and consumed plant species in the world, because of their unique pungency, aroma and colour. The typical burning sensation caused by chili peppers is due to the occurrence of a group of alkaloids named capsaicinoids. In the present study, the production of solid callus and cell suspensions from hypocotyl explants of three different chili pepper cultivars (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Mazzolino, Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Naga Morich and Pimenta de Neyde), was optimised. In addition, C. chinense cv. Naga Morich cell suspensions were supplemented with biotic elicitors (methyl-jasmonate and chitosan) and with precursors and intermediates of capsaicin biosynthesis (vanillin, phenylalanine and valine), and both cells and media were analysed for capsaicinoid, polyphenol, flavonoid contents and for antioxidant activity. This is the first report regarding capsaicinoid elicitation with pure chitosan and with a combination of precursors of both phenylpropanoid and valine pathways. Overall, the highest capsaicinoid levels were detected in cell extracts from cultures treated with 10 μM methyl-jasmonate and with a combination of phenylalanine and valine amino acids (100 μM each). The present results confirm the possibility of using hypocotyl chili pepper cell suspensions to produce high amounts of health beneficial metabolites.     

Water relations of Capsicum genotypes under water stress

Pepper species and cultivars, Capsicum annuum cv. Bell Boy, C. annuum cv. Kulai and C. frutescens cv. Padi, differing in drought tolerance were investigated for their water relations, stomatal responses and abscisic acid (ABA) content during water stress. C. frutescens cv. Padi exhibited a greater osmotic adjustment than C. annuum cultivars. Stomatal conductance of cv. Bell Boy was more sensitive to water stress than that of cvs. Kulai and Padi. In all pepper genotypes, stomatal closure was triggered in the absence of a large decrease in leaf water status. ABA content in xylem sap and leaf was higher in C. annum cultivars compared to C. frutescens cv. Padi. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Neem seed oil inhibits aphid transmission of potato virus Y to pepper*

Transmission of potato vims Y to sweet pepper by the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), was inhibited by foliar applications of 1.0% or 2.0% neem seed oil to infected source plants or to uninfected recipient plants. Neem seed oil interfered with virus acquisition and inoculation in a manner comparable to that of a commercial horticultural oil, while an oil-free neem seed extract did not reduce rates of transmission compared with controls. The finding that neem seed oil inhibits virus transmission, while oil-free neem seed extract does not, suggests that the presence of the oil rather than biologically active limonoids such as azadirachtin interfere with virus transmission. None of the treatments affected rates of infection when potato virus Y was transmitted mechanically, or the resulting virus titre and symptom expression. In addition to direct control of insect pests, formulated neem oils may help reduce or delay the spread of non-persistent plant viruses.     

辣椒子叶原生质体分离条件的研究

以不同基因型的辣椒子叶为供体组织进行辣椒原生质体分离条件的研究,结果表明：幼龄子叶的原生质体产量与活力均高于老龄子叶;酶解过程中酶液渗透压、酶液浓度、酶解时间均对原生质体分离效果产生重要影响。对于辣椒子叶原生质体,最佳分离条件为酶液甘露醇浓度０．５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ,纤维素酶Ｃｅｌｌｕｌａｓｅ Ｏｎｚｕｋａ Ｒ－１０ １．５,果胶酶Ｍａｃｅｒｏｚｙｍｅ Ｒ－１０ ０．６％,酶解时间８－１０ｈ。不同基因型辣     

基于表型数据的辣椒核心种质构建研究

以收集保存的603份辣椒种质为材料,根据果形指数大小将其分成5组。基于28个性状的表型数据,采用简单比例、平方根比例、对数比例及遗传多样性指数比例法计算各组内取样份数,比较4种组内取样比例法、6种总体取样规模和2种取样方法在构建辣椒核心种质中的作用和效果。结果表明:(1)简单比例、平方根比例、对数比例、遗传多样性指数比例法入选的材料份数占预选核心种质份数依次为24.2%、22.2%、21.1%、17.8%,说明遗传多样性指数比例法对各组取样数量的修正能力最强,使取样更加均衡。(2)当总体取样规模为15%时,遗传多样性指数比例法构建的预选核心种质遗传多样性指数(I)达到最大,表型保留比例(RPR)超过98%;当总体取样规模超过20%时,RPR值、变异系数(CV)和极差符合率(CR)虽然平缓增加,但I值反而减小;说明15%为合适的总体取样规模。(3)利用对数比例法和多样性比例法,在15%的总体取样规模下,聚类取样构建的核心种质I值、RPR值、CV值及CR值均高于随机取样。(4)该研究根据所获得的优化方案最终在表型水平建立了包含91份种质的辣椒核心种质。     

贵州黄壤区辣椒干物质、氮素积累与分配及氮素利用对新型肥料的响应

为探索贵州黄壤区施用新型肥料对辣椒种植的增产效应,通过盆栽试验研究了保水型(BSX)、稳定性(WDX)、包膜型(BMX)缓释肥和长效氮肥(CXDF)4种新型肥料对‘博辣5号’辣椒的干物质、氮素积累与分配,以及氮素利用效率的影响.结果表明: 施用新型肥料可以明显影响辣椒干物质和氮素的积累与分配,辣椒氮素积累快速增长开始时间和结束时间较干物质分别提前17~26 d和28~45 d,且氮素积累快速增长持续期也较干物质缩短7~23 d,表明氮素积累的发生时间要先于干物质积累;与普通复合肥(FHF)处理相比,新型肥料处理的干物质和氮素积累均出现明显滞后,以BMX处理的滞后时间最长,但是WDX处理的快速增长持续期较短且最大积累速率最高,说明稳定性缓释肥可实现养分短时间内的高效利用;BSX和BMX处理的花后干物质和氮素积累量占总干物质和总氮的比例分别为62.9%和20.1%、73.3%和20.5%,而WDX处理则分别为59.3%和11.6%,说明保水型和包膜型缓释肥相对有利于辣椒花后干物质积累和氮素同化,而稳定性缓释肥则更有利于花前干物质和养分积累;与FHF处理相比,施用新型肥料(保水型、稳定性和包膜型缓释肥)可显著提高辣椒的氮素利用效率,以稳定性缓释肥的氮肥偏生产力、氮肥农学效率和氮肥表观利用率最高,分别为66.74 kg·kg^-1、44.28 kg·kg^-1和54.6%.新型肥料适用于贵州辣椒种植栽培,以稳定性缓释肥的施用效果最佳.     

嫁接对辣椒根际土壤环境的影响及其与抗病性和产量的关系

以‘卫士’(WS)和‘部野丁’(BYD)辣椒为砧木,‘新丰2号’(XF)辣椒为接穗嫁接,以‘新丰2号’自根嫁接辣椒(XF/XF)为对照(CK),研究嫁接对辣椒根际土壤微生物量、物理性质、养分含量及土传病害和产量的影响.结果表明: 嫁接辣椒新丰/卫士(XF/WS)与新丰/部野丁(XF/BYD)根际土壤的真菌和放线菌数量较多,放线菌比例较大;定植60 d时,嫁接辣椒根际土壤过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性显著高于CK;定植90 d时,XF/WS根际土壤磷酸酶、蔗糖酶、脲酶、硝酸还原酶(NR)活性显著高于CK;此外,嫁接辣椒根际土壤浸提液中的烃类化合物增多,XF/WS和XF/BYD根际土壤N、P、K含量显著低于CK,根际土壤电导率(EC)略高,XF/WS的pH显著高于CK,而XF/BYD与CK差异不显著.说明嫁接可优化辣椒根际土壤环境,增强其对土传病害的抗性,XF/WS和XF/BYD的产量分别比CK增加40.8%和28.7%.     

93份贵州地方辣椒资源品质性状分析

对93份贵州地方辣椒资源的品质性状进行了分析,结果表明:粗纤维含量在22.99%~44.06%之间,牛角椒含量最高,为33.71%;粗脂肪含量在11.49%~27.46%之间,锥形椒含量最高,为21.55%;蛋白质含量在12.81%~22.97%之间,指形椒含量最高,为18.78%;辣椒素含量在0.28~7.61 mg/g之间,指形椒含量最高,为4.47 mg/g;4个指标的平均隶属度值在0.21~0.68之间,超过0.60的辣椒资源有S106、S103、S072和S016;聚类分析表明,93份辣椒资源按平均隶属度大小可分为四大类型,即高品质型、中品质型、一般品质型和特殊品质型。贵州地方辣椒种质资源品质性状分析可为辣椒种质资源的创新利用、新品种的选育奠定基础。