Amidohydrolase activity,soil N status,and the invasive crucifer Lepidium latifolium

Wetlands and riparian habitats in the western United States are being invaded by the exotic crucifer Lepidium latifolium (perennial pepperweed, tall whitetop). It was hypothesized that L. latifolium was an effective competitor due to its ability to make available and take up more nitrogen than vegetation it is replacing. The hypothesis was tested by comparing amidohydrolase activities, available soil N, 30 day aerobic N-mineralization rates, and plant uptake of N in paired L. latifolium invaded and non-invaded plots occupied by Elytrigia elongata (tall wheatgrass). Attributes were measured by date (June 1998, September 1998, April 1999, and May 2000) and by soil depth (0–15, 15–30, 30–50, and 50–86 cm). Lepidium latifolium invaded sites had significantly (p 0.05) greater urease, amidase, glutaminase, and asparaginase activities than sites occupied by E. elongata for most dates and soil depths. In addition, despite far greater uptake of N per unit area, L. latifolium sites still had significantly greater available N and N-mineralization potentials than E. elongata for most dates and depths. In general, enzyme activities significantly correlated with available soil N, with a stronger relationship for sites invaded by L. latifolium. There were few significant linear correlations of enzyme activities with net N mineralization potentials for L. latifolium sites, but many for sites occupied by E. elongata. These data support the working hypothesis.     

A simple model of feedback regulation for nitrate uptake and N2 fixation in contrasting phenotypes of white clover

A simple three equation model is proposed for the feedback regulation of nitrate uptake and N2 fixation, based on the concentration of the organic N substrate pool within the plant and two parameters denoting the N substrate concentrations at which half-maximal inhibition occurs. This model simulated three contrasting phenotypes of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) inbred lines with (1) normal rates of nitrate uptake and N2 fixation (NNU); (2) low rates of nitrate uptake (LNU); and (3) very low rates of N2 fixation (VLF). The LNU phenotype was simulated by a decrease in the value of the inhibition parameter for nitrate uptake and the VLF phenotype was simulated by a decrease in the value of the N2 fixation inhibition parameter. The model was tested against nitrate uptake data obtained from white clover plants growing in flowing nutrient culture. There was an accurate prediction of the increase in nitrate uptake caused by N2 fixation activity of the NNU and LNU inbred lines being interrupted by a switch in gas phase from air to Ar : O2. The model was also tested against data for nitrate uptake, N2 fixation and %N from fixation for the three inbred clover lines grown in flowing nutrient culture at 0, 5 or 20 mmol m(-3) N(3-). Again there was accurate prediction of nitrate uptake, although simulated values for N2 fixation were more variable. The simple model has potential use as a sub-routine in larger models of legume growth under field conditions.     

The influence of phosphorus deficiency on growth and nitrogen fixation of white clover plants

The effects of P deficiency on growth, N(2)-fixation and photosynthesis in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) plants were investigated using three contrasting relative addition rates of P, or following abrupt withdrawal of the P supply. Responses to a constant below-optimum P supply rate consisted of a decline in N(2)-fixation per unit root weight and a small reduction in the efficiency with which electrons were allocated to the reduction of N(2) in nodules. Abrupt removal of P arrested nodule growth and caused a substantial decline in nitrogenase activity per unit root weight, but not per unit nodule mass. Similarly, the rate of photosynthesis per unit leaf area was unaffected by abrupt P removal, whereas CO(2) acquisition for the plant as a whole decreased due to a decline in total leaf area, leaf area per unit leaf weight and utilization of incoming radiation. These changes followed the decline in tissue P concentrations. The ratio between CO(2)-fixation and N(2)-fixation was maintained under short-term P deprivation but increased under long-term low P supply, indicating a regulatory inhibition of nodule activity following morphological and growth adjustments. It is concluded that N(2)-fixation did not limit the growth of clover plants experiencing P deficiency. A low P status induced changes in the relative growth of roots, nodules and shoots rather than changes in N and/or C uptake rates per unit mass or area of these organs.     

Cumulative activation of axillary buds by nodal roots in Trifolium repens L

In Trifolium repens the rate of outgrowth of an axillary bud was closely correlated with its duration of exposure to a nearby nodal root. The dose-dependent nature of this relationship, over 0-22 d, is consistent with the concept that axillary buds are cumulatively activated by a root signal (RS) such that the longer they receive the signal the higher is their level of activation and hence their rate of outgrowth. Furthermore, the activation level attained by a bud was subsequently retained following the excision of the nodal root providing the source of its activation: its rate of growth 3-6 weeks after root excision still reflected the initial level of activation of the bud. Thus, once activated, a bud required relatively little RS to maintain its rate of outgrowth, implying that activation involves the establishment of an autonomous control mechanism within the bud itself. This provides an explanation of how a strongly activated apical bud can continue growth at relatively low RS levels when it is distanced from its nearest root system, while at the same time the prevailing low RS environment leads to weak activation of the axillary buds emerging from it.     

抗条锈病小偃麦双体异附加系山农87074-519的鉴定

综合利用抗性接种鉴定、细胞学分析、SSR分子标记和基因组原位杂交(GISH)技术相结合的方法,对从长穗偃麦草与小麦复合杂交后代中选育的抗条锈病种质系山农87074-519进行了鉴定。结果表明,山农87074-519的根尖细胞染色体数目2n=44,花粉母细胞减数分裂中期I(PMCMI)绝大多数细胞内可观察到22个二价体,平均染色体构型2n=44=21.82Ⅱ 0.36Ⅰ,它与普通小麦中国春杂种F1的多数花粉母细胞内染色体构型为2n=21Ⅱ 1Ⅰ,因此它是1个附加了1对长穗偃麦草染色体的双体异附加系;以假鹅冠草St基因组总DNA作探针进行原位杂交发现山农87074-519的44条染色体中有2条出现黄绿色杂交信号,且杂交信号遍布整条染色体,证明其附加的长穗偃麦草染色体为St基组;利用SSR分子标记技术,在170对SSR引物中筛选出特异引物BARC165,它能稳定地在山农87074-519中扩增出长穗偃麦草特异标记BARC165268;将长穗偃麦草中BARC165的特异扩增片段克隆测序后制备成探针进行原位杂交,可在山农87074-519的间期染色体和有丝分裂中期染色体检测到杂交信号。山农87074-519综合农艺性状较好,对条锈病免疫,其抗性基因为显性,且位于附加的长穗偃麦草St基组染色体上,暂将其表示为YrSt。该种质系在小麦的遗传改良中具有重要利用价值。     

Mycorrhizal acquisition of inorganic phosphorus by the green-leaved terrestrial orchid Goodyera repens

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mycorrhizal fungi play a vital role in providing a carbon subsidy to support the germination and establishment of orchids from tiny seeds, but their roles in adult orchids have not been adequately characterized. Recent evidence that carbon is supplied by Goodyera repens to its fungal partner in return for nitrogen has established the mutualistic nature of the symbiosis in this orchid. In this paper the role of the fungus in the capture and transfer of inorganic phosphorus (P) to the orchid is unequivocally demonstrated for the first time. METHODS: Mycorrhiza-mediated uptake of phosphorus in G. repens was investigated using spatially separated, two-dimensional agar-based microcosms. RESULTS: External mycelium growing from this green orchid is shown to be effective in assimilating and transporting the radiotracer (33)P orthophosphate into the plant. After 7 d of exposure, over 10 % of the P supplied was transported over a diffusion barrier by the fungus and to the plants, more than half of this to the shoots. CONCLUSIONS: Goodyera repens can obtain significant amounts of P from its mycorrhizal partner. These results provide further support for the view that mycorrhizal associations in some adult green orchids are mutualistic.     

三叶草根系分泌物对多环芳烃微生物降解及加氧酶的影响

为揭示根际效应对多环芳烃降解的影响机制,建立恰当的植物-微生物联合修复模式,本研究向含有微生物及多环芳烃(芘和苯并\[a\]芘)的微宇宙中加入三叶草根系分泌物,分析其对多环芳烃降解的影响,研究降解过程中微生物加氧酶和16S rDNA基因拷贝数的变化,并对具有多环芳烃降解能力的微生物进行鉴定.结果表明： 分枝杆菌M1具有降解多环芳烃的能力;三叶草根系分泌物总有机碳(TOC)浓度为35.5 mg·L^-1时,芘和苯并\[a\]芘降解率明显提高,分枝杆菌加氧酶基因所占比例增加,表明其促进了分枝杆菌对芘和苯并\[a\]芘的降解;在降解过程中,加氧酶基因拷贝数明显增加,而16S rDNA数量增加不明显,表明前者与多环芳烃降解过程有关,而后者和微生物数量有关.三叶草根系分泌物使分枝杆菌加氧酶基因拷贝数明显增加,从而促进了分枝杆菌对多环芳烃的降解.