Changes of Endogenous Hormone Contents During Floral Bud and Vegetative Bud Differentiation in Thin Cell Layer Culture of Cichorium intybus L. Explant

The sectioned thin cell layers (TCL) of flower stalk of Cichorium intybus L. were cultured in MS medium supplemented with NAA and BA or IAA and BA where floral and vegetative buds were developed from the explant. Endogenous IAA, DHZ+DHZR, iPA increased significantly during the floral bud formation, while Z+ZR remained changed. The levels of cytokinins, DHZ +DHZR, iPA, and Z-f-ZR all increased significantly during the vegetative bud formation, however IAA level was reduced during the first 7 days of culture and increased to two-thirds of initial values on the day when the bud primordia were formed. The results suggested that the initiation of floral buds was associated with a high IAA/CTK ratio, whereas the induction of vegetative bud differentiation was related to a low IAA/CTK ratio.     

光温外界信号、植株状态与成花决定

植物由营养生长状态转向生殖生长状态（成花转变）是发育过程中的重要一步。经过一段时期营养生长的植株,便自动进入成花感受态,在这种状态下植株才能够对外界信号产生应答反应而启动成花过程。本文主要讨论光周期和温度对成花的作用     

马先蒿属花冠无喙类的花器官发生

对花冠无喙类密穗马先蒿(Pedicularis densispica)和大王马先蒿(P．rex)的花器官电镜扫描发现,两种不同花冠型(无齿和具齿)的马先蒿花部器官发生和发育初期十分相似,表现为明显的单轴对称。2个萼片原基首先发生于花顶的近轴侧位,然后沿花顶边缘向远轴端发育形成--马蹄形结构。密穗马先蒿在近轴中部又出现1枚萼片原基,随后马蹄形结构分化出4枚萼片,并与近轴中部的原基愈合后构成5齿萼片;而大王马先蒿的2齿萼片直接由马蹄形结构发育而成。5枚独立的花瓣原基随后发生,但发育相对滞后;除近轴中部位置1枚空缺外,4枚雄蕊原基与花瓣原基位置呈交互发生;2个心皮原基同时在拱形花顶的近轴和远轴端发生,剩余的花顶形成中间的隔膜,并与2个心皮形成中轴胎座。对马先蒿与金鱼草(Antirrhinum majus)和毛地黄(Digitalis purpurea)花器官发生和发育初期的特征进行了比较,讨论了马先蒿属花冠对称性变化的意义。     

Plant–pollinator interactions: comparison between an invasive and a native congeneric species

Plant–pollinator interactions determine reproductive success for animal-pollinated species and, in the case of invasive plants, they are supposed to play an important role in invasive success. We compared the invasive Senecio inaequidens to its native congener S. jacobaea in terms of interactions with pollinators. Visitor guild, visitation rate, and seed set were compared over 3 years in three sites in Belgium. Floral display (capitula number and arrangement) and phenology were quantified, and visiting insects were individually censused, i.e. number of visited capitula and time per visited capitulum. As expected from capitula resemblance, visitor guilds of both species were very similar (proportional similarity = 0.94). Senecio inaequidens was visited by 33 species, versus 36 for S. jacobaea. For both species, main visitors were Diptera, especially Syrphidae, and Hymenoptera. Visitation rate averaged 0.13 visitor per capitulum per 10 min for S. inaequidens against 0.08 for S. jacobaea. However, insects visited more capitula per plant on S. jacobaea, due to high capitula density (886 m⁻² versus 206 m⁻² for S. inaequidens), which is likely to increase self-pollen deposition considerably. Seed set of S. jacobaea was lower than that of S. inaequidens. We suggest that floral display is the major factor explaining the differences in insect visitation and seed set between the two Senecio species.     

Crop model based QTL analysis across environments and QTL based estimation of time to floral induction and flowering in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis>

Studying quantitative traits is complicated due to genotype by environment interactions. One strategy to overcome these difficulties is to combine quantitative trait loci (QTL) and ecophysiological models, e.g. by identifying QTLs for the response curves of adaptive traits to influential environmental factors. A B. oleracea DH-population segregating for time to flowering was cultivated at different temperature regimes. Composite interval mapping was carried out on the three parameters of a model describing time to flowering as a function of temperature, i.e. on the intercept and slope of the response of time to floral induction to temperature and on the duration from transition to flowering. The additive effects of QTLs detected for the parameters have been used to estimate time to floral induction and flowering in the B. oleracea DH-population. The combined QTL and crop model explained 66% of the phenotypic variation for time to floral induction and 56% of the phenotypic variation for time to flowering. Estimation of time to floral induction and flowering based on environment specific QTLs explained 61 and 41% of the phenotypic variation. Results suggest that flowering time can be predicted effectively by coupling QTL and crop models and that using crop modelling tools for QTL analysis increases the power of QTL detection.     

Visitor monitoring methods for managing public use pressures in the Danube Floodplains National Park, Austria

National parks in close proximity to large urban areas, such as the Danube Floodplains National Park near Vienna, need an intensive monitoring of recreational use due to the high number of visitors and the highly fragmented natural settings. Visitors in the National Park were monitored using an approach that integrated long-term video monitoring, counts by human observers, specific visitor interviews and route analysis by the application of GIS tools. The combination of monitoring and survey data allows a thorough analysis of public use patterns, as illustrated by a case study of dog walkers in the park. Results demonstrate the value of integrated monitoring approaches, and serve as a basis for improved sustainable management of the Danube Floodplains National Park.     

POLLINATOR-MEDIATED SELECTION ON FLORAL DISPLAY AND FLOWERING TIME IN THE PERENNIAL HERB ARABIDOPSIS LYRATA

The evolution of floral display and flowering time in animal-pollinated plants is commonly attributed to pollinator-mediated selection. Yet, the causes of selection on flowering phenology and traits contributing to floral display have rarely been tested experimentally in natural populations. We quantified phenotypic selection on morphological and phenological characters in the perennial, outcrossing herb Arabidopsis lyrata in two years using female reproductive success as a proxy of fitness. To determine whether selection on floral display and flowering phenology can be attributed to interactions with pollinators, selection was quantified both for open-pollinated controls and for plants receiving supplemental hand-pollination. We documented directional selection for many flowers, large petals, late start of flowering, and early end of flowering. Seed output was pollen-limited in both years and supplemental hand-pollination reduced the magnitude of selection on number of flowers, and reversed the direction of selection on end of flowering. The results demonstrate that interactions with pollinators may affect the strength of selection on floral display and the direction of selection on phenology of flowering in natural plant populations. They thus support the contention that pollinators can drive the evolution of both floral display and flowering time.     

Morphological and functional characterization of BcMF13 in the antisense-silenced plants of Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis var. parachinensis

The gene Brassica campestris male fertility 13 (BcMF13, GenBank accession number EF158459) was isolated as a reproductive organ-specific gene from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino, syn. B. rapa ssp. chinensis). It is exclusively expressed in stage four and five flower buds of fertile lines and is most strongly expressed in stamens. Here, we report a functional characterization of this BcMF13 gene in the antisense-silenced plants. The inflorescence of the BcMF13 mutant was compacted with anthers curved outside. The fertility of this mutant was greatly reduced with less than 5 seeds per silique. Under scanning electron microscopy, the mutant demonstrated numerous shriveled pollen grains with deep invaginations. The frequency of normal pollen grains was just 45.34%. The pollen mother cell, the tetrad, and the mature pollen of the BcMF13 mutant were abnormal resulting in the poor pollen vitality. Germination test in vivo suggested BcMF13 delayed the pollen tubes’ extension in the style. All these indicated BcMF13 had a vital role in pollen development of Chinese cabbage.     

黄花牛耳朵(苦苣苔科)的传粉生物学

通过野外观察和繁育系统的实验,对黄花牛耳朵(Chirita lutea Yan Liu et Y.G.wei)的传粉生物学进行了研究.结果表明,黄花牛耳朵的花期从7月初至8月底,单株花期约35～47 d,单花化期约6～10 d,花的开放无固定的时间.在花期内花粉活性约80%,柱头可授性约75%～90%.花粉/胚珠比率(P/O)为1 215.73±266.13.柱头在花药散粉时已生长至花筒口部,明显高于花药,便于接受异花花粉.黄花牛耳朵不存在无融合生殖,高度白交亲和,但较难发生自动的白花授粉,产生种子主要依靠传粉媒介.自然授粉的结实率明显低于人工授粉的结实率,存在传粉限制,蜜蜂(Apidae sp.)、方头泥蜂(Crabro sp.)、无垫蜂(Ameglla sp.)是主要的传粉者.     

Duplication of <Emphasis Type="Italic">AP1</Emphasis> within the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spinacia oleracea</Emphasis> L. <Emphasis Type="Italic">AP1/FUL</Emphasis> clade is followed by rapid amino acid and regulatory evolution

The AP1/FUL clade of MADS box genes have undergone multiple duplication events among angiosperm species. While initially identified as having floral meristem identity and floral organ identity function in Arabidopsis, the role of AP1 homologs does not appear to be universally conserved even among eudicots. In comparison, the role of FRUITFULL has not been extensively explored in non-model species. We report on the isolation of three AP1/FUL genes from cultivated spinach, Spinacia oleracea L. Two genes, designated SpAPETALA1-1 (SpAP1-1) and SpAPETALA1-2 (SpAP1-2), cluster as paralogous genes within the Caryophyllales AP1 clade. They are highly differentiated in the 3′, carboxyl-end encoding region of the gene following the third amphipathic alpha-helix region, while still retaining some elements of a signature AP1 carboxyl motifs. In situ hybridization studies also demonstrate that the two paralogs have evolved different temporal and spatial expression patterns, and that neither gene is expressed in the developing sepal whorl, suggesting that the AP1 floral organ identity function is not conserved in spinach. The spinach FRUITFULL homolog, SpFRUITFULL (SpFUL), has retained the conserved motif and groups with Caryophyllales FRUITFULL homologs. SpFUL is expressed in leaf as well as in floral tissue, and shows strong expression late in flower development, particularly in the tapetal layer in males, and in the endothecium layer and stigma, in the females. The combined evidence of high rates of non-synonymous substitutions and differential expression patterns supports a scenario in which the AP1 homologs in the spinach AP1/FUL gene family have experienced rapid evolution following duplication. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.