The effect of different promoter-sequences on transient expression of gus reporter gene in cultured barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cells

The cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (35S) and the enhanced 35S (E35S) promoters fused with maize alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh1) intron1 or maize shrunken locus (sh1) intronl along with maize Adh1 and rice actin (Act1) promoters fused to their respective first introns were tested for transient expression of the E.coli -glucuronidase (gus) reporter gene in cultured barley (Hordeum vulgare L) cells. The plasmids, carrying the respective promoterintron combinations to drive the gus fused to nopaline synthase (nos) terminator, were introduced into cultured barley cells using a particle gun. The rice Act1 promoter with its first intron gave the highest expression of all promoter intron combinations studied. This was followed by the E35S promoter and no significant differences were observed between the other two promoters tested. The rice actin promoter is now being used to drive selectable marker genes to obtain stably transformed cereal cells.NRCC No. 36482     

Factors affecting the efficacy of three commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis against species of European black flies

The efficacy of three commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis against two European black fly species was determined. The effect of seston concentration, temperature and larval size on the efficacy of the formulations was also determined. Teknar‐WDC was found to be almost four times as effective as Bactimos‐WP though only slightly more efficient than Vectobac‐AS against Simulium variegatum gp. larvae. Small larvae ( < 2.5 mm) were more susceptible to both Teknar‐WDC and Vectobac‐AS than large larvae ( > 5 mm) though no difference was seen with Bactimos‐WP. High seston concentrations both before and during bioassays significantly decreased the efficacy of all formulations. Increased temperatures increased the efficacy of all formulations.     

Frost resistance and water status of winter rape leaves as affected by differential shoot/root temperature

Twenty day-old winter rape ( Brassica napus L. var. oleifera L. cv. Jantar) seedlings, grown in nutrient solution, were exposed to different shoot/root temperature (i. e. 20/20, 20/3, 3/20 and 3/3°C) for 2 or 4 weeks. Chilling treatments modified markedly the pattern of plant growth as indicated by changes in dry matter accumulation in individual plant parts (leaves, hypocotyls, roots) and decreased leaf specific area. Growth of roots was less sensitive to low temperature than that of shoots. This was reflected by a decrease in shoot/root biomass ratio. Chilling treatments increased freezing resistance, decreased water content and water potential and modified reducing sugar, soluble protein and phospholipid contents in the leaves. A biphasic character of tissue responses to chilling temperature was observed, the most remarkable changes being registered during the first 7 or 14 days of the treatment. Effects of root or shoot exposure to chilling temperature on ice nucleation temperature, LT₅₀, water potential, accumulation of sugars and phospholipids in leaves were additive. All the observations point to the important role of the root system in plant acclimation to cold. Its impact on water status of leaves is emphasized and some mechanisms of root involvement in acclimation processes are proposed.     

Involvement of CO2 fixation products in the light-dark modulation of nitrate reductase activity in barley leaves

Nitrate reductase (NR, NADH:nitrate oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.6.1) activity from leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Hassan) is rapidly and reversibly inactivated during a light-dark transition. A hyperbolic correlation exists between in vivo rates of CO₂ fixation and extractable NR activity from the leaves, and feeding hexose and hexosephosphate protects against the dark-inactivation; indicating that carbon-assimilation products are regulatory factors of NR activity mediating both the light-dark modulation and its dependence upon CO₂ fixation. To corroborate this point, the effect of inhibiting CO₂ fixation on NR activity in barley leaves has been analyzed. Glycolaldehyde (50 mM), an inhibitor of the regeneration phase of the Calvin cycle, was fed through the transpiration stream and inhibited CO₂ fixation by more than 80% at the same time as it produced a parallel inhibition of NR light-activation. Feeding mannose (10 mM), inhibited CO₂ fixation by 35% but did not affect NR activity in illuminated leaves and completely protected against dark-inactivation. Interestingly, feeding inorganic phosphate, P_i, (10 mM) alone or together with mannose also protected NR activity against dark-inactivation. The mannose effect could be interpreted in terms of accumulation of mannose 6-phosphate, an analog of glucose 6-phosphate. After feeding either 10 mM glucose or dihydroxyacetone phosphate, NR activity from darkened leaves was significantly higher than that of darkened control leaves fed with water (P< 0.03). These treatments, as well as P_i feeding, also produce some increase in extractable NR activity from illuminated leaves. The results indicate that factors increasing the levels of hexose- and triose-phosphate have positive effects on NR activation, supporting the contention that the NR activation system is sensitive to carbon-assimilation products.     

滇重楼内生真菌Aspergillus fumigatus代谢产物的研究

为研究滇重楼内生真菌Aspergillus fumigatus的代谢产物,采用多种色谱分离技术对其菌丝体和发酵液进行分离纯化,得到31个化合物。根据理化性质及波谱数据,结构分别鉴定为tryprostatin B (1)、tryprostatin A (2)、12,13-dihydroxyfumitre- morgin C (3)、cyclotryprostatin B (4)、14-norpseurotin A (5)、pseurotine F1 (6)、pseurotine F2 (7)、azaspirofuran A (8)、pseurotin D (9)、spirotryprostatin K (10)、6-methoxyspirotryprostatin B (11)、deacetylpyripyropene A (12)、烟曲霉素 (13)、fuma- gillene A (14)、5,9-dihydroxy-β-trans-bergamotene (15)、对羟基苯乙酸 (16)、demethoxyfumitremorgin C (17)、fumiquinazoline J (18)、烟曲霉酸 (19)、麦角甾醇 (20)、过氧麦角甾醇 (21)、4,4-dimethyl-5α-ergosta-8,24(28)-dien-3β-ol (22)、羊毛甾醇 (23)、亚油酸 (24)、油酸 (25) 、烟曲霉毒素C (26)、烟曲霉毒素B (27)、震颤真菌毒素 (28)、pseurotin A (29)、fumiquinazoline C (30)和questin (31)。其中,化合物1~16仅从发酵液中分离得到;化合物17~25仅从菌丝体中分离得到;其余化合物在发酵液和菌丝体中均分离得到。化合物15和23为首次从烟曲霉属真菌中分离得到。此外,化合物26~29的乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制活性和烟草黑胫病菌抑制活性评价表明,化合物26和27对烟草黑胫病菌具有微弱的抑制作用,抑菌率分别为19.64%和17.86%。     

Using a chelate-buffered nutrient solution to establish the critical solution activity of Mn2+ required by barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Relatively little is known about the responses of plants to micronutrients when these nutrients are maintained at the very low levels found in soils of low fertility. We have determined the requirement of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Herta) for ionic Mn²⁺ in plant culture solutions using the chelating agent HEDTA as a buffer for micronutrient metal ions. The chemical activity of Mn²⁺ was varied approximately 10,000-fold from log(Mn²⁺)=–10.8 to –6.8 (pMn 10.8 to pMn 6.8), while holding constant the activities of the other micronutrient cations. Growth, appearance, and composition of Herta barley indicated that log(Mn²⁺) of approximately –8.3 would permit optimal dry matter production and normal plant development. The specific accumulation rate of Mn by 15 to 23 day old seedlings was a linear function of the Mn²⁺ activity in solution. At log(Mn²⁺) of about –9.8 or below, barley seedlings were unable to accumulate significant amounts of Mn, and at some harvests, suffered a net loss of Mn to solution. Seedlings younger than 11 days old were ineffective accumulators of several cations, including Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg, and Ca. Differences in Mn availability did not influence uptake of other cations, except that Cu uptake by roots increased with increasing Mn uptake.Abbreviations MES 2-(N-morpholino)-ethanesulphonic acid - HEDTA N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylene-dinitrilotriacetic acid - DTPA diethylenetrinitrilopentaacetic acid     

小钩丝壳属的一个新变种

本文报道寄生于金缕梅科(Hamamelidaceae)山枫香(Liquidambar formosana Hance)上小钩丝壳属的一个新变种枫香小钩丝壳贵阳变种[Uncinuliella liquidambaris(Zheng &Chen)Zheng,Chen & Z.X.Chen var.guiyangensis Wu & Wu]。