Root distribution and water uptake patterns of maize cultivars field-grown under differential irrigation

Summary Rooting and water uptake patterns were determined for three maize (Zea mays L) varieties field-grown during the 1983/84 dry season under seven irrigation levels on a sandy loam soil. Roots were mainly concentrated in the top 22 cm due to a 40 cm thick compact gravelly layer occurring from about this depth in the profile. There were significant varietal differences, distinguished by root length density (RLD) and length/weight ratio (LAR) distributions at depth and at varying soil moisture regimes. These properties were related to water extraction patterns and grain yields. Yields obtained at adequate soil moisture were 6.9 tha⁻¹ for TZESR-W (var 1), 4.2 t/ha for TZSR-W (var 2) and 3.7t ha⁻¹ for FARZ-7 (var 3). These yeilds were respectively associated with maximum RLD of 2.56, 1.88 and 1.70 cm cm⁻³ and corresponding LWR of 2.64, 1.93 and 1.62 cm mg⁻¹. Average seasonal water uptake was estimated at 4.2, 3.0 and 2.8 mm day⁻¹ for var 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Better performance of var 1 was attributed to the development of a more active and deep rooting system.     

Response of liquid flow resistance to soil drying in seedlings of four deciduous angiosperms

Summary Soil-leaf resistance to liquid water flow (R) in moist and drying soil was compared in three-month-old seedlings of two drought tolerant (white [Quercus alba L.], post oak [Q. stellata Wangenh.]) and two drought sensitive forest species (sugar maple [Acer saccharum Marsh.], black walnut [Juglans nigra L.]). At high soil moisture (_s–0.3 MPa), R was higher in J. nigra than in the other species, and as soil water was depleted R increased most in this species. In contrast, the lowest resistance at all levels of soil moisture was observed in Q. stellata. At _s of –1.5 MPa, R of drought-sensitive J. nigra and A. saccharum was about twice as high as that of the two drought-tolerant Quercus species. The difference in R between the two Quercus species was much smaller than that between this pair and the other two species. These differences among species in flow resistance may be attributable to: 1) variation in the balance between root surface area and leaf area, 2) variation in the inherent absorption capacity of the root systems and in xylem water conducting systems or 3) differences in root permeability, shrinkage and mortality in severely stressed seedlings. As the soil dried, seedlings of all species exhibited pronounced reductions in transpiration rate, which prevented development of large water potential gradients between leaves and the soil. Reduction in transpiration in J. nigra was especially pronounced, resulting in a decrease in the soil-to-leaf water potential gradient in dry soil despite high flow resistance. The observed differences among species in flow resistance are correlated with natural distribution patterns.     

Structural principles of alpha/beta barrel proteins: the packing of the interior of the sheet

Alpha/beta barrel structures very similar to that first observed in triose phosphate isomerase are now known to occur in 14 enzymes. To understand the origin of this fold, we analyzed in three of these proteins the geometry of the eight-stranded beta-sheets and the packing of the residues at the center of the barrel. The packing in this region is seen in its simplest form in glycolate oxidase. It consists of 12 residues arranged in three layers. Each layer contains four side chains. The packing of RubisCO and TIM can be understood in terms of distortions of this simple pattern, caused by residues with small side chains at some of the positions inside the barrel. Two classes of packing are found. In one class, to which RubisCO and TIM belong, the central layer is formed by a residue from the first, third, fifth, and seventh strands; the upper and lower layers are formed by residues from the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth strands. In the second class, to which GAO belongs, this is reversed: it is side chains from the even-numbered strands that form the central layer, and side chains from the odd-numbered strands that form the outer layers. Our results suggest that not all proteins with this fold are related by evolution, but that they represent a common favorable solution to the structural problems involved in the creation of a closed beta barrel.     

Xylem structure and water transport in a twiner,a scrambler,and a shrub of Lonicera (Caprifoliaceae)

Summary Wood structure and function was investigated in different growth forms of temperate honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.). All three species had many narrow vessels and relatively few wide ones, with the measured K _h (flow rate/pressure gradient) approximately 24–55% of the theoretical K _h predicted by Poiseuille's law. Only the twiner, Lonicera japonica, had some vessels greater than 50 m in diameter. The twiner also had the narrowest stem xylem diameters, suggesting the greater maximum vessel diameter hydraulically compensated for narrow stems. Conversely, the free-standing shrub, L. maackii, had the greatest annual increments of xylem but the least percent conductive xylem implying that a great portion of the wood was involved with mechanical support. The scrambler, L, sempervirens had low maximum vessel diameter, high Huber values (= xylem area/leaf area), and low specific conductivities (= measured K _h/xylem area), much like the shrub. The greatest vessel frequency occurred in the scrambler (901 vessels · mm^-2), the highest thus far recorded in vines. The lowest Huber value and highest specific conductivity occurred in the twiner, suggesting little self-support but relatively efficient water conduction. LSC (= measured K _h/leaf area) and maximum vessel diameter of Lonicera vines were near the low end of the range for vines in general.     

离体培养的小鼠脊髓固有神经元的突触构筑

运用电子显微镜观察分析原代分离培养鼠胚脊髓的固有神经元的突触构筑。培养中主要可见中、小型神经元,彼此之间可形成大量的突触,以非对称性突触占多数,有轴-树突触和轴-体突触,树-树突触为少见。根据以前学者分类标准将终扣分成S、F、M、和G四型。超微结构有利于提示固有神经元经过简单突触从脊髓固有神经纤维接受突触传入,表示它们的冲动只是突触后机制控制信息传递。     

The integration of whole-root and cellular hydraulic conductivities in cereal roots

The hydraulic conductivities of excised whole root systems of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Atou) and of single excised roots of wheat and maize (Zea mays L. cv. Passat) were measured using an osmotically induced back-flow technique. Ninety minutes after excision the values for single excised roots ranged from 1.6·10^-8 to 5.5·10^-8 m·s^-1·MPa^-1 in wheat and from 0.9·10^-8 to 4.8·10^-8 m·s^-1·MPa^-1 in maize. The main source of variation was a decrease in the value as root length increased. The hydraulic conductivities of whole root systems, but not of single excised roots, were smaller 15 h after excision. This was not caused by occlusion of the xylem at the cut end of the coleoptile. The hydraulic conductivities of epidermal, cortical and endodermal cells were measured using a pressure probe. Epidermal and cortical cells of both wheat and maize roots gave mean values of 1.2·10^-7 m·s^-1·MPa^-1 but in endodermal cells (measured only in wheat) the mean value was 0.5·10^-7 m·s^-1·MPa^-1. The cellular hydraulic conductivities were used to calculate the root hydraulic conductivities expected if water flow across the root was via transcellular (vacuole-to-vacuole), apoplasmic or symplasmic pathways. The results indicate that, in freshly excised roots, the bulk of water flow is unlikely to be via the transcellular pathway. This is in contrast to our previous conclusion (H. Jones, A.D. Tomos, R.A. Leigh and R.G. Wyn Jones 1983, Planta 158, 230–236) which was based on results obtained with whole root systems of wheat measured 14–15 h after excision and which probably gave artefactually low values for root hydraulic conductivity. It is now concluded that, near the root tip, water flow could be through a symplasmic pathway in which the only substantial resistances to water flow are provided by the outer epidermal and the inner endodermal plasma membranes. Further from the tip, the measured hydraulic conductivities of the roots are consistent with flow either through the symplasmic or apoplasmic pathways.Symbols L _{p, cell} cell hydraulic conductivity - L _{p, root} root hydraulic conductivity - L _{p, root} calculated root hydraulic conductivity - root reflection coefficient     

Water and solute flow through mung bean roots under applied pressure

The technique of applying hydrostatic pressure on the root medium to study water and solute flows through excised plant roots and to study various characteristics of roots in relation to flow has been used by many workers but flows in excised roots have not been compared with those in intact transpiring plants. In the present study this comparison has been made using mung bean roots. Results show that excised roots under pressure lack the ion selectivity which is observed in intact plant roots and conduct salt many times higher than salt flows through intact plant roots. The role of stem resistance in the rates of water and salt flow through roots has been discussed. The suitability of this technique for solute flow studies through mung bean roots is questioned.     

Evaluation of high yielding soybean germplasm under water limitation

Limited information is available for soybean root traits and their plasticity under drought stress. To date, no studies have focused on examining diverse soybean germplasm for regulation of shoot and root response under water limited conditions across varying soil types. In this study, 17 genetically diverse soybean germplasm lines were selected to study root response to water limited conditions in clay (trial 1) and sandy soil (trial 2) in two target environments. Physiological data on shoot traits was measured at multiple crop stages ranging from early vegetative to pod filling. The phenotypic root traits, and biomass accumulation data are collected at pod filling stage. In trial 1, the number of lateral roots and forks were positively correlated with plot yield under water limitation and in trial 2, lateral root thickness was positively correlated with the hill plot yield. Plant Introduction (PI) 578477A and 088444 were found to have higher later root number and forks in clay soil with higher yield under water limitation. In sandy soil, PI458020 was found to have a thicker lateral root system and higher yield under water limitation. The genotypes identified in this study could be used to enhance drought tolerance of elite soybean cultivars through improved root traits specific to target environments.     

Recombination patterns reveal information about centromere location on linkage maps

Linkage mapping is often used to identify genes associated with phenotypic traits and for aiding genome assemblies. Still, many emerging maps do not locate centromeres – an essential component of the genomic landscape. Here, we demonstrate that for genomes with strong chiasma interference, approximate centromere placement is possible by phasing the same data used to generate linkage maps. Assuming one obligate crossover per chromosome arm, information about centromere location can be revealed by tracking the accumulated recombination frequency along linkage groups, similar to half‐tetrad analyses. We validate the method on a linkage map for sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) with known centromeric regions. Further tests suggest that the method will work well in other salmonids and other eukaryotes. However, the method performed weakly when applied to a male linkage map (rainbow trout; O. mykiss) characterized by low and unevenly distributed recombination – a general feature of male meiosis in many species. Further, a high frequency of double crossovers along chromosome arms in barley reduced resolution for locating centromeric regions on most linkage groups. Despite these limitations, our method should work well for high‐density maps in species with strong recombination interference and will enrich many existing and future mapping resources.