Effects of Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae infection on the antioxidant profile of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum C3/CAM intermediate plant

Mesembryathemum crystallinum plants performing C₃ or CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) appear to be highly resistant to Botrytis cinerea as well as to Pseudomonas syringae. Fungal hyphae growth was restricted to 48 h post-inoculation (hpi) in both metabolic types and morphology of hyphae differed between those growing in C₃ and CAM plants. Growth of bacteria was inhibited significantly 24 hpi in both C₃ and CAM plants. B. cinerea and P. syringae infection led to an increase in the concentration of H₂O₂ in C₃ plants 3 hpi, while a decrease in H₂O₂ content was observed in CAM performing plants. The concentration of H₂O₂ returned to the control level 24 and 48 hpi. Changes in H₂O₂ content corresponded with the activity of guaiacol peroxidase (POD), mostly 3 hpi. We noted that its activity decreased significantly in C₃ plants and increased in CAM plants in response to inoculation with both pathogens. On the contrary, changes in the activity of CAT did not correlate with H₂O₂ level. It increased significantly after interaction of C₃ plants with B. cinerea or P. syringae, but in CAM performing plants, the activity of this enzyme was unchanged. Inoculation with B. cinerea or P. syringae led to an increase in the total SOD activity in C₃ plants while CAM plants did not exhibit changes in the total SOD activity after interaction with both pathogens. In conclusion, the pathogen-induced changes in H₂O₂ content and in SOD, POD and CAT activities in M. crystallinum leaves, were related to the photosynthetic metabolism type of the stressed plants rather than to the lifestyle of the invading pathogen.     

杉木人工林冰雪灾害受灾和萌生情况调查及影响因子分析

以九龙山国家级自然保护区的主要公益林杉木人工林作为研究对象,选择具有代表性的受灾区域,自海拔700 m至900 m设置样地,共10块样地,总面积4 000 m2。分析其受2008年初严重冰雪灾害破坏及灾后萌生情况与胸径、树高、尖削度、海拔之间的关系。结果表明： 1）杉木人工林损害严重,其中断冠、断干植株比例较高,而掘根和冻死植株相对较少;杉木具有极强的萌生能力,以断冠杉木的萌生能力最强。2）不同胸径、树高、尖削度的杉木对于冰雪灾害的抵御能力及萌生能力存在一定差异,小径级矮小的个体受灾较重,易被冻死和掘根,大径级的较高个体受灾相对较轻,主要表现为断冠和断干危害,且不同径级下的受灾杉木上部萌生均占较大比例。3）杉木的抵御能力和萌生能力与海拔存在一定的关系,高海拔地区杉木受灾较重,而中海拔地区的杉木萌生能力相对较强。     

Structure of the summer under fast ice microbial community near Syowa Station,eastern Antarctica

Temporal variations in the microbial community structure of plankton, which is composed of autotrophic and heterotrophic pico-, nano- and microplankton, were investigated during the austral summer of 2005/2006 under fast ice near Syowa Station, eastern Antarctica. Autotrophic algal populations were composed almost entirely of diatoms followed by phytoflagellates such as autotrophic dinoflagellates and cryptophytes. Among the microbial community, heterotrophic biomass was dominated by heterotrophic dinoflagellates and naked ciliates and finally exceeded autotrophic biomass. Qualitative microscopic analysis revealed that heterotrophic dinoflagellates were ingesting large number of diatoms. Synchronizing fluctuation of naked ciliates with phytoflagellates suggested a predator–prey relationship between them. Our results suggest that the pelagic food webs under the extensive ice-covered areas in coastal Antarctic regions are not short but complex.     

Ice-active proteins and cryoprotectants from the New Zealand alpine cockroach, Celatoblatta quinquemaculata

Celatoblatta quinquemaculata is moderately freezing tolerant. We have investigated low and high molecular weight compounds that may be associated with its survival. Glycerol and trehalose were identified as potential cryoprotectants, with trehalose at the higher concentration. Trehalose was at its highest concentration in late autumn, during the periods sampled. Water contents declined with time and were significantly lower in late autumn than in late summer. No thermal hysteresis activity was detected in haemolymph or in extracts of the head, muscles and the fat body. Extracts of the Malpighian tubules showed an hexagonal crystal growth form, as did those of the gut tissue and gut contents. The gut tissue had high levels of thermal hysteresis (∼2 °C) and the gut contents somewhat lower levels (∼0.6 °C). Recrystallization inhibition activity mirrored that of thermal hysteresis, with activity absent in the haemolymph or fat body cells but present in the gut tissues and contents. Activity was reduced by heating and was associated with a molecule >14 kDa in size. These findings suggest an antifreeze protein is involved. In fed animals, ice nucleation is likely to start in the gut. Gut cells have a much greater resistance to freezing than do fat body or Malpighian tubule cells. The antifreeze protein may enable this tissue to survive freezing stress by inhibiting recrystallization.     

Recent trends in Lake Ladoga ice cover

This contribution reviews diversity of turbellarian species by biogeographical regions, with comments on species biology. The review draws on the database available at http://www.devbio.umesci.maine.edu/styler/turbellaria. Comparisons between regions suggest that species richness may be at least one order of magnitude higher than the currently reported number of species. In the context of the recent reconstructions of phylogeny of Platyhelminthes based on molecular data, the paper allows inferences as to the history of colonization of freshwaters by turbellarians. Specifically, four, or perhaps six, major invasions of freshwater habitats may have occurred in the Pangean period, each of which gave rise to a monophyletic freshwater taxon. In addition, several occasional invasions by representatives of marine taxa must have taken place.     

Summer monsoon precipitation variations in central China over the past 750 years derived from a high-resolution absolute-dated stalagmite

A 2–3-year resolution record of stalagmite oxygen isotope variations from the south flank of the Qinling Mountains, central China, has revealed the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) precipitation variations in the investigated area over the past 750 years. The summer monsoon precipitation gradually increased since 1249 AD, reaching its highest values in the period 1535–1685 AD, and then decreased with substantial decadal- to centennial-scale fluctuations. The monsoon precipitation increased again between 1920 and 1970 AD. Three intervals of high monsoon precipitation were identified: 1535–1685 AD, 1755–1835 AD, and 1920–1970 AD. Three intervals of low precipitation were inferred in 1249–1325 AD, 1390–1420 AD, and 1890–1915 AD. The δ¹⁸O composition and lithological features of the stalagmite coincidently indicate a wetter climate during the Little Ice Age (LIA), which is also confirmed by climate records from Chinese historical documents within this area. A comparison with other high-resolution speleothem records indicates regional differences in monsoon precipitation variability from the south to the north of central China in the last 750 years on decadal- to centennial-scale. Power spectrum analysis of the δ¹⁸O record shows significant 117.8-, 34.6-, 14-, 10.3-, and ~ 6-year periodicities. These periodicities are widely observed in the climate records from ASM-controlled areas of China and are consistent with the Gleissburg periodicity, Brϋckner periodicity, sunspot periodicity of solar activity, and El Nińo–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) periodicity. These correlations suggest that both solar activity and ENSO periodicity may have had important influences on ASM precipitation in China over the past 750 years.     

杉木人工林冰雪灾害受灾和萌生情况调查

以九龙山国家级自然保护区的主要公益林杉木人工林作为研究对象,选择具有代表性的受灾区域,自海拔700 m至900 m设置样地,共10块样地,总面积4 000 m2。分析其受2008年初严重冰雪灾害破坏及灾后萌生情况与胸径、树高、尖削度、海拔之间的关系。结果表明：1）杉木人工林损害严重,其中断冠、断干植株比例较高,而掘根和冻死植株相对较少;杉木具有极强的萌生能力,以断冠杉木的萌生能力最强。2）不同胸径、树高、尖削度的杉木对于冰雪灾害的抵御能力及萌生能力存在一定差异,小径级矮小的个体受灾较重,易被冻死和掘根,大径级的较高个体受灾相对较轻,主要表现为断冠和断干危害,且不同径级下的受灾杉木上部萌生均占较大比例。3）杉木的抵御能力和萌生能力与海拔存在一定的关系,高海拔地区杉木受灾较重,而中海拔地区的杉木萌生能力相对较强。     

AFP-Pred: A random forest approach for predicting antifreeze proteins from sequence-derived properties

Some creatures living in extremely low temperatures can produce some special materials called “antifreeze proteins” (AFPs), which can prevent the cell and body fluids from freezing. AFPs are present in vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, bacteria, fungi, etc. Although AFPs have a common function, they show a high degree of diversity in sequences and structures. Therefore, sequence similarity based search methods often fails to predict AFPs from sequence databases. In this work, we report a random forest approach “AFP-Pred” for the prediction of antifreeze proteins from protein sequence. AFP-Pred was trained on the dataset containing 300 AFPs and 300 non-AFPs and tested on the dataset containing 181 AFPs and 9193 non-AFPs. AFP-Pred achieved 81.33% accuracy from training and 83.38% from testing. The performance of AFP-Pred was compared with BLAST and HMM. High prediction accuracy and successful of prediction of hypothetical proteins suggests that AFP-Pred can be a useful approach to identify antifreeze proteins from sequence information, irrespective of their sequence similarity.     

Winter climate change: Ice encapsulation at mild subfreezing temperatures kills freeze-tolerant lichens

While it has been widely proven that many lichens are extremely freeze-tolerant in the dry state, little is known about how moist lichens respond to freezing under oxic and anoxic conditions. In circumpolar areas where lichens are an important component of boreal and Arctic ecosystems, winter climate is changing, leading to increased frequency of winter thaw and ground-icing events. It is imperative to elucidate in further detail how northern vegetation responds to being encapsulated in ice. A winter icing simulation experiment was therefore undertaken, encapsulating two reindeer lichens (Cladonia stellaris and Cladonia rangiferina) and two epiphytic lichens (Parmeliopsis ambigua and Melanohalea olivacea) in ice at temperatures just below freezing for a maximum period of 98 d. Photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence rates decreased strongly, clearly suggesting that the algal partner of the lichens was dying. Low but detectable respiration rates indicate that the fungal partner maintained some physiological activity. Ethanol accumulated in the lichens during ice encapsulation as a result of anaerobic respiration. The algae probably were dying from a combination of depletion of carbon reserves and toxic levels of ethanol and other stress metabolites. This experiment shows that boreal and Arctic-alpine lichens are sensitive to a warmer and more fluctuating winter climate. Increasing frequency of winter icing events may therefore have extensive and hitherto unknown effects on lichen-dominated ecosystems, their herbivores and the indigenous peoples whose livelihoods largely depend on them.     

Determining the Ice-binding Planes of Antifreeze Proteins by Fluorescence-based Ice Plane Affinity

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are expressed in a variety of cold-hardy organisms to prevent or slow internal ice growth. AFPs bind to specific planes of ice through their ice-binding surfaces. Fluorescence-based ice plane affinity (FIPA) analysis is a modified technique used to determine the ice planes to which the AFPs bind. FIPA is based on the original ice-etching method for determining AFP-bound ice-planes. It produces clearer images in a shortened experimental time. In FIPA analysis, AFPs are fluorescently labeled with a chimeric tag or a covalent dye then slowly incorporated into a macroscopic single ice crystal, which has been preformed into a hemisphere and oriented to determine the a- and c-axes. The AFP-bound ice hemisphere is imaged under UV light to visualize AFP-bound planes using filters to block out nonspecific light. Fluorescent labeling of the AFPs allows real-time monitoring of AFP adsorption into ice. The labels have been found not to influence the planes to which AFPs bind. FIPA analysis also introduces the option to bind more than one differently tagged AFP on the same single ice crystal to help differentiate their binding planes. These applications of FIPA are helping to advance our understanding of how AFPs bind to ice to halt its growth and why many AFP-producing organisms express multiple AFP isoforms.