Identification of a factor that complementarily inhibits somatic embryogenesis with vanillyl benzyl ether in Japanese larch

In Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis Gordon), a well-developed suspensor forms during somatic embryogenesis. The suspensor is the essential tissue for development of the embryo proper. In high-cell-density culture, the embryogenic cells proliferate, but no somatic embryos form because suspensor development is suppressed. Previously, we identified vanillyl benzyl ether (VBE) as a novel factor suppressing suspensor development from the high-cell-density conditioned medium (HCM), but the inhibitory effect of VBE was weaker than that of HCM added. Therefore, this study attempted to identify another inhibitory factor in the culture medium. Induction of somatic embryos was performed in a medium containing both VBE and a fraction of each chromatogram extracted from the culture medium. Results of the bioassay showed that a fraction had strong inhibitory activity with VBE, but weak activity without it. By physicochemical analyses of the fraction, 4-[(phenylmethoxy)methyl]phenol was identified as an inhibitory factor of larch somatic embryogenesis.     

Elongation, rooting and acclimatization of micropropagated shoots from mature material of hybrid larch

Factors were defined for elongation, rooting and acclimatization of micropropagated shoots ofLarix x eurolepis Henry initiated from short shoot buds of plagiotropic stecklings serially propagated for 9 years from an 8-year-old tree. Initiation and multiplication were on Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium supplemented with 5 M 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 1 M indole-butyric acid (IBA). Stem elongation was obtained in 36% of the shoots on SH medium containing 0.5 M BA and 63% of the remaining non-elongated shoots initiated stem elongation after transfer on SH medium devoid of growth regulators. Rooting involved 2 steps: root induction on Campbell and Durzan mineral salts and Murashige and Skoog organic elements, both half-strength (CD-MS/2), supplemented with 1 M of both naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and IBA, and root elongation following transfer to CD-MS/2 medium devoid of growth regulators. Repeating this 2-step sequence yielded up to 67% rooted shoots. Acclimatization of plantlets ranged from 83% to 100%. Over 300 plants were transferred to the greenhouse; some showed plagiotropic growth.     

Genetic relationships between European and Siberian larch,Larix spp. (Pinaceae), studied by allozymes. Is the Polish larch a hybrid between these two species?

Thirteen populations ofLarix decidua subsp.decidua and subsp.polonica, and three populations ofL. sibirica were investigated by starch-gel electrophoresis. In the populations assayed 61 alleles at 17 loci were revealed. The allozyme data support the earlier observations about close relationships between these two larch species. Nei's genetic distances betweenL. decidua andL. sibirica were relatively small (D = 0.057), however, almost five times larger, on average, than those between populations of the same species. Results obtained in this study disagree withBobrov's hypothesis about the hybrid origin of the Polish larch and suggest a direct origin from the European larch.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from Larix kaempferi

Microsatellites were isolated and characterized for Japanese larch, Larix kaempferi, a conifer species distributed in Japan. A larch genomic DNA library enriched for (AG)_n repeats was screened using the colony polymerase chain reaction method and 145 unique microsatellite containing sequences were obtained. Seventy‐two primer pairs were designed and 30 produced single‐locus products, and 19 of them were polymorphic. The expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.566 to 0.951. These 19 polymorphic microsatellite loci should be valuable markers for genetic studies on Japanese larch.     

兴安落叶松(Larix gmelini)幼中龄林的生物量与碳汇功能

兴安落叶松是我国的主要用材林,由于传统上对木材的长期依赖,使得其资源受到破坏,年龄结构发生改变,成过熟的原始林日渐减少,绝大部分是次生的幼中龄林。因此,研究其幼中龄林的生物量及碳汇功能很重要。森林生物量与森林生态系统的固碳能力密切相关,生物量与碳储量的多少直接影响到森林生态系统的功能,因而生物量与碳储量问题成为不同尺度生态学研究的热点。以我国大兴安岭兴安落叶松林为研究对象,通过样地调查,并结合我国森林资源清查资料对内蒙古大兴安岭地区兴安落叶松林的幼中龄林的生物量转换因子（BEF）、生物量及碳储量、碳密度、碳汇功能等进行了估算。通过实测数据及模型分析,得出以下基本结论：研究对象的BEF在0.4557与0.6988之间变动,平均值为0.5332。干、皮、枝、叶各组分生物量的分配比为：68.74：14.86：10.54：5.86。分别树干、树皮、枝、叶等组分,对其生物量与蓄积量的关系进行了拟合,建立了多组分生物量蓄积量的相关模型,分别是：干：y=0.4683x-11.291;皮：y=0.0472x+3.5674;枝：y=0.0415x+1.6787;叶：y=0.0197x+1.3405,均有很好的线性关系。地上生物量随蓄积量的增加而增加,其线性关系为：B=0.5767V-4.7042。利用近期清查数据,按材积源生物量法推算总生物量为9.49×10⁷t,按0.5097的含碳率计算,得出兴安落叶松林幼中龄林总的碳储量为4.84×10⁷t,碳密度为19.616 t/hm²。通过两期数据对比分析,5a间所研究林分的碳储量增加0.89×10⁷ t,碳密度增加0.404 t/hm²,说明其发挥着一定的碳汇作用。尽管近年来大兴安岭兴安落叶松林表现出了明显的碳汇功能,但整体上碳固定能力还不强,碳密度低于我国平均森林碳密度。应通过科学经营,挖掘潜力,使大兴安岭地区的森林生态系统在全球碳循环中发挥更大的作用。     

落叶松幼苗光合特性对氮和磷缺乏的响应

为探讨落叶松幼苗光合特性对氮、磷营养缺乏的响应规律,在温室内用砂培方法培养和处理落叶树幼苗,测定了净光合速率和叶绿素荧光等反映其光合能力的参数,分析了落叶松幼苗的光合特性对氮、磷营养缺乏的响应规律.结果表明,氮素供应不足(1mmol·L^-1)时,落叶松幼苗针叶的全氮含量、叶绿素含量和净光合速率与对照相比都显著降低,分别下降了37%、31%和59%,同时,F_v/F_m(反映光系统II最大光能转换效率)和F_v/F_o(反映光系统II潜在活性)也分别下降了22%和57%,而叶片可溶性蛋白含量只有微弱下降.磷素供应不足(1/8mmol·L^-1)时,叶片全氮和全磷含量、叶绿素含量、叶片可溶性蛋白含量和F_v/F_m与对照相比差异均不显著,净光合速率和F_v/F_o下降13%.氮、磷同时缺乏时,上述各项指标的变化与单独缺氮处理的相似,这意味着本实验中缺磷处理(1/8mmol·L^-1)对落叶松幼苗光合特性影响相对较小.     

Ice‐age persistence and genetic isolation of the disjunct distribution of larch in Alaska

Larix laricina (eastern larch, tamarack) is a transcontinental North American conifer with a prominent disjunction in the Yukon isolating the Alaskan distribution from the rest of its range. We investigate whether in situ persistence during the last glacial maximum (LGM) or long‐distance postglacial migration from south of the ice sheets resulted in the modern‐day Alaskan distribution. We analyzed variation in three chloroplast DNA regions of 840 trees from a total of 69 populations (24 new sampling sites situated on both sides of the Yukon range disjunction pooled with 45 populations from a published source) and conducted ensemble species distribution modeling (SDM) throughout Canada and United States to hindcast the potential range of L. laricina during the LGM. We uncovered the genetic signature of a long‐term isolation of larch populations in Alaska, identifying three endemic chlorotypes and low levels of genetic diversity. Range‐wide analysis across North America revealed the presence of a distinct Alaskan lineage. Postglacial gene flow across the Yukon divide was unidirectional, from Alaska toward previously glaciated Canadian regions, and with no evidence of immigration into Alaska. Hindcast SDM indicates one of the broadest areas of past climate suitability for L. laricina existed in central Alaska, suggesting possible in situ persistence of larch in Alaska during the LGM. Our results provide the first unambiguous evidence for the long‐term isolation of L. laricina in Alaska that extends beyond the last glacial period and into the present interglacial period. The lack of gene flow into Alaska along with the overall probability of larch occurrence in Alaska being currently lower than during the LGM suggests that modern‐day Alaskan larch populations are isolated climate relicts of broader glacial distributions, and so are particularly vulnerable to current warming trends.     

中国东北落叶松属植物分类学特征的分析Ⅱ：———种鳞及针叶的地理变异

中国东北部的落叶松属植物,在分类学上常被视为２个种＾［２,３］。然而对其种鳞的形态、正常种鳞的数量及针叶长度的研究统计结果表明,以上性状存在地理处的差异,然而又有明显的连续变异特性,证明长白山及东北东部分布的落叶松,在起源上晚于兴安落叶松（Ｌｉｘ ｇｍｅｌｉｎｉｉ）,应是兴安落叶松在东北东部的地理变异种。     

用西伯利亚落叶松年轮最大密度重建和布克赛尔5—8月份平均最高温度

利用采自和布克塞尔铁布克山二号沟的西伯利亚落叶松树轮样本,研制出树轮最大密度年表(MXD)和年轮宽度年表(TRW),分析了其年表特征和气候响应特点。结果表明,该样点的落叶松树轮最大密度年表与和布克塞尔气象站5-8月份平均温度和平均最高温度度均具有很好的正相关关系,最高单相关系数为0.660。用铁布克山二号沟的最大密度差值年表序列,可较好地重建和布克塞尔地区1795-2007年来春夏季平均最高温度距平,47 a重建值对实测值的解释方差达43.5%,且方程稳定。重建结果揭示,在和布克赛尔地区,20世纪平均最高温度距平要高于20世纪以前的平均最高温度距平,20世纪前中期平均最高温度距平出现了明显的上升,并且在重建的时段的末期,5-8月份平均最高温度距平表现出上升趋势。     

Changes in the levels of abscisic acid and its glucose ester conjugate during maturation of hybrid larch (Larix × leptoeuropaea) somatic embryos, in relation to germination and plantlet recovery

Changes in abscisic acid content during maturation of hybrid larch somatic embryos ( Larix × leptoeuropaea ), were followed using an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). In the presence of 60 μ M cis-trans (±)-ABA in the maturation medium, the cis-trans (±)-ABA level of the somatic embryos in planta increased during the maturation phase to reach a maximum value at week 5. Concomitantly, an extension of the period of maturation from 3 to 4 and 5 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in both germination and plantlet frequencies. As a consequence, we assume that it was the level of ABA in planta that was responsible for the inhibition. ABA acted in both a stimulatory and an inhibitory manner. If ABA promoted the obtention of high quality somatic embryos in large numbers, it also had a deleterious effect on the subsequent development, i.e. germination and plantlet recovery. The results stressed the importance of both the procedure and duration of maturation.