Rescue of shoot apical meristems of chrysanthemum by culturing on root tips

A new method to regenerate plants from leaf primordia-free shoot apical meristem domes (LP-free SAMs) was developed by establishing the meristem dome on the cut surface of root tips. Ten days after culture, the viable rate of LP-free SAMs of chrysanthemum Piato attached to chrysanthemum root tips was >40%. Shoot regeneration was not observed from LP-free SAMs without the root tips. When LP-free SAMs of chrysanthemum were transferred to root tips of either petunia, cabbage, or carnation, the highest shoot regeneration rate was observed with cabbage root tips. Microscopic observation documented that the LP-free SAM temporarily adhered to the cut surface of the root tip of cabbage.Communicated by K.K. Kamo     

Lateral diffusion of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in leaves of the crassulacean acid metabolism plant<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Kalanchoë daigremontiana</Emphasis> Hamet et Perrier

Dynamic patchiness of photosystem II (PSII) activity in leaves of the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant Kalanchoë daigremontiana Hamet et Perrier, which was independent of stomatal control and was observed during both the day/night cycle and circadian endogenous oscillations of CAM, was previously explained by lateral CO₂ diffusion and CO₂ signalling in the leaves [Rascher et al. (2001) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:11801–11805; Rascher and Lüttge (2002) Plant Biol 4:671–681]. The aim here was to actually demonstrate the importance of lateral CO₂ diffusion and its effects on localized PSII activity. Covering small sections of entire leaves with silicone grease was used for local exclusion of a contribution of atmospheric CO₂ to internal CO₂ via transport through stomata. A setup for combined measurement of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence imaging was used for recording photosynthetic activity with a spatiotemporal resolution. When remobilization of malic acid from vacuolar storage and its decarboxylation in the CAM cycle caused increasing internal CO₂ concentrations sustaining high PSII activity behind closed stomata, PSII activity was also increased in adjacent leaf sections where vacuolar malic acid accumulation was minimal as a result of preventing external CO₂ supply due to leaf-surface greasing, and where therefore CO₂ could only be supplied by diffusion from the neighbouring malic acid-remobilizing leaf tissue. This demonstrates lateral CO₂ diffusion and its effect on local photosynthetic activity.     

Expression of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apx</Emphasis> gene family during leaf senescence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis>

Oxygen-free radicals are thought to play an essential role in senescence. Therefore, the expression patterns of the small gene family encoding the H₂O₂ scavenging enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11) were analyzed during senescence of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heinh. Applying real-time RT-PCR, the mRNA levels were quantified for three cytosolic (APX1, APX2, APX6), two chloroplastic types (stromal sAPX, thylakoid tAPX), and three microsomal (APX3, APX4, APX5) isoforms identified in the genome of Arabidopsis. The genes of chloroplastic thylakoid-bound tAPX and the microsomal APX4 exhibit a strong age-related decrease of mRNA level in leaves derived from one rosette as well as in leaves derived from plants of different ages. In contrast to the tAPX, the mRNA of sAPX was only reduced in old leaves of old plants. The microsomal APX3 and APX5, and the cytosolic APX1, APX2, and APX6 did not show remarkable age-related changes in mRNA levels. The data show that expression of the individual APX genes is differentially regulated during senescence indicating possible functional specialization of respective isoenzymes. The hydrogen peroxide levels seem to be controlled very precisely in different cell compartments during plant development.     

桉树及其杂交种叶片形态的遗传变异特征

为了解桉树重要性状在杂交种亲本、子代间的遗传变异规律,以尾叶桉(Eucalyptus urophylla)为母本、粗皮桉(E. pellita)和细叶桉(E. tereticornis)为父本、8个全同胞杂交子代为材料,对亲本和子代的叶片形态性状进行了分析。结果表明,亲缘关系近的尾叶桉和粗皮桉的叶片性状大多无显著差异;但他们与亲缘关系远的细叶桉间的差异显著;尾粗桉与父母本间的性状无显著差异或仅与母本差异显著,属偏父本型;尾细桉与双亲间的多数性状都差异显著,且多偏向于母本。在树种内的家系间或个体间,叶片数量性状差异显著,而质量性状仅叶面革质厚度、叶面朝向差异显著;杂交种家系部分性状有超亲现象,且尾细桉家系超亲频率显著高于尾粗桉。叶长、叶长宽比、形状因子、叶色、叶面革质是区别叶片形态特征的决定性状。     

中间锦鸡儿CibHLH027基因的克隆和功能研究

叶片衰老是植物生长发育的最后阶段,黑暗、干旱和极端温度等会加速叶片衰老过程,严重影响植物的生长发育和作物产量。bHLH(basic helix-loop-helix)属于转录调控因子中的一个大家族,因具有保守性较高的bHLH结构域而得名,广泛存在于真核生物界。在中间锦鸡儿(Caragana intermedia)转录组数据库中得到一条候选bHLH基因全长序列,将其命名为Cib HLH027。正常和黑暗诱导的情况下,CibHLH027-OE株系较WT相比叶片衰老明显,并且黑暗处理后叶绿素含量下降、离子渗透率增大、细胞膜受损严重,说明CibHLH027参与了叶片衰老调控过程。     

濒危植物长柄双花木(Disanthus cercidifolius var. longipes)叶功能性状随生长发育阶段的变化

对珍稀濒危植物长柄双花木(Disanthus cercidifolius var. longipes H. T. Chang)不同生长发育阶段的叶厚度(LT)、叶面积(LA)、叶含水量(LWC)、比叶面积(SLA)、叶片全氮含量(LNC)和叶片全磷含量(LPC)等叶功能性状及性状症候群的变化进行了研究。结果显示,不同发育阶段长柄双花木的叶功能性状存在显著差异,其中LT、LA随植株发育呈递增趋势,而LWC、SLA、LNC和LPC则呈递减趋势。主成分分析显示,随着长柄双花木的不断发育,性状症候群朝着LT、LA增大而LWC、SLA、LNC和LPC减小的方向变化。表明该物种的经济策略随着发育进程由快收益向慢收益转变。     

水分对药用兰科植物白及生理和形态结构的影响

通过水分控制实验,研究不同土壤水分条件对白及(Bletilla striata(Thunb.ex A.Murray)Rchb.f.)光合作用、叶片解剖结构、生物量和多糖含量的影响。结果表明,低水分处理不仅使白及的最大光合速率、气孔导度、光反应中心Ⅱ活性及叶绿素含量等参数降低;也使叶肉层变薄、上表皮增厚、生物量和多糖含量下降。气孔导度降低是白及在低水分条件下光合能力下降的主要原因。低水分条件可引起白及光合碳同化能力下降,导致生物量和多糖积累减少,进而影响白及的产量和品质。     

同质园栽培下的湖南鱼腥草居群叶表型性状多样性分析

将采自湖南的20个鱼腥草(Houttuynia cordata Thunb.)居群栽培于同质园内,通过测定9个叶片表型性状和6个叶片相对性状,采用方差分析、变异系数、相关性分析、主成分分析以及聚类分析等方法,对鱼腥草居群叶片形态的变异特征进行研究。结果表明:(1)同质园栽培的20个鱼腥草居群叶片15个表型性状均存在显著差异,居群间差异大于居群内差异;(2)居群内叶性状的平均变异系数变化幅度为5.63%~9.08%,说明居群内多样性程度较低,其中株洲攸县居群(P16)变异系数最高(9.08%),怀化溆浦居群(P3)变异系数最小(5.63%);(3)15个叶性状的平均变异系数变化幅度为3.71%~10.28%,说明各性状的多样性程度也较低,其中叶面积变异系数最大(10.28%),叶宽与叶中部宽之比(W_2/W_4)的变异系数最小(3.71%);(4)相关性分析显示,叶面积与叶宽、叶中部宽、叶长、叶基至叶宽处的距离、叶柄长都呈现出显著正相关,与叶尖夹角呈显著负相关,而与叶基夹角关系不大;(5)叶片15个性状中前3个主成分的贡献率为83.66%,聚类分析可将20个居群划分为心形、小心形、狭心形和大心形4类,呈现出间断分布的地理格局;(6)同质园实验说明叶表型性状多样性主要是由遗传物质决定的,对其多样性分析能为优良种质资源的选育提供理论依据。     

蚕豆叶片细胞中IAA的胶体金免疫电镜定位

利用胶体金免疫电镜技术对蚕豆(Vicia faba L.)叶片细胞中的IAA定位进行了研究。幼嫩叶片的叶肉细胞中金颗粒主要分布在细胞核和叶绿体中,细胞质及细胞壁也有金颗粒标记。成熟叶片的叶肉细胞中金颗粒主要分布在叶绿体和细胞质,细胞壁也有少量金颗粒标记,液泡中没有发现金颗粒标记。成熟叶片小叶脉的韧皮细胞发现有大量的金颗粒标记,金颗粒主要标记在传递细胞的细胞壁中。小叶脉的维管束鞘细胞中也有很多的金颗粒标记,金颗粒主要分布在叶绿体、细胞质及细胞壁中。幼嫩叶片组织不进行IAA的固定或用正常兔IgG代替IAA抗体染色的对照,很难发现金颗粒标记。对IAA在组织及亚细胞中的定位及其生理意义进行了讨论。