间伐强度对黄桥林区辽东栎生殖构件的影响

为了阐明抚育间伐强度对辽东栎生殖构件的影响,以黄土高原南部黄龙和桥山林区辽东栎中龄林为研究对象,对不同间伐强度(对照、10%、20%、30%)下近自然经营抚育间伐5年后的辽东栎平均单株个体大小、生殖构件产量、比率及空间分布格局特征等进行研究.结果表明: 间伐强度对辽东栎林分平均树高、胸径影响不显著,而与冠幅面积、冠幅体积呈显著正相关;辽东栎标准株的生殖枝、幼果、成熟果实产量随间伐强度的增大而增大,而营养枝、雄花序、雄花、雌花的产量变化不大.当间伐强度达到20%时,生殖枝、幼果、成熟果实产量显著提高,30%间伐下达到最大.生殖枝比例和座果率随间伐强度增大而增大,在20%、30%间伐强度时与对照的差异达到显著水平.约3/4的生殖枝、雌花、雄花集中分布于树冠上层,1/4分布于下层;树冠阳面生殖构件数量占65%,树冠阴面占35%.树冠下层、阴面生殖枝、雌花、雄花序的空间分布比例随着间伐强度的增大而增大;树冠上层、阳面生殖枝、雌花、雄花序分布比例随间伐强度的增大呈递减趋势.因此,选择30%间伐强度(保留郁闭度0.6)最佳,可以大幅提高辽东栎的座果率和成熟率,有效提高结实量和品质,为辽东栎林的采种及天然更新提供保证.     

Cell wall targeted in planta iron accumulation enhances biomass conversion and seed iron concentration in Arabidopsis and rice

Conversion of nongrain biomass into liquid fuel is a sustainable approach to energy demands as global population increases. Previously, we showed that iron can act as a catalyst to enhance the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production. However, direct addition of iron catalysts to biomass pretreatment is diffusion‐limited, would increase the cost and complexity of biorefinery unit operations and may have deleterious environmental impacts. Here, we show a new strategy for in planta accumulation of iron throughout the volume of the cell wall where iron acts as a catalyst in the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass. We engineered CBM‐IBP fusion polypeptides composed of a carbohydrate‐binding module family 11 (CBM11) and an iron‐binding peptide (IBP) for secretion into Arabidopsis and rice cell walls. CBM‐IBP transformed Arabidopsis and rice plants show significant increases in iron accumulation and biomass conversion compared to respective controls. Further, CBM‐IBP rice shows a 35% increase in seed iron concentration and a 40% increase in seed yield in greenhouse experiments. CBM‐IBP rice potentially could be used to address iron deficiency, the most common and widespread nutritional disorder according to the World Health Organization.     

Modeling the effects of enclosure size on geometry learning

Several recent studies have shown that chickens, fish, and humans trained to find a reward in a corner of a rectangular enclosure with distinctive features rely more on the geometry of the enclosure in small enclosures and rely more on the features in large enclosures. Here, these results are modeled using a recent associative model of geometry learning [Miller, N.Y., Shettleworth, S.J., 2007. Learning about environmental geometry: an associative model. J. Exp. Psychol. Anim. B 33, 191–212]. By adjusting the salience of either geometric or featural information or both the model is capable of reproducing much of the data on the effects of enclosure size on geometry learning.     

Design,generation, and testing of mammalian expression modules that tag membrane proteins

The expression of mammalian membrane proteins in laboratory cell lines allows their biological functions to be characterized and carefully dissected. However, it is often difficult to design and generate effective antibodies for membrane proteins in the desired studies. As a result, expressed membrane proteins cannot be detected or characterized via common biochemical approaches such as western blotting, immunoprecipitation, or immunohistochemical analysis, and their cellular behaviors cannot be sufficiently investigated. To circumvent such roadblocks, we designed and generated two sets of expression modules that consist of sequences encoding for three essential components: (1) a signal peptide from human receptor for advanced glycation end products that targets the intended protein to the endoplasmic reticulum for cell surface expression; (2) an antigenic epitope tag that elicits specific antibody recognition; and (3) a series of restriction sites that facilitate subcloning of the target membrane protein. The modules were designed with the flexibility to change the epitope tag to suit the specific tagging needs. The modules were subcloned into expression vectors, and were successfully tested with both Type I and Type III human membrane proteins: the receptor for advanced glycation end products, the Toll‐like receptor 4, and the angiotensin II receptor 1. These expressed membrane proteins are readily detected by western blotting, and are immunoprecipitated by antibodies to their relative epitope tags. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses also show that the expressed proteins are located at cell surface, and maintain their modifications and biological functions. Thus, the designed modules serve as an effective tool that facilitates biochemical studies of membrane proteins.     

Vrl1 relies on its VPS9‐domain to play a role in autophagy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation process involving many Atg proteins, which are recruited hierarchically to regulate this process. Rab/Ypt GTPases and their activators, guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which are critical for regulating vesicle trafficking, are also involved in autophagy. Previously, we reported that yeast Vps21 and its GEF Vps9 are required for autophagy. Later, a third yeast VPS9‐domain‐containing protein, V AR P‐l ike 1 (Vrl1), which was identified as a mutant in major laboratory strains, had partially overlapping functions with Vps9 in trafficking. In this study, we showed that Vrl1 performed roles in autophagy, and its VPS9‐domain was crucial for its role in autophagy. We found that localization of Vrl1 differed from the other two VPS9‐domain‐containing proteins, Vps9 and Muk1, and only Vrl1 changed from multipoint to diffusion after starvation. Like Vps9, Vrl1 suppressed autophagic defects caused by the VPS9 deletion. We further showed that these VPS9‐domain‐containing proteins, Vps9, Muk1, and Vrl1, all co‐localized with Atg8 on autophagosomes in cells blocked in any late step of starvation‐induced autophagy, with Vrl1 most often co‐localizing with Atg8. A small portion (<25%) of these VPS9‐domain‐containing proteins were degraded through autophagy. However, a large portion (>60%) of Vrl1 decreased independently of autophagy. We propose that Vrl1 may regulate autophagy in a similar way as Vps9, and the level of Vrl1 partly decreases through both autophagy‐dependent and ‐independent routes.     

天津沿海滩涂互花米草种群生殖分株数量特征及生殖分配研究

通过对天津沿海滩涂单优群落的取样调查,研究了互花米草种群生殖分株的数量特征和生殖分配规律。结果表明,在籽实成熟期,互花米草种群单个生殖分株重为15.62±9.26 g,穗和种子重分别为2.68±2.08和1.39±1.12 g,小穗和种子数分别为537.7±362.2和490.2±376.3个,生殖分配Ⅰ和生殖分配Ⅱ分别为15.02±5.83和7.62±3.8%,结实率为81.9 ±28.6%。穗和种子的形成分别需要分株积累3.2和3.6 g以上的生物量。穗长、穗重、种子数、小穗数、生殖分配Ⅰ和生殖分配Ⅱ分别与分株高度呈极显著(p<0.01)的正相关关系。穗重、小穗数、种子重、种子数、生殖分配Ⅰ和生殖分配Ⅱ分别与分株重呈极显著(p<0.01)的线性正相关关系。种子数、小穗数、生殖分配Ⅰ和生殖分配Ⅱ分别与茎和叶鞘生物量分配呈极显著(p<0.01)的负相关关系。穗各构件在空间上的分布也存在较强的规律性。     

Effects of lead contamination on the clonal propagative ability of Phragmites australis (common reed) grown in wet and dry environments

Clonal propagation is important for the survival and maintenance of the common reed Phragmites australis. Pot culture experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of lead (Pb) concentration (0, 500, 1500, 3000, 4500 mg·kg^?1) and water stress on the clonal reproductive ability of this species. The Pb concentration found in plant organs, in decreasing order, was roots >shoots >rhizomes. There was a negative relationship between the growth of clonal propagative modules (excluding axillary shoot buds) and Pb concentrations, which caused a decrease in biomass, rhizome growth and number of axillary and apical rhizome buds. Daughter axillary shoots exhibited a tolerance strategy, with no significant change in their number; the axillary and apical rhizome buds, daughter apical rhizome shoots and rhizomes exhibited compensatory growth during the late stage of Pb (excluding 4500 mg·kg^?1) treatment in a wet environment. Pb applications above 500 mg·kg^?1 reduced these parameters significantly in the drought treatment, except for the number of axillary shoot buds, which did not change. Our results indicate that clonal propagative resistance to Pb contamination can occur via tolerance strategies, compensatory growth and a Pb allocation strategy, enabling these reeds to maintain population stability in wet environments. However, clonal modular growth and reproductive ability were inhibited significantly by the interaction between drought and Pb, which would cause a decline in P. australis populations in a dry environment. Lead concentrations of 4500 and 500 mg·kg^?1 in soils might meet or exceed the Pb tolerance threshold of clonally propagated reeds in wet and dry environments, respectively.     

入侵植物小花山桃草种群构件生物量结构及种子萌发特征

通过野外设置样方调查和室内萌发试验,研究小花山桃草种群各构件生物量的结构特征和它们之间的关系模型、繁殖分配以及种子萌发特点。结果表明:(1)小花山桃草根、茎、叶、花(果)序生物量与植株高度之间以及各构件生物量之间均呈正相关关系,可用幂函数模型或线性函数模型较好地表达;(2)各构件生物量在个体生物量中所占的比率表现为茎>花序>叶>根;(3)小花山桃草的繁殖投入和繁殖分配都随植株个体的增大而增加;(4)小花山桃草个体大小和繁殖投入之间为线性关系,而个体大小和繁殖分配之间为幂函数关系;(5)小花山桃草存在一个较小的繁殖阈值(0.6043g);(6)小花山桃草种子在有光照(12h)和黑暗条件下发芽率均可达到85%以上;未经贮藏的种子不萌发,低温沙藏(1～2℃)和室温干藏(14～32℃)一个半月种子萌发率分别可达92.5%和79%;低温沙藏时种子即可发芽,且发芽率可达61%。在研究地区,小花山桃草几乎整个生长季都可萌发,甚至初冬还有幼苗产生。小花山桃草构件生物量结构和繁殖分配特征、种子萌发特点等都有助于其入侵能力的提高,是其成功入侵我国的重要原因。