Effect of silicon on the growth and phosphorus uptake of rice

A pot experiment was conducted to measure the effect of silicon on phosphorus uptake and on the growth of rice at different P levels. Rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Akebono) was cultured in Kimura B nutrient solution without and with silicon (1.66 mM Si) and with three phosphorus levels (0.014 mM P, low; 0.21 mM, medium; and 0.70 mM, high).Shoot dry weight with Si (+Si) in solution increased with increasing P level, while shoot weight without Si (–Si) was maximum at 0.21 mM P, suggesting that +Si raised the optimum P level for rice. +Si increased shoot weight more when P was low or high than when P was medium.The concentration and amount of inorganic P in shoots increased with increasing P level. +Si did not significantly decrease P uptake by rice at 0.014 mM P, however, uptake at 0.21 and 0.70 mM P was 27 and 30 percent less than uptake with –Si, respectively. In –Si with 0.21 and 0.70 mM P, inorganic P in shoots was more than double the concentration in shoots grown in +Si solutions.The Si concentration in shoots decreased slightly with increasing P level, although Si uptake was not significantly affected by P. +Si decreased the uptake of Fe and Mn by an average of 20 and 50 percent, respectively, thus P/Mn and P/Fe ratios increased in the shoot when P was low.From the results above, the beneficial effect of Si on the growth of rice was clearly shown when P was low or high. This effect may have resulted from decreased Mn and Fe uptake, and thus increased P availability within P deficient plants, or from reduced P uptake when P was high.     

Screening sorghum for tolerance to excess manganese in solution culture

This study was conducted to define traits to screen sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotypes for tolerance to excess Mn. Visual Mn toxicity symptoms, net and total root lengths, shoot and root dry matter yields, and shoot and root Mn concentrations were determined for plants grown in nutrient solutions (pH 4.5) at different levels of Mn (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 mM above the initial 18 M) to assess plant responses to excess Mn. Dry matter yields showed greatest variability among genotypes, and was an effective trait to evaluate sorghum for tolerance to excess Mn. Reductions in dry matter yields did not occur until Mn levels were above 3 mM. Levels of Mn between 3 and 6 mM could effectively be used to screen sorghum for genotypic differences to excess Mn. Manganese levels above 6 mM were too severe to allow good genotypic differentiation. Of genotypes tested, NB9040 and Wheatland showed good tolerance and SC283 and ICA-Nataima were sensitive to excess Mn.     

Manganese deficiency and transcriptional regulation of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase in hepatomas

The presumed involvement of the transition metals manganese and copper in the regulation of the expression of the Mn- and CuZn-containing superoxide dismutase genes has been investigated in normal and neoplastic tissues of the rat. Two hepatomas of the Morris line have been employed, the slow growing, highly differentiated 9618A and the fast growing, poorly differentiated 3924A. The data obtained indicate a control at the pretranslational level of the Mn-containing enzyme, presumably exerted by the manganese ion. The CuZn-containing superoxide dismutase is also regulated pretranslationally in the normal tissues examined and in the hepatoma 3924A. However, there is no indication for the involvement of the copper ion, which in the liver is mostly located in the cytosol bound to CuZnSOD, in such regulation. The possible role of a reduced redox state, concomitant to the manganese deficiency in hepatoma tissues, in the down regulation of Mn-containing superoxide dismutase is discussed.     

燕麦/小麦间作对小麦生长和锰营养的影响

通过根系分隔的盆栽试验,研究了燕麦,小麦间作对小麦生长及其锰营养的影响。结果表明：根系不分隔处理,小麦地上部干重和植株吸锰量都高于其他两种分隔方式;而根系完全分隔处理,小麦地上部植株锰含量高于其他两种分隔方式;根系不同分隔方式对川麦28土壤DTPA-Mn含量几乎没有影响,小麦9023土壤DTPA-Mn含量则以完全分隔处理高于另外两种分隔方式。推测在该间作体系中,燕麦可能通过根系分泌物来活化土壤难溶性的锰氧化物,从而促进了小麦的生长,改善了小麦的锰营养,但因其竞争能力不如小麦而消弱了自身的生长。具体原因有待于进一步试验验证。试验还发现,种植燕麦后土壤的DTPA-Mn含量要高于种植小麦后的土壤,而且燕麦地上部植株锰含量也比小麦高,表明燕麦活化、吸收土壤锰的能力强于小麦。不同间作组合时,小麦各项研究指标无一致的规律性,说明在促进小麦生长、改善小麦锰营养的能力方面,本试验采用的3个燕麦品种之间无明显差异。     

湘潭锰矿区植物资源调查及超富集植物筛选

通过设置样地,对湘潭锰矿区的植物资源进行了全面调查。结果表明:锰矿区植物丰富,共有28科,53种,植物以自然定居种为主,少见人工栽培种;生活史以多年生植物为主,少见1年生植物。群落结构上,以草灌丛为主,少见乔木种;当前锰矿区形成的以多年生草灌丛为主的局部群落,是原锰矿区植被在开采中被彻底破坏后,处在逐步向亚热带常绿阔叶林演替的一种初级阶段;其次,对矿区植物锰富集能力进行的分析表明,植物各组织(根、茎、叶)之间锰富集量差异明显,大部分物种地下部分锰含量大于地上部分,表现出一般植物的共性,只有少部分植物地上部分锰含量大于地下部分,表现出其特殊性;此外,植物种之间富集锰能力差异显著;莎草地上与地下部分锰含量均大于超富集植物10000mg.kg-1的临界浓度且富集系数与转移系数均大于1的超富集植物评价标准,表明其具有超强的富集锰能力。调查还发现,位于中-高锰矿区莎草生物量高达507.06g.m-2,符合超富集植物应具有较高生物量的标准。可见,莎草可作为中-高锰污染区生态修复的首先超富集植物种。     

An Electron Spin Resonance Investigation of Internal Rust Spot, A Physiological Disorder of the Potato Tuber

ESR spectroscopy has been used to investigate the formation of paramagnetic species during the development of internal rust spot (IRS) in the potato tuber. Production of free radicals and oxidation of metal ions such as Fe(II) and Mn(II) occur when necrotic tissue is formed. However. since IRS develops in periods of calcium stress (low calcium supply). it is suggested that the principal cause of the disorder is a loss of cell membrane integrity tvhich is brought ahout by a lack of calcium. Cell senescence and the formation of necrotic tissue may then result either from increased oxygen radical production within the cell or from oxidation of metal complexes in the extracellular regions of the tissue.     

Effect of calcium on the absorption and translocation of heavy metals in excised barley roots: Multi-compartment transport box experiment

Summary The effect of Ca on the absorption and translocation of Mn, Zn and Cd in excised barley roots was studied using a multi-compartment transport box technique. A radioisotope (⁵⁴Mn,⁶⁵Zn or^115mCd)-labelled test solution was supplied to the apexes of excised roots and the distribution pattern in the roots was examined in the absence or presence of Ca. Results obtained were as follows. Addition of Ca to the test solution reduced the absorption of Mn and inhibited drastically its translocation in excised roots. With increasing concentrations of Ca in test solutions, its inhibitory effects on the absorption and translocation of Mn became severe. Similar results were observed for the absorption and translocation of Zn. Ca in the test solution decreased the absorption and inhibited drastically the translocation of Zn; as in the case of Mn, higher concentrations of Ca had severe effects on these functions. It was also evident that the addition of Ca to the test solution reduced the absorption of Cd at all levels of Cd concentration (1, 10, and 100 μM). Cd absorption decreased with increasing concentrations of Ca in the test solution. However, Ca accelerated the translocation of Cd in excised roots supplied with test solutions containing up to 10μM Cd. At 100μM Cd, addition of Ca caused a negligibly small acceleration of Cd translocation. The accelerating effect of Ca on Cd translocation, especially “xylem exudation”, decreased markedly with the addition of 2,4-dinitrophenol, but not with the addition of chloramphenicol or p-chloromercuribenzene sulphonic acid. When barley plants were supplied with only CaSO₄ during the entire growing period, that is, plants were not supplied with nutrient solution on the last day of this period, Ca had no accelerating effect on Cd translocation in excised roots.     

The enduring legacy of Koji Nakanishi's research on bioorganic chemistry and natural products. Part 1: Isolation,structure determination and mode of action

In this brief review on Koji Nakanishi's remarkable career in natural products chemistry, we have highlighted a number of his accomplishments that illustrate the broad diversity of his interests. These include the isolation, structure determination, and biological mechanism of action of many natural products including the triterpenoid pristimerin; the diterpenoid ginkgolides; insect and crustacean molting hormones; phytoalexins; the toxic red tide principle brevetoxin; the vanadium tunicate pigments; philanthotoxin from killer wasps; antisickling agents; mitomycin DNA adducts; insect antifeedants; a mitotic hormone, the small molecule fish attractants from the sea anemone; new isolation and purification technologies; molecular chemistry of vision; age-related macular degeneration; and the development of the exciton circular dichroism (CD) chirality method for microscale determination of absolute configuration of natural products and chirality of other chiral molecules and supramolecular assembly.     

Rate-limiting step of the iron porphyrin-catalysed oxidation of cyclohexane to adipic acid by DFT method

Deep understanding of the rate-limiting step in the oxidation process of cyclohexane to adipic acid would be useful for improving the activity of catalysts and selectivity of goal products. The rate-limiting step lied in high-valent species generation or C–H bond oxidation remains a controversial topic. In this paper, the mechanism of high-valent species generation and C–H bond activation was investigated by density functional theory. It was observed that the activation barrier of the high-valent species was lower than that of C–H bond activation; thereby the C–H bond oxidation was determined as the rate-limiting step. Calculated geometries and energies were in close agreement with the experimental observations. Furthermore, frontier molecular orbital analysis revealed that the C–H bond interacted with the high-valent species in different orientation and it showed how the reaction was manipulated and controlled by the iron–porphyrin in the catalytic process. Given the calculation correction, experiments were designed to reveal the rate-limiting step. This work provides a clear view of the debut on the rate-limiting step of the alkane oxidation. It should be a significant step forward for understanding the relationship between the porphyrin molecular structures and catalytic activity accurately and for predicting and designing high-activity catalysts.