内蒙古高原荒漠区几种锦鸡儿属(Caragana)优势植物的生理生态适应特性

比较了内蒙古高原荒漠区4种锦鸡儿属(Caragana)优势植物——柠条锦鸡儿、狭叶锦鸡儿、垫状锦鸡儿和荒漠锦鸡儿的生理适应特性。研究发现:4种锦鸡儿属植物中,荒漠锦鸡儿的叶片含水量、束缚水/自由水比值、水势以及水分利用效率最低,气孔导度日变化表现为与气温变化相似的早晚低、中午高的单峰曲线。4种锦鸡儿蒸腾速率日变化状况相似,均在10:00达到最大,以后逐渐降低,但日蒸腾积累值垫状锦鸡儿<荒漠锦鸡儿<柠条锦鸡儿<狭叶锦鸡儿。相比较,柠条锦鸡儿、狭叶锦鸡儿和垫状锦鸡儿对当地的水分条件有良好的适应性,能够保持较好的水分状况,水分亏缺在15%以下,而荒漠锦鸡儿叶水分亏缺日变幅较大,保水能力不及其它3种。渗透调节比较研究发现:荒漠锦鸡儿的渗透势最低,细胞质离子浓度最高,无机渗透调节物产生的渗透势所占的比例也更大,说明其低渗透势的维持主要来自无机渗透调节物质的较多积累。保护酶和自由基比较研究发现:POD和SOD活性荒漠锦鸡儿明显高于其它3个种,但CAT活性在4种植物中无显著差别;叶片自由基含量狭叶锦鸡儿>荒漠锦鸡儿>柠条锦鸡儿>垫状锦鸡儿。这些结果表明:(1)荒漠锦鸡儿对干旱环境的适应方式与其它3种不同,柠条锦鸡儿、狭叶锦鸡儿和垫状锦鸡儿以强保水能力、维持稳定的水分而适应,而荒漠锦鸡儿以更负的渗透势、更高细胞质离子浓度弥补其更多的水分消耗和对水分变化的强耐性而适应,较高的保护酶活性可能是其强耐性的生理基础之一。(2)保水能力弱的锦鸡儿种主要通过无机离子的积累,调节细胞质渗透势,保持水分平衡,这是一种相对节省能量的适应对策。     

Ecophysiological responses to simulated canopy gaps of two tree species of contrasting shade tolerance in elevated CO2

1. One-year-old seedlings of shade tolerant Acer rubrum and intolerant Betula papyrifera were grown in ambient and twice ambient (elevated) CO₂, and in full sun and 80% shade for 90 days. The shaded seedlings received 30-min sun patches twice during the course of the day. Gas exchange and tissue–water relations were measured at midday in the sun plants and following 20 min of exposure to full sun in the shade plants to determine the effect of elevated CO₂ on constraints to sun-patch utilization in these species.
2. Elevated CO₂ had the largest stimulation of photosynthesis in B. papyrifera sun plants and A. rubrum shade plants.
3. Higher photosynthesis per unit leaf area in sun plants than in shade plants of B. papyrifera was largely owing to differences in leaf morphology. Acer rubrum exhibited sun/shade differences in photosynthesis per unit leaf mass consistent with biochemical acclimation to shade.
4. Betula papyrifera exhibited CO₂ responses that would facilitate tolerance to leaf water deficits in large sun patches, including osmotic adjustment and higher transpiration and stomatal conductance at a given leaf-water potential, whereas A. rubrum exhibited large increases in photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency.
5. Results suggest that species of contrasting successional ranks respond differently to elevated CO₂, in ways that are consistent with the habitats in which they typically occur.     

Creatinine versus specific gravity-adjusted urinary cadmium concentrations

The aim was to assess how urinary creatinine is affected by age, gender, body size and meat intake, and to determine to what extent such factors might affect the creatinine adjustment of urinary cadmium. The study was based on three Swedish studies: (1) 67 non-smoking women aged 20–50 years (24-h urine samples); (2) 289 men and 434 women aged 16–81 years (spot urine samples); and (3) 98 men and 105 women aged 19–72 years (spot urine samples). The effects of age, body surface area (as an indicator of muscle mass), and meat intake on urinary creatinine and cadmium were analysed using multiple regression analyses. Gender- and age-related variations in urinary creatinine and cadmium adjusted for creatinine or specific gravity were compared by ANOVA or ANCOVA. In the multiple regression analyses, body surface area, gender, age and meat intake were the major determinants of urinary creatinine. Urinary cadmium adjusted for creatinine and specific gravity were also dependent on body size, gender and age. Urinary cadmium adjusted for creatinine was 15–92% higher in women or older individuals than in men or younger individuals. Women or older individuals had –3 to 79% higher urinary cadmium adjusted for specific gravity than men or younger individuals had, and such a difference between gender or age group was less obvious in specific gravity adjustment than in creatinine adjustment. Thus, urinary cadmium adjusted for creatinine is more affected by age, gender, body size and meat intake than is specific gravity adjustment. When comparing individuals or populations with large differences in muscle mass or meat intake, such effects can be especially important. In such studies, specific gravity adjustment seems to be more appropriate.     

胭脂红景天引种至西藏日喀则其渗透调节物质及保护酶活性的变化

胭脂红景天叶片呈胭脂红色,花开红色,具有极强的耐寒性和耐旱性,是优良的城市绿化植物。为了扩大胭脂红景天的应用范围,丰富恶劣生境的绿化材料,本试验对从哈尔滨引种到西藏日喀则表现良好的胭脂红景天进行了生理适应性研究。结果表明,随着栽植时间的延长,胭脂红景天叶片中丙二醛含量逐渐升高,但增加的幅度较小,脯氨酸含量先降低后升高,SOD、POD、CAT等保护酶的活性均呈先升高后降低的趋势。胭脂红景天可以通过增加体内渗透调节物质含量和提高保护酶活性来调节自身的生理代谢,适应日喀则地区高辐射、干旱等条件。     

Comparing methods for metabolic network analysis and an application to metabolic engineering

Bioinformatics tools have facilitated the reconstruction and analysis of cellular metabolism of various organisms based on information encoded in their genomes. Characterization of cellular metabolism is useful to understand the phenotypic capabilities of these organisms. It has been done quantitatively through the analysis of pathway operations. There are several in silico approaches for analyzing metabolic networks, including structural and stoichiometric analysis, metabolic flux analysis, metabolic control analysis, and several kinetic modeling based analyses. They can serve as a virtual laboratory to give insights into basic principles of cellular functions. This article summarizes the progress and advances in software and algorithm development for metabolic network analysis, along with their applications relevant to cellular physiology, and metabolic engineering with an emphasis on microbial strain optimization. Moreover, it provides a detailed comparative analysis of existing approaches under different categories.     

Genotypic difference in salinity tolerance in quinoa is determined by differential control of xylem Na loading and stomatal density

Quinoa is regarded as a highly salt tolerant halophyte crop, of great potential for cultivation on saline areas around the world. Fourteen quinoa genotypes of different geographical origin, differing in salinity tolerance, were grown under greenhouse conditions. Salinity treatment started on 10 day old seedlings. Six weeks after the treatment commenced, leaf sap Na and K content and osmolality, stomatal density, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, and xylem sap Na and K composition were measured. Responses to salinity differed greatly among the varieties. All cultivars had substantially increased K⁺ concentrations in the leaf sap, but the most tolerant cultivars had lower xylem Na⁺ content at the time of sampling. Most tolerant cultivars had lowest leaf sap osmolality. All varieties reduced stomata density when grown under saline conditions. All varieties clustered into two groups (includers and excluders) depending on their strategy of handling Na⁺ under saline conditions. Under control (non-saline) conditions, a strong positive correlation was observed between salinity tolerance and plants ability to accumulate Na⁺ in the shoot. Increased leaf sap K⁺, controlled Na⁺ loading to the xylem, and reduced stomata density are important physiological traits contributing to genotypic differences in salinity tolerance in quinoa, a halophyte species from Chenopodium family.