Effect of nitrogen supply on growth,allocation and gas exchange characteristics of two perennial grasses from inland dunes

Summary We studied the effects of nitrogen supply on growth, allocation, and gas exchange characteristics of two perennial grasses of dry, nutrient-poor inland dunes: Corynephorus canescens (L.) Beauv. and Agrostis vinealis Schreber. C. canescens invests more biomass in leaves and less in roots, but has less leaf area and more root length per unit plant weight than A. vinealis. A. vinealis invests more nitrogen per unit leaf weight, but less per unit leaf area, despite a similar relative nitrogen investment in leaves and plant nitrogen concentration. Between-species differences in the rate of net photosynthesis, transpiration and shoot respiration are positively related to leaf nitrogen content per unit leaf area. The rate of net photosynthesis per unit plant weight is higher for A. vinealis at both levels of nitrogen supply, due to differences in leaf area ratio (LAR), and despite the reverse differences in the rate of net photosynthesis per unit leaf area. The water use efficiency of the two species is similar and increases significantly with an increase in nitrogen supply. The photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency on the other hand is not affected by nitrogen supply, while at both low and high nitrogen supply A. vinealis has a 10% higher photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency than C. canescens.     

Partitioning of amino acids and nucleotides between water and micellar hexadecyltrimethylammonium halides

Summary Using quantitative gel filtration techniques partition coefficients, Kp-values, have been determined between aqueous cationic micellar hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB, and several biomonomer. Kp-values for 5-adenylic acid, 5-cytidylic acid, 5-guanylic acid, 5-uridylic acid and 5-thymidylic acid are 1,400 ± 150. Nucleotides bind to CTAB micelles effectively, but nonselectively. Conversely, the binding of tRNAs to micellar CTAB is selective. Kp-values for glutamic acid II, tyrosine and phenylalanine tRNAs (in 1.0MNaCl) are 520, 3,100 and 5,600, respectively. Kp-values for the binding of alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, phenylalanine, serine, threonine and tryptophan to micellar CTAB are less than 8. Conversion of unitless Kp-values for the binding of amino acids, nucleotides and nucleosides to both anionic and cationic micelles, to K (in 1/g) values allows the comparison of clays and micelles as prebiotic concentrating media. Using correlations between surface densities of the biomonomers and their binding constants, it is shown that aqueous micelles (at pH = 8) are a better concentrating media than are clays.     

Zur osmotischen Beeinflussung der Photosynthese von Cyanophora paradoxa Korsch. durch Saccharose

Zusammenfassung Die Geschwindigkeit der photosynthetischen Sauerstoffentwicklung des sich recht langsam vermehrenden Cyanoms Cyanophora paradoxa ist nur geringfügig niedriger als diejenige anderer Algen (in bezug auf die Chlorophyllkonzentration). Merkwürdigerweise stellt man eine starke Abhängigkeit photosynthetischer Reaktionen (O₂-Entwicklung, CO₂ Fixierung und Hill-Reaktion mit 2,6-Dichlorphenolindophenol) von der im Medium vorgegebenen Konzentration eines Osmotikums fest. Unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen können steigende Saccharosekonzentrationen (bis ca. 0,1 M) die assimilatorische Sauerstoffproduktion zunächst beschleunigen, höhere Saccharose-Konzentrationen (über 0,1 M) hemmen dagegen. Der Hemmeffekt ist unspezifisch und kann auch in Abhängigkeit von Sorbit und Natriumchlorid beobachtet werden. Die bisherigen Versuche sprechen dafür, daß der Hemmeffekt bis zu einer Konzentration von ca. 0,1 M Saccharose während kurzer Einwirkungszeit reversibel ist, bei höheren Konzentrationen jedoch schon irreversible Zellschädigungen anzeigt.

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Sucrose as an effector of photosynthesis in Cyanophora paradoxa korsch

Cyanophora paradoxa, a fresh-water alga, was found to evolve oxygen photosynthetically with activities similar to other plants (50–300 mol O₂/mg chlorophyll·h). In spite of this the doubling time was 10–30 days. The photosynthetic activity turned out to react very sensitively to external osmotic concentrations. In lower concentrations as conventionally used for chloroplast preparations, sucrose—partially irreversibly—inhibited both photosynthetic O₂ evolution and Hill reaction with 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol progressively between 0.1 and 0.5 M. Sorbitol and sodium chloride had similar effects. In a medium of low osmolarity (0.025–0.1 M sucrose) the photosynthetic activity was increased. These results were interpreted as consequence of osmotic interactions between the cell and its environment. When the cells are unable to correct the external osmotic pressure, an irreversible degradation of intracellular membranes is initiated, which finally leads to a total decomposition of the eukaryotic cell.

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Abkurzungen EDTA Athylendiamintetraessigsäure - DCPIP 2,6-Dichlorphenolindophenol     

Characterization of synchronized cultures of Bumilleriopsis filiformis

Activity of the photosynthetic apparatus of synchronized cultures was studied with the xanthophycean alga Bumilleriopsis filiformis, following the kinetics of fluorescence induction and photooxidation of cytochrome f (= cytochrome c-553) of intact cells. During the beginning of the cell-division phase, minimum cellular photosynthetic activity is observed and a maximum after its completion, which is accompanied by corresponding changes in Hill reaction activity and re-reduction of cytochrome f by photosystem II light. At minimum activity, the level of steady state fluorescence was higher than at the maximum. This is due, at least in part, to the diminished electron flow between the two photosystems seemingly caused by decreased photosystem I activity. This explanation was suported by the kinetics of cytochrome-f photooxidation.Thus, electron transport activity of both photosystems appears to vary during the cell cycle.Abbreviations pBQ p-benzoquinone - DBMIB 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone - DCMU 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea - DCIP dichlorophenolindophenol - MV methylviologen (paraquat) - Q fluorescence quencher (in photosystem II)     

The reconstitution of energy transfer in membranes from a bacteriochlorophyll-less mutant of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides by addition of light-harvesting and reaction centre pigment-protein complexes

Antenna and reaction centre complexes purified from photosynthetically-grown cells of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides have been mixed with cytoplasmic membranes prepared from an aerobically-grown bacteriochlorophyll-less mutant of Rp. sphaeroides (designated 01) in the presence of 1% sodium cholate. After removal of the cholate by dialysis, the dialysate was subjected to isopycnic centrifugation. Reconstituted cytochrome c₂ photooxidation and cytochrome b photoreduction were demonstrated in a pigmented fraction recovered from the sucrose gradient, suggesting that the pigment-proteins were incorporated into the 01 membrane.

The fluorescence properties of the system were examined. The appearance of a variable component after the initial fast fluorescence rise indicated that energy transfer occurred between the antenna and reaction centre proteins in the presence of 01 membrane. The order in which the system was assembled was important. Reconstituted energy transfer with a pre-dialysed reaction centre-antenna complex was more effective than when all the components were mixed at once. Energy transfer was also reconstituted between added reaction centre protein and the endogenous antenna present in membranes from the pigmented, but aerobically-grown reaction centre-less mutant PM8dp of Rp. sphaeroides.

Preparations of 01 membranes reconstituted with reaction centre exhibited a light intensity dependent cytochrome c₂ photooxidation. At low exciting light intensities, preparations containing reconstituted antenna protein in addition to reaction centres showed greater membrane cytochrome c₂ photooxidation than preparations with the antenna omitted; this improvement was maximal when a pre-dialysed antenna-reaction centre complex was used.     

基于电子导航地图POI的北京城区绿色空间服务半径分析

近年来,电子导航地图中的兴趣点（Point of Interest,POI）在城市地理与城市生态研究方面越来越受到重视。城市绿色空间对其居民的生产生活服务作用十分重要,城市绿地系统的配置是否科学对城市生态系统服务供需情况有着重要影响。利用北京城区五环以内的POI数据,采用核函数模拟出城市居民生产生活在空间分布上强弱程度的热力图,对该区域绿色空间实体不同半径服务区内的热力特征进行耦合分析。研究表明：北京市五环以内绿色空间实体500、750 m和1000 m典型服务半径的覆盖面分别占总面积的77.99%、91.55%和97.46%,从服务供给角度表现出空间分布格局相对均匀;但在绿色空间500 m服务半径内,仅覆盖了POI热力图中极高密度区中51.19%的地区,高密度区中54.78%的地区,中密度区中66.21%的区域,从服务需求角度表现出绿色空间分布格局明显不均衡。研究认为城市绿色空间在POI热度较高区域的主要商圈、人流密集区域匹配明显不足,需要通过增加绿地或疏解POI集中程度来缓解绿色空间供需矛盾。     

小麦籽粒发育及淀粉晶体特性对花后高温胁迫的响应

选用2个品质类型和成熟期不同的新疆主栽小麦品种‘新春11号’和‘新春39号’,分别进行花后灌浆早期高温(花后5~8d,32℃,T_1)和中期高温(花后15~18d,38℃,T_2)处理,分析花后高温对小麦籽粒发育及淀粉晶体的影响。结果显示:(1)T_1处理明显降低了两品种籽粒长度和粒重,而T_2处理显著影响籽粒宽度和厚度;高温处理虽然降低了籽粒灌浆速率,但两品种灌浆最大峰值出现时间均在花后18d。(2)T_1处理对小麦籽粒A型淀粉粒形态的影响较大,中熟品种‘新春11号’的A型淀粉粒表面在花后10d时可观察到微孔,在花后15~20d时其粒径明显小于同期对照,在花后20~25d时淀粉粒表面压痕增多且A、B型淀粉粒表面出现明显缢缩;而早熟品种‘新春39号’淀粉粒形态和粒径大小受花后高温的影响相对较小。(3)两品种在不同高温处理下,其淀粉粒晶体特性衍射峰出现的位置相同,但淀粉粒的尖峰强度不同,表明高温胁迫不影响淀粉粒的晶体类型,但可能改变了淀粉粒内部的层状结构。研究表明,花后早期高温不仅对小麦籽粒外部形态有较大的影响,同时也影响到籽粒内部淀粉粒的形态和晶体的特性。     

Solid-state fermentation of co-products from palm oil processing: Production of lipase and xylanase and effects on chemical composition

The palm oil industry generates large amounts of lignocellulosic co-products. Palm kernel cake (PKC) and palm pressed fibre (PPF) have nutritional limitations as ingredients in animal feed, and are therefore little used. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is one alternative treatment to improve the nutritional value of these co-products and to increase their possible use, through the production of enzymes such as lipases and xylanases. These enzymes can reduce the contents of undesirable compounds, such as lipids, and degrade some components of the fibres to improve the digestibility of these co-products. The fungi Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus awamori were able to grow in PKC/PPF (40/60 w/w) culture medium by SSF, and to produce xylanase and lipase. A. niger showed the highest lipase activity (20.7?U g^?1) at 72?h. A. awamori higher xylanase activity than the other fungi at all culture periods, reaching a maximum activity of 134.2?U g^?1 at 72?h. The unfermented co-products contained 7.49% lipids and 7.38% non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC). Lipase produced by these fungi during SSF reduced the lipid content by 36%, 40% and 45% for A. oryzae, A. awamori and A. niger, respectively. The production of xylanases by SSF probably increased the NFC contents by up to 64%. Fermented solids with A. oryzae and A. awamori had the highest levels of NFC, 20.3% and 13.94%, respectively, which improved the nutritional value of these co-products.     

Triterpenoids from lipids of Rhodomicrobium vanniellii

Triterpenoids have been isolated from the lipids of the anaerobic, photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodomicrobium vannielii. These compounds constitute various hopanoids, including hydrocarbons, 22-, 29-and 3-hydroxy, 3-keto-, C-3 and C-21 methyl-triterpenoids, as well as fernenes.     

Photosynthetic metabolism in the cyanophytaOscillatoria rubescens D.C.

Short term¹⁴C labelling experiments and enzymatic activities related to primary pathways of photosynthesis have been studied in the cyanophytaOscillatoria rubescens D.C. from axenic cyclostat cultures. Responses of samples from cultures with different amounts of nitrogen are presented and compared. Variations in photosynthetic pigments are used to quantify the degree of nitrogen starvation at different levels.PEPcarboxylase activity remains low and is not affected by nitrogen starvation. RuBPcarboxylase activity is lowered to nearly two thirds of its normal metabolic rate by starvation but PEPcarboxykinase and aspartate aminotransferase activities are significantly higher in this case. Malate dehydrogenase is slightly altered and malic enzyme is never active. Starved algae replaced in fresh complete media fix rapidly¹⁴C in nitrogen compounds such as amino acids. Results are discussed in regard to both physiological and ecological characteristics ofO. rubescens. PEPcarboxykinase can play a role in making efficient use of HCO ₃ ^- .Abbreviations AAT aspartate aminotransferase - APC allophycocyanin - ASM 1 algal synthetic medium, 1st modification - DW dry weight - GAPDH glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase - MDH malate dehydrogenase - PC phycocyanin - PE phycoerythrin - PEP phophoenolpyruvate - PEPC phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase - PEPCK phophoenolpyruvate carboxykinase - PGA 3-phosphoglyceric acid - RuBPC ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase