Nitrogen fixation (C2H2 reduction) in soil samples from rhizosphere of rice grown under alternate flooded and nonflooded conditions

Summary In a greenhouse study the influence of alternate flooded and nonflooded conditions on the N₂-ase activity of rice rhizosphere soil was investigated by C₂H₂ reduction assay. The soil fraction attached to roots represent the rhizosphere soil. Soil submergence always accelerated N₂-ase and this effect was more pronounced in planted system. Moreover, rice plant exhibited phase-dependent N₂-ase with a maximum activity at 60 days after transplanting. The alternate flooded and nonflooded regimes resulted in alterations of the N₂-ase activity. Thus, the N₂-ase activity increased following a shift from nonflooded to flooded conditions, but the activity decreased when the flooded soil was returned to nonflooded condition by draining. However, the differential influence of the water regime on N₂-ase was not marked in prolonged flooded-nonflooded cycles. Microbial analysis indicated the stimulation of different groups of free-living and associative N₂-fixing microorganisms depending on the water regime.     

水稻雄核发育途径及游离花粉粒培养的活体观察

(1)在水稻雄核发育中,观察到 A—V、A—G、A—GV 和 B 途径,通常 B 途径占优势。在雄核发育早期,各种发育途径的花粉均有退化现象发生。(2)观察和统计表明,游离核型的多核花粉在发育过程中可转变为多细胞花粉,因而也是有发育前途的。(3)能够启动雄核发育的花粉通常是原生质稠密,在花粉群体中属中等大小(35—40μ)的花粉。多细胞花粉在突破花粉壁前。其细胞壁常常加厚,破壁时整个花粉有突然收缩的现象。(4)多细胞花粉内通常含有一些缓慢运动的小淀粉粒,它们可能积极参与了花粉雄核发育过程中的代谢活动。     

Characteristics of the core protein of the aggregating proteoglycan from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma

A ternary complex of hyaluronic acid-binding region and link protein bound to hyaluronic acid was isolated from limit clostripain digests of proteoglycan aggregates isolated from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma. Under these conditions, the hyaluronic acid-binding region has a molecular weight of ? 65,000 (HA-BR₆₅). N-terminal amino acids in the complex were selectively ^l4C-carbamylated. The resulting derivatized HA-BR₆₅ was isolated, and tryptic peptide maps were prepared and developed on two-dimensional TLC sheets. A single, labeled peptide was obtained which gave a M_r by ? 8,000 by SDS-PAGE. Chymotrypsin digestion of the ternary complex reduced the molecular weight of HA-BR₆₅ to a polypeptide of ? 55,000 (HA-BR₅₅) which still retains the same N-terminal tryptic peptide. Partial digestion of proteoglycan aggregates with clostripain generated a series of larger intermediates with the hyaluronic acid-binding region. Direct SDS-PAGE analysis revealed one major intermediate with M_r ? 109,000 (HA-BR₁₀₉) as well as HA-BR₆₅. After chondroitinase digestion, two additional prominent intermediates were observed on a SDS-PAGE gel at M_r ? 120,000 (HA-BR₁₂₀) and ? 140,000 (HA-BR₁₄₀). All the intermediates were recognized by a monoclonal antibody specific for the hyaluronic acid-binding region, and all of them contained the same N-terminal tryptic peptide. The results indicate that the N terminus of the core protein is at the hyaluronic acid-binding end of the proteoglycan and that the chondroitin sulfate chains are first present on the core protein in a region between 109,000 and 120,000 molecular weight away from the N terminus.     

Concentration of iron and manganese in rice plants as influenced by hexachlorocyclohexane applied to soil

Summary Application of a granular formulation of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) to the potted soil at flooding decreased the concentration of iron and. to some extent, manganese in rice plants, especially at concentrations above 3 ppm active ingredient (a.i.) Likewise, HCH, applied to rice fields at transplanting (several days after submergence) caused a significant decrease in the concentration of iron, and not manganese, in the rice plant but only at concentrations above 12.5 kg a.i./ha despite high levels of reduced iron in the soil. Inhibition of iron reduction by HCH was more pronounced when applied at flooding than at several days after flooding.     

Effect of algal growth on the availability of phosphorus,iron and manganese in rice soils

Summary Laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effect of algal growth on the change of (I) pH, (II) available phosphorus and (III) solubility of iron and manganese content in five waterlogged alluvial rice soils of West Bengal, India. The results showed that the algal growth initially caused an increase in the soil pH, which later declined to the original value in some of the soils. The available phosphorus content decreased upto 90 days of their growth and began to increase towards the later period of incubation. The drastic fall of water soluble plus exchaneable manganese content of the soils due to algal growth was accompanied by similar increase in reducible manganese content. No appreciable change in water soluble plus exchangeable ferrous iron content was encountered but theN-NH₄OAC(pH 3) extractable iron due to algal growth progressively decreased with the progress of the incubation period.     

Effect of boron on the pollen vitality and yield of rice plants (Oryza sativa L. var. Jaya)

Summary Rice plants were grown in sand cultures with nutrient solution including boron at 0, 1, 2.5 and 5 ppm concentrations.In general, supply of boron improved the pollen vitality of rice flowers. It was stimulating up to 2.5 ppm concentration in the nutrient solution, beyond which (i.e., at 5 ppm) inhibitory effects appeared. The availability of boron also increased the yield of rice grains in the same order.Stimulating effects of boron may be linked with greater availability of sugars, increased enzymatic activity and respiration which favoured better growth of pollen. Inhibitory effects of stronger concentration of boron (5 ppm) may be related with physiological depression and injury to protoplasm itself.     

Biodegradation of rice stumps by soil mycoflora

Summary Cellulose and lignin contents in left-overs of rice stump decreased due to decay caused by soil mycoflora. The loss of cellulose and lignin was considerable in presence of Curvularia and Fusarium respectively. Other tested mycoflora could also destroy cellulose and lignin to some extent. The amount of loss of cellulose and lignin increased with time of incubation of the tested mycoflora.     

Biliprotein assembly in the hemidiscoidal phycobilisomes of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Mastigocladus laminosus Cohn. Characterization of dissociation products with special reference to the peripheral phycoerythrocyanin-phycocyanin complexes

The dissociation products of isolated phycobilisomes of Mastigocladus laminosus were separated and analyzed by ultracentrifugation and, in part, by isoelectric focusing. With the exception of the allophycocyanin core, the sedimentation constants of peripheral phycocyanin- and phycoerythrocyanin-phycocyanin complexes lay in the range of 6 to 17S. The latter was represented by a 17S aggregate of two hexameric phycocyanins (dodecamer, dipartite unit). A complex with an absorption maximum at 610 nm (phycocyanin) and a shoulder at 580 nm (phycoerythrocyanin), a fluorescence emission maximum at 645 nm and a sedimentation constant of 11 S is described as a heterogeneously composed hexamer of ()₃-phycoerythrocyanin-()₃-phycocyanin. It was stable under extended dissociation in the cold and under isoelectric focusing. An aggregate of 14 S with an absorption maximum at 576 nm and a shoulder in the fluorescence emission spectrum at 625 nm (phycoerythrocyanin) in addition to the maximum at 645 nm (phycocyanin) is interpreted as a polar phycoerythrocyanin/ phycoerythrocyanin-phycocyanin complex. Combining these complexes with phycocyanin dodecamers creates peripheral rods of the phycobilisome. A proposal of the phycobiliprotein distribution within the phycobilisome of M. laminosus is presented.Abbreviations APC allophycocyanin - PC phycocyanin - PE phycoerythrin - PEC phycoerythrocyanin     

Genetic Evaluation and Utilization (GEU) program

Summary The Genetic Evaluation and Utilization (GEU) program of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an interdisciplinary program for the improvement of rice crops. Scientists trained in diverse disciplines such as plant breeding, plant pathology, entomology, agronomy, cereal chemistry, plant physiology, and soil chemistry work together and contribute their specialized skills to this joint endeavor. The program has five interrelated components: (1) germ plasm collection and conservation, (2) research in disciplinary areas, (3) development of improved germ plasm, (4) distribution, evaluation and exchange of germ plasm internationally, (5) training of young scientists.Over forty thousand rice varieties from different countries are being maintained in the IRRI germ plasm bank. These varieties have been screened for grain quality, resistance to various diseases and insects, and tolerance to various environmental stresses such as drought, high and low temperatures and problem soils. Donor parents for resistances to each of the problem areas have been identified. These parents were utilized for developing improved germ plasm. Varieties with resistance to as many as five diseases and five insect species have been developed. These multiple resistant varieties are grown on millions of hectares of rice land. Seeds of improved breeding materials are exchanged internationally and 194 scientists from different countries have been trained in rice improvement work.     

Mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency of EMS,DES and gamma-rays in rice

Summary Data on chlorophyll mutation frequency after treatment with EMS, DES and gamma-rays and sequential administration of gamma-rays and the two alkylating agents in three varieties of rice have been used to work out quantitatively the effectiveness and efficiency of each mutagen and combination treatment. For effectiveness, the order is EMS > DES and for efficiency it is EMS > DES > gamma-rays. In some sequential treatments (Gamma-rays + DES in IR8 and Basmati; DES + gamma-rays in IR8 and Jhona; Gamma-rays + EMS in IR8 and Basmati; and EMS + gamma-rays in IR8, Jhona and Basmati) mutation frequency is more than additive (synergistic) but these treatments are decisively less efficient because of their relatively high injurious effects in the M₁. generation. EMS induces more albinas than gamma-rays do. The mutational spectrum patterns induced by gamma-rays and DES are alike. In general, combination treatments tend to increase the frequency of albinas over other types of chlorophyll mutants.