Vascular occlusion in stems of cut rose flowers exposed to air: Role of xylem anatomy and rates of transpiration

Stems of cut rose flowers were exposed to air at 20°C and 60% relative humidity and then placed in water. The rate of water uptake in Frisco, Sonia, Madelon, and Cara Mia roses was maximally inhibited after 72, 36, 24, and 3 h of exposure to air. respectively. Anatomical observations showed no tyloses, gums, or deposition of hydrophobic material in the xylem conduits (tracheids and vessels) of any of the investigated cultivars. Frisco, Sonia, Madelon, and Cara Mia roses showed no difference in the number, the length, the wall thickness, or the diameter of the lumina of either the tracheids or the vessels. This indicates that differences in recovery are not related to capillary diameter or length.
During exposure to air the decrease in transpiration rate, fresh weight, and water potential was the same in Sonia, Madelon, and Cara Mia roses. Upon exposure to air Frisco roses lost less water than the other cultivars studied In Frisco roses stomatal conductance was similar to that of other cultivars, but the rate of cuticular transpiration was lower.
It is concluded that conservation of water through low cuticular transpiration is one of the reasons for the relatively slow development of the vascular occlusion in Frisco roses, but the differences between Sonia. Madelon and Cara Mia roses were not related to their rates of transpiration.     

生物的分界与前源真核生物界的提出

根据本实验室对贾第虫（Ｇｉａｒｄｉａ）细胞核的观察、研究,并参阅有关文献及电镜照片报道,发现双滴虫类的细胞核有两个极原始的特征：１）还没有进化出核仁;２）核被膜尚不完整。它们在核分裂方面也是极原始的。据此,作者建议把Ｃａｖａｌｉｅｒ—Ｓｍｉｔｈ（１９８９）提出的源真核生物（Ａｒｃｈｅｚｏａ）超界中的源真核生物界划分为两个界,即以双滴虫门为代表的前源真核生物（Ｐｒｏａｒｃｈｅｚｏａ）界和包含目前所知的其他源真核生物的后源真核生物（Ｍｅｔａｒｃｈｅｚｏａ）界。     

生态旅游对大熊猫影响评价方法研究——以四川唐家河国家级自然保护区为例

旅游活动及伴随的人流、车流逐渐成为野生动物的主要干扰源,威胁着濒危物种的繁殖和生存。准确认识旅游活动对野生动物的影响是制定保护对策和提高保护成效的基础,但生态学领域有关旅游对野生动物影响的量化研究还比较少,可借鉴的评估方法仍较为缺乏。本研究比较唐家河国家级自然保护区旅游开发前(2000年)和开发后(2012年)大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)痕迹点距离路线的平均回避距离和最小回避距离,发现大熊猫对徒步路线表现出明显的回避效应,表明近年来的旅游活动对大熊猫确实产生了影响。通过最小回避距离和距离递增法确定旅游活动对大熊猫的影响等级和阈值距离。确定了距离徒步路线和自驾路线的第一等级距离阈值分别为0~57 m和0~460 m、第二等级为57~800 m和460~1 000 m、第三等级为800~1 400 m和大于1 000 m。基于距离徒步路线和自驾路线一定范围内的痕迹点分布数量,大熊猫对不同路线两侧每100 m的栖息地平均利用频率分别为1.9±0.23和0.8±0.15,通过Mann-Whitney U检验,发现二者间存在显著性差异(Z=﹣3.48,P=0.000)。通过对每100 m海拔区间内大熊猫痕迹距离自驾路线和徒步路线的距离分析,发现二者差异显著(t=3.76,P=0.003),对自驾路线,大熊猫在海拔2 000~2 100 m时回避距离最小,而对徒步路线,最小回避距离发生在2 100~2 200 m。基于本研究,为自然保护区内最小接触区或禁止旅游区的划分提供了依据,同时为其他保护区探索适合的生态旅游影响评价方法提供了示范和经验。     

Sensitivity to far-red radiation in stomata of Phaseolus vulgaris L.: Rhythmic effects on conductance and photosynthesis

The influence of far-red (FR; 700–800 nm) radiation on steady-state stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis in P. vulgaris has been studied. Whereas FR radiation alone was relatively ineffective, addition of FR to a background of white light (WL; predominantly 400–700 nm) resulted in increased stomatal conductance. Stomata exhibited a marked diurnal sensitivity to FR. The action maximum for enhancing stomatal conductance was near 714 nm. A combination of FR and infra-red (IR; >800 nm) enhanced net photosynthesis when added to a background of WL. When IR alone was added to WL, there was a net decrease in photosynthesis, indicating that it is the FR waveband which is responsible for the observed photosynthetic effects. Naturally occurring levels of FR radiation (235 mol·m^-2·s^-1) in vegetation-canopy shade enhanced net photosynthetic CO₂ gain by 28% when added to a background of 55 mol·m^-2·s^-1 WL.Abbreviations BL blue - FR far-red - IR infra-red - PAR photosynthetically active radiation - R red - WL white light     

Opening of the hypocotyl hook in seedlings as influenced by light and adjacent tissues

The influence of the cotyledons and apical bud and the root system on the light-induced opening of the hypocotyl hook of etiolated seedlings of Gossypium hirsutum L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., Helianthus annuus L., Ipomoea alla L., Ipomoea sp., Cucumis sativus L., Linum usitatissimum L., Hibiscus esculentus L., and Raphanus sativus L. was studied. Light stimulated the opening of hypocotyl hook in all cases, but the cotyledons and roots had different effects in different plants. Generally, the presence of cotyledons and the remainder of the shoot apical to the hook inhibited light-mediated opening, but in Gossypium the organs stimulated light-mediated opening. Presence of roots either promoted opening, had no effect, or had an effect only when the cotyledons were present. In the dark the adjacent organs had a reduced effect over that shown in the light, but one cultivar of cotton, Acala SJ1, opened the hook in the dark without cotyledons as much as under any condition in the light. The variation between species in hook opening may related to the need of that process for a proper hormonal balance, as affected by light, which must be obtained from adjacent tissues.     

The effect of redox potential of the kinetics of fluorescence induction in pea chloroplasts I. Removal of the slow phase

The effect of alteration of redox potential on the kinetics of fluorescence induction in pea chloroplasts has been investigated. Potentiometric titration of the initial (F_i) level of fluorescence recorded upon shutter opening gave a two component curve, with E_m(7) at ?20 mV and ?275 mV, almost, identical to results obtained using continuous low intensity illumination (Horton, P. and Croze, E. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 545, 188–201). The slow or tail phase of induction observed in the presence of DCMU can be eliminated by poising the redox potential at approx. 0 to +50 mV. At this potential F_i was increased by less than 10% and the higher potential quencher described above was only marginally reduced. The disappearance of the slow phase titrated as an n = 1 component with an E_m(7) of +120 mV. Therefore it seems unlikely that the slow phase of fluorescence induction is due to photoreduction of the ?20 mV quencher. These results are discussed with reference to current ideas concerning heterogeneity on the acceptor side of Photosystem II.     

A metal-mediated hydride shift mechanism for xylose isomerase based on the 1.6 A Streptomyces rubiginosus structures with xylitol and D-xylose

The crystal structure of recombinant Streptomyces rubiginosus D-xylose isomerase (D-xylose keto-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.5) solved by the multiple isomorphous replacement technique has been refined to R = 0.16 at 1.64 A resolution. As observed in an earlier study at 4.0 A (Carrell et al., J. Biol. Chem. 259: 3230-3236, 1984), xylose isomerase is a tetramer composed of four identical subunits. The monomer consists of an eight-stranded parallel beta-barrel surrounded by eight helices with an extended C-terminal tail that provides extensive contacts with a neighboring monomer. The active site pocket is defined by an opening in the barrel whose entrance is lined with hydrophobic residues while the bottom of the pocket consists mainly of glutamate, aspartate, and histidine residues coordinated to two manganese ions. The structures of the enzyme in the presence of MnCl2, the inhibitor xylitol, and the substrate D-xylose in the presence and absence of MnCl2 have also been refined to R = 0.14 at 1.60 A, R = 0.15 at 1.71 A, R = 0.15 at 1.60 A, and R = 0.14 at 1.60 A, respectively. Both the ring oxygen of the cyclic alpha-D-xylose and its C1 hydroxyl are within hydrogen bonding distance of NE2 of His-54 in the structure crystallized in the presence of D-xylose. Both the inhibitor, xylitol, and the extended form of the substrate, D-xylose, bind such that the C2 and C4 OH groups interact with one of the two divalent cations found in the active site and the C1 OH with the other cation. The remainder of the OH groups hydrogen bond with neighboring amino acid side chains. A detailed mechanism for D-xylose isomerase is proposed. Upon binding of cyclic alpha-D-xylose to xylose isomerase, His-54 acts as the catalytic base in a ring opening reaction. The ring opening step is followed by binding of D-xylose, involving two divalent cations, in an extended conformation. The isomerization of D-xylose to D-xylulose involves a metal-mediated 1,2-hydride shift. The final step in the mechanism is a ring closure to produce alpha-D-xylulose. The ring closing is the reverse of the ring opening step. This mechanism accounts for the majority of xylose isomerase's biochemical properties, including (1) the lack of solvent exchange between the 2-position of D-xylose and the 1-pro-R position of D-xylulose, (2) the chemical modification of histidine and lysine, (3) the pH vs. activity profile, and (4) the requirement for two divalent cations in the mechanism.     

粉红聚端孢侵染新红星苹果的侵入途径与侵染时期

粉红聚端孢Trichothecium roseum引致的苹果霉心病发生严重。对于新红星品种,T. roseum的侵染过程尚未明确。本研究利用T. roseum荧光标记菌株TR45分析其在新红星品种上的侵染时期和侵入通道。发现T. roseum可以侵染花器组织,引起枯萎坏死;落花后10-15 d,受侵染的花器残体被萼片包裹于萼筒内,随后T. roseum从离生花柱合并处的孔口部位入侵进入合生花柱,沿花柱内的多细胞毛状体间扩展;花后30 d左右,花柱缝逐渐开裂,随果实膨大心室腔壁也开裂,逐渐形成一条贯通萼筒与心室开放通道——萼窦;花后60 d左右,T. roseum的菌丝沿着萼窦扩展进入心室腔,从心室上的裂缝进入果肉组织,最终引起果实霉心。本研究结果有助于解析新红星苹果品种发病重以及难防治的原因,对苹果霉心病防控新策略构建具有重要理论意义。     

Ethylene and indole-3-Acetic Acid participate in the in-rolling and opening of carnation petal segments

We have examined the inward-rolling and outward-opening of petals from 90° stage carnation flowers (Dianthus charyophyllus L. cv. Pink Donor). Ethylene released from 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (CEPA) induced in-rolling in the lower portions of the petals while that action was suppressed by an inhibitor of auxin transport. Another plant hormone, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), intensified this ethylene-induced in-rolling. In contrast, when ethylene was not applied, the same IAA concentration promoted the opening of petal segments. Our data suggest that a low level of ethylene acts on IAA-induced opening. Likewise, we can speculate that endogenous concentrations of ethylene could be an important determinant of petal responses that involve interactions between ethylene and IAA.     

Silica deposition in abaxial epidermis before the opening of leaf blades of Pleioblastus chino (Poaceae, Bambusoideae)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Silica deposition is one of the important characteristics of the family Poaceae. The distribution, deposition process and physiology of silica in this family have been extensively investigated. Bamboos among members of Poaceae have leaves with a fairly long life span, and the leaves continuously accumulate silica in their tissues throughout their life, not only during the course of leaf opening, but also after opening. It has been revealed that the silica deposition process in relation to ageing of the bamboo leaf after opening differed depending on the cell types comprising the tissues. However, silica deposition has never been examined during the development and maturation periods of bamboo leaves. Hence, to clarify the silica deposition process in a developmental stage of the bamboo leaf, distribution of silica was observed in the abaxial epidermis before the opening of the leaf blades of Pleioblastus chino. METHODS: Abaxial epidermal tissues of leaves were examined using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray microanalyser. KEY RESULTS: Among seven cell types comprising the abaxial epidermis, three types of cells, guard cells, prickle hairs and silica cells, deposited silica conspicuously, and another four types, cork cells, long cells, micro hairs and subsidiary cells, deposited only a little silica. Among the former group of cell types, silica cells and guard cells deposited silica over their entire surfaces, while prickle hairs deposited silica only in the point-tips. Silica deposition was detected firstly in prickle hairs, and then in silica cells and guard cells. Only silica cells were assumed to deposit silica conspicuously before leaf opening but not conspicuously after opening. CONCLUSIONS: Cell types in leaf epidermis of bamboo are classified into three groups according to the silica deposition pattern. Silica deposition in silica cells may be positive as a part of the physiological activities of leaves.