Diversity of nifH gene pools in the rhizosphere of two cultivars of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) treated with contrasting levels of nitrogen fertilizer.

The diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria was assessed in the rhizospheres of two cultivars of sorghum (IS 5322-C and IPA 1011) sown in Cerrado soil amended with two levels of nitrogen fertilizer (12 and 120 kg ha(-1)). The nifH gene was amplified directly from DNA extracted from the rhizospheres, and the PCR products cloned and sequenced. Four clone libraries were generated from the nifH fragments and 245 sequences were obtained. Most of the clones (57%) were closely related to nifH genes of uncultured bacteria. NifH clones affiliated with Azohydromonas spp., Ideonella sp., Rhizobium etli and Bradyrhizobium sp. were found in all libraries. Sequences affiliated with Delftia tsuruhatensis were found in the rhizosphere of both cultivars sown with high levels of nitrogen, while clones affiliated with Methylocystis sp. were detected only in plants sown under low levels of nitrogen. Moreover, clones affiliated with Paenibacillus durus could be found in libraries from the cultivar IS 5322-C sown either in high or low amounts of fertilizer. This study showed that the amount of nitrogen used for fertilization is the overriding determinative factor that influenced the nitrogen-fixing community structures in sorghum rhizospheres cultivated in Cerrado soil.     

二色补血草的耐盐性研究

通过NaCl胁迫发芽试验、盆栽浇灌NaCl盐水试验、不同含盐量土壤的种植试验,研究二色补血草（Limoniumbicolor）3个时期的耐盐能力。结果表明：高浓度NaCl对二色补血草种子的萌发有明显的抑制作用,种子的发芽率与盐浓度之间呈显著的负相关,种子萌发时盐胁迫的适宜值、临界值、极限值分别是0.49%、1.30%、2.11%;盆栽试验结果表明,二色补血草在2.0%以下的NaCl盐水胁迫下没有表现明显的盐害症状,只表现高浓度NaCl胁迫下,生长量低于低浓度处理的,当处理浓度达到2.4%时,多数植株濒临死亡;不同含盐量土壤的种植试验结果表明,在自然条件下,二色补血草成株耐盐临界值为1.7%～1.8%。试验结果说明二色补血草具有较强的耐盐能力,适合在滩涂盐碱地推广种植。     

Apparent survival and return rate of breeders in the southern temperate White‐rumped Swallow Tachycineta leucorrhoa

Life‐histories and demographic parameters of southern temperate bird species have been little studied. We estimated return rates between years and sexes, and adult apparent survival and recapture probabilities with mark–recapture data on White‐rumped Swallows and found a lower return rate of unsuccessful females. There was little support for influences of sex or year on survival rates. The estimates were equivalent to the lowest value reported for a northern congener, in contrast to the prediction of geographical variation under life‐history theory.     

月光花素对彩叶芋愈伤组织细胞生长和分化的影响

在含有NAA0.2mg/L,2.4-D 0.2mg/L的MS基础培养基中添加月光花素培养彩叶芋愈伤组织,结果显示,低浓度的月光花素能促进愈伤组织生长,高浓度则有明显的抑制作用,最适浓度为1.0~2.0mg/L;培养两个月后,添加适宜浓度的月光花素(0.2~2.0mg/L)的培养基能促进体细胞分化和植株再生,而高浓度(10.0mg/L)处理和对照均未能分化出绿苗。表明适宜浓度的月光花素在合适的生长素剂量的协同作用下,对植物愈伤组织细胞的生长和分化有较强的调节作用。     

离体条件下日本冷杉/二色蜡蘑的外生菌根合成

本实验报道了以离体培养方式诱导日本冷杉(Abies firma Sieb.et Zucc.)与二色蜡蘑(Laccaria bicolor(Maire)Orton)的外生菌根合成的方法.日本冷杉能否与广谱性的外生菌根菌二色蜡蘑形成人工菌根?菌根结构的诱导是否只发生在植物体整体水平上?这些是本实验的关注点.研究结果显示:无菌幼苗接种10周后,在光学显微镜下可观察到典型的外生菌根的特征,即由高度分叉的外延菌丝体形成的厚实的菌套以及由内延菌丝体形成的哈蒂氏网.将来源于下胚轴的愈伤组织与二色蜡蘑的菌丝体进行共同培养,3周后,菌丝体开始接触愈伤组织的表面,并且侵入到愈伤组织的细胞间,形成拟哈蒂氏网结构.愈伤组织可以作为一种菌根学研究的有效的培养体系.这一方法可望为冷杉类植物菌根学的研究提供有效的实验工具.     

Plant invasion alters nitrogen cycling by modifying the soil nitrifying community

Plant invasions have dramatic aboveground effects on plant community composition, but their belowground effects remain largely uncharacterized. Soil microorganisms directly interact with plants and mediate many nutrient transformations in soil. We hypothesized that belowground changes to the soil microbial community provide a mechanistic link between exotic plant invasion and changes to ecosystem nutrient cycling. To examine this possible link, monocultures and mixtures of exotic and native species were maintained for 4 years in a California grassland. Gross rates of nitrogen (N) mineralization and nitrification were quantified with ¹⁵N pool dilution and soil microbial communities were characterized with DNA‐based methods. Exotic grasses doubled gross nitrification rates, in part by increasing the abundance and changing the composition of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria in soil. These changes may translate into altered ecosystem N budgets after invasion. Altered soil microbial communities and their resulting effects on ecosystem processes may be an invisible legacy of exotic plant invasions.     

Molecular responses of plants to an increased incidence of heat shock

Abstract. Climatic change as a result of the greenhouse effect is widely predicted to increase mean temperatures globally and, in turn, increase the frequency with which plants are exposed to heat shock conditions, particularly in the semi-arid tropics. The consequences of extreme high-temperature treatments on plants have been considered, particularly in relation to the synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and the capacity to acquire thermotolerance. The heat shock response is described using results obtained with seedlings of the tropical cereals, sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) and pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ). A gradual temperature increase, as would occur in the field, is sufficient to induce thermotolerance. The synthesis of HSPs is a transient phenomenon and ceases once the stress is released. Despite the persistence of the HSPs themselves, de novo synthesis of HSPs is required for the induction of thermotolerance each time high temperatures are encountered. The effect of a repeated, diurnal heat shock was investigated and genotypic differences found in the ability to induce the heat shock response repeatedly.     

二色补血草OEE2基因的克隆和表达

从二色补血草中分离出一条含有完整开放读码框（ORF）序列的OEE2基因。该基因全长994bp,其中5’非翻译区27bp,3’非翻译区160bp,ORF全长807bp,共编码264个氨基酸,编码蛋白的分子量为28．2kDa,理论上的等电点为7．66。BlastP分析表叽二色补血草OEE2与马铃薯OEE2序列同源性最高,与喇叭水仙OEE2序列同源性最低,从9个物种的氨基酸多序列比对中可以看出,OEE2的氨基酸序列保守性较高。实时定量RT．PCR方法检测该基因对低温、NaCl和聚乙二醇（PEG）胁迫的基因表达模式的结果表明,PEG和低温能诱导OEE2基因在二色补血草叶中表达,这两种处理的OEE2基因表达量于胁迫48h后都达到高峰,而在NaCl胁迫下OEE2在二色补血草根和叶中表达都受抑制。     

Effect of tree species and crown pruning on root length and soil water content in semi-arid agroforestry

Soil cores were taken to estimate root length prior to transplanting and after 60 days growth of a dry season sorghum crop in an agroforestry experiment in a semi-arid region of north-east Nigeria. The experiment compared sorghum grown alone and with two tree species (Acacia nilotica subsp adstringens and Prosopis juliflora) and one management treatment (pruning of tree crowns). Data on soil water content were collected from 6 days before and 20, 60 and 110 days after sorghum transplanting. The main findings were: (i) Per unit root length, A. nilotica had a more negative effect on sorghum above and below ground than P. juliflora. This appeared to be correlated with greater rates of water extraction from layers of soil shared with crop roots; (ii) Crown pruning substantially reduced the competitive effect of P. juliflora on crop yield but did not affect the impact of A. nilotica on intercropped sorghum. Since the impact of pruning on tree-crop competition varies with species, tree species selection and management will be a key factor in determining the feasibility of dryland agroforestry systems.