Genetic variation and control of chloroplast pigment concentrations and related needle-level traits in Picea rubens, Picea mariana, and their hybrids: moisture and light environmental effects

Chlorophyll pigment concentrations and proportions, nitrogen (N), and needle morphology traits, are important components of growth and were examined in five hybrid index categories from controlled crosses of various crosstypes, ranging from pure black spruce (BS) [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] to pure red spruce (RS) (Picea rubens Sarg.) grown under controlled light and water environments. Black spruce had on average 10% greater total chlorophyll concentration (CHL) than RS. Red spruce had proportionately less chlorophyll a:b and CHL:CAR (carotenoid) ratios than BS. Nitrogen (N) concentrations were 1.75 and 1.60% for BS and RS, respectively. Black spruce had the lowest carbon (C):N ratio (29.7) and RS had among the highest (32.3). Interestingly, there was no difference in specific needle area among hybrid indices. Most of the chlorophyll pigment, C and N traits followed an additive inheritance model, evidenced by a near-linear relationship from BS to RS across hybrid indices. However, for CHL, CAR, and CHL:CAR ratio, parental analysis showed significant male effects and non-significant female and male × female interaction effects. Black spruce males had 15.1 and 9.6% higher CHL and CAR, respectively, than hybrid or RS males, thus showing an underlying paternally inherited genetic control. Controlling for N differences, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that sun-grown seedlings had 22.2% or 300 μg g⁻¹ lower CHL than shade-grown seedlings. Controlling for N, ANCOVA showed that the drought-grown seedlings actually had 6.7% or 100 μg g⁻¹ greater CHL than the irrigated seedlings. Sun plus drought conditions gave the lowest CHL, N, and CHL:CAR ratio of all treatments, showing an additive multi-stress effect. There was a significant hybrid index × light effect as a result of rank changes. Sun-grown RS had the lowest CHL and N values, whereas shade-grown RS had among the highest CHL and N values. Red spruce are at a competitive disadvantage compared with BS and most hybrid spruce in high light, high drought, and high light plus drought conditions. Red spruce will be strongly limited in its distribution by successional opportunities resulting from prevalent harvesting practices such as clearcutting. Silvicultural modifications and genetic restoration will be required to maintain RS on the landscape of northeastern North America.     

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF ECKLONIA RADIATA (LAMINARIALES) TO A LATITUDINAL GRADIENT IN OCEAN TEMPERATURE1

We tested the ability of sporophytes of a small kelp, Ecklonia radiata (C. Agardh) J. Agardh, to adjust their photosynthesis, respiration, and cellular processes to increasingly warm ocean climates along a latitudinal gradient in ocean temperature (～4°C). Tissue concentrations of pigment and nutrients decreased with increasing ocean temperature. Concurrently, a number of gradual changes in the metabolic balance of E. radiata took place along the latitudinal gradient. Warm‐acclimatized kelps had 50% lower photosynthetic rates and 90% lower respiration rates at the optimum temperature than did cool‐acclimatized kelps. A reduction in temperature sensitivity was also observed as a reduction in Q₁₀‐values from cool‐ to warm‐acclimatized kelps for gross photosynthesis (Q₁₀: 3.35 to 1.45) and respiration (Q₁₀: 3.82 to 1.65). Respiration rates were more sensitive to increasing experimental temperatures (10% higher Q₁₀‐values) than photosynthesis and had a higher optimum temperature, irrespective of sampling location. To maintain a positive carbon balance, E. radiata increased the critical light demand (E_c) exponentially with increasing experimental temperature. The temperature dependency of E_c was, however, weakened with increasing ocean temperature, such that the critical light demand was relaxed in kelp acclimated to higher ocean temperatures. Nevertheless, calculations of critical depth limits suggested that direct effects of future temperature increases are unlikely to be as strong as effects of reduced water clarity, another globally increasing problem in coastal areas.     

An evaluation of two biochemical methods of age determination in insects (pteridines and lipofuscins) using the ant Polyrhachis sexpinosa Latrielle (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Accurate information on the age of wild-caught animals is valuable for a variety of areas, but can be particularly difficult to obtain for small holometabolous insects, whose body size is fixed at the time of pupal eclosion. A variety of chemical groups, such as lipofuscins and pteridines accumulate in body tissues through time and can be used to predict age in a variety of arthropod taxa. Here we use spectrofluorometry to confirm the presence of extractable levels of lipofuscins and pteridines in individual social insects (using the ant Polyrhachis sexpinosa Latrielle, average body size 25 mg, as an example) and evaluate their ability to predict age. Pteridine levels were independent of age but lipofuscin levels increased with age in a predictable manner ( r ² = 72.8%). Lipofuscin levels therefore represent a new method of age determination for social insects that should be applicable to both individual laboratory and wild-caught animals.     

四种豆科作物的光合生理和生长发育对弱光的响应

为了确定豆科作物作为林果行间套种作物的适宜性, 于2014年通过田间试验和盆栽试验对4种豆科作物的耐阴能力及其光合生理进行了研究。测定全光和弱光处理(全光的48%)下豆科作物在初花期的叶片光合特征参数、光合色素含量与核酮糖-1,5-二磷酸羧化酶(RuBPCase)活性, 监测其生长发育对弱光的响应。结果表明: 弱光使供试作物的最大净光合速率、光饱和点、光补偿点、表观量子效率和暗呼吸速率不同程度地向耐阴植物变化; 弱光还使供试作物的净光合速率、气孔导度、蒸腾速率、瞬时水分利用效率和RuBPCase活性不同程度地下降, 而胞间CO₂浓度显著上升; 遮阴后, 乌豇豆(Vigna cylindrica)和绿豆(Vigna radiata)的叶绿素(Chl) a和Chl b含量显著增加, Chl a/b值显著降低, 大猪屎豆(Crotalaria assamica)和望江南(Senna occidentalis)的光合色素含量也有不同程度的变化; 弱光使供试作物茎变细, 侧枝数减少, 生物量和干物质积累效率降低, 根冠比降低, 根瘤量减少, 叶片变小变薄, 叶片数减少, 叶面积指数降低; 弱光胁迫下, 大猪屎豆不开花, 望江南只开花不结实, 而绿豆和乌豇豆开花数减少, 花期缩短, 种子产量显著降低。根据供试作物的光合特性和生长发育对弱光的响应, 得出它们的耐阴能力排序是: 乌豇豆>绿豆>望江南>大猪屎豆, 其中乌豇豆和绿豆适宜与林果套种, 而望江南和大猪屎豆不适宜套种。     

Taxonomic revision of Dictyochales (Dictyochophyceae) based on morphological,ultrastructural, biochemical and molecular data

The taxonomy of the siliceous members of Dictyochales has been based exclusively on the structure of their silica skeletons. In this study, other morphological, ultrastructural, pigment and molecular characters, in addition to the silica skeletons, were used in the systematics of the siliceous members of this group. As very little is known about the ultrastructure of Dictyocha octonaria, cells of both the skeleton‐bearing and naked forms were also studied. A cladistic analysis based on morphological data and a molecular phylogeny based on nuclear coded small subunit ribosomal DNA retrieved a well‐supported monophyletic Dictyochales. D. octonaria and D. speculum were resolved together with strong support. There was no support for a clade for the three species currently placed in Dictyocha; D. fibula is clearly distinct from the other two Dictyocha taxa, D. speculum and D. octonaria. It is highly likely there are two or three undescribed species within D. octonaria/D. speculum clade and two undescribed genera within the Dictyochales, based on the positions of sequences from uncultured eukaryotes present in GenBank. These findings necessitate a taxonomic revision of the three siliceous, skeleton‐bearing species. Because D. fibula is the type species of Dictyocha, we propose that D. octonaria and D. speculum be reassigned respectively to the genus Octactis as O. octonaria Hovasse and O. speculum (Ehrenberg) F. H. Chang, J. M. Grieve & J. E. Sutherland, comb. nov.     

Soybean ubiquitous urease with purification facilitator: An addition to the moonlighting studies toolbox

Ureases are nickel-dependent enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. In soybean (Glycine max), the embryo-specific urease (eSBU), the ubiquitous urease (uSBU), and a third isoform (SBU-III) are synthesized. Our group has previously demonstrated that eSBU, purified from seeds, has antifungal properties against phytopathogenic fungi, entomotoxicity against Dysdercus peruvianus, the ability to induce blood platelet aggregation, and these properties are independent of its enzymatic activity. Here we describe the biological properties of apo-uSBU fused to glutathione S-transferase (GST) produced in Escherichia coli. Removal of GST affected apo-uSBU stability. We performed a Response Surface Methodology to optimize GST-uSBU production to 5 mg per liter and then bioassays were carried out. The recombinant protein exhibited inhibitory effects on filamentous fungi and affected fungal secondary metabolism. Candida albicans and C. tropicalis were also susceptible to GST-uSBU and formed pseudo-hyphae. The fusion protein was toxic against Rhodnius prolixus, with the toxicity being accompanied by in vivo and in vitro hemocyte aggregation. Rabbit platelet also aggregated in the presence of GST-uSBU. Thus, uSBU displayed similar biological properties as previously described for eSBU even when fused to GST, reinforcing the proposed role of ureases in plant defense.     

风力胁迫对具鞘微鞘藻结皮光合活性的影响

抵抗风力胁迫是荒漠藻类适应干旱区环境的重要生物学机制,也是藻结皮能够拓殖流沙的必要条件之一,但有关藻类对风力胁迫的响应机理国内外尚无研究报道。以具鞘微鞘藻(Microcoleus vaginatus Gom.)人工结皮为实验对象,研究了不同强度风力吹蚀对结皮含水量、藻类活力、生物量、及其光合活性的影响。结果表明:不论低于当地起沙风(3m/s)还是高于起沙风(5m/s和7m/s)的风力吹蚀,结皮中藻类生物量均明显下降,而且结皮生物量的变化与风速大小和吹蚀时间呈线性关系(y=14.78+0.035a-1.48b,a风速,b时间,r2=0.79)。进一步分析发现,风力吹蚀后结皮中藻类活力并没有降低但主要光合色素和天线色素的含量普遍降低,叶绿素荧光(Fv/Fm)、表观电子传递速率(ETR)和净光合速率(Pn)明显下降,并且风速越大,降幅越大。这些结果说明风力胁迫对藻结皮生长和光合活性的影响主要是通过影响光合色素代谢合成和电子传递速率引起的,对其生命力没有明显影响。       

Diurnal courses of net photosynthesis and photosystem II quantum efficiency of submerged Lagarosiphon major under natural light conditions

An optode device for net-photosynthesis measurements, based on oxygen-depending quenching of fluorescence from O₂-specific sensors, and PAM fluorometry have been used to study diurnal courses of net-photosynthesis and the F_v/F_m ratio of the submerged plant Lagarosiphon major. Plants were pre-cultivated and studied in large mesocosm flow-through outdoor tanks under 50% and 80% shade cloth, respectively. Growth under the different shade cloths resulted in similar light compensation points (∼20 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹), but strongly different light saturation levels, with about 150 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ for plants grown under 80% shade cloth and about 350 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ for plants grown under 50% shade cloth. Plants under both growth conditions showed a transient reduction of the maximum F_v/F_m value in the afternoon (down to 70% of the morning control values under 80% shade cloth and down to 85% under 50% shade cloth), which was not accompanied by a reduction of the net photosynthetic rate. This indicated that the fluorescence parameter F_v/F_m must not be a reliable indicator of the rate of photosynthesis under all conditions. The new photo-optical device became evidenced as a valuable tool not only for laboratory experiments, but also for field studies of gas exchange of submerged plants.     

Inhibition of quorum sensing in Chromobacterium violaceum by pigments extracted from Auricularia auricular

Aims: This study aimed to search for a novel quorum‐sensing inhibitor from some fungi and analyse its inhibitory activity. Methods and Results: Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, a double mini‐Tn5 mutant, was used as an indicator to monitor quorum‐sensing inhibition. Auricularia auricular pigments from fruiting bodies were extracted using hydrochloric acid as an infusion, dissolved in alkaline dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), sterilized by filtration through a 0·22‐μm membrane filter and added to C. violaceum CV026 cultures. Inhibitory activity was measured by quantifying violacein production using a microplate reader. The results have revealed that the alkaline DMSO‐soluble pigments significantly reduced violacein production in a concentration‐dependent manner, a quorum‐sensing‐regulated behaviour in C. violaceum. Conclusions: Auricularia auricular pigments can inhibit bacterial quorum sensing. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results suggest the bioactive constituents from edible and medicinal fungi could interfere with bacterial quorum‐sensing system, regulate its associate functions and prevent bacterial pathogenesis. Further studies were in process in our laboratory to isolate specific compounds from A. auricular pigments, evaluate them as quorum‐sensing inhibitors and analyse the exact mechanism of action.