A seasonal cycle of cell wall structure is accompanied by a cyclical rearrangement of cortical microtubules in fusiform cambial cells within taproots of Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae)

Aspects of the structure and ultrastructure of the fusiform cambial cells of the taproot of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (horse chestnut) are described in relation to the seasonal cycle of cambial activity and dormancy. Particular attention is directed at cell walls and the microtubule and microfilament components of the cytoskeleton, using a range of cytochemical and immunolocalization techniques at the optical and electron-microscopical levels. During the dormant phase, cambial cell walls are thick and multi-layered, the cells possess a helical array of cortical microtubules, and microfilament bundles are oriented axially. In the early stages of reactivation, vesicle-like profiles are associated with the cell walls, whereas arrangement of the cytoskeletal elements remains unchanged. In the succeeding active phase, the cell walls are thin, and cortical microtubules form a random array, although microfilament bundles maintain a near-axial orientation. The observations are discussed in relation to the seasonal cycle of wall structure and cortical microtubule rearrangement within the vascular cambium of hardwood trees. It is suggested that the cell-wall thickening at the onset of cambial dormancy, which is associated with the presence of a helical cortical microtubule array, should be considered to be secondary wall thickening, and that selective lysis of this secondary wall layer during cambial reactivation restores the thinner, primary wall found around active cambial cells.     

山西云顶山自然保护区野生种子植物区系研究

山西云顶山自然保护区位于吕梁山脉中段,有野生种子植物926种,隶属于391属、85科,其中裸子植物2科、4属、6种,被子植物83科、387属、920种(其中双子叶植物72科、311属、756种;单子叶植物11科、76属、164种).种子植物属的区系成分复杂多样,以温带成分占绝对优势,温带属共275属,占总属数的82.08％.种子植物种的区系成分中,温带分布占绝对优势,达566种,占总种数的62.61％,中国特有分布次之,有306种,它们是构成云顶山自然保护区森林植被和灌丛植被的建群种和优势种的主要成分.经与有关山地植物区系和植被组成比较后得出,云顶山自然保护区与庞泉沟自然保护区具有较高的同质性和密切的联系,与五台山次之,而与中条山具有明显的差异.云顶山自然保护区有国家二级保护植物野大豆,还有山西省重点保护植物山西乌头、红景天和党参3种.     

野生植物根围的丛枝菌根真菌Ⅱ

本文主要报道了野生植物根围Glomus属的17个种,聚球囊霉G.aggregatumSchenck＆Smith,苏格兰球囊霉G.caledonium（Nicol.＆Gerd.）Trappe＆Gerd,近明球囊霉G．claroideumSchenck＆Smith,明球囊霉G．clarumNicolson＆Schenck,缩球囊霉G．constrictumTrappe,透光球囊霉G．diaphanumMorton,幼套球囊霉G．etunicatumBecker＆Gerdemann,集球囊霉G．fasciculatum（Thaxter）Gerd．＆Trappe,何氏球囊霉G．hoiBerch＆Trappe,地球囊霉G.geosporum（Nicol．＆Derd.）Warker,根内球囊霉G．intraradicesSchenck＆Smith,摩西球囊霉G．mosseae（Nicol．＆Gerd.）Gerd.＆Trappe,隐球囊霉G.occultumWalker,网状球囊霉G.reticulatumBhattcharjee＆Mukerji,地表球囊霉G.versiforme（Karsten）Berch,台湾球囊霉G．formosanumWu＆Chen,悬钩子球囊霉G．rubiformeGerdemann＆Trappe）Almeida＆Schenck;内养囊霉属1个种,稀有内养囊霉Entrophosporainfrequens（Hall）Ames＆Schenider。其中,网状球囊霉为我国新记录种。     

Reductive nitrosylation of ferric cyanide horse heart myoglobin is limited by cyanide dissociation

Cyanide binds to ferric heme-proteins with a very high affinity, reflecting the very low dissociation rate constant (k_off). Since no techniques are available to estimate k_off, we report herewith a method to determine k_off based on the irreversible reductive nitrosylation reaction to trap ferric myoglobin (Mb(III)). The k_off value for cyanide dissociation from ferric cyanide horse heart myoglobin (Mb(III)-cyanide) was determined at pH 9.2 and 20.0 °C. Mixing Mb(III)-cyanide and NO solutions brings about absorption spectral changes reflecting the disappearance of Mb(III)-cyanide with the concomitant formation of ferrous nitrosylated Mb. Since kinetics of reductive nitrosylation of Mb(III) is much faster than Mb(III)-cyanide dissociation, the k_off value, representing the rate-limiting step, can be directly determined. The k_off value obtained experimentally matches very well to that calculated from values of the second-order rate constant (k_on) and of the dissociation equilibrium constant (K) for cyanide binding to Mb(III) (k_off = k_on × K).     

Equine Welfare in England and Wales: Exploration of Stakeholders' Understanding

Investigating how those responsible for the care of nonhuman animals understand the concept of animal welfare is important for animal welfare improvement. In-depth interviews with 31 equine stakeholders were used to explore their perceptions and understanding of welfare. The results showed the stakeholders understood the concept of welfare in 4 ways. Firstly, welfare was understood in terms of the provision of resources—for example, food. Secondly, a “horse-centered” understanding of welfare was articulated; this understanding included the horses' mental state and was linked to natural behavior. Thirdly, the word welfare had negative connotations, and for some, good welfare was achieved through avoidance of negative states. Finally, interviewees discussed incidents that occurred in their own familiar contexts but suggested that these were not welfare problems. Evidence indicated that the ways in which equine stakeholders understood the concept of welfare might have been acting as a barrier to the alleviation of some equine welfare problems. There is a need for strategies aimed at improving equine welfare to consider stakeholder constructs of welfare and the ways in which these constructs are generated and acted upon.     

Control techniques for Culicoides biting midges and their application in the U.K. and northwestern Palaearctic

The recent emergence of bluetongue virus (Reoviridae: Orbivirus) (BTV) in northern Europe, for the first time in recorded history, has led to an urgent need for methods to control the disease caused by this virus and the midges that spread it. This paper reviews various methods of vector control that have been employed elsewhere and assesses their likely efficacy for controlling vectors of BTV in northern Europe. Methods of controlling Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) have included: (a) application of insecticides and pathogens to habitats where larvae develop; (b) environmental interventions to remove larval breeding sites; (c) controlling adult midges by treating either resting sites, such as animal housing, or host animals with insecticides; (d) housing livestock in screened buildings, and (e) using repellents or host kairomones to lure and kill adult midges. The major vectors of BTV in northern Europe are species from the Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides pulicaris (L.) groups, for which there are scant data on breeding habits, resting behaviour and host-oriented responses. Consequently, there is little information on which to base a rational strategy for controlling midges or for predicting the likely impact of interventions. However, data extrapolated from the results of vector control operations conducted elsewhere, combined with some assessment of how acceptable or not different methods may be within northern Europe, indicate that the treatment of livestock and animal housing with pyrethroids, the use of midge-proofed stabling for viraemic or high-value animals and the promotion of good farm practice to at least partially eliminate local breeding sites are the best options currently available. Research to assess and improve the efficacy of these methods is required and, in the longer term, efforts should be made to develop better bait systems for monitoring and, possibly, controlling midges. All these studies will need better methods of analysing the ecology and behaviour of midges in the field than are currently in use. The paucity of control options and basic knowledge serve to warn us that we must be better prepared for the possible emergence of other midge-borne diseases, particularly African horse sickness.     

Designing a “tailor-made” ecological network using geographical information systems

During the last few years, geographical information systems (GIS) have spread as powerful tools for landscape analysis. The main purpose of this work was to use GIS to display an ecological network made up of core areas, key areas and ecological corridors. As an example of the application of this method we refer to the population of deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in an alpine area in northwestern Italy. The method provided an overall view of the ecological network of the area, highlighting how linear infrastructures can affect animal populations and consequently, their survival probability.     

Characterization and Structure Analysis of a Novel Bacteriocin,Lacticin Z,Produced by Lactococcus lactis QU 14

A novel bacteriocin, lacticin Z, produced by Lactococcus lactis QU 14 isolated from a horse’s intestinal tract was identified. Lacticin Z was purified through a three step procedure comprised of hydrophobic-interaction, cation-exchange chromatography, and reverse-phase HPLC. ESI-TOF MS determined the molecular mass of lacticin Z to be 5,968.9 Da. The primary structure of lacticin Z was found to consist of 53 amino acid residues without any leader sequence or signal peptide. Lacticin Z showed homology to lacticin Q from L. lactis QU 5, aureocin A53 from Staphylococcus aureus A53, and mutacin BHT-B from Streptococcus rattus strain BHT. It exhibited a nanomolar range of MICs against various Gram-positive bacteria, and the activity was completely stable up to 100 °C. Unlike many of other LAB bacteriocins, the stability of lacticin Z was emphasized under alkaline conditions rather than acidic conditions. All the results indicated that lacticin Z belongs to a novel type of bacteriocin.