Characterization of the interaction between Oidium heveae and Arabidopsis thaliana

Oidium heveae, an obligate biotrophic pathogen of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis), causes significant yield losses of rubber worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the interplay between O. heveae and rubber trees remain largely unknown. In this study, we isolated an O. heveae strain, named HN1106, from cultivated H. brasiliensis in Hainan, China. We found that O. heveae HN1106 triggers the hypersensitive response in a manner that depends on the effector‐triggered immunity proteins EDS1 (Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1) and PAD4 (Phytoalexin Deficient 4) and on salicylic acid (SA) in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, SA‐independent resistance also appears to limit O. heveae infection of Arabidopsis, because the pathogen does not produce conidiospores on npr1 (nonexpressor of pr1), sid2 (SA induction deficient 2) and NahG plants, which show disruptions in SA signalling. Furthermore, we found that the callose synthase PMR4 (Powdery Mildew Resistant 4) prevents O. heveae HN1106 penetration into leaves in the early stages of infection. To elucidate the potential mechanism of resistance of Arabidopsis to O. heveae HN1106, we inoculated 47 different Arabidopsis accessions with the pathogen, and analysed the plant disease symptoms and O. heveae HN1106 hyphal growth and conidiospore formation on the leaves. We found that the accession Lag2‐2 showed significant susceptibility to O. heveae HN1106. Overall, this study provides a basis for future research aimed at combatting powdery mildew caused by O. heveae in rubber trees.     

云南保存橡胶树部分种质资源干形及分枝变异分析

对保存于"农业部景洪橡胶树种质资源圃"的1904份橡胶树81’IRRDB种质资源的主干通直度、主干分杈、侧枝分枝轮、侧枝粗细、侧枝分枝角、侧枝伸展等6个表型性状进行调查和分析。结果表明,云南保存橡胶树种质资源具有丰富的遗传多样性(0.2604~1.6731),多样性指数最高的是主干通直度,达1.6731,其次是主干分杈、侧枝粗细、侧枝分枝轮和侧枝分枝角,最低的是侧枝伸展。6个表型性状的相对分布频率最小值为2.92%~8.05%,最大值为41.26%~93.37%。用UPGMA法聚类,当欧式距离为1.05时,1904份样本被聚为5组,其中最大1组包括98.42%的样本,表明同一性状在每份种质资源间具有很大程度的相似性;用Furthest Neighbor法聚类,在欧式距离为1.45时,1904份样本被聚为7组。2种聚类方法都能将每份种质明显区分出来,表明各性状变异极其丰富。     

Leaf life span plasticity in tropical seedlings grown under contrasting light regimes

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The phenotypic plasticity of leaf life span in response to low resource conditions has a potentially large impact on the plant carbon budget, notably in evergreen species not subject to seasonal leaf shedding, but has rarely been well documented. This study evaluates the plasticity of leaf longevity, in terms of its quantitative importance to the plant carbon balance under limiting light. METHODS: Seedlings of four tropical tree species with contrasting light requirements (Alstonia scholaris, Hevea brasiliensis, Durio zibethinus and Lansium domesticum) were grown under three light regimes (full sunlight, 45 % sunlight and 12 % sunlight). Their leaf dynamics were monitored over 18 months. RESULTS: All species showed a considerable level of plasticity with regard to leaf life span: over the range of light levels explored, the ratio of the range to the mean value of life span varied from 29 %, for the least plastic species, to 84 %, for the most. The common trend was for leaf life span to increase with decreasing light intensity. The plasticity apparent in leaf life span was similar in magnitude to the plasticity observed in specific leaf area and photosynthetic rate, implying that it has a significant impact on carbon gain efficiency when plants acclimate to different light regimes. In all species, median survival time was negatively correlated with leaf photosynthetic capacity (or its proxy, the nitrogen content per unit area) and leaf emergence rate. CONCLUSIONS: Longer leaf life spans under low light are likely to be a consequence of slower ageing as a result of a slower photosynthetic metabolism.     

巴西橡胶树转基因研究现状与展望

由于存在遗传背景狭窄、高度杂合化、育种周期长等特点,巴西橡胶树育种进展非常缓慢。转基因技术为拓展其的遗传范围、加速育种进程提供了契机。在过去20年里,橡胶树转基因研究取得了很大进展：成功应用的转化技术包括基因枪法和农杆菌介导法,受体材料包括花药和内珠被愈伤,育种目标涉及到提高胶乳产量、抗死皮和作为生物反应器等。但同时也存在组培程序不够成熟、转化技术和外植体比较单一、转化效率低下等问题。最后,对以后转化体系的优化、转基因育种方向进行了分析和展望。     

Effects of Habitat, Cattle Grazing and Selective Logging on Seedling Survival and Growth in Dry Forests of Central Brazil

We studied the effect of forest gaps and cattle grazing on survival and growth of seedlings of seven native tree species, planted in dry forest fragments with different intensities of past logging in Central Brazil. Seedling survival after 12 mo ranged from 35 to 77 percent among species. Survival of most species was similar in gaps and understory in minimally disturbed forest remnants, but was lower in the gaps of more heavily logged forests. In contrast, growth was much higher in gaps than in understory in minimally disturbed forests, but for most species was similar in gaps and understory in more heavily logged forests. We did not detect an effect of cattle on seedling survival. Seedlings of the most commonly logged species show a high potential to survive and grow when planted in logged forests.     

New species and new stage descriptions of Campsurus major species group (Polymitarcyidae: Campsurinae), with first report of silk-case construction in mayfly nymphs

Campsurus major, C. argentinus and C. amapaensis sp. nov. form a monophyletic group supported by the following apomorphies in the male genitalia: robust pedestals with a widely rounded inner-posterior margin and a more acute and thinner outer margin, penes strongly sclerotised and curved ventrally, each lobe twisted outwards, and with a small membranous lobe on ventral margin. The nymphs of Campsurus major and C. argentinus and the female adult of C. major are described for the first time and illustrated here; the male adults of both species are redescribed. A new species, C. amapaensis, is described from male imagos. The following new synonymies are proposed: Campsurus argentinus Esben-Petersen (= C. pallidus Needham & Murphy, junior synonym) and C. major Needham & Murphy (= C. brasiliensis Traver, junior synonym). The nymphs of both species are reported to use silk to build soft cases and to glue substrate particles. A list of characters useful to distinguish the treated species from others in the genus is given.     

不同提取液对巴西橡胶树橡胶粒子蛋白质提取和分离的影响

橡胶粒子是巴西橡胶树（Hevea brasiliensis）乳管细胞内进行橡胶生物合成的亚细胞结构;对橡胶粒子的蛋白质组学研究,可为揭示天然橡胶生物合成机理提供线索。采用5种提取液分别提取橡胶粒子蛋白,并对橡胶粒子蛋白进行SDS—PAGE和16-BAC／SDS—PAGE电泳分离及MALDITOF／TOF串联质谱分析,证明不同提取液抽提的橡胶粒子蛋白具有不同组成,发现分子量较高的橡胶延伸因子家族蛋白更难从橡胶粒子上被洗脱和提取。通过检索橡胶树转录组数据库,鉴定了3个新的橡胶粒子蛋白,即醌氧化还原酶、含蓖麻毒素B链凝集素结构域蛋白及枯萎／脱水相关蛋白。本研究建立的橡胶粒子蛋白质提取和分离方法,为进一步鉴定低丰度和具有重要功能的橡胶粒子蛋白提供了参照体系。     

巴西橡胶树一个AP2／EREBP转录因子的克隆及表达分析

本文采用RACE技术从巴西橡胶树中鉴定出一个AP2／EREBP转录因子。该转录因子全长cDNANl225bp,最长开放阅读框699bp,预测编码蛋白包含232个氨基酸;序列比对分析发现,该转录因子具有一段保守的AP2／EREBP结构域,与拟南芥Soloist（At4g13040）具有较高的相似性,将该基因命名HbSoloist。半定量胙PcR分析结果表明,HbSoloist在巴西橡胶树的胶乳、叶片、树皮和花中均有表达。与健康橡胶树相比,死皮树胶乳HbSoloist表达量明显下降。研究发HbSoloist表达受乙烯利、茉莉酸和低温处理调控,表明HbSoloist基因可能在巴西橡胶树乙烯、茉莉酸和低温反应中发挥作用。     

Guayule and Russian Dandelion as Alternative Sources of Natural Rubber

ABSTRACT

Natural rubber, obtained almost exclusively from the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), is a unique biopolymer of strategic importance that, in many of its most significant applications, cannot be replaced by synthetic rubber alternatives. Several pressing motives lead to the search for alternative sources of natural rubber. These include increased evidence of allergenic reactions to Hevea rubber, the danger that the fungal pathogen Microcyclus ulei, causative agent of South American Leaf Blight (SALB), might spread to Southeast Asia, which would severely disrupt rubber production, potential shortages of supply due to increasing demand and changes in land use, and a general trend towards the replacement of petroleum-derived chemicals with renewables. Two plant species have received considerable attention as potential alternative sources of natural rubber: the Mexican shrub Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) and the Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz). This review will summarize the current production methods and applications of natural rubber (dry rubber and latex), the threats to the production of natural rubber from the rubber tree, and describe the current knowledge of the production of natural rubber from guayule and Russian dandelion.