Photoautotrophic growth response of in vitro cultured coffee plantlets to ventilation methods and photosynthetic photon fluxes under carbon dioxide enriched condition

Effects of two ventilation methods (forced and natural) and two photosynthetic photon fluxes (PPF, 150 and 250 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) on the photoautotrophic growth of in vitro cultured coffee (Coffea arabusta) plantlets were investigated. Number of air exchanges was 2.7, 5.9 and 3.9 h⁻¹ for forced low rate, forced high rate and natural ventilation, respectively. Single node cuttings of in vitro cultured coffee plantlets were cultured on Florialite, a mixture of vermiculite and cellulose fibers with high air porosity, emerged in liquid half strength basal MS medium, without sucrose, vitamins and plant growth regulators. The study included 40 days in the in vitro stage and 10 days in the ex vitro stage. Mean fresh and dry weights, leaf area, shoot and root lengths and net photosynthetic rate per plantlet were significantly greater in forced high rate treatments compared with those in natural and forced low rate treatments. PPF had a distinct effect on shoot length suppression and root elongation of coffee plantlets in forced high rate treatments. The control of carbon dioxide concentration inside the culture box according to the plant demand when growing was easy with the forced ventilation method in photoautotrophic micropropagation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Canopy warming caused photosynthetic acclimation and reduced seed yield in maize grown at ambient and elevated [CO2]

Rising atmospheric CO₂ concentration ([CO₂]) and attendant increases in growing season temperature are expected to be the most important global change factors impacting production agriculture. Although maize is the most highly produced crop worldwide, few studies have evaluated the interactive effects of elevated [CO₂] and temperature on its photosynthetic physiology, agronomic traits or biomass, and seed yield under open field conditions. This study investigates the effects of rising [CO₂] and warmer temperature, independently and in combination, on maize grown in the field throughout a full growing season. Free‐air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) technology was used to target atmospheric [CO₂] to 200 μmol mol^?1 above ambient [CO₂] and infrared heaters to target a plant canopy increase of 3.5 °C, with actual season mean heating of ~2.7 °C, mimicking conditions predicted by the second half of this century. Photosynthetic gas‐exchange parameters, leaf nitrogen and carbon content, leaf water potential components, and developmental measurements were collected throughout the season, and biomass and yield were measured at the end of the growing season. As predicted for a C₄ plant, elevated [CO₂] did not stimulate photosynthesis, biomass, or yield. Canopy warming caused a large shift in aboveground allocation by stimulating season‐long vegetative biomass and decreasing reproductive biomass accumulation at both CO₂ concentrations, resulting in decreased harvest index. Warming caused a reduction in photosynthesis due to down‐regulation of photosynthetic biochemical parameters and the decrease in the electron transport rate. The reduction in seed yield with warming was driven by reduced photosynthetic capacity and by a shift in aboveground carbon allocation away from reproduction. This field study portends that future warming will reduce yield in maize, and this will not be mitigated by higher atmospheric [CO₂] unless appropriate adaptation traits can be introduced into future cultivars.     

二球悬铃木不同器官对空气中Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的累积作用

以交通繁忙区(污染点)和相对清洁区(对照点)道路两侧的二球悬铃木〔Platanus acerifolia ( Ait.) Willd.〕为研究对象,测定了不同器官(包括主干、老树皮、2年生枝条、1年生枝条、腋芽、叶片和果实)中Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的含量,并对污染点二球悬铃木各器官中4种重金属元素的累积量和污染指数及二者的分布比例进行分析。结果表明：二球悬铃木体内重金属元素的含量因样点、器官及元素的不同而呈现不同的变化规律,污染点4种重金属元素的累积量及其分布比例、污染指数及其分布比例则因器官和元素的不同而有明显差异。总体上看,污染点各器官的Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的含量均高于对照点且差异显著(P<0.05);4种重金属元素相比较,均以Zn含量最高,Cu含量次之,而Ni和Pb含量则较低;在不同器官中同一重金属元素的含量也有明显差异,其中,Cu、Ni和Zn含量均在腋芽中最高,Pb含量在2年生枝条中最高。4种重金属元素的累积量及其分布比例均在叶片中最高,在老树皮中次之,在1年生枝条、2年生枝条和腋芽中均较低;而4种重金属元素的污染指数及其分布比例则在老树皮中最高,在叶片中次之。研究结果显示：二球悬铃木各器官对空气中的重金属元素均有一定的吸滞能力,并且叶片和老树皮的吸滞能力明显优于其他器官。     

Phosphorus application and elevated CO2 enhance drought tolerance in field pea grown in a phosphorus-deficient vertisol

Background and Aims Benefits to crop productivity arising from increasing CO₂ fertilization may be offset by detrimental effects of global climate change, such as an increasing frequency of drought. Phosphorus (P) nutrition plays an important role in crop responses to water stress, but how elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) and P nutrition interact, especially in legumes, is unclear. This study aimed to elucidate whether P supply improves plant drought tolerance under eCO₂.Methods A soil-column experiment was conducted in a free air CO₂ enrichment (SoilFACE) system. Field pea (Pisum sativum) was grown in a P-deficient vertisol, supplied with 15 mg P kg⁻¹ (deficient) or 60 mg P kg⁻¹ (adequate for crop growth) and exposed to ambient CO₂ (aCO₂; 380–400 ppm) or eCO₂ (550–580 ppm). Drought treatments commenced at flowering. Measurements were taken of soil and leaf water content, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, total soluble sugars and inorganic P content (Pi).Key Results Water-use efficiency was greatest under eCO₂ when the plants were supplied with adequate P compared with other treatments irrespective of drought treatment. Elevated CO₂ decreased stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, and increased the concentration of soluble sugars and relative water contents in leaves. Adequate P supply increased concentrations of soluble sugars and Pi in drought-stressed plants. Adequate P supply but not eCO₂ increased root length distribution in deeper soil layers.Conclusions Phosphorus application and eCO₂ interactively enhanced periodic drought tolerance in field pea as a result of decreased stomatal conductance, deeper rooting and high Pi availability for carbon assimilation in leaves.     

Polyethylene glycol‐based low generation dendrimers functionalized with β‐cyclodextrin as cryo‐ and dehydro‐protectant of catalase formulations

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐based low generation dendrimers are analyzed as single excipient or combined with trehalose in relation to their structure and efficiency as enzyme stabilizers during freeze‐thawing, freeze‐drying, and thermal treatment. A novel functional dendrimer (DG_o‐CD) based on the known PEG's ability as cryo‐protector and β‐CD as supramolecular stabilizing agent is presented. During freeze‐thawing, PEG and β‐CD failed to prevent catalase denaturation, while dendrimers, and especially DG_o‐CD, offered the better protection to the enzyme. During freeze‐drying, trehalose was the best protective additive but DG_o‐CD provided also an adequate catalase stability showing a synergistic behavior in comparison to the activities recovered employing PEG or β‐CD as unique additives. Although all the studied dendrimers improved the enzyme remaining activity during thermal treatment of freeze‐dried formulations, the presence of amorphous trehalose was critical to enhance enzyme stability. The crystallinity of the protective matrix, either of PEG derivatives or of trehalose, negatively affected catalase stability in the freeze‐dried systems. When humidified at 52% of relative humidity, the dendrimers delayed trehalose crystallization in the combined matrices, allowing extending the protection at those conditions in which normally trehalose fails. The results show how a relatively simple covalent combination of a polymer such as PEG with β‐CD could significantly affect the properties of the individual components. Also, the results provide further insights about the role played by polymer–enzyme supramolecular interactions (host–guest crosslink, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions) on enzyme stability in dehydrated models, being the effect on the stabilization also influenced by the physical state of the matrix. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29:786–795, 2013     

东北地区玉米生长发育特征及其对热量的响应

在大田条件下,以3个玉米品种（丹玉39、原单29和龙单13）为试验材料,设置早、中、晚3个播种期,分析了2007-2008年不同播期3个玉米品种关键生育阶段特征及其对温度的响应.结果表明： 从播种到出苗所需天数依次为早播(平均值为13 d)>中播(平均值为11 d)>晚播(平均值为8 d);出苗阶段平均气温在18 ℃左右时的出苗速率最快,气温偏高或偏低都会降低出苗速率.3个玉米品种在苗期营养阶段生育期天数的差异不大且受温度影响较小;从穗期阶段开始,晚熟品种龙单13的生长速率提高,成熟天数明显缩短;3个品种在穗期和花粒期阶段生长天数均随温度的增加呈减少趋势.全生育期地上干物质积累速率、产量、百粒重均表现为丹玉39>原单29>龙单13.     

Water status and associated processes mark critical stages in pollen development and functioning

Background

The male gametophyte developmental programme can be divided into five phases which differ in relation to the environment and pollen hydration state: (1) pollen develops inside the anther immersed in locular fluid, which conveys substances from the mother plant – the microsporogenesis phase; (2) locular fluid disappears by reabsorption and/or evaporation before the anther opens and the maturing pollen grains undergo dehydration – the dehydration phase; (3) the anther opens and pollen may be dispersed immediately, or be held by, for example, pollenkitt (as occurs in almost all entomophilous species) for later dispersion – the presentation phase; (4) pollen is dispersed by different agents, remaining exposed to the environment for different periods – the dispersal phase; and (5) pollen lands on a stigma and, in the case of a compatible stigma and suitable conditions, undergoes rehydration and starts germination – the pollen–stigma interaction phase.

Scope

This review highlights the issue of pollen water status and indicates the various mechanisms used by pollen grains during their five developmental phases to adjust to changes in water content and maintain internal stability.

Conclusions

Pollen water status is co-ordinated through structural, physiological and molecular mechanisms. The structural components participating in regulation of the pollen water level, during both dehydration and rehydration, include the exine (the outer wall of the pollen grain) and the vacuole. Recent data suggest the involvement of water channels in pollen water transport and the existence of several molecular mechanisms for pollen osmoregulation and to protect cellular components (proteins and membranes) under water stress. It is suggested that pollen grains will use these mechanisms, which have a developmental role, to cope with environmental stress conditions.     

气生植物的生物学特性及研究展望

气生植物是指不需要土壤,生长所需的水分和营养可以全部来自空气的植物。它既不同于附生植物．也不同于具有气生根的植物。主要包括地衣、苔藓、蕨、凤梨科和兰科植物中的某些附生类群。它们没有根或者根不发达,仅起固定植株的作用。因为气生植物直接从空气中吸收水分和养分,但空气中的水分和养分毕竞是有限的,所以这些植物一般都具有很强的利用水分及养分的能力,很多植物已经成为有效地检测环境变化的“指示生物”和去除环境污染的修复植物。另外,因为这些植物具有忍受恶劣环境条件的生理基础,还可能成为适应空间环境的先锋植物,在空间植物学研究中将具有特殊的意义。