Relations between apical structure and growth patterns in Pinus halepensis Mill,seedlings

Abstract

The process of primary growth in 2-year-old seedlings of 11 populations of Pinus halepensis Mill. is described. At the end of the first growing season one type of apical structure was observed: type-1, a tuft of primary needles placed close together, surrounding and protecting a meristematic apex.

At the end of the 2nd growing season, three types of apical structure were observed: type-1; type-2, a terminal winter bud; and type-3; a «bud» with characteristics of both type-1 and type-2.

Morphological observation along with an anatomical examination of the winter bud led to the conclusion that the definitive growth pattern in juvenile P. halepensis is monocyclic with a variable number of summer shoots. This growth pattern is reached by some P. halepensis populations in 3–4 years, by contrast, in other pine species two years are usually needed.

The populations studied differed both in growth potential (differences in number of cycles, ratio of first cycle to total growth, growth rates) and in the developmental stages of the apical meristem.

Four groups could be identified: (i) Morocco and Spain, (a limited growth, few cycles, a high ratio of 1st cycle to total growth, and growth in 2nd season almost entirely due to free growth); (ii) Algeria and Greece, (moderate to low growth, a large number of cycles, a low ratio of 1st cycle to total growth, and very early formation of apical structure with preformed primordia); (iii) Israel and Central Italy (a high growth, a large number of cycles, a medium ratio of 1st cycle to total growth, and early formation of apical structure with preformed primordia); (iiii) Greece, France and Italy, which was intermediate between group (i) and the other 2 groups.     

基于植株拓扑结构的生物量分配的玉米虚拟模型

依据植物结构—功能相互作用机理,建立了能模拟玉米生长发育与形态结构建成的虚拟模型。该模型的重要部分为基于植株拓扑结构的生物量分配模块。叙述了该模块的构建原理,以2000年田间试验数据提取了玉米的发育、生物量生产和生物量分配参数。模型模拟了2001年的玉米生长发育与生物量分配过程,模拟结果与田间试验结果比较吻合。应用该模型模拟了2001年玉米不同生育阶段植株的生物量分配和各器官生物量积累动态。     

Endosomal vacuoles of the prepupal salivary glands of Drosophila play an essential role in the metabolic reallocation of iron

In the recent past, we demonstrated that a great deal is going on in the salivary glands of Drosophila in the interval after they release their glycoprotein‐rich secretory glue during pupariation. The early‐to‐mid prepupal salivary glands undergo extensive endocytosis with widespread vacuolation of the cytoplasm followed by massive apocrine secretion. Here, we describe additional novel properties of these endosomes. The use of vital pH‐sensitive probes provided confirmatory evidence that these endosomes have acidic contents and that there are two types of endocytosis seen in the prepupal glands. The salivary glands simultaneously generate mildly acidic, small, basally‐derived endosomes and strongly acidic, large and apical endosomes. Staining of the large vacuoles with vital acidic probes is possible only after there is ambipolar fusion of both basal and apical endosomes, since only basally‐derived endosomes can bring fluorescent probes into the vesicular system. We obtained multiple lines of evidence that the small basally‐derived endosomes are chiefly involved in the uptake of dietary Fe³⁺ iron. The fusion of basal endosomes with the larger and strongly acidic apical endosomes appears to facilitate optimal conditions for ferrireductase activity inside the vacuoles to release metabolic Fe²⁺ iron. While iron was not detectable directly due to limited staining sensitivity, we found increasing fluorescence of the glutathione‐sensitive probe CellTracker Blue CMAC in large vacuoles, which appeared to depend on the amount of iron released by ferrireductase. Moreover, heterologous fluorescently‐labeled mammalian iron‐bound transferrin is actively taken up, providing direct evidence for active iron uptake by basal endocytosis. In addition, we serendipitously found that small (basal) endosomes were uniquely recognized by PNA lectin, whereas large (apical) vacuoles bound DBA lectin.     

Do submerged aquatic plants influence periphyton community composition for the benefit of invertebrate mutualists?

• 1 It has been suggested that submerged aquatic plants can influence the periphyton which grows on their surfaces, making it nutritionally beneficial to snails. In return, preferential feeding by snails clears the plants from a potential competitor, with both plants and grazers gaining from this mutualistic relationship.
• 2 A highly replicated experiment was conducted, in which the nature of the plant (isoetid and elodeid types compared with similar shaped inert substrata), the nutrient availability (10–200 µg L^‐1 P, 0.2–4 mg L^‐1 N) and the influence of periphyton grazers, Physa fontinalis, were controlled. The plants were cleaned of periphyton before use and an algal inoculum added to all treatments. At the end of the growth period, quantitative measures of the periphyton community composition were made and related to the treatments using both ordination and analysis of variance.
• 3 Grazing had the largest influence on community composition and algal numbers. A community of unicellular and adpressed filamentous forms developed in the presence of snails, and of erect filamentous forms in their absence. Three algal species, Cocconeis placentula, Chamaesiphon incrustans and Aphanochaete repens, increased in real numbers in the presence of snails, probably as a result of reduced competition whilst being able to withstand grazing.
• 4 The second largest effect was the influence of host plant. However, differences between the two artificial plants were as great as between the real plants and their artificial counterparts, indicating that physical structure was as important as any active contribution by the plants. Nutrients had a small but significant effect on community composition, but not all species responded in the same way to nutrient enrichment.
• 5 Although submerged aquatic plants exert an influence over the community composition of the periphyton which develops on their surfaces, it is unlikely that they manipulate it to make it more attractive to grazers such as snails.

     

Barbronia weberi (Clitellata,Hirudinida, Salifidae) has ovary cords of the Erpobdella type

The organization of the ovaries in representative of the Salifidae (Hirudinida, Erpobdelliformes) was studied at the ultrastructural level for the first time. Like in other leeches, the ovaries of Barbronia weberi are composed of an outer envelope (i.e., an ovisac made up of two coelomic epithelia, muscle cells, and connective tissue) and several internal units, which are broadly similar to the ovary cords found in representatives of the Erpobdellidae. There are usually 6–8 ovary cords that are twisted or cambered with a narrow apical part and a broader, irregularly shaped distal end in each ovisac of B. weberi. Each ovary cord is built from somatic and germ‐line cells and the latter tend to form multicellular cysts that are equipped with a central cytoplasmic core (cytophore). There are two morphologically different subpopulations of germ‐line cells: oocytes and more numerous nurse cells. Growing oocytes form protuberances on the ovary cord surface and eventually detach from the cord and float freely in the ovisac lumen, whereas the other components of germ‐line cysts (i.e., nurse cells and cytophore) degenerate. It should be pointed out that there is a prominent gradient of germ‐cell development along the long axis of the cord. The somatic cells form the ovary cord envelope (the so‐called spongiosa cells) and also penetrate the spaces between germ‐line cells. Both kinds of the somatic cells, that is, those forming the cord envelope and the somatic cells that are associated with oocytes (follicular cells) have a well‐developed system of intercellular channels. Additionally, one prominent somatic cell, the apical cell, was found at the apical tip of each ovary cord. Because the aforementioned features of ovary cords found in B. weberi are very similar (with a few minor exceptions) to the ovary cords that have been described in Erpobdella octoculata and E. johanssoni, we propose the term “ovary cords of the Erpobdella type” for them. Our results support a close phylogenetic relationship between Salifidae and Erpobdellidae. J. Morphol. 275:479–488, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The unique polarity phenotype of hepatocytes

Hepatocytes, the main epithelial cell type of the liver, function like all epithelial cells to mediate the vectorial flow of macromolecules into and out of the organ they encompass. They do so by establishing polarized surface domains and by restricting paracellular flow via their tight junctions and cell–cell adhesion. Yet, the cell and tissue organization of hepatocytes differs profoundly from that of most other epithelia, including those of the digestive and urinary tracts, the lung or the breast. The latter form monolayered tissues in which the apical domains of individual cells align around a central continuous luminal cavity that constitutes the tubules and acini characteristic of these organs. Hepatocytes, by contrast, form capillary-sized lumina with multiple neighbors resulting in a branched, tree-like bile canaliculi network that spreads across the liver parenchyme. I will discuss some of the key molecular features that distinguish the hepatocyte polarity phenotype from that of monopolar, columnar epithelia.     

Modelling and simulation of the architecture and development of the oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) root system

A stochastic model of oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) root system architecture and development has been developed. This model enabled us to create 3-D numerical models of complete root systems by simulation. The application of a postprocessor software, called RACINES, to these 3-D numerical models, provided an estimation of some parameters of plant root systems. The objective of this paper is to present oil-palm root characteristics as possible outputs of the application of this RACINES software. The outputs described in this article cover (i) spatial distribution of roots under plantation conditions, (ii) the estimation and distribution of total root biomass, per root type or per soil horizon and (iii) the location and quantification of absorbent surfaces. The computing techniques used were based on voxellization of space and creation of 3-D virtual sceneries exactly reproducing observed planting designs. By comparing the results of observations and simulations for spatial distribution (by trench wall density maps) and root biomasses (by real and virtual sampling) we were able to carry out additional numerical validations of the model.     

CLUSTERED PRIMARY BRANCH 1, a new allele of DWARF11, controls panicle architecture and seed size in rice

Panicle architecture and seed size are important agronomic traits that directly determine grain yield in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Although a number of key genes controlling panicle architecture and seed size have been cloned and characterized in recent years, their genetic and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we identified a mutant that produced panicles with fascicled primary branching and reduced seeds in size. We isolated the underlying CLUSTERED PRIMARY BRANCH 1 (CPB1) gene, a new allele of DWARF11 (D11) encoding a cytochrome P450 protein involved in brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis pathway. Genetic transformation experiments confirmed that a His360Leu amino acid substitution residing in the highly conserved region of CPB1/D11 was responsible for the panicle architecture and seed size changes in the cpb1 mutants. Overexpression of CPB1/D11 under the background of cpb1 mutant not only rescued normal panicle architecture and plant height, but also had a larger leaf angle and seed size than the controls. Furthermore, the CPB1/D11 transgenic plants driven by panicle‐specific promoters can enlarge seed size and enhance grain yield without affecting other favourable agronomic traits. These results demonstrated that the specific mutation in CPB1/D11 influenced development of panicle architecture and seed size, and manipulation of CPB1/D11 expression using the panicle‐specific promoter could be used to increase seed size, leading to grain yield improvement in rice.