Induction of systemic protection against rust infection in broad bean by saccharin: effects on plant growth and development

Here, we examine the effect of saccharin on the induction of systemic resistance in broad bean (Vicia faba) to the rust fungus Uromyces viciae-fabae. Saccharin was applied to beans at the three-leaf stage, either as a soil drench or by painting the solution on to first leaves. Plants were then challenge inoculated with the rust 1, 6, 10 and 14 d following saccharin treatment, after which they were harvested, assessed for the intensity of rust infection and plant growth measurements conducted. Foliar application of saccharin did not induce systemic protection to rust infection until 14 d after application and was less effective than saccharin applied as a soil drench. When saccharin was applied as a drench, systemic protection was not observed until 6 d after application, but was still apparent in plants 14 d after application of the drench. Irrespective of the method of application, saccharin had no significant effect on fresh and dry weights or leaf area of the plants. Saccharin applied as a drench did, however, reduce the number of leaflets produced.     

Characterization of a broad range antimicrobial substance from Bacillus cereus

AIMS: The aim of this research was to isolate and characterize an antimicrobial substance from the Bacillus cereus type strain ATCC 14579. METHODS AND RESULTS: A substance with antimicrobial activity was isolated from B. cereus ATCC 14579. The substance was produced during late exponential growth and well into the stationary phase with a maximum 9 h after inoculation. The inhibitory substance was purified by reverse-phase HPLC and shown to be highly active against closely related Bacillus spp. Clinically relevant species such as Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus were also inhibited. The substance was characterized as a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) with a molecular mass of ca 3.4 kDa. The BLIS was very heat stable, and sensitive only to pronase E and proteinase K. Antimicrobial activity was stable and high in the pH range of 2.0-9.0, and relatively unaffected by organic chemicals. CONCLUSIONS: An antimicrobial substance produced by the B. cereus type strain ATCC 14579 was characterized, with a wide spectrum of activity and the potential to be applied as a control agent against pathogenic bacteria. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The present study is the first report of a substance with antimicrobial activity from the B. cereus type strain.     

青冈常绿阔叶林钙的积累和循环

研究了分布于浙江建德的青冈常绿阔叶林生态系统的Ｃａ的积累和循环。群落各代表种类的Ｃａ浓度为０．１２～１．２５％,变幅较大,其中能在石灰岩上分布的青冈比其它树种含Ｃａ量高,酸性土批示植物映山红含Ｃａ量很低。老的器官和个体中积累了较多的Ｃａ。青冈体内Ｃａ浓度的季节和径级变化不明显。轱叶和枯枝中的Ｃａ浓度比鲜叶和鲜枝高。降水通过林冠时有部分Ｃａ被淋溶出来。Ｃａ在群落中现存量为１０５７．２２ｋｇ／ｈｍ＾２     

林窗模型BKPF模拟伊春地区红松针阔叶混交林采伐迹地对气候变化的潜在反应

用森林演替模型BKPF研究黑龙江省伊春地区红松针阔叶混交林采伐迹地上森林演替在未来50年气候变化和CO₂浓度增加的反应得出:伊春地区采伐迹地演替50年后红松和硬阔叶树的数量增加,落叶松、山杨与白桦减少;林分密度略有降低;林分生产力增加约7%～28%;林分地上部分总生物量增加15%～24%;叶面积指数增加约5%～8%.气候变化有利于采伐迹地阔叶红松林恢复.     

Novel genetic capacitors and potentiators for the natural genetic variation of sensory bristles and their trait specificity in Drosophila melanogaster

Cryptic genetic variation (CGV) is defined as the genetic variation that has little effect on phenotypic variation under a normal condition, but contributes to heritable variation under environmental or genetic perturbations. Genetic buffering systems that suppress the expression of CGV and store it in a population are called genetic capacitors, and the opposite systems are called genetic potentiators. One of the best‐known candidates for a genetic capacitor and potentiator is the molecular chaperone protein, HSP90, and one of its characteristics is that it affects the genetic variation in various morphological traits. However, it remains unclear whether the wide‐ranging effects of HSP90 on a broad range of traits are a general feature of genetic capacitors and potentiators. In the current study, I searched for novel genetic capacitors and potentiators for quantitative bristle traits of Drosophila melanogaster and then investigated the trait specificity of their genetic buffering effect. Three bristle traits of D. melanogaster were used as the target traits, and the genomic regions with genetic buffering effects were screened using the 61 genomic deficiencies examined previously for genetic buffering effects in wing shape. As a result, four and six deficiencies with significant effects on increasing and decreasing the broad‐sense heritability of the bristle traits were identified, respectively. Of the 18 deficiencies with significant effects detected in the current study and/or by the previous study, 14 showed trait‐specific effects, and four affected the genetic buffering of both bristle traits and wing shape. This suggests that most genetic capacitors and potentiators exert trait‐specific effects, but that general capacitors and potentiators with effects on multiple traits also exist.     

Revisitation of sites surveyed 19 years ago reveals impoverishment of longhorned beetles in natural and planted forests

As planted forests expand in area, they are beginning to dominate landscapes as a matrix and cause the fragmentation of remaining natural forests. To understand and predict the responses of biological assemblages to maturing planted landscapes, examining the effects of forest type (natural vs planted) and forest age on such assemblages is particularly important. Therefore, to document the effects of forest type and age on longhorned beetle assemblages, in 2008 we collected beetles in broad‐leaved natural and cedar planted forests where beetles had also been collected in 1989. Beetle species composition differed greatly between the two forest types in 1989, whereas this difference was less pronounced in 2008. Species richness and total abundance were higher in natural forests than in planted forests in 1989. In 2008, species richness had decreased in both forest types, but the difference between the two forest types had been maintained. Total abundance was also markedly lower in 2008, and the difference between forest types was much smaller. Although larval host plants were not associated with the responses of species to year (forest age or maturation), beetle species whose larvae fed on either broad‐leaved or coniferous trees (or both) exhibited slight preferences for natural forests. These results suggest that longhorned beetle assemblages become impoverished in planted landscapes as the planted matrix matures. Changes in species composition with forest maturation may be difficult to predict based on larval host plants. However, consideration of larval host plants may enable the prediction of changes in species composition caused by the replacement of natural forests by planted forests.     

Novel pure Ca2ZnMoO6 composition with white‐light luminescence

Phosphors with composition Ca₂ZnMoO₆ were synthesized at temperatures of 800–1200°C using the solid‐state method. Analysis of X‐ray diffraction patterns of the Ca₂ZnMoO₆ powders did not reveal a double perovskite structure. When the synthesis temperature was equal to or higher than 800°C, the synthesized Ca₂ZnMoO₆ powders revealed a tetragonal structure (CaMoO₄) rather than an orthorhombic structure (Ca₂ZnMoO₆) and the cubic structure (Sr₂ZnMoO₆) of a double perovskite. The ZnO phase was still observed at a synthesis temperature of 1200°C. The compositions of synthesized Ca₂ZnMoO₆ powders differed from the prepared powder, and the Ca₂ZnMoO₆ phosphors exhibited some important novel features. First, synthesized Ca₂ZnMoO₆ compositions could emit light as a phosphor no activators, called Ca₂ZnMoO₆ phosphors. Effect of synthesis temperature on luminescence properties of these Ca₂ZnMoO₆ phosphors was readily observed, and some important novel features and properties were noted. Second, the phosphors presented only one broad characteristic emission peak in the visible light region. Third, measurement of the chromaticity diagram of the Ca₂ZnMoO₆ phosphors revealed a white‐light source. Through analysis, we determined why the synthesized Ca₂ZnMoO₆ phosphors had just one broad characteristic emission peak.     

Widespread introgression does not leak into allotopy in a broad sympatric zone

Species that overlap over a large part of their range and habitat requirements are challenging for the study of speciation and hybridization. In this respect, the study of broadscale introgressive hybridization has raised recent interest. Here we studied hybridization between two closely related amphibians Lissotriton helveticus and Lissotriton vulgaris that reproduce over a wide sympatric zone. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite markers on 1272 individuals in 37 sites over Europe to detect hybrids at the individual-level and to analyse Hardy-Weinberg and linkage disequilibria at the population-level. Morphological traits showed a strong bimodal distribution. Consistently, hybrid frequency was low (1.7%). We found asymmetric introgression with five times more hybrids in L. vulgaris than in L. helveticus, a pattern probably explained by an unequal effective population size in a study part wherein L. helveticus numerically predominates. Strikingly, significant levels of introgression were detected in 73% of sites shared by both species. Our study showed that introgression is widespread but remains confined to the sites where the two species reproduce at the same time. This pattern may explain why these species remain genetically distinct over a broad sympatric zone.     

土壤微生物群落结构对中亚热带三种典型阔叶树种凋落物分解过程的响应

通过小盆模拟试验研究了南方红壤丘陵区典型阔叶树种香樟、白栎和青冈的凋落物分解过程中土壤微生物群落结构的异同。结果表明:(1)凋落物含氮量:白栎>香樟>青冈;碳、木质素的含量以及碳/氮比、木质素/氮比:青冈>香樟>白栎;分解速率:白栎>香樟>青冈;(2)随着凋落物分解的进程,土壤微生物群落16 ∶ 0、15 ∶ 0、i16 ∶ 0、a17 ∶ 0、17 ∶ 0、18 ∶ 2ω6,9c和10Me18 ∶ 0的含量上升,18 ∶ 0、14 ∶ 0、16 ∶ 1ω7c、18 ∶ 1ω7c、cy19 ∶ 0、i19 ∶ 0和10Me19 ∶ 0的含量下降,饱和直链脂肪酸/单不饱和脂肪酸、革兰氏阳性菌/革兰氏阴性菌以及cy19 ∶ 0/18 ∶ 1ω7c的比值都显著上升。(3)两个时期白栎凋落物处理土壤16 ∶ 0、15 ∶ 0、a15 ∶ 0、i16 ∶ 0、a17 ∶ 0、 17 ∶ 0、cy19 ∶ 0、18 ∶ 2ω6,9c、18 ∶ 1ω9c和10Me18 ∶ 0的含量显著高于香樟和青冈凋落物处理的土壤,细菌、真菌的磷脂脂肪酸含量以及磷脂脂肪酸总量显著高于香樟和青冈凋落物处理的土壤。随着阔叶凋落物的分解,变化的土壤环境对土壤微生物群落的胁迫增强,土壤微生物群落结构发生显著变化。与香樟和青冈的凋落物相比,白栎凋落物碳/氮比和木质素/氮比低、分解快,能显著改善土壤微生物群落结构,更有利于土壤肥力提高和生态系统养分循环的改善。