Impact of short‐term exposure to low subzero temperatures on egg hatch in the hemlock looper,Lambdina fiscellaria

The frequency of extreme events, such as cold spells, is expected to increase under global warming. Therefore, the ability of insects to survive rapid changes in temperature is an important aspect to investigate in current population ecology. The hemlock looper (HL), Lambdina fiscellaria (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), a defoliator of boreal balsam fir forests in eastern Canada, overwinters at the egg stage on tree trunks and branches where eggs can be exposed to very low subzero air temperatures. Using eggs from the island of Newfoundland (NL) and Quebec mainland (QC), we undertook field and laboratory experiments to determine: (1) their supercooling point (SCP) in mid‐January and mid‐February; (2) overwintering mortality; (3) cold tolerance to various combinations of subzero temperatures (?25, ?30, ?33, ?35, or ?37 °C) and exposure durations (2, 4, 8, 12, or 16 h); and (4) potential causes of death at subzero temperatures above the SCP. Regardless of population or sampling date, eggs supercooled on average at ?40.1 °C. In the field, 59% of eggs from either population that overwintered in Sainte‐Foy (QC) and Corner Brook (NL) hatched successfully, whereas none did in Armagh (QC) or Epaule (QC). In the laboratory, 50% of eggs survived after 4 h at ?34.4 °C or after 14 h at ?32.9 °C. In contrast, regardless of exposure duration, >50% of eggs hatched at temperatures ≥?33 °C, but <50% did so at ≤?35 °C, suggesting high pre‐freeze mortality. However, when eggs were attached to thermocouples and exposed to temperatures ranging from ?25 to ?37 °C for 16 h, 69% froze at temperatures of ?35 to ?37 °C, but only 2% did at ?25 or ?30 °C. Time to freeze decreased as subzero temperatures declined, and this was more evident in island eggs than in mainland eggs. Overall, eggs can freeze after a brief exposure to subzero temperatures higher than the standard SCP, and are thus highly vulnerable to cold spells.     

Physio-biochemical and proteome analysis of chickpea in early phases of cold stress

Intensive and short-term strategies can aid in more rapid screening with informative and reliable results for long-term investigations under cold stress (CS). The integration of cellular analysis of chickpea during 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h CS supplied us with novel possible responsive components and the possible interactions embedded inside, still remaining a Maze. Seedlings showed a biphasic pattern of responses over time. The transitory phase happened after 8 h, when cells are presumably experiencing a new stage of responses and setting the stage for long-term adjustments. Physio-biochemical analysis confirmed the direct effect of fatty acids composition, lipoxygenase activity and antioxidant systems in cell responses under CS. Also, proteome results using MALDI-TOF-TOF and/or LC–MS/MS were able to differentiate changes in early phases of CS. Two-dimensional gel analysis results showed the possible targets of CS as mitochondria, chloroplast, organelle–nucleus communications, storage resources, stress and defense, protein degradation and signal transduction that confirmed the cell intended to re-establish a new homeostasis, in energy and primary metabolites to adapt to long-term CS. Here we propose a time course dynamic assessing multi-dimensional approaches for CS studies as one of the first studies in short-term treatment to progressively fill in the gaps between physio-biochemical and molecular events and touch the cell architecture for a better comprehension of the nature of plant stress response.     

Conditional cold avoidance drives between-population variation in germination behaviour in Calluna vulgaris

Background and Aims

Across their range, widely distributed species are exposed to a variety of climatic and other environmental conditions, and accordingly may display variation in life history strategies. For seed germination in cold climates, two contrasting responses to variation in winter temperature have been documented: first, an increased ability to germinate at low temperatures (cold tolerance) as winter temperatures decrease, and secondly a reduced ability to germinate at low temperatures (cold avoidance) that concentrates germination towards the warmer parts of the season.

Methods

Germination responses were tested for Calluna vulgaris, the dominant species of European heathlands, from ten populations collected along broad-scale bioclimatic gradients (latitude, altitude) in Norway, covering a substantial fraction of the species'' climatic range. Incubation treatments varied from 10 to 25 °C, and germination performance across populations was analysed in relation to temperature conditions at the seed collection locations.

Key Results

Seeds from all populations germinated rapidly and to high final percentages under the warmer incubation temperatures. Under low incubation temperatures, cold-climate populations had significantly lower germination rates and percentages than warm-climate populations. While germination rates and percentages also increased with seed mass, seed mass did not vary along the climatic gradients, and therefore did not explain the variation in germination responses.

Conclusions

Variation in germination responses among Calluna populations was consistent with increased temperature requirements for germination towards colder climates, indicating a cold-avoidance germination strategy conditional on the temperature at the seeds'' origin. Along a gradient of increasing temperatures this suggests a shift in selection pressures on germination from climatic adversity (i.e. low temperatures and potential frost risk in early or late season) to competitive performance and better exploitation of the entire growing season.     

The effects of winter stress on Sphagnum species with contrasting macro- and microdistributions

Introduction. Sphagnum L. forms much of the ground cover in northern peatlands. Different species show affinities for bioclimatic regions in Europe (oceanic/continental; northern/southern) and species-specific tolerance of winter conditions can be a factor explaining their distribution.

Methods. We focussed on low temperature in a series of experiments and tested (1) the innate ability of a selection of Sphagnum species to tolerate low temperature in relation to their micro-topographic (wetness) and geographical (climate) distribution; (2) the rate of cold tolerance acquisition; and (3) the ability of species to survive a range of low temperature once cold hardened.

Key results. Our experiments showed that maximal PSII efficiency (F_v/F_m, chlorophyll fluorescence), growth rates and survival were all negatively affected by sub-zero temperatures. Environmental conditions associated with the onset of winter (colder nights and shorter days) triggered the acquisition of cold tolerance in Sphagnum.

Conclusions. The results were not unequivocal, but species associated with colder climates were generally more tolerant of sub-zero conditions. Species associated with the wettest and driest ends of the wetness gradient were more consistent in their responses than those in between, with wetter-dwelling species being less sensitive to sub-zero temperature than species found in drier microhabitats. Overall, our results suggest that adaptation to winter conditions contribute to the current distribution patterns of Sphagnum species.     

Mango - Postharvest Biology and Biotechnology

Mango is one of the choicest fruits in the world and popular due to its delicate taste, pleasant aroma and nutritional value. Mango is indigenous to north-east India and north Burma, but now grown in over 90 countries. In the past two decades, mango production has increased appreciably with international trade jumping approximately four-fold valued close to US$ 950 million. Mango belongs to the category of climacteric fruits and its ripening is initiated and proceeded by a burst in ethylene production and a dramatic rise in the rate of respiration. Although there are a few hundred mango cultivars grown in the Indian subcontinent and other parts of the world, the most popular cultivars are generally highly perishable and ripen within 7 to 9 days of harvest at ambient temperature. Currently, the export potential and international trade of mango is limited due to several factors such as its perishable nature, disease and pest infestation, and susceptibility of certain premium cultivars to chilling injury when stored at low temperatures. Efforts are ongoing to develop technologies for improved storage and packaging, and overcome limitations encountered during storage and transit. Controlled atmosphere (CA) and hypobaric storage of mango are powerful means to overcome its perishable nature. The composition of CA varies among cultivars to ensure its original taste, flavor and aroma. Edible coating on the fruit skin may further cut down the rate of deterioration. Recently, significant advances have been made in understanding ripening characteristics of mango at the molecular level. Candidate genes related to ethylene biosynthesis and signalling, cell wall modification, aroma production and stress response have been cloned and characterized for future use in mango improvement. Efforts are also being made to establish a suitable transformation and plant regeneration system so that transgenic mango with added value and increased shelf life for long distance transportation could be developed.     

6个棉花品种幼苗对低温胁迫的响应

4 ℃低温条件处理6个不同熟性棉花品种幼苗,测定供试材料叶片中SOD活性、POD活性、超氧阴离子含量、可溶性糖含量、可溶性蛋白含量、MDA、相对电导率以及根系活体染色等8项指标,比较不同棉花品种苗期抗冷性差异.对测定指标进行综合评价结果显示：4 ℃低温胁迫1 d后,6个品种耐冷性由强到弱依次为中50＞N203＞N52＞K-1＞N181＞N177;4 ℃低温胁迫2 d后,耐冷性顺序为中50＞N177＞N52＞K-1＞N203＞N181;4 ℃低温胁迫3d后N52＞中50＞N203＞K-1＞N177＞N181.各生理指标综合评判结果为早熟品种中50和N52耐受性较强.     

Efficacy of a Carrageenan nasal spray in patients with common cold: a randomized controlled trial

Background

The common cold is the most widespread viral infection in humans. Iota-carrageenan has previously shown antiviral effectiveness against cold viruses in clinical trials. This study investigated the efficacy of a carrageenan-containing nasal spray on the duration of the common cold and nasal fluid viral load in adult patients.

Methods

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 211 patients suffering from early symptoms of the common cold were treated for seven days. Application was performed three times daily with either a carrageenan-supplemented nasal spray or saline solution as placebo with an overall observation period of 21 days. The primary endpoint was the duration of disease defined as the time until the last day with symptoms followed by all other days in the study period without symptoms. During the study, but prior unblinding, the definition of disease duration was adapted from the original protocol that defines disease duration as the time period of symptoms followed by 48 hours without symptoms.

Results

In patients showing a laboratory-confirmed cold virus infection and adherence to the protocol, alleviation of symptoms was 2.1 days faster in the carrageenan group in comparison to placebo (p = 0.037). The primary endpoint that had been prespecified but was changed before unblinding was not met. Viral titers in nasal fluids showed a significantly greater decrease in carrageenan patients in the intention-to-treat population (p = 0.024) and in the per protocol population (p = 0.018) between days 1 and 3/4.

Conclusions

In adults with common cold virus infections, direct local administration of carrageenan with nasal sprays reduced the duration of cold symptoms. A significant reduction of viral load in the nasal wash fluids of patients confirmed similar findings from earlier trials in children and adults.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN80148028     

低温应激对吉富罗非鱼血清生化指标及肝脏HSP70基因表达的影响

实验旨在探讨急性低温应激对吉富罗非鱼(GIFT,Oreochromis niloticus)血清生化、免疫指标以及肝脏HSP70 mRNA水平的影响。实验选取平均体重为(177±2.18)g左右的吉富罗非鱼作为实验对象,设定(25±1)℃对照组和低温(9±1)℃冷应激试验组,每组设定5个平行组,分别在0、2、6、12h随机采样,测定血清血糖(GLU)、胆固醇(CHOL) 、甘油三酯(TG)、谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)、补体3 (C3)、补体4 (C4)、溶菌酶(LSZ)、皮质醇(COR)、三碘甲腺原氨酸(T3)、甲状腺素(T4)以及肝脏HSP70mRNA水平。结果表明:与对照组相比,试验组GLU水平在冷应激后6h,TG水平在冷应激后2、6h,CHOL水平在冷应激后6、12h均有显著升高(P<0.05),ALT水平在冷应激后2、12h均有显著升高(P<0.05);试验组AST、COR、T3水平在冷应激2、6、12h时出现显著升高(P<0.05),C3、C4、LSZ水平在冷应激后2、6、12h均出现显著下降(P<0.05);与对照组相比,试验组HSP70mRNA水平在冷应激后的12h出现显著升高(P<0.05)。因此,急性低温应激可以提高吉富罗非鱼肝脏应激蛋白HSP70mRNA水平,影响该鱼的非特异免疫力和相关生理指标。     

冷胁迫条件下拟南芥Rubisco相互作用蛋白质的比较分析

1,5-二磷酸核酮糖羧化酶/加氧酶(Rubisco,EC 4.1.1.39)在生物适应环境变化的过程中起到重要的作用.位于叶绿体中与冷胁迫密切相关的非常重要的复合酶——Rubisco,其相互作用的蛋白质至今没有系统的研究.对拟南芥进行4种处理:a.持续在20℃生长(对照);b.4℃4 h冷胁迫;c.4℃24 h冷胁迫;d.4℃24 h冷胁迫后放入20℃恢复24 h.然后利用免疫共沉淀、十二烷基硫酸钠聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳及基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时间质谱技术,在冷胁迫条件下研究了拟南芥光合抑制与Rubisco相互作用蛋白质解聚之间的关系.在鉴定出的5个与冷胁迫相关的Rubisco相互作用蛋白质中,AAA-型ATP酶家族蛋白和糖基转移酶对Rubisco活性及植物适应冷胁迫起着重要的作用.研究结果表明,Rubisco复合酶体系的解聚可能是低温胁迫下拟南芥光合速率降低的主要原因.