Recovery of leaf area through accelerated shoot ontogeny in thrips-damaged cotton seedlings

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Leaf area of cotton seedlings (Gossypium hirsutum) can be reduced by as much as 50 % by early season thrips infestations, but it is well documented that plants can regain the difference in leaf area once infestation ceases. The processes involved in the recovery have not been identified. Hypotheses include enhancement of the photosynthetic rate of the damaged leaves, more efficient leaf construction (i.e. more leaf area per unit of dry matter invested in new leaves), and more branching. METHODS: This 2-year field study examined these hypotheses and found that thrips-affected plants recovered from a 30 % reduction in total leaf area. During the recovery period, repeated measurements of gas exchange, leaf morphology and individual leaf areas at all nodes were made to assess their contribution to the recovery. KEY RESULTS: Recovery was not achieved through the previously proposed mechanisms. The pattern of nodal development indicated that the duration of leaf expansion of the smaller deformed leaves was shorter than that of control leaves, possibly because they had fewer cells. The production and expansion of healthy upper node leaves in thrips-affected plants could, therefore, begin sooner, about 1-2.5 nodes in advance of control plants. The proposed process of recovery was evident but weaker in the second year where thrips numbers were higher. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that thrips-affected plants overcame the leaf area disparity through an accelerated ontogeny of main stem leaves. By completing the expansion of smaller but normally functioning lower node leaves earlier, resources were made available to the unfolding of larger upper node leaves in advance of control plants. The generality of this mode of plant resistance in pest damage remains to be determined.     

Members of a New Group of Chitinase-Like Genes are Expressed Preferentially in Cotton Cells with Secondary Walls

Two homologous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genes, GhCTL1 and GhCTL2, encode members of a new group of chitinase-like proteins (called the GhCTL group) that includes other proteins from two cotton species, Arabidopsis, rice, and pea. Members of the GhCTL group are assigned to family GH19 glycoside hydrolases along with numerous authentic chitinases (http://afmb.cnrs-mrs.fr/CAZY/index.html), but the proteins have novel consensus sequences in two regions that are essential for chitinase activity and that were previously thought to be conserved. Maximum parsimony phylogenetic analyses, as well as Neighbor-Joining distance analyses, of numerous chitinases confirmed that the GhCTL group is distinct. A molecular model of GhCTL2 (based on the three-dimensional structure of a barley chitinase) had changes in the catalytic site that are likely to abolish catalytic activity while retaining potential to bind chitin oligosaccharides. RNA blot analysis showed that members of the GhCTL group had preferential expression during secondary wall deposition in cotton lint fiber. Cotton transformed with a fusion of the GhCTL2 promoter to the beta -d-glucuronidase gene showed preferential reporter gene activity in numerous cells during secondary wall deposition. Together with evidence from other researchers that mutants in an Arabidopsis gene within the GhCTL group are cellulose-deficient with phenotypes indicative of altered primary cell walls, these data suggest that members of the GhCTL group of chitinase-like proteins are essential for cellulose synthesis in primary and secondary cell walls. However, the mechanism by which they act is more likely to involve binding of chitin oligosaccharides than catalysis.     

Mechanism of bactericidal and fungicidal activities of textiles covalently modified with alkylated polyethylenimine

Our previous studies have led to a novel "nonrelease" approach to making materials bactericidal by covalently attaching certain moderately hydrophobic polycations to their surfaces. In the present work, this strategy is extended beyond the heretofore-used nonporous materials to include common woven textiles (cotton, wool, nylon, and polyester). Pieces of such cloths derivatized with N-hexylated+methylated high-molecular-weight polyethylenimine (PEI) are strongly bactericidal against several airborne Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In contrast, the immobilized and N-alkylated PEIs of low molecular weight have only a weak, if any, bactericidal activity. These findings support a mechanism of the antibacterial action whereby high-molecular-weight and hydrophobic polycationic chains penetrate bacterial cell membranes/walls and fatally damage them. The bactericidal textiles prepared herein are lethal not only to pathogenic bacteria but to fungi as well.     

Feast and famine in plant genomes

Plant genomes vary over several orders of magnitude in size, even among closely related species, yet the origin, genesis and significance of this variation are not clear. Because DNA content varies over a sevenfold range among diploid species in the cotton genus (Gossypium) and its allies, this group offers opportunities for exploring patterns and mechanisms of genome size evolution. For example, the question has been raised whether plant genomes have a one-way ticket to genomic obesity, as a consequence of retroelement accumulation. Few empirical studies directly address this possibility, although it is consistent with recent insights gleaned from evolutionary genomic investigations. We used a phylogenetic approach to evaluate the directionality of genome size evolution among Gossypium species and their relatives in the cotton tribe (Gossypieae, Malvaceae). Our results suggest that both DNA content increase and decrease have occurred repeatedly during evolution. In contrast to a model of unidirectional genome size change, the frequency of inferred genome size contraction exceeded that of expansion. In conjunction with other evidence, this finding highlights the dynamic nature of plant genome size evolution, and suggests that poorly understood genomic contraction mechanisms operate on a more extensive scale that previously recognized. Moreover, the research sets the stage for fine-scale analysis of the evolutionary dynamics and directionality of change for the full spectrum of genomic constituents.     

Developmental and tissue-specific expression of CaMV 35S promoter in cotton as revealed by GFP

The CaMV 35S promoter is the most commonly used promoter for driving transgene expression in plants. Though it is presumed to be a constitutive promoter, some reports suggest that it is not expressed in all cell types. In addition, the information available on its expression profile in all possible cell and tissue types and during early stages of development is incomplete. We present here a detailed expression profile of this promoter investigated using the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene as a reporter system in cotton during embryo development, and in all the vegetative and floral cell and tissue types. GFP expression was not detected during the early stages of embryogenesis. The first perceptible GFP expression was observed in a small area at the junction of hypocotyl and cotyledons in embryos at around 13 days after anthesis. The GFP fluorescence progressively became stronger and expanded throughout the cotyledon and hypocotyl as embryo development advanced. After germination, varying levels of promoter activity were observed in all cell and tissue types in the hypocotyl, cotyledon, stem, leaf, petiole, and root. The promoter was also expressed in all floral parts. Although cotton pollen exhibited a low level of greenish autofluorescence, it was possible to discern GFP-dependent fluorescence in some of the pollen from all the T₀ plants examined. Developing cotton fibers also exhibited GFP fluorescence suggesting that the 35S promoter was active in these specialized epidermal cells. Thus, we show that the expression of the 35S promoter was developmentally regulated during embryogenesis and that beyond a certain stage during embryogenesis, the promoter was expressed in most cell and tissue types in cotton albeit at different levels.     

Biodegradation of exploded cotton stalk by Bacillus sp.

The exploded bast, branch and stem of cotton stalk were degraded by alkalophilic Bacillus NT-19, with weight losses of 24%, 20% and 14%, respectively, after 14 d. Compared with a white-rot fungus (Phanerochaete chrysosporium), Bacillus NT-19 preferentially degraded the non-cellulose components of cotton stem. The relative degree of crystallinity of bast fibers decreased by 8% and the middle lamella was partially removed from the fiber bundle by the Bacillus.     

The Development and a Cytogenetic Study of Monosomics of Gossypium Hirsutum L.

Monosomics of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) were obtained by irradiation of pollen by -rays and by irradiation of seeds by thermal neutrons. Many monosomics were derived directly from irradiation, but a number of monosomics were also recovered in the progeny of plants with translocations and of desynaptic plants. Only 28 primary monosomics showed normal pairing at metaphase-1 of meiosis. The others formec rare trivalents or additional univalents. Partial desynapsis was detected in some monosomics. The pollen fertility levels of monosomics are presented. New morphological characters were detected among the monosome plants of cotton.     

棉铃虫对Bt生物农药早期抗性及与转Bt基因棉抗虫性的关系

用饲料感染法建立了棉铃虫Helicoverpa rmigera(Hubmer)敏感品系(SUS1)对Bt生物农药的敏感毒力基线和区分剂量,1995年测定了五省六县棉铃虫初孵幼虫对Bt生物农药的敏感性,结果表明：山东阳谷、河北邯郸、河南新乡、安徽萧县及江苏丰县棉铃虫已产生早期抗性,抗性个体百分率为5%～10%,与敏感品系相比,LC₅₀值稍有增加,但斜率b值明显变小;而江苏东台棉铃虫仍属敏感。这是国内外首次诊测到棉铃虫对Bt生物农药抗性。用棉叶喂饲法测定比较了转Bt基因棉花品系对不同种群棉铃虫的抗虫性效果,结果表明：用早期抗性的阳谷和新乡棉铃虫初孵幼虫接虫5d后平均死亡率较敏感品系下降16%～29%,说明棉铃虫对Bt农药与转Bt生物基因棉花品系间存在交互抗性。还讨论了Bt农药的抗性治理对策。     

Effect of plant growth regulators on in vitro fiber development from unfertilized and fertilized Egyptian cotton ovules

Unfertilized and fertilized ovules of Gossypium barbadense Giza 45 (extra long staple variety) were used to study the effect of plant growth substances (auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins) on in vitro fiber initiation and development. Kinetin, alone did not increase total fiber unit (TFU) of unfertilized ovules, while an increase in TFU value occurred when a constant level of IAA and GA₃ were used either separately or in combination in the liquid medium. GA₃ used alone, produced a higher TFU value than that produced by IAA, whilst, IAA with a constant level of GA₃ (5 M) produced the highest value of TFU. GA₃ with a constant level of IAA (5 M) produced a lower TFU value. Kinetin reduced the stimulatory effect of IAA and GA₃ on TFU value when used in combination with either substance. In fertilized ovules, the highest level of TFU was reached when IAA, with a constant level of GA₃, was added to the medium, whilst its lowest level was obtained when IAA was used alone. Estimation of in vitro fiber production, as well as the effect of growth substances used in different concentrations on in vitro fiber initiation and development from unfertilized and fertilized ovules of Egyptian cotton varieties Gossypium barbadense Giza 45 are discussed.