Root water uptake of field-growing plants indicated by measurements of natural-abundance deuterium

Measurements of stable-isotope ratios of water extracted from stems and, in some studies, soils are increasingly being used to study the integrated root function of field-growing plants. This study explored if additional measurements on water extracted from roots could indicate the activity of roots in different areas of the soil profile and their influence on canopy water sources, so providing advantages over more common sampling strategies. Studies were conducted on trees and shrubs located in diverse habitats: a saline, semi-arid floodplain, a subhumid mountain-range front and a cold desert. At each site, roots, soil immediately surrounding the roots, and plant stems were sampled. Roots were taken from different depths in the soil, to approximately 2 m at one site. Overall, 80% of roots sampled had H isotope ratios different from the surrounding soil. The differences up to 37, were significant (p<0.05) at two of the sites. Thus water in most of the roots sampled did not come entirely, if at all, from the surrounding soil, illustrating movement and possible mixing of water within the root system. This condition was not simply related to the availability of water surrounding the soil, which was also measured. There were also differences in root and stem H isotope ratios (up to 17) in 67% of samples, although the difference was only significant in shallow samples from the floodplain. The general similarity in stem and root ²H values indicates that most roots sampled were involved in the main supply of water to the canopy. Patterns of root function varied between the individual sites. Trees were primarily using groundwater at the floodplain and mountain front sites, as the surface soils had mean matric potentials of-1800 kPa. At the mountain front site, the surface roots were transporting groundwater to the canopy in isolation form the surrounding soil. In contrast, surface roots at the floodplain were taking up water from the surrounding soil, although this water was not a significant source in the trees' overall water supply. This activity of surface roots would not have been evident from the ²H data without the root samples. At the cold desert the roots in moist surface soil provided the main source of water for the shrubs. There too the root data indicated different water uptake patterns than otherwise would have been assumed. The root data showed that groundwater could not have been a water source, a conclusion which had been reached in a previous study. Thus measurements of stable isotope ratios in root water may be a valuable tool in assessing water uptake patterns and root function.     

Distribution and disappearance of the radiolabeled carbon derived from L-arginine and taurine in the mouse

L-arginine and taurine are still in the center of physiological and pharmacological research. Although the fate of nitrogen of both compounds and of the ³⁵S-taurine is well-documented, the fate of the carbon skeleton has not been elucidated yet. We studied the organ distribution of ¹⁴C arginine and ¹⁴C taurine over time in the mouse using whole body autoradiography with densitometric image analysis. We describe different organ distribution patterns. Kidney, heart, lung, the Harderian gland, the central nervous system, intestine and testis showed a comparable pattern of arginine disappearance in contrast to rapid disappearance in the salivary gland and the accumulation pattern in bone and spleen. Data on ¹⁴C taurine of liver, kidneys, lung, testis and Harderian gland resembled the arginine pattern; Accumulation of taurine carbon was found in salivary gland, bone, intestine, heart and brain. Our studies challenge and demand further related studies to obtaining more information on the fate of the carbon skeleton of these amino acids.     

Discrimination between12C and13C by marine plants

Summary The natural abundance¹³C/¹²C ratios (as δ¹³C) of organic matter of marine macroalgae from Fife and Angus (East Scotland) were measured for comparison with the species' ability to use CO₂ and HCO ₃ ^- for photosynthesis, as deduced from previously published pH-drift measurements. There was a clear difference in δ¹³C values for species able or unable to use HCO ₃ ^- . Six species of Chlorophyta, 12 species of Phaeophyta and 8 species of Rhodophyta that the pH-drift data suggested could use HCO ₃ ^- had δ¹³C values in the range -8.81‰ to -22.55‰. A further 6 species of Rhodophyta which the pH-drift data suggested could only use CO₂ had δ¹³C values in the range -29.90‰ to-34.51‰. One of these six species (Lomentaria articulata) is intertidal; the other five are subtidal and so have no access to atmospheric CO₂ to complicate the analysis. For these species, calculations based on the measured δ¹³C of the algae, the δ¹³C of CO₂ in seawater, and the known¹³C/¹²C discrimination of CO₂ diffusion and RUBISCO carboxylation suggest that only 15–21% of the limitation to photosynthesisin situ results from CO₂ diffusion from the bulk medium to the plastids; the remaining 79–85% is associated with carboxylation reactions (and, via feedback effects, down-stream processes). This analysis has been extended for one of these five species,Delesseria sanguinea, by incorporating data onin situ specific growth rates, respiratory rates measured in the laboratory, and applying Fick's law of diffusion to calculate a boundary layer thickness of 17–24 μm. This value is reasonable for aDelesseria sanguinea frondin situ. For HCO ₃ ^- -using marine macroalgae the range of δ¹³C values measured can be accommodated by a CO₂ efflux from algal cells which range from 0.306 of the gross HCO ₃ ^- influx forEnteromorpha intestinalis (δ¹³C=-8.81‰) in a rockpool to 0.787 forChondrus crispus (δ¹³C=-22.55‰). The relatively high computed CO₂ efflux for those HCO ₃ ^- -users with the more negative δ¹³C values implies a relatively high photon cost of C assimilation; the observed photon costs can be accommodated by assuming coupled, energy-independent inorganic carbon influx and efflux. The observed δ¹³C values are also interpreted in terms of water movement regimes and obtaining CO₂ from the atmosphere. Published δ¹³C values for freshwater macrophytes were compared with the ability of the species to use CO₂ and HCO ₃ ^- and again there was an apparent separation in δ¹³C values for these two groups. δ¹³C values obtained for marine macroalgae for which no pH-drift data are available permit predictions, as yet untested, as to whether they use predominantly CO₂ or HCO ₃ ^-     

Carbon isotope discrimination at vegetative stage as an indicator of yield and water use efficiency of spring wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum)

A field experiment was conducted to investigate if carbon isotope (¹³C) discrimination () measured at the vegetative stage of spring wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) is related with the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) at ripening. A line source sprinkler irrigation system exposed the wheat genotypes to different watering regimes, from rainfed to full irrigation and thereby increased the range in yield and WUE attainable in the four genotypes studied. The results indicated that values measured at the late stem elongation stage 60 days after planting (DAP), showed strong positive correlation with total dry matter yield (r=0.732^***), and a highly significant negative correlation with WUE (r=–0.755^***) measured at ripening 105 DAP. The data suggest that the imprints of measured at vegetative growth stage persists throughout the entire growth period, until maturity. Subject to confirmation from additional studies in other crops and locations, early measurements of may prove a useful tool for rapid and early screening of cultivars, for high yield and high WUE.     

荒漠植物梭梭稳定碳同位素组成与环境因子的关系

以广泛分布于新疆荒漠地区的建群种植物——梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)为研究对象,通过对23个样地101份梭梭同化枝样品δ~(13)C值的测定,分析了梭梭稳定碳同位素组成的变化特征及其与环境因子(海拔、日照时数、潜在蒸散量、年平均降水量和年平均温度)的关系,并讨论了不同生境下梭梭同化枝δ~(13)C值的变化特征。研究结果显示:(1)梭梭同化枝δ~(13)C平均值为-14.15‰,其在95%置信区间的变化范围为-13.14‰—-15.38‰,表明梭梭是C_4光合途径的植物。(2)梭梭同化枝δ~(13)C值与年平均降水量和年平均温度呈显著负相关关系,而与日照时数、潜在蒸散量和海拔呈显著正相关关系。我们推测梭梭同化枝δ~(13)C值对各环境因子响应趋势的不同,可能是由气孔限制因素造成的,它是梭梭适应干旱荒漠环境的一种策略。(3)在不同生境下,梭梭同化枝的碳同位素组成存在显著差异。当梭梭群落中的主要伴生种为白刺、红砂时,其δ~(13)C值最高,当主要伴生种为沙拐枣和假木贼时,其δ~(13)C值最低。在灰漠土与灰棕漠土样地中的梭梭δ~(13)C值高于棕钙土、风沙土、石质土样地;盆地中梭梭同化枝δ~(13)C值低于平原、山地、丘陵地形条件下的样地。以上结果表明:梭梭水分利用效率在不同环境梯度和生境中,存在着显著不同,表现出显著的适应策略差异。     

Battling for Ribosomes: Translational Control at the Forefront of the Antiviral Response

In the early stages of infection, gaining control of the cellular protein synthesis machinery including its ribosomes is the ultimate combat objective for a virus. To successfully replicate, viruses unequivocally need to usurp and redeploy this machinery for translation of their own mRNA. In response, the host triggers global shutdown of translation while paradoxically allowing swift synthesis of antiviral proteins as a strategy to limit collateral damage. This fundamental conflict at the level of translational control defines the outcome of infection. As part of this special issue on molecular mechanisms of early virus–host cell interactions, we review the current state of knowledge regarding translational control during viral infection with specific emphasis on protein kinase RNA-activated and mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated mechanisms. We also describe recent technological advances that will allow unprecedented insight into how viruses and host cells battle for ribosomes.     

夏季若尔盖高寒湿地水生生物群落食物网结构特征

为了解若尔盖高寒湿地夏季水生生物群落食物网结构及营养关系特征,应用稳定同位素技术分析了若尔盖湿地 3个不同区域(ZS1、ZS2和ZS3)水生生物群落碳、氮稳定同位素比值,并计算了13C-15N同位素生态位中的6个营养结构量化指标。结果显示:外源性营养源陆生植物13C、15N值分别为-28.23- -26.07,-1.20-5.98; 内源性营养源颗粒有机物 (POM:主要成分为藻类)和水生植物13C、15N值分别为-26.39- -21.17、-25.37- -24.15,3.68-6.61、3.50-4.01; 其中POM样品13C、15N组成存在明显的区域性差异(P0.05,P0.001)。食物网营养结构分析显示若尔盖湿地外源性碳源输入(优势陆生植物)对于维持该水域生态系统结构稳定有着十分重要的作用。若尔盖湿地水域食物网营养级介于2-3,暗示了其生态系统结构的相对脆弱性。同位素量化指标标记发现若尔盖湿地水生动物群落生态结构存在明显的空间异质性,可能与若尔盖湿地发达的畜牧产业相关。     

Tree root and soil heterotrophic respiration as revealed by girdling of boreal Scots pine forest: extending observations beyond the first year

Limitations in available techniques to separate autotrophic (root) and soil heterotrophic respiration have hampered the understanding of forest C cycling. The former is here defined as respiration by roots, their associated mycorrhizal fungi and other micro‐organisms in the rhizosphere directly dependent on labile C compounds leaked from roots. In order to separate the autotrophic and heterotrophic components of soil respiration, all Scots pine trees in 900 m² plots were girdled to instantaneously terminate the supply of current photosynthates from the tree canopy to roots. Högberg et al. (Nature 411, 789–792, 2001) reported that autotrophic activity contributed up to 56% of total soil respiration during the first summer of this experiment. They also found that mobilization of stored starch (and likely also sugars) in roots after girdling caused an increased apparent heterotrophic respiration on girdled plots. Herein a transient increase in the δ¹³C of soil CO₂ efflux after girdling, thought to be due to decomposition of ¹³C‐enriched ectomycorrhizal mycelium and root starch and sugar reserves, is reported. In the second year after girdling, when starch reserves of girdled tree roots were exhausted, calculated root respiration increased up to 65% of total soil CO₂ efflux. It is suggested that this estimate of its contribution to soil respiration is more precise than the previous based on one year of observation. Heterotrophic respiration declined in response to a 20‐day‐long 6 °C decline in soil temperature during the second summer, whereas root respiration did not decline. This did not support the idea that root respiration should be more sensitive to variations in soil temperature. It is suggested that above‐ground photosynthetic activity and allocation patterns of recent photosynthates to roots should be considered in models of responses of forest C balances to global climate change.     

Seasonal, daily and diurnal variations in the stable carbon isotope composition of carbon dioxide respired by tree trunks in a deciduous oak forest

The stable C isotope composition (δ¹³C) of CO₂ respired by trunks was examined in a mature temperate deciduous oak forest (Quercus petraea). Month-to-month, day-to-day and diurnal, measurements were made to determine the range of variations at different temporal scales. Trunk growth and respiration rates were assessed. Phloem tissue was sampled and was analysed for total organic matter and soluble sugar ¹³C composition. The CO₂ respired by trunk was always enriched in ¹³C relative to the total organic matter, sometimes by as much as 5‰. The δ¹³C of respired CO₂ exhibited a large seasonal variation (3.3‰), with a relative maximum at the beginning of the growth period. The lowest values occurred in summer when the respiration rates were maximal. After the cessation of radial trunk growth, the respired CO₂ δ¹³C values showed a progressive increase, which was linked to a parallel increase in soluble sugar content in the phloem tissue (R = 0.95; P < 0.01). At the same time, the respiration rates declined. This limited use of the substrate pool might allow the discrimination during respiration to be more strongly expressed. The late-season increase in CO₂ δ¹³C might also be linked to a shift from recently assimilated C to reserves. At the seasonal scale, CO₂ δ¹³C was negatively correlated with air temperature (R = −0.80; P < 0.01). The diurnal variation sometimes reached 3‰, but the range and the pattern depended on the period within the growing season. Contrary to expectations, diurnal variations were maximal in winter and spring when the leaves were missing or not totally functional. By contrast to the seasonal scale, these diurnal variations were not related to air temperature or sugar content. Our study shows that seasonal and diurnal variations of respired ¹³C exhibited a similar large range but were probably explained by different mechanisms.     

叶片水H218O富集的研究进展

 植物叶片水H₂¹⁸O富集对大气中O₂和CO₂的¹⁸O收支有着重要影响。蒸腾作用使植物叶片水H₂¹⁸O富集, 而植物叶片水H₂¹⁸O富集的程度主 要受大气水汽δ¹⁸O和植物蒸腾水汽δ¹⁸O的影响。过去, 通过引入稳态假设(蒸腾δ¹⁸O等于茎水δ¹⁸O)得到Craig-Gordon模型的闭合形式, 或 将植物整个叶片水δ¹⁸O经过Péclet效应校正后得到植物叶片水δ¹⁸O的富集程度。然而, 在几分钟到几小时的短时间尺度上, 植物叶片蒸腾 δ¹⁸O是变化的, 稳态假设是无法满足的。最近成功地实现了对大气水汽δ¹⁸O和δD的原位连续观测, 观测精度(小时尺度)可达到甚至优于稳定 同位素质谱仪的观测精度。在非破坏性条件下, 高时间分辨率和连续的大气水汽δ¹⁸O和蒸腾δ¹⁸O的动态观测, 将提高植物叶片水H₂¹⁸O富集的 预测能力。该文综述了植物叶片水H₂¹⁸O富集的理论研究的新进展、研究焦点和观测方法所存在的问题, 旨在进一步加深理解植物叶片水H₂¹⁸O 富集的过程及其机制。