Response of rocket salad germplasm (Eruca and Diplotaxis spp.) to major pathogens causing damping-off,wilting and leaf spot diseases

In the present study, 26 accessions of rocket salad belonging to four species (Eruca sativa Mill., Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC., Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC. and Erucastrum spp.) were tested for resistance to damping-off, wilting and leaf spot disease causal agents. High susceptibility to Rhizoctonia solani was detected in all accessions while variability in rocket seedling susceptibility for Sclerotinia assays was observed. Susceptibility to wilting caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. raphani was tested. E. sativa varieties exhibited a lower severity degree associated to yellowing-related symptoms compared to D. tenuifolia. Resistance assay using the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris was also performed. Five E. sativa varieties showed a disease incidence lower than 60% while all the D. tenuifolia accessions, showed a susceptibility of 100%. The present study represents a step towards the identification of genetic resources useful in breeding for the selections of novel resistant varieties.     

Hg2+胁迫对浮萍体细胞DNA一级结构和抗氧化酶系的损伤(英文)

 主要从DNA一级结构及抗氧化酶系变化两方面,研究了Hg2+胁迫下浮萍体细胞的损伤。结果表明：运用随机扩增多态性DNA法（Random amplified polymorphism DNA, RAPD）和DNA梯法（DNA Ladder）,5～10 mg·L-1　Hg2+处理组可检测到基因组DNA的明显损伤,20 mg·-1 Hg2+已导致细胞坏死;RAPD法较DNA Ladder法更灵敏。本文还发现,活性氧和抗氧化酶系很可能参与了浮萍体细胞凋亡过程。低浓度的Hg2+胁迫可刺激抗氧化酶活性升高,以清除体内活性氧,而一旦活性氧水平超出一定域值,抗氧化酶活性急速下降,导致细胞凋亡。      

Ameliorating effect of β-carotene on ethylmethane sulphonate-induced genotoxicity in the fish Oreochromis mossambicus

Genotoxic effects have been assessed in the fish Oreochromis mossambicus treated separately and conjointly with 0.2% ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS) and 0.05% β-carotene (BC) during five different time periods (6, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h) by analysis of endpoints such as chromosome aberrations, abnormal red blood cell nuclei, abnormal sperm morphology and protein contents (both qualitative and quantitative) of selected tissues, viz. muscle, heart, eye, brain, gill, liver, spleen and kidney. In addition, the relative efficacy of three doses of BC 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1%, in ameliorating genotoxic effects of 0.2% EMS was also tested after a treatment period of 48 h. EMS caused chromosomal aberrations, nuclear anomalies in red blood cells, abnormal sperm morphology and an apparent alteration of protein synthesis in various tissues. Some of these genotoxic effects of EMS appeared to be ameliorated by all three doses of BC, of which the 0.02% dose showed a marginally better efficacy.     

miR-21 Gene expression triggered by AP-1 is sustained through a double-negative feedback mechanism

Methylation of cytosine residues in CpG dinucleotides plays an important role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression and chromatin structure/stability in higher eukaryotes. DNA methylation patterns are established and maintained at CpG dinucleotides by DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b). In mammals and many other eukaryotes, the CpG dinucleotide is underrepresented in the genome. This loss is postulated to be the result of unrepaired deamination of cytosine and 5-methylcytosine to uracil and thymine, respectively. Two thymine glycosylases are believed to reduce the impact of 5-methylcytosine deamination. G/T mismatch-specific thymine-DNA glycosylase (Tdg) and methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4 can both excise uracil or thymine at U·G and T·G mismatches to initiate base excision repair. Here, we report the characterization of interactions between Dnmt3b and both Tdg and methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4. Our results demonstrate (1) that both Tdg and Dnmt3b are colocalized to heterochromatin and (2) reduction of T·G mismatch repair efficiency upon loss of DNA methyltransferase expression, as well as a requirement for an RNA component for correct T·G mismatch repair.     

RNAi的抗病毒研究进展

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是真核生物中的特异核苷酸序列产生的基因沉默现象,被认为有抑制病毒复制的功能。最近的研究表明,通过诱导RNAi可以抑制多种病毒的复制,包括人类免疫缺陷病毒Ⅰ型,乙型肝炎病毒,丙型肝炎病毒,登革热病毒,脊髓灰质炎病毒,流感病毒,口蹄疫病毒和重症急性呼吸综合征病毒等。总结了目前运用RNA干扰技术抑制病毒复制的研究进展,展望基于RNAi技术的抗病毒治疗的可能性。     

除草剂丁草胺对蟾蜍红细胞微核及核异常的影响

本文研究除卓剂丁革胺对蟾蜍红细胞核的诱变效应。采用体内红细胞微核测定法,观察蟾蜍在不同浓度和不同的染毒时间红细胞微核及核异常的变化。结果表明,在一定的范围内,丁草胺可引起蟾蜍微核细胞率和核异常细胞率等遗传指标发乍明显变化,随着丁草胺浓度的增加和作用时间的延长,蟾蜍红细胞微核和核异常率呈现先上升后下降的规律性变化。丁草胺的作用具有双向性。一定利量的除草剂丁草胺对蟾蜍红细胞具有明显的遗传毒性,除草剂对水体的污染不容忽视。     

除草剂精禾草克对黄鳝细胞遗传毒性的研究

采用红细胞微核和核异常、染色体数目和结构畸变的方法,研究了除草剂精禾草克对黄鳝细胞的遗传毒性。结果表明,不同浓度的精禾草克作用３０小时,红细胞微核细胞率没有明显变化,核异常细胞率和总核异常细胞率均有所上升,部分组与对照组差异显著。染色体数目畸变率均有所上升,有的组甚至与对照组差异级显著,染色体结构畸变率也显著上升,各组与对照差异显著或极显著。表明一定浓度范围内的精禾草克作用一定时间对黄鳝在明显的遗     

萱草属有毒植物的研究

萱草属中某些种的根含神经性毒物,家畜采食或饲喂实验动物能引起中毒病的发生。在鉴于此对北萱草,黄花菜,北黄花菜,小黄花菜进行了植物调查鉴定及有毒成分—萱草根素的提取分离与毒性和结构再鉴定的研究,确认除黄花菜根外其它３种均含有萱草根素。讨论了黄花菜种鉴定中存在的问题。     

Topography modulates climate sensitivity of multidecadal trends of holm oak decline

Forest decline events have increased worldwide over the last decades being holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) one of the tree species with the most worrying trends across Europe. Since this is one of the tree species with the southernmost distribution within the European continent, its vulnerability to climate change is a phenomenon of enormous ecological importance. Previous research identified drought and soil pathogens as the main causes behind holm oak decline. However, despite tree health loss is a multifactorial phenomenon where abiotic and biotic factors interact in time and space, there are some abiotic factors whose influence has been commonly overlooked. Here, we evaluate how land use (forests versus savannas), topography, and climate extremes jointly determine the spatiotemporal patterns of holm oak defoliation trends over almost three decades (1987–2014) in Spain, where holm oak represents the 25% of the national forested area. We found an increasing defoliation trend in 119 out of the total 134 holm oak plots evaluated, being this defoliation trend significantly higher in forests compared with savannas. Moreover, we have detected that the interaction between topography (which covariates with the land use) and summer precipitation anomalies explains trends of holm oak decline across the Mediterranean region. While a higher occurrence of dry summers increases defoliation trends in steeper terrains where forests dominate, an inverse relationship was found in flatter terrains where savannas are mainly located. These opposite relationships suggest different causal mechanisms behind decline. Whereas hydric stress is likely to occur in steeper terrains where soil water holding capacity is limited, soil waterlogging usually occurs in flatter terrains what increases tree vulnerability to soil pathogens. Our results contribute to the growing evidence of the influence of local topography on forest resilience and could assist in the identification of potential tree decline hotspots and its main causes over the Mediterranean region.