ent-Kaurene synthase is located in proplastids of meristematic shoot tissues

Previous studies have indicated that ent-kaurene synthase (KS) is located in the proplastid stroma of rapidly dividing plant tissues. Here we present further and more direct evidence for this hypothesis and follow the activity of KS throughout the entire vegetative growth period of wheat plants. During germination of wheat caryopses, KS activity was maximal for a short period culminating on the third day in the scutellum and on the forth day in the meristematic shoot base. Throughout further development of the wheat plant, KS was found in the nodes but not in internodes or leaves. The activity of KS in each node increased when the internode above it was elongating and decreased again when this internode had almost reached its final size. The correlation of KS activity with growth was particularly striking in the case of tiller development from the forth node: here KS activity had already declined, but was restored when the tiller began elongating. Electron micrographs of wheat seedling tissue with high KS activity (shoot base) showed the presence of proplastids, whereas electron micrographs of tissue without such activity (primary leaves) showed only developing or mature chloroplasts. On density-gradient centrifugation, the plastids that yielded stroma preparations with KS activity became distributed over a greater density range and also had a lower NADP⁺-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase:shikimate oxidoreductase ratio than plastids yielding KS-inactive stroma preparations. Pea shoot apices contain both proplastids and mature chloroplasts. Here also, KS activity was associated with the stroma of plastids with characteristics similar to those of the wheat proplastids, indicating that KS is associated with proplastids in pea shoot apices as well. We conclude that the stromal location of KS may be a general feature of proplastids in rapidly dividing tissue. Received: 31 July 1996 / Accepted: 9 November 1996     

低温锻炼对水稻幼苗叶片中Rubisco的影响

低温锻炼能提高水稻幼苗的抗冷力,低温锻炼虽不能明显提高Rubisoc活性,却提高了冷胁条件下Rubisoc的稳定性和增强了胁迫后正常生长条件下其活性的恢复能力。分别用火箭免疫电泳分析Rubisoc蛋白和SDS-PAGE分析大、小亚基量表明：低温锻炼未提高Rubisoc蛋白的合成能力,但增加了大、小亚基的合成量。经锻炼、冷胁迫以及恢复后Lsu／Ssu比值的变化主要是由于小亚基对温度变化更敏感所致。Rubisco酶特性分析表明,低温锻炼有减少水稻幼苗Rubisoc表面的SH数,并提高Rubisco蛋白在高、低温下的稳定性。     

NaCl对大麦幼苗根系蛋白质和游离氨基酸含量的影响

大麦幼苗在２００ｍｍｏｌ／ＬＮａＣｌ处理６ｄ过程中,根中蛋白水麦活性下降,可溶性蛋白含量在处理１、２、４ｄ下降,６ｄ时有所提高。多数游离氨基酸相对含量及其总量呈上升势,胁迫１、２、６ｄ时,总量较对照分别上升６４．２０％、５６．６９％和１．６９％,其中Ｐｒｏ、Ｇｌｕ、Ａｌａ和Ｔｈｒ较为突出,盐胁迫下根系质膜和液泡膜结合慢白含量上升。可溶性蛋经ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ电泳和扫描分析,在盐胁迫１、２、６ｄ中２５     

An Experimental Evaluation of Different Methods of Restoring Phyllospadix torreyi (Surfgrass)

The surfgrass Phyllospadix torreyi is an abundant seagrass found on rocky exposed shores of the Pacific coast of North America. In southern California surfgrass populations are adversely affected by a range of natural events and anthropogenic activities. Few attempts have been made to develop restoration methods for surfgrass, and none have investigated the efficacy of using different life stages. We evaluated several techniques for restoration in intertidal and subtidal habitats using: (1) laboratory‐reared seedlings transplanted to the field (2) sprigs (short lengths of rhizome containing a few shoots) transplanted from undisturbed populations, and (3) plugs (a cohesive clump of shoots and rhizomes) transplanted from undisturbed populations. We calculated the net change in the aerial coverage of surfgrass after 6 months, taking into account the recovery or additional losses from the donor population, and amount of effort involved in transplanting. Transplanted seedlings survived poorly and had minimal rhizome growth at both the intertidal and the subtidal sites, yet the individuals that did survive showed a 275% increase in leaf number. Survivorship of transplanted plugs was high in both habitats; however, physical disturbances to the donor populations exacerbated damage sustained at the time of collecting, yielding a substantial net loss in surfgrass. Sprigs transplanted to the subtidal had higher survivorship (71 versus 48%) and a greater increase in the aerial coverage of rhizome (86 versus 42%) than those transplanted to the intertidal. Of the three techniques, transplanted sprigs had the greatest overall increase in aerial coverage per unit effort, suggesting that this method may be the most effective approach for restoring P. torreyi.     

Growth dynamics of root and shoot hydraulic conductance in seedlings of five neotropical tree species: scaling to show possible adaptation to differing light regimes

The dynamics of growth (shoot and root dry weights, surface areas, hydraulic conductances, and root length) were measured in seedlings of five neotropical tree species aged 4–16 months. The species studied included two light-demanding pioneers (Miconia argentea and Apeiba membranacea) and three shade-tolerant young- or old-forest species (Pouteria reticulata, Gustavia superba, and Trichilia tuberculata). Growth analysis revealed that shoot and root dry weights and hydraulic conductances and leaf area all increased exponentially with time. Alternative methods of scaling measured parameters to reveal differences that might explain adaptations to microsites are discussed. Scaling root conductance to root surface area or root length revealed a few species differences but nothing that correlated with adaptation to light regimes. Scaling of root surface area or root length to root dry weight revealed that pioneers produced significantly more root area and length per gram dry weight investment than shade-tolerant species. Scaling of root and shoot hydraulic conductances to leaf area and scaling of root conductance to root dry weight and shoot conductance to shoot dry weight also revealed that pioneers were significantly more conductive to water than shade-tolerant species. The advantages of scaling hydraulic parameters to leaf surface area are discussed in terms of the Ohm's law analogue of water flow in plants. Received: 24 March 1997 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

Ectomycorrhizal fungi of Pinus pinea L. in northeastern Spain

 Although Pinus pinea L. is an important forest species in the Mediterranean region, few reports exist on its ectomycorrhizal associates. Sixty isolates, obtained from fungal sporocarps collected in mixed forests of P. pinea in Catalonia (northeastern Spain), were tested for ectomycorrhiza formation on containerized P. pinea seedlings when applied as mycelial inoculum produced in peat-vermiculite. A total of 17 isolates, in 8 genera (Amanita, Hebeloma, Laccaria, Lactarius, Pisolithus, Rhizopogon, Scleroderma and Suillus), formed ectomycorrhizas and the percentages of mycorrhizal short roots varied among isolates and species from 13% to 89%. Some of these fungi are cited for the first time in association with P. pinea. The results indicate further fungal candidates for controlled inoculation of P. pinea seedlings in the nursery. Accepted: 29 October 1998     

Effect of Chilling on Photosynthesis in Flag Leaves at Primary Heading Stage of F1 Hybrid Rice Cultivars and Their Parental Lines (Three Lines)

With the purpose of selecting and breeding cold stress tolerance of hybrid rice cultivars, the effect of chilling on five hybrid rice combinations was investigated. The results indicated that the cold tolerance of different hybrid rice varieties were different. The order of the cold tolerance as the degrees of inhibition of maximum photosynthetic rate and of apparent quantum yield of flag leaves at primary heading stage by chilling was as follows: The cold tolerance of Japanica type Xiuyou-57 was the highest then lndica type Qing-Youzao followed by Shangyou-63, Shangyou-64 and Weiyou-64. The cold tolerance of Fx hybrid rice was similar to that of the maternal lines and not similar to the paternal lines. The cold tolerance of maintainer lines was similar to that of the male sterile lines. The tests on the survival rate of hybrid rice seedlings after chilling treatment also showed a similar re gular patterns. These indicated that the responses by the chilling temperature in these five hybrid combinations were exactly the same in the Seedling stage as well as in the late growing stage. The results of these experiments on the impact of selecting and breeding cold tolerance in hybrid rice were discussed.     

Influence of Calcium on Alleviating NaCl-Induced Injury Effects in Wheat Seedlings

Wheat seedlings (Tritium aestivum "No. 1 Yuyuan") with 3 leaves were transplanted to 1/2 strangth Hoagland nutrient solution containing 100 mmol/L NaCl and supplemented with different concentrations of CaCI2, which were mode isosmotic by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) and aerated by pump. Results showed that the Na+ content of shoots and roots, relative leaf expansion rate, plasma membrane permeability, the levels of membrane lipid superoxidation and the molar percentage of monogalacrosyl diglyceride(MGDG), digalactosyl diglyceride(DGDG) phosphatidyl choline(PC) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine(PE) in membrane lipids of roots increased, the plant dry weight, K+ content, SOD activity and the molar percentage of phosphatidic acid(PA), phospatidyl inositol (PI), phosphatidyl glycerol(PG) and polyphosphoglyceric acid(PPG) decreased in roots. There was no change in sulfolipid(SL). However, the above mentioned salt injury effects were all alleviated by the different Na+/Ca2+ ratios. The maximum alleviation of salt injury effect was at Na+/Ca2+ ratio of I0. As three kinds of free radical scavengers were used to pretreat wheat seedlings prior to NaC1 treatment the malondialdehyde(MDA) content decreased unanimously, but increased with SOD inhibitor sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) pretreatment to wheat seedlings. Obviously, the salt injury effects induced by NaC1 was relatied to the extent of superoxidation of membrane [ipids and also to the composkion of membrane of Ca2+ on lipids including their fatty acids as well. On the other hand, the alleviating effect of Ca2+ on NaC1 induced injury in wheat seedlings was also in relation to them.     

Stability Effects of Cold-acclimation on the Plasmolemma Ca2+ ATPase of Winter Wheat Seedlings

The cold-acclimation effects on the Ca2 + -ATPase activities in plasmolemma of the winter wheat seedlings ( Triticum aestivum L. ) were studied with electromicmscopic-cytochemical assay in which cerium trichloride precipitation method was adopted. The main conclusions are: (1) The plasmolemma Ca2+ -ATPase activities of the wheat seedlings treated at –9 ℃ for 3 h decreased considerably as compared with those of the seedlings grown at the optimal temperature of 20 ℃. A further impediment of the enzyme activities was observed when the cold-stress was prolonged to 12 h at –9 ℃. And complete enzyme inactivation as well as damage of ultrastructure of cells occurred when the seedlings were subjected to cold-stress at –9 ℃ for 24 h. (2) If seedlings were cold-ac- climated at 2 ℃ for 15 d, the plasmolemma Ca2 + -ATPase activities were higher than those of the non-acclimated seedlings. When the cold-acclimated seedlings were then treated at –9 ℃ for 3 h, the enzyme activities decreased less markedly than those of the non-acclimated seedings under the same treatment condition. Similarly, under prolonged cold-stress of both seedlings at – 9 ℃ for 12 h, the enzyme activities of the cold-acclimated seedlings still kept higher than those of the non-ac- climated ones. Finally, when the cold-stress lasted for 24 h at – 9 ℃, the enzyme activities of the cold acclimated seedlings remained active, and the cellular ultrastructure also remained unchanged. The above results indicate that cold-acclimation has enhanced the stability of the plasmolemma Ca2 + -ATPase activities of the winter seedlings under low temperature stress.     

Growth responses of 15 rain-forest tree species to a light gradient: the relative importance of morphological and physiological traits

1. Growth of seedlings of 15 rain-forest tree species was compared under controlled conditions, at six different light levels (3, 6, 12, 25, 50 and 100% daylight).
2. Most plant variables showed strong ontogenetic changes; they were highly dependent on the biomass of the plant.
3. Growth rate was highest at intermediate light levels (25–50%) above which it declined. Most plant variables showed a curvilinear response to irradiance, with the largest changes at the lowest light levels.
4. There was a consistent ranking in growth between species; species that were fast growing in a low-light environment were also fast growing in a high-light environment.
5. At low light, interspecific variation in relative growth rate was determined mainly by differences in a morphological trait, the leaf area ratio (LAR), whereas at high light it was determined mainly by differences in a physiological trait, the net assimilation rate (NAR).
6. NAR became a stronger determinant of growth than LAR in more than 10–15% daylight. As light availability in the forest is generally much lower than this threshold level, it follows that interspecific variation in growth in a forest environment is mainly owing to variation in morphology.