Stage-dependent feeding behavior by western tarnished plant bugs influences flower bud abscission in cotton

Unexplained variability in the relationship between the number of herbivores in a field and the amount of crop damage can arise if there is a large amount of variation among herbivore individuals in the amount of feeding damage each generates. In California, populations of the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus Knight (Heteroptera: Miridae), produce highly variable levels of damage to cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (Malvaceae), even when found at low densities. Because L. hesperus populations are also highly variable in their overall stage structure, we hypothesize that differences in crop damage might result from varying impact by each L. hesperus stage on cotton flower buds (termed squares). Laboratory measurements of L. hesperus mouth‐parts and distance to anther sacs, a preferred feeding site, revealed that 1st?3rd instar L. hesperus nymphs will not be able to feed on anther sacs of larger squares (over 8 mm in length) but will be able to feed on squares that are most sensitive to L. hesperus damage (<7 mm). Because even the 1st instars can feed on the most sensitive ‘pinhead’ squares, size constraints do not rule out damaging effects from the youngest L. hesperus. Laboratory observations revealed that later developmental stages, and adults, spend more time feeding on cotton squares relative to 2nd and 3rd instars. In addition, a field experiment revealed no effect of 2nd instars on square retention (relative to control cages) but did reveal a significant decrease in square retention generated by adult L. hesperus (4th instar L. hesperus resulted in an intermediate level of square retention). In a final study we sampled L. hesperus stage structure and density across 38 cotton fields. Multiple regression revealed that the densities of 1st?3rd instars of L. hesperus are not correlated with anther sac damage or square retention. However, in 2 years 4th and 5th instars were positively correlated with anther sac damage and negatively correlated with square retention. In the a third year, adult L. hesperus showed correlations in the same direction, across fields and across sites within fields. Overall, these results suggest that the adults and the largest nymphs of L. hesperus (4th and 5th instars) are particularly damaging to cotton squares, with the 1st?3rd instars of L. hesperus causing little damage to plants.     

以“五步教学法”创新微生物学课程教学模式

为进一步加强生物类工科专业学生的理学知识基础,最大限度发挥"微生物学"专业基础课的作用,在学生学习知识的同时培养其各方面的能力,提出以"导学—自学—教师辅导—课堂互学—整体讲授"为核心的"五步教学法"教学改革模式。初步实践表明:(1)通过对"五步教学法"的认真实践,使学生牢固掌握书本知识,并且变被动学习为主动学习。(2)通过自学、准备、课堂报告、评价等环节的实践增强了学生的自信心,激发了同学间的竞争意识;同时,提高了学生的逻辑思维能力、知识理解能力、总结归纳能力以及语言表达等多方面的能力。(3)将五步教学过程纳入成绩评价体系,使成绩评定更加合理。     

Autophagy–virus interplay in plants: from antiviral recognition to proviral manipulation

Autophagy is a conserved self-cleaning and renewal system required for cellular homeostasis and stress tolerance. Autophagic processes are also implicated in the response to ‘non-self’ such as viral pathogens, yet the functions and mechanisms of autophagy during plant virus infection have only recently started to be revealed. Compelling evidence now indicates that autophagy is an integral part of antiviral immunity in plants. It can promote the hypersensitive cell death response upon incompatible viral infections or mediate the selective elimination of entire particles and individual proteins from compatible viruses in a pathway similar to xenophagy in animals. Several viruses, however, have evolved measures to antagonize xenophagic degradation or utilize autophagy to suppress disease-associated cell death and other defence pathways like RNA silencing. Here, we highlight the current advances and gaps in our understanding of the complex autophagy–virus interplay and its consequences for host immunity and viral pathogenesis in plants.     

双季稻田冬季种植模式对土壤有机碳和碳库管理指数的影响

为探讨冬季覆盖作物还田对稻田土壤碳库的影响,通过冬季种植油菜、紫云英、黑麦草、马铃薯,并以冬闲为对照进行大田试验,测定了不同冬季作物模式下早稻和晚稻的土壤有机碳、活性有机碳含量,并计算了稳态碳、碳库活度、活度指数、碳库指数和土壤碳库管理指数.结果表明:冬季作物还田增加了土壤有机碳含量,早稻和晚稻后的土壤有机碳含量比对照分别提高了1%～8%和3%～18%;油菜、黑麦草和紫云英还田均促进了土壤活性有机碳含量的增加,早稻后增加16.2%～84.2%,晚稻后增加24.4%～28.1%;冬季作物还田增加了土壤碳库管理指数,增加幅度为1.4%～41.8%.综上所述,冬种作物还田有利于提高土壤的固碳效应,并提升土壤质量,以种植黑麦草、紫云英的综合效果较佳.     

高校互动式教学模式探讨

互动式教学模式是指以学生为主体,立足于培养学生创新能力的一种教学模式。高等医学院校是高素质医学人才培养的主要单位,研究高校互动式教学模式的内涵及医学意义、病理生理学中互动式教学模式的应用、互动式教学模式的制约瓶颈、探究高校互动式教学模式的实施策略有利于促进高校互动式教学模式的创新及医学人才培养质量的提高。     

Dynamics alignment: comparison of protein dynamics in the SCOP database

A novel methodology for comparison of protein dynamics is presented. Protein dynamics is calculated using the Gaussian network model and the modes of motion are globally aligned using the dynamic programming algorithm of Needleman and Wunsch, commonly used for sequence alignment. The alignment is fast and can be used to analyze large sets of proteins. The methodology is applied to the four major classes of the SCOP database: "all alpha proteins," "all beta proteins," "alpha and beta proteins," and "alpha/beta proteins". We show that different domains may have similar global dynamics. In addition, we report that the dynamics of "all alpha proteins" domains are less specific to structural variations within a given fold or superfamily compared with the other classes. We report that domain pairs with the most similar and the least similar global dynamics tend to be of similar length. The significance of the methodology is that it suggests a new and efficient way of mapping between the global structural features of protein families/subfamilies and their encoded dynamics.     

An Extracellullar Nuclease from Bacillus Firmus VKPACU-1: Specificity and Mode of Action

An extracellular nuclease from Bacillus firmus VKPACU-1 was multifunctional enzyme, this nuclease hydrolyzed poly U rapidly and more preferentially than the other homopolyribonucleotides. Hydrolysis of RNA this enzyme released mononucleotides in the order 5′UMP > 5′AMP > 5′GMP where as in hydrolysis of DNA the mononucleotides in the order of 5′dAMP > 5′dGMP > 5′dTMP and oligonucleotides. Uridylic linkages in RNA and adenylic linkages in DNA were preferentially cleaved by the nuclease. Nuclease produced oligonucleotides having only 3’ hydroxyl and 5’ phosphate termini. Present nuclease hydrolyzed RNA and DNA released oligonucleotides as major end products and mononucleotides, suggesting an endo mode of action.     

Trait biogeography of marine copepods – an analysis across scales

Functional traits, rather than taxonomic identity, determine the fitness of individuals in their environment: traits of marine organisms are therefore expected to vary across the global ocean as a function of the environment. Here, we quantify such spatial and seasonal variations based on extensive empirical data and present the first global biogeography of key traits (body size, feeding mode, relative offspring size and myelination) for pelagic copepods, the major group of marine zooplankton. We identify strong patterns with latitude, season and between ocean basins that are partially (c. 50%) explained by key environmental drivers. Body size, for example decreases with temperature, confirming the temperature‐size rule, but surprisingly also with productivity, possibly driven by food‐chain length and size‐selective predation. Patterns unrelated to environmental predictors may originate from phylogenetic clustering. Our maps can be used as a test‐bed for trait‐based mechanistic models and to inspire next‐generation biogeochemical models.     

Oscillations of apoplasmic K+ and H+ activities in Desmodium motorium (Houtt.) Merril. pulvini in relation to the membrane potential of motor cells and leaflet movements

The lateral leaflets of Desmodium motorium exhibit rhythmic upward and downward movements with a period in the minute range. Apoplasmic K⁺ and H⁺ activities were monitored in situ in the abaxial part of the pulvini with ion-selective microelectrodes. An extracellular electric potential was recorded simultaneously. The apoplasmic H⁺ activity of all pulvini exhibiting a regular rhythm of the extracellular electric potential oscillated with the same period between about 10 and 20 mM. The apoplasmic K⁺ activity was high when the membrane potential of the motor cells was depolarized (about 36 mV) and the cells were shrunken. In contrast, the apoplasmic K⁺ activity was low in the swollen state of the motor cells, when the membrane potential was hyperpolarized (about -136 mV). The volatile anesthetic enflurane suppressed reversibly the movement of the leaflets. The same treatment also arrested spontaneous oscillations in the apoplasmic K⁺ activity in the pulvinus. The apoplasmic K⁺ activity oscillated roughly in phase with the K⁺ activity between pH 6.6 and 6.0. Application of white light disturbed the rhythm and increased the extracellular pH. Our results indicate that the physiological mechanism that drives the lateral leaflet movements of Desmodium motorium is closely related to the osmotic motors mediating the leaf movements of Mimosa, Samanea and Phaseolus.Abbreviations E_m membrane potential - E_ex extracellular electric potential - H_ex extracellular H⁺ activity - K_ex extracellular K⁺ activity - R_ex extracellular electrical resistance B. Antkowiak was supported by the Stiftung Volkswagenwerk.