The role of sugar, vitrification and membrane phase transition in seed desiccation tolerance

In a search for the mechanism of desiccation tolerance, a comparison was made between orthodox (desiccation-tolerant) soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merrill) and recalcitrant (desiccation-intolerant) red oak ( Quercus rubra L.) seeds. During the maturation of soybean seeds, desiccation tolerance of seed axes is correlated with increases in sucrose, raffinose and stachyose. In cotyledons of mature oak seeds, sucrose levels are equal to those in mature soybeans, but oligosaccharides are absent. By using the thermally stimulated current method, we observed the glassy state in dry soybean seeds during maturation. Oak cotyledons showed the same phase diagram for the glass transition as did mature soybeans. By using X-ray diffraction, we found the maturation of soybeans to be associated with an increased ability of membranes to retain the liquid crystalline phase upon drying, whereas the mature oak cotyledonary tissue existed in the gel phase under similar dry conditions. These findings lead to the conclusion that the glassy state is not sufficient for desiccation tolerance, whereas the ability of membranes to retain the liquid crystalline phase does correlate with desiccation tolerance. An important role for soluble sugars in desiccation tolerance is confirmed, as well as their relevance to membrane phase changes. However, the presence of soluble sugars does not adequately explain the nature of desiccation tolerance in these seeds.     

底墒和种植方式对夏大豆光合特性及产量的影响

选择华北地区冬小麦-夏大豆一年两熟制度,冬小麦设置90 mm、135 mm、180 mm3种灌水量。冬小麦收获后,播种夏大豆,夏大豆设置30 cm等行距、“20 40” cm大小行、“20 40” cm垄作3种种植方式。研究了底墒和种植方式对夏大豆光合特性及产量的影响。结果表明,冬小麦灌溉能够明显影响夏大豆播种时的土壤蓄水量（底墒）。随冬小麦灌水量的增加,夏大豆播种时底墒改善,180 mm和135 mm较90 mm处理明显提高了夏大豆净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度、细胞间隙CO2浓度、叶绿素含量指数、Fo、Fv及ΦPSⅡ,增产效果显著。180 mm较135 mm处理增产效果不显著,且水分利用效率显著降低。夏大豆种植方式也能明显影响其净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度、细胞间隙CO2浓度、叶绿素含量指数、Fo、Fm、ΦPSⅡ、Fv/Fm、产量及水分利用效率,具体表现为：“20 40” cm垄作> 30 cm等行距>“20 40” cm大小行。综合评价,冬小麦135 mm灌水量条件下,夏大豆采用“20 40” cm垄作是生产上可行的栽培模式。     

The foundations and development of lipidomics

For over a century, the importance of lipid metabolism in biology was recognized but difficult to mechanistically understand due to the lack of sensitive and robust technologies for identification and quantification of lipid molecular species. The enabling technological breakthroughs emerged in the 1980s with the development of soft ionization methods (Electrospray Ionization and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization) that could identify and quantify intact individual lipid molecular species. These soft ionization technologies laid the foundations for what was to be later named the field of lipidomics. Further innovative advances in multistage fragmentation, dramatic improvements in resolution and mass accuracy, and multiplexed sample analysis fueled the early growth of lipidomics through the early 1990s. The field exponentially grew through the use of a variety of strategic approaches, which included direct infusion, chromatographic separation, and charge-switch derivatization, which facilitated access to the low abundance species of the lipidome. In this Thematic Review, we provide a broad perspective of the foundations, enabling advances, and predicted future directions of growth of the lipidomics field.     

Cryopreservation of the SB-M photosynthetic soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] suspension culture

Summary The photosynthetic cell suspension culture of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Corsoy] (SB-M) was successfully cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen using a preculture and controlled freezing to −40° C (two-step) freezing method. The effective method included a preculture treatment with gradually increasing levels of sorbitol added to the 3% sucrose already present in the medium. The cells were then placed in a cryoprotectant solution [10% DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) and 9.1% sorbitol, or 10% DMSO and 8% sucrose], incubated for 30 min at 0° C, cooled at a rate of 1° C/min to −40° C, held at −40° C for 1 h, and then immersed directly into liquid nitrogen. The cells were thawed at 40° C and then immediately placed in liquid culture medium. The cell viabilities immediately after thawing were 75% or higher in all cases where cell growth resumed. The original growth rate and chlorophyll level of the cells was recovered within 40 to 47 d. If the sorbitol level was not high enough or the preculture period too short, growing cultures could not be recovered. Likewise, survival was not attained with cryoprotectant mixtures consisting of 15% DMSO, 15% glycerol, and 9.1% sucrose or 15% glycerol and 8% sucrose. The successful method was reproducible, thus allowing long-term storage of this and certain other unique photosynthetic suspension cultures in liquid nitrogen.     

Expression in Escherichia coli of Three Different Soybean Late Embryogenesis Abundant （LEA） Genes to Investigate Enhanced Stress Tolerance

In order to identify the function of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) genes, in vitro functional analyses were performed using an Escherichia coli heterologous expression system. Three soybean late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) genes, PMll (GenBank accession No. AF004805; group 1), PM30(AF117884; group 3), and ZLDE-2 (AY351918; group 2), were cloned and expressed in a pET-28a system.The gene products were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identified by mass spectrometry. E. coli cells containing the recombinant plasmids or empty vector as controls were treated by salt and low temperature stress. Compared with control cells, the E. coli cells expressing either PMll or PM30 showed a shorter lag period and improved growth when transferred to LB (Luria-Bertani) liquid media containing 800 mmol/L NaC1 or 700 mmol/L KC1 or after 4℃ treatment. E. coli cells expressing ZLDE-2 did not show obvious growth improvement both in either high KC1 medium or after 4℃ treatment. The results indicate that the E. coli expression system is a simple, useful method to identify the functions of some stress-tolerant genes from plants.     

Phosphorus nutrition and water deficits in field-grown soybeans

Phosphorus and water deficits are important limiting factors in agricultural production. A field experiment was carried out with soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) to determine whether the effect of water stress on field-grown soybean changes with soil P availability, and whether soil water content affects plant P nutrition. The soil was a Sadler series (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Glossic Fragiudalf) located at Princeton, Kentucky, USA (37°60′ north, 87°60′ west). The experiment was a factorial with three levels of soil P availability (4, 19 and 32 mg kg⁻¹, Mehlich III) and two of water (irrigated and non-irrigated). Most of the effects of phosphorus and water stress on soybean growth were additive, so that, in general, effects of water stress were similar at each P level. Phosphorus deficiency slowed vegetative development, reduced shoot growth, LAI, P absorption and concentration, seed number, size and yield, and increased root length density in the surface soil. Water stress accelerated crop maturity, reduced shoot growth, LAI, P absorption and concentration, seed number, size and yield, and increased root length density. Some interactions between P and water were observed. Water stress slowed vegetative development only at the lowest P level (P0). The crop had a positive response to increasing P availability in both situations, with and without irrigation, suggesting that P addition would be justified even when a dry growing season is likely to occur. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

间作大豆对甘蔗根际土壤细菌及固氮菌多样性的影响

为探讨间作大豆(Glycine max)对甘蔗(Saccharum officinarum)根际土壤细菌及固氮细菌多样性的影响, 收集和开发固氮菌资源, 筛选高效甘蔗联合固氮体系, 选用3个甘蔗栽培品种‘ROC22’、‘GT21’、‘B8’与大豆品种‘Guizao 2’进行间种栽培, 采用巢式PCR特异扩增细菌16S rRNA基因片段和固氮细菌nifH基因片段, 并结合变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)技术, 对间作大豆的甘蔗根际土壤细菌及固氮细菌进行系统演化和多样性分析。聚类分析结果显示, 间作大豆改变了甘蔗根际土壤细菌及固氮细菌原来的群落组成结构, 尤其对固氮菌群落组成的改变更大, 但对群落物种的优势度影响较小。Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Simpson多样性指数分析结果表明, 甘蔗-大豆间作显著影响甘蔗根际土壤中细菌和固氮菌的多样性, 其中对固氮细菌多样性的影响较大。不同甘蔗品种的根际土壤细菌和固氮菌在间作大豆条件下表现出不同的多样性, ‘ROC22’和‘GT21’间作处理甘蔗根际土壤固氮细菌的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数显著高于单作处理, 而‘ROC22’与大豆间作处理的甘蔗根际土壤固氮菌多样性最为丰富。在大豆生长盛期, 间作处理的甘蔗根际土壤细菌多样性最为丰富, 不同处理间的差异也最大, 随后下降。总体来看, 甘蔗-大豆间作显著地影响根际土壤细菌和固氮菌的群落结构和群落多样性, 有助于对甘蔗合理间作栽培模式的认识和筛选高效甘蔗联合固氮体系。     

抗除草剂转基因大豆后代遗传分析

分析了来源于农杆菌介导的4个独立的大豆转化系的后代遗传特性。分别采用种子切片GUS染色方法和除草剂涂抹以及喷洒方法检测gus报告基因和抗除草剂bar基因在后代的表达。其中3个转化系T1代gus基因和bar基因能够以孟德尔方式3：1连锁遗传,说明这2个基因整合在大豆基因组的同一位点。这3个转化系在T2代获得了纯合的转化系,并能够稳定遗传至T5代。有一个转化系在T1代GUS和抗除草剂检测都为阴性,但通过Southern杂交证明转基因存在于后代基因组,显示发生了转基因沉默。为了证明转基因沉默是转录水平还是转录后水平,T1代植物叶片接种大豆花叶病毒（SMV）并不能抑制转基因沉默,说明该转化系基因沉默可能不是发生在转录后水平。     

A new perfusion system for the measurement and characterization of potential rates of soil nitrification

The effect of two isoflavonoids, coumestrol and daidzein which are present in aseptically grown roots and root exudates of soybean, was tested on some rhizospheric microorganisms. It was found that coumestrol promotes the growth ofR. japonicum USDA 138 (about 30%) andR. leguminosarum (about 15%) whereas it inhibits the growth ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens (about 50%) andPseudomonas sp. (about 20%). The following microorganisms were unaffected by this molecule:R. japonicum W505,Agrobacterium radiobacter, Micrococcus luteus andCryptococcus laurentii. It was found that daidzein promotesR. japonicum USDA 138 growth (about 20%) and inhibitsPseudomonas sp. growth (about 20%); other microorganisms were unaffected. In addition, coumestrol favoured the formation of ‘coccoids’ cells byRhizobium japonicum USDA 138 which could be the infective state of this strain. It seems that this compound is able to help nodulation of soybean by aRhizobium strain. This result supports the work of Peterset al. (1986) and Redmondet al. (1986) who show that flavones present in plant exudates induces expression of nodulation genes in Rhizobium.     

Resistance Genes in a 'Williams 82' x 'Hartwig' Soybean Cross to an Inbred Line of Heterodera glycines

The number of resistance genes in soybean to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) Heterodera glycines was estimated using progeny from a cross of ''Williams 82'' x ''Hartwig'' (derived from ''Forrest''³ x PI 437.654) screened with a fourth-generation inbred nematode line derived from a race 3 field population of SCN. Numbers of females developing on roots of inoculated seedlings were assigned to phenotype cells (resistant, susceptible, or segregating) using Ward''s minimum variance cluster analysis. The ratio obtained from screening 220 F₃ soybean families was not significantly different from a 1:8:7 (resistant:segregating:susceptible) ratio, suggesting a two-gene system for resistance. The ratio obtained from screening 183 F₂ plants was not significantly different from a 3:13 (resistant:susceptible) ratio, indicating both a dominant (Rhg) and a recessive (rhg) resistance gene.