Ontogeny of the proventitious epicormic buds in Quercus petraea.

In the present work, we described the fate of proventitious epicormic buds on the trunks of 40-year-old Quercus petraea trees and in parallel the vascular trace they produced in the wood. Our results show that small and large individual epicormic buds can survive as buds for 40 years and that both are composed of a terminal meristem and scales. Meristematic areas are detected in the scale axils of small buds; in addition to these meristems the large buds also have secondary bud primordia. The small buds are connected to the pith of the main stem by a unique trace, whereas the large buds are connected by one or multiple traces. A single trace might imply that the whole bud is still alive and multiple traces might indicate that the terminal meristem has died. In the latter case, each trace is connected to a secondary bud of the large bud. The buds found in a cluster are composed of a terminal meristem and scales with axillary meristems in the scale axils. A cluster is connected to the pith of a stem either by a unique trace when it seems to be the result of partial abscission of an epicormic shoot or multiple traces when it might have originated from an epicormic bud in which the terminal meristem has died. Whatever the type of the bud, the vascular trace in the bark is composed of a cambium, secondary xylem and parenchyma cells and the trace present in the wood had parenchyma cells with vestiges of secondary xylem. Each year, the vascular trace should be produced in the bark by the cambium of the tree but not by the bud itself. On 40-year-old Q. petraea, we observed a proliferation of epicormic buds and in parallel a multiplication of the number of vascular traces in the trunk, but the knots caused by the traces of epicormic buds in the wood, either as individuals or in clusters, are minor since their colours are only slightly darker than those of woody rays and they are less than 2 mm in diameter. The knots will appear when epicormic buds develop into shoots. Received: 30 March 1999 / Accepted: 09 June 1999     

Five New Phenolic Glycosides from Viburnum luzonicum

Viburnum luzonicum is widely distributed in China. Its branch extracts showed potential α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. In order to discover new bioactive constituents, five undescribed phenolic glycosides, viburozosides A−E ( 1 – 5 ), were obtained by bioassay-guided isolation coupled with HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, ECD, and ORD. All compounds were tested for their α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory potency. Compound 1 showed significantly competitive inhibition against α-amylase (IC₅₀=17.5 μM) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀=13.6 μM).     

Enzymatic and Hybridization Properties of Oligonucleotide Analogs Containing Novel Phosphoramidate Internucleotide Linkages

In line with the paradigm, that antisense oligonucleotides should contain minimal structural modifications, in order to minimize the risk of toxicity and antigenicity, we describe here the preparation and the properties of oligonucleotides modified to contain, in addition to phosphodiester bonds, a small number of phosphoramidate internucleotide linkages substituted with aminoethoxyethyl groups in order to convey protection against exo‐ and endonucleases. Prolonged stability was, in fact, found in model experiments with respective enzymes, as well as in studies done in human blood serum. Regardless of number and position of phosphoramidate linkages, the modified oligonucleotides showed only a slight decrease of T_m in hybridization studies with complementary oligonucleotides.     

植物对氨基酸的吸收研究进展

氨基酸在提高植物产量、改善产品品质、增强植株抗逆性、保护生态环境等方面发挥着越来越重要的作用,在农业生产中越来越受到重视。本文简述了氨基酸含量、氨基酸种类和植物种类对植物吸收氨基酸的影响,并对氨基酸营养研究进行展望,以期提高人们对植物氨基酸营养的认识,促进氨基酸在农业中的应用和发展。     

几个引进枣品种枣头及果实生长发育规律的研究

研究得知湘南地区引进沾化冬枣、梨枣和骏枣的枣头一次枝(下简称枣头)伸长生长节律与本地品种鸡蛋枣相似,幼树期枣头有两次明显的伸长生长过程,其间出现生长暂缓期。从枣头年生长量看,三个引进品种均比本地品种鸡蛋枣要小,但秋季生长量比重均比鸡蛋枣还要大。三个引进品种果实均较鸡蛋枣大,果实生长规律均与鸡蛋枣相似。但各个品种果实生育期均长于鸡蛋枣。冬枣果实生育期最长为100天~110天,梨枣与骏枣果实生育较短,梨枣70天~75天,骏枣约85天,而鸡蛋枣只有65天~70天。     

梅花鹿鹿茸不同产品中氨基酸含量的比较

通过对二杠鹿茸、三杈鹿茸、鹿茸片、鹿茸血、鹿角、鹿角盘等鹿茸产品中氨基酸含量的测定研究,结果表明:鹿茸血中氨基酸含量最高,鹿茸片中的氨基酸含量次之,三杈鹿茸中的氨基酸含量高于二杠鹿茸中氨基酸含量,鹿花盘中的含量高于鹿角中的氨基酸含量,从而为鹿茸这一动物性中药材资源的功能评价、药理作用提供科学理论依据。     

Changes in Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana Dougl. ex Hook.) following release from overtopping conifers

Oregon white oak or Garry oak (Quercus garryana Dougl. ex Hook.) is a shade-intolerant, deciduous species that has been overtopped by conifers during the past century in parts of its range due to an altered disturbance regime. We examined the response of suppressed Oregon white oak trees in western Washington, USA, to three levels of release from overtopping Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco). We treated individual oak trees with either full release from competition, partial (“half”) release from competition, or a stand-level thinning of Douglas-fir not directed toward release (control). Five years after treatment, oak trees had suffered no mortality or windthrow. Stem diameter growth was 194% greater in the full-release treatment relative to the control. Acorn production varied widely by year, but in years of higher production, acorn production was significantly greater in both release treatments than in the control. Frequency of epicormic branch formation was significantly increased for years 1 and 2 by the full release; the greatest response occurred between 2 and 6 m above ground level. The greatest number of epicormic branches formed on trees on which the majority of original limbs had died back prior to treatment. Trees with relatively less crown dieback at the time of treatment generally had greater stem growth and acorn production responses to release treatments. Our findings indicate that these released Oregon white oak trees are beginning to recover after an extended period of suppression.     

CONNECTING THE DOTS OF NONLINEAR REACTION NORMS UNRAVELS THE THREADS OF GENOTYPE–ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION IN DROSOPHILA

Two contrasting views can characterize the attitude of many studies toward reaction norms (RNs). An “optimistic” view attempts to use a linear model to describe RN variation; and a “pessimistic” view emphasizes RNs complexity without using any model to describe them. Here, we have analyzed the shape of 40 RNs of five traits of Drosophila mediopunctata in response to 11 temperatures. Our results, along with several other studies, show that RNs are typically curves best explained by nonlinear models. Estimating the set of 40 RNs on the basis of three rather than 11 temperatures produces a scenario, typical of the pessimistic view, where the linear model is either nonsignificant or a poor explanatory model. Moreover, we show that RN nonlinearity can significantly affect the conclusions of studies using the linear model. We propose a middle ground view on RNs which recognizes their general nonlinearity. Such view could, on the one hand, explain part of the important phenomenon of genotype–environment interaction emphasized by the pessimistic view. Moreover, it may explain features and patterns which are being ignored by the optimistic view. We suggest the parabolic model as first step to reveal patterns which were ignored before, or not fully appreciated.     

昆明地区15种常见木本植物活枝的燃烧性

为分析比较不同植物活枝的燃烧性,在森林防火戒严期内,对昆明地区15种常见木本植物中小径级的活枝进行了热辐射引燃试验,对小径级的活枝进行了氧指数试验。在测定样品直径、含水率、引燃时间、有焰燃烧时间、试验过程中烟气温度和质量损失变化过程等基础上,提出并计算了表征活枝燃烧性能的综合燃烧特性参数S,根据该参数对15种植物中小径级活枝的燃烧性能进行了排序。结果表明,15种植物小径级的活枝均具有较强的阻燃性,燃烧性能顺序为:云南松<野八角<华山松<滇青冈<地盘松<云南樟<厚皮香<大白花杜鹃<炮状花杜鹃<云南含笑<小白花杜鹃<南烛<光叶石栎<元江栲<云南野山茶。根据氧指数及试验现象将15种植物的小径级活枝分为3类,其中难燃类4种(大白花杜鹃、野八角、厚皮香、南烛)、可燃类7种(云南含笑、云南松、地盘松、华山松、滇青冈、云南樟、云南野山茶)、较易燃类4种(小白花杜鹃、炮状花杜鹃、光叶石栎、元江栲)。分析了造成2种试验结果差异的主要原因。     

Influence of Mn Deficiency on Growth,Chlorophyll Content,Physiology, and Essential Monoterpene Oil(s) in Genotypes of Spearmint (Mentha Spicata L.)

At various intervals after inoculation of the roots of groundnut plants with the fungus Macrophomina phaseoli, ¹⁴CO₂ was administered to branch 2 (from the base) of the plants in the light. The effects of the disease on the translocation of ¹⁴C-photosynthates out of the source branch to the rest of the plant were studied 24 h after labelling. As the plant aged and the disease symptom development became more evident, an increasing percentage of the fixed ¹⁴C-photosynthates was exported from branch 2 of the inoculated plants (IP) compared to the non-inoculated plants (NIP). The apex, main stem, and branch 1 of NIP imported more of the total fixed ¹⁴C throughout the developmental stages of the plant except for day 10 after inoculation when branch 1 of IP imported almost 76 % of the total fixed ¹⁴C. The roots of IP were the major sink and imported higher percent of the total fixed ¹⁴C than the roots of NIP. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.