Correlations between the thermal stability of chloroplast (thylakoid) membranes and the composition and fluidity of their polar lipids upon acclimation of the higher plant,Nerium oleander,to growth temperature

The thermal stability of excitation transfer from pigment proteins to the Photosystem II reaction center of Nerium oleander adjusts by 10 Celsius degrees when cloned plants grown at 20°C/15°C, day/night growth temperatures are shifted to 45°C/32°C growth temperature or vice versa. Concomitant with this adjustment is a decrease in the fluidity of thylakoid membrane polar lipids as determined by spin labeling. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that there is a limiting maximum fluidity compatible with maintenance of native membrane structure and function. This limiting fluidity was about the same as for a number of other species which exhibit a range of thermal stabilities. Inversely correlated shifts in lipid fluidity and thermal stability occurred during the time course of acclimation of N. oleander to new growth temperatures. Thus, the temperature at which the limiting fluidity was reached changed during acclimation while the limiting fluidity remained constant. Although the relative proportion of the major classes of membrane polar lipids remained constant during adjustments in fluidity, large changes occured in the abundance of specific fatty acids. These changes were different for the phospho- and galacto-lipids suggesting that the fatty acid composition of these two lipid classes is regulated by different mechanisms. Comparisons between membrane lipid fluidity and fatty acid composition indicate that fluidity is not a simple linear function of fatty acid composition.     

Endophytic fungi from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nerium oleander</Emphasis> L (Apocynaceae): main constituents and antioxidant activity

Diverse endophytic fungi exist within plant aerial tissues, with a global estimate of up to a million undescribed species. These endophytes constitute a rich bio-resource for exploration to discover new natural products. Here we investigate fungal endophytes associated with a medicinal plant, Nerium oleander L. (Apocynaceae). A total of 42 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the host plant. Total antioxidant capacity, xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, antimicrobial activity, and total phenolic content (TPC) were evaluated for 16 representative fungal cultures grown in improved Czapek’s broth and for the host plant. The total antioxidant capacities and phenolic contents of the fungal cultures ranged from 9.59 to 150.79 μmol trolox/100 mL culture, and from 0.52 to 13.95 mg gallic acid/100 mL culture, respectively. The fungal culture of an endophytic strain Chaetomium sp. showed the strongest antioxidant capacity, contained the highest level of phenolics, and to some extent inhibited xanthine oxidase activity with an IC₅₀ value of 109.8 μg/mL. A significant positive correlation was found between antioxidant capacity and TPC in the tested samples. Most of the endophytic fungal cultures tested have a wide range of antimicrobial activities, which were not very strong, but much better than those of the host plant. The major bioactive constituents of the fungal cultures were investigated using LC-ESI-MS and GC-MS, and preliminary identification detected phenolics (e.g. phenolic acids and their derivatives, flavonoids) and volatile and aliphatic compounds. This study shows that the endophytic fungi isolated from N. oleander can be a potential antioxidant resource.     

花叶夹竹桃穴盘扦插繁殖技术研究

采用L₉(3⁴)正交试验设计,研究插穗类型(A)、生长调节剂种类(B)及其浓度(C)对花叶夹竹桃插穗生根和苗木生理指标的影响。结果表明,影响花叶夹竹桃插穗生根和扦插苗生理指标的主要因素是插穗类型和生长调节剂种类;筛选出花叶夹竹桃扦插的最佳组合为A₁B₁C₁,即以木质化程度较轻的上部枝条作为插穗,用200 mg/L NAA处理,进行扦插育苗效果最好。     

渗滤液覆盖层灌溉处理对夹竹桃的生理生态效应

以夹竹桃（Nerium indicum Mill．）作为填埋场覆盖层封场植被材料,历时1a现场研究了有无渗滤液灌溉下夹竹桃生长及其生理生化反应。结果表明,10mm／d渗滤液灌溉下夹竹桃持续生长,生长的快慢呈季节性,且生长较对照组略快;渗滤液灌溉组和对照组夹竹桃丙二醛（MDA）、脯氨酸（Pro）含量的动态变化同气温变化规律相似,超氧化物岐化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）活性和抗坏皿酸（AsA）、还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）含量基本呈季节性波动。盛夏（6—8月份）和秋冬（10-4月份）SOD、POD活性明显提高,AsA、GSH积累显著;1a中渗滤液灌溉组各生理生化指标均较对照组变化辐度大,但两组间差异基本不显著;表明有无渗滤液灌溉下,夹竹桃生理生态反应主要受气候的季节性变化调控,渗滤液灌溉处理不会显著加大对夹竹桃胁迫。     

不同生境中桂花和夹竹桃叶际细菌的群落结构

植物叶际微生物多样性是目前植物-微生物关系研究的热点之一,但影响叶际微生物群落结构的主要因素目前还存在很大争议.本研究以生长在3处生境的桂花和夹竹桃为对象,基于高通量测序技术,分析2种植物叶际细菌的群落结构,探讨影响植物叶际细菌群落结构的主要因素.结果表明:来自3处生境的2种植物叶际细菌多样性无显著差异,构成叶际细菌群落的优势门主要包括放线菌门、拟杆菌门、衣原体门、蓝细菌门、厚壁菌门和变形菌门,优势属主要包括甲基杆菌属、鞘氨醇单胞菌属、薄层杆属、Polaromonas和无毛螺旋体属.植物种类、生境及二者的交互作用均能显著影响叶际细菌群落结构,其中生境的影响最大.     

夹竹桃对钉螺酯酶同工酶作用的初步分析

夹竹桃 (Nerium indicum)为夹竹桃科 (Apocynaceae)常绿大灌木 ,被广泛栽培用于观赏、绿化〔1〕。因其资源广泛 ,取材方便 ,叶含强心苷、欧夹竹桃苷等有效成分 ,可杀虫 〔2 ,3〕,故被我们用作杀钉螺 (Oncomelania hupensis)试验材料。从试验结果发现其有较强的杀螺作用 ,但其杀螺的机理尚不明。因此 ,为探讨其杀螺的生理生化机制 ,笔者从钉螺对外界环境反应强烈 〔4〕且具有解毒作用的酯酶 〔5,6〕着手 ,报道夹竹桃对钉螺酯酶同工酶的作用。1 　材料和方法1 .1　材料夹竹桃于 1 998年 4月采自湖北大学校内 ,取其当年萌生枝上部叶 ,洗净 ,…     

Cytochemical localization of pectinase activity in laticifers ofNerium oleander L.

Summary A method is described for the cytochemical localization of pectinase activity at the ultrastructural level. The procedure involves the use of Benedict's reagent to form an electron-dense copper precipitate when reacted with reducing sugars liberated from exogenously supplied pectin. Using this technique, pectinase activity was examined in the nonarticulated, branched laticifers ofNerium oleander. Electron opaque crystalline deposits indicating the presence of pectolytic enzymes were identified in laticifer central vacuoles. Smaller amounts of reaction product were distributed along the middle lamella between laticifers and adjacent cells. This report represents the first direct evidence for the involvement of pectinase in intrusive growth of nonarticulated laticifers.     

广西夹竹桃内生真菌的多样性和抑制几种水产病原菌活性筛选

为研究夹竹桃(Nerium oleander)内生真菌的多样性并评价其次生代谢产物的活性，该研究对广西夹竹桃(Nerium oleander)的内生真菌进行分离纯化，采用形态学和ITS序列分析结合的方法进行鉴定，以5种指示菌(其中有3种弧菌)对内生真菌提取物进行抑菌活性筛选。结果表明：(1)从广西夹竹桃中共得到19株内生真菌，这19株内生真菌都属于子囊菌门，涵盖5个目7个属，包括炭疽菌属(Colletotrichum)、球座菌属(Guignardia)、叶点霉属(Phyllosticta)、新壳梭孢属(Neofusicoccum)、曲霉属(Aspergillus)、隔孢壳科新属(Nothophoma)和间座壳属(Diaporthe),优势属为炭疽菌属(分离率为36.85%)和球座菌属(分离率为21.05%),其中炭疽菌属主要分布于茎，球座菌属全部来源于叶。(2)jing-117(Neofusicoccum sp.)和ye-130(Guignardia sp.)对坎氏弧菌有较为特异的抑菌效果，ye-136(Aspergillus sp.)能同时抑制蜡样芽孢杆菌和坎氏弧菌，ye-135(A...     

Response of Najdi sheep to oral administration of Citrullus colocynthis fruits, Nerium oleander leaves or their mixture

Susceptibility of sheep to oral administration of Citrullus colocynthis fruits, Nerium oleander leaves or their mixture is described in 12 sheep assigned as untreated controls, C. colocynthis-treated at 0.25 g/kg/day, N. oleander-treated at 0.25 g/kg and plant mixture-treated at 0.25 g of C. colocynthis/kg plus 0.25 g of N. oleander/kg. The daily use of 0.25 g of C. colocynthis/kg for 42 days was not fatal to sheep and caused slight diarrhoea, catarrhal enteritis, centrilobular hepatocellular fatty change and degeneration of the renal tubular cells. Single oral doses of 0.25 g of N. oleander/kg were lethal to sheep within 18–24 h and caused uneasiness, grinding of the teeth, dyspnoea, anorexia, frequent urination, ruminal bloat, ataxia and recumbency before death. The main lesions were widespread congestion and haemorrhage, pulmonary cyanosis and emphysema and severe hepatonephropathy. Rapid death was also observed in sheep receiving single doses of the mixture of the two plants. Effects were correlated with changes in the activities of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate transaminase (AST) and concentrations of cholesterol, bilirubin, total protein, albumin, globulin and urea and haematological parameters.