Foliar resistance to simulated extreme temperature events in contrasting plant functional and chorological types

We analysed leaf resistance of 41 Angiosperms belonging to a wide range of plant functional (PFTs) and chorological types (PCTs) to simulated frost and high‐temperature extreme events (EE). Leaf resistance was estimated as percentage of membrane electrolyte leakage under heating and freezing treatments in the lab. Leaf resistance to heating or freezing was not significantly correlated with the main resource‐use characteristics that defined PFTs, such as leaf specific area, toughness, N concentration or thickness. Leaf resistance to heating differed among PFTs (graminoids and bromeliads were the more resistant groups), but not among PCTs. In contrast, leaf resistance to freezing significantly differed among PCTs. Along a steep regional climatic gradient, climate variables (annual mean temperature, mean minimum temperature, mean maximum temperature and number of frost‐free months) at the locations where the given species were most abundant were also significantly correlated with freezing resistance. Species from colder habitats both at the sub‐continental and regional scales showed the highest leaf resistance to freezing. Our work indicates that leaf resistance to climatic EE and resource‐use strategy (assessed in previous studies) represent two different, partially decoupled axes of plant specialisation. It also suggests that changes in the frequency of very low temperature events might have regional‐scale impacts on vegetation, whereas changes in the frequency of very high temperature events might have more influence at the local scale.     

Energetics of membrane protein folding and stability

The critical role of membrane proteins in a myriad of biological and physiological functions has spawned numerous investigations over the past several decades with the long-term goal of identifying the molecular origins and energetic forces that stabilize these proteins within the membrane. Parallel structural and thermodynamics studies on several systems have provided significant insight regarding the driving forces governing folding, assembly, insertion, and translocation of membrane proteins. The present review surveys families of membrane-associated proteins including α-helical and β-barrel structures, viral surface receptors, and pore-forming toxins, citing representative proteins within each of these classes for further scrutiny in terms of structure-function relationships and global conformational stability. This overview presents seminal findings from pioneering studies on the energetics of membrane protein folding and stability to modern techniques that are exploiting the use of molecular genetics and single molecule studies. An overall consensus regarding the molecular origins of membrane protein stability is that a number of intrinsic properties resemble features of soluble proteins, yet there are distinct energetic differences arising from specific intra- and intermolecular interactions within the membrane. The combined efforts from structural, energetics, and dynamics approaches offer unique insights and improve our fundamental understanding of the driving forces dictating membrane protein folding and stability.     

The sticholysin family of pore-forming toxins induces the mixing of lipids in membrane domains

Sticholysins (Sts) I and II (StI/II) are pore-forming toxins (PFTs) produced by the Caribbean Sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus belonging to the actinoporin family, a unique class of eukaryotic PFTs exclusively found in sea anemones. The role of lipid phase co-existence in the mechanism of the action of membranolytic proteins and peptides is not clearly understood. As for actinoporins, it has been proposed that phase separation promotes pore forming activity. However little is known about the effect of sticholysins on the phase separation of lipids in membranes. To gain insight into the mechanism of action of sticholysins, we evaluated the effect of these proteins on lipid segregation using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). New evidence was obtained reflecting that these proteins reduce line tension in the membrane by promoting lipid mixing. In terms of the relevance for the mechanism of action of actinoporins, we hypothesize that expanding lipid disordered phases into lipid ordered phases decreases the lipid packing at the borders of the lipid raft, turning it into a more suitable environment for N-terminal insertion and pore formation.     

BIOME系列模型: 主要原理与应用

 基于过程的平衡态陆地生物圈模型-BIOME系列及其动态发展(LPJ-DGVM: Sitch et al.,2000) 已经成为模拟大尺度(全球至区域)的植被地理分布、净第一性生产力和碳平衡以及预测气候变化对陆地生态系统潜在影响的有效工具。本文综述了BIOME系列模型的发展过程,包括每个模型的主要原理、优点和缺陷,论述了模型在国际以及我国全球变化研究中的应用,并简单讨论了模型未来发展的趋势。以植物功能型作为基本研究单元,BIOME系列模型的控制因素从单纯的生物气候变量和生态生理限制因子(BIOME1),发展     

Functional traits and root morphology of alpine plants

Background and Aims

Vegetation has long been recognized to protect the soil from erosion. Understanding species differences in root morphology and functional traits is an important step to assess which species and species mixtures may provide erosion control. Furthermore, extending classification of plant functional types towards root traits may be a useful procedure in understanding important root functions.

Methods

In this study, pioneer data on traits of alpine plant species, i.e. plant height and shoot biomass, root depth, horizontal root spreading, root length, diameter, tensile strength, plant age and root biomass, from a disturbed site in the Swiss Alps are presented. The applicability of three classifications of plant functional types (PFTs), i.e. life form, growth form and root type, was examined for above- and below-ground plant traits.

Key Results

Plant traits differed considerably among species even of the same life form, e.g. in the case of total root length by more than two orders of magnitude. Within the same root diameter, species differed significantly in tensile strength: some species (Geum reptans and Luzula spicata) had roots more than twice as strong as those of other species. Species of different life forms provided different root functions (e.g. root depth and horizontal root spreading) that may be important for soil physical processes. All classifications of PFTs were helpful to categorize plant traits; however, the PFTs according to root type explained total root length far better than the other PFTs.

Conclusions

The results of the study illustrate the remarkable differences between root traits of alpine plants, some of which cannot be assessed from simple morphological inspection, e.g. tensile strength. PFT classification based on root traits seems useful to categorize plant traits, even though some patterns are better explained at the individual species level.     

区域尺度的中国植物功能型与生物群区

利用“生态－外貌”原则,中国的现状植被类型及其分布,确定中国的39种优势植物功能型：高山常绿针叶、北方常绿针叶、北方夏绿针叶、冷温带常绿针叶、温带常绿针叶、暖温带常绿阔叶、暖温带硬叶阔叶、暖温带夏绿阔叶、热带常绿阔叶、热带 雨绿阔叶、热带落叶阔叶、暖温带竹、高山／亚高山灌木、温带草原灌木、温带荒漠灌木、冷温带灌木、温带灌木、暖温带灌木、热带灌木、干旱灌木、高山草、荒漠草、温带草原草、温带草、沼泽草、红树、北方农作物、冷温带农作物、温带农作物、暖温带农作物、热带农作物和裸地。再依据优势植物功能型归并中国的21类潜在生物群区：北方（寒温带）落叶林、北方（寒温带）常绿林、冷温带针阔叶混交林、温带落叶阔叶林、暖温带（亚热带）落叶常绿阔叶混交林、暖温带（亚热带）常绿阔叶林、暖温带（亚）常绿阔叶季风林、热带雨林、热带季雨林、热带落叶林、红树林、干旱疏林／稀树草原、;温带草甸／稀树草原、温带草原、温带半草原、温带荒漠、温带半荒漠、高山／高山针叶林、高山／亚高山灌丛／草甸、高山／亚高山草原和高山／亚高山荒漠。如果考虑现状农业植被类型：一年一熟农作物、二年三熟农作物、一年二熟农作物和一年三熟农作物,可归并为25类现状生物群区。这是全球生态学和古生态学研究中区域尺度旧我国植物功能型和生物群区分类的一次尝试。