Determination of biotic aetiology of tapping panel dryness (TPD) syndrome of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) by return-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (R-PAGE) technique

Tapping panel dryness (TPD) syndrome affecting rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is known to reduce natural latex production. Its aetiology remains ambiguous despite long years of research. A low molecular weight RNA similar to viroid RNA was isolated from TPD-affected samples of rubber trees. In the present study, a modified return-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis procedure was standardised. The viroid-like low molecular weight (LMW) RNA was found associated with leaf, bark and root tissues and rubber seedlings. The technique was employed to detect LMW RNA in different clones of rubber planted in different locations and in bud-grafted plants. The LMW RNA isolated from TPD-affected trees was found infectious on seedlings of tomato cv Pusa Ruby. The LMW RNA was reisolated from symptomatic tomato leaves but not from control plants. This is for the first time that a biotic agent, a viroid RNA, is found consistently associated with the syndrome. The technology developed can be useful to demonstrate the onset of TPD in untapped trees in the absence of other methods such as nucleic acid hybridisation.     

巴西橡胶树线粒体50S核糖体蛋白L21cDNA的克隆与分析

在橡胶生产中,死皮生理综合症严重制约了橡胶树(Hevea brasiliensis)单产的提高。在早期构建的差减文库中,筛选到一条在死皮植株中下调表达的基因片段,该片段编码的蛋白与线粒体50S核糖体蛋白L21(mRPL21)同源。通过ESTs序列拼接和RT-PCR,获得一条853 bp的cDNA序列(命名为HbmRPL21,GenBank登录号为HM800425),该序列包含一个完整的开放读码框,编码271个氨基酸,理论分子量为30.52 kD,等电点为8.40。同源比对表明,植物和动物界间mRPL21序列差异很大,而植物界内则相对比较保守。生物信息学分析表明,HbmRPL21是一个包含Ribosomal_L21p保守结构域的线粒体定位蛋白。     

Post-fire recovery of Mediterranean ground ant communities follows vegetation and dryness gradients

Aim In the Mediterranean Basin, the main forest communities vary in their ability to recover after fire. In this study we analyse the effects of fire on ant communities occurring in various vegetation types distributed along a geographical gradient in the western Mediterranean region. Location The study was carried out in burned and unburned habitats of 22 sites corresponding to eight vegetation types distributed along a gradient of dryness throughout Catalonia (north‐east Spain). Methods We placed five pairs of plots (one plot located in the burned area and the second one placed in the unburned margin) per site. We compared ant communities in these unburned and burned plot types 8 years after fire using pitfall traps. Traps were set out in mid‐May and mid‐July. We analysed the structure and composition of ant communities in the burned and unburned areas of these vegetation types using anova tests, correspondence analysis (CA) and linear regression. Results The resilience of ant communities varies with vegetation type. Ant communities in forests with high resilience also recover rapidly after fire, while those in forests that do not recover after fire show the lowest resilience. Species richness does not depend on burning or vegetation type. The resilience of these Mediterranean ant communities to fire is related to the environmental characteristics of the region where they live. Accordingly, differences between burned and unburned habitats are smaller for ant communities in areas with higher water deficit in summer than for those in moister ones. Main conclusions The structure and composition of ant communities after fire depends on the level of direct mortality caused by the fire. It affects ant species differently, as determined by the habitats used for nesting and foraging. The reestablishment of vegetation cover depends on forest composition before the fire. As vegetation cover determines resource and microhabitat availability and competitive relationships among species, forest composition before the fire also affects post‐fire recovery of ant communities to the medium‐term. Finally, ant communities living in drier areas recover more quickly after fire than those living in moister ones. This pattern might be because in areas with higher water deficit there are more species characteristic of open environments, which are habitats similar to those generated after fire.     

Relationship of stimulated whole saliva cortisol level with the severity of a feeling of dry mouth in menopausal women

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2010.00403.x Relationship of stimulated whole saliva cortisol level with the severity of a feeling of dry mouth in menopausal women Objectives: To evaluate the relationship of stimulated whole saliva cortisol level with the severity of a feeling of dry mouth (DM) in menopausal women. Background: A feel of DM is a major complaint for many elderly individuals and strongly associated with the menopause. The exact mechanisms that mediate sensation of DM in menopausal women have not been firmly established. Methods: A case–control study was carried out on 104 selected menopausal women with/without a feeling of DM, conducted at the Clinic of Oral Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Xerostomia Inventory (XI) score was used as an index of DM severity. Stimulated whole saliva cortisol concentration (stimulated by chewing standard‐sized paraffin for 60 s) was measured by ELISA. Statistical analysis by Student’s t‐test and Spearman correlation was used. Results: The mean cortisol concentration of saliva, but not saliva cortisol output, was significantly higher in the cases than in the controls. There was significant positive correlation between XI score and concentration (r = 0.357, p = 0.000) or output (r = 0.223, p = 0.017) of stimulated whole saliva cortisol. Conclusions: It appears that stimulated whole saliva cortisol is high in menopausal women with a feeling of DM.     

巴西橡胶树死皮病相关基因HbMyb1的结构分析及表达

对与死皮病有密切关系的HbMybl基因进行了克隆和结构分析。该基因含有一个344bp的内含子和2个外显子。利用Genome Walker的方法获得了1．2kb的5′前年序列核心启动子,分析表明该启动子可能是富含GC和依赖于起始子(Inr)的非典型启动子。Southern杂交分析表明,HbMybl在橡胶树基因组中为2个拷贝。HbMybl在树皮中表达最强,在叶片中最弱。     

中国酿酒葡萄气候区划的水分指标

水分条件是影响我国酿酒葡萄品质和经济效益的重要因素。在考虑了我国气候特点和酿酒葡萄生长需要的前提下,通过对几种水分指标的比较和分析,认为将酿酒葡萄生长季(4月1日~9月30日)的干燥度(DI=ETC/P)作为我国酿酒葡萄栽培区划的水分指标(区划南界)是适宜的,较其它水分指标确定的区划更符合实际情况。其中DI<1.0为不适宜种植区;1.0≤DI≤1.6为一般种植区;1.6相似文献   

Field study of beech (t Fagus sylvatica L.) and melojo oak (t Quercus pyrenaica Willd) leaf litter decomposition in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula

The effect of the canopy on leaf decomposition of beech (t Fagus sylvatica) and melojo oak (t Quercus pyrenaica) was studied during a period of 660 days in a mountain forest of central Spain; response of leaves to leaching was also studied to determine the effects of rainfall after leaf fall. Beech leaves lost 5.8% of their weight by leaching, whereas melojo oak leaves lost 13%. Under both types of canopy, beech leaves showed almost no difference in their decomposition patterns, with decay constants of 0.31 and 0.32 respectively. Melojo oak leaves showed quite a different behaviour under both canopies; decay constant was 0.47 under t Quercus pyrenaica and 0.77 under beech canopy. Total immobilization of nitrogen was less in the melojo oak forest. Effects of summer dryness were sharper in the melojo oak forest, where decomposition stopped during the summer. This delay in the decomposition might have been due to the lower canopy density in the melojo oak forest. The decomposition patterns of the leaves of both species, under the canopy of the other species, suggests what might happen in mixed stands. Thus, the presence of melojo oaks in beech forest would increase decay and decrease nitrogen immobilization. The presence of beech trees in melojo oak forests would improve microclimatic conditions and increase decay, whereas beech litter on the soil would immobilizate more nitrogen.     

死皮对橡胶树树皮线粒体超微结构及活性氧代谢的影响

为了解析橡胶树（Hevea brasiliensis）死皮的发生机制,有效进行死皮防治,以健康、轻度死皮、重度死皮橡胶树树皮为材料,研究死皮发生过程中树皮线粒体超微结构变化规律及活性氧（ROS）相关基因的表达模式变化。结果表明：死皮树线粒体超微结构发生不规则形变,膜内基质溶解,嵴消失,内腔空泡化等,且严重程度与死皮严重程度成正比。荧光定量PCR结果表明,过氧化物酶基因HbPOD2和HbPOD3在死皮树中的表达量高于健康树,可作为监测割胶强度、刺激强度和死皮发生的“标志”基因。植物细胞重要ROS清除酶过氧化氢酶基因HbCAT在死皮树中也下调表达,预示ROS产生与清除之间的平衡是影响橡胶树死皮发生的关键因素。橡胶树中重要抗氧化代谢物基因表达结果表明,HbGST1、HbGST2和HbPPO在死皮树中的表达量均高于健康树,可能与死皮发生过程胶乳原位凝固相关。本研究通过揭示死皮发生过程树皮超微结构和ROS相关基因表达模式变化,为阐明橡胶树死皮发生机制提供新观点,同时为进一步开发监测割胶强度、刺激强度和死皮发生的基因“标志”提供理论基础。     

基于MODIS与Landsat 8的艾比湖湿地旱情时空变化及其影响因素分析

对干旱区艾比湖湿地旱情进行多源遥感监测,分析干旱对艾比湖湿地的生态安全与农业生产的影响,为水资源合理配置与干旱预警提供依据。选用2013年5月到2016年5月的MODIS温度和植被指数产品数据反演TVDI指数,并构建二维特征空间,分析土壤水分的时空分布特征,结果表明:TVDI可以有效地反演土壤水分,且精度较高;通过分析,艾比湖湿地土壤水分格局呈现由"极湿润-湿润-正常"面积减少,"干旱-极干旱"面积增加的趋势;在此基础上分析了影响艾比湖干旱变化的影响因素,近年来随着温度升高,风速与蒸发量增加,降水量减少,使艾比湖湿地旱情急剧恶化。利用多源遥感能很好的实现大面积、长时间、高精度的旱情监测,在四年间艾比湖湿地的旱情有所加剧,湖水面积与冰川萎缩变化较为严重,可见艾比湖湿地旱情情况较为不乐观,需加强水资源管理,开展艾比湖旱情监测对于干旱区湖泊生态有重要的理论与实际意义。     

橡胶树死皮病胶乳C-乳清差异表达蛋白质的筛选与鉴定

橡胶树死皮病(Tapping Panel Dryness,TPD)在世界各橡胶种植园普遍发生,给橡胶种植业带来严重的危害。为了更好地了解和阐明死皮病发生、发展的分子机制,本研究应用双向凝胶电泳技术（2-DE）比较橡胶树死皮株与健康株胶乳C-乳清蛋白质组表达的差异。采用固相pH梯度双向凝胶电泳分离橡胶树死皮株与健康株C-乳清的总蛋白质,凝胶经考染显色后,用PDQuest7.40图像分析软件进行比较分析,识别差异表达的蛋白质。这些点经过胶内酶切后进行基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF-MS)分析获取肽质指纹图谱(PMF),Mascot软件搜索SWISS-PROT和NCBInr数据库鉴定蛋白质。结果：①橡胶树死皮株与健康株C-乳清凝胶的平均蛋白质点数分别为1075±35和1134±27,其平均匹配的点数分别为982±38和1008±22,组内图像匹配率达91.89﹪和88.72﹪。②橡胶树死皮株与健康株C-乳清组间的平均匹配蛋白点数为970±25。利用MALDI-TOF-MS质谱技术对40个差异明显的蛋白点进行分析鉴定,通过查询数据库鉴定了27个蛋白质。本研究建立了分辨率高且重复性较好的橡胶树死皮株与 健康株胶乳C-乳清的双向凝胶电泳图谱,并应用质谱技术鉴定了其中表达差异的蛋白质点,这些差异表达的蛋白质可能参与了死皮发生和发展的过程。