短期生长环境光强骤增导致典型阴生植物三七光系统受损的机制

阴生植物突然暴露在强光下造成光损伤的情况时有发生, 但其对高光敏感的潜在机制尚不十分清楚。为阐明阴生植物无法在自然全光照环境下生存的相关机制, 该研究以典型阴生植物三七(Panax notoginseng)为材料, 将遮阴环境下(10%透光率)生长的植株转移到全日光环境下3天, 研究其相对叶绿素含量(SPAD值)、光合参数以及叶绿素荧光参数的变化。结果表明, 全光环境下三七光合日变化呈现“双峰”曲线特征, 且净光合速率在处理期间逐日降低。全日光下三七叶片SPAD值、水分利用率和光能利用率显著降低; 叶片光系统I (PSI)反应中心P700最大荧光信号、光系统II (PSII)电子传递速率、暗适应下PSII最大量子效率和光下PSII最大量子效率显著低于遮阴环境下的植株, 且至傍晚不能完全恢复。而参与调节性能量耗散的量子产量、PSI受体侧限制引起的非光化学量子产量、环式电子流则显著高于遮阴环境下的三七。此外, 生长环境光照强度骤增导致荧光诱导动力学曲线发生明显变化, 并显著升高了PSII供体侧和受体侧的荧光产量。当阴生植物三七突然暴露于全光环境下时, 强烈的光照会导致PSII供体侧的放氧复合体活性受损, 抑制受体侧的电子传递, 过度还原PSI的受体侧进而引发PSI光抑制。该研究结果揭示, 全日光导致的PSII不可逆损伤和PSI光抑制可能是典型阴生植物三七为什么不能在全日照光环境下存活的重要原因。     

Effect of sunlight on the survival of Salmonella on surfaces

AIMS: To investigate the effect of simulated full-spectrum tropical sunlight on the survival of Salmonella in droplets on surfaces. MATERIALS AND RESULTS: The survival on surfaces of three Zambian strains of Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Heidelberg was compared with that of a strain of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis phage type (PT) 4 with known characteristics which had been isolated from poultry in the UK. Samples were taken from surfaces every hour for 3 h and after 24 h exposure in either dark or 12 h light/12 h dark cycle conditions. Differences were analysed for significance using a one-way analysis of variance (anova). Results show that there were a significantly higher number of cells surviving on surfaces after 24 h in the dark when compared with populations exposed to a 12 h light/12 h dark cycle. Significantly more cells also survived exposure to sunlight under dirty than clean conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to sunlight results in a significant decrease in numbers of Salmonella on surfaces. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Under field conditions exposure of contaminated surfaces to sunlight could be used in place of chemical methods of control as a cheaper way to reduce Salmonella contamination of surfaces.     

Geographic distribution of environmental factors influencing human skin coloration

Skin coloration in indigenous peoples is strongly related to levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). In this study, the relationships of skin reflectance to seasonal UVR levels and other environmental variables were investigated, with the aim of determining which variables contributed most significantly to skin reflectance. The UVR data recorded by satellite were combined with environmental variables and data on human skin reflectance in a geographic information system (GIS). These were then analyzed visually and statistically through exploratory data analysis, correlation analysis, principal components analysis, least-squares regression analysis, and nonlinear techniques. The main finding of this study was that the evolution of skin reflectance could be almost fully modeled as a linear effect of UVR in the autumn alone. This linear model needs only minor modification, by the introduction of terms for the maximum amount of UVR, and for summer precipitation and winter precipitation, to account for almost all the variation in skin reflectance. A further significant finding was that the effect of summer UVR seems to reach a threshold beyond which further adaptation is difficult.     

An examination of the relationship between sunlight exposure and hot flush in working women

ABSTRACT

We examined whether sunlight affects hot flushes in working menopausal women and explored effect modification by shift work and season. In this prospective cohort study, daily hot flush score (outcome) was measured by the 7-day North Central Cancer Treatment Group Daily Vasomotor Symptoms Diary. Daily duration of sunlight (≥2000 lux) was recorded by the HOBO MX2202 pendant. Both variables were measured in two 7-day data collection phases. T0 data were collected during the Australian Summer (December 2017, January and February 2018); and T1 data were collected in the Australian winter (June, July and August 2018). Linear mixed effects model was used. Shift work and season were both confounders and effect modifiers. To detect a median effect size of R² = 0.2, 34 women were required to achieve an effective sample size of 41. A total of 49 menopausal women were recruited, 11 shift and 38 day workers. Some 13 women had various missing observations. For shift workers, an hour increase in sunlight exposure was associated with a 1.4-point reduction in hot flush score (p = .016). This relationship was not significant for day workers (p = .185). The finding of this study suggests increased sunlight exposure might improve hot flushes in menopausal shift workers who are moderately bothered by hot flushes, but probably not in day workers. The possible role of shift-work associated circadian disruption on estrogen level in regard to elevated intensity and frequency of hot flush in menopausal women is discussed.     

Identification of a novel multiple environmental factor‐responsive 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate synthase gene,NT‐ACS2, from tobacco

Many abiotic environmental factors elicit the production of stress‐ethylene in higher plants. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of stress‐ethylene production and the physiological roles played by stress‐ethylene in stress responses of plants, we studied the gene expression of ACC synthase in tobacco plants that had been subjected to environmental stresses. Four new tobacco ACC synthase cDNA fragments, NT‐ACS2, NT‐ACS3, NT‐ACS4 and NT‐ACS5, were identified and sequenced. It was found that NT‐ACS2 could be induced by wounding, cold temperature and, especially, sunlight. NT‐ACS4 was induced at a faster kinetics by wounding. The multiple environmental stress‐responsive (MESR) NT‐ACS2 gene was found to contain three introns and four exons and encode a polypeptide of 484 amino acids, 54·6 kDa and pI 6·87. Computer analysis of the 3·4 kb 5 ′ flanking region upstream of the ACS coding region revealed the existence of a group of putative cis‐acting regulatory elements potentially conferring wounding, chilling, and UV light inducibility. Phylogenetic analysis of ACC synthase genes of different plant origins indicated that the chill‐inducible NT‐ACS2 gene is closely related to a chilling‐inducible citrus ACS gene.     

Time-of-day effects of exposure to solar radiation on thermoregulation during outdoor exercise in the heat

High solar radiation has been recognised as a contributing factor to exertional heat-related illness in individuals exercising outdoors in the heat. Although solar radiation intensity has been known to have similar time-of-day variation as body temperature, the relationship between fluctuations in solar radiation associated with diurnal change in the angle of sunlight and thermoregulatory responses in individuals exercising outdoors in a hot environment remains largely unknown. The present study therefore investigated the time-of-day effects of variations in solar radiation associated with changing solar elevation angle on thermoregulatory responses during moderate-intensity outdoor exercise in the heat of summer. Eight healthy, high school baseball players, heat-acclimatised male volunteers completed a 3-h outdoor baseball trainings under the clear sky in the heat. The trainings were commenced at 0900 h in AM trial and at 1600 h in PM trial each on a separate day. Solar radiation and solar elevation angle during exercise continued to increase in AM (672–1107 W/m² and 44–69°) and decrease in PM (717–0 W/m² and 34–0°) and were higher on AM than on PM (both P < 0.001). Although ambient temperature (AM 32–36°C, PM 36–30°C) and wet-bulb globe temperature (AM 31–33°C, PM 34–27°C) also continued to increase in AM and decrease in PM, there were no differences between trials in these (both P > 0.05). Tympanic temperature measured by an infrared tympanic thermometer and mean skin temperature were higher in AM than PM at 120 and 180 min (P < 0.05). Skin temperature was higher in AM than PM at the upper arm and thigh at 120 min (P < 0.05) and at the calf at 120 and 180 min (both P < 0.05). Body heat gain from the sun was greater during exercise in AM than PM (P < 0.0001), at 0–60 min in PM than AM (P < 0.0001) and at 120–180 min in AM than PM (P < 0.0001). Dry heat loss during exercise was greater at 0–60 min (P < 0.0001), and lower at 60–120 min (P < 0.05) and 120–180 min (P < 0.0001) in AM than PM. Evaporative heat loss during exercise was greater in PM than AM at 120–180 min (P < 0.0001). Total (dry + evaporation) heat loss at the skin was greater during exercise in PM than AM (P < 0.0001), at 0–60 min in AM than PM (P < 0.0001) and at 60–120 and 120–180 min in PM than AM (P < 0.05 and 0.0001). Heart rate at 120–150 min was also higher in AM than PM (P < 0.05). Neither perceived thermal sensation nor rating of perceived exertion was different between trials (both P > 0.05). The current study demonstrates a greater thermoregulatory strain in the morning than in the afternoon resulting from a higher body temperature and heart rate in relation to an increase in environmental heat stress with rising solar radiation and solar elevation angle during moderate-intensity outdoor exercise in the heat. This response is associated with a lesser net heat loss at the skin and a greater body heat gain from the sun in the morning compared with the afternoon.     

不同光照强度对兴安落叶松几种主要防御蛋白活力的影响

林木组成抗性对抵御害虫危害发挥着重要作用。为了研究环境因子对其组成抗虫性的影响,以兴安落叶松幼苗为试验材料,通过搭建遮阳棚设置3个光照强度(自然光照作为对照、50%和25%自然光照强度),模拟森林幼苗生长的林缘、林窗和林下3种不同的光环境,分析不同光照强度对其针叶内与植物抗虫性有关的几种主要防御蛋白活力的影响。研究结果表明,不同光照强度对针叶内主要防御蛋白活力有显著影响(P<0.05)。50%和25%光照强度下,POD、SOD、PAL、PPO和CI的活性显著高于自然光照下的(P<0.05),POD和CI的活性在50%光照强度下最高,SOD、PAL和PPO的活性在25%光照强度下最高;自然光照条件下CAT的活性显著高于50%和25%光照强度下的(P<0.05);遮荫处理对TI的活性有显著影响(P<0.05),但在不同月份中波动较大,规律性不明显。相同的光照强度条件下,主要防御蛋白活力在3个月中也有显著变化(P<0.05)。7月和8月份保护性酶POD和CAT的活性显著高于6月(P<0.05);防御性酶PAL、PPO以及蛋白酶抑制剂CI的活性在6月份最高。综合以上研究结果,光照可影响兴安落叶松针叶中几种主要防御蛋白活力,这也说明在较荫蔽的光照环境下,兴安落叶松有较强的抗性。其中SOD、CAT、PAL、PPO和POD是植物次生物质生成过程中的关键酶,其活性的改变在一定程度上表征着植物防御体系在变化。研究环境因子与植物防御之间的关系具有重要的理论和实际应用价值。     

Natural light as an alternative light source for the in vitro culture of banana (Musa acuminata cv. ‘Grande Naine’)

The concept of using sunlight for micropropagation systems is proposed as a way of reducing tissue culture costs. Shoot tips of Musa acuminata cultivar ‘Grande Naine’ were cultured in a non-controlled natural light environment at the IAEA Laboratories, Austria during summertime. Significantly more shoots were produced by plantlets cultivated in a sunlit room with photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) fluctuating up to 570 μmol m-2 s-1, temperatures between 23 and 30 °C and photoperiods of 12 to 16-h, than by plantlets under artificial light in a growth chamber providing controlled conditions of a constant PPFD of 65 μmol m-2 s-1, temperatures ranging from 23 to 29 °C and a 16-h photoperiod. Highest multiplication rates were achieved in a greenhouse with PPFD reaching 860 μmol m-2 s-1 and temperatures of 18 – 43 °C, but browning of leaves and loss of turgor occurred. Nevertheless, rooted plantlets showed 100% survival during acclimatisation and normal development. Photoperiods of 12 – 16 h did not affect the multiplication rates. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.