Effects of copper and cadmium on uptake and leakage of K(+) in birch (Betula pendula) roots

Uptake and leakage experiments were performed to study the effects of copper and cadmium on K(+) fluxes in birch (Betula pendula Roth) roots. Labeled rubidium ((86)Rb(+)) was used as a tracer for K(+). Plants were pretreated with Cu or Cd (0, 2, 5 or 25 microM) for 0-300 min and then transferred to radiolabeled nutrient solution (150 microM K(+)) with or without 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to separate the effects of heavy metal on active and passive K(+) influxes. Passive K(+) influx was decreased by pretreatment with Cu but was only slightly affected by pretreatment with Cd. Pretreatment with 2 microM Cu increased active K(+) influx, whereas pretreatment with 25 microM Cu decreased active K(+) influx and intermediate Cu concentrations (5 microM) did not affect active K(+) influx. The pretreatment effects of Cu on active and passive K(+) influxes increased with increasing pretreatment time. During the first hour, pretreatment with Cd decreased active K(+) influx with increasing pretreatment time, whereafter recovery began. To measure K(+) efflux, birch plants were loaded with (86)Rb(+) for 7 days before being exposed to Cu or Cd (0, 1, 3, 5 or 10 microM) in unlabeled nutrient solutions for 24 h. Net efflux of K(+) was measured as (86)Rb(+)-activity in the nutrient solutions 24 h after a heavy metal had been introduced. Efflux of K(+) increased with increasing Cu or Cd concentration in the unlabeled nutrient solution.The data indicate that Cu and Cd affected K(+) influx differently and that recovery mechanism(s), which were induced shortly after heavy metal introduction, counteracted the heavy-metal induced inhibition of active K(+) influx. Efflux of K(+) from plant roots over a 24-h period indicated that Cu and Cd had similar effects on K(+) efflux. There was no evidence of a recovery mechanism counteracting the heavy-metal-induced inhibition of K(+) efflux.     

Inherited narrow crown form, harvest index and stem biomass production in Norway spruce, Picea abies

The effect of crown form on stem biomass production was investigated in an 18-19-year-old Norway spruce stand (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The harvest index was 0.271 in pendula trees, which have a heritable narrow crown form, and 0.235 in normal-crowned trees and the dry weights of stem biomass were 2.57 kg and 3.37 kg, respectively. However, the production of stem biomass per crown projected area was more than twice as much in pendula trees as in normal-crowned trees. Results indicate that the crown form of pendula spruce is less plastic than that of normal-crowned spruce suggesting that such trees might maintain a high stemwood yield per unit ground area with increasing stand density. Because pendula spruce has a higher harvest index and a less flexible crown than normal-crowned spruce, it might be useful for crop tree ideotype breeding.     

Bioactive flavonoids from Kaempferia parviflora

Nine flavonoids (1-9) have been isolated from Kaempferia parviflora. Among these, 5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone (8) and 5,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone (9) exhibited antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, with IC50 values of 3.70 and 4.06 microg/ml, respectively. 3,5,7,4'-Tetramethoxyflavone (7) and compound 8 possessed antifungal activity against Candida albicans with respective IC50 values of 39.71 and 17.63 microg/ml, and also showed mild antimycobacterial activity with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 200 and 50 microg/ml, respectively. However, none of the isolated compounds demonstrated cytotoxicity against KB, BC and NCI-H187 cell lines.     

Impact of Land Tenure Change on Land Use

China is a public ownership country. At present, theownership of land belongs to the country andcollectivity. In China, the meaning of ownership ofland is the light that the owners of land can possessthe land, use the land, get some interest from the landand deal with the land according to laws. The 4 sectionsof ownership of land can either be combined or beseparated to carry out. In practice, these 4 sections ofownership are usually separated to carry out. The tenureof land is an independent…     

Cytotoxic constituents from Plumbago zeylanica

The bioassay-guided fractionation of the dichloromethane extract of aerial parts of Plumbago zeylanica led to the isolation of beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosteryl-3beta-glucopyranoside, beta-sitosteryl-3beta-glucopyranoside-6'-O-palmitate (1), lupenone, lupeol acetate, plumbagin and trilinolein. Compound 1 showed cytotoxic activity against MCF7 and Bowes cancer cell lines (IC50 113 microM and 152 microM, respectively), beta-sitosterol inhibited Bowes cell growth (IC50 36.5 microM) and plumbagin was cytotoxic against MCF7 and Bowes cells (IC50 1.28 microM and 1.39 microM, respectively).     

Ultrastructural and Extracellular Protein Changes in Cell Suspension Cultures of Populus euphratica Associated with Low Temperature-induced Cold Acclimation

Populus euphratica Olive is the only tree species that can grow in the saline land and also survive cold winters in northwest China, and it plays a very important role in stabilizing the vulnerable ecosystem there. A cell suspension culture was initiated from callus derived from plantlets of Populus euphratica. Cold acclimation was induced (LT50 of-17.5 ℃) in cell suspension at 4-5 ℃ in the dark for 30 days and the freezing tolerance increased from LT50 of-12.5 ℃ in nonacclimated cells to LT50 of-17.5 ℃ in cold-acclimated cells. Microvacuolation, cytoplasmic augmentation and accumulation of starch granules were observed in cells that were cold-acclimated by exposure to low temperatures. Several qualitative and quantitative changes in proteins were noted during cold acclimation. Antibodies to carrot extracellular (apoplastic) 36 kD antifreeze protein did not cross react on immunoelectroblots with extracellular proteins in cell suspension culture medium of Populus euphratica, indicating no common epitopes in the carrot 36 kD antifreeze protein and P euphratica extracellular proteins. The relationship of these changes to cold acclimation in Populus euphratica cell cultures was discussed.     

Shoot development,chlorophyll, gas exchange and carbohydrates in lychee seedlings (Litchi chinensis)

Shoot growth, chlorophyll concentrations, gas exchange and starch concentrations were studied in lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) seedlings of cultivar "Wai Chee" grown in a heated greenhouse at Nambour in subtropical Australia (27 degrees S). We also examined the effects of shoot defoliation and root pruning on leaf expansion. Shoot growth showed a rhythmic cycle under constant greenhouse conditions, with a mean duration of flushing of 20 days and an interval of 10 days over three cycles. Shoots and leaves expanded in a sigmoidal pattern to about 80 mm and 500 cm(2), respectively, for each flush. Starch concentrations of the lower stem and roots decreased as the young red leaves expanded, and increased as the fully expanded leaves turned dark green. Chlorophyll concentrations and net CO(2) assimilation rate were highest in the fully expanded dark green leaves. Removing 50% of the area of each fully expanded leaf had little effect on the expansion of younger leaves, but total biomass of defoliated plants was only 60% of that of controls. In contrast, removing half the roots just before bud swelling reduced final leaf area by 80%. We conclude that the young shoot has relatively low rates of photoassimilation until the leaves are fully expanded and dark green, and depends on assimilates from elsewhere in the plant. During leaf expansion, translocation of assimilates to the shoot occurred at the expense of the roots.     

Organogenic responses of Pinus pinea cotyledons to hormonal treatments: BA metabolism and cytokinin content

Isolated cotyledons from mature Pinus pinea L. embryos were cultured in vitro in a factorial combination of 4.4, 10 and 44.4 microM N6-benzyladenine (BA) for 2, 4, 8, 16 and 35 days to optimize shoot regeneration. Incubation of explants in 44.4 microM BA for 4 days, in place of the standard incubation in 4.4 microM BA for 35 days, reduced the entire culture period to 4 weeks. Shortening the culture period had no significant effect on the caulogenic response or the number of buds formed per cotyledon. To establish the relationship between key moments in the caulogenic process induced by 4.4 microM BA and the endogenous concentrations of the active forms of BA and other isoprenoid-type cytokinins (CKs), we examined uptake, metabolism and amount of BA, as well as the amounts of zeatin, dihydrozeatin and their ribosides in P. pinea cotyledons after 1, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h, and 2, 4, 8, 16 and 35 days of exposure to 8-[14C]BA. Uptake and release of BA were associated with water movement between explants and the medium during the first 8 days of culture. The interconvertible forms of BA were the main metabolites formed in the tissues. Inactivation of BA as a result of conjugation or oxidation was insignificant. The endogenous concentration of BA + N6-benzyladenosine was 20-fold higher than the exogenously applied BA during the competence acquisition phase (Days 0-3). The concentration of isoprenoid-type CKs also increased 16-fold and then decreased during this time. Induction of shoot buds (Days 4-8) was characterized by a second peak of BA uptake by explants that triggered the synthesis of N6-benzyladenosine-5 -monophosphate and by the maintenance of isoprenoid-type CKs. Reestablishment of CK homeostasis marked the shift from the induction phase to the shoot development phase in this organogenic process (Days 8-12).     

鲜柿汁和糖柿片加工技术

鲜柿汁和糖柿片加工技术朵建果鲜柿汁加工技术１．工艺流程：鲜柿→脱涩软化→洗涤去蒂→熬煮→过滤→澄清→加苯甲酸钠密封贮存。２．操作要点：１．脱涩软化：将挑好的无病虫害的鲜柿放入缸中，喷洒０．０５～０．１％的乙烯利，然后密闭１～２天即成脱涩软柿。用酒精脱...     

Study on Growth and Genetic Gains of Different Families in Eucalyptus urophylla Second Generation Seed Orchards

A second-generation seedling seed orchard including 32 open-pollinated families of Eucalyptus urophylla was built at Gaoyao City, Guangdong Province to examine the genetic performance of the orchard, which were selected from the superior trees in an improvement seed orchard. Compared to the characteristics of height, DBH, individual volume, stem form, branch and blossom quantities among different families at 22 months. The results indicate that: (1) The most superior families in individual volume and blossom quantities include No. 11,8,40,27 and 2 families; (2) With the 50%-selected rate, the genetic gain of individual volume of the superior families from seed orchard was estimated to be 4.84%.