Acquired Thermo‐Tolerance and Trans‐Generational Heat Stress Response at Flowering in Rice

In rice, pre‐exposure to sublethal treatment followed by harsh lethal treatment is known to improve tolerance of different abiotic stresses at the vegetative stage within and across generations. Our major aim was to test the phenomenon of thermo‐tolerance at flowering across (trans)‐generations and within generation using rice cultivars contrasting for heat stress tolerance at flowering. To test trans‐generational response, plants were exposed to higher temperature at flowering stage and seeds obtained from previous generations were exposed to heat stress during flowering, which recorded significantly lower fertility when exposed to the same degree of stress in their subsequent generations. A pre‐acclimation to moderately high acclimating temperatures imposed over three different durations during the vegetative and initial reproductive stage showed positive response in the tolerant N22, particularly under severe heat stress (40 °C). This finding indicates the possibility of acquiring ameliorative thermo‐tolerant mechanisms at anthesis, restricted to tolerant genetic backgrounds to combat subsequent harsh conditions within the same generation. However, trans‐generational memory was ineffective in mitigating spikelet sterility losses in both tolerant and susceptible backgrounds. Rice is extremely sensitive to heat stress during flowering; hence, similar exercise across other crops of interest needs to be carried out before generalizing conclusions.     

响应面法优化香水莲花甾醇的超声提取工艺

为了分析香水莲花的植物甾醇含量并优化其超声提取工艺,采用高效液相色谱（HPLC）法测定香水莲花中菜籽甾醇、菜油甾醇和β-谷甾醇的含量,再以上述3种甾醇提取量为评价指标,对液料比、超声提取温度和超声提取时间进行单因素试验,在此基础上,再采用Box-Behnken响应面法优化香水莲花甾醇提取工艺并进行验证。结果表明,影响香水莲花甾醇提取量的主次因素是液料比>提取时间>提取温度,其最优工艺条件为以95%乙醇为提取溶剂、超声功率100 W、液料比30∶1（mL/g）、超声提取温度60 ℃、超声提取时间30 min;在最优工艺条件下进行验证实验,得出香水莲花中甾醇含量为菜籽甾醇64.61 mg/100 g、菜油甾醇40.77 mg/100 g、β-谷甾醇99.04 mg/100 g,总甾醇204.42 mg/100 g,综合评分与预测值相比差异不显著（P<0.05）。研究结果为香水莲花资源的开发和利用提供参考。     

甘蓝型油菜耐低温生长生理生化响应机制

为提高甘蓝型油菜耐寒育种过程中的筛选效率，研究甘蓝型油菜耐低温机理，以8个不同抗寒性的甘蓝型油菜为材料，对低温条件下各材料的生物量、叶绿素、脯氨酸和相对电导率进行测定，发现在室外平均气温2.75℃时，抗性材料的生物量、叶绿素和脯氨酸的累积量都显著高于敏感材料，相对电导率没有显著差异；当平均气温7.52℃回升至12.39℃，抗性材料和敏感材料生物量的累积量无显著差异；在恒定低温10℃/4℃处理下抗性材料和敏感材料在处理前3周生物量均持续累积，但从第4周开始敏感材料新叶出现白斑，生物量减少，抗性材料老叶出现白斑，生物量维持不变。结果表明，耐低温材料在低温条件下叶绿素含量受到的影响较小，脯氨酸的积累量持续上升，具有较强的快速适应能力，在低温下具有显著的持续生长优势。     

黄地老虎成虫对15种植物挥发物的电生理和行为反应

【目的】 筛选对黄地老虎Agrotis segetum雌性成虫具有引诱活性的植物挥发物,为黄地老虎食诱剂的研发提供候选物质【方法】 利用触角电位仪(EAG)测试黄地老虎雌性成虫对15种植物挥发物的电生理反应,通过风洞试验,评价每种物质对黄地老虎雌性成虫的吸引作用。【结果】 黄地老虎雌性成虫触角对4种挥发物(癸烷、对乙基苯乙酮、2-甲基壬烷和3,3-二甲基辛烷)没有明显的EAG反应,对其余11种挥发物(1,2-二乙苯、1,4-二乙苯、丁酸丁酯、4,8-二甲基-1,3,7-壬三烯、桉叶油醇、乙酸叶醇酯、芳樟醇、β-月桂烯、壬醛、罗勒烯和β-蒎烯)的电生理反应明显,且反应程度随着挥发物浓度的增加而增加,在最大测试浓度100 μg/mL时产生最强烈的电生理反应。在风洞测试中,黄地老虎雌性成虫对1,2-二乙苯、1,4-二乙苯、丁酸丁酯、癸烷、4,8-二甲基-1,3,7-壬三烯、对乙基苯乙酮、桉叶油醇、乙酸叶醇酯、芳樟醇、β-月桂烯、壬醛、3,3-二甲基辛烷、罗勒烯和β-蒎烯14种挥发物表现出明显的行为趋好。【结论】 筛选出对黄地老虎雌性成虫具有电生理和行为吸引活性的植物挥发物组分。     

Genetic analysis and QTL mapping of growth period traits and plant height traits in soybean recombinant inbred lines from Dongnong 47 × PI 317334-B

High and stable yield is the main goal of soybean genetic improvement. In this study, association analysis was used to detect the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the plant height, and soybean growth period using 182 SSR markers in the RIL population of 136 F_4:8 lines, which developed from a cross between photoperiod-insensitive cultivar ‘Dongnong 47’ and photoperiod-sensitive variety PI317334–B. The results showed that 33 QTLs related to soybean growth period and plant height traits were detected by compound interval mapping, and were located on 12 linkage groups including N, C1, C2, J, D1a, B2, E, G, A2, O, L, I, with the contribution rate of 7.85–33.84%. These QTL loci and linkage markers related to soybean photoperiod sensitivity, would be helpful to identify key genes that control soybean photoperiod sensitivity, and provide an important basis for the breeding of new photoperiod-insensitive soybean varieties based on molecular design breeding.     

Effect of forsythiaside A on immune function in rats with ulcerative colitis

AIM To investigate the effect of forsythiaside A (FA) on immune function in rats with ulcerative colitis and its related mechanism. METHODS Healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group (no treatment, normal feeding), model group (establishment of rat ulcerative colitis model), and low, medium and high doses of FA groups (treatment of the model rats with FA at 5 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg, respectively). The malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in rat colon tissues were measured by colorimetry, and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 were detected by ELISA. The spleen index and thymus index, the percentages of CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMC）, the serum IgA and IgG levels, and the serum complement C3 and C4 levels were also determined. RESULTS The colon tissues of the rats in model group showed obvious inflammation and ulceration, indicating that the animal model was successfully established. Compared with model group, the colonic inflammation and ulceration were significantly attenuated in FA groups, among which the high dose had the best effect. Compared with control group, the spleen index and thymus index of the rars in model group were decreased (P<0.05), MDA content in colon tissues was increased (P<0.05), and SOD activity in colon tissues was decreased (P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in PBMC, and the serum levels of C3, C4 and IL-4 were decreased (P<0.05), while the serum levels of IgA, IgG, TNF-α, and IL-2 were increased in model group as compared with control group. Furthermore, the spleen index and thymus index of the rats in FA groups were increased (P<0.05), the MDA content in the colon tissues was decreased (P<0.05), and the SOD activity in the colon tissues was increased (P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in PBMC, and the serum levels of C3, C4 and IL-4 were increased (P<0.05), while serum IgA, IgG, TNF-α and IL-2 levels were decreased in FA groups as compared with model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Forsythiaside A effectively attenuates the colonic lesions in rats with ulcerative colitis, and its mechanism may be related to reinforcement of oxygen free radical scavenging power, alleviation of inflammatory response, and enhancement of immune function.     

铁皮石斛PRC2复合体成员的鉴定及对胁迫响应的表达分析

为了探讨PRC2复合体在铁皮石斛生长发育和胁迫响应中的功能,通过生物信息学方法筛选了铁皮石斛PRC2核心成员DcCLF、DcSWN、DcEMF2、DcFIE和DcMSI1,借助酵母双杂交技术分析了它们之间的互作关系,利用半定量PCR分析了PRC2核心成员的组织表达谱,通过荧光定量PCR检测了它们对非生物胁迫(低温、高温、脱水)和病害胁迫(齐整小核菌、灰葡萄孢霉菌)的响应情况。结果表明,铁皮石斛PRC2复合体包含5个成员:E(z)同源基因DcCLF和DcSWN、Su(z)12基因DcEMF2、ESC基因DcFIE、p55基因DcMSI1,且这5个成员间的互作关系基本符合模式植物的互作模式,也存在物种特异性,表明PRC2复合体在进化中既有保守性也有特殊性。PRC2核心成员在铁皮石斛根、茎、叶、花蕾、成花中均有表达,但不同基因的表达存在组织差异性。同时,PRC2成员响应不同的环境和病害胁迫:DcCLF受低温、高温和脱水等各种环境胁迫的显著诱导;DcMSI1和DcEMF2在齐整小核菌侵染下表达明显上调,而DcSWN在灰葡萄孢霉菌侵染下受诱导程度最大。铁皮石斛PRC2复合体在生长发育和胁迫应答中发挥重要作用,可为分子辅助育种提供关键靶标基因。     

Ss-Bi1 encodes a putative BAX inhibitor-1 protein that is required for full virulence of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a destructive necrotrophic plant pathogen with global distribution. Although S. sclerotiorum has been studied extensively, substantial research on aspects of the pathogen's ability to cause disease is still needed. Bax inhibitor-1 protein functions as a suppressor of programmed cell death and is involved in the response to biotic and abiotic stress in animals, plants and yeast. In this study, we functionally characterized a putative Bax inhibitor-1 protein, Ss-Bi1, from S. sclerotiorum. Ss-Bi1 is predicted to contain a BAX inhibitor-1-like super family domain and shows significant homology with many BAX inhibitor-1 proteins. High expression levels of Ss-Bi1 were observed in hyphae under various stresses. Targeted silencing of Ss-Bi1 resulted in reduced virulence in host plants. Ss-Bi1 gene-silenced strains were more sensitive to heat stress and ER stress than the wild-type strain. The results suggest that Ss-Bi1 encodes a putative BAX inhibitor-1 protein that is required for full virulence of S. sclerotiorum.     

Genes for resistance to powdery mildew in European barley cultivars registered in the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2015

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is cultivated on 49.1 million hectares worldwide with 50.2% of the area located in Europe. Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), occurs wherever barley is grown. Cultivar resistance plays an important role in global barley production, especially in parts of Europe where high concentrations of both spring and winter types are grown. The aim of this report was to postulate specific resistance genes in barleys from nine European countries registered in the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2015. Thirty‐five spring cultivars and 27 winter barleys were tested with 56 diverse Bgh isolates. Twenty‐five known resistance genes were postulated, and unknown genes were detected in Sandra, Saturn and Zeppelin. Unidentified specific resistance genes were also present in winter hybrids Hobbit and Wootan. Spring cultivars Arthur and Francin consisted of three and two genotypes, respectively. Resistance gene mlo was present in 26 spring cultivars, and the proportion of cultivars with this gene increased from 62.9% in 2006–2010 to 75.7% in 2011–2015. The gene Mlp1 was identified for the first time in German winter cultivar Saturn. Five spring cultivars registered in Slovakia were included in the tests. All the cultivars that were tested contained one or more specific resistance genes to powdery mildew. Adaptability of the pathogen and possibilities for breeding winter barleys are discussed.