Salt‐Induced Regulation of Some Key Antioxidant Enzymes and Physio‐Biochemical Phenomena in Five Diverse Cultivars of Turnip (Brassica rapa L.)

A greenhouse experiment was carried out to examine the differential morpho‐physiological responses of five cultivars of turnip (Brassica rapa L.) to salt stress. Five diverse cultivars of turnip (shaljum desi surakh, shaljum purple top, shaljum golden bal, neela shaljum, and peela shaljum) were subjected for 6 weeks to varying levels of NaCl, i.e. 0, 80 and 160 mm in Hoagland’s nutrient solution in sand culture. Imposition of varying levels of salt substantially decreased shoot and root fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll contents, leaf osmotic potential, relative water contents, different gas exchange attributes, total phenolics, malondialdehyde, activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase catalase, and leaf and root K⁺ levels while enhanced the proline contents, membrane permeability, level of H₂O₂, leaf and root Na⁺ and Cl^? and leaf Ca²⁺ in all turnip cultivars under study. Of all cultivars, peela shaljum and neela shaljum were consistently higher in their growth than the other turnip cultivars at all salt concentrations of the growth medium. Photosynthetic capacity (A) and stomatal conductance (g_s) were higher in high biomass‐producing cultivars, i.e. peela shaljum and neela shaljum, which provide to be potential selection criteria of salt tolerance in turnip. However, the regulation of antioxidant system was cultivar‐specific under saline conditions.     

Analysis of Some Divalent Metal Contents in Tobacco Expressing the Exogenous Soybean Ferritin Gene

Abstract

T2 tobacco lines overexpressing soybean ferritin in the plastids (+TPs) or apoplasm (AFs) under the regulation of CaMV 35S promoter were grown on MS nutrient solution. After 1 month growth, statuses of six major divalent‐metals (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Zn) were measured in leaves and roots. Both +TPs and AFs showed enhanced growth (max. 1.7×) in leaves than the control line. The Fe contents in leaves of +TPs and AFs were significantly larger (1.9–2.8×) than that of the control line. The other metal contents in leaves of +TPs and AFs were almost the same as or less than those of the control line. In contrast to the result of leaves, the growth enhancement in roots was not clear in +TPs, but in AFs. Also, some of the non‐ferrous metal contents in roots of +TPs and AFs were dramatically increased compared with those of the control line (Mn, 1.9–10.4×; Zn, 1.6–2.3×), whereas the differences in content of Fe, Cu, Ca, and Mg were insignificant. These results demonstrated that the ferritin overexpression in apoplasm was as effective for inducing Fe accumulation as that in plastid. Under the normal metal‐balanced condition, even if the activation of Fe uptake related enzymes leads to the accumulation of non‐specific accumulation of divalent metal ions in roots, an Fe loading/unloading system and/or an internal translocator in xylem and phloem might specifically deliver Fe to the upper part of plants.     

乳状液膜在金属离子测定中的分离富集作用

简要介绍乳状液膜技术在金属离子分析测定中的分离富集作用以及新的研究和应用进展状况。     

New aspects of soybean somatic embryogenesis

Somatic embryo formation from immature cotyledons was improved in the following ways: by cutting into sections, supplementing culture media with spermine and using solid/liquid/solid type of culture. Cut cotyledons of the eight genotypes examined expressed a higher ability for somatic embryogenesis than whole cotyledons. Of the three polyamines tested, spermine considerably stimulated and putrescine slightly inhibited induction of somatic embryos. The ability of embryoid formation on medium with spermidine depended on the genotype. The solid/liquid/solid type of culture was better than the continuous solid culture. The best nitrogen ion content for the subculture of somatic embryos was 10 mM NH₄NO₃ and 30 mM KNO₃. The possibility of using these modifications in Agrobacterium transformation is discussed.     

离子辐射育种研究进展

本文重点介绍能量为(MeVu)级离子辐射的生物效应和离子辐射育种研究的国内外现状,以及作者在该领域中的初步研究结果,简述了低能离子束(几十keV)在辐射育种研究中遇到的一些问题。     

恒电荷土壤及可变电荷土壤与离子间相互作用的研究 I.共存离子对NO_3~-吸附的影响

研究了我国典型３种可变电荷土壤和４种恒电荷土壤在陪伴阳离子分别为Ｋ十、Ｎａ十、Ｃａ２＋时和１ｍｍｏｌＬ－１ＫＣ１、Ｋ２ＳＯ４支持电解质中ＮＯ３－的吸附。结果表明，ＮＯ３－吸附量随ｐＨ的增加而减小。在添加相同浓度ＮＯ３－时，３种可变电荷土壤对ＮＯ３－的吸附量顺序为Ｃａ（ＮＯ３）２＞ ＫＮＯ３＞ＮａＮＯ３＞ＫＮＯ３十ＫＣＩ＞ＫＮＯ３＋Ｋ２ＳＯ４；在初始ＮＯ３－浓度０．５－５ｍｍｏｌＬ－１的范围内，吸附量随浓度变化的关系符合Ｌａｎｇｍｕｉｒ等温吸附式．由此求出与ＮＯ３－吸附结合能有关的常数（Ｋ）在不同共存离子存在下数值较小且差异不大，因此认为不同陪伴阳离子和不同伴随阴离子对ＮＯ３－吸附的电性机理影响不大，只是改变了土壤表面的正电荷数量从而使吸附量发生变化。４种恒电荷土壤对ＮＯ３－的吸附量通常很小，其中在Ｃａ（ＮＯ３）２介质中较在其他介质中稍大，最大吸附量仅为１．５～ｍｍｏｌ ｋｇ－１左右，约为可变电荷土壤的１／１０，且在浓度较低时常观察到负吸附。     

用稀悬液Wien效应测量法来研究重金属离子与水稻土的相互作用

Interactions of three heavy metal ions, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺, and, for comparison, Na⁺ with electrodialytic clay fractions (less than 2 μm in diameter) of four paddy soils as well as a yellow-brown soil as a control soil were evaluated based on measurements of the Wien effect in dilute suspensions with a clay concentration of 10 g kg^?1 in four nitrate solutions of 2 × 10^?4/z mol L^?1, where z is the cation valence, and a nitric acid solution of 3 × 10^?5 mol L^?1. Field strengths ranging from 15 to 230 kV cm^?1 were applied for measuring the electrical conductivities (ECs) of the suspensions. The mean free binding energies between the various cations and all of the soils determined from exchange equilibrium increased in the order: Na⁺ < Cd²⁺ < Cu²⁺ < Pb²⁺. In general, the ECs of the suspensions in the sodium nitrate solution were smaller than those of the suspensions in the heavy metal solutions because of the lower electrophoretic mobility of sodium compared to the divalent cations. In terms of relative electrical conductivity-field strength relationships, relative electrical conductivity (REC) of suspensions containing various cations at field strengths larger than about 50 kV cm^?1 were in the descending order: Na⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺ for all tested soils. A characteristic parameter of the REC-field strength curves, ΔREC₂₀₀, REC at a field strength of 200 kV cm^?1 minus that at the local minimum of the concave segment of the REC-field strength curves, characterized the strength of adsorption of the cations stripped off by the applied strong electrical field, and for all soils the values of ΔREC₂₀₀ were generally in the order: Na⁺ < Cu²⁺ ≤ Cd²⁺ ≤ Pb²⁺.     

Critical body residues (CBRs) for ecotoxicological soil quality assessment: copper in earthworms

The term ‘critical body residue’ (CBR) was defined as the lowest observed total body concentration of a contaminant in an organism, which is associated with the occurrence of adverse toxic effects in either individuals or populations of a defined age or stage of development. In this study, internal toxicity thresholds were determined for copper in the clitellated adult stage of earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus and Aporrectodea caliginosa). The objective was to assess the applicability of CBRs as a practical tool in soil quality assessment of contaminated sites and as a means of a sustainable protection of earthworm fauna. Laboratory studies showed that body concentrations of Cu were generally in agreement with the chemically available CaCl₂-extractable fraction in soil, but that there was also some evidence of internal pH-related homeostatic regulation. Toxicological correlates of body Cu concentrations with adverse effects on cocoon production (fecundity) suggested an approximate sublethal internal threshold of about 40 mg kg⁻¹, with mortality occurring at about 60 mg kg⁻¹. Adult L. rubellus sampled from areas with a wide range of metal pollution showed body Cu concentrations with a minimum of 8 mg kg⁻¹ and a maximum of 60 mg kg⁻¹. Beyond this apparent physiological tolerance range, environmental management directed at optimal earthworm population survival may not be sustainable in contaminated fields. Studies of L. rubellus colonizing a metal-contaminated experimental sludge-treated field showed that a reduced rate of colonization can already be associated with an average body Cu concentration of 25 mg kg⁻¹. However, in this particular field situation mixture effects of other metals that were also present in the soil and the occurrence of avoidance behaviour during colonization may have contributed to this low internal toxicity threshold. It is concluded that the CBR approach seems to be a feasible option for use as a tool in a bioavailability-based soil quality assessment, even for essential trace metals like copper, but that further insight may be needed to establish the uncertainty and reliability of the application in environmental quality assessment and decision making.     

Interactions between earthworms, trees, soil nutrition and metal mobility in amended Pb/Zn mine tailings from Guangdong, China

This paper reports research that attempts to rehabilitate toxic Pb/Zn mine tailings, in Guangdong, China, to achieve a healthy functional soil that supports sustainable vegetation. We studied the effects of the earthworm Pheretima guillelmi on the growth of a woody legume Leucaena leucocephala on Pb/Zn mine tailings diluted with varying amounts of mineral soil in pot experiments. L. leucocephala grew successfully on tailings with a 25% (w/w) soil amendment, but P. guillelmi only survived and actively burrowed with a 50% soil amendment. The presence of earthworms improved the yield of plants by 10-30%. Whilst earthworms marginally increased available N and P in soil, they increased uptake of phosphorus (by about 10%) to above-ground plant tissues. Six-month-old plants were more sensitive than 10-month plants to metal stress. P. guillelmi increased bioavailable metal concentrations in the amended spoils, accompanied by a direct increase of metal uptake by the plants. Increased metal uptake by plants was largely due to the higher dry matter production stimulated by earthworm activity, but this increased the rate of metal uptake into plants from spoil by at least 16% and as much as 53%. These results demonstrate that we should broaden the ecological context of phytoremediation by considering the plant-soil-animal interactions that influence metal mobility.     

无机盐离子对早期牛胚胎在体外发育的影响

本研究系统的探索了培养液中的主要无机盐离子对早期牛胚胎在体外发育的影响。结果表明：培养液中的Ｎａ＋／Ｋ＋比显著影响牛胚胎在体外的发育，提高Ｋ＋浓度有降低囊胚率的作用，最适的Ｎａ＋／Ｋ＋比为１１４／３．２；Ｃａ２＋和Ｍｇ２＋同样为胚胎发育所必需，其最适浓度分别为２ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ和０．５ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ；培养液中添加２．８８ｍｇ／Ｌ的Ｚｎ２＋，其囊胚发育率显著高于空白对照组；培养液中添加０．０２５ｍｇ／Ｌ或０．２５ｍｇ／Ｌ的Ｃｕ２＋完全抑制囊胚发育。这表明Ｚｎ２＋对早期牛胚胎在体外发育有显著的促进作用，Ｃｕ２＋对早期牛胚胎在体外发育有强烈的抑制作用。