茶树花青素形成分子机理的研究进展

花青素是由类黄酮合成途径产生的次生代谢产物,含量高时会使茶树新梢呈现红色或紫色。同时,花青素相比儿茶素等具有更明显的抗氧化、预防肿瘤等药理保健作用。文章就茶树花青素合成途径、转录及转录后调控等方面进行综述,以期更好地为高花青素茶树的育种研究提供理论依据。     

转基因甘蔗BtG-2的T-DNA侧翼序列分析及其转化事件特异性检测

转基因甘蔗BtG-2是利用农杆菌介导法把Cry1Ac-2A-gna融合抗虫基因导入‘新台糖22号’的转基因甘蔗株系,具有良好的抗虫特性和农艺性状。为了明确转基因甘蔗BtG-2的分子特征及其检测方法,推进其生物安全性评价工作,以BtG-2的T2代为研究材料,利用Southern杂交检测外源基因在转基因甘蔗基因组内的拷贝数;利用染色体步移技术分离外源基因在甘蔗基因组中插入位点的侧翼序列,并建立了该转化体高效灵敏的特异性PCR检测方法。结果表明：Southern杂交检测证明外源T-DNA以单拷贝方式插入BtG-2株系;经过3次的热不对称巢式PCR扩增,获得外源基因T-DNA左边侧翼序列984 bp和右边侧翼序列705 bp;以这2个序列和相应的T-DNA的左右端序列分别设计3对检测引物对,建立了BtG-2株系的转化事件特异性PCR检测方法,扩增效率最高的引物对LS011/LA451和RS160/RA588分别扩增到440 bp和428 bp的特异片段。其中T-DNA左侧设计的LS011/LA451检测引物对扩增的灵敏度高、特异性强,能够在甘蔗BtG-2基因组DNA相对含量为0.1%的模板中检测出转基因目的成分,相当于9个单倍体基因组拷贝数。本研究完成了转基因株系BtG-2的分子特征及其转化事件特异性检测,为该转基因甘蔗及其衍生产品的检测和身份识别提供技术依据。     

镇江长江豚类省级自然保护区水域生态修复效果的监测与评价

自2006年以来,长江豚类极度濒危的生存状况得到广泛关注,在其自然保护区实施一系列生态修复工程,为镇江长江豚类省级自然保护区内的江豚提供良好的生存环境。于2015—2018年在和畅洲水域建设生态浮岛、人工鱼巢和放流底栖动物进行水域生态修复,对生态修复工程进行跟踪监测和效果评价。结果表明：生态浮岛的建设可提高区域内浮游植物和浮游动物的生物多样性和群落结构复杂程度;人工鱼巢对产黏性卵鱼类具有一定增殖效果,增殖种类主要为鲤、鲫、䱗和黄尾鲴;生态浮岛和人工鱼巢的建设对鱼类均有较好的聚集效果;底栖动物增殖放流显著增加了放流物种的丰度、生物量及保护区底栖动物群落生物量,增殖放流效果评价为中等。该自然保护区水域生态修复效果明显,为工程施工影响下水生生物保护区生态修复提供科学依据。     

Exogenous application of allelopathic water extracts helps improving tolerance against terminal heat and drought stresses in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Em. Thell.)

The allelopathic water extracts (AWEs) may help improve the tolerance of crop plants against abiotic stresses owing to the presence of the secondary metabolites (i.e., allelochemicals). We conducted four independent experiments to evaluate the influence of exogenous application of AWEs (applied through seed priming or foliage spray) in improving the terminal heat and drought tolerance in bread wheat. In all the experiments, two wheat cultivars, viz. Mairaj‐2008 (drought and heat tolerant) and Faisalabad‐2008 (drought and heat sensitive), were raised in pots. Both wheat cultivars were raised under ambient conditions in the wire house till leaf boot stage (booting) by maintaining the pots at 75% water‐holding capacity (WHC). Then, managed drought and heat stresses were imposed by maintaining the pots at 35% WHC, or shifting the pots inside the glass canopies (at 75% WHC), at booting, anthesis and the grain filling stages. Drought stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 39%–49%. Foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield of wheat by 26%–31%, while seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 18%–26%, respectively, than drought stress. Terminal heat stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 38%. Seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 21%–27%; while foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield by 25%–29% than the heat stress treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous application of AWEs improved the stay green, accumulation of proline, soluble phenolics and glycine betaine, which helped to stabilize the biological membranes and improved the tolerance against terminal drought and heat stresses.     

Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

Effects of genes increasing the number of spikelets per panicle,TAW1 and APO1, on yield and yield-related traits in rice

The genes TAWAWA1 (TAW1) and ABERRANT PANICLE ORGANIZATION1 (APO1) increase the number of spikelets per panicle (SN). In the present study, we examined the effects of these genes on morphological traits, yield, and yield-related traits including yield components using the near-isogenic lines (NILs) in the genetic background of a japonica rice variety, Koshihikari – NIL-taw1, NIL-apo1-D3, and NIL-apo1-D4 – in a field experiment. The SN and total number of spikelets per area of the three NILs were larger than those of Koshihikari. However, the yield of the three NILs did not exceed that of Koshihikari due to their low filling ability. Interestingly, our field experiments indicated that TAW1 did not affect the diameter of internodes and the PN, whereas APO1 decreased the PN and increased the diameter of internodes. These results suggest that TAW1 and APO1 differently affect yield-related traits.     

Replication of neurovirulent equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) in CD172a+ monocytic cells

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is responsible for respiratory disorders, abortion and myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in horses. Two pathotypes of EHV-1 strains are circulating in the field: neurovirulent (N) and non-neurovirulent (NN). For both strains, CD172a⁺ monocytic cells are one of the main carrier cells of EHV-1 during primary infection, allowing the virus to invade the horse’s body. Recently, we showed that EHV-1 NN strains showed a restricted and delayed replication in CD172a⁺ cells. Here we characterize the in vitro replication kinetics of two EHV-1 N strains in CD172a⁺ cells and investigate if the replication of these strains is similarly silenced as shown for EHV-1 NN strains. We found that EHV-1 N replication was restricted to 7–8% in CD172a⁺ cells compared to 100% in control RK-13 cells. EHV-1 N replication was not delayed in CD172a⁺ cells but virus production was significant lower (10^3.0 TCID₅₀/10⁵ inoculated cells) than in RK-13 cells (10^8.5 TCID₅₀/10⁵ inoculated cells). Approximately 0.04% of CD172a⁺ cells produced and transmitted infectious EHV-1 to neighbour cells compared to 65% of RK-13 cells. Unlike what we observed for the NN strain, pretreatment of CD172a⁺ cells with histone deacetylases inhibitors (HDACi) did not influence the replication of EHV-1 N strains in these cells. Overall, these results show that the EHV-1 replication of N strains in CD172a⁺ cells differs from that observed for NN strains, which may contribute to their different pathogeneses in vivo.     

Looking back on development and disaster‐related displacement and resettlement,anticipating climate‐related displacement in the Asia Pacific region

The realisation that climate change might necessitate resettlement of people displaced initially raised interest in the experience of development‐forced displacement and resettlement (DFDR). Looking back, in 1980 the first international policy on involuntary resettlement was approved to address perceived weaknesses in state property and expropriation law to safeguard people in the way of development projects. Since then international policy and praxis have brought global attention to developmentally displaced people but have not guaranteed them an effective safeguard. Recently, renewed attention has focussed on state legal and governance frameworks substantively and procedurally. Identifying four key policy objectives that resonate with climate change displacement I analyse their treatment in a data base of DFDR laws and regulations from 40 Asia Pacific states. This analysis finds overall little legal congruence. Innovative new formulations in some Asian state laws address recent public criticisms and research findings, but mostly are yet to demonstrate positive outcomes for displaced people. Pacific states increasingly abandon expropriation law to negotiate lease terms for public infrastructure projects with customary landowners that do not extinguish customary title. Any laws governing climate change relocations must protect rights, livelihoods, well‐being, inclusive decision‐making and community initiatives with procedures whilst not relinquishing climate‐change‐reducing action.