Responses of glutamine synthetase activity and gene expression to nitrogen levels in winter wheat cultivars with different grain protein content

Glutamine synthetase (GS) plays a central role in plant nitrogen (N) metabolism, which improves crops grain protein content. A pot experiment in field condition was carried out to evaluate GS expression and activity, and grain protein content in high (Wanmai16) and low grain protein (Loumai24) wheat cultivars under two N levels (0.05 and 0.15 g N kg⁻¹ soil). High nitrogen (HN) resulted in significant increases in GS1 and GS2 expression at 10 days after anthesis (DAA), and higher GS activity during the entire grain filling stage. HN also significantly increased yield, grain protein content and protein fraction (except for glutenin of Luomai24) in two wheat cultivars, which indicated that it increased grain yield and protein content by improving nitrogen metabolism. Wanmai16 showed higher grain protein content, gliadin and glutenin content, and had higher expression level of GS2 both in flag leaves and grains at early grain filling stage. However, Luomai24 had greater yield and higher expression level of GS1. The difference expression of GS2 and GS1 genes indicates they had various contributions to the accumulation of protein and starch in wheat grains, respectively. The results suggest that GS2 would be serving as a potential breeding target for improving wheat quality.     

An improved method for extraction of sorghum polymeric protein complexes

A method for fractionating sorghum proteins using extraction solvents and techniques designed to obtain polymeric protein structures (especially disulfide linked) was developed. Extraction and separation conditions were optimized in terms of completeness of protein extraction, sample stability, and analytical resolution. After pre-extraction of albumins and globulins, a 3-step sequential procedure involving no reducing agents was applied to ground whole sorghum flour. The three fractions obtained represented proportionally different protein polymer contents and molecular weight distribution as evidenced by comparative size exclusion chromatography. Protein composition also varied among the extracts with differences in kafirin composition and non-kafirin proteins detected in the fractions by RP-HPLC and SDS-PAGE analysis. The ability to quantify and further characterize sorghum polymeric protein complexes will be useful for additional studies linking protein structures with functionality and digestibility and variations for these properties within diverse sorghum germplasm.     

Ethyl acetate fraction of flavonoids from Polygonum hydropiper L. modulates pseudorabies virus-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells via the nuclear factor-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection leads to severe inflammatory responses and tissue damage, and many natural herbs exhibit protective effects against viral infection by modulating the inflammatory response. An ethyl acetate fraction of flavonoids from Polygonum hydropiper L. (FEA) was prepared through ethanol extraction and ethyl acetate fractional extraction. An inflammatory model was established in RAW264.7 cells with PRV infection to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of FEA by measuring cell viability, nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) release, and mRNA expression of inflammatory factors, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Its functional mechanism was investigated by analyzing the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of key proteins in the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Our findings indicate that PRV induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells, and the responses were similar to that in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cells. FEA significantly suppressed NO synthesis and down-regulated both expression and secretion of COX-2, iNOS, and inflammatory cytokines (P<0.05 or P<0.01). FEA also reduced NF-κB p65 translocation into the nucleus and decreased MAPK phosphorylation, indicating that the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway may be closely related to the inflammatory response during viral infection. The findings suggested the potential pharmaceutical application of FEA as a natural product that can treat viral infections due to its ability to mitigate inflammatory responses.     

Zn distribution and bioavailability in whole grain and grain fractions of winter wheat as affected by applications of soil N and foliar Zn combined with N or P

A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar Zn combined with N or P on Zn concentration and bioavailability in wheat grain and its milling fractions under different soil N levels. At maturity, grains were harvested and fractionated into flour and bran for nutrient analysis. Both high soil N supply and foliar Zn-enriched fertilizer applications greatly increased Zn concentration and bioavailability in both whole grain and grain fractions. Compared with foliar Zn alone, foliar Zn combined with N increased Zn concentration and bioavailability, whereas foliar Zn combined with P decreased Zn concentration and bioavailability. However, foliar Zn combined with P slightly increased the protein concentration compared to foliar Zn alone. Protein concentration significantly increased, whereas phytate concentration decreased, in whole grain and flour, both in soil N and foliar Zn-enriched N treatments. Therefore, foliar Zn plus N (with appropriate soil N management) may be a promising strategy for addressing dietary Zn micronutrient deficiencies, especially in countries where flour is a significant component of the daily diet.     

花后不同强度遮光对糯小麦和非糯小麦淀粉组分和理化特性的影响

花后弱光影响小麦淀粉分子积累和结构形成,进而使面粉的加工品质和食用品质变劣。本研究以非糯小麦轮选987和糯小麦农大糯50206为材料,设置3个花后遮光处理(不遮光、遮光30%和遮光60%),研究了花后不同强度遮光对小麦籽粒中淀粉组分及其理化特性的影响。结果表明,花后弱光胁迫使小麦籽粒中总淀粉含量减少,A-型淀粉粒比例增加,淀粉相对结晶度增大。花后光照强度降低,轮选987淀粉的峰值黏度、谷值黏度、最终黏度、稀澥值和反弹值增大,而农大糯50206淀粉的上述参数则呈减小趋势。轮选987淀粉的起始温度、峰值温度和终止温度随弱光胁迫的增强而降低,而糊化焓呈增加趋势;相反,农大糯50206淀粉的上述热力学特征参数呈降低趋势。相关性分析表明,直链淀粉含量、直/支比、A-型淀粉粒体积比例与相对结晶度、峰值黏度、谷值黏度、稀澥值、糊化时间和糊化焓呈显著负相关,与最终黏度和反弹值存在极显著正相关。可见,小麦花后光照强度降低影响籽粒淀粉组分和粒度分布,从而改变了淀粉的晶体、糊化和热力学特性。     

椭圆嗜蓝层孔菌子实体化学成分研究

椭圆嗜蓝层孔菌(Phellinus ellipsoidea)子实体甲醇提取物依次用石油醚和乙酸乙酯萃取,其乙酸乙酯分部经柱层析分离得到11个化合物。经鉴定这11个化合物分别为:苯并(1,2-b,5,4-b′)二呋喃-3,5-二酮-8-甲酸甲酯(1)、原儿茶酸(2)、4-(3,4-二羟苯基)-3-丁烯-2-酮(3)、原儿茶醛(4)、Hispidin(5)、Hispolon(6)、Inoscavin A(7)、Phelligridin K(8)、Inoscavin C(9)、Inoscavin E(10)和Inonoblins B(11),其中化合物2、4、7、10为首次从该物种中分离得到。     

基于机载LiDAR数据的玉米叶面积指数反演

以机载LiDAR离散点云数据为数据源,基于植被冠层孔隙率与叶面积指数的关系,提出一种反演大田玉米叶面积指数的方法。对反演LAI和实测LAI进行对比分析,结果表明:基于Axelsson改进的不规则三角格网加密方法可以将地面点和非地面点分开,结合高分辨率影像能够提取出玉米冠层点云;基于孔隙率反演LAI,尼尔逊参数的选择对结果影响很大,利用扫描天顶角模拟尼尔逊参数,LAI反演结果接近于真实情况。利用机载LiDAR点云数据能精确地反演大田玉米LAI,该研究方法适用于中等高度的农作物,可以扩展到甜菜、甘蔗等其他中等高度农作物。     

Enhancing the Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) approach for estimating landscape ET: Validation with the METRIC model

Evapotranspiration (ET) can be derived from satellite data using surface energy balance principles. METRIC (Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration) is one of the most widely used models available in the literature to estimate ET from satellite imagery. The Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) model is much easier and less expensive to implement. The main purpose of this research was to present an enhanced version of the Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) model and to evaluate its performance using the established METRIC model. In this study, SSEB and METRIC ET fractions were compared using 7 Landsat images acquired for south central Idaho during the 2003 growing season. The enhanced SSEB model compared well with the METRIC model output exhibiting an r² improvement from 0.83 to 0.90 in less complex topography (elevation less than 2000 m) and with an improvement of r² from 0.27 to 0.38 in more complex (mountain) areas with elevation greater than 2000 m. Independent evaluation showed that both models exhibited higher variation in complex topographic regions, although more with SSEB than with METRIC. The higher ET fraction variation in the complex mountainous regions highlighted the difficulty of capturing the radiation and heat transfer physics on steep slopes having variable aspect with the simple index model, and the need to conduct more research. However, the temporal consistency of the results suggests that the SSEB model can be used on a wide range of elevation (more successfully up 2000 m) to detect anomalies in space and time for water resources management and monitoring such as for drought early warning systems in data scarce regions. SSEB has a potential for operational agro-hydrologic applications to estimate ET with inputs of surface temperature, NDVI, DEM and reference ET.     

Long-term water balances in La Violada Irrigation District (Spain): II. Analysis of irrigation performance

The analysis of long-term irrigation performance series is a valuable tool to improve irrigation management and efficiency. This work focuses in the assessment of irrigation performance indices along years 1995-2008, and the cause-effect relationships with irrigation modernization works taking place in the 4000 ha surface-irrigated La Violada Irrigation District (VID). Irrigation management was poor, as shown by the low mean seasonal irrigation consumptive use coefficient (ICUC = 51%) and the high relative water deficit (RWD = 20%) and drainage fraction (DRF = 54%). April had the poorest irrigation performance because corn (with low water demand in this month) was irrigated to promote its emergence, whereas winter grains (with high water demands in this month) were not fully irrigated in water-scarce years. Corn, highly sensitive to water stress, was the crop with best irrigation performance because it was preferentially irrigated to minimize yield losses. The construction of a new elevated canal that decreased seepage and drainage fractions, the entrance in operation of six internal reservoirs that would increase irrigation scheduling flexibility, and the on-going transformation from surface to sprinkler irrigation systems are critical changes in VID that should lead to improved ICUC, lower RWD and lower DRF. The implications of these modernization works on the conservation of water quantity and quality within and outside VID is further discussed.     

黄芩纤维构成及黄酮含量的差异分析

为分析不同粒度黄芩颗粒纤维构成及黄酮含量的差异性,以5种黄芩为研究对象,分别对不同品种、不同粒度的黄芩样品中木质素、半纤维素和纤维素等纤维构成及黄芩甙、汉黄芩甙、黄芩素和汉黄芩素等主要黄酮含量进行了测定。通过方差分析发现,不同粒度黄芩中纤维构成、黄芩甙、黄芩素和总黄酮含量差异显著(P<0.05),汉黄芩甙和汉黄芩素含量无显著性差异(P>0.05)。