Biological and Physical Constraints on Maize Production in the Humid Forest and Western Highlands of Cameroon

The aim was to identify biological and physical factors responsible for reducing maize yield in Cameroon. Two surveys were conducted in 137 fields in two agroecological zones in 1995–1997. In the Humid Forest (HF), Bipolaris maydis, Stenocarpella macrospora, Puccinia polysora, Rhizoctonia solani and soil fertility were factors that reduced maize production in 1995 and 1996. In the Western Highlands (WHL), Cercospora zeae-maydis, and the interaction between soil fertility and maize variety were the most important constraints to maize production in 1996. In 1997, C. zeae-maydis, S. macrospora, physiological spot and stem borer damage (Busseola fusca) were negatively related to ear weight. The combination of these biological factors (diseases and insects), and the physical parameter of soil fertility were responsible for reducing maize yield in these selected benchmarks of Cameroon. Maximum potential yield reductions were estimated at 68% due to B. maydis and 46% due to S. macrospora, respectively, in the HF in 1995. In 1996, maximum potential yield reductions in the HF were estimated at 34%, 41% and 30% due to S. macrospora, P. polysora and R. solani, respectively. In the WHL, C. zeae-maydis had the potential to cause a yield reduction of 79% in 1996. In the WHL in 1997, the interaction between C. zeae-maydis and B. fusca, stem diseases and the physiological spot caused potential reductions of 52%, 34% and 39%, respectively.     

The Complete Nucleotide Sequence of a Japanese Isolate of White clover mosaic virus Strain RC

The complete nucleotide sequence was determined for genomic RNA of White clover mosaic virus (WClMV-RC) isolated from red clover (Trifolium pratense) in Japan, It is 5843 nucleotides in length, excluding the poly(A) tail at the 3' terminus. Similar to other potexviruses, it contains five open reading frames (ORFs 1 through 5), which putatively encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (147 kDa), a triple gene block (TGB) (26 kDa/13 kDa/7 kDa), and a coat protein (CP) (22 kDa), respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the WClMV-RC CP was identical to that of WClMV-O, one of two New Zealand isolates, but only 85% identical to that of WClMV-M, the other New Zealand isolate, because of heterogeneity in the C-termini of CP amino acid sequences. The implication of this CP heterogeneity is discussed. Received 30 August 2001/ Accepted in revised form 11 January 2002     

Pathogenicity and Virulence of the Two Dutch VCGs of Verticillium dahliae to Woody Ornamentals

Two experiments were performed in two consecutive years to test whether isolates of different vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) differ in their ability to cause disease in woody ornamentals, to study the host specificity of the isolates and to get an insight into disease development in woody hosts. A range of woody ornamental plant species, including Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Catalpa bignonioides, Cotinus coggygria, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rosa canina, Syringa vulgaris and Tilia cordata, were root-dip inoculated with six isolates of Verticillium dahliae, belonging to the two VCGs that occur in the Netherlands (VCG NL-1 and VCG NL-2). Isolates belonging to each VCG caused severe symptoms of verticillium wilt in most plant species tested. Disease progress differed between plant species, but was generally the same for the two VCGs. No overall differences in virulence were observed between the two VCGs for external wilt symptoms, number of dead plants, or shoot length. No significant VCG × plant species interactions were present for these characteristics. However, isolates of VCG NL-1 caused more vascular discolouration than did isolates of VCG NL-2. Isolates within VCGs often differed considerably in their virulence to certain hosts, as shown by highly significant isolate × plant species interactions. Isolates were more virulent on their original host. These findings imply that VCG identification does not contribute to disease prediction for a range of woody hosts.     

Comparison of viral RNA populations of pathogenically distinct isolates of Citrus tristeza virus : application to monitoring cross-protection

The population of sequence variants of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates of different geographic origins and pathogenicity properties was characterized by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of cDNA of the genes p18, p13, p20 and p23. The mild isolates analysed here usually yielded a SSCP profile with two DNA bands, suggestive of a predominant sequence variant, whereas the SSCP profile of the most virulent isolates contained more than two DNA bands, indicating that their viral populations are likely to be more complex. The set of SSCP profiles of the four genes allowed identification of individual isolates, but no profile characteristic of a geographic area or a biogroup was found. Sweet orange plants singly inoculated with a mild or with a severe isolate yielded the SSCP profile characteristic of each isolate, whereas the SSCP profile of plants successively inoculated with both isolates was a composite of the two individual profiles. The SSCP profile of plants singly inoculated remained constant, but the profile of doubly inoculated plants varied with time. Plants in which the SSCP profile of the severe isolate became predominant showed stem pitting, and those in which the predominant profile corresponded to the mild isolate remained symptomless. The results indicate that SSCP analysis can be used to study changes in RNA populations of doubly inoculated plants and to monitor cross-protection between mild and severe isolates.     

渭河阶地全新世土壤粒度成分高分辨率研究

通过对渭河阶地全新世土壤的野外考察和粒度成分的高分辨率分析研究，揭示了该区域褐色土的成壤作用过程与季风气候变化的关系。研究表明渭河第二级阶地褐色土形成在全新世气候最适宜期（8500－3100a B.P.），从8500a B.P.开始该土壤开始发育，老官台文化兴起。从3100a B.P.开始的气候干旱化和沙尘暴堆积形成了黄土L。层。西周时期对应于该干旱期的初期。     

城市绿地系统对经济发展提升作用的机制——与大连市实证研究

城市绿地系统具有生态、经济、社会等多重属性 ,在城市复合系统中占有特殊的位置 ,对城市经济发展亦具有直接、间接的提升作用 :( 1 )改善城市环境质量 ,创造环境优势 ,促进城市地价及布局其间的各种经济成分增值 ;集聚外来资金和高新产业发展 ,带动整个城市产业结构优化升级。( 2 )绿地建设作为城市经济产业的有机组成部分 ,形成环境经济产业链 ,拉动其相关经济产业的发展 ,促进经济增长。 ( 3 )提高城市知名度 ,促进城市旅游业发展 ,集聚高素质人才 ,促进城市经济发展 ,本文以北方海滨城市大连为例 ,在定性分析绿地经济提升作用机制的基础上 ,建立计量经济模型 ,定量分析城市绿地系统的经济提升作用     

苯磺隆·甲磺隆·氯磺隆混合物的液相色谱分析

本文以甲醇 水 冰乙酸为流动相，采用C18不锈钢柱，检测波长240nm，对苯磺隆、甲磺隆、氯磺隆混合物进行反相高效液相色谱定量分析。该方法的标准差别分别为0.081、0.013和0.013，变异系数为0.886%、0.268%和0.256%，回收率为99.39%、99.29%和99.28%，线性相关系数为苯磺隆r=0.9994、甲磺隆r=0.9992、氯磺隆r=0.9991，线性方程为苯磺隆y=1360088.17x 1389384、甲磺隆y=972186.69X-21262.8、氯磺隆y=789773.50X 86258.8。     

双孢蘑菇性亲和性相关分子标记的初步筛选

以传统的形态，生理生化分析和最新的DCS－PDMA性亲和性测定方法为基础， 结合群体分离分析和RAPD技术来源于同一双孢蘑菇异核体菌株的12个不育同核原生质体个体进行分析，筛选与性亲和性相关的分子标记。研究结果表明，供试的12个不育同核原生质体个体被分成两大类性亲和性类型，其中一类（A^ ）包括不育同核原生质体个体B、C、D、E、F、G、H、I、J、L，另一类（A^-）则仅仅包括不育同核原生质体个体K和M，同时筛选到一个与性亲和性相关的分子标记OPA16 1500。从而为间地利用双孢蘑菇本身特有的交配型作标记来指导杂交育种工作和进一步将性亲和性基因定位分离克隆奠定了坚实的基础。     

月季切花乙烯受体ETR1 cDNA克隆及其序列分析*

 根据乙烯受体基因ETR1 保守区设计引物, 分别以瓶插寿命差异显著的月季切花品种‘德克萨斯’和‘维亚蒂’为材料, 通过RT-PCR 从花瓣中扩增出了797 bp 的cDNA 片段, 它编码265 个氨基酸。测序和序列分析表明,‘德克萨斯’重组质粒中插入片段的核苷酸序列之间完全相同, 命名为pRT-ETR1。而‘维亚蒂’所获得的重组质粒中插入片段的核苷酸和氨基酸序列之间存在差异, 同源性分别为85. 2 %和92. 1 % , 分别命名为pRV-ETR1-V4 和pRV-ETR1-V5。pRV2 ETR12V5 的核苷酸和氨基酸序列与‘德克萨斯’pRT2 ETR1 的同源性均达99 %以上; pRV-ETR1-V4 中的核苷酸和氨基酸序列与‘德克萨斯’pRT-ETR1 的同源性分别为85. 0 %和92. 5 %。上述插入片段与桃、苹果、天竺葵、拟南芥等植物的ETR1相应区域高度同源, 其氨基酸同源性均大于90 %。     

Functional Analysis of ABC Transporter Genes From Botrytis cinerea Identifies BcatrB as a Transporter of Eugenol

The role of multiple ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter genes from the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea in protection against natural fungitoxic compounds was studied by expression analysis and phenotyping of gene-replacement mutants. The expression of 11 ABC (BcatrA–BcatrK) and three MFS genes (Bcmfs1, Bcmfs2 and Bcmfs4) was studied. All genes showed a low basal level of expression, but were differentially induced by treatment with cycloheximide and the plant defence compounds camptothecin, eugenol, psoralen, resveratrol and rishitin. The latter compounds induced expression of BcatrB at a high level. Eugenol was more toxic to BcatrB gene-replacement mutants than to the control isolates. Eugenol also caused an instantaneous increase in mycelial accumulation of the fungicide fludioxonil, a known substrate of BcatrB. However, there was no difference in virulence between the wild-type and BcatrB gene-replacement mutants on Ocimum basilicum, a plant known to contain eugenol. The results indicate that BcatrB is a transporter of lipophilic compounds, such as eugenol, but its role in virulence remains uncertain.