Overproduction of reactive oxygen species involved in the pathogenicity of Fusarium in potato tubers

Differences in virulence between Fusarium sulphureum and Fusarium sambucinum were compared. Changes in reactive oxygen species production and metabolism in inoculated slices of potato tubers were also compared. The result showed that Fusarium infection induced significant production of ROS, lipid peroxidation and loss of cell membrane integrity, but low activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Compared to F. sambucinum, F. sulphureum led larger lesion diameters on potato tubers and slices. It resulted in more superoxide anion ($O_2^{-}$) and earlier peak of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), but lower activity of catalase (CAT) and APX, and accompanied with higher malondialdehyde (MDA) content and lower cell membrane integrity. These findings suggested that overproduction of ROS involved in the pathogenicity of Fusarium in potato tubers.     

Physiological Responses of Contrasting Rice Genotypes to Salt Stress at Reproductive Stage

Salinity is a major abiotic stress affecting plant growth and productivity. Considerable genetic variation is present in rice in response to salt stress, with higher sensitivity during early seedling and reproductive stage. In this study, physiological changes in leaves and developing panicles of rice genotypes(IR686, Sadri, Rc222, CSR28, IR670 and Pokkali) contrasting in salt tolerance at the reproductive stage were evaluated in greenhouse experiment under salt stress. The results showed that IR670 and the tolerant-check Pokkali maintained lower Na~+/K~+ ratio, less reduction in chlorophyll concentration, lower malondialdehyde(MDA) production, higher concentrations of reduced ascorbate(reduced AsA), higher proline accumulation and lower percentage reduction in pollen viability than the salt-sensitive genotypes under salt stress. The higher concentration of reduced AsA suggests an efficient ROS-scavenging system. Physiological measurements and pollen viability analysis revealed that Sadri(moderately tolerant at the seedling stage) is sensitive to salt stress at the flowering stage. The findings will be useful in breeding salt tolerant varieties at both seedling and reproductive stages by selecting appropriate genotypes and phenotypes.     

枣树抗坏血酸过氧化物酶基因ZjAPX生物信息学分析及植物表达载体的构建

利用生物信息学软件对已获得的枣树抗坏血酸过氧化物酶基因cDNA序列ZjAPX进行了同源性及功能位点等多项参数分析。结果表明,此序列为全长753 bp的开放读码框(ORF),编码251氨基酸,分子量为62.55 kDa,理论等电点为5.10,为一个膜外蛋白;序列保守性分析表明,该序列具有典型的铁氧化还原蛋白结合区域,属于一个典型的植物亚铁血红素过氧化物酶家族蛋白;氨基酸序列相似性分析表明,该蛋白与已知的其他植物抗坏血酸过氧化物酶APX具有极高的同源性,与可可树APX和陆地棉APX同源性均为93%,命名为ZjAPX(DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank注册号:AB608053)。用Swiss Model程序(http://au.expasy.org/tools/)推测了ZjAPX基因编码蛋白的三维结构。以ZjAPX的cDNA序列为模板,PCR扩增后,经限制性内切酶消化,与PEZR(K)-LNY载体进行重组连接,测序结果显示,其植物表达载体构建成功。此结果为研究枣树抗坏血酸过氧化物酶基因在植物体内的生物学功能以及可能的活性调节方式奠定了基础。     

苹果L-半乳糖-1-磷酸磷酸酶cDNA克隆及其表达

 【目的】了解苹果果实L-半乳糖-1-磷酸磷酸酶(L-galactose-1-phosphate phosphatase, GPP)基因的特性,探索苹果GPP基因表达特性及其与抗坏血酸(ascorbic acid,AsA)水平的关系。【方法】通过RT-PCR从苹果果实中克隆GPP 全长 cDNA,分析其序列特征,进行原核表达,制备GPP特异抗体,分析GPP mRNA及其蛋白表达水平与苹果不同组织AsA的关系。【结果】从‘嘎啦’苹果果实中克隆的GPP cDNA(GenBank登录号为 FJ752240)包含的最大开放阅读框(open reading frame,ORF)为813 bp,编码270个氨基酸残基,预测分子量为29 kD,该基因与其它植物报道的GPP基因具有较高的相似性,但与肌醇-1-磷酸磷酸酶基因差异较大。构建的pET-32a(＋)-GPP载体在大肠杆菌BL21(E. coli BL21)中异源表达后,获得主要以包涵体存在约50 kD的融合蛋白GPP-His(His约21 kD)。以该蛋白制备抗体,与重组蛋白的Western杂交表明该抗体能与GPP发生特异反应。对苹果可溶性蛋白杂交显示,苹果体内GPP蛋白约33 kD。在苹果不同组织中,GPP mRNA与蛋白质的相对表达水平与AsA含量存在明显的一致性。【结论】以单体形式存在的苹果GPP蛋白具有翻译后修饰特性,且该基因的表达在苹果AsA合成调控中可能起重要作用。     

低磷和铝毒耦合胁迫对杉木叶片抗坏血酸——谷胱甘肽循环的影响

为揭示抗坏血酸-谷胱甘肽(As A-GSH)循环在杉木适应低磷和铝毒胁迫中的作用,以耐低磷和铝毒胁迫的杉木家系YX3及对低磷和铝毒胁迫敏感的杉木家系YX12为试验材料,研究不同处理下[对照处理(CK)、低磷处理(-P)、铝处理(Al)和低磷加铝处理(-P+Al)]2个杉木家系叶片中As A-GSH循环代谢关键酶的变化规律。结果表明:不同胁迫处理下(-P、Al和-P+Al),2个杉木家系的丙二醛(MDA)含量均显著高于各自对照(-P处理下YX12叶片MDA含量除外),而且在Al和-P+Al处理下,耐性杉木家系YX3叶片中MDA含量均小于敏感型杉木家系YX12。进一步分析表明,与各自对照相比,不同胁迫处理增加了2个杉木家系叶片中的As A和DHA含量,同时提高了其叶片中抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)、单脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶(MDHAR)、脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶(DHAR)、谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)的活性,而且除DHA含量外,在-P、Al和-P+Al处理下耐性杉木家系YX3叶片中APX、GR、MDHAR、DHAR和As A含量均高于敏感型杉木家系YX12。此外,耐性杉木家系YX3叶片中还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量以及As A/DHA值和GSH/GSSG值均高于敏感型家系YX12。因此,上述结果表明在不同胁迫条件下,杉木幼苗通过提高叶片抗氧化物质含量和As A-GSH循环关键酶活性来清除过量的活性氧,减轻胁迫诱导的氧化损伤;不同胁迫处理下,2个杉木家系叶片抗氧化物质含量及As A-GSH循环中关键酶活性响应的差异表明耐性杉木家系YX3具有较高的As A—GSH循环效率和抗氧化物质再生能力,从而有效抑制胁迫诱导的氧化损伤,这可能是其具有较强耐性的重要原因之一。     

Differential response of zucchini varieties to low storage temperature

Several parameters related to cold damage in zucchini have been measured in fruits from different varieties cultivated in the province of Almería (south-eastern Spain). The purpose of this work is to correlate physiological parameters with commercial quality and chilling damage, in order to establish reliable criteria for selecting varieties having better genetic adaptation to low-temperature storage. The results show that, for varieties harvested during February, the variety Natura was the best adapted to storage at 4 °C, as its fruits suffered less from chilling injuries, had a lower weight loss, and the levels of metabolites malonyldialdehyde and H₂O₂ were not as high as in the other varieties. Genetic variation was detected for some of the parameters analysed. The positive correlation among the levels of MDA, H₂O_2, and chilling injury, as well as the negative correlation among catalase and chilling injury, makes these parameters good indicators of chilling damage in our system.     

Hydrogen peroxide pretreatment alters the activity of antioxidant enzymes and protects chloroplast ultrastructure in heat-stressed cucumber leaves

To elucidate the physiological mechanism of heat stress mitigated by exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) further, seedlings of Cucumis sativus cv Lvfeng no. 6 were subjected to two temperatures (42/38 and 25/18 °C) after pretreatment with 1.5 mM H₂O₂. We investigated whether exogenous H₂O₂ could protect chloroplast ultrastructure under heat stress (42/38 °C) and whether the protective effect was associated with the regulation of antioxidant enzymes. The heat condition disintegrated the membranes of 71.4% chloroplasts in the leaf cells and resulted in the elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and endogenous H₂O₂. When H₂O₂ pretreatment was combined with the heat stress, the abnormal chloroplasts occurred at a rate of 33.3%, and the contents of MDA and endogenous H₂O₂ were decreased. Heat stress and exogenous H₂O₂ both increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px, EC 1.11.1.9), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR, EC 1.8.5.1), monodehydroascorbate reducatase (MDHAR, EC 1.6.5.4), and glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2). The combined effect of heat stress and H₂O₂ pretreatment led to higher activity of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11), GSH-Px, DHAR, MDHAR and GR in comparison to the heat treatment alone. We propose that exogenous H₂O₂ increases antioxidant enzyme activities in cucumber leaves, decreases lipid peroxidation, and thus protects the ultrastructure of chloroplasts under heat stress.     

马铃薯抗坏血酸含量及其代谢相关酶活性关系的研究

 为探讨马铃薯不同器官中抗坏血酸(AsA) 含量及其代谢相关酶活性关系, 研究了马铃薯幼叶、功能叶、老叶、茎和块茎中AsA和其氧化态脱氢抗坏血酸(DHA) 的含量与L - 半乳糖- 1, 4 - 内酯脱氢酶( GalLDH) 、脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶(DHAR) 、谷胱甘肽还原酶( GR ) 、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX) 、抗坏血酸氧化酶(AO) 和单脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶(MDHAR) 等6种酶活性之间的相关性。结果表明, 马铃薯AsA在幼叶和块茎中含量很高。叶片和茎的抗坏血酸库(AsA与DHA之和) 水平与GalLDH活性显著相关, 而AsA含量与DHAR活性显著相关, DHA含量与APX活性显著相关。说明在马铃薯幼叶中高含量的AsA可能由于GalLDH和DHAR的高活性; 而块茎中AsA的积累, 主要来自于叶片的运输和DHAR催化的DHA再生。