Moth sex-pheromone biosynthesis is inhibited by the herbicide diclofop

Pheromones of nocturnal moths are derived from fatty acids produced as a result of the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. This timely production is initiated in nocturnal moths by a tropic peptide, pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide released into the hemolymph. In monocotyledonous plants, specific plastid acetyl-CoA carboxylase is inhibited by herbicides that target the eukaryotic form of the enzyme. We report evidence that these herbicides can also target pheromone biosynthesis by a moth, thereby implicating the acetyl-CoA carboxylase as a key regulatory enzyme in the pheromone biosynthetic pathway. These findings, whilst indicating the possible action of such herbicides on non-target organisms, also suggest a novel alternative method of insect pest management, which precludes sex-pheromone production and mating success, thereby reducing insect population growth.     

生物质液化油分级产物的分离和综合利用研究

以浓硫酸为催化剂,采用甲醇-甘油复合溶剂,在高温高压的条件下对竹屑、杨木、桉木和松木进行液化,并且对液化产物进行了中和、过滤和旋转蒸发等一系列分级处理,并对液化固体残渣和气体产物进行分析。主要研究了以竹屑为原料的液化油的分级产物的组成及成分,研究结果表明:竹屑经甲醇-甘油液化,产物经过分级处理得到的主要产物为杂多酚、多糖苷和乙酰丙酸甲酯。多糖苷相主要含有多糖苷和未反应的甘油及其甘油聚合物,其中多糖苷主要为六元环吡喃糖苷,约占41.81%,甘油及其聚合物占47.27%;杂多酚相主要含有乙酰丙酸酯、杂多酚和甘油等化合物,其中甘油及其聚合物占38.04%,杂多酚相物质为难溶于水的焦油相的相对分子质量大的物质,约占杂多酚相的38.41%,并且杂多酚相的相对分子质量主要集中在990左右。     

Senescence of Top Three Leaves in Field‐Grown Rice Plants

Abstract

The top three leaves play important roles in biomass production and grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop since the three leaves not only assimilate majority of carbon for grain filling during ripening phase, but also provide large proportion of remobilized‐nitrogen (N) for grain development during their senescence. The objectives of this study were to (a) compare senescence of the top three leaves and (b) compare the changes in N, chlorophyll, and ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) contents of the top three leaves after their full expansion in field‐grown rice plants. When the basis of comparison among the top three leaves was plant age in terms of days after transplanting (DAT), senescence generally started earliest in ?3rd leaf, intermediate in ?2nd leaf, and latest in flag leaf. If the basis of comparison among the top three leaves was leaf age in terms of days after full leaf expansion (DAFE), it was not clear which leaf senesced earlier. Senescence rate was generally greatest in flag leaf, intermediate in ?2nd leaf, and smallest in ?3rd leaf. Ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase content declined earlier, and at a faster rate than N and chlorophyll contents during the senescence of all top three leaves. Correlation analysis indicated a close relationship between N and chlorophyll contents. Ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase content correlated with N content better than with chlorophyll content. The suitability of N, chlorophyll, and Rubisco contents for quantifying the leaf senescence of field‐grown rice plants is discussed.     

Status of black grass (Alopecurus myosuroides) resistance to acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase inhibitors in France

We assessed the contributions of target site‐ and non‐target site‐based resistance to herbicides inhibiting acetyl‐coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) in Alopecurus myosuroides (black grass). A total of 243 A. myosuroides populations collected across France were analysed using herbicide sensitivity bioassay (24 300 seedlings analysed) and ACC genotyping (13 188 seedlings analysed). Seedlings resistant to at least one ACC‐inhibiting herbicide were detected in 99.2% of the populations. Mutant, resistant ACC allele(s) were detected in 56.8% of the populations. Among the five resistant ACC alleles known in A. myosuroides, alleles containing an isoleucine‐to‐leucine substitution at codon 1781 were predominant (59.5% of the plants containing resistant ACC alleles). Comparison of the results from herbicide sensitivity bioassays with genotyping indicated that more than 75% of the plants resistant to ACC‐inhibiting herbicides in France would be resistant via increased herbicide metabolism. Analysis of herbicide application records suggested that in 15.9% of the populations studied, metabolism‐based resistance to ACC‐inhibiting herbicides was mostly selected for by herbicides with other modes of action. Our study revealed the importance of non‐target site‐based resistance in A. myosuroides. Using herbicides with alternative modes of action to control populations resistant to ACC‐inhibiting herbicides, the recommended management approach, may thus be jeopardised by the widespread occurrence of metabolism‐based resistance mechanisms conferring broad‐spectrum cross‐resistance.     

Cross-resistance profile of mesosulfuron-methyl-resistant Italian ryegrass in the southern United States

Diclofop-resistant Lolium species (ryegrass) is a major weed problem in wheat production worldwide. This study was conducted to determine the resistance pattern of diclofop-resistant ryegrass accessions from the southern United States to mesosulfuron-methyl, a recently commercialized herbicide for ryegrass control in wheat; to determine the cross-resistance pattern of a Lolium multiflorum Lam. (Italian ryegrass) accession, 03-1, to acetolactate synthase (ALS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors; and to determine the resistance mechanism of Italian ryegrass to mesosulfuron-methyl. Seventeen ryegrass accessions from Arkansas and Louisiana, including standard resistant and susceptible accessions, were used in this experiment. Fourteen of the 17 accessions were more resistant (four- to > 308-fold) to diclofop than the standard susceptible biotype. One accession, 03-1, was resistant to mesosulfuron-methyl as well as to other ALS inhibitor herbicides such as chlorsulfuron, imazamox and sulfometuron. Accession 03-1, however, did not show multiple resistance to the ACCase inhibitor herbicides diclofop, fluazifop, clethodim, sethoxydim and pinoxaden, nor to glyphosate. The in vivo ALS activity of the 03-1 biotype was less affected by mesosulfuron-methyl than the susceptible biotype. This indicates that the resistance mechanism of Italian ryegrass to mesosulfuron-methyl is partly due to an alteration in the target enzyme, ALS. It is concluded that diclofop-resistant ryegrass in the southern United States can be generally controlled by mesosulfuron-methyl. However, mesosulfuron-methyl must be used with caution because not all ryegrass populations are susceptible to it. There is a need for more thorough profiling of ryegrass resistance to herbicides.