Comparison of methods for measuring dormancy of potatoes

Comparisons were made of different methods of measuring length of the dormant period of Russet Burbank potato tubers as affected by time of planting and harvest. The study resulted in the following conclusions: 1) when measured from planting or tuber initiation to sprouting, the dormant period of tubers harvested on the same date was longer from an early planted crop than from a late planted crop. 2) When measured from harvest to sprouting, the dormant period was shorter for tubers from an early compared to a late planting. 3) With the same planting date and different harvest dates, when measured from planting or tuber initiation to sprouting, the dormant period was shorter for tubers from an early compared to a late harvest. 4) On the other hand, with the same planting date, when measured from time of harvest to sprouting, the dormant period was longer for tubers from an early compared to a late harvest. Planting date to sprouting was considered the best practical field measure of dormancy since it closely correlated with tuber initiation to sprouting, a method which was more accurate but difficult to determine. Both methods were much better than harvest date to sprouting which is commonly used. In addition, larger tubers from earlier planting had shorter dormancy than smaller tubers regardless of method of measurement due to a probable earlier set. From later plantings, tuber size had no relationship to length of dormancy. Moisture stress significantly reduced dormancy of Lemhi, Russet Burbank, and Nooksack but the Butte cultivar was only slightly affected.     

Solvent effects on extraction and HPLC analysis of soybean isoflavones and variations of isoflavone compositions as affected by crop season

Spring (February to June) and fall (August to December) crops of soybean grown yearly in Taiwan with reverse temperature patterns provide a novel model to assess the effect of the crop season. In this study, three soybean cultivars, namely CH 1, VS-KS 2, and HBS, were grown for 2001 fall, 2002 spring, 2003 fall, 2004 spring, 2004 fall, and 2005 spring crops. The harvested and sun-dried soybeans were lyophilized, pulverized, and stored at -25 degrees C until HPLC analyses of isoflavone compositions were performed. As affected by extraction solvent and HPLC mobile phase, the amount of isoflavones extracted by methanol-H(2)O was higher than those extracted by acetic acid-acetonitrile. In addition, when both extracts were subjected to HPLC analysis with reversed C18 column run respectively with methanol-H(2)O and acetic acid-acetonitrile mobile phases, malonyldaidzin, malonylglycitin, and malonylgenistin were not detected in the former phase. Accordingly, all harvested soybeans were subjected to methanol-H(2)O extraction and HPLC analysis with the acetic acid-acetonitrile mobile phase. Among the detected soybeans, daidzin, genistin, malonyldaidzin, and malonylgenistin were the majors and glycitin, malonylglycitin, daidzein, and genistein were the minors of isoflavones. As affected by crop season for each cultivar grown for 3 years, daidzin, genistin, malonyldaidzin, and malonylgenistin contents of soybeans of the fall crops were significantly higher than those of their spring crops ( p < 0.05).     

Arabidopsis ENDO2: its catalytic role and requirement of N-glycosylation for function

The Arabidopsis thaliana At1g68290 gene encoding an endonuclease was isolated and designated ENDO2, which was cloned into a binary vector to overexpress ENDO2 with a C-terminal 6 × His-tag in A. thaliana. Our Arabidopsis transgenic lines harboring 35SP::ENDO2 produced stable active enzyme with high yield. The protein was affinity purified from transgenic plants, and its identity was confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and automatic Edman degradation. ENDO2 enzyme digests RNA, ssDNA, and dsDNA, with a substrate preference for ssDNA and RNA. The activity toward ssDNA (361.7 U/mg) is greater than its dsDNase activity (14.1 U/mg) at neutral pH. ENDO2 effectively cleaves mismatch regions in heteroduplex DNA containing single base pair mismatches or insertion/deletion bases and can be applied to high-throughput detection of single base mutation. Our data also validated that the removal of sugar groups from ENDO2 strongly affects its enzymatic stability and activity.     

过表达AtCBF4、BoWS大豆对干旱胁迫的响应

本研究利用农杆菌介导法获得的过表达At CBF4基因、过表达Bo WS基因大豆株系的后代,研究其在干旱胁迫下转基因大豆生理特性、光合性状以及产量性状的表现,以揭示其转基因大豆耐旱性特点。研究结果表明:过表达CBF4基因株系在丙二醛、气孔导度、细胞CO2浓度、蒸腾速率,单株荚数、单株粒数上表现优于过表达Bo WS基因大豆株系;过表达Bo WS基因大豆株系在脯氨酸、可溶性糖、净光合速率、瞬时水分利用率、株高、节数、百粒重、单株产量以及结荚期单株荚数和单株粒数上耐旱性更强。研究结果表明通过灰色关联分析以及聚类分析表明过表达Bo WS基因大豆株系比过表达At CBF4基因株系具有更强的耐旱性。     

Acacetin induces apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma cells accompanied by activation of caspase cascades and production of reactive oxygen species

Acacetin (5,7-dihydrocy-4'-methoxy flavone), which is a flavonoid compound, possesses anti-peroxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The effects of acacetin on cell viability in human gastric carcinoma AGS cells were investigated. This study demonstrated that acacetin was able to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Acacetin-induced cell death was characterized with changes in nuclear morphology, DNA fragmentation, and cell morphology. The molecular mechanism of acacetin-induced apoptosis was also investigated. Treatment with acacetin caused induction of caspase-3 activity in a time-dependent manner, but not caspase-1 activity, and induced the degradation of DNA fragmentation factor (DFF-45) and poly(ADP-riobse) polymerase. Cell death was completely prevented by a pancaspase inhibitor, Z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone. Furthermore, treatment with acacetin caused a rapid loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytosol, and subsequent induction of procaspase-9 processing. Antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine and catalase, but not superoxide dismutase, allopurinol, or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, significantly inhibited acacetin-induced cell death. In addition, it was found that acacetin promoted the up-regulation of Fas and FasL prior to the processing and activation of pro-caspase-8 and cleavage of Bid, suggesting the involvement of a Fas-mediated pathway in acacetin-induced apoptosis. On the other hand, the results showed that acacetin-induced apoptosis was accompanied by up-regulation of Bax and p53, down-regulation of Bcl-2, and cleavage of Bad. Taken together, these results suggest that ROS production and a certain intimate link might exist between receptor- and mitochondria-mediated death signalings that committed to acacetin-induced apoptosis in AGS cells. The induction of apoptosis by acacetin may provide a pivotal mechanism for its cancer chemopreventive action.     

MAS育种改良籼稻恢复系R747及其杂交种稻瘟病抗性

为了改良籼稻恢复系R747及其杂交种的稻瘟病抗性,以携带广谱抗稻瘟病基因Pi9的籼稻品系75-1-127为供体亲本,以R747为受体及轮回亲本,利用Pi9基因内功能标记,开展分子标记辅助选择育种实践。获得了如下主要结果:室内接种试验表明,75-1-127与R747对来自国内外不同稻区的24份稻瘟菌菌株的抗菌谱差异显著,抗性频率分别为91.7%和41.7%,两亲本在田间自然病圃苗瘟抗性表现分别为高抗和高感;根据Pi9基因序列信息开发了一个共显性多态标记SPL-1,该标记在75-1-127和R747基因组中分别扩增出一条745 bp和一条850 bp的条带,标记基因型对稻瘟病抗感表型的选择效率为100%;从BC6F3株系中遴选出一个高抗苗瘟的改良恢复系R747-Pi9,并用它与不育系培矮64S、P88S和桃1A分别配制出高抗稻瘟病的杂交种;利用分布于水稻全基因组不同位点的220个SSR标记,分析了改良抗病恢复系R747-Pi9与受体亲本R747的遗传背景差异,结果表明R747-Pi9对R747的背景回复率为0.94。本研究通过分子标记辅助选择和连续回交育种,成功定向改良了恢复系R747及其杂交种的稻瘟病抗性。     

Effect of variety and drying method on the nutritive value of corn for growing pigs

Background

This experiment was conducted to determine the nutritive value of corn from the north of China for growing pigs. The experiment examined corn variety (LS1, LS2, LS3 and LS4) grown in one location, drying method (sun dried and artificially dried) and different drying temperatures. Corn harvested at 20-25% moisture was dried to about 12% moisture by sun drying and artificially drying at 80, 100, or 120°C in a fluidized bed dryer. Ninety-six barrows (average BW of 33.4 ± 2.7 kg) were housed in individual metabolism crates to facilitate separate collection of feces and urine. A five-day collection period followed a seven-day diet acclimation period.

Results

The results indicated that variety significantly influenced (P < 0.01) the 1,000 kernel weight of corn but not the bulk weight. Variety also influenced the available energy content (digestible energy of dry matter, P < 0.01; metabolisable energy of dry matter, P < 0.01) and digestibility of organic matter (P < 0.01), as well as dry matter (P < 0.01) and gross energy (GE) content (P < 0.02). The drying method of corn significantly influenced the 1,000 kernel weight (P < 0.01), bulk weight (P < 0.01) and digestibility of ether extract (EE) (P < 0.01). No effect of drying temperature on the digestibility of organic matter, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and gross energy was observed, but gelatinization (P < 0.05) and test weight (P < 0.01) decreased with an increase in temperature.

Conclusions

Variety has a significant impact on the nutritive value of corn for growing pigs, and greater attention needs to be paid to these influences in the assignment of the nutritive value of corn given to growing pigs.     

斑点免疫金渗滤法检测猪瘟抗体的研究

以猪瘟抗原包被硝酸纤维素膜，然后用胶体金标记SPA，建立检测猪瘟抗体水平的斑点免疫金渗滤法检测试纸盒。通过胶体金标记金黄色葡萄球菌A蛋白(SPA)直接显色，阳性者出现红色斑点，结果易于判断。整个试验过程仅需5min，操作简单，与猪兰耳病、猪伪狂犬病、猪细小病毒、新城疫和禽流感等阳性血清不发生交叉反应。同时将该法与目前猪瘟的常规检测方法Dot—ELISA法和间接血凝试验同时对200份猪血清进行猪瘟抗体检测比较，符合率达98．4％和98．9％。说明该法微量、特异、敏感可靠，检测时间短，效果直观，非常适用于猪瘟的早期诊断和普查以及疫苗免疫效果后抗体水平的检测。     

Induction of apoptosis by 1-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-1,3-propanedione through reactive oxygen species production, GADD153 expression, and caspases activation in human epidermoid carcinoma cells

This study examined the growth inhibitory effects of the structurally related beta-diketones compounds in human cancer cells. Here, we report that 1-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-1,3-propanedione (HMDB) induces growth inhibition of human cancer cells and induction of apoptosis in A431 cells through modulation of mitochondrial functions regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS generation occurs in the early stages of HMDB-induced apoptosis, preceding cytochrome c release, caspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. The changes occurred after single breaks in DNA were detected, suggesting that HMDB induced irreparable DNA damage, which in turn triggered the process of apoptosis. Up-regulation of Bad and p21; down-regulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bid, p53, and fatty acid synthase; and cleavage of Bax were found in HMDB-treated A431 cells. Glutathione and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) suppress HMDB-induced apoptosis. HMDB markedly enhanced growth arrest DNA damage inducible gene 153 (GADD153) mRNA and protein in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. NAC prevented up-regulation of GADD153 mRNA expression caused by HMDB. These findings suggest that HMDB creates an oxidative cellular environment that induces DNA damage and GADD153 gene activation, which in turn helps trigger apoptosis in A431 cells.     

彝族树文化的价值及其传承与发展

论文旨在通过自然观念与文化表现形式的关系,探索农业文化遗产的动态保护和适应性管理策略。文章以彝族树木观念与文化表现关系的揭示,对彝族树文化的现代价值及其文化传承与发展进行了探索。研究表明,彝族树木观念作为文化的内核反映了彝族对其生存环境的重大关切,影响着彝族树文化的表现形式。由于彝族树文化具有的生态与经济价值,实现民族地区的可持续发展,需要在彝族树木自然观的指导下,以现代元素重构以“树”为表征的文化表现形式。发挥传统自然观念对民族生态环境的作用,不仅为农业文化遗产的整体性保护提供了纲领和思路,也为农业文化遗产的现代适应提供了可以遵循的规范和原则。