Identification ofTomato Mottle Taino Begomovirus strains in Cuban potato fields

The presence of a begomovirus in potato plants with yellow mottle symptoms was determined for the first time in Cuba. The incidence of typical begomovirus-like symptoms in potato plants in some regions of Havana province (Güira de Melena, San José de las Lajas, Güines and Boyeros) during the growing seasons from 1992 to 1998 was in general low. However, in some cultivars belonging to the National Program for Potato Genetic Improvement, the incidence reached 100%. Yield losses, determined in 1992 and 1994, ranged as high as 19% to 56.33% depending on the cultivar. Characterization of the causal agent was done by light microscopy, host range (graft and mechanical transmission), DNA hybridizations, polymerase chain reaction, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Nucleotide sequence of the amplified fragments revealed the presence ofTomato mottle Taino virus. The virus was transmittedvia tubers and has been detected in mixed infections withPotato virus X and withPotato leaf roll virus. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Oct. 20, 2003. The first two authors contributed equally to this work.     

Indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aciculosporium take</Emphasis>, a causal agent of witches' broom of bamboo

 Aciculosporium take (Ascomycota; Clavicipitaceae) is a causal agent of witches' broom of bamboo plants. The symptoms of this disease are believed to be induced by plant hormones, particularly auxins. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was identified in cultures of this fungus in an l-tryptophan-supplemented liquid medium. IAA production was confirmed on 30 isolates of A. take from various hosts and locations at levels up to 1 mg/l. The biosynthetic pathway of IAA in A. take culture was examined by analyzing intermediate products and by feeding experiments. The results showed that the indole-3-pyruvic acid pathway (l-tryptophan → indole-3-pyruvic acid → indole acetaldehyde → IAA) was the dominant pathway in A. take. Received: June 3, 2002 / Accepted: July 25, 2002     

昆虫病原线虫和共生细菌培养系统中噬菌体的检测

本文利用紫外照射、温度、pH、盐度诱导五株溶源性共生菌株Xenorhabdus和Photorhabdus同时测定斯氏和异小杆属线虫Steinernema carpocapsae A24,S.carpacapsae ALL,S.feltiae English,S.feltiae SN,Heterorhabditis bacterophora H06在体外培养过程中是否存在感染共生细菌的噬菌体。结果未发现噬菌斑，说明实验菌株在实验诱导条件下以及昆虫病原线虫固体培养系统中不可能诱发噬菌体的危害。     

Inconspicuous restraint of rice seedling growth by root-infecting fungi in soil of a rice paddy field

 Rice seedling growth, estimated by plant height and root development and discoloration, was better in pasteurized soil than in unpasteurized soil obtained from a flooded rice field. Rice seedlings also grew better in sterilized soil modified by adding roots harvested from the pasteurized soil than in soil modified by adding roots harvested from the unpasteurized soil. The results demonstrate that seedling growth in the rice field soil was inhibited by soil microorganisms, even though no typical symptoms such as seedling blight or damping-off appeared. Pythium aristosporum is suggested to be involved in the inhibition. Thus, it appears that inconspicuous restraint of rice seedling growth could occur in soils of rice paddy fields. Received: May 20, 2002 / Accepted: October 16, 2002 Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr. T. Ichitani, former professor at Osaka Prefectural University, for providing an isolate of Pythium aristosporum for comparison, and Mr. Mitsuaki Sato of Akita Prefectural College of Agriculture for technical assistance.     

川楝素腹腔注射对小白鼠半数致死量(LD50)的测定

用寇氏(karber)法测定了川楝素腹腔注射对小鼠的半数致死量(LD50).取90只小鼠,雌雄各半,体重(25±2)g.以10%丙二醇生理盐水为溶媒,按序贯法测出川楝素腹腔注射小鼠100%致死率;将高剂量组与低剂量组的组间剂量比设定为1.2,染毒测定其LD50.结果川楝素腹腔注射对小鼠的LD50为13.84 mg/kg,95%可信限为12.46～15.37 mg/kg.     

银条茎尖培养快繁及离体根状茎的诱导

 以银条‘二细一粗’品种为试材, 研究了蔗糖浓度、激素组合对茎尖培养和快速繁殖的影响及温度、光照、蔗糖浓度等因素对根状茎离体诱导的影响。结果表明: 茎尖培养较理想的培养基为MS + 蔗糖4 % + 6-BA 0.5 mg·L ^{- 1} + NAA 0.1 mg·L ^{- 1} , 成苗率可达74.0 %。茎尖增殖较适培养基为MS + 6-BA 3.0 mg·L ^{- 1} + NAA 0.5 mg·L ^{- 1} , 每个外植体平均可产生5.6 个芽。根状茎诱导以MS + 蔗糖10 % + 6-BA 510 mg·L ^{- 1}+ CCC 500 mg·L ^{- 1}培养基, 20 ℃全黑暗培养效果最好。     

西安白鹿塬约85OO年来土壤侵蚀研究

本文根据作者的观察和测量，对西安市白鹿塬塬区的土壤侵蚀状况进行了研究。研究表明，白鹿塬塬区确定土壤侵蚀的主要依据是土层厚度的变化，并非侵蚀面。塬区侵蚀是塬边侵蚀较强，向塬里侵蚀逐渐减弱。塬面上高地侵蚀弱，低地侵蚀强，暂时性线状流水长期汇集而成的冲沟对黄土塬区土壤的侵蚀更加强烈。气候对土壤侵蚀也有影响，冷干和温湿气候均会产生土壤侵蚀，冷干期侵蚀量比温湿期大，前者侵蚀厚度比后者大7倍多。     

Functional heterogeneity in resources within landscapes and herbivore population dynamics

Large mammalian herbivores are notorious for their propensity towards population irruptions and crashes, yet many herbivore populations remain relatively stable. I explore how resource heterogeneity within landscapes dampens population instability, using a metaphysiological modelling approach considering patch state distributions. Resource heterogeneity is functionally stabilizing through spreading consumption away from preferred resources before these become critically depleted. Lower-quality resources act as a buffer against starvation during critical periods of the seasonal cycle. Enriching resource quality is destabilizing, even if patch diversity is maintained, because food quantity then becomes the limitation. The potential consequences of landscape fragmentation are explored using the Serengeti ecosystem, characterised by broadscale resource gradients, as a hypothetical example. Further insights provided by the model are illustrated with specific examples concerning the effects of patch scales and waterpoint distribution. A metaphysiological modelling approach enables the basic consequences of landscape heterogeneity to be distinguished from further effects that may arise from specific patch scales and configurations, without the distracting detail of spatially explicit models.     

Effects of fosinopril,captopril and valsartan on the expressionof tissue factor in human monocytes

AIM: To investigate the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), fosinopril, captopril and angiotensin II AT₁ antagonists, valsartan on tissue factor (TF) expression on monocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: Mononuclear leukocytes from normal delivered female umbilical veins were incubated with bacterial LPS in presence or absence of different ACE inhibitors .At the end of incubation, the cells were disrupted by 3 freeze-thaw cycles. TF procoagulant activity was assessed by a one-stage clotting assay. RT-PCR was used to check TF mRNA expression, and GAPDH mRNA was used for parallel assay. RESULTS and CONCLUSION: The results showed that increased expression of TF mRNA induced by LPS was inhibited by fosinopril, captopril and valsartan, respectively, and the procoagualant activity of monocytes was also reduced.