Enhancement of resistance to soft rot (Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum) in transgenic Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa (chinese cabbage) is one of the main vegetable crops grown in Asian countries. Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum causes severe economic loss in this crop as well as in other Brassica crops through soft rot disease. Cysteine proteases like bromelain, papain or ficin show toxic effects to herbivorous insects and pathogenic bacteria. They have been known to be critical factors in plant defence mechanisms. The current study investigated the effect of bromelain gene (BL1) of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merrill) on enhancing resistance to soft rot in transgenic Brassica rapa ‘Seoulbaechu’. Three homozygous T₂ lines were inoculated with Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and BL8-2 line showed the lowest rate of infected leaves (RIL) in both wound inoculation and non-wound inoculation, when the non-infected line showed 100 % RIL in both cases. The highest expression of BL1 gene was also observed in BL8-2 homozygous line. Thus, the over-expressed BL1 gene conferred enhanced resistance to soft rot in Brassica rapa.     

JETLAG resets the Drosophila circadian clock by promoting light-induced degradation of TIMELESS

Organisms ranging from bacteria to humans synchronize their internal clocks to daily cycles of light and dark. Photic entrainment of the Drosophila clock is mediated by proteasomal degradation of the clock protein TIMELESS (TIM). We have identified mutations in jetlag-a gene coding for an F-box protein with leucine-rich repeats-that result in reduced light sensitivity of the circadian clock. Mutant flies show rhythmic behavior in constant light, reduced phase shifts in response to light pulses, and reduced light-dependent degradation of TIM. Expression of JET along with the circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome (CRY) in cultured S2R cells confers light-dependent degradation onto TIM, thereby reconstituting the acute response + of the circadian clock to light in a cell culture system. Our results suggest that JET is essential for resetting the clock by transmitting light signals from CRY to TIM.     

汽蒸处理对落叶松木材物理性质的影响

本文取兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii Rupr)生材加工成规格为20mm×20mm×20mm的试样;于常压下汽蒸1、2、4、8、16、32、48、64、96h。测定了气干和全干状态的干缩率、气干密度、基本密度和平衡含水率(EMC)等物理性质的变化情况。结果表明:①木材全干干缩率除汽蒸初始1h略有下降外,均随汽蒸的延续而逐渐增加,至64 h达最大值,径向、弦向和体积干缩率分别为7.28％、13.40％和21.85％,若继续延长汽蒸时间,干缩率稍有降低。②汽蒸过程中差异干缩值的变化不大,稍有降低。因而,汽蒸不会加剧差异干缩,并能使其有所改善。③气干密度和基本密度均随汽蒸的延续而逐渐降低,至48h降达最低值,分别为0.615g/cm~3和0.487g/cm~3,若继续汽蒸,气干密度和基本密度均稍有回升。④平衡含水率(EMC)随汽蒸的延续而逐渐降低,汽蒸96h降为8.53％。因此,汽蒸处理对落叶松木材物理性质的影响不大,落叶松成材汽蒸处理时间,一般不宜超过16h。     

Effects of a dietary organic acids blend and oxytetracycline on the growth,nutrient utilization and total cultivable gut microbiota of the red hybrid tilapia,Oreochromis sp., and resistance to Streptococcus agalactiae

A 20‐week feeding trial was conducted to measure growth, nutrient utilization and faecal/gut bacterial counts in triplicate groups of red hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis sp., when fed diets supplemented with 0.5% organic acids blend (OAB), 1.0% OAB, 0.5% oxytetracycline (OTC) or a control diet (no additives). At the end of the feeding trial, tilapia were challenged with Streptococcus agalactiae for 22 days. Fish fed the OTC diet had significantly higher (P < 0.05) growth than the control treatment, while growth between fish fed the OTC or OAB diets was not significantly different (P > 0.05). Phosphorus, dry matter and ash digestibility were significantly higher in the 1.0% OAB diet than the control diet. Fish fed the OAB diets had significantly lower colony‐forming units of adherent gut bacteria compared to the control or OTC treatments while those fed the 1.0% OAB diet had the lowest total faecal bacterial counts. Tilapia fed the 0.5% OTC or OAB diet had significantly higher resistance to S. agalactiae than those fed the control diet. This study indicates that dietary organic acids can potentially replace OTC as a growth promoter and antimicrobial in tilapia feeds.     

Effect of combined water and salinity stress factors on evapotranspiration of Sedum kamtschaticum Fischer in relation to green roof irrigation

In dryland areas, secondarily treated municipal wastewater could be used in extensive green roof systems. In this study, the effects of water and salt stress on a crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant, Sedum kamtschaticum Fischer, was evaluated under intermittent saline irrigation. The salinity of irrigation water varied from 6.0 to 18.0 dS m^?1. A reduction in soil water content and an increase in soil water electrical conductivity (EC) were observed during the irrigation interval (5–17 d) as a result of evapotranspiration (ET). The effect of soil water potential (SWP) on reduction of the ET ratio (ET_r) was successfully described with an equation that could be applicable to a wide range of soil salinities and water contents, to estimate ET. In this study, the stress factor was defined as the integration of solute potential, and matric potential less soil water content for optimum growth (less than ?0.1 MPa) with elapsed time. The stress factor rapidly reduced total ET in CAM plants but effectively increased water-use efficiency (WUE). Thus, by using CAM plants for green roofs under intermittent saline irrigation, the need for irrigation water is reduced without a considerable loss of plant biomass.     

The relationship between the snowmelt flood and the establishment of non‐native brown trout (Salmo trutta) in streams of the Chitose River,Hokkaido, northern Japan

Flow regime is one of the major determinants of establishment success for non‐native aquatic organisms. Here, we examine the influence of flow variability associated with snowmelt flood on the establishment success of non‐native brown trout in 10 streams in northern Japan. We regarded the presence of Age‐0 brown trout as the index of the successful establishment. The emergence of Age‐0 brown trout in our study region begins in May, a time that overlaps with the occurrence of snowmelt flood. The presence of Age‐0 brown trout was negatively associated with flow variability, and it was also negatively associated with summer water temperature. Our results indicate that the non‐native brown trout tends to establish in the streams with smaller snowmelt floods and lower summer water temperatures. Brown trout is an invasive, non‐native species that is problematic all over the world, and effective management strategies for preventing their further expansion are urgently needed. This study suggests that river managers should recognise that stable streams such as spring‐fed streams (i.e., low flow and summer water temperature) and flow‐regulated streams, have a higher potential risk of brown trout invasion.     

DNA markers for eating quality of indica rice in Indonesia

Rice eating quality is considered to be one of the top priorities in determining the agronomical value of rice; thus, the rapid evaluation of eating quality at early breeding generations in breeding programmes for better eating quality is of great importance. In an attempt to develop DNA markers associated with eating quality of indica rice, we used multiple regression analysis to test 54 markers, which were preselected for their possible association with eating quality, using 24 indica varieties with different palatability scores. Of these markers, eighteen markers were found to be significantly associated with palatability according to sensory evaluation. Accordingly, a marker set in the model regression equation with a high R² (0.997) was formulated to estimate indica rice palatability. Validation suggests that markers and the statistical parameters formulated by the equation could be a potential tool to predict the palatability of cooked Indonesian indica rice and could be reliable in developing country‐dependent model equations for eating quality.     

冷水胁迫下水稻幼苗期根系性状的QTL分析

本研究以籼粳交“密阳23/吉冷1号”的F_2∶3 代200个家系作为作图群体，在自然和12℃冷水胁迫下，进行水稻幼苗期根系性状的鉴定，并以利用SSR标记构建的分子连锁图谱为基础，对水稻幼苗期的根数、最大的根长、最大根的根径、根干重、根/苗比等根系性状进行了数量性状位点（QTLs）分析。结果表明，上述根系性状在F₃代家系群均表现为连续分布，认为是由多基因所控制的数量性状。冷水胁迫下，在第1、2、6、11和12染色体上共检测到与根系性状相关的QTL 17个，对表型变异的解释率为5.8%～15.2%，其中与最大根的根径相关，位于第2染色体RM263-RM6区间的qCRD2和位于第11染色体RM21-RM206区间的qCRD11，以及与根干重相关，位于第2染色体RM262-RM263区间的qCRWT2和位于第11染色体RM229-RM21区间的qCRWT11贡献率较大，分别为15.0%、15.2%、10.6%和12.2%。这些基因的作用方式为部分显性或显性或超显性。