小麦条锈菌、叶锈菌和白粉菌混合侵染对病斑扩展的影响

 小麦条锈病、叶锈病和白粉病是小麦主要的叶部病害,它柄在侵染特点、发病规律及危害特性等方面均有许多相似之处。     

Identification of the essential catalytic residues and selectivity-related residues of maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase from the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus ATCC 35092

Maltooligosyltrehalose trehalohydrolase (MTHase) catalyzes the release of trehalose by cleaving the alpha-1,4-glucosidic linkage next to the alpha-1,1-linked terminal disaccharide of maltooligosyltrehalose. Mutations at residues D255, E286, and D380 were constructed to identify the essential catalytic residues of MTHase, while mutations at residues W218, A259, Y328, F355, and R356 were constructed to identify selectivity-related residues of the enzyme. The specific activities of the purified D255A, E286A, and D380A MTHases were only 0.15, 0.09 and 0.01%, respectively, of that of wild-type MTHase, suggesting that these three residues are essential catalytic residues. Compared with wild-type MTHase, A259S, Y328F, F355Y, and R356K MTHases had increased selectivity ratios, which were defined as the ratios of the catalytic efficiencies for glucose formation to those for trehalose formation in the hydrolysis of maltooligosaccharides and maltooligosyltrehaloses, respectively, while W218A and W218F MTHases had decreased selectivity ratios. When starch digestion was carried out at 75 degrees C and wild-type and mutant MTHases were, respectively, used with isoamylase and maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (MTSase), the ratios of initial rates of glucose formation to those of trehalose formation were inversely correlated to the peak trehalose yields.     

The Seismic Structure of the Sun

Global Oscillation Network Group data reveal that the internal structure of the sun can be well represented by a calibrated standard model. However, immediately beneath the convection zone and at the edge of the energy-generating core, the sound-speed variation is somewhat smoother in the sun than it is in the model. This could be a consequence of chemical inhomogeneity that is too severe in the model, perhaps owing to inaccurate modeling of gravitational settling or to neglected macroscopic motion that may be present in the sun. Accurate knowledge of the sun's structure enables inferences to be made about the physics that controls the sun; for example, through the opacity, the equation of state, or wave motion. Those inferences can then be used elsewhere in astrophysics.     

Acceleration of post‐mortem changes in Tsaiya duck (Anas platyrhynchos) breast muscle by lactic acid marination

1. The effect of lactic acid marination at 5°C on post mortem changes in breast muscle pectoralis major of spent layer Tsaiya duck was studied.

2. Myofibrils were prepared from 0.1 M and 0.2 M lactic acid marinated muscle and control (non‐marinated samples) sampled at 0, 1, 3, 7 and 14 d post mortem.

3. Changes in myofibril fragmentation index (MFI), myofibrillar proteins and Z‐line structure were examined.

4. Marination of duck breast muscle in lactic acid at 5°C enhanced fragmentation of myofibrils and degradation of myofibrillar proteins and Z‐line structure as compared to control samples.

5. In summary, lactic acid marination at 5°C can accelerate the post mortem degradation of myofibrils in Tsaiya duck breast muscle.     

Bioactive Steroids from the Formosan Soft Coral Umbellulifera petasites

Three new steroids, petasitosterones A and B (1 and 2) and a spirosteroid petasitosterone C (3), along with eight known steroids (4–11), were isolated from a Formosan marine soft coral Umbellulifera petasites. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison of spectroscopic data with those reported. Compound 3 is a marine steroid with a rarely found A/B spiro[4,5]decane ring system. Compounds 1–3 and 5 displayed inhibitory activity against the proliferation of a limited panel of cancer cell lines, whereas 2 and 5 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production. The inhibitory activities for superoxide anion generation and elastase release of compounds 1–11 were also examined to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential, and 2–4 were shown to exhibit significant activities.     

Comparison of Different Glycerol and Egg Yolk Concentrations Added to Tris‐based Extender for the Collared Peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) Semen Freezing

This study aimed to evaluate various concentrations of egg yolk (5, 10, or 20%) in combination with different concentrations of glycerol (3% or 6%) added to a Tris‐based extender on the post‐thaw characteristics of sperm obtained from Tayassu tajacu. For this purpose, semen from 10 sexually male mature collared peccaries was collected by electroejaculation and evaluated for sperm motility, vigour, viability, morphology and functional membrane integrity. The ejaculates were initially extended in Tris‐fructose plus egg yolk (5%, 10% or 20%). After cooling, the semen was added to Tris‐egg yolk plus glycerol (6% or 12%), resulting in a final concentration of 3% or 6% glycerol of the extender. Straws were frozen using liquid nitrogen and thawed in a water bath at 37°C for 30 s. The frozen–thawed semen was evaluated as reported for fresh semen. After thawing, a significant decrease was verified for sperm motility and vigour, for all the samples in comparison with fresh semen. However, no differences were evidenced among treatments for any sperm characteristics evaluated (p > 0.05), except for the combination between 10% egg yolk and 6% glycerol, which provided the worst preservation of functional membrane integrity (p < 0.05). The interactions between higher concentrations of egg yolk (20%) and glycerol (6%) and also between lower concentrations of the same substances (5% egg yolk and 3% glycerol) added to the Tris‐based extender negatively affected the preservation of the normal sperm morphology after thawing (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of Tris‐based extender added to 10% or 20% egg yolk plus 3% glycerol is recommended for effective sperm cryopreservation in collared peccaries.     

冬小麦亲本选配的研究——Ⅰ 杂种第一代优势和配合力的分析

本文通过优势和配合力的分析研究小麦亲本选配问题。试验表明:杂种第一代的一株粒重、一穗粒重、千粒重的优势最大,一般比两亲平均值大20—30%;其次为株高和抽穗期:其他穗部性状的优势很小或无显性。应用遗传变量成分分析法估算八个性状的配合力,在供试的亲本中,以穗长和结实小穗数的一般配合力为最大;株高、一穗粒数和一穗粒重次之;千粒重与一株穗数,一般配合力和特殊配合力所占的比重互有高低,因组合类型而异;一株粒重的一般配合力最小,它的特殊配合力占居主导地位。一般配合力大的性状,杂种与两亲平均值的相关或迴归系数也大。初步认为,在第一代对亲本或组合的评价,既要看杂种的实际表现,还要考虑它的优势,而以前者为主要依据;两亲平均值也有相当重要的意义。