Elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> alters the abundance but not the structure of diazotrophic community in the rhizosphere of soybean grown in a Mollisol

The effect of elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) on rhizospheric diazotrophic community in cropland has little been studied, although eCO₂ facilitates nodulation and N₂ fixation in legumes. In this study, four soybean cultivars (Xiaohuangjin, Suinong 8, Suinong 14, and Heinong 45) were grown in Mollisols for 65 days under ambient CO₂ (aCO₂) (390 ppm) or eCO₂ (550 ppm). Quantitative PCR and Illumina MiSeq sequencing targeting the nifH gene that reflects the composition of diazotrophic community were determined. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased the abundance of nifH gene copies in the rhizospheres of the Suinong 8 and Heinong 45 cultivars, but not in the Suinong 14 and Xiaohuangjin cultivars. The nifH abundance correlated negatively with nodule density (p?≤?0.01) but positively with nodule size (p?≤?0.01). Elevated CO₂ did not significantly alter the composition of diazotrophic community, nor shift dominant bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). These results indicated that eCO₂ stimulated the growth but did not alter the community composition of diazotrophs in the rhizosphere of soybean, which depended on cultivar and might contribute to nodulation responses to eCO₂.     

Biological P cycling is influenced by the form of P fertilizer in an Oxisol

Phosphate rock (PR) is an alternative fertilizer to increase the P content of P-deficient weathered soils. We evaluated the effects of fertilizer form on indicators of biological cycling of P using an on-farm trial on a Rhodic Kandiudox in western Kenya. Treatment plots were sampled after 13 cropping seasons of P applications as Minjingu phosphate rock (PR) or as triple super phosphate (?TSP) (50 kg P ha^?1 season^?1), as well as a P-unfertilized control (0 kg P ha^?1 season^?1). Soils (0–15 and 15–30 cm) were analyzed for microbial biomass P (P_mic), activities of acid phosphomonoesterase, alkaline phosphomonoesterase, and phosphodiesterase, and sequentially extractable P fractions. P additions as Minjingu PR yielded 299% greater P_mic than TSP at 0–15-cm depth despite similar labile P concentrations in the two P fertilization treatments and stimulated activities of acid phosphomonoesterase (+39%). When added in the soluble form of TSP, a greater percentage of total soil P was present in mineral-bound forms (+33% Fe- and Al-associated P). Higher soil pH under Minjingu PR (pH 5.35) versus TSP (pH 5.02) and the P-unfertilized treatment (pH 4.69) at 0–15-cm depth reflected a liming effect of Minjingu PR. The form of P fertilizer can influence biological P cycling in weathered soils, potentially improving P availability under Minjingu PR relative to TSP via enhanced microbial biomass P and enzymatic drivers of P cycling.     

One-sided tests of bioequivalencewith nonnormal distributions and unequal variances

A test for bioequivalence on a variable of interest is sometimes used to determine whether a site that may have been adversely affected by its past use is sufficiently similar to a control site for the two to be considered the same for all practical purposes. For example, such a test might be used to compare the mean percentage cover of vegetation in an area previously used for mining and subsequently reclaimed, with the mean of the same variable at a neighboring area that has never been mined. A reason for adopting this approach rather than a standard test of significance is that it reverses the burden of proof. A significant result for a bioequivalence test gives evidence for two sites being similar, while a nonsignificant result leads to the conclusion that there is not enough evidence to consider the sites to be similar. This article discusses how to carry out one-sided tests for bioequivalence when the data are from nonnormal distributions, with variances that may be unequal. Examples that are used to illustrate the proposed methods involve the measurement of arsenic levels at an old ammunition testing site, and the vegetation cover at a reclaimed mining site.     

Lethal critical body residues as measures of Cd,Pb, and Zn bioavailability and toxicity in the earthworm<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eisenia fetida</Emphasis>

Background. Earthworm heavy metal concentrations (critical body residues, CBRs) may be the most relevant measures of heavy metal bioavailability in soils and may be linkable to toxic effects in order to better assess soil ecotoxicity. However, as earthworms possess physiological mechanisms to secrete and/or sequester absorbed metals as toxicologically inactive forms, total earthworm metal concentrations may not relate well with toxicity. Objective  The objectives of this research were to: i) develop LD₅₀s (total earthworm metal concentration associated with 50% mortality) for Cd, Pb, and Zn; ii) evaluate the LD₅₀ for Zn in a lethal Zn-smelter soil; iii) evaluate the lethal mixture toxicity of Cd, Pb, and Zn using earthworm metal concentrations and the toxic unit (TU) approach; and iv) evaluate total and fractionated earthworm concentrations as indicators of sublethal exposure. Methods  Earthworms (Eisenia fetida (Savigny)) were exposed to artificial soils spiked with Cd, Pb, Zn, and a Cd-Pb-Zn equitoxic mixture to estimate lethal CBRs and mixture toxicity. To evaluate the CBR developed for Zn, earthworms were also exposed to Zn-contaminated field soils receiving three different remediation treatments. Earthworm metal concentrations were measured using a procedure devised to isolate toxicologically active metal burdens via separation into cytosolic and pellet fractions. Results and Discussion  Lethal CBRs inducing 50% mortality (LD₅₀, 95% CI) were calculated to be 5.72 (3.54-7.31), 3.33 (2.97-3.69), and 8.19 (4.78-11.6) mmol/kg for Cd, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Zn concentrations of dead earthworms exposed to a lethal remediated Zn-smelter soil were 3-fold above the LD₅₀ for Zn and comparable to earthworm concentrations in lethal Zn-spiked artificial soils, despite a 14-fold difference in total soil Zn concentration between lethal field and artificial soils. An evaluation of the acute mixture toxicity of Cd, Pb, and Zn in artificial soils using the Toxic Unit (TU) approach revealed an LD₅₀ (95% CI) of 0.99 (0.57-1.41) TU, indicating additive toxicity. Conclusions  Total Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in earthworms were good indicators of lethal metal exposure, and enabled the calculation at LD₅₀s for lethality. The Zn-LD₅₀ developed in artificial soil was applicable to earthworms exposed to remediated Zn-smelter soil, despite a 14-fold difference in total soil Zn concentrations. Mixture toxicity evaluated using LD₅₀s from each single metal test indicated additive mixture toxicity among Cd, Pb, and Zn. Fractionation of earth worm tissues into cytosolic and pellet digests yielded mixed results for detecting differences in exposure at the sublethal level Recommendation and Outlook  CBRs are useful in describing acute Cd, Pb, and Zn toxicity in earthworms, but linking sublethal exposure to total and/or fractionated residues may be more difficult. More research on detoxification, regulation, and tissue and subcellular partitioning of heavy metals in earthworms and other invertebrates is needed to establish the link between body residue and sublethal exposure and toxicity. Keywords: Bioavailability; Cd; critical body residues; earthworms; metals; Pb; soil; Zn An erratum to this article is available at .     

Effects of O<Subscript>3</Subscript> stress on physico-chemical and biochemical properties and composition of main microbial groups of a soil cropped to soybean

Tropospheric O₃ (ozone) stress can negatively affect forest productivity and crop yields. Yet, relatively little attention has been paid to the effects of O₃ stress on belowground system. Here, a pot experiment was conducted in open top chambers to monitor the response of physico-chemical properties, main microbial groups, and potential enzyme activities of a soil cropped to soybean (Glycine max; a highly sensitive species to O₃) and exposed to background O₃ concentration (45?±?5 ppb, control) and O₃ stress (80?±?10 ppb, O₃+ and 110?±?10 ppb, O₃++) with sampling at branching, flowering, and podding stages. The growth of soybean was significantly inhibited by O₃ stress, which showed significant effects on soil microbial biomass C and pH during the whole growth of soybean at the highest concentration. The O₃++ stress significantly decreased soil pH at flowering stage, and increased soil pH at podding stage; the O₃+ stress and growth stage?×?O₃+ stress showed significant influences on the potential activities of acid phosphomonoesterase, invertase, and amylase. The O₃ stress significantly reduced the abundances of total PLFAs (phospholipid fatty acid), bacterial PLFAs, and AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal) PLFAs at branching and podding stages. Our results suggest that the main soil microbial groups might be indirectly affected by the O₃ stress through the alteration of soil physico-chemical properties with changes in the potential enzyme activities of soil.     

大豆孢囊线虫4号生理小种侵染大豆根系诱导表达的cDNA分析

大豆孢囊线虫(Heterodera glycines Ichinohe；Soybean Cyst Nematode，SCN)是一种土传的专性内寄生线虫。SCN的二龄幼虫侵入到大豆幼嫩的根组织中，导致大豆根内的细胞变形并与之形成“合胞体”。合胞体在形态上和生理上的变化是SCN直接诱导大豆基因表达的结果。本研究以高抗SCN的灰布支黑豆为材料，用大豆孢囊线虫二龄幼虫直接接种大豆的根系，应用DDRT—PCR技术及RDB(Reversedot—blotting)杂交鉴定，获得6个阳性cDNA克隆，分别是SCN侵染后5天的A32克隆(GenBank登录号为B1173978)；侵染后10天的B12克隆(GenBank登录号为B1173979)、B71克隆(GenBank登录号为B1173980)；侵染后15天的Cll克隆(GenBank登录号为B1173981)、CPl2(GenBank登录号为B1173982)克隆和CP32克隆(GenBank登录号为B1173983)。序列的同源比较表明，6个cDNA均与Shoemaker构建的大豆基因表达库中的cDNA序列有非常高的同源性，证明这些cDNA是大豆基因表达的产物。其中A32克隆的序列与控制拟南芥下胚轴生长的MYB转录因子、营养元素缺失诱导的番茄根的表达文库中的一个cDNA及番茄抗假单胞杆菌表达文库中的一个cDNA有较高的同源性。     

Genetics of grains per spike in durum wheat under normal and late planting conditions

Parental, F₁, F₂, BC₁, BC₂, BC₁₁, BC₁₂, BC₂₁, BC₂₂, BC₁ self and BC₂ selfed generations of three crosses involving six cultivars of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) were studied for grains per spike under normal and late sown environments to analyze the nature of gene effects. A 10-parameter model did not fully account for the differences among the generation means. In two cases more complex interactions or linkage were involved in the inheritance of grains per spike in durum. Both digenic and trigenic epistatic interactions had a role in controlling the inheritance of grains per spike, however, trigenic interactions contributed more than digenic interactions. Non-fixable gene effects were many times higher than fixable ones in all three crosses and in both sowing environments indicating a major role of non-additive gene effects in the inheritance of this trait. Duplicate epistasis between sets of three genes under both environments was recorded for the cross Raj 911 × DWL 5002. Epistatic interactions, particularly the trigenic ones, contributed the maximum significant heterosis. Epistatic interactions involving dominance in the F₂ generations caused significant inbreeding depression. Selective diallel mating and/or biparental mating could be used for amelioration of grains per spike in durum wheat.     

Powdery mildew resistance gene (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pm</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">AN</Emphasis>) located in a segregation distortion region of melon LGV

Powdery mildew is one of the most important melon pathogens all over the world. So far, many genes conferring resistance to powdery mildew of melon have been described, but few of these have been finely mapped or cloned. Two F₂ populations derived from Ano2 × Hami413 and Ano2 × Queen were used to map the powdery mildew resistance gene by methods of Bulked Segregation Analysis (BSA), comparative genomics and Resistance Gene Analogues (RGA) mapping. It was found that the resistance to powdery mildew in Ano2 was conferred by a dominant gene, and the gene was named Pm-AN. The genetic analysis revealed that Pm-AN located between two codominant markers RPW and MRGH63B in linkage groupV. The genetic distances between Pm-AN and these two markers were 1.4–1.8 and 1.6–2 cM. No recombination was found between Pm-AN and markers ME/E1, SRAP23. Pm-AN was located in a RGA-rich region and cosegregated with the RGA marker MRGH5 and the resistance gene Vat. Synteny analysis showed that markers in this region were collinear between melon and cucumber. Segregation distortion was found in this region using both Ano2 × Hami413 and Ano2 × Queen F₂ populations, and the distortion was more distinct in Ano2 × Hami413 F₂ population. The center of segregation distortion was located in the RGA rich region harboring Pm-AN.     

两种玉米温敏不育系的育性相关性状的比较及不育基因的初步定位

本研究通过形态学、生态学、遗传学及基因定位研究表明,玉米温敏不育系琼6Qms和琼68S是两种完全不同的玉米温敏不育系,琼6Qms的育性主要表现为颖壳不开裂,育性转换主要受温度影响,该性状由两对隐性重叠不育基因控制,分别位于第3和第5染色体上。琼68S为花药败育型,其育性转换受温度控制,不育性由一对隐性基因控制,该基因位于第2染色体上。     

医药分子农业的受体系统评述

利用转基因植物以农业规模生产口服疫苗、植物抗体、药用蛋白的途径称为医药分子农业。随着医药分子农业的发展,可作为受体的植物的种类正逐步扩大。但对于一个特定的目标蛋白,选用何种受体植物更有利于外源蛋白的高效稳定表达和经济快捷的提纯,仍是需要首要考虑和解决的问题。本文结合最近的研究进展,阐述各类植物受体的特点及应用情况,以期为科学地确定医药分子农业的适宜植物受体系统提供参考。