Symbiotic N<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation and nitrate utilisation in irrigated lucerne (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis>) systems

Symbiotic N₂ fixation by lucerne (Medicago sativa) has capacity to provide significant inputs of N to agro-ecosystems, and the species has also been shown to scavenge soil mineral N and thus act as a sink for excess reactive N. The balance between these two N cycle processes was investigated in an extensive irrigated lucerne growing region where nitrate contamination of groundwater has been reported. We sampled 18 permanent pure lucerne stands under irrigation for standing dry matter, total shoot N, and N₂ fixation using ¹⁵N natural abundance along with activity of the inducible enzyme nitrate reductase as indicators of use of soil NO₃⁻ by lucerne. On average 65% of lucerne N was obtained from symbiotic N₂ fixation. Converting standing dry matter estimates to annual N₂ fixation amounts we calculated average N₂ fixation of 311 kg N/ha, including N in roots and nodules. Uptake of N from soil by lucerne was calculated to be 181 kg N/ha/year. We were not able to identify the source of this soil mineral N, although nitrate reductase activity of lucerne was higher than that of non-N₂ fixing species examined.     

Copper‐Induced Oxidative Stress and Responses of the Antioxidant System in Roots of Medicago sativa

The effects of various copper (Cu) concentrations on the antioxidative system in the roots of Medicago sativa were explored. The results indicated that the Cu content of the roots reached a value of 854 μg g^?1 DW at 10 μm Cu and a value of 4415 μg g^?1 DW at 100 μm Cu, suggesting that M. sativa has better ability to tolerate and accumulate Cu than other Cu‐bioaccumulators, and is a potential plant for phytoremediation. Treatment with Cu resulted in a significant increment in the levels of H₂O₂, O₂˙^? and OH˙. The reduced form of ascorbate and glutathione reached a peak at 30 μm Cu, and was followed by a sharp depletion to a lower level than that of the control. In contrast, the levels of the oxidised forms of ascorbate and glutathione showed a progressive increment with increasing Cu concentrations, suggesting that the antioxidant system was unable to cope with Cu stress at higher Cu levels. Under the Cu concentrations tested, the activity of catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) and glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) increased at lower Cu concentrations, and then decreased, reaching a maximum at 30 μm of Cu for APX and GR, at 10 μm for CAT, whereas the activities of guaiacol peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) were gradually increased with increasing Cu concentrations. PAGE analysis of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.1.5.1.1) revealed that one band is a Mn‐SOD and five bands are identified as Cu, Zn‐SOD, whereas Fe‐SOD isoforms were not found in the roots of alfalfa. Cu at 10–100 μm increased the intensity of constitutive isozymes of CAT, APX and POD, whereas it decreased the intensity of isozymes of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, EC 1.1.1.49) significantly. The activities of lipoxygenases (LOX, EC 1.13.11.12) were gradually augmented with increasing Cu concentrations, demonstrating that LOXs are probably involved in production of lipid hydroperoxides and superoxide anion. There was a continuous and pronounced enhancement in the activity of esterase (EST, EC 3.1.1.1) in roots treated with 10–30 Cu μm , whereas EST activity in roots exposed to above 30 μm Cu declined, suggesting that EST plays a protective role under lower Cu concentrations stress.     

Performance evaluation of forest co-management: a case study of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary,Bangladesh

The objective was to evaluate the performance of the co-management of Nishorgo Support Project at Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in Bangladesh. I adopted the Focus Groups Discussion method for opinion survey and applied the SWOTAHP technique for data analysis. Local people did not participate in the decision-making process of forest management and they perceived co-management as a threat to their livelihoods. Moreover, mistrust and misunderstanding among different stakeholders, political and ethical conflicts, lack of property rights of tribal communities, and lack of accountability and transparency were identified as the drawbacks of co-management.     

5-烯醇式丙酮酰-莽草酸-3-磷酸合成酶(EPSPS)基因AM79 aroA的活性位点分析

AM79 aro A(WO/2009/059485)基因是从草甘膦高度污染的土壤中克隆的、具有我国自主知识产权的新型草甘膦抗性基因,具有重要应用价值。为进一步解析AM79 EPSPS蛋白的作用机制,本研究对此蛋白的活性位点进行了研究。进化树分析显示AM79 EPSPS属于Ⅰ型EPSPS。序列比对结果表明AM79 EPSPS中第107位的丙氨酸(Ala),第114位的苯丙氨酸(Phe),第355位的Ala和第356位的组氨酸(His)是特异的。采用重叠延伸PCR介导的核苷酸定点突变技术,对这些保守的氨基酸位点进行定点突变。将AM79 aro A及其突变基因转入大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)aro A缺陷型菌株ER2799中,并进行草甘膦抗性鉴定。结果显示,Phe114、Ala355和His356等氨基酸的突变,使AM79 EPSPS蛋白的草甘膦抗性降低,表明这些氨基酸位点对于维持AM79 EPSPS高抗草甘膦的能力是必需的。同源建模结果表明,这些保守氨基酸位点的突变,使AM79 EPSPS蛋白的结构发生变化,这可能是导致突变蛋白草甘膦抗性能力降低的原因。两个Ⅰ型EPSPS(荧光假单杆菌(Pseudomonas fluorescens)G2EPSPS和拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)EPSPS)对应氨基酸突变后,其草甘膦抗性没有明显变化,表明AM79 EPSPS中几个特异的氨基酸位点的功能在Ⅰ型EPSPS中并不是保守的。本研究结果为解析AM79 EPSPS高抗草甘膦的作用机理及对AM79 EPSPS进行定向进化提供了理论依据。     

光质对番茄营养与风味品质的影响

以番茄为试验材料,在田间大棚设施条件下,选用白、蓝、黑、红、绿5种不同颜色的遮阳网,探讨不同光质对番茄营养与风味品质的影响。结果表明,在青熟期,黑色光质促进了总氮、蛋白氮以及非蛋白氮的积累。青熟期到转色期,白色光质的番茄有机酸总量较青熟期增加了4.57倍,蓝色和绿色光质提高了番茄的总糖和还原糖含量。从转色期到成熟期,番茄氨基酸含量大小表现为蓝色>绿色>黑色>红色>白色;黑色光质的番茄有机酸总量较转色期增加了27.8%;红色光质提高了番茄红素含量和Vc含量,降低了硝酸盐含量;白色、红色和绿色光质增加了番茄的总糖和还原糖含量。番茄主要风味物质(>30 μg/kg)为水杨酸甲酯、6-甲基-庚烯-2-酮、柠檬烯、反-2-己烯醛。红光使番茄水杨酸甲酯、6-甲基-庚烯-2-酮和己烯醛含量较白光增加了11.6%、20.2%和17.2%。在大田设施条件下,转色期到成熟期可以采用红色光质提高番茄果实营养品质和风味。     

2000—2010年“一带一路”沿线林地变化

基于欧洲宇航局全球气候变化计划(Climate Change Initiative)2000、2010年土地利用数据,对"一带一路"沿线林地变化进行了分析。结果表明:2000—2010年"一带一路"沿线林地呈下降趋势。俄罗斯、东南亚大部分国家以及印度等林地面积下降突出,仅中国林地面积呈增加趋势。林地转为耕地(52 473 km~2)和草地(14 848 km~2)是主要转出类型,耕地转为林地(19 539 km2)以及林地内部转移(386.55 km~2)是主要转入类型。俄罗斯和中国林地转入面积较大(>20 km~2),南亚的印度、孟加拉国,东南亚的马来西亚、印度尼西亚、泰国以及俄罗斯等林地转出面积较大(>2 000 km~2)。