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     

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.     

对锰害敏感性不同的两个苹果品种枝条中锰的积累与分布

 以对苹果粗皮病抗性不同的两个苹果品种富士(感病) 和乔纳金(抗病) 为材料,通过田间采样、室内盆栽模拟,结合组织化学、显微鉴定和X- 射线微区分析,研究了枝条内锰的累积、分布与粗皮病抗性的关系。结果表明,锰在韧皮部的含量高于木质部,感病品种含量高于抗病品种;粗皮病病斑部位存在氧化锰沉淀,韧皮部锰的局部累积和分布与病斑的分布相一致;锰在感病品种的枝条横截面上存在局部累积现象,而在抗病品种上分布较均匀。     

“三北”防护林甘青宁类型区土地沙漠化遥感调查研究

本文是“七五”期间“三北”防护林甘青宁类型区土地沙漠化遥感调查成果总结。该区沙漠化土地面积为２５８７８．３７ｋｍ２，其中轻度、中度、重度和极度沙漠化土地分别为３０２０．３０ｋｍ２，７２７７．４４ｋｍ２、７０８５．５９ｋｍ２ｔ和８４９５．０４ｋｍ２．文中对沙漠化土地的分布及影响因素进行了分析，最后筛出合理的农林牧用地结构。     

雾培法根际CO2对马铃薯生长和光合作用的影响

通过汽雾栽培方式对马铃薯根际连续 35d的CO2 处理表明 :温室大气处理 (CO2 380～ 92 0 μL·L-1 O2 2 1% )和室外大气处理 (CO2 380 μL·L-1 O2 2 1% )马铃薯植株的形态特征非常接近 ,其株高、叶面积、根系质量、匍匐茎数量、块茎产量以及生物量均比根际高CO2 处理 (CO2 36 0 0 μL·L-1 O2 2 1% )明显提高 ,叶片的气孔导度和胞间CO2 浓度增加 ,光呼吸速率与CO2 补偿点降低 ,叶片光系统Ⅱ功能改善 ,光合速率提高 ,植株生长发育旺盛 ,块茎产量增加 ,说明合适的根际CO2 浓度 (CO2 380～ 92 0 μL·L-1 O22 1% )可能是汽雾栽培马铃薯植株生长旺盛的重要原因     

苹果基因组分子生物学研究进展

借助分子标记手段苹果基因组研究取得了巨大成就,涉及苹果的抗性、生长发育、果实品质等各方面基因,综合有关文献,将其研究的主要成果,包括已发现的主要苹果遗传标记、已构建的苹果遗传连锁图谱及苹果的转基因研究进行综述,并对目前苹果基因组研究存在的问题和对策进行了分析,以期为苹果遗传育种提供参考。     

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.     

Long-term effects of TCV116 on left ventricular remodeling and heart function after myocardial infarction in rats

AIM: To investigate the effects of long-term TCV116 on left ventricular remodeling and heart function after myocardial infarction. METHODS: Myocardial infarction (MI) was caused by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in rats. One week after the surgical performance, the surviving rats were randomly assigned to the following treatment protocols: (1) MI rats with no therapy; (2) MI rats treated with TCV116 2 mg/kg per day; (3) Sham-operated control; (4) Sham-operated rats, treated with TCV116 2 mg/kg per day. At 22 weeks, cardiac hemodynamic parameters such as MAP, LVSP, dp/dt_max and LVEDP, and histomorphometric parameters such as LVW/BW and LVCA/BW were measured, mRNA of cardiac genes such as βMHC, BNP, TGF-β₁, collagen I and III were quantified, and survival rates were calculated. RESULTS: Compared with sham-operated rats, MI rats without therapy showed significant increases in histomorphometric parameters as well as in mRAN expressions of cardiac genes (P<0.01); While their hemodynamic parameters were significantly impaired (P<0.01), and survival duration shortened (P<0.05). Compared with MI rats without therapy, MI rats treated with TCV116 showed significant attenuation of mRAN expression of cardiac genes (P<0.01); While their hemodynamic parameters were significantly improved (P<0.05 or P＜0.01), and survival duration extended (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Treatment with long-term angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist may improve left ventricular remodeling and cardiac function after MI in rats.     

Validation of the specificity and sensitivity of species-specific primers that provide a reliable molecular diagnostic for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphinema diversicaudatum</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">X. index</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">X. vuittenezi</Emphasis>

Xiphinema diversicaudatum and X. index are vector nematode species of economic importance in viticulture regions as they can transmit Arabis Mosaic, Grapevine Fanleaf and Strawberry Latent Ringspot viruses to grapevine. Wang et al. (2003) designed species-specific diagnostic primers from ribosomal genes for both these vector species as well as a vector and a non-vector species X. italiae and X. vuittenezi, respectively. Our study aimed to confirm the specificity and determine the sensitivity and reliability of the primers for the two vector species, X. diversicaudatumand X. indexwhen challenged with closely related longidorid species and general nematode communities typical of vineyard soil. With one exception, no PCR product was observed when the primers were tested against six Longidorus, one Paralongidorus and one Xiphinema non-target species. Occasionally (three out of eight replicate PCR reactions) a weak PCR product was noted when primers for X. index were tested with L. elongatus. Furthermore, when challenged with a range of non-target nematode species comprising the nematode community typical of viticulture soil, no PCR product was amplified. An experimental dilution series of extracted DNA rigorously demonstrated that DNA from an equivalent single specimen of the target virus-vector species, X. diversicaudatum and/or X. index, could be detected amongst 1000 equivalent non-targetX. vuittenezi. Also, extracted DNA from an equivalent single target specimen was detected when added to DNA extracted from the overall soil nematode community. The primers were assessed further by using serial mixtures of actual nematodes rather than extracted DNA to simulate field soil. Using this method, a single target nematode could be detected amongst 200 non-target specimens. Given their specificity, sensitivity and reliability, it appears that these diagnostic primers will be of great benefit to phytosanitary/quarantine services related to the viticulture industry.     

秦巴山区养羊户适度经营规模的研究

通过对秦巴山区陕西省西乡县15个典型陕南白山羊养殖专业户的资金投入、羊群结构、草地资源、经济效益等情况的调查，分析了养羊户的资源利用和生产经营状况，确定了与山羊生产密切相关的12个变量，即种公羊数、基础母羊数、后备母羊数、育肥羊数、羊舍面积、草地补种及施肥费用、医杂费、氨化或青贮饲料量、补饲精料量、工作日、投资额，并确定了各变量的参数值，以利润最大为目标函数，然后运用线性规划模型，计算出不同投资、不同人力及草地资源等条件下的适度经营规模。结果表明，养羊户的投资额是决定适度规模的主要因素。根据投资和羊群基础母羊数量设计的三种典型经营条件下，基础母羊全部留种的经营方式可获最大投资收益率(140．1％)；基础母羊数量达到20只以上，自繁种公羊的经营方式的最大投资收益率为74．0％；资金有限，人工授精配种的经营方式的投资收益率最低，为73．1％。