Argentinian potato leafroll virus P0 protein: Novel activities for a previously known suppressor

The potato leafroll virus (PLRV) P0 protein (P0^PL) is a suppressor of RNA silencing. In this study, we showed that P0 protein from an Argentinian isolate of PLRV (P0^PL-Ar) has an additional activity not described for other PLRV or P0 proteins from poleroviruses. Besides reporting that P0^PL-Ar displays both local and systemic silencing suppressor activity, we demonstrated, for the first time, that P0^PL-Ar impedes accumulation of dsRNA-derived siRNAs. We also showed that P0^PL-Ar interacts with Solanum tuberosum SKP1 orthologue (StSKP1) and triggers destabilization of ARGONAUTE 1 (AGO1) and that these actions are mediated by the F-box-like domain. A mutant in the GW/WG motif within the P0^PL-Ar F-box-like motif lost the suppression activity, the interaction with StSKP1 and abolished AGO1 decay. Interestingly, a mutant in the L76/P77 residues within the P0^PL-Ar F-box-like motif, which lost the suppression activity and the interaction with StSKP1, retained the capacity to enable AGO1 decay. Thus, unlike other P0 proteins of previously characterized poleroviruses, P0^PL-Ar seems to have a dual activity, according to the findings of this study. This protein would act at both an upstream and a downstream step of the RNA silencing pathway: upstream of Dicer-like enzyme (DCL)-mediated primary siRNA production and downstream at the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) complex level. Our results contribute to the understanding of the different ways PLRV P0 proteins function as silencing suppressors.     

Response of common wheat varieties to organic and conventional production systems across Italian locations,and implications for selection

Specific breeding for organic systems may help reduce their yield gap relative to conventional systems by exploiting genotype 0;× 0;system (GS) interaction. Likewise, specific breeding for distinct subregions within a region could capitalize on genotype 0;× 0;location (GL) interaction. Grain yield and test weight of common wheat varieties were evaluated under organic and conventional systems in ten locations spanning from northern to southern Italy, with the objectives of: (i) comparing production systems; (ii) investigating the extent of GS and GL interactions and their relationship with genotypic and environmental characteristics; and (iii) preliminarily comparing, in terms of predicted selection gains, different strategies to cope with GS and GL effects. These effects were investigated in the 2-year Data set 1 including seven genotypes. GS effects were also assessed in the annual Data sets 2 and 3 including 13 and 11 genotypes, respectively. The yield reduction of organic systems relative to conventional ones averaged 28% in Data set 1, 29% in Data set 2 and 14% in Data set 3. Organic systems also tended to a modest test weight reduction. Genetic correlations between systems ranged from high to very high (0.88 0;≤ 0;r_g 0;≤ 0;0.98) for yield and test weight, owing to nil or limited GS interaction. Broad-sense heritability tended to be higher in conventional systems than organic ones for yield in two data sets (mainly due to lower experimental error) while being similar in the two systems in the other cases. Predicted selection gains suggested nil (yield) or very modest (test weight) advantage of direct selection in organic systems relative to indirect selection in conventional systems, when targeting organic systems. The scope for selection only in conventional systems was reinforced when comparing predicted gains for selection scenarios which target both systems in relation to their foreseeable marketing importance. GL effects for yield and test weight were significant and were modeled by additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis. Site classification based on GL effects for yield revealed a larger subregion A including northern and central Italy and a smaller subregion B comprising southern Italy, accordingly with previous, independent studies. Yield selection only in subregion A (with indirect selection gain for subregion B) implied slightly higher predicted gain for A (+4%) and much lower gain for B (−24%) relative to independent, direct selection in each subregion. Selection for specific geoclimatic subregions may have greater importance than selection for specific production systems.     

0#柴油和原油的水溶性成分对小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)生长的影响

采用室内培养方法,研究了不同浓度0#柴油和原油的水溶性成分(Water accommodated fraction,WAF)对小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)的生长影响及其差异.结果显示,低浓度的0#柴油WAF(0.30、0.10 mg/L)和原油WAF(1.17、0.58 mg/L)能够促进小球藻的生长,且0#柴油WAF的0.10 mg/L实验组和原油WAF的0.58 mg/L实验组在96h时,小球藻细胞密度显著高于对照组(P＜0.05);而高浓度的0#柴油WAF(8.10、2.70、0.90 mg/L)和原油WAF(9.36、4.68、2.34 mg/L)会抑制小球藻的生长.0#柴油和原油WAF对小球藻的96 h-EC50分别为3.34、6.54 mg/L,NOEC分别为0.30、1.71 mg/L,LOEC分别为0.90、2.34 mg/L.0#柴油WAF的毒性高于原油WAF,0#柴油和原油水溶性成分的组分差异是影响二者毒性强弱的主要因素.     

SAD和FAD家族基因调控山核桃不饱和脂肪酸组分配比

以山核桃胚为试材,测定5个山核桃油脂合成积累关键时期(授粉后75、85、100、109和127 d)的油脂组分和油含量,并利用实时荧光定量PCR检测山核桃Δ9–硬脂酰–ACP脱氢酶(SAD)基因(CcSAD-1、CcSAD-2、CcSAD-3)和山核桃脂肪酸去饱和酶(FAD)基因(CcFAD2、CcFAD3-1、CcFAD3-2、CcFAD3-3、CcFAD6、CcFAD7、CcFAD8-1、CcFAD8-2、CcFAD8-3)的表达模式。结果表明:成熟的山核桃种仁含油率超过种仁干质量的70%,同时不饱和脂肪酸比例达到90%以上;山核桃5个时期的脂肪酸组分,主要由棕榈酸(C16︰0)、硬脂酸(C18︰0)、油酸(C18︰1)、亚油酸(C18︰2)以及亚麻酸(C18︰3)组成;随着山核桃SAD家族基因表达上升,山核桃油中的油酸含量上升并维持一定水平,其中CcSAD-3可能是影响油酸含量的主效基因;同时随着山核桃油酸含量上升,CcFADs基因表达上升,山核桃不饱和脂肪酸比例增加。     

Planting density for grafted melon as an alternative to methyl bromide use in Mexico

One of the major challenges of melon (Cucumis melo L.) yield is the decrease of fruit yield and quality caused by soil diseases. Soil disinfection with methyl bromide (MB) has been used to prevent soil-borne diseases damage; however, use of MB is being restricted because this substance damages the ozone layer. Searching for new MB alternatives, field experiments were carried out in open fields in soils infested with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, Olpidium bornovanus, and Melon Necrotic Spot Virus (MNSV) in Colima, Mexico, where melons had only been grown previously using soil fumigation with MB. Yield and quality of melon cultivar Cruiser F1 (Harris Moran seed company) grafted on two rootstocks of Cucurbita maxima Duchesne 0;× 0;Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (“RS841”; Séminis seed company and “Shintosa Camelforce”; Nunhens seed company) were evaluated during two consecutive years. Each experiment had five treatments, two of which with non-grafted plants at a density of 18,519 0;plants/ha, with and without MB fumigation. The other three treatments consisted of grafted plants in non-fumigated soil with plant densities of 14,815, 11,111, and 9260 0;plants/ha. The use of melon grafted on “RS841” and “Shintosa Camelforce” rootstocks significantly increased the average fruit weight and the total yield of melons in soil without the need for MB. Grafting may be considered an alternative to MB fumigation. With the use of grafted melon plants, planting density may be reduced by 60%, obtaining higher yields than those obtained from non-grafted plants grown on fumigated land. Fruits harvested from grafted plants had equal firmness than those harvested from non-grafted plants, without affecting the content of soluble solids.     

水稻对田间多种病虫害综合抗性的评价初探

 通过对柳江县近年引进、推广的中优663等13个主要水稻品种（组合）进行田间小区试验,采用[0,1]多目标决策法进行综合评价,按对稻飞虱、稻纵卷叶螟、三化螟及稻纹枯病等多种病虫害的综合抗性的强弱排序为：优Ⅰ602＞金优602＞灵优6602＞丰两优1号＞金两优2号＞优Ⅰ402＞T优259＞金优463＞中优71＞中优663＞中优207＞金优207＞金优616。前五个品种（组合）均为中抗,其余品种（组合）均为中感。无高抗品种（组合）,说明水稻对多种病虫害的综合抗性的选育工作任重而道远。通过亲缘关系分析发现,亲缘关系相近的水稻品种（组合）具有相近的综合抗性;分析五个中抗品种（组合）的抗性构成,为不同生态环境的品种布局提供依据。     

Stimulation of ROS-scavenging systems in squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) plants by compost supplementation under normal and low temperature conditions

The beneficial effect of compost, the final product of aerobic biodegradation of organic matter, on growth, lipid peroxidation [as malondialdehyde (MDA], hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and superoxide anion (O₂^•−), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), as well as reduced ascorbate (ASC) and glutathione (GSH) and their oxidized forms was investigated in squash (Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Eskandarany) plants exposed to normal and low temperature (LT) conditions. LT stress of 8 0;°C significantly reduced the plant growth of untreated plants, but compost alleviated the adverse effect of stress and significantly increased the fresh and dry weights under normal and stress conditions. LT also induced accumulation of H₂O₂ and O₂^•− and resulted in increased lipid peroxidation, pointing out to cellular oxidative stress. Under compost application, such reactive oxygen species (ROS) and peroxidized lipids were markedly reduced, but SOD, CAT, APX and GR activities, key enzymes of ROS-scavenging systems, were significantly increased. Data also indicated that there were general reductions in total ascorbate and glutathione pool in LT control plants, but compost-treated ones considerably have maintained higher levels of such redox metabolites. Significantly higher ratios of ASC/DHA (dehydroascorbate) and GSH/GSSG (glutathione disulfide) were generally found in compost-treated plants than in untreated-ones. It is evident that compost induced enhancement of LT tolerance was related to up-regulation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Such enhancement would eventually protect plant cells from LT-induced oxidative stress reactions via scavenging ROS.     

Confirmation of hybrid origin in Arisaema (Araceae) using molecular markers

A population of hybrids between Arisaema triphyllum subsp. stewardsonii and A. dracontium was investigated using molecular markers to document the hybrid origin. Total genomic DNA was extracted from A. triphyllum, A. dracontium, and the hybrids, and subjected to sequence analysis of various regions of intergenic spacer and genes of chloroplast or intergenic spacer and genes of nuclear ribosome for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Clustering was performed using the unweighted pair group method with averages (UPGMA) tested by bootstrap (BS). Hybrid origin could not be easily confirmed in some regions. However, dendrograms constructed with a combined sequence analysis of A. triphyllum 26S ribosomal RNA gene [sequence identification (SI) 467] plus A. tortuosum phytochrome C-like (phyC) gene (SI 468) were very similar to dendrograms constructed from sequences of all regions. This suggests that selecting SI 467 and SI 468 would be practical to identify hybrid origins involving two parental species. Clustering of hybrids together with the female parent in most target regions suggests that, in Arisaema, cpDNA is considered maternally inherited.     

辣椒新品种湘椒6号的选育

湘椒６号是由湖南地方良种伏地尖中选出的自交系Ｆ８１－１－２从北方引进的甜椒品种经６代单株选择而成Ｌ２４－１自交系配制而成的一代杂各。该品种植株生长势强,耐寒、耐湿,果实粗牛角形,果色深绿,微辣,商品性好。从定值致收获３５￣４５天,６６７ｍ＾２产鲜椒３０００ｋｇ。田间表现抗病毒病、疮痂病。