Relation of Japanese <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthomonas campestris</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">vesicatoria</Emphasis> with worldwide strains revealed with three specific monoclonal antibodies

Strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria Dye 1978 (Xcv), the causal agent of bacterial spot, have been classified into two groups based on their ability to hydrolyze starch. Three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), 7AH10, 5HB3, and 4AD2, were produced immunized against the living bacteria and were specific to and could distinguish Xcv strains able or unable to hydrolyze starch (Amy⁺ or Amy^–). The MAb 7AH10, obtained against strain UPB141(Amy^–) reacted in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with all the Amy^– strains (n = 19) and 1 of 11 Amy⁺ strains. Against Xcv 2625, an Amy^– unusual phenotype strain, MAb 5HB3, recognized 97% of our worldwide collection of Xcvs (n = 30). Also against that strain, the MAb 4AD2 reacted with none of the homologous Amy^– phenotypes and with 90% (n = 11) of the heterologous Amy⁺ phenotypes. For all the MAbs, cross reactions with other pathovars or species were less than 4% (n = 67). By assaying a Japanese collection of strains against the three MAbs, the Amy⁺ strains were distinguished from the Amy^– strains, and their relation with other world strains could be demonstrated. All the MAbs reacted with the lipopolysaccharide fraction of the bacterial cell wall during immunoblotting.     

A target-site mutation is present in a glyphosate-resistant Lolium rigidum population

Annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) is the only weed species to have evolved resistance to the broad‐spectrum herbicide glyphosate in Australia. A population that had failed to be controlled by glyphosate was collected from a vineyard in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. Dose–response experiments on this population (SLR 77) showed that it was glyphosate resistant, with an LD₅₀ that was 1.9–3.4 times higher than that of a susceptible population (VLR 1). The movement of radiolabelled glyphosate within SLR 77 plants showed that this population did not have the differential glyphosate translocation mechanism of resistance common to several other Australian glyphosate‐resistant populations. Subsequent analysis of shikimic acid accumulation within the plant after glyphosate treatment showed that this population accumulated significantly less shikimic acid than a susceptible population, but more than a glyphosate‐resistant population with the translocation mechanism, indicating the possible involvement of another mechanism of resistance. Sequencing of a portion of the SLR 77 5‐enolpyruvylshikimate‐3‐phosphate synthase gene was carried out and a mutation causing an amino acid change at position 106 from proline to threonine was identified. This mutation is likely to be responsible for glyphosate resistance in this population, as mutations in this position have been found to be responsible for glyphosate resistance in goosegrass (Eleusine indica) from Malaysia. This paper represents the first report of target‐site glyphosate resistance in L. rigidum and provides evidence that this species has at least two mechanisms of glyphosate resistance present in Australia.     

莲藕淀粉RVA谱特征和淀粉粒形态的研究

 对莲藕根状茎成熟期淀粉特性的研究结果表明: 4个品种表观直链淀粉含量(AAC) 从高到低依次为‘美人红’、‘鄂莲1号’、‘鄂莲4号’和‘武植2号’。根状茎中淀粉粒形态主要有近圆球形和长椭球形两种, 武植2号和鄂莲4号近圆球形淀粉粒明显多于鄂莲1号、美人红。武植2号和鄂莲4号的淀粉糊化特性相似, 其峰值粘度均较高, 冷胶粘度显著低于峰值粘度, 且回复值较小, 消减值为负值; 鄂莲1号和美人红的峰值粘度均较小, 冷胶粘度接近甚至大于峰值粘度, 回复值、消减值均显著大于武植2号和鄂莲4号。AAC与峰值粘度和崩解值呈极显著负相关, r分别为- 0.9748^**和- 0.9793^**, 与回复值、消减值呈极显著正相关, r分别为0.9860^**和0.9804^**, 与冷胶粘度、峰值时间、糊化温度呈显著正相关, r分别为0.9339^*、0.9392^*、0.9130^*。淀粉粒形态结构上的差异可能造成了淀粉糊化特性的差异。     

Rhizogenesis of GF677, Early Crest,May Crest and Arm King stem cuttings during the year in relation to carbohydrate and natural hormone content

The rhizogenesis of GF677, Early Crest, May Crest and Arm King stem cuttings during the year was investigated. The results showed significant differences in the rooting percentage between different dates of cutting collection and also between the four cultivars. Among these, GF677 generally had the highest rooting percentage. Rooting of cuttings was high in October, November and February and relatively low in the periods March–September and December–January. Interactions among cultivars were also found.     

Pollen grains of heat tolerant tomato cultivars retain higher carbohydrate concentration under heat stress conditions

Exposure to high temperatures (heat stress) causes reduced yield in tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), mainly by affecting male gametophyte development. Two experiments were conducted where several tomato cultivars were grown under heat stress, in growth chambers (day/night temperatures of 31/25 °C) or in greenhouses (day/night temperatures of 32/26 °C), or under control (day/night temperatures of 28/22 °C) conditions. In heat-sensitive cultivars, heat stress caused a reduction in the number of pollen grains, impaired their viability and germinability, caused reduced fruit set and markedly reduced the numbers of seeds per fruit. In the heat-tolerant cultivars, however, the number and quality of pollen grains, the number of fruits and the number of seeds per fruit were less affected by high temperatures. In all the heat-sensitive cultivars, the heat-stress conditions caused a marked reduction in starch concentration in the developing pollen grains at 3 days before anthesis, and a parallel decrease in the total soluble sugar concentration in the mature pollen, whereas in the four heat-tolerant cultivars tested, starch accumulation at 3 days before anthesis and soluble sugar concentration at anthesis were not affected by heat stress. These results indicate that the carbohydrate content of developing and mature tomato pollen grains may be an important factor in determining pollen quality, and suggest that heat-tolerant cultivars have a mechanism for maintaining the appropriate carbohydrate content under heat stress.     

Influence of transection of the cervical sympathetic trunk on content of NO and expression of NOS in placenta of rats with pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome

AIM:To observe the influence of transection of the cervical sympathetic track (TCST) on the content of NO and the expression of eNOS mRNA and iNOS mRNA in placenta of the rats with pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome (PIH).METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group (C): saline was injected subcutaneously from 14th day to 20th day of gestation;PIH group 1 (H1) and group 2 (H2): L-NAME was respectively injected with 125 mg/kg and 62.5 mg/kg,respectively,then the other procedures were the same as group C;Operation group (O): TCST was operated on 14th day of the gestation,then the other procedures were the same as group H1;sham operation group (S): the cervical sympathetic trunk was only separated and exposed on 14th day of the gestation,then the other procedures were the same as group H1.RESULTS: (1) Except the base value of the BP and protein in urine of the pregnant rats,all the parameters observed in group H1 and H2 were higher than those in group C significantly (P<0.01),and in group H2 were lower than those in group B1 markedly (P<0.01).(2) In comparison with those in group C,the size and body weigh of fetus in group H1,H2 decreased markedly (P<0.01).The above indexes in group H1 were lower than those in group H2 markedly (P<0.01,P<0.05).The changes of the rate of embryo absorption and fetal death,and deformity rate of the fetal rats were contrary to the above indexes.(3) The content of NO and the expression of eNOS mRNA and iNOS mRNA in placenta in group H1 and H2 were lower than those in group C markedly (P<0.01).Those in group H1 were lower than those in group H2 obviously (P<0.01,P<0.05).Those in group O were higher than those in group H1 markedly (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: TCST protects pregnant rats against PIH,and it was related to the mRNA expression of eNOS and iNOS and the content of NO in placenta tissue.     

果实特异启动子调控薄皮甜瓜ACC合成酶cDNA反义表达载体的构建

应用反义RNA技术抑制甜瓜成熟过程中内源乙烯的合成,从而培育耐贮运品种是解决甜瓜延熟保鲜难题的可行新方法。根据GenBank中甜瓜、黄瓜ACC合成酶基因氨基酸保守序列设计引物,从成熟的薄皮甜瓜(齐甜1号)果肉组织中提取总RNA,经RT-PCR扩增得到约0.7kb的ACC合成酶cDNA片段,将其克隆到质粒载体pGEM-TEasy中,测序表明,该基因为777bp,编码258个氨基酸;从番茄(东农706)叶片组织中提取总DNA,经PCR扩增得到约2.2kb的E8基因片段,将其克隆到质粒载体pGEM-TEasy中,测序表明,该基因为2192bp;以pCAM2301为起始植物表达载体,pCAM-GT为中间载体,成功构建了果实特异启动子(E8)调控薄皮甜瓜ACC合成酶cDNA反义表达载体,采用冻融法将其转入根癌农杆菌LBA4404,得到了完整的Ti质粒表达载体系统。     

Pineapple organic acid metabolism and accumulation during fruit development

Developmental changes in pineapple (Ananas Comosus (L.) Merrill) fruit acidity was determined for a ‘Smooth Cayenne’ high acid clone PRI#36-21 and a low acid clone PRI#63-555. The high acid clone gradually increased in fruit acidity from 1.4 meq/100 ml 6 weeks from flowering, and peaked a week before harvest at ca 10 meq/100 ml. In contrast, the low acid clone increased in acidity 6 to 8 weeks after flowering, peaked 15 weeks after flowering at ca. 9 meq per/100 ml and then sharply declined in 2 weeks to 6 meq/100 ml. The increased in total soluble solids (TSS) of the low acid clone began 6 weeks after flowering and for the high acid clone at 12 weeks after flowering. The increase in titratable fruit acidity (TA) paralleled the changes in the citric acid content of both clones. Citric acid content increased from less than 1 mg/g at 6 weeks after flowering to 6 to 7 mg/g, 9 weeks later. The malic acid concentration in both clones varied between 3 and 5 mg/g and showed no marked changes just before harvest. The developmental changes in fruit potassium were significantly correlated with fruit acidity and fruit total soluble solids in both the high and low acid clones. Developmental changes in acid-related enzymatic activities showed an increase in citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7) activity that occurred a week before harvest, coincided with the peak in citric acid in the high acid clone. An increase in aconitase (ACO, EC 4.2.1.3) activity was observed just before harvest as the decline in acidity occurred in the low acid clone. The activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, EC 4.1.1.31), malate dehydrogenase (MDH, EC 1.1.1.37) and malic enzyme (ME, EC 1.1.1.40) did not parallel any changes in fruit acidity. The results indicated that the change in pineapple fruit acidity during development was due to changes in citric acid content. The major difference in acid accumulation occurred in the low acid clone just before harvest when acidity declined by one-third. The activities of citrate synthase and aconitase possibly played a major role in pineapple fruit acidity changes.