Effect of salinity on nitrogen metabolism in wheat

Objectives of our studies were to quantify effects of salinity on growth and nitrogen metabolism of wheat and to measure variation in response of different cultivars, hybrids, and classes. Methods and criteria for identifying resistance to salinity in wheat, particularly effects on nitrogen metabolism also were tested. Variation in response to salinity was measured by subjecting seedlings of six wheats to one control treatment (‐0.1 bars) and two stress treatments (‐3.5 and ‐10.4 bars) from NaCl, MgSO₄, and MgCl₂ in hydroponic solutions. Both stress treatments retarded growth; wheats significantly varied at ‐3.5 bars but not at ‐10.4 bars. Stress decreased root and shoot nitrate N and total N contents. Studies with one wheat cultivar showed that salinity decreased activity of nitrate reductase enzyme and stimulated accumulation of proline. Salinity more adversely affected vegetative stages than reproductive stages of plants grown to maturity. We concluded that salinity affected wheat by both osmotic effects and antagonism of nitrate metabolism from chloride. Absolute growth and relative growth at different stress levels were superior to differences in nitrogen metabolism as selection criteria for salinity tolerance.     

Free amino acids in unhardened and cold‐hardened winter wheat crowns

The free amino acids proline and glutamic acid increased in the crown of winter wheat in all treatments when exposed to cold‐hardening. Glutamine also increased except when 90–80 N‐P fertilizer was applied. The increase of proline and glutamic acid was enhanced with the application of P but counteracted by N. This enhancement was smaller with glutamine. The decrease of threonine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine and α‐aminobutyric acid with cold‐hardening was not counteracted by application of N and P. However, isoleucine in cold‐hardened winter wheat increased with the application of 180–0 fertilizer and aspartic acid increased when P was added. The increase in alanine with cold‐hardening was enhanced by P alone but counteracted by N‐P treatments. The marked increase in proline during cold‐hardening could be useful in the detection of cold‐hardiness in winter wheats.     

Influence of root restriction on two cultivars of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Variable root restricting conditions were imposed on summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) cultivars ‘Senator’ and Dixie’ using container sizes of 0.35, 2.00, and 7.60 liters. Nondestructive and destructive plant sampling were conducted to evaluate leaf area production, dry weight accumulation and partitioning, crop growth rate and net assimilation rate, and flower and fruit development. Within 10 days after transplanting (DAT), ‘Senator’ exhibited declining leaf area production under increased root restriction, and within 17 DAT leaf area was diminished for both cultivars under increased root restricting conditions. Dry weight accumulation in leaves, stems, roots, and fruit was reduced for both cultivars over time and level of root restriction severity. There was a tendency for greater vegetative growth reductions with ‘Senator’ than with ‘Dixie’ at comparable levels of root restriction. Root‐to‐shoot ratio, timing and duration of flowering, and sex of flowers were not significantly impacted by root restriction level or cultivar. Fruit dry weight was greatest for Dixie’ early on, but by 28 DAT, total fruit dry weight produced did not differ for the cultivars except under the most severe root restricting conditions. Fruit dry weight production was limited for both cultivars as container volume became smaller.     

看麦娘叶片对化感小麦根水提液的生理响应

为阐明小麦化感抑草的生理机制,选择强化感小麦‘115/青海麦’、‘92L89’和弱化感小麦‘抗10103’,通过添加浓度为0.2%、0.5%和1.0%的小麦根水提液进行水培试验3周后,测定了各处理看麦娘的鲜重,分析叶片中叶绿素(SPAD值)、可溶蛋白、MDA、类黄酮、总酚的含量以及SOD、POD、CAT活性。结果表明,水提液处理显著抑制了看麦娘的生长,抑制率在不同处理浓度及小麦品种间均存在显著差异,强化感小麦的抑制率显著高于弱化感小麦。在处理浓度范围内,不同小麦根水提液的抑制率大小依次为‘115/青海麦’(24.7%~74.3%)‘92L89’(15.7%~71.6%)‘抗10103’(13.8%~61.4%);0.2%、1.0%和5.0%水提液处理的抑制率大小依次为13.8%~24.7%、41.7%~66.4%和61.4%~74.2%。看麦娘叶绿素含量(SPAD值)随处理浓度增大显著降低,可溶蛋白含量,SOD、POD、CAT活性,MDA、类黄酮含量随处理浓度增大显著升高,强化感小麦对看麦娘的生理刺激作用高于弱化感小麦。1.0%‘115/青海麦’及5.0%各小麦水提液处理的看麦娘总酚含量高于对照。可见,小麦化感胁迫提高了看麦娘的保护酶系统活性,增强了抗氧化物质代谢,但显著增强了细胞膜脂质过氧化和叶绿素降解,不利于靶标植物看麦娘的生长。     

小麦籽粒胚乳淀粉合成酶基因表达及酶活性分析

为研究小麦籽粒淀粉合成酶基因表达与酶活性的特征,选用4个淀粉含量差异较大的普通六倍体小麦新春24、E28（高淀粉含量组）和宁春16、安农9912（低淀粉含量组）为试验材料,采用实时荧光定量RT-PCR ,对灌浆期籽粒淀粉合成酶相关基因的表达进行研究,并对其表达量与相应酶活性的相关性做了分析。结果表明,束缚态淀粉合成酶基因(GBSS)、可溶性淀粉合成酶基因(SSS)、淀粉分支酶基因( SBE)、淀粉去分支酶（DBE）基因均呈单峰曲线变化。利用实时荧光定量PCR技术检测9个基因在不同淀粉含量的4个供试品种花后不同时期的相对表达量,结果表明,花后6d这些基因开始表达,在灌浆的中期（花后12~18d不等）有表达的小高峰,但在不同时期,2个高淀粉含量的品种中各种酶活性及其酶基因的相对表达量均比2个低淀粉含量的品种相对较高;这些基因表达谱与酶活性相关分析显示, 除GBSS外其他几种淀粉合成酶基因均与相应酶活性呈显著或极显著正相关,而且GBSS酶活性到达峰值时间稍迟于DBE、SSS、SBE等酶,说明DBE、SSS、SBE基因可能主要通过转录水平来控制籽粒淀粉的合成,而GBSS基因可能主要通过转录后水平来控制籽粒淀粉的合成。     

Agronomical,quality, and molecular characterization of twenty Italian emmer wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum dicoccon</Emphasis>) accessions

Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon Schrank, 2n = 4x = 28) consists in a hulled wheat; its cultivation has been drastically reduced during the last century as a consequence of its low yield. Recently, its agronomic and nutritive values, as well as the increase of popularity of organic agriculture, have led to a renewed interest making its cultivation economically viable in the marginal lands with an increase of the cultivated areas. In Italy, it mainly survives in few marginal lands of central and southern Italy, where local varieties, adapted to the natural environment from where they originate, are used; moreover, some selected lines have also been developed. In the present work, agro-morphological and qualitative traits, together with molecular analyses of 20 emmer accessions consisting of Italian landraces, breeding lines, and cultivars, were performed. The field experiments were conducted for two consecutive years (2001/2002–2002/2003) in two locations: Viterbo in central Italy, and Foggia in south Italy. The analyzed emmer wheat accessions showed a good amount of genetic variability for both evaluated agro-morphological and molecular traits. This study illustrates an increase in earliness, GY, TW, TKW, and YI going from landraces, breeding lines to cultivars, while the variability does not change proportionally.     

Response of wheat genotypes to foliar spray of ZnO and Fe2O3 nanoparticles under salt stress

This study evaluated the effects of iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) and zinc oxide (ZnO) on two wheat genotypes (Kavir and Tajan) at three levels (0, 75, and 150 mM sodium chloride (NaCl)) of salinity. Spray treatments included two forms of normal and nanoparticles of Fe₂O₃ and ZnO, a mixture of nanoparticles of Fe₂O₃ and ZnO (2 g L^?1) and a non-spray treatment. The pot experiment was arranged as factorial in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Two forms of Fe₂O₃ and ZnO significantly accelerated plant height, leaf area, shoot dry weight, and the concentration of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in comparison with non-spray treatment. The highest plant height and leaf Fe concentration belonged to Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles; however, it seems that the spray of nanoparticles may not be superior compared with normal forms in alleviation of salinity impacts.     

Regulation of mycorrhiza development in durum wheat by P fertilization: Effect on plant nitrogen metabolism

The aim of this work was to study the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae on growth and nitrogen (N) metabolism of durum wheat (Tritcum durum) under various P soil contents. The analyses were extended to macro and micronutrient tissue concentrations, nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities, as well as protein, aminoacids, pyridine dinucleotides and adenine nucleotides. Arbuscular mycorrhiza increased wheat growth in soil in which P availability was low and nitrate was the dominant N form. The root colonization occurred at the highest level in plants grown in limiting soil P and was inversely related to soil P content. The micorrhizal wheat plants contained also the highest concentrations of macro (P, K, Ca, N) and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn) as well as free amino acids, protein, NAD, NADP, AMP, ADP, ATP in roots and leaves. In particular, the micronutrient tissue concentrations (Zn, Mn) supported that mycorrhiza actively modulated their uptake limiting interferences and optimizing growth better than the plant roots, like a very efficient “rootstock”. Control plants grown at the highest soil P did not reach the same concentration as the mycorrhizal plants. Nitrate reductase activities in the roots of mycorrhizal plants were higher than in the control ones, while glutamine synthetase activities were highest in the leaves. Protein and amino acids concentrations, as well as AMP, ADP, ATP, NAD(P), and NAD(P)H were also higher than in the control. Among the free amino acids in the roots, the high levels of glutamine, asparagine, arginine, support the view that ammonium was transferred through the arbuscules to the root cells where it was re‐assimilated in the cortical cells, forming high N : C ratio‐amino acids. They were transferred to the leaves where all the other N compounds could be largely synthesized using the carbon skeletons supplied by photosynthesis.     

小麦属Xa 21-类似蛋白激酶基因的克隆及与同源位点序列比较

对小麦属Xa21-类似蛋白激酶基因进行了克隆及与同源序列比较研究.在小麦(Triticum aestivum)高分子量麦谷蛋白基因位点附近有一个编码LRR-类受体蛋白激酶的基因位点(暂标记为TaXa),编码蛋白与水稻(O ryza sativa)抗病蛋白Xa 21类似.通过反转录PCR途径,从普通小麦和二粒小麦(Triticum turgidum)的TaXa同源位点分离了3个cDNA克隆,ZS 860(GenBank查询号:EF 394367),ZS 2000(GenBank查询号:EF 394368)和ZS 2001(GenBank查询号:EF 394369).TaXa位点的祖先基因可能编码1 028个氨基酸组成的多肽.一个完整的TaXa蛋白包括N-端保守区、LRR结构域、一个跨膜区和位于C—端的丝氨酸—苏氨酸蛋白激酶功能域.在基因进化过程中,由于碱基代换、缺失和插入导致了开放读码框的改变,使该位点基因的编码多肽缩短.本研究对小麦属TaXa同源位点编码氨基酸序列和1个大麦(Hordeum vulgare)中的同源蛋白进行了详细比较.     

开颖、闭颖小麦浆片的显微观察

为了研究小麦开颖、闭颖授粉的原因,为探索小麦开颖、闭颖授粉机理奠定基础。此研究以开颖授粉小麦漯麦4号和闭颖授粉小麦花培3号为材料,在小麦抽穗期取浆片,用冷冻切片法观察两个品种浆片的厚度,并测量浆片的厚度,发现漯麦4号浆片的厚度是花培3号的1.67倍。对浆片进行整体透明处理,用微分干涉差显微镜观察浆片整体外形和浆片的中部细胞,对比高度和宽度,发现两者浆片在高度和宽度上无明显差异;同时对比浆片表面中部细胞的大小,发现两者浆片的中部细胞大小也无明显差异。