Acquired Thermo‐Tolerance and Trans‐Generational Heat Stress Response at Flowering in Rice

In rice, pre‐exposure to sublethal treatment followed by harsh lethal treatment is known to improve tolerance of different abiotic stresses at the vegetative stage within and across generations. Our major aim was to test the phenomenon of thermo‐tolerance at flowering across (trans)‐generations and within generation using rice cultivars contrasting for heat stress tolerance at flowering. To test trans‐generational response, plants were exposed to higher temperature at flowering stage and seeds obtained from previous generations were exposed to heat stress during flowering, which recorded significantly lower fertility when exposed to the same degree of stress in their subsequent generations. A pre‐acclimation to moderately high acclimating temperatures imposed over three different durations during the vegetative and initial reproductive stage showed positive response in the tolerant N22, particularly under severe heat stress (40 °C). This finding indicates the possibility of acquiring ameliorative thermo‐tolerant mechanisms at anthesis, restricted to tolerant genetic backgrounds to combat subsequent harsh conditions within the same generation. However, trans‐generational memory was ineffective in mitigating spikelet sterility losses in both tolerant and susceptible backgrounds. Rice is extremely sensitive to heat stress during flowering; hence, similar exercise across other crops of interest needs to be carried out before generalizing conclusions.     

A comparative study on Striga hermonthica interaction with a sensitive and a tolerant sorghum cultivar

In this study, the effects of Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. on a sensitive and a tolerant sorghum genotype were investigated, and the underlying tolerance mechanisms were distinguished. The sensitive sorghum cv. CK60-B and the tolerant sorghum landrace Tiemarifing were grown in pots with and without seed infestation. Both sorghum genotypes responded to infection by the parasite, but it was evident that CK60-B was more strongly affected than Tiemarifing. Sorghum plant height, final leaf number, green leaf area, kernel yield, number of kernels and 1000-kernel weight were significantly reduced by infection, which also had a marked effect on the phenological development of CK60-B; the majority of the plants remained vegetative and, in the remaining plants, flowering was delayed by about 2 weeks. No effect on the phenological development of Tiemarifing was observed. The tolerant landrace showed significantly lower and delayed emergence of S. hermonthica than the sensitive cultivar, and this could be explained by a delay in the onset of attachment. Significantly higher numbers of reproductive parasitic plants were found in the pots with the sensitive sorghum plants. It is concluded that differences in root architecture and the resulting early infection and higher S. hermonthica numbers are partly responsible for the stronger effects of the parasite on the sensitive cultivar.     

Perinatal hypoxia induces subsequent retinal degeneration in the offspring of ovoviviparous fish, Xiphophorous maculates

OBJECTIVE: This experiment evaluated the perinatal hypoxic effect on the retina of offspring of the ovoviviparous fish. ANIMAL STUDIED: The ovoviviparous fish Xiphophorous maculates was used for the experiment. PROCEDURE: The mothers were kept in a hypoxic environment of 3.5% oxygen for 6 h, starting 30 h before hatching. Subsequently, the retinae of the offspring were fixed, sectioned at 6 microm and evaluated microscopically from the age of 1 to 35 days. RESULTS: Degeneration of the outer nuclear layer of the retina was noted on the 3rd day and severe retinal degeneration was observed on the 35th day. Immunocytochemistry confirmed apoptosis by TUNEL reaction. There was no difference in neovascularization, as revealed by vascular endothelial growth factor, between controls (group 1) and hypoxic fish (group 2). CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal hypoxia could have long-lasting effects on the central nervous system in some species.     

抗虫棉不同类型品种苗期耐盐理化特性差异研究

 为揭示不同基因型抗虫棉耐盐性差异的生理机制,指导抗虫棉耐盐品种鉴选和盐碱地棉花生产,以耐盐性差异显著的两类转Bt基因抗虫棉品种——耐盐性强的鲁K536、鲁棉研18优选系,耐盐性弱的新棉33B优选系、鲁K1258——为试验材料,利用不同盐分含量砂培与土培试验相结合,比较研究它们苗期的主要理化指标变化。结果表明,在NaCl胁迫下,耐盐性强的品种苗期叶片内的K⁺含量显著高于耐盐性弱的品种,Na⁺含量显著低于耐盐性弱的品种,丙二醛含量也显著低于耐盐性弱的品种,而游离脯氨酸、可溶性糖、类胡萝卜素含量均显著高于耐盐性弱的品种。耐盐性强的品种棉苗的过氧化物酶活性、叶绿素a、b和a+b含量以及净光合速率明显高于耐盐性弱的品种。表明棉花的耐盐性强弱因基因型而异,基因型间的耐盐性差异与丙二醛、脯氨酸、可溶性糖、类胡萝卜素含量和保护酶活性以及盐离子在叶片中累积量的差异有关。     

樱桃砧木根癌病敏感性评价方法

建立了樱桃砧木对农杆菌敏感性的评价方法,在5种樱桃砧木,对樱桃(Prunus.pseudocerasus)、CAB(P.cerasus)、Gisela5、Gisela6(P.cerasus×P.canescens)、colt(P.avium×P.pseudocerasus)的组培苗茎上接种野生型农杆菌(C58),40d后调查结瘤百分率和瘤重,基于结瘤百分率和病情指数评价了供试材料的敏感性,结果表明:该方法能反映不同砧木的抗性水平,可作为樱桃砧木根癌病敏感性评价、筛选抗性种质的一种有效的方法。     

Production of mutants with high cold tolerance in spring canola (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis>)

A major factor affecting spring canola (Brassica napus) production in Canada is killing frosts during seedling development in the spring and seed maturation in the fall. The objective of this study was to explore the possibility of producing spring canola lines with mutations that have altered biochemical pathways that increase cold tolerance. The approach was to generate UV point mutations in cultured microspores followed by chemical in vitro selection of individual mutant microspores or embryos resulting in measurable alterations to various biochemical pathways with elevated levels of key defense signaling molecules such as, salicylic acid (SA), p-Fluoro-d,l-Phenyl Alanine (FPA), and jasmonic acid (JA). In addition, since proline (Pro) is known to protect plant tissues in the cold-induced osmotic stress pathway, mutants that overproduce Pro were selected in vitro by using three Pro analogues: hydroxyproline (HP), azetidine-2-carboxylate (A2C); and, 3,4-dehydro-d,l-proline (DP). Of the 329 in vitro selected mutant embryos produced, 74 were identified with significant cold tolerance compared to their donor parents through indoor freezer tests at −6°C, and 19 had better winter field survival than winter canola checks. All chemically selected mutant doubled haploids with increased cold tolerance compared well with parent lines for all seed quality and agronomic parameters. Development of increased frost tolerant cultivars should allow for spring canola to be produced in western Canada without compromising seed quality.     

甘蓝耐寒性生理生化指标研究

为了找出与结球甘蓝耐寒性关系密切的指标,对6个耐寒性不同的甘蓝品种进行控制条件下不同温度处理,测定了与耐寒性相关的生理生化指标.结果表明:人工模拟气候条件下的冷害指数可以鉴定甘蓝耐寒性;5℃条件下种子的发芽率和萌发指数、10℃条件下种子的活力指数可作为甘蓝芽期耐寒性鉴定指标;5℃处理3 d甘蓝叶片中可溶性精含量、MDA含量、SOD活性、POD活性及5℃处理6 d时的脯氨酸含量可作为甘蓝苗期耐寒性鉴定指标.上述指标可为耐寒性结球甘蓝的品种选育提供依据.     

能源植物曼陀罗耐盐性的初步研究

对不同盐胁迫下(σ为0、1、2、3、4、5和6 S/m)曼陀罗的种子萌发、植株生长及叶绿素含量、气体交换参数等生长生理指标进行研究。结果表明,σ为0~3 S/m处理下,曼陀罗可正常萌发、生长与结实,σ=4 S/m时,可正常萌发、生长但不能结实,σ>4 S/m时,不能萌发;与σ=0 S/m比较,σ≥2 S/m时鲜干质量下降明显(P<0.01),但σ=1 S/m时有一定的促进作用,说明盐胁迫增强可明显抑制曼陀罗鲜干质量的增加;随盐胁迫强度增加,净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度呈上升趋势,σ=1 S/m时上升不明显,σ>1 S/m时显著上升,叶绿素含量、胞间CO2体积分数呈先上升后下降趋势。说明发芽势、鲜干质量、叶绿素含量和净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度和胞间CO2体积分数可作为曼陀罗耐盐性鉴定的重要指标。     

Construction of cDNA Library from Populus euphratica

1 Introduction Populus euphratica is a salt tolerant tree species, which is mainly distributed in the desert regions in northwest China (Wei 1993). Moreover, it is the only large tree species, which can survive and develop into forest in these arid and saline-alkali areas. P. euphratica forest plays a very important role in restraining the expansion of desert, maintaining ecological environment in west China, protecting the biological diversity and raising the local people抯 living standard…     

假俭草抗寒性与体内碳水化合物、脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白含量的关系

为了阐述假俭草(Eremochloa ophiuroides(Munro.)Hack.)的抗寒性与碳水化合物、脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白含量季节动态变化之间的关系,于2008年10月-2009年5月,研究了在自然温度变化过程中,假俭草E126匍匐茎中碳水化合物、脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白的季节性动态变化及其与半致死温度(LT₅₀)变化的关系。结果表明:在越冬前后假俭草E126匍匐茎LT₅₀呈现先降低后升高的季节变化趋势,可溶性总糖、蔗糖、果糖含量,可溶性总糖淀粉比率以及脯氨酸含量伴随田间气温变化均呈现先升高后降低的趋势,可溶性蛋白、淀粉含量则呈现出先降低又升高的趋势。假俭草E126匍匐茎LT₅₀季节变化与可溶性总糖、蔗糖、果糖含量,可溶性总糖淀粉比率季节变化之间存在极显著负相关(P<0.01),而与淀粉含量、脯氨酸含量、可溶性蛋白含量的季节变化间相关性不显著。因此,可溶性总糖含量、蔗糖含量、果糖含量、可溶性总糖淀粉比率对其冬季抗寒性增强有重要作用。