Physiological enhancement of early growth of rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) by production of phytohormone of N2-fixing methylotrophic isolates

Three plant-growth promoting, N₂-fixing methylotrophic strains isolated from rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.), viz, Methylobacterium sp. CBMB20, Enterobacter sp. CBMB30, Burkholderia sp. CBMB40, were selected, and their activities in promoting the early growth of rice were studied. Seeds treated with the methylotrophic strains improved seed germination, seedling vigor index (SVI), and biomass of rice seedlings. The methylotrophic population in the treated seedlings increased in the vegetative stages when compared to seeding stages. Treated seedlings showed a higher accumulation of plant hormones viz trans-zeatin riboside, isopentenyladenosine, and indole-3-acetic acid than untreated seedlings. Plant hormones were detected immunologically using the phytodetek kit. Conformational evidence suggested that cytokinins were produced by the epiphytic bacteria colonizing the plants rather than by the plants themselves. In addition, the inoculated early stage rice seedlings also exhibited a wide range of acetylene reduction activity. The results suggest the potential use of these bacteria to stimulate germination, SVI, and biomass production, which is mediated by production of plant hormone accumulation and nitrogen fixation.     

Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Mycobacterium isolates from fighting fish Betta spp. in Malaysia

Mycobacteriosis due to mycobacteria is one of the most common bacterial diseases in ornamental fish. We describe here the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Mycobacterium isolates from fighting fish Betta spp. using ATCC Mycobacterium marinum, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonae as references. A total of four isolates (M1, M2, M3, M4) were obtained from four out of 106 fish samples using selective agar, and identified to Mycobacterium genus using acid-fast staining and 16s rRNA gene-based genus specific polymerase chain reaction. DNA sequencing and NCBI-BLAST analysis further identified isolate M1 as M. marinum and isolates M2, M3, M4 as M. fortuitum. Morphological, physiological and biochemical tests were carried out for phenotypic characterizations. Universal M13 and wild-type phage M13 RAPD dendogram was generated to illustrate the genetic relationship of the isolates and reference strains.     

Diversity of Bartonella species detected in arthropod vectors from animals in Australia

A variety of Bartonella species were detected in two species of ticks and three species of fleas collected from marsupial hosts; brush-tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata) and western barred bandicoots (Perameles bougainville) and from a rodent host; Rattus fuscipes in Western Australia. Bartonella species were detected using nested-PCR of the gltA gene and the 16S–23S ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), and species were characterized using DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA, gltA, rpoB, ftsZ genes and the ITS region. Bartonella rattaustraliani and B. coopersplainsensis were detected in Ixodes spp. ticks and fleas (Stephanocircus pectinipes) respectively collected from rodents. Two novel Bartonella species were detected from marsupials; Candidatus Bartonella woyliei n. sp. was detected in both fleas (Pygiopsylla hilli) and ticks (Ixodes australiensis) collected from woylies and Candidatus Bartonella bandicootii n. sp. was detected in fleas (Pygiopsylla tunneyi) collected from western barred bandicoots. Concatenated phylogenetic analysis of all 5 loci clarified the marsupial cluster of Bartonella species in Australia and confirmed the species status of these two Bartonella species in ticks and fleas from woylies and western barred bandicoots, which are classified as threatened species and are vulnerable to extinction.     

不同种质苜蓿苗期耐旱性评价及其方法的比较

由于国内苜蓿(Medicago spp.)耐旱性评价方法不统一,在已有的方法的基础上进行综合整理、适当修改,对来自国内外的133份不同苜蓿种质资源进行2次抗旱性评价(控水方法不同),并对2种控水方法进行比较.以干旱反应征状指数(ASI)和复水后的存活率作为2个变量,运用SAS软件进行综合分析.2次评价结果表明,有15份...     

饲用酶与芽孢杆菌协同作用发酵豆粕的相关研究

以酸溶性蛋白(TCA-N)含量为主要评价指标,研究饲用酶酶解、芽孢杆菌发酵、饲用酶加芽孢杆菌协同处理豆粕的工艺条件。结果表明,酶菌协同处理的结果优于酶和菌单独作用的结果,最佳发酵工艺条件为:料水比1:0.7、初始发酵温度40℃、加酶量0.05%(蛋白酶活力50 U/g)、接种量1%(0.5%1号菌+0.5%3号菌)、处理时间为48 h。在此条件下,豆粕经过处理后,其酸溶性蛋白含量从2.74%增加到24.55%,乳酸含量从1.26%增加到4.70%,各种抗营养因子也大都得到降解。SDS-PAGE电泳分析结果表明,处理后豆粕中的大分子蛋白质被降解为分子量20 kD或以下的小分子物质。     

Application method and rate of Trichoderma species as a biological control against Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp. in the production of microgreen table beets (Beta vulgaris L.)

Seed balls of ‘Early Wonder Tall Top’ table beet (Beta vulgaris L.) were incubated for 2 days at 21 °C in moist exfoliated grade 3 vermiculite (3 g seed balls [168 seed balls] and 1.1 g vermiculite) containing equal weights of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai strain KRL-AG2 G41 and T. virens strain G-41 (ThTv) at 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 or 1.00 mg ThTv per seed ball. ThTv also was applied to the peat-lite growth medium 14 days before planting, at the same rates per seed ball as the seed ball treatments. Four days before planting, the peat-lite was inoculated with Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp. (Pa) at 0, 0.5 and 1.0× the rate that resulted in 96% damping-off when non-ThTv-treated dry seed balls were sown in peat-lite containing 1.0 Pa. Increasing ThTv level per seed ball decreased percentage damping-off, with 1.0 Pa giving greater percentage damping-off than 0.5 Pa. At 1 mg ThTv per seed ball, damping-off was 5% and 19% at 0.5 and 1.0 Pa, respectively. Including Agro-Lig UF (mostly humic acids) in the incubating seed-ball-ThTv mixture further decreased damping-off by an average 13 and 10 percentage points in 0.5 and 1.0 Pa, respectively. Increasing ThTv per seed ball in growth media decreased percentage damping-off, but not to the extent achieved with seed ball treatment, with 1 mg ThTv per seed ball giving 20% and 55% damping-off in 0.5 and 1.0 Pa, respectively. Decreasing incidence of damping-off with increasing ThTv application to seed balls or growth media was associated with increasing shoot fresh weight m⁻² at 14 days after planting, a response attributable to increased percentage plant survival and not to a ThTv growth-promoting effect.     

Morphological and molecular variability in some Iranian almond genotypes and related Prunus species and their potentials for rootstock breeding

In this study, in order to know the variability for a rootstock breeding program genetic diversity and relationships among 55 Iranian almond genotypes and seven related Prunus species were investigated. Morphological and molecular analyses were used. Principal component analysis showed that three components explained 67.6% of the total morphological variation for the first year and 68.06% for the second year of the study. Leaf traits were predominant in the first component and contributed most of the total variation. Leaf length and width, as well as, leaf area were highly correlated with each other and correlated to vigor. Also a negative correlation was found between leaf length/width ratio and vigor. Ward's method was used to construct cluster from morphological data which allocated individuals into their respective species. Out of 100 pre-screened RAPD primers, 16 with reproducible bands and maximum polymorphism were selected. Two-hundred and sixty bands were scored of which 250 of them were polymorphic. Average value of polymorphism per primer was 95.81% and maximum value for polymorphism (100%) was obtained from TIBMBA-14, TIBMBA-17, TIBMBB-05, TIBMBB-08, TIBMBD-09, and TIBMBD-10. On the other hand, the minimum value was obtained from TIBMBB-16 (86%). Primer TIBMBB-5 gave the maximum number of bands (25 fragments) and the minimum obtained from TIBMBE-18 (11 fragments). Genetic similarity based on Jaccard's coefficient ranged from 0.28 to 0.79 with an average of 0.53. Molecular analysis revealed a high degree of separation among samples regarding their geographical origin. Correlation between two approaches was low (R = −0.38). High molecular and morphological variability indicated that this collection includes rich and valuable plant materials for almond rootstock breeding.     

岷江百合悬浮细胞系的建立及植株再生

 以岷江百合（Lilium regale Wils.）颗粒细小、结构松散的乳白色愈伤组织为起始材料,接种在MS（NH4NO3含量减半）+ 2.0 mg · L-1 picloram + 30 g · L-1蔗糖液体培养基上,在25 ℃黑暗条件下振荡（100 r · min-1）培养10 ~ 20 d,建立分散性好、均匀、生长迅速的悬浮细胞系。在悬浮细胞系培养过程中研究了不同参数对其生长的影响,结果表明：在40 mL培养液中接种量为0.5 g（鲜样质量）,18 d继代1次,继代时保留1/3体积的旧培养液有利于其细胞增殖。将悬浮细胞转移到1/2MS + 30 g · L-1蔗糖的再生培养基上成功获得再生植株。