Biochemical factors in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) involved in the tetany syndrome

Nitrogen in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) forage was fractionated into water‐soluble protein N (WSPN) and non‐protein N (NPN). Both WSPN and NPN can be rapidly converted to ammonia in the rumen which may increase pH of rumen fluid and decrease solubility of Mg compounds and lead to increased incidence of grass tetany. In plant samples taken after spring growth initiation, WSPN represented approximately 50% of total N and NPN represented approximately 25% of total N. Total N concentration and relative percentages of WSPN and NPN decreased with advancing plant maturity in 1974, but during 1975 the relative WSPN and NPN percentages remained relatively constant at 43 to 55% and 18 to 30% of total N, respectively. Total N, WSPN, and NPN concentrations decreased as plants matured.

Total water‐soluble carbohydrates (TWSC) were determined and N/TWSC ratios were calculated in wheat forage. TWSC concentrations increased from the initial sampling date to a peak concentration and then declined during the latter part of the sampling period. N/TWSC ratios were widest at the initial sampling date and decreased markedly in subsequent samplings.

Organic acid concentrations were determined in 1975 wheat forage samples by gas‐liquid chromatography. Citric and trans‐aconitic acids have been implicated in the etiology of grass tetany as chelating agents for Mg and Ca. Chelation in the rumen fluid may reduce Mg and Ca absorption or chelation in the blood serum may reduce biological activity. Malic and aconitic acids accumulated in wheat. Malic acid concentration increased with advancing plant maturity to a maximum of 1.70% (dry weight basis). Aconitic acid concentrations were highest at the mid‐point in the sampling period, a maximum of 1.24% being determined.     

Limited genotype- and ploidy-related variation in the nutritive value of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

Abstract

Water-soluble carbohydrates and fibre fractions are important traits that influence forage utilization by the ruminant. Little is known about the quality variation among perennial ryegrass genotypes within the same maturity group or between near-isogenic diploids and tetraploids. The current study was carried out in the form of two experiments on two successive years (2006–2007) in three sites in Northern Germany. The main aim was to investigate the variation in nutritive value that could be attributed to differences in maturity among 20 intermediate heading perennial ryegrass genotypes or to differences in ploidy between near-isogenic diploids and tetraploids. Results of the first experiment revealed significant variation among the 20 tested genotypes in the investigated quality parameters that were consistent with the discovered variation in the maturity of the genotypes determined in terms of their Mean Stage by Count (MSC). In the second experiment, few but consistent significant differences were detected between near-isogenic diploids and tetraploids. The tetraploid derivatives had always significantly higher water-soluble carbohydrate content and lower neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) than their near-isogenic diploid parents.     

Buckwheat Seed Milling Fractions: Description, Macronutrient Composition and Dietary Fibre

The structure of the mature buckwheat achene and groat is discussed in relation to milling fractions and nutritional composition. Whole groats contain 55% starch, 12% protein, 4% lipid, 2% soluble carbohydrates, 7% total dietary fiber (TDF), 2% ash, and 18% other components (organic acids, phenolic compounds, tannins, phosphorylated sugars, nucleotides and nucleic acids, unknown compounds). The composition of the milling fractions reflects the relative abundance of seed tissues. Starch is concentrated in the central endosperm. Protein, oil, soluble carbohydrates and minerals are concentrated in the embryo. Commercial «Fancy» flour, a light-coloured flour, is mostly central endosperm and contains 75% starch, 6% protein, 1% lipid, 1% soluble carbohydrates, 3% TDF, 1% ash, and 13% other components. Although the embryo traverses the central endosperm, during milling parts of the embryo separate with the aleurone and seed coat in the bran fraction. Bran, with little central endosperm, contains 18% starch, 36% protein, 11% lipid, 6% soluble carbohydrates, 15% TDF, 7% ash, and 7% other components. Buckwheat bran also is a rich source of TDF and soluble dietary fibre (SDF), particularly bran with hull fragments (40% TDF of which 25% is SDF), while bran without hull fragments has 16% TDF of which 75% is SDF.     

Protein degradation and fermentation characteristics of unwilted red clover and alfalfa silage harvested at various times during the day

Extensive proteolysis during fermentation of high‐protein legumes reduces dietary N‐use efficiency in ruminants. Research has demonstrated that enhancing the level of fermentable carbohydrates in crops entering the silo may reduce protein degradation by increasing the rate of decline in pH. The objective was to evaluate whether delaying cutting time during the day, to allow accumulation of total non‐structural carbohydrates (TNC), would inhibit proteolysis in the silo. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) were harvested at 06.00, 10.00, 14.00 and 18.00 hours in 1993, 1994 and 1995, and ensiled without wilting. TNC accumulated in fresh forage during the day, with starch accounting for more than 0·50 of the daily change in TNC in fresh herbage of both species, except in red clover in 1995. The level of TNC in fresh forage did not consistently affect the extent of protein degradation in either species and, in all instances, alfalfa underwent more extensive proteolysis than red clover. Silage pH typically decreased and starch concentration increased as cutting time was delayed from 06.00 to 18.00 hours. Although the extent of proteolysis was largely unaffected by inherent increases in TNC, harvesting in the afternoon did provide several benefits including increased dry‐matter content, lower silage pH and higher starch concentrations. Effluent production is a concern in any unwilted silage system; there was therefore an added advantage of lower moisture content from cutting in the afternoon.     

Interaction between water-soluble carbohydrate reserves and defoliation severity on the regrowth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-dominant swards

A field-study was undertaken in Hamilton, New Zealand to determine if there was an interaction between water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) reserve content and defoliation severity on the regrowth of perennial ryegrass-dominant swards during winter. Perennial ryegrass plants with either low or high WSC content were obtained by varying the defoliation frequency. At the third defoliation at the one-leaf stage and at the first defoliation at the three-leaf stage (harvest H₁), swards were mown with a rotary lawnmower to residual stubble heights of 20, 40 or 60 mm. All swards were then allowed to regrow to the three-leaf stage before again defoliating to their treatment residual stubble heights (H₂). Frequently defoliated plants contained proportionately between 0·37 and 0·48 less WSC in the stubble after defoliation, depending on the severity of defoliation. There was no interaction between WSC content and defoliation severity for herbage regrowth between harvests H₁ and H₂. Herbage regrowth was lower from swards containing low WSC plants compared with high WSC plants (2279 vs. 2007 kg DM ha⁻¹). Furthermore, swards defoliated to 20 or 40 mm had greater herbage regrowth compared with those defoliated to 60 mm (2266, 2249 and 1914 kg DM ha⁻¹ for swards defoliated to residual stubble heights of 20, 40 and 60 mm, respectively). Regrowth of perennial ryegrass was positively correlated with post-defoliation stubble WSC content within defoliation severity treatment, implying that WSC contributed to the defoliation frequency-derived difference in herbage yield. However, the effect of defoliation severity on herbage regrowth was not associated with post-defoliation stubble WSC content.     

栓皮栎体胚的增殖、成熟和萌发

以栓皮栎实生苗叶片为外植体诱导体细胞胚胎发生,调查碳水化合物、渗透剂和植物生长调节剂对体胚增殖、成熟和萌发的影响,建立体胚增殖、成熟和萌发的培养基方案.叶片外植体在附加1.0 mg·L-1NAA和0.5mg·L-1BA的起始培养基上诱导形成前胚性团块.这些胚性团块在增殖培养基上培养6周,在附加1 mg·L-1BA、0.25 mg·L-1NAA和3%蔗糖的MS培养基上增殖效果最好.将单个体胚转接到成熟培养基上进行培养,蔗糖浓度对栓皮栎体胚成熟以及后续的萌发有显著影响.成熟培养基中附加5%的蔗糖,体胚成熟率和萌发率分别达到63.5%和33.8%.虽然在成熟培养基中附加ABA有利于体胚成熟,但对体胚的进一步萌发没有促进作用.为了提高萌发率,成熟体胚在附加植物生长调节剂的萌发培养基上进行培养,以及进行预冷处理.成熟体胚4℃冷处理没有促进胚根和上胚轴的发育萌发.在附加0.5 mg·L-1BA和0.25 mg·L-1 IBA的1/2 MS萌发培养基上,体胚萌发率达到65.9%,再生植株转化率达到9.4%.     

Removal of flowers or inflorescences affects ‘Barnea’ olive fruitlet post-anthesis abscission

A typical olive (Olea europaea L.) inflorescence consists of about 20 flowers. However, in many cultivars, only one fruit develops. This is due to massive abscission of flowers and fruitlets, which occurs during the first month after anthesis. In this study, we used the olive cultivar 'Barnea' to characterize the abscission mechanism and to try to increase fruit set by increasing the number of developed fruit per inflorescence. Removing the lateral flowers 3 weeks before anthesis increased fruit set by more than 50%. Removing all inflorescences but one from a branch increased the number of developed fruits from 0.93 to 2.8 during 2017 and from 0.91 to 3.34 fruits per inflorescence in 2018. Sugar quantification in the pistil revealed that starch level is high on the day of anthesis and low 25 days later in abscised as well as in developed fruit. Soluble carbohydrates are low on the day of anthesis, low in abscised flowers/fruitlets 25 days after anthesis and high in developed fruit. Screening the natural variation found in the Israeli germplasm collection revealed that in most cultivars less than one fruit per inflorescence has developed. However, there are unique cultivars with a higher fruit set.     

干扰水稻瘤矮病毒(RGDV)非结构蛋白(Pns12)的表达抑制病毒在介体昆虫培养细胞内的复制

水稻瘤矮病毒(Rice gall dwarf virus,RGDV)属呼肠孤病毒科(Reoviridae)植物呼肠孤病毒属(Phytoreovirus),由介体电光叶蝉(Recilia dorsalis)以持久增殖型方式传播,其基因组第12条片段编码的非结构蛋白(nonstructural protein,Pns12)是提供病毒复制和子代病毒粒体装配场所——病毒原质(viroplasm)的组分之一。为了明确Pns12在RGDV侵染介体电光叶蝉培养细胞中的功能,本研究通过原核表达的Pns12蛋白免疫注射兔(Oryctolagus cuniculus),制备Pns12抗体,并应用免疫荧光标记和RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)技术研究Pns12在介体培养细胞内的定位和参与病毒原质形成的过程。共聚焦显微镜观察到,病毒侵染的细胞中,与荧光素交联的Pns12抗体特异地标记在病毒原质上。干扰Pns12蛋白表达后,可有效地阻碍病毒原质的形成、子代病毒粒体的组装和病毒非结构蛋白Pns12和外壳蛋白P8蛋白的表达,表明Pns12作为病毒原质的组分参与了RGDV在介体培养细胞内的复制。也表明,Pns12可作为理想的靶标用于阻断电光叶蝉携带和传播RGDV。     

水稻灌浆结实期籽粒接受14C-同化产物能力的研究

在盆栽条件下，以粳稻日本晴为材料，于抽穗后5、20、35d整株标记^14CO2 1．5h，同化后24h取样，测定根、叶片、茎鞘、穗轴、枝梗、小枝梗及籽粒中^14C-同化产物的淀粉量和可溶性糖含量。结果表明：随着抽穗后天数的增加，全株^14C-同化量明显减少，光合强度下降的幅度大于绿叶重；灌浆初期固定的^14C-光合产物在同化后24h60％以上被运输到籽粒中，籽粒中^14C-光合产物的淀粉量和可溶性糖含量均明显高于其他器官，证明灌浆初期籽粒具有主动接受^14C-光合产物的能力；灌浆后期叶片、茎鞘、穗轴、枝梗、小枝梗中含有大量的^14C-同化产物，且多为能运输的可溶性糖，但籽粒中^14C-光合产物很少，说明灌浆后期籽粒接受光合产物能力明显变弱，是造成大量^14C-光合产物滞留在营养器官中的重要原因；籽粒的含水率和淀粉合成能力与籽粒接受^14C-光合产物量之间具有明显的伴随关系，推测籽粒的含水率和淀粉合成能力低可能是造成籽粒接受光合产物能力下降的重要原因之一。