Is Discrimination of 13C in Potato Leaflets and Tubers an Appropriate Trait to Describe Genotype Responses to Restrictive and Well‐Watered Conditions?

Selection for drought tolerance entails prioritizing plant traits that integrate critical physiological processes occurring during crop growth. Discrimination against ¹³C (?) in leaflets (?_leaflet) and tubers (?_tuber) was compared under two water regimes in two potato‐improved varieties selected to maintain yield under drought conditions (Unica and Sarnav) and one drought susceptible European cultivar (Désirée). In the control treatment, soil water content was kept at field capacity over the whole growth cycle, while in the drought treatment water supply was restricted after tuber initiation (50 % of field capacity). Gas exchange and N content per unit leaf area (N_area) as well as ? were assessed at different stages. Sarnav showed the highest tuber yield in both water conditions, suggesting that yield in the water restriction treatment was largely driven by yield potential in this genotype. Higher stomatal conductance (g_s) and N_area and lower ?_leaflet in well‐watered Sarnav suggested higher photosynthetic capacity. Under water restriction, Sarnav maintained higher g_s indicating that carbon diffusion was a key factor for biomass accumulation under water restriction. Our results suggest the use of ? determined after tuber initiation as an indirect selection indicator for tuber yield under both well‐watered and restricted soil water availability conditions.     

Pathogenicity of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica on potato

Host–parasite relationships and pathogenicity of Meloidogyne javanica on potatoes (newly recorded from Malta) were studied under glasshouse and natural conditions. Potato cvs Cara and Spunta showed a typical susceptible reaction to M. javanica under natural and artificial infections, respectively. In potato tubers, M. javanica induced feeding sites that consisted of three to four hypertrophied giant cells per adult female. Infection of feeder roots by the nematode resulted in mature large galls which usually contained at least one mature female and egg mass. In both tubers and roots, feeding sites were characterized by giant cells containing granular cytoplasm and many hypertrophied nuclei. Cytoplasm in giant cells was aggregated alongside the thickened cell walls. Stelar tissues within galls appeared disorganized. The relationship between initial nematode population density ( P ) [0–64 eggs + second-stage juveniles (J2s) per cm³ soil] and growth of cv. Spunta potato seedlings was tested under glasshouse conditions. A Seinhorst model [ y = m  + (1 −  m ) z ^{( P − T )}] was fitted to fresh shoot weight and shoot height data of nematode-inoculated and control plants. Tolerance limits ( T ) for fresh shoot weight and shoot height of cv. Spunta plants infected with M. javanica were 0·50 and 0·64 eggs + J2s per cm³ soil, respectively. The m parameter in that model (i.e. the minimum possible y -values) for fresh shoot weight and shoot height were 0·60 and 0·20, respectively, at P  = 64 eggs + J2s per cm³ soil. Root galling was proportional to the initial nematode population density. Maximum nematode reproduction rate was 51·2 at a moderate initial population density ( P  = 4 eggs + J2s per cm³ soil).     

Evaluation and analysis of reduction of late blight disease in a diploid potato progeny

The rate of late blight disease was analysed for individuals of a diploid Solanum phureja – Solanum tuberosum dihaploid hybrid population (PD), using three different assessment techniques, in the laboratory, screenhouse, and field. These hybrids expressed low disease rates in the field, comparable to resistance based on intact R genes. However, none of the parents of PD expressed any R genes and the pattern of segregation within the PD population was not indicative of R-gene inheritance. The foliage (or leaflet) area diseased had the largest broad-sense heritability of all criteria analysed, in all tests performed. In the field evaluations, the PD population showed intermediate levels of broad-sense heritability for foliage area diseased, relative to the much larger heritability detected for the group of controls possessing R genes. Resistance in the field of the PD hybrids had very little genotype-environment (G × E) interaction, indicating stability of its expression. All genotypes without R genes exhibited heritable, reduced rates of late blight disease in the field, but they were susceptible with low heritability in screenhouse and laboratory tests. This differential expression of disease indicates that the plants' indirect response to unknown environmental stress in the field may have been measured. The value of the PD hybrids for breeding of late blight resistant potato and the use of the disease rate data for detection of the underlying quantitative trait loci are discussed.     

The influence of cyst nematodes and drought on potato growth. 3. Effects on carbon isotope fractionation

A good agreement was found between drought induced water-use efficiencies and carbon isotope fractionation of potato plants of the same age. Discrimination of¹³Carbon isotope increased with plant age and with the rank order of the distinguished plant organs. In young plants, nematode infection (contrary to drought) reduced¹³C discrimination but also reduced the water-use efficiency, leading to the conclusion that nematode infection, by slowing down the plant metabolism may have reduced the extrusion of¹³C. Towards senescence both nematode infection and drought reduced¹³C discrimination and increased water-use efficiencies indicating that then nematode caused water stress in the plants.     

Seedborne fungi detected on stored solanaceous berry seeds and their biological activities

We isolated 629 fungi from 1296 berry seeds of solanaceous plants, including tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), bell pepper (Capsicum annuum), and red pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum) preserved for long and short terms. The isolates were classified into 22 genera excluding unidentified fungi, and the fungal floras were divided into two types: the tomato–eggplant and pepper groups. The results of cluster analysis with unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average also supported these groups. Most tomato seeds infested with Geotrichum candidum germinated and grew the same as uninfested seeds. Cladosporium sphaerospermum and Arthrinium sp. isolated from eggplant seeds strongly suppressed germination, and Penicillium variabile suppressed seminal root elongation on eggplant. Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Myrothecium verrucaria detected from red pepper or bell pepper seeds were pathogenic to the fruits and the seedlings after artificial inoculation.     

马铃薯花色苷研究进展

综述了马铃薯花色苷的分布、种类、结构、提取纯化方法、生理功能和应用等方面的研究进展,并介绍了块茎在发育和储藏期间花色苷的变化及光、温等外界因素对马铃薯块茎颜色的影响.     

Feeding Solanum glaucophyllum to preparturient multiparous cows prevents postparturient hypocalcemia

Solanum glaucophyllum (SG) contains 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25‐(OH)₂D₃) glycosides. We investigated the effect of SG on hypocalcemia in cows. Serum levels of 1,25‐(OH)₂D₃, total calcium and phosphorus dose‐relatedly increased after feeding with SG, while serum magnesium and chloride levels fell (P < 0.05). We also performed an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) infusion to induce artificial hypocalcemia. Cows that had been fed 4.0 mg/kg body weight of SG daily for 2 weeks had a higher serum concentration of total calcium at the end of EDTA infusion than those not fed SG (P < 0.05). In a field trial, multiparous cows were assigned to one of four groups: (1) no SG, (2) 1.3 g or (3) 2.6 g of SG daily from 14 days before the estimated calving day until 3 days after calving, or (4) a single feed of 35.75 g SG at 3 days before the estimated calving day. The concentrations of serum total calcium after the calving in each treatment group were (1) 7.4, (2) 7.9, (3) 8.0 and (4) 8.9 mg/dL and higher for (4) than for (1) (P < 0.05). The data suggests that feeding a high dose of SG before the calving may maintain higher concentrations of serum calcium after the calving.     

番茄SlβCA3在防御丁香假单胞菌番茄致病变种中的功能

【背景】在全球气候变化的背景下,大气CO₂浓度的升高会影响植物病害的发生,进而影响农业生产。β型碳酸酐酶（β- carbonic anhydrase,βCA）是植物CO₂感应和浓缩系统中的重要组成元件,参与拟南芥和烟草的植物免疫过程,但在番茄（Solanum lycopersicum）等园艺作物中的研究较少。【目的】通过探究番茄SlβCA3在抵御植物病害中的作用及机制,为番茄生产中的抗性调控提供科学依据。【方法】以拟南芥AtβCA氨基酸系列为参考序列,在番茄Sol genomics network 数据库中鉴定到4个SlβCA。进一步以野生型（wild-type,WT）番茄‘Ailsa Craig’（AC）为材料接种丁香假单胞菌番茄致病变种（Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000,Pst DC3000）,利用qRT-PCR技术测定叶片中SlβCA的表达量,筛选出受Pst DC3000诱导表达的基因SlβCA3。在此基础上,以AC为背景,利用农杆菌介导法进行番茄遗传转化,构建SlβCA3稳定过表达植株（OE-SlβCA3）。通过观察OE-SlβCA3植株接种Pst DC3000后的抗性表型,明确SlβCA3在番茄抵御Pst DC3000过程中的作用。为了研究SlβCA3调控植物抗病性的内在机制,比较WT和OE-SlβCA3植株接种Pst DC3000与对照条件下转录组的变化,并利用KEGG数据库对差异基因进行功能分析,推测糖代谢与SlβCA3介导的免疫反应有关。最后,通过测定WT和OE-SlβCA3植株糖代谢及其信号途径相关基因表达量以及葡萄糖、果糖和蔗糖含量,对转录组结果进行验证及分析。【结果】OE-SlβCA3植株对Pst DC3000的抗性增强,接种Pst DC3000后,叶片中的细菌生长量、病斑数以及死细胞积累量明显减少。转录组测序结果显示,正常条件下,OE-SlβCA3植株转录谱没有发生明显变化;接种Pst DC3000后,在WT和OE-SlβCA3植株中检测到2 100个Pst DC3000诱导基因,其中有63.3%的基因在OE-SlβCA3植株中表达量更高。KEGG分析结果显示,依赖于SlβCA3过表达的Pst DC3000诱导基因富集在糖代谢相关路径中,包括淀粉和蔗糖代谢,内质网中的蛋白质加工（糖基化）,氨基糖和核苷酸糖代谢,真核生物中的核糖体生物合成以及光合作用等路径。糖代谢与糖信号密不可分,qRT-PCR及糖含量测定结果显示,接种Pst DC3000后,OE-SlβCA3植株叶片中糖代谢及其信号传导途径相关基因表达量与葡萄糖、果糖和蔗糖的含量较WT更高。【结论】番茄SlβCA3的过表达增强了植株对Pst DC3000的抗性,该过程可能与糖代谢及其信号通路在植物免疫中的作用有关。     

连作对马铃薯酚酸类自毒物质及根际真菌群落的影响

为研究连作对马铃薯根际土壤中酚酸类自毒物质及真菌群落的影响,通过收集不同连作季(1季、3季、5季)马铃薯根际土壤,利用高效液相色谱法测定酚酸类物质及Illumina高通量测序技术测定真菌ITS序列,结果表明:(1)连作土壤中检测出丁香酸、香豆酸、对羟基苯甲酸、阿魏酸,连作增强后,pH不断下降,对羟基苯甲酸、阿魏酸含量不断增加,丁香酸、香豆酸在连作3季后含量最高。(2)连作3季及5季根际土壤中真菌多样性及丰度均显著高于连作1季,子囊菌门为连作土壤的优势菌门;节丛孢属为连作3季的优势菌属,盘菌属为连作5季的优势菌种;对连作土壤进行主成分分析,连作1季与连作3季真菌群落及数量相似,与连作5季差异较大。(3)自毒物质与根际真菌群落存在相关性,丁香酸与琏格霉属,香草酸与盘菌属丰度达极显著正相关;阿魏酸与盘菌属丰度间为显著负相关。因此,连作后根际土壤中自毒物质不断积累,真菌群落结构发生改变,琏格孢霉、镰刀菌等有害真菌富集。