Identification of RAPD markers linked to the rust (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Uromyces fabae</Emphasis>) resistance gene in pea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum sativum</Emphasis>)

Summary Two RAPD markers linked to gene for resistance (assayed as pustule number cm⁻² leaf area) to rust [Uromyces fabae (Pers.) de Bary] in pea (Pisum sativum L.) were identified using a mapping population of 31 BC₁F₁ [HUVP 1 (HUVP 1 × FC 1] plants, FC 1 being the resistant parent. The analysis of genetics of rust resistance was based on the parents, F₁, F₂, BC₁F₁ and BC₁F₂ generations. Rust resistance in pea is of non-hypersensitive type; it appeared to be governed by a single partially dominant gene for which symbol Ruf is proposed. Further, this trait seems to be affected by some polygenes in addition to the proposed oligogene Ruf. A total of 614 decamer primers were used to survey the parental polymorphism with regard to DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction. The primers that amplified polymorphic bands present in the resistant parent (FC 1) were used for bulked segregant analysis. Those markers that amplified consistently and differentially in the resistant and susceptible bulks were separately tested with the 31 BC₁F₁ individuals. Two RAPD makers, viz., SC10-82₃₆₀ (primer, GCCGTGAAGT), and SCRI-71₁₀₀₀ (primer, GTGGCGTAGT), flanking the rust resistance gene (Ruf) with a distance of 10.8 cM (0.097 rF and LOD of 5.05) and 24.5 cM (0.194 rF and a LOD of 2.72), respectively, were identified. These RAPD markers were not close enough to Ruf to allow a dependable maker-assisted selection for rust resistance. However, if the two makers flanking Ruf were used together, the effectiveness of MAS would be improved considerably.     

Hybridizing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica rapa</Emphasis> with wild crucifers <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diplotaxis erucoides</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica maurorum</Emphasis>

Two wide hybrids, Diplotaxis erucoides (2n = 14) × Brassica rapa (2n = 20) and B. maurorum (2n = 20) × B. rapa, were developed using the sequential ovary–ovule culture. Reciprocal crosses failed, possibly as a consequence of strong unilateral incompatibility. The F ₁ hybrids in each combination were completely male sterile and morphologically intermediate to the respective parents. DNA marker polymorphism and chromosome counts confirmed their hybrid nature. High frequency of bivalents in the F ₁ and the presence of trivalents/quadrivalents in the derived amphiploids suggested genomic duplications and homoeology of the parental genomes. Up to three homoeologous pairs between the D. erucoides (D^eD^e) and B. rapa (AA) genomes, and one between B. maurorum (B^mB^m) and B. rapa genomes were observed. Successful synthesis of the F ₁ hybrids and amphiploids of B. rapa with D. erucoides and B. maurorum, and allosyndetic chromosome pairing are expected to permit introgressions of desirable loci into the cultivated Brassica germplasm, especially for resistance to Alternaria brassicae and Albugo candida.     

Leaf litter decomposition of dominant tree species of Namdapha National Park,Arunachal Pradesh,northeast India

Rates of weight loss and nutrient (N and P) release patterns were studied in the leaf litter of the dominant tree species (Ailanthus grandis, Altingia excelsa, Castanopsis indica, Duabanga sonneriatioides, Dysoxylum binectariferum, Mesua ferrea, Shorea assamica, Taluma hodgsonii, Terminalia myriocarpa and Vatica lancefolia) of a tropical wet evergreen forest of northeast India. Nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization rate and decay pattern varied significantly from species to species. In general, the decay pattern, characterized by using a composite polynomial regression equation, exhibited three distinct phases of decay during litter decomposition—an initial slow decay phase (0.063% weight loss day⁻¹), followed by a rapid decay phase (0.494% weight loss day⁻¹) and a final slow decay phase (0.136% weight loss day⁻¹). The initial chemical composition of the litter affected decomposition rates and patterns. Species like D. sonneriatoides, D. binectariferum, and T. hodgsonii with higher N and P content, lower carbon and lignin content, and lower C:N ratio and lignin:N ratio exhibited relatively faster decomposition rates than the other species, for example M. ferrea, C. indica and A. grandis. A slow decay rate was recorded for species such as M. ferrea, C. indica, and A. grandis. The initial N and P content of litter showed significant positive correlations with decay rates. Carbon and lignin content, lignin:N, and C:N showed significant negative correlations with decay rates. Soil total N and P, and rainfall, soil temperature, and soil moisture had positive correlations with decay rates. The rapid decomposition rates observed in comparison with other different forest litter decay rates confirm that tropical wet evergreen forest species are characterized by faster decomposition rates, indicating a faster rate of organic matter turnover and rapid nutrient cycling.     

Decomposition of leguminous crop residues in a ‘jhum’ cultivation system in Arunachal Pradesh,India

Decomposition of leaves, stems, and roots of two leguminous plants, french bean and pea, was studied in a ‘jhum’ cultivation (shifting agriculture) system in north‐eastern India in litter bag experiments. The dynamics of decomposition varied between the crop residues and species studied. All the three studied types of residues of french bean and the leaves and roots of pea showed polynomial decomposition model with three distinct phases: an initial slow decomposition phase (1), followed by a faster decomposition rate (2) and again by a slow decomposition phase (3). However, the stems of pea plants showed an exponential increase in the decomposition rate during field incubation. Initial N, lignin, and lignin : N ratio were determined in crop residues. In general, roots decomposed slowly as compared to the leaves and stems due to greater lignin content. Soil microbial activity as determined by CO₂ evolution was significantly correlated with the decomposition rates. Over all, the decay constants reveal that these fast decomposing leguminous crop residues can be properly managed for soil nutrient management in the low input shifting agricultural fields in the hills.     

An early gene of the flavonoid pathway, flavanone 3-hydroxylase, exhibits a positive relationship with the concentration of catechins in tea (Camellia sinensis)

Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) leaves are a major source of flavonoids that mainly belong to the flavan 3-ols or catechins. Apart from being responsible for tea quality, these compounds have medicinal properties. Flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) is an abundant enzyme in tea leaves that catalyzes the stereospecific hydroxylation of (2S)-naringenin to form (2R,3R)-dihydrokaempferol. We report a full-length cDNA sequence of F3H from tea (CsF3H Accession no. AY641730). CsF3H comprised 1365 bp with an open reading frame of 1107 nt (from 43 to 1149) encoding a polypeptide of 368 amino acids. Expression of CsF3H in an expression vector in Escherichia coli yielded a functional protein with a specific activity of 32 nmol min(-1) mg protein(-1). There was a positive correlation between the concentration of catechins and CsF3H expression in leaves of different developmental stages. CsF3H expression was down-regulated in response to drought, abscisic acid and gibberellic acid treatment, but up-regulated in response to wounding. The concentration of catechins paralleled the expression data. Exposure of tea shoots to 50-100 microM catechins led to down-regulation of CsF3H expression suggesting substrate mediated feedback regulation of the gene. The strong correlation between the concentration of catechins and CsF3H expression indicates a critical role of F3H in catechin biosynthesis.     

Tight regulation of allene oxide synthase (AOS) and allene oxide cyclase-3 (AOC3) promote <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis> susceptibility to the root-knot nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne javanica</Emphasis>

Biosynthesis of the oxylipin jasmonic acid (JA) in Arabidopsis thaliana is catalyzed by a single allene oxide synthase (AOS)-encoding gene and four genes encoding four functional allene oxide cyclase (AOC) polypeptides (AOC1, AOC2, AOC3, and AOC4). To elucidate the biological activities of the JA pathway in regulating the plant defense response to plant-parasitic nematodes, transgenic lines carrying the GUS reporter gene under the control of individual AOC or AOS promoters were examined. Upon penetration by second-stage juveniles (J2 s), promoter activities of AOC1, AOC3 and AOC4 appeared in the root tip and root-elongation zone, with AOC3 demonstrating highest induction. At 5 days AOC3 activity continued to be highly pronounced in the stele and root cortex, associated with nematode invasion throughout gall initiation and maturation. AOS expression appeared 3 days postinfection and accompanied all later infection stages. Mutant lines were analyzed: disruption in AOS rendered plants more resistant to nematode infection, as reflected by the decreased number of females produced on this line; loss-of-function of AOC3 rendered plants more susceptible to nematode infection. Oxylipins derived from the 9- and 13-lipoxygenase pathways were assayed for their direct inhibitory activity toward M. javanica J2 s. Clear nematicidal activity of the bioactive 9- and 13-hydroperoxides was observed. Oxylipins produced by divinyl ether synthase, colneleic acid, colnelenic acid and ω5(Z)-etherolenic acid demonstrated strong inhibitory activity. These data, along with those of other assayed oxylipins, suggest that temporal and spatial fine tuning of the JA route allowing nematodes parasitism on plant host.     

Fine litterfall and nutrient dynamics during forest regrowth in the humid subtropics of north-eastern India

Fine litterfall and nutrient return patterns were studied in three subtropical humid forest stands (7-, 13- and 16-year old), regrowing after selective tree cutting in north-eastern India. The seasonality of fine litterfall was unimodal, with a peak during spring and a trough during rainy season in the forest regrowths of three different ages. The rate of fine litterfall increased with increasing basal area of the woody vegetation during forest regrowth. Leaf litter accounted for 83% of the total litterfall. N concentration was maximum during autumn and minimum during rainy season; nutrient concentrations were highest in the leaf litter. Seasonal variation in P concentration was small. Maximum and minimum input of N and P to the forest floor through fine litter coincided with the respective periods of litter production.     

Effect of macrophage secretory products on elaboration of virulence factors by planktonic and biofilm cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Macrophages, which constitute the first line of defense, pour their secretions in the mileu following stimulation with pathogens. These secretory products, referred to as macrophage secretory products (MSPs), can influence ultimate outcome of an infection. In the present investigation, it was observed that different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa vary in their ability to stimulate macrophages leading to variability in generation of macrophage secretory products. Cytokine levels, reactive nitrogen intermediates and protein content of macrophage secretory products generated with biofilm cells of P. aeruginosa was found to be more as compared to their planktonic counterparts. The effect of macrophage secretory products produced in response to interaction of macrophages with P. aeruginosa on elaboration of virulence factors produced by planktonic and biofilm cell forms of this pathogen was assessed. Significant enhancement in growth and elaboration of all the virulence determinants by both the cell forms was observed when P. aeruginosa was grown in presence of supernatants with macrophage secretory products. Implications of these findings in relation to urinary tract infections induced by P. aeruginosa have been discussed.     

Effect of mixed-cropping and water-stress on macro-nutrients and biochemical constituents of rhizomatous medicinal plants in Central Himalaya, India

Plants in the alpine zone mainly depend on the reserved food materials stored in their rhizomes for the next growing season.We investigated the effect of mixed cropping(Phaseolus vulgaris L.var.Pinto) with four rhizomatous medicinal plants,i.e.,Angelica glauca,Arnebia benthamii,Rheum emodi and Pleurospermum angelicoides as well as three levels of water stress treatment under two conditions(shade net and open field) on macronutrients(NPK) and biochemicals(carbohydrates and protein).The experiment was conducted by completely randomized design(CDR).The data were analyzed with ANOVA as well as CDR.The experimental results show that in all the species shade conditions with sever water stress(SSWS) increased the level of macronutrients(NPK).However,(N) concentration was highest under shade with mixed cropping(SMIX).Under SMIX,carbohydrate content was highest than open field control conditions(CONT).This investigation results demonstrate that mixed cropping of medicinal plants with Phaseolus vulgaris could be a good livelihood option in the mountainous regions of Indian Central Himalaya.And the water-stress conditions along with mixed cropping could improve the biochemical constituents in the rhizome of these species.