Trichoderma harzianum produces nonanoic acid, an inhibitor of spore germination and mycelial growth of two cacao pathogens

An isolate of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai from an infected cacao pod produces and secretes nonanoic (pelargonic) acid into a liquid culture medium. Nonanoic acid (NA) was very inhibitory to spore germination and mycelial growth of two cacao pathogens, Crinipellis perniciosa Stahel and Moniliophthora roreri Cif. H.C. Evans. It was highly active causing 75% inhibition of spore germination in an in vitro assay at a rate as low as 0.09 μM for M. roreri and 0.92 μM for C. perniciosa. Mycelial growth was comparatively less sensitive to inhibition, but still there was a 75% reduction in growth with 0.62 μM in M. roreri and 151 μM NA in C. perniciosa. In contrast, NA did not affect Trichoderma mycelial growth or spore germination at concentrations that were inhibitory to the pathogens. 6-pentyl-α-pyrone was also produced and secreted into the medium by T. harzianum, however; it was not antagonistic to the cacao pathogens. Although a number of metabolites produced by Trichoderma spp. have been identified in the past, this is the first report of NA production and secretion by any Trichoderma. The results suggest that NA may play a role in the successful use of some Trichoderma spp. isolates in the biocontrol of fungal diseases of plants.     

Transgenic cucumber expressing an endogenous class III chitinase gene has reduced symptoms from Botrytis cinerea

A class III chitinase gene (CHI2) is induced in cucumber plants (Cucumis sativa L.) in response to infection by pathogenic microorganisms. Infection of Botrytis cinerea, causal agent of gray mold disease on cucumber, also induces CHI2 expression. To investigate whether CHI2 is involved in resistance to gray mold disease, transgenic cucumber plants were produced to overexpress the CHI2 gene. One line was analyzed in detail in terms of disease resistance. The transgenic cucumber plant (CC2) constitutively expressed CHI2 and reduced the symptoms of B. cinerea for 4 days after inoculation compared with nontransgenic plants. However, this inhibitory effect was not absolute, and CC2 eventually developed serious disease symptoms. Chitinase activity of the crude extract from CC2 leaves was higher than that from nontransgenic plants. A high-molecular-weight fraction containing CHI2 from CC2 leaves had fungistatic activity against B. cinerea. Interestingly, the low-molecular-weight fraction from CC2 leaves with CHI2 removed also had fungistatic activity against B. cinerea. Not only the introduced chitinase activity but also the endogenous defense reactions activated by overexpression of CHI2 may be involved in the enhanced gray mold disease resistance in CC2.     

光质对番茄营养与风味品质的影响

以番茄为试验材料,在田间大棚设施条件下,选用白、蓝、黑、红、绿5种不同颜色的遮阳网,探讨不同光质对番茄营养与风味品质的影响。结果表明,在青熟期,黑色光质促进了总氮、蛋白氮以及非蛋白氮的积累。青熟期到转色期,白色光质的番茄有机酸总量较青熟期增加了4.57倍,蓝色和绿色光质提高了番茄的总糖和还原糖含量。从转色期到成熟期,番茄氨基酸含量大小表现为蓝色>绿色>黑色>红色>白色;黑色光质的番茄有机酸总量较转色期增加了27.8%;红色光质提高了番茄红素含量和Vc含量,降低了硝酸盐含量;白色、红色和绿色光质增加了番茄的总糖和还原糖含量。番茄主要风味物质(>30 μg/kg)为水杨酸甲酯、6-甲基-庚烯-2-酮、柠檬烯、反-2-己烯醛。红光使番茄水杨酸甲酯、6-甲基-庚烯-2-酮和己烯醛含量较白光增加了11.6%、20.2%和17.2%。在大田设施条件下,转色期到成熟期可以采用红色光质提高番茄果实营养品质和风味。     

Relevance of Osmotic and Frost Protecting Compounds for the Winter Hardiness of Autumn Sown Sugar Beet

The cultivation of autumn sown sugar beet (winter beet) is supposed to result in a marked yield increase compared with spring sown sugar beet. Although the importance of the growth stage reached before winter for the survival of autumn sown sugar beet has already been shown, it is not clear to which extent osmotic and potentially frost protecting compounds may contribute to winter hardiness. The study thus aimed to analyse the acclimatization process of sugar beet to low temperatures and to identify compounds which are important for survival of frost. Field trials with autumn sown sugar beet were conducted at eleven environments in Germany from 2009/10 to 2012/13, which were accompanied by greenhouse experiments with controlled temperature regimes. In the field trials, the survival rates after winter varied from 0 % to 99 %, but only in four environments differences between the five genotypes occurred. During acclimatization, betaine, glutamine, proline and raffinose were markedly accumulated and osmolality was enhanced. In particular betaine, amino acids and osmolality showed a positive correlation to the survival rate and were thus identified as potentially frost protecting substances for sugar beet. In contrast, raffinose and proline seem to act rather as stress indicators as they were negatively related to survival. Possible frost protecting substances were identified which can be used in breeding to improve the winter hardiness of sugar beet.     

中草药免疫活性物质对鱼类肠道菌群群落的影响研究进展

对近年来国内外有关中草药免疫活性物质对鱼类肠道菌群群落结构的影响进行了综述,旨在为开发绿色高效、营养全面的饲料提供科学的理论依据。     

Synergistic effects of soil microstructure and bacterial EPS on drying rate in emulated soil micromodels

Microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) have been shown to alter soil moisture retention and to improve seedling survival and plant growth at the bulk scale. The mechanisms of EPS-mediated water retention include reversible swelling of the cross-linked polymer matrix and the promotion of an aggregated soil structure. However, the effects of EPS on water retention have never been directly observed at the pore scale. Here, emulated soil micromodels were developed to directly observe the effects of physical, chemical, and biological factors on pore-scale water retention. In this demonstration, a pseudo-2D pore structure was created to represent physical features of a fine sandy loam. Replicate micromodels were initially saturated with suspensions of different soil bacteria, and pore-scale air infiltration was directly imaged over time. External evaporativity was held constant through the use of a custom constant-humidity environmental chamber. Micromodels filled with suspensions of highly mucoid Sinorhizobium meliloti retained moisture about twice as long as physically identical micromodels filled with suspensions of non-mucoid S. meliloti. Relative drying rates in six replicate experiments ranged from 1.1 to 2.5 times slower for mucoid suspensions. Patterns of air infiltration were similar but not identical across replicates. The results suggest that pore fluid EPS and micromodel geometry act together to limit evaporation at pore throats. Advantages of the micromodel approach include direct observation of pore-scale dynamic process, and the ability to systematically replicate complex physical structures. These abilities will enable users to screen benefits from different structures and from microbial compositions, and build predictive understanding of the overall function of microbe-habitat systems.     

Synergism between potassium sorbate dips and brief exposure to high CO2 or O2 at curing temperature for the control of citrus postharvest green and blue molds

Synergistic effects and very effective control of citrus postharvest green and blue molds, caused by Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum, respectively, were observed on artificially inoculated ‘Valencia’ oranges and ‘Clemenules’ and ‘Ortanique’ mandarins after a potassium sorbate (PS) treatment was followed by 2 days of storage in atmospheres of elevated CO₂ or O₂ at a curing temperature. A combined treatment consisting of 60-s dips in aqueous solutions of 3% PS heated to 62 °C was followed by 48-h exposure to air, 15 kPa CO₂ or 30 kPa O₂ at 33 °C. Control treatment was a 60-s water dip at 20 °C followed by 24-h exposure to air at 20 °C. Synergism was observed on citrus fruit either incubated at 20 °C for up to 22 days, simulating direct commercialization, or stored at 5 °C for up to 45 days, simulating commercial cold storage. This research offers potential new tools to the citrus industry for implementation of nonpolluting integrated postharvest disease management programs, especially devoted to high added value organic markets or export markets with zero residue tolerance.     

外源海藻糖对NaHCO3胁迫下甘草幼苗生长调节及总黄酮含量的影响

本研究以甘草无菌苗为试验材料,采用植物组织培养的方法,分析50 mmol·L^-1 NaHCO₃ 胁迫下外源海藻糖对甘草幼苗生长量、叶绿素含量、渗透调节物质含量、抗氧化保护酶活性和总黄酮含量的影响。结果表明： 50 mmol·L^-1 NaHCO₃ 胁迫显著降低了甘草幼苗的生长量、叶绿体色素含量、K⁺ 浓度、抗氧化保护酶（SOD、POD、CAT）活性和总黄酮含量,显著提高了丙二醛、脯氨酸和可溶性糖含量以及Na⁺浓度;施加15 mmol·L^-1 海藻糖可显著提高甘草幼苗的生长量,提高叶绿素含量、K⁺ 浓度和总黄酮含量,降低丙二酸含量、脯氨酸含量、可溶性糖含量和Na⁺ 浓度,并且提高抗氧化保护酶活性。因此,NaHCO₃胁迫下施加外源海藻糖对甘草幼苗生长具有良好的调节作用,可以增强甘草的抗碱能力,促进甘草幼苗生长。本研究为外源海藻糖提高甘草耐碱性和揭示其调控机制提供理论依据。     

PEG干旱胁迫对3种葱属植物种子萌发期渗透调节物质及酶活性的影响

为探明东北地区常见野生葱属植物耐旱能力,筛选野生葱属植物耐旱种质资源,本研究以野韭（Allium ramosum L.）、山韭（Allium senescens L.）和蒙古韭（Allium mongolicum Regel）3种葱属植物为材料,采用不同浓度的PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫,分析其种子萌发期渗透调节物质及酶活性的影响,并结合主成分分析和隶属函数分析比较抗旱性。结果表明：干旱胁迫下,3种葱属植物种子萌发期相对电导率显著升高（P<0.05）,丙二醛、脯氨酸、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白含量及超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶、多酚氧化酶活性均呈现先上升后下降的趋势。3种植物相比,山韭相对电导率最低,渗透调节物质积累量最高,酶活性变化明显。主成分分析表明,4种酶活性之间显示出强相关性。隶属函数分析得出3种植物种子的抗旱性由高到低依次为：山韭 > 野韭 > 蒙古韭。     

紫斑牡丹种子浸提液对植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响

以紫斑牡丹种子为研究对象,研究不同质量浓度(0、0.025、0.050、0.075、0.100 g·mL-1)的种皮和胚乳水浸提液对白菜、小麦和绿豆种子萌发、幼苗生长和幼苗的抗氧化酶活性的影响,探究紫斑牡丹种子内源抑制物质的活性,为进一步研究紫斑牡丹种子休眠机理提供理论依据。结果表明:紫斑牡丹种皮和胚乳中均含有抑制受体植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的物质,且同一质量浓度下,胚乳浸提液的抑制作用强于种皮浸提液;种皮和胚乳浸提液对白菜幼苗生长的抑制作用高于小麦和绿豆;种皮和胚乳浸提液对3种受体植物幼苗根长的抑制作用大于苗高和鲜质量;种皮和胚乳浸提液对3种受体植物幼苗的SOD、CAT和POD活性均产生了一定的影响。其中,随着种皮浸提液质量浓度的提高,受体植物幼苗SOD、POD活性先上升后下降,而CAT活性持续下降;加入胚乳浸提液后,受体植物幼苗的CAT、POD活性与对照相比显著下降,SOD活性则依然随着胚乳浸提液质量浓度的升高而表现出先上升后下降的趋势。由结果可知,紫斑牡丹种皮和胚乳浸提液中均含有能抑制受体植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的物质,并且能够影响受体幼苗的抗氧化酶活性,但是紫斑牡丹种皮和胚乳内源抑制物质的活性存在一定的差异。