Responses of the Anthocyanin and Osmolyte Contents of the Capsicum annuum Cultivars Planted in Wenshan Prefecture of Yunnan Province to the Drought Stress Simulated by PEG-6000

[Objective] The aim of this study was to compare the drought resistance difference of the main Capsicum annuum cultivars planted in Wenshan Prefecture of Yunnan Province. [Method] The total anthocyanin, soluble sugar, soluble protein and free proline contents of the leaves of the five main C. annuum cultivars planted in Wenshan Prefecture, i.e., ZSZ75-1, ZSZ49-1-1, 12WS-18-1, 12ZH01 and ZS130, under the drought stress simulated by PEG-6000 were studied by using spectrophotometry, and the total osmoregulation abilities of the leaves were evaluated by using subordinate function. [Result] Under the drought stress simulated by PEG-6000, the total anthocyanin contents of the veins, mesophylls and whole leaves of the five cultivars were all as： ZSZ75-1〉ZSZ49-1-1〉12WS-18-1〉12ZH01〉ZS130, the soluble sugar contents as： 12ZH01 〉12WS-18-1 〉ZS130〉ZSZ49-1-1 〉ZSZ75-1, the soluble protein contents as： ZSZ75-1〉12ZH01〉ZSZ49-1-1〉12WS-18-1〉ZS130, and the free proline contents as： ZS130〉ZSZ75-1 〉12WS-18-1 〉ZSZ49-1-1 〉12ZH01. Furthermore, the differences among the total anthocyanin contents of the veins, mesophylls and whole leaves of the five cultivars all reached the extremely significant levels, whereas the differences among the contents of the soluble sugar, soluble protein and free proline did not reach the significant levels, the correlation degrees among the contents of the total anthocyanin, soluble sugar, soluble protein and free proline of different cultivars were also inconsistent, and the total osmoregulation abilities of the five cultivar leaves were as： ZSZ75-1 〉7SZ49-1-1 〉12WS-18-1 〉ZS130〉12ZH01. [Conclusion] The anthocyanin accumulation in the specific organs of the five C. annuum cultivars in Wenshan Prefecture is beneficial to the strengthening of the leaf osmoregulation abilities under drought stress, favoring the drought tolerance of the cultivars.

Influence of salinity and nitrogen content on production of dimethylsulfoniopropionate(DMSP)and dimethylsulfide(DMS)by Skeletonema costatum

The effects of changing salinity and nitrogen limitation on dimethylsulfoniopropionate(DMSP) and dimethylsulfide(DMS) concentrations were investigated in batch cultures of coastal diatom Skeletonema costatum,an ecologically important species.Changes in salinity from 20-32 caused no measurable variation in cell growth or culture yield,but increased intracellular DMSP per cell by 30%.Nitrogen limitation caused up to a two-fold increase in total DMSP per cell and up to a three-fold increase in DMS per cell.These changes in DMSP and DMS per cell in the Skeletonema costatum cultures with nitrogen limitation and changing salinity were primarily attributed to the physiological functions of DMSP as an osmolyte and an antioxidant.The data obtained in this study indicated that nitrogen limitation and salinity may play an important role in climate feedback mechanisms involving biologically derived DMS.