Seed Morphology and Seedling Variation of Four Ornamental Lupin Pedigrees

[Objective] This study was conducted to reveal seed characteristics, variation and their effects on seedling growth of ornamental lupins. [Method] The phenotypic characteristics and germination rate of the seeds of four excellent lupin pedigrees were measured, and then their correlations with seeding growth were analyzed. [Result] There were abundant variations among the four ornamental lupin pedigrees. Pink seeds had the largest volume and red seeds had the largest 1 000seed weight. The variation coefficients for the seed morphological traits among the four pedigrees ranged from 2.97% to 14.34%. Seed specific weight and 1 000-seed weight could be used as important indicators for selection in breeding because of their higher variability. Seed weight variation of ornamental lupin was mainly depen- dent on seed width variation. There was small variation in seed length. The seeds of the four ornamental lupin pedigrees started to germinate one day after sowing, and the germination period was 5 d. Germination rate coefficient and germination index of pink and red seeds were higher than those of blue seeds, but blue seeds had the largest germination rate. 1 000-seed weight shared significantly positive correlations with seed germination rate, germination potential and seedling retention rate. Round and large seeds had some advantages in germination. Full seeds had higher germination rate and speed, and seedling retention rate. There was a significant relationship between seed length-width ratio and the number of leaflets of seedlings. [Conclusion] The results provided references for the evaluation of seed phenotypic diversity and breeding research of ornamental lupins.

Study on the Quantity Dynamic Changes of Heterobacteria and Vibrios in Larvae Industrialized Culture System

[ Objective ] The dynamic change of heterobacteria and vibrios in larvae industrialized culture system was studied to provide scientific reference for healthy cultivation of shrimp. [ Method ] The heterobacteria, vibrios and pathogenic vibrio parahaemolyticus were monitored in larvae industrialized culture system. [ Result] The heterobacteria, vibrios and pathogenic vibrio parahaemolyticus were the most in fertilized eggs of shrimp but the least in nauplius, then their number would increase with growth. During whole rearing period, both boterobacteria in larvae, vibrios in water would increase by one order of magnitude, while both vibrios in larvae and heterobacteria in water would increase by two orders of magnitude. There were many heterobacteria and vibrios but few vibrio parahaemolyticus in living bait. The correlation coefficients between larvae and heterobacteria and vibrios in water were 0. 704 and 0. 840 in culture system respectively, while the correlation among heterobacteria, vibrios in living bait and larvae, water were weak or negative. [ Conclusion ] There was a dynamic relation between water and larvae in rearing period, and restrictly control of culture condition would restrain the occurrence of disease caused by vibrio parahaemolyticus, besides that bacteria number in bait was not obviously correlated with bacteria nubmer in culture system.

Plant Tissue Culture: A Recent Progress and Potential Applications

Plant tissue culture systems have enormous potential in fundamental re- search and for commercial applications such as horticultural industry. The process of tissue culture is companied with a series of changes in respect to morphology, physiology, biochemistry, molecule and epigenetics. The changes at molecule levels mainly include genetic variation, DNA sequence variation, chromosomal variation and epigenetic regulation （DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, small RNA regulation）. These changes are believed to facilitate explant adaptation to culture conditions and to help subsequent morphogenesis processes. Nowadays, it has played a crucial part in commercial applications and in basic research into cell biology, genetics and biochemistry, etc. In present review, we shed light on the fun- damental of plant tissue culture, culture medium preparation, explant selection, mechanism of action of various hormones, the three major problems （explant pollu- tion, browning, plantlets vitrification） and the prevention measures in tissue culture, and elaborated on in vitro propagation of plants, virus-free seedling cultivation, cry- opreservation, artificial seeds and molecule levels changes during in vitro culture further.

Electrical wave transmission in healthy black pine seedlings

Non-injurious local stimuli, such as a cold shock, and injurious stimuli, such as local burning, punctures or chemicals, were applied to study electrical wave transmission in black pine (Pinus thunbergii) seedlings. The results showed that non-injurious stimuli evoked the action potential (AP) transmission and injurious stimulation induced both AP transmission and the more complex variation (VP) transmission in the seedlings. The causes of these phenomena were discussed. Key words Black pine - Pinus thunbergii - Action potential (AP) - Variation potential (VP) - Electrical wave transmission CLC number S791.256 Document code A Foundation item: This paper was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (grant No. 39670613).Biography: GUO Jian (1971-), male, lecturer in Haikou Bureau of Forestry. Hainan, P. R. China.Responsible editor: Song Funan

A truncated hepatitis E virus ORF2 protein expressed in tobacco plastids is immunogenic in mice

AIM： To cost-effectively express the 23-ku pE2, the most promising subunit vaccine encoded by the E2 fragment comprising of the 3＇-portion of hepatitis E virus （HEV） open reading frame 2 （ORF2） in plastids of tobacco （Nicotiana tabacum cv. SR1）, to investigate the transgene expression and pE2 accumulation in plastids, and to evaluate the antigenic effect of the plastid-derived pE2 in mice. METHODS： Plastid-targeting vector pRB94-E2 containing the E2 fragment driven by rice psbA promoter was constructed. Upon delivery into tobacco plastids, this construct could initiate homologous recombination in psaB-trnfM and trnG-psbC fragments in plastid genome, and result in transgene inserted between the two fragments. The pRB94-E2 was delivered with a biolistic particle bombardment method, and the plastid-transformed plants were obtained following the regeneration of the bombarded leaf tissues on a spectinomycin-supplemented medium. Transplastomic status of the regenerated plants was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analysis, transgene expression was investigated by Northern blot analysis, and accumulation of pE2 was measured by ELISA. Furthermore, protein extracts were used to immunize mice, and the presence of the pE2-reactive antibodies in serum samples of the immunized mice was studied by ELISA. RESULTS： Transplastomic lines confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analysis could actively transcribe the E2 mRNA. The pE2 polypeptide was accumulated to a level as high as 13.27 μg/g fresh leaves. The pE2 could stimulate the immunized mice to generate pE2-specific antibodies. CONCLUSION： HEV-E2 fragment can be inserted into the plastid genome and the recombinant pE2 antigen derived is antigenic in mice. Hence, plastids may be a novel source for cost-effective production of HEV vaccines.

Investigation of Variability in Seed Size on Seedling Establishment of Buchholzia coriacea Engler

Investigation was carried out on the significance of seed size on morphological traits in seedlings of Buchholzia eoriaeea Engler, a medicinal plant in Southwestern Nigeria. Three size classes-large （seeds 〉 40 g）, medium （seeds between 25 and 40 g） and small （seed 〈 25 g） were used. Ninety uniformly growing seedlings from each size class were assessed for shoot height, number of leaves, collar diameter, leaf area and biomass production for six months. Seed size showed significant effect on height growth, collar diameter and number of leaves （P 〈 0.05）. Seedlings from large seed size class had the best height and collar diameter （45.3 cm, 8.7 mm）. Seeds of large and medium seed size classes had overall means of 15.6 and 15.5 leaves/seedling respectively. Leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and root biomass in seedlings from the three seed size classes were significantly different at P 〈 0.05 with the highest mean values for leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and root biomass recorded by seedlings from the large seed size class. The results showed that seed size has great influence on seedling growth when they are young. With availability of sufficient nutrient and light, effect of seed size on seedling growth and development could disappear as seedlings attain maturity.

Variation in chromosome number in the seedling progeny of a somaclone of Paspalum dilatatum

The somaclone, C39, derived by tissue culture from the obligate apomict Paspalum dilatatum cv Raki (2n=50), had 50 chromosomes and a karyotype apparently identical to Raki.SC2 seedlings of C39 showed a high degree of phenotypic variation which was of ten associated with increased chromosome numbers, but some of the variant seedlings were karyotypically indistinguishable from Raki or C39. Plants with increased chromosome numbers exhibited a high degree of intraplant chromosome variation (aneusomaty). In one of the SC2seedlings, the chromosome number of root tip cells varied from 58 to 82 and in several other seedlings the range was more than 10. The results suggested that the ability to form seed apomictically was much reduced in C39 and that this plant showed some capacity for sexual reproduction and the resulting seedlings, with a chromosome number of about 70, were genetically unstable. Of 11 SC2 seedlings examined cytolog ically, 6 did not produce any viable seed. Seedlings grown from seed of the remaining 5 plants showed that aneusomaty persisted in the SC3 generation. SC3 seedlings which were phenotypically similar to their maternal parent showed a similar range of chromosome numbers to that parent. Some of the SC3 seedlings exhibited an even wider range of chromosome numbers (e.g.56-136), and these plants were all dwarfs.

Evaluation of the Pathogenicity and Immune Response of Nervous Necrosis Virus Isolated in Vietnam

Eight strains of nervous necrosis virus （NNV） isolated in Vietnam were used to detect the pathogenicity and immune response in sea bass （SB）. All strains induced cytopathic effect in SB cell line, complete destruction of monolayer of cells appeared after seven days post infection （dpi）. Virus titer was different for each strain, TCIDso ranged from 102.7 to 1069, and LDs0 from 1015 to 1075. Five NNV strains named QN 02, QN 05, QN 07, ND 11 and KH 05 had higher virulence than the other three, the first causing 100% mortality in experimental fish 3-5 dpi. NNV KH 05 had the highest antigenic similarity, and it was inactivated completely by 0.2% formalin, 0.002 mol/L binary ethylenimine （BEI） and 0.1% beta-propiolactone. The neutralization antibody titer obtained in fish of groups immunized by BEI 0.002 M and beta-propiolactone 0.1% inactivated virus was four to eight times higher than that of the group treated with the formalin inactivated virus. The antibody titer in fish immunized with beta-propiolactone inactivated virus was more persistent. The efficacy of vaccines developed from beta-propiolactone inactivated virus and aluminium hydroxide （AH） or aluminum phosphate （AP） was observed by intramuscularly immunizing Epinephelusfuscoguttatus size 1.5 cm. Neutralizing antibodies appeared in vaccinated fish on 10th day post-immunization （dpi） at a dilution of 1：16; 1：32 and highest levels were reached on 30-45 dpi, at dilutions of 1：256 and 1：512, after treatment with AH and AP vaccine, respectively. The relative percent of survival （RPS） of vaccine at 30 dpi was highest with challenge doses 0.2-1 × 10^6.8 TCIDs0, the RPS varied from 80%-83.3% in both groups of AH and AP immunization. This result provides the basis for developing a vaccine against NNA disease.

“乾嘉苗民起义”的多民族文学叙述与建构

"乾嘉苗民起义"是清中叶影响较大的事件。征苗纪事诗、笔记小说、苗族民间故事及起义民歌等共同构成了对此事件不同的文学叙述与战争记忆。从不同民族的文学作品中可以看到,统治者看待这场起义是"平苗逆"的一场战役,而从苗民的视角来看是"复故土"与求生存的起义。对于身赴苗疆的朝廷"将帅"之死,不同作品又形成了差异性的叙述态度,凸显了满汉文人对朝廷的维护,也显示了苗民对"征服者"的不满与反抗意识。傅鼐、吴天半、石三保等人物形象则体现了苗民对本民族英雄偶像式的崇拜、鲜明的叙事立场与自我身分认同。不同民族文学作品对"乾嘉苗民起义"差异性的表述,可以看到在中华民族发展过程中各民族不断交融的现象。

Hepatitis B virus S gene mutants in infants infected despite immunoprophylaxis

Objective To assess the correlation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface gene mutant infection and hepatitis B (HB) vaccination failure Methods Using sera from 106 infants who were born to HBV carrier mothers and failed in HB immunoprophylaxis, HBV S gene was amplified by PCR, transferred to nylon membranes for Southern blots, and then hybridized with oligonucleotide probes Eleven of non hybridizing samples were used for DNA sequencing Results 93 4% (99/106) of the samples were HBV DNA positive, and 30 3% (30/99) failed to hybridize with at least one of the four probes DNA sequencing confirmed that 10 of the 11 samples had an S gene mutation with amino acid (aa) change The identified mutants included nucleotide (nt) 546T→A(aa131N→T), nt531T→C (aa126I→T), nt491A→C (aa113T→P), nt491T→A (aa113S→T), nt533C→A (aa127P→T), nt581T→A (aa143S→T), nt636A→T (aa161Y→F), and nt679A→C (aa175L→F) The sequence in one mother infant pair was completely the same, with mutations at aa131 and aa161 Conclusions The prevalence of HBV surface mutants is about 30% in the children failing in HB vaccination HBV mutants can infect infants by maternal infant transmission

Seed priming with chitosan improves maize germination and seedling growth in relation to physiological changes under low temperature stress

Low temperature stress during germination and early seedling growth is an important constraint of global production of maize. The effects of seed priming with 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75% （w/v） chitosan solutions at 15 ℃ on the growth and physiological changes were investigated using two maize （Zea rnays L.） inbred lines, HuangC （chilling-tolerant） and Mo17 （chilling-sensitive）. While seed priming with chitosan had no significant effect on germination percentage under low temperature stress, it enhanced germination index, reduced the mean germination time （MGT）, and increased shoot height, root length, and shoot and root dry weights in both maize lines. The decline of malondialdehyde （MDA） content and relative permeability of the plasma membrane and the increase of the concentrations of soluble sugars and proline, peroxidase （POD） activity, and catalase （CAT） activity were detected both in the chilling-sensitive and chilling-tolerant maize seedlings after priming with the three concentrations of chitosan. HuangC was less sensitive to responding to different concentrations of chitosan. Priming with 0.50% chitosan for about 60-64 h seemed to have the best effects. Thus, it suggests that seed priming with chitosan may improve the speed of germination of maize seed and benefit for seedling growth under low temperature stress.