Abnormal Secondary Growth and Histochemical Localization of Alkaloids in Root System of Aconitum flavum Hand.-Mazz.

[Objective] The purpose of this study was to clarify the structure,growth pattern and histochemical localization of alkaloids in root system of Aconitum flavum Hand.-Mazz.[Method] Paraffin sectioning and histochemistry were employed for performing the analysis in this study.[Result] The root system of Aconitum flavum Hand.-Mazz.consists of taproot,lateral root and adventitious root.The primary structure of root system is normal,but secondary structure shows abnormal.The cambium and the extra cambium of taproot form a ＂U＂-shaped secondary vascular bundle and tertiary bundle in abnormal secondary structure.The sieve tube group is made of little sieve tube group which is differentiated from primary phloem and cambium.Meanwhile,the secondary xylem in tuberous root also appears to be a ＂U＂ shape.Parenchyma cells of secondary phloem occupy most of the tuberous root.The sieve tube group of tuberous root is mainly differentiated from parenchyma cell of secondary phloem.[Conclusion] The difference in abnormal secondary structure of taproot and tuberous root are attributed to their varied cambium compose and activity pattern.Alkaloids are mainly accumulated in parenchyma cell of the inside cortex and between bundle in taproot,while parenchyma of secondary phloem and pith in tuberous root.

Antioxidation of Anthocyanins in Photosynthesis Under High Temperature Stress

Chlorophyll fluorescence and antioxidative capability in detached leaves of the wild type Arabidopsis thaliana L. ecotype Landsberg erecta （Ler） and three mutants deficient in anthocyanins biosynthesis （tt3, tt4, and tt3tt4） were investigated during treatment with temperatures ranging 25-45 ℃. In comparison with the wild type, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Fv/Fm, φps,, electron transport rate （ETR）, Fv/Fo and qP in three anthocyanin-deficient mutants showed a more rapidly decreasing rate when the temperature was over 35 ℃. Non-photochemical quenching （NPQ） in these mutants was almost completely lost at 44 ℃, whereas the content of heat stable protein dropped and the rate of the membrane leakage increased. Fo-temperature curves were obtained by monitoring Fo levels with gradually elevated temperatures from 22 ℃ to 72 ℃ at 0.5 ℃/min. The inflexion temperatures of Fo were 45.8 ℃ in Ler, 45.1℃ in tt3, 44.1℃ in tt4 and 42.3 ℃ in tt3tt4, respectively. The temperatures of maximal Fo in three mutants were 1.9-3.8℃ lower than the wild type plants. Meanwhile, three mutants had lower activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and ascorbate peroxidase （APX） and an inferior scavenging capability to DPPH （1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhy.drazyl） radical under heat stress, and in particular tt3tt4 had the lowest antioxidative potential. The results of the diaminobenzidine-H2O2 histochemical staining showed that H2O2 was accumulated in the leaf vein and mesophyll cells of mutants under treatment at 40 ℃, and it was significantly presented in leaf cells of tt3tt4. The sensitivity of Arabidopsis anthocyanins-deficient mutants to high temperatures has revealed that anthocyanins in normal plants might provide protection from high temperature injury, by enhancing its antioxidative capability under high temperature stress.