Effects of Torreya grandis Root Rot on Seedling Growth and Screening of Its Chemical Control Agents

[Objectives]This study was conducted to prevent the occurrence of root rot disease in Torreya grandis and improve the yield and quality of T.grandis.[Methods]One-year-old and two-year-old seedlings of Torreya grandis‘Xifei’and‘Cufei’were inoculated with the root rot pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi,and the changes in photosynthesis,chlorophyll content,malondialdehyde,and defense enzyme system(superoxide dismutase,peroxidase,and catalase)activity in leaves of T.grandis seedlings were investigated using water as a control.Meanwhile,the control effects of 80%carbendazim wettable powder,64%metalaxyl·mancozeb wettable powder,430 g/L tebuconazole suspension and 30%difenoconazole·cyproconazole EC on root rot in T.grandis were investigated.[Results]After inoculation with the pathogen F.fujikuroi,the net photosynthetic rates and transpiration rates in leaves of T.grandis‘Xifei’and‘Cufei’decreased,and the contents of chlorophyll decreased,while the contents of malondialdehyde increased,and the contents of superoxide dismutase and catalase increased with time.However,peroxidase showed a high activity in T.grandis‘Cufei’only,but a trend of"increasing-decreasing-increasing"in T.grandis‘Xifei’.Among the four chemical control agents,64%metalaxyl·mancozeb wettable powder had the best control effect on root rot of T.grandis caused by the pathogenic fungus F.fujikuroi.[Conclusions]The net photosynthetic rate,transpiration rate,chlorophyll content,malondialdehyde content,superoxide dismutase activity and catalase activity could all be used as screening indicators for T.grandis varieties resistant to root rot.Meanwhile,64%metalaxyl·mancozeb wettable powder could be used as a control agent for root rot on T.grandis.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Inhibition of N-2-Thiophenesulfonyl-α-L-phenylalanine Ethyl Ester on K562 Cell Proliferation

The title compound N-2-thiophenesulfonyl-a-L-phenylalanine ethyl ester has been synthesized. Complete assignments were achieved by IR, MS, ^1H NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Using MTT assay, the inhibitory rate of the title compound on K562 cells （chronic myeloid leukemic cells） was measured and the result of preliminary bioassay showed that the title compound possesses antiproliferation effects on K562 cells. In order to investigate the relationship between structure and activity of the target compound, we report its crystal structure and biological behavior in the present paper. Crystallographic data： C15H17NO4S2, Mr = 339.42, monoclinic, space group P21, flack = -0.15（12）, a = 5.7916（10）, b = 11.5078（19）, c = 12.924（2） A, β = 97.781（3）°, Z = 2, V = 853.4（2） A^3, De = 1.321 g/cm^3, F（000） = 356, -7≤h≤7, -10≤k≤14, -15 ≤ l≤15, R = 0.0628, wR = 0.1540 and μ（MoKa） = 0.327 mm^-1. The molecule comprises a benzene and a thiofuran rings, and the intramolecular N（1）-H（1A）…O（1） makes a five-membered ring of O（1）--C（6）-C（5）--N（1）--H（1A）.

Soil bacterial and fungal communities resilience to long-term nitrogen addition in subtropical forests in China

Atmospheric nitrogen(N)deposition is predicted to increase,especially in the subtropics.However,the responses of soil microorganisms to long-term N addition at the molecular level in N-rich subtropical forests have not been clarified.A long-term nutrient addition experiment was conducted in a subtropical evergreen old-growth forest in China.The four treatments were:control,low N(50 kg N ha^(-1)a^(-1)),high N(100 kg N ha^(-1)a^(-1)),and combined N and phosphorus(P)(100 kg N ha^(-1)a^(-1)+50 kg P ha^(-1)a^(-1)).Metagenomic sequencing characterized diversity and composition of soil microbial communities and used to construct bacterial/fungal co-occurrence networks.Nutrient-treated soils were more acidic and had higher levels of dissolved organic carbon than controls.There were no significant differences in microbial diversity and community composition across treatments.The addition of nutrients increased the abundance of copiotrophic bacteria and potentially beneficial microorganisms(e.g.,Gemmatimonadetes,Chaetomium,and Aureobasidium).Low N addition increased microbiome network connectivity.Three rare fungi were identified as module hubs under nutrient addition,indicating that low abundance fungi were more sensitive to increased nutrients.The results indicate that the overall composition of microbial communities was stable but not static to long-term N addition.Our findings provide new insights that can aid predictions of the response of soil microbial communities to long-term N addition.

Oligodendrocytes in central nervous system diseases:the effect of cytokine regulation

Cytokines including tumor necrosis factor, interleukins, interferons, and chemokines are abundantly produced in various diseases. As pleiotropic factors, cytokines are involved in nearly every aspect of cellular functions such as migration, survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-forming cells in the central nervous system and play critical roles in the conduction of action potentials, supply of metabolic components for axons, and other functions. Emerging evidence suggests that both oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells are vulnerable to cytokines released under pathological conditions. This review mainly summarizes the effects of cytokines on oligodendrocyte lineage cells in central nervous system diseases. A comprehensive understanding of the effects of cytokines on oligodendrocyte lineage cells contributes to our understanding of central nervous system diseases and offers insights into treatment strategies.

Synthesis and Luminescence of SrZnO_2∶Eu^(3+), Li^+ Phosphor by Long Wavelength UV Excitation

SrZnO2 ： Eu^3 ＋ , Li^＋ phosphor powder by long wavelength UV excitation was synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction method. XRD and PL were employed to characterize their properties. The resuits show that Eu^3＋ ions preferentially occupy Sr^2＋ asymmetry cationic sites, thus emitting 612 nm red light originated from ^5D0 to ^7F2 transition. The luminescent intensity can be greatly enhanced with incorporation of Li^＋ ions. The excitation efficiency in range of 350 - 400 nm also increases greatly due to incorporating Li ^＋ ions. SrZnO2 ： Eu^3 ＋ , Li^＋ is a promising redemitting phosphor by long wavelength UV excitation.

QTL analysis of flag leaf in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) for morphological traits and chlorophyll content

To understand genetic patterns of the morphological and physiological traits in flag leaf of barley, a double haploid (DH) population derived from the parents Yerong and Franklin was used to determine quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling length, width, length/width, and chlorophyll content of flag leaves. A total of 9 QTLs showing significantly additive effect were detected in 8 intervals on 5 chromosomes. The variation of individual QTL ranged from 1.9% to 20.2%. For chlorophyll content expressed as SPAD value, 4 QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2H, 3H and 6H; for leaf length and width, 2 QTLs located on chromosomes 5H and 7H, and 2 QTLs located on chromosome 5H were detected; and for length/width, 1 QTL was detected on chromosome 7H. The identification of these QTLs associated with the properties of flag leaf is useful for barley improvement in breeding programs.

Study on the Quality of NILs of Wheat cv. Longfumai 3 Possessing HMW-GS Null and 1 Subunits

To determine the genetic differences between high molecular weigh glutenin subunits （HMW-GS） null and 1. HMW-GS 1 was introduced into Longfumai 3 （N, 7＋8, 5＋10） by 5 consecutive backcrosses with biochemical marker assisted selection. The near isogenic lines （NILs） of HMW-GS null and 1 were obtained and planted in the experimental field of Crop Breeding Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Science in 2004 and 2005. The field experiments were designed using the method of two-line contrast arrangement with four replicates. The result of two years experiment showed that the statistic differences of quality parameters between Longfumai 3 with subunit 1 and with null were not significant in flour protein content, dry gluten content, and water absorption. However the gluten index,＇ Zeleny sedimentation, the ratio of sedimentation/dry gluten, the development time, stability, and the breakdown time in the NIL with 1 subunit were increased by 5.8% （P〈0.01）, 9.3% （P〈0.01）, 8.6% （P=0.01）, 127.3% （P〈0.01）, 79.2% （P〈0.01）, and 53.6% （P〈0.01）, and the ratio of wet gluten/dry gluten and the degree of softening were decreased by 1.7% （P = 0.05） and 16.5% （P = 0.13）, respectively. The impact of the HMW-GS 1 on the gluten strength was highly positive in NILs containing HMW-GS 5 ＋ 10, suggesting that HMW-GS 1 can be an indispensable subunit for breeding strong gluten wheat.

Cloning and Expression Analysis of Downy Mildew Resistance-Related cDNA Sequences in Melon

Melon downy mildew caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis leads to significant losses in melon yields worldwide. Reverse-transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction （RT-PCR） was performed using cDNAs as templates from melon-Huangdanzi induced with fungus Pseudoperonospora cubensis, and degenerate primers designed based on the conserved amino acid sequences of known plant disease-resistance genes. A polymorphic cDNA fragment which we named rap-19 was cloned and sequenced. The Open Reading Frame （ORF） of this product comprised of 510 base pairs which encodes DNA or RNA-binding protein with 170 amino acids. The putative amino acid sequence of mp-19 appeared highly homologous with those of NBS-type resistant-genes isolated from other plants. Southern blot indicated that the melon genome contained more than 3 copies of rap-19. The obvious expression differences detected by semi-quantitative RT- PCR could be observed between resistant-line Huangdanzi and susceptible-line Jiashi after Pseudoperonospora cubensis infection, which implied that mp-19 gene may be related to the resistance of downy mildew in melon.

Do migrant and resident species differ in the timing of increases in reproductive and thyroid hormone secretion and body mass? A case study in the comparison of pre-breeding physiological rhythms in the Eurasian Skylark and Asian Short-toed Lark

Background:Physiological preparation for reproduction in small passerines involves the increased secretion of reproductive hormones, elevation of the metabolic rate and energy storage, all of which are essential for reproduction. However, it is unclear whether the timing of the physiological processes involved is the same in resident and migrant species that breed in the same area. To answer this question, we compared temporal variation in the plasma concentration of luteinizing hormone(LH), testosterone(T), estradiol(E_2), triiothyronine(T_3) and body mass, between a migrant species, the Eurasian Skylark(Alauda arvensis) and a resident species, the Asian Short-toed Lark(Calandrella cheleensis), both of which breed in northeastern Inner Mongolia, China, during the 2014 and 2015 breeding seasons.Methods:Twenty adult Eurasian Skylarks and twenty Asian Short-toed Larks were captured on March 15, 2014 and 2015 and housed in out-door aviaries. Plasma LH, T(males), E_2(females), T_3 and the body mass of each bird were measured every six days from March 25 to May 6.Results:With the exception of T, which peaked earlier in the Asian Short-toed Lark in 2014, plasma concentrations of LH, T, E_2 and T_3 of both species peaked at almost the same time. However, Asian Short-toed Larks attained peak body mass earlier than Eurasian Skylarks. Plasma T_3 concentrations peaked 12 days earlier than plasma LH in both species. Generally, plasma LH, T, E_2, T_3 and body mass, peaked earlier in both species in 2014 than 2015.Conclusions:The timing of pre-reproductive changes in the endocrine system and energy metabolism can be the same in migrant and resident species; however, residents may accumulate energy reserves faster than migrants. Although migration does not affect the timing of pre-breeding reproductive and metabolic changes, migrant species may need more time to increase their body mass. T levels in resident species may be accelerated by higher spring temperatures that may also advance the pre-breeding preparation of both migrants and residents.

Identification and Genetic Mapping of a Lesion Mimic Mutant in Rice

A lesion mimic stripe mutant, designated as Ims1 （lesion mimic stripe 1）, was obtained from the M2 progeny of a ^60Co y-radiation treated japonica rice variety Jiahua 1. The Ims1 mutant displayed propagation type lesions across the whole growth and developmental stages. Physiology and histochemistry analysis showed that the mutant exhibited a phenotype of white stripe when grown under high temperature （30 ℃）, and the lesion mimic caused by programmed cell death under low temperature （20 ℃）. The genetic analysis indicated that this lesion-mimic phenotype is controlled by a single locus recessive nuclear gene. Furthermore, by using simple sequence repeat markers and an F2 segregating population derived from two crosses of Ims1 ×93-11 and Ims1 ×Pei＇ai 64S, the Imsl gene was mapped between markers Indel1 and MM0112-4 with a physical distance of 400 kb on chromosome 6 in rice.

Duplication and expression analysis of multicopy miRNA gene family members in Arabidopsis and rice

理解扩大多拷贝 microRNA (miRNA ) 在植物的家庭，我们局部性从到他们的染色体的 Arabidopsis 和米饭的报导 miRNA 基因，分别地并且从 Arabidopsis 观察了 117 miRNA 基因中的那 37% 个，从米饭的 173 miRNA 基因中的 35% 个是在染色体的部分复制。为了描绘表示多样化是否多发生在植物之中，拷贝 miRNA 家庭成员，我们设计了在 Arabidopsis 和米饭从 10 个家庭指向 48 位预言的 miRNA 先锋的 PCR 教材。从 RT-PCR 数据的结果建议在一样的 miRNA 家庭以内的成员的抄录先锋在不同表示层次是在场的。另外，尽管 miR160 和 miR162 序列在 Arabidopsis 和米饭被保存，我们发现这些基因的表示模式在二种之间不同。这些数据建议那表达式多样化发生了在多拷贝 miRNA 家庭，在植物增加我们 miRNAs 的表达式规定的理解。

Temperature effect on luteinizing hormone secretion of Eurasian Skylark(Alauda arvensis) and Great Tit(Parus major) in China

Background: Global warming caused trophic mismatch has affected the breeding success, and even the survival, of some bird species.The ability of birds to accelerate their reproduction onset in the warmer spring could be critical to the survival of some species.The activation of the reproductive endocrine axis in birds is a key physiological process that determines the onset of reproduction.Could birds change the HPG axis endocrine rhythm under the temperature rising condition?Methods: Using plasma LH level as an indicator of initiation of the reproductive endocrine and artificially controlling temperature, we compared variations in the timing of activation of the reproductive endocrine axis in response to temperature in two Chinese bird species, the Eurasian Skylark(Alauda arvensis) and the Great Tit(Parus major) at both the population and individual levels.Results: At the population level, temperature only significantly influenced LH level in the Eurasian Skylark, and had no significant effect on the LH levels in the Great Tit.Mean LH level of Eurasian Skylarks in the 20 ℃ group was higher than that of those in the 15 ℃ group throughout the experiment.Large individual variations in the timing of peak LH levels were observed in the high and the low temperature groups of both Eurasian Skylarks and Great Tits.Conclusions: These results indicate that the effects of temperature differ among species.Meanwhile, there appears to be a degree of within population polymorphism in the timing of reproductive endocrine axis activation in some species.This polymorphism could provide the variation required for bird populations to cope with the possible change of their food peak under the climate warming condition.

A New Species of the Genus Sinomicrurus Slowinski,Boundy and Lawson,2001 (Squamata:Elapidae) from Hainan Province,China

A new species of the coral snake genus Sinomicrurus is described based on four specimens from southern Hainan Island （three specimens from Tianchi, Jianfengling National Nature Reserve, one specimen from Diaoluoshan National Nature Reserve）, Hainan Province, China. Morphologically, the new species is rather similar to Sinomicrurus kelloggi. However, it is distinct from S. kelloggi by the pattern on the head, the head length, head length/width, the number of infralabial scales, number of bands on dorsal body, and number of blotches on the belly.

Relationship Between Behavioral Frequency and Reproductive Potential of Female Alpine Musk Deer in Captivity

Between June 2005 and February 2006, focal sampling and all occurrence behavior recording were used to quantify the behavioral patterns of captive female alpine musk deer （Moschus sifanicus） at Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm, Gansu Province, China. Copulation success was used to differentiate individuals into two groups （successful and unsuccessful） and to provide a basis for behavioral comparisons, throughout both mating （rut） and non mating seasons. The results indicated significant differences between the behavior patterns of successful and unsuccessful females; however, the reproductive season played an important environmental factor. Pooling results across reproductive seasons, successfully copulating females showed significantly higher frequencies of vigilance and lower frequency of feeding behavior as compared with unsuccessfully copulating females. In the non-mating season, unsuccessfully copulating females had higher frequency of self-directed behavior, environment sniffing, and were less aggressive than successful copulating females. Furthermore, females who were successful at copulating also demonstrated tail-pasting behavior; however, this only occurred during the rut season. The results of this study can improve management practices for musk deer farms through increasing mating success and reducing maintenance costs. Furthermore, variation in behavior may also be used as a predictor of copulation success and reproductive potential, whereby females can be grouped and separated according to their reproductive history and past reproduction success.

Huangshan population of Chinese Zacco platypus （Teleostei, Cyprinidae） harbors diverse matrilines and high genetic diversity

Six main mitochondrial DNA （mtDNA） lineages have been described in minnow （Zacco platypus） samples obtained from northern, western and southern China Perdices et al. （2004） predicted that further sampling of other tributaries might discover more lineages of this species. In this study, we collected 26 Zacco platypus individuals in the Huangshan area of eastern China and determined the cytochrome b （cytb） sequence variations. Combined with reported data in GenBank, we identified ten matrilines （Zacco A-J） in a total of 169 samples, with relatively high molecular divergence found among them. The Huangshan population had the greatest genetic variation among all sampled regions and hosted six of the ten matrilines. Our results highlight the significance of the Huangshan area for the conservation of Zacco platypus.

Identification and Fine Mapping of Heading Date Related Mutant Gene in Rice

A rice heading-date-related mutant was isolated from a ^60Co-y-ray-induced mutation pool of Zhejing 22, a conventional japonica cultivar in Zhejiang Province, China. The mutant was characterized by a delayed heading date of almost 20 d longer than the wild type plant. Genetic analysis revealed that the mutation was controlled by a single nuclear-encoded recessive gene that was designed as HD（t） （heading date tentatively）. To isolate the HD（t） gene, a map-based cloning approach was employed using 479 F2 mutant individual plants derived from the cross between the hd（t） mutant （japonica） x Zhenshan 97 （indica）. Finally, the HD（t） gene was mapped to an approximate 53 kb region between the insertion and deletion （InDel） markers of 10-61W and 10-66W on chromosome 10. According to the genome sequence of Nipponbare, the target region contains 11 annotated genes. It is helpful for future cloning of HD（t） gene based on this fine mapping results.

High Temperature Effects on Yeast-like Endosymbiotes and Pesticide Resistance of the Small Brown Planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus

The newly-hatched nymphs of the small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus, including field and sensitive populations, were subjected to the high-temperature (35°C) treatment. The number of yeast-like endosymbiotes in SBPH reduced by 23.47%–34.23%, 57.86%–61.51% and 88.96%–90.71% after the high-temperature treatment for 1 d, 2 d, and 3 d, respectively. However, the size of yeast-like endosymbiotes was not obviously affected. Resistance of SBPH to three insecticides (imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos and fipronil) decreased with the increase of treatment time.

Tibetan Plateau Relict Snakes of the Genus Thermophis and Their Relationship to New World Relict Snakes

The complete mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2(ND2) gene sequences of two species of Thermophis, T. baileyi and T. zhaoermii, were sequenced and compared to those of 86 sequences from other snakes(74 from Caenophidia and 12 from Henophidia). By using Bayesian inference(BI) and maximum likehood(ML) approaches, Thermophis was demonstrated as the sister group to the North American relicts of Dipsadinae, and rooted in Central and South American members of this subfamily. The results suggest that the closest relatives of Thermophis are the North American relicts, and thus support the hypothesis for an Asian-North American origin of xenodontine snakes as suggested by Vidal et al.(2000). Extensive sampling of Asian snakes and American dipsadines is needed to further test this hypothesis in the future.

Relationship of Old World Pseudoxenodon and New World Dipsadinae,with Comments on Underestimation of Species Diversity of Chinese Pseudoxenodon

Assessment of the relationship between Pseudoxenodon and Dipsadinae has been hampered by lack of adequate samples. In this paper, we conducted phylogenetic analyses using two mitochondrial genes （12S and 16S rRNA） and one nuclear gene （c-mos） from thirteen specimens representing two species of Pseudoxenodon, together with 84 sequences of caenophidians and an outgroup sequence of Boa constrictor. Our study suggests that the Southeast Asian genus, Pseudoxenodon forms a robust genetic subclade within South American xenodontines, indicating that at least one lineage within this genus entered or returned to the Old World （OW） from the New World （NW） across the Beringian Land Bridge during the early Tertiary and the warm mid-Miocene. It also reveals the high intraspecific genomic variation within the populations of Pseudoxenodon macrops, indicating that species diversity of Pseudoxenodon in China is likely underestimated.

Behavioral and Electrophysiological Responses to Caffeine of Helicoverpa armigera Larvae and H. assulta Larvae

The dual-choices tests of behavioral test were used to study the gustatory behavioral responses to caffeine of Helicoverpa armigera larvae and H. assulta larvae. Electrophysiological responses were studied by electrophysiological tip recording. Behavioral experiments showed that caffeine was a feeding deterrent for both larvae, but it showed a stronger feeding deterring effect on the oligophagous H. assulta . The electrophysiological tip-recording results showed that both H. armigera larvae and H. assulta larvae had one caffeine-sensitive feeding deterrent neuron at the medial sensilla, and the electrophysiological pulse response of H. assulta larvae was significantly stronger than that of H. armigera larvae. Therefore, caffeine had a stronger feeding deterring effect on the oligophagous H. assulta than the polyphagous H. armigera . The difference in behavioral effect was closely related to the sensitivity of to caffeine the feeding deterrent neurons at the medial sensilla.