Bud Stage Research Articles

Anthocyanin and Flavonol Glycoside Metabolic Pathways Underpin Floral Color Mimicry and Contrast in a Sexually Deceptive Orchid

Sexually deceptive plants secure pollination by luring specific male insects as pollinators using a combination of olfactory, visual, and morphological mimicry. Flower color is a key component to this attraction, but its chemical and genetic basis remains poorly understood. Chiloglottis trapeziformis is a sexually deceptive orchid which has predominantly dull green-red flowers except for the central black callus projecting from the labellum lamina. The callus mimics the female of the pollinator and the stark color contrast between the black callus and dull green or red lamina is thought to enhance the visibility of the mimic. The goal of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and genetic regulation of temporal and spatial color patterns leading to visual mimicry, by integrating targeted metabolite profiling and transcriptomic analysis. Even at the very young bud stage, high levels of anthocyanins were detected in the dark callus, with peak accumulation by the mature bud stage. In contrast, anthocyanin levels in the lamina peaked as the buds opened and became reddish-green. Coordinated upregulation of multiple genes, including dihydroflavonol reductase and leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase, and the downregulation of flavonol synthase genes (FLS) in the callus at the very young bud stage underpins the initial high anthocyanin levels. Conversely, within the lamina, upregulated FLS genes promote flavonol glycoside over anthocyanin production, with the downstream upregulation of flavonoid O-methyltransferase genes further contributing to the accumulation of methylated flavonol glycosides, whose levels peaked in the mature bud stage. Finally, the peak anthocyanin content of the reddish-green lamina of the open flower is underpinned by small increases in gene expression levels and/or differential upregulation in the lamina in select anthocyanin genes while FLS patterns showed little change. Differential expression of candidate genes involved in specific transport, vacuolar acidification, and photosynthetic pathways may also assist in maintaining the distinct callus and contrasting lamina color from the earliest bud stage through to the mature flower. Our findings highlight that flower color in this sexually deceptive orchid is achieved by complex tissue-specific coordinated regulation of genes and biochemical pathways across multiple developmental stages.

Sunflower Photosynthetic Characteristics, Nitrogen Uptake, and Nitrogen Use Efficiency under Different Soil Salinity and Nitrogen Applications

Understanding salinity and fertilizer interaction is of great importance to improve crop production and fertilizer use efficiency in saline areas. To evaluate the interactive effects of different soil salinity levels and nitrogen (N) applications rates on the sunflower photosynthetic characteristics of N uptake and N use efficiency, a two-year field experiment was conducted in Hetao Irrigation District, China. The experiment consisted of three initial salinity (IS) levels expressed as the electrical conductivity of a saturated soil extract (ECe) (S0: 1.72–2.61 dS/m; S1: 4.73–5.90 dS/m; S2: 6.85–9.04 dS/m) and four N rates (45, 90, 135, and 180 kg/ha), referred as N0–N3, respectively. The results indicated that the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of sunflowers treated with S0 and S1 levels both had a significant decrease in the bud stage, and then reached their maximum at anthesis. However, during the crop cycle, the Pn at S2 level only had small fluctuations and still remained at a high level (>40 μmol CO2/(m2 s)) at the early mature stage. When increasing IS levels from S0 to S1, the plant N uptake (PNU) under the same N rates were only decreased by less than 10% at maturity, whereas the decline was expanded to 17.2–45.7% from S1 to S2. Additionally, though applying the N2 rate could not increase sunflower PNU at the S0 and S1 levels, its N use efficiency was better than those under N3. Meanwhile, at the S2 level, the application of the N0 rate produced a higher N productive efficiency (NPE) and N uptake efficiency (NUPE) than the other N rates. Therefore, our study proposed recommended rates of N fertilizer (S0 and S1: 135 kg/ha, S2: 45 kg/ha) for sunflowers under different saline conditions.

Crime Pattern Analysis and Hot Spot Analysis in Bishnupur District of Manipur

Manipur a northeastern state of India reported increasing crime rate as per NCRB records. Crime mapping using GIS environment in India is in budding stage and it is almost nil in the state of Manipur. Mapping different categories of crime/ criminal activity for pattern analysis and hotspot analysis is being done in the Bishnupur District of Manipur. There are alto-gather seven police stations in this district. Present study is dealing with spatial analysis of criminal activities for five years (2016–2020) using Spatial Statistics tool and hotspot analysis (Getis-ord Gi*). Mapping of crime location(point mapping), density map and hotspot analysis map are carried out using ArcGIS. Statistical database of criminal activities were taken up, involving different nature of crime which are categorized as property crime, suicide, crime against women, terrorist act. Date, time and location are also considered for this study. The result of the study shows spatial concentration of criminal activities like property crime records the highest in Nambol, Manipur. Jurisdiction under Nambol Police Station recorded the highest number of crime as compare to other police stations of the district during this period. And that Keibul Lamjao Police Station recorded the lowest number of criminal activities. Crime pattern analysis is definitely going help in improving our understanding of the dynamics of unlawful activities and can enhance prediction policing. Policy makers of police department will be benefited from complex maps of criminal activities in Tactical crime analysis.

Genome-Wide Identification of Petunia HSF Genes and Potential Function of PhHSF19 in Benzenoid/Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis.

Volatile benzenoids/phenylpropanoids are the main flower scent compounds in petunia (Petunia hybrida). Heat shock factors (HSFs), well known as the main regulator of heat stress response, have been found to be involved in the biosynthesis of benzenoid/phenylpropanoid and other secondary metabolites. In order to figure out the potential function of HSFs in the regulation of floral scent in petunia, we systematically identified the genome-wide petunia HSF genes and analyzed their expression and then the interaction between the key petunia HSF gene with target gene involved in benzenoid/phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The results revealed that 34 HSF gene family members were obtained in petunia, and most petunia HSFs contained one intron. The phylogenetic analysis showed that 23 petunia HSFs were grouped into the largest subfamily HSFA, while only two petunia HSFs were in HSFC subfamily. The DBD domain and NLS motif were well conserved in most petunia HSFs. Most petunia HSF genes’ promoters contained STRE motifs, the highest number of cis-acting element. PhHSF19 is highly expressed in petal tubes, followed by peduncles and petal limbs. During flower development, the expression level of PhHSF19 was dramatically higher at earlier flower opening stages than that at the bud stage, suggesting that PhHSF19 may have potential roles in regulating benzenoid/phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The expression pattern of PhHSF19 is positively related with PhPAL2, which catalyzes the first committed step in the phenylpropanoid pathway. In addition, there are three STRE elements in the promoter of PhPAL2. PhHSF19 was proven to positively regulate the expression of PhPAL2 according to the yeast one hybrid and dual luciferase assays. These results lay a theoretical foundation for further studies of the regulation of HSFs on plant flower scent biosynthesis.

Variation in the intestinal microbiota at different developmental stages of Hynobius maoershanensis.

Intestinal microbiota play an important role in the life of amphibians and its composition may vary by developmental stage. In this study, 16S rRNA high‐throughput sequencing was used to profile the intestinal microbiota of Hynobius maoershanensis, which exclusively inhabit the Maoer Mountain swamp at an altitude of approximately 2,000 m. We characterized the bacterial composition, structure, and function of the microbiota of H. maoershanensis at different developmental stages. The alpha diversity was not markedly different for the Simpson, Shannon, Ace, and Sobs indices of microbes. The beta diversity revealed that there were age‐related differences in the structure of the intestinal microbes of H. maoershanensis, specifically, at the phylum level. Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacteria present in the adult stage, and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly higher compared with that of tadpoles. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phylum during the tadpole stage and their relative abundance was significantly higher compared with the adult period. Functional analysis revealed that the pathways associated with organismal systems and metabolism were significantly enriched in the adults, whereas human diseases, genetic information processing, and cellular processes were more enriched in the hindlimb bud stage. Human diseases and environmental information processing were more enriched in the forelimb bud stage at KEGG pathway level 1. Possibilities for the observed discrepancies include the adaptation to eating habits and the remodeling of the intestines during development. We speculated that H. maoershanensis adults may be more suitable to a high‐fiber diet, whereas the tadpoles are associated with a carnivorous diet. Our study provides evidence of variations in the intestinal microbiota during development in amphibians, highlighting the influence of historical developments on the intestinal microbiota and an increased understanding of the importance of physiological characteristics in shaping the intestinal microbiota of amphibians. These data will help us formulate more effective protection measures for H. maoershanensis.

Phenology of Cinnamomum cullilawan

Abstract Cinnamomum cullilawan is one type of forest plants that is included in the type of aromatic plants. The purpose of this study was to determine the flowering development process as a basic information for the development and the breeding of this plant. The method used in this research was a descriptive method. The results of the observations indicated that the process of flowering C. cullilawan can be grouped into three major parts: the stage of initiation, budding and flowering, where each stage requires different formation times. At the initiation stage, since the emergence of generative shoots on the armpit until the formation of panicles takes two months. Furthermore, the stage of the appearance of buds at the ends of panicles and the formation of reproduction of flowers required two months period. After that the flowers will break slightly and then the petals will turn black and fall in the second week, after the flower process has blossomed.

Application of new forms of fertilizers to improve productivity and grain quality of white lupine

Substantiation and development of technology elements for obtaining a sustainable productivity of lupine grain is an important and urgent task for expanding the area under this grain crop. There have been considered the study results of the effect of fertilizers ‘Aquamix ST’, ‘Metaborat Kaliya’, ‘Tiaton’ on productivity and grain quality of white lupine. The study was carried out at the All-Russian Research Institute of Lupine – a branch of the FWRC FPA, in the soil and climatic conditions of the southwestern part of the Non-Chernozem zone in 2018-2019. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the efficiency of these innovative micro- and macrofertilizers and the methods of their application on a number of indicators that improve productivity and grain quality of white lupine. The application of fertilizers ‘Aquamix ST’ and ‘Metaborat Kaliya’ contributed to an increase of white lupine grain productivity on 37.5 and 35.4%. There has been determined protein increase from 5.0 to 5.8% in grain of the white lupine variety ‘Piligrim’ in all application variants of ‘Aquamix ST’. The use of ‘Aquamix ST’ and ‘Metaborat Kaliya’ in the vegetation period of plants reduced alkaloid content of lupine grain on 24.7-34.6%. Application of ‘Aquamix ST’ and ‘Metaborat Kaliya’ in white lupine budding stage increased carotene content in grain on 34.3 and 25.0%, respectively. The analysis of the data showed that the variant including pre-seeding treatment with ‘Aquamix ST’ and subsequent treatment in the budding stage of plants was characterized by the maximum amount of lysine and carotene. There was noted that the application of micro- and macrofertilizers resulted in an increase in feed units and digestible protein. Application of ‘Aquamix ST’, including pre-seeding treatment and two treatments in the vegetation period of plants provided the largest yield of digestible protein (1.26 t/ha), 6.0 t/h of feed units, and 54.8 GJ/ha of exchangeable energy. ‘Metaborat Kaliya’, used in the treatment of plants in their budding phase, showed almost the same results. The options that combined high productivity with high grain quality were more valuable according their feed value.

Spatial distribution and dynamics of cotton fine root under film-mulched drip irrigation

Fine roots distribution and dynamics (production, mortality, and longevity) significantly impact the crop soil ecosystems. However, the spatial distribution and dynamics of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fine roots under film-mulched drip irrigation are poorly understood. The present study aims to characterize these distributions and dynamics measured using a minirhizotron technique and the influence of soil conditions. The non-uniform distribution of soil moisture and salinity may lead to the differences of root length density (RLD) distribution. A clear decreased trend for the average RLD was observed in the shallow soil layer due to high localized salinity accumulated after brackish water irrigation. There existed a clear high soil moisture content strip at depth which may lead to a high RLD peak in the 95–100 cm soil layer. Average live root production was characterized by a very high rate during the initial growth stage followed by a decline after budding, which in turn was followed by a slight increase during boll opening. The average number of new roots was highest during the initial growth stages, decreasing after the budding stage. Thinner roots in the deep soil had shorter lifespans than those in shallow soil. Our study indicated that the minirhizotron technique can be used reliably as an in situ, non-destructive method for estimating cotton fine roots distribution and dynamics under film-mulched drip irrigation. To evaluate cotton fine root distribution and dynamics under film-mulched drip irrigation more accurately, a cotton root system architecture model could be parameterized in space and time based on the minirhizotron observations.

Digestibility and palatability of Virginia fanpetals (Sida hermaphrodita R.) silage in sheep.

The aim of the current study is to evaluate Virginia fanpetals silage based on an apparent digestibility and palatability test performed on six adult rams. Alfalfa silage was used as standard forage for comparison. Virginia fanpetals samples were harvested in the bud-formation stage and alfalfa samples were harvested in the late bud stage. Virginia fanpetals silage had a crude protein (CP) content of 176 g kg dry matter (DM), a neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of 378 g kg DM, and a lignin content of 42.8 g kg DM. Virginia fanpetals silage had higher acidity (pH of 4.30) and was characterized by intense lactic acid fermentation compared with alfalfa silage (80 % vs. 51 % of the total acids). The digestibility coefficient of Virginia fanpetals silage was as follows: for DM it was 0.707, for organic matter (OM) it was 0.724, for CP it was 0.861, and for NDF it was 0.609. In comparison with alfalfa silage, Virginia fanpetals silage was characterized by higher apparent digestibility of nutrients, but a significant difference was noted only for CP. The voluntary intake of Virginia fanpetals silage was significantly higher than that of alfalfa silage (1427.4 vs. 954 g DM). The greatest differences in voluntary intake were observed 0–2 and 8–12 h after feeding. Virginia fanpetals silage had a chemical composition similar to that of alfalfa, but it was characterized by a more desirable fermentation pattern and higher digestibility, and it was more willingly consumed by rams. The present findings indicate that Virginia fanpetals silage can be fed to sheep.

Soil properties, root morphology and physiological responses to cotton stalk biochar addition in two continuous cropping cotton field soils from Xinjiang, China.

Long-term and widespread cotton production in Xinjiang, China, has resulted in significant soil degradation, thereby leading to continuous cropping obstacles; cotton stalk biochar (CSB) addition may be an effective countermeasure to this issue, with effects that are felt immediately by root systems in direct contact with the soil. In this study, we assess the effects of different CSB application rates on soil nutrient contents, root morphology, and root physiology in two soil types commonly used for cotton production in the region. Compared with CK (no CSB addition), a 1% CSB addition increased total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and organic matter (OM) by 13.3%, 7.2%, and 50% in grey desert soil, respectively , and 36.5%, 19.9%, and 176.4%, respectively, in aeolian sandy soil. A 3% CSB addition increased TN, AP, and OM by 38.8%, 23.8%, and 208.1%, respectively, in grey desert soil, and 36%, 13%, and 183.2%, respectively, in aeolian sandy soil. Compared with the aeolian sandy soil, a 1% CSB addition increased TN, OM, and AP by 95%, 94.8%, and 33.3%, respectively, in the grey desert soil , while in the same soil 3% CSB addition increased TN, OM, and AP by 108%, 21.1%, and 73.9%, respectively. In the grey desert soil, compared with CK, a 1% CSB application increased the root length (RL) (34%), specific root length (SRL) (27.9%), and root volume (RV) (32.6%) during the bud stage, increased glutamine synthetase (GS) (13.9%) and nitrate reductase (NR) activities (237%), decreased the RV (34%) and average root diameter (ARD) (36.2%) during the harvesting stage. A 3% CSB addition increased the RL (44%), SRL (20%), and RV (41.2%) during the bud stage and decreased the RV (29%) and ARD (27%) during the harvesting stage. In the aeolian sandy soil, 1% CSB increased the RL (38.3%), SRL (73.7%), and RV (17%), while a 3% caused a greater increase in the RL (55%), SRL (89%), RV (28%), soluble sugar content (128%), and underground biomass (33.8%). Compared with the grey desert soil, a 1% CSB addition increased the RL (48.6%), SRL (58%), and RV (18.6%) in the aeolian sandy soil, while a 3% further increased the RL (54.8%), SRL (84.2%), RV (21.9%), and soluble sugar content (233%). The mechanisms by which CSB addition improves the two soils differ: root morphology changed from coarse and short to fine and long in the grey desert soil, and from fine and long to longer in the aeolian sandy soil. Overall, a 3% CSB addition may be a promising and sustainable strategy for maintaining cotton productivity in aeolian sandy soil in the Xinjiang region.

Transcriptomic and Physiological Analysis Reveals the Responses to Auxin and Abscisic Acid Accumulation During Vaccinium corymbosum Flower Bud and Fruit Development.

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is reputed as a rich source of health-promoting phytonutrients, which contributes to its burgeoning consumer demand and production. However, blueberries are much smaller and have lower yields than most domesticated berries, and the inherent regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, the cytological and physiological changes, as well as comparative transcriptomic analysis throughout flower and fruit development in the southern highbush blueberry cultivar ‘O’Neal’ were performed. ‘O’Neal’ hypanthium and fruit exhibited a distinctive cell proliferation pattern, and auxin accumulation was unusual throughout development, while abscisic acid (ABA) levels rapidly increased in association with anthocyanin accumulation, total phenolic reduction and fruit maturation. Transcriptomic data showed that many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were specifically expressed at each flower bud and fruit developmental stage. Further weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed numerous DEGs that correlated with the cell numbers of outer mesocarp and columella, showed two distinctive expression patterns. Most of the DEGs involved in auxin biosynthesis, transportation and signal transduction were upregulated, and this upregulation was accompanied by cell expansion, and flower bud and fruit development. However, individual members of VcSAUR50 and VcIAA9 families might be insensitive to auxin, suggesting that these genes play a distinctive role in the growth and development of blueberry fruits. These results will support future research to better understand the flower and fruit development of southern highbush blueberry.

Deeper Insight into the Volatile Profile of Rosa willmottiae with Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction and GC-MS Analysis.

As the distribution center of Rosa in the world, China has abundant wild germplasm resources, which can contribute to the breeding of modern roses. To explore the potential value of wild roses distributed in the Sichuan–Tibet region, solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were used to determine the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Rosa willmottiae flowers at three flowering stages (bud stage, initial flowering stage, full flowering stage). Meanwhile, we compared the VOCs of R. willmottiae with different phenotypes (double flowers and single flowers). A total of 74 volatile compounds were identified. The results show that the essential substances belong to alcohols and terpenoids. The main volatile organic compounds are 2-phenyl ethanol (20.49%), benzyl alcohol (10.69%), β-maaliene (8.66%), geranyl acetate (8.47%), and (+)-α-long pinene (6.127%). Different flowering stages had great influence on the volatile profile, from the bud stage to full flowering stage; the content of terpenoids released decreased by 6.17%, whereas alcohols and esters increased by 8.58% and 11.56%, respectively. The chemical diversity and the content of the main components with a different phenotype were not significantly different. Our result will provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of Rosa willmottiae in Sichuan and Tibet.

A Comparative Study on the Interaction Effect of Date of Planting, Variety and Head Diameter on the Post Harvest Quality of Broccoli Stored in Refrigerated Condition

Background: Broccoli [Brassica oleracea (L.) var.italica plecnk.] is a cole crop with highly perishability. It is rich in vitamin, antioxidants, anticancerous compounds and health promoting chemicals. It is harvested at tender and tight bud stage due to which the deterioration rate is high because of the high respiration rate of the broccoli head. This exotic crop is becoming popular since consumers are continuously health conscious. It has a shelf life only two days in room condition. There arise a need to retain postharvest quality of broccoli to meet the consumer demand. Methods: Three different date of planting i.e 15th Sept, 30th Sept and 15th Oct, 2014 were done in two broccoli cultivar Aishwarya and Sadhana while harvestings were done in 2015 at three different stages of head diameter i.e. 12-14 cm, 14-16 cm and above 16 cm. Storage studies for biochemical changes for ascorbic acid, chlorophyll content, total soluble solids and sensory analysis were carried out in refrigerated condition. Result: On studying the interaction effects of date of planting, variety and head diameter, it was concluded that early sown broccoli i.e 15th September showed better quality with smaller head diameter in variety Aishwarya.

The Hedgehog pathway in penaeid shrimp: developmental expression and evolution of splice junctions in Pancrustacea.

Penaeid shrimp embryos undergo holoblastic division, gastrulation by invagination, and hatching as a nauplius larva. Posterior segments form and differentiate during larval development. Hedgehog (Hh) pathway genes from penaeid shrimp and other pancrustaceans were identified by in silico analysis of genomes and transcriptomes, and mapped onto a recent pancrustacean phylogeny to determine patterns of intron gains and losses.Penaeus vannamei, P. japonicus, andP. monodonHh proteins were encoded by four exons. Amphipod, isopod, and ostracod hh were also encoded by four exons, but hh from other arthropod groups contained three conserved exons.The novel hh intron is hypothesized to have arisen independently in the malacostracan ancestor and Ostracoda by a transposon insertion. Shared patterns of ptc, smo, and ci exon structure were found for Malacostraca, Branchiopoda + Hexapoda, Hexanauplia (Thecostraca + Copepoda), Multicrustacea (Thecostraca + Copepoda + Malacostraca), and Pancrustacea minus Oligostraca. mRNA expression of P. vannamei of hh,ptc, andci from developmental transcriptomes of zygotes through postlarvae showed low expression from zygote to gastrula, which increased at limb bud, peaked at unhatched nauplius, and declined in nauplius and later larval stages.smo expression was found in zygotes, peaked in gastrula, and declined in limb bud and later stages. These results are consistent with a role for Hh signaling during segmentation in penaeid shrimp.

Implications of variable environments on phenology of apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) in Northwestern Himalayan region

Apple phenology is greatly influenced by temperature. For quality apple production in the orchards, knowledge of the real timing of phenological stages is essential for scientific management decisions. In the Kashmir region, the year 2017 had a normal weather phenomenon, whereas the year 2018 had an erratic weather phenomenon wherein unusually high temperatures prevailed in the winter months and may be a clear sign of climate change effect. Due to this higher temperature in winter months of the year 2018 before bud break, earliness of phenological stages happened as compared to the year 2017, viz. silver tip stage by 5.67days, green tip stage by 6.61days, pink bud stage by 10.09days, initial bloom by 10.43days, full bloom by 9.70days, and petal fall by 8.00days. The flowering duration was overall recorded 2.43days more in 2018 as compared to that in 2017. Due to the earliness of phenological stages in 2018, all twenty-five cultivars of the apple remained at high risk of spring frost and scientific apple orchard interventions were badly hit as growers were surprised and unprepared. The information generated will be very useful for growers, students, researchers, policy makers, and all the concerned stakeholders to understand how apple phenology responds to normal and extreme erratic weather conditions and may happen more frequently in the future due to climate change.

Dynamic Characteristics of Soil Microorganism in Rhizosphere Soils of Tobacco Over Different Growth Stages

To explore the composition and changing patterns of microbes in the rhizosphere soils of tobacco over different growth stages, we extracted samples from rhizosphere soils at the resettling stage, vigorous growing stage, budding stage, mature stage and the decaying stage in the tobacco lifecycle. The V4–V5 fragments of the 16S rDNA and the ITS1 fragments of the 18S rRNA have been sequenced by Illumina MiSeq, a high-flux sequencer. A total of 8031 bacterial OTUs and a total of 1983 fungal OTUs have been tested. Both the Chao1 index and Shannon index of bacteria in the rhizosphere soil samples change in a V-shaped pattern over the five growth stages, which peak at the budding stage and increase at the decaying stage after a period of falling. In the growing cycle of tobacco, the dominant bacteria include γ-Metamorphomycetes, α-Metamorphomycetes, Actinomycetes and Acidobacteria, and the dominant fungal phyla include Crustacea, Ascomycetes, Agaricomycetes, IS-s-Retroconis sp XAE_090. The sufficiency and diversity of microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil samples range greatly over the five growth stages. This study lays a theoretical foundation supporting further explorations into the changing rules of microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil of tobacco growth and the relationship between microbial communities and tobacco soil-borne diseases.

Membrane activity of viral capsid proteins regulates entry and budding stages

Enveloped viruses, which include such pathogens as SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus, HIV, and many others, represent a family of severe pathogens. These enveloped viruses share common structural proteins that are essential to their assembly, budding, and fusion to target cell membrane. In all enveloped viruses, the structural proteins with the highest copy number are their capsid or matrix proteins, which simultaneously are the most conserved proteins between all the different viral strains of any one virus.

Realization of symbiotic potential and productivity of soybean-rhizobia systems formed by analytically selected fungicide resistant strains of nodule bacteria under preliminary treatment of seeds with standak top

The efficacy of the soybean-rhizobia symbiotic systems formed by analytically selected fungicide resistant strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum 634b, PC08 and soybean plants when the seeds were treated with fungicide Standak Top 7 days before sowing was studied in pot experiments using soil as a substrate. Standak Top inhibited the formation and functioning of symbiotic systems formed by fungicide resistant strains of B. japonicum 634b and PC08 during the first part of plant growth season (before beginning of flowering). The nodulation activity of B. japonicum 634b at flowering stage was reduced by 35 % while the fungicide and rhizobia were used for seed treatment. At the same time the nodulation activity of B. japonicum PC08 was stable. It was shown that the nitrogen fixation activity of the symbiotic systems formed by both rhizobial strains was decreased by 30—32 %. It was established that the strain B. japonicum PC08 was more effective under application of the fungicide than the strain B. japonicum 634b according to the realization of their symbiotic potential. At budding stage, the realization of symbiotic potential of the soybean-rhizobia systems formed by both strains under the effect of fungicide reached the same level as was observed in control plants (without seed treatment with fungicide). Standak Top had no toxic effect on the development of soybean plants including growth, formation of reproductive organs and grain yield while the seeds were treated with the fungicide before sowing followed by inoculation with the strains of B. japonicum 634b and PC08 on the day of sowing. The symbiotic systems of soybean formed with the analytically selected fungicide resistant strains B. japonicum 634b and PC08 had almost equal level of the realization of potential productivity with a slight advantage for the systems formed by the strain B. japonicum PC08. Soybean seed pretreatment with Standak Top did not influence significantly on plant seed productivity. The symbiotic system of soybean—B.japonicum PC08 under influence of the fungicide was more effective than the symbiotic system of soybean—B.japonicum 634b according the level of realization of symbiotic potential and productivity. Our results showed that analytically selected fungicide resistant strain B. japonicum PC08 can be used as a biological baсkground for bacterial fertilizers in order to use these fertilizers in agriculture together with Standak Top under the treatment of seeds by the fungicide 7 days before sowing.

Heat-responsive microRNAs and phased small interfering RNAs in reproductive development of flax.

Plants will face increased heat stress due to rising global temperatures. Heat stress affects plant reproductive development and decreases productivity; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms of these processes are poorly characterized. Plant small RNAs (sRNAs) have important regulatory roles in plant reproductive development following abiotic stress responses. We generated sRNA transcriptomes of reproductive bud stages at three different time points to identify sRNA‐mediated pathways responsive to heat stress in flax ( Linum usitatissimum ). With added sRNA transcriptomes of vegetative tissues, we comprehensively annotated miRNA and phasiRNA‐encoding genes (PHAS) in flax. We identified 173 miRNA genes, of which 42 are newly annotated. Our analysis revealed that 141 miRNA genes were differentially accumulated between tissue types, while 18 miRNA genes were differentially accumulated in reproductive tissues following heat stress, including members of miR482/2118 and miR2275 families, known triggers of reproductive phasiRNAs. Furthermore, we identified 68 21‐PHAS flax loci from protein‐coding and noncoding regions, four 24‐PHAS loci triggered by miR2275, and 658 24‐PHAS‐like loci with unknown triggers, derived mostly from noncoding regions. The reproductive phasiRNAs are mostly downregulated in response to heat stress. Overall, we found that several previously unreported miRNAs and phasiRNAs are responsive to heat stress in flax reproductive tissues.

Cloning and functional analysis of the phenylalaninammo-nialyase gene from Rhododendron fortunei

Phenylalaninammo-nialyase (PAL) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of methyl benzoate - a plant aroma compound. In order to understand the function of this enzyme in the formation of fragrance in the scented Rhododendron species-Rhododendron fortunei, we cloned a gene encoding this enzyme and subsequently examined the gene expression patterns and the profile of enzyme activity during development in various tissues. The full length of RhPAL gene was cloned by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. The expression levels of RhPAL gene were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and the amount of phenylalanine and cinnamic acid were assayed with LC-MS. The results showed that the ORF sequence of RhPAL gene amplified from the cDNA templates of flower buds had 2 145 bp, encoding 715 amino acids, and shared 90% homology to the PAL amino acid sequences from other species. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of RhPAL in petals during flowering kept in rising even until the flowers wilted. The expression of RhPAL in pistil was much higher than that in stamen, while the expression in the younger leaves was higher than in old leaves. However, the expression level was relatively lower in petal and stamen compared to that in leaves. We also measured the PAL activity by Enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay in the petals of flowers at different flowering stages. The results showed that PAL activity reached the highest at the bud stage and then decreased gradually to the lowest when the flowers wilted, which followed a similar trend in the emission of the flower fragrance. The phenylalanine and cinnamic acid contents measured by LC-MS were highly correlated to the expression level of RhPAL in various tissues and at different flowering stages, implying that RhPAL plays an important role in the formation of the flower fragrance. This work may facilitate the breeding and improvement of new fragrant Rhododendron cultivars.