狗牙根花序发育过程的形态学观察

对狗牙根(Cynodon dactylon‘C299’)花序发育过程中的形态学变化进行了观察。结果表明,‘C299’花序的整个发育过程可分为8个阶段,即营养生长期、穗轴发生期、苞叶原基分化期、小穗原基分化期、小穗分化期、小花分化期、颖片和内外稃发育期及花药和柱头形成期。其中,穗轴发生期(直立茎上有6~9片叶)是抑制花序形成和决定种子产量的关键时期。     

Effects of temperature and photoperiod on postponing bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) turf dormancy

Growth chamber and field experiments were carried out to determine the effects of extended photoperiod under low and freezing temperatures on bermudagrass turf dormancy at Bajgah, in the southern part of Iran. The experiment in the growth chamber was conducted with four temperature regimes (15, 7.5, 0 and -7.5°C) and three light durations (8, 12 and 16h) in a completely randomized design with four replications. The field study was conducted in two consecutive years (2008-2009) with three light durations (8, 12 and 16h) in months with natural short day length and arranged in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Results in both experiments showed that decreasing temperature and photoperiod decreased verdure fresh and dry weight, shoot height, tiller density, leaf area and chlorophyll and relative water contents (RWC). However, rooting depth and fresh weight of roots increased in the growth chamber. Decreasing the temperature and light duration increased electrolyte leakage and proline content. Reducing sugars increased with decreasing temperature and declined with lowering light duration in both shoots and roots. Starch content of both shoots and roots showed an adverse trend compared to reducing sugars; starch content increased in both shoots and roots in all treatments by shortening the photoperiod. Practically, the problem of bermudagrass turf's dormancy could be solved via increasing the photoperiod in months with short day lengths. This treatment would be efficient and useful for turfgrass managers to apply in landscapes and stadiums.     

Herbicide Tolerance and Polyploidy in Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Gramineae)

Responses to treatment with the herbicide dalapon have beendetermined and the karyotypes studied in four chromosome racesof Cynodon dactylon. No relationship was found between toleranceto dalapon and the level of ploidy. At the dalapon concentrationwhere differences in response were most apparent (2·5mM), the difference in mean value of the two diploid cloneswas greater than any other pair of values. No positive correlationwas found between tolerance and the morphology of the leaf surface.Karyotype studies have not resolved the conflicting evidencerelating to the origin and inter-relationships of the chromosomeraces of this species.     

Differentiation of bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) genotypes by AFLP analyses

 Bermudagrasses (Cynodon spp.) are major turfgrasses for home lawns, public parks, golf courses and sport fields, and are widely adapted to tropical and warmer temperate climates. Morphological and physiological characteristics are not sufficient to differentiate some bermudagrass genotypes because the differences between them are often subtle and subject to environmental influence. In this study, a DNA-typing technique, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), was used to differentiate bermudagrass genotypes and to explore their genetic relationships. Twenty seven bermudagrass cultivars and introductions, mostly from the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Ga., were assayed by the radioactive (³²P) and the fluorescence-labeled AFLP methods. The AFLP technique produced enough polymorphism to differentiate all 27 bermudagrass genotypes, even the closely related ones. An average of 48–74 bands in the 30–600-bp size range was detected by the ³²P-labeled AFLP method. The results indicated that most of the 14 primer combinations tested in this study could be used to distinguish bermudagrass genotypes, and that some single primer-pairs could differentiate all 27 of them. To test the reliability and reproducibility of the AFLP procedure, three DNA isolations (replications) of the 27 bermudagrass genotypes were assayed using five primer pairs. Only 0.6% of the bands were evaluated differently among the three replications. One replication of one genotype (which was most likely a planting contaminant) was grouped in an unexpected cluster using the Unweighted Pair Group Mean Average (UPGMA) method. A one- or two-band difference in scoring did not change the clustering of genotypes or the replications within genotypes. The 27 genotypes were grouped into three major clusters, many of which were in agreement with known pedigrees. Trees constructed with different primer combinations using ³²P- and fluorescence-labelling formed similar major groupings. The semi-automated fluorescence-based AFLP technique offered significant improvements on fragment sizing and data handling. It was also more accurate for detection and more efficient than the radioactive labelling method. This study shows that the AFLP technique is a reliable tool for differentiating bermudagrass genotypes and for determining genetic relationships among them. Received: 28 July 1998 / Accepted: 3 November 1998     

Chromosome Number in Cynodon dactylon in Relation to Ecological Conditions

Populations of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. were collected fromthree habitat types (roadsides, lawns and paddy-fields) withineach of five climatic regions (arid, dry, intermediate, wetand hill country) in Sri Lanka. Further populations were collectedfrom forests and grasslands in the hill country. Most populations contained only tetraploid plants (2n = 36),but populations from roadsides and lawns in the wet region,and from forests in the hill country, contained only diploidplants (2n = 18). Populations from paddy-fields in the wet regioncontained both tetraploid and diploid plants. No triploid plantswere found in any environment, despite the fact that C. dactylonpredominantly reproduces vegetatively by both stolons and rhizomes.Soil acidity seems to be the main factor determining the distributionof the two cytotypes.Copyright 1995, 1999 Academic Press Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., chromosome number, ecology, habitat, climatic region     

AFLP analysis of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. var. dactylon genetic variation.

Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. var. dactylon (common bermudagrass) is geographically widely distributed between about lat 45 degrees N and lat 45 degrees S, penetrating to about lat 53 degrees N in Europe. The extensive variation of morphological and adaptive characteristics of the taxon is substantially documented, but information is lacking on DNA molecular variation in geographically disparate forms. Accordingly, this study was conducted to assess molecular genetic variation and genetic relatedness among 28 C. dactylon var. dactylon accessions originating from 11 countries on 4 continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe). A fluorescence-labeled amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) DNA profiling method was used to detect the genetic diversity and relatedness. On the basis of 443 polymorphic AFLP fragments from 8 primer combinations, the accessions were grouped into clusters and subclusters associating with their geographic origins. Genetic similarity coefficients (SC) for the 28 accessions ranged from 0.53 to 0.98. Accessions originating from Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe formed major groupings as indicated by cluster and principal coordinate analysis. Accessions from Australia and Asia, though separately clustered, were relatively closely related and most distantly related to accessions of European origin. African accessions formed two distant clusters and had the greatest variation in genetic relatedness relative to accessions from other geographic regions. Sampling the full extent of genetic variation in C. dactylon var. dactylon would require extensive germplasm collection in the major geographic regions of its distributional range.     

Response of Cynodon dactylon to prolonged water deficits under saline conditions

Competition for available water resources in both arid and semi-arid locations has led to greater scrutiny of turfgrass irrigation. Irrigation management strategies, including deficit irrigation, need further investigation. The objective of this research was to determine the physiological response of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) to prolonged water deficits under saline conditions. Bermudagrass was grown in large columns packed with three different soil types (sandy loam, silt loam and clay). Synthesized saline irrigation water was applied at three different salinity levels (1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 dS/m). Two previous experiments that were conducted with these columns over a 3.5 year period led to differential profile salinization in all 27 columns. At the end of this 3.5 year period, all irrigations were terminated and plant growth and water status were monitored over a 95 day dry-down period. Midday stomatal conductance, leaf water potential, canopy temperature, soil water in storage and stolon elongation were measured over the experimental period. On day 95, above ground tissue was harvested for dry weight and elemental tissue analysis. Midday stomatal conductance decreased around day 30 in all columns regardless of soil salinity. This decrease was not associated with a threshold leaf water potential, as midday leaf water potentials remained constant over a 60 day period. Stolon elongation also ceased before any deviation in the midday leaf water potential occurred. A concomitant reduction in evapo ranspiration was not associated with the measured decrease in stomatal conductance. This would suggest that bermudagrass may have regulated stomatal activity to compensate for lower conductances during periods of greater stress and/or that measured midday stomatal conductances cannot always be directly coupled to extended time evapotranspiration measurements.     

Responses of meristematic callus cells of two Cynodon dactylon genotypes to aluminium

Responses to Al3+ of embryogenic callus cells of an Al-sensitive (Al-S) and Al-resistant (Al-R) Cynodon dactylon genotype were evaluated with regard to Al3+ toxicity and resistance. A chemical equilibrium speciation model (MINTEQA2) was used to ensure the availability of the Al3+ ion in culture media, which was supplied as 0.08-2.3 mM Al3+ for 2-8 weeks. Increasing Al3+ concentration and exposure time had a greater negative impact on the Al-S than on the Al-R genotype, in terms of callus growth rate and frequency of non-embryogenic cells. Exposure to 0.8 mM Al3+ for 2 weeks resulted in an 88% reduction in the Al-S meristematic cell number, whereas that of the Al-R genotype remained unaffected. In addition, the Al-S cells accumulated three times more Al in the nucleus than did the Al-R cells, suggesting that Al interfered with mitosis. The Al-R cells appeared to exclude Al3+ from its cells through an increase in extracellular pH (4.34 in Al-R and 4.08 in Al-S) and by the immobilisation of Al in the cell wall (33% more in Al-R). The results showed that by studying the cellular responses to Al3+ it is possible to discriminate between the Al-S and Al-R C. dactylon genotypes.     

The small-scale pattern of Cynodon dactylon in Mediterranean pastures

The abundance of Cynodon dactylon was recorded in 50 plots presenting different geomorphological conditions and along a transect of 16 500 2×2 cm contiguous quadrats within a small basin 330 m in length, in the granite pediment of the Sierra de Guadarrama (Central Spain). Soil analyses were undertaken on samples from the 50 plots and the soil information matrix obtained was analysed using Principal Components Analysis and Discriminant Analysis. Results showed that in the Mediterranean pastures Cynodon dactylon was restricted to deep, well developed soils with relatively high values of cations, conductivity and organic matter, and could be used as an indicator of such soil conditions in these grasslands. The spatial pattern of the species was analysed using New Local Variances which revealed the existence of a small-scale pattern, ranging from 8 to 18 cm, present at all levels of the analysis. The size of small-scale patterns was positively correlated with species abundance and was interpreted as a relation between plant vigour and favourable soil conditions.I would like to thank Professor González Bernáldez for his interest and encouragement.     

影响农杆菌介导狗牙根遗传转化的因素

农杆菌LBA4404/pCAMBIA1301介导转化狗牙根的体系中,遗传转化的最佳优化条件是:胚性愈伤组织预培养10 d,农杆菌菌液浓度为OD600 0.5～0.8,共培养时间为2d.共培养基中添加100μmol·L-1乙酰丁香酮能有效地提高植物瞬时表达率.侵染处理方法中滤纸滴加法比浸泡法效果更好.黑暗条件下的瞬时表达率比12 h光照/12 h黑暗培养条件下的高.在最佳优化条件下狗牙根的GUS瞬时表达率达到36.36%.     

DNA amplification fingerprinting analysis of bermudagrass (Cynodon): genetic relationships between species and interspecific crosses

We have used DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) to study the genetic variation of bermudagrass (Cynodon) species and cultivars of interspecific crosses that exhibit leaf-blade textural characteristics ranging from coarse to fine. Arbitrary octamer primers produced complex and reproducible amplification profiles with high levels of polymorphic DNA. Phylogenetic analysis using parsimony (PAUP) and unweighted pair group cluster analysis using arithmetic means (UPGMA) grouped 13 bermudagrass cultivars into several clusters, including one containing the African-type bermudagrasses (C. transvaalensis) and another containing the common-type bermudagrasses (C. dactylon). The latter group included C. magennissii (Sunturf) and a interspecific C. transvaalensisxC. dactylon cross (Midiron), 2 cultivars that exhibited leaf textural characteristics closer to the common-types. All other C. transvaalensisxC. dactylon crosses grouped between the African and common types. An extended screen of 81 octamer primers was needed to separate cultivar Tifway from the irradiation-induced mutant Tifway II. The use of either template endonuclease digestion prior to amplification or arbitrary mini-hairpin primers increased detection of polymorphic DNA and simplified the task of distinguishing these closely related cultivars. Alternatively, the use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) resolved fingerprints adequately and detected products with high sensitivity, thereby promising to increase throughput and the detection of polymorphic DNA. When used to fingerprint samples from commercial sources, DAF identified bermudagrass plant material on the basis of unique reference profiles generated with selected primers. DAF represents an excellent technique for bermudagrass cultivar verification, seed certification, varietal protection, and for the identification of mistakes in plantings, mislabeled plant materials, and contamination or substitutions of sod fields.     

中国狗牙根(Cynodon dactylon)优良选系的RAPD分析

对采自中国不同地区的6份狗牙根[Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]优良选系进行了RAPD分子标记实验.选用15个引物共扩增出438条带,平均每个引物扩增出29条带,其中多态性带415条,多态性位点百分率达到59.02%～75.49%.各选系间遗传相似性系数差异较大(0.408～0.672),说明各选系间在DNA水平上存在着丰富的遗传多样性,与新品种C106(爬地青)相比,各选系还存在一定的改良空间.实验结果也表明,RAPD分子标记可成功地用于中国狗牙根优良选系遗传多样性的研究及品种鉴定.     

Morphological and physiological responses of rice seedlings to complete submergence (flash flooding)

Background and Aims

Reducing damage to rice seedlings caused by flash flooding will improve the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in West Africa. Accordingly, the morphological and physiological responses of different forms of rice to complete submergence were examined in field and pot experiments to identify primary causes of damage.

Methods

To characterize the physiological responses, seedlings from a wide genetic base including Oryza sativa, O. glaberrima and interspecific hybrids were compared using principle component analysis.

Key Results

Important factors linked to flash-flood tolerance included minimal shoot elongation underwater, increase in dry matter weight during submergence and post-submergence resistance to lodging. In particular, fast shoot elongation during submergence negatively affected plant growth after de-submergence. Also shoot-elongating cultivars showed a strong negative correlation between dry matter weight of the leaves that developed before submergence and leaves developing during submergence.

Conclusions

Enhancement of shoot elongation during submergence in water that is too deep to permit re-emergence by small seedlings represents a futile escape strategy that takes place at the expense of existing dry matter in circumstances where underwater photosynthetic carbon fixation is negligible. Consequently, it compromises survival or recovery growth once flood water levels recede and plants are re-exposed to the aerial environment. Tolerance is greater in cultivars where acceleration of elongation caused by submergence is minimal.Key words: Africa, flash floods, Oryza glaberrima, rainfed lowland, rice, shoot elongation, stress tolerance, submergence     

Cardiac responses to first ever submergence in double-crested cormorant chicks (Phalacrocorax auritus)

Heart rates were recorded from double-crested cormorant chicks during their first ever and subsequent voluntary head submergences and dives, as well as during longer dives made after the chicks were accustomed to diving. Despite variation between chicks, the cardiac response to first ever and subsequent voluntary submergence (head submergences and dives) was similar to the response observed in adult cormorants. Upon submersion the heart rate fell rapidly when pre-submersion heart rate was high (325-350 beats min-1). The heart rate established within the first second of voluntary submergence was between 230 and 285 beats min-1, well above resting heart rate (143 beats min-1). The same initial cardiac response occurred during longer dives performed after the chicks were accustomed to diving. In these dives the heart rate remained at the level established on submersion, unlike the response observed in shallow diving adult cormorants in which the heart rate declined throughout the dive. The heart rate was also monitored in a separate group of chicks in which the first exposure to water was during whole body forced submergence. Again, the observed response was similar to the adult response, although the cardiac response of chicks to forced submergence was more extreme than to voluntary submergence. Our results do not support the hypothesis that learning (by conditioning or habituation) is involved in the cardiac adjustments to voluntary submergence. It is suggested that the initial cardiac adjustments are reflex in nature and this reflex is fully developed by the first submergence event. Although the nature of this reflex pathway is obscure, cessation of breathing before submersion and the close linkage between breathing and heart rate might provide a plausible mechanism.     

Impact of the flower smut Ustilago cynodontis (Ustilaginaceae) on the performance of the clonal grass Cynodon dactylon (Gramineae)

Effects of the flower-infecting smut fungus Ustilago cynodontis on the growth, survival, and competitiveness of the clonal rhizomatous perennial grass Cynodon dactylon were explored through a series of glasshouse experiments. Ustilago cynodontis sterilized C. dactylon by replacing floral structures with a teliospore-producing fungal stroma. Infection caused a reduction in overall dry matter production and the growth rate of stolons, changed the allocation of resources between roots and shoots, and affected the survival of C. dactylon plants growing in pots under crowded conditions in a naturally lit glasshouse. In mixtures of healthy and infected plants, the growth of infected ones was disproportionally affected. Infection had no effect on the germination or emergence of seedlings. Transmission of the pathogen along stolons was incomplete, especially as the length of the stolon increased. The nutrient status of the soil had no significant effect on stolon growth. Results are discussed in terms of the differential effect of systemic floral smut diseases on tiller-forming and clonal rhizomatous perennial grasses.     

根癌农杆菌介导的金边狗牙根遗传转化条件的优化

为建立根癌农杆菌(Agrobacterium tumefaciens,菌(L.)Pers.]最佳遗传转化体系,以葡萄糖醛酸糖苷酶(GUS)基因的瞬间表达率为指标,从愈伤组织继代时间、根癌农杆菌侵染时间、负压条件及光照时间等方面进行了筛选.结果表明,根癌农杆菌介导的金边狗牙根最佳的转化体系是:以继代培养2周的愈伤组织为起始材料,根癌农杆菌介导感染10 min,经负压处理(抽拉20次)并在全光条件下共培养转化.     

A potent feed preservative candidate produced by Calcarisporium sp., an endophyte residing in stargrass (Cynodon dactylon)

AIMS: The cultures of an endophytic fungus Calcarisporium sp. were screened for inhibitors on the growth of feed-associated moulds and on the aflatoxin biosynthesis to find a safe and effective feed preservative. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight test fungi were isolated from the spoiled poultry feed. The endophytic fungus Calcarisporium sp. was separated from the Chinese coastal grass Cynodon dactylon. The antifungal action concerning the endophytic culture extract (ECE) was performed with propionic acid (PPA) as the corresponding reference. The ECE had a similar antifungal efficacy to PPA in a concentration-dependent manner. The susceptibility order of the ECE to the test fungi was found to be Fusarium sp. > Aspergillus spp. > Penicillium spp. Furthermore, the application of the ECE in pelleted-layer duck feed as a preservative was carried out at a humidity of 10, 15 and 20%. It has been discerned that mould growth and aflatoxin biosynthesis could be co-inhibited almost completely by ECE at concentrations higher than 1.0% (w/w). The LD50 of the ECE on mice was shown to be higher than 28 g kg-1. CONCLUSIONS: The ECE can be selected as an inhibitor to preserve poultry feed on inhibiting the growth of mould and aflatoxin biosynthesis during feed storage. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The ECE may be an effective and biosafe antifungal ingredient for poultry feed and holds a potential market prospect in feed industry.