[Mechanisms of high temperature-induced Pseudoperonospora cubensis resistance of cucumber]

This paper studied the effects and control efficiency of high temperature on the pathogenicity and occurrence of Pseudoperonospora cubensis. The results showed that the P. cubensis resistance of cucumber was most obvious after treated at 40 degrees C for 2 h or at 45 degrees C for 1 h, with the control efficiency being 58. 40% and 45. 81% at the forth day, and 39. 35% and 37. 65% at the sixth day after P. cubensis inoculation, respectively. Under high temperature, the activities of peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) , chitinase (Cht), beta-1,3-glucanase (Glu) in cucumber leaf were significantly higher, and large amount of lignin was deposited on the cell wall of leaf tissue, indicating that after treated with high temperature, cucumber plant manifested an induced P. cubensis resistance.

Wall-Yielding Properties of Cell Walls from Elongating Cucumber Hypocotyls in Relation to the Action of Expansin

The wall-yielding properties of cell walls were examined using frozen-thawed and pressed segments (FTPs) obtained from the elongation zones of cucumber hypocotyls with a newly developed programmable creep meter. The rate of wall extension characteristically changed depending on both tension and pH. By treatment of the FTPs with acid, the yield tension (y) was shifted downward and the extensibility (phi) was increased. However, the downward shift of y was greatly suppressed and the increase in phi was partly inhibited in boiled FTPs. The boiled FTPs reconstituted with expansin fully recovered the acid-induced downward y shift as well as the increase in phi. Even under the tension below y, wall extension took place pH dependently. Such extension was markedly slower (low-rate extension) than that under the tension above y (high-rate extension). At a higher concentration (8 M), urea markedly inhibited the creep ascribable to the inhibition of the acid-induced downward y shift and increase in phi. Moderate concentrations (2 M) of urea promoted wall creep pH dependently. The promotion was equivalent to a 0.5 decrease in pH. The promotion of creep by 2 M urea was observed in boiled FTPs reconstituted with expansin but not in boiled FTPs. These findings indicated that the acid-facilitated creep was controlled by y as well as in cucumber cell walls. However, y and phi might be inseparable and mutually related parameters because the curve of the stress extension rate (SER) showed a gradual change from the low-rate extension to the high-rate extension. Expansin played a role in pH-dependent regulation of both y and phi. The physiological meaning of the pH-dependent regulation of wall creep under different creep tensions is also discussed with reference to a performance chart obtained from the SER curves.

[The role of serine endopeptidase in cucumber leaf senescence]

The role of serine endopeptidase in cucumber leaf senescence was studied by using the inhibitor of serine endopeptidase and plant growth regulators (6-BA and ABA) on darkness-induced cucumber leaves. The results showed that the senescence of cucumber leaves were delayed by AEBSF [4-(2-aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride], an inhibitor of serine-type endopeptidase, or 6-BA treatment. The chlorophyll contents increased by AEBSF (Fig.3) and the protein degradation of leaves under AEBSF treatment declined more slowly than in the control or under ABA 50 micromol/L treatment (Fig.4), partly because the activities of serine endopeptidases became lower during senescence. However, the activities of endopeptidase in cucumber leaf were increased by ABA 50 micromol/L (Fig.2A), furthermore, the MDA content were also influenced by AEBSF and plant growth regulators (Fig.5). Native gradient PAGE showed that six bands of isoenzymes were detected in cucumber leaves and four bands of which were the type of serine-endopeptidase (Fig.1), and proved that the activities of serine-endopeptidase were inhibited by AEBSF, but enhanced by ABA (Fig.2B) in the leaves. It implies that serine endopeptidases might play an important role in cucumber leaf senescence.

[Salt resistance and its mechanism of cucumber under effects of exogenous chemical activators]

With root injection and foliar spray, this paper studied the effects of different concentrations salicylic acid, brassinolide, chitosan and spermidine on the growth, morphogenesis, and physiological and biochemical characters of cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L. ) seedlings under 200 mmol x L(-1) NaCl stress. The results showed that at proper concentrations, these four exogenous chemical activators could markedly decrease the salt stress index and mortality of cucumber seedlings, and the decrement induced by 0. 01 mg x L (-1) brassinolide was the largest, being 63. 0% and 75. 0% , respectively. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) , peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) increased significantly, resulting in a marked decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage. The dry weight water content and morphogenesis of cucumber seedlings improved, and the stem diameter, leaf number, and healthy index increased significantly. All of these suggested that exogenous chemical activators at proper concentrations could induce the salt resistance of cucumber, and mitigate the damage degree of salt stress. The salt resistance effect of test exogenous chemical activators decreased in the sequence of 0.005 -0.05 mg (L-1) brassinolide, 150 -250 mg x L (-1) spermidine, 100 -200 mg x L(-1) chitosan, and 50 -150 mg x L(-1) salicylic acid.

Expression and functional analyses of the plastid lipid-associated protein CHRC suggest its role in chromoplastogenesis and stress

Chromoplastogenesis during flower development and fruit ripening involves the dramatic overaccumulation of carotenoids sequestered into structures containing lipids and proteins called plastid lipid-associated proteins (PAPs). CHRC, a cucumber (Cucumis sativus) PAP, has been suggested to be transcriptionally activated in carotenoid-accumulating flowers by gibberellin (GA). Mybys, a MYB-like trans-activator identified here, may represent a chromoplastogenesis-related factor: Its expression is flower specific and parallels that of ChrC during flower development; moreover, as revealed by stable ectopic and transient-expression assays, it specifically trans-activates ChrC promoter in flowers accumulating carotenoids and flavonoids. A detailed dissection of ChrC promoter revealed a GA-responsive element, gacCTCcaa, the mutation of which abolished ChrC activation by GA. This cis-element is different from the GARE motif and is involved in ChrC activation probably via negative regulation, similar to other GA-responsive systems. The GA responsiveness and MYBYS floral activation of the ChrC promoter do not overlap with respect to cis-elements. To study the functionality of CHRC, which is activated in vegetative tissues similar to other PAPs by various biotic and abiotic stresses, we employed a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plant system and generated RNAi-transgenic lines with suppressed LeCHRC. Transgenic flowers accumulated approximately 30% less carotenoids per unit protein than controls, indicating an interrelationship between PAPs and flower-specific carotenoid accumulation in chromoplasts. Moreover, the transgenic LeCHRC-suppressed plants were significantly more susceptible to Botrytis cinerea infection, suggesting CHRC's involvement in plant protection under stress conditions and supporting the general, evolutionarily preserved role of PAPs.

[Effects of soil surface mulching on the growth and physiological characteristics of grafted and non-grafted cucumbers in solar greenhouse]

This paper studied the effects of wheat straw mulching, plastic film mulching, and wheat straw plus plastic film mulching on the growth and physiological characteristics of grafted and non-grafted Cucumis sativus in solar greenhouse. The results showed that compared with the control, the plant height, stem diameter, photosynthetic rate, and root vitality of grafted C. sativus under wheat straw plus plastic film mulching, plastic film mulching, and wheat straw mulching were increased by 91, 71 and 57 cm, 0.127, 0.086 and 0.111 cm, 2.63, 2.08 and 1.36 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1), and 0.98, 0.48 and 0.8 mg TTC x g(-1) FW, respectively, while non-grafted C. sativus had a less increment. The chlorophyll content of grafted C. sativus under wheat straw plus plastic film mulching and wheat straw mulching was 1.8% and 3.15% higher than the control, respectively, but that under plastic film mulching was 3.8% less than the control. Soil surface mulching increased the dry weight per plant, early yield, and total yield. Under wheat straw plus plastic film mulching, plastic film mulching, and wheat straw mulching, the individual yield of grafted C. sativus was 16%, 5.3% and 3.4% higher than that of non-grafted C. sativus, respectively.

[Effects of salicylic acid on chlorophyll fluorescence and xanthophyll cycle in cucumber leaves under high temperature and strong light]

In this study, cucumber leaves were under high temperature and strong light stress after two days of spraying with 50 to approximately 400 micromol x L(-1) salicylic acid (SA) solution. The measurements showed that SA pretreatment could inhibit the decrease of intrinsic photochemical efficiency (Fv/ /Fm), quantum yield of PSII(phiPSII), maximum fluorescence value (Fm), and photochemical quenching (qP) by 16.1% to approximately 30.2%, 11.9% to approximately 33.0%, 7.2% to approximately 41.0% and 27.2% to approximately 160.8%, respectively, and promote the increase of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) by 13.1% to approximately 62.9%, but had little effect on initial fluorescence value (Fo). SA pretreatment could also inhibit the decrease of xanthophyll cycle pool in cucumber leaves, and increase the de-epoxidation extent of xanthophyll cycle (A + Z)/(V + A + Z),which was 29.5% and 24.6% higher than control, respectively. It was suggested that SA could protect the photosynthetic apparatus of cucumber leaves under high temperature and strong light through promoting non-radiative energy dissipation.

Simultaneous quantitative LC-ESI-MS/MS analyses of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid in crude extracts of Cucumis sativus under biotic stress

Salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) are plant hormones involved in basal resistance against plant pathogens and also in induced resistance. The aim of this study is to develop a fast and sensitive method to determine simultaneously the levels of both these hormones. The present paper proposes a method that includes hormone extraction with MeOH-H(2)O-HOAc (90:9:1, v/v), evaporation of the extracts, and injection into the liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) system in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Endogenous SA and JA levels in noninfested control cucumber cotyledons were 30.96 and 0.73ngg(-1) fresh weight, respectively. In roots, the levels were 8.31 and 15.82ngg(-1) FW, respectively. In plants treated with the biological control agent Trichoderma asperellum strain T-34, the levels of SA and JA did not differ from control plants. Rhizoctonia solani-diseased cucumber plants showed higher levels of SA and JA compared to noninfested controls (up to 2 and 13-fold higher, respectively). Detection limits for SA and JA were 0.45 and 0.47ngg(-1) fresh weight, respectively. The results of our research include the development of a method that is both fast and highly sensitive in the simultaneous quantitation of SA and JA from crude cucumber plant extracts, avoiding any purification and derivatization steps.

Thermal imaging of cucumber leaves affected by downy mildew and environmental conditions

Pathogenesis of Pseudoperonospora cubensis causing downy mildew of cucumber resulted in changes in the metabolic processes within cucumber leaves including the transpiration rate. Due to the negative correlation between transpiration rate and leaf temperature, digital infrared thermography permitted a non-invasive monitoring and an indirect visualization of downy mildew development. Depending on the stage of pathogenesis and the topology of chloroses and necroses, infection resulted in a typical temperature pattern. Spatial heterogeneity of the leaf temperature could be quantified by the maximum temperature difference (MTD) within a leaf. The MTD increased during pathogenesis with the formation of necrotic tissue and was related to disease severity as described by linear and quadratic regression curves. Under controlled conditions, changes in temperature of infected leaves allowed the discrimination between healthy and infected areas in thermograms, even before visible symptoms of downy mildew appeared. Environmental conditions during thermographic measurement, in particular air temperature and humidity, as well as water content and age of the leaf influenced the temperature of its surface. Conditions enhancing the transpiration rate facilitated the detection of changes in leaf temperature of infected leaves at early stages of infection. As modified by environmental conditions, MTD alone is not suitable for the quantification of downy mildew severity in the field.

The DefH9-iaaM-containing construct efficiently induces parthenocarpy in cucumber

Parthenocarpy (seedless fruits) is a desirable trait that has been achieved in many plant cultivars. We generated parthenocarpic cucumber fruits by introducing the chimeric DefH9-iaaM construct into the cucumber genome using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated protocol. The construct consists of the DefH9 promoter from Antirrhinum majus and the iaaM coding sequence from Pseudomonas syringae. Transgenic plants were obtained from nine independent transformation events: half of these were tetraploid and did not produce seeds following self-pollination, while the remaining half were capable of displaying parthenocarpy in the subsequent reproductive generation. Of the fruits produced by the transgenic lines, 70-90% were parthenocarpic. The segregation of the marker gene in the transgenic T(1) progeny indicated single gene inheritance. The seed set in the transgenic lines and their F(1) hybrids was lower than in the non-transgenic control plants. Some of the methodological details and the practical significance of the results are discussed.

Relationships between phenolic acid concentrations, transpiration, water utilization, leaf area expansion, and uptake of phenolic acids: nutrient culture studies

Phenolic acid treatments of cucumber seedlings (Cucumis sativus cv "Early Green Cluster") inhibited transpiration, water utilization, leaf area, and absolute and relative rates of leaf expansion. The cinnamic acids, ferulic and p-coumaric acids, were two to five times more inhibitory than the benzoic acids, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid. When phenolic acid concentrations were maintained at inhibitory concentrations through multiple successive treatments, percent inhibition of water utilization remained relatively constant for a given concentration and phenolic acid, percent inhibition of leaf area initially increased and then leveled off to a constant percent, and percent inhibition of transpiration and rates of leaf area expansion declined over time. Subsequently, p-coumaric acid was chosen as the model compound for further study. When p-coumaric acid was inhibitory, percent inhibition of transpiration, water utilization, and rates of leaf area expansion of actively growing leaves rapidly declined (i.e., was lost) as p-coumaric acid concentrations surrounding roots decreased. Absolute and relative rates of leaf expansion, for example, declined approximately 12 and 14%, respectively, for every 0.1 mM decline in p-coumaric acid concentration. Uptake of p-coumaric acid by cucumber seedling roots was continuous over the 24- or 36-hr periods monitored, but was not consistently related to the initial p-coumaric acid treatment concentrations. However, declining p-coumaric acid concentrations monitored at 6- or 12-hr intervals over the 24- or 36-hr periods continued to be highly correlated to the initial p-coumaric acid treatment concentrations. A 25% depletion by 1 3-d-old cucumber seedlings took 8.5, 12, 19.5, 25, and 29.5 hr for 0.125-, 0.25-, 0.5-, 0.75-, and 1-mM treatments, respectively. Uptake during periods when phenolic acid concentrations and root uptake (depletion from solution) were related appeared to represent periods dominated by apoplastic movement into the intercellular spaces of roots. Uptake during periods without this relationship likely represented periods dominated by symplastic movement. The ability of cucumber seedlings to modify active phenolic acid concentrations surrounding their roots suggests that cucumber seedling can directly influence the magnitude of primary and secondary effects of phenolic acids through feedback regulation.

[Labeling of biocontrol agents ZJY-1 and ZJY-116 gfp gene and its ecological adaptability in cucumber rhizosphere]

The recombined plasmid pRP22-GFP contained with gfp gene and chloramphenicol resistant was successfully introduced into two biocontrol agents Brevibacillus brevis ZJY-1 and Bacillus subtilis ZJY-116. After seed inoculation, the survival and colonization of the two strains were studied by periodically retrieving the GFP-tagged strains in the cucumber rhizosphere based on the selective markers. The results showed that both the strains could successfully colonize in the rhizosphere during the whole life of cucumber, and a higher colonization level was observed during anthesis and fruition stages. In pot trials, they could migrate to the nearby non-inoculated spontaneous weed plants, and reestablish in the rhizosphere of plants subsequently grown in the same pot.

[Effects of soil compactness stress on root activity and leaf photosynthesis of cucumber]

Responses of root activity and leaf photosynthesis to soil compactness stress were studied in cucumber plants grown in pots. Soil compaction was expressed by soil bulk density. There were three compactness treatments with soil bulk densities, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 g/cm(3). The results showed that when the soil compactness increased, the dry weight and activity of roots reduced (Fig. 1); the relative electrical conductivity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of cucumber leaf (Fig. 2) increased; the soluble protein content decreased (Fig. 3); the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) increased (Fig. 4); net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (E) and specific leaf weight (SLW) decreased, but intercellular CO(2) concentration (Ci) increased (Fig. 5). These results mean that high soil compaction brings stress to cucumber plants.

The modulating effect of the perisperm-endosperm envelope on ABA-inhibition of seed germination in cucumber

Abscisic acid (ABA) markedly reduced the germination of developing seeds at much lower concentrations (ABA50=0.1 mM) compared with that of mature seeds (ABA50=1.6 mM) in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Green long). The perisperm-endosperm (PE) envelope in developing seeds showed partly differentiated lipid and callose layers, considerable ABA biosynthetic activity in endosperm cells, and appreciable permeability to applied ABA. The decrease in the sensitivity of seeds to applied ABA was coincident with the complete development of lipid and callose layers, diminished ABA biosynthetic activity in endosperm cells in imbibed mature seeds, and moderate permeability of the PE envelope to applied ABA. Decoated seeds pretreated with chloroform showed decreased germination (ABA50=0.4 mM) in response to applied ABA and increased ABA permeation through the PE envelope. ABA thus allowed to permeate into embryonic tissues substantially reduced the pregerminative activity of beta-glucanase in the radicles. The structure and biophysical/biochemical properties of the PE envelope seem to modulate the effect of ABA on the germination of developing and mature cucumber seeds.

A comparison of concentration ratios for technetium and nutrient uptake by three plant species

Technetium (Tc) is a non-essential element for which accumulation mechanisms in plants have recently been discussed, but only from the viewpoint of existence of anion transport proteins in plant cells. In this study, using three kinds of plants (Cucumis sativus L., Raphanus sativus L., and Brassica chinensis L.), uptake of Tc and Re (a chemical analogue of Tc) were observed. The results showed that Tc and Re uptake occurred not only with water mass flow or active nutrient uptake, but also with uptake of nutrient cations such as K+. It is suggested here that most stable chemical form under aerobic conditions, TcO4-, is used in cation transport as a substitute ions, such as Cl-. After TcO4- passes through a root surface, it moves through the xylem together with cations. Due to these uptake mechanisms, Tc is highly accumulated in plants.

The accumulation of phytoalexin in cucumber plant after stress

During the course of pathogens penetrating the plant cell, besides of chemical secretion, the pathogens may cause mechanical signal by the physical pressure on the plant cell. In the current study, we use the pressure as the stress signal to study the induction in plant resistance and the effect of accumulation of phytoalexin. We found that stress can induce the resistance in cucumber seeding significantly. Peptides contained RGD motif can specific block the adhesion between plant cell wall and plasma membrane. When breaking the plant cell wall and plasma membrane by using RGD peptides, the stress induction effect is almost absolutely eliminated. The results of assay with TLC and HPLC showed that stress stimulation could increase the accumulation of cucumber seeding phytoalexin. So, we can conclude that the accumulation of phytoalexin is one possible reason of improve the stress induced resistance. When block the adhesion between plant cell wall and plasma membrane by RGD, there are only part of accumulation of phytoalexin. The results suggest that stress induced resistance and accumulation of phytoalexin of plant is required for the adhesion of plant cell wall-plasma membrane.

Cell wall extension results in the coordinate separation of parallel microfibrils: evidence from scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy

Enlargement of the cell wall requires separation of cellulose microfibrils, mediated by proteins such as expansin; according to the multi-net growth hypothesis, enlargement passively reorients microfibrils. However, at the molecular scale, little is known about the specific movement of microfibrils. To find out, we examined directly changes in microfibril orientation when walls were extended slowly in vitro under constant load (creep). Frozen-thawed cucumber hypocotyl segments were strained by 20-30% by incubation in pH 4.5 buffer or by incubation of heat-inactivated segments in alpha-expansin or a fungal endoglucanase (Cel12A). Subsequently, the innermost layer of the cell wall was imaged, with neither extraction nor homogenization, by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM images revealed that sample preparation for FESEM did not appreciably alter cell wall ultrastructure. In both FESEM and AFM, images from extended and non-extended samples appeared indistinguishable. To quantify orientational order, we used a novel algorithm to characterize the fast Fourier transform of the image as a function of spatial frequency. For both FESEM and AFM images, the transforms of non-extended samples were indistinguishable from those of samples extended by alpha-expansin or Cel12A, as were AFM images of samples extended by acidic buffer. We conclude that cell walls in vitro can extend slowly by a creep mechanism without passive reorientation of innermost microfibrils, implying that wall loosening agents act selectively on the cross-linking polymers between parallel microfibrils, rather than more generally on the wall matrix.

[Effects of excess Mn on photosynthesis characteristics in cucumber under different light intensity]

By a solution culture experiment, this paper studied the effects of excess Mn on the growth, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and photosynthesis of cucumber under different light intensity. The results indicated that excess Mn inhibited plant growth, which was more obvious under high light intensity than under low light intensity. The primary maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (v/Fm), quantum efficiency of non-cyclic electron transport of PSII (phiPSII), and photochemical quenching (qP) were significantly decreased in excess Mn treatment under high light intensity, while no significant effects on Fv/Fm and qP were observed under low light intensity. Excess Mn, particularly under high light intensity, decreased net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (Gs). Excess Mn increased intracellular CO2 (Ci) under high light intensity and decreased Ci under low light intensity, while stomatal limitation value (Ls) was just reverse to Ci. It could be concluded that the decrease of Pn in excess Mn treatment was not resulted from stomatal limitation under high light intensity, but was true under low light intensity.

[Effects of cinnamic acid on physiological characteristics of Cucumis sativus seedling]

With substrate culture, this paper studied the effects of different concentrations of cinnamic acid on the physiological characteristics of Cucumis sativus seedling. The results showed that 25 micromol.L(-1) of cinnamic acid had an inhibition effect on carotenoids, but a promotion effect on chlorophyll a and b. 50 micromol.L(-1) of this compound could significantly inhibit the photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and root activity (P < 0.05), and this effect was getting stronger when the concentration was higher. 150 micromol cinnamic acid.L(-1) had a significant inhibition effect on chlorophyll a and b (P < 0.05). Cinnamic acid had a weak inhibition effect on root activity when its concentration was low (25-50 micromol.L(-1)), but the effect was significant when the concentration was high (100-150 micromol.L(-1)), which became stronger with the longer handling time (P < 0.05).

Phloem long-distance trafficking of GIBBERELLIC ACID-INSENSITIVE RNA regulates leaf development

The phloem translocation stream contains a population of RNA molecules, suggesting plants use RNA to integrate developmental processes, at the whole-plant level. In the present study, we analyzed the role of long-distance trafficking in the delivery of transcripts from two members of the GRAS family, namely CmGAIP and GAI. These two homologs were chosen because of their involvement as transcriptional regulators in GA signaling. A combination of pumpkin, tomato and Arabidopsis was employed to examine the processes involved in long-distance delivery, to sink tissues, of RNA for engineered dominant gain-of-function pumpkin (Cmgaip) and Arabidopsis (DeltaDELLA-gai) genes. Our studies demonstrate that gai RNA entry into functional sieve elements occurs via a selective process. Both engineered mutant gai transcripts were able to exit the scion phloem and traffic cell to cell into the shoot apex. Delivery of Cmgaip and DeltaDELLA-gai RNA mediated highly reproducible changes in leaf phenotype in transgenic tomato lines grown under greenhouse conditions. Phenotypic analysis indicated that tomato leaflet morphology was influenced quite late in development. In addition, tissue sink strength did not appear to dictate gai RNA delivery, suggesting complexity in the process underlying macromolecular trafficking. These results establish that the molecular properties of the Cmgaip and DeltaDELLA-gai transcripts are compatible with the tomato cell-to-cell and long-distance macromolecular trafficking systems. An important conclusion, based on our work, is that control over GAI RNA delivery, via the phloem, may be regulated by sequence motifs conserved between plant families. We propose that RNA delivery via the phloem allows for flexibility in fine tuning of developmental programs to ensure newly developing leaves are optimized for performance under the prevailing environmental conditions.

Gating of aquaporins by low temperature in roots of chilling-sensitive cucumber and chilling-tolerant figleaf gourd

Effects of low temperature (8 degrees C) on the hydraulic conductivity of young roots of a chilling-sensitive (cucumber, Cucumis sativus L.) and a chilling-resistant (figleaf gourd, Cucurbita ficifolia Bouche) crop have been measured at the levels of whole root systems (root hydraulic conductivity, Lp(r)) and of individual cortical cells (cell hydraulic conductivity, Lp). Exposure of roots to low temperature (LRT) for up to 6 d caused a stronger suberization of the endodermis in cucumber compared with figleaf gourd, but no development of exodermal Casparian bands in either species. Changes in anatomy after 6 d of LRT treatment corresponded with a reduction in hydrostatic root Lp(r) of cucumber roots by a factor of 24, and by a factor of 2 in figleaf gourd. In figleaf gourd, there was a reduction only in hydrostatic Lp(r) but not in osmotic Lp(r) suggesting that the activity of water channels was not much affected by LRT treatment in this species. Changes in cell Lp in response to chilling and recovery were similar to the root levels, although they were more intense at the root level. Activation energies (E(a)) and Q10 of water flow as measured at the cell level were high in cucumber (E(a)=109+/-13 kJ mol(-1); Q(10)=4.8+/-0.7; n=6-10 cells), but small in figleaf gourd (E(a)=11+/-2 kJ mol(-1); Q10=1.2+/-0.1; n=6-10 cells). Roots of figleaf gourd recovered better from LRT treatment than those of cucumber. In figleaf gourd, recovery (at both the root and cell level) often resulted in Lp and Lp(r) values which were even bigger than the original, i.e. there was an overshoot in hydraulic conductivity. These effects were larger for osmotic (representing the cell-to-cell passage of water) than for hydrostatic Lp(r). After a short-term (1 d) exposure to 8 degrees C followed by 1 d at 20 degrees C, hydrostatic Lp(r) of cucumber nearly recovered and that of figleaf gourd still remained higher due to the overshoot. By contrast, osmotic Lp(r) and cell Lp in both species remained high by a factor of 3 compared with the control, possibly due to an increased activity of water channels. After preconditioning of roots at LRT, increased hydraulic conductivity was completely inhibited by HgCl2 at both the root and cell levels. Different from figleaf gourd, recovery from chilling was not complete in cucumber after longer exposure to LRT. It is concluded that at LRT, both changes in the activity of aquaporins (AQPs) and alterations of root anatomy determine the water uptake in both species. The high temperature dependence of cell Lp in cucumber suggests conformational changes of AQPs during LRT treatment which result in channel closure and in a strong gating of AQP activity by low temperature. This mechanism is thought to be different from that in figleaf gourd where AQPs reacted in the conventional way, i.e. low temperature affected the mobility of water molecules in AQPs rather than their open/closed state, and Q(10) was low.

[The ontogenetic approach to chlorophyll fluorescence studies of plant photosynthetic apparatus under stressful conditions]

Based on the analysis of reasons limiting the application of the method of chlorophyll fluorescence induction for estimating the state of the leaf photosynthetic apparatus under prolonged stress, the necessity of the ontogenetic approach consisting in a more exact determination of leaf age was substantiated. A comparison of the calendar and ontogenetic ways of determination of age of cucumber leaves under controlled conditions revealed essential distinctions in the estimation of plant leaf photosynthetic apparatus by the method of chlorophyll fluorescence induction for two variants distinguishing by the cultivation light regime ("white", 400-700 nm, and "red", 600-700 nm). It was shown that, in the case of prolonged effect of the stress factor on the plant, the unambiguity of the interpretation of chlorophyll fluorescence induction parameters in the estimation of the state of their photosynthetic apparatus depends essentially on the choice of the ontogenetic period of leaves of plants being compared and the accuracy of determination of leaf age.

[Effect of long-term suboptimal temperature and short-term low temperature under low light density on cucumber growth and its photosynthesis]

The study on the effects of long-term suboptimal temperature (T1) and short-term low temperature (T2) under low light density on cucumber seedling's growth and its photosynthesis showed that the growth speed, photosynthetic rate (Pn), carboxylation efficiency (CE), apparent quantum yield (AQY) and actual quantum yield of P(S II) electron transport (phi(PS II)) all declined remarkably, and the photochemical efficiency of PS II (Fnu/Fm) also decreased to some extent. The decreasing extents of Pn, CE and AQY of T1 were less than those of T2, while the recovery rate of T1 was slower than that of T2. The Fnu/Fm and phi(PS II) of T1 declined to less extent and resiled quickly, while those of T2 decreased to larger extent and recovered slowly. The contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid of T1 increased remarkably after being treated, while those of T2 decreased evidently. The Chl a/b of both T1 and T2 declined remarkably. With recovery time going, the pigment of T1 declined under most conditions, while that of T2 increased gradually. Three days later, the pigment content of T1 and T2 were both higher than control. The Chl a/b had no significant change during the recovery period, and was still obviously lower than control.

Nectar production and transportation in the nectaries of the female Cucumis sativus L. flower during anthesis

In an effort to gain a greater understanding of nectar production, we studied the dynamic mechanisms of starch accumulation and transformation and nectar transportation in the Cucumis sativus L. female flower. Starch, which is the main precursor of nectar, accumulates in the epidermis and underlying parenchyma, with the most active accumulation occurring in the parenchyma cells within 3 days prior to anthesis. Thereafter, the starch was successively hydrolyzed and the hydrolyte was transported from the amyloplasts to vacuoles, suggesting that amyloplasts and vacuoles are the centers of nectar production. In addition, we observed few plasmodesmata and the presence of invaginated plasmalemma and electron-dense material in the intercellular spaces, suggesting that the apoplast system is involved in nectar transportation in an ATPase-dependent fashion.

Herbivory differentially affects male and female reproductive traits of Cucumis sativus

Herbivory is an important selection pressure in the life history of plants. Most studies use seed or fruit production as an indication of plant fitness, but the impact of herbivory on male reproductive success is usually ignored. It is possible that plants compensate for resources lost to herbivory by shifting the allocation from seed production to pollen production and export, or vice versa. This study examined the impact of herbivory by Helix aspersa on both male and female reproductive traits of a monoecious plant, Cucumis sativus. The effects of herbivory on the relative allocation to male and female flowers were assessed through measurements of the number and size of flowers of both sexes, and the amount of pollinator visitation. We performed two glasshouse experiments; the first looked at the impact of three levels of pre-flowering herbivory, and the second looked at four levels of herbivory after the plants had started to flower. We found that herbivory during the flowering phase led to a significant increase in the number of plants without male flowers. As a consequence there was significantly less pollen export from this population, as estimated by movement of a pollen analog. The size of female flowers was reduced by severe herbivory, but there was no affect on pollen receipt by the female flowers of damaged plants. The decrease in allocation to male function after severe herbivory may be adaptive when male reproductive success is very unpredictable.