Growth, sucrose synthase, and invertase activities of developing Phaseolus vulgaris L. fruits

Activities of the sucrose-cleaving enzymes, acid and neutral invertase and sucrose synthase, were measured in pods and seeds of developing snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) fruits, and compared with 14C-import, elongation and dry weight accumulation. During the first 10 d post-anthesis, pods elongated rapidly with pod dry weight increase lagging behind by several days. The temporal patterns of acid invertase activity and import coincided closely during the first part of pod development, consonant with a central role for this enzyme in converting imported sucrose during pod elongation and early dry weight accumulation. Later, sucrose synthase became the predominant enzyme of dry weight accumulation and was possibly associated with the development of phloem in pod walls. Sucrose synthase activity in seeds showed two peaks, corresponding to two phases of rapid import and dry weight accumulation; hence, sucrose synthase was associated with seed sink growth. Acid invertase activities in seeds were low and did not show a noticeable relationship with import or growth. All neutral invertase activities, during pod and seed development, were too low for it to have a dominant role in sucrose cleavage. Changes in activities of certain sucrose-cleaving enzymes appear to be correlated with certain sink functions, including import, storage of reserves, and biosynthetic activities. The data supports the association of specific sucrose-cleaving enzymes with the specific processes that occur in the developing pods and seeds of snap bean fruits; for example, acid invertase with pod elongation and sucrose synthase with fruit dry matter accumulation

Anatomia e ultra-estrutura foliar de Cyperus maritimus Poir. (Cyperaceae): estratégias adaptativas ao ambiente de dunas litorâneas Leaf anatomy and ultrastructure of Cyperus maritimus Poir. (Cyperaceae): adaptive strategies for coastal dune environment

Foram analisados aspectos anatômicos e ultra-estruturais foliares de Cyperus maritimus Poir. visando identificar caracteres adaptativos ao ambiente de dunas litorâneas. Para isto, indivíduos ocorrentes nas dunas da Praia de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, tiveram as folhas submetidas a diferentes análises: microscopia de luz, eletrônica de varredura e de transmissão. Em vista frontal, a epiderme possui tricomas unicelulares, corpos de sílica, cutícula estriada e depósitos de cera. Em secção transversal, a epiderme é unisseriada com parede periclinal externa espessa. Os estômatos são paracíticos, podendo o ostíolo estar obstruído por cera. Abaixo da face adaxial observa-se o parênquima aqüífero. Os feixes vasculares ocorrem em múltiplas fileiras, sendo as periféricas compostas por feixes de diâmetro menor que os feixes da fileira central. Foram observados caracteres relacionados à síndrome Kranz do tipo clorociperóide. Aspectos ultra-estruturais, como cloroplastos presentes na bainha do feixe, esses sem grana evidentes, entre outras características, reforçam a possível ocorrência da via C4 nesta espécie. É a primeira citação para o gênero Cyperus de cloroplasto nas celulas do tecido vascular. Neste trabalho foi possível observar vários caracteres importantes para plantas submetidas a estresse hídrico e salino, como: cera, células epidérmicas com parede periclinal externa espessada, parênquima aqüífero e síndrome Kranz.<br>Anatomical and ultrastructural aspects of Cyperus maritimus Poir. were analyzed with the aim of identifying adaptive features for the dune environment. Collections were made at Pipa beach, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Leaves were submitted to different analyses: light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In frontal view, the epidermis has unicellular trichomes, silica bodies, a striate cuticle and wax deposits. In transverse section, the epidermis is uniseriate with thickened outer periclinal walls. The stomata are paracitic and the pore sometimes obstructed by wax. Under the adaxial epidermis, there are several layers of aqueous parenchyma. The vascular bundles occur in multiple rows, the peripheral row having bundles with narrower diameters than the central row. Characters related to Kranz syndrome of the chlorocyperoid type were observed. Ultrastructural features support a possible C4 pathway in this species. This work is the first citation of chloroplasts in the cells of the vascular system for the genus. In this study, it was possible to observe several important features of plants submitted to water and salt stress, such as: wax, thickened outer periclinal walls of the epidermal cells, aqueous parenchyma and Kranz syndrome