Short-Term Field Observations of Nitrous Oxide Saturations in Lake Taihu, China: The Need for High Temporal Resolution Studies

The incomplete understanding of the processes which control aquatic nitrous oxide (N(2)O) production is partially due to a lack of onsite data with which to describe the temporal resolution of N(2)O production. To help resolve this, we directly measured the N(2)O saturation (relative to atmospheric partial pressure) on an hourly basis over two survey periods (July and September 2003) in Lake Taihu, a large eutrophic lake in eastern China. July N(2)O saturations displayed a distinct diurnal pattern, opposite to those observed by others in subtropical streams, but similar to N(2)O emissions observed from incubated estuarine sediments. Correlative analyses indicate that biogeochemical processes operate as important controls on N(2)O production over very short time scales. Nitrous oxide production processes are not only regulated by O(2) dynamics related to microalgal photosynthesis, but also closely related to organic matter decay at the sediment water interface. While large-scale changes (similar to 25-fold) in N(2)O fluxes in Lake Taihu are a function of variable N loading, biogeochemical processes concerning O(2) and N transformation at the sediment water interface have significant (-twofold) impacts on the regulation of N(2)O production over very short time scales. Further, high temporal resolution research focused on developing a comprehensive understanding of lacustrine N(2)O production, including natural and anthropogenic loading and biogeochemical transformation processes, is clearly needed

Selection of reliable reference genes for quantitative RT-PCR in garlic under salt stress

Quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) has been frequently used for detecting gene expression. To obtain reliable results, selection of suitable reference genes is a fundamental and necessary step. Garlic (Allium sativum), a member from Alliaceae family, has been used both as a food flavoring and as a traditional medicine. In the present study, garlic plants were exposed to salt stress (200 mM NaCl) for 0, 1, 4 and 12 h, and garlic roots, bulbs, and leaves were harvested for subsequent analysis. The expression stability of eight candidate reference genes, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4α (eIF-4α), actin (ACTIN), tubulin β-7 (TUB7), TAP42-interacting protein of 41 kDa (TIP41), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), SAND family protein (SAND), elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α), and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) were evaluated by geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. All genes tested displayed variable expression profiles under salt stress. In the leaf and root group, ACTIN was the best reference gene for normalizing gene expression. In garlic clove, ACTIN and SAND were the least variable, and were suitable for gene expression studies under salt stress; these two genes also performed well in all samples tested. Based on our results, we recommend that it is essential to use specific reference genes in different situations to obtain accurate results. Using a combination of multiple stable reference genes, such as ACTIN and SAND, to normalize gene expression is encouraged. The results from the study will be beneficial for accurate determination of gene expression in garlic and other plants

The Spatial Distribution and Emission of Nitrous Oxide (N2O) in a Large Eutrophic Lake in Eastern China: Anthropogenic Effects

The emission of N2O from China is globally significant, but relatively few direct observations have been made in many of the fresh water environments most likely to be important sites of N2O production. In this paper, N2O saturations were examined in the ecologically heterogeneous, eutrophied, Lake Taihu, as well as in surrounding rivers in eastern China. The emissions of N2O were estimated and compared with those from other landscapes within the Lake Taihu drainage basin. We found that anthropogenically-enhanced inorganic N inputs act as a limited primary control on the spatial distribution of N2O saturations in heavily eutrophied parts of the lake only and that overall, lake N2O production and emission are not raised as significantly as expected due to high N inputs. In comparison, the heavily eutrophied river network is an important fraction of the local N2O budget, and when considered together with emissions of N2O from the lake, constitute a major (10-50% depending on season) fraction of total N2O emissions from the Lake Taihu drainage basin. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Identification and Expression Analysis of Zinc Finger A20/AN1 Stress-Associated Genes SmSAP Responding to Abiotic Stress in Eggplant

Stress-associated proteins (SAP), a class of zinc-finger proteins, have been identified as novel stress regulatory proteins in stress responses. However, SAP genes in eggplant (SmSAP) have been little reported. It has important significance in identifying SAP members, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying stress responses, and tolerance. We performed a comprehensive study of the A20/AN1 domains, motifs, gene structures, phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal locations, gene replications, collinearity, cis-acting elements, and expression pattern responses to various abiotic stresses. Twenty-one SAP genes were identified in eggplant (SmSAP) and were localized on 10 chromosomes. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of the SmSAP proteins showed a high homology with the tomato SAP members, and 21 members were divided into four groups based on the homology of the SAP members in eggplant, tomato, rice, and Arabidopsis. Further analysis revealed that SmSAP proteins contain the characteristic A20/AN1 domains, the A20 domain composed of motif 2 (ILCINNCGFFGSPATMNLCSKCYKDMJLK). Four pairs of tandem duplications were found in eggplant, and 10 SmSAP genes had collinearity with SAP genes from Arabidopsis, potato, or tomato, but only four SmSAP genes were collinear with SAP genes in the three species mentioned above. Moreover, the promoters of SmSAP genes were predicted to contain many cis-acting elements that respond to abiotic stress and hormones. A qRT-PCR analysis of the four selected SmSAP genes exhibited diverse expression levels in response to various environmental stresses. These results provided a comprehensive analysis of the SmSAP genes and lay a solid foundation for improving the understanding of the functional diversification of SAP genes under various environmental stresses in eggplant