Zhu Yanming

A Glycine soja ABA-responsive receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase, GsRLCK, positively controls plant tolerance to salt and drought stresses (SCI,IF=3.376,通讯作者,朱延明)

Receptor such as protein kinases are proposed to work as sensors to initiate signaling cascades in higher plants. However, little is known about the precise functions of receptor such as protein kinases in abiotic stress response in plants, especially in wild soybean. Here, we focused on characterization of the biological functions of a receptor-like cytoplasmic serine/threonine protein kinase gene, GsRLCK, which was previously identified as a putative salt-alkali stress-related gene from the transcriptome profiles of Glycine soja. Bioinformatic analysis showed that GsRLCK protein contained a conserved kinase catalytic domain and two transmembrane domains at the N-terminus, but no typical extracellular domain. Consistently, GsRLCK-eGFP fusion protein was observed on the plasma membrane, but eGFP alone was distributing throughout the cytoplasm in onion epidermal cells. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed the induced expression of GsRLCK by ABA, salt, alkali, and drought stresses. However, the expression levels of GsRLCK seemed to be similar in different tissues, except soybean pod. Phenotypic assays demonstrated that GsRLCK overexpression decreased ABA sensitivity and altered expression levels of ABA-responsive genes. Furthermore, we also found that GsRLCK conferred increased tolerance to salt and drought stresses and increased expression levels of a handful of stress-responsive genes, when overexpressing in Arabidopsis. In a word, we gave exact evidence that GsRLCK was a novel receptor-like cytoplasmic protein kinase and played a crucial role in plant responses to ABA, salt, and drought stresses.

Quantitative study of soil erosion and element run-off in the Songhua Lake valley

Under the condition of different precipitation intensities, different gradients, different land-use types and different vegetation coverage, the soil erosion and transference of element (or pollutant) are studied by simulating and analyzing the surface run-off of experimental plots in the catchment area of Songhua Lake, with an area of about 43 370.8km2. And the influencing factors that produce the spatial difference are analyzed and assessed. It is put forward that the irrational land utilization is the reason of soil erosion and pollutant run-off. The gradient of farmland, the growing season of vegetation and the vegetation coverage are chiefly restricting factors that lead to the soil erosion and pollutant run-off. This study can provide the fundamental data for comprehensive planning and harnessing of the non-point source pollution in the valley.