The transcriptional dynamics during de novo shoot organogenesis of Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro): implication of the contributions of the abiotic stress response in this process.

De novo shoot organogenesis is an important biotechnological tool for fundamental studies in plant. However, it is difficult in most bamboo species, and the genetic control of this highly dynamic and complicated regeneration process remains unclear. In this study, based on an in-depth analysis at the cellular level, the shoot organogenesis from calli of Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) was divided into five stages. Subsequently, single-molecule long-read isoform sequencing of tissue samples pooled from all five stages was performed to generate a full-length transcript landscape. A total of 83 971 transcripts, including 73 209 high-quality full-length transcripts, were captured, which served as an annotation reference for the subsequent RNA sequencing analysis. Time-course transcriptome analysis of samples at the abovementioned five stages was conducted to investigate the global gene expression atlas showing genome-wide expression of transcripts during the course of bamboo shoot organogenesis. K-means clustering analysis and stage-specific transcript identification revealed important dynamically expressed transcription regulators that function in bamboo shoot organogenesis. The majority of abiotic stress-responsive genes altered their expression levels during this process, and further experiments demonstrated that exogenous application of moderate but not severe abiotic stress increased the shoot regeneration efficiency. In summary, our study provides an overview of the genetic flow dynamics during bamboo shoot organogenesis. Full-length cDNA sequences generated in this study can serve as a valuable resource for fundamental and applied research in bamboo in the future.

Identification and functional characterization of two bamboo FD gene homologs having contrasting effects on shoot growth and flowering.

Bamboos, member of the family Poaceae, represent many interesting features with respect to their fast and extended vegetative growth, unusual, yet divergent flowering time across species, and impact of sudden, large scale flowering on forest ecology. However, not many studies have been conducted at the molecular level to characterize important genes that regulate vegetative and flowering habit in bamboo. In this study, two bamboo FD genes, BtFD1 and BtFD2, which are members of the florigen activation complex (FAC) have been identified by sequence and phylogenetic analyses. Sequence comparisons identified one important amino acid, which was located in the DNA-binding basic region and was altered between BtFD1 and BtFD2 (Ala146 of BtFD1 vs. Leu100 of BtFD2). Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that this alteration had resulted into ten times higher binding efficiency of BtFD1 than BtFD2 to its target ACGT motif present at the promoter of the APETALA1 gene. Expression analyses in different tissues and seasons indicated the involvement of BtFD1 in flower and vegetative development, while BtFD2 was very lowly expressed throughout all the tissues and conditions studied. Finally, a tenfold increase of the AtAP1 transcript level by p35S::BtFD1 Arabidopsis plants compared to wild type confirms a positively regulatory role of BtFD1 towards flowering. However, constitutive expression of BtFD1 had led to dwarfisms and apparent reduction in the length of flowering stalk and numbers of flowers/plant, whereas no visible phenotype was observed for BtFD2 overexpression. This signifies that timely expression of BtFD1 may be critical to perform its programmed developmental role in planta.

Rooting behaviour and soil properties in different bamboo species of Western Himalayan Foothills, India.

Due to extensive root system, connected rhizome bamboos are considered suitable for improving soil properties within a short period, though most of the claims are anecdotal and need to be supported with quantified data. The study evaluates seven bamboo species viz., Bambusa balcooa, Bambusa bambos, Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa nutans, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Dendrocalamus stocksii and Dendrocalamus strictus for their rooting pattern and impact on soil health properties. Coarse and fine root intensity was maximum in B. vulgaris. Coarse root biomass ranged from 0.6 kg m-3 in B. nutans to 2.0 kg m-3 in B. vulgaris and B. bambos. Fine root biomass ranged from 1.1 kg m-3 in B. nutans to 4.5 kg m-3 in D. hamiltonii. Contribution of fine roots in terms of intensity and biomass was much higher than coarse roots. Fine root biomass showed declining trend with increase in soil depth in all the species. During sixth year, the litter fall ranged from 8.1 Mg ha-1 in D. stocksii to 12.4 Mg ha-1 in D. hamiltonii. Among soil physical properties significant improvement were recorded in hydraulic conductivity, water stable aggregates and mean weight diameter. Soil pH, organic carbon and available phosphorus under different species did not reveal any significant changes, while significant reduction was observed in total nitrogen and potassium. Significant positive correlation was observed between WSA and iron content. Soil microbial population and enzyme activities were higher in control plot. Considering root distribution, biomass, soil hydraulic conductivity and water stable aggregates, B. bambos, B. vulgaris and D. hamiltonii are recommended for rehabilitation of degraded lands prone to soil erosion.

Changes of Chemical Composition and Hemicelluloses Structure in Differently Aged Bamboo ( Neosinocalamus affinis) Culms.

To study the differences in chemical composition analysis and spatial distribution of young Neosinocalamus affinis bamboo, we used the methods of standard of National Renewable Energy Laboratory and confocal Raman microscopy, respectively. It was found that the acid-soluble lignin and acid-insoluble lignin content showed an inverse relationship with the increasing bamboo age. Raman analysis revealed that Raman signal intensity of lignin in both the secondary cell wall and the compound middle lamella regions showed a similar increase trend with growth of bamboo. In addition, eight hemicellulosic fractions were obtained by successively treating holocellulose of the 2-, 4-, 8-, and 12-month-old Neosinocalamus affinis bamboo culms with DMSO and alkaline solution. The ratio of arabinose to xylose of hemicelluloses was increased with the growth of bamboo. FT-IR and NMR analyses revealed that DMSO-soluble hemicelluloses of young bamboo culms are mainly composed of highly substituted xylans and ß-d-glucans.

Transcriptome analysis provides insights into xylogenesis formation in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) shoot.

Maturation-related changes in cell wall composition and the molecular mechanisms underlying cell wall changes were investigated from the apical, middle and basal segments in moso bamboo shoot (MBS). With maturation extent from apical to basal regions in MBS, lignin and cellulose content increased, whereas heteroxylan exhibited a decreasing trend. Activities of phenylalanine amonnialyase (PAL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), which are involved in lignin biosynthesis, increased rapidly from the apex to the base sections. The comparative transcriptomic analysis was carried out to identify some key genes involved in secondary cell walls (SCW) formation underlying the cell wall compositions changes including 63, 8, 18, and 31 functional unigenes encoding biosynthesis of lignin, cellulose, xylan and NAC-MYB-based transcription factors, respectively. Genes related to secondary cell wall formation and lignin biosynthesis had higher expression levels in the middle and basal segments compared to those in the apical segments. Furthermore, the expression profile of PePAL gene showed positive relationships with cellulose-related gene PeCESA4, xylan-related genes PeIRX9 and PeIRX10. Our results indicated that lignification occurred in the more mature middle and basal segments in MBS at harvest while lignification of MBS were correlated with higher expression levels of PeCESA4, PeIRX9 and PeIRX10 genes.

Identification, characterization and gene expression analyses of important flowering genes related to photoperiodic pathway in bamboo.

BACKGROUND: Bamboo is an important member of the family Poaceae and has many inflorescence and flowering features rarely observed in other plant groups. It retains an unusual form of perennialism by having a long vegetative phase that can extend up to 120 years, followed by flowering and death of the plants. In contrast to a large number of studies conducted on the annual, reference plants Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, molecular studies to characterize flowering pathways in perennial bamboo are lacking. Since photoperiod plays a crucial role in flower induction in most plants, important genes involved in this pathway have been studied in the field grown Bambusa tulda, which flowers after 40-50 years. RESULTS: We identified several genes from B. tulda, including four related to the circadian clock [LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY), TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1), ZEITLUPE (ZTL) and GIGANTEA (GI)], two circadian clock response integrators [CONSTANS A (COA), CONSTANS B (COB)] and four floral pathway integrators [FLOWERING LOCUS T1, 2, 3, 4 (FT1, 2, 3, 4)]. These genes were amplified from either gDNA and/or cDNA using degenerate as well as gene specific primers based on homologous sequences obtained from related monocot species. The sequence identity and phylogenetic comparisons revealed their close relationships to homologs identified in the temperate bamboo Phyllostachys edulis. While the four BtFT homologs were highly similar to each other, BtCOA possessed a full-length B-box domain that was truncated in BtCOB. Analysis of the spatial expression of these genes in selected flowering and non-flowering tissue stages indicated their possible involvement in flowering. The diurnal expression patterns of the clock genes were comparable to their homologs in rice, except for BtZTL. Among multiple BtCO and BtFT homologs, the diurnal pattern of only BtCOA and BtFT3, 4 were synchronized in the flower inductive tissue, but not in the non-flowering tissues. CONCLUSION: This study elucidates the photoperiodic regulation of bamboo homologs of important flowering genes. The finding also identifies copy number expansion and gene expression divergence of CO and FT in bamboo. Further studies are required to understand their functional role in bamboo flowering.

The growth-promoting effects of endophytic bacteria on Phyllostachys edulis.

The research results of the growth-promoting effects of endophytic bacteria on Phyllostachys edulis indicated that the growth-promoting endophytic bacteria could improve photosynthesis in P. edulis leaves. The photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and the stomatal conductance in P. edulis treated with endophytic bacteria were all higher than in the control group. Endophytic bacteria could also increase the chlorophyll content and the protective enzyme activities in P. edulis, improving their reactions to the adverse environmental conditions. Through injection treatments with growth-promoting endophytic bacteria, the catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase activity, soluble protein content, and soluble sugar content in P. edulis were all higher than in the control group, except for the malondialdehyde content, which was lower than in the control group.

Elimination and molecular identification of endophytic bacterial contaminants during in vitro propagation of Bambusa balcooa.

Bambusa balcooa is an economically important, multipurpose bamboo species, decidedly used in construction industry. Availability of natural bamboo is depleting very rapidly due to accelerated deforestation and its unrestrained use. The large number and timely supply of saplings are the need of the hour for the restoration of bamboo stands. Micropropagation, being the potent alternative for season independent rapid regeneration, is restricted in bamboo because of endophytic contamination. An in vitro attempt has been taken to overcome the endophytic contamination by using broad spectrum antibiotics as surface sterilant as well as a media component. Ampicillin sodium salt (5 mg/ml for 30 min) as a surface sterilant was found as the best treatment for high bud breaking (80%) coupled with high branching and low contamination (20%) but it was found ineffective to control the contamination during multiplication stage. Then, two endophytes were isolated and minimum inhibitory concentration was determined through antibiotic susceptibility test for successful eradication at multiplication stage. Finally, contamination free cultures were obtained when streptocycline (100 µg/ml) and gentamicin sulphate (75 µg/ml) were added into the medium. The two isolated endophytes, BB1 and BB2, were identified through 16S rDNA techniques and NCBI-BLAST algorithm with 99% sequence similarity with those of Janibacter sp. (KX423734) and Serratia marcescens strain (KX423735). To our knowledge, this is the first report for B. balcooa where antibiotics were used as surface sterilant as well as medium component, to control endophytic bacterial contaminants, followed by their identification.

In vitro flowering in Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss, an anatomical perspective.

Bamboo [Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss (Syn. Bambusa arundinacea Retz.)] is an important arborescent grass with immense socio economic implications. The plant exhibits unique biological and growth characteristics including a distinct monocarpic gregarious flowering behavior. Studies on in vitro flowering in bamboo are not uncommon. The present study focuses on effect of different growth regulators on in vitro flowering in B. bambos and analyzes the morphological and developmental changes accompanying the process. Multiple shoots were raised from B. bambos seeds on MS medium supplemented with 10 µM BAP. Anatomical sections showed intense mitotic activity in the apical meristem of the main shoot and formation of additional shoot buds along the margins. For multiplication, propagules of 7-9 shoots were transferred to maintenance medium containing 5 µM BAP. Longitudinal sections of propagules showed prolific cell divisions and formation of meristemoids, which continuously gave rise to new shoots upon subculture. In vitro induction of flowering in cultures was observed in multiple shoots after 8 weeks. Transfer of multiple shoots to MS basal medium containing 10 µM NAA resulted in rooting and proliferation of inflorescences. On medium supplemented with 10 µM 2,4-D callusing and development of shoot buds and somatic embryos was followed by development of inflorescences. The report outlines a protocol that can be used to raise and proliferate flowering cultures in B. bambos.

Can native clonal moso bamboo encroach on adjacent natural forest without human intervention?

Native species are generally thought not to encroach on adjacent natural forest without human intervention. However, the phenomenon that native moso bamboo may encroach on surrounding natural forests by itself occurred in China. To certificate this encroaching process, we employed the transition front approach to monitor the native moso bamboo population dynamics in native Chinese fir and evergreen broadleaved forest bordering moso bamboo forest in Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve during the period between 2005 and 2014. The results showed that the bamboo front moved toward the Chinese fir/evergreen broadleaved stand with the new bamboo produced yearly. Moso bamboo encroached at a rate of 1.28 m yr(-1) in Chinese fir forest and 1.04 m yr(-1) in evergreen broadleaved forest, and produced 533/437 new culms hm(-2) yr(-1) in the encroaching natural Chinese fir/evergreen broadleaved forest. Moso bamboo coverage was increasing while adjacent natural forest area decreasing continuously. These results indicate that native moso bamboo was encroaching adjacent natural forest gradually without human intervention. It should be considered to try to create a management regime that humans could selectively remove culms to decrease encroachment.

Seed Set and Natural Regeneration of Dendrocalamus membranaceus Munro after Mass and Sporadic Flowering in Yunnan, China.

The flowering periods of woody bamboos, seed set, natural regeneration and death after flowering have been rarely observed and evaluated in the field. Dendrocalamus membranaceus Munro, a tropical woody bamboo mainly distributed in the Yunnan, displayed both sporadic as well as gregarious (mass) flowering and fruited from 2006 to 2013 following severe droughts. The aim of this study is to examine potential differences in seed set and natural regeneration between the two flowering patterns in natural D. membranaceus forests. We investigated and analyzed seed set, seed germination, seedling growth and mortality in both mass and sporadic flowering populations. Observations were made over a period of three years to record changes in bamboo seedling density, height and culm diameter. We observed a low natural seed set ranging from 1.76% to 7.49%, and a relatively high seed germination rate in the nursery from 59.6% to 71.0% for both types of flowering populations. Seeds germinated in 5-7 days after sowing and the germination period lasted 10-15 days. Seed set and germination rates in mass-flowering populations were significantly higher than those of sporadically flowering stands. The seedlings within sporadically flowering populations died within two years. In comparison, seedling mortality in the mass flowering population increased over two periods of observation from 64.92% to 98.89%, yet there was good seedling establishment left over, which showed mean height and mean culm diameter increasing by 1053.25% and 410.71%, respectively, in the second year of observations, and 137.10%, and 217.48%, respectively, in the third year. There are significant differences in seed set, natural regeneration ability and sustainability of bamboo populations between the mass flowering and sporadically flowering populations of D. membranaceus. Sporadic flowering populations failed to produce effective regeneration, while mass flowering populations were able to regenerate successfully. This study provides useful insights for conservation and natural forest management of D. membranaceus. We consider the merits of introducing other genetic provenances towards long-term maintenance of the stand features at sporadically flowering sites; meanwhile, the most economic option for mass flowering stands is to allow natural regeneration to take place through protecting such sites from further disturbance.

Functional analysis of PI-like gene in relation to flower development from bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii).

Bamboo flowering owns many unique characteristics and remains a mystery. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying flower development in bamboo, a petal-identity gene was identified as a PISTILLATA homologue named BoPI from Bambusa oldhamii (bamboo family). Expression analysis showed that BoPI was highly expressed in flower organs and gradually increased during flower development stage, suggesting that BoPI played an important role in flower development. Ectopic expression of BoPI in Arabidopsis caused conversion of sepals to petals. 35S::BoPI fully rescued the defective petal formation in the pi-1 mutant. BoPI could interact with BoAP3 protein in vitro. These results suggested that BoPI regulated flower development of bamboo in a similar way with PI. Besides flower organs, BoPI was also expressed in leaf and branch, which revealed that BoPI may involve in leaf and branch development. Similar to other MIKC-type gene, BoPI contained the Cterminal sequence but its function was controversial. Ectopic expression of the C-terminal deletion construct (BoPI- ∆C) in Arabidopsis converted sepals to petals; BoPI- ∆C interacted with BoAP3 on yeast two-hybrid assay, just like the full-length con struct. The result implied that the C-terminal sequence may not be absolutely required for organ identity function in the context of BoPI.

Identification of genes involved in spontaneous leaf color variation in Pseudosasa japonica.

Spontaneous leaf color variation in bamboo provides the opportunity to study the mechanisms of leaf color formation and the breeding of ornamental bamboos. Despite the fact that many genes are known to be involved in leaf color variation in model plants, molecular mechanisms governing natural leaf color variation in bamboo have remained obscure. This study aimed to identify the genes responsible for the occurrence of such phenomena in bamboo using the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method between green and albino leaves in Pseudosasa japonica f. A total of 1062 and 1004 differentially expressed transcripts were obtained from the forward and reverse SSH libraries, respectively. Subsequently, 59 differentially expressed unigenes with potential roles in leaf color formation, predicted via computational analysis of their functional relevance, were selected for further analysis using qPCR. Ten genes, involved in photosynthesis, plastid development, and cation signal transduction, showed 2-fold changes in expression levels between green and albino leaves. Further expression pattern analyses of these genes at three developmental stages revealed much lower expression abundance of Lhca1-encoded chlorophyll a/b binding protein in the albino leaves than in the green leaves. Our results suggest that, together with the concatenated negative pressure for subsequent photosynthetic processes, the albino phenotype is at least partly attributable to chloroplast inner membrane damage or to the impairment of photosynthetic pigment accumulation, which results from low Lhca1 expression.

Streptomyces bambusae sp. nov., Showing Antifungal and Antibacterial Activities, Isolated from Bamboo (Bambuseae) Rhizosphere Soil Using a Modified Culture Method.

Strain T110(T) was isolated from a bamboo rhizosphere soil sample in the Republic of Korea and was found to produce antibiotics and secondary metabolites against a broad range of bacterial and fungal pathogens. It is a gram-positive actinobacterium with a straight and smooth, spore chain morphology. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical characterization suggest that T110(T) belongs to the genus Streptomyces. The predominant menaquinones of strain T110(T) were MK-9 (H6), MK-9 (H8), and MK-10 (H4). The cell wall peptidoglycan contained L L-diaminopimelic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, and glycine. Ribose and glucose were detected as whole-cell hydrolysates. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylinositol. The main fatty acids were anteiso-C(15:0), anteiso-C(17:0), C(16:0), and iso-C(16:0). Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene (GenBank accession no. KM229361) combined with multiple alignment tools revealed that T110(T) shared the highest degree of similarity with Streptomyces albosporeus subsp. labilomyceticus NBRC 15387(T) (97.9%). However, DNA-DNA hybridization and phylogenetic analysis indicate that strain T110(T) is distinct from its most closely related species. Therefore, we conclude that strain T110(T) is a novel species of the genus Streptomyces and propose naming it Streptomyces bambusae. The type strain is T110(T) (=KEMB 9005-214(T) = KACC 18225(T) = NBRC 110903(T)).

First proteome study of sporadic flowering in bamboo species (Bambusa vulgaris and Dendrocalamus manipureanus) reveal the boom is associated with stress and mobile genetic elements.

Bamboo species are the fastest-growing plants having a long vegetative cycle. Abrupt switching from the vegetative phase to the reproductive phase via sporadic flowering boom, occasionally leads to death of bamboo clumps, and threatens the existence of many bamboo species. To apprehend the molecular mechanism driving sporadic flowering, proteome changes in the initial and advanced floral buds of two edible bamboo species (Bambusa vulgaris and Dendrocalamus manipureanus) was dissected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). A total of 39 differentially expressed peptide spots were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF/MS). In both B. vulgaris and D. manipureanus, identified proteins were categorized as transposon-related, defence and stress-related, cell cycle related, metabolism related, signal transduction related, and some lacked known putative domains. Proteins such as SEPALLATA3, ubiquitin, histone 3, thaumatin-like protein, putative tethering factor, SF-assemblin, polyubiquitin, mitochondrial carrier-like protein and RPT2-like protein were significantly expressed. Differences in D. manipureanus and B. vulgaris suggested that bamboo species have diverse 'drivers' or 'passengers' genes that govern natural sporadic flowering boom. This first floral proteomics analysis of bamboos revealed that sporadic boom is a highly energetic process, associated with stress elements, mobile genetic elements and signal transduction cross-talk elements.

Effects of phosphorus application on photosynthetic carbon and nitrogen metabolism, water use efficiency and growth of dwarf bamboo (Fargesia rufa) subjected to water deficit.

Dwarf bamboo (Fargesia rufa Yi), one of the staple foods for the endangered giant pandas, is highly susceptible to water deficit due to its shallow roots. In the face of climate change, maintenance and improvement in its productivity is very necessary for the management of the giant pandas' habitats. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying plant responses to water deficit are poorly known. To investigate the effects of P application on photosynthetic C and N metabolism, water use efficiency (WUE) and growth of dwarf bamboo under water deficit, a completely randomized design with two factors of two watering (well-watered and water-stressed) and two P regimes (with and without P fertilization) was arranged. P application hardly changed growth, net CO2 assimilation rate (P(n)) and WUE in well-watered plants but significantly increased relative growth rate (RGR) and P(n) in water-stressed plants. The effect of P application on RGR under water stress was mostly associated with physiological adjustments rather than with differences in biomass allocation. P application maintained the balance of C metabolism in well-watered plants, but altered the proportion of nitrogenous compounds in N metabolism. By contrast, P application remarkably increased sucrose-metabolizing enzymes activities with an obvious decrease in sucrose content in water-stressed plants, suggesting an accelerated sucrose metabolism. Activation of nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes in water-stressed plants was attenuated after P application, thus slowing nitrate reduction and ammonium assimilation. P application hardly enlarged the phenotypic plasticity of dwarf bamboo in response to water in the short term. Generally, these examined traits of dwarf bamboo displayed weak or negligible responses to water-P interaction. In conclusion, P application could accelerate P(n) and sucrose metabolism and slow N metabolism in water-stressed dwarf bamboo, and as a result improved RGR and alleviated damage from soil water deficit.

Identification and characterization of microRNAs at different flowering developmental stages in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) by high-throughput sequencing.

Researching moso bamboo flowering has been difficult because of its unknown flowering interval and the rarity of florescent samples. To identify microRNAs (miRNAs) and study their expression patterns during the flower developmental process of moso bamboo, small RNAs from non-flowering leaves and four flower developmental periods were sequenced using Illumina technology. In total, 409 known miRNAs and 492 differentially expressed novel miRNAs were identified in moso bamboo. Of the known miRNAs that were differentially expressed between non-flowering and flowering samples, 64 were predicted to have a total of 308 targets. Among the miRNAs, seven known and five novel miRNAs were selected, as were four of their target genes, and their expression profiles were validated using qRT-PCR. The results indicated that the miRNA expression levels were negatively correlated with those of their targets. The research comprehensively revealed that the differentially expressed miRNAs and their targets participated in diverse biological pathways and played significant regulatory roles in moso bamboo flowering. The data provide a significant resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms in moso bamboo flowering and senescence, and serve as the primary foundation for further studies on metabolic regulatory networks that involve miRNAs.

Ethnopedology and soil quality of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system.

It is widely recognized that farmers' hold important knowledge of folk soil classification for agricultural land for its uses, yet little has been studied for traditional agroforestry systems. This article explores the ethnopedology of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system in North East India, and establishes the relationship of soil quality index (SQI) with bamboo productivity. The study revealed four basic folk soil (mati) types: kalo (black soil), lal (red soil), pathal (stony soil) and balu (sandy soil). Of these, lal mati soil was the most predominant soil type (~ 40%) in bamboo-based agroforestry system. Soil physio-chemical parameters were studied to validate the farmers' soil hierarchal classification and also to correlate with productivity of the bamboo stand. Farmers' hierarchal folk soil classification was consistent with the laboratory scientific analysis. Culm production (i.e. measure of productivity of bamboo) was the highest (27culmsclump(-1)) in kalo mati (black soil) and the lowest (19culmsclump(-1)) in balu mati (sandy soil). Linear correlation of individual soil quality parameter with bamboo productivity explained 16 to 49% of the variability. A multiple correlation of the best fitted linear soil quality parameter (soil organic carbon or SOC, water holding capacity or WHC, total nitrogen) with productivity improved explanatory power to 53%. Development of SQI from ten relevant soil quality parameters and its correlation with bamboo productivity explained the 64% of the variation and therefore, suggest SQI as the best determinant of bamboo yield. Data presented indicate that the kalo mati (black soil) is sustainable or sustainable with high input. However, the other three folk soil types (red, stony and sandy soil) are also sustainable but for other land uses. Therefore, ethnopedological studies may move beyond routine laboratory analysis and incorporate SQI for assessing the sustainability of land uses managed by the farmers'. Additional research is required to incorporate principal component analysis for improving the SQI and site potential assessment. It is also important to evaluate the minimum data set (MDS) required for SQI and productivity assessment in agroforestry systems.

Potential role of masting by introduced bamboos in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) population irruptions holds public health consequences.

We hypothesized that the ongoing naturalization of frost/shade tolerant Asian bamboos in North America could cause environmental consequences involving introduced bamboos, native rodents and ultimately humans. More specifically, we asked whether the eventual masting by an abundant leptomorphic ("running") bamboo within Pacific Northwest coniferous forests could produce a temporary surfeit of food capable of driving a population irruption of a common native seed predator, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), a hantavirus carrier. Single-choice and cafeteria-style feeding trials were conducted for deer mice with seeds of two bamboo species (Bambusa distegia and Yushania brevipaniculata), wheat, Pinus ponderosa, and native mixed diets compared to rodent laboratory feed. Adult deer mice consumed bamboo seeds as readily as they consumed native seeds. In the cafeteria-style feeding trials, Y. brevipaniculata seeds were consumed at the same rate as native seeds but more frequently than wheat seeds or rodent laboratory feed. Females produced a median litter of 4 pups on a bamboo diet. Given the ability of deer mice to reproduce frequently whenever food is abundant, we employed our feeding trial results in a modified Rosenzweig-MacArthur consumer-resource model to project the population-level response of deer mice to a suddenly available/rapidly depleted supply of bamboo seeds. The simulations predict rodent population irruptions and declines similar to reported cycles involving Asian and South American rodents but unprecedented in deer mice. Following depletion of a mast seed supply, the incidence of Sin Nombre Virus (SNV) transmission to humans could subsequently rise with dispersal of the peridomestic deer mice into nearby human settlements seeking food.

In vitro flowering associated protein changes in Dendrocalamus hamiltonii.

In Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, conversion of vegetative meristem to a floral meristem was successfully achieved on flower induction medium. A total of 128 differentially expressed proteins were evidenced by 2DE in floral meristem protein profiles. Analysis of 103 proteins through PMF revealed change in abundance in the content of 79 proteins, disappearance and new appearance in the content of 7 and 17 proteins, respectively. MS/MS and subsequent homology search identified 65 proteins that were involved in metabolism (22 proteins), regulatory (11 proteins), signaling and transportation (12 proteins), stress (6 proteins), flowering (8 proteins), and unknown functions (6 proteins). The data suggested that change in metabolism related proteins might be providing nutrient resources for floral initiation in D. hamiltonii. Further, interactive effects of various proteins like bHLH145, B-4c transcription factors (heat stress transcription factor), maturase K, MADS box, zinc finger proteins, and scarecrow-like protein 21 (flowering related), a key enzyme of ethylene biosynthesis SAMS (S-adenosylmethionine synthase) and aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase, improved calcium signaling related proteins (CML36), and change in phytohormone related proteins such as phosphatase proteins (2c3 and 2c55), which are the positive regulators of gibberellic acid and phytochrome regulation related proteins (DASH, LWD1) might be the possible major regulators of floral transition in this bamboo.