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Ophiobolin A is sesterterpenoid-type phytotoxin and may be an important candidate for development of new crop protection and pharmaceutical products. The restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) method was used to introduce the plasmid pSH75 into the ophiobolin A-producing filamentous fungus Bipolaris eleusines. A total of 323 stable transformants were obtained, all of which were capable of growing on potato-dextrose agar medium containing 200 μg mL(-1) hygromycin B. The transformation frequency was about 4-5 transformants μg(-1) plasmid DNA. An ophibolin A-deficient transformant (B014) was assessed and the presence of the hph gene in this transformant was confirmed by PCR. The cell-free cultural filtrates of this transformant showed significantly less inhibition on mycelial growth of the fungal pathogen Rhizoctoni solani but little effect on barnyard grass as opposed to that of the wild-type B. eleusines. There was no detectable amount of ophiobolin A in B014 samples measured with HPLC. This research suggests REMI as a potential approach for improving the production of ophiobolin A by B. eleusines via genetic engineering to upregulate certain genes responsible for desired biosynthetic pathways.

s: A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the influence of the environmental factors such as low-temperature, drought stress, salt-alkali and flooding on the survival rate, propagation rate, fresh biomass and viability of the Alternanthera philoxeroides and its competitive ability against rice by using bioassay method. A high viability of 84% was found when the stems were treated at 4℃ and then grew under normal conditions, while no viable plant was noted when the stems were treated at -20℃ and grew under normal conditions. Compared to the fresh stem with water content of 93.5%, the survival rate, number of propagated stems and fresh biomass of A. philoxeroides derived from the stems with water content of 30.2% were reduced by 45%, 33% and 74% respectively. The treatments of 0.1% salt-alkaline solution led to loss of viability of A. philoxeroides. The stems of A. philoxeroides could grow in wet soil with different depths of water-layer. The A. philoxeroides at density of 23-180 plants/m 2 reduced the rice grain yield by 43-50% at the rice plant density of 100 plants/m 2 .