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Preliminary biochemical studies on a model growing of different tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivars
83-87.Views:151The aim of our preliminary studies was to characterize the change in the activity of enzymes PPO and PDX, the concentration of total soluble phenolic compounds and soluble protein content of different tobacco cultivars measured in tobacco plants during cultivation. The results suggest that a shorter cultivation period (13-14 weeks) is more favourable for tobacco plants as protein source than for tobacco industrial use (16-17 weeks). We found some correlation between the concentration of total soluble phenolic compounds and PPO activity data. In the increasing and maximum period of total phenol content the PPO activity was high. But later because of decrease of substrate phenol content the activity of PPO also decreased. We found higher soluble protein concentrations in Virginia than in Burley varieties.
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Identification of ripening-related genes in strawberry fruit by cDNA-AFLP
33-41.Views:165An RNA fingerprinting study of strawberry receptacle and achene tissue was performed to identify candidate genes involved in fruit ripening. Quantitative cDNA-AFLP was used to detect differential gene expression in green, white, pink and red stages of fruit ripening. Based on hierarchical average linkage clustering the differentially expressed genes formed three major groups, genes expressed only in green receptacle, genes expressed mainly in white, pink and red receptacle, and in achene. 130 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) were isolated and sequenced. Most TDFs did not show any homology to sequences with known functions, others were homologous to genes involved in oxidative stress response, signal transduction, regulation of development and cell-wall metabolism. Novel genes, so far not associated with strawberry ripening and ripening in general, were identified, such as genes encoding a bHLH protein, putative nitrilase-related protein, putative HD-zip protein. The differential pattern of gene expression draws the attention to the significance of ripening induced-or repressed promoters in strawberry fruit, whose isolation and characterization can be useful tool for functional genomics. For this purpose nine cDNA-AFLP fragments related either to ontogeny or senescing were completed with 5'UTR aiming at more precise annotation and future promoter isolation. Although tens of potentially important transcriptome changes were identified, the function of many ripening induced genes remain unknown.
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Transformation of tobacco plants with virEl gene derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens pTiA6 and its effect on crown gall tumor formation
53-56.Views:158The VirEl protein plays a key role in the transport of VirE2 protein from the bacterium to the plant cell during crown gall tumor induction by Agrobacterium. The virEl gene of A. tutnefaciens pTiA6 was cloned into the plant transformation vector pTd33 yielding pTd93virEl that was introduced into A. tuniefaciens EHA101 and used for tobacco transformation. The presence of the foreign DNA in the putative transgenic plants was confirmed by PCR analysis. Nine of the 41 transformed plants formed only small tumors following infection with the wild-type A. vitis octopine strain AB3. This property was inherited into the T1 generation. The expression of virEl gene in TI plants was demonstrated by Northern blot analysis.
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Study of genetic resources for Powdery mildew resistance by biochemical and physiological parameters on peaches and nectarines in Romania
57-61.Views:144During 1997-2002, studies on the physiological and biochemical changes due to powdery mildew attack in peach and nectarine cultivars and hybrids belonging to different classes of resistance had been performed at the Research Station for Fruit Tree Growing (RSFTG) Baneasa Bucharest, located in the southern part of Romania. The study was based on disease assessments in the field and on other diagnosis criteria.
The southern part of Romania has favourable ecological conditions for growing peach and nectarine but trees have been attacked by various pathogens such as Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr.: Fr.) Lev. var. persicae Woronichin fungus for a long time. The presence of the pathogen causes important changes in the quantity and quality of fruits and affects the metabolism of trees.
This study was focused on several physiological and biochemical parameters such as photosynthesis and respiration intensity along with catalase activity; and changes in some biochemical compounds such as free, total and linked water content, dry matter, nitrogen and protein content, tannin levels. The aim was to find possible correlation among the above parameters and the biotic stress induced by the powdery mildew fungus calculated as attack degree (AD%).
Results showed that photosynthesis diminished significantly in the case of the attacked phenotypes, the respiration was more intense in the infected cultivars and catalase proved to be less intense in the affected plants. The total water content significantly increased in contrast to the dry matter and tannin contents, which greatly reduced in the case of resistant cultivars such as 'Victoria', Vectared 7', 'KB 11-40'. The total nitrogen and protein levels showed less influence on resistance to powdery mildew on all cultivars. All genetic material found resistant to powdery mildew is currently used in peach and nectarine breeding programs in Romania.
Further studies focused on isolation and characterization of resistance genes for powdery mildew resistance will be done in the future based on data collected during several years.
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Possibility of modernization of Ganoderma lucidum strains substrate
55-57.Views:124Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom), the object of our experiments, is also known to contain medicinal compounds. This fungus has been used for many centuries as medicine in China. The fruiting body of the fungus contains carbohydrates, amino acids, little protein, fat, alkaloids, vitamins and minerals. Two groups of its substances are reported to be effective particularly. One of them is constituted by the polysaccharides, whose antitumor and immunostimulating effects are well demonstrated, and the other is constituted by the triterpenes. The latter include ganoderic acids, ganolucidic acids and lucideric acids. These acids have been reported to suppress liver hyperactivity (Lelley 1999). The experiment was carried out with 8 Reishi mushroom strains in 3 repetitions. Experiments were performed on 3 different substrates The spawn run period took approximately 2 weeks, the first fruiting bodies appeared on the 33rd day from inoculation, but the formation of the fruiting bodies took almost 70 days on the different substrates. Spawn run presented a diversified picture as influenced by the specific substrates. No spawn run was seen with any of the strains on the substrate composed of 100% wheat straw. Among the strains the fastest spawn run was produced by GA02 and GA06. The earliest start of spawn run was registered for substrate 1 after 1 week.
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Agromorphological and nutritional quality profiles of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) as influenced by cultivar, growing medium and soil amendment source
53-59.Views:136Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) is popular as food and feed around the world. Sixteen treatments were developed from factorial combinations of three factors: cultivar (ugu elu and ugu ala), growing medium (garden soil (GS) and white sand (WS)), and soil amendment source (poultry manure, NPK, supergro and no amendment). A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the agromorphological and nutritional traits of fluted pumpkin obtained from the treatments. Fresh leaves were analyzed for crude protein, crude fibre, crude lipid, total ash, phytate and nitrate concentrations. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and principal component analysis. Mean plots were used to explain the effects of the three factors and profiling was done using the GYT biplot. There were significant (p≤0.05/0.01) mean squares for measured traits, suggesting the possibility of selection among the treatments. Plants in GS consistently out-performed those in WS for shoot weight, leaf length, and number of leaves per plant possibly due to greater availability of nutrients in the GS. Inconsistent patterns observed in the proximate concentrations of pumpkin from the 16 treatments showed the role of interaction among the three factors. Principal component analysis identified some traits as contributors to differences among the treatments which can be basis of selection. Treatments 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 might be useful to improve vegetative yield while 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 could improve nutritional values of the fluted pumpkin.
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Genotyping Hungarian apricot cultivars for self-(in)compatibility by isoelectric focusing and PCR analysis
69-72.Views:171Self-incompatibility (SI) in flowering plants is a widespread genetic system that promotes out-crossing. In Prunus species the SI is a gametophytic trait, which is controlled by a single multiallelic locus, termed S-locus. S-alleles codify stylar glycoproteins with ribonuclease activity (S-RNases). Our objective was to assess the S-genotype of some Hungarian apricot varieties by isoelectric focusing of stylar RNases as well as by PCR analysis using cherry consensus primers. Consensus primers amplified one or two bands of various sizes. Primers amplifying the 1st intron gained fragments the size of which ranged from 250 to 500 bp; while those amplifying the 2nd intron resulted in fragments of 800-2000 by length. Our data demonstrated that the first intron of the apricot S-RNase gene is shorter than the second one, which coincides with the structure of cherry S-RNase alleles. `Hargrand' (S1S2) and `Harcoe (S1S4) possessed one common S-RNase isoenzyme. Hungarian 'Orias' apricot cultivars showed different bands compared to the previous cultivars, but they shared completely identical patterns confirming that they possess the same S-genotype. 'Bergeron', `Harmat' and 'Korai zamatos' are characterised by an evidently distinct S-RNase pattern. The self-compatible cultivar (`Bergeron') had one allele, which suggests its correspondence to the Sc. Primers for the 2nd intron was unsuccessful in gaining fragments, which indicates that the 2nd intron in the Sc allele is too long to get any amplification. On the basis of our data, identities and differences were revealed in the S-allele constitution of some economically important Hungarian apricot cultivars at protein and DNA levels.
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Self-incompatibility alleles in Esatern European and Asian almond (Prunus dulcis) genotypes: a preliminary study
23-26.Views:210Almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb.] as one of the oldest domesticated plants is thought to have originated in central Asia. Gametophytic self-incompatibility of almond is controlled by the highly polymorphic S-locus. The S-locus encodes for an S-ribonuclease (S-RNase) protein in the pistils, which degrades RNA in self-pollen tubes and hence stops their growing. This study was carried out to detect S-RNase allelic variants in Hungarian and Eastern European almond cultivars and Turkish wild growing seedlings, and characterize their S-allele pool. Five new alleles were identifi ed, S31H, S36-S39 in Eastern European local cultivars. The village Bademli and Akdamar island are two distinct places of almond natural occurrence in Turkey. Trees growing wild around Bademli city showed greater genetic diversity than those originated on Akdamar island. Many of the previously described 45 S-RNase alleles have been also detected in these regions. Homology searches revealed that Turkish almonds carried some P. webbii alleles indicating hybridization between the two cultivars and massive introgression events. Our results supply long-awaited information on almond S-allele diversity from regions between the main cultivation centres and the centre of origin of this species; and are discussed from the aspect of methodological developments and evolution of the cultivated almond.
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Apple allergens as affected by cultivation technolog and variental factors
91-93.Views:399Our objective was to study the effect of organic farming and area of cultivation on the allergen content of apple varieties by quantification of the major allergens (Mal d 1 and Mal d 2) using allergen-specific ELISA. The obtained results showed that except Idared IX. 29. most of examined varieties, when cultivated under organic farming conditions, contained lower level of Mal d1 allergen than those produced with integrated farming. The different varieties were found to vary substantially in theirMal d 1 allergen content. Furthermore, with some varieties the area of cultivation affected to some extent the content of Mal d 1 allergen.
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Stimulating effect of distilled water
47-49.Views:153It is an early observation that plants in poor soil are developing roots quicker and more abundantly than on rich one. There is a similar correlation between the nutrient status of medium and adventitious root formation.
In order to throw more light on the background of this strange phenomenon we started a systematic experimental program in which the biological effects of distilled water as model factor was investigated.
The experiments proved that the root formation of Pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cuttings with 3 cm long hypocotyls was promoted by distilled water.
The phenomenon above accompanied with slower decline and faster recovery of total and also water-soluble protein content, more intensive efflux of amino acids, greater amount of tryptophane and increased uptake of water compared to those in control hypocotyls. From other data obtained we may suspect that some additional active substance unknown for us also contributes to the stimulation of root initiation in distilled water.
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Ultrastructural and biochemical aspects of normal and hyperhydric eucalypt
61-69.Views:251Hyperhydricity was observed throughout in vitro multiplication phase of a Eucalyptus grandis clone. Ultrastructural approach of tissue and cell differentiation, izoenzyme patterns, binding protein (BiP) expression, and pigment content were performed. Hyperhydric tissues showed a reduction in cell wall deposition, reduction of membranous organelles, higher cell vacuolation, and more intercellular spaces than its normal counterpart. Additionally, several vesicles were present in hyperhydric cells suggesting the occurrence of organelle autophagy by autophagic vacuole. Lower pigment content, intercellular spaces on the epidermis and the induction of a molecular chaperone (BiP) were observed in hyperhydric phenotype. Evidences of schizolysigenous process of intercellular space formation are compatible with a stress condition. Although plastoglobulli were observed in normal and hyperhydric chloroplasts, they were more evident in the normal ones. Abnormal stomata also reflected a disruptive situation and morphogenesis disturbances which would difficult plant acclimatization. Further observation of the epidermis ultrastructure allows us to conclude that the presence of intercellular spaces on its surface may be constraining the recovery and development of hyperhydric plants. Similarly to BiP, other proteins such as esterase (EST), acid phosphatase (ACP), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and peroxidase (PDX) are possible to be used as stress markers in in vitro conditions. Our results confirm earlier findings about negative effects of hyperhydricity on in vitro plant morphogenesis and ultrastructure, which in eucalypt is associated with a stressful condition contributing to lower propagation ratios.