Plant Biology

Effectors play significant roles in the success of pathogens. Recent advances in genome sequencing have revealed arrays of effectors and effector candidates from a wide range of plant pathogens. Yet, the vast majority of them remain uncharacterized. Among the ~500 Candidate Secreted Effector Proteins (CSEPs) predicted from the barley powdery mildew fungal genome, only a few have been studied and shown to have a function in virulence. Here, we provide evidence that CSEP0081 and CSEP0254 contribute to infection by the fungus. This was studied using Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS), where independent silencing of the transcripts for these CSEPs significantly reduced the fungal penetration and haustoria formation rate. Both CSEPs are likely required during and after the formation of haustoria, in which their transcripts were found to be differentially expressed, rather than in epiphytic tissue. When expressed in barley leaf epidermal cells, both CSEPs appears to move freely between th...

The production of artemisinin, the most effective antimalarial compound, is limited to Artemisia annua. Enzymes involved in artemisinin biosynthesis include amorpha-4,11-diene synthase (ADS), amorpha-4,11-diene 12-monooxygenase (CYP71AV1) and artemisinic aldehyde Á(11)13 reductase (DBR2). Although artemisinin and its specific intermediates are not detected in other Artemisia species, we reported previously that CYP71AV1 and DBR2 homologs were expressed in some non-artemisinin-producing Artemisia plants. These homologous enzymes showed similar functions to their counterparts in A. annua and can convert fed intermediates into the following products along the artemisinin biosynthesis in planta. These findings suggested a partial artemisinin-producing ability in those species. In this study, we examined genes highly homologous to ADS, the first committed gene in the pathway, in 13 Artemisia species. We detected ADS homologs in A. absinthium, A. kurramensis and A. maritima. We analyzed the enzymatic functions of all of the ADS homologs after obtaining their cDNA. We found that the ADS homolog from A. absinthium exhibited novel activity in the cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to koidzumiol, a rare natural sesquiterpenoid. Those from A. kurramensis and A. maritima showed similar, but novel, activities in the cyclization of FPP to (+)-a-bisabolol. The unique functions of the novel sesquiterpene synthases highly homologous to ADS found in this study could provide insight into the molecular basis of the exceptional artemisininproducing ability in A. annua.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

In order to improve the postharvest quality and the export ability of cut rose (Rosa hybrida L.) cvs. Happy Hour and Bordeaux, the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) as an ethylene inhibitor, was investigated. 1-MCP was used at 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 g m -3 for 18 h at 8 °C to simulate the transport of flowers. 1-MCP treatment significantly prolonged the vase life and minimized the weight loss of both cultivars compared to the control, however the response of Happy Hour cultivar was higher than the Bordeaux cultivar. 1-MCP treatment enhanced the relative water content (RWC) of flowers. The treatment of 1-MCP significantly retarded the degradation of chlorophyll and carbohydrate contents during vase life evaluation in both cultivars. The ethylene production was significantly decreased by applying 1-MCP treatment. The membrane stability index (MSI) was maintained while malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased in response to 1-MCP treatment. The best treatments in this concern were 1-MCP at 0.4 and 0.5 g m -3 for Happy Hour and Bordeaux cultivars, respectively. 1-MCP treatment was recommended to inhibit the negative effects of ethylene on rose cultivars tested.

Article history: Received 21 September 2018 Received in revised form 10 November 2018 Accepted 13 November 2018 Available online 3 December 2018 Global warming causes an increase in average temperatures on Earth. Over the past decade there has been 13 million ha / year deforestation. South America and Africa experienced the highest deforestation rates (> 3.4 million ha / year) and Asia also experienced forest loss in many places. To restore the preservation of the forest is needed plants that grow fast and able to absorb more carbon than crops. Bamboo is known as one of the fastest growing plants in the world, with growth rates ranging from 30 to 100 mm per day in its infancy. Due to the rapid accumulation of biomass and the effective fixation of solar and carbon dioxide energy, the carbon sequestration ability of bamboo tends to be second to none compared to other plants. According to estimates, a quarter of the biomass in the tropics and a fifth in the subtropical region comes ...

The encroachment of urbanization over the rural environment and deterioration of large areas of wilderness in the Middle East make many people weaned away from appreciation of wild plant food resources. The studies on wild edible fruits are deemed essential and open the possibility for its use as source of nutritional and pharmaceutical materials. Fruits of three species Arbutus pavarii , Ficus palmata and Nitraria retusa were analyzed for evaluation of their nutritive values and antioxidant capacities. The protein, carbohydrate and lipid content of the fruits may exceed or coincide the reported values of other wild and cultivated edible fruits. The energy content reached 790 kcal/ 100 g fresh weight. The mineral composition reaches high quantities of K, Ca, Mg, Na and other essential elements including P, Fe, Zn and Cu. The total antioxidant phenolic compounds content ranged from 10.31 to 16.46 mg/g with major constituents of tannins, anthocyanins and carotenoids. Vitamin C content...

This study was designed to examine the subtle effects of habitat, aspect and altitude on plant diversity and the timing of phenological stages. In this increasingly arid region, within-species differences would cause more reproductive isolation of local populations, making species more vulnerable to regional extinction. Fifty-two sites in the Jebel Marra region of the Central Darfur state of Sudan were compared in terms of species diversity and local variation in the phenology of plant communities. Five habitat types were compared: sandy plains, clay plains, wadis, north-facing slopes and southfacing slopes. Sites were classified into five altitudinal zones ranging from 750 m to > 1,150 m above sea level, and the phenology of three categories of plant life form (phanerophytes, chamaephytes and therophytes) was tracked in terms of the duration of each phenophase (vegetative, reproductive and dormant). Overall, most plants were dormant from December to April. Peak vegetative growth was in July, coinciding with peak rainfall in all study sites in the region (July-August). This was followed by peak reproduction in October. Life form and habitat type significantly affected the length of all phenological phases; altitude significantly affected all stages except the duration of dormancy. Some of the interactions between these factors were also statistically significant, indicating subtle regulation of the duration of phenophases. The possible impacts of overgrazing and ongoing climate change are discussed, with the concern that initiation of vegetative growth in most habitats (except the clay plains) appears to be triggered by day length, 'anticipating' the beginning of the rainy season. Further climate change may uncouple this signal and the beginning of the rainy season, impacting plant survival. Keywords phenology . arid savannah . life form . altitude . habitat type . Darfur . Sudan

Anastatica hierochuntica is a monocarpic desert annual whose dry skeletons, enclosing mature fruits, often persist for a number of years. The aerial seed bank in these hygrochas-tic 'resurrection plants' therefore persists too. Life tables and fecundity schedules were constructed for A. hierochuntica populations raised under four water treatments, equivalent to 100, 200, 500 and 1000 mm rainfall. Seedling survivorship showed a Deevey type III curve for 100 mm, and a type II curve for 200 mm, while 500 and 1000 mm treat-ments produced Deevey type I curves. Fewer seeds germinated and seedling survivorship was lower in the low water treatments. The stage-specific mor-tality rate reached 0.75 under the 100 mm treat-ment in the seed germination stage, compared to 0.08 under the 1000 mm treatment. Increased water availability resulted in greater plant growth and reproductive output, in terms of both number of seeds per individual and reproductive value. In field studies, aerial se...

The effect of chloride and sulfate salts of Na + , K + and Mg 2+ on seed germination of a halophytic grass Phragmites karka was studied under different dark/light conditions and a range of temperature regimes. Seeds germinated better at 20/30ºC and their germination decreased with increases in salinity. This reduction in germination could be attributed to specific ion toxicity as well as variable osmotic stress due to the composition of salts. Among cations, K + was generally most toxic followed by Mg 2+ and Na + but such generalizations could not be made in case of anions. Potassium sulfate was inhibitory than Mg 2+ salts for seed germination. A better germination recovery from salt stress was found in 10/20ºC. More seeds recovered when transferred from NaCl to distilled water at all temperature regimes. Seeds treated with magnesium sulfate showed better recovery at 10/20 ºC, while recovery in Na 2 SO 4 and MgCl 2 treated seeds was better in moderate temperatures. The salts did not...

Unlike the dispersal mechanisms of many desert plants, the whole dead skeleton of Anastatica hierochuntica is involved in seed dispersal and preservation. This process depends on the hygrochastic nature of the lignified conducting tissue that bends when dry and straightens under wet conditions. An anatomical interpretation of this mechanical movement was investigated. An anatomical study of the stem was conducted on the juvenile plants raised under different water treatments and on the branch-orders of adult A. hierochuntica size-classes. In the juvenile stem of A. hierochuntica, the area of cortex, conducting tissue and pith increased with water availability. However, the hydraulic conductance decreased, resulting in a better withdrawal of water in water-stressed plants. The anatomical investigation of the hygrochastic mechanism revealed an asymmetric distribution of the cortical tissues, with the conducting tissues of the stem of juvenile and adult plants being larger in the lower...

We investigated relationships between tree water status, vegetative growth and leaf gas exchange of peach trees growing on different rootstocks under field conditions. Tree water status was manipulated by partially covering (0, ~30 and ~60%) the tree canopies on individual days and then evaluating the effects of tree water status on vegetative growth and leaf gas exchange. Early morning stem water potentials were approximately -0.4 MPa for trees in all treatments, but mean midday values ranged from -1.1 to -1.7 MPa depending on rootstock and canopy coverage treatment. Relative shoot extension growth rate, leaf conductance, transpiration rate and net CO 2 exchange rate differed significantly among trees in the different rootstocks and canopy coverage treatments. Shoot extension growth rate, leaf conductance, leaf transpiration rate and leaf net CO 2 exchange rate were linearly correlated with midday stem water potential. These relationships were independent of the rootstock and canopy coverage treatments, indicating that tree water relations are probably directly involved in the mechanism that imparts vegetative growth control by selected peach rootstocks.

The hypothesis that carbohydrate partitioning is driven by competition among individual plant organs, based on each organ's growth potential, was used to develop a simulation model of the carbon supply and demand for reproductive and vegetative growth in peach trees. In the model, photosynthetic carbon assimilation is simulated using daily minimum and maximum temperature and solar radiation as inputs. Carbohydrate is first partitioned to maintenance respiration, then to leaves, fruits, stems and branches, then to the trunk. Root activity is supported by residual carbohydrate after aboveground growth. Verification of the model was carried out with field data from trees that were thinned at different times. In general, the model predictions corresponded to field data for fruit and vegetative growth. The model predicted that resource availability limited fruit and stem growth during two periods of fruit growth, periods that had been identified in earlier experimental studies as resource-limited growth periods. The model also predicted that there were two periods of high carbohydrate availability for root activity. The fit between model predictions and field data supports the initial hypothesis that plants function as collections of semiautonomous, interacting organs that compete for resources based on their growth potentials.

CO, exchange rates per unit dry weight, measured in the field on attached fruits of the late-maturing Cal Red peach cultivar, at 1200 nmol photons m -s ' and in dark, and photosynthetic rates, calculated by the difference between the rates of CO, evolution in light and dark, deelined over the growing season. Caleulated phetosynthetic rates per fruit increased over the season with increasing fruii dry matter, but declined in maturing fruits apparently coinciding with the loss of chlorophyll. SUght net fruit photosynthetic rates ranging from 0.087 t 0.06 to O.IK)3 ± 0.05 nmol CO: (g dry weight) ' s ' were measured in midseason under optimal temperature {15 and 20°C) and light (1200 (imol photons m -' s ') conditions. Calculated fruit photosynthetie rates per unit dry weight increased with increasing temperatures and photon flux densities during fruit development. Dark respiration rates per unit dry weight doubled within a temperature interval of 10°C; the mean seasonal Om value was 2,03 between 20 and M)°C. The highest photosynthetic rates were measured at 35°C throughout the growing season. Since dark respiration rales increased at high temperatures to a greater extent than CO, exchange rates in light, fruit photosynthesis was apparently stimulated by high internal CO, concentrations via CO, refixation. At 15°C. fniit photosynthetic rates tended lo be saturated at about 600 [.imol photons m"-s ' Young peach fruits responded to increasing ambient CO, concentrations with decreasing net CO, exchange rates in light, but more mature fruits did not respond to increases in ambient CO,, Fruit CO, exchange rates in the dark remained fairly constant, apparently uninfluenced by ambient CO, concentrations during the entire growing season. Calculated fruit photosynthetic rates clearly revealed the difference in CO, response of young and mature peach fruits. Photosynthetic rales of younger peach fruits apparently approached saturation at 370 til CO, I ', In CO,-frec air. fruit photosynthesis was dependent on CO, refixation since CO, uptake by the fruits from the external atmosphere was not possible. The difference in photosynthetic rates between fruits in CO,-free air and 370 fil CO, I' indicated that young peach fruits were apparently able to take up CO, from the external atmosphere. CO; uptake by peach fruits contributed between 28 and 16% to the fruit photosynthetic rate early in the season, whereas photosynthesis in maturing fruits was supplied entirely by CO, refixation.

Estimating the pholosynthetic contribution of developing peach {Prunus persica) fruits lo their growth and maintenance carbohydrate requirements. -Physiol. Plant. 88; , CO, exchange rales (CO, evolution) of late-maturing cv. Cai Red peaches, exposed lo different photon flux densities, were simulated from 24 days after flowering {DAF) until harvest by using light and temperature response curves measured on attached fruits in the field at biweekly intervals. The daily patterns of dark respiration rales per unil dry weight indicated their dependence on temperatures. Frui! CO, exchange rates in light were also affected hy photosynthelic photon flux densities. Dai]\ photosynthetic rales per unit dry weight and per fruil were significantlv low'er in shaded fruits receiving 7% of the full daily sunlight compared lo fruits expo.sed lo 35°/r. sunlighl. However, the difference in photosynthetic rates in peach fruits receiving 21 and 35% of total daily sunlight was small. Within the last 4 weeks before harvest, weekly carbohydrate requirements for the production of dry matter rose rapidly in cv. Cal Red peaches and were related to high carbohydrate accumulations, especially of sucrose, in the peach mesocarp. Weekly photosynthetic contribution of late-maturing cv Cal Red peaches to these carbohydrate accumulations increased up to 115 DAF. A decline in photosynthetic contributions between 115 DAF and harvest was related to decreasing photosynthetic activities in association with declining chlorophyll contenls. Photosynthesis of lale-maturing cv. Cal Red peaches provided 3-9% of the weekly fruit carbohydrate requirements early in the season and 8-15% in the midseason depending on fruit exposure to light. Photosynthesis of mature fruils contributed 3-5% of the total fruit carbohydrate requirements Since fruil photosynthetic rates approach saturation at a photosynthetic photon flux density of about 6(K1 [imol m -s '. the difference in weekly photosynthetic contributions was small hetween exposed and partially exposed (35 and 21 % suniight. respectively) peach fruits. However, a shaded fruit (7% sunlight) supplied significantly less of its weekly carbohydrate requirements through photosynthesis compared to exposed fruits. During the growing period of 24 DAF untii harvest, dry matter accumulation of latematuring cv. Cal Red peaches accounted for 78% of the total carbohydrate requirements and 22% was used in respiration. Fruit photosynthesis of shaded peach fruit, partially exposed fruil and exposed fruit (receiving 7.21 and 35% of full sunlight over the day. respectively) contdbuled 5. 8 and 9%. respectively, of the total growth and maintenance carbohydrate requirements during the growing season.

We studied the influence of branch autonomy on the growth of reproductive and vegetative organs by establishing different patterns of fruit distribution within and between large branch units (scaffolds) in mature peach trees (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. 'Elegant Lady'). Different patterns of fruit distribution were established by defruiting either whole scaffolds (uneven fruit distribution between scaffolds; US) or several selected hangers (small fruiting branches) per tree (uneven fruit distribution between hangers; UH). The effects of these patterns were compared with the effects of an even fruit distribution treatment (EVEN) in which fruits were thinned to achieve maximum uniformity of fruit distribution within the canopy. The desired fruit loads were obtained by differentially thinning the remaining bearing parts. On a tree basis, the response of mean fruit mass to fruit load was strongly affected by fruit distribution. The steepest mean fruit mass to fruit load relationship was found in US trees, whereas the relationship in UH trees was intermediate between the US and EVEN trees. On a scaffold basis, differences in fruit size between EVEN and US trees with similar fruit loads, though statistically significant, were relatively small, indicating that scaffolds were almost totally autonomous with respect to dry matter partitioning to fruit during the final stage of peach fruit growth. Hangers also appeared to exhibit significant autonomy with respect to the distribution of dry matter during the final phase of fruit growth. Branch autonomy was evident in scaffold growth: defruited scaffolds in the US treatment grew more than fruited scaffolds, and fruit distribution treatments had little impact on scaffold cross-sectional area on a tree basis. On the other hand, as observed for fruit growth, branch autonomy did not appear to be complete because the fruited scaffolds grew more in US trees than in EVEN trees under heavy cropping conditions. However, the effect of fruit distribution occurred only over short distances, and was negligible on organs located farther away from the source of heterogeneity (fruits), such as the trunk and roots.

The PEACH computer simulation model of reproductive and vegetative growth of peach trees (Grossman and DeJong 1994) was adapted to estimate seasonal nitrogen (N) dynamics in organs of mature peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. O'Henry) trees grown with high and low soil N availability. Seasonal N accumulation patterns of fruits, leaves, stems, branches, trunk and roots of mature, cropping peach trees were modeled by combining model predictions of organ dry mass accumulation from the PEACH model with measured seasonal organ N concentrations of trees that had been fertilized with either zero or 200 kg N ha -1 in April. The results provided a comparison of the N use of perennial and annual organs during the growing season for trees growing under both low and high N availability. Nitrogen fertilization increased tree N content by increasing organ dry masses and N concentrations during the fruit growing season. Dry mass of current-year vegetative growth was most affected by N fertilization. Whole-tree N content of fertilized trees was almost twice that of non-fertilized trees. Although N use was higher in fertilized trees, calculated seasonal N accumulation patterns were similar for trees in both treatments. Annual organs exhibited greater responses to N fertilization than perennial organs. Estimated mean daily N use per tree remained nearly constant from 40 days after anthesis to harvest. The calculations indicated that fertilized trees accumulated about 1 g N tree -1 day -1 , twice that accumulated by non-fertilized trees. Daily N use by the fertilized orchard was calculated to be approximately 1 kg N ha -1 , whereas it was approximately 0.5 kg N ha -1 for the non-fertilized trees. During the first 25-30 days of the growing season, all N use by growing tissues was apparently supplied by storage organs. Nitrogen release from storage organs for current growth continued until about 75 days after anthesis in both N treatments.

EST64454 is a selective sigma-1 receptor ligand intended for orally administered pain treatment that showed a promising profile in the lead optimization process. As part of the preliminary compound profiling, the potential for future drug-drug interactions was explored in vitro. Both direct and time-dependent CYP inhibition for CYP1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4 was studied in human liver microsomes. EST64454 showed a low potential for CYP inhibition (IC 50 between 100 and 1000 µM) and as time-dependent inhibitor (IC 50 shift mainly around 1). CYP induction studies with HepaRG™ cells revealed no CYP induction at concentrations ≤50 µM, as shown by the CYP1A2, 3A4 and 2B6 activities measured. Reaction phenotyping was assessed after incubation with recombinant human enzymes. Although a very low metabolism was observed, several enzymes catalyzed the formation of metabolites, including CYP3A4, 2C19 and flavin monooxygenases (FMO) 1 and 3. EST64454 was not a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate and was highly permeable in Caco-2 cells. P-gp inhibition was only observed at 200 µM, the highest concentration studied. Preliminary studies suggest that neither CYP nor P-gp interaction of EST64454 would be of any concern for further development. At later stages, the interaction kinetics and the clinical relevance of these findings will be thoroughly evaluated.

Natural pesticides derived from plants are one of the best alternative approaches for the management of nematodes, as excessive use of chemicals eradicate beneficial organisms in the soil and disturb ecological equilibrium and ultimately cause environmental degradation. Six different weed plants viz., Achyranthes aspera L., Solanum xanthocarpum Schard. & JC wendl. Amaranthus spinosus L., Ranunculus pensylvanicus L.f., Cassia tora L., Oxalis stricta L. were collected from in and around the campus of the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. The nematode eggs and juveniles were exposed at 24, 48 and 72 h in different concentrations (S, S /2, S /10, S /100, S is the standard concentration and S/2, S/10, S/100 is the dilution of Standard solution) of weeds extracts. The plant extract of weeds S. xanthocarpum and A. aspera exhibited highly promising mortality (86-100%) after 72 h exposure period respectively, while the plant extract of O. stricta and C. tora exhibited minimum promising mor...

Tropical forests occurring on white-sand soils have a unique structure and are famous for their endemism. Yet, no comprehensive floristic study has ever been undertaken in white-sand forests in the western Amazon. Here, we present the results of floristic inventories from 16 plots in seven sites from the Peruvian Amazon to investigate diversity, species composition, and endemism in white-sand forests. We compare our results to a large data set from terra firme forests from more fertile soils in the same region. We found that white-sand forest plots have extremely low average species diversity (41.5 species per 0.1-ha plot) and that white-sand plots have significantly different species composition from terra firme plots. We classify 114 species as endemic to white sand, with another 21 species that can be considered facultative specialists or cryptic endemics. These endemics and specialists are extremely dominant, accounting for more than 83% of the total number of stems surveyed in white-sand forest plots. We place our results in the context of the role of environmental heterogeneity influencing patterns of species diversity and the conservation of Amazonian forests.

The complex geological and climatic history of the Neotropics has had major implications on the diversification of plant lineages. Chrysobalanaceae is a pantropical family of trees and shrubs with 75% of its 531 species found in the Neotropics, and a time-calibrated phylogeny of this family should shed light on the tempo of diversification in the Neotropical flora. Previously published phylogenetic hypotheses of this family were poorly supported, and its biogeography remains unclear. We assembled the complete plastid genome of 51 Chrysobalanaceae species, and increased taxon sampling by Sanger-sequencing of five plastid regions for an additional 88 species. We generated a time-calibrated tree including all 139 Chrsyobalanaceae species and 23 outgroups. We then conducted an ancestral area reconstruction analysis and estimated diversification rates in the family. The tree generated with the plastid genome alignment was almost fully resolved. It supports the polyphyly of Licania and Hi...

Tropical forests occurring on white-sand soils have a unique structure and are famous for their endemism. Yet, no comprehensive floristic study has ever been undertaken in white-sand forests in the western Amazon. Here, we present the results of floristic inventories from 16 plots in seven sites from the Peruvian Amazon to investigate diversity, species composition, and endemism in white-sand forests. We compare our results to a large data set from terra firme forests from more fertile soils in the same region. We found that white-sand forest plots have extremely low average species diversity (41.5 species per 0.1-ha plot) and that white-sand plots have significantly different species composition from terra firme plots. We classify 114 species as endemic to white sand, with another 21 species that can be considered facultative specialists or cryptic endemics. These endemics and specialists are extremely dominant, accounting for more than 83% of the total number of stems surveyed in white-sand forest plots. We place our results in the context of the role of environmental heterogeneity influencing patterns of species diversity and the conservation of Amazonian forests.

Objectives: The loss of traditional knowledge and practices is currently a widely discussed topic in the academic literature. From this perspective, this study was constructed with the main goals of evaluating Fulni-ô Indians' knowledge about medicinal plants and how this knowledge is influenced by age and gender. Additionally, this study seeks to identify the sites where these resources are collected. Methods: In order to meet our intended objectives, we performed a stratified sampling of the population; 344 indigenous persons were interviewed in an open-ended format. Results: Although a total of 245 ethnospecies were mentioned overall, more than 50% of these plants were known by no more than three indigenous persons, which could indicate that such knowledge was not widely shared. Evaluating the influence of age, we identified a strong tendency for older persons to know more about medicinal plants than those in younger age groups. However, a critical analysis of the informants' age groups demonstrated that significant differences were present only among some of these groups. The oldest group of indigenous people (>75 years) had inferior knowledge about medicinal plants and the diversity of the ethnospecies they cited was similar to the younger age groups. In relation to gender, men cited a total of 196 different ethnospecies and 82 of these species were exclusive to their group. Also, men have their specific ethnospecies not mentioned by women. Women cited 165 species and 51 were exclusive to their group. This indicates that although women generally held less knowledge of ethnospecies than the men, they did discuss a set of ethnospecies that were not mentioned by men. However, men on average cited more ethnospecies than women and this data support the existence of differences between the sexes. Conclusions: Despite the lack of substantial variation in the number of ethnospecies cited by men and women on the individual level, the differences between the sexes as groups were significant. Diverse collection sources were used to attend to the therapeutic needs of the Fulni-ô Indians. Among the most important collection sites, anthropogenic areas were the primary collection sites for women, followed by the Ouricuri Forest, which was the main collection site for male indigenous persons.

In order to improve the methodology for growing and maintaining corals in captivity, a consortium of European zoos, aquaria and academia executed a four-year public/private collaborative research and innovation project (CORALZOO) on the breeding and husbandry of stony corals. CORALZOO comprised the following topics: (1) sexual and asexual breeding of corals in captivity, including techniques for propagation, feeding and induction of natural coral colony morphogenesis; and (2) coral husbandry: development of generic bioassays to evaluate biotic and abiotic husbandry parameters and to monitor coral health, elaboration of methods for identification and treatment of coral diseases and optimization of transport and acclimation procedures. The results of this project are reviewed.

Five new flavones possessing a fully substituted A-ring with C-6 and C-8 methyl groups, bougainvinones I – M (1–5), along with three known congeners, 2′-hydroxydemethoxymatteucinol (6), 5,7,3′,4′-tetrahydroxy-3-methoxy-6,8-dimethylflavone (7) and 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3-methoxy-6,8-dimethylflavone (8), were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the stem bark of Bougainvillea spectabilis. Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic data (ultraviolet, infrared, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance) and single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. The in vitro cytotoxicity of all isolated compounds against five cancer cell lines (KB, HeLa S-3, MCF-7, HT-29, and HepG2) was evaluated. Compound 5 showed promising cytotoxic activity against the KB and HeLa S-3 cell lines, with IC50 values of 7.44 and 6.68 µM. The other compounds exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against the KB cell line.

New hyphomycetes are described in association with leaves of native plants of the family Vochysiaceae, as part of studies of cerrado fungi. Six new species are described belonging to genera Alternaria (A. qualeae sp. nov.), Janetia (J. salvertiae sp. nov.), Passalora (P. qualeae sp. nov.) and Periconiella (P. longispora sp. nov., P. qualeae-grandiflorae sp. nov. and P. campo-grandensis sp. nov.). A key to the species of Periconiella on Qualea is provided.

While many plant species are considered threatened under anthropogenic pressure, it remains uncertain how rapidly we are losing plant species diversity. To fill this gap, we propose a Global Legume Diversity Assessment (GLDA) as the first step of a global plant diversity assessment. Here we describe the concept of GLDA and its feasibility by reviewing relevant approaches and data availability. We conclude that Fabaceae is a good proxy for overall angiosperm diversity in many habitats and that much relevant data for GLDA are available. As indicators of states, we propose comparison of species richness with phylogenetic and functional diversity to obtain an integrated picture of diversity. As indicators of trends, species loss rate and extinction risks should be assessed. Specimen records and plot data provide key resources for assessing legume diversity at a global scale, and distribution modeling based on these records provide key methods for assessing states and trends of legume diversity. GLDA has started in Asia, and we call for a truly global legume diversity assessment by wider geographic collaborations among various scientists.

In this study 20% ethanol, acetone and water extract of different part root, stem, leaf and fruit of Solanum nigrum were used to identify Antioxidant activity the highest observed in leaves of acetone extract and the highest phenolic content were analyzed from water extract of Solanum nigrum. Some biomolecules total sugar, reducing sugar and total protein were identify from different extracts of different parts of Solanum nigrum and also used against harmful pathogenic fungal species, the high influence of antifungal activity was measured 19.67mm by the water extract of fruit of Solanum nigrum to Trichophyton tonsurans (fungal specie) inhibition zones were noted when different parts of water, acetone and ethanol extract of Solanum nigrum were used respectively.

Rising temperatures and increasing water scarcity, which are already important issues, are expected to intensify in the near future due to global warming. Optimizing irrigation in agriculture is a challenge. Understanding the response of crop development stages to water deficit stress provides an opportunity for optimizing irrigation. Here we studied the response of two barley varieties (Rihane, Martin), to water deficit stress at three development stages (tillering, stem elongation, and heading) by measuring water status and grain yield components in a field experiment in Tunisia. The three stages were selected due to their importance in crop growth and grain development. Water deficit stress was initiated by withholding water for 21 days at the three stages with subsequent re-watering. Water deficit led to a progressive decrease in leaf water potential. In both varieties, heading was the stage most sensitive to water deficit. Leaf water potential measurements indicated that water ...

RESUMO -A semeadura in vitro e a formação de bancos de sementes contribuem para a conservação da variabilidade genética das orquídeas. Objetivou-se avaliar o tempo de armazenamento e as concentrações de ágar na germinação in vitro de Brassavola tuberculata Hook. Foram utilizadas sementes dessecadas por 14 dias e armazenadas por 0, 30, 60 e 90 dias a 4±2 ºC. O meio de cultivo MS ½ foi utilizado, suplementado com ágar (0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7 ou 8 g L -1 ). Aos 30 dias após a semeadura foi avaliada a porcentagem de germinação, sendo os dados submetidos a análise de variância. As sementes de B. tuberculata germinaram em todas as concentrações de ágar e períodos de armazenamentos avaliados, apresentando germinação média acima de 70%. A porcentagem de germinação diminui com o aumento do período de armazenamento e das concentrações de ágar. Assim, recomenda-se para a semeadura in vitro dessa espécie, sementes armazenadas por até 30 dias, independente da concentração de ágar utilizada no meio de cultura. Palavras-chave: agente geleificante, conservação de espécies, orquídeas nativas. ABSTRACT -Seed storage and agar concentrations on Brassavola tuberculata Hook. (Orchidaceae) in vitro culture. In vitro sowing and seed banks contributes to the conservation of the genetic variability of the orchids. Aimed to evaluate the storage time and agar concentrations on the in vitro germination of Brassavola tuberculata Hook. Seed samples were dried for 14 days and stored for 0, 30, 60 and 90 days under 4±2 ºC. The culture medium was ½ MS, supplemented with agar (0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7 or 8 g L -1 ). At 30 days after sowing the germination percentage was evaluated and the data were submitted for analysis of variance. The B. tuberculata seeds germinated at all concentrations of agar and storage periods evaluated, presenting average germination above 70%. Germination percentage decreases with increasing storage period and agar concentrations. Thus, for in vitro sowing of this species, seeds stored for up to 30 days are recommended, regardless of the agar concentration used in the culture medium.

The objectives of this study were to determine the optimal light conditions, agar concentration, and quantity of activated charcoal in asymbiotic media to improve the in vitro seed germination rate and early seedling development of the epiphytic orchids Dendrobium nobile Lindl. and Dendrobium phalaenopsis Fitzg. Two independent experiments with complete randomized designs were conducted. (1) Treatments were arranged in a split-plot scheme. Seeds in each sub-plot were exposed to one of four light conditions (dark, white fluorescent, red fluorescent + white fluorescent, or red fluorescent) and grown in one of four types of culture media (MS: Murashige and Skoog, ½ MS: half strength MS, K: Knudson C, and VW: Vacin and Went media). (2) Treatments were arranged in a 4 × 5 × 5 factorial scheme (four types of culture media: MS, ½ MS, K, and VW; five concentrations of agar: 0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, or 8 g L−1; and five concentrations of activated charcoal: 0.0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, or 6.0 g L−1). The ...

The Bie-method, developed by F. OUo for the investigation and classification oflight-weight structures in an:hitecture and then also applied to constructions In natu re , can be used for mechanical analysis of plants. II allows statcments on tension and pressure stability of plant stems and a di rect comparison of stems with different anatomy. The multiplication of the Bic-value by an energy value (cons truction cost or energy content of the plant organ) result! in a dimensionless constructive expenditure value, which is comparable to the value of the construction economy in architecture. TIus value may then be related to the avel"llge hfespan of the plant organ. Siems of Ephedra /oeminea, Pachysandra luminoUs, and TaxUJ buccala as well a:;; flower stalks of Cyclamen ~rslcum and Taraxacum officina/c are investigated to $how the apphcability of the method . The lowest Bic-values (highest mechanical stabihty) are found for thc lignified stems of Ephedra and TaXUJ. The constructive expenditure v<ll ues are hiijl,er in he, bllceQus Ihlln in wOQ<\,. ..... Q, in relt.tiuu 10 the <lv",.,.ge lire ~.,..n lhe k"'ij-l,ving lil!. nifioo IL50SUO show by far the lowest values. The very high val ues of th e flowe r-stalks are altributed to the Fact tha t short-lived organs also need a minimum expenditure of materials and energy for thei r construction. Key ,",ollis: Stem, Bic•value, construction cost, energy expenditure va lue, stress-s tra in graph, Cyc/am~n fNrlicum , Ephl!dra/~min~a, Pachylandra I~rmmalu. Taru.!C(JClIm officinall! (dandelion), TtlXUl ooccala (yew), flowe r stalk .

The'discovery'at MEL of some of the earliest extant herbarium specimens known from Brazil is detailed. The history and significance of 325 specimens collected by M.A.P. zu Wied in 1815-1817 is outlined and used to illustrate the value and relevance of the largely uncurated Sonder herbarium and wider foreign collection at MEL.

Two new species of Cryptocarya R. Br., C. panamensis P. L. R. Moraes & van der Werff, from van der Werff, from Napo, Ecuador, are described and illustrated. Additionally, the occurrence of C. guianensis Meisn. in Ecuador is here reported for the first Cryptocarya R. Br. is one of the larger pantropical genera of the Lauraceae, present in South America,

Premise of research. The pantropical magnoliid family Lauraceae has an extensive macrofossil record that dates back to the Early Cretaceous. However, flower anatomy among extant species is relatively poorly known. We investigate flower structure and development in six Neotropical genera to elucidate the homologies of the floral parts, especially the prominent appendages that occur on the filaments of the inner fertile stamen whorl in some species. Methodology. We used SEM and LM to examine flower organization and development in 11 species of six genera (Aniba, Cryptocarya, Endlicheria, Licaria, Nectandra, Ocotea) and flower vasculature in two species (Cryptocarya moschata and Ocotea prolifera). Pivotal results. All the flowers examined are typical of Lauraceae: they are very small and possess two whorls of tepals that are similarly vascularized, with three bundles each (resembling bracteopetals), multiple androecium whorls, and a single carpel. Variation exists in some characters, especially in the androecium. A fourth (innermost) androecial whorl is present as staminodia in some species. The prominent stamen appendages are highly vascularized. Conclusions. The presence of three vascular bundles supplying both outer and inner tepals supports their potential homology as bracteotepals. Floral vasculature also indicates that the staminodia of the fourth androecial whorl are derived from stamens. A potential homology between the stamens and appendages remains debatable, because existing evidence is contradictory.

Working with live jelly sh: a challenge during the last eight years JBS-12 / Oral Presentation_09 Jelly sh are fragile and poorly understood but amazing marine animals. Trying to create adequate technics to keep them alive and in good conditions in aquaria represents a great challenge. Moreover the interest for culture these animals has been signi cantly increasing in the last decades. Growing techniques with a scienti c purpose are improving and in continuous evolution but private enterprises, as exhibition aquariums, have demonstrated an interest in maintaining jelly sh in tanks. Since 2007, the "Medusa" group of Barcelona dedicates a large part of his research to study some species of interest in captivity. Different aquaria and experimental setups have been developed in order to conduct experiments and to better understand their life cycles. Due to the location of the Marine Science Institute (Barcelona, next to the beach with direct access to the sea water) and also to the ability to build and to modify every part of the aquariums manually, we can integrate the knowledge learned during the years to adapt them depending on the needs of the animal´s biology or the experiment. This has allowed us to developed collaboration projects with research institutions and private companies. In this presentation we would like to share some of the challenges were faced and how we solved in order to stimulate future collaborations.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Background and Objective: The status of the rhizosphere scheme changes on the basis of variables such as age of the plant, root area, temperature and others. Hence, this study is initiated to evaluate the effects of plant developmental age on antifungal activities of rhizospheric fluorescent Pseudomonas. Materials and Methods: The soil samples were collected from 0-20, 0-40 and 0-60 cm depth from cambisol soil, mixed thoroughly and filled in a pot. Then crops were planted in pot and sampling from the planted root area was taken 9 times at different developmental stages (every 15 days interval) and density and antifungal activity of fluorescent Pseudomonas were examined. Results: Out of these plant developmental stages, the highest density (using standard plate count method) and strongest antifungal activity of fluorescent Pseudomonas (by measuring growth inhibition zone on nutrient agar plate for the 72 h incubation at 37EC) were observed for both samples from Vicia faba L. and Zea mays L. When the age of the crops was 91 days after being planted in a pot, both crops were not flowered entirely but almost were ready. The density and antifungal activity were best recorded for Vicia faba L. for the soil sample 0-60 cm depth. In case of control pots (without planting), less (no) antifungal activity was seen while the density of the bacterium was declined until 76 days and after 76 days density remained same. Conclusion: This finding highlighted that considering the plant developmental stage during sampling is relevant in the process of isolating and identifying potential bacterial bio-control agents.

Bringing together the study of molecular, microbial and marine ecology under a Systems Biology perspective, in order to investigate the complex multiscale interactions between the microbial compartment and the marine food web. More importantly, we aim to optimize multiple indicators of environmental health by controlling and tuning the bioremediation pathways of microorganisms with the help of tools from Synthetic Biology. We report that the application of methods from Computational Systems Biology in the study of the multiscale effects of contaminant bioremediationon the marine food web looks promising. The characteristics of the Northern and Central Adriatic ecosystem in terms of b i o m a s s f l o w s a n d t r o p h o d i n a m i c indicators, have been reconstructed from data collected in [4], by using the Ecopath model based on trophic mass-balance analysis. Figure shows the biomass flow network of our case of study.

During low light-(LL) induced state transitions in dark-adapted rice (Oryza sativa) leaves, light-harvesting complex (LHC) II become phosphorylated and associate with PSI complexes to form LHCII-PSI-LHCI supercomplexes. When the leaves are subsequently transferred to high light (HL) conditions, phosphorylated LHCII complexes are no longer phosphorylated. Under the HL-induced transition in LHC phosphorylation status, we observed a new green band in the stacking gel of native green-PAGE, which was determined to be LHCII aggregates by immunoblotting and 77K chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. Knockout mutants of protein phosphatase 1 (PPH1) which dephosphorylates LHCII failed to form these LHCII aggregates. In addition, the ability to develop non-photochemical quenching in the PPH1 mutant under HL was less than for wild-type plants. As determined by immunoblotting analysis, LHCII proteins present in LHCII-PSI-LHCI supercomplexes included the Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 proteins. In this study, we provide evidence suggesting that LHCII in the LHCII-PSI-LHCI supercomplexes are dephosphorylated and subsequently form aggregates to dissipate excess light energy under HL conditions. We propose that this LHCII aggregation, involving LHCII L-trimers, is a newly observed photoprotective light-quenching process operating in the early stage of acclimation to HL in rice plants.

During low light- (LL) induced state transitions in dark-adapted rice (Oryza sativa) leaves, light-harvesting complex (LHC) II become phosphorylated and associate with PSI complexes to form LHCII–PSI–LHCI supercomplexes. When the leaves are subsequently transferred to high light (HL) conditions, phosphorylated LHCII complexes are no longer phosphorylated. Under the HL-induced transition in LHC phosphorylation status, we observed a new green band in the stacking gel of native green–PAGE, which was determined to be LHCII aggregates by immunoblotting and 77K chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. Knockout mutants of protein phosphatase 1 (PPH1) which dephosphorylates LHCII failed to form these LHCII aggregates. In addition, the ability to develop non-photochemical quenching in the PPH1 mutant under HL was less than for wild-type plants. As determined by immunoblotting analysis, LHCII proteins present in LHCII–PSI–LHCI supercomplexes included the Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 proteins. In this study, we ...

Reversible phosphorylation of thylakoid light harvesting proteins is a mechanism to compensate for unbalanced excitation of PSI vs PSII under limiting light. In monocots, an additional phosphorylation event on the PSII antenna CP29 occurs upon exposure to excess light, enhancing resistance to light stress. Different from the case of the major LHCII antenna complex, the STN7 kinase and its related PPH1 phosphatase were proven not to be involved in CP29 phosphorylation, indicating that a different set of enzymes act in the high-light response. Here, we analyze a rice stn8 mutant in which both PSII core proteins and CP29 phosphorylation are suppressed in high light, implying that STN8 is the kinase catalyzing this reaction. In order to identify the phosphatase involved, we produced a recombinant enzyme encoded by the rice ortholog of AtPBCP, antagonist of AtSTN8, which catalyzes the dephosphorylation of PSII core proteins. The recombinant protein was active in dephosphorylating P-CP29....

PsbS is a 22-kDa Photosystem (PS) II protein involved in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) has two PsbS genes, PsbS1 and PsbS2. However, only inactivation of PsbS1, through a knockout (PsbS1-KO) or in RNAi transgenic plants, results in plants deficient in qE, the energy-dependent component of NPQ. In studies presented here, under fluctuating high light, growth of young seedlings lacking PsbS is retarded, and PSII in detached leaves of the mutants is more sensitive to photoinhibitory illumination compared with the wild type. Using both histochemical and fluorescent probes, we determined the levels of reactive oxygen species, including singlet oxygen, superoxide, and hydrogen peroxide, in leaves and thylakoids. The PsbS-deficient plants generated more superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in their chloroplasts. PSII complexes isolated from them produced more superoxide compared with the wild type, and PSII-driven superoxide production was...