The barley MATE gene,HvAACT1, increases citrate efflux and Al3+ tolerance when expressed in wheat and barley

Background and Aims

Aluminium is toxic in acid soils because the soluble Al³⁺ inhibits root growth. A mechanism of Al³⁺ tolerance discovered in many plant species involves the release of organic anions from root apices. The Al³⁺-activated release of citrate from the root apices of Al³⁺-tolerant genotypes of barley is controlled by a MATE gene named HvAACT1 that encodes a citrate transport protein located on the plasma membrane. The aim of this study was to investigate whether expressing HvAACT1 with a constitutive promoter in barley and wheat can increase citrate efflux and Al³⁺ tolerance of these important cereal species.

Methods HvAACT1

was over-expressed in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) using the maize ubiquitin promoter. Root apices of transgenic and control lines were analysed for HvAACT1 expression and organic acid efflux. The Al³⁺ tolerance of transgenic and control lines was assessed in both hydroponic solution and acid soil.

Key Results and Conclusions

Increased HvAACT1 expression in both cereal species was associated with increased citrate efflux from root apices and enhanced Al³⁺ tolerance, thus demonstrating that biotechnology can complement traditional breeding practices to increase the Al³⁺ tolerance of important crop plants.     

Expression of antimicrobial peptides thanatin(S) in transgenic Arabidopsis enhanced resistance to phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria

Thanatin(S) is an analog of thanatin, an insect antimicrobial peptide possessing strong and broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. In order to investigate if the thanatin could be used in engineering transgenic plants for increased resistance against phytopathogens, the synthetic thanatin(S) was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana plants. To increase the expression level of thanatin(S) in plants, the coding sequence was optimized by plant-preference codon. To avoid cellular protease degradation, signal peptide of rice Cht1 was fused to N terminal of thanatin(S) for secreting the expressed thanatin(S) into intercellular spaces. To evaluate the application value of thanatin(S) in plant disease control, the synthesized coding sequence of Cht1 signal peptide (Cht1SP)-thanatin(S) was ligated to plant gateway destination binary vectors pGWB11 (with FLAG tag). Meanwhile, in order to observe the subcellular localization of Cht1SP-thanatin(S)-GFP and thanatin(S)-GFP, the sequences of Cht1SP-thanatin(S) and thanatin(S) were respectively linked to pGWB5 (with GFP tag). The constructs were transformed into Arabidopsis ecotype Col-0 and mutant pad4-1 via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transformants with Cht1SP-thanatin(S)-FLAG fusion gene were analyzed by genomic PCR, real-time PCR, and western blots and the transgenic Arabidopsis plants introduced respectively Cht1SP-thanatin(S)-GFP and thanatin(S)-GFP were observed by confocal microscopy. Transgenic plants expressing Cht1SP-thanatin(S)-FLAG fusion protein showed antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea and powdery mildew, as well as antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. And the results from confocal observation showed that the GFP signal from Cht1SP-thanatin(S)-GFP transgenic Arabidopsis plants occurred mainly in intercellular space, while that from thanatin(S)-GFP transgenic plants was mainly detected in the cytoplasm and that from empty vector transgenic plants was distributed uniformly throughout the cell, demonstrating that Cht1 signal peptide functioned. In addition, thanatin(S) and thanatin(S)-FLAG chemically synthesized have both in vitro antimicrobial activities against P. syringae pv. tomato and B. cinerea. So, thanatin(S) is an ideal candidate AMPs for the construction of transgenic crops endowed with a broad-spectrum resistance to phytopathogens and the strategy is feasible to link a signal peptide to the target gene.     

The early extinction date of the beaver (Castor fiber) in Britain

This paper re-examines the evidence for the extinction of the beaver (Castor fiber) in South Britain and Scotland. Much of the evidence found by previous scholars is discounted as unreliable or outdated. A new study looks at reliable historical sources and studies references to the beaver in the context of references to comparable mammals, especially the most ecologically comparable [polecat (Mustela putorius), pine marten (Martes martes), otter (Lutra lutra) and badger (Meles meles)]. Each of these mammals was present in every period studied, meaning that medieval authors were reliable witnesses to the species' presence. The beaver is present in comparable numbers to the other mammals in South Britain 1188–1307 and in Scotland 1526–1600, meaning that as a species it was frequently recorded by humans. References to it cease after 1308 in South Britain, except a single anomalous entry, and after 1600 in Scotland. The idea that this reflects a sample bias or random chance is discounted. The paper rejects the late extinction scenario and concludes that the beaver became extinct by 1300 in South Britain and by 1600 in Scotland.     

Dog training as a violence prevention tool for at-risk adolescents

Abstract

Humane education programs often target at-risk children and seek to teach empathy and gentleness with animals, but few of these have been assessed. This prospective, longitudinal study examined the effects of “Teaching Love and Compassion” (TLC), a humane education program employing educational group discussions and dog training for seventh-grade, inner city youth in Los Angeles, California. The TLC program is offered to groups of 10 to 12 students during their three-week vacation at the year-round school. Students for the experimental and control groups were selected from the pool of those scoring below the 25th percentile in reading and mathematics. The study, conducted over a two-year period, assessed four successive sessions, comprising an experimental group of 41 children and a control group of 42 children. In morning sessions, the experimental group had discussions focusing on interpersonal issues and conflict management. In the afternoons they were taught the proper care and obedience training of shelter dogs. Pre-, post-, and follow-up tests, specially developed to accommodate the children's reading ability and scheduling constraints, were given to both the experimental and control groups to assess their knowledge of animal care, conflict management skills, attitudes toward self and others, and fear of dogs. Members of the experimental group increased their understanding of pet care and the needs of animals and retained this information more than did the control group for all four TLC sessions, both at post-testing (F=58.4, p=0.0001) and follow-up testing (F=18.9, p=0.0001). At post-testing, the experimental group showed a trend toward a decreased fear of dogs (F=3.6, p=0.062), that was significant at follow-up testing (F=4.2, p=0.019). For these children who are exposed to daily violence and aggression to people and animals, these modest changes were associated with the three-week intervention.     

Attitude to Animals and Empathy: Comparing Animal Protection and General Community Samples

ABSTRACT

Although a number of studies have examined a range of demographic and personality variables that may impact upon attitudes towards the treatment of non-human species, little consensus has been reached within the literature. The aim of the current study was to evaluate and assess levels of human-directed empathy and attitudes towards the treatment of animals in two diverse populations, namely the general community (n = 543) and those within the animal protection field (n = 389). Both groups of participants completed the Attitude Towards the Treatment of Animals Scale (AAS) and the Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a measure of human-directed empathy. Comparisons between the two samples indicated that those within the animal protection community scored more highly on both the animal attitude and human-directed empathy measures. Correlational analyses revealed a positive relation between AAS and IRI scores for both samples, whilst the strength of the correlation was greater for those within the animal protection sample. These findings are discussed.     

Personality,empathy and attitudes to animal welfare

Abstract

A total of 833 students completed a four-part questionnaire which measured demographic factors (sex, education, vegetarianism, religiousness), attitudes to animal experimentation, personality (Big Five) and empathy. Attitudes to animal experimentation factored into five interpretable factors, and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the extent to which demographic factors, personality and empathy predicted these. Sex, vegetarianism, Agreeableness, Openness, Extraversion and empathy were significant predictors of all these factors. Results showed an interpretable set of correlates that were similar to previous studies in the area. As with previous research findings, the measures used predicted only a small amount of variance with respect to attitudes to animals.     

Attitudes toward Animals among German Children and Adolescents

ABSTRACT

This is the first study about attitudes toward animals among German children and adolescents. A sample of 543 pupils (261 boys, 282 girls) aged 11 to 17 (mean age = 13.37 ± 2.01 years) completed a questionnaire based on different established scales, for example, the Animal Attitude Scale (AAS) and the Intermediate Attitude Scale (IAS). Several aspects of attitudes toward animals and various dimensions of human–animal relationships were measured, including gender, age, grade, pet ownership, animal-related activities, meat consumption, and fear of and disgust toward animals. Gender and age were important factors in determining attitudes toward animals: pro-animal attitudes decreased with age and girls showed more positive attitudes compared with boys. Pet ownership and animal-related activities were associated with more positive attitudes toward animals, whilst meat consumption was related to lower pro-animal attitudes. There were no correlations between fear and general attitudes toward animals. The correlations between disgust and attitudes toward animals were weak. We found significant correlations among the different scales and subscales in animal attitudes.     

Managing Insect Resistance to Plants Producing Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins

ABSTRACT:?

Insect-resistant transgenic plants have become an important tool for the protection of crops against insect pests. The acreage of insecticidal transgenic plants is expected to increase significantly in the near future. The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is currently the source of insecticidal proteins in commercial insect-resistant transgenic plants and will remain the most important source during the next decade. Insect resistance to B. thuringiensis Cry toxins is the main problem. Only one species, the diamondback moth, has evolved a resistance to B. thuringiensis-based formulations under field conditions. However, many other insect species were selected for resistance under laboratory conditions, indicating that there is a potential for evolution of resistance in most major pests. Many studies were conducted to elucidate the mode of action of the Cry toxins, the mechanisms and genetics of resistance, and the various factors influencing its development. This article reviews insect resistance to B. thuringiensis insecticidal proteins and related aspects, including the development of insect-resistant transgenic plants, B. thuringiensis toxins, their mode of action, mechanisms, stability, and genetics of resistance and management strategies for delaying resistance.